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Despite no rain falling over O.co Coliseum in Oakland, the game between the Athletics and Mariners was postponed due to poor field conditions. The Athletics tweeted the news: 

According to DonBest.com, the game won’t be made up during what supposed to be a four-game series: 

The reason for the postponement was human error. MLB.com’s Greg Johns explains: 

So, we have one of the more unique postponements we’ll ever see, but it is a postponement nonetheless.

In fact, the field was so bad, Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon wasn’t even sure they’d be able to play tomorrow. Johns tweeted that information: 

The Mariners would appear to be bad luck for the O.co. It was last season following a game between Oakland and Seattle when the outdated stadium was backed up with raw sewage. 

If the game is played tomorrow, Johns gives us the pitching matchup:

Chris Young was scheduled to get the start for the Mariners on Friday, but it appears the plan is to skip his turn in the rotation.

The series between the division rivals began on Thursday in thrilling fashion, as the A’s handed the Mariners their first loss of the season with a 3-2 victory in the 12th on a Coco Crisp home run. 

At the time of the postponement, the Mariners sat in first in the American League West at 3-1. The A’s were a game behind at 2-1.

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This Major League Baseball offseason is setting up to feature a bevy of activity. As always, pitching is going to be in high demand.

Cubs power-pitcher Jeff Samardzija is a hot name, but not nearly as hot at the Rays’ David Price.

Meanwhile, I expect a lot of rumors and some movement involving right-handed power bats. Mark Trumbo would appear to be the hottest name of the moment in that department. 

Read on to get the latest buzz on all three of these players.  

Jeff Samardzija, P, Cubs

Despite not enjoying a wealth of pitching, the Chicago Cubs appear to be willing to part with pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

ESPN’s Buster Olney passed along this: 

Samardzija, 28, is coming off of a season where he set career highs in innings (213.2) and strikeouts (214). He posted a 4.34 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. 

He also is under team control for two more seasons. 

Given this, the Cubs have to be looking for strong value if they are going to part with Samardzija, and I don’t see him having enough value to the Diamondbacks for them to make this trade happen. 

With the maturation of Archie Bradley and Tyler Skaggs, the Diamondbacks rotation is in good shape. Arizona needs to make adding offense a bigger priority.

David Price, P, Rays

Perhaps the hottest name this offseason is former Cy Young winner David Price. The 28-year-old is under team control for two more seasons, but the Rays have always been proactive in trading away big-name players before they hit free agency. 

Given the Rays’ history, the possibility of being traded is something Price has prepared himself for. 

Price won the Cy Young in 2012 and was second in voting in 2010. While he struggled at the start of last season and missed some time with a triceps injury, he finished strong.

Price had a 2.53 ERA over his final 18 starts.

It is going to take a valuable package of prospects to pry Price away from the Rays. 

Still, it would appear the Los Angeles Dodgers have enough to land Price. Peter Gammons passed along this quote from an anonymous general manager: 

They [Dodgers] have the minor league talent to get Price. If they would trade Corey Seager and Julio Urias (the 17-year old lefthanded pitcher) and a couple out of Zach Lee, Joc Pederson or Chris Withrow, it would get it done. Then if they post $80M for Tanaka, they could have a rotation with four number ones and a number two with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Price, Tanaka and Hyun-Jin Ryu. But if they were to trade for Price, they’d need the draft pick to fill holes in their development system.

The Dodgers have been aggressive in acquiring talent. While this trade would undoubtedly set the farm system back, the chance to acquire pitching talent on the level of Price does not come around very often. 

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Price in a Dodgers uniform next season. 

Mark Trumbo, 1B, Angels

As a right-handed power bat, Mark Trumbo will garner plenty of interest on the trade market.  

Trumbo hit just .234 last season and is a career .250 hitter. However, he also blasted 34 home runs last season and has hit at least 29 home runs over each of the last three seasons. 

