Trade Deadline Part 3

By Mark Halpern

Wednesday, we saw one big team and two small teams make trades. The New York Yankees land slugger Joey Gallo. Gallo was on the Texas Rangers and is a fan favorite there. The ball explodes on his bat, with a Yankee short porch in the right and left field. He could be a piece of the puzzle the Yankees are missing. However, The Texas Rangers received a very young crop of Prospects, Including Josh Smith, one of the Yankee top 2 prospects. Did the Yankees get a Gold Digger, or did the Texas Rangers rob the cradle? I see this as a significant win for the Rangers. Gallo, who is a power hitter, fits perfectly for the dimension at Yankee Stadium. His defense is exemplary and should help a Yankee team make it to the Wild card. But He hits a career batting average of .221 and strikes out plenty. With a Yankee team needing a bat, they got whether he could hit it, we don’t know.

     The Florida Marlins and the Oakland Athletics made a trade last night. The Florida Marlins traded Star outfielder Starling Marte who has been the only star on that team to have a great season. The Athletics, in a surprising move, traded Jesus Luzardo (He was considered as a top prospect for Oakland), who is having a disaster year but, he comes with a few years of team control. Marte is batting .288 currently, and Luzardo is 2-4 with a 6.87 era. Luzardo is better than what he is throwing this year. A change of League might be the change that’s needed. Marte is a star who can hit for average he is a good defender and drives in runs. In this case, both sides win because the marlins have a star prospect and a few years of team control, and the Athletics got one hell of a ballplayer. I can’t see what these two do here in the second half.

     The Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers made a trade last night. Infielder Eduardo Escobar will be heading to Arizona, and two AAA prospects, Cooper Hummel and Alberto Ciprian. With Marte a free agent at the end of this season, this is a rental as I don’t see him take an extension out there.

    Today, Thursday, July 29th/2021, is going to be wild. The Big names have been rumored all over the country as team Owners, and General Managers run up their Verizon bill as they will be on the phones all day. The Mets, Yankees, Tampa Rays, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox. The San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs seem to be the big teams ready to make a trade, and many teams are willing to sell off big pieces because they believe it’s time to clean house and prepare for next season. So, it’s 10:10 in the morning right now, and there hasn’t been any talk or movement yet, but I smell smoke in the air, and I see things just starting to heat up. 

     Early this afternoon, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired Nationals Relief Pitcher Brad Hand for top 20 prospect Riley Adams. This is a good addition for the Blue Jays as their bullpen is sluggish.

   More teams this afternoon seem to be inquiring about Berrios. The Mariners and Angels have phoned in. It’s likely if Berrios is traded, it will be in the form of a package deal. Also, we know the Yankees have been heavy on Trevor Story but, the Mets have now inquired about Story and Pitcher Fohn Grey. With the loss of Lindor and deGrom, this would help significantly; however, as a Mets fan, I see no need for this trade to happen. The Mets have also been in contact with the Cubs about Javy Baez. The burners are starting to heat up.

 Today the Chicago White traded with Cleveland for second baseman Cesar Hernandez. The White Sox will send minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington. This is a small move but impactful. Hernandez has an excellent glove to go along with his bat, which has some pop. Pilkington is not a #1 prospect but is a good pitcher in the minors. 

     Not much movement over the last 3 hours, and The Yankees are now dangling the likes of Luke Voit to try and make offers for Kyle Schwarber and are still pressing on Trevor Story. I will keep eyeing everything.

      As of 6:30 pm, many rumors have been flying through the air. The Mets Owner Steve Cohen has told GM Sandy Alderson to shoot for the moon without dealing with the top four prospects being Vientos, Baty, Alverez, and Mauricio.

     The Yankees name is being thrown around still with Colorado and a possible trade to bring in Trevor Story. I believe the Rockies asking price will be too high, considering what they gave away prospect-wise for Gallo; I can’t see them doing much.

     The Padres are favored to make a deal with the Nationals on a deal for Max Scherzer. Not much information, but a few sources have confirmed a deal is close. However, that may be the Red Sox are also in contention to make a deal regarding Scherzer, so we will see what we will see.

