Today's Fantasy Rx

We'll continue reviewing potential FAAB-worthy batting prospects in the National League today.

Note: For those of you unfamiliar with FAAB, each team normally has $100 to spend throughout the year on all free agent pickups. Most injury replacements or speculative picks go for a buck or two, hot starters go for $5-$10, top prospects go in the $10-$30 range, and we've seen $90+ bids on top players traded into the league, as well as selected call-ups.

Arizona: Chad Tracy, 20, 3B-L
.390/.420/.561 with 4 HR, 42 RBI, 41 R, 1/1 SB%, and 15:21 BB:K at AA El Paso(TL).

Alex Cintron lacks the plate discipline to merit a call-up, and Lyle Overbay remains buried beyond a seeming score of first basemen. However Chad Tracy possesses skills that the Diamondbacks could use despite his need of another year in the minors. The Diamondbacks promoted him to full-season ball in the Midwest League last year after only allowing him 36 AB in short-season A-ball, and they skipped him past high-A to AA this year. Tracy's obviously responded to the challenge, even increasing his .340 BA from South Bend last year. Unfortunately he'll likely struggle, like most other left-handed third base prospects this year, unless his development proceeds in a logical fashion. He might deserve a AAA call-up at the All-Star break, but even with Arizona in need of another infield bat, a .06 walk rate indicates he's not even ready for that AAA promotion. Unless you're playing exclusively for next season, ignore Tracy until he accumulates more minor league reps.

Atlanta: Ramon Castro, 22, 2B/SS-R
.307/.423/.534 in 176 AB with 8 HR, 16 RBI, 42 R, 5/11 SB%, and 32:41 BB:K between AAA Richmond(IL) and AA Greenville(SL).

Like Florida's catching Ramon Castro, Atlanta's Castro possesses a solid bat at a normally weak position but seems to lack the opportunity for much immediate advancement. Fortunately his plate discipline has certainly improved over the past few years, and now when he runs out of options next season, the Braves should be quite willing to keep him as either their second or even primary utility infielder if they can move Mark DeRosa for help elsewhere. He's displaying developing power and a little speed, and if handled properly, he could be a more productive player than even someone like Jay Bell over the course of their respective careers. While Castro would benefit from potentially up to another year in the minors, FAAB him if you need quantitative category help from MIF.

Chicago Cubs: Adam Melhuse, 30, C/UT-S
.305/.371/.543 in 151 AB with 7 HR, 31 RBI, 27 R, 1/3 SB%, and 16:31 BB:K at AAA Iowa(PCL).

Hee Seop Choi is now cruising at a .905 OPS and gives every indication that he should be the favorite for the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year award unless the Cubs find a way to move McGriff and start rebuilding early. Julio Zuleta also continues to mash at AAA, but Melhuse's stock in the organization just shot up following the trade of Robert Machado. Either Melhuse or fellow AAA backstop Mike Mahoney will see time in the majors before the end of the year unless both the resurgent Todd Hundley and Joe Girardi can manage to stay healthy until October. Certainly ignore Mahoney as he'll kill your BA, but Melhuse is a very viable option. He's a switch-hitter who can field every position fairly respectably, owns a solid minor league resumé, and deserves a spot as a second catcher in most leagues if he's likely to see any consistent playing time. There's little reason not to FAAB him for a buck or two if he's called up.

Cincinnati: Bobby Darula, 27, OF-L
.325/.436/.426 in 197 AB with 2 HR, 23 RBI, 36 R, 7/9 SB%, and 33:16 BB:K at AA Chattanooga(SL).

