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The Arizona Diamondbacks have appointed Mike Hazen as their new general manager and executive vice president, the team announced Sunday.

“We feel very strongly that we have found the ideal candidate to lead our baseball operations,” managing general partner Ken Kendrick said in a statement, via the Boston Herald. “Mike’s reputation throughout the game is impeccable, and his championship experience gives us great confidence in naming him to this position.”

And Hazen noted: “I’m extremely grateful for this incredible opportunity to help the [Diamondbacks] reach the next level.”

The 40-year-old had been with the Boston Red Sox since the 2006 season. He served as a director of player development and amateur scouting before becoming the assistant general manager under Ben Cherington. He was then named the team’s senior vice president and general manager under Dave Dombrowski in Sept. 2015.

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball had more on the hire:

Buster Olney of ESPN added:

Turning around the Diamondbacks won’t be easy, as the team hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 and went 69-93 this past season. 

One of Hazen’s first major decisions will be appointing a manager. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe speculated on one potential hire:

Torey Lovullo was Boston’s bench coach this past season. If Hazen doesn’t pursue Lovullo—or if Lovullo isn’t interested in the position—Bob Nightengale of USA Today floated the name of another potential manager:

It will be the first of many big decisions to come for Hazen as he looks to turn the Diamondbacks into a contender in the highly competitive National League West.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Game 3 of the American League Division Series between Cleveland and the Boston Red Sox has been postponed and will be played at 6:08 p.m. ET on Monday evening in Boston, according to Chris Assenheimer of the Chronicle-Telegram.

Cleveland holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. 

Cleveland’s three home runs in Game 1 paced the 5-4 win to open the series, while Corey Kluber’s seven shutout innings and Lonnie Chisenhall’s three-run homer led Cleveland to a 6-0 victory in Game 2.

While Cleveland has the Red Sox on the ropes, Josh Tomlin—the scheduled starter for Game 3—doesn’t want the team to grow complacent, according to what he told reporters in this clip from a recent press conference:

Certainly, the Red Sox aren’t about to concede anything.

“We have to win one game and go from there,” slugger David Ortiz told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. “We’re not done. We haven’t got in a rhythm yet. I think we will.”

Pitcher Clay Buchholz—who will start Game 3 for Boston—concurred:

It’s about you’re not out until the final out is made, and the only reason that we’re here is because of everybody and what they have done throughout this year. We have a potential couple MVP candidates, potential Cy Young candidate on this team. We’re a really good ball club and there’s no need to put added pressure or added stress on one game because of what could happen.

Boston’s offense is capable of slugging the team back into contention. The Red Sox led MLB in runs scored (878) and batting average (.282) this year, spurred by MVP candidates in Ortiz and Mookie Betts and excellent seasons from Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hanley Ramirez.

Once the rains cease, Boston will need that lineup to wake up Monday night and save the season after being stifled in Game 2. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s Friday, baby, which is great news on its own, but it’s also a Friday with a full slate of MLB postseason games, which basically makes it the best Friday possible.

Rejoice, my friends, and watch baseball all day.

Below, we’ll break down the schedule, viewing options and make a few predictions for all the day’s action.

I’m sticking with my overall picks to win each series to triumph on Friday, with the exception of one contest.

In the first game, I’m not going to get too creative with my pick. Frankly, I like Yu Darvish to stifle Toronto and win his duel against J.A. Happ. In his last two starts (13.0 innings), Darvish has given up just one run, two walks and five hits while striking out 21 batters.

Unsurprisingly, the Rangers won both of those games.

Yes, the Blue Jays knocked around Cole Hamels on Thursday. And yes, Happ has been very solid this season, so he’ll keep the Blue Jays in the game. But I expect Darvish to tame the explosive Toronto bats, at least for one game.

The second matchup has a fascinating pitching duel of its own, as David Price takes the mound for the Boston Red Sox against Corey Kluber. Price has had his woes in the postseason, owning a 2-7 record in the playoffs with a 5.22 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. He’s also given up 11 home runs in 63.1 innings pitched.

Not good.

But Kluber, Cleveland’s ace, is returning from a quadriceps strain, according to Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com. But Kluber should be just fine.

