by Moonlight Graham
In the Hausier’s Krowedum Fantasy Baseball League, as well as many Dynasty, or Keeper, leagues across the country, 
Minor Leaguers can play an important role. Drafting and holding on to prospects that are close to making contributions on the Major League level is a great way to supplement your Fantasy Baseball roster and increase your chances for a championship. If you don’t draft Minor Leaguers, it’s still worth a look, as some are good enough to warrant selection in a regular Fantasy Baseball Draft. What follows is a list of Moonlight’s Top Ten prospects for 2010; players who have yet to play in the majors ranked as much for their chances to see significant time in the big leagues this year as for their talent. Good luck. Just twenty one days ’til pitchers and catchers! Continue reading »
Fantasy Baseball Clock Strikes Midnight
If you’re reading this with anything more than a passing interest, it’s because you’re still alive in your Fantasy Baseball 
League and need that little extra over the last four days to give you an edge and secure a title. Throw out the scouting reports, the tendencies and projections; you need players that can help you today. To that end, we’ve tweaked the format a little for our final Forecast in hopes that it’ll help raise that flag. Good luck.
Streaking- Your biggest concern here is making sure you have players that will actually be in the lineup. As insane as it might sound to waive/bench Alex Rodriguez for Minnesota’s Matt Tolbert, it makes sense when you realize that ARod will probably rest this weekend while Tolbert and the Twins desperately strive for the post season. Other teams that will still be playing for something are the Braves, Rockies, Cardinals, Phillies and Dodgers. St. Louis and Philadelphia are battling for the second seed in the NL while the Braves and rockies contend for the Wild Card. Even Los Angeles has a vested interest this weekend as they’re head to head matchup with Colorado will determine the Wild Card. Make no mistake, Joe Torre’s boys absolutely care about that as they look to avoid seeing the Cards’ deep rotation in the first round. You’ll also want to use players approaching milestones as well as rookies being auditioned by bad teams; Washington’s Mike Morse for example. One other piece of advice: Pick up as many free agents from the Twins and Tigers as you can. If they finish in a tie, their one game playoff is a regular season game and the stats count. Right now it looks like Nate Robertson and Carl Pavano would be the starters.
Stalling- Veteran players and starting pitchers on the Angels, Red Sox and Yankees will likely be no help to you this weekend as they will be rested by managers fine-tuning their lineups for the post season. You’ll get a game from each, probably, but that won’t do you any good if you need a few R or RBI. You’ll also want to rid yourself of young pitchers whose teams are looking to limit their IP. No matter what’s listed, the possibility exists they won’t go. Stay on top of that. Continue, also, to keep away from veterans like Miguel Tejada who are losing playing time while the organization auditions rookies at their positions.
It’s always sad to see the season come to an end. Congratulations to the winners and good luck to those less fortunate as they prepare their rosters for a big 2010. We’ll be back next week with a playoff preview and follow that up with out Fantasy Awards.
By Moonlight Graham
It’s been a disappointing Major League season for those fans that enjoy September pennant races 
as each division seems to be locked up and only the NL Wild Card spot is still being contested. We might see one more divisional race if the Twins can sweep the Tigers this weekend but, with their pitching, it’s not likely. For baseball purists, the final month has been a letdown.
The absence of close races will have a bearing on Fantasy Baseball owners also, as they’ll be forced to keep an eye on star players that are vital to their Fantasy Baseball teams being rested as their MLB team preps for the post season. So, if you’re looking to pick up an important point or two in the W or ERA categories, be aware that C.C. Sabathia or Chris Carpenter might be passed over in order to get a little more rest before the playoffs. Likewise, dependable veterans on teams out of the mix; guys like Paul Konerko and Miguel Tejada, to name two, may find a seat on the bench as their teams audition younger players. The bottom line is, if you’re lucky enough to still be in the running for your league title, it is more important to keep an eye on the box scores now than at any other point in the season.
