Matt Diaz
Diaz is starting to get more at-bats versus right-handers lately and rightfully so. Diaz didn't start on Saturday, but after a .386/.427/.786 August in 70 at-bats, Diaz deserves to start every day over Willie Harris. Eventually (now?) Bobby Cox will figure out that a guy with a .915 OPS needs to be in there every day and that speed is overrated. Harris has hit just .214 with three steals since the break, so essentially, he's turning back into...Willie Harris. As for Diaz's splits, he's got a 242-point advantage in OPS against LHP, but at the same time, his .323 average vs. RHP isn't exactly awful (though his 26:4 K:BB is). Look for him to get 80% of the LF at-bats in September. His 0.24 EYE is the primary concern, but when you figure he hit .327 last year with a 0.22 EYE, that's enough to conclude that his average is (nearly) legitimate.
Steven Pearce
A whole slew of September callups were announced on Saturday, but one worth mentioning that will probably fly under the radar is Steven Pearce. Pearce has been the team's top breakout prospect this year, hitting .333/.394/.622 with 40 doubles, 4 triples, 31 home runs, and a 70:47 K:BB. That he was able to maintain an 85.6% contact rate while compiling 75 XBH's in 487 at-bats is fairly remarkable. Pearce is 24 and hasn't received much prospect notoriety, but that could change this month. The Pirates have Adam LaRoche entrenched at 1B, but Pearce could see some action against left-handers. He also mixed in 14 stolen bases this year, so if he's mobile enough to handle the outfield, it could speed his progress towards establishing himself on the roster. Pearce is a solid NL-only grab and should be owned in all keeper leagues.
Troy Patton
Despite falling to 0-2 in his first two major league starts (thanks to his teammates who couldn't hit Jason Marquis), Patton was still impressive on Saturday. The rookie southpaw allowed three runs (two earned) on just three hits over six impressive innings, walking one and striking out three. He allowed a two-run homer to Aramis Ramirez, but that happens to the best of pitchers. Patton threw 60 of his 92 pitches for strikes and now has a 3.86 ERA in two starts. He'll get four or five starts in September and has a strong chance to lock up a 2008 rotation spot this month. Patton turns 22 on Labor Day, and though his minor league numbers were so-so (3.51 ERA, 93:44 K:BB, 5.5 K/9), the buzz I heard watching some games at the Arizona Fall League last year was that Patton was the most likely pitcher there to be a solid big league contributor. At the worst, it seems he'll be a solid #3, but there's room for growth considering his stuff and age.
Steve Trachsel
It what appears on the surface to be the worst idea the Cubs have had since Philip Wrigley tried the "manager by committee"experiment in the early 60s, the Cubs are apparently going with a "modified"six-man rotation. Believe it or not, this includes the recently-acquired Steve Trachsel, he of the 45:69 K:BB this year (no, those numbers ARE in the correct order). Trachsel had allowed just two runs in 13 1/3 innings in his final two stars with Baltimore, but do you really want a guy on your roster with these peripherals?: 2.9 K/9, 0.65 K:BB, and a so-so .279 AVG-against (though a .277 BABIP suggest that should be higher). We're not quite sure what "modified"means here, but it's hard to believe Trachsel's presence would cause Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Rich Hill to get fewer stats, but keep an eye on this situation and stay away from Trachsel unless you have huge leads in ERA and WHIP and are desperate for wins from any source.
Luke Scott
With the regime change in Houston, one has to wonder how this will affect the fortunes of guys on the bubble such as Chris Burke and Luke Scott. Are these guys regulars, platoon guys, or utilitymen/pinch-hitters? In the case of Scott, he's still not playing much against lefties, but when he is in there (against most right-handers), he's been red-hot lately. Scott was 1-for-4 on Saturday with his 16th homer and since the All-Star break, Scott is hitting .317/.416/.615 in 104 at-bats. This in contrast to his first half of .226/.321/.447. When you look at his platoon splits, Scott loses just 43 points of OPS vs. LHP and just one point of AVG, so you could certainly make the case for giving him some at-bats versus lefties. Maybe new (interim) manager Cecil Cooper will give Scott a chance versus lefties and go against the grain a bit. Scott's fantasy owners wouldn't mind.
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