Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - NL

Fantasy baseball waivers and the acquisition of fantasy baseball free agents can make or break your season. Your fantasy baseball cheat sheets won't help you after spring training. If your team remains the same after opening day, you will have trouble competing in your rotisserie baseball league.

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

Key

Outfielders

Felix Pie, OF, Baltimore Orioles

Pineiro enjoyed fine June

A 4-for-5 rehab performance at Double-A Bowie Tuesday might have Pie, who's been out since April 15 with a back injury, on track to return as early as Friday. When he's ready, he'll likely resume hitting leadoff and starting in left field, supplanting Corey Patterson in both duties.

Pie impressed the team enough in '09 that the lefty bat was receiving frequent platoon work before being sidelined. His walk rate has improved consistently since his anticipated but disappointing debut in '07.

Does he still have some stolen base ability left? It's iffy, but his maturing liner rate could facilitate a decent batting average. There's a hint of power, too. Seekers of a No. 5 outfielder could give him a try, as long as they keep their ties loose.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Watch

AL-only: Acquire

Gabe Kapler, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

The righty bat was activated from the DL, and the Rays opened up PT for him by designating Hank Blalock for assignment. Kapler is chiefly a platoon option against lefties; expect that to continue as his role in some capacity. There's a hint of power here, but he's mostly depth in the deepest formats.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

AL-only: Watch

Pitchers

Joel Pineiro, SP, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The righty's re-breakout under St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan in '09 is rearing its head on the West Coast. A high grounder rate and sparkling control - two Duncan staples - are joined by increased dominance, though this might just be from maintaining his peripherals and not any big change.

Either way, Pineiro has a 2.48 ERA with 26 K's and eight walks in his last 36 1/3 frames (five straight wins), going at least six innings in each. We know he can gobble innings. It's time to snatch him up if he's still out there. At least it's a safe bet that there's some statistical and skills basis behind his K-lacking fortune.

Shallow mixed: Watch

Deep mixed: Watch

AL-only: Acquire

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market - NL