FanHouse FredLewis

MLB Power Rankings: Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.

It's been a while since a week of baseball was this sad -- we saw the tragic passings of Nick Adenhart, Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych. And without waxing too sentimentally, it's the loss of these men that remind us exactly just how little sports matter in the grand scheme of things. RIP, gentlemen. Power rankings (that feel just a tad inconsequential, to be honest) after the jump.

Fantasy baseball draft season is coming, so you best be prepared by delving through every major player on each team. Fantasy FanHouse is here to help with a quick once-over.

Meet the ...
Team desperately needing a bat in the middle of the order. It's too bad money is so tight right now, because the Giants could certainly use a certain eccentric slugger in the middle of their order. They still aren't altogether out of the running for Manny Ramirez, but I believe he's staying put in Los Angeles. Too bad they wasted all that money on Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand.

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2009.

The Giants were not a disappointment in 2008 as far as I'm concerned, because they only lost 90 games and did not finish in last place. Going into the season, in looking at the rosters, Giants fans had to expect 100 losses and a definite last place finish. Moving forward, there is hope for a quick franchise turnaround.

Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and even the injury-prone Noah Lowry have the makings of a quality young starting rotation. They could be above average with offensive support and an improved defense. Bengie Molina and Aaron Rowand can be helpful players on a good team, but they cannot be the centerpieces of the offense, as they were this past season. Randy Winn and Fred Lewis are viable starters for '09, but they need to be slotted at the end of the batting order.

The key to the approach for 2009 is to try and compete without foregoing the future. The rotation, closer Brian Wilson, and potential stars like Madison Bumgarner, Conor Gillespie, and Buster Posey are too valuable to deal in a trade just to land one player.

Cheap Yard Work helps fantasy owners to lock their lineups weekly by providing lesser owned options who are recently raking.

Jayson Werth
Last seven days: .348/.400/.813, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB, 10 R

Do I believe? Not particularly, but mainly because Shane Victorino will get the gig back once he returns. In the meantime though, Werth is a pretty ... werth-y ... start for larger fantasy leagues, especially if you want an upside riddled short term answer in the outfield.

Fred Lewis
Last seven days: .400/.456/.733, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 10 R

I believe more in Lewis, because I think he holds onto the job with Dave Roberts out, and even if he comes back -- what do they Giants have to lose by turning to youth? But the one swipe is a little disconcerting, and obviously expecting a .400 batting average pace is just naive. Still, definitely a nice option for this week.

Kazuo Matsui
Last seven days: .345/.345/..482, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, 8 R

Who doesn't need a starting second baseman? And it seems like Matsui is finally at a point where he can produce sans the fear of expectations. Oh, no, wait. That was last year. So he should be fine if he can stay healthy. He's not a total monster at the position but he did steal 32 bases last year, so it's hard to complain too much when he's cheap/free.

Maicer Izturis
Last seven days: .316/.412/.474, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 3 SB, 5 R

Maicer makes the list just because of the three swipes. And because he's getting on base over 40% of the time. And because he's generally eligible at second, third, maybe short, CI, MI ... basically everything that you could possibly need if you've got someone injured this week (like Yunel Escobar or something). Izturis is still batting below the Mendoza line though, so there's not a high chance he's owned.

San Francisco Giants outfielder Dave Roberts landed on the DL this week, with a torn meniscus and "additional debris" behind his kneecap. I'm no doctor, but that doesn't sound good.

And indeed, Roberts could miss at least a few months with this injury. So, why would Giants fans be happy about this?

It's not any hostility towards Roberts, one of the few talented veterans left on the team, and by all accounts a really good guy. Though he's 35, he still has wheels, swiping 31 bags last year to go with his solid defense.

But there you have it -- he's 35.

Despite the fact that the Giants have won three straight games, no rational San Francisco fan thinks this is anything but a lost season. And well run teams do one thing in those kind of years -- find young talent to help them rebuild. So it was particularly galling for these fans to watch the season begin with youngsters like Fred Lewis, Rajai Davis and Eugenio Velez struggling to find regular playing time.
That all changes with Roberts taken out of the mix -- Lewis and Davis have gotten starts in the last three games (all wins for the Giants) and while they haven't played at an All-Star level, that's really not the point. At the end of the year, manager Bruce Bochy and GM Brian Sabean need to know what they have on their hands to help plan for 2009.

In the meantime, all three of these guys -- Davis, Lewis and especially Velez (who can play both outfield and infield slots) are not only helpful to the Giants, but to fantasy owners as well. They're all fast (Velez might be one of the fastest kids in the league) and stolen bases are a hot commodity.

So, in a season that Giants fans most likely will want to forget, there are a few positives -- though Dave Roberts might not agree.

Yeah, exactly -- who? Fred Lewis was making just his fourth career big league start after being called up from Triple-A only to hit for the cycle on Mother's Day. Lewis became the first Giants rookie to hit for the cycle since 1972, and also became the fourth major leaguer to include his first career home run in the cycle. I'm actually surprised that was the case with three other players -- it seems so improbable to me.

The strangest part of Lewis' cycle is that he got the easiest part of it last -- a seventh inning single which was the only hit he pulled. And to me, the craziest aspect of the entire game was not Lewis' cycle. Honestly, I think it's more inconceivable that the Giants actually scored 15 runs without Barry Bonds in the lineup, winning the game 15-2. The best sign for Giants fans has to be that their seemingly depleted farm system has produced what looks like an impact player now that Dave Roberts is on the DL.