MLB Articles - Page 890

After winning two straight NL East division titles in 2016 and 2017, the Washington Nationals bottomed out in 2018. A combination of injuries and a weak pitching staff saw the Nats finish with an 82-80 record, a 15-win decrease from the year before. By season’s end, Daniel Murphy and franchise mainstay Gio Gonzalez were both […]

In a top-heavy division, the Houston Astros have been the dominating team in a five-team race that has left the likes of the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners in the dust, needing a big rebuild to climb back into contention. After pushing the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, the Astros eventually fell […]

Mike Trout has established himself unequivocally as the best player in baseball. While the 27-year-old centerfielder has pair of MVPs and a Rookie of the Year Award on his resume, consider this tidbit: Trout has the highest fWAR (64.0) between 2012 and 2018. The next closest? Josh Donaldson, at… 36.8 fWAR. In other words, Trout […]

Life in the MLB is an absolute grind. Playing 162 games year after year and traveling all over the country can take their toll on any player. From slumps to injuries and everything in between, the game can challenge even the most physically and mentally gifted athletes. But perhaps nothing is more satisfying than a […]

The MLB is always looking to create a bridge from generation to generation, and through the next wave of minor league prospects, that torch is passed down. Through adding an influx of talent on a yearly basis, that is what makes baseball such an enjoyable sport to watch. With the likes of Max Scherzer, Clayton […]

For months on end, the main questions of this MLB offseason pertained to two 26-year-old stars: Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. Where would they sign? How much would they sign for? Could one of these megastars be the first $400 milli0n man in big league history? When the dust settled, Machado signed a 10-year, $300 […]

After falling one game short of making the World Series in 2018, the up-start Milwaukee Brewers look to be just as solid, if not more proven to make their first bid into the Fall Classic since 1982 during the upcoming 2019 campaign. For a team much further ahead of its expected curve of progression, the […]

Mariano Rivera is–without a doubt–the greatest relief pitcher in the history of baseball. But, a young, up-and-coming St. Louis Cardinals flamethrower in Jordan Hicks has the potential to give him a run for his money. The legendary New York Yankees closers finished his career with the most regular season saves (652) and postseason saves (42) in […]

The Los Angeles Angels enter the 2019 Major League Baseball season with a white elephant in the room. That white elephant got bigger when the San Diego Padres signed Manny Machado to a 10-year, $300 million deal. Days later, Bryce Harper agreed to his 13-year, $330 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Two megastars, two […]

The Bryce Harper sweepstakes came to a close when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies late last week. Nearly everyone across Major League Baseball expected him to sign a $300 million deal, despite reports that teams were looking at short-term contracts. The biggest surprise came with the Phillies’ 13-year commitment. The Phillies signed Harper to […]

Coming off a season that resulted in yet another World Series championship earned, the Boston Red Sox do not have that many areas that need to be improved. However, their bullpen, after inevitably losing Craig Kimbrel (even though he still remains unsigned) will need to reshuffle and figure out who will slot in at the […]

As a mainstay on the major league roster for the Chicago Cubs since 2012, first baseman Anthony Rizzo has become a franchise cornerstone over the years, belting out long home runs and making great plays at first. A consistent offensive threat for the Cubbies, Rizzo is what consistent looks like in terms of production at […]

The San Diego Padres shocked the baseball world when they agreed in principle to a record 10-year, $300 million contract with superstar infielder Manny Machado. The 26-year-old also received an eight-year, $250 million offer from the Chicago White Sox, but instead went for the additional two years with guaranteed money. Machado has hit at least […]

New York Yankees ace Luis Severino was scratched from his scheduled Spring Training debut on Tuesday afternoon with right shoulder inflammation, and manager Aaron Boone said he is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day. https://twitter.com/MarlyRiveraESPN/status/1103037404460580864 Severino dealt with a strained tricep injury in 2016, but he has been mostly healthy for the past two […]

Bryce Harper only just signed with the Philadelphia Phillies five days ago, but already, he is making his pitch for Angels superstar Mike Trout to join him in the City of Brotherly Love when Trout becomes a free agent after the 2020 season. While appearing on 94WIP, an FM radio station in Philly, Harper explicitly […]

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez injured his UCL joint and may need Tommy John surgery, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN: Brutal break for the Royals: Salvador Perez has an injured UCL and is visiting Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Typically, patients who seek out second opinions at Kerlan-Jobe have torn UCLs and need Tommy John […]

The Chicago Cubs have won 387 games in the past four years, more than any other team in baseball. The team made three straight NLCS appearances between 2015-17. And in 2016, the Cubs snapped a 108-year title drought. But despite winning 95 games in 2018, the Cubs withered in September, going 16-12 and losing two […]

The New York Yankees won 100 games last season. What did that get them? Merely a Wild Card berth and a first-round exit courtesy of the Boston Red Sox, a team that will go down as one of the greatest ever in baseball history. It might be easy to write New York’s season up as […]

Now that all the speculation is over and the dust has settled, we finally know where Bryce Harper will be playing baseball this season: in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. The Phillies have had one of the busiest offseasons of any organization in the bigs, but signing Harper is most certainly the cherry on […]

