The 2016 MLB season is still a few months away, but things have heated up quite a bit with a flurry of free agency moves. One team oddly hasn’t been very active: the New York Yankees. One big reason could be because the Yanks have some tricks up their sleeves of the trade variety. If New York has waited this long to pull the trigger on potential deals, other teams could be doing the same.

Let’s take a second to look at some teams that could soon be making some noise in the trade field and what players could be on the move:

Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees

With depth in the outfield and tons of hitting to spare, the Yanks could end up shopping outfielder Brett Gardner. Gardner is a great utility player and numerous teams could step up and pounce on him, but Nick Cafardo of the The Boston Globe suggests it could be the L.A. Angels that end up offering young pitcher Andrew Heaney for the extra bat. The Angels really struggled for consistent offense outside of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols last year and landing someone like Garner could up their averages and give them an extra bat. Heaney would be especially attractive to New York, too, as they’d get a young pitcher on the rise to help round out a decent pitching rotation that could need just one more ace to take their game to the next level.

Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers aren’t winning with Braun, so it may be time for both sides to part. Rumors of such a possibility broke out after the season ended, with the Brewers reportedly admitting they’d freely part with the bloated star. Braun can still bring power to the table and is a competent fielder, but is over 30 and no longer is the reason Brewers win games. Milwaukee was a big seller near the trade deadline last year and with another losing season surely on the horizon in 2016, they could opt to dump Braun to the highest bidder.

C.J. Wilson, SP, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

You can toss the aforementioned Heaney and veteran Jered Weaver in the mix, here, too. The point is the Angels aren’t getting what they want out of their would-be loading pitching staff and they certainly are lacking on the offensive side. It’s time for the Angels to finish the building job they started and actually field a strong supporting cast around superstar Mike Trout. That doesn’t mean they have to get rid of all of their best pitchers – nor should they – but Wilson and Weaver have failed to live up to expectations and could potentially bring back some hitting upgrades.

Padres Pitchers

Andrew Cashner, James Shields and Tyson Ross are all in danger if the Padres slip early again in 2016. The odd part is all three are quite good and could easily pull it together to form a very stable rotation this year, but San Diego could use another bat or two to form a more consistent offense. Ross re-upped with the team and may be the one guy of the three that San Diego actually wants to keep, but Shields is exiting his prime (or is already out) and Cashner is already 29. It will be interesting to see what San Diego ends up doing, but as recently as December they were still sending out feelers for both Cashner and Shields.

Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Remember when the Reds started blowing things up last year by trading stud power hitter Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox? Yeah, they’re not even close to done. The Reds have only gotten older a year later and with the team finally actually committed to a full rebuild, it’s only a matter of time until they start unloading their other star veterans. Bruce is definitely high on the list of guys to hit the exit, as he’s nearing 30 years of age and has seen his play drop off in the past couple of years. He still can hit the long ball, though, and could be very useful to the right team. Cincy, meanwhile, would probably just want some young prospects in return. Joey Votto is a bigger name that could end up being mixed up in Reds trade rumors, too, but the 32-year old masher has yet to waive his no-trade clause.

As the 2016 MLB season draws closer we’re sure to hear more about potential trades before the season, but for now these may be the top names/teams to keep an eye on. Got another juicy trade rumor we need to hear about? Tell us in the comments below!

A few weeks ago the Arizona Diamondbacks got the hype ball rolling for the 2016 MLB season by pushing out a whopping eight new custom baseball uniforms for the new year. Not too long after, they snagged one of the top free agents on the open market in pitching ace, Zack Greinke. Needless to say, Arizona Diamondbacks fans have a lot to look forward to come this spring.

The release of the new look was part of their #DbacksEvolution event that appears to be spring-boarding the Diamondbacks into an entirely new phase. It’s a new era that includes a throwback uniform, a uniform with a chrome red top, two all grey baseball uniforms, two all white uniforms and two different uni’s with black tops and red trim on the shoulders.

The new uniforms are a step in the right direction, as they give a struggling franchise a fresh new look and some excitement heading into the 2016 MLB season, regardless of the team’s off-season moves.

