By Kevin Kleps, Fantasy Correspondent
For owners in AL- and NL-only leagues, it was a nerve-wracking week.
For the rest of us, who prefer fantasy baseball leagues in which you can own players from ALL 30 teams and not have to worry about Manny Ramirez or Mark Teixeira leaving your roster for no good reason in late July, it was an entertaining end to the annual non-waivers trade deadline.
Let’s look at the impact of the transactions from the past week from a fantasy perspective (all statistics are through July):
INCREASED VALUE
Mark Teixeira, 1B, Angels: He’s an every-week starter regardless of the league he plays in, but it doesn’t hurt that he’ll get to mash in a hitter-friendly league and bat in the middle of a better lineup.
Ken Griffey Jr., OF, White Sox: With a .245 batting average, 15 home runs and 53 RBI, he’s still a fringe starter at best. But Griffey had a productive July (five homers and 17 RBI), is hitting .318 since the All-Star break and makes the jump from a team that ranked 20th in the majors in runs scored to one that is fifth. If you’re looking for a third outfielder, he’s a decent option.
Jason Bay, OF, Red Sox: You’d probably be surprised to learn the Pirates are eighth in scoring in all of MLB. Still, would you rather have one of your players batting in the vicinity of Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Mike Lowell or Nate McLouth, Ryan Doumit and Doug Mientkiewicz? Bay is a must-start in any format.
Kyle Farnsworth, RP, Tigers: He was an effective setup man for the Yankees – so much so that he was traded straight up for Pudge Rodriguez – and there’s a chance he could end up being the Tigers’ closer. Todd Jones lost his job, then went on the disabled list, and flame-throwing Fernando Rodney has blown three saves in four chances. Farnsworth has just one double-digit save season (2005 with Atlanta, when he was perfect in 10 opportunities), but he’s worth a bench spot in deeper category leagues in which closers are extremely valuable.
Brandon Moss, OF, Pirates: The Pirates seemed to get a lot in return for Bay, led by this talented rookie who topped the Class AAA International League with 59 extra-base hits in 2007. Moss batted .295 with 11 RBI in 78 at-bats with the Red Sox, and he should play regularly for the Pirates. He won’t produce big numbers in the power department – he had a combined 28 homers in the minors in 2006 and 2007 – but he will hit for average and score some runs. He’s a fringe starter in NL-only leagues and is worth a roster spot in deeper category leagues.
Brandon Inge, C, Tigers: Mr. Versatility has an everyday home behind the plate as Pudge Rodriguez’s replacement. Inge celebrated by hitting two home runs and driving in four runs in his first two games as the starting catcher. He won’t hit for average (.240 for his career), but he’s capable of hitting 20 homers (he had 27, along with 83 RBI, as recently as 2006). Rodriguez’s exit has changed Inge from waiver-wire status to fringe starter.
NO CHANGE IN VALUE
Casey Kotchman, 1B, Braves: He’ll still play every day and he’ll still hit for average (.296 in 2007 and .280 this season). And he’ll still give you limited power (31 home runs in 1,146 career at-bats). He’s a fringe starter in deeper mixed leagues, but should be a regular in NL-only leagues.
Pudge Rodriguez, C, Yankees: He goes from one star-studded lineup to another. The catch (pun intended): This former fantasy stud hasn’t reached the 20-homer mark since 2001, when he was a Ranger. An everyday catcher who will hit in the .300 range is a must-start. Just don’t expect the switch to pinstripes to result in Jorge Posada-like power.
Manny Ramirez, OF, Dodgers: His new ballpark isn’t as hitter-friendly, and neither is the lineup he will anchor, but Manny will still be Manny. He’ll mash, he’ll entertain and he’ll say things that make no sense.
DECREASED VALUE
Paul Konerko, 1B, and Nick Swisher, OF, White Sox: The addition of Griffey means Swisher will get more at-bats at first base, leaving Konerko as the likely odd man out. Konerko, who is batting .214 with nine homers and 35 RBI, will see his streak of four consecutive 30-plus home runs and 90-plus RBI seasons end. He’ll also see his fantasy value go from slim to none. Swisher is batting only .228, but he’s still producing (15 homers, 50 RBI and 63 runs scored), so I would expect him to play a lot. If that’s the case, he’s still a fringe starter in deeper leagues. Jim Thome owners shouldn’t worry. He might lose a few at-bats at DH, but Ozzie Guillen isn’t going to bench a hitter who still packs plenty of punch (20 homers, 61 RBI) and had a productive July (.326, four homers, 18 RBI).
The Dodgers’ outfielders other than Ramirez: The addition of a Hall of Fame bat leaves two starting spots for Joe Torre to split between four players – Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones. Of the four, Jones (.163, two homers , 13 RBI) has no value, and Kemp (.295, 12 homers, 57 RBI, 57 runs and 26 stolen bases) still has plenty. I would expect the latter to play almost every day. Ethier (.274, 11 homers, 46 RBI, 53 runs) has much better numbers than Pierre (.284, no homers, 24 RBI, 36 steals), who is strictly a stolen-base threat at this point. If you are desperate for steals, Pierre should still get a few in his limited at-bats. Ethier won’t play as much, which drops him to a backup in all leagues, with the exception of NL-only.
Xavier Nady, OF, Yankees: He’s off to a decent start playing under the bright lights (two home runs and four RBI in six games), but it will difficult for him to match his Pittsburgh production (.330, 13 homers, 57 RBI). He’s still a fantasy starter, but he’s much closer to a No. 3 outfielder than a No. 1.
On Page 2, More Picks and Pans for August.
