The following are players I like as trade targets or as excellent pick ups if somehow still available. While not all are your typical buy-low candidates, make sure their respective owners value them properly, as their production may exceed perception.
Alex Rios – Not that his play has been poor, but maybe Rios’ owners grew tired of his extended absence for the past month. Saturday saw him strike out in all five plate appearances. Any struggles for the time being can be blamed on rustiness, and don’t forget, before the DL stint Rios was having one of the finest seasons in the league. While his overall numbers are suppressed due to time off, treat him as an elite outfielder and make sure his owner feels the same way.
Dan Johnson – Johnson is currently in Triple-A, so chances are you can either pick him up off waivers, or get him in a trade rather cheaply. Word is the A’s are attempting to trade for Sean Casey too. The logical choice, however, would be to simply recall Johnson, who didn’t deserve to be demoted in the first place. He has five homers in 14 games and an OPS over 1300 since his demotion. Forget about his terrible start, he’s been hitting well since June 1 and will continue to do so if recalled.
Brad Lidge – Well, it can’t get any worse, can it? Lidge has a 5.47 ERA and while everyone keeps expecting him to bounce back since last year’s debacle in the playoffs, it just hasn’t happened yet. In fact, he has only gotten worse, as July sees his ERA sit at 7.45. His stuff is still there, evident by his 65 strikeouts in 47 innings, but his location has been terrible. The Astros have remained committed to Lidge in the closer’s role and with such a strong rotation and an offense bound to improve, save opportunities should be plentiful. It can’t hurt to see how fed up his owner is if you are in need of saves.
Jake Peavy – Peavy threw a career-high 129 pitches in his last outing, and while that may not be the smartest decision, it does show he must be feeling fairly healthy. A 136/36 K/BB ratio does not match his 5.01 ERA. Once he figures out his mechanics, which I expect will happen very soon, expect the ERA to come crashing down.
Howie Kendrick – Kendrick is long gone in nearly every league by now, and while it’s hard to call this a buy-low since he has been raking ever since his recent call up, Kendrick is for real. Whether time at first base or an Adam Kennedy trade, the Halos will have no choice but to find room for Kendrick in their lineup. I say he will be valuable even in shallow mixed leagues from here on out. If you’ve been saving your FAAB all season, don’t count on a better prospect coming up later, bid now on Kendrick.
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