Kuzul

MLB personnel moves are frequently prefaced by fan speculation, media probing or an executive announcement. Somebody usually spoils the surprise.This article celebrates 10 exceptions to that norm that were completed in 2012.The players involved ranged from future first-ballot Hall of Famers to lifetime reserves. The reasons for relocation varied, too.However, they all understand what it's like to be moved in a shocking trade.Let's review their experiences from the past year.Begin Slideshow

The Pittsburgh Pirates didn't land any of this year's most coveted trade chips, but they approached the July 31 deadline with a level head and the necessary poise.Pittsburgh added four players either at, or prior, to this year's trade deadline. Check out NBC Sports' Matthew Pouliot's overview of the Pirates new acquisitions:They certainly got more interesting with Travis Snider in right field and Sanchez replacing Casey McGehee in the first base platoon. Snider hasn’t been quite as much of a disappointment as everyone thinks—he has a .248/.306/.429 line and 31 homers in 835 at-bats—and he’s just 24 years old. Sanchez is a career .298/.390/.488 hitter against lefties. He’s been way off this year, but if the Pirates can get him straightened out, he’ll be a nice part-timer. Again, I’m not sold on the moves—Brad Lincoln was looking pretty good since a switch to the pen—but factor in the Wandy Rodriguez ...

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 Pittsburgh Pirates have been a great team this year. With just one simple move, they got a lot better.According to multiple sources, Pittsburgh acquired Houston Astros' lefty Wandy Rodriguez. Rodriguez is 7-9 with a 3.79 ERA this year, but opponents don't hit well against him. Rodriguez has only walked 32 batters this year, although he has only retired 89 batters on strikes.Pittsburgh has a good rotation, but it is inexperienced. Rodriguez adds depth to the rotation while also adding a pitcher who throws strikes and knows how to force weak contact. With James McDonald already in the rotation, Pittsburgh's rotation just improved a lot.In the deal, Houston received prospects Robbie Grossman, Colton Cain and Rudy Owen. Owen and Cain are pitchers, while Grossman is an outfielder. After selling their stars for a few consecutive years (and getting rid of Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Carlos Lee, Rodriguez and others in ...

In the hopes of bolstering their playoff chances and taking over the N.L. Central, Tom Singer of MLB.com reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired left-handed pitcher, Wandy Rodriguez from the Houston Astros.Pittsburgh will be shipping left-handed hurlers Rudy Owens and Colton Cain and outfielder Robbie Grossman to Houston, while Houston will be absorbing $12-$13 Million of the $30 Million owed to Rodriguez throughout the remainder of his current contract.Rodriguez, who has had a stellar career in Houston, has gone 7-9 with a 3.79 ERA for the Astros this season. The Astros are 34-63 this year and have struggled mightily in the last year before switching over to the American League.Wandy Rodriguez will join a Pittsburgh pitching staff that has helped lead their team to a 54-41 record while maintaining a 3.46 team ERA, sixth best in all of baseball.The Pirates maintained a similar record last season at the trade deadline, before falling ...

If the St. Louis Cardinals are considering dealing the organization's top-pitching prospect, Shelby Miller, there are a handful of potentially available pitchers they could go after. While there is no guarantee they would be willing to part ways with him, his performance in 2012 has at least shown that he is not untouchable. His last start was a major improvement, but he has not easily made the transition to Triple-A baseball. Miller is 4-8 on the season with a 5.79 ERA with the Memphis Redbirds. In 82.1 innings pitched through 18 starts, the 21-year-old RHP has surrendered 17 home runs and 46 walks. On the positive side, he also has 94 strikeouts. He still has some nasty pitches, but has not responded well to the improved hitting of the Pacific Coast League. Opposing batters are hitting .280 off of him to date. Don’t let his record fool you. Miller still ...

According to government data, the average American male stands 5’9” tall. The average MLB pitcher is considerably taller, at over 6’2“.Yet, as with many things, there are notable exceptions to the rule. Some of MLB's top starters and closers this season are not much taller than the rest of us average American males.Turn the page for five of 2012’s best pitchers who are listed at 5’11” or shorter.Begin Slideshow

The MLB trade deadline brings excitement each summer as contenders try to improve their team while pretenders look to the future.The saying in baseball is that you can't have too much pitching, so starting pitchers are always at high demand around the deadline.An elite starting pitcher can be the difference in reaching the postseason or making a run at a World Series Championship.Cliff Lee was traded at the deadline to the Texas Rangers a few years ago and led them all the way to the World Series.There doesn't appear to be a pitcher on Lee's level, but there are good pitchers that should become available by the deadline.Let's take a look at some of the top starting pitchers who could help your baseball team get to the next level.Begin Slideshow

I think people are starting to get the idea. If you don’t get the idea yet, then you are either an exceptionally optimistic fan, or delusional. The San Francisco Giants are not a good baseball team. Perhaps they were at one point in the season. Perhaps they were until the acquisition of Carlos Beltran. But they certainly aren’t now. Granted, they have extraordinary pitching. Ryan Vogelsong threw seven innings of two earned-run ball, and remains second in the league in ERA. The key word in the previous sentence is earned. Errors by Mark DeRosa and Nate Schierholtz enabled the Houston Astros to score three unearned runs off of Vogelsong. Guillermo Mota’s bogus home run to Bogusevic extended the lead to 6-0, which turned out to be the final score of the ballgame. Realistically, though, it wouldn’t have mattered if Vogelsong had pitched a shutout—he still would have received a no ...

If spring training is any indication how the season will go, the Astros will most likely be sellers come trade deadline time.The Astros have given up 108 runs in 17 games, 20 more runs than the next closest team in the Grapefruit League. They are sitting currently in last place with a record of 5-12. Even though they have struggled, they do have some players who could be attractive to teams and could help them make a push for the playoffs in 2011. Now, I don't expect all these players to be traded, but I think the Astros would be willing to move them if the price is right.Begin Slideshow