With Kearns and Corky Miller already in the majors, Darula's 2.1 BB:K jumped off the screen at me. After six years with Milwaukee, the Brewers released him last October, apparently because their system is loaded with solid prospects that could mature into capable leadoff hitters. In 1524 minor league at-bats, albeit only 182 even as high as AA, he owns a 1.3 BB:K, .15 walk rate, and a .88 contact rate, all numbers that support his .412 OBP. After inexplicably leaving him in rookie ball for two years, he then missed most of the 1998 season for unknown reasons before excelling in the Midwest league in 1999. Milwaukee then allowed him all of 117 AB at AA Huntsville, in which he maintained excellent skills but only managed a .239 BA, before demoting him all the way back to A- Beloit instead of their high-A team. They followed the same pattern last season, demoting him after only 65 AB in which he hit .277, but with worse skills and only a .329 OBP. No sane prospect-desperate player development system should jerk around a player in this manner, and I'm quite pleased to see Darula excelling at AA. He's already more than doubled his previous career at-bats here, and aside from a complete lack of anything but meager doubles' power, he possesses excellent skills and stats. Darula apparently lacks an agent since he signed with the one team that will never employ his services in the majors due to about a dozen highly-touted players ahead of him in the system. If given the chance, he could have a productive career as a fourth outfielder, and when the Reds finally deal for pitching, the other team should try to grab Darula. Ignore him if he's called up this year, but please keep him in mind as a future bench player who offers a good BA and some speed.

Colorado: Ben Petrick, OF/C(?)
.282/.417/.624 in 85 AB with 7 HR, 21 RBI, 18 RBI, 3/5 SB%, and 20:24 BB:K at AAA Colorado Springs(PCL).

While Jack Cust has produced a .972 OPS, Petrick's finally started hitting again after his demotion. A Cust/Petrick platoon would likely produce far more offense than the initial Hollandsworth/Agbayani choice, and a couple hundred extra points of OPS nicely compensate for occasional defensive miscues. Petrick's astonishing .24 walk rate and solid .83 BB:K are negated somewhat by a relatively poor .72 contact rate, although a .624 SLG, even in Colorado Springs, will attract positive attention. As he'll continue to qualify at catcher through at least the rest of this season, now is a great time to acquire a potential significant second-half offensive force at a probable discount. If he's a free agent, FAAB him at your first opportunity.

Florida: Abraham Nunez, 25, OF-S
.280/.364/.516 in 182 AB with 11 HR, 25 RBI, 37 R, 13/16 SB%, and 23:51 BB:K at AAA Calgary(PCL).

Nunez was a top outfield prospect until he gained three years in the continuing agegate scandal. Now he's a 25-year-old who needs to break into the majors soon to insure a productive career. Fortunately, in his first AAA experience he's certainly displaying the hitting talent necessary to earn a promotion, especially with Florida already short one above-average starting outfielder and likely dealing one of their other two in the next few months. You should feel no hesitation about spending a good deal of FAAB for Nunez upon his call-up, since even if his BA falters due to his lacking plate discipline, he's shown enough HR and SB potential to at least suggest stats similar to those of Raul Mondesi.

Houston: Jason Lane, 25, OF-R
.291/.336/.458 in 227 AB with 6 HR, 35 RBI, 34 R, 7/9 SB%, and 15:47 BB:K at AAA New Orleans(PCL).

Lane returned to AAA after a brief call-up, and his skills definitely illustrate that he needs more minor league time. He skipped A+, jumping from A Michigan to AA Round Rock last year, and the benefits of playing in Round Rock helped him display an otherwise unlikely increase in power. He's logically struggling to some extent in AAA, and his poor .32 BB:K doesn't boost my confidence in his long-term major league viability. With Daryle Ward at least making consistent contact and Bagwell, Berkman, and Hidalgo all signed to extended contracts, Lane has no place to play in Houston. A trade to a likely worse hitters' park will further diminish his value, and I expect Houston to move him if they need to add pitching or a veteran bat on the left side of the infield. He's worth a couple bucks of FAAB when promoted, but don't expect him to approach his 2001 numbers in the majors for several years at best.

Los Angeles: Luke Allen, 23, OF-L
.341/.413/.493 with 5 HR, 37 RBI, 39 R, 1/5 SB%, and 27:32 BB:K at AAA Las Vegas(PCL).

