Another week and another batch of Hot 8 players are making a splash. Last week's list featured David Price, who picked up his first win in dominating fashion on Saturday. Ross Detwiler, who won his first two starts after being called to the big leagues and Jake Fox who finally got the call up from Iowa and has gone 3-4 all as a pinch hitter. Not to mention Sean Rodriguez who is about to be called up by the Angels any day now...dammit! I am not supposed to let that one slip, my bad! This weeks Hot 8 features a couple of players who's tickets are also about to be punched and a few players you may have given up on prematurely.


1) Tommy Hanson (RHP - Starter) -- Braves -- With Tom Glavine coming back very soon and a rotation that is performing quite well it looks like Hanson may have to wait awhile longer before joining the Braves. No way, Jose! Hanson is making it impossible for the major league team to ignore him as his numbers are nothing less than staggering. Hanson is 3-3 with a 1.48 ERA. He has 82 K's in just 60 2/3 innings pitched with a ridiculous 0.86 WHIP. He loses another year of arbitration if not called up by the beginning of this week which suits the Braves just fine. But knowing there is no possible way to squeeze another year out of him there is no doubt in my mind that Hanson is pitching in Atlanta in the next 2 weeks. Time to make a play for him right now my friends before this ship sails in one of your opponents wind.


2) Gordan Beckham (SS/3B) -- Whitesox -- Earlier in the year I made a vow because I am a Whitesox fan to ignore the "Beckham-Mania" that has swept through my fair city this spring. As a baseball writer, it is crucial to judge "your team" as evenly and as fairly as you do the rest of the league. I take pride in doing that. But, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't alert you all to a couple very interesting facts. The Whitesox promoted Beckham to AAA Charlotte this past week. Big deal you say? Well it is considering the Whitesox AA Birmingham club is the apple of their organizational eye. This is where they have stored their entire future collection of talent. Birmingham is blasting their way through the Southern League and have hopes of capturing the title this year. Interesting then that the best player from that team would be promoted at this juncture of the season without a near suitable backup for him in place. Furthermore, Beckham is playing 3B for the Charlotte Knights and not his customary SS. In the past month, the Whitesox have moved Beckham to both 2B & 3B to get him more familiar with those positions. This leaves no doubt in my mind that he is now being groomed to take over Josh Fields 3B job or possibly Chris Getz 2B gig in the very near future. As much as I don't buy into the hype of Beckham, the kid can do it all on the diamond and if promoted to Chicago is an absolute must grab middle infielder.

3) Ben Zobrist (2B/SS/OF) -- Rays -- By now I hope that if you are in need of a middle infielder, you have made the move to pickup Zobrist. With Akinori Iwamura out for the season the 2B job is all Zobrist's. The fact that he is eligible at SS and OF positions make him all that more valuable fantasy acquisition. Zobrist has been around awhile and is by no means a prospect. What Zobrist brings to the table is the ability to get on base and hit for a very solid average. This season he has shown more power then he has in the past with the 8 HR's something I don't believe will continue. I would expect a total of 13-16 HR's for Zobrist this season to go along with 20 stolen bases. The key here is that he has been hitting at the top of the Rays order as well which means more opportunities to score runs. All told, Zobrist is an extremely useful fantasy player that is going to serve some team very well the rest of the way. If he is still available in your league, make sure that someone is you!

4) Ben Francisco (Outfield) -- Indians -- Grady Sizemore has finally landed on the DL with a sore left elbow leaving Ben Francisco as the primary center fielder for the tribe. Francisco is a nifty little player. He is pretty much a poor man's Grady Sizemore as he offers a nice mix of speed and power without much of a batting average or on base percentage. With steady playing time he'll continue about on his current pace which projects as a 20-20 season. Who knows how much time Sizemore will actually miss or if he will ever be 100% this season. Thus, Francisco should see close to 500 AB's and is quite a fantasy steal if picked up right now.

