Fantasy Baseball and MLB News, Rumors and Injury Updates

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Rising

June 8, 2009 @ 14:15:04

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Tim Heaney

Also see: Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Falling

Fantasy baseball waivers and the acquisition of fantasy baseball free agents can make or break a season. You may have adjusted your fantasy baseball cheat sheets over and over during spring training. If your team remains the same after opening day, though, you will probably have trouble competing in your rotisserie baseball league.

Do you need to add players to replace your fantasy baseball busts? Which players can you ignore? KFFL.com's Diamond Market series gives you the fantasy baseball tips and advice you need to sort through the masses quickly.

Key

Acquire - Add player (in most circumstances)

Watch - Track player; consider adding if trend continues

Pass - Do not add player (in most circumstances)

Second basemen

Ian Stewart, Colorado Rockies

They don't get much more blistering than Stewart has been in a short stretch. In his past five contests, the thumping quadruple threat (he plays four positions, including third and both corner outfield spots) has collected 12 hits (four homers) in 22 at-bats. He drove in 12 and scored nine during that stretch. After a rough start, it's a great sign. Will he keep playing?

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (wrist) returned to action Sunday, June 7. The Rox have plenty of bodies in the outfield, but third baseman Garrett Atkins (slumps) and first baseman Todd Helton (occasional rest) are candidates to sit. Expect Stewart to play as long as he's blasting; he could return to part-time status (and shallow irrelevance) very soon - unless Colorado makes a trade, which isn't out of the question.

Shallow mixed: Acquire

Deep mixed: Acquire

NL-only: Acquire

Shortstops

Alex Cora, New York Mets

Cora (thumb), just back from the disabled list last week, is expected to spend the majority of his time filling in for Jose Reyes (hamstring), who's out for an extended period. Reyes suffered a setback last week and learned that he has a slight tear in his hamstring.

In real life, Cora is a valuable vet. He's a career .246 hitter, though. The catch: This year he's hitting .297 in 64 at-bats and has already stolen four bases for the aggressive Metropolitans. The average is doable if he remains patient (2.00 walk-to-strikeout rate, 94.7 percent contact), although those rates are too lofty. It looks he'll hit leadoff some, though.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

NL-only: Acquire

Robert Andino, Baltimore Orioles

Starting shortstop Cesar Izturis (appendix) underwent an emergency appendectomy last week. Andino, 25, is (at least) the short-term solution. In 197 lifetime at-bats, he has a .213 average. However, the former top-10 prospect for the Florida Marlins is hitting .245 in 53 at-bats this year and has 20-steal speed. The O's were planning to explore other possibilities Monday, June 8, though, so don't become too excited.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

AL-only: Watch

Starting pitchers

Andrew Miller, Florida Marlins

Miller has undeniable talent, but he hasn't put it all together yet. Is he getting there? In his first five starts (28 innings) since he returned from the disabled list (strained oblique), he has yielded 10 earned runs (3.21 ERA) and fanned 26. He retired the first 12 he faced in his last start.

That was against the San Francisco Giants, though, and control is still a problem. He has issued 5.22 walks per nine this year and 4.82 per nine in those last five appearances. Don't forget about this former first-rounder, but be wary until the numbers in the BB column show consistent improvement.

Shallow mixed: Watch

Deep mixed: Watch

NL-only: Acquire

Brad Thompson, St. Louis Cardinals

Starter Kyle Lohse (forearm) is on the disabled list and could miss a month or more. Thompson has first crack to replace him. He compiled a 4.79 ERA in 24 games as a starter from 2006 to '08; he was notably solid in '07. In the bigs this year he has allowed nine earned runs and 21 hits in 19 2/3 innings. He started Tuesday, June 2, and pitched five strong innings (five hits, two earned runs) in a no-decision. He's not a strikeout man, though.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

NL-only: Watch

Relief pitchers

Mike MacDougal, Washington Nationals

Closer for the Nats? Joel Hanrahan is out - again! MacDougal wins this round of Washington Woulette. It's likely to take awhile for manager Manny Acta to trust Hanrahan again. It'd be especially difficult if MacDougal, an All-Star closer with the Kansas City Royals in 2003, performs well.

Don't bank on it; MacDougal often has problems with control. The Chicago White Sox cast him aside at the end of April. The right-hander throws in the mid-90s, though, and manager Manny Acta is intrigued. The Nats are giving him a shot, which is often enough in fantasy baseball. Desperate times, as they say....

Shallow mixed: Acquire

Deep mixed: Acquire

NL-only: Acquire

C.J. Wilson, Texas Rangers

We've already seen Wilson fill in while Frank Francisco (shoulder) was on the disabled list. Heck, we've seen it since Francisco has been off it. Wilson saved the Rangers' Sunday, June 7, contest. Francisco was unavailable this past weekend because he still has shoulder soreness. He may not end up on the disabled list again, but when he's ready to pitch, it likely won't be on back-to-back days. Hurting for saves? Wilson can help.

Shallow mixed: Acquire

Deep mixed: Acquire

AL-only: Acquire

Tony Pena, Arizona Diamondbacks

Closer Chad Qualls (forearm) blew a save Sunday, June 7, against the San Diego Padres (on a three-run homer by second baseman David Eckstein, no less). The right-hander said he expects the residual stiffness in his forearm to linger, so his availability will probably be spotty.

Is it a sign of something more serious? It's hard to say. Pena is the likeliest fill-in on the nights Qualls can't go. Qualls owners have the most to lose and should act with urgency.

Shallow mixed: Acquire

Deep mixed: Acquire

NL-only: Acquire

Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins

Manager Fredi Gonzalez still insists Matt Lindstrom is his closer. But twice in the past 10 days, when the right-hander invited pain in the ninth inning, the skipper didn't hesitate to turn to Nunez for the final out. The first time was a non-save opp (although Lindstrom turned it into one); in the latter, he was on the verge of blowing one.

Nunez allowed two inherited runners to score, but he then shut the door. He doesn't have the most inspiring peripherals, but Gonzalez seems to trust him in these situations. Inquire within for Lindstrom insurance policies.

Shallow mixed: Acquire

Deep mixed: Acquire

NL-only: Acquire

Also see: Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - Falling