If the Cubs are going to make another October run, they'll have to do so without their biggest offseason acquisition. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reported Tuesday that Yu Darvish has a stress reaction on his right pitching elbow and will miss the remainder of the 2018 season.

Darvish has not pitched in a Cubs uniform since May 20 and was listed on the 60-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right triceps. The 32-year-old lasted just one inning in his most recent rehabilitation start Sunday before needing to exit due to soreness in the elbow.

Darvish was one of baseball's biggest free-agent names last offseason, ultimately signing a six-year, $126 million contract with the Cubs in February. He struggled to a 4.95 ERA and a career-high 4.7 walks per nine innings rate over the eight starts he made for Chicago.

The Cubs did patch up one rotation hole with their July acquisition of left-hander Cole Hamels, and entering play Tuesday, they held a three-game lead over the Brewers in the National League Central.

DETROIT -- The Cubs added some depth -- and hopefully offense -- to the roster on Tuesday, acquiring Daniel Murphy from the Nationals for Minor League infielder Andruw Monasterio, plus a player to be named or cash considerations.

The Cubs know Murphy well -- he batted .529 against them in the 2015 National League Championship Series. Murphy, 33, was batting .300 in 56 games with the Nationals this season. A left-handed hitter, he has a career .413 average (the highest all-time among players with more than 100 plate appearances) and a 1.142 OPS in 28 regular-season games at Wrigley Field, and he was 7-for-12 there earlier this month.

The Cubs claimed Murphy off waivers, then made the trade. Monasterio, 21, was batting .263 in 109 games at Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach.

The Cubs (71-52) boast the best record in the NL, but the offense has been sluggish lately, scoring four runs in four games against the Pirates and batting .239 in August.

Murphy could easily take over at second base, allowing Javier Baez to shift to shortstop to give Addison Russell time to heal a sore right hand. Third baseman Kris Bryant also is still rehabbing from a left shoulder strain.

Murphy did miss more than two months to start the season following right knee surgery. He returned on June 12 and was batting .340 with a .904 OPS since the All-Star break. A left-handed batter, he was a career .299 hitter in 10 Major League seasons with the Mets and Nationals.

Murphy has participated in postseason play in each of the last three seasons, batting .323 with three doubles, eight home runs and 19 RBIs in 24 postseason games. In addition to his regular-season success at Wrigley, he also has a .368 average (7-for-19) with two home runs in four career postseason games there.

The Cardinals brought first baseman Matt Adams back on Tuesday, claiming him on waivers from the Nationals. They also activated right-hander Carlos Martinez from the disabled list.

Infielder Patrick Wisdom was optioned to Triple-A Memphis following Monday night's game and outfielder Dexter Fowler was moved from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

After spending nine years in the Cardinals organization, and six with the big league club from 2012-17, Adams returns to the team that picked him in the 23rd round of the 2009 Draft. The left-handed hitter is batting .257/.332/.510 with 18 homers and 48 RBIs in 94 games this season. The 29-year-old shapes up to be a power hitter who can potentially come off the bench.

As a member of the Cardinals, Adams played in 486 games, batting .271 with 56 home runs and 217 RBIs. He is eligible for free agency at the end of the season.

Martinez returns to the Cardinals having missed 19 games after sustaining a right shoulder strain on July 31. The right-hander made two relief appearances during an injury rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield. Martinez is 6-6 with a 3.41 ERA in 18 big league starts this season, striking out 98 batters in 100 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals hope the additions of Adams and Martinez provide a spark they need for the pennant chase. Entering Tuesday, St. Louis was in a three-way tie with Colorado and Philadelphia for the second National League Wild Card spot, a half-game behind Milwaukee.

Wisdom, 26, was purchased from Memphis on Aug. 11 and played in nine games for the Cardinals, batting .333 with a home run and three RBIs in 12 at-bats. He had played in 747 career Minor League games before making his Major League debut.

Adams was in transit and is expected to join up with the team in the upcoming days.

The Dodgers reportedly claimed Bryce Harper off revocable trade waivers on Tuesday, but the claim has expired and the former National League MVP Award winner will stay with the Nationals, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

Added Harper on Tuesday: "I had no fear of being traded."

Los Angeles had been linked to Harper when he was reportedly made available ahead of the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, and it made arguably the biggest splash of the trade season by acquiring star shortstop Manny Machado from the Orioles on July 18.

Tweet from @JonHeyman: sources: waivers have expired on Bryce harper. he is staying with nats.

The Nationals had 48 hours to either work out a standard trade with the claiming club -- in this case, the Dodgers, who were first reported as the claiming team by Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan in Washington -- or allow Harper to simply leave for nothing in return.

• Trade Waivers & Aug. 31 'Deadline'

According to the Washington Post, Mark Reynolds, Matt Wieters and Gio Gonzalez were also placed on revocable waivers.

After Harper was said to be available the night before the non-waiver Deadline, Rizzo said the next morning that Harper wouldn't be moved, saying "Bryce is not going anywhere. I believe in this team."

On Tuesday, Rizzo echoed the conviction he had in the decision not to sell three weeks ago. 

"We took a chance at the first [non-waiver] Trade Deadline and held tight with the belief that that was our best way to compete," Rizzo said. "We kept almost our entire roster intact. I still think that today we have the talent base on this team to play competitive games at the end of the season, realizing I know what the standings say and what the calendar says, but the talent level in that locker room is still great."

In order to be eligible for a postseason roster, a player traded must be acquired by his team no later than Aug. 31. It's not uncommon for high-profile players to be placed on waivers at this time of year. In fact, most clubs will place a sizable portion of their Major League roster on waivers to gauge interest for their talent ahead of the offseason.

At 33 years old, with his free agency looming and in a season that has been shortened by his recovery from right knee surgery last offseason, Daniel Murphy, who was placed on revocable waivers on Friday, was the more logical chip to move. He was sent to the Cubs for Minor League infielder Andruw Monasterio and a player to be named or cash considerations on Tuesday.

First baseman/outfielder Matt Adams also fit that bill as a valuable commodity off the bench in the postseason, particularly with a distinct platoon advantage. The Cardinals reacquired Adams on Tuesday for cash considerations.

"These are tough decisions," Rizzo said. "To trade an ultiamte professional like Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams is never easy, but we feel like this is the best way to facilitate what we're trying to do not only in 2018 and beyond."

Harper, however, presents a convoluted case.

Harper, who will be a free agent at season's end, has been the longstanding face of the franchise since he was selected with the first overall pick in 2010, and moving him before season's end may have an effect on their attempt to re-sign him. Harper, who is hitting .246/.380/.511 with 30 homers, has long been optimistic about the club's postseason chances. And by moving the six-time All-Star, Washington would give up the chance to extend the star outfielder a qualifying offer and receive Draft pick compensation should he reject that offer.

Washington entered Tuesday 7 1/2 games back of the Braves in the NL East standings and 6 1/2 games out of the second NL Wild Card spot, with four teams ahead.

Managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner wrote in a letter to fans on Tuesday: "I believed in this team, and would have loved to see them all play healthy together this season. However, the time has come for us to make decisions that will bolster our roster for next season and beyond. This is about giving us some roster flexibility, giving us the opportunity to see some of our young talent, and seeing if we can still find a combination or two that could spark a difference."

The National League Most Valuable Player Award race just got crazy, and you can thank Matt Carpenter and the Cardinals. Until they took off, we were close to getting things figured out.

Did we mention Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman? He has been the NL MVP Award favorite for most of this season and may still be. However, in the latest poll of MLB.com's Baseball Writers' Association of America membership, Carpenter has cut Freeman's lead to a single point, 106 to 105.

Video: Carpenter's hot bat carrying the Cardinals

If you're looking for normalcy, that would be in the AL MVP Award race, where Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts continues to hold a large lead over Mike Trout and Jose Ramirez. Betts received 25 of 30 first-place votes with Ramirez (three) and Trout (two) getting the other five. Trout finished slightly ahead of Ramirez in the overall balloting by receiving a large number of second-place votes.

Freeman got 14 of 30 first-place votes in the NL, with the other 16 spread among four players: Carpenter (10), Nolan Arenado (four) and Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom (one apiece).

Interestingly, the NL vote is a reminder that team performance still matters in the MVP Award selection process. Carpenter turned his season around in mid-May, but didn't become a significant factor in MVP Award voting until the Cardinals opened August by winning 14 of their first 18 games.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Freeman, Braves (106 points)
No NL hitter, including Carpenter, has been hotter than Freeman, who entered Monday with a .429 OBP his past 21 games. He began Monday leading the NL with a 5.0 WAR and a .321 batting average. Freeman may join Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones as the only Braves to have three seasons of at least 30 doubles, 20 homers and a .300 batting average.

Video: MIA@ATL: Freeman drives a solo home run to center

Carpenter, Cardinals (105 points)
Carpenter's turnaround has become one of the best stories of this season. Since his batting average bottomed out at .140 on May 15, he leads the NL in OPS (1.101), slugging (.679), total bases (218) and has hit 31 home runs in 86 games. Carpenter's 13 intentional walks are a career high and the most by a Cardinal since Carlos Beltran drew 15 in 2012.

