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Boston Red Sox catcher David Ross left as quickly as he returned and has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after aggravating an injury Friday.  

The team confirmed the news on Twitter and detailed further roster shuffling to make up for the lost production:

Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald notes that injury is a “rupture,” but that the time span still calls for an optimistic outlook:

Interestingly enough, perhaps Lauber is on to something—Ross recently told the media, via Jason Mastrodonato of Masslive.com, that the injury would “feel a lot better” if it ruptured.

Now 37 years old, Ross has spent the past two seasons in Boston and performed as a solid platoon when not injured:

Friday, Ross returned against the New York Yankees for his first start since July 28 and had to leave the game in the seventh inning. His injury means 23-year-old Christian Vazquez—owner of a .250//295/.350 slash line—moves into a full-time starting role and provides some kick to the lineup at the plate.

Dan Butler also gets a shot at playing time after being called up and is happy about the opportunity, as noted by Tim Britton of the Providence Journal:

“I’m sure you guys have heard it every time everybody’s come up: You can’t explain how exciting this is,” said Butler, who was recalled with David Ross landing on the 15-day disabled list. “It’s a real exciting time for me right now.”

For the 49-60, fifth-place Red Sox, the injury may prove to be a blessing in disguise as younger players get shots to prove their worth as the front office eyes next season.

With no indication based on recent trades that this is a long-term rebuild, the more young guys given a chance, the merrier. Perhaps a proverbial diamond in the rough will be unearthed as a result.

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Sorry, but the David Price fantasy is over.

The man is just too expensive. Not in a contract sense, but a lump sum of $14 million this year before being eligible for arbitration one last time over the winter, per Spotrac.

No, the market price on, well, Price, is simply too high at this point, thanks to a copious amount of factors that boil down into a really barebones set of statements. Price is really good. The rest of the market? Not so much. Tampa Bay is suddenly really good. Seller status? Revoked.

There was a time not too long ago when the Rays were careening toward the bottom of the AL East, a feat that can never be fully realized this season thanks to downright incompetence that wafts from Boston. The Rays have won nine of their last 10, which brings them into flirtation with .500 range after sitting at 18 games under that mark.

A mere seven games out of first place, it suddenly does not look like such a great idea to abandon a 28-year-old hurler who has been downright dominant in recent years:

Of course, that will not stop general manager Andrew Friedman and his front office from seeing what the market has to offer, as CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman helps to illustrate:

Colleagues suggest Friedman has the guts to deal Price when the team has rallied from nowhere to the cusp of the AL pennant race. A few even suggest that he may prefer to pull the trigger. “We are talking and willing. [We’ll] see if any teams have the desire,” one Rays-connected source said.

Obviously. Friedman can use the team’s recent performance and Price’s six straight wins as ammo to drive the asking price higher than ever before. Should a contender offer the motherload, he is not in an enviable position when it comes time to make a decision at Thursday’s deadline. 

“Guessing Price is sold at 200 percent markup or not moved,” one rival GM said, per Heyman.

Even at a markup, dealing Price sends a horrific message to a clubhouse that has worked tirelessly to bring itself back from the dead. Team chemistry neutered, the Rays might as well fly a white flag at Tropicana Field for the remainder of the season.

That would explain why nothing is going to happen on this front, at least not this season. A mere week or so ago, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe noted that contenders such as the St. Louis Cardinals want a long-term commitment from Price before shipping away the farm—literally—to Tampa Bay:

Would Price ever sign with the Mariners long term? The Mariners don’t view it as an issue because they would have Price for the remainder of this year and next. The Cardinals have shown interest but would want a financial commitment, according to a major league source. Don’t rule out the Giants, who also have had interest in Ben Zobrist to solve their second base situation. The Rays, however, know they need top value in return, just as the Phillies would need for Hamels.

Obviously things have changed since then, and that goes double for the status of arms available on the market. Teams in search of an ace may no longer look to the surging Rays and lofty prices, instead opting to wrangle Jon Lester from the Red Sox for better value.

