What a difference a year makes? After netting some of the top free agents last winter, the Miami Marlins are back to square one. In a blockbuster of a trade, the Marlins have shipped shortstop Jose Reyes, right-hander Josh Johnson, left-hander Mark Buehrle, catcher John Buck and outfielder Emilio Bonifacio to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Marlins are receiving seven players in the trade, but most importantly they are dumping $175 million in payroll. You can rub your eyes all you want, but this ridiculous waving of the white flag is for real.

When the Marlins moved to Miami, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria wanted to make a splash. With a new stadium, snazzy new uniforms, increased payroll and a new manager, the Marlins were ready to come out of the shadows and finally become an elite MLB team. But baseball insiders could not have guessed how doomed this sinking ship was. After a rocky start with manager Ozzie Guillen, the year only got worse. With a last place 93-loss season, Loria and crew were ready to throw up their hands and admit defeat. Loria is known for slashing and burning payroll, but their fall from grace is unprecedented.

Loria pleaded with MLB to move the team to Miami. MLB, justifiably so, was a little weary to grant the relocation. Marlins in years past have been cheap on payroll and have not invested well in the team, despite winning two World Series in their franchises history. Loria promised Commissioner Bud Selig the move to Miami would grant them a bigger market and Selig allowed the move.

Loria played the city of Miami and Major League Baseball for a fool. All the players they spent money on are gone, their attendance will surely drop and the city of Miami is still on the hook to pay for the Marlins swanky new stadium. This trade sends ripple effects through the league as MLB will now be more cautious when granting teams permission to build new stadiums or move. Loria has become the joke of the league and it’s sad to see this team will be stuck in limbo for the coming years.

Hey if there is one silver lining in all of this, the Marlins are the most talked about team two winters in a row.

We have reached the unofficial halfway point of the summer as baseball’s best players descend to Kansas City for the 83^rd Annual MLB All-Star Game. The first half of the season has seen some surprises and disappointments but the All-Star Game signals a fresh start for some team’s who are gearing up for a second half run.

The All-Star week kicks off with the All-Star Futures Game, an exhibition game that features MLB’s most talented prospects. Such keynote players have participated like Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton and Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria. Who knows, we might see a future MVP play in this year’s game.

The next event on the All-Star docket is the Home Run Derby. Featuring some of Major League Baseball’s best hitters, the Home Run Derby is bound to be a slugfest. This year, the American League and the National League have some pretty stacked rosters. Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder and New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano are former champions, but the NL has some experienced hitters in Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran. Whoever wins, you can bet that you will see plenty of baseballs leave Kauffman Stadium.

And the week caps off with the Annual All-Star Game. The American League is on a losing streak for the first time in 15 years. Can the AL snap their winless streak or will the NL dominate once again? Stock up on all your All-Star Game gear available at our MLB Fan Shop. You can choose apparel and merchandise from your favorite team or browse through our selection of official MLB All-Star Game. Don yourself in an American League batting practice jersey or cheer on your favorite player in a National League t-shirt. At FansEdge.com, we have everything you need to celebrate the Mid-Summer Classic.

The picks are in and the 2012 MLB All-Star rosters are set. There were some surprises and some smart choices, but we already know who made the roster. As a die-hard baseball fan, isn’t more fun to debate about who wasn’t included on the All-Star rosters? Let me then introduce the 2012 MLB All Star snub roster. A mix of both American League and National League players who deserve a spot, but were somehow left off the roster.

Catcher – A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox: One of the most polarizing players in Major League Baseball today, you can’t disagree that Pierzynski deserves a spot on the American League roster. Pierzynski is hitting a respectable .285 and leads all AL catchers with 45 RBI’s. Those are some pretty tight numbers to deserve a spot.

First Base – Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays: No matter what league you play for, first base is the most stacked position anywhere. But Encarnacion has taken over a foreign position and is on pace to break his all-time high stat numbers.

Second Base – Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds: The National League second base backup job was a tight race with many great players in the league this year. But by hitting .288 and having three gold gloves to his name, Phillips definitely deserves a spot.

Shortstop – Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals: Hitting .309 is pretty respectable, but clocking 19 doubles and being a great fielder is enough for Escobar to make the team.

Third base – David Wright, New York Mets: Although he did make the team, it is an absolute shame David Wright is not the starting third baseman for the NL. Wright is putting up MVP numbers and leads all MLB third baseman in average, doubles and walks. He may not have been elected a starter, but Wright might have some hardware at season’s end.

Outfield – Josh Reddick, Oakland Athletics: With such a large park, playing in Oakland is no fun for any hitter. But Josh Reddick hasn’t felt that way as he has clubbed 18 homers and has a .517 slugging percentage to boot.

Pitcher – Jake Peavy, Chicago White Sox: Although his win-loss record does not show it (6-5) Peavy has regained his former Cy Young dominance. Boasting a 2.96 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and throwing 101 strikeouts, Peavy leads the majors with four complete games and looks to silence his critics.

Don’t get me wrong there are definitely some deserving players on this year’s All-Star rosters. I am just giving you a different look at players that might not have been seen by the regular masses.