Kuzul

With the just-concluded 2012 MLB All-Star Game now a distant memory, the business of baseball once again takes center stage.

Over the final two-plus weeks of the month, contending teams will be jockeying for position, hoping to land that key acquisition that can help their playoff aspirations.

Among the many players who will no doubt be discussed by teams are players who took part in the All-Star game last Tuesday.

Here is a list of five 2012 MLB All-Stars and five former All-Stars who could be playing for contending teams in early August.

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With the trade deadline a mere three weeks away, many teams are looking to improve either their pitching staff or their lineup as July 31st approaches. Some teams may want to begin the rebuilding stage as next season approaches, while others are looking for that one guy that will place them over the edge and take them to the World Series.

The All-Star break will have come and gone by the end of the night, and it will already be time to focus on the second half of the season. Here are 10 teams that will be looking to make a move.

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On May 27, Ubaldo Jimenez had started 10 games for the Cleveland Indians in the 2012 season.

Of those ten games, five of them were quality starts and in the other five he allowed four or more runs. While Jimenez held a 5-4 record, his ERA was at a season high, 5.79.

In those 10 starts, Jimenez had a 33:42 K:BB over 56 innings. He also allowed 58 hits in those starts, ballooning his WHIP to 1.79.

Then, June started and while Jimenez is just 3-3 over his last seven starts, he has shown exactly what made him a huge acquisition from the Colorado Rockies at the 2011 MLB trade deadline.

Jimenez has thrown 46 innings, posted a 2.93 ERA, but, most importantly, Jimenez has a 44:16 K:BB and has allowed 38 hits, for a 1.17 WHIP.

Jimenez is throwing strikes and has turned back into the player who the Indians thought they were getting when they traded Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, two very good arms, to acquire the 28-year-old Dominican right-hander.

As the Indians head into the All-Star break and rumors have swirled about their interest in several players:

Shane Victorino – by Ken Rosenthal

Matt Garza – by Jon Paul Morosi

Chase Headley – by Jon Heyman

Carlos Quentin – by Buster Olney

While I have mentioned others in previous articles, particularly right-handed bats and pitchers like Ryan Dempster of the Chicago Cubs and Brandon McCarthy of the Oakland A’s, the Indians may have improved their rotation with the apparent divine intervention that has taken place with Ubaldo Jimenez and his ability to pitch efficiently in MLB.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Sometimes a little change is all you need as a catalyst for success.

In a season that has proven to be full of surprising surges for some players and teams alike, and disappointing starts for others, there is hope on the horizon. The non-waiver trade deadline is approaching faster than Sandra Bullock driving a bomb-laced bus in Santa Monica.

Several teams that were assumed to be major players coming into the 2012 season have fallen surprisingly flat on their faces. While some may try to stitch together some semblance of a season after the All-Star break, some heavy decisions must be made in short order.

Here is a list of six hitters who could benefit from a change of scenery and provide monstrous impact in a new city.

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The Philadelphia Phillies have not yet indicated that they are going to be selling at the trade deadline, but according to Buster Olney of ESPN, if Juan Pierre became available, the Cincinnati Reds would be interested.

Pierre has been a pleasant surprise amidst an incredibly disappointing season in Philadelphia.  He is hitting .317 and has stolen 20 bases in 23 attempts.

This is all coming from someone who was not even supposed to be an everyday player.  He really only became a starter because John Mayberry Jr. was extremely ineffective for the duration of spring training.

This move obviously makes a lot of sense if the Phillies are going to indeed sell.

Pierre is 34 years old, so he would not be a piece of the distant future. Since his entire game is based around speed, as he gets older, age will catch up to him more quickly than others. When that happens, his trade value will obviously decline.

Therefore, it makes sense for the Phillies to trade him while his value is high.

Another good reason to trade away Pierre if a fire sale really does take place is because it would open up his roster slot. Perhaps John Mayberry Jr. could have another opportunity to regain his spot as the everyday left fielder. Perhaps Domonic Brown could even come up and take some of that playing time as well (I don’t think that that should happen, but that could easily be the topic of another article).

In either situation, they would have a potential part of their future gaining experience.

If the Phillies do decide to sell, it makes a lot of sense for Juan Pierre to be one of those pieces on the move. However, if they decide that they want to stick in until the end, it would be somewhat surprising to see Pierre going anywhere.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels may be a top trade target right now, but don’t expect him to be dealt until the deadline is imminent.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported on Sunday that the Phillies recently began working the phones after contract negotiations broke down with Hamels. And, as with any top names on the trade market, expect the Phillies to dangle Hamels right up until the deadline, seeking the best available offer.

