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Once again the MLB trade deadline has come and gone with much more smoke than fire. For the first time since I can remember the Yankees did nothing and unless something changes between now and October their lack of a solid pitching option behind Sabathia will result in a Playoff exit short of the World Series. At this point I don't see anyway the Red Sox fall short of a World Series berth. On the NL side the Giants and Phillies appear to be heading to a NLCS showdown with their additions over the last week. The Giants offensive squad lacks a certain splash but it has plenty of depth and should score enough for the pitching to hold up. The Phillies without a doubt have to most talent in the NL if not all of MLB and Pence gives them that much needed Right-Handed bat in the middle of the order. This Recap will focus not only on the actual influx of talent from both sides but also the fantasy breakdown of most of the deals.
Pirates acquire Ryan Ludwick from Padres for PTBNL or cash.
* The escape from Petco will likely help somewhat as Ludwick has a AVG Home Road split of .215/.255. Still Ludwick's value is minimal at this point. Ludwick's arrival could eventually effect the playing time of better fantasy options Jose Labata, Garret Jones, and Alex Pressley down the stretch.
Rangers acquire Mike Adams from Padres for LHP Robbie Erlin and Joe Wieland.
* The move away from Petco into the Ballpark at Arlington should adversely effect that low ERA and WHIP.
Diamondbacks acquire Brad Ziegler from A's for 1B Brandon Allen and Jordan Norberto.
* Allen should get the majority of AB's for the A's down the stretch and has shown signs of stellar play albeit in the PCL. He's likely worth a look in Mixed formats if your hard up for 1B help. The biggest fantasy impact of this move is the potential call up of Paul Goldschmidt who is killing it a Double AA. Xavier Nady will likely get AB's against lefties which makes no sense from a growth standpoint but is likely favorable for Goldschmidt's fantasy numbers.
Cardinals acquire Rafael Furcal from Dodgers for Alex Castellanos and cash.
* Furcals value should improve with the move to a more potent Cardinals lineup and the likely leadoff spot in it. Look for Ryan Theriot, Skip Schumaker, and the other collection of light hitting no value MI options for the Cardinals limited stock fall even more. Dee Gordon will take over the full-time SS gig for the Dodgers and does have value based on his SB potential.
Braves acquire Michael Bourne and cash from Astros for Jordan Schafer, Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens and Juan Abreu.
* Bourne's value improves with a better lineup hitting behind him however that could cause his SB totals to decline somewhat. Jason Bourgeois's value sky rockets as he will take the place of Bourne at the top of the Astros lineup and instantly becomes a elite SB option. Schafer could see some playing time upon his return from the DL but his stock is on a downward spiral and he seems to be more of a 4th OF than a reliable fantasy option.
Pirates acquire Derrek Lee from Orioles for Aaron Baker
* Lee's return to more familiar foes in the NL should help his fantasy value somewhat but it still doesn't make him a solid option at the deep 1B position.
Giants acquire Orlando Cabrerra from Indians for Thomas Neal
* Cabrerra will be the everyday SS for the Giants. Even if Cabrerra's numbers improve with the deal it doesn't make him anything more than a less than average fantasy option. The addition of Cabrerra could effect Miguel Tejadas limited fantasy value upon his return. Cabrerra's departure from Clevland ensures that Kipnis is now the everyday 2B option and Chisenhall shouldn't be looking over his shoulders.
Rangers acquire Koji Uehera from Orioles for Chris Davis and Tommy Hunter
* Uehera's already limited fantasy value remains unchanged while Tommy Hunter should take a rotation spot for the Orioles and continue to be a below average real life option and a forgettable fantasy play. Davis will finally get the much needed change of scenery and will be handed the 1B job and will be given the lengthy chance to prove himself a worthy fantasy option.
D'Backs acquire Jason Marquis from Washington for Zach Walters.
* Marquis value figures to take a step back with the move to more hitter friendly Chase Field and his departure from Nationals Park were his ERA is 3.26 compared to 4.44 on the road.
Tigers acquire Doug Fister and David Pualey from Mariners for Francisco Martinez, Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush and PTBNL.
* Fister's Home Road splits indicate that he hasn't been a product of Safeco this season so assuming he continues to walk next to no one his value should increase given the better team around him. He still is a back end of the rotation matchup play. Furbush will likely be inserted into the M's rotation and does have some intrigue given his solid K production however BB is Furbush's biggest issue and a change of scenery isn't the cure. "Don't Worry it's just me" Casper Wells has some AL only value as he will likely find some AB's in the M's OF, still Wells only projects to be a 4th OF type.
