Kuzul

Here’s the first look at the 2014 Lester’s Legends Third Base Rankings:

1. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

(2013 Stats: .348 BA, 44 HR, 137 RBI, 103 R, 3 SB)

Although Miguel Cabrera is playing first base this year, he maintains third base eligibility in most fantasy baseball leagues. Regardless whether you use him at first or third base, he’s the premier player at his position.

Seriously, what more can be said about Cabrera after his second straight MVP-winning season?

If Chris Davis (53 HR, 138 RBI) didn’t have his breakout season last year, we’d be talking about Cabrera as a back-to-back Triple Crown-winner. Cabrera’s career average looks like this: .321 BA, 33 HR, 115 RBI, 97 R, 3 SB.

Playing first base could help Cabrera avoid nagging injuries and, dare I say, be even more effective.

2. Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

(2013 Stats: .315 BA, 30 HR, 92 RBI, 88 R, 1 SB)

Over the past four years, Beltre is hitting .314 with an average of 31.5 home runs, 100.3 RBI and 87.3 runs scored. The Rangers figure to have a potent offense with the addition of Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo this year, too.

3. Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

(2013 Stats: .269 BA, 32 HR, 88 RBI, 91 R, 1 SB)

Evan Longoria bounce-back season in 2013 and should be able to improve his batting average this year while still providing ample runs, home runs and RBI.

4. David Wright, New York Mets

(2013 Stats: .307 BA, 18 HR, 58 RBI, 63 R, 17 SB – 112 games)

David Wright has career averages of .301 BA, 22 HR, 88 RBI, 85 R and 18 SB. If he can stay healthy in 2014, he’s the most-balanced third baseman in the game. Have a decent backup plan if you do decide to draft him, however.

5. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals

(2013 Stats: .275 BA, 26 HR, 79 RBI, 84 R, 6 SB)

Ryan Zimmerman hasn’t played in 150 games since 2009, but he has averaged 146 over the past two seasons.

In the six seasons in which Zimmerman played at least 140 games, he has averaged 25.5 home runs, 94.3 RBI, 92.5 runs and 5.3 steals while hitting .284. You’ll want a decent backup with Zimmerman as well.

6. Josh Donaldson, Oakland Athletics

(2013 Stats: .301 BA, 24 HR, 93 RBI, 89 R, 5 SB)

Josh Donaldson exploded onto the scene last season. He’s not a top-five choice, but you can’t overlook last year’s success.

7. Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles

(2013 Stats: .283 BA, 14 HR, 71 RBI, 88 R, 6 SB)

Manny Machado (knee) should be ready for Opening Day, which should help the phenom to build upon the solid line he posted in his first full season.

8. Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants

(2013 Stats: .278 BA, 14 HR, 79 RBI, 52 R, 0 SB)

The Kung Fu Panda has reportedly shed some weight this offseason as he enters his contract year.

Over the past five years, however, he has hit .295 while averaging 17.4 runs and 73 RBI. Money can be a motivating factor.

9. Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates

(2013 Stats: .233 BA, 36 HR, 100 RBI, 70 R, 2 SB)

Pedro Alvarez has averaged 33 home runs and 92.5 RBI over the past two years, but you’ll have to live with his .235 lifetime batting average.

10. Aramis Ramirez, Milwaukee Brewers

(2013 Stats: .283 BA, 12 HR, 49 RBI, 43 R, 0 SB)

Aramis Ramirez is another player with a lengthy injury history, but when he’s healthy, he can hit.

Over the past seven years, he has hit .292 while averaging 22.6 home runs. 86.7 RBI and 70.1 runs, despite playing just 125.3 games per year. Have a backup plan with him as well.

Also check out:

• 2014 Fantasy Baseball First Base Rankings
• 2014 Fantasy Baseball Second Base Rankings

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

“‘Begin at the beginning,’ the King said gravely, ‘and go on till you come to the end: then stop.'” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland. 

Daniel Okrent, the man credited with inventing fantasy baseball in 1980, once said, “I feel like J. Robert Oppenheimer having invented the atomic bomb.  I mean, look what I’ve unleashed on the world.”

A game that was started in 1980 by a few friends in a now-defunct Manhattan restaurant called La Rotisserie Français has exploded into a phenomenon that’s enjoyed by millions today. 

At the heart of fantasy baseball is statistical analysis. One can make the argument that if it weren’t for fantasy baseball, advanced metrics wouldn’t be as widely accepted as they are today. 

For the fantasy baseball player, a principal understanding of statistical analysis is paramount in attempting to predict future performance. In this ongoing player forecast series, I’ll analyze players using metrics that could best indicate what that particular player may do in the 2014 season. 

Which brings me to the quote from Alice in Wonderland above. What better way to start this series than with the player than was ranked first by ESPN’s Player Rater in 2014, Miguel Cabrera. 

2013 was another banner year for the Detroit Tigers slugger. On the surface, Cabrera was spectacular again. He batted .348 with 44 home runs and 137 RBI. 

The underlying skill set of Cabrera is basically everything you could want from a baseball player.

Firstly, Cabrera is amongst the elite in the game at pitch recognition. His batting eye (BB/K) came in at 0.96. In the last five seasons, Cabrera’s contact rate ((AB-K)/AB) hasn’t dipped below 80 percent. He also hit more line drives and fewer ground balls than in his Triple Crown season (granted, he logged 77 fewer at-bats.) Cabrera also sustained a higher Home Run to Fly Ball rate (25.4 percent) in 2013 than he has in his entire career. 

He continues to see the ball well, making consistent contact while hitting the ball in the air with authority. The only knock on Cabrera’s fantasy game is his complete uselessness in the steals department. But his extraordinary production in other areas sustains his value as a top pick.  

The Tigers trade of Prince Fielder to the Rangers does take some protection away from Cabrera. However, Ian Kinsler at the top of the Tigers lineup could provide more opportunities for Cabrera to hit with men on base. 

Some may point to the second half of 2013 to suggest Cabrera may be finally slowing down. Cabrera had offseason groin surgery after the injury was severely limiting his ability to hit for power in the season. He only hit one home run in the month of September. 

