SOX SWAP: Jed Lowrie and Mark Melancon swap laundry.

The Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox made a trade last week that sent Astros’ closer Mark Melancon to the Red Sox in exchange for infielder Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland.

Who Will Nab Red Sox Closer Role?

Mark Melancon had 20 saves for Houston this year, going 8-4 with a 2.78 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 71 relief outings during his first full major league season.  He was the Astros closer for the final five months of the season.  Melancon is not your typical high heat closer as his best pitch is his curve ball.

It remains to be seen as to where Melancon fits in the Boston plans.  He could be a setup man or he could be an insurance policy if the Sox don’t pick up the A’s Andrew Bailey in a trade or sign free agent Ryan Madson from the Phillies.  If Madson signs with the Red Sox, it will simply be a closer swap between Philadelphia and Boston as Jonathan Papelbon is now in that role with the Phillies.  Depending on what happens with the closer role, the Red Sox may choose to move Daniel Bard into a starting role.

If Melancon is going to be the closer, Red Sox GM Ben Cherrington is certainly not letting on.  “We believe he’s definitely capable of closing and capable of pitching in the ninth inning for us,” Cherington said. “But those are questions for Bobby [Valentine], with help from his pitching coach, during spring training to answer and figure out the right roles for everyone.”

Fantasy Baseball Projection 2012: Mark Melancon — Obviously, Melancon’s value depends on whether he is indeed going to be the closer in Boston or not.  Set up guys get no respect in fantasy baseball so we’ll wait and see what Melancon’s ultimate value is.

Jed Lowrie – Sleeper Pick for 2012

HIGH FIVE: Jed Lowrie is our first fantasy baseball sleeper for 2012.

Lowrie, 27, has been plagued with a series of injuries that have put him on the DL at least once over each of the last three seasons.  A healthy Lowrie that is given the chance to play every day in 2012 would make him a solid infield sleeper product, especially since Lowrie played all four infield positions last year.

He’s a switch hitter, but does not hit well from the left side.  Over the past three years, he’s at .209 versus righties and .322 versus lefties.  Makes you wonder if he should be going both ways at all.

“For me it’s about playing, and that’s always what I’ve wanted,” Lowrie said. “Hopefully, I get that opportunity in Houston.”

On a team that is struggling for veteran leadership, the career .252 hitter Lowrie will likely get that chance.

Fantasy Baseball Projection 2012: Jed Lowrie — Jed Lowrie could have a breakout year in 2012.  For a young guy, he’s had his share of injuries already.  He’ll be given the chance to play every day in Houston for the first time in his career and will be tutored on how to hit better from the port side.  Lowrie is our first sleeper named for the 2012 season.  With less pressure to produce in Houston, we think Lowrie will be a .265 hitter with 12 home runs.  He’s not much a base stealing threat at all, but his ability to play all four infield positions make him a late round pick in deep mixed leagues or National League only leagues.

Kyle Weiland Role with Astros

Kyle Weiland appears to be the throw-in to the deal.  Weiland spent most of last year in the minors, but did get called up and got shelled to the tune of a 03 record and 7.66 ERA.  He will be given a chance to earn a spot in the Astros’ starting rotation for 2012.

Fantasy Baseball Projection 2012: Kyle Weiland — Kyle Weiland is currently a long shot to participate on any fantasy baseball roster for 2012.

Astros Closer Role

With Melancon gone, the Astros do not have a clear cut closer for the 2012 season.  Brandon Lyon was their guy, but lost the job in May after an injury and struggling mightily.  Lyon has experience as a closer, but he’ll be in the last year of his contract in 2012 so it would likely follow the formula that any coveted experienced player would be traded for stockpiling two young players in return as the Astros did in this deal.

The closer role for Houston last year was nothing short of a disaster.  The Astros had 25 blown saves, third largest in the MLB, in 50 games!

If Lyon is not the guy or he is dealt for prospects, Wilton Lopez is a guy who could step into that role for 2012.  Another possibility is converted catcher, David Carpenter who can hit 95 MPH.

Another possibility is right-hander Juan Abreu, acquired from the Braves in last summer’s Michael Bourn trade.  He struck out 12 batters in 6 2/3 innings in his Major League debut last season and has been clocked at 99 MPH.

A final possibility is hard-throwing Rhiner Cruz who was acquired in the Rule 5 Draft earlier this month. He hit 98 mph last spring, but has struggled to control his pitches. He walked 39 batters and struck out 51 in 58 2/3 innings last year at Double-A Binghamton for the Mets.

Fantasy Baseball Projection 2012:  Brandon Lyon — It’s a wait and see game for Brandon Lyon as the Astros’ closer.  It is likely that Lyon will open the season as the Astros closer, but be dealt by June.