“It’s the first time in the last three years that [Kluber] has had any kind of breather during the season,” the team’s pitching coach, Mickey Callaway, told Meisel. “The ball is coming out of his hand great. His leg feels fine. His mechanics looked good.”

He added: “The ball was coming out hot. He said, ‘Oh, man, my arm feels great.’ He did really good.”

I think Boston will win this series. But until Price can exorcise his postseason demons, it’s tough to trust him. No, we don’t know how Kluber will handle the postseason spotlight or a fantastic Boston offense. He faced Boston twice this season, giving up just two runs in seven innings in May for a win and four runs in 5.1 innings in an April loss (Price earned the win in that contest, giving up two runs in six innings).

Which Price will we see? Which Kluber, for that matter?

I’ll take Kluber to triumph in a tight contest.

Yes, the third game on the docket, the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the Washington Nationals, is all about the pitching matchup, too (it’s the postseason—it’s always about the pitching matchup). 

Clayton Kershaw, like Price, has struggled in the postseason with a 2-6 record and a 4.59 ERA. On the other hand, Max Scherzer has been better in the postseason, going 4-3 with a 3.72 ERA, but he hasn’t exactly reminded anyone of Madison Bumgarner in his October appearances.

There are a few reasons to like Kershaw, however. In his only start against Washington this year (Scherzer didn’t start against the Dodgers this season), he went seven innings, giving up just one run while striking out eight. And while his season was shortened by injuries, he still posted ridiculous numbers, going 12-4 with 172 strikeouts, a 1.69 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP in 149 innings.

Of course, Scherzer might win the NL Cy Young this year, so he’s hardly chopped liver. But two factors play in favor of the Dodgers in this contest.

As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times noted: “The Nationals have plenty of weapons in their lineup, but a series of injuries has slowed their production. Neither Daniel Murphy nor Bryce Harper, the two most dangerous hitters, appears close to 100 percent as the playoffs begin.”

And the second factor: “The Dodgers might have the best offense in baseball—when they are facing a right-handed pitcher,” as McCullough wrote.

Look for the Dodgers to maintain home-field advantage and take Game 1.

Finally, the Chicago Cubs will host the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs were the best team in baseball during the regular season. Madison Bumgarner is arguably the best postseason pitcher in MLB history. But Bumgarner won’t pitch until Game 3.

So, yeah, the Cubs should take Game 1. I’ll take Jon Lester, Aroldis Chapman, the loaded offense, Joe Maddon and the best home record in baseball over Johnny Cueto and the Giants in Game 1.

And in this series. 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

This prediction thing isn’t so hard, folks. After all, I got the Wild Card Games right, so how hard could it be predicting the rest of the postseason?

OK, OK, it’s incredibly hard. I’ve surely jinxed myself now. But hey, that won’t stop me from putting my picks out there. So below, we’ll break down the postseason schedule, and I’ll make my predictions all the way up to the World Series.

Let’s see if I can keep my “hot streak” going.

You have to feel for Cleveland. It has a number of devastating injuries to deal with and the best offense in baseball. Simply put, the Boston Red Sox and their legion of bashers would be my pick in this series even if the Indians had Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar available.

It’s hard to bet against an offense that features David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr. and led the league in runs scored and batting average.

And manager John Farrell sees a lot of similarities between this unit and the one that won the World Series in 2013, per Sam Galanis of NESN:

The similarities are probably in how tight-knit group this team is when compared to 2013. Very different characters, very different personalities. A younger team, a more athletic team in the ‘16 version. But still, kind of a dynamic type of offense that I think the offense in ‘13 was as well. The common denominator between both are how they care for one another inside our clubhouse existed. That’s strong today, and I think that’s probably maybe customary to successful teams that have withstood a number of different challenges.

If Boston’s starting pitching and bullpen hold up, it’ll slug its way to the World Series.

Prediction: Red Sox

If there was a theme song for this matchup, it would certainly be Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.”

Remember this?

Or this?

Yeah, there’s bad blood, all right.

