Remember what baseball was like before social media?

I only vaguely remember. I have a hazy recollection of watching ballgames on a rabbit-eared TV in a cave somewhere. When I had something to say, I had to cry out and hope someone heard.

Things are obviously different now. The social media mothership landed on Major League Baseball a few years back, and things haven't been the same since. 

The game itself hasn't changed so much, mind you. Baseball is still played with bats, gloves and, apparently, lots and lots of sunscreen. Social media hasn't yet developed the power to turn a fly ball into a groundball or to dictate things like pitching changes and groin scratching (yet...).

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Play poorly in the minor leagues and you’re in danger of losing your job as a professional baseball player. Play really well and you could get traded.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. In most cases, the player is traded because he has value. A prospect’s trade value has a lot to do with upside, but it can fluctuate depending on how that player is performing on the field.

Here are five under-the-radar prospects who are building up trade value based on their impressive early-season performances.

Aaron Altherr, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

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A majority of early-season slumps are in the past with only a few lingering more than the normal three-to-five weeks it takes for some veterans to get going.

For others, we’re getting to the point where we have to stop calling it a slump and just accept that the player they were projected to be or the player they used to be isn’t showing up in the clubhouse anytime soon or maybe ever.

When moving a player around in the lineup or moving a pitcher from the rotation to the bullpen or vice versa hasn’t done the trick, nor has a trip or two to the minors, it’s probably time to go in another direction.

At some point, an organization will give up on a player and hope another team sees some value and takes on some salary and/or gives up a player or two in return. The acquiring team is usually banking on a “change of scenery” as a reason to take on a player who hasn’t been productive elsewhere.

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"What if...?"

It's the start of a question that's meant to engender conversation and debate.

It's supposed to challenge us and make us think.

Sometimes, it's just plain old fun.

With that in mind, let's ask that question about a handful of baseball topics that should lead to plenty of conversation, debate, thought and fun. All at the same time, if we're lucky.

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Mike Trout and Bryce Harper may have been joined at the hip last year, but there was no question that Trout was the better player. He was better than every player in the known universe, for that matter.

Trout and Harper are still joined at the hip this year, as that's just how fans and us MLB writers are. We are hip-joiners. And if you want to go by FanGraph's WAR, Trout is still the better player.

If it's batting numbers you want to go by, however, Harper is blowing Trout out of the water (sorry, had to say it). Harper's numbers say he's the one who still has room to grow, while Trout is the one who clearly peaked last year.

And this suggestion would be the truth of things, as we'll discuss in a moment. But first, how 'bout those batting numbers.

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Baseball has finally done it. It's finally broken Roy Halladay.

And that may not be such a bad thing, for now he can be put back together again rather than merely patched up.

If you haven't heard the latest news, yes, Doc Halladay is indeed broken. According to the team's official site, the Philadelphia Phillies right-hander will be going in for surgery on his right shoulder.

The bad news? Halladay, who has an 8.65 ERA in seven starts this season, is going to be out a while.

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Maybe it's time for a Hollywood re-write?

After another loss Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers sit at 13-19 and in last place in the NL West.

Not quite the script the Dodgers had hoped to pen when the new ownership started remaking the roster in the middle of last season.

That makeover began with separate trades for Hanley Ramirez and Brandon League last July and was capped off by the Zack Greinke signing in December.

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A handful of teams are already in danger of falling out of contention and must figure out a way to plug roster holes in order to avoid having to play meaningless games for the last few months of the season.

Finding a trade partner can be challenging at this time of the season since most teams aren’t willing to give up on the season just yet and deals with contending teams usually can only happen if it helps both major league rosters. These types of trades are uncommon.

Here’s a look at five teams that have a hole or holes to fill on their major league rosters and the best and worst-case trade scenarios for each as they try to find a spark to keep their seasons alive over the next couple of months.

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