Kuzul

When handicapping baseball, most bettors start the process with starting pitching.

A great starting pitcher can completely take over a game and leave opposing offenses stymied. While a pitcher can do his part on the mound to hold back the opposing team’s offense, there isn’t much that he can do to get his own team’s offense going.

For this reason, bettors must factor run support into their decision-making process. There are plenty of great pitchers who don’t make great bets because they consistently fail to get much run support.

In many cases, these pitchers play for teams that don’t produce much offense for any of their pitchers. In other cases, it is just a case of bad luck.

Jeff Samardzija was the poster boy of good pitchers who made for losing trips to the sportsbook window when playing for the Chicago Cubs earlier this season. Samardzija pitched like an ace through 17 starts with the Cubs, accumulating a 2.83 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP while striking out 103 batters in 108 innings.

But due to a dismal 2.41 runs per game on offense in Samardzija‘s starts, the Cubs were 3-14 on the MLB moneyline. Since being traded to the A’s, Samardzija‘s run support is up to 3.67 runs per game and his record on the moneyline is 2-1.

The San Diego Padres own the worst offense in baseball by a considerable margin, scoring only 2.98 runs per game. As a result, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that two of their best pitchers see many of their strong efforts wasted due to poor run support.

Ian Kennedy has 137 strikeouts in 129.1 innings pitched with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP, but the Padres score only 2.86 runs per game in his starts and are 9-12 on the moneyline. Tyson Ross has been even better with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP, but the Padres have a 9-12 record in his 21 starts as well.

Atlanta’s Alex Wood has a tidy 3.07 ERA in his 11 games as a starter this season, but with only 2.45 runs per game of support, the Braves are 4-7 on the moneyline in those 11 starts. For Julio Teheran, the Braves score 3.5 runs per game, and that extra run of support has translated to a 13-7 record on the moneyline.

Kansas City‘s Danny Duffy may be one of the league’s unluckiest pitchers. Duffy is enjoying a career year with a sparkling 2.66 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. But despite playing for a team that averages 4.04 runs per game, Duffy has received only 2.86 runs per game in his 14 starts, resulting in a 5-9 moneyline record over that stretch.

Don’t be too quick to get money down on aces Andrew Cashner (2.36 ERA) and Michael Wacha (2.79 ERA) when they return from the disabled list. San Diego is 6-6 in Cashner‘s 12 starts, giving him a meager 2.17 runs per game of support. St. Louis scores only 3.0 runs per game for Wacha and is 6-9 in games he started.

Check out updated MLB probable pitchers and run support pages, courtesy of Odds Shark.

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With the 2014 MLB trade deadline rapidly approaching, it should be safe to say the Texas Rangers are going to be spectators while any sort of madness unfolds.

The club in Arlington is tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst winning percentage in baseball (.404) and is 21.5 games back of the AL West lead as of July 22. Texas has by far the worst run differential in the big leagues (minus-108) and stands to miss out on the playoffs for the second straight year.

That is why the boldest prediction for the team concerns the possibility of losing three players at most come the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

With the exception of a few players, depending on the day, the Rangers are fielding what amounts to a good-looking minor league ballclub. Young guys like Rougned Odor and Michael Choice continue to play despite their struggles at the big league level, and lack of depth allows Colby Lewis and Nick Tepesch to continue to start on the mound.

Only three guys come to mind as trade candidates this July for the Rangers. One is possibly overachieving while the other two can provide decent return value.

If none of these three players go, then no other Ranger is on his way out.

LHP Neal Cotts

Here is the one guy who continues to overachieve and is still with the club based off a career season with Texas in 2013.

Neal Cotts had a career-high 1.11 ERA last year, the lowest of his career since 2005, when he posted a 1.94 ERA with the Chicago White Sox. Last season was the only time he kept his ERA under four and the only time in his career he held a WAR of more than two (2.6).

Obviously the southpaw and his 3.48 ERA doesn’t hold as much value this season, but he still carries the potential to bring back a young prospect in a deal. Cotts is showing that a slow start can have an overwhelmingly large effect on statistics down the road, having posted a 5.91 ERA by the end of April.

The Illinois State alum is still showing signs of dominating stuff, currently holding a strikeout rate of 10.7 per nine innings.

