MLB Fantasy News 2010

HacheMan · Jul 12, 2010

Love-Lee in Texas
Some days it's tough to write a daily column like this. Some particularly tough days are coming for the authors writing from Tuesday to Thursday this week, actually. Take it easy on them because they will have precious little to report. There's only one game on the docket, and it just barely 'counts.' They'll do their best, and I'm sure they'll actually be very entertaining since they'll have so little news to pass along.

I, on the other hand, get to relay you the last flurry of news before the ship hits the flats and the winds go out of the sails.

* Did you hear? Cliff Lee was traded. It's tempting to say that he will be affected negatively by the move from a pitcher-friendly park to a hitting-friendly one, but Lee has shown that he can handle hitters' parks. Remember Philadelphia. With an elite strikeout-to-walk ratio like Lee owns - he might enter the record books with the best one ever for a starter - he'll be fine. His wins total will take a lurch forward as well, as the lineup behind him will be greatly improved.

Justin Smoak looks like he's been playing poorly, but he's been very unlucky with his batted balls. If that turns, he should put up a nice batting average going forward. He's still hitting line drives and walking, so he's already close to being an asset in OBP leagues. The power upside took a big hit, though, and it might be a little while until he's again relevant in mixed leagues. The other prospects should join the Mariner's minor league system for now.

* Angel Pagan owners can let that sigh of relief go now. Manager Jerry Manuel met with Jeff Francoeur over the weekend and let him know that he would be moving to the bench when Carlos Beltran returns after the break. Pagan is better at the plate and defensively than Francoeur, and has been a cheap source of speed for fantasy owners. Now they can be sure that his playing time will continue, even if he sits against the odd lefty.

Staying on the Mets, it seems that they always have a step back for every step forward. They get Beltran back, and might lose Jose Reyes for a while. He re-aggravated his oblique injury and was pulled from Saturday's game. Obliques are tricky injuries, and it's unclear how long he'll miss. Youngster Ruben Tejada should get some time as a fill-in, but doesn't have an elite skill for fantasy ball.

* Perhaps the biggest non-Cliff Lee news of the weekend was the fact that Zack Greinke was scratched from his last start before the break with shoulder discomfort. Greinke has been having an okay season despite a poor won-loss record (it's hard to win on the Royals), but his falling strikeout rate was a concern before news of shoulder issues. The talk was that this was not a big deal, but the shoulder is always worse news than the elbow, since labrum and rotor cuff tears are much more difficult to return from. This bears watching.

* Like the Red Sox needed more injuries, Adrian Beltre went lame and grabbed his hamstring while running to first base. He did play an inning the game after, but his loss would be bad for Boston and bad for fantasy teams enjoying his oft-predicted resurgence once out of SafeCo Park. He's been lucky on batted balls - so the batting average should come down - but the power looks real. Mike Cameron is just another injured Red Sox player after being beaned, but it is just a bruise, and he might return with Clay Buchholz after the break, as the pitcher is ready to return from his hamstring injury, says manager Terry Francona. And Jacoby Ellsbury talked with reporters in a he-said team-said about his rib injuries, while Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia both hit off chairs. As the DL turns in Boston, in other words.

* White Sox prospect Dan Hudson was called up to replace Jake Peavy, lost for the year to surgery on his back. He had a start that looked gruesome (five runs in four innings), but he did provide the strikeouts (four) that his minor-league body of work suggests he can provide. Those strikeouts came with lots of flyballs, so it also wasn't surprising that Hudson gave up a home run. He should still be interesting to AL-only owners with his polish and strikeout upside.

NL Quick Hits: Mat Latos might miss some time on the DL, but it might also be an effort to limit his innings to around 150-180, which takes from his (stellar) value some … Mike Adams is another injured Padre, as he strained his oblique and hopes to be out just for the break … John Ely was sent down, but it's not yet clear if it's a roster flexibility move or a comment on his performance - James McDonald might be the guy who gets the next start for a Dodgers #5 … Scott Rolen returned to the lineup, but he missed time with back soreness and those are not words you want to hear about the veteran … Nate McLouth has been playing well on his return from a concussion and should join the team after the All-Star break … Jon Jay played so well that his manager was talking about finding him some at-bats after Ryan Ludwick returns, so NL-only owners should take note … Zach Duke returns from the DL after the break, huzzah … Placido Polanco was supposed to miss time into August, but he is talking about returning after the All-Star break and has already headed out to his rehab assignment … Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been healing well and wants to start taking batting practice right after the break, which is good news for his owners … Unbreakable Chipper Jones returned to the lineup after hurting his back on a bad hotel bed; he should be fine if kept away from sharp objects … Carlos Ruiz is back, and two-catcher leagues should be on top of that … Jorge De La Rosa had a tough start back, but showed the strikeouts and didn't walk anyone, so he's still an interesting play.

AL Quick Hits: Second-half wonder Mark Teixeira had four hits on Sunday to raise his batting average to .254 - this should continue in the second half if his splits are to be believed … Carlos Quentin is on fire, and since his batted ball luck has been poor to date, he could remain hot for the second half; he shouldn't be on your waiver wire … Josh Beckett had a nice rehab start over the weekend, hit 96 MPH on the gun, and will only be a buy-low for a little longer … Elbows are worrisome, but Shaun Marcum says he'll be ready to go after the break … Milton Bradley returned to the pitch as a pinch-hitter and should be ready after the break … Chris Davis returned to the major leagues to replace Justin Smoak after the Cliff Lee trade; lots of strikeouts should follow, but also real power should he figure it out … Chris Tillman also returned to the major leagues and put in a fine start against Texas, displaying nice velocity, but didn't rack up the strikeouts (three); 3B Josh Bell went down to make room and looked a little over-matched in his first taste of the bigs… Matt Wieters and Felix Pie have dueling hamstring injuries, but they think they'll play after the break … Brett Anderson had a nice rehab start and might be ready to go by July 19; Dallas Braden could join him in the rotation then … Travis Snider also had a nice rehab stint and his manager did not rule out a return on Friday.

HacheMan · Jul 13, 2010

It's All-Star Tuesday
Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz took advantage of some rather lefty-friendly elements of Angel Stadium on Monday night to win the State Farm Home Run Derby. He hit 32 total home runs, including 11 in the third and final round to top Hanley Ramirez's five-homer third round effort. It was a fun spectacle and All-Star Week rolls on Tuesday evening with the main event: the Midsummer Classic.

While we wait for Matt Holliday's first-round blast to land somewhere in Orange County, let's check out some news from around the league on what is typically a slow few days in the baseball world...

* The starting lineups and starting pitchers for Tuesday's All-Star Game were revealed Monday morning at a press conference in an Anaheim hotel ballroom, and they are as follows:

[SIZE=+1]National League[/SIZE]

SS Hanley Ramirez
2B Martin Prado
1B Albert Pujols
DH Ryan Howard
3B David Wright
LF Ryan Braun
CF Andre Ethier
RF Corey Hart
C Yadier Molina

SP Ubaldo Jimenez

National League manager Charlie Manuel threw together this bad boy, which isn't surprising given Howard's placement in the cleanup spot. The big man typically struggles against left-handers and the American League is starting Tampa Bay southpaw David Price, but Manuel will go with his "guy" and hope for the best.

Throwing Ethier in as the squad's starting center fielder is also a bit peculiar. He has never played the position in the major leagues -- sticking only to the corner outfielder spots over his four-plus professional seasons -- while Hart has played 51 career games in center. If there is a defensive mishap in the early innings Tuesday, that decision may come to haunt Manuel and the eventual National League pennant winner.

[SIZE=+1]American League[/SIZE]

RF Ichiro Suzuki
SS Derek Jeter
1B Miguel Cabrera
CF Josh Hamilton
DH Vladimir Guerrero
3B Evan Longoria
C Joe Mauer
2B Robinson Cano
LF Carl Crawford

SP David Price

One glance at the American League lineup and its easy to see why the National League has gone winless in All-Star Games since 1996, when the Senior Circuit pulled out a 6-0 victory at Philadelphia's now-deceased Veterans Stadium. From top to bottom the AL lineup is simply better, and it has nothing to do with skipper Joe Girardi. Cano, the Yankees' second baseman, is batting .336 with a .389 on-base and .556 slugging percentage, 16 home runs and 58 RBI through 87 games this season. By all accounts, that's an MVP-like year, and yet he is bringing up the rear in a scary-good AL All-Star lineup. The same goes for Carl Crawford, who has a 1.137 OPS in his last 49 at-bats and may be the hottest hitter on the planet.

* Orioles long-lost second baseman Brian Roberts was finally cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment after a productive weekend of baseball-related activities, and went 3-for-3 while playing second base and batting leadoff Monday for the Orioles' affiliate in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Roberts has been sidelined since the first week of the season with a back injury and a litany of setbacks had most fantasy owners writing him off for 2010 altogether. But he should be in a Baltimore uniform by the end of July and he is certainly capable of enormous fantasy numbers when healthy. Don't forget that he stole 30 bases, scored 110 runs, hit 16 homers and tallied 79 RBI in 159 games last season.

NL Quick Hits: Troy Tulowitzki has begun taking light cuts with a bat and is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a fractured left wrist ... Carlos Zambrano is expected to remain on the restricted list through the month of July ... The Brewers may need to accept the fact that Prince Fielder is out of their price range ... Mike Adams is likely to need time off to begin the second half due to an oblique injury ... Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg had the top-selling jersey in baseball for the month of June ... Angel Pagan will take over as the Mets' starting right fielder once Carlos Beltran returns Thursday to his old familiar center field job ... Jose Reyes took batting practice over the weekend and should be good to go when the season resumes ... Cameron Maybin has been diagnosed with bursitis near his left shoulder ... Adam Dunn is not feeling the love from the Nationals and may opt to move on after 2010 ... Mets second baseman Luis Castillo is behind schedule in his rehab from a bruised left foot.

AL Quick Hits: Adrian Beltre took batting practice Monday and has made himself available for Tuesday's All-Star Game ... The Blue Jays have wisely made Jason Frasor, Scott Downs and closer Kevin Gregg available via trade ... Victor Martinez will not be ready to return from the disabled list when the regular season continues later this week ... Orioles designated hitter Luke Scott has been cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment and is probably one week from returning to Baltimore ... Rick Ankiel has begun a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha, but is struggling mightily at the plate ... Erik Bedard will attempt to resume his throwing program on Friday, first with a light game of catch ... Rehabbing Royals starter Gil Meche threw three simulated innings over the weekend ... Brett Anderson is scheduled for a second minor league rehab start on Wednesday at Single-A Stockton ... Dustin Pedroia will have a CT scan on his broken foot Friday and is hoping to get clearance to begin full-on baseball activities.

HacheMan · Jul 13, 2010

Wood-Chucking Time?

It's All-Star week, and therefore time for all of us to spend a little quality time with our fantasy teams - because those teams count, at least for us. You don't have to peruse any box scores, or set any lineups, so you have three days of rest - use at least one of them to give your team a frank appraisal, look at your strengths and weaknesses, identify surpluses and trade them to fortify your team. Or, if you are burnt out, take some time off. It's supposed to be fun!

In honor of the All-Star game, we're going to name the tiers after the tiers of All-Stars. Since there are now 83 official All-Stars (going on 300), you know there are some tiers in there. And this week, the better the All-Star, the better the tier.

Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "Albert Pujols Honariarum" Tier.)

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers
Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs

Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox

Comment:
So since Jonathan Papelbon went to Colorado a couple weeks ago, got rocked, and lost his place in this tier, he's had five straight scoreless appearances in which he has struck out four, walked none, and given up one sole hit. Since those five appearances came in only 4.1 innings, that also makes his last 15 games ones in which he has struck out a batter per inning. Let's say he's back on track, since the velocity and swinging strikes never left town.

Tier 2: Rock Steady (9) (AKA: The "Ichiro!" Tier.)

Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
Billy Wagner, Atlanta Braves
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Rafael Soriano, Tamp a Bay Rays
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants

Comment:
Joakim Soria has not walked more than three batters… a month. He hasn't blown a save since May 6th, and has given up one sole run since June 11th. He's within five saves of his total from last year. The case could be made for him joining the top four - but really you could make that case for anyone in this tier. Jose Valverde, the hardest player to rank in this tier, moves down a spot for his four-walk, no-strikeout July 4th weekend. This tier is that fickle. It's not Francisco Rodriguez that takes his spot, either, since K-Rod had four walks, two strikeouts and a meltdown since July 3rd. Instead, it's Billy Wagner, with one blown save since May 19th, and only six walks in that time, that shows us that he's found the fountain of youth and is a deserving All-Star.

Andrew Bailey and Brian Wilson will remain in this tier for now, but they both have their own worrisome traits, and one or both may drop eventually. Wilson walks too many (16 in 37.2 innings), and Bailey doesn't strike out enough (27 in 37 innings). So far they've both managed to remain steady despite their faults.

Tier 3: OK options (6) (AKA: The "Vlad "is bad" Guerrero" Tier.)

Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers

Huston Street, Colorado Rockies
Jon Rauch, Minnesota Twins
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Matt Capps, Washington Nationals

Comment:
Huston Street is striking people out, hasn't walked a guy since he's been called up, and hasn't blown a save. He doesn't even have real competition in the pen with Franklin Morales losing the strikezone and Manuel Corpas still being meh. He may even be a candidate for moving up into the next tier, along with Neftali Feliz. The "Feliz Ascension Watch" goes into its third week, but he's now given up six earned runs in 3.1 innings in July, and though it's probably just a sample size thing, we are still waiting for the lights-out week to give him the push he needs.

Leo Nunez, Ryan Franklin, Matt Capps have all had blow-ups in recent weeks. Jon Rauch's blowups were of the one-run variety, so he zooms up the list for limiting his average-ness to smaller blips on the radar screen. The reason none of these guys move down is that there really isn't any buzz that they'll lose their jobs soon. No 'question marks' really, other than perhaps Drew Storen on the way up in Washington, but it's not like Storen's stats have screamed "Make me a closer right now!" and Capps is doing well enough. He also doesn't seem like the biggest trade target, either.

Tier 4: Question marks (7) (AKA: The "Corey "Sunglasses at Night" Hart" Tier.)

Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox

Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
Kevin Gregg, Toronto Blue Jays
Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
Matt Lindstrom, Houston Astros
David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners
Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies

Comment:
You know what? Bobby Jenks has 18 strikeouts and just three walks in 15.2 innings June and July. Those are the ratios of an elite closer! It's a surprise. If he continues it, he could jump a tier, despite the existence of super-setup-man Matt Thornton in the same pen. Compare that same time frame to Francisco Cordero, who has 14 strikeouts and 11 walks in 15.2 June and July innings. Cordero even has five walks and no (!) strikeouts in July, after giving up seven earned runs in June. He only has one okay month on the register (April), and he'd be even lower if there was any real competition in that Cincinnati pen.

Matt Lindstrom supporters may want to point to the fact that he has only blown four saves all year and has a nice 2.80 ERA, but the underlying stats are much worse. He hasn't struck out one per inning, he almost has a walk every two innings, and his 1.53 WHIP sums it all up perfectly. It's not because of one bad month, either - his best WHIP in a previous month was his 1.40 in April. If he continues his 1.33 July WHIP, maybe he can move up, but that's not even a really nice number either.

Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (5) (AKA: The "Omar "Wha..?" Infante" Tier.)

John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers
Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians
Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates
Alfredo Simon, Baltimore Orioles

Juan Gutierrez, Arizona Diamondbacks

Comment:
Kerry Wood will either lose his job in a trade, or because of his poor performance. He has an 18-to-11 strikeout to walk ratio - not good. He needs to get it together or he'll drop off the list shortly. We know Chris Perez can do the job, and Wood owners should be picking up Perez as insurance now.

John Axford rises to the top of the heap despite the threat offered by recovering 594-save-owner Trevor Hoffman behind him. Octavio Dotel blew up this week, and is on a bad team that could move him in a second. Alfredo Simon has a high-priced closer returning shortly to his bullpen.

It's getting a little ridiculous in Arizona. Interim manager Kirk Gibson has refused to name a closer so far, and everyone looks putrid. Right before the break, it looked like Chad Qualls was going to get the job on the strength of his four-straight appearances without a run. Then he blew up in two straight appearances, and had to be relieved by Juan Gutierrez in his first save opportunity in a full calendar month. Gutierrez nailed it! Well, he got one out and the statistic. That makes him the leader in the clubhouse, or the king of the hill of turds.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

Injured

Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins (Out for the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow)
Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles (60-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder)

Comment:
Mike Gonzalez has now pitched in back-to-back appearances and should be back after the break. Who knows what he'll do if he's still sporting the reduced velocity.

The Graveyard:
Frank Francisco, Texas Rangers
Jason Frasor, Toronto Blue Jay
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

The Steals Department

Let's look at a couple steals options that are not all-stars. They should be available on your waiver wire, and though they are not perfect, it's getting to the point of the season where effective and dirty is the way to go. Particularly if your league lead in batting average is already out of reach, these guys can help.

You might hear the name "Nate McLouth" and shudder. He's certainly never been able to put up a good batting average, as his career .253/.338/.439 line can attest. But masked in that career line is a split that might surprise McLouth haters. He's got a .259/.347/.462 batting line against right-handers over his career, and that looks a lot better.

He's been out for a little bit with concussion issues, but McLouth looks healthy now. He's gone 4-for-11 on his rehab stint with a home run and a stolen base. Back at the major league level, McLouth has never had a good batting average on balls in play (.279 career), which may be related to his lower line drive percentage (18.4% career, 'good' line drive rates are usually above 20%). This year, that average on balls in play has been .221, which is ridiculously low, even given his lower line drive rate. He should have some luck coming his way, and that putrid batting average will rise.

Another thing McLouth has coming his way is playing time, provided the Braves don't make a trade for outfield help. Even when super-rookie Jason Heyward is healthy again, there isn't too much keeping McLouth back. Mixed in with him on the depth chart are Melky Cabrera and Matt Diaz, both underwhelming options at best. Fantasy managers might do well to put McLouth on their bench and play him against righties, as the major league team will probably do the same.

An outfielder owned in even fewer leagues, but with as much stolen-base upside, is Fred Lewis in Toronto. Though he may not have as much power as McLouth, Lewis actually provides his managers with more upside in the batting average and stolen base categories. In July, Lewis already has five stolen bases, and yet is mostly un-owned.

Lewis also owns a platoon split worth mentioning. His overall .277/.351/.428 career line (with 44 stolen bases in 390 bakes) looks decent enough, but take lefties out of the equation, and Lewis has been batting .284/.358/.450 in 953 career at-bats. That's even better than McLouth, and Lewis is already going well enough to deserve a pickup.

There's a lot of season left, but these two non-All-Stars, when used correctly, can provide real stolen-base value going forward.

HacheMan · Jul 14, 2010

And So We Rest...
The morning before the All-Star Game is typically a quiet time, built in to the baseball schedule so that beat writers and MLB's athletes, alike, can take a breather and regroup for the second half of the regular season. Almost in an homage to "The Boss" himself, though, yesterday was far from quiet.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 80 following a massive heart attack at his home Tampa, Florida. Nicknamed "The Boss" by those who used to work for him and the writers who were forced to follow his moves closely, Steinbrenner was one of baseball's most polarizing figures during his active years with the Yankees. He spent gobs of cash to reel in the game's top free agents and he probably had too much of a say in the day-to-day operations of the club during the 70s and 80s. But there is no denying that he was a titan of the industry.

Steinbrenner took over as principal owner of the Yanks in 1973 and the franchise won seven World Series titles and 11 American League pennants under his watch. He formed a sort of "Evil Empire" that was not only record-breakingly successful in the modern era, but also great for the game of baseball and the growth of the sport around the world. No matter how you slice it, the Yankees are the most widely identifiable sports franchise on the planet, and Steinbrenner did nothing but grow their impact.