Video: STL@LAD: Carpenter goes back-to-back with Gyorko

Arenado, Rockies (38 points)
Arenado's 4.9 WAR at the start of play on Monday was sandwiched between Freeman's 5.0 and a 4.7 by Carpenter and Paul Goldschmidt at the top of the NL leaderboard. His .406 wOBA leads the NL, and his defense at third remains the gold standard in both leagues.

Video: COL@HOU: Arenado drills his 30th homer of the season

Others receiving votes: Javier Baez, Cubs; Scherzer, Nationals; deGrom, Mets; Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Betts, Red Sox (138 points)
Betts is the only Major Leaguer to hit for the cycle and have multiple three-home run games (two). If that sounds like we're stretching for superlatives, it's because we've almost run out of them. Betts led the Majors with a .343 batting average entering Monday and was second in OPS. He's also 24-for-27 in stolen bases and second to Detroit's JaCoby Jones in Defensive Runs Saved among AL outfielders.

Video: BOS@TOR: Betts belts solo homer to complete the cycle

Trout, Angels (69 points)
This season has brought some clarity to the discussion about where Trout belongs among the all-time greats. His 62.0 career WAR is the second highest by a position player through his age 26 season. Only Ty Cobb (63.4) was higher. Trout and Willie Mays are the only players with three seasons of 30 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases by age 26.

Video: LAA@TB: Trout hammers his 30th homer of the season

Ramirez, Indians (55 points)
Ramirez entered play on Tuesday with 37 home runs in 122 games, the third most by a switch-hitter in MLB history, trailing only Mickey Mantle, who had 45 in 1961 and 42 in '56. Ramirez's 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in the first inning are the most in MLB since Carlos Guillen had 37 in 2007.

Video: BAL@CLE: Ramirez ties MLB lead with 37th home run

Others receiving votes: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox.

The Cardinals may look back at this season and see that their transformation into the National League's hottest team during the late summer began with a managerial change. What makes this unique is not that the Cards made a change, but that it worked. This seldom happens.

In this case, the decision to dismiss Mike Matheny and promote bench coach Mike Shildt -- a career organization man -- has been stunning.

Since making the switch after losing to the Reds on July 14, St. Louis has the NL's best record at 22-11. Shildt's hiring didn't happen in a vacuum. At about the same time, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak made significant changes to his roster by loading it with the organization's best kids, especially 24-year-old outfielder Harrison Bader and a pitching staff with five members age 25 and under.

But it would be a mistake to discount Shildt's contribution. Some of that could be a change in voice, tone or whatever. 

Video: STL@LAD: Gyorko, Carpenter and Shildt discuss win

Many current Cardinals played for Shildt in the Minor Leagues, and some of the things he has done -- for instance, daily meetings with his hitters to review games and simply talk baseball -- probably have been as much about team building as technical discussions.

Shildt's understated style, his constant reminders that "it's about the players," has been the right touch at the right time. The Cardinals had a tremendous run under Matheny, making four postseason appearances in six seasons.

Even now, the Cardinals' players refuse to criticize Matheny. Asked why the Cards, who were 47-46 at the time of the change, were having more fun, Matt Carpenter said: "When you're winning, you're always going to have more energy and look like you're having more fun."

Seeing what St. Louis has done is why teams make in-season managerial changes. Besides that, it has worked a few times through the years. Let's look at five others that worked:

1. 2003 Marlins
Original manager: Jeff Torborg (16-22)
Replacement: Jack McKeon (75-49)
How it played out: Won World Series

As we said, sometimes in-season changes work better than anyone could have predicted. McKeon brought his folksy, cigar-smoking, wisecracking style to the dugout, and the Marlins took off. McKeon's style might be best summed up by the advice he gave center fielder Juan Pierre: "I wish you wouldn't work so hard. I think you should show up a little later and save some of it for the games." Josh Beckett's complete-game shutout at Yankee Stadium in Game 6 of the World Series completed a magical season.

Video: 2003 WS Gm6: Beckett tags out Posada, Marlins win it

2. 1988 Red Sox
Original manager: John McNamara (43-42)
Replacement: Joe Morgan (46-31)
How it played out: Swept by A's in American League Championship Series

No managerial change could have been a more dramatic shift in style than dismissing the taciturn McNamara and replacing him with Morgan, a son of New England -- a lifelong resident of Walpole, Mass., and a baseball and hockey player at Boston College. Morgan's easygoing style resonated nicely with a club that had underperformed.

Video: SEA@BOS: Sox honor Morgan, 1988 squad before game

3. 2009 Rockies
Original manager: Clint Hurdle (18-28)
Replacement: Jim Tracy (74-42)
How it played out: Lost to Phillies in NL Division Series

All these years later, the Rockies are not exactly sure why the change worked. Both Hurdle and Tracy were competent managers and sound baseball men. One player, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, said guilt was a factor in how badly the team had played, which cost Hurdle his job. Others did say the atmosphere become lighter under Tracy, but as Carpenter said of the Cardinals, that's almost always a result of success on the field. That year, Tracy won the NL Manager of the Year Award. 

Video: Harold on NL Manager of the Year winner Jim Tracy

4. 1978 Yankees
Original manager: Billy Martin (52-42)
Replacement: Bob Lemon (48-20)
How it played out: Won World Series

Lemon was the perfect man to interrupt another summer of George Steinbrenner and Martin at each other's throats. His stoic demeanor brought calm to a clubhouse that needed it, and the Yankees rallied from 10 games back to overtake the Red Sox on Bucky Dent's home run in the tiebreaking Game 163. When asked to explain the difference between Martin and Lemon, Yanks outfielder Jay Johnstone said the following spring: "Lem's sort of like an Andy Griffith character. You know, 'Take it easy, don't panic, we'll think of something.'"

Video: '78 WS, Gm. 6: The Yankees win the 1978 World Series

5. 2004 Astros
Original manager: Jimy Williams (44-44)
Replacement: Phil Garner (48-26)
How it played out: Beat Braves in NLDS, lost to Cardinals in NL Championship Series

Garner lived in the Houston suburbs, and pretty much like the others on this list, he brought a laid-back approach that was a perfect contrast to Williams for a team flush with talent. Garner led the Astros to their first postseason series victory, then steered them to their first NL pennant the following season.

College students are returning to their respective campuses for the start of the academic year. Many of the college game's top players spent the summer showing what they could do against a high level of competition as teams start building follow lists for the 2019 Draft.

The following top 10 names were compiled with the feedback of several scouting directors and national crosscheckers who saw the top collegians playing in the elite Cape Cod League or for USA Baseball's National Collegiate Team. Some played in both places, not everyone excelled and one didn't play at all this summer, but this is the best representation of what the industry feels are the best 10 college players heading into 2019.

"The college left-handed pitching seems to have some strength," one scouting director said about the class as a whole. "There are a few higher college bats then there is a significant drop in my confidence in their ability to hit."

:: Complete prospect coverage ::

1. Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State: Rutschman, a candidate to go No. 1 overall, raked during Oregon State's run through Omaha in the College World Series and he kept going with Team USA. Despite not joining the national team until late, he still led the squad in batting average (.355), on-base percentage (.432), slugging (.516) and doubles (five).

2. Andrew Vaughn,1B, Cal: After winning the Golden Spikes Award as a sophomore (.402/.531/.819), Vaughn went on to hit .308 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 14 Cape Cod League games. From there, he joined Team USA, where he hit a bit of a wall (.224/.316/.367), though that did little to hurt his stock as one of the best all-around college bats in the class.

3. Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson: Davidson has been a bit of an enigma, but one scouts clearly feel will figure it out. He's hit for power over his first two years at Clemson (27 homers), albeit with some swing and miss. He has the tools to stick at short, but he didn't hit well in the Cape for the second straight summer.

4. Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor: Langeliers had a down sophomore year at Baylor (.252/.351/.496), but the catcher had a strong showing for Team USA, hitting .346/.393/.500 in eight games of action. There's plenty of power to go along with very good catch-and-throw skills behind the plate.

5. Nick Lodolo, LHP, TCU: The big left-hander, who was taken No. 41 overall by the Pirates in the 2016 Draft, didn't pitch over the summer. But despite being a bit inconsistent in two years as a part of Texas Christian's rotation, scouts can't look past his size (6-foot-6) and his stuff (a fastball up to 95 mph and a solid breaking ball) when evaluating the college crop.

6. Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech: After a huge sophomore season (.392/.491/.639 with 12 homers and 80 RBIs) at Texas Tech, Jung served as Team USA's primary third baseman and acquitted himself well there. He hit .283 with a .377 OBP, albeit without much power, finishing tied for the team lead with 15 hits.

7. Zack Thompson, LHP, Kentucky: Thompson may have at least partially answered some questions about his elbow, which forced him out of action for a chunk of his sophomore season, while pitching for Team USA this summer. He tossed 8 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances and while he did walk five, he only allowed three hits and struck out seven. Yes, he'll have to show he's durable for a full season in the spring, but this was a nice finish to a disappointing season.

8. Matt Wallner, OF, Southern Miss: Wallner had a brief stint with Team USA, hitting just .154 over four games. He continued his summer on the Cape and hit four homers while driving in 11 over 23 regular-season games before going 5-for-15 in the playoffs. He didn't pitch this summer, but he closes for Southern Miss with a fastball that touches the upper-90s.

