Albert Pujols could become the first player since 1937 to win the NL Triple Crown.

Not since 1967 has anyone led either Major League in home runs, RBI, and batting average. Not since 1937 has a player done so in the National League. Yet with August winding down and the divisional races heating up, Albert Pujols ranks first in home runs and RBI, third in batting average, just six points behind leader Joey Votto, who also ranks second in home runs, just three back of Pujols, and second in RBI, again, only three behind Pujols.

For Votto, this is a career year. At just 26, he has plenty of time left to show that 2010 was not a fluke, and that he belongs among the games elite. But as good as he was the past couple of years, he’s really put things together this season and should he win the Triple Crown it would simply top off a breakthrough season for the Red slugger.

On the flip side, there is no doubt that Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball. He’s had many great season before, and should he pull off the Triple Crown, he’s all but guaranteed to become the second player in baseball history with four MVP awards. He’d also become the second player in baseball history to win three such awards in a row, following only Barry Bonds in both instances. But what’s so incredible about this season, and about Pujols, is that 2010 might just be a bellow average year by Phat Albert’s standards.

Let’s take a step back, and look at Pujols’ numbers as they appeared on July 31st, less than a month ago. Albert was hitting .299 on the season with a .399 OBP, a .551 SLG, and an OPS of .950. This would certainly be considered a great season for just about anyone. But for Pujols, a .950 OPS would represent a career low, as would the .299 batting average, 15 points lower than in any season of his career, and the .551 SLG, 11 points lower than in any season of his career. With two months to go in the season, Albert had just 23 home runs.

The Machine flipped a switch in August, and is no longer in danger of having one of his worst seasons. Over the past month, he’s hit .411 with 11 home runs, 22 RBI, and a 1.336 OPS. For the first time since April, Pujols batted over .300 for a month. It was also the first time since April his monthly OPS topped .950. One big month has taken Pujols from a career-low year to the strongest Triple Crown candidate we’ve had in decades.

But what about his numbers as of today? Pujols is hitting .320 with 35 home runs and an OPS of 1.022. He leads his league in hits, runs, home runs, RBI, and SLG, he’s second in  OBP and OPS, third in SLG. A great season by any measure, sure. But one of his best? Hardly. This is Pujols 10th season in the Major Leagues. His 1.022 OPS would rank seventh best in his career, his second worst OPS since 2002, his worst over that stretch coming in an injury plagued 2007. His 172 OPS+ would be tied for fifth best in his career.

His 2010 OBP and 2010 SLG both rank as the third worst of his career, his OBP at it’s lowest level since 2002. His average is the second worst of his career, only six points above his career-low .314 in 2002. 2010 is also shaping up to be a middle of the pack year for Pujols in the power department. He’s on pace right now to end up in the low-40s in home runs. Not really a down year for the Cardinals slugger, but certainly not-off the charts.

This has been an incredible season to be a baseball fan. We’ve seen five (six) no-hitters, two (three) perfect games, and cast of rookies that’s unmatched in recent memory. But this is something truly unique. We have a player so incredibly talented that, in a year that arguably ranks as bellow average for his career, he has a chance to win the first batting Triple Crown in more than four decades, the first in his league in more than 70 years.

Strasburg is 6-1, with a 0.99 ERA at AA and AAA.

Strasburg, who was undoubtedly baseball’s best pitcher during the first month of his career, finishes a shortened rookie season 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts to just 17 walks in 68 innings pitched.

This situation is eerily reminiscent of Francisco Liriano’s 2006 season. The Twins ace exploded onto the scene in ’06, and looked like a Cy Young contender at mid-season. After a month-long stint on the DL, Liriano made two starts, one in late August, the next in early September, before landing back on the DL and eventually undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

This is without a doubt bad news. But it is important to remember that Liriano has been one of baseball’s best pitchers this year. The same can be said for fellow TJS recipient Josh Johnson. While the road to recovery is long, and Strasburg may not be himself right away, the surgery now has a very high success rate. This isn’t going to end Strasburg’s career, and he should be back to 100% within two years. While his questionable mechanics and electric stuff could lead to further injury in the future, we’ve seen plenty of pitchers return from TJS and stay healthy long term.

As difficult a situation is TJS is, there is a silver lining here. This injury gives the Nationals another year to become a competitive organization. The service time clock has stopped ticking for now, and the Nationals will control their phenom for an additional year before he reaches free agency. This not only gives the Nationals a bigger window of competition with Strasburg, but also increases his future trade value should the team not become competitive in the next 3-4 years.