Despite the injury, Cabrera is still one of the most durable and reliable fantasy options to build your team around. In snake drafts, you’ll be lucky to snag him outside of the top five selections. In auction drafts, be prepared to bid north of $40 to acquire his services. 

Expect more of the same in 2014 from Miguel Cabrera. 

2014 Forecast: .332, 38 HR, 126 RBI, 100 R, 2 SB

All stats taken from Fangraphs.com unless noted otherwise. 

You can follow John Otano on Twitter @MisterOtano.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Hey, just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean we should ignore the fantasy baseball season.

While Robinson Cano’s massive 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners a couple weeks ago was the last major trade or signing, there have been loads of mini-moves in the past several days.

Those, of course, count for fantasy purposes, too. Players changing jerseys don’t need to have big names on the backs of their new unis to have a big impact from a fantasy perspective—even if it’s for other players who get to take on a new role in the wake of an acquisition or departure.

Here’s a look at a batch of fantasy-relevant players whose values were most impacted one way or the other—up or down—by the transaction action from Friday, Dec. 13 through Friday, Dec. 20 (at noon).

If you’d like to review previous fantasy-impact rundowns of all the player movement, you can click here and here.

Begin Slideshow

The hot stove is officially cookin‘, but with Major League Baseball’s winter meetings set to start on Monday, Dec. 9, in Orlando, it’s as good a time as any to take a break from all the heat—and take stock of the fantasy impact from all the activity.

With plenty more action—and transactions—still to come next week and beyond, let’s dissect the fantasy fallout from some of the bigger moves we’ve seen over just the past week or so, with a focus on key players who have seen their value go one way or the other—up or down—thus far.

*All transactions through Friday, Dec. 6

Value Up

Prince Fielder, 1B, Rangers

The trade from the Tigers in exchange for Ian Kinsler (who’s value doesn’t change much, by the way) helps Fielder’s bat a lot. Comerica may have had a slightly higher home run rating in ESPN’s park factors last year, but, c’mon: This is Rangers Ballpark we’re talking about, which ranked No. 7 in 2012 and No. 1 overall in home run factor only two years ago. A return to 30-plus four-baggers should be, well, in the bag.

Brian McCann, C; Jacoby Ellsbury, OF; and Carlos Beltran, OF, Yankees

These three lefty (or in Beltran’s case, switch) hitters—all free-agent signings—get to say, “Hello, Yankee Stadium!” While Ellsbury‘s 32-homer 2011 is going to remain a crazy outlier, it’s not out of the question that he could be a 15-homer, 50-steal guy, which keeps him in the discussion as a first-round pick.

McCann, meanwhile, could put his pull power to use and launch 25-30 homers, which would be super valuable from a catcher position that is lacking in elite options.

And Beltran shouldn’t have much trouble matching, or even exceeding, the 17 of his 24 homers he hit from the left side in 2013. That should allow him to maintain his third-outfielder status for another year.

Doug Fister, RHP, Nationals

Fister, acquired from the Tigers for three non-fantasy relevants, doesn’t get a ton of love in fantasy because his strikeouts are only so-so (career 6.3 per nine). But heading to a more neutral park and the National League, where he’ll face pitchers instead of designated hitters, should bump up his Ks and lower his ERA, too. To wit, he sports a career 7.6 K/9 and 2.09 ERA in 73.1 innings against NL competition.

Jurickson Profar, 2B, Rangers

No more Kinsler means an everyday job for this former consensus top prospect in baseball. Granted, he was disappointing as a rookie (.234 BA, 6 HR, 2 SB), but he was only 20, managed all of 284 at-bats and was shifted all over the field. More stability should lead to more consistency—and double digits in homers and steals at the second-base position.

Justin Morneau, 1B, Rockies

Look, the 2006 AL MVP, who signed as a free agent, is no longer the fantasy stud he once was, but if you don’t think he could have a mini-revival (say, .290 with 20-plus homers) at Coors Field, you could miss out on a roster-worthy utility/backup first baseman in fantasy.

Nick Castellanos, 3B, Tigers

After shipping Fielder out, Detroit will put Miguel Cabrera back at first base, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. That allows top prospect Castellanos, a third baseman who was switched to the outfield and hit .276 with 37 doubles and 18 homers at Triple-A in 2013, to show he’s ready to win the hot-corner gig with a strong spring. If he does, he could be a contender for rookie of the year contender, which is always nice in fantasy.

Kole Calhoun, OF, Angels

Calhoun is the likely starter in left—and in a very strong Angels lineup—now that Peter Bourjos is out of the picture in St. Louis. In near-regular playing time over the second half last year, Calhoun hit .282 with eight homers and 32 RBI in fewer than 200 at-bats. He’s more of an AL-only option, but one with upside.

Khris Davis, OF, Brewers

Milwaukee swapped Nori Aoki in part to open a spot for Davis, who hit .279 with 11 home runs in only 119 at-bats from July on last year. He’s a starter-worthy outfielder in NL-only play and a sleeper in mixed formats.

Jackie Bradley, Jr., OF, Red Sox

Ellsbury‘s successor doesn’t possess loud skills, but the 2011 first-round selection does have the tools to reach double digits in both homers and steals while posting a strong OBP, which makes him an intriguing fourth outfielder in fantasy. If he works his way into the leadoff spot in Boston’s lineup, there’s more production to be had.

Devin Mesoraco, C, Reds

Ryan Hanigan being traded to Tampa Bay clears the way for Mesoraco—a former first-rounder and top-tier prospect only two years ago—to finally get a shot to start in a good ballpark for hitters. The career average (.225) leaves a lot to be desired, but the righty swinger does have 16 career homers in 589 career plate appearances across parts of three seasons.

Neftali Feliz and Joakim Soria, RHPs, Rangers

No more Joe Nathan, now a Tiger, means that these two former closers—both now more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery—are the top in-house ninth-inning candidates for a solid Texas team (at least at the moment). Soria might have the arm up, if only because he was healthy by last July, whereas Feliz returned in September. One of them is likely to be an undervalued saves option come March.