5) Desmond Jennings (Outfield) -- Rays -- This is for the more aggressive fantasy players out there, you know who you are. If you haven't heard of Desmond Jennings here is a little refresher. Jennings is in my opinion the premier leadoff prospect in all minor league baseball. He is a supreme athlete with a know-how of how to play the game of baseball. He has great strike zone discipline and despite above average power, uses his legs or whatever means necessary to get on base. He is currently in the Rays AA Montgomery affiliate with a stat line of .366/.433/.586 with 6 HR's and 17 stolen bases. Injuries have curbed Jennings development over the past two seasons at least as far as getting to the major leagues is concerned. But this guy is about as good a fantasy prospect as there is. The Rays have not been shy at using their prospects from any level to aid their big league clubs run at a title. With Zobrist now a fixture at 2B, they have one less RF platoon player now. Then there are the struggles of B.J. Upton who is still flirting with the Mendoza line. Jennings is obviously too good to be in AA right now and my feeling is that we'll see him in Tampa sometime around mid-July. Put him on your watch list and make sure you grab him if and when another Rays OF goes down or as the trading deadline approaches. You'll thank me later...

6) Clayton Richard (LHP - Starter) -- Whitesox -- I guess for this week I am a bit of a homer. But Richard is owned in just 5% of fantasy leagues right now despite being on a major roll since entering the Whitesox starting rotation. He is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA and 30 K's in 40 IP. Richard, like John Danks before him is thriving while emulating the timing and poise of teammate Mark Buerhle. Richard has greatly shortened time between pitches and is throwing more to the hitters bat than trying to strike everybody out. He has also improved his control since joining the starting rotation. While his WHIP and strikeout numbers will not be anything of a top end starter, at the very least Richard is a guy you must use if you live by the pitch and ditch method. He is available in almost all leagues and will give you quality innings most times out for sure.

7) Dexter Fowler (Outfield) -- Rockies -- I can't believe how many of you have given up on Fowler already. You have to understand that a player like Fowler will be of far more use to you later in the season then he is right now. Still, Fowler has been pretty productive in platoon duty this year scoring 22 runs and swiping 11 bases. The Rockies fired Clint Hurdle and are now actively trying to trade both Brad Hawpe and Ryan Spilborghs before the trading deadline. This will open the door for both Dexter Fowler and Seth Smith to play a full time role in the second half of the season. Fowler has some power and blazing speed. He'll hit 15 or so HR's and steal 30+ bases in a full season while compiling plenty or runs and a solid batting average. I believe him to be a future star in the league but at the very least he'll be a Johnny Damon type fantasy player which is pretty darn good. It is time to start thinking about how some of these players will finish this season instead of how they began. If you are going to challenge for a fantasy title this year, you will need to start acquiring some of the players who will make you stronger in August and September rather than the ones who will keep you afloat right now.

8) Andrew Bailey (RHP - Closer) -- Athletics -- I had Bailey in the Hot 8 in week 6 and said at the time that it wouldn't be long before he was the A's closer. In case you haven't noticed, Bailey is the A's closer now and doing a mighty fine job at that. He is only owned in 50% of both Yahoo and CBS fantasy leagues which means you have a 50% chance of picking up a free closer. Bailey has struck out 37 in 30 IP while amassing a 0.95 WHIP and a .190 batting average against this season. Sure the save opportunities in Oakland have been few and far between this season but fantasy owners are always on the prowl for saves, strikeouts and WHIP. Other than my announcement a few weeks ago, Bailey has been under the radar for much of the season. Make that work into your favor by going out now and picking up the young right hander and adding some depth to your fantasy bullpen.

That is the Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Post your comments below or email me at jeff@fantasybaseballsearch.com

I hope everybody is enjoying this Memorial Day weekend. We have come to the point in the season where a sub .200 batting average, significantly less power numbers and less playing time can no longer be chalked up to a slump. At this point you must forget all about draft position and treat players as they deserve to be treated this season. You simply cannot afford to hold out hope for guys like Geovany Soto, David Ortiz or Ricky Nolasco any longer. We have already begun to see a bunch of top tier prospects called up to bail out struggling veterans and believe me when I say more are on their way. So, put away the lawn mower, fire up the grill and let's see what players you should have your eye on to solve your roster blues.

1) David Price (LHP - Starter) -- Rays -- Is anyone not familiar with David Price at this point? There really isn't much to say about this move other than if he is still available and you haven't made your claim yet than you have bigger issues to deal with. Do not worry an ounce about Price's struggles earlier this season. He is as polished and ready as a player can be and was probably bored out of his mind in Durham this season. One point I would like to make is don't read into the timing of this callup. David Price, like Matt Wieters, Ross Detwiler and the soon to be drafted Steve Strasburg have major league contracts that they signed when drafted. These deals are not cut the same way as other draftees as far as service time and arbitration years and thus it makes little difference if they are called up in April or August. This seems to be a confusing thing to many baseball analysts and I figured that I should clear the air a bit on this. Guys like Tommy Hanson and Neftali Feliz are the ones who are sitting around because of the arbitration years issue.