Streaking
Arizona’s Juan Gutierrez is making a case to be the D’Backs’ 2010 closer with 4 S and 1 W in September… Tommy Hanson has a 0.45 ERA over three September starts for Atlanta… Kansas City’s Robinson Tejeda is 2-0 over three starts with 18 K. When did you ever think he’d be a piece of your puzzle?… Seattle’s Ryan Rowland-Smith has gone 7 IP in each of his last four starts while posting a 2.61 ERA…
Stalling
Houston’s Miguel Tejada will see his playing time decrease as the Astros audition Tommy Manzelli at SS… Chad Billingsley’s most recent turn in the rotation was skipped as he has struggled over the last month… Despite extended rest, Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo was ripped in his last start and could be shut down for the rest of the year… Even though his last outing was a strong one, Chris Tillman may be shut down by the Orioles as they try to limit his IP… Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona is 1-5, 5.48 in his last nine starts… Jorge Posada will miss the weekend after being suspended for his ridiculous display during the Yankees- Blue Jays game on Wednesday… A.J. Burnett continues to struggle, going 1-4, 6.75 over his last six starts. It’s been awhile since any of his teammates hit him with a pie… Take the 5-0 record given you by Pedro Martinez and run. In his last start, the fragile Martinez threw 130 pitches, the most he’s thrown since 2002. That followed a 119 pitch game in his previous outing. You can’t expect him to hold up under the strain…
Sick Bay
Washington C Jesus Flores is done for the year after shoulder surgery… Justin Morneau will be out for the year with a stress fracture in his back… Kevin Youkilis has missed three straight with back spasms and could be out through the weekend… Detroit’s Jarrod Washburn is out with a bad knee… Yankees’ starter Andy Pettitte will miss a turn due to shoulder fatigue… Texas OF Josh Hamilton may miss the rest of the year with back issues…
As if being a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates wasn’t tough enough, there was this gem
to deal with from Bucs’ GM Neal Huntington after the latest rounds of trades stripped the franchise of most of its remaining Major League talent. “We don’t feel like we’ve broken up the ’27 Yankees.” Maybe not, but they’re certainly on there way to assembling the ’62 Mets. While it is the bane of the small market team that it must eventually dump promising players that become too expensive, most still manage to be cyclically competitive. Not the Pirates, though. They resemble the guy in your Fantasy Baseball League that buys his preview magazines on his way to the draft. During Pittsburgh’s current streak of 17 consecutive losing seasons, the Twins, A’s, Marlins, Brewers, Reds, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays and Rays have all managed at least one playoff appearance. What have they done differently than the Pirates? They’ve actually developed the prospects they’ve received in exchange for their stars. But, in Pittsburgh, there exists a revolving door through which even young and relatively inexpensive talent is dispatched. It is not uncommon for a struggling franchise to request the patience of its fans as it rebuilds. Hell, watching young, exciting players earn their stripes is a lot of fun. The Pirates, however, have stripped their fans of even that bit of enjoyment by trading away the very players they said they were building upon just last winter. As for Huntington’s crack about the ’27 Yankees, he has a point. However, while he may not have had this era’s equivalent of Murderer’s Row, a lineup featuring Nate McLouth, Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Adam LaRoche, Ryan Doumit, Aramis Ramirez and Nyjer Morgan would absolutely be a contender in the NL Central… The White Sox acquisition of Jake Peavy smells of desperation, especially since the former Cy Young winner won’t be available for another month… Alex Gordon is back in the Royals lineup but is admittedly not at full strength, as evidenced by his sub-Mendoza BA… Ben Zobrist is now the Rays’ cleanup hitter… With the departure of Nick Johnson to the Marlins, Washington recalled OF Elijah Dukes, who will likely see regular playing time… NL Rookie of the Month, Greg Jones of Pittsburgh, had 10 HR and just 17 RBI… Love Felipe Lopez, playing for a contract, at the top of the Brewers’ lineup… Cleveland will use the newly acquired Justin Masterson as a starter… Brandon Inge has yet to hit a dinger since the All Star break. As predicted here, he’s tailing off but still a prime player if you can use him as a catcher… Andre Ethier, the Dodgers’ leading RBI man is now their #2 hitter…
