As the season ramps up for those teams still contending or winds down for those teams that sold at the trading deadline, the bloggers in the ESPN SweetSpot Network spent the last few days providing snapshots of their teams. Some are still hopeful this season while others have already looked toward 2016. Send us your feedback in the comments below or to each author/blog on Twitter.
In case you missed it ...
Arizona Diamondbacks: Inside the 'Zona
Beef Mode on Overdrive: Since coming to Arizona in the Mark Trumbo trade, all Welington Castillo has done is slash .289/.367/.624 with 13 home runs in 46 games while supplying refreshingly competent defense behind the plate. Jeff Wiser examines Castillo's track record and compares past and present swing mechanics to see what's changed. Twitter: @OutfieldGrass24.
Baltimore Orioles: Camden Depot
How The Diamondbacks' And Cardinals' Media Deals Compare To The Orioles'/Nationals': Matt Perez examines how the Cardinals' and Diamondbacks' recent, lucrative media deals stack up to the Orioles' and Nationals' deals with MASN. Twitter: @camdendepot.
Cincinnati Reds: Redleg Nation
Can a Reboot Lead to Contention for the 2017 Reds?: Grant Freking analyzes the pros and cons of the Reds' strategy to reboot, as opposed to rebuild, for the 2017 season. Twitter: @GrantFreking.
Cincinnati Reds: Redleg Nation
Billy Hamilton and Willy Taveras: While many Reds fans remain excited about Billy Hamilton, Mike Maffie presents the cautionary tale of Wily Taveras. Twitter: @maffiemd.
Colorado Rockies: Rockies Zingers
Series Recap 8/10-8/13: Three of a Kind: Marco Mamolen reflects on the New York Mets' plethora of aces and the Rockies' lack of ones, while covering the bases to note that a functional bullpen and offense are also a part of the Rockies' woes. Twitter: @DrHekylR.
Milwaukee Brewers: Disciples of Uecker
On Melvin's Legacy, Analytics, and GM Prospects: After news surfaced earlier this week that longtime Brewers president & GM Doug Melvin was stepping into an advisory role, Nicholas Zettel partially assessed his legacy and the club's future. Since owner Mark Attanasio publicly stated that the club seeks an "analytic" GM, it is worth exploring definitions of that term (and the Brewers' own analytical leanings). It is also worth questioning whether successful Pirates or Astros front offices will provide the next Brewers GM, as opposed to another "off the map" analytical club. Twitter: @spectivewax.
New York Yankees: It's About The Money, Stupid
Hello James Shields, My Old Friend: Despite the rotation holding up its end during the current slump, Domenic Lanza looks into the possibility of the Yankees pursuing James Shields as some added insurance should San Diego decide it wants to shop him. Twitter: @domeniclanza.
Toronto Blue Jays: Blue Jays Plus
One At-Bat: Tyler Duffey vs. Jose Bautista: Jose Bautista is a very good player on the best offensive team in baseball, while Tyler Duffey is a rookie for the Minnesota Twins. In his latest installment of his One At-Bat series, Greg Wisniewski broke down the matchup that ended just with a bunch of runs on the board of a less-than-enthused Duffey. Twitter: @coolhead2010.
Toronto Blue Jays: Blue Jays Plus
The Art of a Bad Trade Gone Good: The Blue Jays made franchise-altering trades a few weeks ago, which isn't new territory for them. Andrew Arnold looks back at a deal from the 1980s that wasn't as clear cut of a win as people might think for the Blue Jays. Twitter: @Arny12.
Podcasts/Recordings:
Arizona Diamondbacks: Inside the 'Zona
The Pool Shot, Episode 36: Jeff Wiser and Ryan P. Morrison talk out the D-backs' trades of Oliver Perez and Cliff Pennington, the promotion of Pacific Coast League MVP candidate Jamie Romak, and topics from Twitter questions, including how the Arizona roster can be updated. Twitter: @thepoolshot.
Colorado Rockies: Rockies Zingers
Rockies Bloggers Panel 8/1/15 Recording: Members of Rockies Zingers, Purple Row and RoxPile gathered to talk about Rockies life after Troy Tulowitzki. Watch and hear their lamentations and their discussions on 2016 in this recording of the live stream. Twitter: @RockiesZingers.