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The Boston Red Sox announced Tuesday the organization will not fill its vacant general manager position following the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ hiring of Mike Hazen as their GM, according to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. 

The team did name Eddie Romero the senior vice president and assistant general manager, per Mastrodonato. He previously served as the club’s vice president of international scouting and has been a member of the organization for 11 years.

“The Red Sox are very pleased to announce Eddie’s promotion to Assistant General Manager,” said president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a press release. “This is a very talented individual who we think can make a real impact for us with his background in player evaluation and his knowledge of our minor league system. A native Spanish speaker, his ability to communicate with both players and staff is significant, especially in today’s game. We look forward to having Eddie onboard to assist our efforts to improve our ball club.”

The Red Sox have certainly undergone a shake-up in the front office this offseason, as the vice president of amateur and international scouting, Amiel Sawdaye, followed Hazen to Arizona to become his assistant general manager. 

According to Scott Lauber of ESPN.com, Sawdaye “is credited with directing the club’s wildly successful 2011 draft that yielded outfielders Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., catcher/left fielder Blake Swihart and third baseman Travis Shaw, among others.”

Lauber also reported Sawdaye was considered a candidate to fill the vacant general manager position before his departure. But Dombrowski already had the final say on personnel decisions and other matters, leaving Lauber to speculate he may simply continue to rely on Romero and a circle of assistants. 

In essence, then, it appears Dombrowski will continue to serve as the Red Sox’s de facto general manager. 

The departures are likely to continue, as well. According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, “senior baseball analyst Tom Tippett revealed his plans to leave the organization at the end of the month when his contract expires” and the team “also is losing director of sports medicine services Dan Dyrek.”

Bench coach Torey Lovullo is considered a leading candidate for the Diamondbacks’ vacant managerial position, per Abraham, and he will potentially garner interest from other teams as well.

The retirement of David Ortiz may have garnered the majority of the headlines in Boston, but the Red Sox will have a much different look behind the scenes as well in 2017.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Very few World Series matchups in recent history offer more intrigue than Cleveland facing the Chicago Cubs in a series that will ultimately be remembered for one of these organizations ending a long championship drought.

But this would be a fantastic matchup without all of the historical context, and one you simply don’t want to miss. So let’s take a look at the championship schedule before breaking down both of these teams.

Cleveland

It was easy to overlook this Cleveland team coming into the postseason. They were dealing with a number of injuries, and they were facing the big bats of the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. Surely, they would be steamrolled by David Ortiz, Mookie Betts and the star-laden lineup that Boston possessed.

Not so fast, folks.

Cleveland’s pitching, instead, dominated both Boston’s boppers and the big bats of the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS. Cleveland’s staff through eight games has an ERA of 1.77, a WHIP of 1.01 and 81 strikeouts in 71 innings.

Corey Kluber and Josh Tomlin have been fantastic as starters, giving up just five runs between them in five starts and 29 innings pitched. Reliever Andrew Miller has been basically unhittable as the team’s stopper out of the bullpen and has yet to give up a run. Closer Cody Allen hasn’t given up a run, either, and has five saves. 

The team’s bullpen, in general, has been superb. In the ALCS, Cleveland’s relievers gave up just four runs in 22 innings. In Game 3, the bullpen was required to throw 8.1 innings after Trevor Bauer had to be taken out of the game with a finger injury.

The result? Six relievers gave up just two runs and Cleveland won, 4-2.

In part, Cleveland’s bullpen has been so successful because manager Terry Francona doesn’t have strict roles assigned for his various components, instead using pitchers when he feels he needs them. It’s why a pitcher like Miller—who easily could fill the closer role—has found himself in the setup role, but he has also appeared in games in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

“Everybody (puts) the ego aside on this team,” reliever Bryan Shaw told Rob Oller of the Columbus Dispatch. “If guys were down there (saying) ‘I’m pitching my inning or I’m doing this,’ I don’t think we could have gotten to where we’re at right now.”

