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MORE: Ryan Fagan analyzes this year’s first-rounders The Braves already are loaded with pitching prospects. They got Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis from the Angels in the Andrelton Simmons trade, drafted Kolby Allard and Mike Soroka in the first round last year, picked up Touki Toussaint from the Diamondbacks in the Bronson Arroyo salary dump deal, plucked Tyrell Jenkins from the Cardinals’ system in the Jason Heyward swap, added Manny Banuelos from the Yankees for David Carpenter, pried Max Fried from the Padres in the Justin Upton blockbuster and picked Lucas Sims in the first round back in 2012....

The Rangers made a potentially league-shifting move by signing ace Jacob deGrom to a five-year contract, adding a veteran presence to their already-impressive stable of pitching prospects. After deGrom, other major names remain on the board. Aaron Judge is the prize this offseason, and his saga will likely drag for a good portion of it. Justin Verlander and Carlos Correa are some of the other major names still available, with the former reportedly drawing interest from the likes of the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and of course Astros....

It was reasonable — with an optimistic slant — to think they could make the playoffs. The talent was on the 40-man roster, even though the roster was very young. But they did win 97 games, and they are in a great position heading into an offseason of possibility. FREE AGENCY: Who gets David Price? | Johnny Cueto’s options | Top 15 SPs So what will they do? The architects of 2015’s breakthrough, team president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer, have earned the full confidence of the fans, who are eager to see what will happen over the next couple of months....

No free agent had ever been retained by way of qualifying offer, which was created three years ago. A record 20 players received qualifying offers from their clubs this offseason, and several of them may accept before Friday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. MORE: Ranking the 25 best free agents | Ranking the top 11 FA outfielders Rasmus, 29, hit a career-high 25 home runs with the Astros last season to go with 61 RBIs and a ....

Miguel Cabrera’s 400th career home run and another moon shot by Giancarlo Stanton led the pack on a Saturday filled with offensive explosions. MORE: Miggy’s 400th | Mets explode for 10-run inning | Angels shut out Hamilton The Mets scored 10 runs in an inning that included two hits from starting pitcher Jacob deGrom. Brandon Crawford went bananas with six RBIs for the Giants. Alex Rodriguez went deep, again. And a pair of top prospects, Jace Anderson and Yasmany Tomas, hit their first career home runs....

There are six divisions between the AL and NL and after the first month of the season, one could make the case that four of those six divisions are led by surprise teams. MORE: Red Sox call up prospect | Yankees won’ give A-Rod bonus | AL MVP watch Who honestly thought the Astros would have a six-game lead over the Angels in the AL West? Or that the Mets would lead the Marlins in the NL East?...

MLB odds: Current Vegas lines One of the biggest uncertainties coming into the 2015 season for the defending AL champs was how they were going to replace ace James Shields, who signed with San Diego. But after just one start, there’s reason to believe Volquez may be able fill the role by giving quality innings. In his first start, Thursday against the White Sox, he allowed only one run and four hits over eight innings of a 4-1 win....

The overnight line at the South Point had Pittsburgh as a -115 favorite, but the roll that both the Pirates and Burnett are on has bettors siding with them and pushing their price to -122. The total is set at 6.5 OVER -120. MLB odds: Current baseball betting lines After getting swept at home in a two-game series against the Twins, who are now tied for first place in the AL Central, the Pirates have righted the ship with three-game home sweeps of the Mets and Marlins, outscoring their opponents 35-9....

Check The Linemakers on Sporting News’ odds page for current baseball lines from Las Vegas. Texas Rangers +127 (vs. Chicago White Sox)Nick Martinez vs Chris Sale The Rangers are in a good form and destroyed the White Sox last night 15-2. Even if it’s unlikely to see such a blowout today, the odds on the Rangers are way too good to pass. While Chris Sale is been in excellent form, Nick Martinez has been great for the Rangers as well and we expect him to deliver today as well....

