Jeff Francoeur hit his third home run as a Met, and he continues to be the offensive force the Mets have so badly needed all year long. He has 13 RBI since coming over from Atlanta and MIGHT be worth a spot on your roster. I would feel much more comfortable if he was either a fourth outfielder or some bench insurance, but in larger leagues he could be in your lineup. I really don't see this continuing, but he should be an integral parts of the Mets offense while their stars are hurt. In fact, he could be even better when the Mets' hitters are healthy, as he would be surrounded by better hitters.

When Julio Lugo was traded to the Cardinals, I wasn't sure that he would get enough playing time to warrant fantasy consideration. Since coming over, Lugo has nine hits in four games and has started each day. If you are in dire need of middle infield help, I would give him a chance. He had some pretty decent steal numbers in Boston when he was healthy.

Ryan Garko has been traded to the San Francisco Giants for a low level minor leaguer. He had finally started to get hot and the Indians were playing him in the outfield to get his bat into the lineup, but now he should have no problem playing everyday. The Giants have tried lots of guys at first, but Garko should see the lion's share of starts there. NL-only leagues or teams in need of some pop could possibly try Garko.

Kelly Shoppach could be the number one beneficiary of this trade. With Garko out of the mix, that could have the Tribe moving Victor Martinez to first base more often, which would get Shoppach in the game more. He hit 21 home runs in limited at bats last year when Martinez was injured, so he could be a nice addition down the stretch. He only hit .261 over that time, so you have to be patient with his batting average. Shoppach started tonight, keep an eye out to see how much he plays in the next couple days.

Alex Gordon has started to hit a little bit. Gordon had two hits on Monday and now has hit safely in five straight games, and he has driven in two runs over that span. I wouldn't run out and grab him right now, but the guy was an elite prospect, so if he starts to hit some more, he could be worth adding. Definitely monitor Gordon in the near future.

Michael Saunders was called up a couple of days ago by the Seattle Mariners and has been installed as the everyday left fielder. He was ranked as the second best prospect in the Mariners organization by Baseball America coming into the season, and in 64 games at AAA he was hitting .310 with 13 HRs and 32 RBI. He will also bring you a decent amount of speed and could steal 15-20 bases in a full season. In his first two games for Seattle he is 2/8 with an RBI. He seems to be flying under the radar so far, but keep an eye on him over the next couple of days to see if he can help you.

Jonny Gomes hit two home runs on Monday, and now has five in the last seven days. So, is he someone you can expect to continue to do this? In a short answer, no. Gomes has shown power in small bursts throughout his career, but he has never been a consistent enough hitter to either stay in a lineup or even in the major leagues. This is short lived, don't buy into it.

Homer Bailey pitched fairly well, but I urge you to temper your excitement. Just remember that it was against the Padres. Second, his last two starts were nightmares, so he hasn't been anything near consistent. Unless you are in an NL-only, or a 16 team league, I would just leave Bailey in free agency, it is likely where he belongs.

Nyjer Morgan reached the 30 steal plateau this season. He has been a great surprise, as his batting average is above .300 as well. He doesn't drive in many runs, but he is at least a two category guy, and if he is helping you in steals he isn't someone I would sell high on, I think he will get close to 45 for the year.

I will be joining Steve Gardner at usatoday.com for the third installment of the Fantasy Roundtable on Tuesday 7/29 at 12pm EST. This one will focus on the trade dealine, but any topic in fantasy can be discussed. It will be featuring a more user friendly chat format, and should be smoother than our previous attempts. You can join us here, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the chat.

Labels: alex gordon, homer bailey, jeff francoeur, jonny gomes, julio lugo, kelly shoppach, michael saunders, njyer morgan, ryan garko

Jonathan Sanchez threw the first no-hitter of the season tonight against the San Diego Padres. He had everything going for him, and he struck out 11. It would have been a perfect game if not for an 8th inning error by Juan Uribe. This was his first start back in the rotation after being sent to the bullpen because of ineffectiveness. If it wasn't for the injury to Randy Johnson, he would still be in the 'pen. You would think that this would earn him a spot in the rotation for a while, especially since the Big Unit isn't due back any time soon. Even with this performance I wouldn't go running out and grabbing Sanchez unless you have a pitcher that is really underperforming. He gets a good number of strikeouts, but between the walks and the hits allowed he often gets himself into trouble.

