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Cesar Hernandez Out Six Weeks With Oblique Injury

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The Phillies will be without second baseman Cesar Hernandez for roughly six weeks due to a strained oblique muscle, manager Pete Mackanin tells reporters (Twitter link via Meghan Montemurro of the News Journal).

[Related: Philadelphia Phillies depth chart]

The loss of Hernandez will remove one of the few Phillies that has been enjoying a solid season at the plate from the team’s lineup. Through 259 plate appearances, the 27-year-old switch-hitter has batted .277/.336/.399 with five homers and six RBIs. Hernandez has demonstrated more power than he did in 2016, as he’s already just one homer shy of last season’s total, though it’s come at the expense of a diminished walk rate (10.6 percent in 2016, 7.7 percent in ’17). Hernandez has been four runs above average according to both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating this year, further contributing to his value.

Veteran Howie Kendrick, who has been excellent at the plate since returning from the disabled list himself, has filled in at second base in each of the past two games for the Phils. Kendrick and his .353/.409/.529 batting line (through just 93 plate appearances) can more than adequately fill in for Hernandez, though he’s a prime trade candidate as well. Of course, if the Phils wait until the trade deadline to deal Kendrick, they may be on the verge of getting Hernandez back on the big league roster anyway.

Some fans may clamor to use Hernandez’s injury as a means of getting a look at well-regarded second base prospect Scott Kingery, though there are numerous factors that could make that scenario unlikely. The 23-year-old Kingery, a former second-round pick, is still only in his first run through Double-A ball. There’s also no urgency for the Phillies to rush him, as they currently hold the worst record in the Majors and don’t need to be especially concerned with adding a couple of wins in what looks to otherwise be a lost season. Kingery also is not yet on the 40-man roster and needn’t be added yet this offseason to shield him from the Rule 5 Draft. He has, however, laid waste to opposing pitchers with a .306/.385/.625 with 18 homers and 14 steals through just 58 games.

Edwin Jackson Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Edwin Jackson has cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Orioles and has elected free agency, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.

The veteran Jackson’s time with the Orioles proved to be brief. After pushing an opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Orioles from June 1 back to June 5, the 33-year-old triggered that clause, prompting the Orioles to place him on the big league roster. However, he’d appear in just three games and total a mere five innings with the O’s. In that time, Jackson surrendered four earned runs (seven total runs) on 11 hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

Jackson was solid with Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a 3.10 ERA with 17 strikeouts against 10 walks in 20 1/3 innings. And he, of course, comes with plenty of big league experience under his belt. Jackson had a productive season as recently as 2015, when he notched a 3.07 earned run average with 6.5 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 55 2/3 frames between the Cubs and Braves. In all, he’s compiled a 4.65 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 in 1729 1/3 Major League innings. Jackson, one of the most well-traveled players in Major League history, has now appeared for 12 different big league teams, leaving him one Major League club shy of tying the record 13 franchises for which Octavio Dotel appeared in his career.

Devon Travis Undergoes Knee Surgery

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Blue Jays second baseman Devon Travis underwent surgery to “clean up cartilage” in his injured knee, manager John Gibbons tells Sportsnet’s Mike Wilner (Twitter links). While the procedure wasn’t unexpected, it only further underscores that Travis will be out “awhile.” Per Gibbons, the Blue Jays will go with a platoon of Darwin Barney and Ryan Goins at second base in the absence of Travis.

Toronto has yet to place a formal timeline on Travis’ absence, though the 26-year-old acknowledged last week that the new bone bruise and cartilage damage suffered in the same right knee that he suffered in the offseason would keep him out for an extended period. Travis expressed frustration to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi at the time, explaining that there’s no one incident to which he can tie the injury, which he initially felt after a lengthy flight from Toronto to Oakland.

Travis, who was acquired from the Tigers in exchange for Anthony Gose three years ago, has been a productive force for the Blue Jays when healthy. However, he’s struggled to stay on the field in each of his three seasons with the Jays. In 868 plate appearances with Toronto, Travis has batted .292/.331/.462, but he’s also averaged just 289 plate appearances and 71 games per season (including this year).