Fantasy Baseball Dugout takes a look at the winners and losers thus far in the 2011 free agent market.  Which players will perform better in their new homes and which players will struggle.  We take a look.

Philly Phans will love Papelbon's energy on the mound.

Albert Pujols:  Cardinals –> Angels  Value: Slightly Up

With the PED charge looming against Ryan Braun, Albert Pujols at age 32 just may be the #1 pick again in the 2012 fantasy baseball draft.  Pujols has fared well in his career as both a DH (.360) and against the American League (.348) so we don’t expect any decline.  The only slight concern is that Pujols is coming off of his worst season ever, although worst season for Albert Pujols means .299/37/99/9.  By being fully healthy and able to take a day off as the DH occasionally, Pujols’ hitting should improve over his 2011 season.

Joe Nathan: Twins –> Rangers  Value: Up

No matter where Joe Nathan went, his value over his 2010 and 2011 seasons was bound to be up.  That’s because Nathan spent all of 2010 on the shelf after having Tommy John surgery and he sat out most of the 2011 season.  Nathan was baseball’s save leader from 2004 through 2009 and had a combined 1.87 ERA which was better than Mariano Rivera’s 1.90.  Nathan, age 37, is healthy for 2012 and he’s on a great team, but you have to question his durability given the past two seasons so that will cause his fantasy value to drop despite being the closer on the team that has been to two consecutive World Series.

Jonathan Papelbon:  Red Sox –> Phillies  Fantasy Value: Neutral

Jonathan Papelbon moves from one very good team to another.  He’ll surely get his share of saves in Philadelphia, at least on the days that Roy Halladay doesn’t pitch.  Papelbon has blown just 14 saves in the past 3 seasons in Boston, despite struggling a bit in the 2010 season when many fans were calling for fireballing Daniel Bard to take his spot.  There won’t be such competition in Philadelphia where his job is secure with set up men Daniel Bastardo and Jose Contreras.

More Homeruns are in the cards for Cuddyer in 2012.

Heath Bell: Padres –> Marlins  Fantasy Value: Neutral

Heath Bell is the clear closer in Miami now that Leo Nunez’s true identity has been discovered as Juan Carlos Oviedo.  Nunez, or Oviedo, is currently on the restricted list from MLB, thus giving Bell the clear access to the closer position.  Over the past three years, Bell’s 132 have been as consistent as a warm San Diego day.  Bell is moving from one of the best pitcher’s parks in the Majors to another pitchers’ park in Miami.  He will have another 40+ save season for the new look Marlins.

Jose Reyes: Mets –> Marlins  Fantasy Value: Neutral to Up

A 6 year, $106 million contract lured Reyes to Miami.  Reyes is coming off of a great 2011 season in which he put up some big numbers, despite missing 36 games.  He will be moving to the leadoff spot with a revived Hanley Ramirez in the 3 hole and Mike Stanton hitting cleanup.  If your league counts runs scored, Reyes value is up.

Huston Street: Rockies –> Padres  Fantasy Value: Up

Anytime an already good pitcher can move from Coors Field to Petco Park, you have to think that his value is going up, way up.  Coors Field was #1 in runs scored in 2011 and Petco Park was # 28.  Pitchers’ ERA’s at Coors was 4.89 and at Petco it was 2.91.  As for Street, he was 5.59/1.41 at Coors and 2.51/1.02 on the road.  I have a feelign Street is happy to be in San Diego.

Mark Buehrle: White Sox –> Marlins  Fantasy Value: Up

Mark Buehrle has pitched a perfect game and a no hitter in his career.  He’s also started an all-star game.  That being said, he’s never had an ERA below 3.00 in his 12 seasons with the White Sox.  Buehrle has all the makings of improved stats in 2012.  First of all, he moves from the park that is easiest in the league to hit a homerun, US Cellular Field, to the new Marlins Ballpark.  Second, he moves to the National League where ERA’s are always improved.  Third, his history shows a lifetime 3.32 ERA in inter-league play and a 24-6 record against the NL.  That compares to 3.89 and 137-113 against AL opponents.  In the past 7 seasons, Buehrle is 16-2 and 2.29 against the National League in 25 starts.

Josh Willingham:  A’s –> Twins  Fantasy Value: Down

Willingham is coming off a great year with Oakland in 2011 where he set career marks in homeruns (29), RBI (98), and runs (69).  Willingham has hit in pitchers’ parks for his entire career with Oakland, Washington, and Florida so he’s no stranger to hitting in the caverns of Target Field.  Willingham has never hit for much of an average and he strikes out a lot.  Don’t expect that to change, but we don’t see Willingham being able to match those 29 home runs in Minnesota.

