Kuzul

When Los Angeles Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia announced last Thursday that starting pitcher Scott Kazmir would open the season as a member of the starting rotation, he was asked by reporters whether or not Kazmir had earned the spot.

“Earned?” Scioscia said. “Define ‘earned.’”

Not exactly a stirring vote of confidence.

However, Kazmir, who struggled last season with a 9-15 record and a 5.94 ERA, is owed $14.5 million this season.

Considering what the Angels gave up in return for him, they are not quite ready to give up on the enigmatic southpaw right away.

However, the wait won’t be long.

The Angels have one of the better starting rotations in the American League with their top four pitchers (Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro).

But the last thing the Angels can afford is to wonder whether or not they’ll have struggles every fifth day with Kazmir on the mound.

“He’s tried a lot of things, but there hasn’t been one simple adjustment he’s been able to make that has brought consistency,” Scioscia told the Los Angeles Times. “We need it. He needs it. We’re past the point of development. We need him to pitch the way he’s capable of pitching.”

If Kazmir is unable to right the ship and return to his form from 2006 to 2008, when he was one of the more dominant left-handed pitchers in baseball, the Angels will need to look for a dependable arm to replace him in the rotation.

Here are five options.

For continuing coverage of the Los Angeles Angels, follow Doug on Twitter @HalosHub.

Don’t forget to bookmark Halos Hub for all of your Angels news!

You can also find me on Facebook at Halos Hub!

Begin Slideshow

After the New York Mets non-tendered Sean Green earlier this month, it was only a matter of time before a team gobbled him up for the potential ‘relief’ he could offer.

The time has come, and that team is the Milwaukee Brewers, who are looking to reload this off season to have a productive 2011.

This is fine and dandy to us Mets fans because honestly, Sean Green wasn’t all he was hyped up to be. After acquiring Green in the trade that also sent underperforming reliever J.J. Putz to the Mets, Green only appeared in 11 games in 2010, managing eight walks in 9.1 innings of work.

That’s not to say he was a total wash as a Met, striking out 54 batters in 69.2 innings in 2009, but with his strained rib muscles moving north to Milwaukee for $875,000 this year, it’s easy to agree that the Mets made an easy addition by subtraction transaction.

With an already unstable bullpen heading into the 2011 season, the Mets should have used every reliable resource available, but Green was far from reliable, and once again the Mets are on the lookout for bullpen arms.

One name said to top GM Sandy Alderson’s list of relievers is lefty Joe Beimel.

Beimel is the Mets’ primary target to replace the holes left by Pedro Feliciano and Hisanori Takahashi and has been admired in the organization as the lefty-specialist the Mets need in the left-handed bat-heavy NL East.

Of course, with the Mets’ financial woes this off-season, Beimel will have to come cheap. Both Feliciano and lefty Randy Choate signed deals this off-season that has them making $1 million+ over two years, and Beimel is probably looking for right around the same amount.

One could gather, as free agency continues and spring training draws nearer, that Beimel will settle for a deal somewhere around one million for one year. A pretty respectable deal for a one and done type pitcher, but that’s just my thought.

With the likes of relief pitchers J.C. Romero, Hideki Okajima, Will Ohman, Ron Mahay, Dennys Reyes, and Mark Hendrickson remaining on the open market, the Mets still have ample opportunity to bolster their bullpen for 2011. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Mets and free-agent reliever D.J. Carrasco have agreed to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million according to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com and Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.

The deal is pending a physical, but it will more than likely transpire.

Carrasco was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks last week and was rumored to have six to eight teams looking to acquire his services, but it was the Mets who prevailed and signed the right-handed reliever.

With the loss of Pedro Feliciano and Hisanori Takahashi, the Mets bullpen is in serious shambles. Carrasco’s presence will certainly help bridge the gap from starter to Francisco Rodriguez, but more help will be needed.

Carrasco posted a 3.68 ERA, 7.5 K/9 innings and a 47.5 percent ground ball rate split between the Pirates and D-Backs, all stats looking to translate well into spacious Citi Field. 

From what has been made public, he is an interesting pitcher to watch that reminds fans of former Met, Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernandez. He switches up his delivery for different pitches and is creative at finding ways to change his motion and life on his pitches.

Carrasco is also said to have a rubber arm and he has no problem pitching many innings or deep into games—something the Mets will look to use.