Cleveland’s bullpen has had to be superb—after Kluber and Tomlin, the team doesn’t have great starting pitching. But the team’s offense shouldn’t be an afterthought, either.

Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli provide the pop. Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez do a little bit of everything. Rajai Davis has been a revelation. Cleveland doesn’t have the bats that the Cubs possess, but they didn’t have the bats that the Red Sox and Blue Jays possessed, either.

But here they are. And once again, they’ll rely on their bullpen, their defense and timely hitting against a Cubs team that, on paper, is clearly more talented. 

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs were the best MLB team during the regular season, and it was never really in doubt. Few teams have the star power, depth and balance that the Cubs possess. 

Offensively, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo each hit over 30 home runs and 100 RBI, while Addison Russell added 21 dingers and 95 ribbies. Then there’s Javier Baez, who has hit .342 this postseason with one home run, four doubles, seven RBI and seven runs scored. 

And hey, for good measure, the Cubs also throw Ben Zobrist, Dexter Fowler and Willson Contreras at opposing pitchers, while Jason Heyward provides excellent defense in right field for the team. Good luck finding many weaknesses with this unit.

Oh, but it doesn’t end there. Players like Albert Almora Jr. and Jorge Soler are available off the bench, and Kyle Schwarber might return from a season-long injury to improve the team’s depth as well, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. And the ever-brilliant Joe Maddon is pulling the strings, and he always seems to know exactly what strings to pull with this lineup.

Of course, the team’s pitching is pretty stacked, too. 

The Cubs have a much more reliable postseason rotation than Cleveland, leaning on Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey. Lester has given up two runs in 21 postseason innings. Hendricks has given up just three runs over 16.1 innings. Arrieta and Lackey have been shakier this postseason but both had solid regular seasons and have October experience.

In the bullpen, Aroldis Chapman has also been a bit shakier, giving up three runs in eight innings pitched, though he does have three saves. Travis Wood and Carl Edwards, however, have given up one run in a combined 8.1 innings pitched, so Chicago’s bullpen has solid options as well.

Like Cleveland, the Cubs also play very good defense. And unlike Cleveland, which is without starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco and outfielder Michael Brantley, the Cubs are mostly healthy.

The argument for the Cubs is pretty simple: They’ve been the best team in baseball all year, they’re the better team on paper and their offense woke up against the San Francisco Giants. They were constructed to win a title, and they certainly feel they are capable of living up to those expectations.

“We’ve been believing it all year,” Cubs shortstop Addison Russell told Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal. “And the moment’s here.”

Indeed it is. Cleveland’s performance thus far has been magical, but the Cubs appear to simply be the better team.

Prediction

The Cubs will end their World Series drought, winning this matchup in six games.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Former NFL player and aspiring baseball player Tim Tebow appeared on Good Morning America on Monday to promote his new book, Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms, and spoke about playing baseball, remaining humble and maintaining a personal identity after football. 

“I’m having so much fun,” Tebow said of playing baseball. “You know what’s amazing? When you do something for the love of it. I’m so passionate about the game and pursuing it and playing every day.”

He also spoke about the perspective that helps him to remain humble.

“I think humility comes, not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less, meaning try to look for the people around you and what they need and how you can help them,” he said. “I think the greatest form of love is choosing the best interest of another person and acting on their behalf.”

And he touched on how he handled the end of his football career, after the game had been such a big part of his life for many years:

I’ve been told by a lot of different teams that I’m not good enough so how do you handle that? For me, it’s to be able to have a foundation of something bigger than yourself, understand what God says about you, that you are important, that you have a life of significance and you have a life of meaning. When you understand your purpose, that will totally change your identity.

You can see the full interview below:

Tebow, 29, is playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League after signing a minor league contract with the New York Mets in September. He is hitting .100 with one RBI and seven strikeouts in six games.

One scout told Mark Brown of Newsday that he didn’t think Tebow was a legitimate prospect, while another scout noted that he “doesn’t have too many years to perfect his skills” and “has too many things to learn.”

