Kuzul

General manager Brian Cashman spent the offseason (and parts of spring training) picking up aging veterans presumably on the tail ends of their respective careers to fill the holes left by the injured stars of the team.This type of decision-making has proved risky at times, but Cashman has made smart choices more often than not. Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells are just a few examples of older players that have produced when they put on the pinstripes.A few days ago, though, the Yankees acquired second baseman Chris Nelson from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later and cash. At 27 years old, Nelson represents a nice change from the 30-plus-year-olds that have become staples of the Yankee lineup.Nelson isn't just your run-of-the-mill, 27-year-old second baseman, though. Nelson actually has some potential at the plate and could prove to be more valuable to the ...

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly have no shortage of young star pitching prospects in their farm system. Shelby Miller sat at the top of that list of prospects coming into this season, and he has done an outstanding job fitting into a starting rotation that is arguably the best in the entire MLB right now.The Cardinals bullpen this year has certainly not been the best in baseball, though. In fact, the Cardinals have had one of the worst bullpens in baseball this year, and it has forced general manager John Mozeliak to make some moves with the club.The Cardinals sent both Marc Rzepczynski and Mitchell Boggs to Memphis this week and they called up prospects Seth Maness and Carlos Martinez. Maness and Martinez both made their major league debuts on Friday night in Milwaukee, and both pitchers pitched one scoreless inning of work for the Cardinals.It is hard to tell ...

It is impressive to me that Jose Bautista has the most home runs in the American League over the past three seasons all while missing nearly half of last season (70 games). Bautista is definitely the leader among the home run title hopefuls, especially in the American League—but there are some who could challenge Jose for this crown. One of his biggest competitors over the past few seasons however has been injured all season and is still weeks away from playing for the New York Yankees. With Curtis Granderson out for the next while, Bautista should have a big enough lead in the home run category that Grandy won't be able to catch up. Here are the 10 biggest threats to Jose Bautista recapturing his AL Home Run Title.Begin Slideshow

If you are a fan of the unpredictable, baseball in April has been a very, very fun month. With the Washington Nationals playing average baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates in first place and the Toronto Blue Jays making Vegas look quite foolish, little has gone as planned.As the calender turns to May, we can take a snapshot of the best individual performances in April and how they may or may not impact the 2013 award races. MVPs and Cy Youngs are rarely won in April, but a hot start can be a precursor to a breakout season or award campaign.With a month of knowledge, storylines and narratives played out and in our baseball conscience, here are updated predictions for every major MLB award entering May. All statistics are current as of the end of play on April 29, or if you stayed up until nearly dawn on the East Coast watching ...

Baseball fans have seen plenty of action through the first month of the 2013 MLB season, but the month of May is when the schedule really ramps up.The weather gets warmer, the players get adjusted and the schedule gets more difficult, as May will pit plenty of divisional and crosstown rivals against each other.Which series should you be paying attention to throughout May?Take a look.Begin Slideshow

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols has five career home runs against Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Aaron Harang, which is important to consider when making your MLB picks on Friday as the two teams meet at Safeco Field.Sports bettors will find that the Angels are minus-145 road favorites in the pro baseball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total stands at 7.5 in the betting market.Let's take a closer look at this American League West matchup from a betting perspective, while offering a prediction along the way.Begin Slideshow

When Clayton Kershaw steps on the mound Tuesday night, he'll be after career win No. 64. If the Dodgers lefty, still just 25 years old, is ever going to have a chance to step on the mound to achieve his 300th win, when might that be and how will he get there?Even though Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson each won their 300th game within the past 10 seasons (see chart below), 300 wins seems like an impossibility these days, a figment of the imagination from decades past, when pitchers would make more starts and throw more innings than they do in today's game.But given Kershaw's age and success to this point of his still-young career, let's map out a scenario in which he joins the club. Fellow MLB Lead Writer Zach Rymer recently considered Kershaw's chances to crack the 4,000-strikeout club. Now let's see how Kershaw's trek to ...

The San Francisco Giants have lost all four of Matt Cain's starts this season, which is important to consider when making your MLB picks Tuesday, as they continue a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at AT&T Park.Sports bettors will find that the Giants are -130 home favorites in the pro baseball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 6.5 in the market.Let's take a closer look at this National League West matchup from a betting perspective, while offering up a pick along the way.Begin Slideshow

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher R.A. Dickey threw just 64 pitches in his last start, which is important to consider when making your MLB picks Tuesday, as he prepares to face the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.Sports bettors will find that the Blue Jays are -115 road favorites in the pro baseball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at eight in the market.Let's take a closer look at this American League East matchup from a betting perspective, while offering up a pick along the way.Begin Slideshow

Braves right fielder Jason Heyward underwent appendectomy surgery on Monday night, and as a result the Braves will need to find a short-term replacement in their lineup.The timetable for his return is unknown as of now, but he shouldn't be out more than a couple weeks at the most. Matt Holliday and Adam Dunn both underwent appendectomies in 2011, with Holliday missing nine games and Dunn missing seven (h/t CBSSports), so that gives at least some idea of a potential time frame for his return.The Braves have won despite Heyward in the early going, as he's hitting just .121/.261/.259 with two home runs and five RBI, so replacing his production won't be hard.The team is not likely to sign anyone or try to swing a trade, but they do have a handful of in-house options to chose from in the short-term. So here is a look at some potential replacements ...