But at 34 years old, the Rangers should be moving on from Cotts as they did from Jason Frasor, whom the club dealt to Kansas City several days ago in exchange for minor leaguer Spencer Patton. A quality prospect may be out of the question when it comes to dealing Cotts, but starting depth on the mound is something the club should be seriously considering.

RHP Joakim Soria

Joakim Soria has been good for the Rangers but is not the long-term answer at closer.

The 30-year-old is 16-of-17 in save opportunities this season, which is nothing to brag about. After winning the ninth-inning job at the conclusion of spring training earlier this season, Soria has become somewhat of a surplus arm at the end of the game.

While the rest of the bullpen has combined for one total save, Soria has the fourth-highest ERA (2.59) of any reliever with at least 13 saves. Out of that select group, the Mexico native has pitched the fewest amount of innings 31.1.

Soria could bring back higher quality in terms of a prospect but not much more than Cotts. The club needs to seriously consider its other options in the ninth and sell the right-hander while it can.

OF Alex Rios

The last guy to possibly be dealt has seen interest from the Kansas City Royals and has a club option that could be a large payday for the right fielder.

Alex Rios has the chance to make $13.5 million next season if the Rangers decide to keep him, per Baseball-Reference.com. The buyout is just $1 million for Texas and is growing more likely than ever.

The 33-year-old is having one of his better seasons, slashing .302/.330/.435 with four home runs and 42 RBI. He also leads the American League in triples with eight.

All it took for Rios to end up in Arlington was a middle infielder (Leury Garcia) from the Rangers in an August 2013 waiver deal. The 19th pick from the 1999 draft won’t bring back much more than that but still provides an opportunity for the team to build a stronger farm system.

Although he has been one of the better hitters for Texas, Rios isn’t much more than a veteran getting his hacks in. The Kansas City Royals have shown interest in the outfielder, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, but it remains to be seen if the Rangers will elect to hold on to him.

After all, he has only had two years of production that would be able to match this season’s numbers.

All Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and ESPN.com.

You can follow Trey on Twitter @treydwarren

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During the All-Star break, Huston Street told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times he’d “love to” play for the Los Angeles Angels.

Wish granted.

On Friday, the Angels and San Diego Padres consummated a deal that will send Street and minor league pitcher Trevor Gott to the Halos, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

In return, the Padres get a package of prospects, including shortstop Taylor Lindsey and pitcher R.J. Alvarez—ranked by Baseball America prior to the season as the Angels’ best and fourth-best prospects, respectively—and shortstop Jose Rondon, per ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden.

Street immediately bolsters a bullpen that got off to a rocky start. On June 22, the Angels pen had posted a 4.48 ERA and blown 12 of 28 save opportunities. The relief corps has since steadied itself. Mike Morin, a 23-year-old right-hander called up in April, began blanking hitters. And Joe Smith supplanted Ernesto Frieri as closer.

On June 27, the Angels dealt Frieri to the Pittsburgh Pirates for another underperforming reliever, Jason Grilli.

As it turns out, that was merely a prelude to the main event.

Now, with the arrival of Street, the Angels have turned their biggest weakness into a strength.

Street posted a 1.09 ERA and converted 24 of 25 saves in the first half. At 30 years old, he’s still in the prime of his pitching career and has another year left on his contract, a team option, at a relatively affordable $7 million.

Los Angeles is locked in a tough race with the Oakland A’s, who went all-in with the blockbuster trade that brought pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel over from the Chicago Cubs.

By raiding their modestly stocked farm system to bring in Street and address their most glaring weakness, the Angels clearly showed they aren’t backing down.

And why would they? With a top-notch starting rotation and an offense anchored by Mike Trout, arguably the most exciting hitter in the game, the Halos are poised to make a run at their first championship in more than a decade.

Predictably, there are doubters. Keith Law tweeted his reservations about the Angels sacrificing Rondon, who was hitting .327 at High-A ball:

The bottom line, though, is that one of the best teams in the American League just added one of the best closers in all of baseball, mortgaging possible future glory for a clear shot now. And an AL West race that also includes the surprising Seattle Mariners just got a whole lot more interesting.

As for Street, look for him to settle quickly into his new home. A former member of the A’s, he’s familiar with the division and the Angels franchise.

“I was probably too young to realize how good he was at the time,” Street said of Angels skipper Mike Scioscia as trade speculation was heating up over the break, per Shaikin. “That’s one of the best managers, maybe, of all time. If I went there, I’d have a real chance to win.”