     Other rumors still surround some big names, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant. They were both not starting today but were available off the bench. It seems like the Cubs are just cleaning the house and will be watching this whole ordeal up till midnight. 

    In a significant move, the Yankees appear to have a deal for Cubs Anthony Rizzo. One day after picking up slugger Joey Gallo, they get another slugger in Rizzo. However, nothing is 100% yet as the Red Sox have also expressed significant interest. Suppose this is true; it will be exciting to see what the Yankees had to give up for this with the number of prospects they gave up for Gallo. At 9 pm est, The Yankees acquired Rizzo from the Cubs for Alcantara. The Yankees still have a chance at a wild card spot/.

     The Seattle Mariners have acquired Tampa Bay Rays Closer Diego Castillo. Seattle, who needed pitching, has done well over this deadline, adding much-needed bullpen pieces.

The Dodgers have traded for Starting Pitcher Daniel Duffy of the Royals. Duffy Considered as a significant move as the Dodgers don’t know how long ace Kershaw will be out. 

  At 9 pm est, the Dodgers look like they are about to make a massive trade with the Nationals for Scherzer and Trea Turner. Currently, Max Scherzer was dealing with an injury, and I believe it will be pending a physical if dealt. Both teams have been at it for a while, and as soon as this happens, I will have details. The Mets are also now in the same boat as they try to push for Kris Bryant and Zach Davies from the Chicago Cubs. From what I understand, it has to do with specific prospects that the Mets are currently not ready for trade. Also, Javy Baez has explicitly said we want to play on the Mets with Lindor, and the Mets can get all three and still keep the big 4?

Looking at the rumors and tweets from the top analysts in the sports world, the Dodgers, once the ink is put on paper, are the winners of the trade deadline, with the Yankees in second. One of the more prominent names such as Trevor Story has quieted down. I believe teams that are interested in him will now wait, and a bidding war will commence. On a more personal note, I want the Mets to complete a deal filling two big holes. I like J.D. Davis but Bryant is such a significant upgrade. He can play right field and can platoon with Conforto and then keep Davis in the lineup now, and then I would think that the Cubs would want a third baseman for the rest of the season. Davis would be just one piece they would send in return.

   So a few minutes ago, I saw several reports that the Dodgers have acquired Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. I did not think Turner would be traded this season. This trade is a bold move for the Dodgers organization, getting them both. With Corey Seager and Mookie Betts on IL, Turner will see everyday playtime considering where he can play on the diamond. The Nationals will get Kiber Ruiz, Josiah Gray, Gerardo Carillo, and Donavan Casey. Ruiz and Gray were the Dodgers top 2 prospects.

   In a strange turn of events, the RedSox are going to acquire Kyle Schwarber from the Nationals. No word on what prospects and other considerations are as of yet. What happened with the Padres? They were big on multiple trades and have done nothing at all. They could also make some trades, but most of the big fish have been reeled in. 

    It has been an exciting day of Trades and Trade rumors. Teams have until 4:00 pm tomorrow to make those last trades. With how today has shaped up, I can say it will be more exciting than what today has handed us, and that is how the old man sees it.

Be sure to check in tomorrow for the 4th installment of the trade deadline. “Down to the Wire” will wrap up this year’s Trade Deadline.

Trade Deadline Part 2

By Mark Halpern

So in part one of this series, I talked a lot about certain players rumored to be traded. Those rumors heated up a little today for the likes of Max Scherzer and Kris Bryant as the Tampa Rays have now shown interest. This comes as no surprise that Tampa would try and trade for them as their organization has done well when it comes to wheeling and dealing. Craig Kimbrell has become a name to watch as Boston and Pittsburgh have begun to show some interest. Pittsburgh has also been dealing with the Phillies for Tyler Anderson but is held up as one of the prospects to go to the Phillies has a medical issue. The Houston Astros upgraded their bullpen today by trading with the Mariners. Houston gets Kendell Graveman and Rafael Montero for infielder Abraham Toro and Joe Smith. Looking around the league and the only new rumor is a quote from the Nationals GM “Everyone is available except for Juan Soto, so don’t even inquire about Soto.” Today is only Tuesday, and I expect late tomorrow or early Thursday, we will see plenty of more speculation and possible changes in rumors.