9. Graeme Stinson, LHP, Duke: Another big lefty, Stinson pitched in relief for Team USA and was very effective, allowing just a lone unearned run in six innings across three outings. He yielded just two hits, and while he walked five, he struck out 10. He had one appearance in the Cape this summer as well, a dominant five-inning stint in which he gave up just three hits and a walk while striking out 12.

10. Bryson Stott, SS, UNLV: Stott played both in the Cape and for Team USA after leading UNLV with a .365 average as a sophomore. The left-handed hitter performed capably but didn't dominate in either spot, although he continued to show his ability to make consistent contact, limiting strikeouts while playing solid up-the-middle defense.

CC Sabathia will be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Friday and start against the Orioles in Baltimore, the Yankees said on Tuesday.

Sabathia hit the DL on Aug. 13 with inflammation in his right knee after landing awkwardly on it while trying to field a soft grounder during the second inning of the Yankees' 7-2 win over the Rangers the day prior.

The 38-year-old veteran has long dealt with recurring pain in his knees during his time in New York, which is why the Yankees chose to exercise caution by placing him on the DL.

Luis Cessa took Sabathia's spot on the roster, and he surrendered five earned runs and seven hits over 3 1/3 innings in a start against the Rays last Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Yankees placed shortstop Didi Gregorius on the 10-day DL with a left heel contusion and recalled first baseman Luke Voit from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The A's are the best story in baseball this year, and it's not even really close. After three consecutive last-place seasons, and after being as far back as 11.5 games less than two months ago, Oakland managed to grab a share of first place after beating Texas on Monday. Even the most optimistic among us last winter couldn't have seen this coming.

There's probably room for multiple novels and movies to explain how this has happened, but at a high level, it's really about three important points. First and most obviously, they've built one of the game's deepest and most dominant bullpens. Second, last year's porous defense (27th-best) has turned into this year's above-average unit (11th), thanks largely to the greatness of Matt Chapman.

Third? Third is that the A's offense proves that all the stories you've heard about baseball in 2018 are true. As a group, they have baseball's highest launch angle. They have baseball's lowest ground ball rate, and baseball's fewest stolen bases. They might be the first team in history to get through a year without a single bunt hit. They're not your traditional offense, and they don't seem to care. This isn't happening by accident.

Video: HOU@OAK: Davis takes Verlander's heat deep twice

You've surely heard the term "launch angle" by now, because it -- along with its cousin exit velocity -- was one of the first Statcast™ terms to gain public acceptance when the tracking system came online in 2015. Just do a simple search for "launch angle revolution," and you'll see dozens of results. While that's maybe a little overstated, it's difficult to ignore the fact that ground balls have dropped considerably in each season since 2015, for all sorts of reasons, including usage of data and reaction to shifts.

It's simply a way to put a number on "did you hit the ball in the air or not," in a way that's calculated more directly than a human observer watching and deciding the often imperceptible-difference between a grounder and a liner, or a liner and a fly. The average Major League launch angle this year is 11.7 degrees, the highest of the four years of Statcast™. The A's are at 15 degrees, also the highest of any team in the four years of Statcast™. About two-thirds of home runs are hit between 25 degrees and 35 degrees. It's just a number, like "how hard did you throw this pitch."

There is such a thing as too much launch angle, because pop-ups are bad, and it's not as simple as "more launch angle = success," which we'll get to in a second. But first, let's point out that this is not happening to the A's by coincidence, or because of one extreme player. A dozen Oakland hitters have put at least 50 balls into play, and eleven of them have a higher launch angle than the Major League average. The one who doesn't, outfielder Nick Martini, is off to a nice start, but is also still looking for his first career home run.

How do you get the highest launch angle in the Majors? You collect a ton of players who have above-average launch angles. A great way to avoid the shift is to get the ball off the ground, and the A's have a 39 percent grounder rate, baseball's lowest. The Majors slug .269 on grounders, and .884 on fly balls and line drives. The A's slug .268 on grounders and .902 on fly balls and line drives. Why would they ever want to hit the ball on the ground? They don't, so they don't.

This isn't terribly complicated, really, nor is it actually a new idea for Oakland -- this has been their brand practically forever. While Statcast™ may have brought the term "launch angle" into public view, the A's have known for years that the best way to counter a league of pitchers intent on throwing low in the zone to get grounders was to import a group of hitters with swing paths specifically built towards crushing those pitches.

Remember the last good A's teams, the 2012-'14 group of mashers like Brandon Moss, Josh Reddick, and Seth Smith? As one nearly-2,000 word analysis from five years ago pointed out, in regards to the 2013 A's, "Beane's roster was so ground-allergic that only 0.8 percent of their plate appearances were taken by 'ground-ball hitters.' That's not just a concentrated effort to target fly balls. That's a mission statement."

That's exactly right. If we go back over the last 15 seasons of baseball, or 450 team seasons, those 2013 A's currently hold the record for lowest ground ball rate. Last year's A's are second-lowest. The 2014 A's are third lowest. This year's collection is seventh-lowest… just ahead of the 2012 A's. Looking at 2014-'18 combined, the A's have by far the lowest grounder rate, unsurprisingly.

So: We've proven that the A's aren't hitting the ball on the ground, and that they never do. But it's not as simple as "you'll be great if you hit the ball in the air," because the second-highest launch angle team is the Twins, who have baseball's 10th-lowest slugging percentage. It's great to get the ball off the ground, yet it only matters if you can hit it hard when you do so. (This is why no one's after Dee Gordon to up his launch angle, for example.)

The short version of that is: Grounders are usually bad, but hitting the ball in the air doesn't matter if you don't hit it hard in the air.

The A's, of course, do. They have baseball's fourth-best hard-hit rate on fly balls and line drives, just above 50 percent, led mostly by Matt Olson and Khris Davis. (Of 197 hitters with 50 flies and liners this year, Olson's 65.4 percent hard-hit rate is 10th; Davis's 62 percent is 17th.)

That's mostly because of the group of hitters they've collected, of course, but they do more than just hit it hard in the air. The A's are patient, seeing 4.00 pitches per plate appearances, the third-highest in baseball. They're disciplined, with the second-lowest chase rate in baseball behind only the Dodgers, and they have the lowest weakly-hit ball rate in the bigs, ahead of the Red Sox.

Tweet from @mike_petriello: Among the many things Oakland hitters are doing well this year: They have baseball's lowest "weakly-hit" rate. https://t.co/780WUXhegF pic.twitter.com/NVcQpfQWPH

None of this makes them the best offense in baseball, because they're not. (By runs per game, they're eighth; by Weighted On-Base Average, they're seventh.) It doesn't mean we give out pennants now based on launch angle, because we don't.

It does mean, however, that the A's have a plan, and they're executing it. Baseball in 2018 is trending towards hitting the ball hard in the air, and having an endlessly deep bullpen. The A's excel at both. We might not have seen this coming, exactly, but this isn't a flukish outcome, either. The 'Swingin' A's' are back. They never really left.

For the second consecutive year, Major Leaguers will put their personalities and passions on the field when Players' Weekend takes center stage during all games from Friday, Aug. 24, through Sunday, Aug. 26.

• Shop for Players' Weekend gear

• All you need to know about Players' Weekend

• Best Players' Weekend nicknames from every team

Here are the nicknames big leaguers will wear on their backs while sporting colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs inspired by youth-league uniforms:

Video: Get ready, 2018 Players' Weekend is August 24-26

:: Players' Weekend presented by Valspar Stain ::

Angels
Jose Alvarez: "KÍKE"
Justin Anderson: "ANDO"
Francisco Arcia: "FRANKIE"
Jaime Barria: "EL PANA"
Cam Bedrosian: "BEDROCK"
Jose Briceno: "ORE"
Kole Calhoun: "KOLEMAN"
Kaleb Cowart: "PAL"
Zack Cozart: "L.A. COZ"
Jose Fernandez: "JOTAVE"
David Fletcher: "FLETCH"
Andrew Heaney: "HEANDOG"
Jake Jewell: "BOB:
Jim Johnson: "J.J."
Jefry Marte: "EL BLEY"
Alex Meyer: "BUBBA"
Keynan Middleton: "MAJOR KEY"
Shohei Ohtani: "SHOWTIME"
Blake Parker: "B-EASY"
Felix Pena: "LA BEFLA"
Albert Pujols: "THE MACHINE"
JC Ramirez: "J.C. TIME"
Noe Ramirez: "OTTO"
Garrett Richards: "G-RICH"
Rene Rivera: "MONCHO"
Hansel Robles: "EL PEÑACO"
Matt Shoemaker: "SHOE"
Andrelton Simmons: "SIMÓN"
Tyler Skaggs: "SWAGGY"
Nick Tropeano: "NITRO"
Mike Trout: "KIIIIID"
Justin Upton: "J - UP"
Blake Wood: "BLOCK-A"
Chris Young: "C Y"
Eric Young Jr.: "EYJ"
• More on Angels Players' Weekend nicknames >

