Deadline mania

UPDATED AUGUST 3RD

Let's get right down to business. As usual, there were several deals made, including 12 on Deadline Day. Some were surprising, others expected, and then there were the ones that didn't get done.

Read along as I break down each trade player by player:

1B Sean Casey to the Tigers for P Brian Rogers

The best team in the majors didn't need to do much, but with Dmitri Young returning to the Tigers' lineup - pick him up if you can - Casey's acquisition gives Manager Jim Leyland the ability to go righty-lefty, righty-lefty all the way through the order. The first baseman is a career .304 hitter and is patient at the plate. He gives the Tigers another veteran presence on the young squad.

This is a good move for Detroit, but it really won't have any fantasy impact. April power player Chris Shelton was sent down to Triple-A to make room for Casey, but Tigers' management plans on bringing him back up in September when rosters expand from 25 to 40.

RF Bobby Abreu and P Cory Lidle to the Yankees for four minor leaguers

Next to the Casey deal, this one looks to be the most significant for a single team. With Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield absent from the lineup since May, the Yankees needed to add another bat to their ailing outfield and add one they did.

Bobby Abreu is a walks machine, about to draw 100 free passes for the eighth straight season, joining Max Bishop and Oakland slugger Frank Thomas as the only players with eight in a row. He has speed to burn, averaging 28-plus steals a season, and he's eclipsed the 100-RBI mark in four of the past five seasons. How can you go wrong with an All-star outfielder in such a loaded lineup.

Picture this. When Matsui, Sheffield, and Robinson Cano return from their various injuries, this is what the Yankees' lineup could look like:

1. CF Johnny Damon

2. SS Derek Jeter

3. 1B/DH Jason Giambi

4. 3B Alex Rodriguez

5. RF Bobby Abreu

6. DH/1B Gary Sheffield

7. LF Hideki Matsui

8. C Jorge Posada

9. 2B Robinson Cano

That's just scary.

Cory Lidle is also a good pick-up at the back end of the rotation, and after winning his Pinstripes debut vs. Toronto, he now has won his last five decisions. Lidle isn't going to get you a lot of strikeouts, but he should post a decent ERA and pick up a good amount of wins.

Pitcher Matt Smith, Class-A shortstop C.J. Henry - a first-round draft pick in 2005 - rookie league catcher Jesus Sanchez and right-hander Carlos Monasterios head over to Philly, but none of them are expected to have any impact in the majors until at least 2009, 2010, if at all.

Greg Maddux to the Dodgers for SS/3B Cesar Izturis

With the Cubs sinking fast, GM Jim Hendry did the right thing and sent Maddux closer to his offseasons home in Las Vegas while giving him a chance to pitch in the playoffs. Since starting out 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA in April, Maddux has gone 4-11 with a 5.77 ERA through July for the Cubs. Heading to L.A., Maddux should enjoy the benefits of being in a pitchers' park and should be a solid presence in the Dodgers' rotation down the stretch.

In return for Maddux, the Cubs got a slick-fielding shortstop with good speed and the ability to spray the ball all over the field. In 2004, Izturis finished the season with 193 hits, 90 runs, 25 steals, 45 extra-base hits and a .288 batting average. The following year his progress was marred by a variety of injuries - hamstring, back, and elbow - but the talent is still there and he should excel in Chicago in the No. 2 slot hitting behind speedy leadoff man Juan Pierre.

Carlos Lee and Nelson Cruz to the Texas Rangers for Francisco Cordero, Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix and Julian Cordero

Moving from Milwaukee to Texas, Lee will bat in the middle of a more powerful lineup, but his production, which is stellar, should remain the same. Cruz has hit for power in every level as he's come up through the ranks, but he's not exactly a prospect anymore at age 26. He's not the highest rated minor leaguer out there, but if Texas calls him up to the bigs, you should be able to get some decent production out of him.

Going to Milwaukee, Francisco Cordero gets another chance to close games again after being demoted from that role on the Rangers earlier in the season. Following his demotion, however, Cordero posted a 2.87 ERA in 37.2 innings with 15 holds.

Former Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow had an utter meltdown in July, blowing four straight save chances in a span of two weeks, so Cordero should give the Brew Crew a more stable, and able, body in the ninth.

As for Mench and Nix, out of the two Mench will likely get more playing time and he should replace a decent-sized portion of the power numbers Lee put up in Milwaukee. But that's all he'll replace. Lee is a better fielder and he is more prone to stealing bases than Mench is.