       In part one of my free agency talks, I mentioned the games elite, but they are not the only ones who will possibly move to a new team.  Pitching is a massive category for free agents at the end of the season. Names like Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Lance Lynn, Kelly Jansen, and Archie Bradly will be seeking new contracts. Syndergaard, who is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery, probably will be staying with the Mets on a 1-year deal to show that he is healthy to pitch and get a more significant contract. Stroman has done ok in New York and will be seeking a new 3–4-year deal. I think there will be several teams in on him, especially the cross-town rivals, the Yankees. Lance Lynn is an interesting one. He is having a fantastic year at 10-3 with a 1.91 era. He has been a solid pitcher for his career, and extensive market teams won’t shy away from offering him a big contract. I see the Mets, Nationals, Yankees, Boston, and Atlanta to be in on him unless the White Sox make him an offer he can’t refuse.

     In the outfield, some big names are Michael Conforto, Tommy Pham, Jackie Bradly Jr, and Nick Castellanos. This is just a sample of some of the available outfielders. Conforto has said he wants an eight-year deal in the range of 250-300 million dollars. He won’t see this unless he starts hitting again. His fielding is impeccable, but he won’t get that even from the Mets if he is hitting at .230 with few home runs and rbis. Tommy Pham, I have always liked. He is a speedster and a good fielder. He won’t warrant a 7–8-year deal, but a solid four-year deal from a club like Boston, Toronto, or even Oakland wouldn’t surprise me. As for Bradley, Jr and Castellanos have had a decent year and could play anywhere in the league. They are in no way big contracts but will be a great addition to whoever decides to sign them, and that is how the old man sees it.

     Check-in for the final part of this series as the trade market heats up and more on available free agents and where Old Ops Guy thinks they will end up.

Trade Deadline Part 1

By Mark Halpern

So with the trade deadline quickly approaching, we hear the rumors of big-name players who will be free agents at the end of this year. When it comes to teams making a trade for this type of player, I call it a rental and can be very costly to teams. The big names being discussed are Kris Bryant, Max Scherzer, Jose Berrios, Trevor Story, and Anthony Rizzo. With this Free Agency there are just a handful of players, and if any of them are to be traded, they will cost teams big-time prospects and starters, all for a few months on the team. We have seen some small moves by the Mets, Padres, and of course, the Tampa Rays. More will happen in the next week.

     Now let’s jump to the end of the season and after the World Series to free Agency. When you look at the players that will either resign or join a new team is a who’s who of stars. However, the average age of these free agents is 34 years old, and the average amount per year they will be seeking is just about $17 million. Some of these big names are Kris Bryant, Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Freddie Freeman, J.D Martinez and Nolan Arenado. This, yet again, is just a sample of the free agents that will be available. The question is, where will they sign?

    J.D Martinez, I believe if Boston wins the series, finishes his career out there but, if not, I think he will stay in the American League, most likely as a DH and possibly with the Angels. Kris Bryant will most likely be leaving the Cubs as they are selling off the players as they are trying to shed payroll. Kris Bryant has been rumored to trade rumors to the Padres and the Mets and both teams who want him to sign an extension if traded. If he stays with the Cubs, I believe he will be a NY Met next season. Max Scherzer is one of the top Pitchers in Baseball and will command a big contract wherever he ends up. Unfortunately, I am not sure any team is going to give him what he wants. I think he will stay in the National League East but not with the Nationals.

I think Atlanta or Philly will make a run at him. Clayton Kershaw is coming to the end of his career and a long-term contract he won’t get. I think he will finish his career in LA. Trevor Story’s time will be the most coveted of all the free agents. The New York Yankees will be the most aggressive with him and can offer him whatever but, I think he could end up with Oakland or Seattle. Zack Greinke is 38 years old and at the end of his career. He might get a 1-year deal to be a back-of-the-end starter and nowhere near the $35 Million he is getting. Freddie Freeman, I see staying in Atlanta and finishing his career there, and that is how the old man sees it. Check in the next blog, where I will be reviewing more players this week.

