Fan News

The Philadelphia Phillies have announced on their Twitter that Pete Mackanin will remain the club's interim manager for the rest of the 2015 season. 

As we approach the season's halfway point, MLB teams are now aware of what they need in order to contend for a title. Those who want to add pitching will have quite a few options on the open market.

In a moment of profound muscle confusion, Ronald Belisario forgot how to float an easy outside ball while attempting to intentionally walk Michael Brantley at the end of Monday night's game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Indians.

Tuesday's MLB action features a bunch of great pitchers as well as a few bad ones, which is the recipe for a lot of fantasy points both on the mound and at the plate. Those looking to win money in daily fantasy baseball leagues will need to put together great teams to keep up with the crowd.

Here is a look at the best and worst options available for June 30.

Pitchers

All 30 MLB teams are in action Tuesday evening, giving DraftKings daily fantasy players a wide variety of pitching options to choose from.  Chris Sale is the biggest name on the board, but there are also several quality bargains available at much more affordable prices.

Here are five pitchers who should provide the best bang for your buck on June 30.

Chris Sale ($12,800) at St. Louis Cardinals

Major League Baseball released its sixth All-Star Game balloting update Monday, with final results for the July 14 game in Cincinnati to be announced Sunday. Voters have until Thursday night to cast online, although there is always the threat of some votes being “scrubbed” away when the final count is announced.

This Thursday officially marks the start of the 2015 MLB international signing period, and while the process has become far more regulated with the addition of signing bonus pool restrictions, it remains perhaps the biggest crapshoot in all of professional sports.

After all, most of these prospects are still just 16-year-old kids who have seen limited scouting exposure playing in Latin America, and teams will soon be shelling out seven-figure bonuses banking on them living up to their potential.

1. Hot Times, Summer in New York City

The trend lines are going in the wrong direction if you’re wearing pinstripes. The Yankees started this week in third place for the first time since April 20.

They owned at least a share of first place in the AL East for 20 consecutive days, from May 26 through June 14. They held at least a share of first place for 48 of 66 days this season, and owned sole possession of first place for 39 of 66 days.

Sometimes, it's not the blockbuster trade but a seemingly insignificant one that winds up paying the most dividends for a contender down the stretch. 

While the rumor mill is heating up in regards to the biggest names expected to be available as the trade deadline nears, much of the chatter is redundant. There's only one Cole Hamels, for example, so while there might be a dozen teams that Philadelphia's ace is linked to, only one is going to get him.

The All-Star Game is July 14 and the Oakland A's have several quality candidates that could head to Cincinnati to represent the American League.

Unfortunately, fan voting seems like it will knock out many of those candidates, from Oakland and many other teams, in place of much less deserving players. Because of that, the likelihood the A's send more than a player or two are slim.