Alex Gordon in the Big Leagues: Take 5
Successfully playing the fantasy baseball waiver wire is going to be crucial to your end game now, especially with the MLB trade deadline coming, as well as your fantasy leagues’s trade dedline. We’ve already seen a little bit of movement and, if you’ve kept your ear to the ground, then you know the MLB trade rumors are swirling around like a maelstrom. Yup, that’s right. I just used the word “maelstrom”. Gotta give a shout out to those “Word of the Day” toilet paper folks! Always a good read in the morning! But seriously….sometimes it can be very dissicult to pull off a deal in your league, so the free agent waiver wire might be the only way to patch up some holes and find yourself a hidden gem or two for the stretch run. Here’s a few thoughts to start, and believe me, plenty more are on the way.
3 Up
Alex Gordon, 3B/OF KC — While the trade of Alberto Callaspo to the Angels will improve his fantasy value, the fallout from the deal, coupled with the injury to David DeJesus, is where you should be looking as you try to make improvements for your second half run. And oddly enough, it starts with Gordon. We all know the rundown on him: a bust of a prospect with the injury-prone tag hanging around his neck. But he’s getting a golden opportunity here and you might as well take one last shot on him. His power potential is rock solid and he’s been hitting .315 (.442 OBP) with 14 HR and 44 RBI in the minors so far. He won’t be manning the hot corner though this time around. He’s been playing left field down in Omaha and that’s where they will keep him in the majors. With a crowded Royals outfield though, he’s going to need to come up like a house of fire to grab consistent playing time. He’ll still have his 3B eligibility, so if you have the space to stash him and see what he does, then now would be the time to do so.
Neil Walker, 2B PIT – While everyone in your league is gushing over Pedro Alvarez, you should be keeping tabs on the rest of the Pirates’ youngsters as very few of them get any press these days. But Walker has been hitting like a champ lately and is now getting looks in deeper mixed leagues lately. He’s on a 6 multi-hit game streak right now and has 8 RBI over that time. Once a highly touted prospect in the Pirates’ system, Walker sort of disappeared as his development never came to fruition. Still, he’s only 24 and now that he’s getting regualr at bats, he’s taking full advantage. You won’t get much in the way of power, but if you’re having batting average issues, he just might be a good solution.
Ted Lilly, SP CHC – The veteran hurler, who has traditionally put up solid numbers, could be in line for a fantasy value increase as more teams become interested in the lefty the closer we get to the MLB trade deadline. Hi slast couple of starts were very successful and it looks like both the Mets and the Tigers are interested. A move to either team would be a step up from pitching for the Cubs and with the fact that both teams’ homes are fantastic pitcher’s parks, Lilly could excel even further. Personally, I’d like him more if he stays in the NL, but I won’t be picky. He’s a solid guy to own anyway, so if he’s out there, you might want to pick him up and hope for a deal soon.
3 Down
Bobby Jenks, RP CHW — An obvious way to start, I know, but since I do so much work covering the South Siders, it’s prevalent in my mind and a situation that fantasy owners should be monitoring. After blowing 2 saves in hi slast 4 appearances, Jenks is apparently out as the White Sox closer. Ozzie Guillen has announced that the job is up for grabs which leaves Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz and dark horse candidate Sergio Santos as possible options. That’s not to say that Jenks won’t be able to take the job back, but for right now, Guillen is leaving him in a set-up role and auditioning the rest of the guys. Personally, my call woul dbe for Putz, but it appears Thornton has the advantage right now. If you’re looking for relief help, then pick them up in the order of Thronton, Putz and then Santos.
Michael Bourn, OF HOU – Not gonna lie. This one hurts. I’ve never hidden my fantasy attraction to Bourn and have him on several teams this year again. I thought, after his 2009 season, that we were in the “draft him and don’t look back” phase, but it doesn’t appear that way anymore. Bourn is struggling mightily against lefties this year (a deviation from last year’s numbers) and has been on the bench twice in the last 4 games because of it. Brad Mills swears there isn’t a platoon going on, but Bourn’s .193 average against southpaws is now cutting into his playing time, and if you own him, you might be forced to bench him now until he starts to pick things up.
Clayton Richard, SP SD — Personally, I thought it was just a matter of time before the Padres pitching started to falter and here we are now. First Mat Latos ends up on the DL and now Richard is serving up meatballs on the hill. Over his last 4 outings, Richard has given up 19 earned runs in 24 innings of work and to make things worse, he’s doing it with a disgusting 1.83 WHIP. Not the stuff upon which fantasy championships are built. Richard is young and a regression was to be expected. I do not consider him someone that I would rely on, even if it was just to play the matchups. His arm is going to get real tired, real soon and you don’t want to have him active when things get worse than they are right now.
For the best in free fantasy baseball advice, tips, strategies, free agent waiver wire suggestions, and analysis, stick with The Fantasy Baseball Buzz and I’ll have you at the top of your standings in no time. And, as always, for all questions, thoughts and/or comments related to the baseball fantasy world or not, you can reach me through the comments section below or at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com.
Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I believe you are spot on with the train wreck that will become richard. However, Latos is pure gold. His “injury” is nonsense. Rest.
Whether Latos’ oblique injury was real or they put him on the DL just for rest, you should still be concerned. I agree that it was probably more for rest than anything, and that’s what concerns me the most about him for the second half. He’s already at 106 innings on the season and has never thrown more than 122 in a full year (last season). It’s a catch 22 for the Padres — he’s your top starter and you’re in 1st place. You need to keep pitching him to give yourself the best chance of winning but you also want to make sure you save him for the playoffs. For fantasy owners , you should be looking at one of three outcomes: 1. his arm grows tired and he starts to falter due to overuse thus screwing your fantasy team 2. the Padres start skipping his starts, rest him longer, and save him for a playoffs thus screwing your fantasy team 3. he becomes this miraculous ball player unlike anyone we’ve ever seen in this era of innings limits for kids and pitches like a champ for the rest of the way. I’m not sure I like the odds here…