With all of the player movement we’re about to see over the next few days, it’s difficult to determine who’s really on their way up and who’s really on their way out. Take the recent news that Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco were dealt to the Phillies. I think Lee’s value gets a big boost while Francisco’s takes a hit. Lee should dominate in the NL, but Francisco is relegated to bench duty now, or even headed to the minors. But then there’s the Pirates/Mariners deal. Ian Snell and Jack Wilson head to Seattle while Ronny Cedeno and Jeff Clement go to Pittsburgh. Lateral moves for most (outside of AL or NL-only leagues) on the surface, but does Snell get a boost because he’s going to go right into the Mariners’ rotation? Is Clement ever going to get his chance even with the Pirates? It’s tough to tell right now, especially when these teams are likely to make even more moves before the deadline. So with that, I’ll do the best I can for waiver pick ups for this week. When the dust settles over the weekend, we’ll look into it all more…
3 Up
Andy Marte, 1B/3B CLE – So the trades of Mark DeRosa and Ryan Garko have opened things up again for Marte. He’s been a highly touted prospect for some time now and coul dbe a good power source for a second half run. He was hitting .327 with 18 HR and 66 RBI in Triple-A and he’s getting another shot. Looks like he’ll be shifting between the corners right now so the dual eligibility coul dbe a bonus.
Bud Norris, SP HOU — Another highly touted prospect gets the call. With Roy Oswalt suffering from back problems again, the Astros called up Norris who had a 2.62 ERA in Triple-A with 112 K’s in 120 innings. He dominated in the Arizona Fall League last year and has looked more than solid in the minors. Good movement on his fastball. He should join the rotation for now and could stay in longer depending on his performance and whether or not Oswalt hits the DL.
Billy Butler 1B/DH KC — In a previous post on Second Half Performers, I told you that Butler saw an increase in his slugging percentage of more than 100 points after the break, and he’s certainly not disappointing those that listened two weeks ago. Since the All Star Break, he is hitting .326 with 3 HR and 9 RBI while his OBP and slugging are way up from the first half. He’s 6 for 10 with a HR and 5 RBI in his last 2 games and is just starting to heat up. If you can grab him still, do so.
3 Down
Brian Fuentes, RP LAA — Bad times for the Angels closer right now….bad times. And it could be for a multitude of reasons. After falling apart in his last two appearances, there’s talk of a possible confidence issue which has plagued him in the past and there’s some speculation about a possible injury. Manager Mike Scioscia added that he thought Fuentes was just suffering from a tired arm and was overworked. Any way you slice it, it could mean that Fuentes will start to share time in the role or possibly even lose it to a stint on the DL. Keep watching to see what happens.
Vin Mazzaro, SP OAK — OK, I think i’m ready to leave this bandwagon. I was really high on Mazarro in the spring and then rode him for his first few starts in which he looked spectacular. Well, since going 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA in his first 4 starts, Mazzaro has gone in the tank and is now sitting on a 2-7 record with a 5.14 ERA. It looks like the league has caught onto him and he’s not pitching for a team that can load on the run support. If you haven’t dropped him by now, then please do so for your own sanity. I just did.
Todd Wellemeyer, SP STL — With all of the good going on in St. Louis, things took a bad turn for Wellemeyer who has been relegated to bullpen duty for now. After giving up 9 runs in his last 2 outings and not making it out of the 6th inning in 6 of his last 7 outings, the Cards have decided to go with Mitchell Boggs to replace him. Personally I think Wellemeyer will return to the rotation eventually, but for now, he should be reserved in all formats.
Like I said before, we’ll see what happens over the weekend when the dust settles. There’s plenty that’s going to happen. Just be sure that you hold onto your waiver priority if you have a decent one. With all of the potential cross-league deals, you just might need it!
Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!
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