Kuzul

The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled in the early weeks of the 2013 regular season. They are 14-16 thus far, 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the suddenly tight National League East.

Should the team have a losing record (or even subpar record, for that matter), general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. could choose to trade some of his team’s impending free agents.

Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com opines, “If things don’t improve, the Phillies might make their noise in July, when [Chase] Utley and the two Youngs [Michael and Delmon], all pending free agents, could become trade candidates.”

The Washington Nationals have also struggled a bit, albeit their record is 1.5 games better than their rival’s. At 16-15, general manager Mike Rizzo is likely upset with the way his team—a team that was supposed to dominate the rest of the National League—has performed.

Their pitching hasn’t been great, but inconsistencies offensively have really been their downfall. Their team batting average of .228 ranks 28th in the majors, ahead of only the Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays. Getting on base has also been an issue, as their .293 OBP ranks them 27th in the league. Only the Blue Jays, Marlins and Chicago White Sox are worse.

A boost offensively could be just what the Nationals need come July 31, so don’t be surprised if Rizzo gives his rival GM a call to inquire on Utley.

Danny Espinosa has struggled for Washington. His .176/.213/.329 line is terrible, and his K/BB ratio of 20-to-3 equally as disappointing. He has driven in seven runs, but that’s helped by the fact that nine of his 15 hits have gone for extra bases (seven doubles, two home runs).

Steve Lombardozzi hasn’t been much better, so replacing Espinosa with the reserve infielder wouldn’t make a drastic difference. Lombo’s line of .224/.255/.286 is better, but he doesn’t provide enough power to drive in that many runs.

This could lead the Nationals straight to Utley. Utley has performed very well in 30 games this season, hitting six home runs and driving in 21. His line of .280/.331/.523 is essentially right on par with his career line (.287/.375/.501).

Utley would give the Nationals yet another power bat to go along with Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche. A quartet of power guys in the middle of the lineup could make their lineup equally as dangerous as the Atlanta Braves’. Such an acquisition would, then, be a good idea to pursue.

Even with his impending free agency, Utley would likely cost a pretty penny in terms of prospects. Washington could offer either Espinosa or Lombardozzi (free agents in 2017 and 2018, respectively), as well as outfield prospect Eury Perez and pitching prospect A.J. Cole.

Perez has stellar speed (224 stolen bases in seven minor league seasons) and sports a strong career line of .307/.362/.373. He’d be a great addition to the Phillies as early as next season.

Cole, a right-handed starter, would provide stability in the back of the Phillies rotation as early the second half of 2014, though with the potential to be a No. 2 starter. His career ERA of 3.84 and WHIP of 1.250 suggest he has promise and that he’ll improve with more experience.

Such a package should be enough to acquire Utley. With the past willingness of the Lerner family (the owning family of the Nationals) to spend money, Rizzo could conceivably work on a four-year deal with Utley to remain in Washington after he’s acquired. Trading for him without the guarantee of a new contract would not be worth the prospects.

This entire situation is pure speculation on my part, but putting Utley in D.C. would have huge implications on the NL East. Washington’s stagnant offense would receive a huge boost, and the Braves may not be able to hold off the defending division champs.

If I’m Rizzo, then I’m on the phone with Amaro if the Phillies appear to be sellers at the deadline in a few months’ time.

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The Philadelphia Phillies fell to the Atlanta Braves 7-5 in their first game of the 2013 season, but it wasn’t all bad news.

Cole Hamels and Chad Durbin struggled on the mound, Chase Utley brought life to the offense and newcomers made their debuts. It is a much different Phillies team than a few years ago, when it had the best rotation in all of baseball and was considered a title contender. Now, the Phillies try to put a .500 season behind them as they set out to retake the NL East throne from the Washington Nationals.

So, what did we learn about the Phillies on Opening Night?

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A lot of questions confronted the Philadelphia Phillies as they headed into spring training.  Would their aging stars bounce back from long stints on the disabled list and regain their effectiveness?  Would those who had avoided the DL be able to avoid Father Time for one more year?  Would youngsters come up and fill voids left by core players departing?

With Opening Day less than two weeks away, the answers to those questions are going to finally start being answered.  Some are already sharpening into focus.