Power or Small Ball

By Mark Halpern

In today’s baseball game, many teams rely on more players who can hit the long ball than just getting on base and moving runners around to score. The game of baseball has changed so much over the last 100 years.
Teams, when baseball started, didn’t have teams filled with power hitters who could hit 30-40 home runs in a season. Teams relied on singles and doubles and pitching to win games. Homeruns were a rare thing in the beginning. Babe Ruth was the one exception to that rule. He hit more home runs in a season than some team’s entire roster. Small ball was the way baseball was played. Base hits and stolen bases were how the game went. Yes, teams could afford to pay a little more to have a team, but no player was getting $20 million a season to play. Teams weren’t paying their players to hit home runs; they were paying for runs scored.

When baseball became integrated in 1947, the game began to evolve to a game of mixed small ball and players who could hit for power like Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg, and Lou Gehrig. In the 1950’s Mantle, Mays, Matthews, and Aaron, to name a few. Hitting just for singles and doubles had diminished somewhat, and the age of the homerun became vital. However, the need for a small ball was still there. Small teams that couldn’t compete with large ball markets strived by playing small ball but, not for long.
Baseball between the 1960s and 1990s graduated to players who hit for power. Now is the home run a bad thing? Hell, no, it’s not. I love watching a ball go 448 feet in the air and score 3-4 runs in an instant. It’s exciting but, if you have three home runs in a game and another team has 14 hits and moves runners around and score more, you win. The successes of the Athletics, Reds, Mets, Yankees, and Pirates, to name a few, relied on both styles to win the World series.

Let’s fast forward to today. Most teams have players that have 4-5 players who are capable of hitting 25 plus home runs a season. The styles of the small ball don’t exist much anymore. Name me a team that has players all hitting at .275 and above. As we saw in this year’s all-star game (besides Vlad Jr’s Blast), the American League won by minor base hits. That style of the game needs to exist more than it does. Again, I enjoy watching Homeruns fly, but I like seeing hit after hit and seeing stolen bases and runs scored on singles and doubles. The game can’t evolve more than it has now, but we shall see what will happen in the next 10-20 years, and that is how the old man sees it.

Open Match

By Mark Halpern

The Open Championship was held at Royal St George last week, and it was full of top players. If you read my blog, I had picked John Rahm to win it. Looking where he finished at 3rd place was a good standing but, his first round was atrocious. He shot 71 1 over par on the first round, which brought into question what was wrong. The OpenChampionchip was the time for other golfers to set the bar. Rahm did come back the next three rounds, shooting a 64 6under par his second round, a 69 two under par the third round, and a 66 f under par final round good enough for him to secure third. That terrible first-round caused him the chance to contend for first. He was my pick to win it.

Collin Morikawa won the open, finishing with 15 under par to win the open. He had plenty of challenges throughout the weekend, but his consistent accuracy on the fairways and his short game was too hard for others to contend with. He is an exceptionally talented young golfer and tied a record with Tiger Woods with making his last 22 cuts in a row. At 24 years old, he is well on his way to having an insane career and will challenge most PGA events in the years to come.

One golfer who kept on Morikawa’s heels was Jordan Spieth, who started with fire and had a quiet but uneventful third round which kept him in reaching distance of Morikawa but, the final round Spieth who also one of my picks, could not pass Morikawa and finished in second at 13 under for the match. The other golfer who was in contention throughout the match was Louis Oosthuizen. He was in first after the first round in the first round and was at the top of the leader board several times, but his final round of 1 over par had him fall shot and drop to third. Hats off to him and his fantastic play.

