Houston Astros came close to getting Phillies' Bryce Harper in 2018

The Houston Astros have become one of the most polarizing franchises in MLB history because of their now-infamous 2017 sign-stealing scandal. In arguably the biggest MLB news story since the Steroid Era, Houston's cheating scandal not only rocked the baseball world but also tarnished the reputation of the scrappy team and its superstars. "Watching…

The Houston Astros (63-48) and the New York Yankees (57-53) will play the third game of their four-game weekend series on Saturday, August 5. First pitch from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York is set for 1:05 p.m. ET. Houston will start Justin Verlander (6-5, 3.15 ERA), while New York counters with Nestor Cortes (5-2, 5.16) in his return from…

The San Diego Padres want to be buyers at the trade deadline. In case they aren't, they are "now listening" to trade talks involving star outfielder Juan Soto, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. As of Thursday afternoon, the New York Yankees had not contacted the Padres about a possible deal for Soto, Heyman reported. The Yankees sit 2.5…

The 2023 MLB trade deadline is still 11 days away, but there's a palpable amount of buzz surrounding the future of Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani has been one of the best players in baseball this season and is the overwhelming favorite to win his second AL MVP. The 28-year-old dual-threat is slashing.306/.397/.678 with an MLB-best 35 home…

The past few years have been a bit of a whirlwind for Trea Turner. They included a World Series title in Washington, a trade to Los Angeles - and then an 11-year, $300 million contract that brought him back to the NL East. The one constant amid all that: Turner has played with some pretty impressive teammates. And that's not about to change. "I've…

Much has been made about the Houston Astros' culture behind the scenes over the last few days, since the departure of former Astros general manager James Click. There has been everything from snide, little drive by comments by some writers in free agency prediction columns to attempted nuclear bombs on Jim Crane's ownership style. In the end, none…

Last week, first baseman Anthony Rizzo declined his option for the 2023 season, making him a free agent. The New York Yankees gave him the qualifying offer. If he were to accept it, he would see a pay-raise from $16 million to $19.65 million. Rizzo has yet to accept the offer, and is free to negotiate with any team he chooses. The Yankees are the…

In 2017 the Houston Astros won their only World Series, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven-game classic. Two years later that World Series run was heavily scrutinized by media and fans alike. Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported that the Astros had used technology for years to steal signs from opposing team's catcher…

The World Series begins Friday night in Houston, with the underdog Philadelphia Phillies facing off against the Astros. For Phillies fans, the magic moment of the postseason happened during game 5 of the National League Championship series against the San Diego Padres. The Phils were down one run in the 8th inning, with a runner on first, when the…

The World Series begins Friday night in Houston, with the underdog Philadelphia Phillies facing off against the Astros. For Phillies fans, the magic moment of the postseason happened during game 5 of the National League Championship series against the San Diego Padres. The Phils were down one run in the 8th inning, with a runner on first, when the…

Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado embrace in the clubhouse, the 73-year-old baseball manager still chasing his first world championship pulling the catcher with orange hair into the hug. Ageless ace Justin Verlander sips an adult beverage at his locker. Relievers Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek sit next to each in front of their lockers, just sharing a…

Injuries, struggling player development and in-season trades. When you ask Washington Nationals fans to describe the 2022 season those are often words you hear. There have been multiple signings by Mike Rizzo that are considered "failures". Nelson Cruz, Cèsar Hernandez and Steve Cishek have gotten to the point where Nationals fans dread to see them…

The Los Angeles Dodgers were busy during the 2022 MLB trade deadline as they made five deals and explored numerous other possibilities. However, they fell short of acquiring Juan Soto despite some growing optimism for a deal. The Washington Nationals ultimately sent Soto and Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres for a package of Major League talent and…

The San Diego Padres made the best trade at the deadline, but there's no guarantee they make the postseason. The San Diego Padres made a huge trade at the deadline, but it hasn't been enough to help them secure a spot in the playoffs. After landing the most sought-after player and 2022 Home Run Derby champion, Juan Soto, the Padres have only won…

On so many levels, the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline was a damning day for the Washington Nationals. They kicked off the day by trading a franchise icon, and a 23-year-old on a Hall of Fame track in Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres, along with Josh Bell, having not come to an agreement on a long-term extension in the months building up to the trade…

Major League Baseball's 2022 trade deadline has come and gone. The deadline was set for 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday and teams are no longer be able to make deals to bolster their rosters ahead of the stretch run. The biggest name was moved early Tuesday: Juan Soto headed to the Padres in an eight-player blockbuster that also featured Josh Bell landing in…

ST. LOUIS - Tis the season for excessive social media scrolling, baseball fans. The clock is winding down on the MLB trade deadline. It's that time of the year when the St. Louis Cardinals usually find themselves busy making moves, though the chances of pulling off a blockbuster vary each season. Occasionally, the Cardinals will pull the trigger…

There is no precedent for what we could see in less than 36 hours. Juan Soto of the Nationals is the rarest of players on the trading block because of his youth (age 23), controllable years (two after this one) and historic talent. Naturally, there are many contending teams that would love to add Soto to boost their chances of making the playoffs…

ESPN senior MLB insider Jeff Passan gives his odds of Juan Soto getting traded and what would prevent it from happening. The MLB trade deadline is this upcoming Tuesday, Aug. 2, and the main focus will be whether the Washington Nationals will actually move on from star outfielder Juan Soto. That all came to be after a 15-year, $440 million contract…

LOS ANGELES - When the Washington Nationals traded Trea Turner last summer, the front office admitted it saw no path to contention in 2021 or 2022 and needed to restock a very thin farm system. So what is the same front office saying as it fields offers for Juan Soto ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline? That it's low on the team's odds in 2022 -…

As the Toronto Blue Jays prowl the trade market for deadline reinforcements, Washington Nationals' slugger Josh Bell is a name to keep an eye on, Vegas sportsbooks say. The Blue Jays are listed at+600 odds to acquire the 29-year-old switch-hitting first baseman following the deadline, conveying about a 14% chance the Blue Jays swing a deal with…

With General Manager Mike Rizzo and field manager Davey Martinez secure in their jobs for another year, the Washington Nationals' leadership duo clearly has the green light to continue with the reboot Rizzo began almost a year ago. Current regulars like Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, and Lane Thomas are among the players who came to Washington last…

The Washington Nationals big league club as a whole has not been great to watch, but Josh Bell is one of the few shining stars this year. He is only under team control for the rest of 2022 and that has been a focus of fans who either fall on the keep or trade side. Let's take a look at both arguments. The main argument for keeping a guy hitting who…

There were contending baseball teams who utilized Tuesday's trade deadline to augment their chances of reaching the Promised Land. There were contenders who used the deadline to instead become pretenders. And there were teams who still don't have the slightest idea whether they're a contender or a pretender. Then, there are the Houston Astros. And…