Don't look back Mike, just start running.
The Los Angeles Angels are willing to trade Mike Trout if the All-Star outfielder requests one, according to a USA Today report.
Earlier this month, Trout said he plans to discuss the future path of the organization with team management in the offseason.
"When it's brought up in the offseason, you've obviously got to talk about it, and think about it," Trout told the Orange County Register. "I haven't thought about it yet. There are going to be some conversations in the winter, for sure. Just to see the direction of everything and what the plan is."
Trout still has seven years and more than $248 million left on a 12-year, $430 million contract he signed in 2019.
let's see how well this ages:
Texas is going to drop like a bomb through balsa wood and the Yanks make the playoffs.
Yankees: hold our beers
Edit: is this the first time a team was no hit for 10 innings and still won?
Editedit: first time since 1965.
So it's 2028 in my OOTP Yankees dynasty, and I am cackling at the fact that ARod STILL can't get into the HoF.
Pujols, Cano, Beltran and Yadi Molina all just got in. CC Sabatha got more votes.
God, I love OOTP.
They just hit the ball so goddamn hard. All of em'.
The astros dropping two games to the A’s including a 5 run Verlander rout wasn’t one of my late season predictions
Rangers' Max Scherzer out for regular season with muscle strain
Playoffs also unlikely (assuming Texas actually makes it, mind.)
The Mets dodged a bullet there!
/sigh
Got bored with playing The Show on Casual settings and Amateur difficulty (had a 7 HR inning), so I changed the settings to Simulation and upped the difficulty hitting to Veteran.
Below is a video representation of that experience (start at 0:55):
wow. This is what elite management looks like.
wow. This is what elite management looks like.
LOL
I just looked at the stats and the NL MVP race really is a pick em'.
I think Acuna will win, because he's likely going to be in the 40/40 club and that's like the Triple Crown, an achievement that may not actually be as valuable as people think but carries a particular cache that'll put you over the top, but if Betts won, there's not really a ton of argument against.
Even in the advanced stats, they're absurdly close.
With the Mariners likely to win today, we have a 3-way tie for first (technically Houston is ahead only because they've played more games).
Checks remaining games
And... Mariners play the Rangers 7 times, and Houston 3. 
Mariners already won the season series vs. Houston, but haven't played well against Texas. In any case, I think they have the toughest road to hoe.
Houston's schedule looks the easiest, playing KC and Arizona in its other remaining games. However they just got dogged pretty bad by KC, so it might be trickier than it looks for them to win the division.
With the Mariners likely to win today, we have a 3-way tie for first (technically Houston is ahead only because they've played more games).
Checks remaining games
And... Mariners play the Rangers 7 times, and Houston 3.
Houston's schedule looks the easiest, playing KC and Arizona in its other remaining games. However they just got dogged pretty bad by KC, so it might be trickier than it looks for them to win the division.
Cheer for my O's. If we finish the season tonight with a sweep, your chances are altered significantly.
Of the three West teams, the schedules seem to favor the Rangers, but there is a reason you play the games. Would love to see the Mariners in the playoffs.
The Mariners probably f*cked themselves by not building up a lead at the beginning of this month when they had a fairly easy schedule.
Today was a Nicky Castellanos kind of day in Atlanta.
Solo HR for his first AB.
2-Run HR for his second AB, giving the Phils a 4-0 lead.
Then the Phils went and Philled, so the Braves tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the 8th.
In the bottom of the 9th, the Phils walked the leadoff guy, then let his pinch runner steal both second and third base with one out.
Then Castellanos did something immensely stupid. Arcia hits a fly to right, which sliced away from Nick into foul territory. He should have let it drop, and the announcers were yelling for him to do just that, but instead he decided to catch the ball. That allowed the runner at third, the game-winning run, to tag up.
Then Nick spun and threw a dart to home plate on one hop. Nice tag by the catcher (Stubbs). OUT.