Draft Chatter: Lewis, McKay, College Arms, Mock Drafts, A’s

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With the MLB Draft just a few hours away, there’s some increasing talk that the Twins are giving serious consideration to high school shortstop Royce Lewis with the No. 1 overall pick. John Manuel of Baseball America tweeted today that Lewis is in consideration and adds that he was told by a Twins official that signability is a factor for the Twins up top. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that the Twins are down to Lewis and Louisville left-hander/first baseman Brendan McKay. Meanwhile, 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson tweeted that as of this morning, a Twins front office source told him that no decision has been made.

For those wondering whether the Twins may cut a deal with Lewis to save money and allow greater spending with their Comp Balance pick and second-round selection, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Lewis has a high asking price. (Lewis is reportedly being advised by agent Scott Boras.) Adding to the Lewis/Twins steam is La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, who tweeted that with less than three hours until the Twins are on the clock, the Lewis steam is real. McKay and flamethrowing righty Hunter Greene are both in the mix, Neal adds, and money is a significant factor in the decision. Obviously, the Twins will spend their entire allotted draft budget regardless of who they take, but the amount for which the first overall pick signs will determine how aggressive the Twins can be on pick Nos. 35 and 37 as well as with the rest of their selections.

A bit more on tonight’s draft…

  • Fangraphs’ Gerald Schifman takes an excellent look at the usage of some of the top college arms in the draft, examining each pitcher’s average pitches per start, the percentage of starts in excess of 115 pitches and the number of “Pitch Smart” violations. (More details on the Pitch Smart guidelines here.) Notably, projected top picks like Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright and Louisville’s Brendan McKay have had their pitch counts and rest between starts managed quite well for the most part. On the other end of the spectrum is UCLA righty Griffin Canning, who has throw 115+ pitches in 53 percent of his outings in the past two seasons. Missouri’s Tanner Houck has also had some troubling usage trends, including high pitch counts and a lack of rest between outings.
  • As is always the case on draft day, there are a number of last-minute mock drafts from some industry experts that readers and draft followers will want to check out. Both Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com agree that the top five picks will go Brendan McKay (Twins), Hunter Greene (Reds), MacKenzie Gore (Padres), Royce Lewis (Rays) and Keston Hiura (Braves). That, somewhat surprisingly, would leave Kyle Wright out of the top five, though Callis has him going sixth to the A’s, while Mayo has him going seventh to the D-backs. BA’s John Manuel agrees with that top three, though he has high school outfielder Bubba Thompson going to the Rays and Wright going to the Braves at No. 5. ESPN’s Keith Law also published a draft-day mock, listing McKay, Greene, Gore, Lewis and Wright as his respective top five.
  • The Athletics are up with the No. 6 pick in the draft tonight, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle connects them to a number of outfielders and pitchers. High school lefty MacKenzie Gore is on Oakland’s radar, though many project him to go before the A’s are on the clock. High school outfielder Austin Beck is also an Athletics target and recently had a private workout with the A’s. Slusser notes that they’d be thrilled to see Kyle Wright slip to them with the sixth selection, similarly to the manner in which Florida lefty A.J. Puk dropped to Oakland last year after being discussed as a potential 1-1 option. Wright’s teammate, outfielder Jeren Kendall, is also intriguing to the A’s, per Slusser.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/12/17

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Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the game…

  • The Twins have signed right-hander Tim Melville to a minor league deal and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, according to Nate Rowan, the PR director of their Rochester affiliate (Twitter link). The 27-year-old Melville was a fourth-round pick by the Royals in 2008 and made his big league debut with the Reds last season, yielding 11 runs on 16 hits and nine walks in just nine innings of work. That unsightly cup of coffee aside, Melville has been enjoying a nice season with the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks. Through 47 innings, he’s worked to a 3.45 ERA with a 48-to-18 K/BB ratio. Melville has a rather pedestrian 4.61 ERA in 160 career innings at Triple-A, but he’ll add some depth to a Twins organization that recently released Nick Tepesch and promoted Triple-A lefties Nik Turley and Adalberto Mejia to the Majors.