Video: Get ready, 2018 Players' Weekend is August 24-26

Astros
Jose Altuve: "TUVE"
Alex Bregman: "A-BREG"
Gerrit Cole: "COLE TRAIN"
Carlos Correa: "I AM GROOT"
J.D. Davis: "JD"
Chris Devenski: "THE DRAGON"
Derek Fisher: "FISHER"
Evan Gattis: "BULL"
Marwin Gonzalez: "MARGO"
Yuli Gurriel: "LA PIÑA"
Jandel Gustave: "GUSTAVE"
Will Harris: "BILL"
Tony Kemp: "KEMPY"
Dallas Keuchel: "DAVID BURD"
Jake Marisnick: "BIG FUDGE"
Lance McCullers Jr.: "PERDOMO"
Collin McHugh: "Mu Q"
Martin Maldonado: "VALDEZ"
Brian McCann: "UNO SEIS"
Charlie Morton: "GROUND CHUCK"
Roberto Osuna: "OSUNA"
Brad Peacock: "P"
Ryan Pressly: "PRESSLY"
Josh Reddick: "RED DAWG"
Hector Rondon: "RONDY"
Tony Sipp: "SIPP"
Joe Smith: "SMITTY"
George Springer: "SPRINGER"
Max Stassi: "STASSINELLI"
Justin Verlander: "J V"
Tyler White: "WHITEY"
• More on Astros Players' Weekend nicknames >

Athletics
Brett Anderson: "NOON"
Paul Blackburn: "BLACKIE"
Ryan Buchter: "5 DEUCE"
Trevor Cahill: "T.C."
Mark Canha: "TOM ACE"
Matt Chapman: "CHAPPY"
Jharel Cotton: "SQUEAKY"
Khris Davis: "KD"
Jeurys Familia: "LA FAMA"
Mike Fiers: "KAI"
Daniel Gossett: "GOOSE"
Chris Hatcher: "HATCH"
Edwin Jackson: "SCOOP"
Matt Joyce: "SWEET SWINGIN'"
Shawn Kelley: "KELLEYTIME"
Ramon Laureano: "LAUREANO"
Jed Lowrie: "JEDI"
Jonathan Lucroy: "LUC"
Sean Manaea: "MANAEALATOR"
Nick Martini: "TINI"
Matt Olson: "OLY"
Emilio Pagan: "EMILIOOOOO"
Yusmeiro Petit: "YUS"
Josh Phegley: "PTBNL"
Chad Pinder: "CHI"
Stephen Piscotty: "MOMO"
Marcus Semien: "SAUCE"
Jake Smolinski: "SMO $"
Blake Treinen: "TRAIN"
Andrew Triggs: "TRIGGONOMETRY"
Lou Trivino: "SWEET LOU"
• More on Athletics Players' Weekend nicknames >

Blue Jays
Danny Barnes: "BARNZY"
Joe Biagini: "JOE THE GREAT"
Ryan Borucki: "BORUCKI"
Tyler Clippard: "CLIP"
Aledmys Diaz: "PAPITO"
Josh Donaldson: "BRINGER OF RAIN"
Brandon Drury: "DRU"
Marco Estrada: "ESTRATOSPHERE"
Jaime Garcia: "JAIMITO"
Sam Gaviglio: "GAVIGLIO"
Ken Giles: "100 MILES GILES"
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.: "YUNITO"
Curtis Granderson: "GRANDYMAN"
Randal Grichuk: "GRICH"
Teoscar Hernandez: "OCA"
Luke Maile: "LUKEY BARRELS"
Russell Martin: "LE MUSCLE"
Kendrys Morales: "MONINA"
Jake Petricka: "PETEY"
Kevin Pillar: "KP"
Aaron Sanchez: "SANCHIZE"
Luis Santos: "EL NITO"
Justin Smoak: "MOAKEY"
Yangervis Solarte: "TUTU"
Marcus Stroman: "HDMH"
Ryan Tepera: "TEP"
Devon Travis: "D-TRAV"
Troy Tulowitzki: "TULO"
Richard Urena: "RICHI"
• More on Blue Jays Players' Weekend nicknames >

Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr.: "SABANERO SOY"
Ozzie Albies: "PUCHI"
Jesse Biddle: "JB"
Brad Brach: "B-RAD"
Johan Camargo: "JC"
Shane Carle: "SHUGGA"
Rhiner Cruz: "CRUEZY"
Charlie Culberson: "CULBY"
Adam Duvall: "DUVY"
Ryan Flaherty: "FLASH"
Tyler Flowers: "MMBB"
Mike Foltynewicz: "FOLTY"
Freddie Freeman: "ANDREW"
Sam Freeman: "FREEZY"
Max Fried: "MAXIMUS"
Kevin Gausman: "GAUSY"
Ender Inciarte: "GAME ENDER"
Luke Jackson: "SKYWALKER"
Nick Markakis: "TTT"
Brandon McCarthy: "MAC"
A.J. Minter: "MINT"
Sean Newcomb: "NEWK"
Wes Parsons: "PARSONS"
Jose Ramirez: "RAMIREZ"
Anibal Sanchez: "ALEJO"
Mike Soroka: "ROCK"
Kurt Suzuki: "ZUK"
Dansby Swanson: "DANS"
Julio Teheran: "EL CABALLO DE OLAYA"
Jonny Venters: "JV"
Arodys Vizcaino: "ARODYS"
Dan Winkler: "WINK"
• More on Braves Players' Weekend nicknames >

Brewers
Jesus Aguilar: "EL CAUSA"
Matt Albers: "ALBIE"
Chase Anderson: "TEXAS"
Orlando Arcia: "EL NIÑO"
Jacob Barnes: "KING COBRA"
Ryan Braun: "OCHO"
Corbin Burnes: "BURNESY"
Lorenzo Cain: "LO CAIN"
Jhoulys Chacin: "LA MAKINA"
Zach Davies: "COUNS"
Nick Franklin: "NICKY"
Junior Guerra: "CABEZON"
Josh Hader: "STRICKEN"
Jeremy Jeffress: "JOTA JOTA"
Dan Jennings: "DJ"
Corey Knebel: "BIRD DOG"
Erik Kratz: "KRATZY"
Jordan Lyles: "JORDY"
Wade Miley: "MILES"
Mike Moustakas: "MOOSE"
Jimmy Nelson: "BIG SWEAT"
Freddy Peralta: "KACIKI"
Hernan Perez: "PEPPER"
Manny Pina: "PINEAPPLE"
Jonathan Schoop: "MAMBA"
Travis Shaw: "MAYOR-DDC"
Joakim Soria: "JUNIOR"
Brent Suter: "THE RAPTOR"
Eric Thames: "MR. TEE"
Stephen Vogt: "I BELIEVE"
Taylor Williams: "T. WILLY"
Christian Yelich: "YELI"
• More on Brewers Players' Weekend nicknames >

Cardinals
Matt Adams: "BIG CITY"
Harrison Bader: "TOTS"
Matt Carpenter: "CARP"
Brett Cecil: "SQUINTS"
Paul DeJong: "PAULY"
Jack Flaherty: "FLARE"
Dexter Fowler: "DEX"
John Gant: "GANT"
Adolis Garcia: "EL BOMBI"
Greg Garcia: "GG"
Austin Gomber: "BIG G"
Luke Gregerson: "DUKE"
Jedd Gyorko: "JERK-OH"
Jordan Hicks: "HICKS"
Dakota Hudson: "DAK"
Dominic Leone: "DOMINATOR"
Carlos Martinez: "TSUNAMI"
Jose Martinez: "CAFÉ"
Mike Mayers: "MAYERS"
Miles Mikolas: "MIK"
Yadier Molina: "YADI"
Yairo Munoz: "PALITO"
Bud Norris: "BUDMAN"
Tyler O'Neill: "O'NEILL"
Marcell Ozuna: "THE BIG BEAR"
Francisco Pena: "PEÑITA"
Daniel Poncedeleon: "PONCEDELEON"
Alex Reyes: "A.REY"
Tyson Ross: "FREEWAY"
Chasen Shreve: "SHA-REEF"
Michael Wacha: "WACHAMOLE"
Adam Wainwright: "WAINO"
Luke Weaver: "DREAM"
Tyler Webb: "WEBBY"
Kolten Wong: "THE PEBBLE"
• More on Cardinals Players' Weekend nicknames >

Cubs
Albert Almora Jr.: "TICO"
Anthony Bass: "FISH"
Javier Baez: "EL MAGO"
David Bote: "BOAT"
Kris Bryant: "KB"
Victor Caratini: "VIC"
Tyler Chatwood: "CHATTY"
Jesse Chavez: "DADO"
Steve Cishek: "SPEEDPASS"
Willson Contreras: "WILLY THE BEAST"
Yu Darvish: "YU-SAN"
Brian Duensing: "DEUCE"
Carl Edwards Jr.: "STRINGBEAN SLINGER"
Cole Hamels: "HOLLYWOOD"
Justin Hancock: "HERBIE"
Ian Happ: "HAPPER"
Kyle Hendricks: "HENDO"
Jason Heyward: "J-HEY"
Brandon Kintzler: "SALT"
Tommy La Stella: "LA STELLA"
Jon Lester: "LEFTHANDER"
Brandon Morrow: "B MO"
Mike Montgomery: "MONTY"
Daniel Murphy: "MURPH"
Jose Quintana: "LELO"
Anthony Rizzo: "TONY"
Randy Rosario: "PELO FINO"
Addison Russell: "ADDY"
Kyle Schwarber: "SCHWARBS"
Drew Smyly: "SMILES"
Pedro Strop: "STROPY"
Justin Wilson: "J WILLY"
Ben Zobrist: "ZORILLA"
• More on Cubs Players' Weekend nicknames >

