In one of the leagues I am in, I have been offered this trade:

Justin Verlander, who is only $300,000 through 2011

for

Nike Napoli, who is also $300,000 through 2011

Peter Bourjos, BA ranked #3 in the Angels sytem

Anthony Ortega, who BA ranked as the #9 prospect in the Angels system

I am kind of up in the air on this. A couple of things:

I already own VMart for the next three years, and my pitching staff is a bit thin...I really don't have a frontline starter to replace Verlander.....

What do you guys think?

One of the heavier, if not most important, positions to fill in your rotisserie are at the infield corners, where there is an abundance of talent that allows for several different strategies to be successfully employed. With that being said, here is my list of Top 10 corner infielders in the American league.

1. Cabrera, Miguel - After a fairly pedestrian 1st half in his Tigers debut season, M-Cab really heated up in the 2nd half, as he became more familiar with AL pitchers. Being in the big leagues for 6 full seasons at the age of 25 is an amazing feat, and will reward his owners with power, average, and RBI out the ears.

     PROJECTION: .322 AVG // 36 HR // 125 RBI //  0 SB    

2. Morneau, Justin - Cutting down on his K rate from 2007 while improving his walks, he is entering his age 28 season, and I expect a breakout season from the Twinkie.

     PROJECTION: .310 AVG // 38 HR // 130 RBI // 1 SB

2A. Teixeira, Mark - Signing in NY will give him a ton of RBI chances, and I see him as the type that can withstand the pressures of playing in the Big Apple. Additionally, Big Teix is the last of the Top Tier of corner infielders. Also, I think that based on his display in ANA last year, the adjustment to the American League has already taken place, so Teix should be expected to be just fine in terms of adjustments. However, he hasn't hit 40 HR in over 3 years, so factor that into your decision as well.

     PROJECTION: .290 AVG // 34 HR // 110 RBI // 1 SB

3. Youkilis, Kevin - Eligible at 3b and 1b, this adds a bit of value to the Greek God of Walks bottom line. Expect an OBP near .400 to go along with 25+ HR. He stands out as a guy who will be steady as she goes without ever being flashy.

     PROJECTION: .302 AVG // 26 HR // 110 RBI // 2 SB

4. Longoria, Evan - Having lived down the "Is Eva related to you", this young stud will cost you highly, perhaps as much as a 3rd round pick, or in auctions, $30+. However, with Pat Burrell now in TB backing him up, expect more of Mr. Longoria's excellence in 2009.

     PROJECTION: .291 AVG // 29 HR // 95 RBI // 15 SB

5. Rodriguez, Alex - Well, all the drama, with the hip surgery and the 'roids, still leaves Mr. Rodriguez as a solid option. The recovery of his hip to the surgery will dictate a much lower SB total, more than likely in the 5 range, which really  lowers his value when also factoring in he will probably be hardpressed to get 475 ABs this year.

     PROJECTION: .293 AVG // 26 HR // 95 RBI // 6 SB

6. Aubrey Huff - Career year last year, but with Mr. Markakis, and Brian Roberts hitting in front of him, he has plenty of opportunites to drive in runs. Expect more of the same in '09 from the former Ray.

     PROJECTION: .279 AVG // 21 HR // 100 RBI // 2 SB

7. Chone Figgins - The speed demon is ready to bounce back from an injury riddled season in '08. At the top of the Angels lineup, he will be counted on to run a lot and I expect a 35-45 SB ype sesaon, with better power numbers than last year. So if oyu are looking for a guy who could surprise and be undervalued come draft day, look at Figgins, as he mY lao qualify at 2b, depending on your league settings.

     PROJECTION: .287 AVG // 6 HR // 48 RBI // 38 SB

8. Chris Davis - Opportunity presented itself to Mr. Davis last year in the form of a Hank Blalock injury, and what did he do? He turned a temporary callup into a permanent gig, hitting .285 and going yard 17 times in 255 ABs. That is what you call S-W-E-E-T. Pencil him in for 25+ HRs and 85+ RBI and you'l be on track.