Astros To Place Lance McCullers On Disabled List

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The Astros are placing right-hander Lance McCullers on the 10-day disabled list due to discomfort in his lower back, reports Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). McCullers, the Astros’ No. 2 starter, will join ace Dallas Keuchel on the shelf. Kaplan tweets further that the team is hopeful that McCullers can avoid a lengthy stay on the DL, though the placement of the team’s top two starters on the disabled list is obviously of some concern even if neither injury is believed to be serious at this time.

[Related: Updated Houston Astros depth chart]

The silver lining for Houston, of course, is that the team has such an enormous lead on the division that weathering the loss of its top two starters for a short period is perfectly plausible. The Astros are currently 12 games ahead of the second-place Angels and 13 games ahead of both the Mariners and Rangers. Right-hander Joe Musgrove is being activated to start tonight’s game, per Kaplan, though there’s no word yet who’ll start in place of McCullers tomorrow.

McCullers, 23, has been not only one of the best arms on the Astros but one of the best young arms in the entire American League. Through 76 2/3 innings in 2017, he’s pitched to a pristine 2.58 ERA with a gaudy 89-to-23 K/BB ratio and a sensational 63 percent ground-ball rate. With both Keuchel and McCullers sidelined for the time being, Houston will likely rely on a rotation consisting of Musgrove, Mike Fiers, Brad Peacock and David Paulino.

Top prospect Francis Martes, conceivably, could step into the team’s rotation, and dominant multi-inning reliever Chris Devenski at least makes sense as a speculative option. Other candidates on the current 40-man roster are a bit scarce, as righties Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh have not yet begun a minor league rehab assignments. Prospect Brady Rodgers, meanwhile, is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery.

Taking Inventory: Kansas City Royals

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This is the fourth entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series. Click for entries on the Phillies, Pirates and Giants.

The Royals entered the 2017 season knowing full well that the majority of their World-Series-winning core was slated to hit free agency. Rather than blow it up this offseason, Kansas City traded only Wade Davis, extended Danny Duffy and then made some low-cost veteran additions to help round out the roster. Many of those moves were made in the wake of tragedy, as the Royals suffered the devastating loss of one of their core pieces this offseason when Yordano Ventura’s life was tragically taken in a car accident.

Unfortunately for Dayton Moore and his staff, their offseaon maneuverings have yet to yield on-field success. Kansas City is 5.5 games out of first place in the American League Central and currently sports Major League Baseball’s fifth-worst run differential (-47). Their 4.38 team ERA ranks 18th in the Majors, and they’re without their top pitcher, Duffy, through at least the All-Star break due to an oblique injury. Kansas City has scored the second-fewest runs in baseball as well, and their collective 80 wRC+ is the game’s third-worst mark.

According to just about any report one reads, the Royals haven’t yet decided to call it quits and are still intent on trying to make one more run. But as the summer wears on, it becomes likelier and likelier that they’ll be forced to begin fielding trade offers. Let’s break down who could become available…

Rentals

Lorenzo Cain, CF | Salary: $11MM

A premium defensive center fielder with plus baserunning skills and an above-average bat, Cain would likely be the most coveted trade asset the Royals have to offer in a potential sale. He’s hitting .265/.345/.412 with six homers (while playing in a pitcher-friendly home park), 12 steals and three to four runs saved with his glove (per Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved). His defensive prowess in center would allow him to play plus defense in an outfield corner, as well, so even contending clubs that already have center field covered could slide him (or the incumbent option) over to left or right.

Eric Hosmer, 1B | Salary: $12.25MM

Hosmer had a terrible second half in 2016 and got off to a slow start in 2017, but he’s reminded everyone why there’s talk of him potentially signing a mega-deal this offseason with his recent play. He’s hitting .314/.363/.469 on the season as a whole, and if you throw out his first 20 games of the season, that slash line jumps to a preposterous .370/.415/.574. That’s admittedly an arbitrary cutoff, and Hosmer has shown to be too ground-ball happy and prone to slumps in the past. But for the past 42 games, he’s been among baseball’s very best hitters, and a club with a void at first base/DH such as the Yankees, Rangers or Mariners (if the latter two end up as buyers) could benefit.