Hamels owns a 10-4 record with a 3.08 ERA and 1.10 WHIP this season for Philadelphia. He’s recorded 111 strikeouts in 111 innings. On the other hand, he’s also a free agent after the season, and with no guarantee that he’ll return to Philadelphia, the Phillies must begin thinking about trading the 28-year-old.

Buster Olney of ESPN noted on Tuesday that it was only natural for the Phillies to look into offers for the star left-hander, but “unless somebody calls up with a monster offer for Hamels — which rival evaluators do not believe will happen until some day closer to the July 31 deadline — the Phillies will continue to play out their season and hope that they slowly climb back into the race, with Chase Utley back in the lineup and Ryan Howard on the way.”

So, at the moment, Philadelphia will see what happens before July 31 and – if they are still out of contention by then – will wait until an overwhelming offer falls in their lap.

Headed into Tuesday’s game, the Phillies were 36-45, good for last place in the NL East. They were eight games back for a Wild-Card spot in the National League. In that sense, it’s unlikely that they’ll rise enough, even with Utley and Howard, to be back in the picture by the time the trade deadline rolls around. That points to Hamels eventually being dealt.

The rest of the league will have to be patient until then.

Follow me on Twitter. We can talk about baseball together.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In the days leading up to the July 31st MLB trade deadline there will be a number of St. Louis Cardinals trade rumors that come up.

With rumors coming in fast and furious, it is hard to keep track of all of them. B/R is going to help you out with all of this. Bookmark this link as it will be used to report on all of the key Cardinals trade rumors that pop up through a number of different sources over the next few weeks.

Not only will all of the Cardinals rumors be easy to find, but insight will also be provided about what impact each potential deal could have on the Cardinals moving forward. Are any of the moves being talked about ones that could help the Cardinals reach the World Series for the second straight year?

The only way to find out is to keep coming back and checking out all of the Cardinals trade rumors.

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There will not be too many top-tier starting pitchers on the trade market this summer. Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels are names that there will be a lot of speculation about, but after them the talent level drops off.

Jason Churchill of ESPN (Insider required) has suggested that the Tampa Bay Rays could look to deal James Shields this summer in an effort to push themselves towards the playoffs. His logic is that the Rays have starters that can fill in for him and that they can address a need while picking up a prospect or two if they trade Shields.

While a trade like this seems to be very unlikely, there are certainly a number of teams that would be willing to pay what the Rays want in return for Shields.

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Now that the month of July has arrived, so too has the uptick in speculation that always seems to lead to rumors.

Rumors in the world of Major League Baseball are what fans grasp onto like barbecue sauce on a char-broiled steak. As each rumor swirls around the web and grows like a weed, it’s hard to discover the difference between truth and fiction.

Fortunately, for fans of the Los Angeles Angels, you now have a place to come to in order to find out what’s real and what’s fake.

Over the next month, we will work to provide you with all of the latest information concerning your Angels—we’ll break down each new bit of information as it’s presented on the web, provide analysis for each rumor and transaction that involves the Angels and weed through all of the rumors/speculation/banter and determine whether they’re valid or just a bunch of hooey.

Bookmark this link, Angels fans. There’s no need to go anywhere for the latest in trade rumors and news—we’ll keep you updated right here!

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Last night against the Miami Marlins the Cardinals came back to win a game in which they trailed in the eighth inning for the first time this season. They were 0-26 in those situations until Monday night.

However, the Redbirds’ bullpen tried their best to punt the game to the Marlins in the seventh as Fernando Salas got just one out while allowing runners to reach second and third. Scatter-armed Eduardo Sanchez followed and walked three men in a row—the first intentionally with the other two coming Rick Ankiel-style.

The Cardinal relievers walked eight batters on the night in 10 innings.

Fortunately for St. Louis, Heath Bell and the Marlins’ bullpen have had continuing struggles of their own and blew a four-run lead in the ninth (but at least they forced the Cards to, you know—hit the ball).

Jason Motte was fortunate that Jose Reyes’ scorching liner to center was right at outfielder Shane Robinson to end a strange night of baseball.

While we give manager Mike Matheny and GM John Mozeliak a moment to wipe their brows, let’s look at five trades that would immediately help the Cardinals’ stressed bullpen.

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