     PROJECTION: .271 AVG // 29 HR // 92 RBI // 0 SB

9. Carlos Pena - Almost 100 walks and an OBP of .377 to go with 31 HRs is a down year? Sign me up. He could do wonders if his BABIP ticks upwards to the .300 range. But really, 30+ HR and 100+ RBI is why he's getting paid.

     PROJECTION: .259 AVG // 30 HR // 98 RBI // 0 SB

10. Mike Jacobs - Does he steal bases? No. Does he get on base a lot? No. But in fantasy, we always, always measure the almighty HR. And that is why Jacobs makes this list. Once a highly touted prospect, he turned in a powerpacked season last year, going yard 32 times. Expect more of the same in KC, but also know that he doesn't offer much else. So like a fine wine to go with that great meal,  make sure your roster has the balance necessary to offset any drag on average Mr. Jacobs is sure to bring to the table.

     PROJECTION: .249 AVG // 30 HR // 87 RBI // 1 SB

Well, there it is. My AL-only top 10 1st and 3rd basemen. Hope this stirs some controversy and some comments.

With my Giants playoff loss to the Eagles further in the rearview mirror, it brings me to the second installment of AL-only Top 10s, the second basemen. This group, long the last group of players you would look to in terms of fantasy production, has really turned a corner in recent years, and can now provide a real edge to teams that get a top 5 player, as opposed to a bottom tier type of guy. With no further ado, I give you my Top 10 AL second basemen:

1. Kinsler, Ian - In only 120 games last year, the 2nd year player hit 18 HRs and stole 26 bags. Going into his age 27 season, and I am a big believer of this theory, he could post 30/30 at a premium position, along with an average that could be higher than his 2008 version. Very bullish on I-Kins to become a legit top of the 2nd round pick.

     PROJECTION -  .317 AVG // 28 HR // 88 RBI // 33 SB

2. Pedroia, Dustin - Hard to say that 2008 wasn't a career year, even at the age of 24. All he did was make 703 plate appearances, which somewhat inflated his counting stats. I still like him a lot as the 2nd best at the position, but there is significant downside here if he makes 60 less plate appearances.

     PROJECTION -  .317 AVG // 16 HR // 75 RBI // 18 SB

3. Lopez, Jose - The ever improving Lopez really stepped it up in 2008, hitting a career high 17 bombs and increasing his average by .45, from .252 to .297. I wouldn't be surprised by another .297 season, but I won't rule out a suprrise average north of .300, because of his relatively normal BABIP of .306. Just a slight uptick in BABIP could boost his average to the .310 range.

     PROJECTION - .299 AVG // 26 HR // 85 RBI // 4 SB

4. Roberts, Brian - Steady Eddie of second basemen, he's still cranking out 40+ seasons of stolen bags, and not hurting you much in the other categories. The only thing that makes him lower than Lopez is the constant chatter of trade talks surrounding him. Look for more of the same in 2009, but also be aware of those trade rumors when the O's realize 2009 is a lost season.

     PROJECTION -  .291 AVG // 8 HR // 52 RBI // 40 SB

5. Ramirez, Alexei - Label me as extremely suspicious of the Cuban Missile's season in 2008. His average dropped over .50 points in the 2nd half o f the season, and even though he slugged 14 HRs in the 2nd half, there is just something there that bothers me, in terms of what I would have to spend on him on draft day, in terms of draft position or auction dollars, to obtain him. However, a repeat of last season isn't completely out of the question, and that puts him here, ahead of the likes of Mike Young and Robinson Cano.

     PROJECTION -  .279 AVG // 21 HR // 75 RBI // 17 SB

6. Cano, Robinson - Immaturity is the thing I really see bothering Cano's output, or lack thereof, in 2008. That is a liability i can see past, as he has the skills to be an elite hitter, and should be solid in RBI and ok in HR.

     PROJECTION - .298 AVG // 16 HR // 75 RBI // 3 SB

7. Hill, Aaron - Two years removed from a breakout season in which he hit 17 HR and drove in 77, his 2008 was cut short due to a nasty concussion. While his K:BB rate was never great to begin with, it didn't stop him form amintaining solid across the board numbers. Look for a mild rebound to something resembling 2007

     PROJECTION -  .288 AVG // 14 HR // 72 RBI // 13 SB

8. DeRosa, Mark - With over 20 starts at a multitude of positions, he gives you great flexibility as well as decent output. I wouldn't expect numbers from 2007 that he achieved in Chicago, as the Progressive Field has been shown to be very unfriendly to RH hitters seeking the long ball.