The former Heisman Trophy winner started his professional sports career as a quarterback with the Denver Broncos. He was a 2010 first-round draft pick of theirs and even led to a playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. But during his time as an NFL quarterback, he completed just 47.9 percent of his passes, which led to him quickly falling out of favor.

According to the New York Post (h/t NFL.com), NFL teams reportedly showed interest in Tebow if he would switch to playing tight end, but he reportedly refused to make the change, per Sports Illustrated’s Peter King. The Philadelphia Eagles gave him a shot in 2015 but cut Tebow before the season, as he failed to win the No. 3 quarterback job in Philly under then-head coach Chip Kelly.

He then pivoted to a media career before signing with the Mets. He also continues to work as an analyst on the SEC Network. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Get ready for the trades, folks.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, “There is a growing sense among executives that the trade market is going to be active this offseason.”

But who might be on the move?

Well, let’s find out, as we break down some of the juiciest rumors heading into the World Series. 

A Tigers Fire Sale Forthcoming?

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Detroit Tigers could be preparing to trade away some of their biggest stars.

Olney wrote: “The message being received from the rest of the industry is a dramatic shift for one of baseball’s oldest franchises: They will listen to trade offers on everybody. Miguel Cabrera. Justin Verlander. Ian Kinsler. Anybody.”

Tony Paul of the Detroit News added: “I’ve heard just about every Tigers name being talked about as a trade chip.”

Let the bidding begin.

Of course, Olney also noted the Tigers might not have anything resembling a fire sale in the least; instead, “what Detroit will attempt this winter might be similar to what the Yankees did during the 2016 season: transition into a younger (and cheaper) team by extracting value from some of the older and more expensive players.”

Finally, Olney wrote that Detroit already tried to trade Justin Upton during the season. Certainly, moving on from players such as Upton and Victor Martinez for younger and cheaper pieces would be ideal, if not unrealistic. Among the veterans, Cabrera and Verlander would certainly garner the biggest return, though will Detroit be able to get back enough in a trade package while still remaining competitive next season?

That is harder to gauge. Verlander and Cabrera are both 33 and still owed a ton of money, which hurts their trade value. On the other hand, both are still productive—namely Cabrera, who hit an impressive .316 with 38 home runs and 108 RBI this year, though Verlander certainly had a strong, bounce-back season.

Not only that, but Cabrera and Verlander are staples of the organization and wildly popular. Moving on from either player likely wouldn’t be a popular decision among the team’s fans.

Paul thinks that Kinsler and J.D. Martinez would be the smart assets to deal:

That’s more than $22 million in payroll right there for next season, and you’d get a significant return of young, controllable talent in return. Problem is, obviously, there aren’t immediate replacements for those guys. So expect any package of either Martinez or Kinsler to include a young chip who could project to be the immediate — and long-term — replacements.

Regardless of who ultimately goes, expect to hear plenty of buzz surrounding the Tigers this offseason.

Phillies to Consider Dealing Vince Velasquez?

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com noted that the Philadelphia Phillies will be “open-minded” in regards to trading talented starting pitcher Vince Velasquez.

Zolecki wrote:

That might not lead to a blockbuster, but there is no reason not to inquire and listen. After all, is there anybody in the organization that is truly untouchable? The fact the Phillies engaged in serious trade talks with the Rangers in July about Vince Velasquez indicates they are willing to consider anything. That is a good thing.

Velasquez, 24, pitched well for the Phillies in 2016, finishing 8-6 with a 4.12 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 152 strikeouts in 131 innings pitched. But surely, the Phillies would require a major haul for a talented young pitcher, especially as the team is in the midst of starting to bring some of its talented prospects to the majors.

Velasquez would appear to be among the building blocks in Philadelphia, alongside outfielder Odubel Herrera, third baseman Maikel Franco, top prospect and shortstop J.P. Crawford—who seems likely to make his MLB debut in 2017—starting pitchers Aaron Nola, Jerad Eickhoff and Jake Thompson and reliever Hector Neris.