The All-Star Game itself was also a busy affair, with the National League using its top-notch pitching to sneak a 3-1 win and snap a 13-year winless streak against the American League. As a result, the winner of the NLCS will now have homefield advantage for the 2010 World Series.

While the debate rages on as to whether winning the Midsummer Classic should have such major ramifications, let's take a look at some more news from around the baseball world...

* Braves phenom Jason Heyward was voted in as a starter for Tuesday's All-Star Game, but he had to back out due to his ongoing recovery from a deeply bruised left thumb. He did, however, take batting practice with the National League All-Stars on both Monday and Tuesday, and he expects to start for the Braves when their season resumes on Thursday against the Brewers. Heyward, who doesn't turn 21 until August, had a .251/.366/.455 batting line, 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 255 at-bats before landing on the disabled list in June. He should be owned and started in mixed leagues as soon as it is confirmed that he will be a member of Thursday's starting lineup.

* Padres starter Mat Latos is expected to open the second half of the season on the 15-day disabled list. It is an inconvenience for his fantasy owners, but it's also a move that makes sense for various baseball-related reasons. Latos threw only 50 2/3 innings in the big leagues last season and only 123 innings total. He has a gorgeous 10-4 record, 2.45 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 99/28 K/BB ratio through 17 starts this year, but the 22-year-old has already pitched 106 2/3 frames. Spending two weeks on the disabled list should afford him some much-needed rest, while also providing extra recovery time for a tweaked muscle in his side.

* Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Monday that he expects to have a highly fruitful second half. He has an outstanding 21 home runs and 64 RBI through 87 games this season, but his current .992 OPS is over 50 points off his Ruthian career mark. Any sort of movement toward his career mean should result in major fantasy production. "This is going to be the best year because I've never been in a situation where I've had to go through a first half like this and still have these kind of numbers," Pujols told Goold. "I know that I can hit at this level. What I've done for 10 years isn't just going to fade." We will certainly be paying attention, Albert.

NL Quick Hits: Rockies reliever Matt Daley began a rehab assignment with Double-A Tulsa on Monday and should be ready to return soon after this upcoming weekend ... The Braves have expressed interest in acquiring outfielder Cody Ross from the Marlins ... Matt Murton is expected to play the 2011 season for Japan's Hanshin Tigers ... The Rockies are still interested in Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla ... Phillies relievers Antonio Bastardo and Chad Durbin each made rehab appearances earlier this week at Single-A Clearwater and are believed to be close to returning to the majors ... Matt Capps thinks he might be traded before the July 31 non-waiver deadline ... Mike Adams suffered an oblique injury before the All-Star break, but should be able to avoid the disabled list ... Hanley Ramirez is hoping to play winter ball in his native Dominican Republic this offseason ... Prince Fielder would appear to be on his way out of Milwaukee ... The Pirates were forced to demote pitching prospect Tim Alderson from Double-A Altoona to Single-A Bradenton this week after he posted a 5.62 ERA in his first 17 starts for Altoona ... Jason Marquis threw a round of batting practice last weekend and may be close to a minor league rehab assignment.

AL Quick Hits: Rehabbing Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz is scheduled to make a minor league start on Friday and won't return to the big leagues until next week ... Buck Showalter remains the leading candidate for the Orioles' managerial vacancy, but will not be announced as their new skipper for what might be at least another week ... Angels outfielder Torii Hunter is still campaigning for his club to acquire Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn ... The Red Sox have expressed interest in Royals do-it-all outfielder David DeJesus, who has hit .326 with a .395 on-base percentage in 328 at-bats this season ... David Ortiz told ESPN Boston that he is hoping to ink a multi-year extension with the Red Sox ... The Orioles may be willing to give former Cubs phenom Mark Prior another shot ... Tigers relief prospect Zach Simons was named to the Eastern League All-Star Game this week after posting a 2.49 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 43-plus innings of relief at Double-A Erie ... The Rays remain linked to Brewers outfielder Corey Hart as the trade deadline fast approaches ... Boston third baseman Adrian Beltre has not been approached about a contract extension despite a successful first half that netted him an appearance in Tuesday's All-Star Game.

HacheMan · Jul 14, 2010

AL Team-by-Team Notes
I've never looked at Jesus Montero as a major league catcher, but I do think his bat has more promise than Justin Smoak's and I feel the Mariners would have been better off taking the Yankees' offer for Cliff Lee on Friday. Of course, they went the other way and Lee is now a Ranger.

The switch figures to take a bit of a toll on Lee's second-half ERA. I listed him third among pitchers in last week's July rankings, but I'd now put him fifth behind Roy Halladay, Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum and Josh Johnson. There's a case for dropping him behind Jon Lester, Adam Wainwright and Ubaldo Jimenez as well, but Lee has been dominant of late and he's a better bet for victories now.

Even though Casey Kotchman suddenly got hot in the week leading up to the trade, the Mariners plan to make Smoak their everyday first baseman. It was the obvious choice for them, even though one could argue that he belongs in Triple-A at the moment. He was hitting just .209/.316/.353 in 235 at-bats for the Rangers. Those using him in mixed leagues will probably want to find a better alternative now that he's in a worse ballpark and lineup.

The Mariners will probably use Russell Branyan as their DH against most righties, with Milton Bradley often taking a seat. Branyan could well be traded for a second time later this month. Kotchman will again become a forgotten man. Maybe the Mariners will send down Michael Saunders and use Bradley as their primary left fielder once Mike Sweeney returns from back spasms. However, with the team bailing on 2010, it'd make more sense to forget Sweeney and keep giving Saunders starts.

To replace Smoak, the Rangers have recalled Chris Davis from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He'll get another crack at an everyday job after hitting .382 in June and opening July 16-for-32. It's doubtful that he'll hit for average for the Rangers, but he could hit 10-12 homers the rest of the way. He's an obvious pickup in AL-only leagues, and mixed leaguers should keep a close eye on him in case his hot streak carries over.

American League Notes

Baltimore - Brian Roberts (back) has finally started his rehab assignment, and if he can avoid setbacks, he might return in 10 days or so. That would put Ty Wigginton at first base, but perhaps only briefly. Wigginton remains a strong candidate to be moved before the deadline. … Matt Wieters (hamstring) and Felix Pie (quad) could both remain sidelined when play resumes Friday. With Pie and Luke Scott out, it's worth wondering whether Nolan Reimold could be plugged back into Baltimore's lineup. However, while he is playing somewhat better lately, he's hitting just .215/.302/.337 overall in 181 at-bats for Triple-A Norfolk. He'll probably have to wait until August to get another look. Scott could return this weekend anyway. … Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) should also be back soon. He's pitched scoreless innings in his last three appearances for Double-A Bowie. Still, he probably won't be a factor in fantasy leagues initially. Alfredo Simon figures to retain the closer's gig. … Back in the rotation because of Kevin Millwood's injury, Chris Tillman was very impressive in outpitching Lee on Saturday. If he's ready to start pitching up to his potential, he won't have to worry about being sent down once Millwood is ready. He's worth trying in AL-only leagues.

Boston - I'm a little surprised the Red Sox never got involved on Lee, though they didn't have a position prospect like Montero or Smoak with which to tempt the Mariners. An outfielder might be a better fit for the short-term, but adding Lee would have made the Red Sox a much more imposing force come October. Of course, first the team has to get to October. I don't think GM Theo Epstein will go get a big-name outfielder before the deadline, but he figures to add a complimentary player (Austin Kearns?) and a reliever. It'd only make sense to pay the price for David DeJesus if they don't think Jacoby Ellsbury is coming back. … It looks like the Red Sox pitching staff is about to get healthier. Clay Buchholz (hamstring) and Josh Beckett (back) should both be back next week. Unfortunately, Victor Martinez (thumb) doesn't appear likely to return this week. The Red Sox won't have a timetable for his activation until he's examined Wednesday. Kevin Cash is getting most of the starts behind the plate for the moment.

Chicago - Daniel Hudson's 2010 debut was rocky, as he gave up five runs over four innings against the Royals on Sunday. If he doesn't improve over his next couple of starts, the White Sox could be motivated to make a trade for a starting pitcher at the deadline. It probably won't come to that, though. Hudson has better command than he's displayed in his brief major league stints, and his stuff is legit. He will give up homers, so a sub-4.00 ERA isn't very likely. However, he'll have a solid WHIP and a strong strikeout rate, making him a pretty useful fantasy pitcher. … Mark Teahen (finger) is aiming to return at the beginning of August. Whether he'll have a starting job then could be determined by Dayan Viciedo's performance. Viciedo has managed to go 7-for-18 with two homers and two doubles in his last five starts. I don't think Viciedo is ready to be an asset offensively or defensively, but he does have some value in AL-only leagues right now.

Cleveland - The Indians are becoming more optimistic that Shin-Soo Choo could return from his sprained right thumb around the end of the month. That'd be great news, because a Trevor Crowe-Michael Brantley-Austin Kearns outfield just isn't very imposing. Brantley was hot in Triple-A prior to his callup, but he's just 3-for-36 since. Crowe is sitting at .249/.302/.330 for the season, and Kearns hasn't impressed since April. The Indians are mixing in Shelley Duncan, though that weakens the defense. Regardless of whether they trade Kearns, they might want to try Jordan Brown or Nick Weglarz soon. Brown has had a disappointing season after his big 2009, but he has a history of hitting right-handers. Weglarz is playing better and is the better defensive outfielder. He's hitting .265/.366/.434 in 136 at-bats for Triple-A Columbus. Previously, he hit .283/.384/.507 in 138 at-bats in Double-A. He'd be the more interesting of the two from a fantasy perspective. … Asdurbal Cabrera (arm) could come off the DL in 7-10 days. The Indians will then have to decide whether to play Jason Donald or Jayson Nix at second base. I'm guessing the two will split time for a little while and then both play regularly again after Jhonny Peralta is moved at the deadline or in August.



Detroit - Rick Porcello is coming up to make a spot start Saturday, but if he pitches well, he'll probably reclaim his rotation spot on a permanent basis. Andy Oliver is due to pitch the following day, and he could then be sent down to make room for Armando Galarraga, who is slated to start Tuesday. Porcello had a 3.21 ERA in his four starts for Triple-A Toledo, though he pitched poorly in two of them. Since he's going against the Indians in his return to the majors, he's worth using in AL-only leagues. … Several asked why Brennan Boesch was placed 40th among outfielders in the July rankings. I simply don't see him continuing to hit for average. He'll probably continue to amass strong power numbers, but I'd put the over-under for his second-half batting average at .260.

Kansas City - It's still sounding like Zack Greinke could start Friday against the A's, but this mysterious shoulder problem of his is definitely something to worry about, particularly given the way the Royals have been downplaying their pitching injuries this season. If he comes back Friday and turns in a strong outing, it wouldn't be a bad idea to start shopping him. One quality performance against a weak offense won't allay my concerns, and it's not as though Greinke has resembled his 2009 self at any point of this season. … Rick Ankiel (quad) is 3-for-20 with a homer since resuming his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha. It's likely that he'll spend at least another week in the minors regaining his swing. Once he returns, the Royals should try a strict platoon of Ankiel and Mitch Maier in center field. Maier, like Ankiel, is a left-handed hitter, but his career OPS is 150 points better versus southpaws than against right-handers.

Los Angeles - Even after becoming the first pitcher in four years to give up 13 runs in a game, Scott Kazmir will remain in the rotation to start the second half. His ERA is up to 6.92, which would be one of the worst marks in history if he stays on this pace. The Angels' problem is that they lack quality alternatives. Matt Palmer's strong 2009 has proven to be a fluke. Sean O'Sullivan is probably next in line for a rotation spot. He's been Triple-A Salt Lake's best starter with a 4.95 ERA and a 55/29 K/BB ratio in 80 innings. Of course, that's hardly particularly impressive, but he did pitch well in a few relief appearances for the Angels last month. Odds are that he'd struggle if given a shot, but as bad as Kazmir's been, it might be a gamble worth taking. … Maicer Iztruis is again making a slower-than-expected recovery from an injury, this time a strained left forearm. The Angels could really use him to help solidify their infield, particularly now that Kevin Frandsen has cooled off, but he appears to be at least 10 days away.

Minnesota - With Scott Baker's elbow barking, now is not the time for the Twins to remove Nick Blackburn from the rotation. Still, it could approach soon. Blackburn is 1-6 with a 10.00 ERA in his last eight starts, and his always poor strikeout rate has nosedived to the point at which there's little reason to expect much of a rebound from him. It'd open up a hole in the pen if the Twins needed to replace him with Brian Duensing, but the team will have to consider it anyway. First, though, they need to know if Duensing might be required to replace Baker, who intends to keep pitching through some elbow soreness for now. Duensing could be a big factor in AL-only leagues if he moves into the rotation. … There's been no word yet on Justin Morneau's status for Thursday as he recovers from a concussion.

New York - A Lee acquisition hardly would have guaranteed the Yankees another World Series victory, but it could have made them as strong of a favorite entering the postseason as any team has been since the late-90s Yankees. I don't expect that we'll see them go get another starter now. Javier Vazquez is back throwing like he did last year, and while I still don't think I'd want to rely on him in a postseason series, he's poised to spend the second half as a top-notch fantasy pitcher. I will be curious to see how the Yankees handle Phil Hughes now. Hughes had two of his worst starts of the season immediately after the Yankees skipped him a turn in order to conserve his arm. It's a tactic that never worked with Joba Chamberlain, and I can see Hughes losing all of his rhythm if the Bombers continue to employ it with him. Fantasy owners unable to keep him in 2011 and beyond should consider selling now. … Nick Johnson's setback with his wrist Thursday as he resumed hitting with a fungo bat casts serious doubt over whether he'll return this season. The Yankees must realize that they can't count on him, so they'll probably add a veteran bat before the deadline. They may want two, just like last year: an Eric Hinske-type to serve as a part-time DH and backup outfielder and a Jerry Hairston Jr.-type to help out in the infield.



Oakland - Depending on how their rehab starts go, both Dallas Braden (elbow) and Brett Anderson (elbow) could rejoin Oakland's rotation next week. Braden is penciled in to start Tuesday, while Anderson could follow next Saturday. I'm skeptical that Anderson's elbow is truly healed, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him undergo surgery at some point within the next couple of months. Still, his owners will want him active right away once he returns. … If both pitchers progress well over the next couple of weeks, then the chances of Ben Sheets getting traded will increase dramatically. Vin Mazzaro has performed too well go get bumped from the rotation. … Conor Jackson (hamstring) will probably be activated early next week. Rajai Davis needs another good weekend or he risks losing playing time.

Seattle - Ideally, the Mariners would have had Erik Bedard (shoulder) ready to step into Lee's rotation spot, but he's looking like an iffy bet for the second half. He's displayed pretty good stuff when he's taken the mound, yet it's possible there won't come a time this year in which he's ready to throw 90-100 pitches every fifth day. The Mariners called on David Pauley to replace Lee on Saturday, but he's just a Triple-A pitcher. If Bedard doesn't show signs of progress soon, Luke French will probably get a chance to take over the spot. … While the Mariners gave up on the season with the Lee trade, I think the chances of a David Aardsma deal have declined. Brandon League probably wouldn't be an adequate replacement in the closer's role, and the Mariners do have Aardsma under control through 2012. If Aardsma departs, the Mariners would almost certainly have to go out and buy a closer this winter.

Tampa Bay - James Shields' recent struggles aren't particularly alarming. He's always given up his fair share of homers; he's just allowing a few more than usual lately. His strikeout and walk rates remain very strong. I certainly wouldn't start him in Yankee Stadium on Saturday, but he remains worth holding on to in mixed leagues. … There didn't seem to be much to the rumors of a B.J. Upton-for-Lee swap. Upton may well go in the offseason, but a July deal seems highly unlikely. It'd be a big risk to turn the position over to top prospect Desmond Jennings in a pennant race, particularly since Jennings has had trouble staying healthy. Ben Zobrist is better in right than he is in center and Sean Rodriguez is more valuable at second base, so I just don't see how selling low on Upton would make a lot of sense.

Texas - Many thought I had Josh Hamilton too low in the rankings (I placed him 13th among OFs, 66th overall), but much of his June explosion came against NL teams and he's not going to be facing any more of them going forward. Versus AL pitchers, he's hit .312 with 17 homers, 46 runs scored, 49 RBI and four steals in 69 games. Those are fine numbers, for sure, and I would have ranked him as a top-10 outfielder if he were a better bet to stay healthy, but between his injury track record and the tendency of Rangers to wilt down the stretch, I think he's a definite sell-high candidate. … Rich Harden (glute) will make another rehab start Friday. He'll need to impress to be penciled back into the rotation next week. He simply doesn't look like one of the Rangers' top five starters right now.

Toronto - J.P. Arencibia's incredible hot streak for Triple-A Las Vegas is making John Buck appear more expendable. With 11 homers in a 19-game span, Arencibia is up to .319/.369/.661 for the season. I still don't view him as an elite catching prospect, but he could have some fantasy value during the final two months. … Travis Snider is 8-for-26 for Double-A New Hampshire on his rehab assignment, so the Jays could activate him right after the break. It depends on how they feel about reducing the roles of Fred Lewis and Edwin Encarnacion. Lewis and Snider are both left-handed hitters, so there's no platoon that works there. The Jays do have the option of going to Jose Bautista at third and benching Snider, but they probably won't go that route so soon after giving Encarnacion another chance. They might choose to option Snider to Triple-A for a spell. It'd probably be a short-term arrangement, since someone from the group of Bautista, Encarnacion, Lewis and Lyle Overbay figures to be shipped off by the trade deadline. … Shaun Marcum (elbow

HacheMan · Jul 15, 2010

The Blue Escobar
What was supposed to be a quiet day of rest for the National League to sip Smirnoff Ices and gloat over its first All-Star Game victory since Dante Bichette roamed the earth turned into a very eventful day for the team with the best record in the NL.

On Wednesday, out of the blue (pun partially intended), the first-place Braves dealt Yunel Escobar and left-handed minor league disappointment Jo-Jo Reyes to the Blue Jays for Alex Gonzalez, minor league lefty Tim Collins and minor league middle infielder Tyler Pastornicky.

Collins has a promising arm (73 K's in 43 innings at Double-A this season), but let's not dilute matters too much. Aside from a notable but not overwhelming minor league upgrade for Atlanta, this was a straight swap of shortstops, with the Braves believing that Gonzalez can help them more right now as they make a postseason push. And we're not just talking statistical production, but also team chemistry (in case you hadn't heard, Escobar – prone to bouts of pouting and semi-frequent mental lapses – seemed to be on the outskirts of a largely harmonious clubhouse).

In terms of fantasy value this season, Gonzalez – with a .259/.296/.497 line, 17 homers and 25 doubles – is likely to remain the same batting average/OBP liability with good pop, though I would definitely take the under on 15 homers for the second half (if I had to guess, I'd wager on something in the vicinity of 10).

As for Escobar, a move to the AL can only be a good thing, because let's face it – with a .238 average, no homers and a 618 OPS, he was a flat-out wretched offensive player this season. However, let's not go wild overestimating his second-half potential should he awaken. Escobar was a 14-homer hitter during his best season to date in 2009, so a modest eight dingers or so from here on out would qualify as a major upswing.

In other words, he's worth watching, but I don't see him as a must-start in fantasy leagues until he makes it clear that he's reactivated his power stroke. He wasn't exactly hitting a lot of long fly ball outs during his final days in Atlanta.

* Gonzalez won't be the only notable addition for the Atlanta lineup when play resumes on Thursday. Also expected to return (barring any last-minute changes) is Jason Heyward, out since June 26 with an injured thumb. The 20-year-old shed 212 points of OPS (1.033 to 821) over nearly six weeks while playing through the injury since mid-May, but with all indications being that he's finally capable of properly gripping a bat again, he should be ready to resume hitting low-altitude line drives and warrants activation in fantasy leagues immediately.