Heath Bell, RHP, Rays

Would it really shock anyone if Bell followed in the footsteps of Kyle Farnsworth and Fernando Rodney as the latest reclamation project-turned-All-Star the Rays make good on at closer? Just don’t invest in Bell, who was a part of that three-team deal involving Hanigan, as anything more than a third or fourth closer.

Scott Kazmir, LHP, Athletics

Amazingly, Kazmir not only resurrected his career last year, but he also returned to being a strikeout-an-inning guy (162 K in 158 IP). While that might not persist, he’s still only 30 in 2014 and moves to a fantastic park after inking with Oakland.

Drew Smyly, LHP, Tigers

Fister‘s departure opened up a rotation spot for Smyly, who has shown he can get big leaguers out as a reliever. He’ll lose a little as a starter, so last year’s 2.37 ERA and 9.6 K/9 won’t be repeated, but the southpaw now has spot-starter potential for fantasy.

Corey Dickerson and Charlie Blackmon, OFs, Rockies

One or the other could seize a starting role with the departure of Dexter Fowler to Houston. Anyone who gets to hit at Coors Field is worth at least monitoring. For what it’s worth, Dickerson had a .775 OPS in 213 plate appearances, while Blackmon‘s was .803 in 258. They both hit lefty, but Blackmon is better against same-siders (in a small sample), so maybe there’s a platoon possibility. NL-only owners need to know their names.

Tommy Hunter, RHP, Orioles

With the trade of Jim Johnson to the A’s, if the season started tomorrow, the hard-throwing Hunter might be the Orioles closer. Of course, the season doesn’t start for five more months, so this is likely to change once Baltimore brings in someone with ninth-inning experience, like Grant Balfour, Fernando Rodney or Chris Perez, as Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com speculates.

Henry Urrutia, OF, Orioles

Nate McLouth is headed to the Nationals, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com. That means that left field is wide open in Baltimore. We’ve already seen enough of Nolan Reimolds and Steve Pearces to know they’re no good. Urrutia, a 26-year-old Cuban defector has some potential with the bat (.347/.406/.506 across Double- and Triple-A) and could turn into a nice AL-only play next year, if the O’s can’t land the big bat they are chasing, like Nelson Cruz.

Michael Choice, OF, Rangers

Similarly, until Texas finds another corner outfielder to play over Choice, acquired from Oakland—who has some pop, with a .445 SLG at Triple-A last year—the 10th pick in 2010 could be in line for some PT. It’s unlikely the Rangers don’t address this spot, though.

Value Down

Robinson Cano, 2B, Mariners

That tweet might help allay some fears about what could happen to Cano’s performance after moving onto the Mariners. While he will remain the No. 1 second baseman on fantasy boards, the fact is that he’s hitting in a worse lineup and a worse park now that he’s no longer a Yankee.

Cano will still be a fantasy first-rounder, but now there are enough question marks surrounding him that he could wind up being 2014’s version of Giancarlo Stanton.

If you dislike downside in Round 1, he might be one to avoid.

Curtis Granderson, OF, Mets

When the offseason began, there was an outside chance that Granderson might’ve stayed in New York—with the Yankees, that is—but instead, he heads across town to a tough place to hit and joins a team that has struggled offensively in recent years. He’s a bounce-back candidate, just not a bounce-back-to-40-homers candidate.

Dexter Fowler, OF, Astros

When you’re traded away from a park where you hit .298/.395/.485 for your career—compared to just .241/.333/.361 on the road—your fantasy value doesn’t just drop; it plummets.

Ricky Nolasco, RHP, Twins

He’ll probably be fine in his new home park after joining Minnesota, but wins are going to be very hard to come by for Nolasco, which matters in fantasy. And don’t expect him to be the guy he was for two months with the Dodgers (2.07 ERA before three clunkers). He’s strictly a spot starter and matchups play.

Scott Feldman, RHP, Astros

Feldman rose from the don’t-bother bin to fantasy relevance last year, when he posted a respectable 3.86 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. But of all the teams he could have signed with to maintain at least some of that value, Houston probably wasn’t the best choice.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, Marlins

Leaving Fenway and Boston’s potent offense for Marlins Park and a team with Giancarlo Stanton and little else? Sorry, Salty, but you’ve lost any chance at being a top-10 fantasy catcher again next year.

Brian Wilson, RHP, Dodgers

This one’s only worth mentioning here because Wilson could have been some club’s closer in 2014. Instead, he settled for a setup job behind one of the most dominant fantasy closers around in Kenley Jansen. (That is, if you call getting $10 million for one year of pitching eighth innings settling.)

Tanner Roark, RHP, and Ross Detwiler, LHP, Nationals

These two each flashed intriguing fantasy potential at different points last year, but with Fister joining the rotation after Dan Haren left for the Dodgers, there’s now only one spot to fill. One of these two, probably Detwiler, who could head to the bullpen, is going to be out of a starting job, and the other will need to prove he’s capable of keeping it.

Jordan Lyles, RHP, Rockies

Extremely homer- and hit-prone, Lyles was never a fantasy factor as an Astro. He’s even less so as a Rockie. It’s worth pointing out that even NL-only owners in deep-roster leagues might be better served avoiding the pain that’s likely to come—even by having him on your bench.

For fantasy questions and discussion, follow me on Twitter @JayCat11.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Did you take the rest of your league to school this fantasy baseball season—or were you the one getting schooled?

Either way, this question is worth considering: What did you learn?

Sure, winning is still the name of the game in fantasy baseball—and congrats if you’re on the verge of locking up your league over the season’s final days—but every year also serves as a learning experience that shapes how we play the game going forward.

To that end, here are five key fantasy lessons that come straight out of 2013 and can be applied toward 2014. These takeaways apply to every owner, but for those who didn’t win this time around, they’re all the more important.

Because the goal is still to go from getting schooled to head of the class.

Lesson No. 1: Don’t Start with Top Starters

In order of average draft position (ADP), these were the top 10 starting pitchers, according to ESPN Fantasy Baseball: Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw, Stephen Strasburg, Felix Hernandez, David Price, Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, Jered Weaver, Cliff Lee and Gio Gonzalez.