And that doesn’t include the team’s other top prospects in the farm system, such as outfielder Nick Williams and catchers Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp, among others.

In other words, the Phillies are still looking toward the future. Any package for Velasquez would have to include some highly considered prospects. If they can’t get any in return, dealing a talented young pitcher would make absolutely no sense for the Phillies.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A drought is going to end in the 2016 World Series. The question is if it will be the Cleveland Indians winning their first title since 1948 or the Chicago Cubs winning their first title since 1908.

Starting on Tuesday, we’ll find out. Before we preview the matchup, here’s a look at the schedule and television information for the series: 

No team was better during the regular season than the Cubs. No team has been better in the postseason than Cleveland.

The Cubs finished an MLB-best 103-58 this season, led by manager Joe Maddon and the most balanced team in baseball. Offensively, the Cubs are paced by a cadre of superstars, including Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell, and few teams are deeper on the bench. That offense has survived arguably the two best pitchers in baseball, Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw, this postseason.

The pitching staff, meanwhile, has a fantastic one-two punch in Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta and Aroldis Chapman closing down games with his heat-seeking fastballs. 

While the Cubs have gone 7-3 this postseason, Cleveland has gone an impressive—and surprising—7-1.

First, the team dispatched of the American League’s best offense, the Boston Red Sox, sweeping the series and holding Boston to seven runs in three games. Then the Toronto Blue Jays’ big boppers came to town and were promptly handled in five games, with Cleveland’s pitchers shutting out the Jays twice.

Cleveland’s pitching has been superb, led by Corey Kluber (2-1 with a 0.98 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 20 strikeouts in 18.1 innings pitched), Josh Tomlin (2-0, 2.53 ERA, 0.94 WHIP), Andrew Miller (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, four holds, one save, 11.2 innings pitched) and Cody Allen (0.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, five saves).

In many ways, these teams are similar. The Cubs were third in baseball during the regular season in runs scored (808); Cleveland was fifth (777). The Cubs led baseball in ERA (3.15) and batting average allowed (.212) during the regular season; Cleveland was seventh (3.84) and fifth (.243), respectively. 

Neither team has hit particularly well in the postseason (.222 batting average for the Cubs, .208 for Cleveland), though that is to be somewhat expected against baseball’s top pitchers in October. And the Cubs offense has recently awoken, scoring 23 runs in the last three games, while Cleveland has relied on timely hitting and the ability to win close games—five of its seven postseason triumphs have come by two or fewer runs—to reach the World Series. 

Of course, the storylines surrounding these teams are different. The Cubs are laden with talent, led by the curse-breaking Theo Epstein, the quirky but prescient Maddon and a giant payroll supplementing an impressive collection of young talent that has come through the team’s system.

Cleveland, meanwhile, is the scrappy, never-say-die bunch that has overcome injuries and was overshadowed by sexier organizations in the American League but has quietly been excellent all season long.

Of course, all the storylines are coated in drought. Neither one of these franchises has won a title in a long time. While Chicago has at least had the Bulls, Blackhawks and even the Bears in 1985 to help scratch that championship itch, Cleveland has had to suffer through the Browns and wait for the return of LeBron James to bring the Cavaliers a title this past season.

Ultimately, how each team handles the pressure will be a huge factor. So, too, will be each team maximizing its strengths and minimizing its weaknesses. The Cubs, on paper, have the better offense and starting rotation. Cleveland has home-field advantage and a lights-out bullpen. Maddon and Terry Francona are both excellent managers. 

Any way you slice it, this year’s World Series shapes up to be one of the most memorable in quite some time. One fanbase that hasn’t had a reason to celebrate a baseball team’s ultimate achievement will get that opportunity this season. The other will have the most familiar of heartbreaks to endure once again.