* Also set to return on Thursday is Carlos Beltran (you may remember him from mind-numbingly frequent updates and constantly changing timetables on his knee). Jerry Manuel has said that Beltran will hit cleanup upon his return, and I can understand your reasoning for getting anxious and activating him right away (I will be doing the same in multiple leagues myself). However, we all need to remain patient a little longer (hardly possible, I know) and realize that Beltran is likely to get some days of rest early on as he re-acclimates to the big leagues. Eventually (and sooner rather than later), Jeff Francoeur is slated to become a part-time player as Beltran, Angel Pagan and Jason Bay get the majority of the outfield starts.

* According to a discussion Brian Cashman had with ESPN New York, the minor right thumb injury that held Alex Rodriguez out of the All-Star Game is "not even worth talking about." Disobeying that decree, we're going to talk about it for a second anyway. Cashman elaborated by saying, "I called [Joe] Girardi and he said the thumb's been bothering [Rodriguez] for the past couple of days, but not the point not to play him." This doesn't initially sound worrisome, and our guess is that it won't be a long-term issue, but Heyward is a recent warning sign that thumb injuries can be quiet statistical killers. Hopefully the Yankees err on the side of caution and hold A-Rod out a couple days if they have any inkling that this is slightly more than the nothing Cashman has made it out to be.

Before we get to the NL and AL Quick Hits, one other brief statement: If you can handle the occasional (and by occasional, I mean frequent) non-sports-related but otherwise mildly amusing observation, you can follow me on Twitter right here.

NL Quick Hits: Will Venable (back) is hoping to rejoin the Padres next Tuesday… Placido Polanco (elbow) may ultimately need surgery, but in the meantime he could rejoin Philly this weekend… Felipe Paulino (shoulder) hit the 97 mph range in a Tuesday rehab start and is expected to be back in the Astros' rotation next week… Luis Castillo (feet) began his rehab assignment Wednesday and is at least a week from returning… Pedro Martinez reportedly has yet to throw off a mound, seriously diminishing his chances of being able to help a big league team any time soon… The Brewers are believed to have asked for either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner for Corey Hart, but were promptly turned away… James McDonald is expected to take over the No. 5 spot in the Dodgers rotation for now, but he's only a fringe option in NL-Only leagues after posting a 4.41 ERA at Triple-A… Kyle Lohse (forearm) will throw a bullpen Thursday, but there's still no timetable for his return.

AL Quick Hits: Josh Beckett (back) will make his next rehab start at Triple-A and could return next week after missing nearly two months… Teammate Clay Buchholz (hamstring) is set for a rehab start at Triple-A on Friday and should be back next week as well… Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) is expected to head to Triple-A for a three-game stint before being reevaluated… Asdrubal Cabrera (forearm) has begun a minor league rehab stint and is worth monitoring given the scarcity of productive middle infielders… Jake Peavy (detached lat) underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday, but should be ready for the start of 2011… Brian Roberts (back) went 5-for-6 in his first two Gulf Coast League games and is progressing toward a potential return later this month… The Royals promoted power-hitting third base prospect Mike Moustakas (.347 average, 21 homers, 76 RBI at Double-A) to Triple-A, forecasting a potential September call-up… The Mariners have promoted 2009 first-round pick Dustin Ackley to Triple-A, but his fantasy upside remains limited (.263 average, two homers and eight steals at Double-A).

HacheMan · Jul 15, 2010

Vote Volquez
Welcome back, everyone. I hope you all used the All-Star break wisely, perhaps spending time with some of the people you may have lost touch with since the start of the baseball season. I didn't get much of a break myself, but I'm hardly complaining. I had the opportunity to host a live chat over at Hardball Talk for the All-Star Game, which I could only describe as a crackerjack good time. Thanks to all who may have stopped by. I look forward to doing more live chats during the playoffs, so keep an eye out for that.

Of course, the All-Star break is also a fine opportunity to take stock of your current roster and some possible improvements that could be made. Maybe you even threw out a trade offer or two. What I offer you, like always, is the best possible way to improve your team without the hassle of painful negotiations with irrational owners. All of the players you'll see below are available in more than 50 percent of Y! and ESPN.com leagues.

So, let's get crackin.'

MIXED LEAGUES

Edinson Volquez SP, Reds (Yahoo: 26 percent owned, ESPN: 16.2 percent)

Just in case you forgot, here's a quick reminder about Volquez. He wrapped up his minor league rehab assignment last Friday night, tossing seven shutout innings with Triple-A Louisville. Volquez, who underwent Tommy John surgery last August, compiled an impressive 1.45 ERA and 28/8 K/BB ratio over six total rehab outings. There's nothing official yet, but John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer hears that Volquez is slated to return against the Rockies on Saturday. By the way, he also adds that Volquez hit 97 mph on the radar gun several times in the minor leagues. Just saying, don't deny yourself the chance at someone who could be one of the best second half bargains. So far, it looks like many of you have let him sit out there for the taking.

Yunel Escobar SS, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 45 percent owned, ESPN: 41 percent)

This week's trade came out of nowhere, but my recommendation doesn't, as I recently included Escobar in my "Buy Low" column for Rotoworld's Midseason Report. I'm not saying Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos reads Rotoworld or anything, but that's exactly what he did on Wednesday, buying low on the incredibly talented, yet mind-numbingly frustrating shortstop. Fantasy owners felt plenty of frustration during the first half, as Escobar batted just .238 and failed to hit a home run over 261 at-bats. Still, I'm optimistic that he is at least walking at a career-high rate and is making contact more often than he did last season. If his crazy-high 11.4 percent infield flyball rate sees a return to normalcy, it's only fair to expect his power and batting average to improve.

Chris Davis 1B/3B, Rangers (Yahoo: 9 percent owned, ESPN: 24.6 percent)

Davis is the biggest beneficiary of the Cliff Lee trade, at least in fantasy terms. Now that Justin Smoak is in Seattle, he should get the chance to be the every day first baseman. With plenty of raw power and lots of strikeouts, we're all aware of what he brings to the table. The 24-year-old has a .255 batting average and 255 strikeouts in 742 big league at-bats. On the bright side, he performed quite well after being demoted to Triple-A Oklahoma in late April, including a .500 batting average (16-for-32) with two homers and 11 RBI over his final seven games before being called back up to the majors last Friday. Davis is obviously not without his flaws, but he could pay real dividends in deeper leagues during the second half, especially in those where he is eligible at third base.

Asdrubal Cabrera SS/2B, Indians (Yahoo: 41 percent owned, ESPN: 26 percent)

Cabrera was 2-for-6 in two rehab games with Single-A Mahoning Valley earlier this week and is expected to join Double-A Akron on Thursday. He is currently working his way back from surgery to repair a fractured left forearm in mid-May. Indians manager Manny Acta said Cabrera will need at least 30 at-bats in the minors before being activated from the disabled list, so there's a good chance he's a little over a week away. Still, it's advisable to go ahead and stash him right now. While he doesn't excel in any one category, Cabrera is a .287 career hitter with adequate speed who just happens to be eligible at both shortstop and second base. This is one waiver acquisition that could stick on your roster for the rest of this season.

Mike Gonzalez RP, Orioles (Yahoo: 20 percent owned, ESPN: N/A)

Doesn't it seem like Gonzalez is on an endless rehab assignment? He has already made three stops on the organizational ladder and will add a fourth when he reports to Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. He is slated to pitch in three games before being re-evaluated early next week. His 3.27 ERA and 12/1 K/BB ratio over 10 appearances looks pretty good, though it is worth mentioning that he has given up three home runs over 11 innings. Perhaps the most encouraging news to pass along is that his velocity continues to rise, as he topped out at around 93 mph with Single-A Aberdeen on Tuesday. Anybody in desperate need of saves should obviously stash him now. He won't take the ninth inning away from Alfredo Simon immediately, but they aren't paying him $6 million to pitch the seventh inning.

Andres Torres OF, Giants (Yahoo: 21 percent owned, ESPN: 28.5 percent)

I recently named Torres as one of my top five surprising first-half performers for Hardball Talk. Sure, Torres showed some signs in 2009, but he has emerged as an everyday player this season, hitting .281/.378/.483 with seven homers, 29 RBI, 46 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. The 32-year-old outfielder cooled down a bit in June, causing some owners to drop him, but Torres was batting .343 (12-for-35) with four homers, seven RBI, 11 runs scored and three stolen bases over his first nine games in July before straining his left groin last Friday. Don't worry, he is expected to be back in the starting lineup on Friday. Do with this information what you will, but Torres is currently on pace for 14 homers, 33 stolen bases and 90 runs scored. That's certainly mixed-league worthy.

Vicente Padilla SP, Dodgers (Yahoo: 18 percent owned, ESPN: 19.6 percent)

It's hard to qualify Padilla as an undervalued commodity, but he simply needs to be owned in more leagues right now. The 32-year-old right-hander has effectively put his early-season forearm injury behind him, going 3-1 with a 1.57 ERA over his last four starts while compiling a fantastic 27/3 K/BB ratio in 28 2/3 innings. Before you dismiss him, just remember that he posted a 3.20 ERA and 38/12 K/BB in 39 1/3 innings after coming over from the Rangers last season. He's just another example of a pitcher finding new life in the National League. It would be smart to keep a watchful eye on his flyball rate, but I'm confident that he'll end up closer to his career levels before long.

Five-and-dime:

Felipe Paulino SP, Astros (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)

I have no shame in recommending Paulino again this week. Why? Because there's a good chance you'll regret it if someone else picks him up, that's why. Paulino, who was placed on the DL last month with shoulder tendinitis, tossed four shutout innings in a rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday night and is expected to return to the starting rotation against the Cubs next week. Keep in mind that he's probably due to give up some more home runs in the second half, as he has only allowed two over 86 innings after serving up 20 in 97 2/3 innings in 2009. Don't let that scare you away, though. We're talking about a guy who allowed two runs or less in six out of his last seven starts before going on the disabled list.

Carlos Ruiz C, Phillies (Yahoo: 7 percent owned, ESPN: 2.3 percent)

We're blessed with all sorts of depth at the catcher position at the moment, so if you are in a shallow, one-catcher league, this probably doesn't concern you. On the other hand, if you play in a deeper league or one that requires two-catchers, it would be wise to comb the wire just to make sure Ruiz isn't available. Chooch missed three weeks as the result of a concussion, but he hit three doubles over the weekend, including one to break up Travis Wood's perfect game bid. Ruiz batted just .194/.293/.250 in June, but he still owns a very respectable .283 batting average to go along with an elite .404 on-base percentage. He hasn't been the sleeper some have suggested he would be this season, but remember that he hit six homers and posted an 862 OPS after the break in 2009.

Juan Gutierrez RP, Diamondbacks (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.9 percent)

I took a lot of guff for recommending Chad Qualls last week and perhaps rightfully so. It was a shot in the dark with someone who I feel is the most unlucky pitcher in the game. In my defense, Kirk Gibson did go to Qualls in a save situation last Saturday, however he gave up two runs without recording an out. While Qualls failed to reclaim the ninth-inning gig, his latest disaster opened the door for Gutierrez, who was able to get a pop-up and a game-ending double-play to end it. Gutierrez has been far from perfect himself this season, posting a 6.96 ERA while giving up a ridiculous 11 home runs in just 32 1/3 innings. That being said, his flyball rate is currently 15 percent higher this season than last. You'll have to hold your nose if you grab him, but somebody has to earn saves here.



AL-ONLY

Brian Duensing RP/SP, Twins (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

This could be a sneaky one. The Twins haven't shown whether they are willing to give up on the struggling Nick Blackburn, but his time is clearly running out. There's no way to sugarcoat the pathetic 10.00 ERA he has posted over his last eight starts. He has been awful. Meanwhile, Scott Baker is currently fighting through some elbow soreness. It stands to reason that Duensing has an excellent chance of joining the starting rotation at some point during the second half. We all know what Duensing did for the club last season, going 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA over nine starts, so he would obviously have immediate value if he managed to step in. The 26-year-old left-hander has a 1.62 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 38 relief appearances this season, so it's not like he's going to hurt you if you stash him right now.

Michael Pineda SP, Mariners (Yahoo: N/A, ESPN: N/A)

It's never fun to give up a pitcher like Cliff Lee, but at least M's fans have Pineda to look forward to. The 21-year-old right-hander was shelled in his most recent outing, but is 10-1 with a 2.72 ERA over 17 starts between Double-A West Tennessee and Triple-A Tacoma this season, posting a 106/25 K/BB ratio over 99 1/3 innings. The six-foot-five, 250-pounder can touch the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball and is considered by many to be the organization's most exciting pitching prospect since King Felix. Pineda floated under the radar in many pre-season rankings due to concerns about his elbow, but he hasn't had any issues so far this season. He could be with the big club sooner than you think.

Lyle Overbay 1B, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 1.8 percent)

Overbay is very quietly batting .313/.391/.515 with six home runs, 12 RBI and a 906 OPS over his last 134 at-bats dating back to May 29. He's especially hot lately, registering at least one hit in 10 out of his last 11 games. He went into the All-Star breaking with a .368 batting average (14-for-38) and three homers in July. The Blue Jays are surely thrilled about this, as it greatly improves his stock headed into the trade deadline. Not only should AL-only owners ride out the hot-hitting, but they should keep a close eye on any potential deal in the weeks to come. If Overbay is traded, top-prospect Brett Wallace will almost certainly be called up to the majors. He'll be worth an immediate investment.

NL-ONLY

James McDonald SP, Dodgers (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

The Dodgers haven't made an official announcement yet, but McDonald is considered the most likely candidate to take John Ely's place in the starting rotation against the Giants on Monday night. The 25-year-old right-hander failed to make the team during spring training and missed a chance at a promotion last month due to a hamstring injury, but he was 5-5 with a 4.00 ERA in 45 games (four starts) with the Dodgers in 2009. McDonald is 6-1 with a 4.41 ERA over 12 starts with Triple-A Albuquerque this season and has thrived in recent outing by adding a slider to his arsenal. He's always been known to miss bats, averaging 7.7 K/9 last season and 9.7 K/9 in the minor leagues, so there's no reason why he shouldn't be safely tucked away in NL-only formats.

Ryan Hanigan C, Reds (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Hanigan recently missed six weeks due to a broken left thumb, but he should be back on your radar now that Ramon Hernandez is on the disabled list with left knee inflammation. The 29-year-old backstop is batting .333/.449/.481 with two homers and 17 RBI over 81 at-bats this season and has walked more (63) than he has struck out (50) over 427 at-bats in the major leagues. To his credit, Hernandez was playing pretty well before he went on the disabled list, so this will probably return to something of a time-share before long, but Hanigan is worth plugging in your lineup for as long as he is away.

Aaron Cunningham OF, Padres (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0.1 percent)

Will Venable could be back from the disabled list as soon as next Tuesday against the Braves, but Cunningham should get a chance to play everyday until then. The 24-year-old outfielder is batting .339/.355/.542 with one home run, nine doubles and 12 RBI in 59 at-bats this season and carried a 10-game hitting streak into the All-Star break. Cunningham, who was acquired from the A's in the Kevin Kouzmanoff trade, was overshadowed by Scott Hairston at the time, but don't forget that he was ranked as the No. 55 prospect in the sport by Baseball America prior to the 2009 season. He's probably not going to hit for much power relative to other outfield options, but as we've seen in his brief time with the Friars, he is perfectly capable of collecting extra-base hits in bunches.

HacheMan · Jul 16, 2010

Wieters' hammy
It's strange that baseball has decided to have a light day on the first day back from the All-Star break. It could be to make life easier for the All-Stars who have to travel back to their team. But there are still seven games on the docket, so about half the teams in baseball have All-Stars scrambling to make travel arrangements this way anyway.

Hopefully, your teams or fantasy players played yesterday, either way. Otherwise, you'll have to wait till later today to get your baseball fix.

* The Orioles put the disappointing Matt Wieters on the disabled list with his nagging hamstring injury, and his owners are probably happy to have the chance to go hunting for a waiver wire stopgap. It can't be too hard to find a guy to hit in the .250s with middling power, right? Ryan Doumit, Rod Barajas and A.J. Pierzynski could all do the same. (I prefer Doumit.)

It would be nice to blame Wieters' poor play this year on bad batted ball luck, but his batting average on balls in play so far has been pretty neutral. He's walking at an okay rate, and not really striking out too much - it's the power that isn't there. Wieters had an isolated slugging percentage consistently around .200 in the minor leagues, which is solid power. So far in the majors, he's been below average, showing a .119 ISO (.150 is average most years).

In fact, his power got worse this year after an okay debut, so it's fair to ask about his future. Partly to blame is his declining fly ball percentage. Wieters is making more contact this year, but it's not strong contact, and it's not going into the air. With elite minor league stats like he has, it's worth waiting around for him in keeper leagues. Even in redraft leagues, his owners should be glad if they can stash him on the DL and get more information before they have to activate the struggling backstop.

* Sticking with catchers, Bengie Molina hit his first home run for his new team on Thursday, launching one off of Tim Wakefield. Ironically for those predicting a power surge for the portly catcher, it was in Fenway. The Ballpark in Arlington has been boosting home runs by 28.2% this year, and his old park in San Francisco depressed them by 19.8%. That's quite a turnaround. Molina has been gently trending towards bigger power, and even set his career high in home runs in the black and orange last year.. Just a reminder.

* Justin Morneau went on the disabled list with concussion issues because he couldn't work out on Thursday without getting woozy. These things can last, and have even ended careers, but the Twins backdated the move and he might be okay in a week. Until then, Jason Kubel will play more in the outfield and Michael Cuddyer will play at first base. Really, it only means more at-bats for Jim Thome, which is good for the power-starved.

* Look who's ready to go! Edinson Volquez will make his first start back from Tommy John surgery on Saturday, and he posted a 28/8 K/BB ratio on his rehab stint, so he might be a good play right off the bat against the Dodgers. In these situations, it's usually best to play him in H2H leagues where the penalties of a poor start are lower, but sit him in Roto leagues where a poor start will sit with your team all year. For what it's worth, fellow TJ-returner Jordan Zimmermann went four innings in a rehab stint of his own, and might be useful earlier in August than first thought. He might make a good speculative pickup now.

NL Quick Hits: The Giants signed Dontrelle Willis to a minor league contract, but it seems he's proven he's not a major league starter … Jose Reyes (oblique) was a late scratch from the lineup on Thursday and will stay out until he is 100%, which is about the first time the Mets' training staff has made a good decision recently … Carlos Zambrano reported to the Cubs' spring training complex to begin throwing, but it's unclear if he'll ever regain his starting role despite his salary … Allen Craig was recalled from the minors to replace Nick Stavinhoa (right shoulder), who went on the DL, but will only be a short-term filler for Ryan Ludwick (calf), who says he's about ten days away from returning … Troy Tulowitzki (wrist) is hoping to take batting practice on Friday and could go on his rehab shortly thereafter, a quick return that his owners should be happy about … Todd Helton (back), on the other hand, is not ready to return from the disabled list, and won't be when his rehab stint is up on July 20 … The Pirates called up non-prospect 30-year-old Erik Kratz to play some catcher, but with his debut age, and .296/.396/.550 line in Triple-A, we should all be rooting for him.