Overall, with the pick up of Carrasco and Ronny Paulino as Josh Thole’s back up during the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Mets GM Sandy Alderson seems to be making a “splash”in his own old school way. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim enter this holiday season with a rather sizable wish list. Now they might be able to check off three items with one deft move.

On Thursday, left-handed relief pitcher Hisanori Takahashi agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with the Halos. It was not the high-profile signing many are expecting, and media coverage of the deal is all but non-existent.

But make no mistake, this is as meaningful a signing in the short term as any deal the Angels will make this offseason.

Takashi is as versatile a reliever as they come, having shown the ability to start, fill the setup role and even close games when necessary. And all for less money than it took to lock up the limited and inconsistent Fernando Rodney.

A longtime veteran of the Japanese league, Takahashi made his major league debut last year with the New York Mets at the tender age of 35. He posted a rather average 4-4 record in 12 appearances as a starter with a below-average 5.01 ERA. Where he did his real damage was out of the bullpen.

In 57 1/3 innings of relief, he dominated to the tune of a 2.04 ERA. The Mets were so impressed with his work, they even used him as a closer when former Angel Francisco Rodriguez was injured. He converted all eight of his save opportunities.

Angels general manager Tony Reagins should be arrested for stealing this guy off the market.

Takahashi, first and foremost, fills the the left-handed void in the bullpen in Anaheim. His 0.59 ERA against lefties last season is a more-than-welcome sight to the Angels’ beleaguered relief corps, and his experience both here and abroad should rub off on young guys like Jordan Walden and Kevin Jepsen.

But the Angels also have questions at both the closer and No. 5 starter slots. Or at least, they had questions.

After the departure of closer Brian Fuentes, the previous token lefty reliever, setup man Fernando Rodney struggled mightily to find saves and now seems to have fallen out of favor with the coaching staff.

Walden and Jepsen could be the heirs apparent to anchor the back end of the ‘pen, but both lack the experience and neither has shown enough consistency to be handed a closer or setup role outright.

Takahashi, meanwhile, thrived in both roles last season, making him the ideal candidate to step up if the Angels fail to sign a closer or if his new teammates falter.

On the other hand, if the Angels do manage to find a new closer or the youngsters prove trustworthy in the late innings, his experience starting games means he can comfortably take over as the long-reliever and spot-starter.

That kind of protection alone makes this deal worthwhile.

As much as the Angels don’t like to admit it publicly, they know Scott Kazmir was a serious liability in an otherwise formidable starting rotation last season.

Whether it was the arm strain he suffered early on or a simple lack of confidence, he rarely made it through six innings successfully and was frequently hit hard early in games.

His history as a strikeout king and former ace has kept him in the rotation for now, and there is still some hope for a rebound in 2011. But if Kazmir can’t return to his old form quickly, he’ll find himself the new lefty specialist in the bullpen while Takahashi takes over every fifth day.

Most importantly, however, the acquisition of Takahashi provides strong support to what Angels owner Arte Moreno said when his team entered the offseason earlier than expected: he will do what is necessary to make this a winning club again.

Their first losing season in seven years left a bitter taste in a lot of mouths, but none more than Moreno, and he’s not afraid to do something about it.

The Angels needed a lefty reliever. They got it.

The Angels needed options at the closer and starter position. They got it.

Next on the list, the Angels need speed in the outfield and power at third base. They will get those too.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In a season plagued by underachievement, inconsistency, and injuries, one controllable aspect of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2010 is the bullpen.

From the dominant bullpen that lead the Phillies to a World Series title in 2008, earning the nickname the “Bridge to Lidge,” the Phillies’ relief corps of 2010 took a big step back, finishing 18th in ERA despite pitching the fewest innings in the National League—with only the Seattle Mariners logging more out west in the American League.

It was no surprise to hear that the bullpen was GM Ruben Amaro Jr.’s top priority entering the off-season.

Even though he has already resigned Jose Contreras, the Phillies still have major question marks thus far. Along with left handed specialist JC Romero, Chad Durbin, middle inning work-horse, is a free agent.

The 2010 performances of rookies David Herndon and Antonio Bastardo surely didn’t leave opposing hitters shaking in their cleats. Many questions and few possible answers.

With these variables in mind, many Philadelphia fans are asking the question: “How can we turn this sorry excuse for ‘relief’ into the once feared ‘Bridge to Lidge?'”

Well, it starts with the man himself. The Phillies only have three certainties in 2011: Contreras, set-up man Ryan Madson, and closer Brad Lidge. They were the few bright spots of a weak 2010 campaign.

