AGRI Biz

This time last year, the Texas Rangers had received phone calls from other teams centered around third base prospect Justin Smoak. The Rangers weren't ready to give up one of the most highly-touted minor league prospects in any deal. Fast forward a year later, and the Rangers were again faced with the decision of trading away a guy they wouldn't deal last year. The Rangers were sweating the decision, knowing that ...

  Compared to most fans in Twins Territory, I can be considered an optimist. When things on the field start looking bad, I can usually find a silver lining. Who am I kidding? I'm the kind of guy who would be whistling Bobby McFerrin's “Don't Worry, Be Happy ” during a nuclear holocaust. We haven't quite reached that point yet, but things are looking dismal for the Minnesota Twins. Joe ...

Originally posted at The Bravesologist This season, the Atlanta Braves are in first place despite getting close to no offensive production from their shortstop and center-field positions. Their rookie right fielder, while productive for the first two months, has been a weak spot since the beginning June when Jason Heyward first injured his thumb. To top it off, the right-handed portion of their left-field platoon has been injured for a majority of the season. Most ...

NEW YORK— This had the makings of a big series between two teams atop the NL East. The Braves facing the Mets at Citi Field, having been swept there in late April. The Braves got the upper hand in the weekend series, widening their NL East lead over the Mets to four games, in a 4-2 win. Jerry Manuel decided to bat Jose Reyes second in the lineup, since he could only ...

Outstanding Mariners pitcher Cliff Lee has been traded to the Texas Rangers. As part of this deal the Texas Rangers will receive Cliff Lee and Mark Lowe and the Mariners will receive Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, and Matt Lawson. Cliff Lee was scheduled to start tonight against the New York Yankees but David Pauley will take his place instead. The Rangers got Lee for a few reasons. One reason is because they ...

I don't know if you've heard...but Joey Votto is apparently the hottest thing to hit Cincinnati since the Big Red Machine. He's 26, coming into his prime, a recently-named All-Star, and he is the leader of the Red's playoff-bound (hopefully) 2010 squad. So, now the question becomes...what does Cincinnati do with Yonder Alonso? For those of you not familiar with the name, Alonso was Cincinnati's 2008 first-round pick, out of the University ...

As Red Sox Nation sighs in relief to see Cliff Lee bypass New York for the Lone Star State, WEEI's Rob Bradford reports that Theo Epstein and the Boston front office have started showing some interest in acquiring Philadelphia OF Jayson Werth. While "no deal is imminent," trading for the soon-to-be type-A free agent Werth could go a long way toward shoring up a Red Sox lineup crippled by injury. During the ...

With Cliff Lee off the trade market, the Yankees should now look at adding the next best pitcher available, Roy Oswalt. The Yankees looked like they were ready to land Lee today, some even called the deal imminent, but trade talks between the Yankees and Mariners fell apart after Seattle questioned David Adams health and asked for more. Lee was instead traded to the Rangers. But we did learn something from this ...

As it looks like the Rangers have acquired Cliff Lee, the baseball landscape completely changes. The Twins and Tigers look like they no longer have a legitimate shot at a World Series title, while the Rangers make a huge leap and are looking like a good bet to be a championship contender. Begin Slideshow

Everyone thought Cliff Lee to New York was a done deal. Well everyone thought wrong. The Texas Rangers took advantage of a snag in the Yankee trade discussions and have landed the top pitcher on the market according to many sources. Not having Lee go to the AL East has to bring a huge sigh of relief on the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. Now, the Yankees will most likely be unable ...