This weekend, my girlfriend and I have jetted down from the New York Metro area to Clearwater, Florida, to soak in some spring matchups.  Here are some eyewitness takes on some of the team’s biggest issues after Friday’s win against the Braves, from the health of men like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to general news and notes.

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As the calendar turns to March, we are approaching the one-year anniversary of a pretty monumental day in the history of American professional sports.

One year ago Thursday, Peyton Manning was released from the Indianapolis Colts, the organization by which he was drafted first overall in 1998 and was with for 14 seasons. During that time, he became arguably the best quarterback of his generation and put himself in with the top 10 players to ever play the position. The term “face of the franchise” has become a cliche in professional sports, but it was an unadulterated reality in Manning’s case. He truly was the Indianapolis Colts.

But alas, after a bizarre neck injury caused Manning to miss the entire 2011 season, subsequently contributing to the Colts going 2-14 that season and earning the top overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, he suddenly became expendable. With the shining blue-chip Andrew Luck waiting in the draft and ready to play, it simply did not make sense to bring back a 36-year-old QB coming off injury and send the best QB prospect in years to the bench.

Let me make a disclaimer—I am not condemning what the Colts did. They did what they had to do. The situation in Indianapolis was as unique as a snowflake. Had the Colts wound up with any pick lower than second overall in the 2012 draft, they most likely would have kept Manning and traded the high pick for several lower picks to put some pieces around the aging star to give him one last chance at a run in his final years.

But that didn’t happen. The Colts had the first overall pick, Luck fell into their lap, and here we are.

Having said that, allow me to take you back to the end of 2011. While it is easy to forget since so much time has elapsed, maybe you remember how bleak the outlook on Manning’s career was.

Many people predicted he would embarrass himself in 2012, posting the worst stats since his rookie year and having to end a great career in shame.

Others predicted that his body would have the solidity of a chocolate eclair after a year on the couch, and he would suffer a career-ending injury on his first sack.

A friend of mine even predicted that he would retire in 2012 training camp, realizing the game passed him by.

Of course, we know this did not happen. Manning totally idiocized the pessimistic predictions, posting the best season of his wonderful career next to his legendary 2004 MVP performance. By notching eight yards per attempt, 37 TD passes to only 11 INT, and achieving a terrific 105.8 passer rating, Peyton made everybody forget the bleakness of his post-2011 outlook.

Okay, I am finally going to get to baseball now.

The Phillies can take a lot of optimism out of the Peyton Manning story. The 2012 Phillies were obviously decimated by injury. The problem with that squad wasn’t only that Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Roy Halladay missed significant time. The big issue was that all three players’ injuries ruined their performance on the field, with Utley putting up a slash line of .256/11/45, Howard going .219/14/56, and Roy Halladay putting up a 4.49 ERA with a 1.222 WHIP.

These bad 2012 seasons by the three cornerstone players on the team have pundits predicting they will face a very tough uphill battle with the Nationals and the Braves in 2013. The other two NL East teams are looked at as the young forces set to take their places at the table, while the Phillies are the broken-down old veterans who the game has passed by.

But, just as Peyton Manning disproved so many doubters, so can the Phillies.

Chase Utley can hit .280 with 25 HR.

Ryan Howard can hit 42 HR and knock in 130.

Roy Halladay can pitch 230 innings, put up a sub-3.00 ERA, and amass 200 strikeouts.

If one of these things happen, the Phillies could make that seven-game jump that would have been necessary to make the playoffs last year.

If two of these things happen, the Phillies can win 91-93 games, and be a legitimate threat for the NL East crown.

If all three happen, then the Nationals and the Braves be damned. The Phillies out-and-out win the NL East and are NL favorites for the World Series.

Do these things seem implausible? Maybe.

But how many people expected the 2012 Peyton Manning to put up a 105.8 passer rating a year ago today?

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Chase Utley has been a Philadelphia Phillie since 2003. Utley was 24 when he made his debut with the Phillies, and over the next ten seasons fans would get to see one of the best second basemen to ever lace up his cleats.

Utley plays the game like everyone should. Hard, fast and with grit. 

If injuries were not an issue, Utley was on the fast track to a Hall of Fame career. He was consistently among the top players in baseball from 2005-2009 and then the chronic knee issues began to surface. 

Since 2009, Utley has not played in over 115 games due to his chronic knee problems, and some are questioning just how long he has left in his baseball career.