For his part, Price just wants to not be like so many other stars who have been thrust into the market’s spotlight with little leverage.

“I don’t want to let anyone with my situation affect how I am in the clubhouse and on the field,” Price said, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. “If I let it affect me, then it’ll definitely affect the team, and affect my teammates. I don’t want to be a distraction.”

Thursday marks the deadline, and the Rays will either be floundering away after the loss of their best player or continuing a hot streak toward the top with a renewed focus because management has shown it believes in their postseason chances.

As for the contenders on the hunt to purchase, other more affordable commodities are out there. Price is the preferred option, sure, but as the popular saying goes—there’s always next year.

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Jon Lester is a rental.

There seems to be a rather potent stigma around the R-word at this point in baseball, but rarely do contenders have such an open shot at acquiring a legitimate ace to only further the short-term agenda.

It hurts to surrender future assets and perhaps impede championship efforts in the long run, especially if a rental chooses to bolt town after a few months of service, but Lester is the rare rental who is worth almost any magnitude of investment.

By all accounts, Lester is very much available. The 30-year-old hurler turned down a four-year, $70 million offer last spring and has been subsequently thrown on the trade block. Although his agent wants the world to know that Lester’s presence there has nothing to do with contract talks.

“The discussions we had with the Red Sox were confidential and will remain that way,” Seth Levinson, Lester’s agent, wrote in an email Tuesday to ESPN’s Gordon Edes. “There is no truth to the report, and I am not going to guess why it was written or the basis for that report.”

Lester is in the final year of a deal that pays him $13 million, per Spotrac. As the alleged declined offer shows, he is going to be quite pricey once he actually hits the market, although he has the results through recent years to back up the asking price:

The caveat being that any team that wants to inherit this production has to understand that this is different from a normal rental—Lester has not outright confirmed he will not re-up with a new team, but it is not often we hear about a player willing to go back to the team that dealt him away, as captured by Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com:

Yeah, why not? I mean, (Boston) is what I know, this is what I love. Like I’ve said plenty of times, this is where I want to be. And if they trade me I completely understand. No hard feelings. I know what they have to do for their organization and if that involves me, so be it. If it doesn’t I’ll keep running out there every five days and pitching.

Not convincing enough that Lester has Boston on the mind? Try this:

Ultimately, baseball is a business. It makes sense for the Red Sox—fifth in the AL East—to begin a bidding war and gain a bevy of assets though his departure rather than minuscule compensation should he leave via free agency and sign somewhere else.

What a war it has become too.

Just ask ESPN’s Jim Bowden:

Go ahead and add the Pittsburgh Pirates to the fray as well, per Jeff Passan and Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.

Let’s glance at those Pirates for a moment. Stuck in the quagmire that is the NL Central, they still have a shot at the top spot and very much a shot at the World Series. An addition such as Lester would work wonders, and the front office has a deep farm to pull from in negotiations, even if the front office does not have a July track record that suggests a deal will go down.

The allure of a title, though, has to be palpable. Will it ever get closer than this in the foreseeable future? Perhaps burning through prospects for the best shot the club will see for years is not such a horrific gamble.

Such is the dilemma a host of contenders face. The Milwaukee Brewers lack high-end assets to surrender but knows a thing or two about pulling the trigger on such a deal about six years removed from the CC Sabathia transaction.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays seem to be in on everyone and have assets to burn, as does Seattle, although the Mariners need more bats than arms at the moment if one had to put an annotation on it.

It is a fickle game of “what if” to be sure, and the brass in the Red Sox front office surely kick themselves daily for low balling Lester so much last spring. But they have had the proper reaction to the chain of events and seem set to deal to the highest bidder.

Which bidder that turns out to be is perhaps the biggest storyline as the month of July, and the trade deadline, fades to black. Lester is relatively young, a proven playoff winner (one loss in five tries last postseason) and undeniably a No. 1 in about any rotation in the league.

