The Fantasy Spin On The Hot Stove

Transactions are from 11/16 to 11/21

*Braves acquire Dan Uggla from Marlins for Omar Infante and Mike Dunn.
The first big player moved this offseason. Uggla surprisingly goes to a team within the division and perhaps more surprisingly the usually solid Marlins front office appears to have essentially given Uggla away. Uggla has always been a prodigious power guy who is a 30 HR threat however last season Uggla produced a .287 AVG and was a Top 5 player at his position in 2010. Uggla's .287 AVG was likely the product of a .330 BABIP so expect more of the .260 mark next season. Regardless you still have a 30HR threat at a weaker offensive position and it has been rumored that Uggla could also see time at 3B and LF depending on how the club chooses to handle Martin Prado. For the Marlins they receive a 29 year old super utility player who could see everyday duty at the Keystone. Infante won't hurt you however he should be used more as a injury pickup than a part of your draft day. Infante could score some runs if he is slotted in the one or two whole in this lineup and he is a solid .280 hitter but he has little speed and no pop.

*Cardinals Re-Sign Jake Westbrook
In 12 starts with the Cardinals Westbrook posted 9 QS and a ERA below 3.50. Westbrook isn't a elite pitching option however he is a very good option as a late round flyer who could produce solid numbers. I fully expect a ERA south of 4.00 however he isn't likely to give you high K totals on a consistent basis thus his fantasy value is diminished to a degree.

*Marlins Sign John Buck.
In a effort to replace some of the pop lost by the Uggla departure, Buck was signed to provide some offense for the Marlins. Buck managed to hit over .280 last season and chipped in 20 HR's for the Blue Jays. Buck's .280 AVG was aided by a .330 BABIP so to expect anything over .260 would be foolish. However Buck is a legit 20 HR threat at a position which after the Top 4 your just looking for a one tool player. I wouldn't reccomend annoitning Buck your number one catcher but he does provide value as a number two backstop or a bench spot whichever is applicable.

* Blue Jays acquire Rajai Davis from A's for Danny Farquhar and Tyler Magnuson.

The A's get two pitchers who are among the top 20 prospects in the Blue Jays organization however they will have no value to you this seaon. After the A's acquired DeJesus last week it became obvious the A's would have to make room somehow. Though the manuevering likely isn't over this is a big piece of the eequation. Davis is a big speed guy who will likely hit in the .270's however he's not your prototypcial leadoff guy because he doesn't walk much and his overall OBP will likely be well below .350. Davis was miscast with the Moneyball scheme off the A's whom preach OBP and would prefer not to run. Given his speed however Davis will likely be given the leadoff spot in a very productive lineup so if he could manage to maintain that spot all season he could be a threat for 90 runs however you could see his SB total deminish somewhat given the HR potential of the lineup. The Jays tend to rely on the long ball to score so the red flag could be waved a little more often in 2011 for Davis.

*Rockies Trade Clint Barmes to Astros for Felipe Paulino.
Their should be little fantasy relevance with this deal however it seems that every year Clint Barmes will find himself on some roster throughout the season. Barmes should have the everyday 2B job at this point and has had some moments during his career. Barmes also didn't play well at Coors Field so it should not be assumed that any succes was a by product of Coors. Still Barmes should be targeted as nothing more than a player to consider in the event a injury occurs. I would like to think that the Astros will target anothe 2B this offseason and use Barmes in a Super Utility role instead of a everyday player. Paulino will likely be considered for a 5th spot in the rotation. If Paulino is appointed a spot their will likely be a two or three start stretch where Paulino will pitch like a ace if you can determine when this time will be I suggest picking him up otherwise you want to stay away. Paulino is a good K pitcher however BB has always been a issue. Given his skill set Paulino could be one of those breakout pitchers that seem to happen every year however he has yet to show improvement in BB and given the move into Coors the breakout won't happen this season.