AL Quick Hits: Shin-Soo Choo (thumb) hit off a tee Wednesday and took some soft toss on Thursday, and still hopes to avoid surgery … Adrian Beltre (hamstring) missed the game on Thursday, but the results of his MRI were not released … Rich Harden (glute) pitched 2 2/3 innings on his rehab assignment, but will probably need a start or two more before he joins the major league rotation and gets injured again to start the cycle over again … Josh Hamilton left Thursday's game with a sore right knee, but should be fine… Jeff Niemann (back) was cleared to make his next start after a good bullpen session, so he will be fine … There's a Kerry Wood-to-the-Reds rumor going around, so Wood owners better pick up Chris Perez quick or say d'oh … Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland (brain surgery) hit off a tee and anything he does is sweet for now … In other Red Sox news, Jeremy Hermida (ribs) began a rehab assignment on Thursday, but was ineffective when in the lineup, while Clay Buchholz (hamstring) will make one rehab start on Friday and then be ready to go, and Josh Beckett (back) goes Saturday in Pawtucket (plus Victor Ramirez (thumb) had a nice scan)… Brett Anderson (elbow) had his second rehab stat pushed back, but it was only for a blister, so he it could still fine … Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) is supposed to report to Triple-A and pitch in three games, but he's close now, so Alfredo Simon owners should get ready to move on … Erik Bedard (shoulder) once again felt pain when he threw and has no timetable for his return, surprise, surprise.

HacheMan · Jul 16, 2010

Break Time's Over

With the All-Star break behind us, this week we dive into baseball's unofficial second half. Plenty of full schedules are on tap for the upcoming week so there's a lengthy list of two-start pitchers for you to choose from, although the National League undoubtedly gets the better end of the pool this week.

Going Twice...

American League

Strong Plays

Doug Fister: CWS (Danks), BOS (Beckett)
Tommy Hunter: @DET (Galarraga), LAA (Kazmir)

Decent Plays

Jake Arrieta: TB (Davis), MIN (Baker)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: @OAK (Sheets), @SEA (Pauley)
Dan Hudson: @SEA (Pauley), @OAK (Sheets)
Scott Baker: CLE (Laffey), @BAL (Baker)
Kevin Slowey: CLE, @BAL (Tillman)
Matt Garza: @BAL (Arrieta), CLE (Masterson)
Brett Cecil: @KC (Davies), @DET (Bonderman)
Jeremy Bonderman: TEX (Feldman), TOR (Cecil)
Javier Vazquez: LAA (Kazmir), KC (Lerew)
Ben Sheets: BOS (Matsuzaka), CWS (Hudson)
Chris Tillman: TB (Garza), MIN (Slowey)

At Your Own Risk

Kyle Davies: TOR (Cecil), @NYY (Pettitte)
Tim Wakefield: @OAK (Mazzaro), @SEA (Fister)
Aaron Laffey: @MIN (Baker), TB (Garza)
Armando Galarraga: TEX (Hunter), TOR (Litsch)
Anthony Lerew: TOR (Litsch), @NYY (Hughes)
Scott Kazmir: @NYY (Hughes), @TEX (Hunter)
David Pauley: CWS (Hudson), BOS (Matsuzaka)
Scott Feldman: @DET (Bonderman), LAA (Pineiro)
Jesse Litsch: @KC (Lerew), @DET (Galarraga)

National League

Strong Plays

Carlos Silva: HOU (Rodriguez), STL (Garcia)
Johnny Cueto: WAS (Martin), @HOU (Oswalt)
Mike Leake: WAS (Atilano), @HOU (Rodriguez)
Ubaldo Jimenez: @FLA (Sanchez), @PHI (Kendrick)
Anibal Sanchez: COL (Jimenez), ATL (Medlen)
Clayton Kershaw: SF (Lincecum), NYM (Dickey)
Madison Bumgarner: @LAD (Padilla), @ARI (Kennedy)
Tim Lincecum: @LAD (Kershaw), @ARI (Enright)
Jaime Garcia: PHI (Moyer), @CHC (Silva)
Vicente Padilla: SF (Bumgarner), NYM (Takahashi)
Chris Carpenter: PHI (Kendrick), @CHC (Gorzelanny)

Decent Plays

Ian Kennedy: NYM (Takahashi), SF (Bumgarner)
Barry Enright: NYM (Dickey), SF (Lincecum)
Wandy Rodriguez: @CHC (Silva), CIN (Leake)
Hisanori Takahashi: @ARI (Kennedy), @LAD (Padilla)
R.A. Dickey: @ARI (Enright), @LAD (Kershaw)
Kyle Kendrick: @STL (Hawksworth), COL (Jimenez)
Jamie Moyer: @STIL (Garcia), COL (Francis)
J.D. Martin: @CIN (Cueto), @MIL (Davis)
Kris Medlen: SD, @FLA

At Your Own Risk

Jeff Francis: @FLA (West), @PHI (Moyer)
Doug Davis: @PIT (Kartsens), WAS (Martin)
Jeff Karstens: MIL (Davis), SD
Brad Lincoln: MIL (Bush), SD
Luis Atilano: @CIN (Leake), @MIL (Bush)
Dave Bush: @PIT (Lincoln), WAS (Atilano)

Streamer City

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Thursday, 7/22: Brandon Morrow @ DET
Morrow has struggled thus far in July after a phenomenal month of June, but he'll look to right the ship at Comerica this week.

Friday, 7/23: Brian Matusz vs. MIN
The young southpaw encounters Minnesota's lefty-heavy lineup and faces off against struggling Nick Blackburn in this home match-up.

National League

Thursday, 7/22: Edinson Volquez @ HOU
This will be Volquez's second start back from a long layaway. He couldn't ask for a much better welcome back than a match-up against the Astros.

Saturday, 7/24: Tom Gorzelanny vs. STL
With his high strikeout totals and effective results, Gorzelanny continues to fly under the fantasy radar and is worth consideration for this home tilt.



Total Games

American League

6: CWS, CLE, LAA, NYY, OAK
7: BAL, BOS, DET, KC, MIN, SEA, TB, TEX, TOR

National League

6: ATL, CHC, HOU, SD
7: ARI, CIN, COL, FLA, LAD, MIL, NYM, PHI, PIT, SF, STL, WAS

Lefty/Righty Breakdown

American League

BAL: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
BOS: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
CWS: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
CLE: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
DET: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
KC: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
LAA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIN: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYY: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
OAK: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SEA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TB: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TOR: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 2 vs. RHP, 5 vs. LHP
ATL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CHC: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CIN: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
COL: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
FLA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
HOU: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAD: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PIT: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SD: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SF: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
WAS: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP

The Infirmary

You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page, but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Justin Morneau: Out until late July
Dallas Braden: Returning this week
Brett Anderson: Returning this week
Reed Johnson: Out until August
Erik Bedard: Out indefinitely
Matt Wieters: Out until August
Mat Latos: Out until late July
Jake Peavy: Out for the season

HacheMan · Jul 17, 2010

Wood on the Pine
Another double feature this week -- Week That Was by Glenn Colton and Second Half Stars by Bobby Colton (plus, of course what Schultz says).

Kerry Wood: The Indians placed closer Kerry Wood on the DL with, of all things, a blister on his right index finger. This is one of those rare times when an injury to a player actually helps his fantasy owner. But for the injury, Wood almost certainly would have been dealt to a contender to assume 7th or 8th inning duties. While that may still happen, Wood will have to prove that he is healthy before a team gives up a decent prospect to get him. While there was almost no chance he would remain a closer a few days ago, now there is some hope (not a ton, but some).

Jake Westbrook: Jake Westbrook won his sixth straight on Friday night. It was not pretty all around as he did not get out of the 6th, however Jake struck out five while walking only one. I was never a big Westbrook fan for fantasy purposes (though I do own him in my home league as I have been recycling reclamation pitchers all year). That said, Westbrook is destined to pitch August and September for a contender. When he does land on a winner with a potent offense, his value will skyrocket. Why you ask? Good question. The answer is that he is the type of pitcher that is not sexy, but keeps his team in games. Doing that for the Twins, Dodgers, etc will make him a good bet to pile up wins down the stretch. Buy (but don't go overboard).

Nick Swisher: Nick Swisher once again justified his All Star selection by having a great night to kick off the second half. Swish went 3-5 with a dinger and pie-in-the-face walkoff RBI in the win over the f/k/a Devil Rays last night. On top of his very strong first three months, Swisher is hitting .388 in July. I know I wrote about him last week, but this bears repeating. He may not be Tex, ARod, Jeter, Cano or Jorge, but Swisher is a maturing hitter who will produce big numbers in that huge lineup all year long. BUY.

Brett Myers: Brett Myers was sharp last night, giving up just two earned runs over 7 2/3 innings to beat the Bucs. So far this year, the former Phillie has posted a 3.35 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP while striking out 93 batters. Myers has proven two things: 1) he should remain a starter and 2) he is all the way back from injury. As is, he is a valuable fantasy commodity. However, the high BUY recommendation is because, like Westbrook, he is a prime candidate to be dealt in the next two weeks.

Matt Lindstrom: Sticking with the lowly Astros, closer Matt Lindstrom notched his 22nd save to support Myers last night. This one is a bit of a puzzle. The Astros are hopeless, so they will be sellers. However, because Lindstrom is not a great ratio pitcher, he is not the prototypical 8th inning guy for a playoff team. Matt is much more of a John Wetteland, Mitch Williams type of antacid closer that makes you cringe but gets the job done. I think he stays put and keeps saving games. Hold if you own, see if you can buy cheap if you don't and if you need saves.

Kris Medlen: Kris Medlen was used in relief yesterday and, according to reports, will not make his next start until a week from today. I was a big advocate for Medlen before reading this nonsense. Yes, teams should protect young arms. However, sticking him in the pen is not the way to do it. Either run him out there or put him on the DL with a tired arm. Take Medlen down a few notches if you own him. This situation is a recipe for disaster (see Hughes, Phil 2010 and Chamberlain, Joba 2009).

Josh Thole: According to reports, the Mets plan on Josh Thole catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. If so, that means Thole stays in the majors and makes an interesting C2 in deep NL leagues. He will not hit for big power and his numbers part time wont knock your socks off, but he can provide that little bit of production that separates the winner from the whiner. So far this year, Thole is smoking, hitting a cool .500 in 20 AB. Yes, that is a small sample size, but he hit over .320 in AA last year and then over .320 in 53 AB for the Mets.

Justin Morneau: Justin Morneau is on the DL with a concussion. Tough break for the Twins, Morneau owners and Joe Mauer. Morneau will be back, but he does seem to have a knack for ending up on the shelf. He is no Nick the Sick, but he continues to get these nagging injuries. As for Mauer, it is much easier for teams to pitch around him when Morneau is not around. Devalue both a little for the rest of the season.

Matt Weiters: Sophomore catcher Matt Wieters also ended up on the shelf this week. Wieters has hardly knocked the cover off of the ball this year, but was starting to come out of it with a .320 July. Look for Weiters to be back in 15 days and be an undervalued source of offense in the last two months. Also look for Craig Tatum to catch most days while Weiters is out. Don't get too excited. Tatum has not hit very well in the majors or high minors. If you want one positive stat – Tatum has a nice K/BB ratio, having walked 9 times and struck out 9 times.

Chan Ho Park: Is still, well, not good.

And now, as promised another two for one special:

Second Half Stars
By: Bobby Colton

With the All-Star break in our rear view mirror, it is time to look forward to the second half. The secret to success in the second half is targeting first half slumpers who can explode for your team in July, August, and September. If you can snag a great buy-low star, you will be destined for greatness in the second half. Here's a list of prime targets.

Mark Teixeira- Look, Tex will never be easy to pry away from an owner, but as far as Tex goes, he is at his lowest possible value. His abysmal month of June following his typical tragic April led foolish owners to believe that his trademark torrid second half wasn't forthcoming. Tex struggled mightily and still managed to smack 17 homers to go along with 60 RBIs. You can still expect an average over .290, over 30 jacks, and well over 100 RBIs.

Aramis Ramirez- Unlike Teixeira, Ramirez didn't benefit from a strong first half of July. Regardless, Ramirez's 4 RBI performance in the first game after the break just adds credence to the notion that Ramirez will explode in the second half. Get Ramirez ASAP before he proves to the world he is a star once again (just don't trade Phil Hughes for him, as was requested from me).

Carlos Beltran- Don't let the Mets outfield logjam scare you away from a proven superstar like Beltran. With the way Jason Bay and Jeff Francoeur have struggled at times this year, there is no way Beltran will fall victim to lack of playing time. Despite the constant media blunders by Jerry Manuel alluding to the early return to Beltran, the Mets did the smart thing in ignoring their bumbling skipper and letting Carlos get healthy. Beltran is ready to go, and he would be a huge addition to any team.

Adam Lind- Lind can flat out hit. His .214 average is atrocious, but he is ready for the second half. If Lind can get it going to half of the rate that he was at last year, he should make a fine power hitter for teams in the second half.

Matt Kemp- So far Kemp has been a disappointment as a first/second round pick this spring. Have no fear though, as a healthy Dodger's lineup should only help Kemp get things going. With Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez both healthy for the first time in too long, Kemp can shrug some of the pressure from his shoulders and just concentrate on reaching a 30 hr, 100 RBI, 100 run season -- numbers that are clearly not out of the realm of possibility.

Brian Roberts- Yes, the brittle Oriole second baseman who is still rotting on the DL. As he starts his rehab assignment, this is a perfect time to target the perennial top second baseman. If Roberts hits in the second half the way he has proven he can hit, he can quickly catapult himself to the top of the second base rankings by the time the year is out.

Gavin Floyd- Have you seen Gavin Floyd throw lately? If you have, you might say he looked more like, say, Cliff Lee or Doc Halladay. In his last 7 starts he has allowed a total of 7 earned runs. That's all. If that's not enough, he's also eating innings, lasting under 7 innings just once in the last 7 (where he went 6.2). Gavin Floyd is looking like CY Young material this second half.

Josh Beckett- This one is a bit tricky, as unlike Beltran and Roberts, Beckett might not come back 100%. Josh has ace stuff when he is on. The problem is that even when healthy this year he hasn't been good (the 7.29 ERA speaks for itself). Beckett should be a nice source of wins at the very least hurling for the BoSox, but he seems worth the risk to me.

Jorge de la Rosa- Lets not beat around the bush, de la Rosa was flat out bad in his return from the DL on July 9th. However, Jorge de la Rosa was very solid in Colorado last year and is fighting for a lucrative contract this off season. His injury was a major hit to his value, and now Jorge knows he needs to be fantastic in the second half in order to get big money on the open market. In the end, I think de la Rosa will dig deep and find a way to pitch like a star and make the big bucks next year.

Jair Jurrjens- Jair Jurrjens is a real deal Major League starter. He was solid in his first three starts since coming off the DL, but his ability to go deep into games was clearly an issue, failing to reach 7 innings in all three appearances. Jurrjens should only build up arm strength as the second half wears on, and with the Braves in position for a pennant race, Jurrjens should be backed all year by a nice offense. Jurrjens is a star.

And last, but not least, Schultz says: If the legends are to be believed, John Lennon once cured himself of heroin addiction by trying himself to a chair and going cold turkey. Not only did he clean himself up as a result of the effort, he got some pretty wicked songs out of the deal. I bring this up not as a preamble to some sordid confession about the cause of some of my rambling missives, the occasional malaprop or why I once confused Josh Hamilton with Joey Hamilton. Nope, I discuss Lennon's withdrawal strategy as it applies perfectly the All-Star weekend. For three days -- four if you include the bizarre decision to give half the league a day off on Thursday -- we are unable to check on our team's progress, plot our daily strategies or waste a few minutes at work checking on Ryan Theriot's day. I feel for anyone who owns Brian McCann; to watch him drive in 3 runs and not have them count -- so sad, so sad.

Those who experienced withdrawal should peek forward to September when MLB managers start thinking of the future of their clubs. Keep in mind that young pitchers on bad teams will likely be spectators in the final month of the season. However, the key to that sentence is "bad teams." Owners of Mat Latos, Jamie Garcia and Mike Leake may benefit greatly from the fact that their younglings are in the midst of pennant races. While Stephen Strasburg will be cheering on the Nationals, the others may play out of the string as a matter of necessity. Just in case the Padres or Reds start to falter, you should have a September backup plan in the works.

For those trying to discern what R.A. Dickey may have up his sleeve for the rest of the season, just check out the career of Tim Wakefield. Since 1992, Wakefield has had more ups and downs than Lindsay Lohan' and Britney Spears' careers combined. When a knuckleballer has his bread and butter pitch working for him, he's impossible to hit. When it's not working, it's ugly to watch. Right know Dickey is in full control of his knuckler and when that happens, the benefits to be reaped are gigantic. If you own him, don't lose faith in him until you start hearing rumblings that his knuckleball isn't fluttering.

Response: Great stuff from Bobby, though I think he way overvalues Roberts (Bobby being luck enough not to suffer from a herniated disk like I have) and way undervalues Beckett who is one of the best pitchers in the game when he takes the ball. Now, as for Schultz, I wish there was stuff to ridicule (other than the Joey Hamilton thing of course), but he makes great points about young pitchers. Nice work fellas!

HacheMan · Jul 19, 2010

NL Team-by-Team Notes
This isn't a case of a team not knowing whether it can get its big free agent signed: the Nationals could lock up Adam Dunn today if they wanted to. That they've yet to meet the slugger's asking price suggests a trade is a looming possibility.

I've believed all along that Dunn would stay. He's very open to a contract extension, though he probably wants four years while the Nationals would prefer to go two or three. All things considered, a four-year deal worth around $50 million makes plenty of sense. The Nationals don't have a bunch of players set to get a lot more expensive over the next few years. Dunn may well prove overpaid in the second half of such a contract, but he's not going to collapse and his salary wouldn't keep the team from going out and bringing in quality players.

If the Nationals aren't willing to go that far, then they might as well move him. The Yankees are believed to be very interested, and while they wouldn't part with Jesus Montero for him, they have some intriguing young arms to offer. I'm not sure there's a fit with the White Sox, unless the Nationals really like the idea of Dayan Viciedo as a first baseman of the future. Gordon Beckham won't be on the table. A Dunn-for-B.J. Upton swap with Tampa Bay could make some sense, though it's not at all likely the Rays would go that route. I think the Yankees are the favorites if the Nats choose to make a move.

National League Notes

Arizona - The Diamondbacks figure to be amongst the game's biggest sellers before the deadline, but they've been quiet so far, pulling off only the minor Conor Jackson trade last month. Edwin Jackson still seems to be the likeliest candidate to go. His salary jumps to $8.25 million next year, and he's a free agent after 2011. Dan Haren and Chris Snyder are looking like better bets to stay. It's harder to tell when it comes to Adam LaRoche, Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew in the infield. Drew, who has drawn interest from the Tigers, would be the most expensive to acquire. The Diamondbacks could ask for left-hander Andy Oliver and a couple of more young arms from Detroit. I still think Drew sticks around, but his departure wouldn't come as nearly as much of a surprise as it would have a couple of months ago. … I don't think much of Barry Enright as a long-term property, but he makes for a nice spot starter in NL-only leagues with outings against the Mets and Giants this week.

Atlanta - He got traded to a better team in the easier league, but Alex Gonzalez probably lost some fantasy value with the move to Atlanta. He'll go from hitting second and sixth for the Blue Jays to seventh with the Braves, so he's due for a decline in runs scored and probably RBI as well. It's possible he'll maintain his career-best power production, but it's not something that anyone can count on, and since he's a liability in average and steals, he should be dropped in mixed leagues at the first sign of trouble. … Nate McLouth (concussion) should be activated this week, but he'll have to earn his playing time. Melky Cabrera is still hitting right around .290 since his awful April, and Gregor Blanco is getting on base 40 percent of the time in limited action. Unfortunately, Blanco is probably going to be sent down to make room despite his modest success. NL-only leaguers will probably want to hold off on activating McLouth for as long as possible.

