Mike Gianakos Articles - Page 41

As the MLB trade deadline approaches, the New York Mets are one of several teams without a clear plan for either buying or selling. The team’s most recent acquisition points to a strategy of making smaller depth moves at the deadline as opposed to big blockbuster trades. In an apparent attempt to shore up outfield […]

With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, it remains to be seen how active contending teams will be come July 30. As front offices around the league decide whether to buy or sell – or land somewhere in between – the organizations’ actions are ultimately out of the players’ control. When asked how the team […]

As the Seattle Mariners fight to stay atop the AL West the team placed struggling veteran Ty France on outright waivers Sunday. The move in the lead up to the MLB trade deadline creates a vacancy at first base that the Mariners hope to fill via trade. Despite being waived by Seattle, France had positive […]

After playing 101 games of the 2024 season, the Chicago Cubs are 10 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. That appears to be an insurmountable deficit. However, the Cubs are just 3.5 games back in the National League Wild Card standings. Of course, the NL Wild Card race is a bit […]

It didn’t take very long for ex-Royals relief pitcher Nick Anderson to find a new home. After being released by Kansas City and clearing waivers Anderson simply waited for a reliever-needy team to snap him up. A few hours later, the Los Angeles Dodgers did just that, agreeing to terms with the 33-year-old righty, according […]

It’s been a disappointing season so far for the defending champion Texas Rangers. At five games below .500 entering play on Saturday, the team is five games out of first place in the AL West and 7.5 games back in the Wild Card hunt. Despite their struggles, the Rangers don’t appear ready to concede the […]

With the MLB trade deadline fast approaching, every transaction is magnified as every move could have an impact on the outcome of the season. While teams attempt to build the best possible roster for a playoff push and postseason run, potentially impactful players can find themselves casualties of the inevitable churn. Pitcher Nick Anderson is […]

There hasn’t been much to cheer about for Oakland Athletics’ fans in 2024. The team is 24 games under .500 and 15 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League’s weakest division. The A’s entered the All-Star break with the fourth-worst record in baseball and are 17.5 games back in the Wild Card race. […]

The Minnesota Twins entered the All-Star break 12 games above .500 and 4.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. If the season ended today, the team would qualify for the playoffs with the second American League Wild Card berth. The Twins have won 13 of their last 20 games with a […]

The Astros entered June an ugly eight games under .500 and staring into the abyss of a rare lost season for the club. Since then however, the team has battled back into the division race. Houston got hot at the right time and went 25-13 from June 1 through the All-Star break. The Astros’ 17-8 […]

The Tampa Bay Rays entered the All-Star break with a 48-48 record. If the team played in the AL West, they’d only be a few games out of first. However, in the highly competitive AL East, the Rays sit 10 games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles. The Rays are only 5.5 games back in the […]

As the MLB trade deadline approaches, contending teams are targeting players they hope can fix problem areas in their lineups or rotations. Adding power, starting pitching or bullpen help through a mid-season acquisition could be the key to a strong second-half and a deep playoff run. The AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles and the NL West-leading […]

Aaron Judge is having another monster season for the New York Yankees. The centerfielder leads MLB in home runs, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and WAR. So it’s no great surprise the Yankees’ slugger made his fourth-straight All-Star game and the sixth of his career. Prior to the start of the Midsummer Classic, […]

The 2024 Home Run Derby featured a dramatic final round between Los Angeles Dodgers’ slugger Teoscar Hernandez and star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals. The tension slowly built during Witt Jr.’s final swings of the evening as he closed the distance in the competition but ultimately fell one home run short […]

The St. Louis Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise this season. Entering the All-Star break four games above .500 and just 4.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, the Cardinals are still in the thick of the division race. Once expected to be MLB trade deadline sellers, St. Louis currently holds the […]

The Home Run Derby no longer consistently draws the best sluggers in baseball. While there are obvious exceptions like Pete Alonso, it seems that blowing off the competition is as much a rite of passage for the modern MLB superstar as making an appearance. The game’s top home run hitters in 2024, Aaron Judge and […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost in gut-wrenching fashion to the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a three-game series at Comerica Park Saturday. The Dodgers took a 9-4 lead into the ninth inning but couldn’t close things out as the Tigers came storming all the way back with five runs in the bottom of […]

The Philadelphia Phillies will send an MLB-best eight players to the 2024 All-Star game. Fan’s selected Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm to start in the exhibition, marking the first time in 42 years the Phillies sent three starters to the All-Star game. When MLB announced the pitchers selected to participate in the Midsummer […]

The Toronto Blue Jays have remained tight-lipped about the club’s intentions at the MLB trade deadline. While the organization is taking an open-minded approach, preparing to pivot their trade deadline strategy based on how the team performs leading up to July 30, it seems likely that the Blue Jays will be open to parting with […]

The Detroit Tigers are slogging through another lost season. At five games under .500 the team is 14 games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. The Tigers are 6.5 games back in the American League Wild Card race with four teams ahead of them for the final spot. Since 2015 the Tigers have […]