The Angels wouldn’t mind turning that power into some pitching: 

ESPN’s Jim Bowden reports that Miami Marlins general manager Dan Jennings has admitted being interested in Trumbo: 

Given the Angels’ desire to bolster the pitching staff and the value of a right-handed power bat in the current market, I expect Trumbo to be dealt. I’m not convinced the Marlins will be his ultimate destination, but I would be surprised if he is back in an Angels uniform. 

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The Atlanta Braves could stand to add a competent hitter to their bench, and they are running out of time to do so. 

The non-waiver trade deadline came and went with July, but the Braves will have until the end of August to negotiate a trade for players who have cleared waivers. Of course, that limits their targets and essentially guarantees the Braves would have to take on a poor contract (otherwise the player(s) wouldn’t have cleared waivers). 

With the best record in baseball at 74-51, however, the Braves should feel comfortable making postseason plans. And this places an emphasis on a “win now” philosophy.

When a team feels it is on the precipice of a serious run at the World Series, making a bold and risky move becomes a more acceptable cost of business. 

In this instance, adding a slugger who can come off the bench appears to be on Atlanta’s wish list. 

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal passed along that Braves would indeed like to add a bat, and more specifically, “a legitimate power threat.”

Making this need even more pressing is the fact that the recently called up Tyler Pastornicky has a torn ACL and will be on the shelf for at least the remainder of the season.

Pastornicky’s absence is not the end of the world. The 23-year-old second baseman’s presence with the big club didn’t become necessary until Dan Uggla opted to have LASIK surgery. He cannot return to action any sooner than Aug. 28. 

This means Paul Janish is now likely headed for second until Uggla returns. Janish helped fill in at shortstop last year for the Braves during the stretch run, and he will ensure Atlanta’s defense does not suffer any drop off. 

However, he isn’t going to help out much on offense, and as Mark Bowman of MLBlogs.com tells us, the Braves are looking for another infielder as a result.  

Barring something dramatically unforeseen, Uggla will be back before long, and perhaps the surgery will help him improve upon his .186 average. Still, the Braves continue to look for other options, and I certainly don’t blame them. They just need to do so with some caution.

Atlanta is not offensively starved. The Braves posted the third best batting average in July and are currently 15th in August. Furthermore, they were eighth in home runs in July and occupy that same ranking this month. 

Sure, they could stand to solidify their offensive depth, but to land an experienced player with the ability to upgrade the Braves’ offensive situation would mean they’d have to either take on a bad deal or overwhelm a team with prospects.

At this point, the Braves must be looking for someone they feel they could confidently call upon during the postseason to come off the bench and deliver a big hit. Anyone talented enough to inspire that kind of confidence is going to be pricey at this point. And the Braves are too complete of a team to take that risk. 

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The Atlanta Braves have to find a replacement for injured starting pitcher Tim Hudson. And now that they have taken care of their first trade priority by landing a left-handed reliever, they will be free to test the market.

On Monday, as reported by David O’Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves acquired left-handed reliever Scott Downs from the Los Angeles Angels for minor league reliever Cory Rasmus.

This was a solid move to complete an already strong bullpen. 

O’Brien notes that the Braves are still are on the lookout for a left-handed bat and “possibly more pitching.” He then goes onto note that Atlanta may wait until after the non-waiver trade deadline to acquire those aspects. 

However, Atlanta would be wise to take a look at some of the top pitchers floating around on the market now.

As MLB.com Atlanta beat writer Mark Bowman tweets, this is something the club has been contemplating: 

Braves starters currently have the seventh-lowest ERA in baseball at 3.70. However, losing Hudson from that group was a big blow. He is second on the team in innings pitched, and he posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.19 WHIP this season before the injury. 

To make matters worse, starter Paul Maholm was also recently placed on the 15-day disabled list. 

The Braves do have reason to think they can weather the storm without acquiring a new starter. Brandon Beachy just made his first start since Tommy John surgery, and Maholm‘s absence doesn’t figure to be a lengthy one. 