Watching it all unfold will be fantastic theater. And hopefully fantastic baseball, too.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

At the beginning of the postseason, I predicted that the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series this year and end the organization’s famous title drought. I’m sticking to my guns, folks. 

Sure, I also predicted that they would ultimately beat the Boston Red Sox to do so. Instead, if the Cubs reach the World Series, they’ll have to contend with Cleveland, which has gone 7-1 in the postseason and dispatched two of baseball’s most dangerous offenses, the Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

Below, we’ll take a look at the remaining schedule 

Finally, it happened. Finally, the Cubs offense awoke.

After being shut out in the last two NLCS games, the Cubs exploded in a 10-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night. Perhaps more importantly, the slumping Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo each homered and combined to go 6-for-10 with five RBI and four runs scored between them.

“This is a big win, for sure,” Rizzo said after the game, per Ken Gurnick and Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. “To even up the series, we have a chance to take another one here [Thursday] and go home with a 3-2 lead. In a way, this is just one game and we know it’s going to be a quick turnaround, but this was definitely a big game for us.”

Added Ben Zobrist: “We know our offense is too good to keep down for a long time. Hopefully, tonight is an indication of what’s to come.”

If nothing else, the win guarantees the series will return to Chicago for at least one game, where the Cubs were an MLB-best 57-24 during the regular season. The Dodgers will be hoping that Kenta Maeda can pitch them to a Game 5 win, setting them up to wrap up the series with Clayton Kershaw in Game 6.

Game 5, then, is crucial for the Cubs. Heading into an elimination game against Kershaw is hardly ideal. Win, however, and the Cubs get two cracks at advancing at home. Look for this series to go the full seven games but the Cubs moving one step closer to ending their championship drought.

While the Cubs perhaps turned the NLCS around, Cleveland booked its berth in the Fall Classic:

Cleveland has won behind a pitching staff that has posted a remarkable 1.77 ERA with 81 strikeouts over 71 innings. Opposing hitters have posted a meager .206 batting average against the Tribe, and starter Corey Kluber (2-1 with a 0.89 ERA and 1.09 WHIP), reliever extraordinaire Andrew Miller (21 strikeouts in 11.2 innings, no earned runs allowed, 0.60 WHIP) and closer Cody Allen (five saves, no earned runs, 1.04 WHIP) have been borderline unhittable.

Despite that fact, the team will likely continue to be overshadowed by their gaudier NL counterparts. That doesn’t seem to bother the Tribe much, as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN wrote:

As the Cleveland players and coaches doused each other with cold beverages and filled the clubhouse air with stale cigar smoke Wednesday evening, talk inevitably turned to what comes next in the aftermath of their American League Championship Series victory against Toronto. When it was suggested to second baseman Jason Kipnis that the Indians have more talent than their reputation suggests and all the “gritty gamer” talk is mere sandbagging, he took it as a personal affront. Kipnis turned to pitcher Josh Tomlin and disputed the notion that some Cleveland players might actually be good.

“I’m hitting [.167] in the postseason, and he can’t touch 90 miles an hour,” Kipnis said of Tomlin. “I don’t know what talent you’re talking about. We’re grinders. If you want guys who run fast and throw hard and can’t play the game, go find them. We’ve got baseball players on this team. We’ve got 25 guys who compete in between the lines and are having a blast doing it next to each other.”

In other words, the Tribe have embraced the underdog role. And why not? Playing baseball their way helped them roll the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Why change now?

Of course, timely hitting and excellent pitching is always a recipe for success in the postseason. The Cubs certainly experienced that fact in Games 2 and 3 of the NLCS. The Tribe earned a World Series berth due to that combination.

The Cubs, from top to bottom, are still the most talented team in this postseason. On paper, they’ll win the World Series. On the field, I believe they’ll do the same. But the Dodgers and the Tribe will certainly have something to say about that.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The MLB season continues on Tuesday, with both the NLCS and ALCS featuring crucial games for different reasons. In the NLCS, both teams will be looking to take control of the series. In the ALCS, things might come to a close on Tuesday.

