Sak Sports Blog

A quick update has arrived for a vote that ends tomorrow: the final two spots in the MLB All-Star game.  The early return has 1B Jesus Aguilar of the Milwaukee Brewers and SS Jean Segura of the Seattle Mariners in the leads for the NL and AL. All-Star votes aren't supposed to be popularity contests: but it's hard to hide that fans can show some bias in voting. So it's well deserved that these relatively smaller market standout players are beating the likes of New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, Boston Red Sox Andrew Benintendi, and Trae Turner of the Washington Nationals. Here are the full voting update results, per MLB Communications: 1B Jesús Aguilar of the @Brewers and SS @Jeansegura02 of the @Mariners are your current leaders of the 2018 @CampingWorld All-Star #FinalVote . Voting ends on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. Vote now at https://t.co/B3DJWKS3f0 pic.twitter.com/X9H9zgIXK3 — MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) July 10, 2018 Header phot...

It's becoming clear Manny Machado won't be a Baltimore Oriole in 2019, and maybe not even in August 2018 after the MLB Trade Deadline. Whether it's at the July deadline or in the free agency period, the Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to Machado for some time.  The Phillies could be aggressive at both the trade deadline, due to  their potential to compete in the NL East, and in the offseason, with the financial flexibility to add another key piece. Machado, who is playing his first full season as a shortstop in Baltimore, says he will not be returning to third base on his next team.  "I've been a shortstop all my life. I played third base for a couple years" he said. Adding Machado to the left side of the Phillies infield would be extremely valuable to the team, but it might block the progress of some prospects with potential. Maikel Franco is already a couple years along, typically manning third base. J.P Crawford, a natural shortstop, and C...

Promising 25-year-old third baseman Miguel Sano has disappointed the Minnesota Twins in 2018, just a year after representing the team as an AL All-Star. The Twins are sending Sano from the major league squad down to the Single-A Fort Myers Miracle in Florida. Maybe they're hoping the move will prove a miracle for Sano's career. In his All-Star 2017 campaign, Sano hit .264, an OBP of .352 with 28 home runs and 77 RBI. This season, Sano is batting .203 with a .270 OBP, 7 home runs, and 27 RBI. Truth be told, while the fourth year player is slumping, did his numbers really merit going all the way back to Single-A? I don't think so, maybe Double-A or Triple-A. Maybe location played a factor, with Sano getting some necessary time away from Minnesota to clear his head in sunny Florida. Sano will look to get back to the Twins on a stronger note eventually. If he rises through their system once again, it will include stops in Tennessee (Double A) and Rochester, NY (Tripl...

The Sweet Smell of Baseball…For Some by Sean Kingsepp Contributing Writer Despite much of the United States still worrying about whether snow will be coming in the next few weeks, pitchers and catchers have arrived for all 30 teams at their respective camps in Arizona or Florida. By this time, most teams should be set, give or take the last few roster spots, right? Arguably the biggest story of the offseason has been the “cold stove” of free agency, with many big name free agents either signing very late, or not at all. Although a few high profile free agents have signed in the past two weeks, most notably Todd Frazier, Eric Hosmer, and Yu Darvish. Darvish was considered by multiple experts as the cream of this years’ pitching crop. Darvish signed a 6-year, $126 million deal with the Chicago Cubs earlier this week, signing just before pitchers reported to camp. Hosmer finally got a deal after holding out for an 8-year contract and getting one from the San Diego Pad...

Coming off a career year in 2017, 28-year-old first baseman Eric Hosmer is being patient in the free agent market, waiting to select the contract that will affect the next decade of his life. Hosmer reportedly has two major options: stay with the Kansas City Royals or sign with the San Deigo Padres? Waiting out the market seemed to work for pitcher Yu Darvish, who signed a 6-year, $126 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. Hosmer already has two larger offers on the table: a 7-year, $140 million offer from the Padres and a 7-year, $147 million contract to stay with the Royals. Both offers would be in the Top 35-richest contracts ever, but Hosmer reportedly wants more, specifically more years.  According to USA Today, Hosmer prefers an eight or nine year deal from either team. In 2012, Prince Fielder signed a 9-year, $214 million deal with the Detroit Tigers. Fellow Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera inked a 9-year, $248 million contract that started in 2016. Hosmer is holdi...

Since winning the World Series in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies went on a straight decline that hit all the possible season-ending outcomes: lost World Series, lost NLCS, lost NLDS, missed playoffs, all the way down to earning the top draft pick with nearly 100 losses in 2015. Now, after the team has been gutted of veterans like Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, and Carlos Ruiz, the team is ready to move forward with a fresh slate. And they've jumpstarted the process in a big way, signing former Cleveland Indians slugger Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million deal. The former catcher instantly becomes one of the most dangerous threats in the Phillies lineup. In 154 games last season, the first baseman/designated hitter hit .259 with 23 home runs and 79 runs batted in. Comparing that to the Phillies lineup last season, he would've been 2nd in home runs, just one behind Maikel Franco, led the team in RBI's, and had the third highest batting average on the te...

Courtesy of MLB.com Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve won the World Series two weeks ago and is now crowned the Most Valuable Player in the American League. On paper, the matchup could've been close, but Altuve ran away with the vote, garnering 27 of 30 first-place votes, to Aaron Judge's two. The win caps off a career-best season for the Venezuelan infielder. Altuve had great statistics with a .346 batting average (career-high), 24 home runs (ties career-high) and 81 RBI, along with 112 runs scored (another career-high) and 32 stolen bases on 38 attempts. Of course, rookie Aaron Judge also had an astronomical rookie season. Judge hit .284 with 52 home runs and 114 RBI for the New York Yankees, leading them to a postseason berth in what started out as a "rebuilding year." Despite his lower average and higher strikeout rate, Judge led Altuve in in on-base percentage (.422 to .410) and obviously slugging percentage (.627 to .547) Aaron Jud...

Taco Bell has continued their "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" campaign for the 2017 World Series between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers. If any player steals a base during the series, United States Taco Bell locations will give away a free Doritos Locos Taco. After no bases were swiped in Game 1, Cameron Maybin of the Astros stole one in Game 2, earning free tacos for all of America. These tacos will be of the Doritos Locos line, meaning the hard shell is made out of Doritos and available in Cool Ranch, Nacho Cheese, or Fiery varieties. Free tacos will be available November 1 from 2-6 PM at participating locations while supplies last. No purchase is necessary but there is a limit of one free taco per person. Taco Bell has triggered this giveaway in each of the last six seasons. It's all but guaranteed the giveaway will take place each year, as 99 of the past 100 World Series have featured a stolen base by either team, with the 1944 World Series bet...

It's been almost exactly a year since former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. Most drafted rookies take a few years to work their way up to the majors. So why should it come as any surprise that a year later, Tebow is still in the minor league system? From a baseball perspective, it obviously doesn't come as a surprise. His numbers, while solid, hardly beg a September call-up. In his 126 combined games for Columbia and St. Lucie, Tebow is batting .226 with eight home runs and 52 RBI. Though the average is a little low, these are promising numbers for the former Broncos' first professional baseball season. But again, they aren't extraordinary, he wouldn't help the Mets on the field, and he could block the progress of other prospects if called up. What the Mets haven't taken into account, however, is the off-field incentives and opportunities that come with calling up Tebow. This September, the Mets are avera...