Opinion

In Boston, David Ortiz's legacy is complete. Regardless of how the rest of his career plays out, one of the most beloved Red Sox of all time will always be remembered fondly at Fenway Park. That will remain true even if decline has set in for a possible future Cooperstown-bound star.

Time flies when you're enjoying a competitive, well-played baseball season. As you peruse the standings, cast last-minute All-Star Game ballots and take in vital series, the 2014 campaign has officially reached the 12-week mark.

With 25 of 30 clubs within six games of postseason position, the next 15 weeks of regular-season action are shaping up to be a wire-to-wire race for coveted seats in October. With the big picture in mind, it's instructive to react and opine on a weekly basis. If that's what you're looking for, this column is perfect for you.

The New York Yankees went to the bottom of the ninth inning of Friday's game against the Baltimore Orioles trailing 3-1. They needed a welcome sight.

What they got instead was a very welcome sight, courtesy of Carlos Beltran.

Slowly but surely, MLB trade rumors are swirling faster by the day.

The deadline is now just over a month away. The rumors mill began quiet, but noise will continue to pick up as teams' desperation rises for one last piece of their championship-push puzzles.

Here's the latest trade buzz from around the league.

LHP David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

Lack of Bench Depth

The Indians' lack of bench depth is becoming a rather big problem for the club. Though they're not faced with the same types of pinch-hitting decisions that National League teams face, the level of production the Tribe have received from their bench has been deplorable.

Major League Baseball front offices go through stages every year. Right now, with the draft firmly behind us, all the attention shifts to the trade market. This seems like a particularly interesting market, with big-name stars potentially available and many teams in playoff contention. 

News broke Friday afternoon that the Pittsburgh Pirates have removed Jason Grilli from the closer’s role, according to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Rob Biertempfel.

Back in October 2012, teenage phenom Shohei Otani had the baseball world buzzing with excitement after he expressed a desire to sign with an MLB team out high school in Japan rather than begin his career in Nippon Professional Baseball.

The Pittsburgh Pirates shocked Major League Baseball last year by winning 94 games and coming within a win of reaching the National League Championship Series, but this year's version of the team will have a hard time duplicating that success.

Matt Holliday has always been in an odd place as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

While plenty of fans recognize him for what he has done, there is a certain faction that seems to always be looking for a reason to complain about Holliday.