The Red Sox seem to have overplayed their hand in negotiations but will reap the benefits when a contender finally takes the dive. Lester is the best kind of rental, especially if he turns out to like his new home and the boatload of cash his new team backs up to his, well, rental.

Until something happens, that line will only get longer and the price will only get higher.

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The New York Yankees have a bit of a problem.

So do the rest of the teams on the market, but the Yankees are perhaps the most notable thanks to the club’s ability to remain relevant in the face of adversity.

As is the case with most of the teams looking to upgrade on the mound through free agency in the hopes of chasing a World Series, the Yankees don’t have a ton of cost-effective options—especially with Cliff Lee’s recent return to the mound being nothing short of a disaster.

Pitchers and the Yankees are the highlight, but there’s plenty of rumbling from around the league. Here is a sampling of the most notable nuggets with the deadline at the end of the month on the horizon.

Tommy Milone‘s Demands

By no means a household name, Tommy Milone is set to light the trade market on fire.

Milone is 27 years of age and a four-year pro who, for all intents and purposes, has been rather effective in that timespan:

The problem is, Milone has been placed on the back-burner by the Oakland Athletics after the front office swung a trade with Chicago for both Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel. According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, this has resulted in a trade request: 

Left-hander Tommy Milone has asked the club to trade him, major-league sources tell FOX Sports. The Athletics have received trade inquiries on Milone, but the team is not eager to move him, knowing he might be needed due to injury or ineffectiveness, sources say.

Milone, 27, would have become eligible for arbitration this offseason if he had remained in the majors all season. But his time in the minors could delay his eligibility for at least one year.

It’s easy to see why Milone may be frustrated with his current situation, especially since he has now been demoted three times in the past year. He had seemed to turn a corner and tallied six wins and a 2.55 ERA in his prior 11 starts before the club made the blockbuster deal and subsequently sent him packing.

While near impossible to tell what it would take to make a deal come to fruition, one thing is certain—it’s hard to blame Milone for feeling as if he does not belong in the minors. Expect plenty of interest in the coming week if other clubs even think that he’s available.

Alex Rios, the Newcomer to the Block

A reunion might just be in the works between the Toronto Blue Jays and Alex Rios.

Unless Kansas City has something to say about it.

According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the Blue Jays want to bring back the slugger they shipped away to Chicago in 2009. At 33 years old, Rios is one of the best overall bats on the market, although Heyman writes that “A friend of Rios said the trade rumors have bothered him, perhaps accounting for a drop in production this summer. He was at a high of .335 on June 9 and 10.”

Coming equipped with a contract that pays him $12 million this year and a $13.5 million option with a $1 million buyout next year, per Spotrac, one can glean from his numbers that Rios was bound to be a hot commodity:

But the Blue Jays are not alone in their pursuit, as Heyman also notes that the Royals would love to grab Rios in order to get back in the AL Central running.

One would think that the Texas Rangers would have few qualms about giving up Rios in a deal, especially with them sitting alone in the cellar of the AL West, but Heyman hears the front office would pick up his option for next season.

Kansas City presumably needs a hitter like Rios the most considering it ranks No. 23 in the league in terms of scoring, but the cost will be steep for both teams, especially when the fact a bidding war between the two teams—or more—can drive the price higher.

Yankees’ Pitching Search

It seems inevitable, no?

The Yankees and Lee are simply destined to join forces at one point or another, so why not now, with the Phillies laughably bad and the front office in New York more desperate than ever?

At second place in the AL East despite injuries to players such as Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda, the Yankees will of course look to continue to upgrade the roster for the playoff push, and adding Chase Headley, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, certainly is not enough.

According to Jesse Spector of Sporting News, the Yankees were in attendance at one of Lee’s rehab starts recently and continue to show further interest. It helps that Lee imploded on the mound in his return Monday, allowing six runs and 12 hits in less than six innings of work.