Chicago - Ted Lilly didn't help his trade value with a couple of disastrous starts to begin July, but he struck out 10 in a strong performance against the Phillies on Friday. It's becoming more and more likely that he will be involved in a deadline deal. While the Mets keep on getting mentioned, it's possible the bidding will come down to AL Central rivals Minnesota and Detroit. A switch back to the AL would hurt his value in mixed leagues, but he'd still be worth using. The Cubs could turn to Thomas Diamond or Jay Jackson to replace him in the rotation. … It looked like the Cubs were trying to showcase Kosuke Fukudome in the week leading up to the All-Star break, but he didn't start any of the first three games after play resumed. The Cubs would likely have to pick up at least half of the $19.5 million he's owed through the end of next year to have any chance of moving him. I don't see it happening during the season. … A Derrek Lee deal seems more likely, though he, like Fukudome, has a no-trade clause. He's a free agent at season's end, so his contract isn't as big of a problem, though the Cubs may need to pick up a portion of his salary in order to get a quality prospect back for him. If the Cubs move Lee, they'd play Xavier Nady regularly at first base.

Cincinnati - Things could get pretty crowded in the Cincinnati rotation soon. The Reds got Edinson Volquez back Saturday. Aaron Harang (back) would seem to be about two weeks away, and Homer Bailey (elbow) could be back in three or four. That could lead to Travis Wood being bumped at some point. Wood, though, looks like a significantly better bet than either Harang or Bailey to me. He has some value in mixed leagues at the moment. … Ramon Hernandez (knee) said he'll be ready to go when eligible on Tuesday. The Reds seem skeptical about how well Ryan Hanigan has recovered from his broken thumb, so Hernandez will likely get the majority of the playing time. … Chris Dickerson is also on the way back from his broken hamate, but as things stand now, he might not crack Cincinnati's roster. Chris Heisey has been terrific in limited action, and manager Dusty Baker likes Laynce Nix's pop off the bench, even though Nix has been completely worthless aside from a three-day span in May. Perhaps another team will want to give Dickerson a look as a part-timer. He's out of options, and since he has a fine glove, I don't think he'll clear waivers.

Colorado - With Troy Tulowitzki (wrist) likely just 10 days away and Clint Barmes continuing to swing a productive bat, the Rockies' involvement in the infield rumor mill is likely to quiet. I'd still like to see them find someone to start over Barmes at second base against right-handers, but the Rockies like Barmes and they'll still have the option of giving Eric Young Jr. a try if he makes it back from a broken leg next month. … The Rockies aren't planning on activating Todd Helton (back) when he's eligible to return on Tuesday. Jason Giambi will be a decent play in NL-only leagues again this week.



Florida - It's hard to believe the Marlins really expect Alex Sanabia to be an upgrade over Chris Volstad at the end of the rotation. Sanabia may be awfully polished for a 21-year-old, but he has middling stuff and he's a long shot to ever establish himself as a starting pitcher in the majors. Pass. … More intriguing is the 21-year-old reliever the Marlins have called on. Jhan Marinez may not be truly ready yet, but he has a big fastball and he's improved his slider a great deal this year. Command remains a major issue, so while he may be the Marlins' closer of the future, it's doubtful he'll find himself in that role this year if Nunez is traded. … A Nunez trade would probably make Clay Hensley the stopgap closer. However, Jose Veras has the more traditional "closer-type stuff" and can't be ruled out if he continues to succeed.

Houston - There hasn't been much trade movement on the Astros' front. Roy Oswalt's salary and no-trade clause are proving problematic, and unless some large-market team gets desperate, he might just stay in Houston. Lance Berkman, another veteran with a no-trade clause, has said he doesn't expect to be moved. It's doubtful that anyone is going to want Brandon Lyon or Pedro Feliz, and the Astros would be selling low in a big way if they traded Wandy Rodriguez. I still believe Brett Myers will go, but everyone else may stay. … Felipe Paulino's setback appears to be very significant and the Astros are without usual stopgap Brian Moehler, so Wesley Wright will join the rotation Tuesday. It will be his first start after 126 relief appearances in which he compiled a 5.24 ERA and walked 62 in 110 innings. Expect little.

Los Angeles - Finally back in the majors after a dreadful spring cost him a roster spot, James McDonald is slated to move into the rotation in John Ely's place and start Monday. McDonald, who missed the month of June with a strained hamstring, was 6-1 with a 4.41 ERA and a 57/24 K/BB ratio in 63 1/3 innings for Triple-A Albuquerque. I think he'll have some fantasy value in NL-only leagues, even if the acquisition of a starting pitcher later this month results in a shift to the bullpen. … The plan is for Manny Ramirez to avoid the disabled list with his right calf injury, but mixed leaguers will probably want to go in a different direction this week. Xavier Paul has resumed getting at-bats in his place. … Blake DeWitt is hitting .344/.432/.438 this month, but he's still having trouble breaking into the lineup against lefties. While there have been inquiries, it remains doubtful that the Dodgers will trade Jamey Carroll in order to free up more playing time for the youngster.

Milwaukee - I'm not understanding why the Brewers chose to call up Lorenzo Cain and then not give him a single start in his first three games in the majors. The 24-year-old has missed significant time these last couple of years and is in need of at-bats. He was impressive in the minors, hitting .326/.406/.439 with 25 steals in 27 attempts this year. However, most of that came in Double-A and he has just 60 at-bats at the Triple-A level. Maybe the Brewers will trade Corey Hart and make Cain a regular starting next month, but if that was the case, they should have waited until then to call him up. Unless they want to permanently install Carlos Gomez on the bench, there's no role for him right now. … Yovani Gallardo (oblique) will come off the DL on Thursday, so he should be active this week. … Chris Capuano is being moved into the rotation in place of the injured Doug Davis and will likely get two starts this week, one in Pittsburgh and the other at home versus the Nationals. He shouldn't have any permanent value in NL-only leagues, but those in need of wins could take a chance.

New York - Won't the Mets ever learn? Jose Reyes should have been on the DL the moment he strained his oblique. He'd already be eligible to return, and he'd likely be a lot closer to 100 percent if the team had handled it correctly from the start. As is, he is expected to play Monday. Mixed leaguers have little choice but to leave him active and hope for the best. … Hisanori Takahashi has a 5.75 ERA in his 10 starts after struggling against the Giants on Friday. He's sure to be bounced from the rotation if the Mets acquire another starter, and he's even leaving the team with an opening in case it's decided Oliver Perez should get another chance. Still, it'd be no surprise to see him return to effectiveness after being thrown back into the pen. … Luis Castillo (foot) is 2-for-13 with three walks in four games since beginning a rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie. He'll probably return during the second half of the week.

Philadelphia - Placido Polanco's return has filled one big hole, but the Phillies are still being mentioned as possibility to acquire another infielder. Ty Wigginton makes a lot of sense for them, particularly since they can move Polanco to second base until Chase Utley returns. It's known that they have talked to the Orioles. My guess is the deal would have been done weeks ago if the Orioles were more reasonable in their demands. The price tag figures to come down closer to the deadline. … By giving up three runs in five innings in each of his last two Triple-A starts, J.A. Happ still isn't showing that he deserves to reclaim a rotation spot. The good news is that he's fanned 14 during that span. However, it doesn't look like he'll replace Kyle Kendrick before the end of the month.



Pittsburgh - An Octavio Dotel trade is still looking awfully likely. He's probably going to be a setup man elsewhere, so time is running out to sell. Evan Meek will step into the closer's role once Dotel departs. … Lastings Milledge is back playing regularly after often sitting against right-handers, but unless he starts stealing more bases, he's not going to be worth using in mixed leagues. Jose Tabata is looking like a more intriguing option. … Not particularly interested in keeping his bench involved, Pirates manager John Russell hasn't given either Andy LaRoche or Delwyn Young a start in over two weeks. Perhaps at least one of the two will be involved in a minor deal this month. I could see the Indians grabbing LaRoche and giving him a look at third base if they can move Jhonny Peralta.

St. Louis - Kyle Lohse might be back in a month, but with Brad Penny's timetable uncertain, the Cardinals really need to go get themselves a starting pitcher. They haven't been mentioned in the Ted Lilly talks. A deal with the Cubs would likely prove difficult, but he'd be perfect for them. Maybe they'll wait and go get Ben Sheets in August. … It doesn't appear as though either Ryan Ludwick (calf) or David Freese (ankle) is very likely to return this week. Rookie Jon Jay has made quite an impression while filling for Ludwick and could share time with the slugger after he returns. Felipe Lopez will continue to play regularly for the duration of Freese's absence and hopefully afterwards, though that should come at Skip Schumaker's expense.

San Diego - Who would have thought the Padres would be more interested in pitching than hitting at the trade deadline? If the team goes out and gets a starter as planned, Kevin Correia could be shifted into middle relief. Correia, a big success as a reclamation project last year, has a 5.26 ERA through 17 starts this season. The Padres should find it relatively easy to upgrade without having to spend a lot of money. … I'd still like to see the Padres acquire a shortstop to play over Everth Cabrera and Jerry Hairston Jr., even if it's just Cesar Izturis from the Orioles. Cristian Guzman would make the most sense, given that they're not likely to pay the price for Stephen Drew. The Padres, though, would likely want the Nats to pick up some salary in a Guzman deal. … Mat Latos (oblique) is due back from the DL to start Saturday, so keep him active. Since the Padres have Monday off, they won't need to replace him in the rotation.

San Francisco - The Giants have already helped themselves a bunch by trading Bengie Molina in order to make Buster Posey their regular catcher and by reducing Aaron Rowand's role in the outfield. Still, a big bat for the middle of the order would be really nice. Hart's name has come up a bunch, and he makes a great deal of sense, partly because he wouldn't further weaken a rough defense at the corner infield and outfield spots. Hart in right, with Pat Burrell in left and Aubrey Huff at first, would be a significant improvement over the current jumble. The Brewers want either Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner in return, but they may be willing to settle for a different package as the deadline nears. The Giants won't part with either southpaw. … Bumgarner needs to be owned in mixed leagues at this point. He's worth using in road starts against the Dodgers and Diamondbacks this week.

Washington - It doesn't appear as though Chien-Ming Wang is going to make it back this year, but Jason Marquis, Jordan Zimmermann and Scott Olsen are all on track to rejoin the Nationals during the first half of August. John Lannan might also be deemed ready for another chance right around then. The Nationals should be able to find room for everyone, though. Luis Atilano will almost surely be the first to lose his rotation spot, and Craig Stammen pretty obviously belongs in middle relief. Also, Stephen Strasburg will surely be shut down, whether it's the end of August or the beginning of September. Furthermore, the Nats could always choose to trade Livan Hernandez if all of the rehabbing pitchers make strong progress.

HacheMan · Jul 19, 2010

Starting to go down?
Doesn't it seem that the pitchers start out the baseball season better off than the hitters? In spring training, they've had a little longer to work than position players, they seem like they are in better shape, and they get swings and misses. Their arms are fresh and all seems well.

Well, then you get mid-summer. The air is warmer and moister, the balls are traveling farther, and the pitchers have tired arms. Now their groins and elbows and shoulders are starting to hurt. Now pitchers are even straining their necks watching the ball sail over the wall. The pendulum has shifted, and batters reign now, right? Anecdotally at least, it seems that way.

It's all part of why we have to watch our budgets and draft pitchers a little later than position players. When a pitcher goes down, he misses more time than a position player - it's been documented - and losing an ace at this point in the season seems like a nail in the coffin. At least it seems like this is the time of the year that pitchers go down in particular.

* Consider Andy Pettitte, who had been having a great season. He had his ERA below four for the first time in five years, and the offense behind him had him sporting 11 wins at the break. Yes, he was 38 years old, but he looked good again in pinstripes, until he went down "pawing" at his groin as one announcer had it on Sunday. He'll be out four-to-five weeks. He's even lucky that A.J. Burnett has avoided joining him on the shneid, as the tall ugly one hurt himself slamming a door over the weekend because of how how badly he was pitching. Those kind of days among pitchers.

Of course, under the first layer of statistics, Pettitte wasn't performing any different than he has over his career. Look at his strikeout rate - 6.91 K/9 this year, 6.62 K/9 career - or his walk rate - 2.78 BB/9 this year, 2.83 BB/9 career - and you'll notice he's doing about the same as ever. He's even shown some decline in the secondary numbers, as his 44.4% groundball rate is below his 48.6% career rate.

But then you look at his ERA (2.88) and you want to think he's found something this year. It's just not the case. If he's been doing the same things he's been doing his whole career, and yet has a pristine ERA to show for it, it seems reasonable to expect some regression. And if Pettitte normally has a high-3s/low-4s ERA, the regression to get his season ratios there will make him hard to own from here on out. Owners without space on their DL in mixed leagues should consider just dropping the veteran now that injury is part of the landscape.

* Scott Kazmir also went down on Sunday, but very few people cared. The fact that he has an injury might actually be a good thing in this case. If we didn't have something mechanical to blame, how would we otherwise explain his fall from grace?

Easy. He's bad, and he's been bad for a while. His strikeout rate is in a three-year decline, his walk rate is the second-worst of his career, and his underlying statistics are just about as bad as his ERA (6.92). If it was an elbow, we'd almost root for Tommy John surgery so he could find his old stuff. Now that we know it's a shoulder injury, and we've watched Erik Bedard try to come back from a shoulder injury in representative fashion, we should know that Kazmir is pretty much un-ownable in any format. At least we finally have closure.

* Now it's time for the daily Red Sox check in. It looks like Josh Beckett will throw an extended bullpen session Tuesday, and then hopefully will rejoin the major league rotation on Friday. Jason Varitek is about two weeks behind Dustin Pedroia, who is in a boot for two more weeks. Victor Martinez played catch over the weekend and is still targeting the end of July for a return. Mike Cameron is playing hurt with abdominal issues that remain, and Jeremy Hermida is due back with his bag of mediocrity any moment. Mike Lowell took another cortisone shot in the old man hip but is finally with the team, and Bill Hall is still trying to play every position on the diamond. Clay Buchholz is due back Wednesday to continue overachieving his peripheral stats. Michael Bowden is up - not injured - but will only play in the bullpen for now.

* Kerry Wood got a blister and finally, and mercifully, went back on the disabled list. Though Chris Perez has been a better pitcher than Wood in the past, right now, he's just about the same as the older one, but healthier and luckier. The team has lots of reasons to keep the cost-controlled youngster around, and lots of reasons to let Wood go. It wasn't a great week for closers, either, as Carlos Marmol finally blew up like his walk rate said he might, and Bobby Jenks went against recent performance with a little poop in the bed. Wood's still the only one that will lose his job soon.

* And while the older guys go down, it's the younger pitchers rising up to take their places. Rick Porcello, who had a nice debut season at a young age last year, is back up in the major leagues for a second shot at age 21. He still isn't striking people out, but his groundball rate took a nice tick back up in the minor leagues this year, and if he can keep the walks down, he can be a grass-guzzler of an asset. But don't look for strikeouts here.

NL Quick Hits: Roy Oswalt left Sunday's start after taking a Pedro Alvarez liner off his ankle, but thinks he'll make his next start in his quest to become the Astro's winningest pitcher before being traded … Manny Ramirez, also old but not a pitcher, took a day off with a sore calf … Andrew McCutchen suffered an AC joint sprain while making a diving catch, but it shouldn't keep him out too long … The Mets think that Jose Reyes (oblique) might be back as soon as today … Starlin Castro was moved to second in the order, which reflects his nice July batting streak; he might make a nice injury fill-in in mixed leagues while he's going well… Alejandro Sanabia is showing a little more than expected in his ML debut, and his excellent control has carried over, so he's a good option in deeper leagues for now … Luis Castillo (foot) will rejoin the Mets on Monday but is he even an option for the occasional stolen base in deeper leagues … Troy Tulowitzki (wrist) is rumored to start his rehab assignment this week, but the team urged caution … Chris Young (shoulder) threw and felt good, but has no timetable for his return … Brandon Webb (shoulder) thinks that he can put together six starts this year, so there's your upside … Even though he's playing better, Lance Berkman is hurting when he swings from the right side; Therefore, he should sit against lefties in your lineup whenever possible … Chris Coghlan has a back ailment of some sort and will miss at least three days … Ian Desmond is suddenly the victim of a three-man middle infield despot his promise, but his hacking ways also had to hurt him eventually .. Todd Helton (back) still doesn't know when he'll come back, and Brad Hawpe is the most recent and most interesting fill-in at first base, meaning more time for some of the younger Colorado outfielders … The Brewers think Yovani Gallardo (oblique) will be ready to go as soon as this Thursday, which is good for the letters "Y" and "K" … Speaking of letters, "P" was also pretty happy about Placido Polanco and his healthy return to Philadelphia

AL Quick Hits: Shin-Soo Choo (thumb) is going to avoid surgery by the looks of it, and may join the team after a three-day rehab assignment; Huzzah … The Angels designated Paul McAnulty for assignment, which might make Mike Napoli owners happy, as the catcher has been arguing for more regular time and deserves it with his power potential … The team also activated Maicer Izturis (forearm), who should get enough at-bats around the diamond to be relevant in deeper leagues … Shaun Marcum returned from the DL from elbow issues and gave up one run and showed nice control in a win over the Orioles … Asdrubal Cabrera (forearm) looks good and will play three more games before being activated … Matt Wieters (hamstring) says he feels better and might only take the minimum … He got hurt in an embarrassing fashion, but Luke Scott (hamstring) should be activated today and ready to play; He's a good play in most leagues as a bench guy … Gil Meche (shoulder) may have a rehab start soon, and hasn't thrown his curveball yet because it hurts too much - he's probably not a great pickup in most formats; Fellow Royal blue Luke Hochevar (elbow) is still getting MRIs … Blue Jays' outfielder Travis Snider (wrist) was activated, and then sent right down to Double-A to work on his swing … Fellow blue-chipper Derek Holland (knee, shoulder) threw a simulate game and is ready to rehab; If he comes back a starter, his upside is still interesting … On the other end of the age spectrum, Brian Roberts (back) is about a week or so from being back, says interim manager Juan Samuel … Though Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) has not been pitching that well on his rehab assignment, the team says he'll be back sometime before the 25th and could be closing again quickly … Rich Harden (glute) has been pitching through similar results in the minor leagues, and it looks like the Rangers will just try to keep him down as long as possible in similar fashion … Conor Jackson (hamstring) hasn't yet been cleared, making him the new Nick Johnson pretty much.

HacheMan · Jul 20, 2010

Mid-July Madness
Monday saw a night of crazy finishes around the baseball landscape. The Rangers topped the Tigers in the 14th inning, the Cardinals homered their way out of an early deficit to beat the Phillies, the Royals used extra innings to get past Toronto, and the Marlins walked off against the Rockies thanks to an improbable Donnie Murphy ninth-inning blast.

Fun. Now let's get to the juicy stuff...

* The Braves parted ways with Yunel Escobar last week, trading him to the Blue Jays for shortstop Alex Gonzalez and taking a few shots at the 27-year-old Cuban's character on the way out. That must have ignited a fire inside of Escobar, because he's been on an absolute tear at the plate since arriving in Toronto just before the weekend. He went 1-for-4 in his Blue Jays debut Friday, 2-for-5 in his next game Saturday, and he blasted home runs on both Sunday and Monday. Sunday's was a grand slam.

Escobar hit .299/.377/.436 with 14 home runs and 76 RBI in 2009 for the Braves, but the club soured on him this year after a run of bone-headed plays in the field and a lack of production offensively. The fact is, he's still a very talented player and the kind of production that he is capable of can be hard to find at the shortstop position. He may have been a pain in Atlanta, but he was also the victim of bad luck with a .270 batting average on balls in play. That luck may turn for him in Toronto, where the pressure is off and he should be allowed to flourish in a far less veteran-based clubhouse. Escobar is once again a valuable fantasy commodity.

