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Ready to Pounce :: 7/22/08
by Andrew G.
Published: July 23, 2008, 6:55 pm
Gio Gonzalez, SP, OAK – After Oakland dealt yet another pitcher in Joe Blanton to the Phillies, the open spot in the rotation is figured to be seized by top prospect Gio Gonzalez. The 22-year-old lefty might have an uninspiring 4.34 ERA in Triple-A, but 117 strikeouts in 110 innings is something not to be ignored. He has also picked up his performance as of late, having given up a run or less with at least seven strikeouts in each of his past four starts. After seeing Clayton Kershaw struggle in the majors, one does have to limit their expectations on a similar pitcher in Gonzalez, who needs to walk less batters. Don't expect too much, but he's worth the risk in deeper leagues, and is a must-add in dynasty leagues if he is still available.
Jaime Garcia, SP, STL – Let's stick with the theme of 22-year-old lefty pitchers getting the call to the majors. Garcia will get a chance to excel in the injury-plagued Cardinals' rotation. He made a relief appearance July 11, and struck out two batters in two scoreless innings. The Cardinals always seem to get the best out of their pitchers, hence Kyle Lohse being a 12-game winner, so it'll be interesting to see how the prospect performs. Garcia had a 3.73 ERA in the minors before getting the call up, but his Triple-A numbers are much more inflated than his six dominant starts in Double-A. He could become a solid option in deeper leagues, but his value for now is limited in one-year leagues since he might not last the rest of the season in the rotation.
Chris Carpenter, SP, STL – The main reason Garcia might last in the rotation is the pending returns of Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. The 2005 NL Cy Young winner hasn't pitched since opening day of 2007, where he suffered an elbow injury that required surgery. While it's unrealistic to expect Carpenter to immediately return to his ace status, he was not rushed back, so he should be ready to go for the Cardinals and is a threat to make an impact. Keep an eye on his progress and rehab outings, as he is available in most leagues and could be a big boost to a pitching staff when he returns, possibly around early-mid August.
Hank Blalock, 3B, TEX – After missing three months of action, the oft-injured Blalock made his return to the Texas Rangers, who have had more than enough production from their offense to get by without him. Blalock was hitting .299 and seemed to be poised to finally bring all his talents together and show them on the stat sheets. He is still only 27 years old and that's where players supposedly have break out seasons. Not to say that I expect him to rake just because he is a certain age, but in that loaded offense there's bound to be plenty of opportunities for him to score and drive in runs. A lot of owners likely have no patience left for Blalock, so take a chance on him if he is available. Also, it turns out Chris Davis will be staying in Texas, so hold on to him if you picked him up as a temporary option. At the same time, consider picking him up if he's available.
Billy Butler, 1B, KC – I previously said that Billy Butler was a guy that could get hot and become valuable again in the fantasy circle. Of course, he got demoted shortly after I said that. In the past two games back in the majors, Butler has matched his home run total in the first half of the season. With homers in two straight games, Butler has shown some life in his bat for the first time this year. Prior to the 2008 season, many experts looked at the .292 batting average and 52 RBI in 92 games as a prelude to a breakout season. That has been far from reality, but Butler didn't start producing much last year until July, where he hit .341 with 3 home runs and 24 RBI. It does appear that Butler has been overhyped, but keep an eye on him to see if he can maintain a hot streak long enough to be worth picking up.
Erick Aybar, 2B/SS, ANA – A red-hot April had Aybar looking like a great middle infield option that could hit .300 and score runs with a decent stolen base total. A poor May and a stint on the disabled list killed all the momentum Aybar had going in fantasy leagues, and he quickly became an after thought in most leagues. In 18 games since returning from the DL, Aybar has a .308 batting average with 12 runs scored. Maicer Izturis will fight him for playing time, and he could also emerge as a valuable source of runs and steals if he keeps his hot bat up. Aybar is the bigger prospect with a higher ceiling of potential though, and could regain the value he had in April. Howie Kendrick has also been injury prone in his young career, so they both could be on the field before the season is over.
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