As you get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving in a few weeks, please take a moment to think of John Lackey, because his worst nightmare just came true.

The 30-year-old righty, who posted a 12-5 record with a 3.75 ERA this past regular season, was probably licking his chops at the idea of feasting on feeble AL West lineups in 2009, boosting his numbers before hitting the market as a free agent in 2010. Read more »

Although the 2008 MLB free agency period has yet to set sail, one of the off-season’s biggest fish is already swimming towards the west coast.

The Oakland Athletics acquired outfielder Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies on Monday. In exchange, the Athletics are sending closer Huston Street, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and pitcher Greg Smith a mile high. Read more »

Colorado Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart has mashed left-handed pitching. Conventional baseball wisdom will say that Stewart, a left-handed hitter, should have problems with southpaws, but he has defied that logic. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, manager Clint Hurdle has looked beyond the numbers and platooned Stewart with utility man Clint Barmes, a decision that is seriously prohibitive to the rookie’s value.

Hurdle knows the numbers inside and out, all managers do, but this move has benefits beyond the split statistics. Stewart is 10-for-19 against left-handed pitching with the Rockies, and he hit 51 points higher against them than righties (.316 to .264) with Triple-A Colorado Springs. Barmes is a .254 hitter against lefties this season, but he is a right-handed hitter and the proper play according to the “managerial handbook.” 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 »

Obsessing over fantasy baseball can be just a tad too easy for comfort. Between a vast player universe, the minor leagues, trade rumors, and an always changing group of closers, there’s always enough news to make your head spin. For those of us who compete hard at it, taking a midseason breather is always important.

A vacation, which will explain why ImaginaryDiamond.com’s production slowed down in the past few days, will put a couple of things into perspective. 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 »

If this were a typical Tampa Bay season, we’d be right at the point when the Rays get labeled as “sellers,” trade away what little established veteran talent they have, and try to build for the future. Likewise, this is also the time when they would call up their blue chip prospects in an attempt to get them some big league experience.

So, if the Rays’ 2008 season was similar to any other season in team history, this would be right around the time that Evan Longoria gets the call. But, the Rays, perhaps sensing that this could be their long-awaited turnaround season, Longoria got called up on April 12, and the 22-year-old rookie has already established himself as an indispensible piece of the team’s lineup. Read more »

With Colorado Rockies closer Brian Fuentes, it’s becoming less and less a matter of if he gets dealt to a contender and more who makes the trade and when it happens. The Denver Post reported on Sunday that the Tampa Bay Rays have jumped into the driver’s seat for his services and are reportedly pushing to make a deal happen.

The three favorites to land Fuentes all reside in the American League East, with the Red Sox and Yankees also known to have a great interest in the three-time National League All-Star. The division-leading Rays have the best stocked farm system of the three and feature a pair of pitching prospects - Jeremy Hellickson and Wade Davis - that have intrigued the Rockies in the past, the Post reported. Read more »

It’s always nice catching a highlight and seeing that a major league team scored 20 runs in a game. For a game based on statistics, both in fantasy and real-life baseball, there is fun to be had in checking out that box score. And early in a season like this, a big individual outburst can have quite an effect on a player’s bottom line. More on that below.

Of course, for as good as the Phillies’ offense was, the Rockies’ pitching staff was just as bad. Fortunately, in fantasy, it was a bunch of no-names absorbing all the damage. A sketchy, six-man effort got through the game by throwing a whopping 202 pitches and allowing 19 hits and 8 walks. 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.

Read more »