Below, we’ll break down the remaining schedules of the series, all of the viewing information and preview the contests on tap.

It’s all up for grabs between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the series tied at one game apiece and shifting to Los Angeles for the next three contests. 

The Cubs will be pleased to avoid Clayton Kershaw in those contests (though he likely would make an appearance in Game 5 if the Dodgers drop the next two contests and find themselves facing elimination). After all, the Dodgers are 4-0 in games Kershaw has pitched in this postseason and 0-3 in games where he hasn’t made an appearance.

A lot of talk surrounding the Cubs has been based on the pressure they face as they try to end the organization’s long championship drought, but the Dodgers are under immense pressure against a loaded Cubs lineup, too. Yes, Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell have struggled. But Javier Baez and Kris Bryant have carried the Cubs in their stead, and it’s hard to imagine the team’s bats staying quiet for long.

“We haven’t hit to our capabilities,” manager Joe Maddon told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. “However, we won a series against a really good October-tested team, and now we’re 1-1 against a very good team coming back here. So you try to balance it out.”

Maddon added:

There’s only so much you can possibly do when it comes to manipulating your lineup. These are the guys that got you here. These are your guys. We’ve got a bunch of All-Stars out there. When you get to this point, you’ve got five games left to really make it right as opposed to 75 to make it right. There is a difference with that. There are certain things you’d do in the middle of the season in order to move something along, just not during the playoffs.

With neither team hitting particularly well, Game 3 should feature a doozy of a pitching duel between Chicago’s Jake Arrieta and L.A.’s Rich Hill. And Tuesday’s game is pivotal. Win, and the Cubs will guarantee the series returns to Chicago (unless they win all three games in Los Angeles, that is). Lose, and the possibility remains that the Dodgers could end the series at home. 

A lot is on the line Tuesday night. The Cubs will be glad Kershaw doesn’t have a say in the matter.

While everything is up for grabs between the Cubs and Dodgers, Cleveland appears to have things wrapped up in the ALCS. The team took a 3-0 lead on Monday night and is now a perfect 6-0 this postseason, continuing a dominant run despite having to overcome a number of injuries late in the season. 

What has been even more impressive against the Blue Jays, however, has been how dominant Cleveland’s pitching has been. Against a Toronto offense that finished third in the American League in home runs and fifth in runs this season, Cleveland has given up just three total runs in three games.

That’s in contrast to the 22 runs and eight home runs the Blue Jays hit in three games against the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.

The trio of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki are a combined 4-for-31 in the series and haven’t managed to score a run or produce an RBI. And now the team’s struggling offense now has to face Cleveland ace Corey Kluber in Game 4.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Toronto manager John Gibbons told Ian Harrison of the Associated Press (via CBC Sports). “That’s an understatement.”

Outfielder Kevin Pillar added: “It’s obviously tough. We got some big hits in the wild-card game and that kind of carried over to the Texas series. It’s that simple. We just haven’t been able to execute when we need it.”

They’ll need to execute to stay alive in Game 4, and they’ll need starter Aaron Sanchez to do better in his second postseason start after he gave up six runs in 5.2 innings against the Rangers on Oct. 9. 

The Blue Jays are running on fumes at this point. But given their loaded and dangerous lineup, they are still capable of slugging their way back into this series. They’ll have to wake up against Kluber, however, who has struck out 13 batters and hasn’t given up a run in 13.1 postseason innings.

So yes, things look bleak for the Blue Jays. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Former MLB pitcher Curt Schilling announced his intention Tuesday to run for the United States Senate as a Republican against Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren in 2018.

Speaking on The John DePetro Show on Rhode Island’s WPRO-AM (h/t Tim Hill of the Guardian), Schilling added he still needs to clear the decision with his family.

“I’ve made my decision,” he said, per Hill. “I’m going to run. But I haven’t talked to Shonda, my wife. And ultimately it’s going to come down to how her and I feel this would affect our marriage and our kids.”

