Fan News

The free-agent market won't be officially open for business for about another month-and-a-half (at the conclusion of the World Series), but most free agents-to-be are down to their last 12 to 15 games to either boost, maintain or lose value. 

While a majority of the group will be in the "maintain value" category, a handful of others are either playing good enough to bump that price tag up or bad enough to knock it down.

Here are eight players, four from each side, who have shifted the needle on their free-agent stock during the past week or two. 

Major League Baseball is infatuated with round numbers. Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles reached a special one on Friday night with his 50th home run of the year.

Watch him flaunt his opposite-field power with this eighth-inning blast to break a 3-3 tie in an eventual O's victory:

As we close in on two weeks since Major League Baseball’s annual roster expansion date, the New York Mets’ September call-ups—both young and old—continue to settle in. In accordance with the interminable digital media world of today, it’s never too soon to analyze and provide some early grades on their respective performances thus far.

We can add back-to-back-to-back home runs to the list of amazing things that the 2013 Pittsburgh Pirates have accomplished.

Robinson Cano perennially ranks among MLB's leaders in doubles every year, so it's no surprise he found a creative way to get another one on Friday night.

With the Boston Red Sox infield shifted to the right side during the first inning, Cano laid this unconventional bunt down the third-base line (courtesy of MLB.com):

MLB teams can't earn postseason berths without huge contributions from their veteran mainstays, but in October, managers also rely on their secret weapons to do some damage.

They tend to be younger players who have reached the majors within the past few years. Perhaps these under-the-radar individuals were dominant as prospects (or at least held in high regard), but they certainly aren't perceived as stars at the highest level.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez has been held out of the lineup for Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants after leaving last night's 3-2 win with an injured hamstring.

Ramirez was pulled out of the game in the top of the seventh inning by manager Don Mattingly with "mild left hamstring tightness," according to the team.

Sometimes the baseball gods just aren't on your side. That certainly appears to be the case for Miguel Cabrera as he chases a second consecutive Triple Crown. 

With about two weeks left in the 2013 Major League Baseball season, the playoff pictures are starting to come into focus, but there's still a whole lot of jockeying for position going on, especially in the wild-card races.

From this Friday, the 13th, until the last day of the regular season on Sept. 29, teams that are already in the picture will be looking to fight for a better position in front of the camera, while those who are on the outside looking in will be hoping to elbow their way into the frame.

A very determined adult Pittsburgh Pirates fan went through a child for a baseball during Thursday night's Pirates-Cubs game. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com