Out of all the deals made around the deadline, this deal is probably the most beneficial for both sides.

Julio Lugo to the Dodgers for Joel Guzman and Sergio Pedroza

The Devil Rays weren't able to work out a long-term extension with Lugo, so they deal him to L.A. for top prospect Joel Guzman and Pedroza. Lugo should continue to hit for average, steal bases in score runs over in the National League. The only question is who plays where and how often when Jeff Kent and Nomar Garciaparra come off the DL.

For now, Lugo will play second with Rafael Furcal over at short, newly acquired utility man Wilson Betemit manning the hot corner and Olmedo Saenz at first. When Kent and Nomar return, the talk is that Lugo will shift over to third with Kent going back to second and Nomar to first.

Guzman is the real deal, and once he's playing for Tampa, he'll join B.J. Upton to form an extremely talented left side of the infield at Tropicana Park. Pedroza heads to Class-A Visalia.

Roberto Hernandez and Oliver Perez to the Mets for Xavier Nady

This move was necessitated when Mets setup man Duaner Sanchez severely separated his pitching shoulder in a taxi accident the day before the trade deadline. GM Omar Minaya promptly whisked Nady away and filled the void left by Sanchez with Hernandez, who should fare well in the same role he occupied with the Mets last season.

Minaya also acquired Perez - a highly talented, 25-year-old lefty who has shown flashes of brilliance but has also struggled greatly. Back in 2004, Perez posted a 12-10 record with a 2.98 ERA and struck out 239 batters in 196 innings. He is 6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds, but it's definitely possible that he wore himself out with that heavy workload.

Since his promising '04, Perez has gone 9-15 with a horrendous 6.18 ERA, 158 strikeouts and a whopping 128 walks in 35 starts. He will play out the rest of the season at Triple-A Norfolk, but the Mets expect him to be a part of their rotation in 2007 after pitching coach Rick Peterson gets to work his magic on the troubled, yet talented, starter.

Minaya almost dealt Perez to the Padres along with reliever Heath Bell for Scott Linebrink, but the teams ran out of time as the deadline hit. Keep an eye on Perez in Spring Training next season. In the right environment he could regain his 2004 form.

Hot Corners

Since the All-Star break, corner infielders have really taken off. Here are five first basemen and five third basemen who have been utterly raking the ball: First Base 1. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres Stats: 13 G, .464 BA, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 1.393 OPS In his first full season in the bigs, Gonzalez has put NL pitchers on notice that he's the man to fear in the Padres' lineup. It's no longer Brian Giles, Ryan Klesko, or even the great Mike Piazza - who's having a solid season by the way. Gonzalez has really come on in July, and team after team of fantasy owners have followed suit, including yours truly in several leagues, adding him to their first base or utility positions. 2. Adam LaRoche, Atlanta Braves Stats: 12 G, .404 BA, 7 HR, 16 RBI, 1.378 OPS This sweet-swinging lefty has given Bobby Cox another threat in the middle of the order, shifting between the fifth and seventh slots. He is one of three Braves to hit at least 20 home runs so far this season, with Chipper Jones (15, and in my third basemen's list) and catcher Brian McCann (12) not too far behind. 3. Lance Berkman, Houston Astros Stats: 12 G, .333 BA, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 1.081 OPS Houston's only real slugger, Berkman leads the National League in RBI (92 as of this posting) and is among the leaders in home runs (28 - 5th), on-base percentage (.403 - 8th), slugging percentage (.617 - 2nd) and OPS (1.020 - 2nd). He is eligible at both first base and the outfield in most fantasy leagues and is always a good catch if you can land him. 4. Mark Teixeira, Texas Rangers Stats: 14 G, .311 BA, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 1.094 OPS Big Tex disappointed scores of fantasy GMs with his disappointing first half numbers - .275 BA, 9 HR, and 49 RBI - but has kicked off the second half more like the Teixeira who was being selected in the first round of most preseason drafts. Look for the numbers to only continue getting better. 5. Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins Stats: 14 G, .382 BA, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 1.052 OPS Behind the dominating lefty twosome of Francisco Liriano and Johan Santana, Morneau has been a huge reason why the Twins have surged all the way into the Wild Card mix, including the most recent sweep of the defending World Series champion White Sox. Morneau picked up the pace in June, batting .400 with 10 homers and 29 RBI. His explosion coincided perfectly with the emergence of Liriano as quite possibly the most dominating starter in the game today, Santana included. Third Base 1. Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves Stats: 8 G, .471 BA, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1.432 OPS Chipper has alternated hot and cold months of hitting - April and June cold, May and July hot - but one of the game's best switch-hitting sluggers ever has been absolutely on fire in July, hitting .500 with seven big flies and 20 RBI as of July 25. He's day-to-day right now, but the Braves aren't worried and you shouldn't be either. Keep him in your lineup. 2. Troy Glaus, Toronto Blue Jays Stats: 10 G, .464 BA, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 1.393 OPS With the prospect of injury almost always over his head - Glaus missed major portions of 2003 and 2004 - the Jays' big bat at the hot corner has managed to remain injury-free throughout 2006 (knock on wood Toronto fans). And aside from a mediocre season average (.256), the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has been smashing the cover off the ball with a team-high 26 home runs thus far. 3. Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs Stats: 12 G, .356 BA, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 1.256 OPS There aren't many positive things you can say about the Cubs this year, especially about their offense which is dead-last in runs scored and RBI, but Ramirez has been on fire at the dish since the All-Star break. And if it weren't for Derrek Lee's injury woes, the power third baseman would most likely be enjoying a better season, production-wise. 4. Brandon Inge, Detroit Tigers Stats: 13 G, .409 BA, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 1.176 OPS Forget about his season average (.246) for a second, Inge leads the Major League's best team with 20 home runs - already a career-high - and the Tigers still have 61 games left to go! Inge doesn't have the multiple-position eligibility fantasy players savored back in 2004, but he's still a good choice as your third baseman. 5. Mark Teahen, Kansas City Royals Stats: 13 G, .317 BA, 4 HR, 13 RBI, 1.152 OPS Just like with Ramirez in Chicago, there isn't much to talk about in K.C.; that is, except for Teahen. The sophomore has really stepped up for the Royals, and that's all because of a change in his hitting mechanics engineered while spending the majority of May with Triple-A Omaha. Should he continue to progress, he could write his own ticket out of lowly Kansas City and land on a team that's looking to contend.

