Key Dates for the 2015 MLB Season

The Major League Baseball season is ready to kick off another great season of baseball with a few key dates to keep in mind. Opening night is Sunday, April 5^th when the St. Louis Cardinals travel to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs and the season ends on Sunday, October 4^th where all 30 teams play on the same day at the same time (1:05 pm ET) with a few key dates mixed in between.

The Yankees travel to Fenway Park for the first time on May 1^st where Alex Rodriguez will likely hear a chorus of boos. Remember one of the last times we saw Rodriguez in Fenway Ryan Dempster was hitting him (on the fourth try) with a fastball and later Rodriguez hit a home run and mocked David Ortiz’s home run trot and celebration. That should be fun.

Paul Konerko gets his #14 jersey retired by the Chicago White Sox on May 23 but there is no date set for Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada or any of the other ceremonies that will be held this season at Yankee Stadium.

The All Star Game will be held in Cincinnati for the 5^th time on July 14^th of this year and this will mark the first All Star Game for new commissioner Rob Manfred. Pete Rose will be in the stadium after getting permission to attend the event and will likely be honored once again by the team. Hall of Fame inductions for Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio will be held twelve days later on Sunday, July 26^th with the July 31^st trading deadline happening just a few days later.

There are a few minor dates to follow including the August 31^st waiver trade deadline and the September call ups that happen on September 1^st but these are the major ones. Bookmark this post because you may need it later on in the season. It’s going to be another great season for Major League Baseball and frankly I can’t wait. 

Should The Yankees Bring In Paul Konerko?

The Chicago White Sox may have sealed the fate of Paul Konerko and his windy city career after signing first baseman Jose Dariel Abreu to a mega six year contract. That gives the Chi Sox a right handed option at first in Abreu and a left handed option in Adam Dunn, could that be the best news we have heard to date this offseason?

It is no secret that the Yankees want a right handed power option to spell Mark Teixeira a day or two a week next season, especially after missing most of 2013 with a wrist injury, and Konerko fits the mold. He is a veteran, which the Yankees love, he can hit for power, which we lacked in 2013, would likely sign a one year deal, which is ideal, wouldn't command much in salary by my speculation, see the $189 million luxury tax threshold, and is willing to accept a part time position to play at least one more year, sold!

Honestly I think Konerko is a White Sox player or he retires and we have absolutely no shot at him but it's worth kicking the tires on anyway. Konerko is coming off career lows as a regular with a .244/.313/.355 triple slash line after missing a month of the season due to a nagging back injury. Konerko does not help us get younger, he is currently 37 years old, and only hit 12 home runs last season but maybe a change of scenery can invigorate him and we can have a Raul Ibanez part two comeback.

Just to recap I am not advocating for Konerko. I think David Adams adds versatility with his ability to play first, second, and third base and is also a much cheaper option. Adams gets us younger, more flexible, and may shows some signs of hope for change around here. At the same time though, like I said, we should definitely kick the tires on this, doesn't hurt to right?

Unrealistic 2014 Free Agent Targets: Paul Konerko

Paul Konerko would be the ultimate addition to the Yankees as a platoon player with Mark Teixeira at first base and serving a big chunk of time as a designated hitter. Would the long time White Sox be willing to leave Chicago and come to New York to be a part time player though? Well if he was then I do not think he would be featured in this "unrealistic Yankees free agent targets" for the 2014 season feature.

Paul Konerko is a career Chicago White Sox and even in down years they have had an unwillingness to trade him probably out of respect for Konerko. He has never wanted to tuck his tail and run when the Sox were losing and was always a big part of the team when they were winning. If Konerko wants to keep playing it will be for no other team but the Chicago White Sox unfortunately.

Konerko would look so good in those Yankees pinstripes though...

Are We A Trade Match With The Chicago White Sox?

The Chicago White Sox, much like the New York Yankees, are apparently open for business when it comes to trades this trading deadline. The White Sox are not competing once again in the AL Central and they have lots of high priced veterans that the Sox will look to move in order to rebuild and retool for the future that the Yankees will surely be interested in.

First let's get the pipe dreams out of the way by saying that the White Sox are not going to trade Chris Sale and they are not going to trade Paul Konerko, as much as I would like both of them. Tyler Flowers is probably not going to get moved either  unfortunately because the White Sox liked him enough to let AJ Pierzynski walk this past off season. Adam Dunn is going to be a tough move with him hitting below the Mendoza line once again batting .194 and is scheduled to make $15,000,000 in 2014.

John Danks just signed an extension worth $65,000,000 over the next five seasons making him highly unlikely to be moved and more likely to be built around in that rotation. Jeff Keppinger was another guy the Yankees targeted this off season before he signed a three year deal before the season making him also unlikely to be traded. It is conceivable that the White Sox could trade one of the two, more than likely that being Keppinger over Danks,  and use the "total years of team control with a team friendly contract" line in negotiating but I personally do not see it.

The White Sox have more than a few guys that the Yankees would be interested in and should look in to so I am excited to see the latest fire sale in Chicago happen sooner rather than later.