Now that fan voting is finished Terrance Williams Jersey , it's a good time to take a hard look at All-Star Game selections.

Which players are worthy of participating July 17 in Washington, and who gets left out?

Let's touch on this topic first: Shohei Ohtani is incredibly talented and fascinating to watch, but the Los Angeles Angels' two-way Japanese star simply hasn't been on the field enough to earn a spot. Not at pitcher OR designated hitter.

Ohtani just returned to the lineup from an elbow injury that's knocked him off the mound for now. He's only made nine major league pitching starts, and the Angels have limited his at-bats all season due to concerns about the rookie's workload.

So while it would definitely be fun to see him in baseball's summer showcase, there are several more deserving American League sluggers at DH. It wouldn't be fair to deny one of them in favor of Ohtani. And he's unavailable to pitch at this point.

Let him win his invitation next season with a fully healthy and productive first half. Or the year after that. Or whenever it happens.

Buzzkill, I know.

But even without Ohtani, there's plenty to watch for leading up to the first All-Star Game in the nation's capital since the Senators hosted at RFK Stadium in 1969.

Start with Atlanta outfielder Nick Markakis. With more than 2,150 career hits, he's poised to make an All-Star team for the first time in his 13th big league season.

Matt Kemp, Miles Mikolas and Mike Foltynewicz are enjoying feel-good comebacks.

Robinson Cano, the MVP of last year's game, will sit this one out while serving a drug suspension.

Injuries may keep familiar stars such as Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, Carlos Correa and Corey Seager from returning, but in their place should be exciting newcomers like Aaron Nola, Ozzie Albies, Alex Bregman and Eddie Rosario.

The American League has won five times in a row and is 17-3-1 in the last 21 years.

"I want to win. I always want to win. It's not playing for home-field advantage anymore in the World Series, but all these guys are competitors and they want to win for their respective league," said National League manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

There's a logjam at shortstop in the AL, and the NL bullpen is loaded.

That sort of thing is where it gets complicated: Each roster has 32 spots, with 12 going to pitchers. Every club must be represented Ray Nitschke Jersey , too.

Online voting for the starters at each position ended at midnight Thursday, and the teams will be revealed Sunday night.

"I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a great experience," said Houston's AJ Hinch, who will manage the AL squad. "It's as casual a game as you'll play with the biggest names on the stage, and all the attention that comes with it. It's a big deal."

Disregarding fan and player balloting, here are our picks:

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

FIRST BASE – Jose Abreu of the White Sox gets the start, barely nudging out Toronto switch-hitter Justin Smoak.

SECOND BASE – AL MVP Jose Altuve from the World Series champion Astros is backed up by 34-year-old Oakland veteran Jed Lowrie, whose first All-Star nod is probably long overdue.

SHORTSTOP – Cleveland whiz Francisco Lindor is in the lineup. Top trade target Manny Machado from lowly Baltimore, and Jean Segura from Seattle are on the bench. Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons of the Angels is really tough to leave out.

THIRD BASE – Jose Ramirez gives the Indians both starters on the left side of the infield. Bregman backs up at the hot corner, from Houston.

CATCHER – Wilson Ramos is a big reason the Rays are holding their own. Perennial pick Salvador Perez represents the struggling Royals despite his subpar season.

OUTFIELD – Angels star Mike Trout plays center, with Boston's Mookie Betts in left and Yankees masher Aaron Judge in right. Reserves include Rosario from the Twins, Mitch Haniger from the Mariners, and Nicholas Castellanos from the Tigers.

DESIGNATED HITTER – J.D. Martinez has been worth every penny during his first season in Boston. Texas' Shin-Soo Choo and New York hulk Giancarlo Stanton, last year's NL MVP, both still play the outfield sometimes, which helps. Seattle slugger Nelson Cruz is a very difficult omission.

STARTING PITCHERS – Luis Severino is in line to become the first Yankees pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in 2001. Other right-handers include Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton from Houston, plus Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer from Cleveland. The left-handers are Boston ace Chris Sale and Tampa Bay's Blake Snell. Seattle lefty James Paxton is our top pick to replace Verlander, who doesn't plan to pitch in the All-Star Game because he's scheduled to start two days before.

RELIEVERS – Four filthy closers in the bullpen: Yankees lefty Aroldis Chapman, plus right-handers Craig Kimbrel (Boston), Edwin Diaz (Seattle) and Blake Treinen (Oakland).

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NATIONAL LEAGUE

FIRST BASE – Braves cornerstone Freddie Freeman starts over Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt Nyheim Hines Jersey , who overcame a miserable May with a monster June.

