Opinion

So where are the Washington Nationals headed?

Just a couple of months ago, the team was five games over .500 and seemed both ready and able to remain competitive until Stephen Strasburg joined the squad and Jason Marquis, Chien-Ming Wang, Jordan Zimmermann, and Ross Detwiler regained their health.

The Nationals could then move some of their surplus starters into the bullpen and trade away the rest for players who could plug some of the holes on the 25-man roster.

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is a month away and already teams are getting themselves in position to acquire a big talent that can help push their team to the postseason.

Often times the object of a team's desire is a player who will be on the free agent market the following fall. Those trades are especially risky given all the factors that go into the deal. There are are examples of the rental deals working out (Carlos Beltran to the Astros), but the team must take a calculated risk.

The Tampa Bay Rays are having an identity crisis.

During baseball's first six weeks, no team was hotter. Now during the last six weeks, very few teams have been colder.

As it stands, the Rays have fallen from first to third in the AL East. But thanks to their hot start, only three games separate them from the top.

Still, what happens if this free fall doesn't stop in the next two weeks?

Could the Rays become sellers instead of buyers by the time the July 31st trading deadline rolls around?

Rays general manager Andrew Friedman could be shrewd enough to try to pull it off.

Inter-league play is over. Once again, the AL dominated (134-118), which they have done for six out of the last seven years. As regards the contenders, some notes first, especially in light of the uneven level of difficulty in the inter-league schedule:

• BOSTON: Probably had the best result for a team with a difficult schedule (five of their six series were against teams over .500)

• CHICAGO WHITE SOX: Made the best (big time) of a weak inter-league schedule (five of the their six series were against teams under .500)

With the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim right around the corner, a lot of the buzz is being centered around the games brightest young star, Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals.  Just like every other hot topic in sports, everybody has an opinion on whether or not Strasburg should be named to the N.L. squad for this year's midsummer classic. 

A good debate should have strong arguments for both sides, and this debate doesn't disappoint. 

If you are a Giants fan, or are even slightly aware of the situation out in the NL West, you are quite conscience of the downward spiral the Giants are currently in.

Once only a half game out of the number one spot at the start of the Toronto series, they have found themselves 4.5 games back and sitting in fourth place. So the question arises, whats changed?

I'm no major league manager by any means, I'm just a die-hard fan who is extremely disgruntled at his beloved Chicago Cubs.

But please allow me to take this opportunity to become the Chicago Cubs manager for one day, and let me propose what I'm going to do to fix the Chicago Cubs to make them a World Series contender once again.

I'm warning you: things are about to get ugly.

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Once again, the New York Yankees fell victim to their own rules.

Last night, the result ended with a Yankees loss of 7-4 to the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners have consistently held the last spot in the AL West this season.

Ubaldo Jimenez has been absolutely filthy through 16 starts this season, going 14-1 with a Bob Gibson-like 1.83 ERA. The 26-year-old flame thrower even tossed a no-hitter back on April 17 .