Preview/Prediction

Even though the Chicago Cubs have unloaded their biggest trade pieces in Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, they still might have moves to make before the July 31 trade deadline. They have some veteran outfielders and relievers that still figure to be on the block, but not all of them are going to be dealt in all likelihood. 

Four days ago, the Oakland A’s threw all their chips into a 2014 World Series title run when they acquired Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel from the Chicago Cubs. The A’s paid a hefty price to reel in two of the most prized free-agent arms.

Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Yasiel Puig was among the more notable absences from MLB All-Star weekend last year, as he was just 38 games into his big league career.

This year, his talents will be on full display at Target Field in Minnesota, and he has a chance to steal the show.

The MLB All-Star game is all about watching baseball's top performers put on a show while competing against their most productive peers.

Very rarely does one player absolutely take over the Midsummer Classic. When put against top competition, the game's best players often post semi-pedestrian stats. That said, there's always a chance for a breakout performance when there are so many stars on one diamond.

Do you like monstrous power at the plate? How about unhittable pitching with some of the nastiest stuff from some of the best hurlers in the game? Throw in a few hints of unbelievable defensive gems, and that's exactly what fans will feast their eyes on during the 2014 MLB All-Star Game.

With a record of 37-49, the Texas Rangers' 2014 season is all but lost. For all the hype and anticipation following the offseason acquisitions of Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, things have gone too far south about as quickly as possible. 

Voting for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game has officially come to a close.

As the Midsummer Classic approaches, all we can do now is speculate which players will earn enough votes to make the team and a starting role in the game.

The American League featured several close positional battles from the last time MLB.com released the standings. We won't know the official results until rosters are announced on Sunday.

On June 8, the Giants were a Major League best 42-21 with a 9.5 game lead over their rival Dodgers. It appeared the Giants would just run away with another NL West title.

My oh my how the tables have turned.

The Cincinnati Reds are entering the break as one of the hottest teams in baseball and have several deserving All-Star candidates. Cincinnati has gone 20-10 over their past 30 games, improving their record to 43-39.  

The cast representing the Reds at the 2014 All-Star Game will have a different look this season. Cincinnati's usual suspect of Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Joey Votto will all likely be watching the game at home. 

Boston's World Series title defense hasn't gone quite as anyone anticipated, as the Red Sox have been outscored by the opposition and sit with a losing record on the outskirts of the playoff picture in the American League.