Wilson Betemit - Betemit did what he does best again last night against the O's, posting a homer, a walk, and a strikeout in three plate appearances. I wasn't sure that Joe Torre would recognize Betemit's value any more than Grady Little did in LA, but a good way to force people to look at you is to hit a few homers in your first few weeks with the club, so look for Betemit to work his way into 50% or more playing time down the stretch. Also not, especially for you keeper leaguers, that ESPN is still using the incorrect birthdate for Betemit.....he is actually only 25 and might still have another step forward in him. Since he's already posting an EYE of .125 and an ISO of .250, that's actually fairly exciting. I think he might be one of the more underrated players in the game based on potential value over the next five years, but getting the PT will be the issue.
Jeremy Guthrie - This year was really the first time that Guthrie's control had been better than average for any length of time, so it can't be entirely surprising to watch him self-destruct like this. His BABIP had been about 50 points lower than you would expect given his K rate coming into this month, which is just more fuel for the "reversion to the mean" fire. I would have a hard time keeping Guthrie in my lineup at this point, and I think it's 50/50 whether he's even pitching in the majors at this time next year. In my mind, his peak potential is that of a fourth or fifth starter, which doesn't have much use outside of the deepest of leagues.
Ivan Rodriguez - Pudge is putting up a stat line that looks remarkably similar to 2005, with the expected slow power decline built in. I imagine most of you are savvy enough to recognize the fact that Pudge hasn't been an offensive asset (except for last year's empty batting average) since 2004, and the edge of the table looms closely if you ask me. Pudge is like a 1985 K car at this point.....you watch him and you can't believe the thing is still running. If you gave me a choice between Pudge and Dioner Navarro next season, I'm fairly certain I'd take Navarro.
Dan Meyer - Dan Meyer is finally up with the A's 2 1/2 years after being the centerpiece of the Tim Hudson deal for Oakland, and he comes up with solid HR and K rates but a suspect walk rate that has followed him ever since the trade. At age 26, it's probably fair to say that Meyer will never fulfill the promise that he showed prior to the trade, but McAfee is a relatively favorable place to pitch, (moreso than the PCL, perhaps, even with the promotion) so IF the A's let Meyer pitch in the rotation, which is not a foregone conclusion, he could provide a modicum of value. I would treat him as a flyer for now, but I'd certainly want to pay attention to his first outing or two.
Felix Hernandez - Hernandez had a very solid outing last night, holding the Twins to four singles, two walks, and a run over six innings, fanning six in the process. King Felix has, quietly if you ask me, been having a fairly decent season. He is allowing less than a homer per nine, his K:BB ratio is better than 3:1, and the M's are keeping his pitch counts down at very manageable levels. I know everyone expected him to make a huge splash immediately, but at age 21 this has to be considered a very successful year. As we've mentioned before, his abnormally high BABIP is propping up his ERA a bit, so with that alone you'd expect him to show a bit better of a line next year.
