Kuzul

With the 2012 MLB draft fast approaching, now is a good time to take a look at some of the talented prospects available this year. While the draft may not be as strong as the 2011 draft, there is certainly talent to be had with the 21st pick.  This article previews four players that may be around when it is time for the Atlanta Braves to make their pick. These players may or may not be selected by the front office, but they are guys that I feel would be a good fit for the organization.Begin Slideshow

Talk about a good walk spoiled. Brian Fuentes gave up a two out, three-run home run to former Oakland slugger Josh Willingham and the A's lost their seventh straight game, 3-2 in Minnesota. Fuentes took the loss, giving up all three runs on two hits and a walk. The blown save negated a solid start by Jarrod Parker, who went six shutout innings and was staked to a 1-0 lead when Colin Cowgill singled in the first run of the game in the seventh inning. Coco Crisp, who has been mired in an awful hitting slump, went 2-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice and his eighth inning RBI single appeared to be insurance as the A's lead 2-0. But the win and ultimately the game both slipped away.Fuentes began the ninth by allowing a single to Jamey Carroll and walking Denard Span. After Ben Revere's attempted sacrifice was bunted back ...

Josh Willingham hit 29 home runs for the Oakland A's in 2011. Tuesday night he hit a walk-off home run for the Minnesota Twins that defeated the A's.It was a pitchers duel for most of the night but in the seventh inning, the Oakland A's looked like they might pull off the victory after they broke through for a run and followed it up in the eighth inning with another run.The Twins were shut out for eight innings and broke out in the ninth to defeat the A's 3-2.Brian Fuentes came in to close the game for Oakland and allowed a single to the first batter he faced. He walked the next batter, Denard Span, but was then able to get two outs before he had to face Willingham.With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and trailing 2-0, Willingham smashed a three-run walk-off home run to hand the ...

Well, you can now add Dustin Pedroia to the growing list of injured Boston Red Sox players.On the Memorial Day matchup against the Detroit Tigers, Pedroia exited the game after making a diving catch. Pedroia was held out of tonight's game against the Tigers with a jammed left thumb, according to the Boston Globe's Michael Vega.According to the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo, the Red Sox are still unsure of what to do with the sidelined second baseman. Pedroia torn abductor muscle in thumb. Hopes to play through with splint and avoid DL. Team is still discussing DL. — Nick Cafardo (@nickcafardo) May 30, 2012 Losing Pedroia is a huge blow to the Red Sox, as they don't really have a true second baseman to replace him in the field or in the lineup.Here are five potential replacements during Pedroia's absence, whether it be short term or long term. Note: All statistics are through May ...

The Philadelphia Phillies (26-25) are no longer contenders in the NL East after learning that Roy Halladay will miss 6-8 weeks with a strained right latissimus dorsi.Halladay leads the National League in wins (44), innings pitched (556.2) and complete games (17) since being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 2010 season. It will be impossible to replace that lost production.Re-signing 34-year-old Roy Oswalt would have been a major consolation. However, that opportunity passed when he officially agreed to a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.Conveniently, second-year stud Vance Worley feels pain-free as he recovers from elbow inflammation. Still, his return won't be enough to salvage the club's dwindling playoffs hopes.Minus Halladay, Kyle Kendrick becomes a fixture on the starting staff. Fans shouldn't be too excited about his recent performance. A lack of swing-and-miss stuff won't allow him to keep dominating.Manager Charlie Manuel simply doesn't have enough offensive talent on ...

Unless you gave up on the Reds after their 4-8 start, you are well aware that this team has hit a stride.Not only have we seen the usual heroes like Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce, we're also starting to also see a bit of a youth movement.Devin Mesoraco has found a little pop in his bat and young guys in the pen like JJ Hoover are joining in on the fun, but the one name who stands out over all these young men is third baseman Todd Frazier.Frazier, who has earned the nickname "The Toddfather," is on a roll and fits in very well with this Reds team. With the injuries to Scott Rolen and Miguel Cairo, Frazier has gotten his opportunity and has run with it for miles.The issue at hand is when or if Rolen returns to Cincinnati, how does Reds manager Dusty Baker use these ...

Dominic Brown- Untouchable.  Jake Diekman- Off the radar.As the Phillies try for a sixth consecutive NL Eastern Division crown, it's obvious this season will be more challenging than the previous divisional crowns.  Injuries and age are taking their toll on this core and the latest blow, a shoulder strain to ace Roy Halladay might be too much to overcome.The Phillies aren't the only team to battle injuries this season, and most franchises dip into their minors for help.  Seeing that some of the bigger surprises this season have been Freddy Galvis and Jake Diekman, it makes you wonder if the brass of the Phillies know what they are doing when evaluating talent.A couple of outfielders were deemed untouchable midway through the 2009 season when the Phils went shopping for a pitcher.  Those two were Dominic Brown and Michael Taylor.Taylor, 6'5 255 lbs was a 5th round draft pick in 2007.  ...

Umpiring just seems to be getting worse throughout Major League Baseball. It feels like we could devote at least one post per day to a blown call, some of which are botched so badly that it's simply an embarrassment to the sport.Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland has seen all he can stand, blowing up after Monday's loss to the Boston Red Sox. The Tigers lost the game in large part because of a blown third strike call by home plate umpire Bill Welke. Consequently, instead of getting out of the inning, Detroit went on to allow three runs. In what seemed like a measured, calculated rant, Leyland called upon the media to write more about these terrible calls.“I mean, you guys need to write something and hold people accountable!” Leyland said to reporters after the game. “You know what? We’re all accountable in this business! All of us are accountable! ...

The city of Los Angeles can go back to spinning. After spending a couple weeks on the disabled list with a bad hamstring, Los Angeles Dodgers star centerfielder Matt Kemp will be making his return on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.The Dodgers did pretty well in Kemp's absence, but he'll be a sight for sore eyes anyway. At the time he went on the DL, Kemp was hitting .359 with 12 home runs. He was batting over .400 as late as May 8.If Kemp picks up right where he left off, the good people of Southern California are going to get to see something that they haven't gotten to see yet: Matt Kemp and Albert Pujols both playing well at the same time.I won't go so far as to say that the two of them are joined at the hip, but they're without a doubt the two biggest baseball ...

It is getting to the point of the year where MLB trade rumors are starting to pick up and more and more players are getting mentioned as possible trade candidates.Most of the players that are mentioned in trade rumors will not be going anywhere, but their names will come up over and over again during the course of the next few months.This article will debunk some of the trade rumors that are out there and let you know which trade talk you should not buy into.Begin Slideshow