As Heyman explains, Lee is quite expensive too:

That is pretty much true on the money. In fact, Lee is guaranteed the most money of any pitcher (or player) through the end of next year, with about $48 million guaranteed for that year plus two months iand 10 days, thanks to a $25 million salary plus a $12.5-million buyout on a $27.5 million vesting option for 2016.

That’s a double-whammy for the Yankees, who don’t mind doling out the cash or paying a lesser price with Lee’s trade value diminished. As scouts told Heyman, among other things, he’s viewed as “Definitely flatter than usual” and “Not his normal self.”

There are other options for the Yankees on the mound, but Lee has been the crown jewel of the organization’s eye for the better part of six years, and they find the Phillies in a vulnerable situation.

If Lee somehow avoids donning the pinstripes yet again, the team will surely make another move of some sort, but the notion that the two are going to finally work together is difficult to ignore.

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It makes for a strange rumor mill when the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox have a ton in common.

Both franchises are floundering around near the bottom of their respective divisions and are very much sellers at this point with the trade deadline approaching at the end of July.

But the dawn of the annual Midsummer Classic equates to funny season, so this is to be expected. There are also contenders on the market looking to add that proverbial missing piece or simply on the hunt to replace an injured star so that they can, at the very least, tread water after the break.

With so many nuggets of info being tossed around at once, let’s take a moment to set things straight by breaking down three of the hottest new items.

Little Interest in Daniel Murphy?

With the Mets bumbling around at 43-50 and in fourth place in the NL East, the franchise is an obvious seller with the faint hopes of bringing on assets to build for the future.

There is just one problem with this strategy—the Mets have just one star player, and there has been little in the way of interest in his services, as explained by Mike Puma of The New York Post:

To be completely fair to 29-year-old Daniel Murphy, who is on his way to the All-Star Game, it has been quite a strong season despite the rest of the team around him wasting away. Given his pace at the moment, he’ll be able to finish with numbers greater than or in the neighborhood of his stats from last few seasons:

Apparently, this is not enough to garner serious interest on the market nor is the fact Murphy is so productive at the plate that he is near the league lead in hits overall.

Trade rumors are something that have chased Murphy all season, so the fact that the meeting with general manager Sandy Alderson to reveal his All-Star selection had him holding his breath should be no surprise, as captured by Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com:

“It was great. He was surprised,” Alderson said today after a military appreciation event at the VA St. Albans Community Living Center in Queens. “I think when he came in he thought he might have been traded.”

With the way things sound at the moment, he’s not going anywhere. That can change as the deadline nears, so keep an ear to the ground.

Cardinals Have Options without Yadier Molina

With the race to the top of the NL Central becoming only more heated as the season progresses, the St. Louis Cardinals can ill afford to lose a key cog in the machine.

Well, that has happened thanks to a thumb injury to Yadier Molina, which might cost him the rest of the season, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Forget Molina’s contributions at the plate—his real weight in gold is worth much more behind it, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick details:

As the Elias Sports Bureau notes, the Cardinals have a staff ERA of 3.53 with Molina and 3.81 without him over the past five seasons. They’ve erased 40.9 percent of opposing base stealers during that time frame, compared to 31.9 percent with all their non-Molina catchers.

“It’s the equivalent of losing Adam Wainwright,” said an American League scout. “Yadi is one guy in the lineup, but this affects 12 guys on the pitching staff. Tony Cruz is a great backup and I guarantee you he’s learned a ton from Yadi just by osmosis. But there’s no way he can replace Yadi offensively, and Yadi is by far the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. It’s going to be a challenge.”

Who is one person in the MLB who is arguably as good at the plate and might just be available?

His brother, of course.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Tampa Bay is willing to listen to offers for Jose Molina:

A few things. Jose has a .189/.225/.196 slash line at the moment with three RBI. He’s also 39 years old and due $2.75 million next season, per Spotrac.