Now he has that chance. Time to see if he, and his new club, can take advantage.

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The signing deadline for 2014 draft picks officially passed Friday at 5 p.m. ET, and the Houston Astros were not able to sign No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken, according Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). He also reports that the Astros failed to sign fifth-rounder Jacob Nix and 21st-rounder Mac Marshall.

It wasn’t long after the draft, two days to be exact, that Aiken reportedly agreed to a $6.5 million bonus with the Astros. On June 23, the Cathedral Catholic High (San Diego) left-hander arrived in Houston to make his signing official, which obviously didn’t happen.

After two weeks of speculation as to why Aiken was yet to sign, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Astros saw something they didn’t like in a post-draft MRI of the 17-year-old’s left elbow. As a result, the team immediately reduced its offer to Aiken from $6.5 to $5 million, well below the $7.9 million slot value for the No. 1 overall pick.

However, it wasn’t until earlier this week that we learned the specifics of Aiken’s elbow issue. According to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle:

A person with knowledge of the situation told the Chronicle on Tuesday that there is a ‘cut-and-dry’ issue with the anatomy of Aiken’s ulnar collateral ligament, even though he is currently able to pitch. Aiken has visited five doctors, the person said: two affiliated with the team and three who were not, including the renowned Dr. James Andrews.

‘He may have some (of the UCL), but not much,’ the person said, adding that Tommy John surgery, which has become common in baseball, would not be a straightforward solution in this instance.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports confirmed in a separate report that the Astros believe “Aiken’s physical revealed a ‘significant abnormality’ in the area of his elbow ligament,” and he also added the team once again had made a revised offer to the southpaw of $3,168,840.

However, Aiken’s adviser, Casey Close, has maintained throughout the ordeal that his client is fully healthy, despite reports of an elbow issue, via Rosenthal:

Brady has been seen by some of the most experienced and respected orthopedic arm specialists in the country, and all of those doctors have acknowledged that he’s not injured and that he’s ready to start his professional career.

Aiken’s personal trainer, Paul Flores, also said that the left-hander was healthy and ready to begin his professional career, via Drellich:

When it comes to throwing off a mound, that’s not my area of expertise. But I know he’s throwing, so. He’s not in pain. He comes to me after, and I always ask, as a trainer, the first question I ask any of my clients or athletes is, ‘How do you feel today?’ Just to make sure that whatever it is they’re feeling is going to dictate how the intensity is going to be. He always tells me he feels great — and not good, great.

He’s in incredible shape.

Furthermore, the Astros’ handling of the situation with the No. 1 overall pick was widely criticized by industry members, including MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, though technically it did not break any rules outlined in Major League Baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement.

A $3,168,840 bonus (40 percent of his slot value) would have been the lowest figure the Astros could have offered Aiken in order to guarantee they receive the No. 2 overall pick in next year’s draft. Because Aiken chose not to sign, the Astros lost his slot value ($7,922,100) from their bonus pool, giving the team considerably less to spend on its other unsigned first-round picks, according to Rosenthal.

The uncertainty surrounding Aiken’s signing also affected contract negotiations with their remaining unsigned draft picks, including fifth-rounder Jacob Nix, who previously had agreed with the Astros on a well-above-slot bonus of $1.5 million and already passed his physical, and 21st-rounder Mac Marshall, who also was a candidate to sign an above-slot deal thanks to the money saved with Aiken.

Since the Astros failed to sign Aiken, it presumably left them unable to sign Nix without incurring a defined penalty in next year’s draft, let alone Nix and Marshall.

Based on Friday’s news that the team came up empty with all three pitchers, it would seem as though that’s precisely what happened.

Meanwhile, the Astros now face another public relations nightmare after failing to sign Aiken, whom general manager Jeff Luhnow claimed (in the above video) is “the most advanced high school pitcher he’s ever seen in his entire career,” before the deadline.

Needless to say, not signing Aiken is a major disappointment for the franchise, whom Sports Illustrated expects to win the World Series in 2017, and especially when considering the ongoing struggles this season of 2013 No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel at the High-A level.

But with the news that Aiken won’t be joining the Astros organization, at least not this year, the team will shift its focus to the 2015 draft, as it’ll now have the No. 2 overall pick after failing to sign the prep left-hander.