Mike Moustakas, 3B | Salary: $8.7MM

Moustakas missed most of the 2016 season due to a torn ACL, and while there was no way to be certain that he’d return to form in 2017, he’s done that and then some. With 17 homers and a .275/.314/.554 batting line, he’s on his way to the best offensive season of his career. Defensive metrics typically grade Moose as an above-average performer at third base, though they’re a bit mixed in the wake of last season’s knee injury. DRS has him at -3, while UZR has him at +1. At the worst, interested clubs could expect merely passable glovework accompanied by huge production against righties, though Moustakas remains overmatched by left-handed pitchers (.212/.241/.481).

Alcides Escobar, SS | Salary: $6.5MM

Escobar has never been much of an offensive performer, but he’s simply not hitting at all in 2017. With a .180/.205/.234 batting line, he’s been baseball’s least-productive bat (among qualified hitters). However, Escobar remains a gifted defender at a premium position (+2 DRS, +5 UZR) and still runs the bases well. At the least, he could be a bench piece on a contending club.

Mike Minor, LHP (reliever) | Salary: $4MM (plus $1.25MM buyout of $10MM mutual option)

Minor has thrived upon his shift to a bullpen role, embracing relief work with a 2.25 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 44.4 percent ground-ball rate through 32 2/3 innings. Lefties have posted a pathetic .125/.205/.175 batting line against him, and right-handers haven’t fared especially well, either (.243/.300/.351). Minor is technically controlled through 2018, but mutual options are so rarely exercised by both parties that he’s best viewed as a pure rental. I do think there’s at least a plausible scenario where both sides pick the option up due to Minor’s excellence but limited ’pen track record and recent health troubles. But, the contracts secured by Mike Dunn and Brett Cecil on last year’s open market suggest that Minor can do better if he continues at this pace.

Jason Vargas, LHP (starter) | Salary: $8MM

I doubt that many are buying Vargas’ sensational 2.18 ERA, but even if he’s still just viewed as the mid-rotation innings eater he’s always been, there’s plenty to like. He’s affordable, has posted modest improvements over his career K/9 and BB/9 rates and looks to have bounced back from the 2015 Tommy John surgery that ultimately cost him the better part of two seasons. Vargas might not be part of a postseason rotation, but he’d be a valuable rotation stabilizer for a team with uncertainty at the back of its starting five.

Peter Moylan, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $1MM

Moylan’s ERA is currently residing just north of 7.00 due to the fact that he’s been annihilated by left-handed batters. However, he’s been untouchable against righties, limiting same-handed opponents to a putrid .212/.268/.273 batting line through 71 plate appearances. If used properly, he can be a nice bullpen piece, and he’s certainly affordable from a financial standpoint.

Chris Young, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $5.75MM (plus $1.25MM buyout of $8MM mutual option)

Young was outstanding with Seattle and Kansas City in 2014-15, but he’s been rocked for a 6.31 ERA over the past 117 innings, and his secondary stats don’t offer much encouragement. He’ll need to improve over the next month-plus to have much in the way of trade value. He could also be an August trade candidate, as his salary is all but a lock to clear waivers.

Controlled Through 2018

Kelvin Herrera, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $5.325MM (arbitration-eligible this winter)

Herrera looks like one of the best bets to be traded this summer, but his recent performance can’t be helping his stock. Over his past 10 1/3 innings of work, Herrera has allowed 10 earned runs on the strength of three homers. So long as the homer troubles don’t continue, most will probably look past that blip and find plenty to like in the 27-year-old’s 28-to-5 K/BB ratio through 25 1/3 innings. He’s averaging nearly 98 mph and can help out a team for the next year and a half if he returns to form.