     PROJECTION - .284 AVG // 13 HR // 74 RBI // 6 SB

9. Aviles, Mike - A .357 BABIP led to his inflated batting average of .325, as he profiles as a .275-.285 average with decent power numbers. Having premiered so late, his age 27 season was his rookie year, so the upside is very limited, and the downside is as a good backup infielder, which doesn't bode well for your fantasy squad if you are expecting an increase in his raw stats from 2008.

     PROJECTION - .282AVG // 13 HR // 56 RBI // 6 SB

10. Casilla, Alexi - A great source of cheap steals, Casilla could boost your squad up a few point if he fulfills his potential and steals 30 bags. The power is not unimpressive, as he hit 7 HRs in only 98 games last year. A full season, and he could be a legit 15 hr/20 sb guy, but that is likely a little optimistic.

     PROJECTION - .288 AVG // 12 HR // 58 RBI // 17 SB

Well, there it is, my top 10 AL second basemen. I hope you like, and I hope it stirs some discussion.....

So with my NY Giants going down in flames yesterday thanks to some horrific play calling by Kevin Gilbride, I have decided that now is as a good a time as any to premier my list of Top 10 American League only catchers.

1. Joe Mauer - The best of the best. Earning most of his value from his average and RBI, and with the same cast around him, the Twins have a cornerstone that should've been signed to an extension years ago.

     PROJECTION: .320 AVERAGE // 11 HR //  102 RBI // 10 SB

2. Victor Martinez - A close second to Mauer. Came back from an injury to hit .300 in the last month of the season. Will give a lot of starts to Kelly Shoppach, but still qualifies as C and 1b. Still only 29, he may be ready for a power peak this year.

     PROJECTION: .301 AVG // 21 HR // 105 RBI // 0 SB

3. Mike Napoli - 2nd half tear was validated by a post season that saw him pitched to as the most dangerous Angels hitter. Entering into his age 27 season, he too could see a power spike.

     PROJECTION: .282 AVG// 29 HR // 80 RBI // 0 SB

4. Jorge Posada - Coming off a major down year, he could still drive in 90 hitting 8th in the Yankees lineup. Sleeper coming off last year.

     PROJECTION: .275 AVG // 17 HR // 77 RBI // 2 SB

5. Matt Wieters - The most heralded prospect of the year has unbelievable hype surrounding him, and some owner will grab him before some of the more proven commodities. If he simply walks on water, I would expect most people will be disappointed.

     PROJECTION: .277 // 16 HR // 68 RBI // 4 SB

6. AJ Pierzynski - Solid, steady White Sox backstop just keeps going, like the Eveready bunny, albeit with a little bit more attitude. Not much upside at this point, but plays in a great hitters park and has appeared in over 134 games every year over the last 3. Expect more of the same in 2009.

     PROJECTION: .265 AVG //  15 HR // 65 RBI // 2 SB

7. Kelly Shoppach - Career year when VMart went down last year. Forced the Indians hands, and will probably see 300 ABs this year as well. Big question marks with Ryan Garko and Travis Hafner leave the possibility of Shoppach playing 100 games at C and VMart playing the rest while also playing 1b.

     PROJECTION: .272 AVG //  15 HR // 55 RBI // 1 SB

8. Dioner Navarro - Power was a bit lacking last year, but he was only 23 years old for most of the season. I would expect an uptick in power, but not elite numbers.

     PROJECTION: .297 // 9 HR // 60 RBI // 2 SB

9. Taylor Teagarden - Impressive showing last year when eh was called up, but don't expect .310 average again. Also, plays in a great park for hitters, if he isn't moved before ST.

     PROJECTION: .268 AVG // 12 HR // 50 RBI // 3 SB

10. Rod Barajas - The catcher in TOR now that Gregg Zaun has gone, he will give you that one category, HR, and be liabilities in the others. Solid 2nd catcher if your league has 2 catching spots.