Contreras was a work-horse out of the Phillies ‘pen in 2010, logging innings and pitching to the tune of a 3.34 ERA. Most importantly, he was able to remain healthy for the entire season, earning himself a two year deal in free agency.

Despite missing time with a self inflicted broken toe, Madson continued his streak of dominance in the eighth inning. The only remnant of the 2008 “Bridge to Lidge,” Madson was stellar in 2010, throwing 53 innings of 2.55 ERA ball.

Of course, there is no bridge without a destination. Lidge finally returned to form in 2010, gathering 27 saves and compiling a 2.96 ERA. Lidge’s best work was done over the final months of the season. However, he threw 24.2 innings to a tune of an 0.76 ERA.

So assuming that these three guys can carry their success into 2011, how can the Phillies complement them this off-season?

The answer is through the free agent market. With Romero not expected to return, the Phillies’ first task in rebuilding the ‘pen will be to add a couple of left handed specialists. Left handers Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano, both former Mets, seem to make the most sense.

Takahashi seems to be the best option for the Phillies. He was known best with the Mets for his flexibility in roles. He spent time in 2010 as a starting pitcher, a middle reliever, Francisco Rodriguez’s set-up man, and as the team’s closer, when “K-Rod” became ineligible for the last portion of the season.

The Phillies are expected to make Takahashi an offer, as the team could benefit from help in the areas of starting pitching depth and left handed relief. Takahashi was especially tough against left handed hitters in 2010, striking out more than ten left handed batters per nine innings and allowing only two earned runs from the left side of the plate—neither of which were via the homerun.

The Phillies may be able to lure him to Philadelphia by offering him the same type of deal the team offered to Chan Ho Park—an offer to compete for the fifth starter’s spot and a guaranteed spot in the bullpen. While he may be the most expensive option, he may also be the most important sign.

Feliciano has been a thorn in the side of left handed Phillies since 2003, his first full time gig with the Mets. Often called on to face tough outs like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, Feliciano had become a staple in late innings of Phillies and Mets games. Signing him for that reason may be a plus in and of itself.

He would more than likely be a major upgrade to the oft-injured, oft-inconsistent, JC Romero. Feliciano lead the league in appearances for a reliever last season, logging 62 IP.

While teams may try and drive his price down, by arguing that he has a lot of strain on his arm, his agent will surely try and drive his price up, by proving that he’s been the model of consistency.

Feliciano remained true to his bread and butter in 2010, as he was nearly untouchable from the left side of the plate. Left handed hitters hit only .218 against him, while he struck out over nine lefties per nine innings. His numbers against right handed hitters are awful, but any team with common sense will use him strategically in the latter innings against left handed hitters.

The Phillies have also expressed interest in bringing back Chad Durbin, though they may have been discouraged by rumors that he will seek a multi-year contract as a starting pitcher, despite not having done so since 2007. With that in mind, the Phillies may check in on other options. A couple names stand out to me: Matt Guerrier, Koji Uehara, Dan Wheeler, and Chan Ho Park.

A member of the Twins bullpen in 2010, Guerrier is an interesting case. Despite being a “type A” free agent, he wasn’t offered arbitration, and it won’t cost a draft pick to sign him. He posted an ERA of 3.17, but his FIP of 4.23 suggests that he was extremely lucky.

Any team that values saber-metrics realized this, and it’s most likely the reason he wasn’t offered arbitration by the Twins. He’s not as valuable as his basic numbers appear. If the Phillies can get him at a good price, he’d be a good sign to work in the middle innings, alongside right hander Jose Contreras. 

That puts Uehara in a similar ship.

The Japanese import (a lifetime starter in Japan) was stellar as the Orioles closer in 2010. He only picked up 13 saves for the O’s, but, had they been a winning team, that number would have probably been tripled. He showed impeccable control in 2010, striking out 11 hitters per nine, while only walking one per nine. His ERA of 2.86 was very, very good, and even then, his FIP suggests that he was unlucky, at 2.40.

If I had to have one right handed bullpen arm, this is the guy that I would want.

The Phillies may not be his top choice, mainly because they are already committed to Madson and Lidge at the back of the bullpen, but money talks. If the Phillies can lure him to the City of Brotherly Love, he’d provide much of the same things that Hisanori Takahashi would.

Wheeler and Park round out potential right handed bullpen arms for the Phillies.