But he also happens to be renowned around the league for his ability to frame pitches, and as Grantland’s Ben Lindbergh breaks down, it makes quite the difference: 

Fast found that Molina, the best receiver, was worth 35 runs above average per 120 games, and Doumit, the worst, was worth 26 runs below average…Molina has saved his teams 111 runs — or, using the standard 10-runs-to-a-win conversion, about 11 wins — because of framing from 2008 to 2013.

Can the Cardinals, at this stage of the game with a deep playoff push potentially in the cards, put a price tag on production like that? Sure, Jose is a career backup, but the Cardinals can rotate him with Tony Cruz and at the very least give themselves a fighting chance without Yadier.

The question is, how much will it cost?

Red Sox Update Selling Block

In a perfect world, the Red Sox would find a trade partner for Stephen Drew as they rebuild and prepare for next season.

But in that perfect world, Boston would not be in this situation to begin with. 

Drew has just 12 hits, five RBI and two home runs in 89 at-bats to go with a .135/.198/.258 slash line since re-signing with the team in May. Now, the Red Sox would like to move on, but Drew will have to up his play in the batter’s box first, per Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe:

Drew recently explained his troubles to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald:

There’s no regrets,” Drew said. It’s something that, we’ve got to look at that (free agent compensation) rule that kind of hurt some players and myself. It’s difficult to come up here and these guys have three months on you until the season’s over all the time. Not making excuses. It’s just, I’ve had great at-bats and some sucky ones. It’s definitely frustrating not hitting like I know I’m capable of.

As Lauber notes, a trade might just be what Drew needs to rehab his image before hitting the open market this offseason. Helping a team to the playoffs does much in the way of stock rehabilitation.

On the flip side, the Red Sox would love to get something, if anything, out of him before the season concludes. That includes at the plate and on the market, although those things must come hand in hand at this point.

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The home stretch is always the most difficult.

In this instance, that refers to the complex machine that is the MLB trade rumor mill as the deadline looms at the end of July. It can also refer to the fact that the Midsummer Classic is upon us, meaning franchises are more willing to wheel and deal for the postseason push after the break.

And in a few rare instances, it refers to what will be a frantic few weeks for franchises that just suffered a major loss and will need to compensate for maneuvers.

For fans, though? It’s party time, as the endless possibilities can breathe new life into any team, both in the short and long term. With rumors flying every which way, here is a look at some of the most notable recent updates.

Cardinals on the Hunt for Molina Replacement?

At 50-43 and in second place in an intense race in the NL Central Division, the St. Louis Cardinals had little wiggle room for an injury to take away one of their elite players.

Alas, catcher Yadier Molina will miss perhaps the rest of the season after suffering a thumb injury, as explained by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

A major loss at home plate, Molina was also finally turning things around in the batter’s box, going 11-for-31 in his last 10 games. Tony Cruz, who has appeared in 22 games this season and is batting .241 with eight RBI, will take over as the starter.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick provided some insight as to what the loss means:

As the Elias Sports Bureau notes, the Cardinals have a staff ERA of 3.53 with Molina and 3.81 without him over the past five seasons. They’ve erased 40.9 percent of opposing base stealers during that time frame, compared to 31.9 percent with all their non-Molina catchers.

“It’s the equivalent of losing Adam Wainwright,” said an American League scout. “Yadi is one guy in the lineup, but this affects 12 guys on the pitching staff. Tony Cruz is a great backup and I guarantee you he’s learned a ton from Yadi just by osmosis. But there’s no way he can replace Yadi offensively, and Yadi is by far the best defensive catcher in all of baseball. It’s going to be a challenge.”

Goold notes that, in an effort to better guarantee the position is secure going into a postseason push, general manager John Mozeliak and the front office will have “their eyes toward the market for available catchers.”

