Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Jason Isringhausen, more

July 18, 2011 @ 16:05:43

By Keith Hernandez
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

Your fantasy baseball cheat sheets are no longer of use. KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market series gives you candid ratings of fantasy baseball players making MLB news in your rotisserie or head-to-head baseball league. If they're available in any of your fantasy baseball games as free agents, on waivers or for your FAAB dollars, you'll know whether they make the cut.

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)

Middle infielders

Carlos Guillen, Detroit Tigers

Guillen, who underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee in August of last year, finally made his '11 season debut Saturday and went 1-for-4. He followed that up with the game-winning hit Sunday. Skipper Jim Leyland has every intention of making Guillen the regular at the keystone, with Ryan Raburn hitting just .214 on the season with 10 errors (seven at second).

Carp a good catch?

It's no secret that Guillen's skills have declined with age and through several nagging injuries. Even though the veteran won't give you much power these days, he can still help in the average department - he is a career .286 hitter. Leyland knows how much a productive Guillen can help his squad, so he won't overwork him. A fresh and healthy second half could make him a valuable BA contributor, but don't bank on him staying healthy for too long or recovering quickly if he gets hurt again.

Shallow mixed: Watch

Deep mixed: Consider

AL-only: Acquire

Outfielders

Mike Carp, Seattle Mariners

After an embarrassing four-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers to open the second half, the M's are in need of some offense, and quickly. Seattle put up just two runs in the four contests against Texas over the weekend. The demotion of Carlos Peguero Sunday led to Carp's second call-up this year. Peguero was hitting .196 with 54 K's in 143 at-bats, while Carp was tearing it up with Triple-A Tacoma (.343-21-64).

Carp hit .200 in 35 at-bats in his first stint and was sent down July 3 - his PT diminished with the absence of the DH in NL parks during interleague play. After being optioned, he went 7-for-25 with two homers and six walks. Manager Eric Wedge promised more consistent PT for Carp this time around. His continued mashing of Class AAA pitching may suggest that he is ready to hit for respectable power in the bigs, especially now that he'll be playing more often.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

AL-only: Acquire

Ezequiel Carrera, Cleveland Indians

Grady Sizemore hit the disabled list Monday with a right knee contusion, which has opened the door for increased action for Carrera; he is expected to see most of the starts in center field as a result. Sizemore said the pain in his knee feels very similar to the discomfort that led to microfracture surgery on his left knee a season ago. If this new knee ailment is that serious, Carrera could be a fixture in the outfield in Cleveland for the duration of the schedule. Shin-Soo Choo (thumb) is also on the shelf and could miss the rest of the season.

Carrera, 24, was called up to the big league club last week after hitting .288 with 35 stolen bases with Triple-A Columbus in 81 games. In three stops in the minors in 2010, he managed to swipe 39 bags and hit .281 in 388 at-bats. With his experience against big league pitchers limited (3-for-14, one run scored), don't expect him to give you much. The Tribe will definitely benefit from his defense in center, but he won't give them any pop at the plate. Look to Carrera as a cheap source of stolen bases.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

AL-only: Acquire

Pitchers

Jason Isringhausen, New York Mets

The closing situation in New York was a little muddled after the club dealt Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers immediately following the All-Star Game. Manager Terry Collins cleared up some of the uncertainty by saying over the weekend that Isringhausen will get the first crack at saves over Bobby Parnell and Pedro Beato.

Collins feels Izzy is more prepared for the role at the moment, citing his recent performance and experience (293 career saves). In his four outings in July, Isringhausen has given up one run and four hits while walking three and striking out two in four stanzas. He is at the top of the committee chart at the moment, but the Mets are clearly trying to build his trade value, and it's obvious that Parnell is in the team's long-term plans for the ninth.

Isringhausen, 38, doesn't have the swing-and-miss stuff that most closers possess, either; his fastball is averaging 90.2 mph. However, he has the trust of Collins at the moment and will pitch in the team's next save opp, so he is worth a small investment in the near future if you are chasing saves, just don't invest heavily.

Shallow mixed: Consider

Deep mixed: Acquire

NL-only: Acquire

Barry Enright, Arizona Diamondbacks

Zach Duke proved ineffective in the back of the starting rotation for the D-Backs by going 2-4 with a 5.47 ERA in nine starts. His demotion to the bullpen has paved the way for the return of Enright, who went 1-3 with a 6.49 ERA in six starts earlier this year.

After going 6-7 with a 3.91 ERA and a 1.69 K/BB in his rookie performance last year, Enright took a step back by walking 15, against 19 strikeouts, to begin this season. A trip to Triple-A Reno shortly followed; there he went 8-2 with a 4.29 ERA. Most notably, he walked 23 and struck out 54.

Enright, 25, is a finesse pitcher who won't light up the radar gun, so his location and command are of utmost importance. Even at his best, he doesn't offer an intriguing K/9 profile, and his vulnerability to the long ball - especially at Chase Field - makes him more of a matchup play. If he can keep his walks down and stay in the rotation, he's worth considering if you need some innings.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

NL-only: Consider

Author Bio

Keith Hernandez

Keith, an editor with KFFL, joined the team as a Hot off the Wire analyst in 2008 and has been playing fantasy sports since 2005. He is involved in MLB, NFL and NASCAR content. He graduated from the University of California-San Diego in 2005 with a B.A. in Communications and was a four-year starter as a member of the baseball program.