C.J. Wilson: Rangers –> Angels  Fantasy Value: Up

Wilson is the biggest signing of the year not named Albert.  He’ll join Dan Haren and Jared Weaver on a starting pitching staff rivaled only by the Phillies.  A move from Texas to Los Angeles has got to help Wilson’s numbers.  He leaves the #1 hitters park according to Park Factor and moves to the #27 hitters park.  According to Baseball Reference, he leaves a home run index of 111 to 93 in Los Angeles.  Wilson loved pitching on the road where he’d been 2.56/1.18 versus 3.70/1.25 at home in Texas.

Aramis Ramirez: Cubs –> Brewers  Fantasy Value: Down

Ramirez joins a Brewers team that is likely going to be without Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.  That won’t help Ramirez’s protection in the lineup.  Aramis Ramirez had a solid 2011 season at .306/26/93/1.  Ramirez liked Wrigley.  He won’t fare as well in Milwaukee in 2012 although the Brewers will like him a lot more than Casey McGehee.

Michael Cuddyer: Twins –> Rockies  Fantasy Value: Up Considerably

Every fantasy baseball manager should wish that his players moved to Colorado.  Cuddyer has always been a solid player but playing in Target Field kept him to being ranked as the 95th best fantasy player last year by ESPN.  He’ll like hitting in Colorado where he should surpass his 29 homerun season of 2009.  At Coors Field, 10.7% of all fly balls leave the park; in Target, it’s only 7.6%.  One of the added values of Cuddyer is that he actually qualifies as a second baseman having played 17 games at second in 2011.  That should help his draft position dramatically.  He’ll likely hit between Tulowitzki and Helton and is capable of a .300 season with 30+ home runs in Colorado.

Nathan's durability is in question.

The deal sends Neftali Feliz, who saved 72 games over the past two seasons, into the Rangers’ starting rotation where he will be more valuable in real baseball, but likely less valuable in fantasy baseball.  Moving Feliz to the rotation means that the Rangers are likely not going to be able to sign C.J. Wilson who is testing the free agent waters.

Nathan, 37, had received interest from 10 teams and received firm offers from six.  After sitting down with general manager Nolan Ryan, he decided to make the move to Texas.  At 37, the decision to play for a contender played a big part in his decision.

“The Twins were a team we loved, my family loved being with,” Nathan said. “At the same time, I felt like I didn’t know which direction they were heading.”

And, there’s certainly no doubt where the Rangers are heading after playing in the World Series for two consecutive seasons.

There is, however, reason for concern with Nathan.  He sat out all of the 2010 season after Tommy John surgery.  His comeback in 2011 was not stellar and he spent time on the DL with a flexor muscle strain.  He had 14 saves and an ERA of 4.84.  At his prime from 2006-2009, Nathan was one of the most consistent closers in the game with a sparkling WHIP of 0.91.  His 2011 WHIP came in at 1.16.  His K’s in that time period dropped from 10.9/9 to 8.7/9.

Part of the reason for Nathan’s poor 2011 season was his 7.63 ERA in April in May while walking 5.4/9.  After coming back from a muscle strain injury, his ERA was 3.38 and his walk ratio dropped to 1.5/9.  Clearly, for the investment that the Rangers made, they are counting on the second half Nathan and the numbers he put up after the disabled list stint.

Durability seemed to be a problem last year.  With 1 day rest (17 games) his opponents’ batting average was .371.  With 2 days off (12 games), it was .234 and with 3+ days off (13 games), it was .185.

2011 Fantasy Baseball Projection: Joe Nathan — I would proceed with caution with Joe Nathan for the 2012 season.  Arlington is more of a hitters park although Nathan has saved 8 of his 9 opportunities there and has an ERA below 2.00 in Texas.  Nathan sat out all of the 2010 season and at age 37, he is clearly in his last stop of his career.  He has not been effective since age 34 and has shown an inability to pitch every day.  His lack of durability and injury concerns, along with a fastball drop to 92.3 MPH last year, makes me nervous.  That being said, the reason you pick up a closer is for saves, not ERA, and Nathan will certainly get chances with the Rangers.   A good backup choice might be to handcuff Koji Uehara or Mike Adams as a late round supplemental pick if you decide to pick up Nathan, especially since Nathan may be rested from closing on consecutive days.

Justin Verlander, Yahoo's fantasy baseball MVP

Many voters simply won’t vote for a pitcher, because he doesn’t play every day and because there already is an award for the Most Valuable Pitcher — the Cy Young Award.  It’s kind of like the kid who was born on December 27th.  Let’s face it, the parents just hold one Christmas present back for the birthday.

