Trades

It is the first week of May and you've had a chance to see your hitters have around 100AB's and your pitchers having 5-7 starts. This is a great chance to look at your team, with an HONEST eye, to see what you need to compete for the championship. The season is still very early and some hitter like Ryan Howard will start to mash the ball and bring in the 40HR's you drafted him for.

After taking a subjective look at your team it is time to send out some trade offers. Trading is one of the hardest things to do in any fantasy league that has owners who know what they are doing. People never want to send a struggling player in a trade and then watch him hit .350, 25HR's, and another 90+RBI's. So, be careful on trading because most people will decline your offer or send you offers that are absolutely absurd.

What I am trying to get at is, make sure to make value trades. Look at the categories you are strong in and of course weak in. My bottom line is, trade for and with value. If you are in need of saves and you have an abundant amount of starters, send a starter for a closer. But make sure the other team needs a starter in return. This is where trading is difficult, trying to meet the needs of both teams.

Please don't ever offer trades like A-Rod for Pujols. This is a challenge trade and it does nothing but add a number to your transaction number.

To conclude, look at your team with a subjective eye and see what you have and what you need. Then go out and send out some fair value trades, don't go out and try to rip someone off. Would you like someone sending you Fred Lewis for A-Rod? I didn't think so.

Nick Adenhart

Nick Adenhart of the Angels made his major league debut by pitching 2 innings and allowing 5ER's. This news is a little late but I wanted to make sure AL-only owners and deep dynasty owners heard about him. He's not going to change your team drastically but with players on the wire not always being what owners are in search of, Adenhart can do some good for your team as a spot pitcher. Keep an eye on him and see if his next couple of starts finish with a better stat line.

Scott Kazmir

Scott Kazmir of the Rays is back from his DL stint with a left elbow strain. His first game was against the strong hitting Red Sox lineup and he ended up with a loss. Kazmir pitched 4innings, 6H, 3ER, 3BB, and 5K's. Not a great start back after being on the DL but owners don't worry.

This young pitcher is an ace and should be put into your roster on a daily basis. Just keep an eye out for any news from the Rays on his elbow just in case there might be something that comes back.

Another Yankee Leaving

Highly touted prospect Ian Kennedy was sent down to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre due his lack of anything except poor performances in the majors this year. Coming into the season Kennedy was looked to make a difference in a young rotation which included Hughes and Kennedy. The time has come for the Yankees to take a honest look at their highly paid roster and see what they can do to stop the bleeding because if they don't do anything, the other AL East teams will open up a huge lead that the Yankees won't be prepared to close come September.

Owners who were hoping Kennedy would provide some nice depth to their rotations for the 2008 season must be a little disappointed but be honest with yourselves, Hughes and Kennedy are both rookies who haven't yet taken the ball on a regular basis in the majors. Hopefully owners will see Kennedy and also Hughes come back to the Yankees in 2008 and provide some nice fantasy value. Don't get me wrong, they both will return in 2008 unless they stink it up in AAA.

Hot Hitters/Pitchers

In the past 7 days some hitters and batters have caught my eye.

Jose Bautista 3B/RF Pirates - .417AVG, 6R, 3HR, 8RBI's, and 1SB
Audrey Huff 1B/3B Orioles - .320AVG, 5R, 2HR, and 3RBI's
Randy Winn - OF Giants - .360AVG, 2R, and 2SB's
Ray Durham 2B Giants - .400AVG, 2R, and 3SB's

Jesse Litsch SP Blue Jays - 14.1IP, 2-0, 1.88ERA, 0.7WHIP, and 7K's
Vicente Padilla SP Rangers - 14.2IP, 2-0, 0.61ERA, 1.23WHIP, and 8K's
Jeremy Guthrie SP Orioles - 12IP, 1-1, 3.75ERA, 1.00WHIP, and 11K's

Zimmerman

Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals has started his 3rd full pro season in a terrible slump. He's currently batting .217 and has 3HR's and 14RBI's through 129 AB's. These numbers are terrible and for owners especially after watching Zimmerman hit 20+HR's and 91+RBI's in the past two seasons. For those who do not own him and want to upgrade their 3B roster spot, try and make a trade for this struggling 3B while his value is low. Most owners have told me they are fed up with Zimmerman's lack of production and some are almost ready to part ways fairly soon unless something happens. Expect Zimmerman to start hitting soon and finish with his normal 20/90 year.

Damon

Johnny Damon of the Yankees is swinging the hot bat right now with 14 hits in his last 10 games but only has 1HR during this span. Damon is not the fantasy flame he use to be and owners should try and send Damon to another team in a trade. I don't think Damon's value is going to be anything spectacular this season due to his age and with his brand name you can get a very good player in return for Damon.

Chone

Chone Figgins of the Angels left the game last night due to an injury to his hamstring. What is the deal with all these hamstring injuries this year? Owners should worry about this injury but hold off on panic for now. As every owner knows, Figgins can win the SB category alone with his potential of stealing 50+ bags every year (34, 62, 52, and 41 steals during the 04, 05, 06, 07 seasons respectively). Without the steals Figgins is just another waiver wire player. His entire value is set in stolen bases and if he is unable to steal, he's worthless to all owners.

More info will be posted when it comes to light.

Daniel Cabrera

Daniel Cabrera of the Orioles is throwing some sweet juice lately. Looking at his last outing against the Angels, which resulted in a loss, the box score tells a different story. Cabrera is turning into a worthy addition to all rosters with a 7.1 inning, 3ER, and 6K performance against the Angels. Taking a deeper look into his season game log you will notice he's thrown at least 6 innings in his past 6 games and has K'ed 25 batters during that span.

Owners, make sure to keep this guy on your radar and even pick him up if you have a spot open on your bench. This guy might put the Orioles rotation on his back and carry them for the rest of the year. But be warned, he is capable of throwing 3 innings while allowing 8ER's once in a while. The risk you take is balanced out, a little, by his high strikeout potential.

Kerry Wood

Kerry Wood of the Cubs was reassured by Lou Piniella he is still the closer for the Cubs even after blowing 3 saves in his last 4 chances. I don't buy this at all. A closer who is blowing saves on a consistent basis will not last long as a closer and for owners who have Wood, you better make sure you have some insurance. Go out and grab Bob Howry or Carlos Marmol of the Cubs just in case Wood is replaced. After Ryan Dempster left the bullpen for the starting rotation the only people left in line for the closer position is Howry and Marmol.

Owners should keep a CLOSE eye on this situation because if Wood continues on the path of blown saves THERE WILL be a change of pitcher when the 9th innings rolls around.