Monthly Archives: October 2016

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The free agent market for relief pitchers should be fascinating to watch this winter, as big-name players like Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen are certain to arouse great interest from teams around baseball. But for teams looking to improve their bullpen as soon as possible, Ken Rosenthal […]

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Heading into the offseason, the Miami Marlins are going to prioritize starting pitching. If everyone stays healthy, the eight position players in their starting lineup could be largely the same in 2017 as they were in 2016 on the rare occasion that everyone was available, and that’s […]

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Not so fast was the message the Chicago Cubs sent the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series. After dropping Games 3 and 4 at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, the Cubs squeaked out a win in Game 5 Sunday night to force […]

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Jose Bautista figures to be one of the top power hitters on the free agent market this winter after the slugger spent the last eight and a half years with the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite being 36 and coming off a season that included multiple trips to the […]

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine If you said before the World Series that one team would have a chance to clinch a world championship at Wrigley Field in Game 5, most people would have guessed that team would be the Chicago Cubs. Alas, the Cubs have dropped two games at Wrigley, putting […]

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Postseason hardware in baseball continues to get handed out piece by piece, and on Saturday the recipients were Zach Britton of the Baltimore Orioles and Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Dodgers who were named the top relief pitcher in their respective leagues for 2016. Britton was […]

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine As has become customary during the World Series, the issue of the designated hitter becomes a talking point. The use of the DH has become quite relevant during this year’s World Series, as the Chicago Cubs are only able to use Kyle Schwarber as a DH, as […]

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Well, the Cleveland Indians spoiled the party. The Chicago Cubs were finally able to host a World Series game at Wrigley Field for the first time in more than 70 years, but the Indians put together another dominating pitching performance. Four pitchers combined on a shutout that […]

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine New York Mets’ outfielder Curtis Granderson was given one of baseball’s greatest honors Friday before Game 3 of the World Series. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred presented Granderson with the prestigious Robert Clement Award, which is given annually to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, […]

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Starting lineups for Game 3 of the 2016 World Series are in, and Carlos Santana is officially starting in left field for the Cleveland Indians. To help bolster their lineup offensively without use of the DH, the Indians are electing to use Santana, who is usually the team’s […]

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Well, it’s finally here: the first World Series game at Wrigley Field in more than seven decades. The crowd is bound to be electric, especially after the Cubs were able to even up the series with a 5-1 win in Game 2. With the series tied at […]

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The Chicago Cubs have received an unexpected boost during the first two games of the 2016 World Series from Kyle Schwarber, who surprisingly was able to return from a serious knee injured he suffered in April and be the team’s DH in Games 1 and 2. However, […]

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine One of the most intriguing players on the free agent market this winter is bound to be Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos. On one hand, Ramos plays a premium position and is coming off an exceptional offensive season. On the other hand, he suffered the second ACL […]

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Something the New York Mets have been expecting has been all but confirmed. Several media outlets are reporting that outfielder Yoenis Cespedes plans to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. Cespedes has until three days after the conclusion of the World Series to […]

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The uncertainty surrounding the starting rotation the Cleveland Indians will use in the World Series appears to be settled. Cleveland manager Terry Francona says he will use only Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Josh Tomlin as starters, meaning all will be used on short rest at some […]

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine One of the unfortunate bi-products of the Cleveland Indians reaching the World Series is that it has brought negative attention to the team with regard to their logo, Chief Wahoo, who many have deemed offensive to Native Americans. There’s little that Major League Baseball can do about […]

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine During Game 1 of the World Series, a sign at Progressive Field reading “Bartman for President” could be seen by those watching on TV at various points in the game. The sign even created a stir on social media. The sign of course, is a reference to […]

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Game 1 of the 2016 World Series featured a couple of predicable heroes for the Cleveland Indians in Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller, who were both outstanding on the mound, as well as one unforeseen hero in Roberto Perez, who launched two home runs to give the […]

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Both the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs will receive a boost from an unexpected source for the 2016 World Series. After much speculation by both sides, the Indians have officially added pitcher Danny Salazar to their World Series roster, while the Cubs have added Kyle Schwarber, who […]

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine We are finally here: Game 1 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians. The series involves two proud franchises that have not been playing at this stage in the season in quite some time. The Indians played in two World Series in […]

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine With an important offseason on the horizon for the Toronto Blue Jays and a great deal of turnover possible, GM Ross Atkins says he wants to keep the team that has gone to the ALCS in two straight years in tact as much as possible. At the […]

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The Cleveland Indians spent Monday preparing for the 2016 World Series. Meanwhile, Texas Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy spent Monday not preparing to play in the World Series. Of course, as we all know, Lucroy had a chance to go to the Indians during the summer, but he […]

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The American League champion Cleveland Indians have announced their starting rotation for the 2016 World Series. Well, sort of, they have a rough outline of what they’d like to do. The Indians have announced their starters for the first three games of the series, but beyond that […]