Bryson Dechambeau had parted with his caddy the week before and has not been himself since. Pardon my language. He shit the bed in this tournament. The Open Championship is a Major where he should have won and was the favorite to do so. However, he was not the only one who did not show up. Poor Phil Mickelson finished 14 over par and missed the cut. He was predicted to place but, I figured he would have made the cut.
Honorable mentions go out to Brooks Koepka, McKenzie Hughes, and Dylan Frittelli for playing consistent rounds and challenging the leaderboard. In my opinion, Rahm got rammed in that first round and cost him any chance of challenging Morikawa. I am incredibly happy for Morikawa and cannot wait to see Morikawa play more over the next few months, and that is how the old man sees it.

Paul Needs to Ball

By Mark Halpern (Written 7/20/2021 12:00 pm in case this posts after the game)

So, tonight is game six of the NBA finals. The Milwaukee Bucks won a crucial game on the road in Phoenix to bring game six back home. We all know home-court advantage always gives the home team an upper advantage. Can the Suns force a game seven tonight? It’s possible, but only if their star point guard shows up?
Chris Paul is a 16-year veteran in the NBA, has been a leader on any team he has played for, and has played in many big games. In the first two games of this series, he was excellent. Paul created tons of opportunities for other players like Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Jae Crowder. He is one of the best passers in the game, and when he is not dishing, he usually is swishing.

He is a great shooter from in the paint to beyond the arc. Paul has been averaging close to five a game, and while that does not seem like a lot to some people, it means a lot in the game. However, over the last three games, he has been very sloppy. Quietly we do not hear about one stat from him, and that is his turnovers. Each turnover costs the team points. So, you have to figure that are 10 points of missed opportunities. When he last played in Milwaukee, Jrue Holiday played terrific defense against him, and we expect that to be the same tonight.The Suns need to develop a plan to make sure Paul can capitalize on those opportunities, whether it is setting up screens or the old fashion pick and roll. All that matters is that he is given the time to create opportunities so the suns can force a game seven. Paul needs to be the player he was during the first two games of this series, and if he cannot, then the Bucks could end it tonight. I, for one, would love nothing more than to see a game 7 in this series. Both teams are full of talent, and anything can happen. I believe I had picked the Bucks in 6, so I am hoping for it to happen. If Paul does show up, then we will see that game seven in Phoenix later this week, and that is how the old man sees it.

Is The Yankee Season Salvageable ?

By Bill Murphy 

I was born in 1994, so I was around during the golden age of the New York Yankees, seeing them win seven American League Pennants and Five World Series. One of my earliest memories of watching baseball was watching the core four (Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettite).  My  Dad and my uncle always told me, my brother, and my cousin that we were spoiled with the Yankees from seeing their dominance in the late 90s and into the 2000s; they told us they remembered the Yankees of the mid-60s and into the 70s that were always in the last place, Gone were the days of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Joe Dimaggio and Whitey Ford and the Core four were far into the future.  Are we seeing a resurgence of the Yankees of my Dad and uncle’s youth? The 2010s was the first decade since the 1910s that they did not appear in a world series and the first time since the 1980s that they failed to win a World Series. 

Now fast-forwarding to this season, and without sugar-coating it, the Yankees are an absolute disgrace.  As I have said a thousand times on the podcast, they’re falling apart, and as I have said every word in the book while watching them on tv. The Yankees are now 46-43  and are sitting at tied for third in the AL East and eight games behind the first-place Red Sox. Now, what’s the problem? Well, I would have an easier time telling you what isn’t their problem.  I can say that they can’t capitalize on runners in scoring positions and that they have left an average of 3.14 runners on base this year and have an average of .138, with runners in scoring position the worst in the league. The batting is inconsistent. For example, during the subway series, Aaron Judge hits a home run and then strikes out.  The pitching has been showing problems with Luis Severino injured. Corey Kluber shut down, especially Gerrit Cole, who has struggled throughout June but has shown guts in his last start against Houston, pitching a complete game 1-0 shutout.  Aroldis Chapman keeps blowing saves. On the bright side, they are winning the series, but they can’t complete sweeps. They are currently  3-9 when it comes to completing sweeps.