While they’ll still be able to land a top-flight amateur prospect next year, the Astros won’t find a player more talented than Aiken, argues Jim Callis of MLB.com:

If the Astros can’t land Aiken today, they’ll get the second choice in the 2015 Draft and be in position to grab a premium talent. That’s not a bad consolation prize, though it’s not optimal, because they’ll have to wait a year and won’t get someone quite as gifted as Aiken.

Former big league All-Star Mike Cameron’s son Dazron, an outfielder from Eagle’s Landing High in McDonough, Ga., is the consensus No. 1 talent for next year’s Draft. There’s no clear No. 2 prospect, especially not one who stands out like Aiken does.

Furthermore, after striking out with No. 1 picks Appel and Aiken in back-to-back years, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Astros alter their draft strategy in 2015.

While they obviously would benefit from adding more high-ceiling arms to their already-impressive farm system, their success in developing shortstop Carlos Correa, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, could push the organization to target another impact hitter next year rather than a pitcher, even if he’s not perceived to be the best player available.

Unfortunately, the Astros’ 2014 draft now will forever be remembered as a complete and utter failure. That said, only time will determine how the organization’s inability to sign Aiken (as well as Nix and Marshall) will impact its long-term success.

One thing is certain, however: Failing to reach an agreement with the No. 1 overall pick is a crushing blow for an Astros franchise that’s in the midst of a rebuilding process and potentially a few years away from playoff relevancy.

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The Seattle Mariners enter the All-Star break with a 2.5-game lead in the race for the second American League wild-card spot but still have some clear needs to address at the MLB trading deadline.

There’s no doubt Seattle will be in the market for offense. The Mariners are tied for last in the AL in wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) and have holes in left field and at designated hitter.

While offense is the primary need, the Mariners also will be looking for an addition to the middle of their rotation. Seattle has depth to sell at relief pitcher and shortstop, meaning it should be possible for the Mariners to address as many as three needs without mortgaging the future.

The Mariners don’t necessarily need to make a blockbuster trade to get into the playoffs. Simply addressing a few holes with even league-average players will make Seattle a significantly better ballclub.

Acquire a right-handed corner outfielder

Such a player would fit exactly what the Mariners currently need. Seattle’s lineup is overloaded with lefties and desperately needs an upgrade in left field.

Seattle has received a combined 0.3 WAR from Dustin Ackley and Endy Chavez, the team’s primary left fielders. Anyone who can post league-average offensive numbers over the rest of the season will be an upgrade.

The situation worsened last Thursday when Michael Saunders injured his oblique muscle, via Bob Dutton of The Tacoma News Tribune:

That means the Mariners are looking at playing both Ackley and Chavez every day until around September, if everything goes well with Saunders’ recovery. Upgrading both would be nice, but the Mariners must at least get one corner outfielder.

There are a number of right-handed corner outfielders who should theoretically be available. Marlon Byrd, Josh Willingham, Alex Rios or Justin Ruggiano would make some sense in Seattle.

Of those, Byrd seems the most likely to land with the Mariners at the moment. Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that the Mariners have had “serious” discussion with the Philadelphia Phillies about acquiring Byrd:

Byrd has hit .263/.315/.479 with 18 home runs this season, including a .954 OPS against left-handed pitching. That power would decrease in Safeco Field. Byrd has an ugly strikeout rate, but he would be a clear upgrade over Ackley.

FanGraphs has Byrd playing roughly average defense in right field over the past few seasons in terms of defensive runs saved. Byrd would likely be slightly worse than Ackley in left and slightly better than Chavez at either spot, but his offense would make up for it.

Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs offers a breakdown of how Byrd turned his career around in 2013 after bouncing around the majors:

Between 2010 and 2012, Byrd ranked in the upper eighth in ground-ball rate. Since the start of last season, he ranks in the upper fifth infly-ball rate. Byrd’s swing has a bit more of an uppercut, and the other numbers that come along with it aren’t surprising.

Again, the home runs would decrease, but Byrd has the kind of power the Mariners need.

A dream scenario could be prying away Scott Van Slyke from the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it might be too much of a stretch. The Dodgers need to sort out a logjam in the outfield, but it’s unclear if they would be willing to part with Van Slyke.

