Kuzul

The trade of the summer ended up taking place after the trade deadline.  UPDATE: Saturday, August 25 at 5:15 p.m. ET by Ben ChodosThe Los Angeles Dodgers and Major League Baseball have have both confirmed the trade via Twitter, and the deal that was all but done is now simply done. OFFICIAL: @dodgers today acquired Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto and cash from the Boston Red Sox.— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 25, 2012 BLOCKBUSTER OFFICIAL: @dodgers acquire Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto from @redsox for 5-player package.— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2012 All the necessary paperwork and technicalities are out of the way, and this massive transaction is now part of baseball history.----End of Update---- In a blockbuster of epic proportions, the Boston Red Sox are sending Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for ...

Maybe the Mayans were right after all. How else could you explain the Pittsburgh Pirates trading for players? On Tuesday night, they acquired Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros in exchange for three minor leaguers, as MLB’s official Twitter feed confirmed: BREAKING: @Pirates acquire LHP Wandy Rodriguez from @Astros for LHP Rudy Owens, OF Robbie Grossman and LHP Colton Cain.— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2012 Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Astros will pay “some” of the $30 million left on Rodriguez’s deal, which runs through the 2014 season. The 33-year-old has accumulated a 7-9 record with a 3.79 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and .260 BAA in 130.2 innings pitched this season. The Pirates are looking to register their first winning season in 20 years and are clearly pulling out all the stops. While the staff already ranks sixth in team ERA (3.48) and ninth in WHIP (1.27), there are concerns ...

The National League jumped out to a giant lead early, and never looked back in their convincing 8-0 win over the American League at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City for their third straight All-Star Game win. Melky Cabrera (Giants) won named the game's MVP after hitting a two-run home run en route to a 2-for-3 night with two runs. The 83rd annual Midsummer Classic started off with a bang, as the NL was able to tag Justin Verlander (Tigers) for five runs in the first inning. A Ryan Braun (Brewers) double scored Cabrera, but the big blow came four batters later when Pablo Sandoval (Giants) smacked a bases-loaded triple to the corner of right field to give the National League a 4-0 lead before the American League had a chance to bat. From there, it was smooth sailing for the NL.The pitching staff was brilliant, led by starter Matt Cain ...

The San Diego Padres are going nowhere fast, and unloading Carlos Quentin needs to be a priority. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, most “in the industry” expect Quentin to be dealt before the July trade deadline, and it makes plenty of sense.   He is making $7.025 million in the final year of his contract, and at the age of 29, he is unlikely to be a part of the youth movement currently moving forward in San Diego. Since coming back from a knee injury, Quentin has hit .400 with six doubles and 11 runs in only 69 plate appearances. He still has substantial value, even if we will never see the 2008 version of Quentin ever again. The Padres’ payroll is expected to stand around the $55 million mark next season according to Rosenthal, and signing Quentin to a long term deal doesn’t make a ton of ...

What is going on with Tim Lincecum? The San Francisco Giants would sure like to know. The two-time Cy Young award winner has gotten off to a horrific start this season, and after dropping to 2-7 on the year this past Sunday, something has to be done. Manager Bruce Bochy knows as much and admitted to Sirius XM Radio host and former GM Jim Bowden that the team is analyzing their options on Tuesday: BruceBochy told us on our show today that he & Sabean have discussed ways to help Lincecuum incl missing a start or possible move to bullpen— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) June 12, 2012 So if those are the two options…skipping a start has to be the plan of action. If he gets tossed into the bullpen, his ego will be shot, he’ll have to prepare differently and the relationship between Lincecum and the club would be severely damaged.It ...

The upstart Baltimore Orioles have an incredibly bright future and now they’ll have their biggest star in town for the long haul. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, outfielder Adam Jones and the O’s have agreed to a lucrative six-year, $85 million extension that will keep him in Baltimore through the 2018 season. Jones won’t be on the free-agent market again until he’s 33. Source: #Orioles’ six-year deal with Adam Jones is complete. Press conference tomorrow.— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 26, 2012  It’s easy to see why the first-place Orioles decided to lock up Jones long term. The 26-year-old had one year left of arbitration and was set for free agency after the 2013 season. Brittany Ghiroli, MLB.com beat writer for the Orioles, believes Jones would have signed with a different team if he didn’t get the long-term extension:My take has always been if O's waited til the winter, they ...

When you throw a 97 MPH fastball, people pay attention. Kyle Zimmer, a right-handed starting pitcher from San Francisco, throws gas and enters the MLB draft projected to go in the top-five picks. Pretty incredibly considering he was a third baseman for the majority of his high school career and had logged just 21.1 innings on the mound heading into college. As a junior at La Jolla High School he was a 5’11’’, 185-pound contact hitter with a .410 slugging percentage. Good numbers, but nobody with a frame like that is expected to make the majors. Once he stepped onto the rubber, Zimmer wasn’t a huge fan and, according to Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle, was forced to stick with it by San Francisco coach Nino Giarratano. When you listen to Giarratano, it sounds like he was a quicker leaner: So Kyle wasn't going to get any time ...

The surgery of New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera continues to be delayed and the date when he goes under the knife remains unknown. After tearing the ACL in his right knee shagging fly balls back on May 3 against Kansas City, surgery was the obvious next step.Instead, as first reported by the New York Post, a blood clot that was previously discovered in his calf that delayed surgery still hasn't gone away. According to ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews he was treated with blood thinners, but they have not extinguished the clot. There is still no timetable for the surgery. How is Mo taking all of this? Considering it’s out of his hands, he sounded just fine about it (via New York Post): “It's not frustrating because there's nothing I can do.” The only thing Rivera can do is continue to strengthen his leg through training, and make sure ...

The 2012 MLB Draft is loaded with top-tier talent when it comes to pitching, but few of the top prospects play in the field. One of the lone exceptions is Mike Zunino, a junior catcher from the University of Florida who has the potential to become the next Joe Mauer. The slugger is hitting .324, with 15 home runs and 51 RBI in 2012, while playing outstanding defense behind the plate. At 6'2" and 215 pounds, he has the ideal size for the position and has improved every year in college. Zunino's Gators are currently 40-16 and on pace to compete for the College World Series in Omaha. He is a natural leader who has an outstanding command of the Gators pitching staff. Zunino has outstanding bat speed with loft, a sign he'll be a power hitter at some point down the line. While he needs to improve on his ...

The job security for scores of general managers around Major League Baseball is in doubt right now, and one of the best ways to get off the hot seat is having a strong draft. Every year there are players littered throughout the first round that are either the biggest bust this side of Justin Smoak or the next Hall of Famer. Not every GM will be in a position to land the “best bet” for their organization, but as we go through the latest mock draft, the emphasis is placed on teams that have the perfect player fall into their lap.   1. Houston Astros (56-106): Mark Appel, RHP, StanfordThe Astros need a No. 1 starter to build around and Appel has the potential to move up the ladder rather quickly within the organization. Appel’s fastball reaches the mid-90s and his delivery is rather smooth, suggesting injuries won’t derail his ...