Keep a close eye on the Cardinals, as Cruz’s success will likely have a major impact on whether or not the franchise elects to make a move. The team was in a similar spot a season ago, and the demons of that situation—teams trying to steal great prospects knowing the deadline was very close—will certainly play a factor in a potential move.

Joakim Soria

A 30-year-old arm with 16 saves and a 2.76 ERA is, of course, a hot item on the market any year with the deadline on approach. 

Oh, and don’t forget that said arm has fanned 40 batters and issued just four free passes.

This is where the Texas Rangers are with Joakim Soria at this point. He has managed to rise above what is a rather deep staff, and not only that, he touts a very favorable contract that pays him $5 million this year, with a team option next year for $7 million, per Spotrac.

Other teams obviously covet a contract like Soria‘s, especially those looking for a rental. Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi says there are at least three teams on the prowl for his services:

From Soria‘s perspective, the best place to go if he is moved would be Los Angeles, as that gives him the best chance to remain a closer. But it’s hard to imagine the Rangers, hanging out in fifth place in the AL West, would want to help out a division rival currently fighting with the Oakland A’s for first place.

For his part, Soria is just focused on continuing to do his job well, as captured by Evan Grant of the Dallas News:

I can’t control it. And if I can’t control it, I shouldn’t worry about it. If I don’t worry about it, it won’t be a distraction. It’s part of baseball. Rumors start and that’s it. I’m glad to be here. I’m glad to have a second chance to be a Major Leaguer. How can I be frustrated over anything when I’ve been given a second chance.

Soria is but one rung on the free-agency ladder that includes names such as Jonathan Papelbon, so a deal will have to blow the Rangers away to come to fruition. That certainly does not mean it won’t happen, though.

Marlon Byrd

At 36 years old and in possession of a rejuvenated bat and a two-year contract worth $8 million per year through 2016, per Spotrac, Marlon Byrd is living the good life with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Of course, that won’t stop teams from coming after Byrd, whose numbers continue to rise and show no signs of stopping at this juncture:

According to Crasnick, the Seattle Mariners, stuck in third place in the AL West, have shown a serious interest:

One problem: Byrd has a no-trade clause that covers four teams.

The Mariners are one of them.

Per Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, the teams are the Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays, although he does not view the clause as “ironclad.”

“I don’t want to get traded,” he said Thursday in Milwaukee. “I signed a two-year deal here for a reason. The thought process was to retire as a Phillie. At the same time, this is a business and I know how it works. If trading me makes the organization better, I have to go with it.”

If a team like Seattle tries hard enough, there is an outside chance some traction can be gained. But Byrd is in rare form for his age and is quite content, so expect this saga to drag out right up to the deadline.

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It may not coincide with some ridiculous campaign commercials dished out by rich politicians, but the 2014 MLB All-Star vote has been entertaining nonetheless.

Like any formal political vote, the MLB’s deadline is rapidly approaching, and each and every tally will count. Some positions are such toss-ups at this juncture that it’s hard to imagine who comes out on top.

While the old-school method of penciling in votes in between grabs for peanuts at the ballpark has since expired, fans can still tally votes online and influence the outcome.

As days bleed into hours before the deadline, intrigue for the Midsummer Classic continues to mount.

MLB All-Star Game Voting Info

Deadline: July 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Where to Vote: MLB.com

American League All-Star Starting Lineup Prediction

National League All-Star Starting Lineup Predictions

The recently-turned-40 Derek Jeter is the focal point of the 2014 iteration of the Midsummer Class, as he should be, this being his last season and all. Last time anybody counted the votes, he was winning his position in the American League by a landslide.

“You know me — I don’t think about that before it happens,” Jeter said on Monday, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I learned that a long time ago. I’ll wait to see what happens.”

Hoch explained why Jeter never pays attention to the vote until the final tally comes in:

Jeter’s reluctance to discuss his All-Star candidacy is rooted in the summer of 1999, when Nomar Garciaparra of the Red Sox benefited from frenzied online voting to overcome a deficit of more than 30,000 votes, passing both Jeter and the Indians’ Omar Vizquel in the final week.