And despite all of that, among the four divisional series, this is also the one I feel least confident picking. Honestly, I could see this matchup going either way between two teams that seem fairly even. The offenses are equally dangerous. The Blue Jays probably have the better overall staff, though the Rangers have Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish atop the table.

Ultimately, my gut pick is that the Rangers will win the rematch, in five, with home-field advantage on their side. But honestly, I won’t be shocked if the Blue Jays win the series.

I will be shocked if tempers don’t boil over at some point, however.

Prediction: Rangers

In a series that very likely could go all five games, the pitching matchup between Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer will be key. Both pitchers have had shaky postseasons in the past, but the pitcher who can rise to the occasion will likely take his team to the NLCS.

If Scherzer struggles, the Nationals won’t have Stephen Strasburg available to right the ship. That’s a huge loss for Washington. 

Injuries, in general, may end Washington’s season. Stephanie Apstein of SI.com breaks down the team’s woes in that department:

All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos is out until 2017 with last week’s tear of his right ACL, an injury he also incurred in 2012. Bryce Harper, last year’s NL MVP, is expected to play, but he has hit just .243 (87 points worse than in ’15), gotten on base at a .373 clip (also 87 points worse) and slugged .441 (108 points worse) while struggling through a right shoulder injury. And ’15 playoff hero Daniel Murphy, who hit .529 and slugged 1.294 with four home runs in the Mets’ four-game NLCS sweep of the Cubs, strained his left glute on Sept. 18 and hasn’t started a game since.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are healthy, balanced and certainly no strangers to this stage. It’s tough to bet against them here.

Prediction: Dodgers 

You can’t write a better script than this. The San Francisco Giants have won the World Series three times in the past six years (2010, 2012, 2014). The Chicago Cubs, meanwhile, haven’t won the World Series since 1908.

If ever there was a team you’d expect to break the hearts of the Cubbies after their amazing regular season, it’s the Giants.

But the Cubs are baseball’s most well-rounded team. They won the season series, 4-3, and they won’t have to face Madison Bumgarner until Game 3, meaning they’ll only see him once in the series. Of course, if they drop the first two games at home, that means they’ll all but be eliminated, given Bumgarner‘s dominance.

At this point, it’s hard to argue that Bumgarner is anything less than the greatest postseason pitcher of all time. Bob Nightengale of USA Today made a pretty strong case:

• He has now gone 23 consecutive innings in the postseason without giving up a run.
• He is yielding a 0.79 ERA in his last nine postseason appearances, including three complete games since 2014.
• In his last eight postseason road games, he is 8-0 with a 0.50 ERA, and has yet to give up a hit with a runner in scoring position in 24 at-bats.
• He has three career postseason shutouts, one shy of the record set by Giants Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson a century ago.
• He has made six postseason starts without permitting a run, tying Hall of Famer Tom Glavine for the highest total in baseball history.
• And, he has the lowest ERA, 1.94, of any starter with at least 12 postseason starts.

But, again, the Cubs only have to face him once, in all probability. That’s good news for Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell and one of the game’s best offenses. Add in a solid rotation, a shutdown closer in Aroldis Chapman and manager Joe Maddon’s genius, and this feels like a Cubs team capable of beating the mighty Giants.

And perhaps capable of beating a curse, too.

Prediction: Cubs

I think the Red Sox are the best team in the American League, and I think their offense is better than any other team’s strength. I’m sticking with Ortiz and the Sox here.

Prediction: Red Sox 

I think the Giants will be the biggest test for the Cubs. I think beating Bumgarner and company will alleviate some pressure and give baseball’s best roster more confidence in the face of stifling pressure. Plus, I simply think the Cubs have less question marks than the Dodgers.

Prediction: Cubs

The curse ends this year. In seven games, in a World Series that will go down as one of the best matchups in baseball history, but when the smoke clears, Chicago will be celebrating.

Prediction: Cubs 

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Major League Baseball‘s postseason predictions are a lot like blind dates: We’ve all tried them at some point, but man, they rarely goes right.

But that doesn’t stop us from trying, right? So below, I’ve attempted to predict the entire 2016 postseason, knowing fully well that I’ll probably get everything all wrong. The MLB postseason is funny like that, but hey, maybe this is the year it all goes according to plan.

Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. …

National League

If there is one thing I’ve learned since 2010, it is this: You do not bet against Madison Bumgarner in the postseason.

Maybe it’s his 7-3 record in the playoffs with a 2.14 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 88.1 innings pitched. Or his three World Series titles. Or the fact that in the 2014 World Series, he started and won Games 1 and 5 (with a shutout in Game 5) and promptly returned in Game 7 to throw a remarkable five innings of shutout relief. 

In the postseason, there simply isn’t a pitcher you would want over Bumgarner. Not even Noah Syndergaard.

“You’re going to face great pitching in the postseason,” Mets manager Terry Collins told James Wagner of the New York Times, discussing the matchup against Bumgarner.

“We’ve got our hands full,” Kelly Johnson added.

But Yoenis Cespedes was undaunted.

“Everyone knows the quality of pitcher Bumgarner is, but the field has the last word,” he told Wagner.

Maybe. But more times than not in the postseason, when Bumgarner is on the field, the Giants win. It’s really that simple.

That being said, I’m not betting against the Chicago Cubs after the season they just had. The Cubs have a fantastic pitching staff, one of the best closers in the game in Aroldis Chapman, a talented lineup led by several superstars (take your pick of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell, to name a few) and incredible depth.

Joe Maddon is a mad scientist, meanwhile, and the Cubs will have home-field advantage throughout the National League playoffs.

Or we could go the statistical route. The Cubs scored the second-most runs in the National League this year, were fifth in home runs and sixth in batting average. They also had the NL’s best ERA and batting average against, the most quality starts and were tied for first in shutouts.

No matter who they come up against—and I think they’ll face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will benefit from not having to face Stephen Strasburg in the NLDS, in the NLCS—I think the Cubs are going to end their long title drought this season.

American League

While I feel confident in my National League pick, the American League is a bit more baffling. 

Let’s start with the Wild Card Round.

The Toronto Blue Jays won the season series against the Baltimore Orioles, though by the narrow margin of 10-9. They’ll have the home-field advantage in the win-or-go home contest, and the Orioles won’t be able to trot out their most consistent pitcher this year, Kevin Gausman.

On the flip side, the Orioles led the American League in home runs and have the game’s best closer this season, Zach Britton, who was perfect in 47 save attempts this year. 

If this game feels like a crapshoot, well, it probably is. In a completely non-analytical prediction—seriously, I’m totally guessing here and I’m not going to pretend otherwise—look for Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion to come up with some postseason magic in what could be their final postseasons with the Jays.

I’m not sure it will matter which team wins and faces the Texas Rangers, however. The Rangers posted solid stats across the board on offense, finishing third in batting average, fourth in runs scored and fifth in home runs. The team’s pitching was far less consistent, though Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish give the team an excellent one-two punch while Sam Dyson has locked down the ninth inning.

The Rangers have also been excellent in close games, though that doesn’t necessarily mean postseason success is on the horizon for the team. 

As David Schoenfield of ESPN wrote:

Rangers fans are convinced that the team’s 36-11 record in one-run games speaks to some kind of chemistry or clutch factor that bodes well for the postseason. Well, I can tell you that none of the teams that had the best record in one-run games in the past 10 seasons won the World Series.

Of course, it’s certainly better than being 11-36 in one-run games. I think the Rangers will beat either the Blue Jays or Orioles in the ALDS. I like their balance. But I also think that, regardless of the opponent, it will take all five games.

I feel more confident picking the Boston Red Sox to get past the Cleveland Indians and, ultimately, to reach the World Series. Part of that is Boston’s excellent offense, which leads the American League in runs and batting average. Part is a pitching staff that is third in batting average against and fourth in ERA and strikeouts.

But another major factor is that the Cleveland Indians have been decimated by injuries. A healthy Indians club might be able to topple David Ortiz and the mighty Red Sox. But I don’t see the Indians, as constructed, pulling off the feat.

Nor do I see Texas knocking off Boston. The Red Sox have the one-two punch of David Price and Rick Porcello to combat Texas’ Hamels and Darvish. Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel are a nice combination in the last two innings, and the Sox come at opposing pitchers with waves of talented hitters, from Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia to Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Hanley Ramirez.