Van Slyke has posted a 166 wRC+ in 155 plate appearances this season, including a 1.125 OPS against lefties. If he were available, Van Slyke would be more expensive than Byrd, as the Dodgers would be selling him when his value is at a peak.

The Mariners should be content with turning one of their high-upside relievers, likely Brandon Maurer, into a decent outfield bat. Ackley could also be involved in a change-of-scenery deal.

Look for an additional bat

The Mariners are last in the AL in on-base percentage and have scored 19 runs in their last 10 games. One bat is necessary to hold on to a wild-card spot, but Seattle needs two to be a serious contender.

Those numbers are about to get worse with Saunders’ injury, as he had the third-best wRC+ on the team among regular players.

Even if the Mariners can’t pick up two outfielders, they can get someone to be the DH. Corey Hart has a .628 OPS and is an injury risk, meaning the Mariners could use an upgrade.

Hart has been a bit unfortunate with a .246 BABIP and is still regaining his timing from a long stint on the disabled list, but he needs to turn it around by the July 31 deadline.

If Hart doesn’t improve fast, the Mariners will be looking to add another bat of any sort. Ruggiano hits lefties well (.869 OPS versus left-handed pitching) and should come at a reasonable price.

In addition to the outfielders listed above, Ben Zobrist is a big name who will be available. Zobrist has a wRC+ of 117 and can be plugged in at any number of positions, likely right field in Seattle’s case.

However, the Mariners can’t play Zobrist at second base, his most valuable position. Other teams will be likely willing to give up more for him.

Pick up a mid-level starter

Despite the great pitching numbers, the Mariners will soon have a need for a starter.

Roenis Elias is unraveling, with 16 earned runs allowed in his last three starts. He has never thrown more than 148.1 innings in a professional season and is quickly approaching that mark.

Greg Johns of MLB.com reports that James Paxton will make a rehab start at Low-A Everett on Thursday. Still, a lat injury is difficult to recover from, and Paxton could be shut down for the year with even another minor setback.

Taijuan Walker is back, but the Mariners are going to be incredibly careful with both him and Paxton. Lloyd McClendon was also less than pleased with Walker’s start in Tacoma last Sunday, according to Curtis Crabtree of Sports Radio KJR:

Even veteran Chris Young is on pace to pass his career-high innings count of 179.1. The Mariners need a healthy and reliable option behind Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma.

The big name out there is David Price. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports believes the Mariners should trade for the ace.

“Yes, the Mariners would need to give up legitimate pieces for Price – one rival executive suggested a package of right-hander Taijuan Walker, infielder Nick Franklin and third baseman D.J. Peterson, the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft,” he wrote.

Walker and Nick Franklin would be understandable in a trade, but the name that should concern the Mariners is D.J. Peterson. The Mariners can’t afford to lose any offensive prospects due to the difficulty of attracting hitters to Seattle, particularly ones with Peterson’s power.

It would be hard to fault the Mariners for going for it, but acquiring Price assumes they can win a World Series in the next two years. That’s possible but not probable without at least two bats.

Instead, a cheaper mid-level starter might be a better option. Ian Kennedy is the kind of player who would be a good fit.

Kennedy has a 3.47 ERA (2.94 FIP) and has struck out 26.1 percent of batters faced while only walking 6.7 percent. He is a slight fly-ball pitcher, meaning his numbers shouldn’t drop too much transitioning from Petco Park to Safeco Field.

San Diego Padres manager Bud Black explained why he thinks Kennedy is on pace for some of the best numbers of his career, including a career high in strikeouts, via Will Laws of MLB.com:

“I think Ian is throwing as well as he’s thrown in a few years as far as just pure stuff and making pitches. His velocity is up, his secondary pitches are good. So it doesn’t surprise me at all.”

If Seattle wants a starter, it will take more than a relief pitcher. The Mariners have a number of shortstops who are blocked at the major league level and could be traded.

Franklin is the most valuable, but the Mariners could also get something for Chris Taylor or include Ketel Marte as part of a package.

The Mariners need to make acquisitions, particularly bats, to reach the playoffs. Once there, anything is possible with Hernandez and Iwakuma at the top of the rotation.

All stats via FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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It has become redundant to say, but the Oakland A’s made the biggest assault on a possible 2014 World Series title when they added Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to their already-dominant pitching staff on the Fourth of July.

