Kuzul

According to ESPN.com, the Kansas City Royals will receive minor leaguers Lucas May (catcher) and Elisaul Pimentel (right-handed pitcher) from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers Get:
Scott Podsednik is one great insurance policy, with Manny Ramirez on the DL with a strained hamstring.  The early word is that he is at least a week away from beginning a rehab assignment.  If he is able to return in a few weeks, the Dodgers end up with an extra outfielder, already with Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier on the roster.  I’m sure the team will rest Ramirez some, but Podsednik will become the odd man out.  That’s a long ways away, however, so we’ll worry about that when the time comes.  At this point, Ramirez has proven that he is no sure thing to stay healthy.

Podsednik entered the day hitting .309 with 5 HR, 44 RBI, 46 R and 30 SB.  He doesn’t walk much (6.7% walk rate), however, so the OBP isn’t amazing (.352).  That helps to explain his lower then expected runs total, as does playing in a below average lineup.  

Then again, where he hits in the order is going to play a huge role as well.  Podsednik spent most of his time in the leadoff spot in Kansas City, a role filled by Rafael Furcal in LA. Podsednik will likely work in the No. 2 hole, which should not hurt his ability to score or steal bases.  Of course, he may be used to bunt Furcal over a few times, but being in a better lineup offsets that.

In the long run, the deal hurts his value because he’s likely to become a role player.  For now, he likely sees an increase in value, bringing his scrappy play to the top of the Dodgers lineup.  Use him with confidence while you can.

The Royals Get:
Lucas May is currently at Triple-A, hitting .296 with 11 HR and 45 RBI.  Of course, it is in the Pacific Coast League, so take it with a grain of salt.  He entered the year a career .257 hitter in the minor leagues, though he did show signs of some pop.  Still, he’s not likely to make a major impact, though the Royals could give him a look in September over Jason Kendall.

Elisaul Pimentel is playing in Single-A, going 9-3 with a 3.49 ERA and 97 Ks over 90.1 innings.  The 22-year-old would appear to have some potential, but he’s a year or two away.

The deal also signals that both Alex Gordon and Rick Ankiel will likely receive regular ABs going forward.  That certainly gives them both value in all five-outfielder formats

What are your thoughts on the deal?  Who is the big winner?

Make sure to check out our other trade analysis:

• Yunel Escober for Alex Gonzalez
• Alberto Callaspo traded to the Angels
• Dan Haren traded to the Angels
• Jhonny Peralta to the Tigers

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

According to the MLB Network and ESPN.go.com, the Dodgers have acquired OF Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor league catcher Lucas May and minor league pitcher Elisaul Pimental. The Dodgers will pay the remaining $650,000 on Podsednik’s contract. 

Podsednik adds depth in an injured outfield while becoming the fourth outfielder for the Dodgers. Podsednik provides experience, leadership and speed to the Dodgers, and he is also currently hitting .309 while collecting 30 steals.

The move comes just hours after rumors surfaced that the Dodgers had dropped out of the races for Marlin’s outfielder Cody Ross.

Podsednik comes to the Dodgers as a bargain, and the prospects the Dodgers surrendered didn’t seem to factor in to the near future. Lucas May has seen success in the organization as other catchers were injured, but with a healthy Brad Ausmus, it seemed as though May was going to finish the season in the minor league system. 

The Royals had their eye on Elisaul Pimental, and the Dodgers obliged. From a Dodgers perspective, they didn’t give up much to get a veteran outfielder who will provide depth at a great price.

The Dodgers expect Podsednik to be available in the final game of the series against the Padres on Thursday night.

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Update: (8:20pm CDT) The two minor leaguers heading to the Kansas City Royals are catcher Lucas May and pitcher Elisaul Pimentel.

According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark , the Kansas City Royals have traded outfielder Scott Podsednik to the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for two minor leaguers, though the names of those minor leaguers have yet to be released.

A few days ago, it seemed like the entire NL West was after the former Chicago White Sox outfielder but the Padres were quickly taken out of the mix by Tom Krasovic of AOL Fanhouse.

Earlier today, several writers were saying the Dodgers and Giants were still in it, but that the Dodgers were making a big push for him.

Podsednik is enjoying a great year so far, hitting .309 with five home runs and 44 runs driven in.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A quick look at Week 11’s Fantasy Baseball top performers and least owned players on the waiver wire. Justin Smoak is smoking the ball and Max Scherzer dominates twice. Can they really keep it up for another week?

Check out who’s a Must or a Bust.

