As the playoffs loom ever large, just beyond the dusty end to the regular season, baseball's mental giants engage in an escalating contest of Greco-Roman mind-wrestling, where the taste of victory is ethereal. Some teams are rising like the phoenix of lore – pushing for that perch atop the standings, while other squads are imploding like an old-fashioned New England Witch Hunt. The thread which separates success from failure – and victory from defeat – is a fragile one; any small ripple in the pool of status quo could sink the hopes of a fantasy team. This kernel of truth is what inspires articles such as this, to push forth with detail and vigor, even when the news from weeks past is apparently slight.
Todd Helton owners feel a very real pain from the 2005 season; Helton has been a unanimous disappointment across the board. A career .330+ hitter, he is hitting only .295 this season, but more importantly has only 11 homers and 44 RBI to show, despite being one of the game’s most prolific long-ball and perennially-consistent hitters. Just prior to straining his left calm muscle, Helton was enjoying a bit of a hot-streak that saw him send five shots over outfield walls in July. Nonetheless, Helton has been a huge disappointment, and if it is possible to trade him still, do so. Power-hitting first basemen are almost commonplace, and Helton has not been one of them this season.
For the five or six fantasy owners out there who are clinging to Jody Gerut because they dated his younger sister or deliver mail to his uncle, I present this update: Gerut holds no value in any fantasy league. Drop immediately. The Cubs look brilliant after trading Gerut days before he hit the DL (Thursday) with more knee issues. With a stat-line that reads: one homer, one stolen base, 14 RBI, .253 batting average and 59 total bases, Gerut is no use to anyone. Not even his cousin’s, girlfriend’s roommate.
The Orioles have more good news. And by good news I mean bad news. Sidney Ponson was placed on 15-day DL with a strained calf retroactive to Monday. Baltimore can’t handle much more bad news, but fantasy owners might see this differently. With a 7-11 record, an ERA over 6.00 and a WHIP over 1.7, anyone who has this guy on their squad (cough, cough desperate, cough) will at least have a reason to not start him. He’s lost seven of his last nine starts, and has given up 40 earned runs during that nine-game stretch. Toss him aside like a Kenny Rogers 20-game suspension.
Speaking of which, Mr. Rogers was successful in his appeal of the 20-game suspension, and turned around to start the following day against the Red Sox. The only people more excited about his return than Rogers’ fantasy owners were apparently the Red Sox hitters. Rogers gave up seven hits and five ER in five IP, making it three games in row where he’s given up three or more earned runs and seven or more hits. After a brilliant first half, age might finally be catching up to the 41-year-old. It might be time to swap those cleats and jersey for a nice pair of moccasins and a wool sweater.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, made another move to strengthen their bullpen, acquiring Mike Remlinger from the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Olivo Astacio. Remlinger will serve as a middle reliever, and probably toss at least one meatball per game. He has no fantasy value except in the Clemenza Fantasy Cooking league.
The Bosox also placed Wade Miller on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder soreness. This was as unforeseeable as the Andy Reid-T.O. face-off during spring training. Miller is 4-4 with a 4.95 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. His fantasy value is directly related to the desperation of your fantasy team. Act accordingly.
The Red Sox were also busy tweaking their hitting/fielding. On Monday, they designated Jose Cruz, Jr. for assignment, and again recalled Kevin Youkilis from Pawtucket. Youkilis has no fantasy worth, but he himself might consider investing in an RV. Then he might actually see some action. Cruz was scooped up by the LA-means-LA Dodgers. Despite showing some decent power (12 homers) Cruz only has 28 RBI and is batting a laughable .212. Neither of these guys has any realistic value to your squad.
On the other end of the Matt Lawton trade was the Chicago Cubs, who were searching high and low for some OF help. Just when Lawton owners were beginning to get comfortable, however, the Cubs recalled Corey Patterson from Triple-A. Patterson was a total bust this season despite the constant booing from fans, but his return still is a threat. Last year, he had 24 homers and 32 SB, making him a solid power-speed guy. Teams with an extra bench spot might want to take the risk on Patterson now in the hopes he heats up quickly.
Catcher Paul Lo Duca will miss some time with a sore hamstring, though a DL trip seems unlikely. Over the last month, Pauly has been hot, hitting .397 with two homers, 12 RBI, and a .458 OBP. He should be back Thursday or Friday.
The Marlins also placed Carlos Delgado on the DL with an elbow injury which has been hampering his swing. He was having a solid season until more recently, so hopefully this short DL stint will put him back on track. The Marlins need him to grab a playoff spot, and no doubt so do some fantasy squads out there. Hopefully this won’t be too serious.
Though the Nationals have struggled in the second half, they’re still in the wild card hunt, and Jose Guillen’s latest news comes as a huge relief: the OF will not require season-ending surgery on his shoulder. This is good news for owners, but with a warning – it is doubtful he will be able to put up first-half numbers with that sore shoulder. His reduced production, however, still holds value, especially if the Nationals can string together some more victories and find some momentum.
Chien-Ming Wang threw off flat ground on Tuesday and could see some mound time next week. The Yankees could really use this arm back in their rotation, so watch Wang closely. For the year he’s 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. With the Yankees making a playoff run, he definitely has value should he return.
Meanwhile, Jaret Wright comes off the DL and is slated to start for the Yankees on Monday. Wright had a 9.15 ERA for the Yanks in four starts and is only valuable if he can actually pitch well. For now, let's just see if he can pitch.
Carl Pavano, on the other hand, could miss the rest of the season, and will definitely miss at least six weeks. This is all the result of rotator cuff tendonitis and humerus pain, which in laymen’s terms means Pavano is chronically injured. Pavano has been hot and then very cold this season, and might not be worth a roster spot even if he could pitch.
Toronto ace Roy Halladay is having his return pushed back after he experienced pain in the broken leg. He will remain on the DL longer than initially thought, but should still return in a week or so. Obviously Halladay was a monster this season and all signs point to a continuation when he returns.
In the meantime, Ted Lilly is slowly making his way back toward a return from bicep tendonitis. He is slated for another bullpen session this weekend, and could be a nice acquisition. Though his ERA (5.52) and WHIP (1.48) are both high, he does have 82 K’s in 104 IP, and had won three of his last five starts before getting injured.
Finally, the vigilant reader may have caught the murmurings of a huge scandal just lurking beneath the surface of MLB. While nothing has happened yet – and in fact the Commissioner’s Office and the Players Union issued a joint statement denying these rumors – owners should keep an ear to the ground. The implications of a massive steroid inquisition could be devastating to the fantasy status quo.