Players to watch

With the trade deadline fast approaching, there are several players who could be playing for different teams by the beginning of August. Here are just a few who could use a change of scenery to bounce back from their so-so season: Livan Hernandez, SP - Washington Nationals Who couldn't use a World Series MVP (1997 - Marlins) in their starting rotation? Hernandez is 6-8 with a 5.87 ERA and a .308 BAA through July 19, but he's still logging major innings and has struck out at least 134 batters in nine consecutive seasons. The Cuban import boasts a postseason record of 6-2 with a 3.99 ERA and has pitched in the World Series twice - winning with the Marlins in 1997 and losing to the Angels while with the Giants in 2002. Placed on the right team, with the right motivation, Livan certainly has the experience to have a major impact in the playoffs. Look for the Mets to make a play for El Duque's younger half-brother, or at least send out a feeler. GM Omar Minaya still has ties to the Nationals and has fared well in the past when dealing with Nats GM Jim Bowden. New York could certainly use an innings-eater like Livan in the middle of their rotation. Not only would he save the already-taxed bullpen some work, but he's a definite upgrade over Alay Soler and his presence would also take some pressure off Mike Pelfrey, who fans want to see thrive in Flushing for many years to come. Shea Hillenbrand, 1B/3B - Toronto Blue Jays Until Wednesday's bizarre series of events which saw him get designated for assignment for refusing to sit in the dugout during the Jays' tilt vs. the Rangers, among other issues, Hillenbrand's name wasn't really out there on the trading block. But now that Toronto has 10 days to either trade him or release him to waivers, another solid bat is on the market. Hillenbrand has been a solid producer at the plate throughout the course of his six years in the bigs thus far and would certainly be an asset to just about any team's lineup. He hits for average, drives in runs, and has good power - about a third of his total hits have been for extra bases. I think Minnesota would be a good fit for Shea. With Shannon Stewart out for the year, and Torii Hunter out for possibly just as long, the Twins could use another solid bat in their weak lineup. Hillenbrand would play third and would be a nice corner compliment to Justin Morneau at first. Based on his current salary with Toronto, Hillenbrand stands to make just over $2.5 million the rest of the season - a number that the cost-conscious Twins should be able to afford. I'll have my ear out for more trade rumors and as deals get done, I'll give you the breakdown on the winners and losers of this year's trade market.

Upton on the move...to third base

This just in...

B.J. Upton will, in fact, make the switch from shortstop to third base and could be promoted to the Devil Rays in as little as two weeks.