One other sneaky stat about the Red Sox: They are a solid 46-35 on the road. Texas’ home-field advantage won’t bother Boston. 

World Series

Look, I know the Cubs are the boring pick. Anybody can pick the club with the best record. But there are plenty of reasons to think that the Cubs may be the best team and still won’t win the World Series.

And yes, the “curse” looms large.

As one anonymous executive told Jayson Stark of ESPN, the Cubs will be facing far more pressure this offseason than any other team:

In the postseason, the pressure on both teams to win is usually about 50-50. But in this case… the pressure is on the Cubs every game, because of how well they’ve played, because of their record and, most of all, because of the expectations, especially in that city. If they lose one of the first two games at Wrigley, the pressure will be incredible.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, boast the game’s best offense. That will certainly play a factor.

“Their lineup is so deep and so good,” one AL executive told Stark. “The way they work counts, foul balls off, wear down pitchers, they’re just so good. And they hit good pitching.”

Another general manager told Stark:  “Boston’s offense is the singular best strength of all the teams.”

Fair enough. But Chicago’s hitting isn’t exactly chopped liver, and the team’s rotation is better. Chapman has been the far steadier closer down the stretch than Kimbrel and, honestly, the Cubs haven’t done anything on the field to suggest that they shouldn’t be the favorites to win the World Series. 

All season long, they’ve answered every question presented to them. Yeah, it’s the boring pick. But maybe, just maybe, it’s also the smart one.

Prediction: Cubs

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss has resigned, the team announced Monday.

Weiss, 52, just completed the final year of a three-year contract. 

The Rockies have gone 283-365 in Weiss’ four years as manager, failing to reach the postseason during his tenure. The team went 75-87 this past season.

His disappointing record may have been enough for the Rockies to decide a change was needed. But as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reported Sunday, the manager’s relationship with general manager Jeff Bridich had also become strained:

A significant gulf has developed between Weiss and Bridich, according to multiple sources within the organization, some of whom said Weiss has been been left out of the loop regarding major decisions dating to the offseason — when he was not consulted about the acquisitions of relievers Jason Motte, Chad Qualls and Jake McGee or outfielder Gerardo Parra, all of whom have had disappointing seasons this year.

That relationship made Weiss’ decision to resign more predictable, as did his comments when asked if he was bothered about managing this past season without a contract extension in place.

“It doesn’t necessarily bug me,” he said, per Saunders. “I only want to be where I’m wanted. If I’m not wanted, I just leave. It’s one of my rules in life. I don’t stay anywhere where I’m not wanted. I just go, I just disappear. … I want to make sure that people want me, from top to bottom. If not, I don’t want to be here.”

Weiss told Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports that he spoke with Rockies owner Dick Monfort about the relationship with Bridich, adding that it “wasn’t healthy, wasn’t productive.” Weiss said he talked about “possible compromises” before stepping down.

With the four losing seasons under Weiss, the Rockies have now had six straight losing campaigns. But the team has plenty of talent, namely offensively, led by Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story and Carlos Gonzalez. There is reason for optimism in Colorado, though it will be a new manager’s job to harness the team’s potential next season.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura told reporters he is stepping down from his position after a 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on the final day of the regular season, saying his exit was a “personal decision” and that the team “needed a new voice.”

Ventura took over as the team’s manager in 2012, leading the White Sox to an 85-77 record in his debut season. That was his only winning season as a manager, however, and the White Sox have stumbled to a 78-84 record this season despite optimism that they could compete for a playoff spot. 

Ventura finished with an overall record of 376-434 with the White Sox. The team never reached the postseason during his tenure.

The 49-year-old former MLB star—he hit .267 in his 16-year playing career with 294 home runs, 1,182 RBI, six Gold Gloves and two All-Star appearances—will likely attract some attention from teams looking to fill their manager positions this offseason. 

While Ventura may have been the scapegoat for a roster that likely isn’t equipped to compete in the postseason just yet, there are pieces to build around in Chicago for Rick Renteria, whom Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday would be named as Ventura’s successor.