Joakim Soria, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $8MM in 2017, $9MM in 2018 (plus $1MM buyout of $10MM mutual option for 2019)

Soria’s stock in 2017 is up after a pedestrian campaign in 2016. While his 3.81 ERA isn’t too much of an improvement over last year’s 4.05 mark, Soria has averaged a career-best 12.1 K/9 to complement a career-high 60.3 percent ground-ball rate. His walks are up this season, but his uptick in strikeouts and grounders could portend a drop in his ERA. (FIP, xFIP and SIERA all like him for a sub-3.00 mark.) Given his salary, the Royals may still have to kick in a bit of cash to make him truly appealing, but he’s more marketable than he was last year.

Brandon Moss, 1B/OF | Salary: $3.75MM in 2017, $7.25MM in 2018 (plus $1MM buyout of $10MM mutual option for 2019)

It’d be tough to move Moss right now, given his woeful .181/.250/.406 batting line through his first 152 plate appearances as a Royal. He’s striking out in nearly 35 percent of his plate appearances and has become more pull-happy than ever as his hard-hit rate has dropped to its lowest level in the past three seasons. There’s still time for him to improve, but this version of Moss doesn’t carry much value.

Travis Wood, LHP (reliever) | Salary: $4MM in 2017, $6.5MM in 2018 (plus $1MM buyout of $8MM mutual option for 2019)

Like Moss, Wood signed a two-year deal with Kansas City late in free agency and looked like a nice modestly priced addition. Instead, he’s going through the worst season of his Major League career, pitching to an 8.31 ERA with as many walks (17) as strikeouts in just 21 2/3 innings. Wood’s struggles have been pretty consistent, and even left-handed hitters, who usually struggle against Wood, have teed off against him in 2017.

Jason Hammel, RHP (starter) | Salary: $5MM in 2017, $9MM in 2018 (plus $2MM buyout of $12MM mutual option for 2019)

Another two-year offseason deal that hasn’t panned out, Hammel is sitting on a 5.43 ERA with 7.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 35.4 percent ground-ball rate. Each of those marks represents a significant step back from his 2015-16 numbers, though Hammel has offered a glimmer of hope with a pair of excellent outings in his two most recent starts (three runs on nine hits and no walks with 11 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings). If he can continue to right the ship, his salary is reasonable enough to appeal to clubs in need of back-of-the-rotation fortification.

Drew Butera, C | Salary: $1.5MM in 2017, $2.3MM in 2018

Butera hasn’t come close to last season’s career year at the plate, though he’s never been close to even average offensive output with the exception of 2016, so expecting a repeat wasn’t really fair. He’s a well-regarded defensive catcher that could give clubs a veteran backup down the stretch.

Longer-Term Assets

Ian Kennedy, RHP (starter); Alex Gordon, OF; Seth Maness, RHP (reliever); Billy Burns, OF

The opt-out clause in Kennedy’s contract and the remaining $43MM on his contract (through 2020) make him an almost impossible player to move in light of his struggles. Kennedy’s K/BB numbers have taken significant steps back in 2017, and his 5.40 ERA makes it look certain that he’ll forgo that opt-out at season’s end, barring a sensational turnaround.

Gordon isn’t hitting at all right now, and it’s as difficult to envision a team being willing to take on his a chunk of his contract as it is to envision the Royals eating a huge chunk of money just to get rid of a player that has achieved borderline franchise icon status.

Maness and Burns are both on the 40-man and have both had some Major League success in the past. Burns is getting on base but not hitting for a shred of power in Triple-A. Maness has been better in Omaha than he has in the Majors this year, but the larger story on him is that he appears healthy after undergoing an experimental Tommy John alternative last August.

Matt Andriese Likely Out Until August With Stress Reaction In Hip

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Rays right-hander Matt Andriese has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his hip, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). The injury will likely sideline him into the month of August, according to Topkin. Well-regarded prospect Jacob Faria has been recalled to start in place of Andriese this week and could be in line for a long-term audition in the rotation.

