Corey Patterson is supposed to be a speed demon and Jay Gibbons is supposed to be a power hitter. But both Orioles outfielders have been struggling mightily of late. With Nick Markakis a fixture in the outfield, these two are lucky that the rest of the options in Baltimore are no better than Jay Payton. There is, in fact, a glut of mediocrity among the Baltimore bats. That means stay away in most cases.
But if you are in a position in your league standings where you need to acquire some risk with upside, you could do a lot worse than this pair. Both have shown they have the skills to be productive fantasy assets. That may happen in Baltimore in the second half. Or, the Orioles could decide it's time to move one of them in a deal.
There is a lot of chatter in Baltimore about acquiring a first baseman, including the possibility of local boy Mark Teixeira. The prime target for any trade target will be a Baltimore arm such as the high-ceiling gas of Daniel Cabrera or the solid-but-disgruntled Erik Bedard. But the O's will likely try to package one of their mediocre hitters in any deal as well.
Hitters can change in new situations. And sometimes getting full-time at-bats is exactly what the doctor ordered. You will be hard-pressed to find two players with proven skills at the major-league level, and more potential and lower value at this point in the season. They may even be sitting on your waiver wire ...
... Jason Kubel is quietly showing some power in Minnesota, with three home runs in the last nine games. Kubel has the potential to break out in the second half and become a productive fantasy outfielder if he can continue to earn full-time at-bats. Unfortunately, he sprained his knee last night, and Lew Ford filled in for him. Keep an eye on medical reports to see if it's serious. Kubel has had previous knee surgeries and it would be a shame to see him go down again just as he's heating up ...
... Claudio Vargas will be skipped in the rotation this week in order to ensure that Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano and Jeff Suppan don't have to pitch on six days rest. Adjust your lineups accordingly. Vargas has provided decent production this season, but struggled of late. This skipped start may be a hidden benefit to his arm as well ...
... Francisco Cordero is not Mariano Rivera circa 1998. And he showed it last night by blowing his first save of the season in spectacular fashion against the Texas Rangers, the team he was traded away from last season. Cordero has been spectacular this season, probably the best reliever in baseball. His owners should hope that this was just the haunts of the old Ballpark getting to him, and that he can quickly shake it off and move on. Cordero's blown save washed out a very strong performance by Ben Sheets ...
... I'd sell high on Homer Bailey if you can get value in non-keeper leagues. He still has that high-prospect shine after winning in his first game. But he will struggle to win a lot of games in Cincy. And his ERA and WHIP could easily be league-average. Fantasy owners with visions of Justin Verlander last season might give up more than he is worth ...
... How long are the Royals really going to stick with Shane Costa over Billy Butler? Who knows? These are the Royals we're talking about. But Butler is playing first base at Triple-A Omaha. Butler's still hitting the ball, with a .907 OPS despite a recent slump. And he's playing first base, which should have Ryan Shealy quite worried. I cannot imagine Butler stays down for the rest of the season. His defense at first may determine whether his second call-up occurs sooner rather than later.