2) Alcides Escobar (SS/2B) -- Brewers -- Suddenly the Brewers wealth of infielders has been whittled down due to the injuries to Rickie Weeks and JJ Hardy. Weeks is out for the season but Hardy will be OK in a few days after leaving a game due to back spasms. Escobar has started the past few games at 2B for the Nashville Sounds, without a doubt this is in order to prepare him for his promotion to Milwaukee in the very near future. Escobar is an amazing defensive SS and not be the one switching positions but whatever the case this kid will be fantasy relevant very soon. He has tremendous speed as evidenced with his 20 stolen bases already in AAA. He is a big kid who has added some muscle the past two seasons and now projects to hit 10+ HR's in the big leagues. He will likely hit toward the bottom of the Brewers order which will give him some fine RBI opportunities as well. This is one of the best middle infield fantasy prospects that you will see this season so don't drop the ball when and if you get the opportunity to add him in the next week or so.

3) Ross Detwiler (LHP - Starter) -- Nationals -- If it is not obvious that Detwiler is ready for the big leagues after his two starts this week then I have never seen a major league ready pitcher in my life. He tossed 11 innings giving up just 3 earned runs (2.45 ERA), struck out 10 batters and posting a 0.81 WHIP. Many scouts believed that Detwiler was major league ready when he was drafted in 2007. He offers four plus pitches that he can throw for strikes and command on any count. He throws a 96 MPH fastball and can go to two seamer with downward sink in ground ball situations. His curveball has a tight spin and a big late break while his changeup has become a go-to pitch for him with supreme fade on it. It is no surprise to see him doing well at this level. He is a much better prospect in my opinion than Jordan Zimmerman and will no doubt have much more fantasy upside. I don't expect him to spend any more time in the minor leagues this season or ever again.

4) Sean Rodriguez (2B/SS) -- Angels -- Rodriguez is next on the Angels list of impressive infield prospects. Brandon Wood seems to only hit in the minors, Howie Kendrick cannot get on base enough and Erick Aybar hasn't quite met previous expectations. Rodriguez is among the leaders in HR (16) and RBI (47) in all of the minor leagues. He's raised his average to .280 with a .373 OBP which should be awfully tempting to the Angels right about now. Rodriguez has also cut down on his strikeouts this year, something that has been stressed to him after his brief stint in L.A. last season. This guy can do some damage if put in the Angels lineup right now. He also has enough speed to swipe 15 bases or so in Mike Scioscia's aggressive system.

5) Yorvit Torrealba (Catcher) -- Rockies -- I've got a feeling about this guy right now and I just don't know what it is. He has proven to be a streaky hitter over his career and I just can't help but think that he'll have a nice little run while starting in place of the injured Chris Ianetta. The catcher position is a wasteland right now as far as free agent are concerned and thus why Torrealba merits a mention in this weeks Hot 8. You are going to get a full 15 days from Torrealba as Ianetta's hamstring injury will keep him out at least that amount of time. If you are waiting on either Matt Wieters to be called up or Geovany Soto to regain form then I suggest taking a shot on Torrealba because anything you can get out of your catcher is a big plus in fantasy baseball.

6) Jake Fox (Outfield) -- Cubs -- Something needs to be done about Jake Fox. What he is doing at AAA Iowa is just disgusting. I mentioned Fox earlier in the season as his power numbers began to soar very early on. I am convinced that he will eventually be a part of a trade, most likely to San Diego if Cubs ownership ever approved additional payroll needed to land Jake Peavy. But a .423/.503/.908 line with 17 HR's, 50 RBI and only 26 K's in 142 AB's cannot be ignored much longer no matter how crowded your outfield is. Fox is killing AAA right now and every day that goes bye without him being promoted (or traded!) is an embarrassment to anyone who follows baseball.

