One interesting item to note each season is how teams handle their underperforming young players, especially those who have garnered top prospect status. Confidence is key, so clubs must be cautious in their decision to bench a rookie, demote him, or let him play through his struggles. Demotions make for interesting storylines because a player can, and often does, come back to the majors more prepared than ever for sustained success.

Four players come to mind as going that route in ‘08. The most heralded of the group was Twins left-hander Francisco Liriano, who was called up for an early test in his first major league action since 2006 Tommy John surgery. Liriano crashed and burned in the earlyaudition and was sent to Triple-A Rochester, where he went 10-0 in his final 11 starts and hit the ground running upon his recall to Minnesota. Read more »

Colorado Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart got a nice boost to his fantasy value on Sunday when the Denver Post reported that first baseman Todd Helton suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury. The newspaper said that Helton may miss the remainder of the season, which would open the door for Stewart to play every day at third base.

This announcement should leave little reason for Stewart to remain on the waiver wire in standard 10 and 12 team fantasy leagues. The 23-year old entered the season as Colorado’s top offensive prospect, according to Baseball America, and he proceeded to hit .280 with 19 home runs in just 257 at-bats at Triple-A Colorado Springs. Read more »

Power makes a fantasy offense tick, so when a team doesn’t have it, competing for a league championship becomes doubly hard. Beyond the traditional big bats in fantasy - Pujols, A-Rod, Holliday, etc. - power can be scarce along the way. The Dirty Half Dozen is here to help, with six power hitting prospects available in at least 90 percent of ESPN.com leagues.

The centerpieces of this list all have a common tale to tell, having bounced back and forth between the majors and minors. But, none of those three players - Colorado’s Ian Stewart, Kansas City’s Billy Butler and Toronto’s Adam Lind - have lost their top prospect status. And each of them will be better for their experiences in the minors. Read more »

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Adam Lind is getting a second chance to make a first impression. The sweet-swinging 24-year old got off to a rough start in his first callup of the season, going 1-for-19 to earn a quick demotion back to Triple-A Syracuse. But, in new manager Cito Gaston, Lind finds himself back in a big league uniform and with the best opportunity of his career.

Gaston has already said that playing Lind every day will be an organizational goal. He cites the fact that Lind has hit at every level he’s been and that he just needs to consistently be in the lineup to do the same in the majors. Gaston, taking over for John Gibbons who was fired last Friday, is also regarded as one of the best hitting instructors in the game; an obvious benefit to Lind. Read more »

There is a little bit of everything in available in the offensive player pool this week. There’s a great option for prospect watchers in Toronto’s Adam Lind and raw power in St. Louis’ Ryan Ludwick and Seattle’s Richie Sexson. Speed and middle infield help are also available in doses with Washington’s Felipe Lopez and Houston’s Kazuo Matsui.

Personal feeling is that Lind ends up being the best of this bunch. He’s got all the tools to make a big splash early and grow into a star. Besides, don’t young, exciting players make it more fun to manage a fantasy team? Read more »