But, if you ask Yahoo, its fantasy baseball MVP is Justin Verlander.  Well, at least Justin Verlander is on many of the top fantasy baseball teams in its vast database of leagues.  Of the top teams in Yahoo’s fantasy baseball stats service, the powerful Tiger pitcher is on 37.2% of the top Yahoo fantasy teams.

With Verlander, its easy to see why he is such a coveted pick.  He’s simply having a phenomenal year.  Verlander leads the MLB in wins (22), innings pitched (229), strikeouts (232) and a microscopic WHIP of 0.91.  Add to that an ERA of 2.44 and a batting average against of .191 and the season Verlander is putting together is one of the best in recent memory.

The second best MVP is an interesting one.  Toronto’s Brett Lawrie is held on 35.8% of the top Yahoo squads.  Lawrie, 21, hit .353 for Las Vegas with 24 doubles, six triples, 18 home runs and 61 RBIs before getting the call by the Blue Jays on August 4.  Lawrie, acquired in the off-season in the Shaun Marcum deal, has shown that his minor league stats were no fluke.  Lawrie’s line on the year is .312/9/23/6 since coming up to The Show.

Lawrie’s reason for being on Yahoo’s MVP list is based on the fact that top managers knew his value.  They either picked him up early in the season and sat on him or made the move to add him to their squad when Toronto made the move.  The rich get richer when it comes to fantasy baseball managers who are on the ball and read Fantasy Baseball Dugout’s August 5 post which headlined that tabbed Brett Lawrie as a “must add free agent.” We certainly weren’t wrong on that one.

The third most rostered player among Yahoo’s best fantasy teams is Jordan Walden of the Angels.  Fernando Rodney started the year pegged as the Angels closer, but he faltered early and manager Mike Sciosia said on April 5 that Jordan Walden would be his closer, at least in the short term, based on Walden’s dominant Spring and Rodney’s struggles. ”If it lasts all season and Jordan takes off and runs with it, fine,” Scioscia said. “If it’s Fernando, that’s fine, too. We don’t have to answer that today.”

They do today.  While Walden has been far from perfect in the closer role with 29 saves and 9 blown saves, he hasn’t lost his job all year and Rodney has only 3 saves all year.

Walden has a plus fastball that’s hit 100 mph at times with plenty of sink to boot. When he can locate it, he’s a deadly and imposing closer.  His slider is inconsistent, but it has bite and works to give hitters a different look. Pitching in relief means he no longer has to worry about that third pitch and he uses his change-up only on rare occasions.  Maturity will surely help Walden become a more dominant closer in the future.  Walden won’t blow 9+ saves next season.

Here’s a look at a few that we think will have the biggest impact in the 2011 stretch run.

JESUS IS COMING: Montero will take some DH at bats from Posada down the stretch.

Jesus Montero, Catcher, New York Yankees — Jesus Montero is hitting .290/18/67 at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre.  He’s been sizzling lately with 5 homeruns in his last 7 games.  Montero, 21, was expected to compete with Francisco Cervelli for the Yankees starting catcher job in Spring Training, but then the Yanks acquired Russell Martin instead.  Expect Montero to get some action as the DH as the Yankees try to see if he has a better bat for post-season than Jorge Posada.  In fact, look for Montero to get the start on Thursday night when the Yankees face southpaw Jon Lester.

“I could DH him, and I wouldn’t be afraid to put him behind the plate,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I don’t know if I would start him in a game, just because the relationship between pitchers and catchers takes time to build. Our catchers are a lot more familiar with the pitchers than him, but it’s not a guy that I’d be afraid to put in.”

Montero is the 6th top prospect in the Majors and the very top rated catcher.

David Cooper, First Base, Toronto Blue Jays — Cooper stunk early in the season in Toronto, hitting just .121 in 13 games.  He will get his chance in September, however, with current first baseman Adam Lind looking to make a move to DH.  If he performs like he has in the minors, Toronto fans will love him.  Cooper hit .375 with 9 homers and 65 RBI’s in the minors.  Cooper is a good pickup if you are in a battle for batting average in your fantasy baseball league.

Leonys Martin, Outfield, Texas Rangers — Leonys Martin, a Cuban defector, is an interesting story.  With Nelson Cruz on the DL, the Rangers called up Martin on Tuesday.  He will see some action and is an outside chance as a late season pickup in deep fantasy leagues.  Martin, 23, has hit .263 with no homers and 17 RBIs in 40 games (175 at-bats) for Triple-A Round Rock. He has a combined .295 batting average and 19 stolen bases in the minors this season with Arizona, Double-A Frisco and Round Rock.  The Rangers signed him to a $15 million deal this off season so he must be good.