SWINGERS

John Buck —40 percent of Y! Leagues
4 R / 3 HR / 8 RBI / .389 BA
With all the hype surrounding catchers this year, most owners seem to overlook guys like Buck. If you are a win-now kind of fantasy player, then having Buck on your team may benefit you over a player like Matt Weiters. Buck’s problem has always been hitting for a decent average. So far, he’s 33 points above his career numbers. He also has three multi-homer games already, and he could easily hit 25 by season’s end.

Chipper Jones —53 percent of Y! Leagues
5 R / 1 HR / 7 RBI / .471 BA
Yes, he’s older and hitting 50 points below his career .306 average. But he’s still one of the best third basemen of the past 20 years. If Troy Glaus can have a comeback year, then Chipper can too. Expect better numbers in the second half, assuming he doesn’t battle injuries like he has over the past few seasons.

Scott Podsednik —53 percent of Y! Leagues
5 R / 1 HR / 7 RBI / 2 SB / .286 BA
I’m so tempted to call the Royals the worst team in the league, but the truth is that the Indians and Orioles are certainly worse. Regardless, Speedy Scotty is back to his old form, running the bejeezus out of the bases. Injuries have really dropped Podsednik off the radar. But he’s healthy this year and on track for at least 40 stolen bases.

Justin Smoak —13 percent of Y! Leagues
5 R / 2 HR / 8 RBI / .320 BA
After a dismal start, Smoak has put together a solid last month (15 R / 4 HR / 21 RBI /.278 avg). With the influx of all the call-ups, owners have forgotten to come back around to take a look at what Smoak is doing. He won’t be available for much longer. Go get him.

Angel Pagan —33 percent of Y! Leagues
3 R / 5 RBI / 2 SB / .417 BA
Pagan has been on fire the past month, batting .327, with 15 runs, 13 RBIs, and nine SB. I seem to be less and less worried about Beltran coming back and squeezing Pagan out. Angel really has been at the center of the revitalized Mets.

HURLERS

Carl Pavano —16 percent of Y! Leagues
16 IP / 2 W / 7 K / 2.25 ERA / 0.63 WHIP
Despite Pavano’s 8-6 record, this is actually his best season since 2004. There’s still plenty of time for Carl to get back to his usual mediocre numbers. But right now, he is pretty much holding career bests in ERA, WHIP, and BAA. His last game was a gem against the struggling Phils. Pavano went nine innings and only gave up one run. Ten of his 15 outings have been quality starts!

Max Scherzer —34 percent of Y! Leagues
13 IP / 2 W / 17 K / 2.77 ERA / 1.15 WHIP
This kid has so much talent. Owners were expecting a lot more out of Scherzer this year, and a few have jumped back on the boat since his return. In five games since returning, he has a 3.48 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 41Ks. If you lack strikeouts, Mad Max is your guy!

J. J. Putz —3 percent of Y! Leagues
3 IP / 1 W / 1 SV/ 3 K / 0.00 ERA / 0.33 WHIP
It’s truly amazing how quickly relief pitchers fall from grace. From 2006 through 2007, Putz amassed an amazing 76 saves with just a 1.86 ERA. Those days are long gone and J. J. has been reduced to a set-up guy, just silently waiting for Jenks to get injured or implode. Unless you are in a crazy deep league, there are better middle relievers out there.

Joel Pineiro —27 percent of Y! Leagues
8 IP / 1 W / 5 K / 1.12 ERA / 0.50 WHIP
I feel like a broken record saying this, but Pineiro is a roller-coaster ride. He pitches well against the tough teams then blows-up against clubs like the Royals. There is no rhyme or reason to whether he will have a good game or not, and so I’ve always stayed away.

When he is on though, he can be as good as they come. In his last two games, Pineiro has pitched 17 innings, and allowed just eight hits, two runs, while striking out 12 against only two walks!

Like clockwork, though, Joel will have a bad game at some point in his next one or two outings, regardless of who he is facing.

Jason Vargas —29 percent of Y! Leagues
7.2 IP / 1 W / 4 K / 1.17 ERA / 0.65 WHIP
After his first game, Vargas has put up a quality start in all of his games since (one game was only five innings, but he still only gave up two runs). Honestly, if the Mariners we’re any better, we could be looking at 9-2 record instead of a 5-2 line.

Vargas’ season ERA is under 3.00, his WHIP is just above 1.00, and batters are only hitting .225 against the pitcher. In his fifth year, Vargas may have finally figured it out.

Who do you think is the best waiver wire pickup of the week? Can Smoak keep it up?
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Article by Evan Marx exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com. Evan writes a Must or Bust article and a few other gems weekly. He likes long walks on the beach and quoting Ivan Drago at least once a day.

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