* When not on the disabled list this year, Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz has been a fantasy monster. He is currently batting .325/.384/.604 with 12 home runs, 11 stolen bases and 51 RBI in only 55 games, and it would appear that he is embarking on yet another major hot streak. The power-hitting outfielder finished 3-for-6 with four RBI on Monday night and hit a game-winning two-run homer in the top of the 14th inning as the Rangers defeated the Tigers. Cruz has an eight-game hitting streak in the works and has registered multi-hit performances in each of his last five starts. He, of course, needs to be started in all fantasy leagues.

* In one of the least surprising stories this month, it appears that Cubs starter Carlos Silva has fallen back into fantasy irrelevance. He's allowed 13 hits and 11 earned runs in his last two outings and he made it through only one inning on Monday as the Cubs were trounced by the lowly Astros 11-5. He was 9-2 with a 2.98 ERA on July 6. Now Silva is 9-4 with a 3.86 ERA. Whether it's fatigue or a regression back to his old way of doing things, the 31-year-old should no longer be trusted in mixed formats.

* The second-place Tigers took a rather sizable hit Monday when third baseman Brandon Inge was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his left hand. He is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks and Detroit will have to scramble for answers in the next day or two. Recalling second baseman Scott Sizemore from Triple-A Toledo and sliding Carlos Guillen over to third base is an option, but we're all well aware of how poorly the 25-year-old Sizemore hit in the big leagues at the beginning of this season.

Sizemore has posted a .333/.395/.509 batting line at Toledo since his demotion, but it's hard to view him as a valuable fantasy option. Oh, and Guillen hasn't played third base since 2008. Chasing the White Sox and Twins in the American League Central just got a little more difficult for the boys from Detroit.

NL Quick Hits: Luis Castillo went 2-for-4 with a run scored in his return from the disabled list Monday ... Despite a badly bruised ankle, Roy Oswalt fully intends to make his next scheduled start ... Carlos Zambrano will join up with Triple-A Iowa this week to begin rehabbing toward a return to the Cubs bullpen ... Manny Ramirez has missed three straight games and will have an MRI on his ailing calf Tuesday ... Rehabbing third baseman David Freese broke his toe over the weekend and could be out longer than expected ... Brian Moehler is scheduled to throw a simulated game later this week ... The Mets will watch Oliver Perez throw a bullpen session Tuesday before deciding his next step ... Prince Fielder now leads the National League with 23 home runs ... Reds manager Dusty Baker acknowledged Monday that Scott Rolen may need a stint on the disabled lsit ... Jonathan Broxton might not be available until Wednesday due to his 44-pitch blown save Sunday against the Cardinals ... The Padres have reportedly signed Wily Mo Pena to a minor league contract ... Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse threw a 50-pitch bullpen session on Monday ... Ryan Ludwick will begin a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis this week ... Ryota Igarashi has thrown two consecutive scoreless innings at Triple-A Buffalo.

AL Quick Hits: Daisuke Matsuzaka has turned in a quality start in five of his last seven outings ... The Orioles could get second baseman Brian Roberts back as soon as this weekend ... Russell Branyan may need some time off due to stiffness in his back ... Kevin Gregg blew his fourth save of the season Monday ... A's outfielder Ryan Sweeney is done for the season and might need surgery on both of his knees ... The Mets are believed to be scouting Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie ... Clay Buchholz has been cleared to rejoin the Boston starting rotation on Wednesday against the A's ... Twins closer Joe Nathan played catch Monday for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery ... Sergio Mitre allowed three runs in his final rehab start Monday ... Royals prospect Eric Hosmer has been promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas ... A's starter Brett Anderson may be cleared to return to the majors after just one more rehab start ... The Orioles activated starting DH Luke Scott from the disabled list Monday ... Rocco Baldelli is trying to resume his playing career with the Rays ... Victor Martinez has played catch on back-to-back days ... Gil Meche has been cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment ... The Yankees and Red Sox have both expressed interest in Blue Jays reliever Scott Downs.

HacheMan · Jul 20, 2010

Caramel better than Marmol

Well, it's been a fun ride, but it looks like Thor Nystrom has completed his Aegean quest and will be ready to retake control of this (hopefully) valuable column next week. I did my best to Wally Pipp him, but you'll see me around the diamond at different positions here at RotoWorld, and I'm always grateful any opportunities that come my way.

In honor of Thor's return, however, we'll name the tiers after great vacation movies. As if it wasn't hard enough to get back into the swing of things, we'll remind of him of all the fun he left behind. That'll be our revenge. (And just in case this sets off a crapstorm of responses about movies… This is not an exhaustive list, and yes, I do like all five of these movies - just some more than others.)

Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "National Lampoon's Vacation" Tier.)

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers

Comment:
Jonathan Papelbon looks better with ever day that he puts between him and his mini blow-up in Colorado that had people whispering. He's a testament to the same sample-size concerns that crop up with Mariano Rivera from time to time. They are both great closers, even if they have the occasional blip. Jonathan Broxton is close to getting the emeritus status, but he's actually stuck in one of those Griswoldian doldrums right now, with eight runs given up in his let seven appearances. He should be fine anyway. More than fine - with a strikeout rate like that, he's a beast.

Tier 2: Rock Steady (9) (AKA: The "Meatballs" Tier.)

Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
Billy Wagner, Atlanta Braves

Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Rafael Soriano, Tampa Bay Rays
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants

Comment:
Billy Wagner is reminding us all that he was a just recently a member of the first tier of closers. His velocity is back booming, he has great control, and he's blown three saves all year. If there was another tier between these two, him and Joakim Soria would occupy it. They are that good, even if they didn't win the Camp Olympics this week.

Carlos Marmol, on the other hand, showed us why it's foolish to depend on a player with a walk rate like his. That 6.85 BB/9 is actually good for second-worst among qualified relievers. Of course, his ridiculous 17.03 K/9 is first-best in all of baseball, but it's sort of a bumpy ride with all those walks. Most fantasy managers prefer the smoother ride.

Tier 3: OK options (6) (AKA: The "The Endless Summer" Tier.)

Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals
Matt Capps, Washington Nationals
Jon Rauch, Minnesota Twins

Comment:
Both Neftali Feliz and Huston Street are now waiting to jump to the next tier. The Neftali Feliz Ascension Watch is now in its third week, but he once again gave up runs. All we want is a clean sheet week, and he'll make his way north. He was doing it all season! Street, on the other hand, just needs to pitch for another couple of weeks without blowing his second save of the season or mentioning his shoulder or elbow. Then we'll happily move him up.

Jon Rauch has officially hit a poor stretch now. In his last ten appearances, he has two blown saves and four earned runs allowed. On the other hand, his nine strikeouts against five walks isn't terrible, and the blow-ups have been fairly minor. He doesn't quite deserve to be demoted yet, even if he hasn't found the perfect wave yet.



Tier 4: Question marks (7) (AKA: The "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" Tier.)

Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies
Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
Matt Lindstrom, Houston Astros
David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners
Kevin Gregg, Toronto Blue Jays

Comment:
Line up the antacids for this group of players. They all have one foot in the final tier, but look safe.. for now.

No closer better represents the volatility of this tier than Brad Lidge. His owners have to be worried on a daily basis, wondering which Lidge they'll get, and how scary Ryan Madson is to their fantasy future. Right now, Lidge is looking good, and maybe some good health is all he needed. For those that are skeptical, just remember how he good he once was. Cause he was. Once good.

Kevin Gregg is in one of the more precarious positions in this tier, despite the fact that he has only blown one save over his past ten appearances, and has only blown four all year. Well, those things can't mask the fact that he's been very mediocre over those last ten appearances. He's had only six strikeouts against five walks in 9.1 innings, ratios that are not closer-like. He has the high WHIP and walk rates of a Matt Lindstrom or Francisco Cordero, without the strikeouts, in other words. Kerry Wood was rumored on his way to Cincinnati, but it's improbable that he closes over CoCo, but sometimes it's hard to tell with the way Dusty Baker runs that Dracula rock opera over there.

Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (5) (AKA: The "Weekend at Bernie's" Tier.)

John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers

Chris Perez, Cleveland Indians
Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates
Alfredo Simon, Baltimore Orioles
Juan Gutierrez, Arizona Diamondbacks

Comment:
Well, we said that Kerry Wood would lose his job because of a trade or poor performance last week, and we were wrong. It looks like he's lost his job because of an injury - a blister. Though Chris Perez is suffering through a reduced strikeout rate, he has a closer's arsenal and has shown double-digit strikeout rate ability in the past. He's a great pickup in most leagues, especially since his team is looking to the future. Him and John Axford, who is proving the Trevor Hoffman whispers incorrect, are the best bets for ascension in the ranks.

Since the last Arizona Closer Watch update, Juan Gutierrez has pitched poorly, giving up a home run and two runs without a strikeout, Chad Qualls pitched an inconsequential scoreless inning, Esmerling Vazquez had two scoreless outings but didn't even get a hold, Aaron Heilman gave up two walks and a run in 2/3 of an inning, and dark horse Sam Demel gave up two runs with a walk and two strikeouts in two innings. In other words, we still have no idea who is closing there. Good luck hunting, and try to avoid the stiff in the silly glasses.

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

Injured

Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins (Out for the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow)
Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles (60-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder)

Comment:
Rumors of better velocity have not yet been paired with better results in the minor leagues for Mike Gonzalez, but if he truly has gotten some of his giddy back, maybe the prognosis is not so negative for him. He makes a good speculative saves pickup suddenly.

The Graveyard:
Frank Francisco, Texas Rangers
Jason Frasor, Toronto Blue Jay
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

The Steals Department

Sometimes you are forced to look for steals from a player that hasn't traditionally put up elite steals totals. Starlin Castro has stolen two bases over the past week, but that's not what makes him interesting. He only has three stolen bases on the year.

In the minor leagues, Castro stole 51 bases, but that's not what makes him interesting either. Those stolen bags came over 264 games, or a 30-SB pace. That sort of pace could suffer against major league catchers, and isn't really top-shelf. Also, his success rate was not top-shelf, as he took the base only 68% of the time. 66% is considered the break-even point, so he's just barely above break-even.

No, what makes Castro interesting is that he was recently moved to the second spot in the Cubs lineup after a .467/.426/.571 beginning to his July. Managers give the green light to players with speed in the second hole - they put the shackles on players in the eighth spot (just ask Alcides Escobar). Why make an out on the basepaths with a pitcher at the plate? Now Castro doesn't have that problem, and though his line has seemed a little empty in the counting stats so far, he could throw some stolen bases in there to spice things up. Considering how bad the shortstop position has been this year, he could easily upgrade your speed at a position that isn't giving you much right now anyway.

For those in deeper leagues, you also have to look past the ordinary suspects to find your steals. Tony Gwynn has his faults, but he's playing well in an outfield that is otherwise pretty bad - he could carve out even more playing time than he has a fourth outfielder in San Diego right now.

First, his faults. Tony Gwynn is not his father - he has no power to speak of. His career ISO (slugging minus batting average, or extra-bases) is .074, and the average ISO in baseball hovers around .150. In fantasy baseball, Gwynn is what you might call A Horse With No Name, or a one-trick pony all dressed up with one place to go (second base). Stolen bases are all you'll get.

But he's not all bad from a real-life baseball perspective. He's by far the best defensive center fielder the Padres own, and he can get on base (10.4% career walk rate). If his luck on batted balls improves (and it should, given his speed), he can put up a passable batting average and get on base enough to steal some bags. With his defense, he should play more, especially considering his main competition comes from Chris Denorfia and Aaron Cunningham, both light-hitting corner outfielders.

He's available in almost every fantasy league out there, and it's almost the time of year where you have to pick a category and try to make an impact. Despite owning a surname worthy of royalty, this Horse With No Name can be ridden if stolen bases are your aim.

HacheMan · Jul 21, 2010

Old Factory Hughes
With the July 31 trade deadline looming in the very near future, we are suddenly in the midst of hot stove season. That means long hours for your friends here at Rotoworld and maybe even a sleepless night or two. Keep it locked on our player news page or follow all of the top headlines on Twitter as teams and reporters go nuts for the next 10 days. On Tuesday alone we heard a couple of major rumors:

The Phillies, for instance, have heavily explored a trade for Astros veteran Roy Oswalt, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Oh, and according to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Rays may be seriously interested in acquiring Philly outfielder Jayson Werth. We also heard that the Nationals are reluctant to trade slugger Adam Dunn, outfielder Josh Willingham or closer Matt Capps, unless blown away by an offer. Sounds like posturing more than anything, but that's half the fun when it comes to the trade deadline and the ridiculousness that surrounds it.

While we wait for things to truly heat up on the open market, let's get caught up on some news from around the baseball world...

* Yankees starter Phil Hughes, by all accounts, has been brilliant this season and should get back to his winnings ways, but it's worth looking into this little rough patch that he's currently wading through. On Tuesday night against the Angels he surrendered six earned runs on nine hits and suffered his third loss of the season. He has now allowed 18 runs over his last four starts and his ERA has ballooned from 2.71 (on June 8) to the 3.99 mark where it sits today. After serving up only four home runs through the first three months of the season, he has been shelled for nine long-balls in his last six outings.

Is it a stamina issue? Possibly. He threw only 105 1/3 innings last season and only 69 2/3 innings the year before. But, uh, here's to hoping he's simply making a natural regression. The 24-year-old Hughes still owns a gorgeous 11-3 record, 1.24 WHIP and 93/32 K/BB ratio through 17 starts this season.

* Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez is coming alive at the plate and the Cubs appear to be turning it on a bit as a whole. It may prove to be too little, too late for the Northsiders, who remain 10-plus games back of the Cardinals in the National League Central, but Ramirez certainly has the potential to stay hot through September and into the first week of October. He homered three times in Tuesday's victory over the Astros and he has posted a .383/.406/.950 batting line with nine homers and 24 RBI in the month of July alone. You won't find a hotter hitter in the game and A-Ram once again deserves to be started in all fantasy formats.

* Add another injury to the Phillies' growing list. Jamie Moyer left his start Tuesday against the Cardinals after just one inning with what was later diagnosed as a left elbow strain. He will head to the disabled list for at least two weeks, and probably much longer. 47-year-olds, no matter how well-conditioned, don't often recover from muscle strains on time. The Phils called up Andrew Carpenter on Tuesday morning when they stripped Kyle Kendrick of his rotation spot, but another move will have to be made to compensate for the loss of the left-handed Moyer. J.A. Happ threw three scoreless innings Tuesday in a rehab start at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and may be in the majors by this weekend.

* MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli revealed to the world Tuesday that Orioles closer Mike Gonzalez will finally be activated from the disabled list on Wednesday. The left-hander has been out since the first week of the regular season due to a muscle strain in his left shoulder. He showed poor but improving velocity during a lengthy minor league rehab assignment and he should be back to full health, if not full effectiveness. Alfredo Simon has done a fine job serving as his replacement for the last month or so, but Gonzalez is getting paid like a closer and his contract alone should allow him to recapture the ninth inning gig rather swiftly. We're thinking he will be closing games full-time by the first week of August.

NL Quick Hits: Diamondbacks ace Dan Haren would consider waiving his partial no-trade clause in the right scenario ... George Sherrill passed through outright waivers with ease and will remain with the Dodgers ... Reds rookie Mike Leake improved to 7-1 on the year Tuesday with five innings of one-run ball against the Nationals ... Though nothing has been made official, it appears that Juan Gutierrez may have captured the ninth inning gig in Arizona ... Jamey Carroll may begin playing a little outfield for the injury-riddled Dodgers ... The Pirates are getting calls from interested teams about setup man Joel Hanrahan ... David Eckstein is headed for the disabled list due to a right calf strain ... Jordan Zimmermann will make his next rehab start with Single-A Potomac ... Mat Latos is scheduled to return from the disabled list for a start Saturday against the Pirates ... Reds outfielder Jay Bruce snapped an 0-for-16 slump Tuesday with a first-inning double against Nationals starter Luis Atilano ... Jonathan Broxton has allowed six earned runs in his last 2 2/3 innings of work ... Ryan Ludwick opened a rehab assignment on Tuesday at Triple-A Memphis, going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer ... The Reds plan to extend a contract offer to veteran reliever Jason Isringhausen ... Rehabbing veteran Geoff Blum has begun throwing lightly and taking ground balls.

AL Quick Hits: The Blue Jays' Jose Bautista still leads the major leagues with 26 home runs and has eclipsed his previous career-high with 64 RBI ... Josh Beckett has been cleared to return Friday for a start against the Mariners ... Shin-Soo Choo has begun playing in rehab games with Double-A Akron ... The Yankees will call on Sergio Mitre to fill in for the injured Andy Pettitte ... Jon Rauch is sidelined temporarily due to a bruised ankle and Matt Guerrier may be able to vulture some saves... Chris Perez earned his ninth save Tuesday and needs to be owned in all fantasy formats ... The Twins called up relief prospect Anthony Slama, who had posted a 1.71 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 64/24 K/BB ratio over 52-plus innings at Triple-A ... Dallas Braden allowed 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings Tuesday in his return from the disabled list against the Red Sox ... Justin Morneau is still battling post-concussion symptoms and has yet to resume baseball activities ... New Toronto shortstop Yunel Escobar is day-to-day with a bruised hand ... Jason Donald will start at second base for the Indians moving forward ... Rays outfielder Carl Crawford suffered a brutal testicular injury Tuesday and is considered day-to-day ... Rafael Soriano now has two blown saves this season ... Orioles DH Luke Scott, just back from the disabled list, homered twice on Tuesday.

HacheMan · Jul 22, 2010

Pedro and the Wolf
At the end of June, Pedro Alvarez's slash line sat at a please-shield-your-eyes .152/.216/.196 with zero homers, five RBI and a 22/4 K/BB ratio.

On Wednesday, the 23-year-old clubbed two homers for a second consecutive game, giving him eight RBI in two days and sending his season line to .259/.325/.509 (including a scalding .339/.406/.742 with seven homers and 15 RBI in just 62 at-bats so far in July).

Evidence that Alvarez remains slightly overmatched lies in his high strikeout rate (41 whiffs in 108 at-bats), but that strikeout rate is down this month while his walks are up. Alvarez is going to be flying off the wire in a hurry, so act quickly if he's somehow still available in your mixed league.

*The first of Alvarez's two jacks helped create a nightmarish night for Randy Wolf, who was left in to absorb a career-worst 12 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Wolf had actually posted a 2.49 ERA through his first four starts of July, so you have my sympathy if he snuck his way into your lineup before smashing your ERA and WHIP with a very large mallet.

* Craig Calcaterra at Hardball Talk reports that the Cardinals are the "front runners" to land Roy Oswalt. Given that Oswalt is carrying a 3.12 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 117/33 K/BB ratio but only a 6-11 record, a trade to a contender would mean plenty to his fantasy value and St. Louis would obviously be a great fit.

* Carlos Gonzalez returned to action on Wednesday, but left early after going 0-for-3 with two K's and aggravating his injured left index finger. As we saw recently with Jason Heyward's thumb, finger injuries can quietly sabotage production, and the fact that Gonzalez's finger has been described on MLB.com as "discolored and swollen" makes me think he could be out for a handful of games at least. Hopefully the Rockies play it cautious with the dynamic outfielder rather than shove him into a finger-induced slump.

* Sepaking of the aforementioned Heyward, the rookie went 2-for-6 with a steal on Wednesday and is 7-for-15 in his last four games after breaking out of a 2-for-24 stretch. Two of his hits on Tuesday were of the rocket double variety, a positive sign that Heyward could be ready to end his homer drought – he has just one in his last 32 games.

* Kirk Gibson refused to name a closer between Juan Gutierrez and Chad Qualls, probably because he doesn't want to publicly acknowledge that he's relying on either one. Gutierrez is the preferred fantasy option right now, but I wouldn't want either of those ERA/WHIP grenades anywhere close to my lineup unless I was truly desperate for saves.