Anthony Rizzo, First Base, San Diego Padres — Rizzo stunk early in the year, hitting just .143 for the Padres.  But, Rizzo has been tearing up the minors with 26 homeruns.  Jesus Guzman has been playing well for the Padres, however, so Rizzo’s playing time may be limited.  If Jesus Guzman is available in your league, take a look. He’s hitting .330 with 35 RBI, 5 HR’s, and 8 SB’s since coming up.

Julio Teheran, Pitcher, Atlanta Braves — Julio Teheran would likely be in the starting rotation on any club except Atlanta and Philadelphia.  Teheran was named the International League Pitcher of the Year this week.  He was 15-2, 2.22.  He will likely stay in Gwinnet until the playoffs are over.  If he’s up by September 8, and rested, he could get the start against the Mets in a doubleheader.

Jacob Turner, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers – The Detroit Tigers aren’t wasting time with Jacob Turner.  Detroit will keep rookie pitcher Turner around after he makes his second career start Thursday.  Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Turner will be used as protection in case the team has a rainout and needs another pitcher to start a game down the stretch.  Turner was the Tigers first round pick in 2009.  Turner was an ordinary 4-5, 3.44 with two minor league clubs this year.

Edinson Volquez, Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds – Edinson Volquez will get a call up on Monday. He’ll likely spend a few outings in the bullpen and then enter the rotation.  As a rookie in 2008, Volquez won 17 games for the Reds.

Brett Jackson, Outfield, Chicago Cubs – Promoted to Triple-A Iowa in July, Jackson has excelled. In 43 games thus far, Jackson is hitting .319 with nine HR, 25 RBI and .954 OPS. Jackson’s defense has also been exceptional, with eight assists thus far.  With the uncertainty of Alfonso Soriano’s future, Jackson could find himself in the Cubs’ outfield next season with a strong showing in September.  He’s got to be better than Tyler Colvin.

Wilin Rosario, Catcher, Colorado Rockies — Chris Ianetta has not impressed and is only signed through 2012 so the backstop job appears to be Rosario’s.  Rosario might have gotten a serious look in September, but won’t due to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers being in playoff contention.  Therefore, Rosario’s debut for the Rockies will likely be delayed, thus making him as attractive for a fantasy baseball September call-up.

Chris Carter, First Base, Oakland A’s — Carter has 187 minor league homers, but has struggled during his brief call-ups to the Bigs.  He likely won’t be able to join the club until as late as September 11 due to minor league playoffs.  After his arrival, expect him to be used mostly as a pinch hitter so he is not worth a fantasy baseball pickup.

Steve Lombardozzi, Second Base, Washington Nationals – Following in the footsteps of his father, Washington Nationals infield prospect Steve Lombardozzi is thriving in Triple-A and on the verge of reaching the major leagues.  At Harrisburg and Syracuse this year, he’s hitting .315/.366/.443 with 24 doubles, nine triples, eight homers, 36 walks, 71 strikeouts, and 27 steals in 517 at-bats.  Danny Espinosa has stated publicly that he does not want to give up any playing time to a September call up, but with the Nationals out of the race, look for Lombardozzi to get a few chances to play in September.

Bryan LaHair, First Base, Chicago Cubs — Bryan LaHair set the Iowa Cubs homerun record this year with 37 so he is certainly deserving of a look in Chicago in September.  That being said, LaHair is 28 and likely is blocked with the big salaries being earned by Carlos Pena and Aramis Ramirez.

Mat Gamel, First Base, Milwaukee Brewers – With a line of .320 BA, 28 HR, 96 RBI at Triple-A this season, he has proven worthy of a chance, and at 25 years old, he has little more to gain in the minors.  Gamel hits .367 off righties and only .209 against lefties, so it’s rather obvious as to what his niche role in September may be: pinch-hit specialist against right-handed pitchers.

Domonic Brown, Outfield, Philadelphia Phillies — Domonic Brown was up with the Phillies earlier, but did not take advantage of his opportunities and was demoted when Hunter Pence came to town.  He will get some pinch hit opportunities down the stretcha and will battle John Mayberry Jr. for the left field role vacated by Raul Ibanez next year.

Stephen Strasburg, Pitcher, Washington Nationals — I think you’ve probably heard of this guy.  Read more about the return of Stephen Strasburg here.

Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds

1. Jay Bruce was the NL Player of the month in May hitting 12 HR with 33 RBI. In the other 3 months combined he has 9 HR 24 RBI. 

