Ichiro Suzuki - Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-4 on Monday. That, in itself, isn't big news. The fact that he posted that batting line as a member of the Yankees against his former team, the Mariners, is big news. On Monday, the Yankees traded two non-prospects for Ichiro and batted him 8th against his old team in Seattle. While this is obviously a major move considering Ichiro's history with the Mariners, this actually hurts whatever fantasy value he still had. He likely won't play every day and will bat near the bottom of the lineup, so while he might score a few more runs by playing for a much better offense, it's unlikely it'll be a significant increase. He also simply isn't that good any more as evidenced by his .261/.288/.352 season line. This is the second straight season he's posted sub-par numbers and, when coupled with his age, represents a sharp decline by the former star. He can still swipe a bag (he's 16-for-18 in steals this season), but outside of deep AL-only leagues, he has very limited value for fantasy owners.
C.J. Wilson - The Angels' lefty took on the Royals on Monday and yielded 3 ER on 9 hits while whiffing 6 in 6 2/3 innings. While Wilson's 2.89 ERA is in line with his 2.94 mark from 2011, he's actually pitched much worse this season. Entering Monday, Wilson owned a 4.05 walk rate (compared to a 2.98 rate in '11) and his xFIP was also 4.05 (which was more than a run above his actual ERA prior to Monday and more than half a run above his 3.41 xFIP from a year ago). Despite a drop in his strikeout rate this season and more free passes, Wilson has enjoyed a .252 BABIP and has improved his GB rate to over 51%. That said, this is a nice sell high play right now for those looking to trade pitching for hitting. Wilson has been very fortunate this season and it's unlikely he'll post an ERA around 3.00 during the final two months.
Michael Brantley - Indians' outfielder Michael Brantley went 1-for-4 with an RBI against the Orioles on Monday after entering the day batting .405 with a .649 SLG% during the past month. For the season, Brantley now owns a .294 BA to go along with 10 steals while hitting in the middle of the Tribe's lineup (although that doesn't really say much considering how poorly Cleveland's been hitting lately). Brantley has always posted solid LD rates (career 21% mark) but hit just .266 in 114 games as a regular last season. What's helped Brantley this year, and especially during the past 30 games, is that he's significantly cut back on his strikeouts and put more balls in play. His strikeout rate has dropped from 15% in 2011 to just 9% in 2012 and those extra balls in play have been falling for hits thanks to a .320 BABIP. He's still just 25-years old, so there's hope he can continue to improve his power and be a solid every day fantasy outfielder. I have never been that high on Brantley, seeing him as a 4th OF in real baseball and a bench bat in deeper fantasy leagues, but he's been impressive this season.
Anibal Sanchez - The Marlins traded Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante to the Tigers on Monday in exchange for three prospects, including pitcher Jacob Turner. Sanchez comes over to Detroit with a 3.94 ERA but even better 3.51 xFIP. His whiff rate is down from over 9.00 in 2011 to just over 8.00 this year, but he's also improved his walk rate by 0.50. With a GB rate at 48% and all those swings-and-misses, Sanchez should retain his value as a Tiger and remains a generally underrated fantasy commodity. He's posted ERAs under 4.00 during the past three seasons and his xFIP in 2011 was a sparkling 3.25. The American League will present more challenges than the National League, but this trade shouldn't hinder Sanchez too much at all.
Francisco Liriano - After posting an 11.02 ERA in April and 4.56 ERA in May, Francisco Liriano had been much better during the past six weeks. He entered Monday's start against the White Sox with a 2.87 ERA in June and 3.46 mark in July while also posting strikeout-to-walk rates above 2.50 in each month. On Monday, however, the lefty regressed to the old Liriano by tossing just 2 2/3 innings and yielding 7 ER while whiffing 2. For the season, Liriano's xFIP is solid at 3.92 and his whiff rate is nearly 10.00. He continues to struggle with his command at times, but has steadily improved his walk rate during the past couple of months (compared to his walk rate during the first two months of the season). Liriano is worth a start against most lineups and his fantasy owners will get to enjoy the high strikeout rate while dealing with the occasion dud start like he had on Monday.
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