Today's Fantasy Rx

Today we begin our normal in-season article runs. While I still will discuss AL LPR, NL LPR, and CDM each weekend, we rotate the first four columns of each week on a monthly basis, beginning with underachieving players this week, spotlighting intriguing monthly splits next week, and then spending a week each on overachievers and finally minor leaguers.

As you saw in the weekend's LPR articles, I also will employ the same recommendation system we used last year:

Acquire: You should immediate look to trade for the player since his value should rise in the immediate future.

Target: Explore potential trades for the player, but don't rush into any deal since while the player could increase in value soon, he isn't a sure bet for success.

Wait: Since the player's market value isn't likely to change substantially soon, take no action regardless of whether you own the player or not.

Shop: If you find a good match for your player, make a trade now, however don't undersell him since his value isn't likely to plummet in the near future.

Deal: The high likelihood of the player's value dropping soon means you should take the best offer for him you can find before your next transaction deadline.

We expect this system to continue providing you with actionable advice when evaluating your teams and players.

Baltimore: Brian Roberts, 2B
12/46 for .261/.300/.326 with 0 HR, 8 RBI, 3 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 3:5 BB:K.

2005's Chris Shelton continues to recover from his September elbow dislocation, yet that injury should not impair his baserunning abilities. Roberts simply isn't running this year, a factor most likely attributable to facing Toby Hall in seven of his first ten games. Facing Victor Martinez and Jorge Posada this week will fix that problem, and with only Roberts' power likely limited this year, he still appears quite capable of pushing $30. Acquire him anywhere jittery owners ignorant of the specifics of his injury seek to dump Roberts far earlier than warranted.

Boston: Mark Loretta, 2B
10/41 for .244/.340/.317 with 0 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 6:3 BB:K.

While I don't anticipate particularly useful homer or steal contributions from Loretta, we soon should see his BA and Runs surge as his solid plate discipline drives his average. Nothing appears wrong with his base skills, and a lineup slot in front of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez will generate the pitches Loretta needs to post a .300ish BA. Feel free to target him if you need a MIF boost and see him available cheaply.

Chicago White Sox: Juan Uribe, SS
4/24 for .167/.276/.208 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 4:4 BB:K.

While Podsednik's performed horribly, Uribe appears slightly more likely to rebound in the very near future. His impressive plate discipline to date, coupled with a usual .80 G-F, present plenty of upside for the young veteran. Yes, I'm concerned that Alex Cintron will continue stealing playing time, but Uribe's contract and upside eventually will keep him in the lineup every day. Consider him a solid target if a Uribe doubter in your league accidentally drafted him last month.

Cleveland: Aaron Boone, 3B
9/39 for .231/.286/.385 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 2:4 BB:K.

Other Indians like Jhonny Peralta similarly merit discussion here, but Boone's start presents the biggest potential problem with Andy Marte looming only three hours up I-90 in Buffalo. However, although Marte owns much better plate discipline, more power upside, and even generally superior defense, Cleveland appears thoroughly unlikely to make a change barring another injury to Boone. He remains a respectable target for anyone seeking to add a high-risk, high-upside potential 20-20 man at an early discount.

Detroit: Placido Polanco, 2B
13/39 for .333/.350/.359 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 34 R, 0/2 SB%,
and a 1:0 BB:K.

On a team with only the recently-injured Dmitri Young delivering completely unacceptable stats, Polanco appears positioned for the most immediate growth. Yes, he owns an outstanding .333 BA that might keep his price high, but with no strikeouts through two weeks and a career-best 1.40 G-F that suggests increasing power potential, I see the foundation for a $25+ season here. Target him in any league where his current average might result in an owner accidentally underselling him by forgetting that Polanco possesses the skills to maintain this batting average over the balance of the year.

Kansas City: Mike Sweeney, DH/1B
2/25 for .080/.233/.240 with 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 3:7 BB:K.

Missing part of spring training with a bruised ankle cost Sweeney needed preparation, and then a HBP on his hand last week further slowed his emergence this season. Instead he has several fewer at-bats than most of his teammates, keeping his overall numbers low despite a strong skill base. Sweeney undoubtedly will enjoy at least one extended stretch of dominance, so if you exited the draft needing one more bat, try to acquire the veteran slugger now before his rising averages carry his commensurate trade cost upward

Los Angeles Angels: Casey Kotchman, 1B
6/29 for .207/.281/.241 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 3:5 BB:K.

While many analysts expected a breakout from Kotchman in a full-time role, his performance thus far suggests no more than limited growth. Remember that he only turned 23 in February, an experiential disadvantage further exacerbated by his 3.19 #P/PA and 3.25 G-F. I tend to think he probably should head to Salt Lake for two months to regain his confidence and fix his swing in the hitter-friendly environment. Barring that unplanned move, he'll be lucky to meet our conservative projection of a $10 value, making him a decent candidate to deal now, especially if you see some clubs already heading toward rebuilding.

