FanHouse Mlb Value Machine

Back before he was making us think of loyalty in the locker room and steroids, Jose Canseco made us think up the 40/40 club. The club didn't exist prior to 1988, there have only been three members inducted since, and Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle scoffed at the "new" club saying, "Hell, If I'd known 40-40 was going to be a big deal, I'd have done it every year!"

Today I want to talk about the junior varsity version of the 40/40 club. I want to examine a few hitters who could make it to the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateau in 2009.

The major league season is about 43% complete now (give or take a few games for some teams), which means any hopeful 30/30 member needs to be somewhere near 13 home runs and stolen bases to be considered on pace.

Last season, only Hanley Ramirez and Grady Sizemore entered the 30/30 club. In 2009 we could see a lot more inductees.

Trading baseball players on your fantasy team is somewhat similar to trading stock on the open exchange. If you feel that a player is going to perform better in the future you should try and buy low on that player and acquire him. If a players has peaked and should drop off, you want to sell him for the highest asking price that you can get.

Here's a list of four hitters who you may want to think about selling right now.

Adrian Gonzalez, Padres - After hitting nine home runs in April and 11 in May, Gonzalez has only parked two in June. In fact, he hasn't hit a home run since June 2nd when he capped off four straight days with a dinger. Since June 2nd Gonzalez has been walked 16 times and only has six base hits. That seems to be the new way to pitch to the Padres slugger, you walk him. Include also the fact that his HR/F ratio for 2009 is 30.1% and you get the makings of a home run decline for the rest of the season. With his HR/F ratio sure to normalize back down to the high teens (his three-year average) and his walk rate to continue on this pace, Gonzalez won't be as valuable in the second half as he's been thus far. Sell now.

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

The Mets are beginning to look like the Patriots when it comes to injury information. Just a couple of weeks ago, I told you to be worried about Jose Reyes' bum leg when we found out he had a "calf strain." Thursday night, the team confirmed Reyes has a torn right hamstring tendon and this is believed to be something new. Excuse me for being cynical, but this is the latest in a long line of sketchy diagnoses. Let's take a look at what else New York bungled, shall we ...

In case you haven't heard yet -- seriously, if you haven't, you need to read MLB FanHouse -- the Atlanta Braves have made a trade for center fielder Nate McLouth. McLouth emerged last season as a quality fantasy outfielder, hitting .276 with 26 home runs, 94 RBI, 113 runs, 23 stolen bases and a league-leading 46 doubles.

This season, he's down a bit in average and doubles, but chugging along elsewhere (.256-9-34-27-7-7). Obviously his move to a better situation -- and absence in the Pirates' new lineup -- sends reverberations throughout fantasy lineups across the roto world. Let us now check out what the move does to his value and to those also affected by the move.

It's always nice to know how secure a closer's job is and who's next in line if somebody loses their 9th inning job. The Closer Report will give you that info. And if that wasn't good enough, we'll rank the closers from top to bottom.

As you'll see, Heath Bell has taken over the top spot on this edition of The Closer Report. A few big-name, top-of-the-charts closers from years past have fallen off quite a bit. How weird is it to see Brad Lidge near the bottom of the closer rankings and Joe Nathan stuck in the middle?

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Major League Baseball suspended Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez for 50 games on Thursday for use of performance enhancing drugs.

Ramirez, who turns 37 on May 30, will begin the suspension with Thursday night's Dodgers-Nationals game. He would be eligible to return around
July 3, depending on rainouts.

Update: You can read the official news and Ed Price's take on how it affects the Dodgers over at MLB FanHouse.

As it sits right now, you need to run to your waiver wire and sign Juan Pierre. His fantasy value just skyrocketed. At least for 50 games, that is.

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Matt Garza is one of those talented pitchers that novice owners probably lost patience with quickly. And if they did, they were watching Thursday's spectacular performance kicking themselves. Garza, who had struggled with his command through his first four starts, took a perfect game bid into the seventh inning against the Red Sox and finished with a line worthy of adulation: 7 2/3 innings, 10 strikeouts, 1 hit, 1 walk, no runs. Has he turned the corner that quickly?

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Ichiro's hobbies include: Hitting baseballs, getting massages from manager Don Wakamatsu, and hitting more baseballs.

One nice way to put injury concerns to rest is by smashing a grand slam in your first game back. Ichiro, who missed the first week and a half due to fatigue and ulcer troubles, went 2-for-5 with the homer, four RBI and a stolen base against the Angels. But his stat line paled in comparison to another leadoff star.

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Someone forgot to tell Erik Bedard and Travis Hafner that this isn't 2007. Or maybe it is?

I always love good redemption stories and the surprises they bring for fantasy owners. But through just one week of the season, looks can be deceiving ... or hints of something entirely palpable. The dilemma with rotisserie league outcasts like Bedard and Hafner is you're dealing with this nagging birdie in the back of your mind telling you this can't be real.

From time to time this season, we'll be checking in with some analysis of how fantasy relevant players actually look during the games, and try to ascertain what it might mean moving forward. These are going to include things you won't be able to find unless you watched the games, because there is only so much a stat sheet can tell you.

First up, the entire Chicago Cubs team. Why? Well, because there aren't many teams with more fantasy relevant players -- and they are my favorite team, so I've seen every pitch thus far.