Luckily Arizona hasn’t just been wasting their time when it’s come to improving their roster, either, as adding Greinke appears to be a huge move on paper. One big reason why is because this was already a competitive team that had the makings of a team on the rise. Having star mashers like A.J. Pollock and Paul Goldschmidt will do that, and now they could have the stud pitcher to lead an improving defense into the fire.

Are the Diamondbacks suddenly the team to beat in the NL West? That’s tough to say. What we do know is they’ll look a whole lot better come 2016, no matter if they win or lose.

Love the new Arizona uniforms? Hate them? Tell us in the comments below!

The Chicago White Sox did not have a threatening offense in 2015. They had one of the games top pitching aces and a decent supporting cast, but all too often they couldn’t generate runs to consistently get wins. That tragic formula led to a 76-86 finish and fourth place in the AL Central division.

Given their offensive hardships, one could say the White Sox really aren’t in that bad of shape. If they ever want to catch the world champion Kansas City Royals (95 wins last year), they’ve got some work to do. It’s easy to see how lethargic their offense was with a quick comparison to the game’s most potent offense. The Toronto Blue Jays owned that title last year, putting up a ridiculous 891 runs, while the Sox could muster up just 622.

Here comes the cavalry.

Per reports, the White Sox have finalized a three-team trade that will land them former Cincinnati Reds power hitter Todd Frazier. While not exactly the most efficient batter in the world, last year’s home run derby winner certainly packs a serious punch in terms of the long ball (35 home runs last year) and at 29 years old is still in his prime. Add Frazier to an offensive lineup that already consists of solid players like Melky Cabrera, Adam Eaton and fellow star power hitter Jose Abreu, and there’s a chance the White Sox might have something brewing here.

Frazier won’t cure all that ails Chicago on his own. This is still a team that can’t be done improving on the outside and also needs to figure out a way to get better from within. This is, however, a statement move perhaps, that the Sox are not content with merely being an average team for much longer.

Boasting one of the top strikeout pitchers in the game in Chris Sale, it’s possible the White Sox realize it’s high time they back him with a productive offense. One that can even reach 700 runs in 2016 would go a long way in helping Chicago take a big step forward. Bringing Frazier into town is very much a step in the right direction.

The best part if the White Sox didn’t have to give up much to land a stud hitter. Chicago did lose a few solid prospects in the deal with the Reds and Dodgers (Trayce Thompson, to name one), but overall it was a deal worth making and shows the Sox are serious about building themselves back into contender status.

Think trading for Frazier was a good move? Tell us in the comments below!

MLB free agency is alive and well, as Jordan Zimmerman became the first big name to come off the open market earlier this week when he latched on with the Detroit Tigers via a massive 5-year, $110 million deal. More dominos will fall and one big name in the pitching field that everyone is wondering about is ex-Royals pitcher, Johnny Cueto.

We touched on all of his potential suitors before he got dealt out of Cincinnati last year and once again he’s one of the top star players that is likely to be on the move. Kansas City finished the job last year by winning the World Series, so it’s rather unlikely they pay up to keep Cueto, who was rather inconsistent with them. That doesn’t mean Cueto will want for suitors, however. Let’s take a look at his most likely destinations heading into the 2016 MLB season:

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Arizona Diamondbacks reportedly just offered Cueto a massive deal and he turned it down. Perhaps he correctly assumes he can hold out and get an equal/better deal for a team that actually could sniff the playoffs. The Dodgers are certainly one of those teams, as they’re in the market for some pitching with Zack Greinke opting out of his deal. Greinke could still return to L.A. but perhaps the Dodgers can bolster their pitching rotation with Cueto and save some cash in the process.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants are first trying to pry Greinke away from the division rival Dodgers, but whether or not they accomplish that, they appear to be very much in the mix to steal Cueto out from under the Dodgers, too. San Francisco still has a nice pitching staff headed by Madison Bumgarner, but they’ve seen a slide beyond him. Cueto isn’t the ace he was just a few years ago, but he’s still technically in his prime and when he’s on, few can be better. He’d be a great addition to a Giants defense that struggled at times in 2015.

Boston Red Sox

Boston is one of the rare up and coming teams that seems to be totally set offensively and just needs to pay up to fill in some defensive pieces. They don’t have much in the way of pitching, so adding Cueto could help quickly put them back on the map. That would make Cueto the face of their defense as easily their top pitching ace. That could be a nice pull for Cueto, who probably wouldn’t mind the trio of cash, fame and the chance to win with a rising club.

