Matt Kemp

After looking up at the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the NL West in 2014, the San Diego Padres are giving off strong signals that they mean to level the playing field this winter.

Question is: Is Matt Kemp the right man for the job?

Justin Upton and Matt Kemp should probably keep their phones nearby. 

The Seattle Mariners need a cleanup hitter. What position that hitter plays remains to be seen. The club was reportedly interested in shortstop Hanley Ramirez, but it lost out on the former Dodger when he signed with the Red Sox.

1. Farewell to The Captain…The Other Captain

And now, the end is near, Frank Sinatra is cued up and the Captain will face his final curtain.   

No, not Derek Jeter.   

Well, him, too, which is why when that final curtain falls this Sunday in Chicago, Paul Konerko will be over there in the shadows while all eyes are on Jeter's finale in Boston.

The big-money stars just might be coming on at the right time.

For nearly the entire season, the Los Angeles Dodgers could not get health or consistent, steady production from the bulk of their highly priced core, especially the men whose primary job is hitting.

Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig were caught on camera bickering at each other during Monday night's game, a clear sign that skipper Don Mattingly is losing the clubhouse and the NL West-leading <

The 2014 MLB trade deadline is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, and as it is every season, the rumors have started to come fast and furious from all corners of the sport.

With huge names like A.J. Burnett, Jon Lester, Matt Kemp and Jonathan Papelbon potentially on the move, the landscape of baseball could shift if the rumored trades come to fruition before the deadline.

With just days to go until the July 31 trade deadline, the MLB rumors are rampant as teams fight to position themselves as championship contenders or sell off assets and play for next year. 

1. How the Dodgers Could Fix Themselves

The Dodgers are stuck in neutral. Matt Kemp’s mind is stuck in 2011, the year he finished as runner-up to Ryan Braun in the NL MVP race.

Little of the math surrounding this most expensive team in baseball history adds up, including, still, the four-outfielders-for-three-positions equation.

Off to a 4-1 start, the Detroit Tigers should feel a sense of urgency this season after the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals proved in 2013 that they were quickly closing the gap in the AL Central.