What sticks out from this group is that only three—Kershaw, Hernandez and Lee—actually performed up to their preseason draft position. That means the other seven were more or less disappointments, and considering you had to use an extremely high draft pick (or spend a lot of auction money) on them, that 30 percent success rate is just not worthwhile.

Pitching is as deep as it has ever been since fantasy baseball has been popular over the past decade-and-a-half, so there’s really no reason to make a play for one of the top-tier aces, especially when you’re better off using that second-, third- or fourth-round choice on a big-time hitter instead.

If you still don’t buy into this approach, here are the next 10 starters per ESPN’s ADP: Yu Darvish, Adam Wainwright, Madison Bumgarner, CC Sabathia, Zack Greinke, R.A. Dickey, Chris Sale, Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos.

Of that bunch, only Sabathia, Dickey and Cueto failed to pitch like a capable fantasy No. 1, and in case you didn’t notice, that’s a 70 percent success rate—the exact opposite ratio from the first 10 SPs.

By the way, notice who wasn’t mentioned? Only the likes of Max Scherzer, Jordan Zimmermann, Hisashi Iwakuma, Anibal Sanchez and Mike Minor, all of whom turned in SP 1-type seasons, too—at a much lower cost of acquisition.

Lesson No. 2: Buy In to Breakout Hitters

With pitching as dominant and deep as it is, hitting on hitters is even more necessary these days.

Anyone can select the cream of the crop—the Miguel Cabreras and Mike Trouts in the first few picks or the Edwin Encarnacions and Adrian Beltres a round or two later—but where owners can really make hay is by targeting younger hitters who broke out, but didn’t necessarily reach their full potential.

These are players who have been around for a year or two (or more) and often still have a question mark or three surrounding them the following spring (i.e. injury concerns, strikeout problems, uncertain playing time), which means they come at more of a discount than they should.

The owner who gambles on the right one(s) gets rewarded handsomely. For example, from this year, think: Chris Davis, Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Gomez, Freddie Freeman and Jason Kipnis, each of whom had their first noteworthy campaign in 2012 and then busted into the fantasy elite this year.

As for a few names, who could go this good-to-great route in 2014? Manny Machado (if healthy), Domonic Brown, Matt Adams, Brandon Belt, Anthony Rizzo, Leonys Martin, Kyle Seager, Daniel Murphy, Wilson Ramos and Will Venable.

Lesson No. 3: Rookies Can Be Relied On

Some owners like the tried and true, the veterans whom they can count on—and that’s a perfectly fine approach. But an owner who shuns first-year players because they’re too unknown and/or unreliable would have missed out this season on—deep breath!—Jose Fernandez, Yasiel Puig, Shelby Miller, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Julio Teheran, Gerrit Cole and Wil Myers, to name a few.

To name a few more? Dan Straily, Tony Cingrani, Jedd Gyorko, Chris Archer, Evan Gattis, Zack Wheeler and the aforementioned Adams. And those in deeper leagues certainly found ways to make use of, say, Martin Perez, Sonny Gray, Michael Wacha, Darin Ruf, Scooter Gennett, Khris Davis and even Oswaldo Arcia, too.

While it’s not recommended to draft, or even roster, too many youngsters until they prove themselves at the big-league level, once they do, there’s a lot of upside to be had. Tried and true can get the job done, but so can new and improving.

Lesson No. 4: Know the No-Names and Retreads

Every year, there are a handful (or more) of players who either come from out of nowhere or back from the proverbial dead to make themselves fantasy relevant. In 2012, we saw this from Norichika Aoki, Josh Reddick, Lance Lynn, Alejandro De Aza, Chris Tillman, Everth Cabrera and even someone like Mike Fiers.

This year’s bundle includes Josh Donaldson, Patrick Corbin, Francisco Liriano, Chris Johnson, Jim Henderson, Brian Dozier, Daniel Nava and, yes, Marlon Byrd.

The keys to spotting this type of player—if there is one, that is—come in identifying those who have moved to teams and/or ballparks that better fit their abilities, those who are in line for an opportunity at regular PT or those who were one-time solid prospects who, somehow, fell by the wayside.

The point? You have to get to know these guys—and be ready to pick them up—quickly once they start showing signs of making an impact, because every homer, steal, run, win, save and strikeout counts, no matter where you find it.

Lesson No. 5: When in Doubt, Go Young

In case you haven’t noticed by this point in the class, baseball has turned into much more of a young man’s game than it was only a few years ago when players were still capable of putting up big seasons into their mid-to-late 30s.

This has more than just a little bit to do with the fact that since penalties and suspensions were implemented in the mid-2000s, taking performance-enhancing drugs (and even greenies) became a much, much bigger risk to a player’s career, reputation and bank account than ever before.

Without that extra boost such substances afforded players in the latter stages of their careers, it’s becoming harder and harder to hang on and remain productive.

Certainly, there are still plenty of oldies-but-goodies out there—Cliff Lee, David Ortiz, Michael Cuddyer, Bartolo Colon, Alfonso Soriano and Joe Nathan come to mind—so players with a “3” as the first digit in their age shouldn’t altogether be avoided or ignored.

But a quick peek at ESPN Fantasy Baseball’s Player Rater for hitters and pitchers proves just how much youth is being served.

To wit, among the top 50 hitters, only 17 were in their age-30 season or older in 2013, and many of those were exactly 30, like Miguel Cabrera, David Wright, Shin-Soo Choo and Encarnacion. Of the top 50 pitchers, only 16 were in their age-30 season this year.

Many times, it’s better to take a chance on youth and upside and miss rather than cling to the diminishing hope that Albert Pujols, Jose Bautista, Aramis Ramirez or Roy Halladay can do it for just one more year.

In other words, go for the potential of the climb, not the drop off the cliff, which might just mean taking Mike Trout over Miguel Cabrera with the first overall pick in 2014.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After several weeks of rest and rehab, Matt Harvey and the Mets announced on Tuesday that he will not have Tommy John surgery yet, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Harvey first experienced issues with his elbow in early August. However, he was able to pitch through it for a couple of starts before noticing something “alarming” in his last start. He was immediately sent for an examination with Dr. David Altchek, the Mets’ team physician and one of the top elbow orthopaedists in the game.

