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Fantasy Baseball and MLB News, Rumors and Injury Updates

Fantasy Swap Meet

June 27, 2006 @ 14:29:34

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by KFFL Staff

KFFL.com's Fantasy Swap Meet brings you the latest players to key on for your fantasy squad. Which players should you look to trade because their value is at an all-time high? Which players should you look to acquire at a bargain?

When looking at this segment, please understand that this is a "Buy Low, Sell High" article. By no means are you expected to trade a "Trade" player for a "Trade For" player even up unless you think that it is a good deal. When suggesting players to "Trade," we are offering players that should bring you the most in value at the moment. Likewise we believe the value of the "Trade For" players is well below what their value will ultimately be.

Good luck and, as always, keep in mind your team's needs, because there are numerous scoring systems and leagues. This is a general information article that cannot apply to every type of league and every team's needs, which is also why we include stats on all of the players listed.

PLAYERS TO TRADE (Keep in mind your team's needs.)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1B Nomar Garciaparra, Los Angeles Dodgers - Owners who've enjoyed the rejuvenation of Nomar, take note: he's in the midst of a hot streak that's spanned what has traditionally been the best month of his career (June, career .354 hitter), and his value may never be higher. That .362 average stands out amongst his numbers to be sure, but if it dips (as it should for the lifetime .322 hitter), you can't expect him to offset it with power numbers like he once was able to do.

SP Dontrelle Willis, Florida Marlins - What a run these Marlins have put together: 11 wins in their last 13, including a stretch of nine wins in a row. Fantasy players have found value in this minor-league bunch, and they still can. Willis, however, is trade bait. He's 3-1 this month, with a 2.50 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. He only has four wins on the year, and the D-Train is usually a little more ordinary after the break. He's also a little off the pace of last year's strikeout totals, and he's not likely to rack up wins. To top it off, despite endless rumors, the Marlins are highly unlikely to move Willis at the deadline. Use his potential upside and move to a contender as chips at the bargaining table.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

3B Hank Blalock, Texas Rangers - We've reached that point again, as we do every year. June is "Trade Hank Blalock Month," and it's time for you to dump him on some poor sucker who didn't get the flyer in the mail. His numbers have declined in each month of 2006, right on schedule, and in his career the imitation Hammerin' Hank has batted roughly 45 points lower in the second half, with a marked decline in power. Peddle him to someone who thinks that Blalock can keep up the .294 average because of the Rangers' lineup.

SP Kenny Rogers, Detroit Tigers - A not-so-bold prediction: Kenny Rogers will NOT win the Cy Young Award. But his first-half numbers (10-3, 3.44 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) look like those of a winner, so it's time to pull the trigger. Detroit may be a legit contender, and the Gambler may continue play a large part in that, but these numbers look too good for Rogers, a man whose career WHIP is 1.39 and who has struck out a tad more than five batters per nine innings this year.

PLAYERS TO TRADE FOR

NATIONAL LEAGUE

SS Rafael Furcal, Los Angeles Dodgers - It's simple, really. Furcal is a lifetime .281 hitter whose current slugging percentage (.340) is sitting about 90 points below his career mark - and he's still scored 56 runs because he leads off for the top offense in the NL. Furcal has only hit .239 this month, which has dropped his average to .254, but he's been active on the basepaths with six steals in June and 16 this year. He's on pace for a career-high in walks, so couple that with his usual increase in batting average (about 15 to 20 points after the break), and soon he should be scoring and swiping at will for your team.

SP Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves - Don't expect the Braves to storm back and win the division, but don't expect them to go down without a fight, either. Not many opposing scouts and management people believe that the Braves are this bad. Hudson isn't this bad (6-6, 4.05 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) either. He's been ordinary in June (4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP), where he's been tapped for nine earned in his last 14 innings. See if you can persuade an owner to part with Huddy for a lesser price, which would allow you to enjoy the likely upswing that this proven vet and consistent winner can provide.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

3B Aubrey Huff, Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Huff's horrendous start to 2006 was well-documented (a .176 average during the first two months and some missed time with a knee injury), and rumors flew that he may lose PT. June has been kind (.316, two homers, 12 RBI), and as some owners know, Huff typically raises his game in the second half (career .303 hitter after the All-Star break). His current numbers (.236, four home runs, 21 RBI) should be low enough that you can still land him at a bargain and take a shot the trend will continue.

