On to the roundup for the week...
Breaking News: I wanted to wait till the trading deadline passed to post this article so we can gauge the effects of all the trades that just transpired. The Red Sox finally grew tired of the Manny Ramirez show. He was traded to the Dodgers, the Sox got Jason Bay, and the Pirates got four minor league prospects. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest impact, I would rate this a 6 for the Red Sox. Bay is a very good player, but Manny is a future Hall of Famer. David Ortiz will now see a lot more intentional walks with Manny not protecting him anymore.
Ken Griffey to the White Sox would be a 3. He no longer hits for average and his range in CF will be very limited.
Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees is a 7. He will shore up the catcher position with Jorge Posada out for the season.
Mark Teixeira to the Angels is a 0 for the regular season, but could be a 10 in the playoffs. The Angels are already a very good regular season team this year, but Teixeira could provide them the power boost they will need in the playoffs.
Injuries:
Joey Gathright (OF, KC) - He landed on the 15-day DL with a bruised shoulder.
Todd Jones (RP, DET) - He also has a bum shoulder and is on the 15-day DL.
Alexi Casilla (2B, MIN) - He may be done for the season with a torn tendon in his thumb.
Joe Crede (3B, CHW) - Bad back has him out till early August.
Jorge Posada (C, NYY) - Out for the year after finally undergoing shoulder surgery.
Who's Hot:
Javier Lopez (2B, SEA) - Hitting .303 with 8 HRs.
Aubrey Huff (DH, BAL) - Has 22 HRs for the Orioles.
Jon Lester (SP, BOS) - 3.17 ERA and 9 wins for the Sox.
Who's Not:
Livan Hernandez (SP, MIN) - The Twins could release him later this week.
Fantasy Studs (Last 7 Days):
1. Tori Hunter (OF, LAA) - Blasted 5 HRs with 14 RBIs.
2. Bobby Abreu (OF, NYY) - Hit .462 with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs.
3. Joba Chamberlain (SP, NYY) - Had 2 wins and 15 Ks in 13 IPs.
Fantasy Duds (Last 7 Days):
1. Alexis Rios (OF, TOR) - Went 4-24, a .167 BA.
2. J.D. Drew (OF, BOS) - Hit .158 for the week.
Got a fantasy question you would like answered in my column? Send it to me via
e-mail at mikek@creativesports.com. Until next week, I wish you the best of luck.