D-backs
Nick Ahmed: "SLICK NICK"
Matt Andriese: "DREEZY"
Alex Avila: "PARKMAN"
Brad Boxberger: "🎁🍔"
Archie Bradley: "HOLLYWOOD"
Clay Buchholz: "BUCK"
Andrew Chafin: "THE SHERIFF"
Patrick Corbin: "CORBY"
Daniel Descalso: "SCALS"
Jake Diekman: "GUT IT OUT"
Jarrod Dyson: "ZOOMBIYA"
Eduardo Escobar: "EL DE LA PICA"
Zack Godley: "BULL"
Paul Goldschmidt: "GOLDY"
Zack Greinke: "GREINKE"
Robby Hammock: "HAMMER"
Yoshihisa Hirano: "YOSHI SAN"
Jon Jay: "305 J"
Jake Lamb: "LAMBO"
Ketel Marte: "PIKE"
Jeff Mathis: "MATTY"
T.J. McFarland: "RETURN OF THE MAC"
Shelby Miller: "MILLZY"
John Ryan Murphy: "CHOIR BOY"
David Peralta: "FREIGHT TRAIN"
A.J. Pollock: "POLLO"
Robbie Ray: "BOB"
Steven Souza Jr.: "SOUZ"
Taijuan Walker: "TAI WEEZY"
Brad Ziegler: "UNICORN"
• More on D-backs Players' Weekend nicknames >

Dodgers
Scott Alexander: "SCOTTIE BOY"
John Axford: "AX MAN"
Pedro Baez: "LA MULA"
Austin Barnes: "SAM"
Cody Bellinger: "BELLI"
Walker Buehler: "FERRIS"
JT Chargois: "SHAG"
Tony Cingrani: "GRANI"
Brian Dozier: "BULL"
Josh Fields: "FIELDS"
Dylan Floro: "F LORO"
Erik Goeddel: "GOODY"
Yasmani Grandal: "YAZMANIAN DEVIL"
Enrique Hernandez: "KIKÉ"
Rich Hill: "D. MOUNTAIN"
Daniel Hudson: "HUDDY"
Kenley Jansen: "KENLEYFORNIA"
Matt Kemp: "MATT"
Clayton Kershaw: "KERSH"
Tom Koehler: "TK"
Manny Machado: "EL MINISTRO"
Kenta Maeda: "MAEKEN"
Max Muncy: "MUNCE"
Joc Pederson: "KING"
Yasiel Puig: "WILD HORSE"
Hyun-Jin Ryu: "MONSTER"
Zac Rosscup: "CUP"
Dennis Santana: "ANFERNEE"
Corey Seager: "SEAGS"
Ross Stripling: "CHICKEN STRIP"
Chris Taylor: "CT3"
Justin Turner: "REDTURN2"
Julio Urias: "EL CULICHI"
Chase Utley: "SILVER FOX"
Pat Venditte: "P-VITTY"
Alex Wood: "AWOOD"
• More on Dodgers Players' Weekend nicknames >

Giants
Brandon Belt: "BOB"
Ty Blach: "THE PREACHER"
Ray Black: "BLACKOUT"
Madison Bumgarner: "MAD-BUM"
Brandon Crawford: "DJ BC RAW"
Johnny Cueto: "EL JUCHO"
Chase d'Arnaud: "CHEETAH"
Sam Dyson: "PSSST"
Steven Duggar: "DUGG"
Julian Fernandez: "BILLETE"
Alen Hanson: "EL CHAMAQUITO"
Gorkys Hernandez: "CAZADOR"
Derek Holland: "LAST NAME"
Nick Hundley: "HUNDO"
Pierce Johnson: "P.J."
Derek Law: "D-LAW"
Evan Longoria: "LONGO"
Andrew McCutchen: "ZOOM"
Mark Melancon: "MEL"
Reyes Moronta: "EL TIBU"
Joe Panik: "J.P."
Hunter Pence: "UNDERPANTS"
Buster Posey: "BUSTER"
Dereck Rodriguez: "D-ROD"
Jeff Samardzija: "SHARK"
Pablo Sandoval: "PANDA"
Will Smith: "SMITTY"
Austin Slater: "MAYOR"
Hunter Strickland: "STRICK"
Andrew Suarez: "ANDY"
Tony Watson: "TONE RANGER"
• More on Giants Players' Weekend nicknames >

Indians
Cody Allen: "CHICKEN"
Yonder Alonso: "MR. 305"
Cody Anderson: "BIG RIG"
Trevor Bauer: "BAUER OUTAGE"
Shane Bieber: "NOT JUSTIN"
Michael Brantley: "JUNIOR"
Melky Cabrera: "MELK MAN"
Carlos Carrasco: "COOKIE"
Lonnie Chisenhall: "BIGLON"
Adam Cimber: "CIM"
Mike Clevinger: "SUNSHINE"
Rajai Davis: "RAJ"
Edwin Encarnacion: "RIVERA"
Yan Gomes: "GOMER"
Erik Gonzalez: "LA PARITA"
Nick Goody: "GOODS"
Brandon Guyer: "LA PIÑATA"
Brad Hand: "BROTEIN SHAKE"
Jason Kipnis: "DIRTBAG"
Corey Kluber: "KLUBER"
Francisco Lindor: "MR. SMILE"
Leonys Martin: "THE ASERE"
Andrew Miller: "MILLER TIME"
Tyler Naquin: "BILLY"
Dan Otero: "OT"
Oliver Perez: "OLLIE"
Jose Ramirez: "ENRIQUITO"
Roberto Perez: "BEBO"
Neil Ramirez: "RAMMER"
Danny Salazar: "SALLY"
Josh Tomlin: "SCRUBS"
• More on Indians Players' Weekend nicknames >

Mariners
Dan Altavilla: "BUZZY"
Chasen Bradford: "BLACK BEAR"
Robinson Cano: "NOLO"
Alex Colome: "THE HORSE"
Nelson Cruz: "BOOMSTICK"
Edwin Diaz: "SUGAR"
Zach Duke: "DUKIE"
Roenis Elias: "CUBICHE"
Marco Gonzales: "GONZO"
Dee Gordon: "VARIS"
Mitch Haniger: "MEETCH"
Ryon Healy: "BUBBA"
Felix Hernandez: "KING FELIX"
Chris Herrmann: "WORM"
Mike Leake: "SPIKE"
Wade LeBlanc: "FRENCHY"
Cameron Maybin: "SLIM"
Juan Nicasio: "ARENOSO"
James Paxton: "BIG MAPLE"
James Pazos: "PAPA PAZ"
Erasmo Ramirez: "MITO"
Andrew Romine: "ROMI"
Kyle Seager: "SEAGER"
Jean Segura: "EL MAMBO"
Denard Span: "D-SPAN"
Sam Tuivailala: "TUI"
Nick Vincent: "HUBBA HUBBA"
Adam Warren: "THE WARDEN"
Mike Zunino: "Z"
• More on Mariners Players' Weekend nicknames >

Marlins
Brian Anderson: "ANDY"
Kyle Barraclough: "BEAR"
Lewis Brinson: "SWEET LEW"
Starlin Castro: "ALL STARLIN"
Wei-Yin Chen: "WEIGH-IN"
Adam Conley: "ACON"
Garrett Cooper: "COOPALOOP"
Derek Dietrich: "DIETZ"
Isaac Galloway: "GALLO"
Jarlin Garcia: "JARLIN THE MARLIN"
Brett Graves: "BUMP"
Javy Guerra: "JAVY"
Tayron Guerrero: "EL DE BOCACHICA"
Elieser Hernandez: "LILO"
Bryan Holaday: "HOLLY"
Pablo Lopez: "PACHÉ"
Chris O'Grady: "GRIZZ"
Martin Prado: "PRATT"
J.T. Realmuto: "REAL"
Trevor Richards: "RICHIE"
JT Riddle: "T"
Yadiel Rivera: "TIZNAO"
Miguel Rojas: "MIGGY RO"
Drew Rucinski: "RUSINSKI"
Magneuris Sierra: "MIYAGUI"
Caleb Smith: "SMITTY"
Drew Steckenrider: "STECKASAURUS"
Dan Straily: "THUNDER"
Jose Urena: "EL NUEVE"
• More on Marlins Players' Weekend nicknames >

Mets
Tyler Bashlor: "BASH"
Jose Bautista: "JOEYBATS"
Jerry Blevins: "JER-RY JER-RY JER-RY"
Jay Bruce: "BRUUUCE"
Yoenis Cespedes: "LA POTENCIA"
Michael Conforto: "SCOOTER"
Travis d'Arnaud: "LIL d"
Jacob deGrom: "deGROM"
Phillip Evans: "BARREL"
Wilmer Flores: "CATIRE"
Todd Frazier: "TODDFATHER"
Robert Gsellman: "G-MAN"
Luis Guillorme: "LUISMI"
Austin Jackson: "A-JAX"
Juan Lagares: "ANGELO"
Seth Lugo: "QUARTERRICAN"
Steven Matz: "MATZY"
Jeff McNeil: "JT"
Devin Mesoraco: "ROCKO"
Rafael Montero: "MONTERO"
Brandon Nimmo: "NIMMS"
Corey Oswalt: "OZ"
Kevin Plawecki: "PLAW DAWG"
AJ Ramos: "JUNIOR"
Jose Reyes: "LA MELAZA"
Jacob Rhame: "RHAMROD"
T.J. Rivera: "T-BUTTA"
Amed Rosario: "EL NIÑO"
Paul Sewald: "PAULIE"
Dominic Smith: "BIG D"
Drew Smith: "SMITTY"
Anthony Swarzak: "T-SWEEZY"
Noah Syndergaard: "THOR"
Jason Vargas: "VARGY"
Bobby Wahl: "PEANUT"
Zack Wheeler: "WHEELS"
David Wright: "D-DUB"
• More on Mets Players' Weekend nicknames >

