Possible Free Agent Pickups

By this time of the year everyone is watching free agency trying to plug that injury hole, or that guy we thought was going to be a star that didn’t pan out. These are a few guys that could help your roster and keep you on track toward the title.

Hitters

Mike Aviles, KC. The Royals Minor League Player of the Year in 2007, Aviles has been just what the doctor ordered in Kansas City since his call up. In 18 games, Aviles is hitting .336 with three homers and 13 RBI. At AAA last season, Aviles hit .296 with 17 homers and 77 ribbies, which means this production isn’t necessarily a fluke. Given his age and the fact he plays a middle infield position, I see no reason not to take a flier on the young shortstop, he has the everyday job for now.

Elijah Dukes, WAS. In his last six games, Dukes has nine hits, two homers and three ribeyes. He is currently hitting .264, and although he looks like someone worth owning, you have to be aware of his off the field problems. Dukes is always just a day away from a possible suspension or act that could cause him to be looked upon unfavorably in the organization. Take into account the time just a couple of weeks ago where he refused to slap his manager five, after Manny Acta took exception to Dukes and Milledge dancing. It doesn’t appear to have cost him this time, but the potential is always there.

Adam Lind, TOR. When Blue Jays Shawn Marcum got hurt, it came with the recall of one of their better hitting prospects, Adam Lind. Lind has been up with the big club before, but it has seemed on each one of his tours of duty that he was completely overmatched and might not be able to hit major league pitching. So far in his first time with the big club he has been hitting this time (although it is only three games). Lind connected on his second homer in three games, and he has the talent to be a great hitter, perhaps he will start to put it together.

Jorge Cantu, FLA. It might be too late for Cantu already, but he is certainly setting the fantasy world on watch in recent weeks. Bring back memories from 2005 when Cantu was a big hitting 2B, he is hitting .280 with 14 homers and 43 driven in. Even though he is now at third and not the shallow second base position, Cantu is proving to be someone who belongs on someone’s roster, if not their starting lineups.

Just coming to the majors: Chris Davis, 3B, TEX

Pitchers

Mike Pelfrey, NYM. Is this time that he starts living up to all the potential we have been hearing about? Take it easy, it is too soon to make that statement yet. Pelfrey has been pitching better as of late, in four of his last five starts he allowed two runs or less. If I had a spot at the end of my rotation, or an injury to someone like Carlos Zambrano, I would carry Pelfrey on my roster until I got healthy. Just temper your expectations and don’t expect an ace and you won’t be disappointed by Pelfrey.

Charlie Morton, ATL. The latest rookie to try to keep the Braves’ ship afloat, Morton was called up after he was posting some pretty impressive numbers at AAA. In three starts he has yet to allow more than three runs and his record is 1-1. He pitched pretty well his last time out despite battling the flu, and in the short term Morton isn’t a bad option. He was 5-2 with a 2.05 ERA (72 Ks in 79 IP also) at AAA Richmond, but those were by far his best numbers as a minor leaguer. I am not on the Morton bandwagon as of now, but as a band-aid, he looks to be a decent option.

Darryl Thompson, CIN. He is about to make his second start of the season, and if it is like the first, you might think about picking him up. Even though he walked four batters, Thompson threw five shutout innings in Yankee Stadium in his major league debut, and immediately got the attention of some fantasy owners. He had pretty good minor league numbers, as he was 3-2 with a 1.76 ERA and nearly a strikeout an inning. It is tough to make the transition from AA to the majors, but it has been done before and the Reds seem to have the knack with young pitching all of a sudden.

Luke Hochevar, KC. Hochevar has had a very up and down rookie season, and it is looking more like he is going to be a pretty good pitcher. In three of his last four starts he has allowed only two runs, but he is still walking too many batters and striking out too few. Hochevar was a former number one overall pick, so he has a world of potential, the Royals and fantasy players are just waiting for him to become a little more consistent.

Just Coming to the Majors: John Parrish, SP, TOR

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