7) Dale Thayer (RHP - Reliever) -- Rays -- The impending injury/retirement of Troy Percival leaves many questions in the Rays bullpen. The guy I thought would be the closer by now, Grant Balfour has a 5.03 ERA and a 1.80 WHIP and looks nothing like his 2008 self. Enter Dale Thayer who has collected 138 minor league saves in his career and is throwing lights out this season at AAA Durham with a 0.95 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Thayer isn't necessarily a strikeout pitcher, but he has made a living getting people out and finishing off games. The Rays are crying out for a closer to step up right now and there is a good chance that Thayer will fall into that role real soon. He already has recorded a 3 inning save in his first major league appearance so the time to acquire him is right now before the rest of the world catches on.

8) Tony Gwynn Jr. (Outfield) -- Padres -- There isn't much in his history outside of his bloodline that tells us the younger Gwynn is anything more than a marginal major league player. But, the trade to San Diego seems to have set off a mountain of momentum that I could see propelling Gwynn to his best major league season ever. He was hitting .309 with a .382 OBP in AAA this season with 15 stolen bases. Being closer to his Dad and getting everyday playing time for the franchise he grew up with is a very nice fit for a player like Gwynn. Maybe it is a sentimental pick, but anyone who knows me knows feelings never get in the way of reasonable thought. I wouldn't go out and pick up Gwynn just yet, but monitor his numbers over the next week or two. If it comes to be that he is playing everyday and getting big hits for the Padres (somebody has to, right?) then add him to your outfield. Any sort of BA or OBP along with the stolen base opportunities will make Gwynn surprisingly fantasy relevant down the stretch.

That is the Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Post your comments below or email me at jeff@fantasybaseballsearch.com

Baseball has long been called a kids game. For awhile it had become nothing more than a business and a sport made up of bulging he-men with massive biceps and shrunken testicles. But now it seems the kids are back in vogue. The game is being dominated more and more by the under 30 crowd and more talented prospects are being uncovered and called up from the minors everyday. So, for this weeks Hot 8, I decided to feature some of my favorite youngsters who will make the most fantasy impact over the rest of this season. You will notice that some of these guys have already been called up while a few are still dominating the minor leagues.

1) Matt Gamel (3B/Outfield) -- Brewers -- Nobody doubts that Matt Gamel will be a very good major league hitter. He has a quick-compact swing, patience, power and an unusual ability to destroy left handed pitching which is so rare for a young left handed hitter. The only doubt about Gamel is what position he can play in the big leagues? He has committed 84 errors in two season at the hot corner. No matter how good his bat is the Brewers cannot afford that kind of defense out of him. His natural position seems to be 1B or obviously as a DH which is why I do not completely rule out a trade to an American League team. Gamel will DH against AL teams during inter-league play and will see time at both 1B and 3B during this season. If he hits the way he is capable, then he will be in the lineup. Having a Ryan Braun/Prince Fielder/Matt Gamel middle of the order would elevate the Brewers to a whole new level offensively. The upside is too great for any fantasy player to ignore Matt Gamel. Manager Ken Macha says, "He's one of our best prospects, 23 years old, so he's not going to sit on the bench." Therefore Gamel has the most fantasy potential of any prospect that has been or will be called up this season.

2) Kris Medlen (RHP - Starter) -- Braves -- Many people thought I was nuts when just a few weeks ago I said that Kris Medlen would be called up before the great Tommy Hanson. Now that Medlen has taken the rotation spot of Jo Jo Reyes it will be up to him to hold onto this opportunity for the duration of the season. That means holding off the temptation that is Tommy Hanson. Medlen doesn't have a dominating fastball but does feature a plus curve that he changes speed on. What he will need to do is be able to use his developing changeup to get major league lefties out. He used this changeup to cruise to a 5-0 record with a 1.19 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 44 K's in 37 1/3 innings. His control is great which means that changing speeds on all of his pitches will be a must. Medlen was at one point being groomed as a late inning setup man or closer but worked his way into the rotation due to a bulldog like mentality. This guy is a big time competitor with great passion for the game and a desire to be dominant.