Bryce Harper hasn’t wasted any time, and Le’Veon Bell might have taken notice. On Thursday, the Philadelphia Phillies and Harper agreed to a record 13-year, $330 million contract. As Harper settles in Philly, he is trying to recruit a big-name NFL free agent to join the Philadelphia Eagles: Le’Veon Bell is on his radar screen. […]

After Bryce Harper agreed to a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon, new teammate Jake Arrieta took to social media to welcome Harper to the club in rather humorous fashion: https://www.instagram.com/p/BucFApIgeDd/ Arrieta appears to be donning a Speedo as he sweeps the floor in what has to be one […]

After months of buildup and anticipation, multiple teams seemingly “in” or “out” and a whole lot of drama between the MLB and the Player’s Association, Bryce Harper has finally found a team in the Philadelphia Phillies. The former Washington Nationals star reached a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies on Thursday afternoon, breaking the […]

At long last, the Bryce Harper saga is over. Despite appearing to lose ground in the Harper sweepstakes in recent days, the Philadelphia Phillies reached an agreement with the 26-year-old slugger on a 13-year, $330 million deal that includes a full no-trade clause and no opt-outs. The news was first reported by Jon Heyman of […]

In a division that has been mostly dominated by one team as of late, the American League Central has the potential to become a much more interesting race in 2019, simply due to the ever-evolving dynamic of an arms race across the league. Money drives business, and that rings true in the Majors as well, […]

The division that represented the National League in the 2018 World Series, the NL West has a ton of firepower in it, even before the announced signing of Manny Machado with the San Diego Padres. Bringing an influx of talent into this division and to a team that is not named the Los Angeles Dodgers […]

After ranking as one of the best prospects in all of Major League Baseball for multiple years, Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez burst onto the primetime stage during the 2016 playoffs. The combination of promise Baez has shown with the glove and the bat has paid off in strides, as he first electrified Cubs fans […]

Coming off a magical season that ended with another World Series title for the franchise, the Boston Red Sox have visions of a repeat on their minds going into Spring Training in 2019. Coming off a championship victory, there are surprising moves that can make or break clubs in their first season post-championship. Riding on […]

The top of the American League East featured a pair of teams in the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees that won over 100 games in 2018, including three AL East teams that won at least 90 games. The Red Sox won a franchise record 108 games and defeated the Yankees in the ALDS […]

As Spring Training has sprung and the list of MLB free agents still on the market continues to shrink, Bryce Harper remains unsigned, and while the Philadelphia Phillies have been the frontrunner for awhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers have re-entered the conversation. Harper’s courtship has been a persistent saga since early November, when the Washington […]

Colorado Rockies superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado has agreed to an eight-year extension with the club, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan: BREAKING: Third baseman Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies are finalizing an eight-year, contract extension worth more than $255M, league sources tell ESPN. Deal includes an opt-out after three years, would give Arenado the […]

The National League East saw a new champion in 2018, as the Atlanta Braves arrived to contention sooner than anticipated to snatch the crown from the Washington Nationals. Consequently, the teams in the division have been among the most active in the big leagues this offseason. The New York Mets drew first blood by acquiring […]

In one of their franchise’s best seasons since moving from the National League Central to the American League West, the Houston Astros put up a valiant effort in the playoffs last season, falling to the eventual World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox. While seeing how close the team was to making that next step, […]

Finally, one of the big-name players in the 2018-19 free agent class has found a team. ESPN’s Jeff Passan is reporting that superstar infielder Manny Machado has reached an agreement to join the San Diego Padres. BREAKING: Free agent star Manny Machado has agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres, league sources tell […]

Widely seen as the league’s best division coming into 2019, the National League Central is going to be an absolute treat to watch this season, as three teams have a real chance at not only making the playoffs but all making some noise. Whoever wins this division should immediately jump to the top of the […]

Despite possessing the best player in the MLB in Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels have floundered to consecutive 80-82 finishes. The franchise has been somewhat hamstrung in adding talent due to lucrative contracts that were handed out to Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. Additionally, Bleacher Report ranked the Angels as having the 22nd-best farm […]

After a third straight year of missing the postseason, 2019 could be the season in which the St. Louis Cardinals finally make it back to October. The Redbirds made two of the biggest transactions of the offseason, trading for superstar first baseman Paul Goldschmidt while also inking reliever Andrew Miller to a contract in free […]

Last season, the Boston Red Sox set a club record with 108 wins and were the best team in the MLB from wire-to-wire, losing just two games in the postseason on their way to the ninth World Series title in franchise history. No team has repeated as a World Series champion since the Yankees dynasty […]

In a year that will most likely want to be forgotten by both the fan base and the franchise, the Chicago Cubs endured through many hills and valleys to eventually fall in the Wild Card round of the 2018 MLB playoffs. While pitching durability and the lack of clutch offensive hitting impacted the team and […]

The Milwaukee Brewers are bringing back third baseman Mike Moustakas on a one-year deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Moustakas was dealt from the Kansas City Royals to the Brewers just before last year’s trade deadline, appearing in 54 games for Milwaukee and delivering a walk-off single in Game 1 of the NLDS against […]