Nationals
Joaquin Benoit: "JACK"
Wilmer Difo: "EL DE"
Sean Doolittle: "DOC"
Adam Eaton: "SPANKY"
Erick Fedde: "FEDDECCINI"
Koda Glover: "BEAR"
Gio Gonzalez: "DOUBLE G"
Matt Grace: "GRACEY"
Bryce Harper: "MONDO"
Jeremy Hellickson: "HELLY"
Kelvin Herrera: "K 40"
Greg Holland: "HOLLY"
Howie Kendrick: "TRUCK"
Spencer Kieboom: "BOOMER"
Ryan Madson: "BLEST"
Justin Miller: "J. MILLZ"
Tommy Milone: "TOMASO"
Anthony Rendon: "ANT"
Mark Reynolds: "SHERIFF"
Tanner Roark: "T-RO"
Joe Ross: "JR"
Max Scherzer: "BLUE EYE"
Jhonatan Solano: "TATAN"
Sammy Solis: "BIG ANGUS"
Juan Soto: "JUANJO"
Wander Suero: "THE ANIMAL"
Stephen Strasburg: "STRAS"
Michael A. Taylor: "MIGGY"
Trea Turner: "TRIPLE TREA"
Matt Wieters: "MAUI"
Ryan Zimmerman: "ZIM"
• More on Nationals Players' Weekend nicknames >

Orioles
Pedro Araujo: "EL MONTRO"
Tim Beckham: "SWAGGY"
Richard Bleier: "DICKIE B."
Dylan Bundy: "DILLY"
Cody Carroll: "CC"
Andrew Cashner: "CASH"
Miguel Castro: "VILLA HERMOSA"
Alex Cobb: "COBB"
Chris Davis: "CRUSH"
Paul Fry: "PAPA FRITA"
Craig Gentry: "GENT"
Mychal Givens: "TONY"
Donnie Hart: "D. HART"
David Hess: "HESSER"
Adam Jones: "LA GENTE"
Caleb Joseph: "CALE"
Trey Mancini: "BOOMER"
Jhan Marinez: "LA ELECTRICIDAD"
Renato Nunez: "TATO"
Jace Peterson: "PETEY"
Evan Phillips: "PHILLY"
Yefry Ramirez: "EL VARÓN"
Joey Rickard: "J-RICK"
Tanner Scott: "SCOTTIE"
Mark Trumbo: "TRUM"
Danny Valencia: "SLUGGER"
Jonathan Villar: "VILLI"
Steve Wilkerson: "BREEZE"
Mike Wright Jr.: "BIRD"
Austin Wynns "WINNIE"
Gabriel Ynoa: "EL TIGUERE"
• More on Orioles Players' Weekend nicknames >

Padres
Carlos Asuaje: "CARL"
Colten Brewer: "BREWSKI"
Jose Castillo: "BIG DUDE"
Franchy Cordero: "CORDY"
Alex Dickerson: "DICKERSON"
A.J. Ellis: "DAD"
Robbie Erlin: "BOB"
Freddy Galvis: "TOCO"
Austin Hedges: "HEDGEY"
Eric Hosmer: "PAPO"
Phil Hughes: "PEEJ"
Travis Jankowski: "FRED"
Brett Kennedy: "KENNEDY"
Dinelson Lamet: "EL FLACO"
Eric Lauer: "GOMER"
Walker Lockett: "LOCKETT"
Joey Lucchesi: "JOEY FUEGO"
Manuel Margot: "YOANDRY"
Phil Maton: "SPIN RATE"
Wil Myers: "WIL"
Bryan Mitchell: "MITCH"
Luis Perdomo: "EL CHAMAQUITO"
Jose Pirela: "AGUILA NEGRA"
Hunter Renfroe: "FROE"
Franmil Reyes: "LA MOLE"
Clayton Richard: "CLAY CLAY"
Cory Spangenberg: "SPANGY"
Craig Stammen: "TRIG"
Robert Stock: "CRETCH"
Matt Strahm: "STRAHMY"
Christian Villanueva: "VILLA"
Trey Wingenter: "WINGENTER"
Kirby Yates: "KIRBS"
• More on Padres Players' Weekend nicknames >

Phillies
Jorge Alfaro: "EL OSO"
Victor Arano: "EL WEY"
Jake Arrieta: "SNAKE"
Justin Bour: "JB"
Asdrubal Cabrera: "CHIQUITÍN"
J.P. Crawford: "CRAW"
Austin Davis: "BIG FUDGE"
Enyel De Los Santos: "DE LOS SANTOS"
Seranthony Dominguez: "SIR ANTHONY"
Jerad Eickhoff: "EICK"
Zach Eflin: "EF"
Pedro Florimon: "DON RAMÓN"
Maikel Franco: "COMPA F"
Luis Garcia: "COMPA G"
Cesar Hernandez: "CESITA"
Odubel Herrera: "TORITO"
Rhys Hoskins: "BIG FELLA"
Tommy Hunter: "BIGGER FELLA"
Scott Kingery: "JETPAX"
Andrew Knapp: "KNAPP TIME"
Aaron Loup: "WOLF"
Adam Morgan: "A-MO"
Pat Neshek: "NESHEK"
Aaron Nola: "NOLS"
Roman Quinn: "ROME"
Nick Pivetta: "PIVETTA"
Wilson Ramos: "BUFFALO"
Carlos Santana: "SLAMTANA"
Vince Velasquez: "VICENTE"
Nick Williams: "NICKY DUBS"
• More on Phillies Players' Weekend nicknames >

Pirates
Chris Archer: "FLACO FUERTE"
Josh Bell: "JB"
Francisco Cervelli: "CISCO"
Kyle Crick: "CRICKY"
Elias Diaz: "EL MARACUCHO"
Corey Dickerson: "C-DIZZLE"
Adam Frazier: "FRAZ"
David Freese: "DAVEHUMAN"
Josh Harrison: "J HAY"
Adeiny Hechavarria: "LA PANTERA UUFF"
Keone Kela: "KEY"
Chad Kuhl: "CHET"
Jordan Luplow: "LUPLOW"
Starling Marte: "TATO"
Jordy Mercer: "THE ROOK"
Colin Moran: "REDBEARD"
Joe Musgrove: "MOOSE"
Dovydas Neverauskas: "LITHUANIAN"
Ivan Nova: "SUPER NOVA"
Gregory Polanco: "EL COFFEE"
Richard Rodriguez: "PERRO FLACO"
Sean Rodriguez: "CHICH"
Casey Sadler: "SADS"
Edgar Santana: "BICEPS"
A.J. Schugel: "SCHUG"
Jameson Taillon: "JAMO"
Felipe Vazquez: "NIGHTMARE"
Trevor Williams: "PROJECT"
• More on Pirates Players' Weekend nicknames >

Rangers
Elvis Andrus: "MERULO JR"
Tony Barnette: "BARNITEZ"
Adrian Beltre: "EL KOJA"
Matt Bush: "MATTY ICE"
Eddie Butler: "SPAGHETTI"
Willie Calhoun: "JUNE"
Robinson Chirinos: "PELO BUCHE"
Shin-Soo Choo: "추신수"
Alex Claudio: "AC"
Bartolo Colon: "MORALES"
Delino DeShields: "LIL BOP"
Doug Fister: "FIST"
Yovani Gallardo: "YO"
Joey Gallo: "PICO DE GALLO"
Cory Gearrin: "CEEGEE"
Ronald Guzman: "CEPEDA"
Ronald Herrera: "HERRERA"
Drew Hutchison: "HUTCH"
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: "IZZY"
Ariel Jurado: "BARTOLITO"
Jose Leclerc: "PICO"
Chris Martin: "C-MART"
Nomar Mazara: "BIG CHILL"
Mike Minor: "SPYKEZYLLA"
Matt Moore: "MATT MAN"
Rougned Odor: "EL TIPO"
Martin Perez: "EL DE LAS MATAS"
Jurickson Profar: "EL PATRON"
Ryan Rua: "RYNO"
Drew Robinson: "PETEY"
Carlos Tocci: "EL MUSIU"
• More on Rangers Players' Weekend nicknames >

Rays
Willy Adames: "THE KID"
Jose Alvarado: "EL POCHO"
Jake Bauers: "JB"
Jalen Beeks: "BEEKER"
Diego Castillo: "SAMANA"
Yonny Chirinos: "YONITO"
Ji-Man Choi: "JI"
C.J. Cron: "BIG FELLA"
Jose De Leon: "PULPITO"
Matt Duffy: "DUFFMAN"
Jake Faria: "FUH-REE-UH"
Wilmer Font: "FONKY"
Tyler Glasnow: "MINI HORSE"
Carlos Gomez: "EL FINAL"
Kevin Kiermaier: "OUTLAW"
Adam Kolarek: "AK"
Vidal Nuno: "SLEEPY"
Michael Perez: "MYKII"
Tommy Pham: "PHAMTASTIC"
Daniel Robertson: "D-ROB"
Chaz Roe: "RANCH"
Sergio Romo: "EL MECHÓN"
Jaime Schultz: "SCHULTZY"
Mallex Smith: "M EFFECT"
Blake Snell: "ZILLA"
Ryne Stanek: "STANNY"
Jesus Sucre: "SOOKY"
Joey Wendle: "MENDLE"
Hunter Wood: "WOODY"
Ryan Yarbrough: "YARBITRON"
• More on Rays Players' Weekend nicknames >

