The trading deadline is officially here, but there are a lot of leagues out there that don't use a deadline. That means more time to tweak lineups before the playoffs. There are some interesting names in this week's version of MLB Buy ‘n Sell. There aren't as many lesser named players on this week's list because these players are suddenly in the spotlight and the hype machine is in full gear. That mainly refers to Raul Ibanez and Denard Span. Ibanez has had the best week for a Mariner since Ken Griffey Jr. was still in that uniform. As for Span, that kid is just playing all around terrific baseball. However, now that they're getting lots of hype and their value is high, now is the best time to sell. The others included in this list are some star players who are having absolute horrible weeks. Smart owners will talk other owners with the negative facts about the players listed below, while in reality those players are on the cusp of breaking out and producing like fantasy studs once again. Trading is not an exact science, but it sure is fun. Nothing is more fun than fleecing an owner and reaping the rewards of a trade.
Sell:
Raul Ibanez (LF - Seattle Mariners) - Ibanez has been absolutely terrific this week. He had back-to-back games in which he put up 11 total RBI. That is absolutely incredible. However, it didn't stop there. He also hit a walk off homer against the Rays in a very important game, even though the Mariners really have nothing to play for anymore. Several teams must be kicking themselves after deciding to not trade for Ibanez by the deadline. He's putting up terrific numbers since the break and shows no signs of slowing down. He's been an absolute fantasy stud over the last week and has single handedly carried several owners to wins in homeruns, RBI, and average for the week. It doesn't seem like he'll be able to repeat these numbers though, especially since they were so good. Therefore it'd be best to get something for him while you still can. His value is the highest it's been all season long and he could be a terrific player to sell high on for those in leagues that don't have a set trade deadline.
12/29, 5 runs, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 0 SB .414 AVG
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Denard Span (CF/RF - Minnesota Twins) - Span has been a sparkplug for the Twins. He's hitting well over .300 and has an OBP over .400. He's also got a ton of speed and a little pop. Add all of that together and he makes one great leadoff hitter. However, he is still a rookie and is young. He may not be able to keep this pace up forever. Don't get me wrong, he's got a lot of talent. He has gap power, can steal bases, and has made some terrific defensive plays. However, who knows how his body will hold up, especially on turf. Add that to the mental pressures of the game and it suddenly becomes a bigger risk. I personally don't think he's going to all of a sudden become a horrible player, but I do think he's a prime candidate to slow down a little bit. It may be smart to trade him now while his value is so high in exchange for some solid, quality players who can help a team out more in the long run. Either way I do believe Span is a good player and he could very well prove me wrong and continue to play terrific ball. His value is very high right now though, so keep that in mind.
10/26, 5 runs, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB, .385 AVG
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Aaron Heilman (RP - New York Mets) - Heilman has had a rough week, but it wasn't all so bad. Don't be fooled by his numbers. He had a rough stretch of three games in which he gave up eight runs in under two innings. However, Billy Wagner was placed on the DL and Heilman became the new closer for the Mets. In his first two games as the closer he pitched three innings, struck out threw, and picked up two saves. Not bad. However, the Mets bullpen has been horrible this year and Heilman isn't exactly the most reliable reliever out there. Now that he has closer status his value suddenly goes up, but many people know it's just a matter of time until he gives up eight runs in under two innings a closer. Sell him now while you still can. Everyone needs a closer, but Heilman is way too inconsistent to be of any use.
1 win, 0 losses, 2 saves, 4 IP, 4 K, 6.75 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
Buy:
Carlos Zambrano (SP - Chicago Cubs) - Zambrano was absolutely roughed up by the Cardinals this week. He tied his career high by giving up nine runs in an outing, plus he also had a career high by giving up four homeruns in a game. It was a very surprising result since Big Z has been so consistent this season. Zambrano is much too talented to give up so many runs, therefore the odds are in his favor to produce normally in his next start. Z will get to face Florida in his next start. They've got a lot of young talent, but they also have a few guys who are prone to striking out. Zambrano really was awful this week, but he could rebound nicely next week. His value is the lowest it's been for a while, therefore a frustrated owner may be willing to part with him, especially if you mention arm problems he's had in a pass. Nothing like another owner being tricked into selling a slumping player.
0 wins, 1 loss, 9.1 IP, 5 K, 9.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP
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Grady Sizemore (CF - Cleveland Indians) - It's funny how one week a player could be so good, yet the next week they could be so bad. That's exactly what happened with Sizemore this week. He was coming off of a very solid week and is currently in a 2-for-19 slump. Ouch. However, the Indians play the Orioles and Angels this week. That's a lot of opportunities for Sizemore to come back and put up great numbers. The Orioles' pitching is shaky and the Angels' rotation, while great, has served up a lot of homeruns lately. Sizemore's value is down now, but it was up just last week. He's a classic buy low candidate and could be a very solid pickup if you can get him for cheap.
2/19, 0 runs, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, .105 AVG
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Adam Dunn (LF - Cincinnati Reds) - I won't deny that I always have a lot of hope for Adam Dunn. The guy has gone year after year of crushing 40 homers. However, his average literally kills fantasy teams, and he literally destroys teams that have strikeouts as a stat. This week he'll get to face the Pirates and Cardinals. The Pirates have had some decent pitching performances as of late, but I think Karstens and Maholm are about ready to fall back to Earth. As for the Cardinals, well, Carpenter is still shaking the rust off, Pineiro sucks, and Lohse looks about ready to get lit up. Dunn is a free swinger with tons of holes in his swing, but he absolutely crushes the ball when he gets a hold of one. He's been in a pretty bad slump lately, but it wasn't too long ago that he was hitting a lot of homeruns each week. He's currently tied for the league lead in homeruns and I believe this will be the week that he takes the lead. His value is extremely low right now, therefore it'd be wise to use his low average, high strikeouts, and suddenly non-existent homerun power to get him at a discount.
4/26, 0 runs, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, .154 AVG