Stephen Strasburg might be the most talented pitcher in the game, and as a baseball fan, I want to see the guy pitch. Thankfully, this is unlikely to be the end of his career, or the end of his dominance, and Nationals fans can take solace in the fact that there team now has another year to become a competitor in the National League East and win with Stephen Strasburg as their ace.

Romero, the teams first round pick in 2005, has a 3.53 ERA and 3.40 FIP on the season. Not much of a strikeout pitcher in the minor leagues, he’s really refined his stuff in the Majors, and thus far has a 7.76 strikeout rate on the season. He’s also a groundball pitcher (54% GB-rate both this year and last) and while his control is still a bit shaky, it’s improved over the past year and is currently no worse than average. Overall, he’s got a great skill set and at just 25 he still has room to grow by improving his command, and becoming the ace the Blue Jays hoped he could be when they selected him sixth overall.

Let’s break the deal down.

Right off the bat, the Jays will be giving Romero a $1.25 million signing bonus. In 2011, Romero will make $750K, a few thousand more than he would have had he not signed the deal, but nothing major. This is his final pre-arbitration year, and the Jays aren’t paying much for it.

Had Romero not signed this deal, he would have gone through arbitration in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Now, the Blue Jays have him under control and will pay him an average of $6.7 million over the three year stretch. Even if Romero simply continues to pitch at the level he has, he’ll be well worth the money.

The best part about this deal from the Jays perspective is that they now control one or two of Romero’s free agent years. In 2015, Romero will be right in the middle of his prime at 30 years old. The Jays have him locked up at $7.5 million for the 2015 season, and can exercise a $13.1 million option for 2016. Should Romero get hurt, or should his performance suffer, they can buy out the 2016 season for just $600K.

Romero gets a great deal of financial security out of this deal, and while it would be nice to hit the free agent market at 29 years old, he’s now guaranteed $30+ million over the next five seasons. This is certainly a good deal from his perspective.

I also like this deal for the Blue Jays. Romero is a very talented pitcher, and he’s only getting better. If he develops into the front-line starter he seems capable of becoming, having his arbitration years control could be huge in the Blue Jays rebuilding efforts, and keeping him under contract for two prime-age free agent years is also a major plus.

The Baltimore Orioles have placed Brian Roberts on the DL, retroactive to Friday, with a strained abdomen. Roberts has been dealing with pain from a herniated disk since the spring, an injury he aggravated sliding into second base Friday. While an MRI revealed no additional structural damage, Roberts was given his second epidural shot on Monday and is clearly in significant pain. This injury will keep Roberts out through April at the very least, and could potentially affect his ability to play, and perform at a high level for the rest of the season. If you own Roberts, you should probably look for a semi-long term solution if you can. While Julo Lugo will take most of Roberts playing time, he’s not an option in mixed leagues.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have placed their second baseman Aaron Hill on the DL as well. Hill injured his hamstring on April 5th, and while he played in the teams next game, he hasn’t been in the lineup since. Hill is eligible to return April 23rd, and there is no reason at the moment to believe he wont be able to. Hill believes he could have played through the injury, and manager Cito Gaston has said he was considering playing him yesterday. Hopefully this is just a precaution, and the injury wont linger. If much of Hill’s value was tied up in his speed, a leg injury would be of more concern, but that’s not the case. John McDonald and Mike McCoy will split time until Hill comes back. Neither are worth a pickup in any format.

Finally, Jimmy Rollins was scratched from the Phillies lineup for Monday’s home opener after straining his right calf in warmups. Rollins is scheduled for an MRI, and a DL stint is possible. As with Hill, we’re hoping this is just a minor injury, even if it does cause him to miss a couple of weeks, but right now we just don’t know.

So, who should you look at to replace these guys in mixed leagues? There aren’t many great middle infielders out there. Luis Valbuena, who was one of my favorite pre-season sleepers, is owned in just 1.6% of ESPN standard mixed leagues. While he has started off the season a bit slowly, he is plenty capable of hitting for solid average with moderate pop. Orlando Hudson is owned in just over 12% of ESPN leagues, and while he’s not great, he could give you solid production and guaranteed playing time. Skip Schumaker is another solid option. At short stop, Orlando Cabrera is owned in under 20% of leagues. He’s another not-so-great option, but should provide solid across the board production. Valbuena, Ian Desmond, and Johnny Peralta are other solid options.