Rich Harden left plenty to be desired in his latest start and is his record is now under .500. Harden had a rough day against the Cardinals, allowing four runs over five innings, walking four and striking out six. Sure, the strikeout numbers are still good, but the rest are not helping you. I keep saying that something has to be wrong with Harden, because he has never pitched this poorly. Sure he has had his troubles staying healthy, but he has always been a dominant pitcher when he's on the bump. Proceed with caution, but continue to start him every time out.

Brett Cecil hadn't been able to get our of the fourth inning in his last two starts, but turned it around on Friday against the Orioles. Cecil threw six shutout innings and struck out five. Unlike his teammate Ricky Romero, Cecil did have a good minor league career (and was the #3 ranked prospect in the Blue Jays system coming into the year), and I have more faith that he can keep this going. He did have a good start to the season before having an injury (four earned runs in three starts), so this didn't come out of nowhere. I'm not saying that you HAVE to have Cecil, but if you are looking for pitching he could be a decent option.

Ryan Garko has been getting playing time now, and he is making the most of it. He has a ten game hitting streak going that includes two home runs and four RBI. Garko won't give you a great average and has the capabilities to hit 20-25 homers, but until recently had found himself on the bench. The Indians want to put him in the outfield to give him at bats, so now it seems he will be in there most days. He is no more than a fourth outfielder on your team, maybe he can get on a hot streak.

Brian Bannister pitched a heck of a game against the Red Sox, and since June started he has been a pretty decent fantasy pitcher. That being said, I do not trust Bannister going forward and I would not trust him for any long stretch, and I certainly would not have started him tonight. He has allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts, but I am just not a fan. If he gets a good matchup, I would consider starting him, but I think this recent hot streak will be followed by a stretch of stuggles.

Ryan Church was traded today by the Mets to Atlanta for Jeff Francoeur. This is surprising that two division rivals made a trade, but who is better off from a fantasy perspective? I would go with Church on this one. Both had been benched at different times this season and had fallen out of favor with their teams. Francoeur has always had trouble with plate discipline and strikes out plenty. Not only that but now he goes to a park that doesn't allow many home runs. Church, on the other hand, goes to a team that he will most likely play for, isn't in the doghouse. He also gets out of Citi Field and although Turner Field isn't the best hitters park, it is an upgrade.

Much love to Dustin Pedroia for his late game double that extended my Hit Streak at usatoday.com to eight, by far the most I have gotten to. Tomorrow's pick will be Lance Berkman. I am hesitant to pick an Astro hitter, but against the Nationals I will take my chances.

Jeff Niemann threw a complete game shutout tonight against the Athletics and struck out six. He is now 8-4 and has been good most of the season. He was one of the top ten prospects in the Rays organization coming into the year and won the fifth starter job over David Price. I don't expect him to win 15 games for Tampa, but he still should have a decent year. He could win 13 or 14 games before the year is out.

Chad Billingsley had another subpar outing today, and hasn't been his usual dominating self for any stretch of time since early May. He allowed five runs over five innings, walked four and struck out four. What is the deal with Billingsley? He is still doing OK, but I am looking for him to be one of the elite, and he hasn't pitched like that recently. I still start Billingsley with extreme confidence against any opponent, and fully believe that he will get on a hot streak after the All Star Break.

A laundry list of guys have hit the DL today, let's get to the carnage.

Cubs catcher Geovany Soto could miss a month with his oblique injury he suffered during batting practice. The only good news that might come out of this is that those of you on the Jake Fox bandwagon MIGHT be rewarded. Fox has done some catching before and could do that some for the Cubs. If he gains catcher eligibility, that would be huge.

Torii Hunter and Vlad Guerrero also went on the DL today. I don't have any details as of now if they will miss more than the required 15 days. Prospect Brandon Wood has been called back up, and maybe he will actually get at-bats this time. However, given the way they treated him last time, I can't say if he will get playing time.

Ryan Doumit of the Pirates and Raul Ibanez of the Phillies have both been activated. If Doumit is available I would grab him if you have any need at catcher, and of course get Ibanez back in your lineup.

Labels: brandon wood, brett cecil, chad billingsley, geovany soto, jake fox, jeff francoeur, jeff niemann, raul ibanez, rich harden, ryan church, ryan doumit, ryan garko, torii hunter, vlad guerrero