Top 5 Free Agents
1). Francisco Rodriguez MIL RP 2-4, 39 K, 3.67 era, 1.42 WHIP, 1 SV
Rodriguez has just been named closer for the foreseeable future. Available closers this late in the season can be gold mines as trade bait or a solid addition to your fantasy team.
2). Pedro Alvarez PIT 3B .227 AVG, 18 HR, 54 RBI, 50 Runs
Alvarez has swung a pretty solid bat the last month and half, hitting a bulk of home runs and raising his batting average from the low of lows. His ability to drive in and score runs should make him a asset for any fantasy team.
3). Michael Brantley CLE OF .301 AVG, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 40 Runs, 10 SB
Brantley has been on fire since July 4th and he has managed to raise his batting average 23 points. His steals and power potential should be a happy benefit for your team in the short term.
4). Francisco Liriano MIN SP 3-8, 4.93 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 97 K
Liriano has always had the stuff of aces, whether or not he can manage to avoid the walks usually determines the quality of his outing. He just pumped out a 15 K performance and is usually a very streaky pitcher. He may be getting ready to go on one of those streaks where he is virtually unhittable.
5). Ben Sheets ATL 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.5 WHIP, 5 K
Sheets’ first outing back in almost 2 years showed exactly what he brings to the table. Still, as always, he is just one pitch away from getting injured. Grab him at your own risk.
Buy Low: Ryan Zimmerman .258, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 46 Run, 3 SB
Zimmerman has managed to double his season total in home run this month. Owners could be looking to sell high after this outburst, but from here on out a healthy Zimmerman should produce top production at 3B.
Sell High: Stephen Strasburg WAS SP 10-4, 135 K, 2.64 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
With the uncertainty surrounding Strasburg and how many innings he is going to pitch this season, I would sell now and get maximum value. You should be able to receive a similar pitcher and one that is more likely to finish the season.
3 Things to Watch
1). Top prospect Anthony Gose was called up and will fill in short term for Jose Bautista. Gose has the potential to be a stud from day 1 and as shown from Trout and Harper it’s not the season to doubt what any guy can do from the start!
2). I don’t know which player I would rather have right now in my fantasy lineup; Andrew McCutchen or Mike Trout.
3). Grab Chase Headley now. All signs point to him to being traded and once he gets out of San Diego he is going to put up some crazy solid stats.
Original Story:
|
July 18, 2012