Wheeler pitched for the Rays in 2010, and he can be compared to Guerrier. Despite having a good ERA of 3.35, his FIP of 4.11 suggests that he caught some breaks in 2010. His HR/9 is a cause for concern, especially with the way the ball jumps off the bats some nights at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. As long as he’s kept in the middle of the pen, he’d be a good addition.

The same could be said for Park, who would be an interesting minor league signing. The Phillies expressed interest in bringing the 17 year veteran back after the 2009 season, but he chose to sign with the World Series counterpart Yankees. He was traded after a disappointing start, and didn’t exactly turn any heads in Pittsburgh. A chance to rebuild value in a place where he was comfortable might sound appealing to him.

Despite being called a weak free agent market, the market for relievers is surprisingly deep. However, some in house options may be as appealing because of the money they’d save turning to them. Minor leaguers Scott Mathieson and Justin De Fratus will get a lot of looks in spring training.

Mathieson, 27, is one of those “feel good” baseball stories. After two successful Tommy John surgeries, the right handed fireballer came out, well, throwing fire in 2010. In 64 innings with the Phillies Triple-A affiliate Iron Pigs, Mathieson pitched to an ERA of 2.94, earning his cup of coffee with the big league club as a September call up—all the while, averaging 95 MPH on his fastball.

De Fratus, 23, turned some heads in the Phillies organization after splitting time with A+ Clearwater and AA Reading. Throwing a combined 65 innings, De Fratus pitched to an ERA of 1.99, his success culminating with the Phillies—adding him to the 40-man roster to protect him in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. A surprise in 2010, De Fratus will get a lot of looks this spring, and may break camp with the major league Phillies.

Of course, a plethora of familiar names will get their looks as well.

In the second year of his deal, Danys Baez may be best described as addition by subtraction. He was largely disappointing in 2010, and hopefully, isn’t guaranteed a spot because of the money he is set to make.

On the other end of the spectrum, guys like Antonio Bastardo and David Herndon are making close to nothing. Bastardo has a ton of upside, and it’s clear the organization likes him. However, his change-up is underwhelming, and his fastball/slider combination lacks control.

The long reliever in 2010, Herndon remained on the Phillies roster only because they wanted to keep him in the organization. (They would have had to offer him back to the Angels if they wanted to send him to the minors, since he was a Rule 5 Draft pick.) With guys like Kyle Kendrick, Vance Worley, and Drew Carpenter expected to compete for the fifth starter’s spot in spring training, Herndon may be out of a job once one of those guys loses.

If this article proves anything, it’s that the Phillies have numerous options to replenish the bullpen. Be it adding talented specialists like Feliciano and Uehara, or removing contract albatrosses like Baez, the Phillies can obviously afford to rebuild the bullpen. How they do so may effect the outlook on October 2011. If teams like the ’08 Phillies and ’10 Giants showed us anything, it’s that a talented bullpen goes a long way in competing in October.

With a couple of smart moves by Ruben Amaro Jr. and Co., the Phillies can move from troubled waters, and the Bridge to Lidge can deliver the fans of the Philadelphia Phillies to the promised land once again.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Mets have reportedly passed on re-acquiring the services of Hisanori Takahashi.

Early today the Mets asked for waivers for Takahashi’s with the intention of giving him his release after the lefty and management could not come to terms on a new deal.

Takahashi is looking for a 3-4 year deal between $4-5 million per year while the Mets were only willing to give him a one-year deal with an option for another year at best.

Entering his sophomore season, the Japanese south paw will now be able to sign with any team that shows interest and the Mets will not be able to resume talks with him until May 15, presuming he is still on the market by then.

Regarding Takahashi, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said:

“Hisanori wanted to test the free agent market…We thank Hisanori for his contributions to the Mets in 2010 and wish him good luck in his future major league career.”

Even though Takahashi’s asking price seems a little too high for the talent he showed in just one year in the league, the Mets will surely miss him and now it looks like there is an even greater need to re-sign Pedro Feliciano to keep a lefty specialist in the pen.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Mets were handed an extension to negotiate with reliever Hisanori Takahashi, but with the new deadline just two days away now, it seems odd that they haven’t pulled the trigger.

Yes, Takahashi has a new agent and yes, new GM Sandy Alderson needs time to evaluate the alternatives, but it’s surely a no-brainer to retain the southpaw’s services.

Takahashi was one of the most valuable cogs in a vastly underwhelming pitching staff in 2010, and there is little doubt that he earned every cent of his $1 million contract.