“Everyone was like, ‘Oh, you’re leading,'” Jeter recalled. “Then Garciaparra got like 100,000, 200,000 votes the last day, something like that. After that, I said, ‘I’ll just wait.'”

See? The online vote does matter, as long as fans are willing to sit around and click their life away for it.

But, in all seriousness, Jeter is not the most deserving shortstop at this juncture, especially when perusing his numbers and finding that he has just two home runs and 19 RBI on the year. But, from a historical standpoint, Jeter deserves one final sendoff similar to those received by Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera and other legends.

The top positional battle resides in the National League, which is quite the coincidence considering everything outside of third base is well in hand.

Aramis Ramirez of the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets’ David Wright are fighting over the spot there, with both sides of the argument in possession of solid points.

Ramirez has been better statistics-wise, although not by a large margin:

That said, the Brewers star—a team that has a representative in the top five at every position—may win out by default, as Wright continues to battle a shoulder issue, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Rubin:

The battle is one to keep an eye on, although the process itself is not without its issues.

For example, Matt Wieters leads the way at the AL catcher spot, but underwent Tommy John surgery. Players such as Derek Norris (.304 average, 8 HR, 35 RBI) and Brian McCann (.221 average, 9 HR, 36 RBI) are much more deserving at this point taking into account the fact they have actually been on the field as of late.

Alas, these are the woes of a system that allows fan votes to play such an integral role in the process. It’s great for fans, outside of the hardcore crowd that will be disappointed to see a name like Yadier Molina stealing a spot from the superior Jonathan Lucroy.

No matter who wins each spot, fans worldwide are sure to tune in once again. That’s what happens when an All Star game both involves fans and means something, making the Midsummer Classic the best event of its kind.

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Jose Abreu’s battle with an ankle injury continues as the Chicago White Sox‘s star rookie hits at an amazing pace to start the 2014 season.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the White Sox will have to make do without their vaunted slugger for the time being. The ankle injury has become such an impediment that Abreu sounds likely to miss Sunday’s action against the Houston Astros, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com:

Abreu spoke to Merkin about the issue on Saturday:

That’s a major blow for the White Sox as they enter the rubber-band game in Houston before heading to Kansas City for three contests. The team will not return home until later in the week as they look to get out of fourth place in the AL Central.

Abreu has been on a historic clip to start the season (15 home runs and 42 RBI in 44 games), as ESPN Stats and Info illustrates:

Remember, this is the same ailment that hobbled Abreu early in the month and forced his transition to designated hitter. Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko certainly have the power to be firm stopgap solutions, but even they cannot be expected to replicate the wow-worthy numbers posted by the Cuban slugger.

For now it appears management is content to let Abreu rest rather than shelve him on the disabled list. That’s a worst-case scenario option, but this issue did start out as something that everyone involved thought would not last very long.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka will not be the fifth starter for the New York Mets to start the 2014 season after losing the spring training battle to Jenrry Mejia.

Dice-K will instead take a trip to Triple-A for the time being, as reported by SportsCenter:

Matsuzaka had a strong spring with a 1-1 record, eight earned runs allowed, 25 strikeouts and a 3.05 ERA. He had an especially strong showing Saturday before his demotion was announced, striking out eight and not allowing a base on balls.

The demotion comes as a surprise, especially after Mets manager Terry Collins told the media earlier in the week that Dice-K had an edge over Mejia thanks to his experience, via ESPN’s Adam Rubin.

“It certainly gives him an edge, because he’s done it before, and he’s done it a lot. But certainly, with the way Jenrry threw yesterday, he’s got to be in that mix,” Collins told Rubin.

Then again, the Mets paid $100,000 to retain Dice-K’s rights for flexibility, as Rubin notes:

As Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News suggests, Matsuzaka may still wind up with the team as an insurance policy should Jon Niese not be ready to go against the Cincinnati Reds in New York’s homestand finale April 6.