3) Gerardo Parra (Outfield) -- Diamondbacks -- In case you haven't noticed a change has come in Arizona. Bob Melvin was fired and replaced with a very controversial selection in A.J. Hinch. Hinch was the head of the D-Backs player development and it should be of no surprise to any of us that Arizona has been pulling players from all over their organization to try and help the disaster in the desert. Parra is a real exciting player. He makes solid contact every time he hits the ball. He has great ability to square the barrel of the bat on the ball and line hits to all fields. Parra is not a great power threat but will be around a 10-15 HR guy in the big leagues. He also has above average speed and will likely steal close to 20 bases any given year. Of all the Arizona call-ups I think Parra will be one who will stick. Chris Young has good power and speed but his lack of contact and OBP has fallen out of favor with the new system the D-Backs are moving towards. Parra offers a much more stable, usable bat and thus will see himself plenty of time in the starting lineup the rest of year.

4) Clay Buchholz (RHP - Starter) -- Red Sox -- How can Boston ignore Buchholz any longer? You can have your Brad Penny's, Tim Wakefield's and even Jon Lester's but Buchholz has the best stuff of any Red Sox pitcher not named Josh Beckett. I understand that Dice-K is coming back soon and will certainly jump right back into the starting rotation. But Buchholz is simply dominating at AAA Pawtucket with a 2-0 record, 1.03 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 37 K's in 35 IP. This is a kid who has already threw a no-hitter in the big leagues and has just no business being in the minors. The Red Sox will make a trade shortly that will either involve Buchholz or clear the way for him to join their rotation. Either way I have no doubts that Buchholz will be a top of the rotation starter for any team in the very near future.

5) Luke Hochevar (RHP - Starter) -- Royals -- Don't worry about his miserable season debut against the A's this week. Sure it was bad and it will be interesting to see how Hochevar bounces back but I have no doubt in him making an impact this season. This is another guy with little to prove in the minor leagues and as long as the Royals are contending for the AL Central Division they will need Hochevar to round out their rotation. With Gil Meche and Zach Grienke in place to learn from I believe Hochevar will shake of some of a slow start to be a big contributor down the stretch. His two seam fastball has a natural sink which produces great ground ball/flyball ratio's and will help at times where he struggles with control. He needs to not over-throw his 12-6 curveball which he was doing at times last season.

6) Nolan Reimold (Outfield) -- Orioles -- He is too old and too talented to spend another minute on the minor leagues. Felix Pie had plenty of opportunities to show what he can do in spring training and the first 6 weeks of the season. Reimold is a great example of the new generation of power hitters working their way up. He has pure power and will do just well hitting in Camden Yards. The problem with Reimold will be making solid contact. He strikes out a lot and also gets into ruts where he let's too many mistakes go by him early in the count. He also tends to want to pull the ball too much something he will need to adjust too in the big leagues. From a fantasy prospective, Reimold should get a chance to play a lot on an Oriole team that has had little trouble scoring runs. Reimold/Jones/Markakis may be the best young outfield in the major leagues and should be together for quite awhile. If left on the big league club the rest of the season Reimold will hit 20 or so HR's. Over a full season of starts he will be an annual 30+ HR guy without a doubt.

7) Carlos Torres (RHP - Starter) -- White Sox -- The White Sox starting rotation is terrible right now. Jose Contreras asked..that is right ASKED to be sent down to the minor leagues to work on his stuff. Gavin Floyd has completely lost his '08 form already and then there is the up and down nature of John Danks and Bartolo Colon. Torres is 3-2 with a 1.85 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 43 K's in 39 IP for a pretty bad Charlotte Knights team. He is by far and away the first option for the White Sox to help the rotation and stop some of the bleeding. I would be surprised if he is not called up within the week. What Torres does well is pitch down in the zone and not give up the longball, something that should bring positive results in Chicago's HR happy U.S. Cellular Field. His cut-fastball is major league ready for sure but he'll have to be able to command his changeup if he is to succeed in Chicago.

8) Kameron Mickolio (RHP - Reliever) -- Orioles -- Don't even bother going to take a look at Mickolio's minor league numbers this year. They are terrible so far. But, I would not be doing my job if I left off what I believe to be the best closer prospect in the minor leagues. Mickolio is as interesting of a character as he is a pitcher. He never played baseball in high school and was noticed while playing American Legion ball out in the wilderness of his native Montana. He is 6'9" and 255 lbs. and a very menacing figure out on the mound. His fastball reaches 100 MPH and has a sweeping slider that is as unpredictable as his rise through the minor leagues. Mickolio is a very high risk type of prospect as his mechanics get derailed often which leads to terrible wildness. He has been working on a changeup which at last check is still pretty bad but his "slurve" is now a decent off-speed option. If he can correct his mechanical issues soon and he can get the slurve or change to be a third option then Baltimore will bring him up. The organization is crazy about his potential and see him as the long term answer for their closer spot.

