Kuzul

The Detroit Tigers came into the 2012 MLB season with expectations of World Series grandeur. Now nearing the 2012 MLB All-Star break, the Tigers are hovering just below .500. The team hasn't been consistent all season, which leads to heavy trade talks amongst restless members of the media and fans. One name that has been brought up frequently in water cooler trade debates this season has been Delmon Young. Tigers fans have become suddenly spoiled by the team spending big bucks in free agency and tasting success since 2006. With over 80 games to be played, this is no time to hit the panic button. There's plenty of time left in the season and the Tigers won't be trading Young for multiple reasons. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 MLB draft is only 26 years old and has yet to hit his prime. After being traded from the Minnesota ...

Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers is the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, but that doesn't mean he's a complete player.Yes, Verlander has a filthy menu of pitches that consistently makes opposing hitters look foolish, but it's the mental aspect that continuously gets the best of him. With his ability, the physical aspect of the game comes easy, but his emotions get the best of him on too many occasions. The Tigers are struggling this season, and Verlander has put it upon himself to be perfect every time he takes the mound. While he's truly dazzling to watch and is a once-in-a-generation type of player, he needs to calm down. Each time he takes his turn in the rotation, it's not out of question that something special is going to happen. Fans have been spoiled by his wizardry on the hill as they've come to expect perfection every outing.It's evident that Verlander ...

The Detroit Tigers continue to underachieve in 2012 and it's time for manager Jim Leyland to mix things up in the clubhouse like Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays. While it's true that the Tigers have looked better against the Minnesota Twins recently, the team is not out of the woods yet. After all, they've only won back-to-back games once since mid-April. Still floating around .500 heading into June, the team needs to change their routine in order to have some fun heading into the summer months. Baseball is a very superstitious game as clubs stick with what they know even when things are going bad. Tigers' fans know Leyland is adamant about how he runs the ship in Detroit. He typically gets short with the media, can't stand whiny fans and is loyal to his lineup. Leyland himself knows his lineup with either play themselves into contention or play him out ...

The Detroit Tigers continue to perform below expectations in 2012—they will undoubtedly become buyers at the MLB trade deadline. Sure, Justin Verlander put some life back in the clubhouse with his near no-hitter recently, but the team has to prove that they can ride that lightning. The Tigers were forecasted to be major contenders before the season began, but inconsistent play has begun to put serious doubt in the team's faithful fans. The season is far from over, but the front office must plan on making deals by the deadline in order to put the Tigers back on track.While another superstar is likely out of the question, the Tigers need to acquire a few established veterans that will bring instant energy and experience to a stagnant clubhouse.Begin Slideshow

The Detroit Tigers continue to hover around the .500 mark as the time has come to replace batting coach Lloyd McClendon is here. Coming into the season, the Tigers were said to have one of the more potent lineups in all of baseball, but halfway through the month of May their bats are rather tame. This is a season where nothing less than a World Series ring is expected and the time to shake up the clubhouse is now.While many fans may feel like manager Jim Leyland should be on his way out, that's not going to happen. Instead, it will be his longtime friend and trusted companion McClendon that takes the fall. Sure, the Tigers currently rank fifth in the AL with a .254 team batting average, but most teams don't have two premier power hitters like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder.In 2011, the Tigers fired pitching coach Rick Knapp on ...

The Detroit Tigers have one of the best prospects in all of baseball in pitcher Jacob Turner, but now is the time that the organization needs to trade the budding star. The Tigers came into the 2012 season with the highest of all expectations. After winning the AL Central in 2011 and signing slugger Prince Fielder in the offseason, there's only one thing left to accomplish in 2012—winning the World Series. The Tigers haven't necessarily gotten off to the dominant start many baseball enthusiasts expected, possessing just a 13-12 record thus far and having problems on the mound and at the plate. While it's certainly not time to panic in Motown, the Tigers can't play .500 baseball for too much longer before the pundits will come calling for change. Looking at the starting rotation going forward, the Tigers have a good problem on their hands—they have plenty of quality arms throughout their system.Everyone ...

The Arizona Diamondbacks have done it. The NL West title is theirs. The team that was 65-97 last year came out of nowhere to capture the crown. This year's team is the true surprise of baseball and is now 91-66.The D'Backs won the West in dramatic fashion, dethroning the defending World Series champion. The San Francisco Giants were done in by up-and-coming rookie first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on Friday night. The D'backs won the game, 3-1.Capturing the NL West is something that the team hasn't done since 2007. This year's team looks to be a contender for years to come. Led by Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy, the Diamondbacks have two solid cornerstone players for the franchise.If the playoffs started today, the team would travel to Philadelphia to face the Phillies. Philly has been the odds on favorite to win the World Series all season but have lost six straight ...

The Arizona Diamondbacks are quietly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the National League.The team won yet again in the desert on Friday night, coming from behind to defeat the San Diego Padres, 3-2. These Diamondbacks are simply unstoppable at home right now, winners of 14 straight. Their last loss at Chase Field came on August 8.The team now holds a 44-26 at home and an impressive 35-23 against the NL West. It now has a stronghold on the division with an 8.5-game lead.Most importantly, the Diamondbacks are 84-61 on the season and are now just percentage points behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the second-best record in the NL. The Brewers are 85-61 but have lost four straight and are in danger of losing home field advantage to the Diamondbacks.With the way the Diamondbacks are playing at home, home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs would be ...

The Arizona Diamondbacks send Ian Kennedy to the mound against San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum Saturday night. This is a must see matchup for any baseball fan. The two men are both NL Cy Young candidates and this is easily the best battle in MLB this weekend. The Diamondbacks had their nine-game win streak snapped by the Giants Friday night, 6-2.The Diamondbacks are now 78-60 on the season, with a five-game lead over the Giants in the NL West standings.This is a make-or-break series for the Giants as they're now playing out of desperation. The Diamondbacks have control of the NL West and don't want to relinquish any ground to the Giants.After all, the Giants are the defending World Series champions and they won't go down without a fight. The Diamondbacks don't want to give any momentum to the Giants and would really do themselves a lot of good by winning ...

The 2011 MLB trade deadline has just over 24 hours remaining. All the speculation today has fans of teams buying and selling filled with anxiety.  Questions that arise are: Who coming? Who's going? I don't know how I would feel if we made that move? Are we gonna go for it? While there are plenty of thoughts running through our sports-riddled minds, we will have a much clearer picture tomorrow at 4 p.m.(EST)The next 24 hours will be very telling for the future of many franchises.Here are the Top 5 players left to be dealt by the deadline. Begin Slideshow