Frank Francisco has had a rough start to the season. After picking up his first save Monday, he imploded against the Blue Jays on Thursday, giving up 3 runs in two thirds of an inning. He’s got two years worth of performance indicating that he can be a solid closer, so don’t be too worried. Neftali Feliz is likely next in line for saves.

Neftali Feliz is an elite closer.

Well, Francisco blew up again, and Ron Washington decided he’d seen enough. Francisco is out, Feliz is in.

I don’t think there’s any reason to believe Feliz can’t handle the job. In 31 relief innings for Texas last season, Feliz struck out 39 batters, walking only 8, for  a 2.48 FIP. Feliz has the skills of an elite closer. If Feliz were to implode any time soon, Daren O’Day would likely be next inline, as he spent some time in the role last season and a relatively good middle reliever. I doubt that happens.

Long term, Francisco could still return to the closers role at some point. I’m not Jon Daniels, but I assume the Rangers still consider Feliz a starter. If someone in their rotation suffers an injury (I’m talking about you Rich Harden), they may be tempted to move Feliz into that spot. Francisco has two years of solid performance to indicate that he is a good reliever, and if he can turn it around, the Rangers may be inclined to move Feliz and put Francisco back in the closers role.

Bay, who hit .267, with 36 homers and 119 RBIs last season in Boston, is currently being taken 5th among outfielders in 22nd overall in early Mock Draft Central mocks. Bay could potentially hit cleanup, behind Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Carlos Beltran, if the Mets decide to structure their lineup in that manner, and he would certainly be in prime position to rack up some good RBI numbers.

While some will worry about the impact of Citi Field, don’t be one of them. The Mets actually hit more homeruns at home than on the road, and the same was true for their opposition.

Rodney is also a proven postseason pitcher, although in just 7 2/3 IP, Rodney has allowed just 2 earned runs while striking out 9.

You can follow Ryan Gilbert on Twitter for breaking MLB news and rumors.

UPDATE: The prospect will be Arodys Vizcaino. A-ball pitcher with very high upside. BA ranked him third in Yankees system for 2010.

According to Jon Heyman of SI.com, the Atlanta Braves will trade Javier Vazquez to the New York Yankees for centerfielder Melky Cabrera, lefty reliever Michael Dunn, and a prospect.

Vazquez had a career year in 2009, with a 2.87 ERA, 5.41 K/BB rate, and 2.77 FIP. Vazquez, who was acquired by the Yankees in 2004, has since pitched for Arizona, the White Sox, and most recently, the Braves.

The Yankees trade outfielder Melky Cabrera to Atlanta. Melky had arguably his best season in 2009, hitting .274 with a .331 wOBA and playing a solid defensive centerfield. Once one of the Yankees better prospects, he’s settled into a role as a solid starter/fourth outfielder, who can hit at a league average level, and play decent defense, with a great arm. He would be a good fit at any outfield position for the Braves in 2010, although he’s best in right.

Michael Dunn is a hard throwing lefty reliever who pitched three levels in 2009, eventually making it to the big leagues. His career minor league K rate is well over 10, although he has struggled a bit with his control.

No word yet on the third player going to Atlanta. The Yankees will also acquire reliever Boone Logan.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, the Blue Jays have traded reliever Brandon League to the Seattle Mariners for Brandon Morrow. One other prospect was involved in the deal, and Brett Wallace’s name has been floated around as a possibility.

If Wallace is in the deal, this is tremendous for Seattle. The Mariners, as currently constructed, lack the patience and power needed to score runs. Wallace gives them that. The first rounder in 2008 hit .293/.367/.495 at AA and AAA last season, really turning it on after the A’s acquired him from St. Louis. With Sacramento, Wallace hit .302/.365/.505 with 9 homers in just 182 at bats.

While Brandon Morrow has the potential to become a top-end starting pitcher, we haven’t seen much yet, with his greatest success coming in 2008, out of the bullpen. If he becomes a front line starter, than obviously that is a great deal to be giving up. If he ends up in the bullpen… well, I prefer Brandon League anyway.

League, 26, had a 4.58 ERA last season, but he has the skill set to close. A hard throwing righty, League sits around 94-96 MPH with his fastball, and has no trouble missing bats. He also demonstrated good control last season, and a fantastic 3.62 K/BB rate. Additionally, homeruns should not be a problem, as League keeps the ball on the ground almost 60% of the time. His xFIP in 2009 was 3.16, and as I mentioned in my AL East bullpen preview, League was arguably the best pitcher in Toronto’s bullpen. He wasn’t likely to get a shot there, but with David Aardsma’s control and extreme flyball tendencies, he’s a disaster waiting to happen. It’s very possible League ends up closing in 2010 and beyond.

