At the Crossroads

Hey, guys! Sorry about the delay. However, sometimes good things come after long periods of waiting. Just ask the Tigers about Kenny Rogers. And, about him, I have noticed that a lot of people are flocking to pick him up. I wouldn’t get him just yet, but keep an eye on him if you can. And he is surrounded by talent and offense on that team. Curtis Granderson has been hot recently and with the development of power, he has become a very nice 5-tool player. He racks up runs, while still contributing a good amount of steals. With Sheffield and Ordonez, I’d expect Rogers to get a good amount of wins considering the time he has missed.

Okay, we’re now about half way into the season so you have to be thinking about trades. One guy that you have to go after right now especially if you have some holes is Ryan Howard. You knew he had the power, now you know he has the average. He is hitting .299 in June and collecting 7 homers. Another 1^st baseman that has been playing some great ball is Carlos Pena down in Tampa Bay. He has been putting up numbers close to Pujols and is a great fill-in for someone like Mark Teixeira.

One top pitcher that you might not think to trade but should is Cole Hamels. The young talent and wins total can deceive you, but I would not hang on to him. Even though Hamels is a good source of strikeouts, his ERA in May and June has both been above 4. Plus, reports on MLB.com say that the Phillies must be cautious with their young left hander near the end of the year, especially if Philly is not in a pennant run.

Staying on pitching, one guy that you should grab is Erik Bedard. He has not given up more than 3 runs in his last 10 starts. Five wins doesn’t do much for me, but he continues to lower his ERA, while becoming the league leader in strikeouts. He has a decent whip and is a great guy to snag for a late season run. One last pitcher to keep an eye on is Mark Buehrle. His last three outings have all been quality starts and look him to pick up the pace if he is traded, as he likely will be, to a contending team.

Figuring it is late June, it is a great time to take a deep look at your team and see what it will take. If you are in a rotisserie leagues the points are really telling. A guy like Bedard would be a good option because he will fulfill strikeout needs and maybe it only takes a spare player to fill another owner’s needs. It is important to look at other teams especially ones in which you trade with. If they’re last in runs, make them pay for Bobby Abreu. And most importantly, stay active and don’t give up!