Chicago Cubs

If you want a rising club that Cueto could latch on, then perhaps the Cubs could be the leaders for his services. Chicago has some stout pitching already but could use another arm or two to push their inconsistent defense over the top. Cueto wouldn’t be close to the face of the franchise, but he’d certainly play a big hand in shoring up the depth in the pitching rotation. Already legit title contenders going into 2016, adding Cueto could possibly put the Cubs over the top.

Ultimately, I think Cueto is headed to L.A. He wants more cash and he also wants to keep winning – getting a World Series ring will do that to you – while I bet Greinke is gone. That puts Cueto and David Price front and center for the Dodgers, who can ill afford to go from one of the best top-heavy pitching staffs to one that has Clayton Kershaw and little else. With Price also commanding high dollar on the open market, I think Cueto winds up in Los Angeles.

Think Cueto is heading elsewhere? Let us hear your take in the comments below!

A video game recently used Boston Red Sox star masher David Ortiz’s likeness. MLB is none too pleased. Per reports, an independent video game developer modified “Fallout 4” to include a character in a Boston Red Sox uniform donning Ortiz’s name on the back. Apparently, that’s not okay.

“The use of these marks is an infringement of our rights. We plan to enforce those rights,” an MLB spokesman barked.

To that, we say, touche’.

But really, isn’t Major League Baseball just making a big deal about nothing? The video game itself is not marketing their product with infringement in mind. This was a choice by an independent developer to enhance the game, which is set in post-apocalyptic Boston.

Said the developer, Richie Branson, “Basically, I think it was the only thing missing from the game. You’ve got Fenway Park, the Green Monster, and all of Boston, but there weren’t any Red Sox jerseys.”

Tough to argue with that.

Branson went on to say that he wouldn’t fight the MLB if the league took the issue to court, and he just felt the patch was a fun addition to a game that was clearly centered in Boston, Massachusetts.

It’s worth noting that Branson isn’t making any money off of the move, either, while it’s not like he’s creating real life custom baseball uniforms and trying to sell them or promote them/himself. He simply added a fun twist to a game.

Branson expressed his surprise that Major League Baseball said anything at all, suggesting that game developers have added patches and new downloads to game for years. The makers of Fallout 4 and numerous games allow it and it’s much in the same vain of a created roster being uploaded into any sports game.

I don’t know about you, but if there is a post-apocalyptic world where Ortiz isn’t running around killing zombies for the betterment of us all, I’m not sure I want to know about it. It remains to be seen whether or not Branson has to pull back on his Fallout 4 enhancement, but it’s interesting to note that the laws of baseball uniforms stretch beyond game day itself.

What’s your take on Branson catching heat for using David Ortiz’s jersey in the video game? Let us know in the comments below!

The Kansas City Royals just won the 2015 MLB World Series. Just a week ago that wasn’t a guarantee, and a year ago they were in that same spot and ended up losing to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants didn’t even make the playoffs this year, while the team the Royals beat – a good New York Mets club – didn’t even make the playoffs last year.

This season was even weirder when you take a close look. The St. Louis Cardinals, the team with baseball’s best record, didn’t even get out of the first round. In fact, the NL Central, which produced three of the top records in the majors, didn’t send a team to the final series of the year. The Toronto Blue Jays, the most potent offense in all of MLB, didn’t make it, either.

It’s also worth pointing out the success and failures of some team’s custom baseball uniforms. The Cardinals, Mets, Dodgers and Cardinals all had the best performing baseball uniforms this past year, and all naturally made the post-season. On the flip side, the Dodgers also had one of the worst performing baseball uniforms, and the Blue Jays also joined them on the much maligned list.

Needless to say, it’s going to be mighty interesting to see how 2016 plays out. Which jerseys will help teams be the most successful? Which offense will provide the most power? Which defense will be the most stifling? And will any of that, or even the best record in baseball, have anything to do with who wins it all?

The Royals won this year’s World Series despite not having the best record and not having the best offense or defense. They were simply the best when it mattered most. They knew how to come from behind and win in a multitude of ways. That’s the mark of a champion, and after coming up short in the previous season, they stormed back and finished the job.