2. CC Sabathia has been on a roll winning 8 of 9 starts from 6/14-7/26. In his last 7 starts he has allowed only 5 ER. He has done it before. During the 2010 season from 6/3-7/22 he won 9 of 10 starts. The big fella cranks it up a notch once the calendar turns June.

3. In 2010 While Playing in San Diego, 1B Adrian Gonzalez had 118 At bats the entire season with runners in scoring position(RISP) batting .407 with 69 RBI. As of July 26th with the Boston Red Sox this season he already has 130 at bats with RISP driving in 63 Runs while hitting .362. Gonzalez is on pace to have 208 at bats with RISP this year and he is currently the MLB leader in RBI’s. 

4. Reds OF Drew Stubbs has 135 Strikeouts in 401 official at bats. Stubbs is the major league leader in strikeouts so far in 2011. From June 26th to July 20th Stubbs had zero HR, Zero RBI, and 1 SB.

5. Curtis Granderson has been on quite a roll this season. He figured out how to hit Left Handed Pitching. In 2010 Granderson hit .234/.292/.354 with 4 HR and 12 RBI off left handed pitching. His 2011 Season to date Granderson against LHP? .269/.341/.622.  The 317 basis point increase in OPS has produced 11 HR & 30 RBI.

6. DH Adam Dunn has been dreadful this year. How bad is it? Dunn has more walks (51) than base hits (48). He has scored 28 Runs on the season (he averaged 82 runs the past three years). Dunn is 2-68 off LHP this year with 31 K’s.

7. Jered Weaver has been dominant this season. In 22 starts this season Weaver has not pitched fewer than 6.0 innings in any start, has thrown over 100 pitches in each of the 22 starts, and has allowed either one or no earned runs in 14 of those 22 starts.

8. Want to know why the Pirates are still in the hunt for the post season?  Pitching.  During the month of July Pittsburgh’s top three starters have been outstanding. Their ERA’s – James McDonald (1.90), Jeff Karstens (1.61), & Paul Maholm (3.65). For comparison the Philadelphia Phillies big three starters have July ERA’s as follows: Roy Halladay (3.21), Cole Hamels (3.49), & Cliff Lee (4.97). 

9. Justin Masterson just keeps getting better for the Tribe. His April ERA was 2.18, May 3.79, June 2.78, and so far in July 1.43. Masterson, long known for a bit of wildness, has started throwing strikes. He has not walked more than 2 hitters in any of his last seven games started.

10. Two Cubs are going in the opposite directions. OF Alfonso Soriano ended April with 10 HR and 20 RBI. Since May 1st he has a total of 5 HR and 23 RBI. Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez first two months was brutal. He ended May with a YTD total of 2 HR and 19 RBI. Since June 1st it is a much different story – 17 HR and 43 RBI.

11.  Who is the #1 scorer in fantasy baseball over the last 30 days?  None other than superstar…..Errrrrr……..I mean utility man Emilio Bonafacio of the Florida Marlins who has a 26 game hitting streak.  During the streak he has 19 SB’s, batting .380, scored 25 runs, and posted a .480 OBP.  The amazing part is he is still not owned in 15% of all leagues. 

12.  As Fantasy Baseball Dugout pointed out this week, Vance Worley is the current statistical ace of the Phillies.  If you don’t believe me check out these numbers.  He is 7-0 in his last seven starts; he has a .872 WHIP, and has only allowed 6 ER’s in that time frame (47 innings).   The fascinating part about Worley is that in 2010 between AA and AAA he posted pedestrian numbers in the minors but was a late season call up and went 1-1 with a 1.38 ERA in five appearances.   Though he has been mentioned in trade rumors recently Charlie Manuel has come out and said that this kid isn’t going anywhere. 

13.  The Fantasy Baseball Scholars would like to congratulate Dan Uggla for finally getting over the Mendoza line after 60 games being below it.  We don’t know what’s more impressive, the fact he was below .200 for 60 games or the fact it took an 18-game hitting streak to get him over it. 

14.  The often-criticized Mark Buerhle has made 15 consecutive starts giving up 3 ER’s or fewer.   While we still don’t recommend this Animal Rights Activist who loves to hunt deer we thought we would give him credit when it’s deserved.

15.  Hanley Ramirez is starting to turn it on and fantasy owners around the world are rejoicing.  In his last 28 games he has a .421 OBP, hit 5 HR’s, driven in 22 runs, and has stolen 4 bases.   While those numbers aren’t striking, consider he had 6 HR’s, 14 SB’s, and 23 RBI’s in his first 58 games this season. 