At that point, it was suggested that Harvey undergo Tommy John surgery, but he elected to wait after consulting with advisors, physicians and other pitchers who have gone through the process. Harvey said that he was convinced in large part by Roy Halladay, who rehabbed an elbow injury in 2006 and went on to have some tremendous years. His visit with Dr. Andrews kept him on that path.

(One note here: I looked back at my articles from 2006, when Halladay had his issue. None of my information at that time indicated an elbow problem. Halladay had forearm issues that were associated with the development of a cutter and with a comebacker that hit him near the elbow. I took a lot of flak from the team for suggesting that forearm issues often morph into elbow issues. Nice to know I was right at the time!)

The positive here is that Harvey must have a very low-grade sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament.

The majority of surgeons will advise surgery when the tearing is between 25 and 33 percent. Most that go under the knife have very significant, if not complete, tears. If Harvey is able to avoid surgery by strengthening the elbow and letting the ligament heal, he will have bought time while retaining only the limited downside of losing a year to surgery and rehab.

In essence, rehab may buy six free months of Matt Harvey. Imagine what that could be worth.

Harvey becomes the latest in a long line of young power pitchers who have faced Tommy John surgery. Pitchers have had success through rehab, including Adam Wainwright and Nolan Ryan. Both pitched for years without further problems, enjoying plenty of success before the ligament failed. 

There is no downside here besides the potential for a lost year. Pitchers tend to come back virtually unchanged. The velocity is at the same level. The pitching repertoire is no different, and significant modifications to the mix of pitches aren’t required. Suggestions that the slider or cutter contribute to the problem don’t seem to subside, though the data is admittedly shaky.

Overall, there’s no reason that Harvey won’t return to his “ace” form the same way that so many others have.

The biggest issue for the Mets is that despite doing everything within their power to keep Harvey healthy, it was an unreasonable task.

While he may come back the same pitcher, that is the same pitcher that got hurt. Harvey did not have high pitch counts, was thought to have good biomechanics and is in excellent physical condition. The same was true for Stephen Strasburg and top prospect Dylan Bundy, who had Tommy John surgery earlier in 2013 after trying to rehab through a forearm issue.

Harvey avoids becoming the latest statistic in the saga of Tommy John surgery. Research done earlier this year for my series on Dr. Frank Jobe and Tommy John surgery showed that one in three current major-league pitchers has had the surgery. Anecdotal research indicates the numbers are comparable in the minor leagues. 

While I understand why fans and the Mets front office may want a definitive answer, it’s Harvey’s arm and Harvey’s decision. Tommy John surgery is not an easy process, nor is it perfect. Ask Daniel Hudson, who underwent a second Tommy John surgery after reinjuring the ligament in rehab, or Ryan Madson, who still hasn’t made it back after two lost seasons in the wake of surgery. 

It remains to be seen whether the rehab process will work, but in the meantime, Mets fans can hold out hope for 2014 while knowing that 2015 is a sure thing. There’s no question that Matt Harvey will be back to being a top young pitcher, but the question is when. 

For more on Matt Harvey’s injury, please read this piece that I wrote at the time of the first announcement. 

Will Carroll has been writing about sports injuries for 12 years. His work has appeared at SI.com, ESPN.com and Baseball Prospectus.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s a fact: Fantasy owners love prospects.

Everyone wants the next big thing, and hunting around to uncover those key young players who can help your squad over the final month or two of the fantasy season is exciting, especially to owners in deeper leagues.

While the focus here falls primarily on the rest of 2013, it’s worth pointing out that it will be challenging for any prospect to make a major impact on the fantasy landscape in less than two months. But for owners in keeper formats, you should have at least one eye on those who might break out in a big way next year, too.

When it comes to this season specifically, though, picking prospects comes down to three factors: talent, opportunity and timing. The last two elements are key in this case; a prospect can be more talented than most, but if he’s not deemed ready by his organization or if there’s no real opportunity to play, he may not get a shot over the final month-and-a-half, even when rosters expand in September.

The list below does not include young players who are in the minors but have exhausted their prospect eligibility based on the number of at-bats or innings pitched, like Tyler Skaggs of the Arizona Diamondbacks or Aaron Hicks of the Minnesota Twins.

There also won’t be any prospects who are currently in the majors, like Christian Yelich of the Miami Marlins, Danny Salazar of the Cleveland Indians or Wilmer Flores of the New York Mets.

Without further ado, here are 15 prospects that owners should be keeping tabs on for help down the stretch and/or at the start of the 2014 season.

Xander Bogaerts, SS/3B, Boston Red Sox

Boston doesn’t have much at third base after trading away Jose Iglesias last month, and there’s been some speculation the 20-year-old, who’s hitting .301/.395/.490 with 14 homers between Double- and Triple-A, could get a chance sooner than later.

George Springer, OF, Houston Astros

This 23-year-old hit 24 home runs and stole 32 bases last year in just his first full pro season, and he’s just one homer shy of the minors’ first 30-30 campaign since 2009. Lord knows the Astros could use the outfield help; Robbie Grossman can’t do it all by himself!

Mike Olt, 3B, Chicago Cubs

Vision problems cost Olt more than a month earlier this year, but the 24-year-old was traded last month, finally freeing him from being blocked by Adrian Beltre. There’s 25-homer potential here and not much ahead of him on the depth chart, so once Olt gets hot for his new organization, he’ll be up.

Nick Castellanos, OF, Detroit Tigers

Left field has been blah for the Tigers all season long, and Castellanos‘ path was cleared up when the next guy on this list was sent elsewhere at the deadline. The 21-year-old has made major advances in his plate approach at the minors’ highest level.

Avisail Garcia, OF, Chicago White Sox

The 22-year-old is one more at-bat shy of losing his prospect status, and he could be recalled by his new team ASAP now that Alex Rios has been traded to the Rangers, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Garcia, by the way, is hitting .379 at Triple-A.

Michael Wacha, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals

The final rotation spot has been a bit of a bugaboo for St. Louis since Jaime Garcia went down, but Joe Kelly seems to have plugged the hole for now. Still, expect to see Wacha get another chance to start after he looked solid (4.58 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) in three spot starts.

Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners

Walker, 20, may be the leading candidate for the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year Award—depending on Bogaerts‘ eligibility—as he tore through Double-A (2.80 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 9.9 K/9) and has settled in just fine at Triple-A. What better way to prep him for next year than with a little taste of the majors in September? 

Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Fantasy owners have been dying to see what this 22-year-old can do after he swiped a baseball-record 155 bases last year, but Hamilton has taken a step back in his first go-round at Triple-A (.311 OBP and “only” 68 SB). As such, he won’t break into the Reds lineup as anything other than a pinch-runner or defensive replacement, but he could still nab double-digit bases in that role, though.

Archie Bradley, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-backs rotation has been a mess for much of the past few months, and even though Brandon McCarthy and Trevor Cahill are coming back, the 20-year-0ld Bradley and his electric arm (9.6 K/9) could get called up from Double-A for reinforcement.

Rafael Montero, RHP, New York Mets

Montero, 22, flies under the radar in prospect circles, but he’s nearly ready to help the Mets, who could give him a handful of starts to get him shaped up to be in their 2014 rotation.

Yordano Ventura, RHP, Kansas City Royals

Little dude, big heat. The 5’11” 22-year-old sits in the mid-90s and touches triple digits regularly. With 124 Ks over 106.1 frames across Double- and Triple-A, Ventura could be used in a bullpen role as the Royals make a last-ditch playoff push.

Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, Boston Red Sox

The 23-year-old didn’t do much after his sensational spring got him on the 25-man roster, but he’s more polished than many others on this list and could be a useful plug-in for runs and steals.

Kevin Gausman, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

The No. 4 pick in 2012, Gausman was rushed to the bigs this year, and despite a 6.21 ERA and seven homers allowed, he wasn’t completely overmatched (26 K, 9 BB in 33.1 IP). He’s been mentioned as a potential call-up for bullpen help, where his upper-90s velocity would play up even more.

Travis d’Arnaud, C, New York Mets

The 24-year-old has a serious knack for getting injured. He reached the 300-AB mark only twice in his first six pro seasons, and he’s going to fall short again this year after missing three-plus months with a fractured bone in his foot. But the Mets need d’Arnaud to be their catcher of the future, so he could get some time in the near present to show what he can do.

Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

The 21-year-old has been hampered by an ankle injury for much of the season, so he’s probably a stretch to include here, as he’s played only one game since late June. Still, he’s arguably the game’s No. 1 overall prospect, and there’s too much talent to leave him unmentioned.

Honorable Mentions: Trevor Bauer, RHP, Cleveland Indians; Chris Owings, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks; Matt Davidson, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks; Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, Boston Red Sox; Sonny Gray, RHP, Oakland Athletics; Jimmy Nelson, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers; Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, Houston Astros; Kolten Wong, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals; Erik Johnson, RHP, Chicago White Sox; Marcus Stroman, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

What other prospects are you expecting to make a fantasy impact over the final six weeks? Let’s discuss in the comments.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy baseball owners get double the fun with two-start pitchers.

Whether you’re looking to pile up the points in a head-to-head league or replenish your strikeout and win totals in a rotisserie league, searching for alluring two-start pitchers is a major part of playing in a league with weekly lineup changes.

What’s the only thing better than streaming a hurler with an enticing matchup? That’s right, finding a guy with two. 

Many of this week’s double-dippers are top-notch performers who should always hold a cushy spot in your lineup. Taking the mound twice only eases the decision to start them, but it could be time to call on a few borderline pitchers who have been auditioning for a roster spot.

Note: Scheduled starts are taken from CBS Sports, and all stats are courtesy of FanGraphs.com.

The Aces

Clayton Kershaw (@ STL, vs. TB)

Adam Wainwright (vs. LAD, vs. CHC)

Chris Sale (vs. NYY, vs. MIN)

Stephen Strasburg (vs. ATL, vs. PHI)

Mike Minor (@ WAS, vs. MIA)

James Shields (vs. MIN, vs. BOS)

Anibal Sanchez (@ CLE, @ NYY)

Hisashi Iwakuma (vs. TOR, vs. MIL)

Don’t get cute; you’re starting these guys. Kershaw vs. Wainwright and Strasburg going toe-to-toe with Minor make for intriguing television. Strasburg, Sale and Shields have all been saddled with scarce run support (maybe it’s something with pitchers whose last name starts with S), but you know better than to let that cloud your judgment. 

The Really, Really Good

Matt Cain (vs. MIL, vs. BAL)

Justin Verlander (@ CLE, @ NYY)

John Lackey (@ HOU, @ KC)

Justin Masterson (vs. DET, vs. LAA)

Jeff Locke (vs. MIA, @ COL)

Verlander’s struggles combined with a start at The Bandbox that New York Taxpayers Built are enough to demote him from the ace tier this week. He’s not completely out of the woods after walking five Washington Nationals in an otherwise bounce-back effort, but he’s Justin Verlander, so you’re playing him.

Speaking of slumping aces looking to return to glory, some of Cain’s owners probably freaked out when he followed an eight-run pounding against the Los Angeles Dodgers by leaving his next start in the first inning. Crisis averted, as Cain has allowed four runs in his past three starts, striking out 18 batters through 20 innings. Trust Cain despite competing against a tough Baltimore Orioles offense this weekend. 

Feeling lucky with Locke? It doesn’t get much better than facing the Miami Marlins, but it doesn’t get any worse that traveling to Coors Field. Considering his 3.73 FIP and .251 BABIP makes it tough to trust him at Colorado, but chances are you don’t have a better option than a two-start pitcher with a 2.36 ERA and increasing propensity for generating strikeouts.

Solid Options 

Jose Quintana (vs. NYY, vs. MIN)

Wade Miley (vs. TB, vs. NYM)

R.A. Dickey (@ SEA, vs. OAK)

Corey Kluber (vs. DET, vs. LAA)

Ryan Dempster (@ HOU, @ KC)

Jeremy Hellickson (@ ARI, @ LAD)

Ricky Nolasco (@ STL, vs. TB)

The New York Yankees are not what they used to be, so getting them outside of Yankee Stadium makes this a great week for Quintana, who is posting a solid 3.62 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 7.18 K/9 ratio this season.