With the trade deadline just over two weeks away, it may be easy to assume that the A’s will now stay quiet and not make any more splashy moves. The team is already saturated with talent and without their two top prospects, Addison Russell and Billy McKinney, as trade bait.

But here is a scary thought if you are the rest of Major League Baseball: Not only did the A’s land two of the most coveted free-agent pitchers and become immediate World Series favorites, but now with a surplus of young, talented arms, they are primed to be buyers at the trade deadline to address their limitations at second base.

It was not headline news, but when the A’s acquired Samardzija and Hammel from the Cubs, Tommy Milone was demoted to Triple-A. Also, recovered from a broken hand, Drew Pomeranz was activated from the disabled list Sunday and then promptly sent down as well. There simply is not room in the rotation.

With wins in his last six decisions and a 3.55 ERA that was on the decline before being sent down, Milone would not be in the minor leagues for many other ballclubs. Pomeranz sports a 2.91 ERA over 55.2 innings pitched this season. He, too, deserves to be in the big leagues. Furthermore, A.J. Griffin (3.60 career ERA in two seasons with Oakland) and Jarrod Parker (a former ninth overall pick and the owner of a 3.73 ERA in two years with the A’s) will both return from Tommy John surgery next year.

Thus, thanks to the Samardzija-Hammel acquisition, the A’s now have a surplus of young, talented starting pitching. With four pitchers (Milone, Pomeranz, Griffin and Parker) all without jobs, or five pitchers (now including Jesse Chavez, who was formerly a relief pitcher) vying for one spot in the starting rotation, the A’s are clearly an attractive target to many teams.

Yet while the A’s may have the pieces to make another deal at the trade deadline, it is obvious that they do not have many glaring issues.

The three-headed monster of Dan Otero, Luke Gregerson and Sean Doolittle has erased any semblance of a concern in the bullpen. Josh Donaldson, Brandon Moss, Yoenis Cespedes and Coco Crisp are everyday staples at their respective positions. And the first base and catcher positions have turned into the three-way platoon of Derek Norris (.294 BA), Stephen Vogt (.358 BA) and John Jaso (.274 BA). Do not ask how it is working, but it clearly is.

Middle infield for the A’s, however, has been a different story.

Granted, Jew Lowrie has done an admirable job at shortstop. In 90 games (82 starts), he has posted a .234 batting average and driven in 34 runs.

Second base is where the bulk of the worry lies, and it has only escalated since utility man Alberto Callaspo was placed on the disabled list after straining his right hamstring, as John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury News reports. 

Switch-hitting Nick Punto (160 at-bats) and left-handed-hitting Eric Sogard (156 at-bats) currently share time at second base and have struggled immensely. The two have combined for a total of one home run, a .202 batting average, a .259 slugging percentage and 16 RBI while manning second base—all position lows for the A’s. Their .273 on-base percentage and meager 25 walks (also both position lows) presumably make for an irate Billy Beane.

The A’s continue to be heavily dependent on Lowrie to carry the weight of the middle infield. An injury to the seven-year shortstop would be catastrophic, as a Punto-Sogard middle infield would be about as offensively inept as they come.

There are a number of potential solutions for the A’s and their middle infield concerns.

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley and New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy are both subject to being shipped elsewhere in the coming weeks. The two are the best-hitting second basemen on the market, but the chances the A’s acquire either is slim, given the fact that Utley does not want to leave Philadelphia in the first place (as Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports), and the Mets are asking for a hefty amount of minor league offensive talent in return for Murphy.

Luis Valbuena of the Chicago Cubs has also drawn interest from the A’s, but the Cubs are reluctant to deal him, as Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal states. However, with prospect Arismendy Alcantara making a case for himself as their everyday second baseman (9-for-23 with a home run, five RBI and a stolen base in his first five big league games), Valbuena may be on his way out.

Perhaps the best fit and most realistic acquisition for the A’s is Tampa Bay Rays do-everything-man Ben Zobrist. Slashing .266/.401/.754 with a .352 on-base percentage and five multihit games in his last nine contests, Zobrist would provide a noticeable and immediate boost offensively. His ability to play second base, shortstop and either corner outfield position makes him an even more intriguing option for the A’s.

Karl Buscheck, the A’s Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, views Zobrist being traded to the A’s as an ideal situation for both teams, as the Rays are likely to be looking for young pitching at the deadline. Tommy Milone, Drew Pomeranz, Jarrod Parker or A.J. Griffin would all be at their disposal.

