MLB News and Notes: Best from around the FanSided network
Awards watch, history, trade rumors, mock draft and other MLB news and notes from around the FanSided network.
Two down, four to go. As we turn the calendar from May to June, we are now one-third of the way through the 2017 baseball season. The MLB Draft is right around the corner, and the All-Star Game and trade deadline are on the horizon.
As a result, in addition to the day-to-day insight and analysis of individual player performance, managerial decisions and roster moves, the FanSided baseball network is jam-packed with MLB news and notes featuring trade rumors and mock drafts, with some historical context sprinkled in.
Of course, the beginning of the month is a great time to step back and take a look at the big picture. Mike Trout appeared to be on a collision course with his third AL MVP Award, but unfortunately his thumb collided with second base instead and he’ll miss two months after surgery. Though Trout is No. 1 in the AL on the most recent FanSided MVP Award watch, a surprising group of challengers will have an opportunity to catch him – including a couple of Twins. Seriously.
Speaking of the Twins, Ervins Santana has been pitching like a Cy Young Award candidate over the past two months, but he’ll have to beat out former winner Dallas Keuchel. In the NL, Clayton Kershaw is always a threat to win the hardware, but Mike Leake (yep, Mike Leake) has the inside track as of June 1.
However, Leake would need to pitch a Hall of Famer over the next four months to beat Kershaw’s 2014 performance, which is one of the 25 best seasons in MLB history. Chances are the Cardinals right-hander has already locked up a spot on the NL All-Star team – and he’s officially a member of the 2017 All-Nobody All-Star squad at Call to the Pen.
MLB news and notes from the FanSided network
Elsewhere on the network, trade talk is heating up. Cubbies Crib explored the pitching help that might be available this summer, and though Chris Archer is a name on nearly everyone’s list, the Rays may actually be looking to upgrade at the trade deadline, not sell, according to Rays Colored Glasses. The team at Puckett’s Pond attempted to gain some insight on the current front office’s plans by looking back at the moves the new regime made in their previous roles with other clubs.
There’s no mystery surrounding the White Sox summer plans, even the club’s GM acknowledged Chicago plans to sell, as South Side Showdown noted. The Mariners and Padres are likely to be in the same boat, and each has a reliever contenders may covet. Sodo Mojo thinks the Cardinals would be a good fit for Seattle’s Nick Vincent, while District on Deck thinks the Nationals are a good fit for lefty Brad Hand, which would be a good move for San Diego since, as Friars on Base wrote, there are a few ares of the Padres roster crying out for improvement.
On that note, bullpens are driving fans crazy all across baseball. Around the Foghorn thinks the Giants have a Hunter Strickland problem. Fernando Rodney’s troubles this season have Diamondbacks fans looking into the minor leagues for future closers, and Venom Strikes explored some of the options. Redbird Rants has a plan for the Cardinals.
But on a more positive note, the Tomahawk Take explained the Braves bullpen is moving in the right direction. A former Brave, Mike Minor, might have the stuff to evolve into an Andrew Miller-like relief ace, according to Kings of Kauffman. In Anaheim, Bud Norris has made a similar leap from forgotten starter to dominant reliever, and Halo Hangout graded Norris’ impact on the club so far.
Dodgers Way also gave out grades recently, as did White Cleat Beat. Jays Journal made the case that Justin Smoak and Jose Bautista have outplayed departed slugger Edwin Encarnacion this season. Nolan Writin’ pondered whether it’s time to worry about Rougned Odor, and Rum Bunter expects Nick Kingham will be a factor in the Pirates starting rotation soon.
Other sites are looking to the future as well. That Ball’s Outta Here took a look at why certain Phillies prospects haven’t yet gotten the call to join the club in Philadelphia, while BoSox Injection noted some of the productive minor leaguers in the Boston farm system.
With the draft fewer than two weeks away, Call to the Pen updated its mock. Wahoo’s on First took a look back at the best first round picks in Cleveland draft history. Don’t forget about the international free agent market, which includes a prospect some have called the “next Manny Machado.” The Reds are interested, according to Blog Red Machine.
As for the rest of the network, the Rockies are off to a great start this year, which spurred Rox Pile to recount the greatest individual seasons in franchise history. As Climbing Tal’s Hill pointed out, the Astros had a comeback for the ages earlier in the week.
It’s been a two-month roller coaster for fans across the big leagues. Rising Apple shared the ways in which the season has worn down Mets fans, while Motor City Bengals explained the Tigers are hard to watch right now. Jays Journal noted the Blue Jays bandwagon is filling up again, and Yanks Go Yard argued the Yankees may have lost games, but they’ve yet to be beaten in 2017. The Marlins have suffered their share of losses, but Marlins Maniac has a 30-day plan to make Miami a factor in the National League.
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