AL East

The July 31 MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away.

Imagine an alternate world for the New York Yankees.

It's the All-Star break in 2014, Derek Jeter's still retiring at season's end and domestic beer still costs $9 at the Stadium.

But in this reality, they did not make the postseason in 17 of the last 19 years.

Despite their disappointing 2014 season, the Boston Red Sox are one of baseball's better-positioned franchises when it comes to immediate future success. They have a wealth of talent in the minor leagues, several established stars in the majors who should continue to perform and young studs who are just cutting their teeth at the MLB level.

The Boston Red Sox have had a very disappointing 2014 season.

The Futures Game has always been a big part of MLB’s annual All-Star Weekend festivities. The game—which features a matchup of the United States team vs. the World team—allows fans to catch a glimpse of baseball’s next generation of stars in action.

The Toronto Blue Jays will have left-hander Daniel Norris and outfielder Dalton Pompey represent the organization at the Futures Game this year.

Nearing the All-Star break, the New York Yankees find themselves in a situation they did not expect to find themselves.  Struggling within the AL East due to injuries in their starting rotation, particularly CC Sabathia, the Yankees were expected to make moves.

With some early moves, are the Yankees on the right track?

Ernie Johnson, Cal Ripken Jr., and Ron Darling break down the Yankees' newest acquisition and a tough decision they needed to make.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The Baltimore Orioles (49-40) are finally in the driver's seat, having reached first place in the AL East this past weekend.

After playing a doubleheader on Saturday and a 12-inning contest against the rival Boston Red Sox, the Orioles could look to the farm for some bullpen help to finish out the stretch before the All-Star break.

Who will represent the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2014 MLB All-Star Game?

This question is a reflection of how the team has played so far this season both individually and collectively. 

Since 2008 the question surrounding the Rays' All-Star selections has been how many players the team would send. The franchise has sent at least two players to the Midsummer Classic each season since changing the name to the Rays.

The Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff struck out 287 batters in June, setting a new MLB record for most strikeouts by a team in one calendar month, according to MLB.com.

Boston's World Series title defense hasn't gone quite as anyone anticipated, as the Red Sox have been outscored by the opposition and sit with a losing record on the outskirts of the playoff picture in the American League.