However, it is risky business counting on pitchers coming back from injury. As evidence of this, in his first start with the Braves in his return, Beachy was awful. On Monday, he lasted just 3.2 innings against the Colorado Rockies, allowing eight hits and seven earned runs.

This is not to suggest that Beachy can’t get rolling by the end of the season, but that is far from guaranteed. He certainly wouldn’t be the first pitcher to struggle after coming back from Tommy John surgery. 

Then there is Maholm. He is turning in a solid year, but at 31, the Braves have to guard against the possibility that this injury is a sign that the lefty is hitting the wall. 

These are two big question marks in the rotation, ones that the National League East leaders would be wise to address.

Bowman points out that the White Sox‘ Jake Peavy and the Royals‘ Ervin Santana are possible targets. There is no doubt that both men would allow the Braves a greater sense of confidence in their rotation as we near the postseason. However, there is the probability that it will take a ransom to land them. 

Still, as the clock ticks down on the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline and these pitching targets remain on their current teams, the asking price could begin to drop. And it’s not like the Braves need to be bargain shopping.

With a nine-game lead in their division, the Braves are headed towards the postseason, barring a total meltdown. This is the first time in awhile that this team can consider mortgaging parts of its future with an eye on winning a World Series. 

With quality starters still dangling on the market, the Braves cannot turn their backs on this opportunity. 

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With buyers separating themselves from sellers, and the July 31 trade deadline bearing down, trade talks appear to be heating up.

The Braves and Giants have been two of the big players, and they now find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum.

The defending champion Giants need to start shopping veterans and the Braves need to start acquiring them. Meanwhile, another proud franchise, the Philadelphia Phillies, are also looking to be big sellers. 

Let’s get caught up on the latest on these three franchises. 

Braves

The Braves need pitching, and Monday’s trade, reported by David O’Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for left-handed reliever Scott Downs doesn’t put an end to that need. 

With the recent injury of longtime starter Tim Hudson, the Braves have reportedly been looking to add another starter. According to MLB.com Atlanta beat writer Mark Bowman, the Braves are interested in a couple of big-name starters. Bowman: 

Braves general manager Frank Wren and his scouts will spend the next few days evaluating the small group of available starting pitchers who could legitimately upgrade the rotation.  Instead of pursuing a middle-of the-rotation piece like Bud Norris, the club’s interest in this department is focused on the likes of Jake Peavy and Ervin Santana.

Now that the Braves have crossed off their top priority of acquiring a lefty for the pen, they can turn their attention to adding a starter. 

The market on starters is developing slowly. This isn’t due to a lack of arm availability as much as it is waiting for the dominoes to fall. 

There is a good chance that the asking price on the top-of-the-line starter will remain too high for the Braves, but it appears like they will certainly be gauging that market. 

Giants

The Giants are paying the price for their recent dominance. Injuries and fatigue appear to have taken their toll, and the Giants sit at 12 games under .500, 10 games out of first in the National League West and 11.5 games back in the wild-card race. 

It is time for them to start selling. According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Giants know this as well as anyone. 

As Rosenthal reports, citing major league sources, the Giants are ready to start shipping veterans.

Of course, the interest from other teams will largely land on players that the Giants will be reluctant to part with. Rosenthal mentions right fielder Hunter Pence, right-handed starter Tim Lincecum and left-handed reliever Javier Lopez as players the Giants aren’t anxious to trade, but would also listen to offers at the right price. 

Making these guys even more likely to move is that all three of them are free agents at the end of the year. I would expect Lopez to be the first to go. He is the kind of specialist that can be a huge piece in the postseason.  

However, no matter what happens with this trio, it seems pretty clear that the Giants have some moves headed their way. 

Philadelphia Phillies 

Sitting nine games back in the wild-card race and 11.5 games back in the NL East, the Philadelphia Phillies are ready to be big sellers. 

As Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly reports, everyone but three Phillies will be available. The three reportedly are Domonic Brown, Cole Hamels and Chase Utley.

As you’ll notice, a certain pitcher named Cliff Lee is not on that list. However, Salisbury lets it be known that he is not readily available. The Phillies will have to be blown away with an offer to deal Lee.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports went even further to say that Philadelphia would need three or four top prospects in order to land the left hander. That is a lot to ask, and the Phillies just might get it. 

Lee is having yet another outstanding year and has a wealth of successful postseason experience. 

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With eight of the game’s best sluggers gearing up to launch balls into the skies of New York for the Home Run Derby, I figured I’d take a stab at ranking the three sluggers who have the best shot at a title. 

To my amazement, I found there are actually odds posted on the contestants. At first, I wondered what kind of degenerate it would take to gamble on this event. Then I quickly realized it would take a degenerate like me. 

Placing a small wager on which hitter can jack the most balls into the seats sounds like the best way to enjoy this All-Star weekend contest to me. 

So, check out the list of participants and then I’ll offer up my ranking. 

List of Participants and Odds to Win

Odds according to Bovada on July 12.

American League

Prince Fielder, Tigers, 7-2

Chris Davis, Orioles, 15-4

Robinson Cano, Yankees, 11-2

Yoenis Cespedes, Athletics, 11-2

National League

Bryce Harper, Nationals, 5-1

David Wright, Mets, 15-2

Pedro Alvarez, Pirates, 15-2

Michael Cuddyer, Rockies, 9-1

No. 3: Yoenis Cespedes

Cespedes is just the fourth player in derby history to participate in the derby but not be on the All-Star team. He has the power numbers to make it (15 home runs, 42 RBI), but he’s hitting just .219.

Cespedes has a lot of work to do to refine his contact skills, but he is not lacking for natural power. He shouldn’t have much of a problem squaring up pitches in this competition. 

The ball flies off of Cespedes‘ bat. His average true distance on home runs this year is 407.9′.

The dude can rake, and given that he is not playing in the All-Star game, all of his focus will be on this competition. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him pull out the win. However, I have a hunch he will wear himself out early. 

No. 2: Chris Davis

Chris Davis has power to all fields. However, he likes going back up the middle. This is not perfect for Citi Field, but as you can see on the ESPN Home Run Tracker with the Citi Field overlay, he has enough power that it shouldn’t be a problem.

Davis has a slight upswing that has led to him hitting a major league-leading 35 home runs this season, and it will be perfect for this competition. He should also be anxious to make an impression. 

While Davis has now hit 68 home runs since the start of the 2012 season, not a lot of fans have gotten a real taste for his power. Sure, most fans have marveled at his numbers this year, but if he could jack 15 home runs in the first round of this competition, it would only increase the spotlight on the remainder of his season. 

I expect Davis to put on a show. 

No. 1: Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder? Cecil should have named his son King Home Run Derby. When Fielder digs in and rips away, it is a sight to behold.

He’s already won this event twice, which makes him just one of two to pull that off. With a third win, he would tie Ken Griffey Jr. as the all-time leader. 

Not only does Fielder have a natural swing for distance, but he is able to take one monster hack after another without showing signs of fatigue. 

I would be surprised if Fielder didn’t at least make the finals. 

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While technology has brought us all increased familiarity with athletes, baseball has remained somewhat localized. For instance, the casual fan in Philadelphia isn’t likely to be all that familiar with the pitch arsenal of the Mariners’ Hisashi Iwakuma. 

This helps make the All-Star game such a fun event. It also provides an opportunity for players to make an impression on a national level.

Check out the rosters, and then I’ll offer up the three players I expect to find a way to make an impression on a national level.  

MLB All-Star Game Rosters

American League

National League

* = Starter

^ = Injured, will not play

Rosters courtesy of MLB.com.

Max Scherzer, P, Tigers

Max Scherzer has pitched so well this season that he is going to start leaving teammate Justin Verlander in his shadow. 

