Kuzul

Blockbuster deals are becoming more common, and a number of big-name players have changed teams. The Adrian Gonzalez trade is just one recent blockbluster.

There could be a lot more deals that happen this winter. Teams have players with big salaries that they want to get rid of or potential stars that are currently block. In this second instance, they can either trade the prospect or the player that is blocking them.

It seems likely that at least one All-Star gets traded this winter, and there is a possibility that two are dealt for each other during the 2013 MLB offseason. Each the teams on this list have the potential to pull off a blockbuster deal, but some will be buyers and others will be sellers.

Begin Slideshow

There is certainly a tight race for the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year award. A number of outstanding performances have been put in by young stars and no one has really run away in the race.

Wade Miley has been outstanding for the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is certainly possible that he manages to win the award this season.

There are two hitters that will challenge each other and Miley for the award. Todd Frazier has put together a solid season and his numbers make him one of the favorites to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Bryce Harper is not making it that easy for Frazier to be the top positional player in the National League. The young phenom has put up an impressive year himself.

Let’s take a look to see which rookie hitter has the best chance of winning the National League Rookie of the Year award this season. 

Begin Slideshow

Almost two years ago, it was beginning to seem like steroids were becoming a part of Major League Baseball’s past. Commissioner Bud Selig had come out and said that the Steroid Era was coming to an end (h/t Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times).

It is clear that is nowhere close to the truth. Since Selig issued that statement, a number of big-name players have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Manny Ramirez tested positive for the second time in his career and was given a 100-game suspension, which was later reduced to 50 games (h/t Tom Singer of MLB.com).

2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun found himself in the middle of some controversy when it was announced that he had tested positive for a PED. While Braun’s suspension was overturned, it was once again a reminder that performance-enhancing drugs are still very much a part of the game of baseball (h/t ESPN).

In 2012, four major-league players have been suspended for testing positive for PEDs. Guillermo Mota, Freddy Galvis, Bartolo Colon and Melky Cabrera have all been suspended by MLB this season.

After Cabrera’s positive test, Victor Conte, the head of BALCO, discussed how he believed that a significant number of players in the majors still use PEDs (h/t ESPN).

It is clear that this issue has not gone away.

Cabrera’s case presents MLB with a very interesting situation. He was in the middle of a career year this season when he was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for high levels of testosterone (h/t ESPN).

As it currently stands, Cabrera’s .346 batting average leads the National League. Andrew McCutchen is the only player that seems to be within striking distance of the mark as the 2012 MLB season winds to a close.

What this means is that Cabrera, whose performance this year was in some part fueled by performance-enhancing drugs, could end up taking home the National League batting title.

Bud Selig needs to step in to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Baseball cannot clean up its image when one of its prominent statistical leaders failed a drug test that year.

It could take a rule change to make sure that it doesn’t happen, but it is one that should easily be implemented. Selig could propose a rule that any player that tests positive for performance-enhancing drugs is ineligible to be counted as the statistical leader in any category during the same season in which the infraction occurs.

There would likely not be much opposition to such a proposal, as no player wants to be cheated out of something that is rightfully theirs.

Allowing Cabrera to win the title would help set a dangerous precedent. While a 50-game suspension is obviously tough, letting a player be named the season’s leader in a statistical category would show that the league is soft in some areas of its PED enforcement.

Last offseason, there was the debate about whether or not Braun should keep his NL MVP trophy as a result of his positive PED test. That decision did not have to be made, but it is one that should have been simple.

Any player that tests positive for a PED should lose any award or recognition that he received that season.

The performance-enhancing drug helped him put up better numbers in some capacity that year, and the award deserves to go to a player that was clean.

There is one simple solution that would make the whole issue with Cabrera and the batting title moot. If McCutchen finishes with his batting average above .346, then the batting title will end up in the hands of its rightful owner.

Even if that is the case, this issue shows that there are more areas that Major League Baseball needs to think about when it comes to punishments for violating its PED policy.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Being on top of the standings at the beginning of the year is great, but what really matters is having one of the best records in baseball after the last day of the season.

Throughout baseball history, there have been a number of teams that looked like World Series contenders that have struggled late in the year. In some cases, these teams have lost playoff spots as a result.

The New York Yankees had a big lead during the 2012 season and have seen it dwindle down due to their recent struggles. They could end up having one of the worst collapses in baseball history.

Begin Slideshow

Acquiring Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Hanley Ramirez may not have been enough for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their pursuit of the 2012 World Series title.

