Tony Abreu (2B – Diamondbacks)
Tony Abreu was shipped off to the Diamondbacks on Tuesday. After missing all of ’08, Abreu has done a nice job at salvaging some of his prospect status with a .351 / .382 / .609 line at Triple-A this season. Ryan Roberts was given the starting 2nd base gig in Arizona purely by default, but since then he has taken the job and run with it (.296 / .390 / .448). Despite playing admirably this year, Roberts is not the long-term solution at 2nd for the D’Backs. Abreu may not be the answer either, but I would say he has a far better chance at being this player than does Roberts. Since Arizona is out of contention this season, I would not be surprised to see Abreu get a little cup of coffee in this last month. He is unlikely to make any kind of impact, but he does have the ability to impact Roberts’ value over the remainder of the season.
J.J. Hardy (SS – Brewers)
After successfully suppressing his service time enough to delay his free agency until after the 2011 season, the Brewers recalled J.J. Hardy. It’s been a rough year for Hardy both on and off the field as he has posted a line of .294 / .300 / .367, and he has had his ability to earn his fair market contract in 2010 taken away from him. Alcides Escobar has hardly lit the world on fire (.286 / .327 / .367) in Hardy’s stead, and the Brewers are likely to trade Hardy this off-season, meaning that they will make an attempt to increase his trade value by allowing him to play. Some type of timeshare between the two shortstops seems likely over the final month, as the Brewers would like it very much if Hardy ended the year on a high note.
Rick VandenHurk (SP – Marlins)
Rick VandenHurk was recalled by the Marlins on Tuesday. Through 6 major league starts this season, VandenHurk has an ugly 5.12 ERA accompanied by a very pretty looking 9.38 K/9, and an improving 3.69 BB/9. VandenHurk traded in some dominance for some improved command this season at Triple-A, and experienced some very encouraging results (2.87 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 2.4 BB/9). Despite using a 4 man rotation at the moment, the Marlins are likely to need a 5th starter a couple times in September (only 3 off days the entire month). However, with prior control issues, VandenHurk is a risky proposition. I would only use him if the matchup was gorgeous and I was trying to make a charge in the standings.
Jonathan Sanchez (SP – Giants)
Jonathan Sanchez was the hard-luck loser on Tuesday night as he allowed just 1 ER through 6 innings while striking out 8 and walking 3. Sanchez was looking to be the annual disappointment that he always is, that is, until he turned things around in a big way in July. For July, he posted a 3.25 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 10.29 K/9, and 2.57 BB/9. He followed that up with an August of a 2.61 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 11.03 K/9, and 4.65 BB/9. The walks have crept up this last month, which is always a concern; but fortunately, he has been able to off-set this by increasing his K rate slightly. Sanchez is a great player to target next season, as he will be undervalued by owners only look at his season long totals. Maintain an emphasis on his last few months in next year’s draft, and you will likely land a bargain.
Andrew McCutchen (OF – Pirates)
I’m sorry to beat a dead horse here, but Andrew McCutchen is scary good. Just when I thought I couldn’t be any more impressed with his play (4 HR in last 8 games), he goes and draws 4 walks in Tuesday night’s game. McCutchen has played just about half of a season at this point, so I feel that we can now safely lend some credence to these numbers extrapolated over a full season (.288 BA, 22 HR, 106 Runs, 88 RBI, 30 SB). Soak those in for a minute. The scariest part is that he is still just 22 years old and improving each and every day. The sky is the limit for this kid. I wouldn’t blame you for reaching rounds early for him next season.
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