At this point, we really don’t know who the prospect is though. We’ll see. Assuming it’s a solid MLB caliber prospect though, I think the M’s pulled of a good trade here. I’m a huge fan of League.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Yankees may be close to acquiring a starter:

Yankees working very hard tonight on deal for starting pitcher. Remember that they came close to deal for Aaron Harang in summer.

The Yankees have been busy this offseason, already landing Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson, and have since turned their attention to the starting rotation. They now appear to be very much in the market for another starter to add to the rotation of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and one of Joba Chamberlain/Phillip Hughes. Assuming they acquire another starter, either Hughes or Joba will move into the 8th inning role, immediately becoming one of the 3-4 best setup men in baseball, and possibly the Yankees future closer, given Mariano Rivera’s age and the fact that his contract runs out after the 2010 season.

The names the Yankees may be going after wary considerably, but let’s go over a few of them:

Aaron Harang always seems to be on the block, or at least it’s been that way for a couple of years now. Is this because Harang is a good pitcher, or because the Reds want to get him off their hands? Last season, Harang went 6-14 with a 4.21 ERA. However, his 3.30 K/BB rate and sub-4 xFIP look pretty good given his asking price will be significantly lower than a Vazquez or even Lowe. He is a flyball pitcher, so expecting him to dominate in Yankee Stadium is foolish, but an ERA of around/under 4 is possible, and if he throws 200 innings in New York, he’ll be a good #3/#4 starter. He could be a solid pickup for the Yankees.

Carlos Zambrano, however, wouldn’t be a solid pickup. This seems like a bit of a longshot as Brian Cashman doesn’t like the asking price here, but his contract is obscene and his performance, while still solid, isn’t what it once was, and is in danger of completely dropping off. Although he did improve his K rate back to early-career levels in 2009, he failed to reach the 2 K/BB rate and sub-4 xFIP levels for the fourth consecutive season. Although he has proven he can keep an abnormally low BABIP over an extended period of time, and post ERAs in the high 3s, it still doesn’t make up for his contract, and his 2009 BABIP signals a possible end to this trend. The only thing keeping his ERA under 4 last year was an uncharacteristically low 5.6% HR/FB, which would not continue in the New Yankee Stadium. Zambrano has some upside, however his risk of collapse is just too high, and given his contract, I’d stay away.

Ben Sheets and Joel Pineiro might be the two best pitchers on the market, and considering they wouldn’t cost the Yankees any prospects, they might be the right guys for Cashman to target. We all know what Sheets can do when healthy. He’s posted FIPs under 3 twice in his career, and with the exception of 2007, and his rookie season, his FIP has always been under 4. His career K/BB rate is 3.85, and in 2006, in over 100 innings, he posted a K/BB rate over 10. That’s bordering on impossible, with 116 ks and 11 walks. That said, he’s been hurt. A lot. He’s hit the DL each of the past 5 years, and missed the entire 2009 season recovering from major surgery. When he’s on the field, he can give you a sub-3 ERA, 200+ Ks. Basically, he’s one of the best in baseball. But that’s a huge risk. Obviously worth a flier, and in New York, he could win a Cy Young.

Pineiro might be the best fit for the Yankees, simply because in that stadium, the ability to keep the ball on the ground is tremendously valuable. Few did it better than Pineiro in 2009, who posted an awesome 60.5 groundball rate. This is new for Pineiro, as he had never reached 50%, so some might be skeptical, however a significant increase in usage of his fastball may explain this growth. And while his 1.14 BB rate was unprecedented, his control clearly improved from 2006, to ‘07, and to ‘08. His K/BB rate in 2007 and 2008 was 2.31. Some regression is possible, actually extremely likely, but if he lands in New York, he could be a major asset, as although he wont miss many bats, his groundball profile and control could make him a very good #2 or #3 starter. Huge risk/reward, depending on whether you believe in his 2009, but obviously a good fit for the stadium. The Yanks might be reluctant to give him the deal he wants though, as he has a shaky track-record, and he’s 31 years old.

If I’m the Yankees, I probably try to sign Sheets to something similar to what Harden got, if he’ll go for it. He’s the best pitcher out there, even though he may miss some time. But most of these options look solid. These are all high-risk, high-reward options, so price is probably going to be the deciding factor.