The 28-year-old has made huge strides in the last two seasons. His increased feel with his curveball and slider have left him nearly unhittable.

As you’ve probably noticed, he has an impressive 13-0 record, and that’s come for good reason. Scherzer has a WHIP of 0.946 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio at 5-to-1. 

He will dominate the best hitters in the National League in the All-Star contest and show everyone why he is putting himself in a great position to win his first Cy Young. 

Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals

The Bryce Harper hype machine can get a little tiring, but it exists for good reason: the kid makes spectacular plays. 

Harper is still making strides as a player, and he is far from a finished product, but he has the knack for the spectacular. He also plays every play like it is his last. 

I’m convinced that he will have at least one play, either in the field or at the plate, that leaves fans with their jaws hanging. 

Mariano Rivera, P, Yankees

Mariano Rivera isn’t going to be able to offer up anything fans haven’t seen him do countless times in the past. He’ll throw his unhittable cutter, quickly get outs and head back to the bullpen. 

However, the atmosphere around the 13-time All Star will be different. The MLB’s all-time saves leader is hanging up the cutter at the end of this season. 

This game will turn into a celebration of his career. It doesn’t hurt that it will be played in New York. Sure, it is in the rival’s stadium, but it’s still New York, and it’s still Mariano Rivera. 

The enormity of his amazing career will be on display, and as fans begin the process of viewing him as a former player, his appearance in this game will be the lasting image. 

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At least two players will pull off the insanely difficult task of being a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. We will find out for sure when the inductions are announced on Jan. 9. 

In the meantime, we are left to speculate. This is a fun year to do just that. The list of accomplishments of this group of first-ballot players is amazing. Unfortunately, too many of those accomplishments are tainted by steroids. 

That is awful for the sanctity of the Hall, but it is fun to debate. 

Just to refresh your memory, players are eligible for the ballot simply by playing for ten years in the majors and also having been retired for five years. To stay on the ballot, they have to receive at least five percent of the votes. To gain induction, a player must receive at least 75 percent of the vote. 

Before getting into the favorites, let’s take a look at the eligible players who will be one-and-done. 

Players with No Chance of Staying on the Ballot

Sandy Alomar Jr., Jeff Cirillo, Royce Clayton, Jeff Conine, Shawn Green, Roberto Hernandez, Ryan Klesko, Jose Mesa, Aaron Sele, Mike Stanton, Todd Walker, Rondell White, Woody Williams

1-to-1: Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza 

These two guys have to be no-brainers. Craig Biggio is the only player in the history of the game to record at least 3,000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases and 250 home runs. And he did all that while offering up solid defense at catcher and second base. 

Piazza is arguably the greatest offensive catcher to ever play. He was a great blend of power, contact and consistency. He finished with 427 homers, 1,335 RBI and a career batting average of .308. 

4-to-1: Curt Schilling 

Schilling should get in on the first ballot, but I don’t think he will. That is largely due to the antiquated stat of wins. Schilling only has 216 of them, which is far below the magic 300 number. However, while Schilling played on great teams late in his career, he was not as fortunate early on. 

The rest of his body of work is outstanding. He is 15th all-time in strikeouts and third among pitchers with at least 3,000 innings in strikeouts per nine innings.

The biggest thing Schilling has going for him is his postseason performances. He went 11-2 in 19 postseason starts while posting a 2.23 ERA, and he was even better in World Series play where he went 4-1 in seven starts with a 2.06 ERA.

Schilling will be close, but I don’t think he gets in this time. 

50-to-1: Barry Bonds 

Were it not for all the steroid talk, Bonds would be as big a no-brainer as the Hall of Fame ballot has seen. However, that talk is there and it is going to derail his chances at the Hall. 

Maybe, in time, he will still get in. He is ahead of others entangled in the steroid web because Bonds was considered the best player in the game long before the seasons that many speculate were chemically enhanced. 