SP C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland Indians - You may wonder how his ERA shot from a season-low of 1.52 to 4.18 in the span of five starts. If you own him, you didn't want to C.C. the results of his last few outings (21 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings against such juggernauts as the Angels, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs). In fact, things may get worse before they get better. Last year Sabathia was instrumental in Cleveland's run at the wild card (9-5, 3.54 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, .232 BAA and 91 Ks in 96 2/3 innings after the break). They'll need that if they're to pull off a similar (yet more impressive) feat this season.

PLAYERS TO PICK UP

NATIONAL LEAGUE

OF Chris Burke, Houston Astros - Burke may only be a temporary addition to your lineup, but you have to enjoy him while you can. Outfielder Willy Taveras has fallen out of favor in Houston lately thanks to the stellar play of Burke, who has hit .361 with three jacks, 17 runs and three stolen bases this month. Manager Phil Garner stated the move wasn't necessarily permanent, but it's doubtful they'll go away from Burke until he cools off. Burke, for whom the Astros had high hopes last year, is eligible at second base, so he should provide some relief there for now.

SP Scott Olsen, Florida Marlins - Because it appears that everyone has picked up St. Louis Cardinals starter Anthony Reyes (if you haven't, run), the Swap Meet recommends turning to a hurler on a team with fewer aspirations. Olsen, who can hit the mid-90s on the radar gun and is a real gamer, was considered the organization's top pitching prospect heading into 2006. After some adjustments a month or so ago, Olsen hasn't allowed more than three earned in his last five starts, and before no-decision June 22 at Baltimore, he'd won four starts in a row for the upstart Marlins.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1B Dan Johnson, Oakland Athletics - Some buzz followed Johnson into this year's drafts, but his poor start in April and May (.196 average, two home runs, eight RBI and a loss of at-bats) had many jettisoning the former seventh-rounder. Well, it's time to jump back on, because Johnson has raised his average to .256 thanks to a .385 June, where he's hit four homers and knocked in 16. He's heating up just when the A's usually do, which means he could be in it for the long haul as well.

SP Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox - The Red Sox may be fonder of Lester, a fourth-round choice in 2003, than they are of closer Jon Papelbon. They consider him fearless, and his first three starts of 2006 (two wins, five earned runs and 19 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings) suggest that they are correct. Only the return of both starter Matt Clement (shoulder) and starter David Wells (knee) could threaten his spot in the rotation right now, and neither looks likely anytime soon, especially Wells.

PLAYERS TO DROP

NATIONAL LEAGUE

OF Jim Edmonds, St. Louis Cardinals - We keep hanging on to those wily soon-to-be 36-year-old vets who refuse to die. But sometimes you have to put 'em down, and Edmonds' .260 average, seven home runs and 38 RBI just isn't cutting it. For those hoping the return of first baseman Albert Pujols would ignite Edmonds' bat, consider Edmonds was hitting .241 before Pujols went down. The injury-prone outfielder has dealt with shoulder and abdominal ailments this year, and now he's missing time with a concussion. You need a better performer in the outfield right now.

SP Zach Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates - Many had high hopes for Duke following a 2005 campaign in which he went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 14 starts. Alas, the NL has had some time to adjust to the crafty young southpaw's approach, and he's been ordinary as a result. Or, in some cases, worse: 14 earned runs allowed in his last three starts (15 1/3 innings). Like many young pitchers on bad teams, the second year isn't as good as the first. Cut bait, get immediate help and keep Duke in mind for later.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

OF Kevin Mench, Texas Rangers - Mench has been a victim of depth in the outfield for the Rangers, and fantasy owners have been victims of his poor performance (13 hits, including just one homer, in 63 at-bats in June) as of late. Utility man Mark DeRosa and outfielders Gary Matthews Jr., Brad Wilkerson and Jerry Hairston Jr. have been factors in Texas, which means that Mench has not been one in fantasy baseball. Typically he's fallen off a bit in the second half, so this trend may continue.

SP Kelvim Escobar, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - It may not be the best idea to dump Escobar, but the man just can't catch a break. He's lost seven of his last eight times out, and Sunday, June 25, the Arizona Diamondbacks torched him for eight earned. He has walked 16 batters in his last five outings, including five in two of those games. Things are not going well for the Angels, who sit in last place in the AL West and have the third-worst offense in the league. That means few wins for Kelvim, so you may desire more immediate help. Check back in a month or so.