Jose Abreu is a bona fide star at first base, while Todd Frazier provides pop at third base. Melky Cabrera and Adam Eaton are nice pieces. Chris Sale is one of the best starters in baseball, and Jose Quintana has established himself as a reliable starter. Carlos Rodon has star potential, while closer David Robertson has provided stability in the ninth inning.

The White Sox, once again, are left with a roster that has obvious flaws and will need key additions. The team hasn’t been able to fill those holes successfully in recent years, and it’s hard to argue that’s not a reason why Ventura lost his job. The team’s next manager will have a big task, then, returning the White Sox to the postseason.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Boston Red Sox announced Sunday that they will retire David Ortiz‘s No. 34, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.

The honors for Ortiz won’t end there, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted:

Ortiz, 40, has had a legendary career. He’s a three-time World Series champion with the Red Sox, a 10-time All-Star and was the 2013 World Series MVP. In his 14 years with the Red Sox, he’s hit .290 with 483 home runs, 1,530 RBI and 1,204 runs.

Ortiz has hit 541 home runs in his 20-year career, which is the 17th-most in MLB history.

He’ll always be remembered for his performance in the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. With the Yankees leading the series 3-0, Ortiz hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 4. In Game 5 the next night, he hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 14th.

The Red Sox won Games 6 and 7 in New York and then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series to end their 86-year title drought.

Ortiz’s impact went beyond his play on the field, though. After the Boston Marathon bombing and ensuing manhunt in 2013, Ortiz took to the microphone in Fenway Park and told the crowd, “This is our f–kin’ city. And nobody’s gonna dictate our freedom.”

He was clutch, entertaining, charitable and, ultimately, iconic. There have been better players to don the Red Sox uniform, but few have had the impact of Ortiz.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen reportedly will be on the trade block this offseason, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Continue for updates.

Growing Buzz That Pirates Will Trade McCutchen

Sunday, Oct. 2

“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,” Biertempfel wrote. “General manager Neal Huntington likely will quietly shop the five-time All-Star during the offseason, if only to gauge the level of interest.”

Jim Duquette of MLB Network said, per Biertempfel: “There are people I’ve talked to who are convinced the Pirates are going to trade McCutchen this winter.”

McCutchen, 29, has struggled this season, hitting just .255 with 24 home runs, 77 RBI, 81 runs and six stolen bases in 13 attempts. His batting average and steals are career lows, and his run total is the lowest since his rookie season.

McCutchen has been one of the National League‘s best and most consistent players over the past five years and was a regular MVP candidate, winning the award in 2013, finishing third in 2012 and 2014, and finishing fifth last season.

“I think they could get two good prospects for McCutchen,” an American League scout told Biertempfel. “They could get a couple of players like [Felipe] Rivero—young, good prospects who are under team control for a while.”

McCutchen is under contract for next season, with a club option for $14.75 million in 2018. To retain him long-term, the Pirates may have to offer a massive contract.

If Pittsburgh shops him instead, it’s easy to imagine teams around baseball expressing interest. Whether that market is lucrative enough for the Pirates to give up their biggest superstar in years is another matter entirely.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A lot is up for grabs on Sunday in MLB, including three of the four wild-card berths and a bit of postseason positioning. 

With the possibility of tiebreaker games in both leagues, Sunday’s finales have turned the day into a postseason of its own. Below, we’ll break down each division and the playoff picture in both leagues.

AL East

The Boston Red Sox and baseball’s best offense clinched the American League East with time to spare, leaving them as a dangerous team come the postseason. No team trots out a lineup as dangerous, with David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts all posting excellent seasons.

Five different players have hit 20 or more home runs for the Red Sox. Three players have raked over 100 RBI, and five players have managed 85 or more RBI. Betts and Ortiz are MVP candidates.

But the Red Sox are hardly satisfied with a division title.

“We want to make sure we send David [Ortiz] off the right way,” Pedroia told Scott Lauber of ESPN.com. “Hopefully we do that.”

Betts added, per Lauber, “We’re not done yet. We haven’t won a World Series. To be here for [Ortiz’s] last year is definitely special.”

