Kotchman's Bat Comes Alive

Seattle first basemen,  Casey Kotchman, has long been touted as a fantasy-starter-hopeful, but has failed season after season.

He has never had over 500 at bats in his career and has averaged just over 200 at bats a season, so injuries and lack of playing time definitely have to be factored in to his lack of success.

The good news is Kotchman is just 27-years-old and is finally getting a chance to be a full-time starter in Seattle and Seattle finally has a solid offense.

Don't expect a huge year by any means from Kotchman, but whether you pick him as a Rent-a-Vet, or as an AL-only starter, or as your backup first basemen, he can hold down the fort at first base by batting around .280 with 20 home runs if he can play a full season.

Sin City Scout
 

Rent-a-Vet: Juan Uribe

Veteran infielder, Juan Uribe is off to one of his best starts of his careerbatting .348 with 2 home runs, 11 RBI's, 9 runs and 1 stolen base.

He is currently slotted as the Giants starting second basemen, but could see time at shortstop and third base as the season goes.

Last year Uribe had solid season for the Giants batting .289 with 16 home runs, so it is possible he can stick on your team as a backup or a low-end starter.

Sin City Scout

Rent-A-Vet: Alex Gonzalez

Seems early to be talking about 'renting' a player, but what Alex Gonzalez is doing so far cannot be ignored.

The 33 year old Toronto shortstop has 4 HRs already (1 behind the league lead). Combined with 4 doubles, a stolen base, and a .333 AVG makes him a nice guy to rent.

This 'rental' could end up being more. Gonzalez has shown some flashes throughout his career of having a good bat, but his real issues have always been with his health. As long as he is healthy he could be a nice option at SS. However, he hasn't been able to stay healthy for years. Time will tell.

What can we expect? Assuming a healthy year, we could be looking at a .280 AVG, 20+ HRs (but really, way to early for this). Regardless of where he will end up at the end of the year, he's healthy now and hitting good (and available in over 80% of leagues). Consider him an early rental with a little upside.

-Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-A-Vet: Julio Lugo

"So anyways, I was standing there waiting to use the pay phone and this guy who was on the phone, turns around and tips his hat like this."

"And who do you think that guy was?"

 Julio Lugo and  I was like, "JULIO."

Julio Lugo is relevant once again, how you say. Well in a late spring move the Orioles acquired the former Red Sox and now Cardinals cast off for a bucket of balls. The trade made some sense with Brian Roberts back issues and only Ty Wiggington on the roster to fill in at second if needed, the O's needed and upgrade and Lugo was just that.

Well look now Roberts has been formally placed on the D.L. and Julio Lugo is your starting second baseman in Baltimore. For how long, who knows Roberts did just have an epidural for his back so this could be an ongoing issue.

Now back to Lugo, believe it or not he had a very solid year in 2009 putting up a .284 avg 40 runs 3 HR 21 RBI and 9 SB. He wont help in the power numbers and it looks like the speed numbers are on a drastic decline, but he should be able to score some runs and hit for a decent avg. You could find a lot worse if you are a Brian Roberts owner.

Pick up Lugo for the short term he could surprise you.

The Bay State Scout
(Bay_state_scout@comcast.net)

RENT-A-VET: Mark Ellis

Its getting close and now your fighting for every point to win your league. This is the time when those players on a hot streak can be really important to grab. This week Grab Mark Ellis quickly.

Since Ellis has come back from the DL he has been scorching. Over his last 6 games Ellis is hitting 556 with 9 RBI and that's not counting today's game where he went 2-3 with a walk-off HR and 2 RBI.

2ND Base is still a very thin position and he can help you well he is hot. Get him now before he cools off.

The Bay State Scout

Rent-a-Vet: Cristian Guzman

Cristian Guzman, SS for the Nationals, is on a nice 9 game hitting streak. What makes this even more impressive is that in 7 of those 9 games, he has 2 or more hits. He has 10 RBIs, 11 runs, and 1 HR during this stretch. For the season he is hitting a very nice .305. Guzman will help you with average and runs, and that's about it. The 10 RBIs he just accumulated is a pace that is a little over his head. He has never been a big steals guy, and this season is no different, except maybe he is on pace for the lowest steals he has had in a single season. If you need a solid hitter, Guzman is worth a look, especially if you can catch the tail end of this wave he is on. He is owned in about 1/3 of leagues, so he is not a completely unknown or overlooked player, but for many of you, he should be available. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Ryan Garko

