One half of the participants for the 2018 World Series has been determined http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-alex-avila-jersey , as the Boston Red Sox captured the American League pennant Thursday night.We'll know Boston's opponent by Saturday, and possibly as early as Friday, as the Los Angeles Dodgers hold a 3-2 NLCS lead over the Milwaukee Brewers going into Friday's Game 6 at Miller Park.Boston is making its first appearance in the Fall Classic since 2013, when it defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games.When the World Series begins Tuesday at Fenway Park, the Red Sox will be facing their third different National League foe in their fourth World Series appearance since 2004.In every World Series, a few breakout stars emerge, and Boston's ALCS victory gave us a glimpse as to which players might fill that role. Meanwhile, we have an idea who could feature in a starring spot for the eventual National League champion. 2018 World Series ScheduleGame 1:Tuesday, October 23 (Time TBD, Fox)Game 2:Wednesday, October 24 (Time TBD, Fox)Game 3:Friday, October 26 (Time TBD, Fox)Game 4:Saturday, October 27 (Time TBD, Fox)Game 5:Sunday, October 28 (Time TBD, Fox)Game 6:Tuesday, October 30 (Time TBD http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-darwin-barney-jersey , Fox)Game 7:Wednesday, October 31 (Time TBD, Fox) Players Who Will Decide ChampionshipDavid PriceDavid Price's ALCS Game 5 start was hopefully a turning point in his postseason career.Price, whose playoff struggles have been well documented in recent weeks, tossed six scoreless innings to help the Red Sox down the Houston Astros 4-1 Thursday.Thursday's outing marked the first time Price gave up less than two runs in a postseason start, which is a welcome development for a Boston team counting on its rotation to alleviate the pressure on the bullpen.Elsa/Getty ImagesChris Sale should start Game 1 of the World Series, which would set up Price for a Game 2 outing on the mound, similar to what we saw in the ALDS and ALCS.Now that Price has confidence behind him from earning his first postseason victory as a starter, he could produce a similar performance at Fenway Park against the NL champion.Before Thursday, the idea of using Price out of the bullpen was a good one, and it still might be if the Red Sox need to close out a tight game on the road.If Boston manager Alex Cora sticks with the same rotation he utilized in the ALCS, Price would be available for an inning or two between Games 2 and 6.Cora showed in the clinching victory over the Astros that he's not afraid to use a starter in a key relief role, as ALCS Game 3 starter Nathan Eovaldi threw 1.1 innings to set up closer Craig Kimbrel.No matter which role he fills late in the series, Price will benefit from another strong start in Game 2 and be the difference-maker no one expected he could be as recently as Thursday afternoon.Yasiel PuigThe Dodgers will clinch the National League pennant in Milwaukee, and after that, they will rely on an unlikely star at the plate to be competitive at Fenway Park in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series.In each of his past six postseason series, Yasiel Puig hasrecorded at least three hits, with the 2017 NLDS and NLCS being his most successful outings.Puig's bat is starting to come alive against the Brewers, as he has four hits in the past three NLCS games Bartolo Colon Jersey , and he will increase that production in the World Series with the Red Sox more concerned with other batters in the Los Angeles order.Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesThe Boston pitchers will be forced to pitch to Puig, who normally resides further down the order, because they will have so much focus on limiting the production of Justin Turner, Manny Machado and others.That careful strategy will end up in a few walks that set the stage for the back end of the Los Angeles lineup to drive in runs.With Puig beginning to heat up at the plate again, he will come up with a few hits in clutch situations and record a game-winning hit at some point in the series. Follow Joe on Twitter, JTansey90. Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline has passed with the biggest story of the day being a move that didn't happen.After reportson Monday that the Washington Nationals were making Bryce Harper available in a trade, general manager Mike Rizzo squashed any hope opposing teams had about acquiring the 2015 National League MVP."Bryce is not going anywhere," Rizzo told Chelsea Janes of theWashington Post. "I believe in this team."While the Nationals are fighting for their playoff lives, the surging Pittsburgh Pirates used this opportunity to boost their starting rotation by acquiring Chris Archer from the Tampa Bay Rays, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of thePittsburgh Post-Gazette.Per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Rays are receiving outfielder Austin Meadows and right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow in the deal.The Pirates have gone 16-9 in July to get within 3.5 games of the second wild card spot in the National League. Archer is their big play to make up that deficit and lead their starting rotation for the next three years if Pittsburgh exercises his team options through 2021.Those were the top stories of the non-waiver trade deadline, but playoff contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks all made deals before the 4 p.m. ET cutoff.Pirates Use Strength to Fill Weakness in Rotation with ArcherEven though the Pirates are very much in the thick of the NL playoff race this season, Archer's contract made him a perfect trade target for the small-market franchise:Joel Sherman Joelsherman1Archer is signed for 3 yrs at $27M 2019-21 (counting options). So even if #Pirates cant make up the gap for wild card or NL Central this year, they have a good starter under team-friendly deal going forward.While Archer remains a solid starting pitcher,Baseball America's JJ Cooper noted things have changed for all parties involved in the trade:JJ Cooper jjcoop36The idea of trading Glasnow and Meadows for Archer two years ago would have also made sense also. All 3 have seen their values diminish somewhat over past 2 years.Archer does have a 4.31 ERA through 17 starts this season Jon Niese Jersey , but he's averaging 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings with aFIPof 3.62, perBaseball Reference. The 29-year-old's upside in Pittsburgh's rotation made him too enticing to pass up in what has been a swift turnaround for the franchise.Colin Dunlap colin_dunlapIn a 13 day span, the Pirates went from seeing what they potentially could possibly get for David Freese to potentially buying Chris Archer.Like, what. the. hell.Andrew Fillipponi ThePoniExpressKela. Check.Archer. Check.Kept Keller. Check.Neal Huntington, we are not worthy.Great Job Pirates.Mike Petriello mike_petrielloI am very interested to see how this Archer trade works out because right now it seems like PIT might be giving up more to get Archer than they got back for Cole, and that seems... not right.ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoHow does a change of scenery sound for Chris Archer?He has a 4.02 career ERA against the AL East (4.89 ERA this year), but a 3.40 career ERA vs all other divisions MxZjXPxOlFAfter tradingGerritCole to the Houston Astros in the offseason, the Pirates needed to add a starter with swing-and-miss stuff. Their rotationranks23rd in MLB with 7.41 strikeouts per nine innings.Archer's ability to miss bats will be critical for Pittsburgh. Getting out of the American League East can only help improve his numbers.The Pirates were trading from an area of strength becauseGlasnowwas pitching out of the bullpen because of his inability to throw strikes consistently. The 24-year-old has issued 91 walks in 141.1 innings in his MLB career, including 34 in 56 innings this season.When Corey Dickerson returns from his hamstring injury, Meadows doesn't have a spot on Pittsburgh's 25-man roster. Starling Marte and GregoryPolancoare secure in center field and right field.The Pirates have been waiting years forGlasnowand Meadows to hone their talents and become key contributors at the MLB level. The chance to acquire Archer pushed them to finally move them.The Rays, who are always operating under strict financial constraints, can afford to wait forGlasnowand Meadows to put everything together. A change of scenery could serve both players well at this stage of their careers, because they know an opportunity to play regularly will be available.Nationals Place Risky Bet on Future by Not Trading Bryce HarperThe Nationals moved all of their chips to the center of the table, hoping they will be able to make up a 5.5-game deficit in the National League East and wild-card races in the season's final two months.Grant Paulsen granthpaulsenThe Nationals should not sell any key pieces. They arent far enough out of the race and the teams in front of them arent good enough to run away from them. They also shouldnt give anything up to add rentals. Not good enough to do that.Harper is eligible for free agency this offseason and could price himself out of Washington, though there may have been other factors at play for the team in potential trade discussions:Jon Heyman JonHeymanrivals continue to believe bryce harper is long shot to be traded. nats are only 5.5 games out amp;amp; theyd risk fan revolt. also, they wouldnt get haul as rental. os did well getting yusniel plus 4 for machado. but market is better for a ss/3B amp;amp; manny was hitting 100 points higherPerJeffPassanof Yahoo Sports, the Nationals have been a mess behind