Combine this perfect match that addresses the needs of both teams with the parting words of general manager Beane in an interview with Jim Bowden of ESPN (h/t MLB Trade Rumors) and it is clear the A’s will not be complacent with their league-leading 59-36 record:

Well, you know, there’s a lot of time left, Jim. Whether you have needs or not, you have to take advantage of the environment. This is a time that everybody comes to the table. And whether you’re actively pursuing something specific, you want to be a part of the conversation. I don’t want to say we’re done. The short answer is: I hope we’re active still.

Follow Jacob Garcia on Twitter @Jake_M_Garcia or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Not that the Oakland Athletics needed more good vibes in 2014, ending the first half with the best record in Major League Baseball and acquiring Jeff Samardzija before the All-Star break, but Yoenis Cespedes‘ performance in the Home Run Derby signals another dynamic shift in their season.

The A’s slugger started off slow during Monday’s event, with just three homers in the first round.

He then got stronger as the night went on by hitting 16 homers over the next two rounds before clubbing nine in the final round to beat Todd Frazier, who could muster just one in the finals.

Cespedes also had fun with the event, taking to Twitter to tell his competitors that the crown wasn’t going to be taken away easily:

In many ways, Cespedes‘ Derby performance was the perfect metaphor for what awaits this season. The slow start is indicative of what happened to the 28-year-old in the first three months this year, posting a .246/.299/.442 slash line.

Now, though, with the big basher finding his groove under the spotlight at the All-Star festivities, the A’s have no reason to expect anything less than a stellar showing once the real games resume on Friday.

In fact, if you look at Cespedes‘ performance in the first half this year compared to last year—when he won his first Derby title—the similarities are striking:

The difference is Cespedes missed time last year with a hand injury, so the slow start was easy to justify. This year, it just so happens that the Cuban star hasn’t found a groove in the box. He’s been all over the map, with FanGraphs indicating that his OPS (on-base plus slugging) totals were over .830 in April and June but under .770 in May and July.

Even though injuries continued to plague Cespedes in the second half last year, he still managed to slug .473 with 11 home runs in 56 games, leading Oakland to its second consecutive playoff berth.

With no health problems slowing him down this year, Cespedes is ready to attack the second half like he started the season.

The myth of the Home Run Derby is that it can ruin a player’s swing, but someone like Cespedes can benefit from getting into that groove. He’s never been a patient hitter who will sit back on a pitch, so attacking the ball is nothing new to him.

When you swing as much as Cespedes does, finding the right groove is critical to succeeding.

The A’s aren’t hurting for offense, ranking second in runs scored, but if the big bat in the middle of the order comes through, imagine how difficult this team will be to defeat in the second half.

If you want to talk sports, hit me up on Twitter @adamwells1985.

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Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout stormed his way into the record books Thursday night, using a four-hit performance against the Texas Rangers to become the fastest player in franchise history with 500 career hits, per Angels Director of Communications Eric Kay.

Trout reached the milestone in just 423 games, surpassing the record of 428 games previously held by Garret Anderson.

The 22-year-old outfielder entered Thursday’s contest with 498 career hits and proceeded to fill out the box score in a 15-6 blowout victory. Not only did Trout record a hit in four of his five at-bats, but he also finished the night with a home run, three runs and four RBI.

Set to turn 23 August 7, Trout is already shaping up as a threat to take down Anderson’s franchise record of 2,368 hits.

While never considered a true superstar, Anderson played for the Angels from 1994 to 2008 and was a productive hitter for most of that span. In addition to the franchise hits mark, he also holds Angels records for games (2,013), runs (1,024), RBI (1,292) and total bases (3,743), among others. His 272 home runs in a Halos uniform are good for second in franchise history, trailing only the 299 of retired slugger Tim Salmon.

Trout still has a ways to go before reaching Anderson in any of the counting stats, but he’s the all-time franchise leader in both on-base percentage (.403) and slugging percentage (.553).

Even more impressive, Trout is responsible for the two best seasons in franchise history as measured by wins above replacement (WAR), having posted a 10.8 WAR in 2012 and 8.9 WAR in 2013, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Assuming he sticks around in Anaheim for the long haul, Trout could one day be the Angels’ all-time leader in nearly every significant offensive category.