BUY LOW- John Danks has raised his record to 9-7 in giving the White Sox 3 solid starts since the break… Love Orlando Cabrera’s potential for R, BA and even a few HR hitting in front of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau in Minny… The Tigers skipped rookie Rick Porcello’s turn once before the break and then slotted him into the back end of the rotation afterward, essentially giving him more than two weeks off. The rest has done him wonders, as he’s been dominant in his last two outings… Jarrod Washburn should see his W total get a nice bump now that he’s in Detroit… D’Backs OF Gerardo Parra leads all NL rookies in RBI… Adam LaRoche spent a week in Boston before returning to Atlanta, where he can resume his annual assault on the season’s second half…
SELL HIGH- Were it not for his HR prowess, Tampa’s Carlos Pena would be listed in the Drop Zone instead. As it is, unless you’re desperate for power, dump his .216 BA… All Star closer, Andrew Bailey, leads AL rookies with 14 S but may not see a lot of opportunities the rest of the way if the A’s rotation continues to struggle. Their ERA for July was 6.34…
GRAB BAG- With manager Dave Trembley souring on Melvin Mora, Ty Wigginton will likely get regular playing time at 3B… The Royals recalled Kyle Davies, who struggled early in the season but went 4-2, 2.14 in AAA Omaha… Sean O’Sullivan, fresh off a AAA no-hitter, may be an option to supplant Joe Saunders in the Angels’ rotation. He’s 3-0, 3.72 for Los Angeles this year… Rangers’ rookie Neftali Feliz, he of the 100 MPH fastball, will be used out of the pen and could get a look in the ninth inning if Frank Francisco continues to deal with health issues… Jason Frasor is Toronto’s first choice as closer with Scott Downs on the DL… Love Nick Johnson in the middle of the Marlins’ order. He’s a great OBP option…
DROP ZONE- Milwaukee’s Braden Looper has become a BP pitcher since the break, going winless while watching his ERA balloon to 5.16… Pull the plug on Detroit’s Armando Gallaraga before Jim Leyland does and chalk up last season’s numbers as a fluke… Minnesota’s Glen Perkins gave the Twinkies one solid start after coming off the DL and then reverted back to his struggling form in his next outing. Can’t wait on a guy with a 5.42 ERA that’s on the rise… Melvin Mora has lost his starting job in Baltimore and has started whining about a lack of respect from the manager…
SICK BAY- Kansas City’s Gil Meche may return from a back problem this weekend. Remember, though, back is a four letter word… Blue Jays’ stopper Scott Downs is on the 15 day DL with a foot injury… Carlos Zambrano left his last start with a bad back, something that will likely continue until he addresses his large front… Astros’ OF Willy Taveras missed four starts with a bad wrist… Milwaukee place OF Corey Hart on the DL after an appendectomy…
While Major League Baseball marks its trade deadline tomorrow afternoon at 4 
PM, many Fantasy Baseball owners have a little more time to digest the MLB moves and act accordingly. In the Hausier’s Krowedum Fantasy Baseball League, owners have until August 5th before trades are no longer an option for improvement. The deals started last week as players like Roy Halladay, Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard turned up on the rosters of the teams at the top, acquired from those out of the running. With many fantasy leagues facing deadlines over the next few weeks, it seems like a good time to discuss trade strategy and protocol from both sides of the transaction.
Contenders should always target statistical categories when making a trade and factor potential monetary gains into a player’s valuation. For instance, if you find that there is potential for a bump of three points in a tightly bunched ERA category and the prize for winning your league is $500, you should give up significantly more for Joel Pineiro or Jarrod Washburn than you would have back in April or May. They may not be players worthy of a high draft pick or stud keeper under normal circumstances but they are when you can win. Don’t underbid.