I remain unimpressed by the poor plate discipline of Chin-Feng Chen and Joe Thurston, although minor league vets Mike Kinkade and Phil Hiatt continue to absolutely rake with 1.068 and .943 respective OPS marks. However after three unimpressive AA seasons, Allen's suddenly mashing the ball at AAA. His .84 BB:K and .12 walk rate are even more shocking considering both numbers are career-highs. The Dodgers desperately need a left-handed power bat to hit after Brian Jordan in the middle of their lineup, and Allen may have developed into that hitter. Unfortunately, in adding Shawn Green, Brian Jordan, and Dave Roberts over the last couple of years, Los Angeles has left the cannon-armed Allen without a position. If LA can finally break free of Eric Karros, perhaps either Jordan or Green can move to first, improving both the infield defense and offense while helping to balance the lineup. We still need to see a full season of Allen's newly-found skills before unilaterally recommending him, but we're very comfortable suggesting a several dollar FAAB bid upon any promotion, as I expect him to start in Chavez Ravine next season.

Milwaukee: Ryan Thompson, 34, OF-R, OF-R
.300/.332/.508 in 250 AB with 12 HR, 38 RBI, 32 R, 0/4 SB%, and 10:41 BB:K at AAA Indianapolis(IL).

Minor league vet Jon Zuber owns the only .350+ OBP of any regular, leaving Thompson as the most interesting AAA bat from a roto perspective. I expect him to reach the majors at some point this year since he's found at least 20 at-bats each of the last three years. However he's demonstrated no ability that suggests he can improve upon his poor major league career .242 BA, .302 OBP, and .422 SLG. Milwaukee already has two solid outfielders on the big league bench in Alex Ochoa and Matt Stairs, so there's no reason for them to add Thompson unless they suffer multiple injuries. Ignore him even if he makes it up this year.

Montreal: Joe Vitiello, 32, 1B-R
.328/.407/.550 in 180 AB with 8 HR, 34 RBI, 28 R, 1/1 SB%, and 22:23 BB:K at AAA Ottawa(IL).

With Lee Stevens down to a .188 BA and .672 OPS and Galarraga unable to play frequently, Montreal desperately needs a competent batter to play first. Having recklessly disregarded Fernando Seguignol and with little reason to give much playing time to Wil Cordero and his .225 BA and .554 OPS, the Expos need to promote Vitiello to bolster a sagging lineup. After spreading out 617 major league at-bats from 1995 to 2000, Vitiello journeyed to Japan last season, where he hit .275 with 22 HR and 83 RBI in 407 AB. He's now added excellent plate discipline to a solid power bat, and he deserves an extended look since he appears ready to contribute to a big league lineup for a few years. If they promote him, consider spending a couple bucks of FAAB for a potential starting first baseman with a good BA and some power.

New York Mets: Marcos Scutaro, 26, IF-R
.349/.414/.554 in 166 AB with 5 HR, 17 RBI, 25 R, 4/9 SB%, and 17:28 BB:K at AAA Norfolk(IL).

Steve Phillips' waiver grab of Scutaro from the Brewers, another moronic Milwaukee decision to cut loose a potential future starter, ranks with his best moves in a couple of years. Scutaro consistently demonstrated excellent plate discipline in the upper levels of the Cleveland organization before they dealt him to the Brewers in the Sexson trade. Now, as he's spending his fourth straight full season in AAA, he might have a chance to break into the majors next season if the Mets let Alfonzo depart as a free agent. Fortunately, he should be out of options next year so the Mets can't control him if they don't keep him in New York. Upon his hopefully approaching promotion to the majors, he immediately becomes one of the more interesting utility infielders for roto, since he should maintain a helpful BA along with occasional displays of power and speed. Certainly consider a few bucks of FAAB when he reaches the Show.

Philadelphia: Nick Punto, 24, SS-S
.250/.379/.315 in 184 AB with 1 HR, 17 RBI, 31 R, 17/18 SB%, and 37:37 BB:K at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre(IL).

I recognize that likely future starters Johnny Estrada, Marlon Byrd, and Chase Utley are more vital to the future of the organization, but Punto offers an intriguing skills' set, especially to a team wanting a cheap utility infielder. He followed a normal career path, advancing from short-season A- Batavia in 1998 to A+ Clearwater in 1999, AA Reading in 2000, and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year. Aside from his five major league at-bats in 2001, he's spent a full season at each level, and while his production decreased in AA, he never really struggled until AAA. Now he's developed excellent plate discipline at a 1.00 BB:K compared to his .86 career rate while also increasing his walk rate(.20 '02; .15 career) and only losing a little off his contact rate(.80 '02; .82 career). Despite his excellent stolen base potential, I don't foresee him winning an everyday job since he lacks any noticeable power. If you need a couple steals and can afford a small BA hit, certainly look to FAAB him to your MIF upon his next promotion.