In 88 games with the Triple-A Durham Bulls thus far, Upton is batting .269 with 6 HR and 36 RBI. Those numbers aren't so impressive; however, he leads the International League with 37 steals, albeit in 52 tries, and his on-base percentage is good at .378.

While Upton has greatly struggled with his defense, committing 28 errors - no one else on the Bulls even has 10 - the club feels he can handle the switch to the hot corner.

According to Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman, they're going to be patient with Upton and wait until he feels comfortable at third before calling him up. At the same time, Friedman made it clear that the organization is "not giving up on Upton as a shortstop," and he classified the move as "short-term."

So how does this affect the rest of the Rays? Good question...let's discuss it.

Shortstop, Julio Lugo

Lugo is a free agent at the end of this season. His production has been great since missing the first month of the season, batting .300 with 71 hits, 9 HR, and 14 steals in 60 games in the first half. Lugo's career-high in homers is 15, so don't expect the power numbers to be as high in the second half. He'll probably hit more doubles and his speed should get him some triples, especially at Tropicana Field.

If he doesn't get traded by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, then it is possible that the Rays will lock him up with a multi-year deal in the offseason. I only see that happening if Upton lives up to his potential and improves his defensive play at third. Should that occur, Lugo and Upton can man the Rays' left side of the infield for many years.

Utility, Ty Wigginton

In the aftermath of Aubrey Huff's departure, Wigginton - .252, 16 HR, 50 RBI at the half - was in line to get the majority of the starts at third base. Since the Rays are looking to promote Upton, they have decided that Wigginton and Russell Branyan will split the third base duties until Upton is ready.

With the numbers Wiggy has put up, he should still get significant playing time, even when Upton arrives. The scrappy righty already has a career-high in homers, and is well on his way to surpassing his RBI-high of 71, which he put up in his only full season with the Mets in 2003.

Only time will tell how these scenarios shake out, and it's all centered around the development of a highly touted prospect.

I would love to be in the Devil Rays' shoes, because it's always a good problem to have too many choices on how to fill out your roster.

Devil Ray development - Huff to Houston

Good news, Houston fans! The Tampa Bay Devil Rays just sent you infielder/outfielder Aubrey Huff for two minor league prospects, right-hander Mitch Talbot and infielder Ben Zobrist.

According to the Associated Press, Huff is Tampa Bay's career leader in games (798), at bats (3,016), runs (399), hits (868), doubles (173), home runs (128), extra-base hits (307) and RBIs (449). He has eclipsed 20 home runs each of the last four seasons and has also broke the 100-RBI mark twice.

Manager Phil Garner now has several options: He can play Huff at first base, third base, or in right field. Most likely, Huff - who played third base primarily this season in Tampa - will cut into the struggling Morgan Ensberg's playing time, at least until Ensberg can get out of his season-long funk.

It's clear that the Astros made this move with the intention of making a serious playoff run in the second half, and a lot of it will depend on their offense, as I alluded to in a previous post.

Huff hit safely in 20 of his last 23 games with the Devil Rays, and now that the trade cloud has been lifted, he should be able to get back to the level of play he exhibited in 2003 and 2004 - his two best seasons thus far.

Although he missed a month of playing time in the beginning of the season, Huff has been on a tear over the past two months. Since bottoming out with a batting average of .123 on May 18, Huff has gone 57-for-165 (.345) to bring his average all the way up to .283.

The power numbers aren't quite there yet, but playing in the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park should fix that real quick.

At 30 years old, Huff is in the midst of his prime and this move to Houston should elevate his career to a new level. I'm sure Houston's pitching staff is happy about his acquisition.

Go get him now, it will be worth your while, and the multiple position eligibility certainly doesn't hurt either.

TAMPA BAY IMPLICATIONS

Moving Aubrey Huff gives the Devil Rays some more payroll flexibility as they look to shed the image of being the laughing-stock of the A.L. East and turn into a future contender.

Huff's departure should give jack-of-all-trades Ty Wigginton a more permanent position in the lineup at third base, with Travis Lee also securing first base. But all that may not matter if Tampa decides to promote either Delmon Young or B.J. Upton.

After serving a 50-game suspension for chucking a bat at an umpire in a minor league game earlier this season, Young has been hitting .375 (27-for-72) with two homers and 19 RBI in 19 games for Triple-A Durham since being reinstated. So if you have a roster opening, or if you're in the type of league that has a minor league roster spot for just such an occasion, pick him up and keep an eye on his progression.

