Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Brian Schneider, more

April 28, 2011 @ 11:23:50

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

Brian Schneider, Philadelphia Phillies

Carlos Ruiz (lower back tightness) left the Phils' game on Wednesday after playing one inning and seems like a good candidate for the disabled list. He had been experiencing discomfort in his back prior to that contest; it may have been a culprit in his recent mini-slide.

AB filler can help, too

Schneider, 34, hasn't been the most durable backstop, either, so the backup role (mixed with occasional stretches of starting) has suited him. His .087 batting average may deter you, but he has played in only seven games (five starts) and accumulated just 24 plate appearances. He has already driven two balls out of the park, though. The lefty-hitting catcher is a capable replacement in deep leagues, where he can still deliver a .240 or .250 average and a dinger every 35 at-bats or so, if he's playing regularly.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

NL-only: Consider

Middle infielders

Nick Punto, St. Louis Cardinals

Ryan Theriot has been dealing with soreness in his ribcage since Sunday, and he tweaked it on Tuesday, which has set back his return. The Cards don't seem to think it's serious, but we know how easily these nagging pains become acknowledged oblique strains that simply must involve extended rest and treatment (i.e., a 15-day DL stay). Skip Schumaker's arm injury (triceps, elbow, wherever) has facilitated some of that, but the possible combination of absences for the club's starting middle infielders bodes well for PT seekers.

Daniel Descalso and Tyler Greene will be in the mix, but Punto, it'd seem, is Tony La Russa's type of player. That is, the switch hitter may hit for a subpar batting average and rip few - if any - jacks, but he's a quality glove man. He has started in six of St. Louis' past seven games, and he returned from the disabled list just a little more than a week ago.

Punto dealt with injury issues that surely affected him at the dish in his past couple of seasons with the Minnesota Twins. He should draw walks about 10 percent of the time and makes contact on around 90 percent of the pitches he sees. Small ball is more his style. He can swipe a few, and he'll be eligible at multiple positions, if he's not already, in your league. Punto is due for a little positive BA correction. This isn't a ringing endorsement, but you could certainly do worse for depth in very deep leagues.

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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