That is the Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Post your comments below or email me at jeff@fantasybaseballsearch.com

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there. Guys, please take care of the women in your life. Visit your Mom today, give your Wife some much needed rest and show them all how much you appreciate all they do. One day is not nearly enough for all these ladies do for us so do an extra good job on them today.

1) Chris Coghlan (2B/3B/OF) -- Marlins -- Last Tuesday I announced on Fantasy Baseball Tonight that Coghlan would be up shortly to take over for Emilio Bonifacio. Well, that day came sooner than even I expected when Coghlan was called up on Friday. He is a good OBP guy who always makes solid contact. He drives the ball to both gaps with some power. Coghlan was a first round pick in 2006, played in the Futures game in 2007 and won the Southern League All-Star Game MVP trophy in 2008. He is a very smart player with a great work ethic. The kind of player Managers love to have on their club. He has just average speed but studies pitchers well and will steal 20+ bags in a full major league season. I believe he is the Marlins answer for a leadoff hitter but in the mean time his ability to play multiple positions will keep him in the lineup quite often.

2) John Lackey (RHP - Starter) -- Angels -- It is surprising how available Lackey is in most leagues right now. Considering many leagues have a DL spot I just cannot believe people would let Lackey sit on the free agent wire this close to his eventual return. His final rehab start comes today (Sunday) for AAA Salt Lake and if it goes anywhere near how well the last one did the Angels will have him back in the rotation immediately. Lackey has always been an over-looked starter but when healthy does nothing but put up zeroes on the scoreboard and wins in fantasy owners pockets. It should also be noted that Ervin Santana is set to also be recalled after his rehab assignment this week. Both of these guys are very worthy of roster spots on your fantasy team. Getting the two of them back will also stabilize the Angels rotation enough to get them back to winning form after what has been a very difficult start to this season.

3) Josh Whitesell (First Base) -- Diamondbacks -- Just another in a long list of prospects the Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos organization let get away. Whitesell has the most important tool of any power hitting prospect and that is plate discipline. He is a patient hitter who looks for his pitch and takes a strong violent swing at what he likes. It looks as though new Arizona manager A.J. Hinch likes what he has in Whitesell and will give him plenty of opportunities to show what he can do. This will mostly come at the expense of Chad Tracy. I think the Diamondbacks still have a strong young nucleus and it will be very interesting to see what Hinch can get out of these guys that Bob Melvin just couldn't. Whitesell has tremendous upside. I can see him making a big impact in fantasy numbers such as OBP, HR, RBI and runs scored. He should also be available for OF pretty soon which makes him a valuable member of any teams bench right now.

4) Ryan Freel (3B/2B/OF) -- Cubs -- Freel was one of if not the best utility players in the league while with the Reds a couple of years ago but never was accepted after signing with Baltimore in the offseason. This trade will prove to be a difference maker for the Cubs as they now have filled a huge void that was left with the departure of Mark DeRosa. Freel will fill in immediately at 3B for the injured Aramis Ramirez who separated his shoulder and will miss nearly two months of the season. Freel is a high energy guy who gets on base and destroys left handed pitching. Freel has great speed also that will come in awfully handy in Chicago. I expect Freel to go on a tear in the next month or so as he finally is healthy and has a chance to play with a good team in a division he is very familiar with.

5) Andrew Bailey (RHP - Reliever) -- Athletics -- Brad Ziegler has been a mess lately. He has experienced elbow problems and caught a nasty case of the stomach flu over the past few weeks. Bailey meanwhile has been the A's best reliever by far this season posting a 1.27 ERA and giving up just 6 hits in 21 1/3 innings while striking out 24. While Ziegler's throwing motion and ability to get ground ball outs is good, I feel that Bailey is a better closer candidate going forward. Bailey has a unique ability to run the ball in on the hands of both lefty and righty batters. He also changes speeds on his fastball and curve which keeps hitters way off balance. He also has very good control which will limit any damage done when a hitter finally does get ahold of his pitches. Look for more save opportunities from Bailey as well as continued success as the A's setup man.