If the bats stay hot, there’s no reason to believe Boston can’t earn another title.

AL Central

For the Cleveland Indians, injuries will be a major storyline come the postseason. Starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco is done for the season. Starter Danny Salazar is a question mark. Catcher Yan Gomes fractured his wrist earlier this month and likely won’t play in the playoffs.

While the team can survive the loss of Gomes, losing Carrasco and potentially Salazar is a huge blow for a team now without two of its three top starters. Corey Kluber is a bona fide ace, and Trevor Bauer is a solid option, but after that, Cleveland’s rotation becomes a major question mark.

Despite a season full of injuries, however, Cleveland found a way. Mike Napoli and Carlos Santana each hit over 30 home runs. Jason Kipnis had another strong season. Francisco Lindor continued to amaze at shortstop. A patchwork outfield has continued to produce. 

AL West

The Texas Rangers ran away with the AL West, earning the top overall seed in the American League in the process, and balance was a key factor. 

Six players have hit 20 or more home runs on the season. Midseason acquisitions such as Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez have produced. Rougned Odor has had a career year. Ian Desmond has been excellent for stretches. Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus, staples of the team, have continued to be impact players. Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish give the team an excellent one-two punch atop the rotation. 

The Rangers also have a deep bench, which should serve them well come the postseason. They’ll be dangerous in October. 

AL Wild Card

Three teams. Two wild-card positions up for grabs. The possibility for a three-way tie—and a one-game tiebreaker to decide which team reaches the postseason—remains possible.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles need only to win to guarantee playoff berths, while a loss by either team—or both—would keep the door open for the Detroit Tigers, who have two games remaining.

Toronto has a difficult game against Boston remaining—the Red Sox are fighting for the No. 2 overall seed and home-field advantage against Cleveland, so they won’t concede anything—while Baltimore faces the New York Yankees, and the Tigers play the Atlanta Braves on Sunday and, if necessary, Cleveland on Monday.

NL East

It isn’t a secret what makes the Washington Nationals tick. Few teams have the talent or depth in the rotation that Washington possesses, even if Stephen Strasburg won’t be available in the National League Division Series. 

Of course, that’s a huge concern. Max Scherzer, Tanner Roark, Gio Gonzalez and Joe Ross are set for the postseason rotation, and it’s a solid rotation. On the other hand, a matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers means facing Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda, along with the team’s balanced lineup. 

With Strasburg, the series would be tough. Without him, the Nationals will have to dig deep.

But they have the talent to do so. They have Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and a balanced lineup of their own. They’ll give the Dodgers a battle.

But having Strasburg would make them much more dangerous. His injury will be tough to overcome.

NL Central

The Chicago Cubs are the best team in baseball, and it isn’t close. If the Red Sox have the best offense in the league, the Cubs aren’t far behind them. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo lead the way, but the Cubs have balance, incredible depth and more versatility than any team in MLB. 

And they have a manager, Joe Maddon, who knows how to push all of the right buttons, too.

Oh, and the pitching isn’t too shabby. Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta give the team a dynamic one-two punch, but Jason Hammel, John Lackey and Kyle Hendricks have also been superb. Hammel will likely be the odd man out in the postseason rotation, but the Cubs will feel confident in their starters.

And don’t forget about closer Aroldis Chapman and his 100 mph heat.

And in all honesty, they have every reason to feel confident that they’ll win a title this year. From the start of the season through October, they’ve been baseball’s best team. Anything can happen in the postseason, but this is a team built to win a championship.

NL West

The aforementioned Dodgers will be a tough out. They have a solid trio atop the rotation, the offense is paced by Justin Turner, Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez, the bench is deep and Kenley Jansen is among the best closers in baseball.

The Nationals will have their hands full against this team.

NL Wild Card

The New York Mets have already clinched the first wild-card berth, leaving the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals to battle for the second.

The Giants will have to face their rivals, the Dodgers, though Los Angeles is locked into the No. 3 seed and has little at stake beyond trying to keep the Giants out of the postseason. A Giants loss and a Cardinals win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, meanwhile, would force a playoff between the Giants and Cardinals, two postseason regulars over the past 15 years. 

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