NL Quick Hits, Part 1: ESPN Deportes reports that Pedro Martinez won't pitch this season… According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the White Sox are "trying to accelerate talks" for Prince Fielder… Clayton Kershaw got a five-game suspension for beaning Aaron Rowand, but has appealed… Brandon Webb threw a bullpen, but has no timetable for a return… Andrew McCutchen (shoulder) and Scott Rolen (hamstring) are both day-to-day… Meanwhile, Mr. Day-to-Day himself, Chipper Jones, returned from a hamstring injury, going 1-for-4 with two RBI… Also notably returning to action: Will Venable (two walks, a HBP and his 15th steal), Chris Coghlan (1-for-2 with two walks) and Nate McLouth (1-for-5 from the eighth spot in the order)… Jordan Zimmermann (elbow) threw four scoreless innings at Single-A and is on course for a mid-August return.

NL Quick Hits, Part 2: Stephen Strasburg picked up his fifth win despite not being at his best (5 2/3 innings, three runs, seven K's)… Chad Billingsley threw his second career shutout against the Giants… Ricky Nolasco picked up his 10th win with eight strong innings against Colorado… Jaime Garcia got win No. 9 with seven crisp innings against Philadelphia… Already "woozy" earlier this week, Ryan Doumit was removed after a play at the plate, meaning Eric Kratz could be in line for multiple starts… Brett Myers (seven innings, one run, eight K's) would see a boost in value if dealt to a contender… Homer Bailey (shoulder) threw a simulated game and could go on a rehab assignment next week… Ramon Hernandez (knee) is set to return Thursday… Todd Helton (back) could return this weekend… David Eckstein (calf) hit the 15-day DL… The Mets activated Oliver Perez, now an extremely overpriced lefty specialist.

AL Quick Hits, Part 1: According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Giants, Tigers, White Sox and Braves have all shown interest in MLB home run leader (26) Jose Bautista… Bobby Jenks could be putting his job security in jeopardy after another rough outing Wednesday… Clay Buchholz gave up five runs in four-plus innings in his first appearance since June 26… Carl Crawford (uncomfortable situation) could return on Friday… Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) was activated from the 60-day DL… Felix Hernandez went eight scoreless, but got a no-decision against the White Sox… Zack Greinke (eight innings, two runs, nine K's) is 5-1 with a 2.89 ERA in his last seven starts… Francisco Liriano (seven scoreless innings, eight K's) gets the light-hitting Royals, Mariners and Indians in his next three starts… Max Scherzer shut out the Rangers for seven innings, but threw a career-high 123 pitches.

AL Quick Hits, Part 2: Brett Anderson (elbow) could return on Sunday… Mark Teixeira (3-for-5, three RBI) is hitting .383 with five homers and 17 RBI in July… Jack Cust has four homers in his last seven games… Colin Curtis hit his first career homer after Brett Gardner was ejected… Evan Longoria homered for just the second time since June 15… Ty Wigginton homered for a second consecutive game… Fred Lewis left early with an ankle injury… Carlos Quentin (hand) is targeting a Friday return… Conor Jackson (hamstring) is still about a week from beginning a rehab stint… The Tigers recalled Scott Sizemore, who's worth consideration in AL-Only leagues… Nick Blackburn is headed for the bullpen with Brian Duensing joining the rotation… Almost exactly one year since he last appeared in a big league game, Erik Bedard (shoulder) told reporters he would "probably not" pitch again this season.

HacheMan · Jul 22, 2010

Aim for the Starlin
I'm basing this on nothing except the anecdotal evidence of my own observations, but doesn't it seem like the hitters are getting the best of the pitchers since the All-Star break? This is a pretty good indication that we have officially entered the dog days of summer.

On that note, I had a difficult time coming up with a few starting pitchers to include in this week's column. I could have easily named J.A. Happ and Rick Porcello, but I'm not particularly crazy about either option at the moment, at least in most mixed formats. Porcello wasn't overwhelming during his minor league stint and sorry if I'm not convinced by eight innings of one-run ball against the lowly-Indians. It was a nice start, but he'll have to do more. As for Happ, he came into the season overvalued, anyway. Factoring in his forearm injury and the spotty numbers he has put up in the minors this season and I'd say his ownership level is precisely where it should be (Yahoo: 31 percent owned, ESPN: 35.9 percent), at least for now.

I'll gladly eat some crow should either exceed my expectations. Besides, most of us could use a fresh arm right about now.

MIXED LEAGUES

Chris Perez RP, Indians (Yahoo: 35 percent owned, ESPN: 38.5 percent)

Perez should be gone in most competitive leagues by now, as he'll hold down the ninth inning while Kerry Wood is on the disabled list, but here's a reminder just in case. Sure, Wood will probably return in about a week or so and the Indians will do their best to showcase him for a potential trade, but again, once he's gone, Perez is the heir apparent. The hard-throwing 25-year-old right-hander has a 2.41 ERA over 39 appearances this season and while that's great -- and actually pretty lucky -- I'm hoping for a little better than 7.71 K/9 and 4.58 BB/9 going forward. The good news is that he did better in both areas last season, so fantasy owners at least have something to fall back on. Enjoy the short-term gains now, but Perez will likely be there for you when it matters in September, as well.

Maicer Izturis 2B/3B/SS, Angels (Yahoo: 16 percent owned, ESPN: 20.1 percent)

I'm not scared off by this supposed timeshare with Brandon Wood and Kevin Frandsen at third base, because the switich-hitting Izturis is quite simply the best player of the bunch. That's not to say he is hitting the cover off the ball this season. In fact, with two stints on the disabled list, he has barely been able to stay on the field. Still, with his multi-position eligibility, I'm hoping for a resurgence of the player who batted .300/.359/.434 with eight homers, 65 RBI and 13 steals last season. Keep in mind that the Angels could always seek an alternative at third base -- and they have been linked to Alberto Callaspo in recent days -- but Izturis has proved to be a useful player even when he doesn't play everyday.

Luke Scott OF/1B, Orioles (Yahoo: 13 percent owned, ESPN: 5.3 percent)

Scott is 6-for-12 since coming off the disabled list on Monday, including a pair of home runs in Tuesday's wild 11-10 victory over the Rays. Fortunately for fantasy owners, he was able to make it around the bases without hurting himself. As I mentioned several weeks ago, we've known Scott to be a very streaky hitter in the past, but he has actually been pretty productive for a large chunk of the season, batting .285/.355/.549 overall and .321 with 12 homers and 27 RBI since the start of May. With production like this, there's no reason why he shouldn't be owned in most deeper mixed leagues, especially considering his first base and outfield eligibility.

Starlin Castro SS, Cubs (Yahoo: 19 percent owned, ESPN: 24.6 percent)

Less than a week after Castro's incredible major league debut, I gave fair warning about his ownership level being out of whack based on a singular historic feat. Wasn't too hard to see that one coming. In a way, I see his struggles in early June as the best thing that could have happened for fantasy owners, because Castro is now widely available in most formats. Since his batting average dropped to a season-low .255 on June 24, the 20-year-old shortstop is batting .377 with 11 RBI, 14 extra-base hits, 10 runs scored and three stolen bases. He is also 10-for-19 over his last four games, all of which came out of the No. 2 spot. You are mostly buying on his batting average, moderate speed and potential for runs scored, but that's certainly worth something if you need to fill a middle infielder spot.

R.A. Dickey SP, Mets (Yahoo: 32 percent owned, ESPN: 34.3 percent)

You might call me late to the party here, but I'm currently watching Dickey get dropped in leagues when he simply doesn't deserve it. While it is true that he is 0-4 over his last five starts, he has posted a 3.31 ERA during that time, including a 19/8 K/BB ratio over 32 2/3 innings. Call me crazy, but wouldn't most fantasy owners sign up for numbers like that? Keep in mind that I'm a Mets fan, so I have been skeptical about Dickey's success all along, but his his xFIP of 3.78 (better than Johan and Pelfrey, by the way) tells us that his current 2.73 ERA is mostly legit. If he can continue to induce groundballs (currently 54.3 percent) and limit baserunners (2.51 BB/9), I see no reason why he can't maintain a similar level of success. Don't give up on him.

Drew Stubbs OF, Reds (Yahoo: 36 percent owned, ESPN: 47.3 percent)

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I predicted in mid-May that Stubbs would "very likely surpass the 20-20 plateau" this season. Let's check in on his progress, shall we? Through 91 games, Stubbs has 13 homers and 18 stolen bases, putting him on pace for 22 dingers and 31 stolen bases. Not too shabby, right? Even better, the 25-year-old outfielder is currently enjoying his best stretch of success as a big leaguer, batting .305 with five homers, 13 RBI, two stolen bases and 11 runs scored in 16 games this month. My only reservation is that Stubbs is primarily batting seventh, and thus, his run-scoring opportunities will be somewhat limited. Still, he's doing enough in the power and speed categories to warrant ownership in most deeper mixed formats.

Omar Infante 2B/3B/SS/OF, Braves (Yahoo: 12 percent owned, ESPN: 22.2 percent)

Infante was unfortunately caught in a weird spot after Charlie Manuel selected him as a reserve for the All-Star Game, but don't let that situation distract you from the fact that he has actually come in handy in fantasy leagues, especially lately. The super-sub is currently batting .330/.361/.398 overall and .417 (20-for-48) with one home run and seven RBI this month. He is not a lock to play everyday, so be sure to pick him with a contingency plan in place, but you can usually set your watch to Chipper Jones battling some new injury every week. Infante is a pretty good caddy as far as that situation is concerned. No, he doesn't really provide a lot of power or speed, but with his versatility, he makes for a fine injury fill-in or spot-starter, especially in leagues where you need a middle infielder.

J.J. Putz RP, White Sox (Yahoo: 25 percent owned, ESPN: 10 percent)

As you've probably heard by now, after Bobby Jenks gave up two runs in a blown save against the Mariners on Wednesday night, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen declared that the ninth-inning gig is "open," naming Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz and even Sergio Santos as potential fill-ins for Jenks. It's time to get your piece of the pie. Thornton has been owned in most leagues since the beginning of the season, but Putz has very quietly gained momentum in fantasy leagues, recently setting the franchise record with his 25th consecutive scoreless outing. Overall, Putz has a 1.50 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 36 appearances, compiling a fantastic 42/6 K/BB ratio over 36 innings. It would be folly to take Guillen's word as gospel, but Putz will hardly hurt you while we wait this situation out.

Pedro Alvarez 3B, Pirates (Yahoo: 13 percent owned, ESPN: 4 percent)

Anybody who goes deep in back-to-back games deserves to be on your fantasy radar, but I'm especially intrigued by Alvarez. After all, the 23-year-old third baseman homered once every 17.7 at-bats in the minor leagues. I mentioned the same thing upon his promotion last month, but I was also careful to warn about his penchant for the strikeout. As advertised, he has struck out 41 times over his first 108 at-bats in the major leagues. Yuck. What is encouraging to me is that after batting a pathetic .114 with zero homers over his first 35 at-bats, he is hitting .328 with seven home runs and 15 RBI over his last 73 at-bats. We're not talking about a finished product here, so those in shallow leagues can probably wait until next season, but Alvarez is showing some significant progress.

Shopping at the five-and-dime

(Note: Players included are owned in less than 10 percent of Y! and ESPN leagues)

Brandon League RP, Mariners (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.5 percent)

I'm not convinced that the Mariners will actually move David Aardsma before the trade deadline, but go ahead and grab League if you are in the mood to speculate. The 27-year-old right-hander has a 3.67 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 44 appearances this season, posting a 37/17 K/BB ratio over 49 innings. While he's not missing as many bats as last season (6.80 K/9 this season as compared to 9.16 K/9 in 2009), he currently ranks second among American League relievers with a 60.8 percent groundball rate. With Shawn Kelley currently on the disabled list with right elbow inflammation, there would be nobody in his way of the ninth inning gig in the event of a trade. Picking up League is a bit of a gamble, to be sure, but those desperate for saves could do worse.

Jordan Zimmermann SP, Nationals (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: N/A)

No, I don't think it's too soon to stash him, especially in deeper leagues. Zimmermann, who is currently working his way back from Tommy John surgery, has tossed 13 scoreless innings over his first four minor league rehab starts with High-A Potomac, striking out 13 batters without issuing a walk. After having his latest start pushed back due to a stiff neck, the 24-year-old right-hander tossed four scoreless innings Wednesday, throwing 34 out of his 47 pitches for strikes while sitting in the 92-94 mph range with his heater. The current plan is for Zimmermann to return sometime in late August or early September, but he has exceeded all expectations to this point. He should at least be on your watch list.



AL ONLY

Sergio Mitre RP/SP, Yankees (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

Fresh off the disabled list after an oblique strain, Mitre is scheduled to replace the injured Andy Pettitte in the starting rotation against the Royals on Saturday afternoon. The 29-year-old right-hander posted a 2.88 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 12 games before going on the DL on June 5. He has made two starts for the Bombers this season -- one good, one not-so-good -- and posted a 7.16 ERA over nine starts last season. Mitre isn't without his share of faults, but with a knack for inducing wormburners and the luxury of one of the game's best offenses behind him, I'm willing to gamble for a chance at a win in AL-only leagues.

Jack Cust OF, Athletics (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

Seriously, what are you waiting for? After going deep just twice over his first 42 games this season, Cust has four big flies in his last seven games. If that doesn't get you to the wire, consider that he currently ranks fourth in the American League with 15 RBI in this month. The 31-year-old only has 152 at-bats under his belt this season, so I'm not ready to say he has made a breakthrough as a hitter, but in addition to batting .289 -- 45 points above his career average -- Cust is striking out less and hitting more line drives than he ever has as a full-time player. While it would be a nice bonus if he kept it up, AL-only owners would probably be thrilled if he just continued to hit the long ball.

Scott Sizemore 2B, Tigers (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 20.5 percent)

Sizemore, who was hyped as a potential sleeper in many publications, was a major disappointment before being demoted to Triple-A Toledo in May, batting just .206/.297/.289 with one home run and eight RBI in 97 at-bats. He was largely dumped en masse at the time, but he should be back on your radar now that Brandon Inge is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a fractured left hand. According to Tigers manager Jim Leyland, the 25-year-old is expected to get the majority of the playing time at third base, though he will rotate with Don Kelly initially. In spite of missing some time with a hip injury, Sizemore responded well after the demotion to Toledo, batting .329/.392/.515 with six home runs and 19 RBI over 167 at-bats. The promise is still there, so he's a must-add in all AL-only formats.

Jed Lowrie SS, Red Sox (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Lowrie finally returned from the disabled list Wednesday after a lengthy bout with mononucleosis, going 1-for-2 with an RBI single, two walks and a run scored in a 6-4 loss to the Athletics. He played shortstop, third base and second base during his minor league rehab assignment and figures to get a good deal of playing time until Dustin Pedroia returns from a broken left foot. The 26-year-old has a meager .235/.313/.372 batting line over 328 at-bats in the big leagues, and last season was mostly a wash due to wrist surgery, so we really don't have a whole lot to go on. Those who pick him up will have to hope that he resembles the promise of his standout 2007 season in the minor leagues. He could still surprise.

NL ONLY

Matt Diaz OF, Braves (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 4.9 percent)

Diaz returned from the disabled list on June 29 with a .178 batting average, but after hitting .400 (16-for-40) with six multi-hit games this month, the 32-year-old outfielder is back to hitting a more palatable .254 on the year. Diaz has also put on quite the power display over the past few days, homering in three straight games. Nate McLouth's return from the disabled list could complicate his playing time moving forward, but Bobby Cox will surely find a place for Diaz in his lineup, especially against left-handers. Remember, Diaz has a .281 career batting average and a 931 career OPS against southpaws. He'll play.

Domonic Brown OF, Phillies (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: N/A)

Brown should already be safely tucked away in many NL-only leagues already, but with the Phillies apparently peddling Jayson Werth leading up to the trade deadlne, he is officially a must-add. The 22-year-old outfielder was already highly-regarded before the season, but was recently ranked as the game's No. 1 prospect on Baseball America's midseason list. And for good reason. After tearing up Double-A Reading (.318 with 15 homers and 47 RBI), Brown is batting .346 with four home runs and 16 RBI over his first 21 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Whether it's a trade of Werth that makes it happen, or decreased playing time for Raul Ibanez, Brown is knocking on the door.

Chris Iannetta C, Rockies (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 3.2 percent)

It's almost August and incredibly, Miguel Olivo is still the season's most valuable fantasy catcher. But as we've all learned by now, Rockies manager Jim Tracy doesn't give a hoot about your fantasy team. Iannetta started back-to-back games behind the plate this week for the first time since the first two games of the season. While the 27-year-old backstop is impressing with the bat recently, hitting .282 (11-for-39) with five home runs and 10 RBI since June 25, Tracy is more excited about Iannetta's work behind the plate, as he has caught two shutouts in his last three starts behind the plate. Whatever it takes. If Iannetta is dangling on the wire in your league, he shouldn't be.

Ross Detwiler SP, Nationals (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: N/A)

With Luis Atilano about to get the boot from the starting rotation, it's only a matter of time before Detwiler finds his way back to the majors. Detwiler, who underwent surgery to repair a torn hip flexor in February, has a 2.48 ERA over seven starts with Double-A Harrisburg, posting a 31/7 K/BB ratio over 32 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old left-hander was brilliant in his most recent start on Wednesday, tossing seven shutout innings while striking out seven and walking just one. The former 2007 first-round pick struggled with the Nationals last season, compiling a 5.00 ERA and 43/33 K/BB in 75 2/3 innings, but has shown the ability to miss bats and induce grounders in the minors. If Detwiler can begin to get those skills to cross over, he could be a nice bargain for the second half.

HacheMan · Jul 23, 2010

Troy Returns. Alberto Moves On
Every once in a while, you'll get two of your fantasy players facing each other in a game. It's annoying. Your ace against your big bopper. Your closer against your third baseman. It's so annoying my friend Nick coined a term for it: Rotizophrenia.

It's the mind games you have to play in those situations. It's two halves of your brain fighting each other. It's the pretzels you twist yourself into trying to figure out how things can resolve themselves best: I want Chad Billingsley to pitch nine innings, strike out ten, but give up two solo home runs to Pablo Sandoval. Rotizophrenia.

And when you have twelve leagues like I do, you experience this unique form of mental punishment almost daily. Here's to a weekend where all your Rotizophrenia works itself out with a minimum of heartburn.

* A domino in the trade deadline fell, but it wasn't Roy Oswalt, Jayson Werth or Dan Haren. Instead, Alberto Callaspo moved from the Royals to the Angels, and it's hard to see a positive in the situation for his fantasy value. Yes, he's probably going to be the starting third baseman - but he does have some competition on the Angels. Look at Maicer Izturis, who, if he can stay healthy, can provide much better defense and a little more speed than Callaspo.

It is true that Angel Stadium gives up a few more home runs than Kansas City, but how much is 5% in either direction really going to mean over 1/3 of a season? Callaspo might get a few more runs in a nicer lineup, a home run or two might clear the wall that wouldn't in Kansas City, and he might lose a few at-bats to Izturis. Overall, life will be about the same for him.

The pitchers going to the Royals are not too remarkable. Will Smith might yet be a good pitcher, but he'll go to the minor leagues. Sean O'Sullivan has a nice ERA, but it shouldn't continue. He does not have the requisite secondary skills to back it up, and has been very lucky on the batted ball.

* It looked like he might be out longer, but Troy Tulowitzki (wrist) has already played two games on his rehab assignment. Though the results have not been amazing, his quick return (about a month) must be nice for his owners. Especially in OPS leagues, Tulowitzki is a great option at a tough position, and if owners found a decent replacement in the meantime, they should shop that player quickly. Tulo is due back mid-week next week.

