Preview/Prediction

The 2010 MLB trading deadline draws near and the temperature on the hot stove is being turned up as we head into the all-star break. Teams are lining up who they will pursue and the price tag any acquisition will come with.

Heavy focus has been centered around Seattle Mariners left-hander Cliff Lee but there are many, many options out there teams could go after instead of Lee or others. Nevertheless, many notable players figure to change uniforms over the next three weeks.

The bad news—the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to place left fielder Manny Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list sometime before the start of Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Yankees, Red Sox , and Rays have nearly come to a stand still in the fight for the AL East crown, and likely the best record in baseball.

So who is going to come out ahead?

Well, it is likely that the team that makes the best acquisitions is going to end up on top, making the month of July, more specifically the July 31st trade deadline, the deciding factor in this year's race in the East.

If you knew absolutely nothing about baseball, never watched a single game, and just so happened to turn on ESPN one night when the Yankees are playing on Sunday Night Baseball , you might just think to yourself, “who is this young guy playing shortstop for the New York Yankees?”

In less than two weeks, the 81st MLB All Star game will be played. In recent years the voting has been a little one sided to a few teams players starting and only a few divisions being represented by starting rosters. This years voting so far, has been pretty much the same, especially in the American League where the Red Sox, Yankees, and Twins players dominate.

WASHINGTON, D.C.: You try your hardest not to lose games to teams you're better than when your ace pitches a gem.

Last night, Johan Santana maybe didn't pitch a gem, but pitched well enough for the Mets to win. Once again, they couldn't support him with any runs.

Therefore, the Mets will have to win the next three games against Washington to win the series. Right now, they'd settle for a split, and with Stephen Strasburg looming on Saturday, the Mets need to win tonight.

On Thursday afternoon, the New York Yankees avoided getting swept by the Seattle Mariners.

Yankees ace CC Sabathia led the team in the 4-2 win over the last place team in the AL West.

A-Rod sealed the deal with a two run A-Bomb. It was really in the bottom of the eighth inning and not the ninth, but who cares? A-Rod doesn't seem to think it mattered, and he was right.

I had probably the same reaction as most when the Orioles announced Trent Mummey as the team's fourth-round pick a few weeks ago.

Nice name, but....who?

And like some of you, I dug a little deeper to see what kind of havoc Mummey brought on SEC pitchers this year.

What I found was very, VERY impressive.

Mummey tore the cover off the ball to the tune of a .366 average, 20 points less than Hunter Morris, his teammate at Auburn and fellow fourth-round pick, but still impressive.

A series of toppled dominoes have rearranged the catching depth chart in the Boston Red Sox organization. As a result, Juan Apodaca and Daniel Butler are now making their new home for the Pawtucket Red Sox, the Red Sox’ triple-A affiliate.

Neither 23-year old figured in the equation as one of the top five catchers in the Sox’ system when the year started, yet both are now getting an opportunity to carve out a more permanent role in Pawtucket.

Jim Thome is on the brink of a historic milestone. With his next home run, the 573rd of his career, he will tie Harmon Killebrew for 10th place all-time on the major league home run list.

The Twins have had a knack of signing veteran players just in time to make history.

On September 16, 1993 Dave Winfield became the 19th member of the 3,000 Hit Club with a single against the Oakland A's. It was Winfield's 20th season and first of two he played for the Minnesota Twins.