Schilling pitched for the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox, finishing his career 216-146 with 3,116 strikeouts, a 3.46 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He was a six-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, and he finished second in Cy Young Award voting three times, though he never won the honor.

He’s been a more controversial figure in his post-baseball career, however.

In 2012, his video game studio, 38 Studios, went bankrupt two years after receiving a $75 million taxpayer-based loan from the state of Rhode Island, per Hill. The state ultimately sued, and Schilling and Rhode Island agreed to a $2.5 million settlement.

Schilling has also raised eyebrows with a number of public statements. In 2015, he was suspended by his then-employer, ESPN, after a tweet that compared the number of Muslim extremists to German Nazis. A year later, ESPN fired him after he shared an anti-transgender Facebook post that supported North Carolina legislation that made it illegal for transgender persons to use bathrooms that didn’t match the sex on their birth certificate.

Along with sharing the Facebook post, Schilling wrote: “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves. I don’t care what they are, who they sleep with, men’s room was designed for the penis, women’s not so much. Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic.”

Per Hill, Schilling has been hinting at running against Warren for some time.

“I thought about it, and one of the things I would like to do is be one of the people responsible for getting Elizabeth Warren out of politics,” Schilling said in August, according to Hill’s report. “I think she’s a nightmare and I think that the left is holding her up as the second coming of Hillary Clinton, but Lord knows we don’t even need the first one.”

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs won Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. Clayton Kershaw—er, the Los Angeles Dodgers—won Game 2.

You don’t want to miss Game 3.

Below, we’ll review all of the information for viewing Tuesday night’s contest along with the odds and a preview of the crucial Game 3 matchup.

Viewing Information

The game can be streamed on FSGO or MLB.tv.

Preview

The Dodgers are 4-0 this postseason in games that Kershaw pitched and 0-3 in games in which he didn’t make an appearance. Kershaw won’t be pitching in Game 3. 

You do the math.

OK, OK—we can’t reduce Game 3 to one stat. Fine. So how has Rich Hill, who will be starting the game for the Dodgers, fared this postseason?

Well, not great. In two starts, he has a 6.43 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched. He gave up four runs in 4.1 innings against the Washington Nationals in Game 2 of the National League Division Series before pitching better in a brief appearance in Game 5 on short rest, going 2.2 innings and giving up a run.

Jake Arrieta, meanwhile, doesn’t have a decision yet this postseason, though he threw 6.0 innings in a Game 3 loss to the San Francisco Giants, giving up two runs in 6.0 innings.  

Here’s how the pair stacked up against each other in the regular season:

Given Hill’s shaky postseason thus far, the Cubs get the slightest of edges in this comparison. 

The Cubs would normally hold the advantage in the offensive department given their depth of star hitters, but the trio of Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell is a combined 6-for-60 this postseason.

That’s become a major concern, as Dieter Kurtenbach of FoxSports.com wrote:

We’re yet to see the Cubs at their best so far in these playoffs—they’ve been in every game they’ve played, losing only two contests, and we’ve seen resplendent displays from the pitching and defense, but they’re yet to post a sustained offensive outburst this postseason—the kind that was commonplace in the regular season. There have been spurts here and there, and they’ve often been well-timed, but there hasn’t been a singular contest where you could say through all nine innings, “the Cubs’ bats are really clicking.”

The Cubs are going to need one of those games—soon. And while the situation is hardly doom-and-gloom, in a postseason that has so far been charmed, that is the challenge the Cubs still need to prove they can overcome.

Yes, Javier Baez (.391 with a homer and three RBI) and Kris Bryant (.333 with a homer and four RBI) have been excellent. They’ve carried the team’s offense to this point. But the Cubs, as a team, are hitting just .193 this postseason.

The Dodgers aren’t exactly raking either, hitting .218 as a team. Through seven games, they’ve scored 24 runs. Through six games, the Cubs have managed 25. Neither team is lighting up the scoreboard, though both teams can argue they’ve faced excellent pitching all postseason.