Phils win 6-5 in 10, taking 2 of 3 in Atlanta. After that I expect to get swept by the hated Mutts this weekend.
The critical part is at 7:45 if you want to skip ahead.
The Oakland A's gave Miguel Cabrera a bottle of wine as a retirement gift. Except the bottle only cost $90 and Miguel Cabrera is a recovering alcoholic. Truly the worst run franchise in sports right now.
Canseco, Bonds, Rodriguez, Soriano, and now Acuna.
Not the most auspicious group to be counted among. Other than Soriano -- I don't know that I've ever heard anything specifically bad about him. Also, he did it in his age 30 season, which is pretty impressive.
Houston's schedule looks the easiest, playing KC and Arizona in its other remaining games. However they just got dogged pretty bad by KC, so it might be trickier than it looks for them to win the division.
"Thank you, Royals"
Sincerely,
Mariners
So, the O's magic number is three.
I don't care what it takes to get to that, whether it is two wins against the Nats and a loss by Tampa, but I want it early so we can rest the bullpen. Hell, if we clinch the bye before Boston gets here, I am okay with lying down and letting them sweep us so long as we rest our bullpen.
Yeah. The Astros were looking like the Kings of the AL at the start of the season.
There is no better story, no gnarlier debate, than Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. Mookie Betts for the NL Most Valuable Player Award.
Their OPS+ is identical at 167. Acuña has one more home run than Betts, who has four more RBIs. It's true: Acuña is far ahead in runs (143-125) and stolen bases (68-13). But the biggest number in Acuña's favor -- bigger than the first 40/60 (and probably 40/70) season in MLB history -- should be his total base lead: 372-333. The best argument for Acuña: In a race where their slash lines are practically identical, he just did it more: eight more games, 50 more plate appearances and almost 40 more total bases. It's not based on achievements we think are cool because of our obsession with round numbers. It's the embodiment of Acuña's superiority.
The case for Betts isn't nearly as in your face as the ceaseless recitation of "40/70." Both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference, the two versions of Wins Above Replacement we accept as meaningful, agree: By a thin margin, Betts is having the better season. Defensive metrics do not like Acuña's glove in right field, while Betts' has been solid and makes up for the offensive deficiency. Beyond WAR, the argument for Betts is clear: His ability to play second base, too, allowed the Los Angeles Dodgers to stack their outfield with left-handed hitters against right-handed pitchers, bringing tangible, direct benefit to the team via a very rare skill. That is the definition of valuable, is it not?
Regardless of who's ahead now, the last week can win and lose races. It's a ridiculous conceit. One week out of 24 is more important because of when it happens to fall on the calendar? Of course not -- especially with two teams that have wrapped up their divisions. But it does come when voters are looking for every little difference. Because in reality, there are so few. -- Jeff Passan
The Blue Jays are playing, and benefiting, from some weird baseball. I love it. Unhittable pitchers falling down three times in a row, top-closers issuing multiple multiple walks, and guys just not running or running at the wrong time. Blue Jays are doing just enough to stay ahead of the other teams backsliding their way in (Rangers, Astros, and Mariners) and the offense is starting to come on.
For a team that was supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, they have struggled mightily to score runs. However, they're pitching and defense have been excellent. Stranger still, the bullpen is one of the best in the league.
The Blue Jays are playing, and benefiting, from some weird baseball. I love it. Unhittable pitchers falling down three times in a row, top-closers issuing multiple multiple walks, and guys just not running or running at the wrong time. Blue Jays are doing just enough to stay ahead of the other teams backsliding their way in (Rangers, Astros, and Mariners) and the offense is starting to come on.
For a team that was supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, they have struggled mightily to score runs. However, they're pitching and defense have been excellent. Stranger still, the bullpen is one of the best in the league.
I still might need your Jays to steal one or two from the Rays. I hope it doesn’t come down to that but you can never be too far ahead.
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