16.  We found it interesting that speedster BJ Upton hit his first triple of the season this week.  He is now tied with fellow speed demons Kevin Youkilis, Chipper Jones, Yadier Molina, Pablo Sandoval, John Buck, and the smooth strider Prince Fielder.   We would also like to point out that the hefty Benji Molina had a triple last season and as Mitch Williams alluded to “The last time he had a triple I’m pretty sure it had cheese on it”.  

17.  In light of Carlos Beltran’s trade to the Giants we thought we would point out that he has exactly zero home runs in 22 games played at SBC Park.  It sounds like he will fit in nicely with the rest of the Giants lineup from afar but then again we could see a 2004 Beltran who ignited a fire in Houston and led them to the NLCS.  

18.   This is not the reason we had Joe Mauer as the #4 ranked catcher going into this season but when the former batting champ swings on an 0-2 count he is batting .034 (1-29).  Just so you know, for his career he is a .251 hitter when swinging on 0-2.  Another side note is Joe Mauer is averaging a HR every 166 at bats this season.  Joe Mauer is a great player but is one of the most overrated fantasy baseball players.  

19.  The key to getting Jose Bautista out?  Get ahead in the count.  When he hits while ahead in the count this year he has 17 HR’s, 39 RBI’s, a .607 OBP, and a .392 average.   We know it’s easier said than done but on the flip-side he only has 6 HR’s, 13 RBI’s, a .292 OBP, and a .250 average when the pitcher is ahead in the count when he hits. 

20.  David Wright came back this week so we thought we would take a look at his second half numbers for his career to see what to expect from a fantasy standpoint going forward. 

1st half home runs- 89

2nd half home runs- 88

1st half OBP-  .382

2nd half OBP-  .382

That is not a misprint. 

21.  Think Jacoby Ellsbury is important to Boston?  In their wins he has posted a .428 OBP and in their losses he has posted a .297 OBP.  Ellsbury is the catalyst for this offense and is great at setting the table for the league’s most potent offense. 

We hope you enjoyed the material this week.  Once again, much thanks to Fantasy Baseball Dugout for sharing our thoughts on fantasy baseball.    

The Scholars,

Ryan Jones and Tim Lander

Fantasybaseballscholars.com

Aaron Crow was named an all-star relief pitcher, but with zero saves, he is hardly on any fantasy baseball manager's radar.

FANTASY BASEBALL ALL STAR DUDS

Aaron Crow, Relief Pitcher, Royals — Crow is having a nice rookie season with a 2-2 record , 2.13 ERA, and a 1.18 WHIP.  Crow has no saves and 3 blown saves.  Any fantasy baseball manager that has a set up man like Crow on its roster is probably eating some crow right now.  He has relatively no fantasy baseball value.  Despite a nice ERA and solid WHIP, he hasn’t pitched enough innings (42.1) to have much of an impact on your overall team stats in those categories.  Now, I know, somebody needs to make it from Kansas City so why not Alex Gordon (.301/10/47/) instead?

Chipper Jones, Third Base, Braves — I agree that sometimes you select an aging player based on his career stats and for that reason, nobody is more deserving than the Braves’ Chipper Jones.  He has been the Braves third baseman for so long it’s hard to remember who even played the hot corner in Atlanta prior to him.  But, his stats thus far in 2011 are less than spectacular: .259/8/46/1.

Ryan Vogelsong, Starting Pitcher, Giants — Ryan Vogelsong is a classic case of home cooking.  Manager Bruce Bochy picked his own starter who is having a very good year indeed at 2.17 and 1.19.  But, he has only 6 wins and he didn’t play in the league from 2007 through 2010!  Vogelsong will not have a strong second half.  I happen to think you need to have more than 14 good starts in five years to earn a spot on the squad.

FANTASY BASEBALL ALL STAR SNUBS

Andrew McCutcheon, OF, Pirates — Of all of the pundits who critique all star selections, McCutcheon’s name has come up more than anybody else.  The Pirates are the surprise of the 2011 season and have given life back to baseball in Pittsburgh.  McCutcheon is a 5 tool player that the nation should see play.  And, for savvy fantasy baseball owners, McCutcheon was one of the best drafts of the season at .292/13/49/15.  He can do it all and he should be in Phoenix.

CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees — CC Sabathia is actually a guy who said he didn’t want to play in Phoenix, preferring instead to take a quick vacation to The Bahamas.  Why not?  A-Rod and Jete are not playing in the all star game either.  Sabathia’s numbers are simply outstanding: 12 wins/2.90/1.20/117 K’s.  He should be there.

Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves — Craig Kimbrel leads all of MLB in saves with 27, but didn’t make the cut.  Kimbrel has set a record for most saves by a rookie in the first half of the season.  With 2 wins, a 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, how did Kimbrel get left off of the roster?