Upton on the other hand has struggled defensively at shortstop, but is a phenomenal talent at the plate, which means that the Devil Rays might try him out at third base.

Watch Tampa closely. In the past month, they've cleared a lot of roster space for their top prospects - moving Joey Gathright to Kansas City, Toby Hall and Mark Hendrickson to the Dodgers, and now Huff to Houston - and they may not be done yet.

Carl Crawford is one of the most desirable names in the rumor mill and Jonny Gomes could also be moved. The team needs at least two more quality starters to accompany young ace Scott Kazmir, and they definitely need a better alternative closing out games than Brian Meadows.

Look for the D'Rays to continue to be strategic sellers this year.

Mets call up wunderkind

From Detroit's 100-mph hurlers, Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya, to Minnesota's Francisco Liriano, Boston's Jonathan Papelbon, the Angels' Jered Weaver and Florida's Josh Johnson, among others, Major League Baseball is being inundated with scores of new pitching stars.

And during Saturday's Mets-Marlins double-header, the latest, and certainly one of the most talented, editions makes his ML debut in New York's Mike Pelfrey.

The 6-foot-7, 22-year-old righty from Wichita State hits the bigs slightly more than a year after being drafted ninth in the first round of the 2005 draft - the third fastest ascension over the past five years behind Chicago's Mark Prior and the aforementioned Verlander.

Sporting a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 98 mph, a devastating slider that some say is more like a slurve and a changeup that still needs some development, Pelfrey comes along at just the right time for the Mets with staff ace Pedro Martinez placed on the 15-day DL Thursday (retroactive to June 29).

GM Omar Minaya plans on this call-up going a la Lastings Milledge - more of an audition than a permanent solution for now.

"He's a young player, [so we] get him up here and give him an opportunity to get him exposed to the Major Leagues, to Major League hitters, to Major League life. It's the same thing we did with [Lastings] Milledge," said Minaya.

Looking at this from a fantasy perspective, I would say to watch Pelfrey closely. If you can grab him tonight in time for tomorrow's start, definitely go for it. If not, snag him as soon as you can. Quickly rising through the Mets' minor league system, Pelfrey has gone 6-3 with 103 strikeouts and 2.45 ERA in 88.1 IP between St. Lucie (A) and Binghamton (AA).

This situation can go one of two ways: Either Pelfrey will shine and impress the Mets' brass enough to hold onto the fifth spot in the rotation behind Orlando Hernandez, or he'll be so-so and stick around until Pedro comes off the DL. His emergence has the potential to mirror that of David Wright in the second half of 2004. The Mets may have no choice but to keep him in the rotation for their inevitable run through the playoffs, and he could be a major factor in their quest for their first title since 1986.

Whatever winds up happening, Pelfrey should be a mainstay in the Mets' rotation come 2007. So for those of you in keeper leagues, if you have an open spot or you're holding on to a mediocre player, give Pelfrey a look. A player of his caliber is as close to a "sure thing" as you can get. Unless of course he goes the route of Chicago's Kerry Wood and Mark Prior and is married to the DL.

Everyday Eddie? Not really

Earlier this afternoon, the Cincinnati Reds acquired reliever Eddie Guardado from the Seattle Mariners for minor league pitcher Travis Chick.

Now, I know what you're thinking..."So what? The guy is a shell of his former self when he was known as 'Everyday Eddie' Guardado."

You're right; he doesn't have a rubber arm anymore. However, Guardado is moving over to the National League for the first time in his career, which means he'll be facing many batters for the first time, potentially giving him an opportunity to resurrect his once solid career.

The Reds' relief corps has been mediocre at best this season, and with the team just two games out of first behind the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincy GM Wayne Krivsky decided to take a chance on the 35-year-old lefty.

David Weathers and Todd Coffey have split the save opportunities thus far, but that role should belong to Guardado. So for those of you who are in need of some saves, or maybe could use some appearances, take a chance on "Not-So-Everyday Eddie." At the very least, he should be able to notch a few saves for your fantasy team before the National League figures him out again.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SEATTLE

Back in Seattle, J.J. Putz took over the stopper slot from Guardado, after he blew three saves in a span of two weeks in late April/early May. So with Guardado gone now, there are only two things Putz has to worry about - staying consistent and Rafael Soriano.

Soriano is a bona fide fireballer and should Putz falter, he is the likely candidate to take over the closer role in Seattle.

Putz is 1-0 with a 2.23 ERA and 15 saves in 17 chances to go along with a mind-boggling K-BB ratio of 57-to-7.

