Opinion

For so many, Alex Rodriguez is providing something close to their worst-case scenario. 

There are a lot of teams that consider themselves playoff contenders going into the second half of the MLB season, which could lead to a lot of aggressive moves before the trade deadline.  

For the sellers hoping to unload talent during a lost season, this could be a great opportunity to bring back some top prospects after a bidding war.

After surviving two of the dullest days on the sports calendar, Major League Baseball returns Friday to save sports fans from a dearth of news and excitement, at least stateside.  

The MLB trade deadline is just two weeks away, and with the All-Star Game finally in the rearview mirror, the rumor mill is starting to heat up.

Big names like Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman, Jeff Samardzija and numerous others are potentially available, and new names seem to pop up every day in reported trade discussions. Here, we'll discuss some players who have already been linked to trade talks, along with relative newcomers like James Shields and Jay Bruce.

For much of 2015, things have been a bit hellish for the Los Angeles Angels. They began the year by raising a ruckus over Josh Hamilton's latest relapse.

First, let's get this out of the way: The San Diego Padres aren't sunk.

Yes, they enter the second half of the season at 41-49, 10 games back in the National League West and 7.5 games off the wild-card pace.

But if this parity-filled 2015 campaign has taught us anything, it's that every club is a decent hot streak away from contention.

Still, this isn't how the script was supposed to play out in San Diego.

Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is giving its players some much-deserved rest, but the trade market is starting to heat up, as some of the game's best could be on the move in the coming weeks. 

Those available sit on each end of the spectrum from All-Stars to vital role players. Continue below for some of the latest buzz surrounding the most recent trade rumors: 

The 2015 All-Star break comes just over two weeks before the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

Bleacher Report MLB Insider Scott Miller is at the MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati and is listening to all of the latest trade buzz.

Stephen Nelson catches up with Scott to find out which teams are ready to deal and which players could be on the move between now and July 31.

It turns out there is room for timers and clocks in baseball.

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier played the role of hometown hero with aplomb, crushing 15 home runs in the final round at the Great American Ball Park to beat out Los Angeles Dodgers rookie outfielder Joc Pederson's 14 dingers in a wildly entertaining derby that breathed new life into the auxiliary All-Star Weekend event. 

The Boston Red Sox's most obvious weakness this season has been their pitching staff.

How can the Red Sox improve and make a run toward October?

Bleacher Report's Scott Miller joins Stephen Nelson to discuss three moves that could bring the Red Sox back into the playoff picture.