Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Ruben Tejada, Kyle Seager, Humberto Quintero

July 7, 2011 @ 11:50:32

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Tim Heaney

Your fantasy baseball cheat sheets are no longer of use. KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market series gives you tips on fantasy baseball players available as free agents, on waivers or for your FAAB dollars in your rotisserie or head-to-head baseball league. It's time to replace your fantasy baseball busts.

Key

Acquire	Add player (in most circumstances)
Consider	Add for speculation or because of need
Watch	Track player, consider if trend continues
Pass	Do not add player (in most circumstances)

 

Catchers

Humberto Quintero, Houston Astros

Tejada: AB, but not much else

The Astros optioned J.R. Towles to the minors when they activated Quintero from the disabled list on Thursday. When both were healthy, they were essentially in a timeshare. Carlos Corporan, 27, offers less upside offensively than Towles did, so he's likely to operate as nothing more than the backup. That makes Quintero more of a regular.

All that considered, Quintero is no Johnny Bench. He's hit .248 with no home runs and one stolen base in 109 at-bats this season and is a lifetime .234 hitter with a .322 slugging percentage. Basically, this is an opportunity for deep NL players to add a few more runs and RBIs if they're hurting at the No. 2 catcher spot.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

NL-only: Consider

Corner infielders

Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners

Dustin Ackley's former North Carolina teammate has been scorching since his promotion to Triple-A Tacoma in June (.455/.500/.673, with two home runs and a stolen base, in 60 plate appearances). He's a middle infielder by trade but has played a little third base, which is where the M's will deploy him for the time being, according to team GM Jack Zduriencik. Condolences to Chone Figgins (and even Adam Kennedy) owners, for the foreseeable future.

At advanced Class A High Desert last season, Seager's first full campaign, he batted .345 with 14 home runs, 74 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 643 plate appearances. At Double-A Jackson this year, he hit .312 with four dingers, 37 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 299 plate appearances before moving on.

Seager is considered more of a pure hitter than Ackley, with a hard line-drive stroke, although he doesn't project to add much power or be a big-time base-stealer. He's not by any means a prototypical hot corner man, but Seattle thirsts for offense. Seager, 23, isn't likely to make a sizable impact, but he could easily be a batting average booster and may pad your stolen base total a tad.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

AL-only: Acquire

Middle infielders

Ruben Tejada, New York Mets

In 163 plate appearances this season, Tejada has posted a .266/.337/.294 slash line while driving in 18 and scoring 12 times. He has Juan Pierre-like power but has been known to steal a few bases - just not in the majors in 2011.

The 21-year-old will continue to be the primary shortstop while Jose Reyes (strained hamstring) is sidelined, which could be for another three weeks. (And would you be shocked if it was longer?) Tejada is nothing more than a PT addition, however.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

NL-only: Consider

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Nicholas Minnix

KFFL's baseball editor plays in LABR and Tout Wars and won the FSWA Baseball Industry Insiders League in 2010.

The University of Delaware alum is a regular guest on Sirius/XM Fantasy Sports Radio and Baltimore's WNST AM 1570. Follow him on Twitter.

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