Red Sox
Matt Barnes: "BARNACLES"
Andrew Benintendi: "BENNY"
Mookie Betts: "MOOKIE"
Xander Bogaerts: "BOGIE"
Jackie Bradley Jr.: "JBJ"
Dan Butler: "BUTLER"
Rafael Devers: "CARITA"
Nathan Eovaldi: "EVO"
Heath Hembree: "HEATER HERE"
Marco Hernandez: "MARKITO"
Brock Holt: "BROCKSTAR"
Brian Johnson: "BJ"
Joe Kelly: "JIMMY B"
Ian Kinsler: "BOOTSIE"
Craig Kimbrel: "DIRTY CRAIG"
Sandy Leon: "NOAH"
Austin Maddox: "MADD DAWG"
J.D. Martinez: "FLACO"
Mitch Moreland: "2 - BAGS"
Eduardo Nunez: "NUNIE"
Steve Pearce: "LATE LIGHTNING"
Dustin Pedroia: "PEDEY"
Drew Pomeranz: "BIG SMOOTH"
Rick Porcello: "VEINTIDÓS"
David Price: "SLIM DUNKIN"
Eduardo Rodriguez: "EL GUALO"
Chris Sale: "THE CONDUCTOR"
Carson Smith: "SMITTY"
Blake Swihart: "SWI"
Tyler Thornburg: "THORN"
Christian Vazquez: "COLO"
Hector Velazquez: "CABEZON"
Brandon Workman: "WORK"
Steven Wright: "KNUCKSIE"
• More on Red Sox Players' Weekend nicknames >

Reds
Homer Bailey: "HOMER"
Tucker Barnhart: "BARNEY"
Alex Blandino: "BLANDY"
Curt Casali: "CAS"
Luis Castillo: "LA PIEDRA"
Rookie Davis: "BILL"
Anthony DeSclafani: "DISCO"
Brandon Dixon: "B DIX"
Phillip Ervin: "MAGIC"
Amir Garrett: "AG"
Scooter Gennett: "DAL3"
Billy Hamilton: "BONE"
Matt Harvey: "HARV"
David Hernandez: "D HERN"
Dilson Herrera: "DILLY"
Jared Hughes: "ROBOT"
Raisel Iglesias: "EL CICLON"
Michael Lorenzen: "ZEN MASTER"
Keury Mella: "MANINI"
Wandy Peralta: "LA GRASA"
Jose Peraza: "EL LLANERO"
Sal Romano: "BIG SALLY"
Scott Schebler: "SHEB"
Jackson Stephens: "JACKO"
Robert Stephenson: "BOB"
Eugenio Suarez: "NICOLLE"
Preston Tucker: "TUCK"
Joey Votto: "IN FLANDERS FIELDS"
Mason Williams: "MASE"
Jesse Winker: "WINK"
• More on Reds Players' Weekend nicknames >

Rockies
Yency Almonte: "SHOWTIME"
Tyler Anderson: "MR. DUCK"
Nolan Arenado: "NADO"
Chad Bettis: "LETTUCE"
Charlie Blackmon: "CHUCK NAZTY"
David Dahl: "BABY DAHL"
Wade Davis: "WADER"
Ian Desmond: "DEZ"
Mike Dunn: "DUNNER"
Kyle Freeland: "TWO ONE"
Carlos Gonzalez: "CARGO"
Jon Gray: "GRAY WOLF"
Chris Iannetta: "C I"
DJ LeMahieu: "DJ"
German Marquez: "MARQUEE"
Jake McGee: "MACCHEEZ"
Ryan McMahon: "McDOOGLE"
Harrison Musgrave: "MUSKY"
Scott Oberg: "OBIE"
Seunghwan Oh: "오승환"
Adam Ottavino: "AO"
Gerardo Parra: "EL YOLO"
Chris Rusin: "RUSS"
Antonio Senzatela: "SENZE"
Bryan Shaw: "GEEK"
Trevor Story: "TREV"
Pat Valaika: "BARRELS"
Tony Wolters: "T-DUB"
• More on Rockies Players' Weekend nicknames >

Royals
Jorge Bonifacio: "EL BONI"
Blaine Boyer: "BLAZER"
Drew Butera: "VITO"
Hunter Dozier: "DOZ"
Lucas Duda: "DUDE"
Danny Duffy: "CHILL SERGEANT"
Alcides Escobar: "MAGIC"
Heath Fillmyer: "FILLY"
Brian Flynn: "FLYNNY"
Jesse Hahn: "J HOOD"
Jason Hammel: "HAMMER"
Alex Gordon: "GORDO"
Rosell Herrera: "VARON"
Tim Hill: "HILL"
Jakob Junis: "JUNE BUG"
Nate Karns: "NATE DOGG"
Brad Keller: "B. K."
Ian Kennedy: "BUDDA"
Brandon Maurer: "MAURER POWER"
Kevin McCarthy: "MAC"
Whit Merrifield: "WHITLEY"
Adalberto Mondesi: "LA GUINEA"
Ryan O'Hearn: "BROHEARN"
Wily Peralta: "BIG WILY"
Salvador Perez: "EL NIÑO"
Brett Phillips: "MAVERICK"
Eric Skoglund: "SKOGS:
Burch Smith: "SMITTY"
Glenn Sparkman: "SPARKY"
• More on Royals Players' Weekend nicknames >

Tigers
Jim Adduci: "DEUCE"
Victor Alcantara: "V"
Matthew Boyd: "MATTY B"
Jeimer Candelario: "CANDY"
Miguel Cabrera: "MIGGY"
Nicholas Castellanos: "NICK"
Louis Coleman: "HAROLD"
Buck Farmer: "GEORGE"
Michael Fulmer: "THE PLUMBER"
Mike Gerber: "GERBS"
Niko Goodrum: "J.J MUMFORD"
Shane Greene: "SHANER"
Grayson Greiner: "GARY"
Blaine Hardy: "HARDY BOY"
John Hicks: "JAZZ"
Jose Iglesias: "CANDELITA"
Joe Jimenez: "JO JO"
JaCoby Jones: "JUICY J"
Artie Lewicki: :"LOU"
Francisco Liriano: "LIRI"
Victor Martinez: "PAPICHO"
James McCann: "McCANNON"
Daniel Norris: "D. NO"
Victor Reyes: "VIC"
Ronny Rodriguez: "EL FELINO"
Jacob Turner: "JET"
Drew VerHagen: "VERGY"
Alex Wilson: "WILLY"
Jordan Zimmermann: "J Z"
• More on Tigers Players' Weekend nicknames >

Twins
Ehire Adrianza: "GUARENERO"
Tyler Austin: "TA"
Matt Belisle: "BELISLE"
Jose Berrios: "LA MAKINA"
Jason Castro: "STRO"
Jake Cave: "CAVEMAN Oliver Drake: "BUCKO"
Johnny Field: "J. FIELD"
Logan Forsythe: "LOGIE BEAR"
Mitch Garver: "GARV SAUCE"
Kyle Gibson: "GIBBY"
Robbie Grossman: "GROSSMAN"
Trevor Hildenberger: "HILDY"
Max Kepler: "RÓŻYCKI"
Matt Magill: "GOOSE"
Joe Mauer: "MAUER"
Trevor May: "LURCH"
Adalberto Mejia: "VOLADOR"
Logan Morrison: "LOMO"
Gabriel Moya: "LITTLE GUARDADO"
Jake Odorizzi: "ODO"
Michael Pineda: "BIG MIKE"
Jorge Polanco: "CHULO"
Addison Reed: "REEDER"
Fernando Rodney: "UIYA CLARA"
Eddie Rosario: "EDISITO"
Taylor Rogers: "M. ROGERS"
Miguel Sano: "BOQUETON"
Ervin Santana: "MAGIC"
Aaron Slegers: "SLEGS"
Bobby Wilson: "BEEDUB"
• More on Twins Players' Weekend nicknames >

White Sox
Jose Abreu: "MAL TIEMPO"
Tim Anderson: "TA7"
Luis Avilan: "AVI"
Xavier Cedeno: "X"
Dylan Covey: "COVE"
Tyler Danish: "DANISH"
Matt Davidson: "MATTY D"
Nicky Delmonico: "PUP"
Adam Engel: "MAN OF STEAL"
Danny Farquhar: "D-FARK"
Jace Fry: "FOO"
Avisail Garcia: "AVI"
Leury Garcia: "LEO"
Lucas Giolito: "BIG FOOT"
Jeanmar Gomez: "JANKO"
Miguel Gonzalez: "EL MARIACHI"
Nate Jones: "NATE'S NATION"
Ryan LaMarre: "LaMARRE"
Reynaldo Lopez: "REY"
Juan Minaya: "JUANITO"
Yoan Moncada: "YOYO"
Omar Narvaez: "NARVY"
Daniel Palka: "DP"
Carlos Rodon: "LOS"
Yolmer Sanchez: "EL DE PIÑONAL"
Hector Santiago: "BULLDOG"
James Shields: "JUEGO G"
Kevan Smith: "WEBBY"
Thyago Vieira: "NÉGS"
• More on White Sox Players' Weekend nicknames >