If he's still a free agent or on the waiver wire in your league, pick him up A.S.A.P.

Houston, you have a problem

Attention fantasy baseball GMs: Beware of the Astros' anemic offense. Not only will it wreak havoc on your major hitting categories, but it will impact the big-name hurlers you snagged in the early rounds of your draft.

Yes, Lance Berkman leads the majors with 76 RBI, but after him, there's no one else to take advantage of in Houston's lineup.

What happened to Morgan Ensberg? Last year, the young third baseman had a breakout season with 36 HR and 101 RBI, but he's hitting a paltry .237 in 2006. Talent usually doesn't disappear just like that, so what's the deal?

The Astros received a lot of national publicity with the return of Roger Clemens, but all that attention makes it that much clearer that this team - no matter how good their pitching staff is - is going nowhere fast unless GM Tim Purpura makes a move for a quality bat.

Looking to add some power, the 'Stros picked up Preston Wilson prior to the 2006 campaign, but he's been a complete bust so far with just eight longballs and 77 strikeouts against 16 walks.

Despite his early struggles, Brad Lidge will still get his fair share of save opportunities, and you can still expect plenty of strikeouts to flow out of his right arm. So don't be so quick to try to move him, unless the deal is just right.

Houston's "Big Three" - Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte, and Clemens - will all put up strong numbers with low ERAs and plenty of quality innings, but if it's wins you're looking for, look somewhere else.

Just like last year when The Rocket led the N.L. with a 1.87 ERA, but only had a record of 13-8, Oswalt is experiencing a bit of deja vu with the dire lack of run support from his offense. This most certainly puts Houston's dreams of reaching the World Series again in severe jeopardy, and it could spell doom for your fantasy team as well.

Be afraid, knuckleheads; be very afraid.

How can they leave these guys out?

We've reached the midway point of the 2006 MLB season, and that can only mean one thing...it's time for the All-Star Break.

Always a source of exciting debate, this year's All-Star rosters are composed of several players from a short list of teams, with the highest concentration coming from last year's World Series champion Chicago White Sox.

Since the men from the Windy City won it all, Manager Ozzie Guillen will manage the American League squad and also got to choose the reserves. And although he has the right to pick whoever he wants, the surly skipper selected a whopping six ChiSox, leaving some very deserving would-be starts off the roster.

Yes, there is a fan vote for the final roster spot - by the way White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is one of the five - but that means deserving players who should be participating in the All-Star action at PNC Park on July 11 still will not get to go.

For starters, whose bright idea was it to send Gary Matthews, Jr. in place of injured star Alex Rios as opposed to the highly superior Carl Crawford?

Sure Matthews is a solid defender and is in the midst of a career year, batting .330 with 40 extra-base hits and 43 RBI in 72 games, but this is a guy who has played for six different teams in eight seasons and has never been a consistent starter...ever!

Okay, so Crawford struggled out of the gate this season, big deal. Since May 22, the Devil Rays' speed demon has reeled off a .373 clip (56-for-150) with 17 steals, 11 HR, 26 RBI, and 28 runs scored - good for a season line of .322, 12 HR, 43 RBI, 53 R, and 29 SB.

Can you honestly look me in the eye with a straight face and say that Gary Matthews, Jr. deserves to be an All-Star above Carl Crawford? I highly doubt it.

How about this other big snub? This one really has me baffled.

Twins rookie Francisco Liriano leads the world with a 1.99 ERA - not to mention an un-godly 0.97 WHIP, nine wins, and 94 strikeouts in 81.1 IP - and yet somehow, he's not on the A.L. roster. Why? For one, Major League Baseball still likes to use the antiquated rule that every team must be represented.

As the numbers will show, that is the only reason why Royals starter Mark Redman made the team. How else could someone with a 5.59 ERA and a lowsy 1.51 WHIP be an All-Star?

If each team must send one representative, at least pick the most deserving one, like David DeJesus (.331 BA in 40 games).

Hopefully, the fans will get it right and vote Liriano in with the final A.L. roster spot, because if this guy isn't an All-Star then no one else should be. He's that good; just ask anyone who's ever faced him. He has an electric fastball, a mind-bending slider, and a change-up that some have said seems to go in reverse 18 inches away from the plate.

If you don't know who he is by now, I fear for your chances of winning your fantasy league. Someone offered me Manny Ramirez in a package deal for Liriano and I rejected it immediately.

Mark my words, he'll be picked in the first round of every single fantasy draft next season.