Mark Buehrle

One month into the 2014 season, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle has emerged not only as the best pitcher on the team’s rotation, but also as one of the best starters in the American League.

In fact, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that Buehrle’s performance so far has put him in the conversation for a selection to the All-Star Game.  

Yes, you heard that right.

A lot of the names have remained the same. Scott Feldman, Matt Garza, Lucas Harrell, Ricky Nolasco and Bud Norris have been identified as trade candidates since the start of the season. Why? Because they're pretty good starting pitchers on pretty bad teams. 

While those five remain strong candidates to be dealt by the July 31st deadline, there are sure to be some starters who will become trade targets because they are pitching better than expected and/or because their team's aren't in the playoff race.

The Toronto Blue Jays finally get their much-anticipated season rolling today against the Cleveland Indians. And with that, the scrutiny will begin on whether or not drastically revamping the roster will result in a playoff spot.

For a team that's probably going to finish last in the National League East for the third consecutive year, the Miami Marlins don't have many issues thus far. 

It would appear the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets have agreed on players for an R.A. Dickey trade, but according to Jon Heyman of CBS, stranger things have happened than a trade like this falling through. 

Amidst blown saves and dropped balls, games have been up and down in Chicago to start the season. A team Chicago fans thought was “All in” this year, is turning out to be a team still trying to find themselves at the plate and in the field.

As the White Sox attempt to find their game, one fact should stand to take notice: With everything happening on the South Side, we know we have three Gold Glovers playing this year.

He's been their Opening Day starter nine times in 10 years.

He's given them double-digit wins and 200-plus innings over 10 straight seasons.

He's pitched a perfect game and a no-hitter in his tenure. He went 16-8 with a 3.12 earned run average helping the team to a 2005 World Series championship.

Come on, he's a senior member of Redneck Row!

At age 32, he's still got plenty left in the tank.

But he's given up 200-plus hits nine years in a row.

Baseball season is coming up and the American League Central is promising to be one of the most competitive divisions this season. I have come up with six different reasons why the White Sox will be the most exciting team to watch within this division.

The White Sox are always full of excitement, exemplified last year by the feud between Guillen and Williams, by the 30-game stretch in which the White Sox went 25-5, and by the addition of Manny Ramirez—one of the biggest characters in all of baseball.

One hundred and fifty million five hundred thousand dollars. That's an obscene amount of money. With that kind of cash, you could open thirty of your own Dunkin' Donuts franchises, buy the high school I attended, acquire all of the Honus Wagner rookie cards that may be left on Earth, and a Fenway Frank.

Or, if you're like the Red Sox, you craft a multi-year commitment to two pitchers that went a combined 20-17 with an ERA above five last year.

Mark Buehrle's name has come up a lot in rumors this offseason.

The Chicago White Sox have a surplus of starting pitching, and there's been speculation that the team could move Buehrle and his $14 million salary to clear payroll space after giving Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko expensive free agent contracts this winter.

In addition, Buehrle, who turns 32 this month, is considering retiring after the season. This raises a silly sounding, yet important question: is he a Hall of Famer?