As we approach the second half of the season, what can be done to save the season? Is it worth salvaging at this point? As the trade deadline approaches, The Yankees should improve the pitching rotation if Brain Cashman and Hal Steinberner don’t want to break the bank and go over the luxury tax to obtain Max Scherzer (a rant for a different blog post ). Then we should think about getting  Jose Berrios from the Minnesota Twins or sitting at a 7-3 record with a 3.48 ERA or  German Marquez from the Rockies, who has a 3.36 ERA. When The season ends, the Yankees’ two free agents should try to jump on Joey Gallo from the Rangers and Trevor Story from the Rockies and be the most sought-after free agent once he becomes one in 2022. 

As the second half of the season is now upon us, can the Yankees improve, or are we going to be looking at another dry spell from the youth of my Dad and Uncle’s youth? 

The G.O.A.T or Foolish G.O.A.T

By Mark Halpern

The term G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) is thrown around a lot regarding sports. In the game of Football, however, when we use this term, Tom Brady is currently at the top of the list. As we all know, Tom Brady has almost as many Super Bowl rings as fingers and more Super Bowl M.V.P.s than anyone else in the sport. He is a definite future Hall of Famer and quite possibly will hold certain records (like the M.V.P.’s) that no one will ever break. However, reading particular articles this past week makes me worry.

Those of you who have not read Brady played all last season with a slightly torn MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) in his knee and during the playoffs, and Super Bowl likely tore. Now coming from someone who has had a slightly torn MCL in his life, this is a complex injury to deal with. It generally has swelling and pain, but it really harbors your side-to-side movement, and as a quarterback, a big part of the game is shuffling around. Looking at Brady’s play over last season, we would have never known that he was suffering this injury at all. He threw for an impressive 4633 yards and 40 Touchdowns. It does not seem like someone who had this bad of an injury. This calls into question a lot of speculation.

If Brady was playing with this all season, he could have suffered an even worse injury and possibly lost his full walking capability. Why risk something so much when you are already the best? He has been a true competitor his whole career but, it is time to consider life after Football. It will not suit him well if he is hobbling for the rest of his life. Major MCL surgery takes months, if not a year, to recover from. How did he deal with the pain is another question altogether. Was he receiving pain injections to deal with it? Why was this never on the injury reports that come out weekly? Did the Buccaneers not disclose the information, and by not does this violate many N.F.L. rules? I am sure the N.F.L. will look at this more closely, but I do not see anything coming of it.
I used the word Foolish in my title because I have had many injuries over the last 30 years.

I was a Catcher for 28 years of my life, and at 5’8 175lbs, I was slammed into so many times that I was told to stop playing at 22 years old. I continued to play until 28, when my back started hurting, and at 30 years old, I had the first of 14 surgeries needed to start repairing my back. I was foolish, but I was not the G.O.A.T. by any means. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization should have handled this better. Brady has admitted having complete MCL surgery in the off-season, and this brings this season into question. If he has a bad year, is it because of the surgery probably, and we can no longer call him the G.O.A.T. any of course not? However, there should have been no question in his position then to shut him down last season and treat the injury the right way and not risk his body any more than it needed, and that is how the old man sees it.

Why The Rangers Should Avoid the Big Move

By Mike Rifkin

Three years ago, the New York Rangers front office wrote a letter to their fans about a change of direction for the organization. They decided that it was time for them to rebuild and stock draft picks and prospects. Now they are on the surface of something that could be very special. This offseason, the Rangers have around 22 million dollars in salary-cap space. Two names who have been floated around the Rangers this offseason are Sabres center Jack Eichel and Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko, but the Rangers should be avoiding both.
Let’s start with Eichel.

The former second overall pick played in 21 games last season due to a neck injury. An issue that is yet to be resolved between player and organization is part of Eichel’s reason out of Buffalo. Trading for Eichel will cost a lot financially and player-wise as the 24-year-old makes 10 million dollars per year until 2027. Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has said he wants the equivalent of four first-round picks for the former second overall pick. Another issue for teams trading for Eichel is that he has a no-trade clause that kicks in after next season, so essentially you can trade whatever it takes to get him for one season and not get back a significant return because he can dictate where he can be traded to. If the Rangers were to acquire Eichel, it would come at the expense of not having Mika Zibanejad long-term, yes Zibanejad had a down season this season, but he is a key man on the Rangers power play and penalty kill. Eichel is not used on the penalty kill. Zibanejad will be cheaper than 10 million dollars a season.