Per Topkin, Andriese needs a “few weeks” off his hip before he’s able to begin a throwing program and then build up arm strength. There’s no fracture in the hip, and Andriese will not require surgery.

Andriese, 27, may not carry much name recognition among casual fans, but he’s been a key member of the Tampa Bay rotation thus far in 2017. Through 61 innings, he’s logged a 3.54 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 46.4 percent ground-ball rate. That performance had earned him a definitive spot in the Tampa Bay starting five after splitting time between the rotation and bullpen a year ago.

With Andriese out for upwards of two months, it seems that the Rays will deploy a rotation of Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb, Erasmo Ramirez and Faria for the time being. Top prospect Jose De Leon is on the disabled list in Triple-A with a right lat injury, so he isn’t an option to step up for the time being. Southpaw Blake Snell has been excellent since being optioned to Triple-A earlier this year, but the Rays, at least for now, seemingly want to see sustained success out of the longtime top prospect before bringing him back up to the Majors, where he struggled to begin the year.

As for Faria, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that the 23-year-old hasn’t earned a lengthy look in the Majors. Through 58 1/3 innings of Triple-A work this year, he’s pitched to a 3.07 ERA with 12.9 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 41.5 percent ground-ball rate. He’s already made his big league debut with the Rays as well, making a spot start last week during which he limited the White Sox to one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts across 6 1/3 innings.

Poll: Who Will Be The No. 1 Overall Draft Pick?

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Major League Baseball’s annual amateur draft kicks off tonight at 7pm ET, and the Twins will be on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since selecting local catcher out of St. Paul’s Cretin-Derham Hall high school named Joe Mauer back in 2001. While some draft classes have a very clear top overall pick (e.g. Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg), that doesn’t appear to be the case this season. There have been rumors circulating about who the Twins will select No. 1 overall tonight for months, now, and the top three names on the board, at the very least, seem to be clear….

  • Hunter Greene, RHP/SS, Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, Calif.): Greene has been the most talked-about player in the draft class for the past year. A two-way high school star that has already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and generated awe with a fastball that has reached 102 mph, Greene sits atop the draft rankings of MLB.com, Baseball America and ESPN. However, while he has the highest upside in the class, there’s also never been a high school right-hander selected No. 1 overall in the draft, and the risks associated with a prep pitcher are greater than those associated with a college player or even a fellow high school pitcher. Most mock drafts from experts have had the Twins passing on Greene, though he’s undoubtedly a tempting option for the new-look Minnesota front office.
  • Kyle Wright, RHP, Vanderbilt: Wright ranks first on Fangraphs’ list of draft prospects, just edging out Greene for that top spot. Over the past month, he’s been the most oft-connected name to the Twins, with most draft experts and scouting reports touting him as the best combination of ceiling and certainty. Armed with a fastball that sits in the low to mid 90s and can reach 97 mph, Wright also has solid control and three secondary offerings that scouting reports peg as average to above-average. He may not have generated as much fanfare and intrigue as the two-way stars that join him atop the draft class, but Wright is very much in the mix to go first overall.
  • Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Louisville: Scouting reports on McKay are split on whether his best long-term fit is on the mound or as a position player, but there’s a general belief that he could excel either way. Whether a team prefers McKay as a pitcher or a hitter, he seems like a virtual lock to go in the top five of the draft. MLB.com’s report gives him a future 60-grade rating in either role, while ESPN’s Keith Law notes that he showed a bit of fatigue on the mound late in the season. Dedicating himself fully to one discipline under a professional coaching/player development staff could allow McKay to take his game to a new level in either direction. The Twins have been connected to McKay quite often, and while most mocks had Wright going No. 1 overall for the past month, McKay’s name has regained a bit of steam in the past few days.

Readers can check out more details on this year’s draft class by diving into the excellent work from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (free); Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs (free); Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required/recommended); and John Manuel and his team over at Baseball America (subscription required and, once again, recommended).

But, if you already have an opinion on the matter formed, let’s get right to the poll (link for Trade Rumors mobile app users)…

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