Miley has registered a 2.44 ERA over his last 11 starts and gets the New York Mets minus David Wright. Looking at Kluber‘s 3.25 FIP and 4.40 K/BB rate makes me giddier than a 15-year-old girl at a Taylor Swift concert, so I’d consider him even though one of his starts comes against the mighty Tigers. 

Dickey might throw a complete-game shutout, he might surrender six earned runs and he might provide both of those outcomes in the same week. His season has been wildly up and down, but he collected an improved 33 strikeouts to 10 walks during July.

Nolasco is a ticking time bomb, so rolling him out against the St. Louis Cardinals is a risky ordeal. 

Deep League Plays

Kyle Kendrick (vs. CHC, @ WAS)

Joe Kelly (vs. LAD, vs. CHC)

Wily Peralta (@ SF, @ SEA)

Martin Perez (@ LAA, @ HOU)

Tyler Chatwood (@ NYM, vs. PIT)

Chad Gaudin (vs. MIL, vs. BAL)

Edwin Jackson (@ PHI, @ STL)

Andy Pettitte (@ CHW, vs. DET)

Jenrry Mejia (vs. COL, @ ARI)

Yes, Kyle Kendrick has two mouth-watering matchups this week, but the Mets and San Francisco Giants have slaughtered him this month. He’s too plain to trust in a standard league.

Kelly has a 1.84 ERA in five starts for St. Louis since the Cardinals grow All-Stars on trees. His ownership rate could skyrocket with a strong week. Peralta’s momentum quickly faded, but having two lukewarm opponents situates him as an interesting gamble this week.

Chatwood belonged in a higher tier before getting decimated by the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. He still has a 3.15 ERA and 3.34 FIP on the year after allowing seven earned runs, so he’s worth a look against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Mets.

If Mejia can only tread water against the Marlins, he’s only worth using in NL-only leagues with two capable lineups on the horizon.

Desperation Plays

Henderson Alvarez (@ PIT, @ ATL)

Jeremy Guthrie (vs. MIN, vs. BOS)

Kevin Correia (@ KC, @ CHW)

Tyler Thornburg (@ SF, @ SEA)

Brett Oberholtzer (vs. BOS, vs. TEX)

Jerome Williams (vs. TEX, @ CLE)

Although he has posted a 2.61 ERA through 38 innings, Alvarez needs to strike out some more batters before becoming fantasy relevant. Replacing Yovani Gallardo in Milwaukee’s starting rotation, Thornburg tossed six scoreless innings against the Cubs. Oberholtzer, another newbie, just tamed the Orioles in his last outing, but it’s too soon to trust either of them. As for the other guys on this list…yuck.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What good is talent to a fantasy owner who lacks timing?

Fantasy baseball, just like the real thing, is a game of skill, luck and timing. That last trait in particular comes in handy in regard to trading.

Knowing which player to trade away and which to deal for—and knowing just the right time to do so—can make all the difference. It doesn’t get much better than making a move to unload a hot flavor-of-the-month type who’s about to cool off in exchange for a slumping stud about to take off.

If you want to check out last week’s suggestions, look no further.

Now, speaking of timing, let’s get to a batch of players to sell high and a group to buy low.

Sell High

Mariano Rivera, RHP, Yankees

Fantasy Stats:  1 W, 30 SV, 1.83 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 8.4 K/9

Including Rivera as a player to sell might be considered sacrilege in some corners. But fantasy baseball is about numbers and categories, not hearts and minds.

Coming off his All-Star Game MVP award—not to mention, that great moment during his warmups—there might not be a better time to move Mo.

If you can detach yourself from the tingly feelings for a sec, you should realize that Rivera also has a whopping 30 saves, which may wind up being twice as many as he gets from here on out, especially with a foundering Yankees offense that could continue to struggle to give him leads to close out.

Plus, despite that typically microscopic ERA (1.83), the 43-year-old Rivera’s 1.25 WHIP is actually the highest it’s ever been since he took over the closer role in 1997.

Provided you don’t absolutely need the saves, you could get a top-30 hitter or starting pitcher for Rivera based on name value and all the recent feel-goodness.

Ian Desmond, SS, Nationals

Fantasy Stats: .281 BA, 43 R, 15 HR, 49 RBI, 10 SB

Whether you can sell Desmond depends on your replacement for him at shortstop.

If you don’t have one, you probably should hang on to the guy who currently ranks third overall on ESPN Fantasy’s Player Rater, behind only Jean Segura and Everth Cabrera. (Yes, Desmond is even ahead of Troy Tulowitzki, who missed a few weeks with injury.)

If you happen to have a Jhonny Peralta or a J.J. Hardy or an Asdrubal Cabrera hanging around, though, you could do very well to part with Desmond, given how few really good shortstops there are in fantasy.

This isn’t to say Desmond is going to fall off a cliff or anything, but his discipline at the dish remains somewhat flawed, as he’s striking out a career-high 22.6 percent of the time and still only walks 6.4 percent.

He did go 20-20 last year, so you should be asking for as much as possible, but it’s likely that his monster June (.306/.355/.633, 9 HR, 28 RBI) was the best month he’ll have all season.

Ervin Santana, RHP, Royals

Fantasy Stats: 5 W, 3.37 ERA, 1.11  WHIP, 7.2 K/9

Big Erv’s stats still look pretty great. Well, except for the measly five double-yoos, which isn’t really his fault.

But doesn’t it just feel like the 30-year-old has pitched above his head all year?

Santana does have a few very strong fantasy campaigns on his ledger, but he’s always a risk to get blown up because of his propensity to give up the long ball (1.2 career HR/9).

A few more poor outings like his most recent one against the Yankees (10 H, 8 ER in 5 IP), and Santana’s 3.37 ERA will start looking more like his 3.89 FIP. If that happens, he won’t be that different from any old streaming starter.

Coco Crisp, OF, Athletics

Fantasy Stats: .263 BA, 48 R, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 14 SB

The time to sell high on Crisp may have already passed, but it’s worth a shot anyway.