With one out in the 13th inning of Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Friday, Josh Donaldson hit Keone Kela’s 0-1 pitch a long way. He just hit it foul. MORE: Best photos from the ALDS | Blue Jays World Series-bound? As the ball flew, and it was not instantly clear whether the ball would be a game-winning home run or Strike 2, Donaldson stood at the plate and raised his arm....

Kyle Schwarber is Babe Ruth. MORE: Top NLDS photos | Five takeaways from the Cubs’ clinching win If you watched Game 4 of the NLDS, you’d probably be more likely to believe the second statement to be true. Cubs slugger Schwarber absolutely crushed a fastball from Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist in the seventh inning, a jaw-dropping display of power that landed on top of the scoreboard in right field. Your browser does not support iframes....

It started with a ground ball by catcher Russell Martin, whose controversial error in the top of the inning allowed the Rangers to score the tiebreaking run. Error on shortstop Elvis Andrus. MORE: Most controversial calls in the postseason | Baseball’s five dumbest unwritten rules Kevin Pillar hit a ground ball to first base for what should have been a potential double play. Spiked throw, not handled by Andrus, error on Mitch Moreland....

“It’s the first game he’s ever pitched where, like the seventh game of the World Series, you lose, you’re out,” Collins said. “That’s a lot to ask of a kid that’s 23 years old, to go out there and have to pitch in that and against Bumgarner. He rose to the occasion. That’s why I think he’s going to be very special, because you can’t be a lot better when you’re challenged in these situations, and he did a great job....

One could even argue that the game offers fewer features than previous versions. This iteration of the long-running MLB The Show franchise doesn’t even allow users to import saves from previous years, a feature that’s been offered for several years previously. Those who purchase the game aren’t even going to be getting a free upgrade from the previous console generation to the current one. RELATED: MLB The Show 21 Stress Test Happening This Month...

RELATED: MLB The Show 22: Pitching Settings Guide Want to show off that cannon of an arm and have the opportunity to throw out runners tagging for third and home? Nobody gets opportunities for outfield assists like right fielders do and elites can show off their arm in the field and their skills at the dish to astound MLB The Show 22 gamers. Updated on July 18th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: This list first came out before the season started....

Imagine how giddy he’d look, though, if this potential modern realignment, coupled with expanded playoffs — something else that’s being discussed — is a hit within baseball and becomes permanent? Let’s go through some of the reasons this plan makes sense as more than just a one-year wonder: Better rivalries Selig’s 1997 proposal, introduced as part of negotiations related to the 1998 expansion, included four regional divisions rather than the three reportedly being discussed now, but the team groupings were largely the same....

That honor could go to Red Sox closer Koji Uehara. Think about it. The Red Sox are in last place in the AL East entering Wednesday. Uehara, 39, is set to become a free agent this winter and unlikely to be part of Boston’s long-term plans. To top it off, he’s having another spectacular season (even if the Red Sox aren’t) and would be a great addition to any contender’s bullpen....

The Rays traded for Nelson Cruz and traded away Rich Hill. The Padres traded for Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier. The Braves dealt for Joc Pederson. On Tuesday afternoon, the Pirates and Phillies sent Tyler Anderson from one end of Pennsylvania to the other. MORE: Why Max Scherzer’s contract makes him an attractive trade target Instead of just ranking every player who could potentially be dealt over the next few days, let’s look at a few specific categories and figure out which players best fit those categories....

Price, 28, still has two seasons left before he can become a free agent, so the small-market Rays are likely to move the 2012 AL Cy Young winner now to get maximum return. So what team is likely to end up with the three-time All-Star? Here is the latest scuttlebutt: • The Los Angeles Angels, in need of starting pitching after a disappointing 2013 (they were fifth worst in the AL in terms of runs allowed and ERA), could be a good fit....

Even in these days of woeful pitching, would a blubbery 41-year-old right-hander be an enticing trade target? The New York Mets hope so, because they’d love to unload him. Trouble is, Colon’s contract is as bloated as he is. The Mets signed him to a two-year, $20 million deal last winter. He entered Wednesday’s game with ugly numbers, an 8-8 record and a 4.12 ERA. Interest in Colon started earlier this month....