Pittsburgh: Shawn Garrett, 23, OF-S
.292/.353/.500 in 226 AB with 7 HR, 36 RBI, 35 R, 13/15 SB%, and 15:36 BB:K at AA Altoona(EL).

Pittsburgh picked up Garrett and Shawn Camp from the Padres for Emil Brown last year. While his plate discipline remains unimpressive and his walk rate has fallen slightly from his .10 career mark, he's maintain his OPS from A+ while making the jump to AA. The Pirates don't have many prospects seeing any success at the upper levels, and even their vaunted young catching corps has struggled for much of the year. Garrett likely needs the rest of this season in AA and most of next year in AAA before he'll deserve even a major league bench job, but I think he definitely shows some promise if he can improve his batting eye. If the Pirates jump his development prior to the middle of the next season, ignore his promotion.

San Diego: Kevin Barker, 26, 1B-L
.257/.343/.386 in 210 AB with 5 HR, 21 RBI, 21 R, 1/2 SB%, and 26:40 BB:K at AAA Portland(PCL).

Barker began 2000 as Milwaukee's Opening Day first baseman, and despite posting a 20:21 BB:K in 100 AB for a .352 OBP, a .220 BA and .330 SLG forced him back into the minors. He didn't even manage a .200 BA in the last two years of AAA and only resumed hitting at AA Hunstville after a mid-season demotion last season; Barker managed to post .914 OPS in 232 AB. While he's now displaying improved plate discipline at AAA along with a solid walk rate, his below average BA and continued power outage likely doom him to AAAA status without almost immediate improvement. San Diego will soon call up Barker until either Nevin or Burroughs is ready to rejoin the roster, but unless you're very desperate for any at-bats, you should probably just ignore him.

San Francisco: Brian Simmons, 28, OF-S
.318/.394/.482 in 220 AB with 6 HR, 27 RBI, 36 R, 6/9 SB%, and 26:49 BB:K at AAA Fresno(PCL).

None of the current or former prospects at Fresno, including Sean McGowan, Angel Pena, Cody Ransom, and Tony Torcato, have showed practically any ability to perform at an appropriate skill level for AAA. Simmons, after repeated fluke accidents damaged his starting chances with the White Sox, is re-establishing himself as a viable major league bench option. He's a good defender at all three outfield positions, possesses decent speed, and normally maintains a solid walk rate. He'll always have value if he can maintain a BA around .300, but there's not much available playing time in San Francisco right now. If he can continue putting up these numbers until he can sneak onto the 40-man roster for a September call-up, he has a good chance to remain on the roster next season after a few expensive veterans likely leave the club. However, even if he's promoted earlier this season, you should consider spending a buck of FAAB if you're desperate for steals.

St. Louis: Mike Coolbaugh, 30, 3B-R
.251/.341/.533 in 199 AB with 15 HR, 30 RBI, 35 R, 3/5 SB%, and 24:59 BB:K at AAA Memphis(PCL).

As utilityman Chad Meyers continues to hold a .411 OBP despite a .213 BA and .244 SLG, Coolbaugh's again demonstrating why he deserves a bench job in the big leagues. After a laboriously long ascent throughout every level of minor league ball that lasted eleven years, Milwaukee finally gave him 70 at-bats last season, but he only responded with a .200 BA and .644 OPS, an unfortunate departure from his normal .270 BA and .830 OPS in AAA. He could probably perform at the level of someone like Ron Coomer if given a full season in the majors, but teams normally don't employ established AAAA players for any length of time. Since he's a definite BA risk if promoted this year, ignore a potential call-up unless he's expected to start for the Cardinals.

Our roto prospect series will continue tomorrow with AL pitchers.

Today's Fantasy Rx: If you see a trade involving either Ramon Castro, look to pick them up if their new team promises to give them an extended shot at starting. Either could be a productive player in either the majors or on your roto team if given the opportunity.