He started as a mid-to-late one-inning reliever, quickly took on the role of a long reliever, made a dozen games as a starter, went back to a mid-innings role and then saved six games as a stand-in closer in September. He can come into a game, face two hitters and leave after five pitches, or he can toss six or seven innings and hit 110 pitches.

On a team where the strength of pitching is uncertain, he is the ultimate utility arm.

Nobody on the Mets staff was as versatile as Takahashi and few pitchers in the game this year, let alone left-handed pitchers, were used in as many different situations. No left-handed batter took Takahashi deep in 126 plate appearances last season.

Yes, Takahashi is 35 years old, and while there are undoubtedly some merits to refusing to offer him a multi-year extension, there is absolutely no reason not to keep him on board for 2011.

Ryota Igarashi will earn $1.75 million in 2011 and John Maine earned $3.3 million in 2010 and is eligible for arbitration this offseason. Give Takahashi the extension he deserves.

New York isn’t going to be too competitive in the free agent market until 2012 at the earliest, and while they might make one or two moves, relief pitching is not going to be a priority.

In the same vein, the Mets do not have the cash to drop on left-handed veterans such as Scott Downs, and there is no need to even consider other free agents like Mark Hendrickson or Trever Miller.

Sandy Alderson said coming to an agreement with Takahashi was one of his most pressing early priorities as GM. This is your first order of business, Sandy. Fans seem to like the direction you want to take the club. Don’t disappoint them with your first personnel decision.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

An offer has been made to re-acquire the services of Hisanori Takahashi, but unless the Mets significantly up the offer, he is almost certain to walk.

Earlier today it was reported by Dave Waldstein of the New York Post that the Mets have offered Takahashi an incentive-leaden one-year proposal. Takahashi is reported as seeking a deal between two to three years and if the Mets don’t significantly up the offer, he will more than likely walk to any of the other 29 remaining teams.

This deal, however, was made up before Sandy Alderson took office for the Mets and as he said Friday, “We’re going to look at it hard.”

The fact that the deadline to sign Takahashi was extended is a mere sign that a deal could be in place before the new Nov. 5th time limit. Since Takahashi changed agencies, and the flux in ownership after succeeding in finding a new GM, the deadline was pushed back to make up lost time in the course of chaos the past couple days.

If a deal does not get done by the time Nov. 5th passes, Takahashi will be able and willing to sign with any other team and he would not be able to re-open talks with the Mets until May 15th, all but assuring that he will most likely sign somewhere else.

The Mets can’t really afford to lose Takahashi either, especially with Pedro Feliciano also looking at free agency this offseason. Takahashi was an integral part of last year’s squad, and the Mets need to up the ante or risk losing his left-handed presence in the bullpen.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Greetings fantasy baseballers, and welcome to another edition of the Wire.

Hopefully you heeded the past weeks’ advice and picked up Pat Burrell, Mike Minor, Daniel Hudson and others, before it was too late. This week is sort of a special edition with a look at a trio of closers—mostly of the present, and mostly with no future. Regardless, they have one thing in common—they will receive the lion’s share of save opportunities for their respective teams.

That translates to the potential to rack up some fantasy points all over the land. And the first contestant is…

Hisanori Takahashi, RP, NYM: Owned in 18 percent of CBS leagues

Mr. Takahashi has been somewhat of an enigma for the Metropolitans this season. He had success as a reliever early on, often times bailing out the starters by providing two or three innings of solid relief. 

In fact, in his first 15 relief appearances for the Mets, he went two-plus innings seven times. Before being moved into the rotation on May 21, Takahashi put up three wins with a 3.12 ERA in 24.2 IP and a 33:14 K:BB ratio—not too shabby. 

At that point, the Mets rotation started to fall apart and he was summoned to the rotation. In 12 starts, he did not fare nearly as well, posting a 4-4 record with a 5.01 ERA while surrendering 73 hits in 64.2 innings. In addition, opposing hitters batted a robust .291 against him in those starts. 

Manuel had seen enough of Takahashi the starter and summoned Takashi the reliever, replacing him with Pat Misch in the rotation. Now, with the Francisco Rodriguez meltdown and subsequent thumb injury, Manuel has named Takahashi his closer. He brings a year of closing experience from his tenure in the Japanese league.

In his sole save opportunity, he closed out the Astros in a hitless inning this week. 

You can ride Takahashi for as long as Manuel keeps him as the closer. Keep in mind that the Mets also have Bobby Parnell, who has pitched well as of late. Manual may throw some save chances his way to see how he performs in a late-inning role. 