So the offenses are a wash right now, though given that the Cubs scored the second-most runs in the National League this season (808), they still have to be considered the more dangerous offensive unit. Well, if the bats wake up, that is.

Again, give the Cubs the slight advantage in that department.

The bullpens? A wash. Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman are both excellent and headline solid units. The managers? Joe Maddon may be the crafty, experienced soothsayer, but Dave Roberts has been fantastic in his first year at the helm for Los Angeles. Maybe you give the Dodgers a slight advantage because they’re at home. Maybe you counter that the Cubs were an impressive 46-34 on the road this year, the second-best road record in baseball.

See where we’re headed here? 

Ultimately, the Cubs have proved, to this point in the season, to be the better team. Arrieta has been better this postseason than Hill, Baez and Bryant have played like superstars, and it’s hard to imagine the Cubs bats remaining so quiet for the duration of October.

Game 3 is a pivotal contest. Look for the Cubs to sneak away with a tight win.

Prediction: Cubs win 4-3 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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MLB free agency will provide the majority of the rumors and speculation once the postseason concludes, but there are nonetheless a few trade rumors circulating in October.  

Below, we’ll break down two of the big rumors making the rounds.

Andrew McCutchen

Andrew McCutchen has been the face of the Pittsburgh Pirates renaissance in recent years, but there is buzz that the team could deal the superstar center fielder.

Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune-Review reported the following earlier in October: “Now there is a growing sense among industry insiders that the team will try to deal McCutchen before he reaches free agency in either one or two years. General manager Neal Huntington likely will quietly shop the five-time All-Star during the offseason, if only to gauge the level of interest.”

McCutchen‘s 2016 was disappointing, to say the least. He hit just .256 with 24 home runs, 79 RBI, 81 runs, six stolen bases and a .766 OPS. His batting average, steals and OPS were all career lows.

That may hurt his value, with Charlie Wilmoth of MLBTradeRumors.com noting “the team could point to his fine performance down the stretch (he batted .284/.381/.471 from Aug. 1 through season’s end) as evidence that the old Cutch is back, although it’s not clear how convincing that line of argument will be.”

Wilmoth also noted the Pirates could choose to accept a low offer, “figuring it’s better to deal a player who might continue to decline before more poor performances and/or the ticking clock of free agency further depress his value.”

For the Pirates, the decision will likely come down to weighing the difference between what they feel McCutchen can offer in the future and what trade offers come down the pike. If the Pirates still feel McCutchen can be a superstar and 2016 was just an aberration—he just turned 30 years old, after all—they probably will hold off on dealing him.

But if they suspect his best days are behind him and receive a solid offer for his services, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team move on this winter or before next season’s trade deadline. The Pirates seem unlikely to be sentimental when it comes to McCutchen, especially with younger—and cheaper—prospects in the pipeline.

Wade Davis

The Kansas City Royals are receiving phone calls about pitcher Wade Davis and could be inclined to trade him, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:

The Royals have built their championship teams around strong defense and a special bullpen, but they seem to be willing to consider a trade for Davis at a time they are mandated to cut their payroll from a high of $144 million.

They could also consider a trade for one of their two highest-paid players – Alex Gordon or Ian Kennedy – but one competing GM opined that the Royals would likely have to offset some of those contracts.

Davis, it seems, is the most likely of the trio to be moved.

He had a strong 2016 season, finishing 2-1 with a 1.87 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, 27 saves and 47 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched.

The free-agent market will be rife with star closers, from Aroldis Chapman to Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon. But once that market settles, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team desperate to upgrade the position call the Royals.

The aforementioned closers will come at astronomical costs, and Davis, as Heyman noted, might ultimately be a bargain. On the other hand, that may make it difficult for the Royals to pull the trigger on dealing him, especially given his excellent 2016.

It’s going to be an interesting offseason for the Royals.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

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