Kuzul

One thing that the Toronto Blue Jays have shown this season is that they are consistently inconsistent.  On occasion they have looked like a team equipped to raise their play to a new level—only to follow it up with disappointing stretches against teams they should beat (teams worse than .500) or fall short against teams they are competing with for a playoff spot.  They also haven’t been able to get on a roll.  As of May 23, they have gone on five winning streaks of two or more games followed by losing streaks of two or more games. They began their season alternating wins and losses two at a time—splitting their first 12 games. They then swept the Kansas City Royals (April 20-24) but then lost their next four—bringing them back to .500 (10-10) after 20 games. Begin Slideshow

The signing of Vladimir Guerrero comes as a low-risk/high-reward move for the Toronto Blue Jays.  He was signed to a one-year deal worth $1.3 million, which will be prorated based on his time with the club this season.  At 37 years of age, it remains to be seen how much Vladdy has to offer. He is probably Hall of Fame bound as he is a career .318 hitter with 449 home runs and 1,496 RBI. Adam Lind will likely be most affected if Guerrero can play his way onto the Blue Jays’ roster.  As of May 15, he is batting just .184 with three homers and 11 RBI in 31 games.Begin Slideshow

The Yankees finally addressed their starting rotation yesterday, when they shipped top prospect Jesus Montero and right-hander Hector Noesi to the Mariners for All-Star right-hander Michael Pineda and 19-year-old right-hander Jose Campos.The team also signed Dodgers free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year, $10 million deal as the rotation now looks significantly stronger and has plenty of depth with Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia likely headed to the bullpen.However, in dealing Montero, the Yankees now have a hole at DH that will need to be addressed in the weeks to come leading up to spring training. Luckily, there is never a shortage of DH options for a team both internally and on the free-agent market.Here is a look at who could step into that role for the Yankees in 2012.Begin Slideshow

Every baseball season, at least a few "name" players switch teams via trade.These players are known to even the most casual of fans because they have appeared in All-Star Games and competed for major awards in the past.At the time of the trade, their level of skill can fall into any number of categories.  Many are former stars and heroes who now find themselves in the fading light of their careers; still in search of that elusive World Series ring. Lance Berkman and Kerry Wood were dealt separately to the Yankees last year in an attempt to reach that goal.Some are players still in the primes of their careers whom rebuilding or poor teams can no longer afford to hold onto. Dan Haren, Roy Halladay, Matt Holliday and Victor Martinez have been traded recently for similar reasons. Fewer are rising stars who likely have their best years in front of them, ...

This time of year, America is buzzing over both March Madness and the fantasy baseball information superhighway.  In this show, I'll provide you with the broadband information you'll need to win a championship and get your coins in. Join me as I get it in and let you know the under the radar players to roster.Begin Slideshow

The Baltimore Orioles' offseason appeared to be pretty much wrapped up after the signing of veteran pitcher Justin Duchscherer when it was announced that the Orioles would once again go after Vladimir Guerrero. The Orioles made an attempt to lure Guerrero to Baltimore back in 2004 but Guerrero scoffed at the idea. With the news that the Orioles were in on the free agent designated hitter, word came out that Baltimore had offered Guerrero a one-year contract for about $5 million. It was not surprising when Guerrero's agency reported a supposed "eight" million dollar offer from an unknown team. If things could not get any more depressing for Oriole fans, it appeared that the Orioles were not only going to lose out on the big bat for the middle of their order, but they would have to watch a free agent laugh at the idea of playing for the Orioles and get humiliated in ...

Baltimore Orioles' right fielder Nick Markakis has become the face of the franchise in Charm City. He was the first of the team's "young guns" to make it to the big leagues back in 2006, and after a fantastic rookie season and even better sophomore campaign, he put up solid number in '08 and '09, only to regress considerably in 2010.The regression, however, was more than likely not his fault.Last year, the right fielder put up a batting average of .297, which is very solid anyway you look at it, and consistent with what he has done throughout the rest of his career. His OBP was .370, a great number. But he only hit 12 bombs and drove in a measly 60 runs, while generally being the No. 3 bat in the lineup.I'm telling you, it wasn't his fault.Consider, if you will, who was batting in front of him much ...

Even though the Baltimore Orioles have been at the bottom of the AL East and the American League for the past ten years, 2011 will be the year that they shock the baseball world and make the playoffs as the AL wild-card team.Due to their great off-season acquisitions, the Orioles have become an offensive powerhouse of the American League while at the same time being defensively sound. Under the guidance of Buck Showalter, the Orioles are primed for a playoff berth.Begin Slideshow

I really can’t believe the Baltimore Orioles fell for it. I really can’t. Here they were, rolling along this offseason. Rolling along and making solid moves like picking up Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy, etc… And now they pull this.   On Friday, the Orioles inked DH Vladimir Guerrero to a one-year, $8 million contract. According to FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal, a significant portion of that salary is deferred. I don’t care even if $6 of the $8 million is deferred. To give Guerrero $8 million is so ridiculous on so many levels. The first level is that the Orioles really didn’t need Guerrero. The Orioles would have been just fine with Luke Scott at DH and a platoon of Nolan Reimold and Felix Pie in left field. Last year, Guerrero produced a 2.6 WAR. Let’s say he produces that again in 2011—highly unlikely—but let’s pretend for a second. I will ...

The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a one-year, $8 million contract with notorious slugger and possible future Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero. And we all thought Andy MacPhail wouldn't raise the offer. Now, I'm not going to go all "Vlad is the 2011 Orioles' savior" on you. But there is no doubt that his addition will help the Orioles win a few more games this coming season, as long as he stays healthy and hits, which he always seems to do as long as he's standing in the batter's box. With this signing, the Orioles' projected 2011 lineup automatically becomes one of the best in the league. Along with Vlad, the O's have added first baseman Derrek Lee, shortstop J.J. Hardy, and homer-but-strikeout-prone third baseman Mark Reynolds. Putting Vlad in the middle of the likes of right fielder Nick Markakis, Lee, Reynolds and left fielder Luke Scott fleshes out the lineup beyond ...