Mark Texeira, 1B, Yankees — There are so many good first basemen that it’s easy to see how Tex got missed.  Although his average is a lowly .241, he’s hit 25 dingers with 65 RBI.  That will help your fantasy baseball stats.

Ryan Howard, 1B, Phillies — Albert Pujols isn’t on the team either so it’s not such a snub that Howard is missing from a loaded first base position.  The former MVP, however, has 18 homers to go with 71 RBI.  The RBI total alone should be enough to put him on the team.  Howard’s 71 trails only Prince Fielder at 72 and Adrian Gonzalez at 77.  Not surprisingly, both are first basemen.

Bobby Parnell: Saves Down the Stretch

The Mets remain 10 games behind the Phillies in National League East and 6 1/2 games behind the Wild Card leading Atlanta Braves.  While the New Yorkers have surged lately, with Jose Reyes moving to the DL, is it likely that they will be able to compete for a playoff berth?

Hence, the situation with Francisco Rodriguez.  Should K-Rod finish 55 games this year, his contract calls for an automatic option for the 2012 season at the price of $17.5 million!  Now, keep in mind, we aren’t talking 55 saves here; we are talking 55 games finished.

It’s obviously not manager Terry Collins’ money.  Collins has used Rodriguez in 11 non-save situations already this year, thus giving Rodriguez 34 games finished just shy of the all-star break.

Now, it appears as though super agent Scott Boras is courting K-Rod and sources say that Rodriguez will sign with Boras at the end of the season…if his guaranteed deal for 2012 hasn’t kicked in.  So, it appears as though even Rodriguez believes that he’ll be a free agent next year.  That means he would not have finished the required 55 games.

Unless the Mets make a major push in the weeks immediately following the all-star break, look for K-Rod to be wearing a different uniform by August.  That opens up saves opportunities for fantasy baseball managers.

It’s time to take a look at the logical closer following Rodriguez’s departure.  The only question is whether that closer will be Bobby Parnell or Jason Isringhausen.  Parnell doesn’t have the pedigree of Jason Isringhausen who has 293 career saves, but he’s younger and may be the closer of the future for the Mets.  He’s 2.66/1.31 in 22 relief appearances this year versus Issy’s 3.14/1.19 in 28 innings.  But, Isringhausen has blown all 3 save opportunities he’s had this year.

We don’t believe that the Mets can compete against the Phillies and Braves this year and we also believe the closer for the Mets will be Bobby Parnell by August 1.  We recommend that you pick up Parnell and stash him on your bench until that time comes.  Parnell will help you pick up some saves down the stretch.

Aroldis Chapman needs to be on your inactive roster.

But, when Chapman is not a closer, he has no business being on your roster.  Due to the walks, he’s never going to have a WHIP that is going to help you.  And, unless you play in a league that uses holds, there’s no reason to keep him on your active roster, despite the strikeout ratio.

Recently, things have gone from bad to worse for Chapman.  His performance today against the Cardinals is the proof in the pudding.  Over Chapman’s last 1 1/3 innings pitched, he has given up 10 earned runs on 12 walks and 1 hit by pitch.  Ugly!

For the year, in 11 innings pitched, he’s yielded just 6 hits, but 20 walks against 15 strikeouts.  That translates to a 6.92 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP.

“His arm slot gets too low,” Reds pitching coach Bryan Price told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “He gets across the ball. He’s pulling a lot of balls inside to right-handed hitters.

Fantasy Baseball Dugout Recommendation: Aroldis Chapman — Put Aroldis Chapman on your inactive roster and bring somebody else up.  Anybody.  There’s no reason to suffer through The Cuban Missile’s recent walk-a-thons.  When he starts to throw strikes again, consider bringing him up if you play in deep National League-only leagues.  And, if you own Reds’ closer Francisco Cordero, consider yourself lucky; his job is secure for the remainder of the season.

NO BUGABOOS: Heath Bell, 40 consecutive saves

The Padres’ Heath Bell has converted 40 consecutive saves, a streak that goes back to May 29, 2010.  Bell’s streak of save conversions is the fifth-longest of all time.

Bell is tied with Dennis Eckersley and Trevor Hoffman who also had 40 consecutive saves.  He is within one save of Rod Beck’s 41 straight.  Brad Lidge had 47 consecutive saves in 2008 and 2009.  Tom “Flash” Gordon had 54 consecutive saves with the Red Sox fin 1998 and 1999.

In one of the leagues that I play in, it uses net stolen bases; meaning, stolen bases minus caught stealings.  I have long thought that saves should be handled the same way–saves minus blown saves.  If that category were used in your league, Heath Bell is the guy you would want.