Author: stellinin1@gmail.com (Nick Stellini)

It seems counterintuitive to buy a baseball team that you can’t exactly afford, unless there’s a cold calculation in place to not try to win in the name of accumulating capital. Derek Jeter has shown his hand already. It’s possible that Rob Manfred has shown his hand too.

From a wins-and-losses perspective, 2017 wasn’t great for the Phillies. Yet it can be argued that this past season was a success for Philadelphia, and that it is on track to have a big year in 2018.

The Rays are reportedly open to moving their marquee players in the name of lowering payroll. While pitcher Chris Archer isn’t the most expensive player on the roster, he is almost certainly the most valuable.

The Mets may be looking at the data and seeing their starters struggling the third time through the batting order, but “bullpenning” just isn’t the answer.

Here are the top 20 remaining players up for grabs, and where we think they’ll end up.

This is a move that reeks of desperation, greed, stubbornness, pettiness or some foul mixture of all of the above. It is a move that the Nationals may come to regret.

New York, already down two games to none, must do what appears to be the impossible if it wishes to advance to the World Series. It must attempt to stop the fading of the daylight and contain Jose Altuve.

Given that it was so stunning in the first place that a baseball player protested, we shouldn’t be surprised that the season came to an end Sunday without anyone else taking a knee along with Bruce Maxwell.

By one measuring stick, the Padres have failed spectacularly this year. By another, they’ve done exceptionally well.

Aaron Hicks has suddenly found his stroke and has become one of the most important players on a Yankees team in the thick of playoff contention.