The trade deadline is likely looming over the horizon for most fantasy leagues, so we figured it would be a good time to identify the buy high/sell low steals of the season.

This advice doesn’t necessarily mean you should force trades; but that you make sure to not just give guys away for the sake of making a move. Likewise, ensure that you’re getting fair bang for your buck. Most of these moves should be made sooner rather than later to prevent other fantasy owners from catching on. Read more »

Cleveland Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona and Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday were placed on the disabled list on Sunday, joining pretty good company as injured stars nursing early wounds. Carmona will miss four weeks with a strained right hip, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, and the Denver Post reported that Holliday was deactivated with a strained left hamdstring.

Jake Westbrook will take Carmona’s spot in the rotation and start on Wednesday vs. the White Sox. Paul Hoynes at the Plain Dealer went on to say:

One more thing, Jake Westbrook is ready to reclaim his spot in the starting rotation. He’ll be activated for Wednesday’s start against the Chicago White Sox, which works out well considering Carmona’s left hip injury.

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Injuries and ineffectivness have been causes for a shakeup in our Week 7 player rankings. Preseason No. 1 Alex Rodriguez (quad) still clings to a top-five position as he nears a return from the disabled list. Meanwhile, slugging first basemen Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and David Ortiz are all on the decline because of sluggish starts.

The hottest hitter in baseball, Houston first baseman Lance Berkman, charges from the No. 20 spot all the way to No. 5 behind a remarkable May, in which he has hit .574 with seven homers and 18 RBIs. Alfonso Soriano is also on a tear, moving into our top 10 with five home runs and 10 RBIs over his last five games. Read more »

The debate can rage on about whether New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain’s post-strikeout celebrations are excessive. He’s made it perfectly clear to Goose Gossage, David Dellucci, and whoever else is listening that he’s not changing for any of them.

To harp on the subject seems like a waste of time, a circular argument that leads to one conclusion: today’s players are different, for better or worse. It is true that today’s players play more for the name on their backs of their jerseys and less for the logo on the front. We are coming to terms with that. Read more »

Monday’s games began early with a couple of doubleheaders in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Both doubleheaders featured shutouts in Game 1, as three Pirates combined to blank the Atlanta Braves 5-0 and the Tribe beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 on a five-hitter by right-hander Fausto Carmona. 

The night ended with a couple of American League West shootouts and yet another three-hit effort from world’s hottest hitter Lance Berkman. In between, the Cubs smacked the Padres, Rays pitcher Matt Garza shut down the Yankees, and the following stories unfolded. Read more »

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa announced on Saturday that Jason Isringhausen will be removed from the closer role after blowing his fifth save of the season on Friday night. Ryan Franklin and Russ Springer are expected to share ninth inning duties, though Isringhausen could return to the role later this season.

Isringhausen had a 1-4 record, 11 saves and a 7.47 ERA in 18 appearances. LaRussa will likely play matchups in determining to use either Franklin or Springer in save situations. Read more »

The simple answer to this question is: a 25-year old rookie outfielder for the Texas Rangers, who is not in any way related to former Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees third baseman Wade Boggs.

I think you’ll find it easy to believe:

He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 draft out of Georgia Tech and made his major league debut on April 29, 2008 against the Kansas City Royals. After a 3-for-4 performance in the Rangers’ 4-0 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night, Boggs raised his season average to .385 to go along with two home runs and eight RBIs in 11 games.

The obvious follow-up question is, can he keep it up? And the answer to that one: It’s too early to tell. But, let’s try and work through what we know and make an educated guess. Read more »

In fantasy, rookies come in all positions and prices. Some of them enter the majors with much fanfare and expectations, while others are well-kept secrets until they drop big stats into a smart owner’s lap. This year, however, untested superprospects such as Evan Longoria and Jay Bruce have failed to take off; Bruce hasn’t even made the majors yet for Cincinnati, who have a fairly promising crop of rookies even without him.

So which rookies and other first-time starters are making a big splash at their positions after over a month of play? The all-freshman (and some sophomores) team from both leagues includes: Read more »

When asked by the Los Angeles Times about the possibility of the game’s best pitching prospect, 20-year old left-hander Clayton Kershaw, taking injured Esteban Loaiza’s spot in the Dodgers rotation, manager Joe Torre could neither confirm nor deny. “You’ll have to wait and see,” Torre said about Kershaw’s possible promotion from Double-A Jacksonville.

The L.A. Times story points out that the writing is on the wall in several regards for Kershaw’s arrival. Loaiza’s injury obviously opens a void in the rotation, one that Torre said would not be filled by the other logical choice, starter/reliever Hong-Chih Kuo. Kershaw certainly helped his own cause in his last start (May 2), throwing 6.2 shutout innings against the Tennessee Smokies with general manager Ned Colletti in the stands. Read more »

Minnesota Twins outfielder Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle in the team’s 7-0 win over the Chicago White Sox Wednesday night. Gomez led off the game with a homer, then proceeded to strike out, triple, double and single in his next four at-bats. He displayed each of the explosive skills that made him the headliner in a five-player deal for pitcher Johan Santana.

Gomez has, dare I say, Jose Reyes-like abilities in center field. All the way from speed - Gomez was widely considered the fastest player in the Mets clubhouse in 2007 - to the 15-home run power and flair for playing the game. The offensive talents have needed a lot of polish and patience, but his rocket arm and ability to energize the Twins lineup have afforded him the full-time opportunity. Read more »