Minnesota: Rondell White, DH/OF
3/38 for .079/.098/.105 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 0:11 BB:K.

RonDL remained healthy enough to trash our BA in a couple of leagues over the last fortnight, but unless he's hiding yet another injury, I expect a full rebound to his normal .290/15/70 production. While the Twins may possess other viable options like Lew Ford, Jason Kubel, and Mike Cuddyer who all need more playing time than the right field slot afford, I just don't see the youngsters stealing time from someone as established as White. I feel comfortable thoroughly endorsing you acquire White, especially if you can grab him for a couple of fast starters like Tim Salmon and Marcus Thames.

New York Yankees: Andy Phillips, 1B
0/2 for .000/.000/.000 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 0:0 BB:K.

With the Yankees' lineup appearing virtually unchanged on a day-to-day basis, I no longer see a reasonable expectation that Phillips will emerge even as a platoon starter. With Carlos Pena assigned to AAA Columbus following his signing on Saturday, Phillips appears the likeliest candidate for demotion once the veteran returns to form in the minors. Since I just don't envision Phillips emerging as a useful fantasy player in the next couple weeks unless he receives some sort of regular playing time, deal or cut him as soon as you see a viable replacement available on the free agent wire.

Oakland: Dan Johnson, 1B/DH
1/30 for .033/.147/.033 with 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 4:7 BB:K.

The easiest selection for today's article by far, Johnson needed over thirty at-bats before registering his first hit. Thankfully Jay Payton also started quite poorly, creating the needed opportunity for Johnson to remain in the lineup. His overall skills appear unchanged from last year as his 4.03 #P/PA and .91 G-F dovetail almost perfectly with his 2005 marks. Jump on any trade opening here to acquire this future All-Star slugger at a significant discount.

Seattle: Carl Everett, DH/OF
4/35 for .114/.295/.257 with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 9:8 BB:K.

Although I expected a bad season from Everett, he should double this BA while adding solid power production. His outstanding current plate discipline strongly indicates imminent across-the-board gains. Despite general concerns regarding his final value this year, the odds of him contributing very useful stats over the next several weeks force me to recommend you acquire him anywhere he appears available at minimal cost.

Tampa Bay: Joey Gathright, OF
4/24 for .167/.333/.167 with 0 HR, 1 RBI, 6 R, 1/2 SB%,
and a 6:2 BB:K.

I easily could discuss Carl Crawford here, but Gathright's potential growth curve appears far steeper. Despite a somewhat slow start on the bases, impressive plate discipline provides the base he needs to take advantage of his tremendous speed. Maintaining his current OBP also will keep him in the lineup, thus insuring the regular playing time that will enable Gathright to generate the BA/SB/R production expected given his superb minor league stats. Target him anywhere you need speed and won't lose him if dealt to the NL.

Texas: D'Angelo Jimenez, 2B
3/16 for .188/.316/.250 with 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 3:1 BB:K.

Perhaps Mark DeRosa will gain most of Ian Kinsler's at-bats while the rookie recuperates on the DL, but Jimenez's overall upside should prompt the Rangers to play him almost every day in the hope of flipping him for more pitching depth once Kinsler returns. He always owned solid plate discipline, and placing his HR/SB upside in Arlington easily could lead to a redux of his 2004 performance. Look to acquire Jimenez in standard leagues now, even if you need to offer a double-digit FAAB bid to obtain his services in your MIF slot.

Toronto: Shea Hillenbrand, DH/1B
9/39 for .231/.273/.333 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 1:7 BB:K.

Only a career-worst 1.89 G-F concerns me at all here. Hillenbrand never tallies many walks, and given his lineup slot, another 80 RBI season seems a foregone conclusion. Expect the pending BA improvement to boost his power numbers above his normal levels, giving him a great shot at keeping his value around $20. Feel free to target him anywhere you need a boost at your corner slot.

We'll continue tomorrow with National League underachieving batters.

Today's Fantasy Rx: One word of warning: although I generally recommend buying low, at least a quarter of the early difficulties discussed above will develop into season-long, team-killing slumps. Hewing to both each player's established performance baseline and his skill foundation remains the best method to determine whether to sink with or swim away from each of these guys. Your competitors also should expect rebounds from slow starters, so only trade for some of these guys if you're receiving solid discounts of five bucks or more. Conversely, only deal Chris Shelton if you receive $30+ of value in return, perhaps a package of Johnson and either Gathright or Polanco that both replaces much of the lost power and adds a double-digit value at another position.