Kuzul

The Major League Baseball trading deadline arrives this Saturday, which leaves all 30 teams mere days to pull off a deal that is either going to help them in this year’s pennant chase or set them up for the future.

The hot stove is still flush with rumors with any number of players possibly going to any number of destinations, but which players remain atop each team’s list of most desired players?

Every team, especially every contending team, has that one player it wants more than anyone else.

Who is that player, and can the respective team pull off the deal? All those questions will be answered by Saturday, but previewed here first.

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Kansas City Royals outfielder David DeJesus was one of the hottest names on the rumor sheets over the last several weeks.

There were at least five teams that were in the chase to land him, but according to several beat writers, the Royals were asking far too much for teams to give up.

Well, it seems like the Royals are regretting that now as DeJesus will land on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained thumb, which will keep him out past the non-waiver trade deadline next Saturday.

Not to say that a waiver wire deal can’t be completed once he’s healthy and ready to return to the team, but he’s going to need to prove that he can be 100 percent healthy before teams jump back in the race.

One thing is for sure at this point: The Royals won’t get anywhere near what they had been demanding after DeJesus does return from his disabled list stint.

Next to the Royals outfielder, there are several rumors to update, so let’s get to them.

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With less than a half of a season to be played, little has been decided as far as the playoff picture goes.

As what has been a slow trade deadline season thus far starts to pick up, we will have a better idea of what teams will be playing in October and what teams are looking to the future.

So with so much baseball left to be played, here are 10 bold predictions on who will be playing in October and who will take home some of baseball’s biggest awards, among other things.

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There are 12 days until the Major League Baseball trade deadline, and the needs and wants of teams are changing daily.

The Yankees thought they might be all good without another starting pitcher Saturday, but that all changed when Andy Pettitte went down in the early stages of Sunday’s start.

Who are the hot commodities heading down the stretch, and who are the contenders?

Let’s take a look at the latest trade rumors.

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Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week has arrived.

The All-Star Week finds itself stuck in a precarious position. Every year, it’s the one true break from all major sports. But this year, even more of a break in the action is where the game finds itself.

The World Cup is over, NBA free agency has passed its peak, and fans are getting even antsier for football season.

But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been moments worthy of watching.

And the first place where the moments start are the Home Run Derby.

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Each offseason, owners and general managers of all 30 ball clubs in the Majors work tirelessly trying to put together a collection of players that will contend for the playoffs.

They trade, they sign, they draft and they evaluate talent in hopes that those players have what it takes to succeed at the professional level.

Only eight of those teams see their playoff aspirations realized, however.

The rest must take a step back and reevaluate the direction their franchise is taking.

For some, that point comes sooner than others.

The July 31 trade deadline, for many underachieving teams, is the point at which they decide to scrap their current formula and go in a new direction.

Here is a look at a number of teams that will be sellers during this season’s trading period.

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How tall do you have to be to ride the rides at the ballpark? Being tall doesn’t hurt, but it is certainly no requirement.

In 1999 and 2000, Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson had the honor of standing next to each other as they accepted their Cy Young Award trophies. The vision of the two of them standing together conjured notions of some big time Texas rancher, and the little latino boy he hired to help clear the brush.

But more to the point, Pedro and Randy stood in direct contrast to one another: Randy was there to remind everyone that taller is better with major league pitchers. Pedro was there to say “hogwash.”

You could probably stand anyone next to Johnson’s 6’11” frame and they would look small, but there is an entire foot of difference between Randy and Pedro’s 5’11” frame. Unreal.

But you know what? The short guy is the one who had the dominating six year stretch of any major league pitcher ever.

Was it enough to make him one of the 12 best pitchers under six feet tall ever?

Let’s find out.

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In sports and competition, sometimes adrenaline and frustration can combine for an ugly mix. Many times players just take out their frustrations on the water cooler. Other times, players take it out on each other. The result? Dugout blowouts caught by the cameras for everyone to see.

We saw two examples of that over the weekend as a pair of teammates in Chicago and Tampa Bay hashed out their differences in a less than cool manner. The ability to detect more dugout fights is thanks to the many new camera angles provided, and we thank these players and managers for giving us a look into their argumentative world.

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It is the most ridiculous thing in sports to have the fans vote for the MLB All-Star Game. Fans vote for their favorite players even if they have horrible numbers.

This year has been a prime example thus far of the stupidity of fans.

Big-name players that have been hitting very poorly, with three or four guys way more deserving of an appearance, are not only in first or second for their position, but are miles ahead of everyone else.

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With the midpoint of the 2010 Major League Baseball season right around the corner, it’s time to take a look at midseason reports.

In this particular instance, we’re going to be examining how to determine if your team is a buyer—or a seller—at the halfway mark of the 2010 campaign.

So, what are the Top Ten ways to know you’re a seller in MLB at midseason?

Let’s begin with No. 10…

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