Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Dexter Fowler, more

July 12, 2011 @ 12:21:47

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

Tyler Flowers, Chicago White Sox

Fowler in play again?

This past weekend, the White Sox placed Ramon Castro (fractured right hand) on the DL. How much time he'll miss is uncertain, but Ozzie Guillen initially thought it could be "months." That's probably unlikely, but it'll be a notable amount of time.

Flowers, once a highly regarded prospect, still ranks as one of Chicago's better talents. His faulty plate discipline has prevented him from consistently displaying his awesome power. In the majors, he's a .148 hitter with a .343 OBP in 35 plate appearances combined in the past two seasons. The ChiSox haven't been in a hurry to trust the 25-year-old with MLB at-bats.

A.J. Pierzynski has been his usual bit-more-than-adequate self, which in mixed fantasy dollars is worth a bit less than adequate. The veteran is clearly the front-runner, though. Flowers will get a start or two per week for the foreseeable future. He lost favor last season because his BA tanked, but this season his BABIP has returned to well above .300, a minor league norm for him. This call-up probably won't result in much of a contribution, but you might cull a few bonus dingers in the right format.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

AL-only: Consider

Middle infielders

Trevor Plouffe, Minnesota Twins

The Twins will emerge from the break with Plouffe at their disposal. The organization moved him all over the place, so now he's considered an alternative at, essentially, any infield spot and the corner outfield positions. As long as Justin Morneau (neck surgery) and Denard Span (concussion) are sidelined, Plouffe has a shot at PT. Ron Gardenhire was looking forward to Plouffe's promotion, which suggests that he'll try to use him.

That's because the right-handed swinger has posted a .314/.386/.644 slash line in 216 plate appearances for Triple-A Rochester this season. He's in the midst of a power breakthrough (15 home runs already, tying his 2010 mark with the Red Wings in double the ABs). In his last 10 games, he batted .400 with a .714 slugging percentage and three dingers. In 71 PAs with the Twins this year, he's posted a .200/.310/.383 slash line and three homers. His chances have been short-lived, but the 2004 first-round pick is trying to elbow his way into an opportunity.

Plouffe isn't considered an option at short because Tsuyoshi Nishioka has settled in there, but the fact of the matter is that the Japanese import has yet to make an impact. In the short term, if Plouffe doesn't get the at-bats elsewhere and Nishioka remains a liability, couldn't the Twins arrive at the conclusion that what Plouffe would give them is better?

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

AL-only: Consider

Outfielders

Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies

With Charlie Blackmon (fractured left foot) sidelined for a large portion of the second half, the Rockies called up Cole Garner to take the roster spot. Garner is unlikely to play often. Depending on how patient Jim Tracy is with Ian Stewart this time around, the roster makeup will in all likelihood receive another makeover.

Eric Young Jr. could receive consideration, but Fowler is likely first in line. The talented but unpolished player is in a transition phase in his career. After the Rockies activated him from the disabled list in June, they optioned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs so that he could improve his swing from the left side of the dish. There has been discussion that he should give up switch-hitting, but for now, that won't happen.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder struggled with the SkySox initially, but in his last 10 games, he hit .385 with two home runs, two stolen bases, eight walks and five strikeouts. Taking a walk isn't difficult for the lanky speedster, but, for long stretches, avoiding a foolish look while at the bat has been. If and when the Rockies make the move, you won't forget that Fowler can be a BA liability, but he also has dangerous speed (40 stolen bases with Colorado in the past two seasons). This season, he hasn't put it to use efficiently (six times caught in eight tries), but if he makes progress at the dish, his opportunities will increase.

Shallow mixed: Watch

Deep mixed: Watch

NL-only: Acquire

Juan Rivera, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Toronto Blue Jays have traded the DFA'd outfielder and (more comfortably) DH to the Dodgers. With them, he'll presumably play in left in a platoon with Tony Gwynn Jr. and possibly at first as a complement to James Loney.

Rivera, 33, hit .243 with six home runs and 28 RBIs in 275 plate appearances with Toronto. His marks on offense are on the decline for the second straight season. Perhaps a change of scenery will ignite the bat of the man who belted 23 round-trippers in 2006 and 25 in 2009. His batted-ball data suggests that he's begun his descent, however. He's not completely washed up, but hopes shouldn't be high.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

NL-only: Acquire