Ryan Garko could very well qualify for much more then a rental. He has a good bat. In Cleveland, he had to fight for playing time, this hurt his fantasy value. Now that he has been traded to San Fran, he will be an everyday player. For the season he is batting .285, 11 HR, 39 RBIs, and .362 OBP. This was accomplished in about 240 ABs, league average is closer to 350. Garko is a solid player and might make a difference on your team. 1B is a position you want a strong showing from, Garko is not a Pujols, Gonzalez, Cabrera, but he will give you solid numbers. If you have been struggling in a deep league with a sub-par 1B, take a chance on Garko. Now that he will be getting regular playing time, he could also make for a good person to stick in a UTIL spot of IF spot if your league has this. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Luis Castillo

We are in the second half and things start to get serious in fantasy leagues. People start to pay more attention as we get closer to the wire. Every point or stat you can get (depending on type of league you are in) is crucial. 2nd base has not been a deep position for a couple of years, so likely you need help. Well, here it is, Luis Castillo. He's older, he plays for a bad team, but he is putting up great numbers. In the last 2 weeks he has been hitting .459 with 12 runs, 6 RBIs, 5 walks, 1 SB, and only 1 strikeout. You want that line on your team. For the year he has been a great surprise, batting near .300. If the Mets weren't on the DL, they would have been a great opponent for the Phillies. So unless you have Pedroia, Utley, or a choice few others, seriously consider Castillo in all formats. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Jose Contreras

The 37 year old (officially) righty is showing some good stuff lately. Last two starts were both 8 innings, with a total of 3 hits, 3 walks, 11 Ks, and no earned runs. How can a guy who put up those kind of numbers be owned in about 1% of leagues? Because Contreras is unpredictable (that's being kind). There is no pitcher in baseball that I can think of that can match Contreras' unpredictableness. When 'on,' his stuff is top, but him being 'on' happens with no rhyme or reason. It is for this reason that he is owned so sparsely, and why I recommend him only as a rental. There is potential that he can keep it together for the rest of the season and then you will have an excellent starter. I predict he will continue to do what he always has done, be up and down. Shallow leagues, don't even look. Deep leagues, consider him and be ready for the good and bad. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-A-Vet: Scott Podsednik

Welcome back to fantasy relevance Scotty Pods.

Podsednik has been getting full time at bats and leading off for the White Sox recently nad has responded.

On the season pods is batting 292 with 14 runs and 9 steals.

Pods won't provide any power but he will give you good avg, runs and steal totals while receiving full time at bats.

Jump on board if you need help in any of these stats or a fill in due to some of the injured OF studs like Sizemore or Hamilton.

bay_state_scout@comcast.net

The Bay State Scout

Rent-a-Vet: Gary Sheffield

I hesitate a little to call Sheffield a rental player as he is good enough to make a lot of fantasy lineups. Hard to ignore his age though, not too many 40 year olds make a push for MVP. So far, in his 87 ABs, he has hit .299, 5 HR, and 19 RBIs. Starting to look like the Sheffield of old, the one that Detroit was hoping for when they picked him up. Too bad for the Tigers, good for the Mets - in fact, great for the Mets as they would be in serious trouble without him right now. Sheffield has a long track record of being great, when healthy. So far he looks healthy and he says he's feeling healthy. His spot in the lineup isn't guaranteed as the Mets will have a lot of options when their team heals a bit, but he will be hard to bench if he keeps his number up. I believe he's worth a chance in most formats - at least for a rental and very possibly for more. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Nick Johnson

The one time Yank is hitting well in the nation's capital. Nick Johnson is batting .333, 4 HR, 25 RBIs for the year. Those are very respectable numbers (especially considering the team he is on). He also has been heating up as of late. In his last 8 games his line is .433 AVG (13 for 30), 2 HRs, 8 Runs, 13 RBIs. All good. Nick Johnson has a hard time staying healthy, so I would definitely call him a rent-a-player as he probably won't last the year. If he does though, he has shown he can be a solid hitter. If you need to fill a 1B hole or an IF position, you could do a lot worse the Nick. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Jerry Hairston Jr.

Jerry Hairston Jr. is having himself some nice games in the last 2 weeks. In his last 11 games, he is hitting .333 (16 for 48), with 14 runs scored, 3 homeruns, 8 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases. You have to like that kind of production. He's a career .260 hitter, so these numbers won't last, but if you need help at SS or OF (he qualifies for both in most leagues) due to an injury or suspension (*cough* Manny *cough*), Hairston Jr. could give you a little boost. He should be available as he is owned in less then 10% of leagues. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Jorge De La Rosa

OK don't laugh but it is seriously time to take Jorge De La Rosa seriously!