The World series is finally set. The 2016 season started with 30 teams and was then whittled down to 10 playoff contenders. Finally, we are left with the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians, who will battle it out starting Tuesday night in Cleveland. The Cubs were always expected to reach the World Series after a […]

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine When the current collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association expires on December 1, one amendment MLB would like to include on the next CBA is an international draft, so that international prospects can go through a similar process as domestic prospects. However, […]

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine After the Chicago Cubs finished off the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS Saturday night, the World Series is set between the Cubs and the Cleveland Indians. Aside from all the obvious storylines, in a rather unique twist, we could see a couple players in the series […]

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine After a 71-year drought, it has finally happened. The Chicago Cubs have clinched their first World Series birth since 1945 after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-0 Saturday night in Game 6 of the NLCS. It was a moment that some fans never thought they would see, […]

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The Detroit Tigers are poised to be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason, as GM Al Avila has already stated the team will be open-minded when it comes to potential trades, as the Tigers look to get younger and cut payroll. It also […]

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine After being shut out in Games 2 and 3 of the NLCS, the Chicago Cubs have responded in a big way, scoring 18 runs on 26 hits over the course of Games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 series lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The […]

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The Cleveland Indians flew through the American League playoffs, winning seven of eight games, behind outstanding pitching. Despite missing starters Carlos Carassco and Danny Salazar due to injury, the Indians have shown great starting pitching depth. There’s now a chance that Cleveland’s pitching staff could be even […]

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The New York Mets have some important and difficult decisions to make this offseason. Choices may need to be made with regard to players like Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker, Jay Bruce, and Lucas Duda. However, the Mets appear to have already made the choice to bring back […]

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine At the top of the list of questions facing the Washington Nationals this offseason is the health of star outfielder Bryce Harper and star pitcher Stephen Strasburg. However, agent Scott Boras, who represents both players, said Thursday that both will be healthy for 2017 and both will […]

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Don’t look now, but the Chicago Cubs are just one game away from the World Series. After falling behind the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in the NLCS, the Cubs have stormed back the past two games, winning Games 4 and 5 in convincing fashion to take a […]

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Well, the NLCS is a brand new series. What was once a 7-game series has now been turned into a best of three between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. After being shutout in back-to-back games, the Cubs finally delivered the offensive explosion we’ve been expecting […]

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Despite getting knocked out of the playoffs in the ALCS for the second consecutive year, the Toronto Blue Jays have no intention of firing manager John Gibbons. Soon after losing Game 5 of the ALCS to the Cleveland Indians, who now advance to the World Series, multiple […]

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Heading into the postseason, the Cleveland Indians were one of the last teams most expected to represent the American League in the World Series. But as someone famous once said, “That’s why they play the games.” In just five games, the Indians won the ALCS against the […]

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine So little has gone according to plan during the MLB playoffs thus far, including the NLCS in which the Los Angeles Dodgers have taken a 2-1 series lead over the heavily favored Chicago Cubs. Chicago’s supposedly potent offense has been held in check the last two games, […]

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine With their backs firmly against the wall, the Toronto Blue Jays have stayed alive in the ALCS following their 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians in Game 4. By forcing a Game 5, the Blue Jays have gained a little bit of momentum in the series, helped […]

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine After finishing the 2016 season 2.5 games out of a wild card spot, changes are coming to the Detroit Tigers. This is according to GM Al Avila, who held a press conference on Tuesday in which he reflected on the 2016 season and looked ahead towards the […]

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers have had an off day to digest Clayton Kershaw’s dominating performance in Game 2 of the NLCS Sunday night, as well as talk of the Cubs stealing signs. All of that sets up a pivotal Game 3 Tuesday night, as […]

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine The Cleveland Indians are just one game away from going to the World Series. Despite starting pitcher Trevor Bauer having to leave Game 3 after just four batters, the Indians won Game 3 in Toronto Monday night, putting the Blue Jays on the precipice of elimination. Every […]

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Before Game 3 of the ALCS, the Cleveland Indians made it seem like the cut starting pitcher Trevor Bauer suffered on his finger while doing routine maintenance on his drone was no big deal. Well, turns out, it was a big deal. Bauer was pushed back from […]

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez stole home during Game 1 of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, according to Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, that is the least of what the Cubs have been stealing this postseason. Grandal has accused the Cubs of stealing signs, […]

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine After two spectacular pitching performances in Games 1 and 2 of the ALCS, the Cleveland Indians take a 2-0 series lead into Game 3 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The series now shifts to Toronto, where the Blue Jays are hoping to wake up offensively after scoring […]

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine Down 2-0 in the ALCS, the Toronto Blue Jays no doubt have their backs against the wall heading into Game 3 of the series Monday night in Toronto. However, Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista believes that the Blue Jays have been facing a lot more than the Cleveland […]