Phillies acquire Hunter Pence from Astros for Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singelton, and Josh Zied as well as a PTBNL.
* Pence moves from one hitters park to another but has a much better lineup around him. The move doesn't push Pence into the 1st tier of fantasy superstars but he does move up a couple of notches as a Top 75 overall player. Dominic Brown's value for 2011 is about shot as he will likely be a September callup with minimal opportunity.
Brewers acquire Felipe Lopez from Rays for Cash.
* Hard to get excited about Felipe Lopez but if your in need of a 2B their isn't much available on the Waiver wire. Lopez should either bat in front of two big solid RBI producers in Fielder and Braun or behind them and should have plenty of Run or RBI opportunities.
Indians acquire Kosuke Fukudome from Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith.
* The Indians OF situation is horrible as Choo and Sizemore remain out. Fukudome can handle righties but the upside is a high .290-.310 AVG with little power or speed. Factor in his miserable track record against lefties there is little reward to be had here. For the Cubs the move opens up 4-5 starts a week for Tyler Colvin who hit 20+HR last season as a rookie but can't hit the Mendoza line this season. I suppose if you need a lottery ticket type player he would serve that purpose.
Giants acquire Carlos Beltran from Mets for Zach Wheeler and Cash considerations.
* Beltran may have been the biggest name moved but I can't see his value increasing any more from it. The hitting conditions didn't improve and you could easily argue the Mets have a better lineup around him. Don't get me wrong Beltran will still be a .300 hitter type and batting fourth should have solid RBI numbers but don't expect a power resurgence from this point forward.
Blue Jays acquire Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen from the Blue Jays for Jason Frasor and Zach Stewart.
* Jackson was quickly flipped to St. Louis in another deal and improves his stock marginally. The move from AL to NL typically favors the pitcher while the Cell is more of a hitters park than Busch although Jackson does have a 2.64/4.92 ERA Home/Road split this season which doesn't support the hitters park theory. Teahen will likely eat into the playing time of Edwin Encarnacion or Aaron Hill and could block Brett Lawrie's promotion until rosters are expanded in September.
Cardinals acquire Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski, Ocatvio Dotel, Corey Patterson, cash and 3 PTBNL from the Blue Jays for Colby Rasmus, Trevor Miller, Brian Tallet and PJ Walters.
* The aforementioned Jackson is the centerpiece for the Cardinals in this deal and is the most fantasy relevant player this season. I'm interested to see how Rzepczynski is handled beyond this season should he be stretched into a starter next season he could be a nice fantasy sleeper coming into the year given his high K potential and the tutelage of Dave Duncan. Rasmus gives the Jays another young OF to work into a mix with Rajai Davis, Travis Snider, and Eric Thames. All are likely owned and all are likely to take a hit due to reduced playing time down the stretch. I could easily see a scenario where Davis is rooted out in favor of the younger lineup then traded over the winter.
Indians acquire Ubaldo Jimenez from Rockies for Joe Gardner, Alex White, Matt McBride, Drew Pomeranz and PTBNL.
* Jimenez isn't the ace of last season but given his stuff and solid K potential he is still a solid fantasy play. The move out of Coors should benefit Jimenez who has a 5.55/3.38 Home Road split this season but the move to the AL will negate some of that. The move doesn't make Jimenez the player he was drafted to be but the change of scenery will make him better than what he has been. Juan Nicascio figures to hold onto his spot in the rotation with the deal and has thus far been very effective in a somewhat small sample size.
3-Team Deal: Red Sox acquire Erik Bedard and Josh Fields, Dodgers acquire Tim Federowicz, Juan Rodriguez, and Stephen Fife, M's acquire Trayvon Robinson and Chih-Hsien Chiang.
* Sure Fenway isn't Safeco but the Red Sox offense should provide much more opportunity for wins for Mr. Bedard. His swing a miss approach should play the same regardless of his homepark and he has already had success in the rugged AL East in a previous stint with the O's. Bedard's question remains the same will he be healthy from this point forward if so he is capable of being a Top 25 SP from this point forward if not the Red Sox, like his fantasy owners, shouldn't be surprised. The other name in this deal that could make a fantasy splash is Trayvon Robinson who has a .293/.375/.563 slash line albeit in hitter friendly Alberquerce. Robinson has power and speed and could easily see plenty of playing time down the stretch for the rebuilding M's.
* At some point this week the 64/60 will breakdown the Minor League prospects obtained in the deal and focus on the baseball side of the deals.
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