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Four days ago, the Oakland A’s threw all their chips into a 2014 World Series title run when they acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs. The A’s paid a hefty price to reel in two of the most prized free-agent arms. Shortstop Addison Russell—the A’s top prospect and the No. 12 overall prospect in the MLB—and outfielder Billy McKinney—the A’s No. 2 prospect—were sent to the Cubs farm system, which is now overflowing with talent.

In the wake of this latest move by the A’s, it seems a bit anticlimactic to utter the word “future” when talking about this ballclub. After all, giving up prized minor-league talent for quick-fixes shows that 2014 is the team’s focus. With the best record in the majors at 56-33, who could blame them?

But with the onset of the 16th annual SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and Stockton Ports (the A’s Single-A affiliate) third baseman Renato Nunez earning a second consecutive selection, it is important to understand that all is not lost for the A’s minor league system.

The 20-year-old Nunez was scorching hot right before he was selected to the World All-Star team and then proceeded to justify his selection by continuing to obliterate Single-A pitching.

Over the past three weeks (a span of 20 games), Nunez has launched 11 home runs and gapped five doubles, culminating in an absurd .408/.489/.908 triple slash line. Nearly every Rotoworld update on him simply states that he had another multi-homerun game or another pedestrian four-hit game. Just past the midway point in his second full season, Nunez has 20 home runs, 57 RBI and a .287 batting average.

Nunez was signed out of Venezuela in 2010 and is currently in the Class A-Advanced California League. With the departure of Russell, Nunez has jumped to the No. 4 prospect in the A’s organization, and if he continues to swing a white-hot bat, he will likely be promoted to the Double-A Texas League in the near future.  

The A’s project Nunez to reach the big leagues by 2016, according to their official scouting report. Though his arm is above average (rated a 55 on a scale of 80), Nunez will likely be converted into a first baseman, since his footwork and hands will eventually become a liability at the hot corner.

Judge for yourself after watching this video.

The A’s organization once worried about Nunez’s patience at the plate, as the 6’1″, 185-pound right-handed hitter has a track record of striking out because of an overly aggressive approach. However, in the span of a year, Nunez has decreased his strikeout rate from 25.0 percent in 2013 to 19.8 percent in 2014 and has increased his walk rate from 5.1 percent in 2013 to 7.4 percent in 2014.

Players from all full-season minor leagues were eligible for an All-Star selection. Nunez was the lone member from the A’s organization who was chosen.

But to reiterate a point, Nunez is the A’s No. 4 prospect.

This means that the organization rates three players better and more advanced than a two-time minor league All-Star, who ranks second in the California League in home runs, ninth in RBI and ninth in slugging percentage.

So when second-guessing the A’s decision to part with their two top prospects in Russell and McKinney in order to maximize their chances at a title run this year, just remember that Renato Nunez and company are blazing a hot trail to O.co Coliseum.

Here is a video of Nunez hitting some bombs in last year’s minor league home run derby to help with that.

Follow Jacob Garcia on Twitter @Jake_M_Garcia or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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With his 124th hit of the season in Monday’s 12-7 win over the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve set a new franchise record for most hits by one player before the All-Star break, per CSN Houston’s Julia Morales.

The previous record holder was first baseman/left fielder Bob Watson, who recorded 123 hits before the break for the Astros in 1973, according to MLB Stat of the Day on twitter.

In the midst of an incredible season, Altuve reached 124 hits with five games remaining before the break, leaving plenty of time to pad his record-setting total. While it certainly helps that he has only missed three of his team’s 91 contests this season, Altuve has also been excellent on a per-game basis. 

He carries a robust .338/.378/.436 slash line into Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, with his .338 batting average ranking first in the American League and second in all of baseball, just 11 points behind the .349 average of Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

Adding to his impressive season, Altuve also leads the American League with 39 stolen bases, putting him three behind Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon (42) for the major-league lead. Gordon has been caught stealing nine times, while Altuve has incredibly been thrown out just three times.

Always a good contact hitter, Altuve has taken his game to the next level this season by shrinking his strikeout rate to a microscopic 6.6 percent, best in the majors among all qualified players, according to Fangraphs.com.

On pace to finish the year with 221 hits, Altuve is primed to record just the second 200-hit season in Astros history, with the feat previously accomplished by Craig Biggio in 1998, per MLB.com.

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