the scenes this season with manager Davey Martinez making some players feel "marginalized" in the organization:"One recent example, [sources] said, was following Saturday's loss to Miami. J.T.Realmuto http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-edinson-volquez-jersey , the Marlins' All-Star catcher and a player coveted by the Nationals all winter, blooped a bases-loaded single down the right-field line for a walk-off victory.Harper's response after the game: 'If that guy was on our side, itwouldn't have happened. Tough luck.'""A number of people inside the organization saw Harper's comment as unprofessional and potentially divisive among his teammates, according to sources. Though all acknowledged the seed of truth in it, they also wondered why the Nationals would needRealmutoto win when they haven't done so with a surfeit of talent already."Based on their current place in the standings, the Nationals are in the thick of the NL playoff race. They've just struggled to play up to their potential after winning 97 games last season.If the Nationals miss the postseason in 2018, they risk losing Harper with their only compensation being a draft pick who might contribute to the franchise years down the line.Wide-Open NL Playoff Race Created Trade FrenzySticking with the National League, the current playoff picture created a flurry of activity at the deadline with teams trying to gain an edge.Here's a rundown of the key moves from NL clubs currently fighting for one of the five available postseason spots:Jeff Passan JeffPassanSource: Brian Dozier is headed to the Dodgers. jcrasnick had it done and Ken_Rosenthal close. Dodgers are sliding just under luxury tax, as Doziers AAV is only $5M per year.Robert Murray ByRobertMurray#DBacks acquired Jake Diekman from #Rangers in exchange for Wei-Chieh Huang, source tells The Athletic.Ken Rosenthal Ken_RosenthalSource: #Brewers get Schoop from #Orioles.Jon Morosi jonmorosi#Cubs have acquired Brandon Kintzler from #Nats, source confirms Ken_Rosenthal and sahadevsharma report. MLB MLBNetworkJon Heyman JonHeymansources: braves have deal for gausmanJeff Passan JeffPassanSource: Wilson Ramos has been traded to Philadelphia.The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, currently separated by one loss in the National League West, played a game of one-upmanship by addressing areas of need.Dodgers second basemen were hitting a collective .211/.309/.315 with seven homers this season. Brian Dozier is having a down season by his standards with a .224/.305/.402 slash line, but his track record suggests he could be in line for a strong final two months:ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoThe Dodgers just keep adding power.In the last 5 seasons, Brian Dozier has 143 HR, 38 more than any other 2nd baseman EQv8fnsE4eThe Diamondbacks countered Los Angeles' move by adding JakeDiekmanto their bullpen in a trade with the Texas Rangers.CJ Nitkowski CJNitkowskiJake Diekmans splits with the Rangers:Home: 21G, 18IP, 17K, 18BB Elvis Andrus Jersey , 7.50ERARoad: 22G, 21IP, 31K, 5BB, 0.43ERAHes been dealing lately, FB has been 95-98. ARI goes to TEX for two games later this month but otherwise he avoids GLP the rest of the season. Nice add by ARI.One team that seemed primed to add a starting pitcher was the Milwaukee Brewers, though they decided to take a different approach at the deadline.Milwaukee's rotation ERA has been solid at 3.85, butJhoulysChacinand Freddy Peralta are the only members of the group with aFIPunder 4.10.Rather than pursue a big-time starter, the Brewers added JonathanSchoopto their lineup after previously acquiring MikeMoustakasfrom the Kansas City Royals.Bob Nightengale BNightengaleThe #Brewers, who seemingly opened the year with too many outfielders and first basemen, now have 2 third basemen or 2 second basemen with Jonathan Schoop traded from #OriolesThe Philadelphia Phillies made a bold move to acquire Wilson Ramos from the Tampa Bay Rays. The All-Star catcher is currently on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, but his bat will be a huge upgrade in Philadelphia's lineup when he returns:ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoThe Phillies are receiving a major upgrade at catcher with Wilson Ramos. Ramos has provided greater results than all of the Phillies catchers combined this season. swEBfLS4qlCompared to the American League, where four of the five playoff teams appear to be locks at this point, the NL remains wide-open.The top seven teams are all within four games of each other. Four other teams are within 5.5 games of the second wild-card spot.Keep in mind, though, that teams can still make deals through Aug. 31 on the waiver market. Even though some teams sat things out today, there will be plenty of chances to make a move that can shift the balance of power in the playoff races.
