Keepers to snag: Catchers

Well, the fantasy season is winding down, and with no trades, the main things to look out for are injuries to starting players. But for those of you in keeper fantasy leagues, there’s the future to plan for. If you need to reload for next year, here are some young players you should stash away at each position. First in a series.

CATCHER
At a position notoriously lacking in quality hitters, things are really looking up.

The Obvious
Joe Mauer, MIN and Brian McCann, ATL. These two are gunning for batting titles. They’re for real. McCann has hit 10 HR since the ASB in just 136 ABs.

Kenji Johjima, SEA. He’s been a solid hitter this season in a bad lineup. If Seattle signs someone good, his value could jump quite a bit.

Hidden Jewels
Josh Willingham, FLO. He’s been playing mostly in the outfield, but he’s got that eligibility at catcher. His numbers are not that far behind VMart’s, and he’s got more HR.

Russell Martin, LAD. Most fantasy owners have discovered this guy’s solid bat and consistency already. He should continue what he started next year.

Johnny Estrada, ARI. Mr. RBI for catchers did it again, even in the Diamondbacks ‘ lineup. He’s kind of underrated in the fantasy baseball world.

Pretender or Contender?
Chris Coste, PHI. You gotta like what this guy’s doing with the stick. He’s hitting .372/.424/.674 in the second half so far. At 33 years old, he’s not exactly a prospect anymore. And do it for more than 78 AB before talking to me about a long-term contract. Still, he could be a steal if he turns out to be even close to this good.

Liriano won’t return as a starter

The latest is that Francisco Liriano will be day-to-day after another week or two of rest. Minnesota will not be taking any chances with this golden arm, and word is that if he returns this season, he will likely come back in a relief role.

Earlier this season, Liriano was average to above average working out of the bullpen in middle relief. If you have the DL spot, go ahead and keep him, but 2006 is basically over for him. If the Twins manage to snag the wild card spot, look for him to return in the playoffs.

Shawn Green traded to the Mets

It was announced yesterday that the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Shawn Green for left-handed pitcher Evan MacLane, who had a 3.86 ERA at the AAA level for New York. Green hit .283 for Arizona with 11 home runs and 51 RBI this season. Although his power numbers are down, he is a proven veteran who can play corner outfield or first base. Green’s hefty contract made him a prime trade candidate for this year, at or after the trade deadline.

It is reported that Green will displace Endy Chavez in the starting lineup, giving the Mets some more punch in their lineup. All two Endy Chavez owners should dump him right away. All jokes aside, don’t expect too much from Green. His production will rise slightly, as he joins one of the NL’s best lineups. But spacious Shea Stadium won’t be nice to his home run total. Still, this is a good move by Omar Minaya to prepare for the postseason

Back in Arizona, right field will be taken over full time by Carlos Quentin, a heralded power prospect. After being called up in July, Quentin slammed 4 HR in 21 AB, but has struggled somewhat since. Steady playing time should allow GM Josh Byrnes to see exactly what he has in this young bat. Keep an eye on this guy, as he could be useful down the stretch.

Some timely pick-me-ups

Chris Duncan, St. Louis Cardinals. Pick him up now, if you haven’t already.

And Huston Street just hit the DL without much warning. You can choose between Justin Duchscherer and Kiko Calero as his replacements. Duchscherer has filled in for Street before, but Calero’s been more consistent and has better numbers this year.

Keeper league proposal

Hey all you out there, I am seriously toying with the idea of starting a keeper fantasy league next year. Basically my idea is that from year to year, you will keep your team members. This adds another dimension to the decision to add/drop/trade players, because you have to think of their future performance as well as their current performance. There are many keeper leagues out there, but none are cheap. This one would be free.

I think it can be done through Yahoo’s excellent fantasy baseball system, if I act as a commissioner and decide the teams based on year-end rosters instead of holding a draft. Also, in order to fully take advantage of this type of system, I think we will need a deeper bench so that you can stash away prospects as well as everyday players. So I would add several extra roster spots for each team.

Any interested parties out there? I’d like to get a 10-12 team league together if possible. Also suggestions are welcome.

Was it real or was it Memorex?

Okay, first of all I think I have to apologize to those of you who picked up Joe Saunders on my recommendation. He totally blew last night’s start. He is going to rebound, however, so resist the urge to purge him right away, as many have done already.

I noticed a lot of people are going for Dodgers P Chad Billingsley. My advice: stay away for now. As well as he’s pitched recently, don’t forget that the Dodgers have been hot as a team, and he’s had major control problems. The guy has 48 walks to 47 K, come on! Not worth your time, unless you’re in a keeper league.

Two You Could Use

With trade deadlines passing and teams fading in the stretch run, it’s hard to get quality help for your fantasy team these days. Here are two guys who are likely free agents in your league, but might boost your chances of victory.

Not many people have heard of Luke Scott. I’ll give you a hint, he plays for the Houston Astros. He’s not a heralded prospect, but he’s playing like one. Since the ASB, Luke “Great” Scott has been hitting a mere .415/.467/.659 in 82 AB as an outfielder for the Astros. He’s getting a lot of playing time, and is producing big time. I found him available in all of my fantasy leagues, and he’s probably free in yours too. Pick him up before people notice him.

On the pitching side of the ball, lots of people thought the Angels were done with the loss of Bartolo Colon for the year. I mean, how do you replace last year’s Cy Young winner? Enter Joe Saunders. In four starts for Los Angeles, Saunders has posted a 4-0 record, along with a 1.67 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. And he’s done it against the Indians, Athletics, Rangers and Yankees (at Yankee Stadium, BTW). He probably can’t keep up this level of performance, but he’s definitely a solid arm that might help you out if you’ve lost a starter to injury. I picked him up on all of my teams. You should too.

Sans Francisco

The move of Francisco Liriano to the disabled list has left some owners scrambling to replace him on their pitching staffs, including yours truly. What a bummer for us, and the Twins.

You could do worse than to pick up his real-life replacement Matt Garza. He is a hard-throwing righthander who has dominated at every level in his first year in the minors. Don’t expect Liriano’s numbers from him, but he could be a very nice stopgap for you. Liriano’s teammate Brad Radke has also been pitching very well, but he is nursing a bad shoulder, so be careful with him.

Pickup of the Week: Marcus Giles

Marcus Giles was suffering the worst season of his major league career in 2006, but everything’s changed after the All-Star Break. He’s hitting a healthy .367/.449/.517 this half, and he’s off to an amazing .440/.500/.760 start in August. Plus, Atlanta’s been playing well. I’m really happy, as I have always regarded Marcus’ fantasy value highly. Some owners had given up on him, especially with some other hot second basemen, but now’s the time to pick him up.

Javy Lopez going to Boston

For those of you in need of a catcher, get your mouse trigger fingers ready. Javy Lopez, three-time All-Star catcher, is rumored to be going to Boston. He’ll land in a starting role for 6-8 weeks while Jason Varitek recovers from knee surgery. Lopez has been unhappy in Baltimore with his lack of playing time, being behind Ramon Hernandez. He could go over and take it out on the Red Sox’ competition.