* Mike Gonzalez returned, finally! The best news is that his fastball topped out at 93 MPH and stayed above 90 MPH for the entire appearance. Velocity is not the be-all and end-all, but when he came into the season averaging a full two miles per hour less than normal, we knew something was wrong. He might get eased back into the role, but he'll be the closer again soon enough. Check your waiver wires. Brian Roberts (back) could also be back today, huzzah!

* Though oblique injuries can be difficult, Yovani Gallardo only missed the minimum. He struck out five in six scoreless innings and is a great play going forward, but your opportunity to buy low has probably passed. Maybe you can talk him up as injury prone, though each injury has been to a different body part so far and doesn't seem too worrisome.

* David DeJesus sprained his right thumb while giving up an inside-the-park home run to Derek Jeter on Thursday. It's a shame, but his game is so lacking - no power or speed - that he won't be too missed in fantasy. His high batting average was also a product of luck on the batted ball, so unless you are in the deepest of leagues, you might be able to let him go if news comes through that he'll miss time. He's meeting a hand specialist on Friday, and judging by the way the play looked, he could miss some significant time.

NL Quick Hits: James McDonald was moved to the Dodgers bullpen after being shelled by the Giants … An MRI showed some sprains and strains in Moyer's elbow, and he'll go on the DL Saturday, with an uncertain return … Andrew McCutchen (shoulder) threw some on Thursday, and has hit off a tee, but it's unclear if he'll avoid the DL still … Eric Hinske was pulled from Thursday's game with a contusion on his left foot, but X-Rays were negative and he's day-to-day … Carlos Gonzalez (finger) is still day-to-day but isn't sure when he'll play next … Buster Olney hears that teams are sure Octavio Dotel will be moved, and that it will be Joel Hanrahan, and not Evan Meek, that will take his job … Luis Atilano has floating chips in his elbow and will eventually need surgery … Ramon Hernandez (knee) was activated from the DL, and could help in two-catcher leagues … Brandon Webb threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and still wants to get six starts in this season … Jordan Zimmermann had another good rehab start and your window to pick him up is closing … Nate McLouth was activated from the DL and if his batted ball luck turns could be useful against righties … Scott Rolen is day-to-day with a hammy, which sounds like the last four years of his career … Josh Thole heard from his manager that he will stay on the Mets' roster for now, and even with his lack of power, he could be interesting in two-catcher leagues.

AL Quick Hits: Rick Ankiel returned from a quad injury suffered in May and promptly struck out three times, giving a preview of his future performances … Rocco Baldelli continued his come-back in Single-A and is 1-8 for so far, and we'll also have to see if his body holds up … Another game, another return, as Kevin Millwood came back from his forearm injury and put in another mediocre performance …. Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) took batting practice and offers the possibility of an impact return, but no timetable just yet … It looks like Tim Wakefield will go to the bullpen when Josh Beckett (back) returns on Friday … Matt Wieters (hamstring) ran the bases and is confident he will return from the DL on Sunday … Jarrod Washburn is still waiting for the phone to ring, but hasn't made the decision to retire … The Blue Jays optioned Marc Rzepcynski to Triple-A, but the young left-hander still has upside … Scott Sizemore is back up and will play third for the Tigers while Brandon Inge is out - he was hitting well in Triple-A and might make a good short-term pickup in deeper leagues … Though Carlos Quentin (hand) has missed some time, he should be back in the lineup today … Erik Bedard (shoulder) admitted he would probably not return, surprising virtually no one … Jed Lowrie (mono) and Clay Buchholz (hamstring) returned, but didn't play very well in their returns.

HacheMan · Jul 23, 2010

Deadline Week

We've got plenty of action scheduled for the upcoming week, and it will all culminate with the non-waiver trade deadline on Saturday, July 31. By that date, we could see players like Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren (who is among our two-start pitchers this week) on different clubs. While you gear up for the most frantic week of the baseball season, here's your usual dosage of fantasy preview material.

Going Twice...

American League

Strong Plays

Clay Buchholz: @LAA (Pineiro), DET (Verlander)
John Danks: SEA (Hernandez), OAK (Anderson)
Gavin Floyd: SEA (Rowland-Smith), OAK (Braden)
Justin Verlander: @TB (Shields), @BOS (Buchholz)
Zack Greinke: MIN (Liriano), BAL (Bergesen)
Francisco Liriano: @KC (Greinke), SEA (Rowland-Smith)
CC Sabathia: @CLE (Westbrook), @TB (Shields)
Felix Hernandez: @CWS (Danks), @MIN (Slowey)
Colby Lewis: OAK (Braden), @LAA (Pineiro)

Decent Plays

Max Scherzer: @TB (Garza), @BOS (Matsuzaka)
Joel Pineiro: BOS (Buchholz), TEX (Lewis)
Javier Vazquez: @CLE (Masterson), @TB (Garza)
Dallas Braden: @TEX (Lewis), @CWS (Floyd)
Matt Garza: DET (Scherzer), NYY (Vazquez)
James Shields: DET (Verlander), NYY (Sabathia)
Brandon Morrow: BAL (Bergesen), CLE (Westbrook)

At Your Own Risk

Kevin Millwood: @TOR (Romero), @KC (Chen)
Brad Bergesen: @TOR (Morrow), @KC (Greinke)
Justin Masterson: NYY (Vazquez), @TOR (Litsch)
Jake Westbrook: NYY (Sabathia), @TOR (Morrow)
Bruce Chen: MIN (Pavano), BAL (Millwood)
Ryan Rowland-Smith: @CWS (Floyd), @MIN (Liriano)

National League

Strong Plays

Ryan Dempster: @HOU (Wright), @COL (De La Rosa)
Josh Johnson: @SF (Cain), @SD (Garland)
Jon Niese: STL (Garcia), ATL (Haren)
Cole Hamels: ARI (Haren), @WAS (Strasburg)
Barry Zito: FLA (Nolasco), LAD (Kershaw)
Matt Cain: FLA (Johnson), LAD (Billingsley)
Jaime Garcia: @NYM (Niese), PIT (Duke)
Stephen Strasburg: ATL (Hanson), PHI (Hamels)

Decent Plays

Dan Haren: @PHI (Hamels), @NYM (Niese)
Tommy Hanson: @WAS (Strasburg), @CIN (Volquez)
Bronson Arroyo: @MIL (Wolf), ATL (Hanson)
Jason Hammel: @PHI (Blanton), CHC (Silva)
Ricky Nolasco: @SF (Zito), @SD (LeBlanc)
Chad Billingsley: @SD (Garland), @SF (Cain)
Randy Wolf: CIN (Arroyo), @HOU (Wright)
Jon Garland: LAD (Billingsley), FLA (Johnson)

At Your Own Risk

Jorge De La Rosa: PIT (Duke), CHC (Dempster)
Wesley Wright: CHC (Dempster), MIL (Wolf)
Joe Blanton: COL (Hammel), @WAS (Lannan)
Zach Duke: @COL (De La Rosa), @STL (Garcia)

Streamer City

The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Wednesday, 7/28: Brian Duensing @ KC
Having freshly replaced Nick Blackburn in the Twins' rotation, Duensing has posted a 1.67 ERA in the Twins bullpen this year and experienced success as a starter last year.

Friday, 7/30: Brett Cecil vs. CLE
Cecil is 3-for-3 on quality starts this month, and he draws another favorable match-up at home against the Indians this week.

National League

Wednesday, 7/28: Travis Wood @ MIL
The impressive rookie has been tearing up the league thus far -- no reason not to jump on board at this point.

Thursday, 7/29: Vicente Padilla @ SD
Padilla, owner of a 2.03 ERA since coming off the disabled list in June, is a no-brainer for this start in pitcher-friendly Petco.

Friday, 7/30: Manny Parra @ HOU
Parra has struggled in recent starts but he's still accumulating plenty of strikeouts. He figures to find better results in Houston, especially since his spot in the rotation may be on the line.



Total Games

American League

6: BOS, LAA, MIN, OAK, TEX, TOR
7: BAL, CWS, CLE, DET, KC, NYY, SEA, TB

National League

6: ARI, ATL, CHC, CIN, HOU, LAD, MIL, NYM, PIT, SD, STL, WAS
7: COL, FLA, PHI, SF

Lefty/Righty Breakdown

American League

BAL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
BOS: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CWS: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
CLE: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
KC: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAA: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
MIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYY: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
OAK: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SEA: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TB: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TOR: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
ATL: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
CHC: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
FLA: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
HOU: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
LAD: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PIT: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SD: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SF: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
WAS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

The Infirmary

You can get a full listing of injured players at Rotoworld's Injury Page, but here's the latest on a few prominent players who have been out of action:

Scott Kazmir: Out indefinitely
Ryan Sweeney: Out for the season
Doug Davis: Out until August
Manny Ramirez: Out until August
Erik Bedard: Out for the season
Luis Atilano: Out indefinitely
Troy Tulowitizki: Returning this week
Brandon Inge: Out until late August

HacheMan · Jul 25, 2010

Beckett Back, Betemit Blossoms
Another double feature this week -- Week That Was by Glenn Colton and Injury Update 2 by Bobby Colton (plus, of course what Schultz says).

Josh Beckett: In what may be the most significant return to action in both fantasy and reality, Josh Beckett took the hill Friday night for the first time in about two months. The Red Sox hurler was not perfect, but showed signs of being Josh Beckett – a showing that scares the rest of baseball and makes Beckett owners dance a jig. Last night, Beckett gave up just one run over 5 2/3 innings while striking out 5. If you own him, just enjoy the fruits of your patience. If you don't, call up the Beckett owner, carp about injuries, the blisters of 6-8 years ago and the fact that holding off the Mariners lineup is hardly noteworthy and try and steal Beckett. There is simply no question that when healthy Beckett is one of the top starters in the game. His 2006-2009 performance proves that – 187 K, 3.73 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP while pitching the AL East. Moreover, there may be no other pitcher in baseball I would want on the hill in a big game – and Josh will pitch in a quite a few down the stretch as the Sawx try to chase down the Rays for the wild card (I couldn't resist). Bottom Line: A big time BUY!

Shin-Soo Choo: Sticking with major returns from the DL, Shin-Soo Choo returned yesterday and immediately produced, going 1-3 with an RBI in a win over the f/k/a Devil Rays (this Yankee fan thanks you!). While Choo will not be a factor in the pennant race as the Indians were mathematically eliminated in March (not really but you get the point), he will be a major factor in roto races. Choo has proven that he is a true 5 category fantasy stud. Even missing three weeks, Choo has 13 HR and 12 SB. His 20/20 .300 season a year ago simply was no fluke. Buy! [full disclosure, I own both Choo and Beckett in my home league where Bobby and I are neck and neck, so I am personally pretty charged about their roto return!]

Robinson Cano: Robbie Cano continues to prove that he is a superstar. Last night, Cano was locked in. With the bases loaded and one out in the first, Cano did what veteran, disciplined stars do – rather than swing for the fences and ground out to second, Cano laced a double the other way to clear the bases and set the Yankees on their way. You just watch this guy hit and you know he is the real deal. So far this year, Cano is hitting .334 with 18 HR and 66 RBI. There is no doubt he is headed for a career year. When you consider that Cano is traditionally a better hitter in the second half, the possibilities are scary. If there is anyone out there who is not a believer, well you are just wrong. If one of those non-believers is in your league, pounce!

Hunter Pence: Hunter Pence had a huge night last night, going 4-5 with a dinger, three RBI and a swipe. Pence is one of those guys who flies under the radar toiling for the lowly 'Stros. He is at that key age of 27, has already posted three big league years averaging over 20 jacks, and is only getting better. So far this year, Pence has 14 HR, 12
SB and is poised to have his best roto season. His numbers will be reduced some by putrid offensive support but he will still be a key cog in many fantasy pennant drives.

Alfredo Simon: Alfredo Simon continues to hold the closer job in Baltimore. Last night he saved his 14th game by protecting a slim one run lead. Thus far this year, Simon is 14 of 16 in save opportunities. First, I have to admit that my first impressions were wrong – watching Simon's first outing, I was not so sure he could do the job. [However, after he notched three saves, I grabbed him in four leagues!]. The question that now arises is whether Simon will keep the job given the return of Mike Gonzalez. There are two answers. You can be pretty confident Simon will be the main guy for the next week or two. The bigger issue is what will happen after that. I think Simon will get 1/2 to 2/3 of the O's saves. Gonzalez was not effective before he got hurt, rarely stays healthy and, given that the O's have been out of it since April, they have real motivation to let their younger players play. If someone out there is selling Simon on the mistaken belief he will lose the job for good, go ahead and buy low.

Chris Volstad: According to reports, the Marlins will call up Chris Volstad to start in Nate Robertson's sport on Sunday. Those in keeper leagues should take note. Volstad has not put up great numbers in the majors, but do not forget that he is only 23 and has already pitched parts of two seasons in the bigs. Pitchers who make the big leagues at 21 are usually quite gifted. Often they struggle out of the gate and get labeled a failure. Then, when those quick to judge aren't looking, the pitcher turns 24 or 25 and fulfills his potential. Volstad is a good bet to fit that pattern. Get him cheap and stash him on your keeper league roster – especially if you are already playing for the future.

Brian Roberts: After a long, long wait, the Orioles finally activated Brian Roberts from the DL. There is no questioning that Roberts, when healthy, is one of the top fantasy 2B in the league. However, his game is speed and back injuries are brutal – they rob you of strength and speed and often recur. If you own Roberts, shame on you if you paid full value for a guy with back trouble. That said, now that you finally have him back, what should you do? The answer is simple. Wait a week or two and then sell! First, Roberts is likely to have some kind of setback (pun accidental). Second, come September, when the Orioles are 133 games out of first and the rosters expand, there will be little reason to run Roberts out there. So, at best, you will get a good 5 weeks. Sell!

Wilson Betemit: According to reports, the trade of Alberto Callaspo means that Wilson Betemit will be the regular third baseman. I have always liked Betemit and thought that if he was given an everyday job, he would acquit himself nicely. He has some good pop, switch hits, and is eligible at both corners. Actually, "some pop" understates it. From 2006-2008, Betemit had approximately 800 AB and jacked 38 HR. If you need some pop, Betemit could be a very cheap source down the stretch. He is only 28 and could surprise.

John Lackey: John Lackey finally pitched like John Lackey, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning Thursday. Thus far, the season has to be labeled a disappointment. Yes, he has a 9-5 record, but his ERA is a weak 4.51, his WHIP is an ugly 1.51 and he has only 77 K in over 120 innings. So, do you dump Lackey now? Answer: NO! As much as I hate to say it, he will continue to win games in Boston. Add in the fact that Lackey is a notorious second half pitcher and you have a guy to hold (or buy, if you don't own). He may not put up All Star numbers overall, but he will help many in their drive for fantasy nirvana.

Chan Ho Park: No change – he is still ONLY suited for games where his team is up or down 5 or more.

And now, as promised another two for one special:

Injury Update 2
By: Bobby Colton

We are entering the fantasy stretch run, and what better spark for your team than capitalizing on a returning star. Every owner anxiously awaits the comeback of his or her star player. Here is an analysis of those stars are about to make their much awaited return.

Brett Anderson (P) – Anderson has been an absolute disappointment thanks to the inordinate amount of time he has spent on the DL. Having made only 6 starts this year (one of which lasted only 2 innings before the injury bug bit him), Anderson has been unable to give his owners a real look at what he can do. However, in his measly 6 starts, Anderson has put up masterful numbers, posting a 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a .235 BAA. If you disqualify his injury shortened drubbing at the hands of the Red Sox, Anderson's numbers improve to a 1.85 ERA and a .96 WHIP. If Anderson's ERA even doubles in his return from the DL he will still be a valued asset. This is the biggest game changer this second half has.

Ryan Ludwick (OF) – Ludwick had a disastrous June followed by a lost month of July. However, Ludwick does have a big time bat in the middle of a big time Cardinals lineup, which leads me to believe he is a prime candidate to bounce back during the last two months of the season. Ludwick will provide a very solid outfield bat for any owner.

Asdrubal Cabrera (SS) – Cabrera has only appeared in 35 games this season, yet still possesses the talent to be a premiere on base guy the second half of the year. The main thing working against Cabrera is that his team is just awful and that will hold down his run and RBI totals. However, even with the pathetic team, he will be a solid option in all formats.

Shin-Soo Choo (OF) – Choo is the only other member of the Tribe to get excited about. Sporting average to above average power, speed potential, and a solid batting average, Choo could be the difference maker for owners over the next two months.

Matt Wieters (C) – Wieters hasn't had a great season to date, but he is still one of the top producing catchers. Wieters should still be a solid play, despite the poor first half.

Brian Roberts (2B) – Roberts hasn't played this season, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he will have trouble catapulting to a high level of play. Roberts can be a top 5 second baseman over the last two months if he can get his bat to the level it has been at for the last few years.

Every Red Sox Player – Boy has this team been hurt. All of Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia, and Jacoby Ellsbury will return this season at one point or another, and when they do come back they should be activated in all formats. As they come back, deploy them as you would pre-injury.

Troy Tulowitzki – Tulo is arguably the best short stop in baseball, meaning his imminent return from the DL is cause for excitement for all of his owners. Tulo is a superstar and is the best player to rejoin your league for sure.

Justin Morneau – Even if you ignore the 18 homers, 54 RBI and 53 runs scored, his .345 average is enough to make owners salivate at his return. Soon enough Morneau will resume his trek to the batting title.

And last, but not least, Schultz says: "Cocky in the belief that the second half of the baseball season should play out exactly like the first, many roto-baseball owners have let championships slip away that should otherwise have been theirs. Rare is the owner who has the confidence to make bold moves when atop their league's standings. As the trading deadline of each league approaches, more often than not the scenario plays out like this: the first place team doesn't want to mess with a good thing or fix what isn't broke, especially if they have a somewhat comfortable lead; the second through sixth place teams - smelling blood and a championship -mortgage a part of their future for glory today. Fortune favors the bold. If you have a chance to win, worry about next year next year. To be in the lead at the midway point is a nice place to be but it's being there at the end that matters and a body at rest tends to stay at rest.

One helpful guideline would be to look for players on teams that perennially put together strong second halves. In the AL, the Cleveland Indians are notorious for whetting fans appetites for next year by finishing strong and this year's model seems poised to do the same. Carlos Santana is likely long gone and someone in your league - maybe you - has already noticed that Matt LaPorta has stopped impersonating Andy Marte. What may have gone under the radar is the return of Michael Brantley, who is starting to put his game together, the emergence of Trevor Crowe and the complete shocker of Jayson Nix. Justin Masterson is showing that the faith placed in him was well justified and he's maturing into a top of the rotation starter along with the rejuvenated and renovated Fausto Carmona. The Tribe are a young team but they are starting to gel under Manny Acta and as Glenn (I now have to differentiate between Coltons) will point out, the T in SMART is for team.

In the NL, it's always fun to watch the Rockies in August and September as they just don't seem to lose. Brad Hawpe has been a perennial late bloomer and Carlos Gonzalez, when healthy, is a budding superstar. A trip to the minors seemed to wake up Dexter Fowler and he was putting up above-average numbers before a wrist injury slowed him down. Oh yes, there's those pitchers to. The league seems to have caught up to Ubaldo Jimenez. This doesn't mean it's time to bail on him - although, his trade value will never be higher - you may just have to temper expectations. On the other hand, look for Jeff Francis and Jorge de la Rosa, an old Schultz favorite from his days with the Brewers, to be worthy of a spot on a winning roto-teams roster."

Response: Great stuff from Bobby and Schultz – especially the SMART reference. Of course, I don't agree with Schultz about the Indians being a place to invest, but we will let him have his fun.