At the end of the 2013 season, Utley’s current contract will expire and he will become a free agent. He will also turn 35 in December.

Will the Phillies re-sign Utley to a short-term deal, or will the Phillies move in another direction and let Freddy Galvis or an outside candidate take over at second base?

I see this playing out in one of three scenarios.

One, Utley gets his knee issues under control and is able to play in 140 or more games in 2013. He posts above-average numbers and returns to the All-Star game.

As a result the Phillies decide to offer Utley a 1-2 year extension, which he accepts at a significant pay cut from the $15 million he made in 2013.

Two, Utley’s season is again cut short by injuries. He plays in only 50-70 games and struggles to find any consistency.

As a result, Kevin Frandsen and Freddy Galvis take over the majority of his playing time and show they can contribute.

This forces the Phillies to let Utley walk in free agency and look elsewhere for their 2014 second baseman.

Three, Utley’s career averages, age and injury history suggests he will most likely finish somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. Play 90-115 games, bat around .270 and hit anywhere from 10-15 home runs.

Unfortunately for Utley, this is not enough for Ruben Amaro Jr. to seriously consider bringing him back to Philadelphia.

The Utley era in Philadelphia ends and we see him sign with an American League team in the offseason.

In order for the Phillies to bring back Utley past the 2013 season he must produce at least 80%-90% of what he has in the past over a 140 or more game season. 

Also, bringing back Utley will cost the Phillies a lot more money than letting a younger player like Galvis take over.

For this reason, along with his age and injury history, it will be very difficult for the Phillies to want to bring back Utley after his contract expires.

If the Phillies do not see improvement in Utley’s health and production, we will see him play his last game as number 26 for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2013. 

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Chase Utley is in a no-win situation in 2013 because of his contract situation, his injury history and his lack of production in the past two seasons.

Utley is in the final year of a seven-year, $85 million contract. As so often happens with long-term deals, Utley’s production has waned precipitously over the past six seasons. From 2007-2010 (the first four years of the contract) Utley made the All-Star team every season. He earned MVP votes in each of those seasons but 2010, which was also the first year that Utley’s knees became a concern. 

When Utley missed 47 games in 2010, it was the team’s first real indication that maybe, just maybe, Utley’s body would not let him be the player he had been again, like, ever.

By spring training in 2011, it was apparent that Utley’s knees were degenerating, the sort of injury that often cannot be fixed by surgery. He missed 59 games in 2011; because he came back in time for the playoffs, his absence was noticeable, but ultimately easy to forget.

Less so in 2012, as the Phillies‘ five-year playoff run came to an end while Utley played only four more games (83) than he missed (79.) Perhaps more alarming was Utley’s nose-diving production. From 2005 through 2008, Utley drove in more than 100 runs every year, hit no fewer than 22 home runs, hit no worse than .291 and scored more than 100 runs three times, including a league-leading 131 runs scored in 2006.

So it is not just the games he is missing that now trouble the Phillies, it is what he is (not) doing when he plays: eleven home runs in each of the past two seasons, 44 and 45 runs batted in, batting averages of .259 and .256. Sure, he is consistent now. It is just consistent mediocrity.

And this is why Utley’s coming contract year is such a problem. Utley will no doubt be heavily motivated to “prove he is healthy” and post numbers sufficient to convince the Phillies, or some other team, to give him another multi-year deal. Maybe he can do it, too.

If he does it, though, the Phillies and their fans will almost certainly question openly why he was able to do it in 2013 when he was not able to do it in 2011 or 2012. Particularly this past season, when Ryan Howard missed so much time with his Achilles injury, the Phillies desperately missed Utley’s bat in the middle of the lineup. Have his numbers declined? Sure. But he is still miles better than Freddy Galvis, Michael Martinez, Mike Fontenot and Pete Orr.

Utley’s worst-case scenario, of course, is having a year productive enough to get him signed elsewhere but not good enough to convince the Phillies to keep him. Because at that point, the fanbase will almost certainly feel that Utley used two expensive seasons to keep himself healthy at the team’s expense—and at theirs.

The team and its fans have no choice but to hope that Utley comes back healthy, strong and reasonably like the player he has been for them in the past.

It will be interesting, though, to see what that ultimately means.

