Opinion

The rosters are set, and the 2016 MLB All-Star Game is a mere three days away.

While the idea that home-field advantage for the World Series is decided in an exhibition game still rankles some baseball fans, the Midsummer Classic remains one of the biggest days on the MLB calendar.

Catcher Buster Posey is the face of the San Francisco Giants. He's got a National League Rookie of the Year Award and NL MVP trophy in his case, among other accolades. He's arguably the strongest thread that runs through the team's trio of recent championships. And he's an All-Star once again, for good reason.

NEW YORK — On the day the New York Mets announced Matt Harvey will have his second major surgery in four years, Ron Darling brought up Tim Leary's name.

The MLB All-Star rosters have been announced for each league, but there are still unanswered questions heading into the Midsummer Classic.

There will be a few changes to the rosters in the coming days, including injury replacements and fill-ins for pitchers who won't be able to go on short rest. There is also the final vote that will add one more hitter to each squad.

Twenty years ago, there was a team with two young stars batting in the middle of the lineup. The way Baseball-Reference.com calculates wins above replacement, Ken Griffey Jr.

The MLB All-Star rosters are nearly set, and you're free to disagree with as many of the selections as you wish.

It's a subjective process, after all, beholden to the whims of biased fans and capricious rules. For example, why do we need a representative from every team? Couldn't the Cincinnati Reds sit this one out?

A red-hot Troy Tulowitzki fitting into a red-hot lineup is just what the Toronto Blue Jays had in mind when they traded for him last July.

Almost a year later, they're getting what they wished for.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Boston’s “Killer B’s” consist of two outfielders and a shortstop who are lumped together thanks to the alliteration resonant in their last names, overflowing offensive statistics and exceptional talent.

There are snubs every year, but for the most part, the best players in baseball will take part in the 2016 MLB All-Star Game.

The fans made their calls on the starters, while player voting and the managers helped fill out the bench and pitching staffs. The final vote between five hitters in each league will fill the last spot on each team.

Baseball's upcoming All-Star break presents an opportunity for the vast majority of coaches and players to take a step back, clear their minds and spend some much needed time with friends and family. But for general managers, the season's unofficial midway point of the regular season is anything but a break.

Decisions have to be made as to whether a team will be buying or selling at the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, and they'll be working the phones trying to consummate deals—or at least lay the groundwork for a move in the next few weeks.