SECOND BASE – The unexpected starter at a competitive position is Scooter Gennett from the Reds. Right behind him are flashy Javier Baez from the Cubs and 21-year-old igniter Ozzie Albies from the surprising Braves.

SHORTSTOP – San Francisco pro Brandon Crawford is backed up by Colorado bopper Trevor Story.

THIRD BASE – No

When John Tavares' contract ran out with the New York Islanders, he took the opportunity to talk with other teams.

"I felt like I owed it to myself to see what else was out there," Tavares said.

Tavares' exploration led him to rediscover his childhood affinity for the Maple Leafs, and his confidence in Toronto's future led him to sign a monster $77 million, seven-year contract. The Islanders were left with nothing, a mistake other NHL franchises seem determined not to make.

Don't wait. Sometimes not even a day.

On Sunday, when Tavares' departure left a void on Long Island, the Sharks signed Logan Couture, Coyotes signed Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Kings signed Drew Doughty and Lightning signed Ryan McDonagh to long-term deals. None of them would have been free agents until July 1, 2019, and this was the first possible chance to ink extensions that begin more than a year from now.

It's worth every penny to San Jose, Arizona, Los Angeles and Tampa Bay to get those contracts done now rather than risk a key player even exploring unrestricted free agency like Tavares did.

"If you wait too long and you get into the situation where they have the potential to walk or explore the UFA market, that can be challenging times," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said.

The Ottawa Senators are trapped in such challenging times. They made a contract offer to Norris Trophy-winning captain and 2019 free agent Erik Karlsson, but it's not a great sign that the real negotiating is only just beginning.

"We're not going there," GM Pierre Dorion said. "We don't really want to talk about roster players, contract negotiations, trades, all these things Jay Novacek Jersey , but I think we owe it to our fans and we made a promise at the town hall that we would make a contract offer to Erik Karlsson and we've done so."

Tick, tick, tick. Even a year away, the pressure is on the Senators to sign Karlsson long term or trade him before the deadline so they don't end up like the Islanders.

The Coyotes made sure they wouldn't be in that spot by locking up Ekman-Larsson to a $66 million, eight-year deal that the soon-to-be 27-year-old defenseman called "a no-brainer." Arizona GM John Chayka calls it "a huge moment for our entire organization" because there's now no fear of losing Ekman-Larsson for nothing.

"A superstar-caliber player has the option to basically go to any of the 31 teams and felt the loyalty, felt the belief in what we were doing enough to sign on long term," Chayka said, adding that the Coyotes had to convince Ekman-Larsson with actions that they were moving in the right direction.

The Kings convinced Doughty of that so much, he knew all season he was going to re-sign. He's building a new house in the LA area, is getting married this summer and is ready to start a family in a place he wants to stay for essentially the balance of his career.

"I never wanted to leave there, to be honest," Doughty said. "It will be nice not to answer the question, `Hey are you coming to Toronto? You're coming to the Leafs, right?' No, I'm not coming to the Leafs, everyone."

Doughty signing for $88 million over eight years sets the bar for Karlsson, who could face similar questions if he goes into the season without a future contract like Tavares did. Over the past week, Tavares began wondering if he would play for his hometown Maple Leafs, a bond too deep for the Islanders to overcome.

Couture grew up not far from Toronto, but he never entertained that possibility because he signed a $64 million, eight-year deal with the Sharks. Couture respected Tavares' choice and made his own without much difficulty.

"We have some very good players: Marc-Edouard Vlasic Kyler Fackrell Jersey , Brent Burns, Martin Jones, Evander Kane – very, very good players – Joe Pavelski," Couture said, rattling off core players all signed long term. "I want to win. That's my goal as a hockey player. I believe that San Jose has and will continue to have a very, very good chance at winning in the future. That's why my decision was so easy."

It was just as easy for McDonagh, who signed a $47.25 million, seven-year deal with the Lightning, who acquired him at the trade deadline. McDonagh was comfortable with Tampa Bay, which went through an almost-Tavares situation two years ago with captain Steven Stamkos before signing him on the eve of free agency.

Days after signing Stamkos in 2016, the Lightning extended top defenseman Victor Hedman at the first possibly moment like they did with McDonagh. GM Steve Yzerman knows how to work ahead, which is often essential in today's NHL with important players.

"(If you wait), you don't really know how it's going to go," Yzerman said. "We go into next year for both parties, we don't know, and I think it's worthwhile exploring the opportunity now."

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