Greg Maddux

After being traded to the Dodgers, for the second time, I am interested to see how Greg Maddux pitches. With a better ballpark, better lineup to support him, and being placed into a playoff race I wonder if Maddux can pick up his pitching and give fantasy owners another viable option for the stretch run.

In 2006, after being traded to the Dodgers from the Cubs, Maddux went 6-3, 3.30ERA, and a 1.09WHIP over a span of 73.2IP. Those are some numbers that can help fantasy owners.

If you have room on your roster take a chance and grab Maddux and stash him on your bench. If Maddux can relive 2006 again, he can be a secret weapon that other owners might just overlook.

Innings Limit

The 2008 fantasy season is reaching the end of August and what most managers are facing now is an innings limit. Some are over and some are way under. For those who have innings left, I am assuming no one really has blown all their innings so far, this is a great time to start managing your innings in a wise way.

Throughout the year I have had 5-6 starters pitch continually and I am currently over by 120+ innings. The reason I have kept going with 5-6 starters is because they have all been producing and giving me what I drafted them for. Plus, on top of the 5-6 starters I have sprinkled in some hot pitchers who were absolutely dominating during a stretch of the season.

Remember, this innings limit is nothing to work yourself over because it is meaningless, to the point of having to finish at a certain point. If you finish your innings limit now or even a month ago it doesn't matter but only if you used them WISELY. So, if you used your innings for pitchers who have tossed huge innings this year and have also given you the stats you seek then who cares when you reach the limit.

If you are in the position of being short on innings, make sure to use them wisely. Only start your pitchers if they are in favourable match-ups, unless you have one of the top pitchers like Webb, Lincecum, and CC, because you don't want to waste your remaining innings on terrible starts. With 4 weeks left in the season you can quickly kill your chances at a fantasy championship if you waste your innings. On the other side of the coin, you can easily improve your pitching stats and gain a few valuable points and win a championship.

The time is near, for innings, so make sure to look at your staff and use an unbias eye to see who to sit and who to pitch.

Hot Hitters/Pitchers

Below are some hot hitting/pitching players.

Hitters - Past 7 Days
Nick Punto IF - .419AVG, 8Rs, 2SBs
Ronnie Belliard IF - .571AVG, 5RBIs
Willy Aybar IF - .391AVG, 1HR, 3Rs, 3RBIs
Gabe Gross OF - .316AVG, 1HR, 4Rs, 3RBIs, 1SB

Pitchers - Past Month
Brett Myers SP - 41.2IP, 3-1, 30K, 1.94ERA, 0.96WHIP
Braden Looper SP - 40.0IP, 2-3, 22K, 2.02ERA, 0.97WHIP
Steven Shell RP - 18IP, 15Ks, 2.00ERA, 0.72WHIP
Jesse Carlson RP - 11IP, 11Ks, 3.18ERA, 0.97WHIP

Around the Majors

Troy Percival of the Rays is back on the DL for the third time this season. The closer is suffering from an injury to his right knee. The Rays will have a closer by committee. This is the worst case scenario for any owners who are in a battle for saves. If you have a chance go out and grab these guys Wheeler, Balfour, Howell, and even Miller. The most likely candidate will be Wheeler, who owns 4 saves this year, and is the only one who has major league experience in the closer position prior to this season.

Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals is back on the DL and for owners who thought he might give you a boost for stretch run just got hit hard. This former CY Young winner in 2005 now finds himself trying to recover from a shoulder strain. All owners should drop him ASAP and find another player. If he he outs the minimum 15 days, which I doubt he will, he will only give you 2/3 starts maximum. Plus, with his history of injury the Cards will most likely shut him down for the rest of the season.

Melky Cabrera of the Yankees is now finding a life outside the historic gates of Yankee Stadium and now catching fly balls in the minors. He was demoted after a terrible slump which has lasted since May. After a hot start in which he hit 7HRs he is not just hitting .240AVG. He should not be on any teams except AL-Only leagues but after his demotion he should be on the wire in all leagues.

Tom Glavine of the Braves is back on the DL. Owners, just drop him.

Billy Wagner of the Mets is scheduled to return to the bullpen on Monday when he is allowed to be activated. This is not soon enough for a bullpen that has been shelled in his absence.