Yankees
Miguel Andujar: "PAPÁ"
Dellin Betances: "EL ACIDO"
Greg Bird: "BIRD"
Zach Britton: "ANGLADA"
Aroldis Chapman: "THE MISSILE"
A.J. Cole: "AJ"
Jacoby Ellsbury: "ELLSBURY"
Clint Frazier: "EL ROJO"
Brett Gardner: "GARDNER"
Sonny Gray: "PICKLES"
Didi Gregorius: "THE KNIGHT"
Chad Green: "GREENY"
J.A. Happ: "HAPPER"
Ben Heller: "HELLER"
Aaron Hicks: "HICKSIE"
Jonathan Holder: "HOLDY"
Aaron Judge: "JUDGE"
Lance Lynn: "MIA"
Jordan Montgomery: "MONTY"
David Robertson: "D-ROB"
Austin Romine: "RO"
CC Sabathia: "DUB"
Gary Sanchez: "KRAKEN"
Luis Severino: "SEVY"
Giancarlo Stanton: "G"
Masahiro Tanaka: "TANAKA TIME"
Gleyber Torres: "GT"
Luke Voit: "LOUIS"
Neil Walker: "WALKIE"
• More on Yankees Players' Weekend nicknames >

The July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline has come and gone, but the transaction wire could stay hot ahead of Aug. 31. That date is important because clubs acquiring new players via trade must have those players on their 40-man roster by then in order for that player (or players) to be eligible for its postseason roster. Teams can acquire players after Sept. 1, but those players would not be eligible to play with that team in the playoffs. 

Throughout August, it's not uncommon for high-profile players to be placed on waivers. In fact, most clubs will place a sizable portion of their Major League roster on waivers to gauge interest for their talent ahead of the offseason. 

When a waiver claim is placed, the player's original club has three options:
• Work out a standard trade with the claiming club within 48 hours
• Allow the player -- and all money remaining on his contract -- to go to the claiming club with no return
• Pull the player back off waivers

A player who is pulled back off waivers can be placed on trade waivers a second time, but at that point the waiver request becomes irrevocable. If a player passes through waivers unclaimed, he can then be traded to any club, free of restriction (though all 40-man-roster players in the trade must clear waivers before being dealt).

• Glossary: Trade Waivers & Aug. 31 'Deadline'

With that in mind, here is the latest trade buzz:

Will Yankees trade for bat with Judge, Sanchez, Didi on DL?
Aug. 21: MLB Network insider Jon Heyman noted Thursday in an article for Fancred Sports that the Yankees sit just a few million dollars below the luxury-tax threshold and are reserving that money "in case there are any more rotation solutions that crop up." However, New York's offense might be a more pressing issue.

Right fielder Aaron Judge still hasn't started a hitting progression as he recovers from a fractured right wrist, and shortstop Didi Gregorius (bruised left heel) joined Judge and catcher Gary Sanchez (right groin strain) on the disabled list Tuesday. Sanchez is nearing his return, but it remains to be seen what type of impact he'll have, as he owns an underwhelming .188/.283/.416 slash line this season.

The problem for the Yankees is that there aren't many attractive trade options given the club's low waiver priority, as MLB Network insider Joel Sherman outlined in an article for the New York Post.

"We have claimed a lot of guys, but we have not been eligible on anybody," general manager Brian Cashman said.

The Nationals' Daniel Murphy would have been a great fit for the Yanks, but he was traded to the Cubs on Tuesday after being claimed off revocable waivers.

Sherman also notes that the Yankees aren't likely to pursue controllable players, as they will cost more to acquire than those on expiring contracts. Controllable players who have cleared waivers include Justin Smoak, C.J. Cron and Wilmer Flores.

That leaves the Yankees to choose from the likes of Adam Jones, Curtis Granderson, Lucas Duda and Logan Forsythe, who have all cleared waivers as well, but New York has shown no inclination that it is planning to zero in on any of them, according to Sherman.

Nats trade Murphy to Cubs, Adams to Cards; Harper claimed but reportedly staying put
Aug. 21: The Nationals traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals on Tuesday. Bryce Harper was also claimed off waivers, but Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports that no deal was reached.

Tweet from @chelsea_janes: Just heard Harper will be staying. No deal with team that claimed him.

While the team that claimed Harper is still unknown, MLB Network Radio's Grant Paulsen was told that it was the Dodgers.

Washington received Minor League infielder Andruw Monasterio and a player to be named later or cash considerations in exchange for Murphy, who will provide the Cubs with another productive bat as third baseman Kris Bryant works his way back from left shoulder inflammation. Adams, meanwhile, was sent to the Cardinals, with whom he played from 2012-17, for cash considerations.

St. Louis has jumped back into the postseason race by posting the National League's best record (22-11) since dismissing manager Mike Matheny and promoting bench coach Mike Shildt in mid-July. The Cards entered Tuesday in a three-way tie with the Phillies and Rockies for the second NL Wild Card spot, and the club is 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Cubs as well as a 1/2 game behind the Brewers in the NL Central.

The Nats, though, have not been able to make up ground in the NL East, prompting the club to sell. Washington might not be done dealing, as Mark Reynolds, Matt Wieters and Gio Gonzalez were also placed on revocable waivers, according to the Washington Post's Jorge Castillo. Those three players are set to become free agents this offseason, along with Murphy, Adams and Harper. 

McCutchen on the move by the end of the week?
Aug. 21: The Giants have placed right fielder Andrew McCutchen on revocable waivers, according to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly. San Francisco had been hanging around in the NL West and NL Wild Card races into the second half of the season, but following a sweep at the hands of the Reds in Cincinnati over the weekend, the deficit within the division ballooned to eight games entering play Monday, and 7 1/2 games in the Wild Card standings. According to Baggarly, there is a "very good chance [McCutchen] is wearing another uniform by the end of the week."

McCutchen, 31, entered Monday hitting .257/.354/.417 with 14 home runs and 10 steals for the Giants this season. The five-time All-Star and 2013 NL Most Valuable Player is in his 10th Major League season, and since enduring a steep dropoff in performance in 2016 with the Pirates (104 OPS+), has posted a 117 OPS+ for Pittsburgh and San Francisco since.

Tweet from @extrabaggs: Not surprising given the way #sfgiants played in Cincinnati, but I���m hearing Andrew McCutchen has been placed on revocable waivers. Very good chance he is wearing another uniform by the end of the week.

Donaldson getting closer to return?
Aug. 16: With just over two weeks to go before the end of August, Josh Donaldson is still rehabbing from a left calf injury that has kept him out since late May. But the Blue Jays third baseman could be nearing his return.

Donaldson posted a video of himself running the bases with the caption "Getting closer!!" on his Instagram account Wednesday.

Tweet from @AaronBenRose: #BlueJays Josh Donaldson back running the bases 👀 Says he's "getting closer" on his Instagram (tos_bor20)������������������ pic.twitter.com/eHOsedmnDw

If he can return from the disabled list and prove to be even a fraction of the player he was from 2015-17, the 32-year-old could be an attractive trade candidate before Aug. 31.

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman broke down the market for Donaldson in an article for Fancred Sports earlier this month and listed the Indians, Cardinals, Braves, Cubs and Red Sox as potential landing spots for the impending free agent.

Heyman pegged the Indians -- who will have the first chance among those teams to claim Donaldson off waivers -- as the most likely of the five to acquire the third baseman.

While the Tribe has American League MVP candidate Jose Ramirez at the hot corner, it can shift him to second base and move Jason Kipnis to the outfield to help out a group that has been decimated by injuries and lost recent acquisition Leonys Martin to the disabled list with a bacterial infection last week.

Video: IT on Josh Donaldson's ability to help a playoff team

Jones reportedly clears revocable waivers, now eligible to be traded anywhere
Aug. 16: Adam Jones has passed through revocable waivers unclaimed, sources told MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, making the Orioles outfielder eligible to be traded to any of the other 29 teams.

Of course, a deal remains unlikely, as Jones used his 10-and-5 rights to veto a trade to the Phillies prior to the July 31 non-waiver Deadline, with family, friends and his community programs in Baltimore among the major reasons why, per Heyman.

Philadelphia's plan to have Jones platoon with lefty-swinging Nick Williams in right field may also have been a factor in Jones' refusal to approve a deal there, though the veteran hasn't indicated whether that is the case.

According to Heyman, the O's recently approached the Yankees to gauge their interest in Jones with Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Clint Frazier on the disabled list, but New York is close to the luxury-tax threshold and would like to save that money in case any additional rotation solutions arise.

The Indians are another potential landing spot for Jones, as they are missing Leonys Martin, Lonnie Chisenhall and Tyler Naquin, and have received lackluster production from Melky Cabrera (.695 OPS), Brandon Guyer (.663 OPS), Rajai Davis (.601 OPS) and Greg Allen (.580 OPS).

Video: BAL@NYY: Jones on invoking no-trade clause with O's