Fan News

There's not usually a lot of laughter when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees get together, but there was some on Thursday night.

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz decided to have some fun with Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who was playing his final home game against Boston, by squaring to bunt in the first inning. With the shift on, Jeter had to sprint in to guard against the bunt. The whole situation had both Ortiz and Jeter cracking up.

While some teams have just about punched their ticket to the postseason, there are others that are struggling during the last month of the regular season. So who are the MLB teams in need of a big weekend to remain in the playoff race? 

Milwaukee Brewers 

Though the offense is seemingly everyone's favorite topic when talking about the miserable season that 2014 has been, the bullpen may be the most crippling facet of this team that isn't being discussed. That is not to say that the Reds offense is good; rather, it's to suggest that the Reds offense is good enough to compete in the current landscape of MLB.

The New York Yankees need a face-lift.

It's time for things to change in the Bronx. While the team has continually avoided ultimate disaster for the past few seasons—"ultimate disaster" being a losing record—these rosters have come far too close to being a complete mess.

In reality, they've been a small spill. A tipped-over glass, if you will. There's no use crying over spilled milk, but there's plenty of reason to question why the liquid hit the floor.

2014 has been an incredibly turbulent year for teams in the AL East.

The standings look drastically different than they did a year ago, with the 2013 World Series champion Boston Red Sox dwelling in the division’s basement and the Baltimore Orioles poised to win the AL East crown for the first time since 1997.

Before we know it, MLB free agency will be upon us. In fact, the rumors and speculation have been in full swing for some time.

What about the latest news, though?

What has been said in the past week regarding some of the bigger names set to cash in on large paydays or switch teams?

The San Francisco Giants are in the midst of a playoff push. If successful, their fans could be in for another magical postseason run.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy is a master of motivating his players and getting the most out of them when it counts. He led the Giants to two World Series titles, even though they were usually the underdog throughout the playoffs.

Although the focus should be on the rest of this season and rightfully so, it is never too early to look at what happens after the season is concluded.

The Arizona Diamondbacks fired general manager Kevin Towers as the team is going to miss the postseason for the third straight year. The team announced the move on Friday on Twitter:

Position-by-position MLB power rankings have once again become a staple this year, and now that we've reached the final month of the season, it's time for another update.

For every fantasy owner, there comes a point in the season when a should-be stud just isn't cutting it—so it's time to cut him. That's what this is all about: letting you know it's OK to let go.

Difficult late-season drops can come in all shapes and sizes, from that third-rounder not living up to expectations to the injury-prone star who just can't get and stay healthy to a midseason pickup who broke out then flamed out.