Major League Baseball's July 31 trading deadline is the most important in-season event in Fantasy sports, bar none. The trading deadlines in other leagues rarely register on the Fantasy radar, but, as we all know, baseball has always been a distinct sport in almost every regard.
A football or basketball player might receive a larger or smaller role on his new team, which would affect his Fantasy value. But there are no trades in those sports that effectively eliminate a player from Fantasy eligibility, the way an NL player moving to the AL would in many NL-only leagues. Or how a pitcher for the Dodgers who suddenly gets dealt to Philadelphia will see his value drop just because of the new venue he plays in.
With the importance of the deadline in mind, here's a quick look at some of the rumors and possibilities discussed and what some of their Fantasy implications might be. This is by no means every player discussed, but it should be enough to keep you one step ahead of the action.
Alfonso Soriano, 2B, Washington: Can you say, "Jumping the gun?" On Monday, White Sox fans were doing three things: - Ordering new jerseys with "SORIANO" etched on the back.
- Rearranging their schedules in October for the World Series, since their new acquisition guaranteed them consecutive AL titles.
- Complaining that more people still like the Cubs than the White Sox.
But lo and behold, the Soriano-to-the-White Sox rumors have quieted and Brandon McCarthy remains a stellar arm in their bullpen. General Manager Ken Williams said that he does not plan on trading McCarthy -- which could mean the righty should start packing his bags. Apparently, both Javier Vazquez and Freddy Garcia are better trade candidates than McCarthy. Either way, McCarthy is the player to grab right now because a second-half starting job is all but sewn up. Soriano, meanwhile, will be a Fantasy stud no matter where he goes (and has definitively proved that this year in Washington), so don't be overly concerned unless you lose his stats if he's traded to the American League. The White Sox and Tigers are still definitely players in the Soriano sweepstakes. The fact that Detroit had Triple-A Toledo cancel pitching prospect Humberto Sanchez's start Monday could signal that he will be part of a nice package for an All-Star. The Yankees, Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Cardinals are also reportedly interested, according to MLB.com.
Bobby Abreu, OF, Philadelphia: There are a handful of teams interested in the veteran, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Cardinals, but I still think he ends up in the Bronx. Despite the fact that the Yankees don't have much in their farm system, and they aren't willing to part with prospect Philip Hughes, the Phillies are desperate to unload Abreu if the receiving team will pay a huge portion of his contract. They rejected the Yankees' most recent offers, so we'll see what they come back with.
The Yankees backup plan would be to trade for Reggie Sanders. Abreu's Fantasy stock likely won't change much with a trade, unless of course you lose his stats if he goes to the AL.
Carlos Lee, OF, MIL: The Brewers are only 4 1/2 games back in the NL wild card race, so Lee's availability is not as great as it once was, especially since they'll get Ben Sheets back from injury Tuesday. CBS SportsLine.com's Scott Miller notes that the Dodgers are very interested in Lee, but they'll need Milwaukee to lose a few more games and fall out of the race before next Monday. Lee will be one of the biggest free agent names this offseason.
 | | | Julio Lugo is batting .310 with 16 SBs this season. (Getty Images) | | Jorge Julio, SS, Tampa Bay: Get this: the Devil Rays yanked Lugo out of Saturday's game in the fifth inning (although they did have a huge lead). Then they rested him Sunday and sat him Monday, supposedly for a bruised fingertip that he suffered in batting practice Saturday. That explanation would hold water if Lugo didn't blast two homers, with said bruised finger, against Baltimore before taking a seat.
Rest assured that he is still on the market and a trade is imminent. The Red Sox, Rockies and Mets have been mentioned as possible destinations, but Toronto remains his probable new address. Lugo's departure would finally clear the shortstop position for the error-prone B.J. Upton.
Pitching prospect Brandon League would probably be part of a package headed south for the shortstop. League has been working out of the bullpen, but the Devil Rays could return him to a starting role. He started 10 games at Triple-A Syracuse in 2005 before being groomed for closer duties. This season at Syracuse, he had a 2.03 ERA while posting eight saves. Tampa Bay just needs arms, but I suspect his value would climb considerably on this ballclub where opportunities abound.
In Toronto, Reed Johnson has excelled as a leadoff man recently, but with Alex Rios (staph infection) close to returning, his at-bats will be reduced. Lugo has been stellar at the top of the order, which is where he would hit for this re-made lineup. The Blue Jays are also reportedly interested in Cesar Izturis if the Lugo deal dies on the table.
Craig Wilson, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh: The Angels have been looking for an outfielder recently - with Soriano's name coming up most frequently - but with Dallas McPherson's back acting up, possibly ending his season, a trade for the versatile veteran in Pittsburgh might make sense for a stretch run. What's interesting is that the Pirates are also shopping 1B Sean Casey. Both the Angels and A's are apparently interested in him as well.
Barry Zito, SP, Oakland: The A's have mapped out Zito's next 15 starts, which would indicate that he's probably sticking around at least through this season. Although just this past weekend, the Mets were rumored to be checking the A's interest in Lastings Milledge. That sounds more like fantasy than reality though.
Livan Hernandez, SP, Washington: The Mets and Yankees, again, seem to be the most logical destination for Hernandez. The Mets are also looking at Tony Armas and possibly starter Kip Wells in Pittsburgh. Whoever lands at Shea would receive a huge boost in value since their win potential would be much greater.
The Yankees (aren't they rumored to want everyone, yet they aren't willing to give up anything?) are also eye-balling Baltimore's Rodrigo Lopez.
Scot Shields, RP, LAA: If the Angels have to give up their star setup man, grab him in all formats since he would probably become a closer on whichever team trades for him. He's a strikeout artist that has late-inning seasoning and could become a top-15 closer by season's end with the right team.
Greg Maddux, SP, Chicago Cubs: The Dodgers are showing heavy interest in the Cubs' veteran, but Maddux might lean toward the Mets or Yankees, who probably have better hopes of winning a title than the Dodgers. Maddux could go to New York in a Roger Clemens-like quest for a ring. A new address with postseason hopes could rejuvenate the veteran over the next two months.
Tom Gordon, RP, Philadelphia: If the Phillies are successful in moving Gordon to a team needing his setup services, that could pave the way for someone -- Arthur Rhodes -- to get some surprise save chances in Philadelphia. They are also reportedly trying to move starting pitchers Jon Lieber and Cory Lidle, which could increase their Fantasy value as they leave homer-heavy Citizens Bank Park.
The following players are reportedly not on the block now: Joe Borowski, Mike Lowell, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Schmidt, Miguel Tejada and Dontrelle Willis.
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07-27-06, 02:41 PM
A Look at possible Deadling Deals in MLB and Fantasy Implications
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