Tarasenko makes 7.5 million dollars until 2024. Tarasenko has undergone three shoulder surgeries and doesn’t trust the organization to get it right, and reportedly, the Rangers are one of the teams he is willing to go to. Tarasenko was a consistent 30 goal scorer up until the last two seasons, where he scored a total of 7 goals in 34 games played due to injury. Tarasenko is a proven playoff performer scoring 35 goals and 51 points in 78 games played. The shoulder of Tarasenko bothers me because he played a heavy game for the Blues in the playoffs based on their style of play. The Rangers have some young talent on the wing with Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, former second overall pick Kappo Kakko, last year’s first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, and Vitaly Kravtsov. Rangers should also consider bringing back restricted free agent Pavel Buchnevich.

Chris Drury has some work to do this offseason, but he shouldn’t be thinking of stars. He should be thinking about players to help this team win. He should resign Zibanejad, and Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox will also need a new deal and some other young players. Financial flexibility is significant to a stable organization, and the Rangers have that currently. Another star doesn’t change this team for the better. The Rangers need to be tougher to play against because they have enough skill but need some grit. The top priority outside of the organization should be either Islanders center Casey Cizikias, Bruins center Sean Kuraly or Phillip Danault of Montreal.

They can center the 4th line, kill penalties, and are very good on faceoffs, a position where the Rangers have struggled. Drury should also call Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, who was recently bought out by the Wild they bring in experience and will come cheap as the Wild will still be paying them. Both are hard-nosed players and will provide some physical play as well. Also, don’t rule out a trade with Vegas Golden Knights because of Gerard Gallant being hired as the new head coach of the Rangers. If I were Drury, I would avoid going extensive game shopping this summer.

Second Half Run

By Mark Halpern

So here we are returning from the All-Star break and looking at how things are going for the Mets are trending up. The Mets, during the first half, had the worst luck with Injuries, rainouts, and some really under performances from some players. Now we look to the second half of baseball, and things are starting to look up.On the injury side of things, the Mets starting lineup will look like the opening day lineup with McNeil, Conforto, Davis, and Nimmo now back in the lineup.

However, we might not see a ton of Davis because Villar has made a name for himself this season. Villar has filled in at various spots on the diamond and has not been disappointed. Kevin Pillar filled in for Nimmo while he was down and did a great job with not only his stellar defense but his bat as well. The addition of Billy McKinney helped fill in for the injured Conforto, and his speed on the basepaths has not disappointed. So, the Mets have a deep group of players that can fill in most positions. The second half also raises the question that if the trade market would heat up, would they move someone to bring a more considerable talent. Currently, the Mets need Starting Pitching.

The Mets are still missing two noticeably big names in the rotation. Starting Pitching has been an issue this season except for Jacob deGrom and Taijan Walker. Noah “Thor” Syndergaard, who was recovering from Tommy John surgery, was doing extended spring training when he began to feel discomfort in that repaired arm. He is currently starting to work his way back, but September is the earliest if he returns this season at all. We could see that lightning come from his arm. Carlos Carrasco has resumed baseball activities as he has recovered from his torn hamstring injury, has been doing simulated games, and will be starting a minor league rehab stint as soon as next week. We could see him by the end of July.

As for my comments at the beginning of underperformers, Francisco Lindor so far has not been himself. He is currently hitting a poor .227 batting average when he has hit close or over .300 most of his career. My take on it is that he is trying to do too much, and NY’s pressure can do that. I am hoping to see a real resurgence from him in the second half. Also, McNeil and Conforto have not caught on as of yet. Both are returning from injury, so hoping they can return to form.

The Mets are currently 47-40 and have a 3-game lead over the Phillies and a 4-game lead over the Braves. With the Mets getting their team back and other vital pieces returning over the next few weeks, I see the Mets making a huge run and winning the NL East by a wide margin. However, the NL East division has many stellar teams, and anything can happen on the diamond, and that is how the old man sees it.