Jordan Walden - Fernando Rodney blew his second straight save last night against the Mariners, and he's allowed 11 hits and 5 runs in his last 4 appearances. Meanwhile, Jordan Walden has allowed 7 hits and 1 run in his first 7 IP, striking out 13. A changing of the guard could be coming in short order, especially with the Angels just playing out the string. He is certainly worth a pickup in any formats that place value of any sort on holds, and he may merit a choice if you're desperate for saves elsewhere as well. I do expect that he will be the Angel closer within the next 12 months at the outside.
Brent Morel - Brent Morel hit his first big league homer last night against the Royals in a 4-3 win, something that might possibly earn him a bit more PT down the stretch. The 23 year old hit .322 with 52 XBH between AA and AAA this season, and while he doesn't project to have more than moderate power or fair plate discipline, he has been able to hit for average in the minors. He's best classified as a low-end starter at 3B at his peak, but if he continues to hit for the White Sox right now he could end up with enough PT in September to justify a spot in AL-only formats. For next year he is certainly a candidate for the starting 3B job, and thus a candidate for a roster spot in all formats depending on the outcome there.
Jeremy Hermida - Hermida, a guy that hit 296/369/501 as a 23 year old in an extremely difficult home park three years ago, has resurfaced in Oakland this week. Hermida has picked up a couple of starts for Oakland, a team that has Coco Crisp leading the way in slugging at .445. If there's a place that he can resurrect his career, it's likely here. A BABIP about 85 points under expectations has made his line look even worse than it actually is this season, but the steadily declining power over the past few seasons is clearly a concern regardless. He's a nice sleeper in Oakland, but even one of his biggest fans (me) remains pretty skeptical.
Matt Wieters - I see a lot of breakout potential for Matt Wieters next season, as the BB:K ratio (0.45 to 0.8) and ISO (.112 to .202) have really jumped from the 1st half to the 2nd, his contact rate is up 6.3% this season from last, and he's still just 24 years of age playing a very demanding position defensively. I think he's fallen off the radar a bit because he was expected to come right in and be the best offensive catcher around, but very few catchers are able to hold their own offensively at such a young age. Wieters still has loads of potential, and he absolutely should be high on your draft lists next season.
Danny Valencia - Valencia was back in action last night, joining the litany of Twins that went 0-3 against Fausto Carmona. Valencia was on a 10-16 tear before the hamstring issue, and lest you think that he's an empty AVG over at 3B he's on pace for 40 doubles over a full season through his first 64 games with the Twins. Valencia has had about 15 HR power throughout his minor league career and has been able to maintain an AVG of close to .300, so it's possible that a middle-of-the-pack 3B starter is lurking in there for the Twins in the near future, as Valencia is still just 25. He's not a bad guy to take a chance on down the stretch here in AL-only leagues, and he would also qualify as a modest sleeper for 2011.