     PROJECTION: .244 AVG // 11 HR // 48 RBI // 1 SB

Well, that is my top 10 catchers in the American League. This list also shows why you shouldn't be spending huge amounts of your capital (either $$ or draft picks) with this group.

Additionally, some of my favorite sleepers for 2009 include guys like:

JP Arencibia, Max Ramirez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia (although it is hard to call him a sleeper anymore) and Dusty Ryan in DET.

So I was perusing my BA Prospect Report, and Baxter pops in today. Kind of an interesting profile, has  a 1:1 BB:K ratio in the AFL, and is hitting a robust .407 in a rather small sample of 81 ABs. The thing I took notice of was his splits. He is hitting .563 with a OPS of 1.882 against lefthanders, albeit in 16 ABs. When he was drafted back in 2005,  his consistent approach was lauded, while he had to make some adjustments from aluminum to wood, and conditioning so as to withstand the rigors of a 140 game schedule. What do you guys think of Baxter? Utility guy, or more of a fringy, 2nd division type player whp plays 150 games eventually?

About damn time, just one more bad free agent move by Bavasi that ultimately cost him his job....what a shame for the Mariners fans. Wonder how long before they take a bag of balls and a dozen maple bats for Bedard....ugh, 75 words isa aggravating for just wanting to relay news...I hope everyone has a nice day!

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080710&content_id=3106433&vkey=pr_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea&partnerId=rss_sea

So in taking a few weeks to collect my thoughts on the happenings in MLB, I have found a few interesting nuggets I thought were worth sharing:

1. The Detroit Tigers are currently sporting a bullpen of Denny Bautista, Jason Grilli, Bobby Seay, Zach Miner, and Aquilino Lopez to go along with Todd Jones as the incumbent at the back of the 'pen. Can somebody pass the baton to Dombrowski and let him know that pitching is what wins?
2. Christian Guzman is hitting .322, which is exactly where he left off in 2007! Over his last 240 ABs, he has hit a combined .326 and if he has the full faith of Manny Acta, he'll end up as the biggest surprises of the season? He could be a fringe MI in an NL only league who makes a difference in the all elusive average category!
3. Between Alfonso Soriano and Carl Crawford, the two late first early second round picks, or $40+ in auction leagues have combined for this line:

which makes them worth less than the aforementioned Guzman, and the late round pick-up Nate McLouth.

4. Ryan Braun and the conversion to LF seems to be going extremely well right now, as he is lighting it up at the plate to the tune of .226 average as well as OBP! Hope nobody made him your 1st round selection.

What other suprises have other people noticed around the bigs? Hmmmmmm....

http://rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&hl=230614&id=3564

What a shame if he has to walk away from the game. Great makeup, skills, but health was always a question. Maybe this makes sense as to the Why aspect of his injuries.

Hope everything is ok with him.

Always was a favorite of mine.

http://rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&hl=230614&id=3564

Rotoworld is reporting that the Baldelli was in tears when he said his career may be over because of some healh issues.

What a shame, great ballplayer, great make-up, and this kind of stuff happens to him. I hope everything is ok.

With the recent diary started by deadboy about which prospects we are most excited to follow this year, and the corresponding wide array of answers, it struck me that there are so many different reasons why we love the minor leagues, the prospects, the flame outs, and everything in between.

For me, it all started when I wrote my senior research paper two years ago on the impact the players union has had on the game of baseball, using Curt Flood as the starting point. It really pushed me to understand compeitive balance in the big leagues, the money involved, and how many players in the past never had a chance because of the reserve clause. Finishing with the anti-trust exemption, it made me realize my passion for players who have not made it, yet still toil(I use that term loosely) in the minor leagues far past their prime ages in hopes of either  getting the call, or becoming seasoned enough to become a coach/manager and the passion they share with the fans of the game.

Anyhow, I want to thanks deadboy for rekindling the 'why' of my passion for the minor leagues, and I welcome anyone else to share their thoughts as well about the why, how and/or when they came to be so passionate about the next generation of prospects, the organizational filler, and the fans of these teams.