Be alert for peripheral deals that can help you by hurting your opposition. Earlier this week in the HK League, Bobby Carr found his Skippy Shakes looking up at the Shady Gradys. Carr saw that he had a big lead in HR and was locked into 6th place in SB; 20 behind and 20 ahead of his closest rivals. The Gradys however had a slim 2 SB lead over the Four Horsemen. As Carr is just 6 points behind the second place Gradys in the overall standings, he sent Alex Rios to the Horsemen, hoping the addition would vault the Horsemen to the top of the category and take a valuable point away from a rival. A deal like this can be more valuable to you than an acquisition.
If you’re back in the pack and find yourself selling instead of buying, act quickly, as the contenders will be willing to give up only so much and you could be left holding the bag. Such is the case for Ken Jankowski of GMoney, who came out of the HK Fantasy Baseball draft with a team full of studs that would soon end up on the DL. Disappointed, Kenny set out to improve draft position for next year. The problem was, the four contenders had already made a number of deals for high draft picks and there wasn’t a lot left. He moved Alex Rodriguez for a 2nd rounder and as of this writing was still holding Mark Teixeira without a deal in sight.
Finally, if you are a seller, don’t just turn your attention to your Fantasy Football Draft as soon as the deadline passes. Keep an eye on your team as it is your responsibility to help maintain the integrity of the standings. You don’t have to grab free agents every day, especially if it’ll cost you money, but you owe it to the rest of the league to replace injured player
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Buy Low- Don’t let Cliff Lee’s record fool you. After a rough April, he’s spent the last three months throwing every bit as well as he did in winning the Cy Young last year. Now that he’s in Philly, look for the W to pile up… Despite a seven game win streak, Rockies’ starter Aaron Cook remains a free agent in some mixed leagues. Even if he’s not, see if his owner’s been paying attention… Cole Hamels has put three strong starts together since the break and might be a nice deadline pickup for your squad… Might be your last chance to
Sell High- The Orioles are actively looking to move George Sherrill with the Dodgers as one of the destinations. With Jonathan Broxton entrenched in the closer’s role, Sherrill would no longer be a source for S… Tampa’s James Shields is winless in his last 7 starts… Rangers’ 2B Ian Kinsler has struggled for two months while his BA has dropped to .242. If you’re NOT in a keeper league, he’d bring a boat load of draft picks… Clint Barmes’ slump has gotten so bad that Rockies’ manager Jim Tracy recently dropped him from 2nd to 8th in the batting order…
Grab Bag- Cubs’ C Koyie Hill has started every game since Geovany Soto went down with an injury. OF/3B is his only backup… Bronson Arroyo has put together quite a few solid starts over the last two months and could see his value leap if he’s traded to a contender… This might be your last chance to pick up the red hot Josh Willingham. Hope you read Moonlight two weeks ago…
Drop Zone- No room at the inn for Ben Francisco, who moves from the Indians’ OF to the Phillies’ bench… Magglio Ordonez needs just 130 plate appearances for a 2010 option for $18 million kicks in. The way he’s hitting, can’t see the Tigers allowing that to happen… Royals’ reliever, Juan Cruz, is 0-2 with two blown saves since the All Star break… Despite the Angels’ success, Joe Saunders continues to struggle with a 6.58 ERA over his last 11 starts… Chad Tracy is no longer an option in even the deepest of NL only leagues as the D’Backs look to the future…
Sick Bay- Carlos Beltran estimates he is 2-3 weeks away from a return to the Mets lineup after sitting out with a bone bruise in his knee… Yanks’ hurler Chien Ming Wang will undergo season ending surgery, as will Twins’ starter Kevin Slowey… Seattle 3B Adrian Beltre is expected back from a shoulder injury in two weeks… Houston’s Lance Berkman is on the 15 day DL with a strained calf…