6) Matt Gamel (Third Base) -- Brewers -- Gamel will get the call up to the majors by the end of the month when the Brewers begin interleague play. I am hearing from my sources in Milwaukee that the plan is to add Gamel in time to be the DH in American League ballparks. With a stat line of .340/.425/.689 8 HR 30 RBI he simply cannot be held back for too much longer. What is most impressive about Gamel is that he is currently hitting .429 Vs. LHP and has always had success against lefties in his career. He is a pure hitter who can hit for average, power and will get on base at a solid rate. It is not a matter of IF you should pick up Gamel..it is more like WHEN should pick him up. I suggest that within the next 10 days Gamel's ownership will quadruple meaning that if you heart is set on adding a hitter of this caliber now is the time.

7) Kris Medlen (RHP - Starter) -- Braves -- Living in the shadow of Tommy Hanson ain't all that bad, just ask Kris Medlen. While everybody waits for the future ace in Hanson, all Kris Medlen has done is outperform the great one so far while pitching on the same staff in Gwinnett. Medlen is 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 38 K's in 30 IP. While starting pitching isn't exactly the Braves problem right now, they do have a spot occupied by Jo Jo Reyes who is filling in for Tom Glavine. Having two studs dazzling for the AAA Gwinnett team makes no sense at this point and thus my feeling is that Medlen will get a call up very soon. Medlen will be the first starter called up between now and June 1st. After June 1st, I believe the team will bring up Hanson first before Medlen. This is all due to contract structure and arbitration eligible years which is all the rage in today's game. Either way, both of these guys are worthy of being on your watch list and possibly a bench spot in NL Only leagues.

8) Jason Repko (Outfield) -- Dodgers -- Manny Ramirez is out for 50 games after a positive test for performing enhancing drugs. This leaves a big hole for the Dodgers to fill in LF and in the middle of their lineup. Xavier Paul was called up to take Manny's spot on the active roster. But I am a big beiever in Jason Repko. I have followed Repko's injury prone career closer than anybody outside of his immediate family. He is a former first round pick of the Dodgers and has showed flashes of brilliance between major injuries during his eight year minor league career. This kid can hit for power, has good speed, hits for high batting average and is a plus defender in all three outfield spots. I believe that he is closer to the starting LF job in L.A. than Xavier Paul is. Obviously Juan Pierre is the immediate fill in for Manny and will get the most playing time. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Repko come up pretty soon and find his way into the lineup several times a week.

That is the Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Post your comments below or email me at jeff@fantasybaseballsearch.com

Believe it or not folks this is a critical time of year. Right now is when the free agent and trade moves you make can define your season. We have all sat around and watched the first month of the baseball season. In most cases, teams have given their players time to work out of early season slumps. This has worked out well for players such as Justin Upton and Chris Davis. For others such as Derek Lee and Matt Holliday we are still waiting for the turn around. We are also approaching the eight week mark that allows teams another "control" year for top prospect such as Matt Wieters and Tommy Hanson. This week's edition of The Hot 8 features some big upside starting pitchers that you absolutely must pay attention to right now. Opportunities to pickup bona fide starting pitchers like this do not happen often during the course of the season.

1) Matt LaPorta (Outfield) -- Indians -- On the April 21st edition of Fantasy Baseball Tonight (FBT) I mentioned that LaPorta was on one of his tears at AAA Columbus and that it wouldn't be long before he got the call to Cleveland. Since that show and his appearance in last weeks Hot 8, LaPorta has become the hottest free agent acquisition since Emilio Bonifacio. If you would have taken my advice soon after the show you would now be sitting on a big time power hitter and excellent trade bait. If you waited chances are you have missed out on LaPorta and someone in your league is ready to make you pay for this mistake. It pays to listen to FBT and read The Hot 8 EVERY WEEK people. If there is any chance LaPorta is on the free agent market then pick him up now. He is crushing the ball right now and has the chance to put up some fine power numbers with the Indians.

2) Luke Hochevar (RHP - Starter) -- Royals -- Hochevar is now 5-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 21 K's in 32 Innings. He is ready for the big leagues without a doubt. With Sidney Ponson getting beaten up in each and every start and the Royals contending so far this seems like a no brainer move for Kansas City. I expect Hochevar to be called up by this time next week. He has been working on a cut fastball this year in order to get left handed batters out. If you look at the splits from his 2008 season in KC, you will see that Hochevar was very good against righties but struggled against lefties. If he can work his cutter and changeup better to lefties then I see Hoecevar being the perfect complement to Gil Meche and Zach Grienke in the Royals rotation. I strongly suggest plucking him off of the free agent pile right now.