Mike Lowell

It seems the Red Sox aren't immune to the injury bug either. The Sox have just placed veteran Mike Lowell on the 15Day DL with a strained left oblique muscle. This is an injury you need to monitor very closely because an injury of this calibre can turn into a problem that might linger and keep him out of the lineup for 3-4 weeks.

If you are an owner make sure to monitor his status and if something happens where he won't be coming back for 3-6 weeks, it is wise to drop him and find a replacement if you need room on your roster.

Official

News coming out of Tampa Bay is telling the world Carl Crawford will be out 6-8 weeks which means he is going to finished for the fantasy world. This comes at a terrible especially since owners have no time or chance to find a replacement for his statistics.

Even with the poor year Crawford is having statistically he is still producing at a 3rd outfielder pace and if you have him at the 3rd OF spot you are not doing so badly.

As I mentioned before with Carlos Lee this is the time for individuals in keeper leagues to take notice and maybe acquire Crawford for a lower price then you if he was healthy. If an owner in your league is in contention for the championship go out and try to send him an offer and see if you can grab him and stash him as a keeper for 2009.

Remember, if you are in contention and have Crawford trade him away now because you need stats now and who gives a rats ass if you lose a keeper for next year, this is now and winning a championship holds higher priority than your 2009 season.

The lesson is WIN NOW!!

Mr. Street

Huston Street of the A's is now just another RP in the fantasy world. He has fallen hard from former years where he posted nice fantasy numbers which owners could be satisfied with. Turn to 2008 and this closer, now former, is just throwing innings that seem to be extremely irrelevant in the whole grand scheme of things. The A's GM, Billy Beane, has put Street on waivers, rumour has it and it seems no one is opening up their clubhouse doors to this ex-closer.

Now for current fantasy owners who need help in their saves category you might want to go ahead and pick up Ziegler who is dominating hitters after making a trip from the bullpen to the mound. The only way Street will find his spot in the 9th inning in the near future is if Ziegler falls apart and Street starts to throw pitches that don't end up over the fence but instead in the catchers mitt.

Adam Dunn

Now that the Diamondbacks have acquired the services of Adam Dunn from the Reds lets talk about the fantasy impact this has on both teams. Lets begin with the Reds.

With the absence of Griffey and Dunn from the lineup individuals like Bruce, Phillips, and Encarnicion will lose some protection that Dunn offered in the lineup. I don't see a huge hit in numbers for these players because they are all solid hitters at the plate but as of right now I don't think this deal helps them.

Adding Dunn to the Diamondbacks lineup gives them a bat that can change a game with one swing, positively and negatively. Dunn is the prototypical hit or miss kind of hitter. He either hits a HR or finds a seat after putting up a K. Look for Jackson, Young, and Reynolds to see more hittable pitches in the near future because of the protection Dunn offers. This trade seems to offer a third punch after the likes of Webb and Haren.

Update on Previous Post

The injuries to Crawford and Longoria will most likely keep them out for 3-4 weeks but if the Rays some how fall out of contention they will most likely be rested and told to stay home for the season. There is no reason in the world to risk further damage to these two players since they will be the cornerstone to their franchise.

PS. Rocco Baldelli is back in the Rays lineup. If he is available, which he shouldn't be, go out and obtain his services.

Keeper League Advice

All of a sudden star players are hitting the DL with season ending injuries, or close to it, and for individuals who are not in contention for a fantasy championship this season this is a great opportunity to cash in.

If you are in a keeper league and are sitting in the "build for next year" mode please take note. Guys like Carlos Lee, Evan Longoria, and Carl Crawford are names that have found themselves on the DL as of late and this is the time to try and trade for them.

If owners who are in contention for a championship own these guys try and make an offer for one of them. These players are all keeper worthy players and if their owners are serious about winning a championship, this year, will gladly trade them away for players who are producing now. Lets be real here, you can not go out onto the wire and replace a Lee, Longoria, and a Crawford.

Instead of just sitting and waiting for the year to end go out and see if you can build a strong keeper list for the 2009 season and hopefully you'll be in contention this time next season instead of worrying about your keeper list.