Fan News

It really is crazy.

In a division that features a 20 game winner (CC Sabathia), a Cy Young winner (Josh Beckett), and the 2008 ALCS MVP (Matt Garza), it's the kids who have been making the most noise.

Where would the New York Yankees be this year without Phil Hughes?

Where would the Boston Red Sox be without Clay Buchholz?

Where would the Tampa Bay Rays be without David Price?

These three pitchers have stepped up when their teams needed them the most—and not just that.

They've also been really, really, really good.

Their success is not surprising.

As usual, there have been a lot of rumors that continue to swirl around the Yankees as the trade deadline approaches in July.

However, the Yankees might not have to trade anything to add depth to their bench because there are some very talented free agents available that could get the job done just as easily as somebody the Yankees could trade for.

This is also a better option, due to the fact that the Yankees wouldn't have to give up any prospects, and some of the players out there might be cheaper than picking up the contract of a traded player.

So where are the Washington Nationals headed?

Just a couple of months ago, the team was five games over .500 and seemed both ready and able to remain competitive until Stephen Strasburg joined the squad and Jason Marquis, Chien-Ming Wang, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler regained their health.

The Nationals could then move some of their surplus starters into the bullpen and trade away the rest for players who could plug some of the holes on the 25-man roster.

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is a month away and already teams are getting themselves in position to acquire a big talent that can help push their team to the postseason.

Often times the object of a team's desire is a player who will be on the free agent market the following fall. Those trades are especially risky given all the factors that go into the deal. There are are examples of the rental deals working out (Carlos Beltran to the Astros), but the team must take a calculated risk.

The Tampa Bay Rays are having an identity crisis.

During baseball's first six weeks, no team was hotter. Now during the last six weeks, very few teams have been colder.

As it stands, the Rays have fallen from first to third in the AL East. But thanks to their hot start, only three games separate them from the top.

Still, what happens if this free fall doesn't stop in the next two weeks?

Could the Rays become sellers instead of buyers by the time the July 31st trading deadline rolls around?

Rays general manager Andrew Friedman could be shrewd enough to try to pull it off.

How tall do you have to be to ride the rides at the ballpark? Being tall doesn't hurt, but it is certainly no requirement.

In 1999 and 2000, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson had the honor of standing next to each other as they accepted their Cy Young Award trophies. The vision of the two of them standing together conjured notions of some big time Texas rancher, and the little latino boy he hired to help clear the brush.

But more to the point, Pedro and Randy stood in direct contrast to one another: Randy was there to remind everyone that taller is better with major league pitchers.

By now, it is pretty much agreed upon that Randy Johnson is one of the top five pitchers in the last 20 years and one of the greatest lefties of all time. He is an individual that I loved watching take the mound and intimidate hitters like hardly any other pitcher during what has become known as the Steroid Era. 

Through his years in the minor leagues, San Diego Padres officials were excited about young Kyle Blanks.

He was a monster of a young man, could hit the longest home runs, but could do something that a whole lot of people wouldn't expect from someone his size, he was fast.

Coming into his first major league season in 2009, the Padres had high hopes for Blanks and what he brought to the lineup. They were hoping that having someone of his size and talent would provide some form of protection in the lineup for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Are you hurting in the run category? Here are some reasonably available players that can help you out.