After Blanton’s latest poor start, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has reported that the Dodgers are still on the hunt for another starting pitcher.

While the Dodgers did have interest in CC Sabathia according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, it is doubtful that they will make another move of that magnitude.

Instead, the Dodgers will most likely look through the waiver wire for a pitcher who can fill in at the number four or five slot.

Begin Slideshow

A number of big trades went down before the 2012 MLB trade deadline as big names went from struggling teams to teams that are in contention in the playoff races.

These deals could help shape the results that we see throughout the rest of the season. There were certainly a number of winners and losers from the 2012 MLB trade deadline.

The following analysis is for the biggest deals that went down on July 31st.

Begin Slideshow

The trade of Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Detroit Tigers should have indicated that there are going to be changes with the Miami Marlins’ roster during the days before the 2012 MLB trade deadline.

Hanley Ramirez is on the block and Scott Miller of CBS Sports has quoted a few executives as saying that the Marlins are very open to moving him.

A number of teams will have an interest in Ramirez because of his impressive offensive abilities. However, he does struggle in the field and may not have a true position anymore. Ramirez has also had some attitude issues in the past. Still, this will not deter teams from pursuing him.

Begin Slideshow

As crazy as it may seem, there is a possibility that the Miami Marlins could trade Giancarlo Stanton prior to the 2012 MLB Trade Deadline, according to Buster Olney of ESPN (Insider required).

Joe Frisaro of MLB.com has also confirmed that it makes sense for the Marlins to listen to offers for Stanton. MLB general managers would salivate at the chance to acquire one of the best young players in baseball today.

There is no doubt that the cost for Stanton would be incredibly high, but he is probably worth the small army of prospects that he would cost. Stanton is type of player who can be a cornerstone for years to come.

While Stanton is currently on the disabled list after he underwent knee surgery, that does not mean that the Marlins can’t trade him (h/t Larry Stone of The Seattle Times). Stanton would be a fit for any of the teams in the majors, but some would be more inclined than others to go after him.

Begin Slideshow

Intra-division trades between hated rivals are rare, but they do happen on occasion. There was the famous 1964 deal in which the Chicago Cubs sent Lou Brock, Jack Spring and Paul Toth to the rival St. Louis Cardinals for Ernie Broglio, Doug Clemens and Bobby Shantz. Even the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have negotiated deals including the infamous Babe Ruth trade.

This means that there are certainly grounds for the Tampa Bay Rays to trade one of their top starting pitchers to an American League East rival. Jason A. Churchill of ESPN (Insider required) has noted that both the Yankees and the Red Sox have an interest in James Shields.

It seems to be difficult to see the Rays as sellers at this point in the year, as they are right in the thick of the Wild Card race. However, it is possible that the Rays can trade Shields while also improving their chances at making the playoffs this season.

Tampa Bay would be a much better team if it could find an upgrade at catcher, first base, shortstop, outfield or DH. It could also go after a second baseman and move Ben Zobrist into the outfield full time.

Chris Archer could re-join the Rays’ starting rotation, or the team could insert Jeff Neimann back into its rotation once he returns from an injury (h/t Danny Knobler of CBS Sports).

Boston seems to be a good fit for a deal with the Rays. A possible Shields deal could be centered around Ryan Lavarnway, and the Rays could also ask for first baseman Lars Anderson in addition to a reliever such as Junichi Tazawa.

This deal or a similar one would seem to work for both franchises. It would give the Red Sox the No. 2 starter that they are looking for while helping the Rays immediately fill a number of holes.

A deal with the New York Yankees seems much harder to fathom. The two teams do not match up as well. The Yankees have a number of young outfield prospects that are still a ways away from the majors as well as a number of high-level pitching prospects that have struggled.

If the two sides were to discuss a deal, the Rays would certainly want one of Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances as well as a young prospect like Tyler Austin. This deal would not put the Rays in a position to make the playoffs this year.

While a deal between the Rays and one of their division rivals seems to be unlikely, there is a better chance that they can work out a deal with the Red Sox than the Yankees. If it turns out that the best deal that the Rays can make involving Shields is with the Red Sox, then they should not be afraid to pull the trigger.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The 2012 MLB All-Star Game in Kansas City will certainly have some exciting, can’t-miss moments. There are players whose outstanding careers are ending, while other players are just getting started.

While the All-Star Game is just an exhibition game, this should be a fun one with plenty of highlights that could be talked about for weeks.

Begin Slideshow