So, while we tip our hats to a job well done by the Royals, we have to wonder what 2016 has to offer. It’s quite early, but Vegas suggests the 2016 MLB season will be another wild ride. The early World Series odds have Kansas City coming in as the second best team in terms of winning it all, only behind the upstart Chicago Cubs. Just behind those two lie the Dodgers, Mets and Cardinals.

If we’re going off of the odds, the Royals have a decent chance to repeat in 2016. If we’re going off of recent history, the Mets could pull a card from Kansas City and come back next year to finish what they started. Or we could all be wrong and the Phillies (worst odds at 200/1) could shock us all and make their way back to baseball relevancy.

No one can know just yet, but it’s fun to think about. Who do you have for next year’s baseball title? Will it be the Royals again or someone else? Let us know in the comments below!

The New York Mets and Kansas City Royals are already winners. They’ve enjoyed successful runs through the 2015 MLB season and are competing for the league’s title in this year’s World Series. While the Royals have the upper hand right now with a commanding 2-0 lead, the series does shift back to Shea Stadium, where things could get really interesting.

Still, an assumption can be made one way or another – unless you’re a Mets fan – that the Royals, at least to this point, have been the better team.

Kansas City certainly has put in the work to earn that label. They fell just short of winning it all in last year’s World Series, while they ended the 2015 MLB regular season with the most wins (95) in the American League. That was still good for fourth in all of baseball, too.

So, whatever. The Royals are probably the better team. They have that to hang their hat on. Big. Deal.

But do they have the better uniform between these two squads? As a custom baseball uniforms producer, we think that is the real question. And hey, even if it’s not, it’s at least interesting to compare. Mets and Royals uniforms couldn’t be more different. Sure, they both have blue in them, but it’s a totally different shade, only one has orange and the uniform variety isn’t the same, either.

Let’s break down all of the Royals and Mets uniforms and pick a winner:

Kansas City Royals

SportsLogos.net does a pretty detailed breakdown of Kansas City’s history when it comes to logos, uniforms and overall design. The main take away? They’re a timeless classic. That’s without a doubt what makes KC pop out when they take the field, because they always scream traditional and throwback.

Yet, even with a timeless, retro look, the Royals still appear modern and fresh.

Of course, there was a time when the Royals stepped outside the lines and tried weird stuff with a vest cut-off look and black alternate jerseys. That wasn’t great and that went away from what makes them awesome now.

The other big kicker for Kansas City is the versatility in their baseball uniforms. Their alternates tend to be just as good as their regular jerseys, from the cream grey on grey, to the powder blue jersey and cap. But it’s all still always tied together by the cursive “Royals” across the chest and the sharp “KC” as the logo. The Royals are one of the best teams in the league and looking sharp and traditional, while also not boring everyone to death.

New York Mets

SportsLogos.net did it again here with the Mets, and for that, we thank them. They didn’t do it for us, but still.

A quick glance through their findings screamed one thing rather loudly: Mets uniforms aren’t that great. At least they weren’t for quite a while, as they looked like a sorry rip-off of the Yankees, but with a terrible logo and orange in their uniform.

This writer actually dug the cool 1984 alternate uniforms, but sadly they were dropped after that season and New York went away from alternate jerseys for a ridiculous 14 years. Considering that uniform actually was as retro as it gets (in a good way, mind you) and far better than anything they had to that point, I’d say that was a mistake.

The Mets redeemed themselves down the road, though, as their logo got a little bolder and more crisp (we do mean A LITTLE), but in the end it was more of a refreshing look. There was then the black jersey phase, some camo appearances and now where we are today, where the Mets have a nice bold blue jersey for many of their road games.

The classic pinstripe white uni still is the one the Mets lean on the most, though, and at the very worst it pays homage to New York’s history.

The Winner

It’s not hard and it needn’t be debated. Kansas City has the better uniforms, far and away. The Mets are out-dated in comparison and don’t have an edgy or modern look in any way. It’s great that the Mets stick to their roots and kept a familiar look, but it’s just unfortunate it couldn’t be as vibrant as the Royals. We’re not saying that’s why the Royals are up two games to none, but we’re not not saying that, either.