100-to-1: Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa

Again, we have two of the biggest stars of their generation who have resumes clearly deserving of first-ballot status, but the steroid cloud will doom them. 

150-to-1: David Wells 

If David Wells ever took steroids, it would only be because someone slipped some in his beer. Boomer will be held back for more typical reasons: his stat line. 

Wells finished with 239 wins and an ERA of 4.13 over the course of his 3,439 innings. Those numbers are certainly comparable to Schilling’s, but he is far behind Schilling in strikeouts and postseason performance. 

That is not to say he was bad in the postseason. He wasn’t, as he went 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA in postseason play. He deserves to stay on the ballot, but he won’t be close to getting inducted. 

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The Boston Red Sox should forget about injury-plagued Mike Napoli and just get Nick Swisher on the roster. 

The potential signing of Napoli in Boston has turned into a saga. This was a move that appeared to be a done deal, but reportedly hit a snag when Napoli had some issues with the physical. ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes dished on that holdup. 

Since that report, it has come to light that Boston is still determined to land Napoli, just with a revised deal. 

SI.com’s Will Carroll sheds some light with this tweet:

Hearing that the Napoli deal back in negotiations, with team asking Napoli to take less years but same AAV. Swisher Plan B.

— Will Carroll (@injuryexpert) December 13, 2012

The original deal was reported as a three-year, $39 million deal. That is $13 million a year for the 31-year-old catcher who is coming off a season where he set a new career low with a .227 batting average, while also posting his second-lowest on-base percentage at .343—and doing so while playing in just 108 games.

This isn’t time for the Red Sox to rework the deal; it is time for them to abandon it and jump all-in on the 32-year-old Swisher. 

The switch-hitting Swisher is coming off a season where hit .276 with 24 home runs, and he certainly is showing no signs of slowing down due to age. 

There is one setback to this signing, as Mike Cole, who covers the Red Sox for NESN.com, reports that “Swisher is reportedly looking for a five- or six-year deal.”

That is a long deal for a 32-year-old, but that doesn’t make it more risky than Napoli. Swisher has enjoyed good health. He has played in at least 148 games in each of the past seven seasons. Conversely, Napoli has never played in more than 140 games in a season. 

Swisher is a guy the Red Sox can count on to be a consistent presence in the lineup, and this is a team that desperately needs some consistency. 

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Free-agent outfielder Shane Victorino has inked a deal with the Boston Red Sox.

The news comes to us via Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

Sox have agreed with Victorino on 3yr deal

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 4, 2012

The 32-year-old veteran was one of the top free-agent outfielders available this offseason, and despite his advancing age, the two-time All-Star still has plenty of value.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, Victorino’s three-year deal is worth $39 million.

Victorino and #RedSox: Three years, $39M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 4, 2012

Victorino is a three-time Gold Glove winner, and his defense remains above average. He can play any position in the outfield with competence, but he is at his best when roaming in center.

He also swiped a career-high 39 steals last season, and he was caught stealing just six times. He remains one of the elite base-stealers in the game. If age is going to rob him of a step, it has not happened yet.

However, there are some concerns with diminishing production at the plate. 

While playing in 154 games last season for the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, Victorino hit 11 home runs with 55 RBI, which is his lowest HR total since 2009 and fewest RBI since 2007. 

Victorino also hit just .255, which set a new career low, not counting his 73 at-bat stint as a rookie for the Padres in 2003, for the career .275 hitter. That average came with a OPS of just .704, which is also his lowest since 2003. 

Now, before reading too much into those numbers, it is important to consider this fact pointed out by The Dallas Morning News: “Last season, Victorino hit more line drives and ground balls than he did in 2011.”

That is a great indication that Victorino’s drop-off last season is not a sign of a player battling the rapid decline of skills that comes along with age; rather, it reveals a player that suffered more from bad breaks.  

This is a solid signing that will bring not only a well-rounded skill set to the lineup, but also veteran leadership to the clubhouse. 

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