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According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro has stated that there is no No. 1 priority for next year.  With no talk of improving the outfield and an obviously shallow free-agent pool at third base next year, Phillies fans may not be so enthusiastic about jumping into the 2013 season next year. 

Phillies fans have been mired in disappointment this season after the last five.  A team that had all the makings of a dynasty was only able to secure one World Series championship in that time.

This year, the reasons were quite obvious: poor situational hitting, an inept bullpen in the first half of the season, injuries to marquee players, a weak defense and an ineffective manager who could no longer ride the train once the wheels were no longer going “round and round.”

Charlie Manuel and his hitting coach, Greg Gross, have done nothing to improve the hitting issues.  Perhaps the team has aged to a point where it’s not about situational hitting, but bat speed. 

The team’s top players—Rollins, Utley, Howard and Victorino before he was traded—struggled to keep their averages above .250.  The bullpen was atrocious, as Chad Qualls, Antonio Bastardo and a combination of young arms proved unable to hand the ball over to closer Jonathan Papelbon. 

Injuries to Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the demise of smooth-fielding third baseman Placido Polanco and the trade of Shane Victorino weakened the offense, and the defense significantly.  

When this concoction of unsavory ingredients was added to the stew, the odoriferous mixture fouled the air and the manager struggled to “stir the pot.”

It certainly is unfair to place the entire blame on Charlie Manuel; after all, it was Amaro who helped stock the provisions on the pantry shelf.  But both men had a hand in fostering the disappointment.

When Amaro said there was no No. 1 priority, I am sure he meant there were several problems all of equal weight.  

The outfield, in my opinion, should be their No. 1 priority because Brown and Mayberry are nothing better than bench players.  Ruf has to prove he can hit major league pitching and play left field.  It is obvious now that Victorino and Hunter Pence are sorely missed despite all their fan detractors.

The Phillies’ front office cannot be serious that the outfield is not a top priority. A trade for a strong defensive center fielder who can hit for average is an absolute must. Signing Josh Hamilton is a pipe dream, but if you want to restore the team to a higher standing, that would certainly work.  Since that is probably not going to happen, though, signing Michael Bourn is a possible solution.

Unfortunately, the corner outfield positions would still be in flux.     

Amaro could trade for Padres third baseman Chase Headley, but that might require trading one of their young pitching prospects. And minor league youngsters Cody Asche and Maikel Franco are turning some heads at third, but both are still at least a season away. 

The Phillies absolutely must improve the overall defense, but how that can be done without a trade or a free-agent signing is anyone’s guess. Utley and Howard hopefully will see a return to good health next year, but can they improve those mediocre averages, or is Father Time creeping up on them early?  

The Phillies brass has remained steadfast in their defense of Charlie Manuel.  With that commitment, maybe principle Phillies owner David Montgomery should promote a “prozac night” at Citizens Bank Park.  

Or should a managerial change be made now rather than later?

When the time comes and Manuel does hand over the spoon to Ryne Sandberg, let’s hope the ingredients are such that he can mix up a fragrant bouquet and not be tormented by an odoriferous blend of bad ingredients.

In addition, let’s hope that the keys to the train Ruben Amaro hands over to Hall of Famer Sandberg fits the ignition. Phillies fans deserve to shout “Whoo, Whoo!” when the wheels start turning.

All aboard!      

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Ryan Howard and Chase Utley’s best days are behind them. That much we know for certain.

Age and injury have turned the pair of former MVP candidates into players who are good, but no longer great.

Their absence from the lineup for nearly half of the 2012 season and subsequent subpar production is as good an excuse as any for the Phillies‘ disappointing 77-74 record.

The first and second basemen have anchored the lineup for years. Can we expect them to bounce back in 2013? Will Utley’s knees hold up over the long haul? Can Howard cut down on the strikeouts and reestablish himself as a feared cleanup hitter?

The trends for both players don’t look great. Even before Howard ruptured his Achilles tendon on the final play of the Phillies’ 2011 season, he was headed in the wrong direction.

Howard hasn’t hit more than 33 home runs in a season since 2009. His average has dropped each year as well. While he’s still working himself back from the Achilles injury, he’s struck out nearly one out of every three plate appearances this season. His career OPS against left-handed pitching is .740, and he’s hit .176 against lefties this year.