The Colorado Rockies are having yet another abysmal season. At 27 games under .500 the team has sunk to 22 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and 14.5 games back in the National League Wild Card race. Entering 2024, the Rockies had five straight losing seasons and the team is actually […]

As the MLB trade deadline nears, some teams are still determining whether they’ll be buying or selling. The Toronto Blue Jays find themselves in the position of needing to decide if there’s any hope of making the postseason this year. If not, what will the Blue Jays do with their many attractive trade pieces? Toronto […]

The New York Yankees got off to a hot start this season with Aaron Judge and new acquisition Juan Soto driving the offense. As the season wore on, however, the Yankees cooled off and the Baltimore Orioles managed to overtake them in the AL East. Still a top-five overall team by record, New York is […]

As the MLB trade deadline approaches, the Tampa Bay Rays have fallen under .500 in a highly competitive division. After losing three straight the team is now 13 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The Rays are still in the Wild Card hunt at 5.5 games back. However, it’s a crowded field. […]

The Minnesota Twins are a deceptively talented team. While they’re not anybody’s first thought as a contender this year, the Twins have a realistic path to the postseason. A strong second half push could lead to Minnesota’s fifth playoff appearance in eight years. And adding at the MLB trade deadline gives the team a legit […]

The Seattle Mariners haven’t had a great deal of postseason success of late, having made the playoffs once in the last 22 years. But the team is in a good spot with its starting rotation anchored by Logan Gilbert. Now, Gilbert’s hard work for the Mariners has earned the young pitcher his first MLB All-Star […]

The Philadelphia Phillies have the most wins in the majors as the team sits in first place in the National League East with a comfortable 10-game lead over the Atlanta Braves heading into Saturday night’s matchup. Despite the gut punch of losing both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber to the injured list on the same […]

The Philadelphia Phillies are in first place in the National League East with a 10-game lead over the Atlanta Braves. The team has the best record in baseball and boasts an elite mix of pitching and hitting. However, the Phillies took a significant hit when both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber landed on the 10-day […]

If the season ended today, the Seattle Mariners would win the AL West and make their second postseason in three years. Of course, the season doesn’t end today and the Mariners have 73 more games to play. That’s a long time to stay afloat on the strength of an excellent starting rotation with a dearth […]

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jose Cuas made history Wednesday night. Although it’s the kind of historic moment he’d rather be forgotten. Facing the Houston Astros, Cuas took the mound in a 3-2 game in the seventh hoping to get out of the inning with the Blue Jays only down a run. The righty reliever was […]

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in baseball, sporting a .659 winning percentage and a comfortable nine game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. So it’s no surprise that the team has its share of All-Star caliber players. But the Phillies have done something truly special for the 2024 MLB All-Star […]

Philadelphia sports radio mainstay Howard Eskin was banned from Citizens Bank Park, home to the Philadelphia Phillies, following an allegation of inappropriate behavior. Eskin was accused of making an unwanted advance on an employee at the ballpark in May. A female employee of Aramark accused the longtime Phillies broadcaster of laying an “unwelcome kiss” on […]

The Detroit Tigers approach the MLB trade deadline as obvious sellers. Having last made the postseason in 2014, the Tigers are in a familiar position this July. Selling certain players, particularly ones on expiring contracts, is the clear and easy option. Yet the organization’s future success will hinge as much on what they get in […]

As the MLB trade deadline nears, the Seattle Mariners appear to be buyers interested in improving their stagnant offense as they cling to a division lead. One potential fix for the team come July 30 is adding Paul Goldschmidt in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mariners are now the betting favorites to […]

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez to a multi-year deal after the 2023 season. However, the team has yet to see him take the mound. Rodriguez hurt his shoulder in a spring training game with the Diamondbacks and started the 2024 season on the injured list. He was moved to the 60-day injured list […]

The Miami Marlins are slogging through a brutal summer. With a 30-54 record, the team is currently 25 games out of first place in the NL East and 13.5 back in a National League Wild Card race that just about every team seems to be in the thick of aside from Miami and the Colorado […]

Toronto Blue Jays star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will miss the team’s opener against the Houston Astros due to soreness in his right hand. Guerrero Jr. took a 97 mph Gerrit Cole fastball off his fingers during the Blue Jays 8-1 loss to the New York Yankees Sunday night. The slugger was scratched from […]

Fans in Atlanta were treated to a bit of baseball history as visiting Pittsburgh Pirates flamethrower Aroldis Chapman broke the all-time strikeout record for left-handed relief pitchers. Chapman fanned two batters in the bottom of the ninth to earn career strikeout number 1,197, the team announced. Chapman is with his sixth team in 15 years […]

As the MLB trade deadline approaches and teams decide if they’re buying or selling, star players on disappointing clubs are being targeted by contenders looking to make a second half push into the postseason. The Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr. is one of the hottest commodities expected to be on the market, and the […]