Last night De La Rosa struck out 10 batters and in his last start he struck out 12. In fact since last years all star break De La Rosa has pitched like a staff ace. (stats from ASB to now: 115.2 IP, 93 H, 55 BB, 113 K, 1.284 WHIP, 3.13 ERA)

I would say pick him up and ride the hot streak but looking at those stats and his stats so far for this season(42.7 IP, 34 H, 16 BB, 45 K, 1.17 WHIP, 3.16 ERA) it might be time to consider him viable for the long haul.

De La Rosa is only owned in 21% of CBS leagues, 10% of Yahoo leagues and 4.6% in ESPN Leagues. He is available and no one wants him because of the sour taste his name leaves but I am telling you go get him NOW!

The Bay State Scout

(bay_state_scout@comcast.net)

Rent-a-Vet: Eric Milton

It's been 10 years since his no hitter, but at 33, Eric Milton is still pitching effectively. The Dodgers are having issues filling in the holes of their rotation that injuries have caused so they sent an ineffective Macdonald down in order to bring up Milton. In the minors, Milton has a 3.00 ERA, 25 stike outs, only 5 walks, in 33 innings. Just last week, he had a no hitter through 5 innings. He won't be his younger self, but he seems to still know how to get people out and miss some bats. He will be sent down once Kuroda is back, but that is not looking to happen for a good month. Dodger stadium is pitcher friendly, Dodgers have good offense (even without Manny), and their division is not the best hitting division. Consider giving him a rent. - Scout Monkey (scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Fernando Tatis

NY Mets outfielder/first basemen Fernando Tatís made a heck of a comeback in 2008 batting .297 with 11 home runs with 273 at bats.

In 2009 the addition of David Murphy greatly diminished his fantasy value. But with the injury and possibly DL trip to first basemen Carlos Delgado, Tatís makes a perfect pick up to help out over the next few weeks.

He smacked his 2nd home run Wednesday against the Braves, going 3-5 with 4 RBI's starting at first base.

Sin City Scout

Rent-a-Vet: Randy Winn

You don't generally look to the Giants for an offensive player (great pitching though), but Randy Winn is doing a nice job in the middle of that meager lineup. He's batting .269 on the season and that number is climbing quickly. Lifetime he is a .288 hitter which is respectable, but in his last 3 games he is 9 for 14 with 5 RBIs and 1 stolen base. You know what you will get with Winn for the long run (.290 AVG, 15 HR, 65 RBI, 15-20 SB) but in the short term, he is hot. Grab him for a few games (owned in about 15% of leagues) and enjoy the the nice streak he's on. - Scout Monkey (scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Barry Zito

I can't believe I'm saying this, but you may want to consider picking up Barry Zito. I'm not kidding. No, really. Cross my heart. The one time ace, who has since fallen out of pitching relevance faster then a Strasburg fastball, has put together some nice starts. Although he doesn't have a win yet (not really his fault so far) he has pitched very well. The 30 year old left hander has an ERA of 3.99, a WHIP of 1.16, and 19 Ks in 29 innings. On top of this, he seems to be getting stronger - his last start was a 7 inning 2 hit gem. He lost that start as the Giants failed to produce any runs. The bottom line, a one time great pitcher has shown signs of his old form (at 30 years old, he's not washed up yet). Grab him now and ride the wave of good starts. I doubt he will be a long term pickup, but you could probably grab a few good stats from him for your fantasy team. - Scout Monkey (scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rent-a-Vet: Chris Duncan

Chris Duncan went 0-4 last night ending his 13 game hit streak, However he is still hitting over 330 on the season with 2 HR's, 12 RBI, 7 Runs and a 410 OBP.

Duncan was a 25-30 HR hitter for the cards up until last season when he had to have back surgery. He looks to be back and fully healthy with a starting job.

Duncan is only owned in 38% of Yahoo leagues and is eligible at 1B and OF. Pick him up and ride him till the wheels come off.

The Bay State Scout

Rent-A-Vet Luke Scott

Luke Scott OF for the Orioles is having a Solid season so Far.

He is Batting 300 with a 380 OBP and 3 HR's, 8 RBI and 7 Runs scored through the first 3 weeks of the season.

The Orioles Offense has been a lot better then expected so far this season and Scott should be picked up until the Orioles slow down.

He is only owned in 6% of Yahoo Leagues and could be use full if you are dealing with injuries like Vlad.

The Bay State Scout