Think we got it wrong and the Mets have the better uniforms? Let us hear it in the comments below!

The 2015 MLB playoffs aren’t going totally as planned. Some expert picks have bowed out already and the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets have to this point made quick work of the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs. Before we know it, both could be advanced and suddenly we’re talking about the World Series.

It hasn’t happened yet, though, so there is plenty of time for another jaw-dropping performance or three, a crazy comeback or two and to take in the beautiful custom baseball uniforms these teams display on a nightly basis. Sure, these four teams are known more for their pitching and hitting at this point, but they also sport some of the best baseball uniforms in the league. At least they do sometimes.

4. Chicago Cubs

We’ve got nothing against the Cubs. Their MLB uniforms aren’t even “bad” either, they just are the worst of this crop. Call them out-dated or too old fashioned. Call them what you will, but Chicago’s uniforms just aren’t cutting it when compared to the other teams still in the race for the World Series. We like their blue jerseys, but that’s where the fondness ends. Hey, at least they’re not in our bottom five for the entire league.

3. New York Mets

New York really is only one step up above the Cubs. Maybe their players make it look better with more consistent offense, but it’s tough to deny how good the blue and orange goes together. The Mets keep their uniforms pretty classic, as well, from the white uniforms with the old school pinstripes to the solid blue jerseys with the orange striping down the middle. New York doesn’t make it into our top two, but they’re close. And what do they care? They could be moving onto the World Series!

2. Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto’s uniforms do a really good job of giving off a modern look without being too edgy or over the top. Perhaps what is best about the Blue Jays uniforms is their versatility, as their solid dark blue jerseys rock, while their soft blue alternates also look good. They even look good in white, while their alternate grey on grey look also looks sharp. The Jays may not be moving on up to the World Series this year, but they’ve looked great en route to this point and also boast one of the best logos in the league.

1. Kansas City Royals

Like pop singer Lorde says, not everyone can be royal. And none of the other MLB playoff teams can touch their jerseys, either. It’s true, as the Royals do an awesome job of looking modern and in style, yet keep a traditional look. Better yet, they carry the same killer versatility Toronto does with a strong lineup of uniforms that include a slick grey on grey alternate and a powder blue jersey. Most importantly, their solid color scheme is what keeps it all together, while the simple yet sophisticated lettering of the cursive “Royals”, plus their cool “KC” logo gives them one of the better overall looks across the league. It’s probably not much of a coincidence that they top our list and could be headed to the World Series, either. Heck, maybe they’ll just go win it all.

Which MLB playoff team do you think have the best uniforms? Tell us in the comments below!

Predictions can be a real pain. The actual act of predicting isn’t. But looking back and seeing where you went wrong, now that can be a bummer. Take our 2015 MLB playoff calls, for example. We’re now just one full round away from this year’s World Series and just one of our picks remain alive. The Mets.

Hey, a 50% ratio isn’t bad, and neither is getting 7 out of 8 divisional round teams right. For that, we deserve some minor recognition.

Eh, maybe not. The point is, it wasn’t easy to get that many calls right, yet here we are, a round away from the final series, and we very well could still miss completely.

Our prediction was the Mets winning it all by sending the Astros home. New York is still in the mix, but they first have to take down the upstar Chicago Cubs. And if they can get past them and reach the World Series, either the Toronto Blue Jays or Kansas City Royals could be one heck of an out.

Do-overs can be a ton of fun, and while we’ll stick to our guns with the Mets on the one side, we get a chance to make the call on the other. Kansas City already has the early 1-0 lead in this series, and even though it might look like the safe or easy call, we have to side with them to get back to the World Series for the second year in a row.

Kansas City has unfinished business on the brain, and we can’t help but buy into that notion. Maybe it’s that they have more experience or we just don’t trust Toronto’s pitching. Or perhaps its that Toronto has one of the worst-performing custom baseball uniforms around. Call it a gut feeling, but any way you shake it, we like the Royals to sneak past the Jays to get into the World Series again.

That being said, we still like the Mets more than anyone. That was the case a month ago, and that’s the case again today.

Think we had it right all along and the Mets will win the World Series? Like the Jays, Royals or Cubs better? Tell us in the comments below!