Back to work.
- As the All-Star Game is behind us, the trade deadline is the next event on the baseball calendar. But before getting into the trades that could be made this month, you should check out Rany Jazayerli's evisceration of Padres GM A.J. Preller and how he "destroyed" the team with a series of terrible trades this past off-season. He implies Preller makes our favorite whipping boy Ruben Amaro Jr. look good by comparison.
- They're pretty much in agreement over at Gaslamp Ball.
- Jeff Sullivan looks at how the relationship between the Padres pitching staff and Yasmani Grandal and how it got Grandal traded to Los Angeles.
- Tim Kurkjian has ten storylines to look for in the second half. It's that time of year.
- Kurkjian took a journalist's approach. Zach Mariner looks at what the numbers tell us how the second half will go.
- Jay Jaffe makes a series of "bold" predictions about the second half. Some are more bold than others.
- Ken Rosenthal breaks down what every team will likely do before the trade deadline.
- The White Sox are at a crossroads, writes Doug Padilla. The only reason the White Sox should be at a crossroads if it is for Rick Hahn to meet with the devil at midnight. Otherwise, they have pretty much one clear direction: sell. They may "only" be 5½ games out of a wild card spot, but they have seven teams to climb to get there.
- Mark Saxon wonders if the Dodgers new analytics-minded front office will pull the trigger on some big moves this summer. And if so, what areas need to be improved.
- C. Trent Rosecrans outlines who the Reds are likely to deal away.
- Gordon Edes thinks the Red Sox can still salvage their season.
- Aaron Gleeman lists what relievers are likely to be on the trade block in the next few weeks.
- AJ Cassavell wants the trade deadline moved to August 10.
- Honesty out of Braves GM John Hart: Hart said that he "never made any false promises" that the Braves would contend this season. He's actually done a great job getting the Braves pointed in the right direction though.
- Larry Bowa talks about former Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg's decision to resign. Mainly, Bowa thinks Sandberg thought the players didn't respect him.
- The Diamondbacks have still not signed first pick in the draft Dansby Swanson. They say they're not concerned. They probably don't have anything to worry about. Probably.
- Owen Watson looks at the bad season that Ian Desmond is having and notes that it's not all that different from his good seasons.
- Athletics pitcher Jesse Hahn is going to miss an "extended" amount of time with a flexor tendon injury.
- Zachary Levine tries to figure out which Seager brother will have the better career when all is said and done.
- Union head Tony Clark says that a move to a 154-game schedule will be "heavily discussed" in the next CBA. Craig Calcaterra still thinks it's not going to happen.
- Rob Neyer agrees. A 154-game schedule is not likely to happen.
- Neyer also thinks that expansion isn't very likely to happen in the near future either. He points out that every time baseball has expanded, it's either been because of an external threat of competition or the result of a lawsuit or arbitration decision.
- Las Vegas casinos are worried the Royals or the Astros could win the World Series. That would cost them a lot of money.
- Alex Speier presents even more evidence that dropping levels of offense is tied to an expanding strike zone.
- Jonah Keri dissects the Giants built the best infield in baseball down on the farm.
- Ben Lindberg answers why the trend of pitchers batting eighth in the National League? Mostly, it's because Joe Maddon switched leagues. But read the whole thing for the long story. He also goes into the "Is this a good idea?" debate.
- Baseball is dying. That's why the Yankees are the second-most (well, tied for second-most) valuable sports franchise in the world, according to Forbes. And 12 of the top 50 are all MLB teams.
- Zach Schonbrun has a longform piece about how two scientists are trying to apply neuroscience to making a better baseball player.
- Jason Linden asks several baseball writers what it means when they say "No cheering in the press box."
- And finally, separated at birth. Several major league ballplayers and . . . and . . . Muppets? Ballplayers and their Muppet Twins.
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.