And that’s just his offense. Defensively, Howard is a well-below-average first baseman who lacks range, a quick glove and even an adequate throwing arm.

He’s on the books for $95 million through 2016, so he’s certainly not going anywhere.

I’d expect Howard to work hard in the offseason and come back on a mission. Unfortunately, he simply doesn’t have the physical tools he once possessed. There’s no way all of that bat speed is coming back.

Look for Howard to hit 35 home runs next year and drive in 100 runs. If he can improve his plate discipline and figure out a way to deal with lefties, he could exceed expectations.

The analysis of Utley is trickier, as the production is still there. But can he stay on the field? Will he be ready for the start of 2013?

Despite knee issues that have sapped some of his pop, he is still a premier second baseman. He is far ahead of last year’s offensive pace and is back to hitting the ball with authority. He’s reaching base with regularity as well, and his .382 OBP is right in line with his career .377 mark.

While the Phillies have kicked around the idea of moving Utley to third base next year to make room for Freddy Galvis, the defensive metrics show he is still covering plenty of ground at second.

Utley will earn $15 million in 2013, the final year of his contract. It will be interesting to see whether the Phillies try to extend him soon or wait until after next season and they are assured of his health. 

Utley has stolen nine bases this year, which is an excellent sign after some thought his career could be over. Gone are the days of 30 home runs and 40 doubles, but I have a feeling he could bounce back big in 2013 based on his play of late. Whether he does that next to Howard or at the opposite corner will be the question.

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Most nights, for an inning or so, it all still makes sense—the Philadelphia Phillies still look like the Phillies.

Friday night’s game, for example, saw Roy Halladay take the ball.  He gave up a solo home run to Carlos Beltran in the first inning, but after that he was really excellent and never in any serious trouble.

Just how you remember it. 

The Phillies’ first four batters in the game were Jimmy Rollins, Juan Pierre, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.  Four legitimate major league baseball players, two former National League Most Valuable Players. 

Or to put it another way, an aggregate of over $47 million in salary to four hitters.

Save for the occasions when Jonathan Papelbon ($11 million) comes in at the end of the game (as he did Friday night), that is where the similarities to the Phillies you remember ends.

After Howard on Friday night, the next four hitters in the Phillies’ lineup—the team that led the National League in run differential going away in 2011—were Domonic Brown, Nate Schierholtz, Erik Kratz and Kevin Frandsen.

Or to put it another way, an aggregate of far, far less than $47 million in salary to four hitters.  Actually, far less than $4.7 million, as only Schierholtz is making more than $1 million this season.

Three games out of five, you still get to watch Halladay, Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels pitch.  You are no doubt well aware of their significant contracts.  Hamels is getting by on $15 million this season before his lucrative extension kicks in.  Halladay and Lee are being paid $20 million and $21.5 million, respectively, this season.

Trouble is, once they stop pitching and before (if) Papelbon pitches, the pitching staff, like the back half of the lineup, gets tough to recognize.

Antonio Bastardo is still there, but after him, so many of the names and faces are so hard to place.  Could you pick Josh Lindblom, B.J. Rosenberg or Jeremy Horst out of a lineup?  You might be the only one.

Going back to Friday night, the last four position players in the lineup combined to go 3-for-12, all of the hits singles, with one run batted in (Brown) and no runs scored.

Utley bailed the offense out with a mammoth home run to deep right center field in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Rollins, standing on third base when Utley struck it, simply smiled and pointed skyward.  And again, it felt like old times, if only for a moment.

All the while, an announced crowd of 43,122 (98.8 percent capacity, if you care) did what it has done for the past five successful seasons.  It sat idly when things were going poorly, it roused when the Phillies threatened, it willed some big outs from Halladay.  Then it erupted when Utley played the hero.

This, then, is how the remainder of your 2012 Phillies season is likely to play out.

Even though the team’s playoff hopes are all but dead, the park is going to be plenty full for many of the remaining home dates…because the money is already spent on the tickets.  That money is not coming back, either, at least not on StubHub or eBay.  The tickets have been devalued by the team’s poor play.

In the past, the choice was often just to stay home and eat the tickets.  But when the cheapest seat in the stadium costs $20 (and with so many seats already bought for so much more) it is much harder to justify watching the game on television or, for that matter, going out and doing something else. 