Either way, fans will likely see Dice-K on the mound sooner rather than later. As far as insurance policies go, the Mets could do much worse.

For now, Dice-K will make a splash in Triple-A play. Based on New York’s wise investment, don’t expect it to last long.

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The MLB trade rumors market will start to pick back up in a hurry, now that the holidays and winter meetings period has passed.

For the most part, it has been a quiet trade market this offseason, but one can bet things will heat up once the remainder of the top free agents find a new home.

Whether it is a contender looking to add one more piece or a rebuilding team looking to make a splash, there are plenty of ideas being tossed around at this point in time.

Here is the latest.

Will Brett Gardner Be Moved? 

It only makes sense that the New York Yankees and general manager Brian Cashman continue to see Brett Gardner’s name tossed around in rumors after an offseason that saw them nab Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran.

For those counting, that means the Yankees have six quality outfielders. For those in the know, the only one of the bunch who may bring back a large return via trade is Gardner.

As the MLB’s Twitter reported during the winter meetings, Cashman and Co. made it known they would not trade Gardner:

But Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com reports that plenty of teams are lining up to trade for the outfielder, and Cashman may do so if he gets starting pitching in return:

Since the Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, at least a half-dozen teams—from the Phillies to the Tigers—have taken a run at Brett Gardner, knowing he’s a free agent at the end of next season. But Brian Cashman won’t move him until and unless he has to for starting pitching.

Gardner did hit .273 with eight home runs, 52 RBI, 81 runs and 24 stolen bases a year ago, but he is set to hit free agency after next season.

All of the cash the Yankees spent this offseason will mean little if the starting pitching prevents them from making noise in the postseason. New York is clearly not keen on moving Gardner, but at some point a surplus has to help upgrade another position—especially if a World Series may hang in the balance.

Keep a close eye on Gardner.

Ike Davis is Not Guaranteed to Remain in New York

What an awkward offseason it has been for Ike Davis.

Davis has drawn interest from more than a few teams and the New York Mets were reportedly likely to move him at one point, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Things have cooled since then, and Davis told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he wants to remain with the Mets:

I have wanted to stay. I don’t want to leave on this kind of note. I have roots here, with the only team I have ever known. It’s something that a player dreams about, staying with the only team you have ever known. I don’t want to say disrespected, but it has probably been talked about more than it should have been. Unless something is actually about to happen, I don’t think it should be publicly talked about.

Well, something may not be about to happen right away, but the Mets have certainly left the door open for a trade, per Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com:

Mets insiders now expect Ike Davis will be in spring training with the team in Port St. Lucie, Fla.—while cautioning they are willing to reengage the Pittsburgh Pirates or Milwaukee Brewers or any other club in search of a first baseman in trade talks in the six weeks before pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 15. 

The Mets asking price is reportedly high, which makes sense because the team desperately needs pitching. It is obviously a tough bargain because Davis’ best season was way back in 2010.

It’s no secret the Mets do not have an issue letting Davis go. It just has to be for the right price.

Homer Bailey Continues to be a Name to Watch

Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty remains adamant that the team is looking to extend starting pitcher Homer Bailey, not trade him.

Reality will have to sink in at some point. The Reds are in the red in terms of cash flow and an extension for Bailey, who is just 27 years old and coming off his best year as a pro, with 199 strikeouts and a 3.49 ERA in 209 innings, is simply going to cost too much.

Go ahead and add in the fact there is plenty of interest from other teams, per Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

The Reds have been very quiet this offseason, but Bailey’s name has come up quite often as possible trade bait. In fact, the Reds could possibly bring back Arroyo if they can deal Bailey.

Bailey is set to hit free agency in his prime, has a no-hitter in each of his last two seasons and teams like the Yankees will obviously come in and scoop him up off the market. The Reds may be better off getting something in return right now.

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