Hong-Chih Kuo, RP, LA:Owned in 13 percent of CBS leagues

The main difference between Kuo and Takahashi is that Kuo has been in a late inning relief role for his team, the Dodgers, the entire season. Furthermore, he has posted great stats thus far and has been the bridge that every team searches for to get the ball to the closer.

Unfortunately for Jonathan Broxton, the now-deposed closer, Kuo has pitched so well that he’s replacing Broxton, for the time being at least.  If the Dodgers have any chance of making the playoffs, they cannot afford any more meltdowns by the usually-dominating Broxton. This was the main impetus behind Joe Torre’s decision to switch their roles in the pen. 

Including Kuo’s first two save opportunities, he has put up an ERA of 1.48 on the season, which was inflated by more than half a run after his implosion against Atlanta. Torre summoned Kuo in the eighth inning, much like he used to with Mariano in his Yankee days. Kuo ran into trouble in the ninth and blew the save.  
   
In 42.3 innings pitched this season, Kuo has a tremendous 52:14 K:BB ratio with a minuscule 0.85 WHIP along with three wins and four saves. Kuo has been nothing short of dominant this season and now stands to gain a boat-load of value in fantasy leagues. One would have to believe that as long as he’s successful in the closer’s role, Torre will leave him there.

The Dodgers also have Octavio Dotel to vulture a few saves, but for now Kuo is the closer in LA. He’s a must-add to fantasy rosters as CBS owners have demonstrated, making him the most added player in CBS fantasy leagues. His ownership will jump to 47 percent next week, which is still rather low. Grab him while you can. 

Trevor Hoffman, RP, MIL:Owned in 27 percent of CBS leagues

Mr. Hoffman has had a rocky 2010 thus far. In the first half of the season, he was tagged for four losses and blew five of his 10 save opportunities.

He had an ERA of 8.33 heading into the All-Star break. In 27 innings, he gave up 25 runs on 34 hits along with an unimpressive 17:13 K:BB ratio. These are hardly the numbers expected from Hoffman, or any closer in the league for that matter. 

Since the All-Star break, Hoffman has had a bit of a resurgence. In 12 appearances, his ERA is a more respectable 3.09 along with a 10:4 K:BB ratio. Opposing batters are hitting only .227 against him versus .306 before the break. 

With Milwaukee out of the playoff race and not much else to play for, manager Ken Macha has decided to give Hoffman save opportunities once again. The Brewers would love for Hoffman to reach the 600 save mark and give them something to cheer about in the closing weeks of the season. 

John Axford will presumably continue to get his chances as well, which makes Hoffman far from a sure thing to score significant points for your team. Regardless, Macha will give him every chance to add to his save total.

If you have the stomach for it, pick up Hoffman sooner rather than later and hope for the best, especially if you need to bolster your Save category. 

Honorable Mention

Omar Infante, 2B, ATL: Owned in 34 percent of CBS leagues

Filled in admirably for Martin Prado at 2B and will get regular AB’s with Chipper out for the season.  Hits righties and lefties well. Batting .361 since the break with a .862 OPS and has hit over .300 every month except for one this season.

Jose Guillen, OF, SF: Owned in 45 percent of CBS leagues

Guillen will get a decent amount of AB’s in SF. While he won’t hit for average, he surely has some pop left in his bat. Hitting .375 for the Giants since the trade and has 17 HRs on the season. 

Chris Denorfia, CF, SD: Owned in four percent of CBS leagues

Denorfia is batting .321 since the break with a 1.039 OPS.  He has six homers and 16 RBI plus four SBs in the second half. Solid pick up for deeper leagues. 

Written by Rosti Satanovsky exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com .  You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter @TheSportsFariah

Follow us on Twitter for more updates @TheFantasyFix.

___________________________________________________________

Here are some more articles that will smack some sense into you…

Fantasy Baseball

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Mike Francesa reports that the Mets will make a trade at the deadline. He said that they will make a “proper trade,” and that the Mets have “no financial restrictions.”

By proper trade I’m guessing he means that they will do a trade to address their starting pitcher and/or reliever problems.

I’ve said it before, but if the Mets want to be serious contenders for the playoffs they need a starter AND a reliever.

Hisanori Takahashi doesn’t belong in the rotation any more, and the fact that the Mets are going to give him another start while Pat Misch is doing very well in Triple-A is upsetting.

The starting pitchers out there that the Mets are interested in:

Read the rest…

Please be sure to check out Mets Paradise and our forum !

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com