3) Alberto Callaspo (2B/SS) -- Royals -- Second week in a row for Callaspo in The Hot 8 mostly because he is still available in nearly 80% of fantasy leagues right now! That is just ridiculous considering all of the trash owners are handing onto like Chris Getz and Emmanuel Burriss. Callaspo has a very real chance top be this years Mike Aviles. I am telling you guys right now, this guy is going to hit like this all season long. He has always been a good batting average guy and will continue to produce runs for the Royals for the long haul. Understand these words: Callaspo is a starting MI for a championship fantasy baseball team this season.

4) Scott Richmond (RHP - Starter) -- Blue Jays -- I love this guys story. Didn't play baseball until college, was a solid shortstop tuned relief pitcher. He didn't even get a shot as a starter until his last of 3 season playing in Edmonton of the Northern Independent League. Toronto signed him after a try out and sent him to AA New Hampshire. He has made the most of his opportunity this year going 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 20 K's in 23 innings. Richmond is not a flame thrower or a guy with tremendous stuff. He is a pitcher. He locates his fastball well and has a nice mix of a hard sinker and power slider that breaks in to left handers. He is an intelligent guy also who knows what he wants to do with each and every hitter. He is going to stick in the Blue Jays rotation and I wouldn't doubt if he is their #2 starter behind Halladay when all is said and done this year.

5) Huston Street (RHP - Reliever) -- Rockies -- Street is back as the Rockies closer after Manny Corpas once again blew his opportunity and Street has since found his changeup again. He looks more determined of late and is once again dominating right handed hitters the way he did when he was on in Oakland. There are a bunch of closer happenings around the league right now with many jobs at stake. I like the look of Huston Street right now and believe of all the guys currently in the mix for saves he has the best upside. However, I strongly recommend reading Todd Farino's Closer Report for the daily low-down on all closer happenings.

6) Ken Takahashi (LHP - Starter) -- Mets -- It is very likely that by the time your are reading this that Takahashi has already replaced Oliver Perez in the Mets starting rotation. Takahashi had been working in long relief in AAA so far this year but the 40 year old Japanese import was doing so mainly to be stretched out for an eventual starting role. Jerry Manuel has mentioned Takahashi as a possible option if the Mets needed rotation help which at this point they desperately do. He currently has a 0.77 ERA with 9 K's in 12 innings. I wouldn't expect much from Takahashi as far as strikeouts and that goes but I do feel that he would be a nice stable addition for the Mets right now something they can really use behind Johan Santana. Takahashi could have a good ERA and some wins pitching in the Mets new pitcher friendly ballpark.

7) Lou Montanez (Outfield) -- Orioles -- Whatever happened to Luis Montanez, the high school SS who was drafted third overall by the Chicago Cubs in 2000? Well, he became Lou Montanez a career minor league outfielder who all of a sudden has found plus power and plate discipline. Montanez had an outstanding run in 2008 that finished with him hitting .295 with 3 HR's in 112 AB's for the Orioles last September. He is a fairly lousy outfielder but word out of Baltimore is that Montanez will be replacing the struggling Felix Pie as the Orioles starting left fielder. Personally, I believe that both Pie and Montanez are keeping the seat warm for Nolan Reimold the eventual starting LF in Baltimore. But, if Montanez can replicate his '08 success he will make some fantasy owner pretty darn happy over the next few months.

8) Melky Cabrera (Outfield) -- Yankees -- I am putting Cabrera in The Hot 8 this week to make a point. It seems that nobody has really picked up on the fact that Cabrera has replaced Brett Gardner as the starting CF for the Yankees and done a pretty good job in doing so. Cabrera is hitting .321 with a .397 OBP and 4 HR's while serving as the fourth outfielder for the Yankees. But as the pinstripes search for a spark until A-Rod comes back it is without question that Cabrera is now that starter and actually worth taking a shot on at this point. There is no doubt he is motivated and as long as he's getting on base the numbers will be solid.

That is the Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Post your comments below or email me at jeff@fantasybaseballsearch.com