Back in early April, the 33-year-old went on a surprising homer binge, hitting five in his first 14 games. That’s helped prop up his pace for what is still a possible career-high tally in that category (16 back in 2005), but Crisp has only hit one out since June 13, which is more like the rate we’re used to.

Beyond that, Crisp has swiped 30-plus bases each of the past three seasons, including a league-high 49 in 2011, which is another selling point. This year? He’s projected to pilfer only 24 in total, which would be 10 more.

And there’s always the injury issue that could crop up at any time for a guy who hasn’t played more than 136 games since 2007.

If a league-mate remembers either Crisp’s homer-happy April or his former speed-demon ways, it should be only that much easier to get a solid piece back.

Nate McLouth, OF, Orioles

Fantasy Stats: .275 BA, 53 R, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 24 SB

If you own McLouth, you’re already playing with the house’s money.

Be honest: You picked him up out of the free-agent pool within the first few weeks, but you didn’t really expect to hang onto him, right? Then he just…kept…stealing…bases.

McLouth, 31, has 24 steals, which ranks him No. 5 in the sport. That’s made him a very valuable fantasy commodity, too, as has the solid runs total of 53.

But McLouth has slowed down in recent weeks, hitting just .248 with seven swipes and 17 runs over his past 38 games, dating back to June 1. Those aren’t terrible stats, but if anything, that’s helped him remain attractive for just long enough to allow you to deal him.

Buy Low

Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels

Fantasy Stats: .249 BA, 46 R, 15 HR, 57 RBI, 1 SB

At age 33, Pujols’ decline has continued to the point where many owners view him as “just another first baseman.”

Between the chronic plantar fasciitis problem and the poor first half and the ridiculous contract, that may be true, but he’s as good a guy as any to take a low-risk/high-reward gamble on while you can.

Don’t go targeting him if you need to give up more than, say, 60 cents on the dollar, but Pujols would be a guy to go after if you’re wallowing in the middle of your league standings and looking to get a little lucky.

For one thing, that .248 BABIP should rise some, even with Pujols’ foot issues. And the Angels lineup still has tons of run production potential, so if Pujols and fellow first-half disappointment Josh Hamilton can get hot, well, there’s still a possible .290-15-50 second half in Pujols’ bat.

Matt Holliday, OF, Cardinals

Fantasy Stats: .268 BA, 64 R, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 3 SB

In case you haven’t noticed, the normally uber-consistent Holliday is having arguably the worst season of his career.

His .268 average would be a career low by more than 20 points, while the 23 homers and 82 RBI he’s on pace for are well below what was expected on draft day. To make matters worse, the 33-year-old is also dealing with a hamstring injury.

Smells like a buy low.

Despite the above, Holliday is also on target to notch 111 runs scored, thanks to the potent Cardinals lineup surrounding him. He’s also the owner of a .282 BABIP, which doesn’t seem terribly out of whack, until you realize that Holliday’s career number is—wait for it—.341.

He is hitting more grounders and fewer fly balls than usual, so the homer upside may be limited a tad, but the BABIP almost has to come up, and with it, so will that average as well as the RBI total.

Rick Porcello, RHP, Tigers

Fantasy Stats: 6 W, 4.80 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 7.2 K/9

Yes, Rick Porcello as a buy low.

Still only 24 (seriously, does this guy actually age?), Porcello‘s career path has gone from promising prospect to intriguing rookie to impending breakout to been-there-done-that-already to no-thanks-not-for-me.

Well, it’s time to take another look. No, not at that 4.80 ERA, which is bloated because of two awful starts against the Angels in which he surrendered 16 earned runs in just five frames.

Instead, check out that 3.52 FIP or that 3.07 xFIP over at FanGraphs.

Porcello is walking a career-low 1.7 per nine while also whiffing a career-best 7.2 per. He’s also getting grounders at a career-high 57.3 rate.

That’s the kind of profile that makes a fantasy star. Of course, Porcello isn’t there quite yet, but his owner probably doesn’t realize that. Now, though, maybe you do.

Edwin Jackson, RHP, Cubs

Fantasy Stats: 6 W, 5.11 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 7.8 K/9

Jackson isn’t amazing or anything, but he’s pitched way, way better than his numbers indicate.

Exhibit A: 3.74 xFIP

Exhibit B: 3.72 FIP

Exhibit C: 52.4 groundball percentage.

In fact, Jackson’s buy-low candidacy is eerily similar to Porcello‘s. Things have been turning around for the 29-year-old, too, as he is 5-2 with a 3.46 ERA over his past seven starts, which includes a dud against the Brewers (6 ER in 4.2 IP) back on June 25.

Jackson’s still only a streaming option in mixed leagues, but if you’re in an NL-only format and need some rotation depth, you could do worse.

John Axford, RHP, Brewers

Fantasy Stats: 3 W, 0 SV, 3.72 ERA, 1.5 WHIP, 9.3 K/9

This one’s based on both statistics and a hunch.

First, the stats. Since getting blown up and losing the closer job in early April—you know, when he gave up nine earned runs in his first four appearances—Axford has more or less calmed down. In his last 33 games dating back to May 3, the 30-year-old has allowed all of three earned runs over 27.1 innings, good for a 0.99 ERA.

Now, the WHIP is still shaky (1.40), but Axford also is striking out a man per inning, so there are more good signs than bad.

As for the hunch, well, that’s simply that Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee’s current closer, gets traded some time in the next week to 10 days, opening up the ninth inning job once again.

Sure, the Brewers could give it back to Jim Henderson, who took over for Axford initially and pitched well until suffering a hamstring injury, but—and here’s another hunch—the gig could just as easily be Axford‘s again by the end of July.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

For all of you forward-thinking fantasy players, you’re probably way ahead of me in coming up with a list of players who’ve given you great value in the first half, but won’t come close to maintaining production for the remainder of the season. You’ll spend the next few weeks looking for the best trade before their value begins to dip too much.

If you need help identifying this year’s version of Asdrubal Cabrera (.286 BA, 11 HR, 42 RBI, 20 2B, 34 BB in 1st half of 2012; .251 BA, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 15 2B, 18 BB in 2nd half of 2012), let me give you some suggestions.

Here are seven players you should consider trading before midseason. 

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