That would mean burning entertainment dollars twice on the same night.

So on the surface, then, the 2012 Phillies continue to look sort of like the Phillies teams of the recent past: plenty of people in the seats, big names in the lineup and for most games, big names on the mound.

Looking closer, though, it does not take long to notice that these Phillies are not the genuine article.

You usually know by the middle of the second inning.

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With several surprises and disappointments, the 2012 MLB season has been a compelling one to watch thus far. 

However, something that has made the game less fun to follow is the number of superstar players that have suffered significant injuries. Yes, sometimes new players can emerge when established veterans go on the disabled list. Look at Bryce Harper with the Nationals or Freddy Galvis for the Phillies. (Unfortunately, Galvis has joined the ranks of the injured.) 

Sure, we watch baseball because we love the game, but a big reason we love the game is because we get to see top players perform at an elite level. Superstars provide the game with its flash and sizzle. They compel us to watch. Without its marquee talent on the field, baseball is just a little less exciting.

But the game will be far more exciting to watch in the weeks and months to come once some injured stars get back on the field. Here are 10 excellent players whose return we’re eagerly anticipating.

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

He’s the National League’s best player. Why wouldn’t we want to see him back on the field? The Dodgers have maintained their first-place lead while he’s been out with a strained hamstring. But how good could they be once Kemp returns, along with whatever midseason additions the Dodgers might make?

Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies

Losing Utley in spring training was a devastating blow to a Phillies team that was already short-handed. Would the Phillies be in last place if he was in the lineup all season? It doesn’t seem likely, but maybe age and lack of depth has just caught up with this team. Where would this Phillies team be at full strength?

Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies

Ty Wigginton has done well at first base for the Phils, but he’s not the power bat Howard is. As with Utley, how much better would the lineup be with Howard providing some thunder in the middle? Again, we want to see the Phillies at full strength. It’s fun to see the Washington Nationals on top in the NL East. New blood is always exciting. But wouldn’t it be more fun to see the Nats beat the Phillies at their best?

Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies

There are few pitchers in baseball who can shut down a lineup and possibly do something historic every time he takes the mound. Halladay may not have the dazzle factor of Justin Verlander or Clayton Kershaw, but he is definitely one of those pitchers. Taken down by a shoulder injury, baseball isn’t as fun to watch without getting to see Halladay every five days.

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are tied for first in the AL East and consistently play some of the best baseball in the majors. But how much better would they be with their best player in their lineup? Without Longoria, the Rays are 20-17. But they’re also hitting just .228 as a team. Their defense at third base is among the lower third in the majors. 

Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox

As with the Phillies, the Red Sox haven’t been able to field their intended roster all season long. That became especially true when Ellsbury, who had an MVP-caliber 201, dislocated his right shoulder in mid-April. Do we want to see a Red Sox team with Marlon Byrd or Scott Podsednik in center field? Or do we want to see Boston win, or be beaten while at full strength?

Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals

Though the Cardinals would obviously be a better team with Carpenter in their starting rotation, the Redbirds seemed to be OK without him in the early stages of the season. Carpenter’s replacement, Lance Lynn, is pitching like a Cy Young Award candidate, but the Cards are slipping in the NL Central. Getting their ace back from his neck troubles would make a huge difference. 

Alex Avila, Detroit Tigers

I’ll admit to some personal bias here. I love watching Avila play. It was fun to watch him develop from a first-time starter into one of the best catchers in baseball last season. The Tigers have been a disappointment thus far, largely due to players like Avila performing below expectations. But there are so few great catchers in the majors that it’s a pleasure to watch the ones that emerge. 

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels

I realize I’m sort of repeating myself, but don’t we want to see the best players on the field? Weaver is one of the best pitchers in the AL and has established himself as appointment viewing. Baseball misses him taking the mound every five days. Now that the Angels have made the AL West a race again, Weaver’s return could make sure they stay competitive. 

Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers

As disappointing as the Brewers have been this season, Lucroy has been one of the team’s bright spots. With a .345/.387/.583 slash average, Lucroy put himself in the discussion of best catchers in the NL with Yadier Molina, Carlos Ruiz and Buster Posey. Suffering a broken hand when he did was disheartening. Hopefully, Lucroy can resume his great play when he returns.

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