By Adam Forsyth

Travis Snider – Outfield (LF/RF)

– (Maybe 1B???)

Pure power and a devastating cut-type swing can lead to many good things; however, it can also lead to many bad as well. A brief look at the 2009 season of this young Blue Jays stud and former 1st round selection will easily show that as he started off with such a resounding boom (2B and a HR against Justin Verlander in his first 2 AB’s of the season) only to end it with a disappointing thud.

Not certain where he fits into the picture, some feel that he should learn to play first base in preparation for the trading of, or loss to free agency of the ho-hum Lyle Overbay. To that, I say that I couldn’t agree more. Even with the smooth hitting David Cooper working his way up the ranks in the minor leagues the current answer right now would be to allow Snider to dig in as many times possible to see what they’ve got on their hands prior to making the ultimate decision.

Snider has the intimidating lumberjack chop approach at the dish at times, where he may be trying to hard to show the brute strength that he brings to the plate. This contributes in effect to the high K-ratio that he displayed (3.17AB/K! YIKES!) Patience must definitely be taught to inspire him to not whiff at everything and use (if possible) a more effective Jim Thome like approach where his walks increase in order to raise the OBP to a more acceptable level than that of the .328 OBP that he had in 2009.

Raw, young and powerful. Although a situation that is certainly considered high-risk/high reward, those three words are bliss to my ears when searching for a sleeper!

Editor’s Note: www.waiversharks.com The Oakland A’s Fox Trot Jake is already eligible at First Base, Third Base and the Outfield. Add to the fact that word out of the Athletics camp says Crazy like A's Fox showed up this spring with no less than eight baseball gloves – including a first basemen’s glove, and yes – even a catcher’s mitt! He's not about to unseat the talented Kurt Suzuki as the A’s primary backstop – but saying this Fantasy Baseball Swiss army knife couldn’t add the coveted ‘C’ eligibility to his repertoire during 2010 would be short sighted to say the least!

After a tremendous start in limited opportunity in the Windy City , this multi-tooled product of the University of Michigan slid down and lost some steam finishing the season with some ho-hum numbers.

However, if you were fortunate to have jumped on board early in the season, Fox provided some pop and didn’t dip below the .300 mark for good until August 23 in his somewhat limited Cubs use. However, Fox final line of .259-11-44 (along with the fact that he doesn’t walk much) many may wonder why we would even pay him any mind? Ah yes, making Jake Fox a true 2010 Fantasy Sleepers - unlike say Carlos Beltran...no offence Roto___.

Our optimistic side encourages all to take a deeper look at his 2009 season to understand that the raw power is in fact there. After popping 10 long balls in his first 160 AB’s, along with 39 of those 44 RBI’s, it’s more than clear that the final month and a half was nothing but forgettable for the 27-year old rookie.

With that being said a change of scenery may be just what the doctor ordered and a breakout type season could be on the cusp. www.waiversharks.com Fox could see close to regular at-bats, and may even be able to wrestle an everyday starting spot on what will more than likely be another edition of a lethargic Oakland offense.

We expect him to battle in spring training and make the roster more as a “toolsy” type bench player that will need to rise to the occasion when the opportunity permits itself. It’s hard to say a switch from Wrigley to the ol’ Oakland Coliseum will improve his power numbers; although, the extra space in the outfield may help his peripherals by allowing him to spread the ball around more. And so perhaps, finally - the former Chicago Cubs cast off will net some respect? Heck maybe a Jake Fox Bobblehead will even be in store in the near future?...Not so subtle hint to A's marketing and promotions department.

Add Jake Fox to a growing list of Beanies Babies who www.waiversharks.com is turning onto this pre-season or at the very least - add the A's Fox to your 2010 Fantasy Sleepers utility radar, and perhaps take a chance with one of your ever so fun final round (or two!) picks!

Editor's Note: Scott Solomon checks back in with a brief synopsis of why Fantasy Baseball Keeper League managers had better give serious consideration to yet another Orioles outfielder whose star appears on the rise.

Baltimore's talented left fielder has been getting a ton of press this offseason after making a run at the (A.L.) American League Rookie of the Year honors with a mega chart topping .279/.365/.466! After hitting .394 with 1.228 OPS and 9 bombs in AAA, the Orioles brass was forced to bring up the kid to take the place of (at the time) the struggling Felix Pie.

Reimold didn't disappoint, averaging more HR's per AB than the highly valued Matt Holiday. (1 per 23.86 vs. Holiday 's 1 every 24.2) Needless to say - Predictions for the 2010 Sleeper Keeper's sophomore season have been quite high! 

Bill James has him at a .292/.373/.524 and the Chone projects him slightly more conservatively at .273/.353/.474.

What about the ankle?

Nolan Reimold had season ending surgery in September to shave down some bone rubbing against his Achilles tendon. This was seen as more maintenance/preventative in nature and he's expected to be at 100% for Spring Training. If anything you should expect a jump in his SB totals. Always a welcome sight!

Didn't Felix Pie light it up the second half of the season?

Will Nolan Reimold lose AB's to the long time Chicago Cubs' prospect? Although Felix Pie managed to make huge strides the second half of the 2009 Fantasy Baseball Season - Baltimore Orioles Manager Dave Trembley has clearly stated on numerous occasions that Number #14 will remain the starting left fielder, and it's his job to find Pie At Bats.

Hey Fantasy Baseball Junkies! Are you looking for more sites dedicated to 2010 Fantasy Baseball advice?

The Waiver Wire has MLB Fantasy Baseball strategy, tips, and player profiles. Including their recent take on Baltimore Orioles potential ace in the making - Brian Matusz!

By Scott Woodall

Cool to see Kyle Blanks thigh fiving (Kudos to Matt & the lads over @ Sharapova’s Thigh!) the San Diego Padres bat boy…no wait...I think that’s actually 2009 teammate David Eckstein isn't it? Sorry Dave, but Blanks is 6’6”, and 285 pounds…so it doesn’t surprise us that he’d dwarf your oompa loompa sized frame in this photo.

Despite a Lerch laced pitching staff that boasts current Petco Park towers Chris Young (6’10”), Adam Russell (6’8”), Mat Latos (6’6”), Aaron Poreda (6’6”), Clayton Richard (6’5”), and Mike Adams (6’5”) - just to name a few – the 1st baseman turned outfielders’ overall size still makes the behemoth Blanks an imposing stature in the Pads clubhouse.

As we prepare for yet another Phillies visit to the Fall Classic, and head into Blanks sophomore season - some questions still remain with big, bad  Blanks….BUT THIS IS GOOD WAIVERSHARKS! Even dressed in the Padres alternative camo uniform , it may be hard pressed for Kyle Blanks to hide from the inevitable revving of the hype machine engine at the onset of 2010.  

That may taint his Sleeper Draft Value (SDV - There's a newly invented baseball acronym for the stats whores!) once spring flowers bloom, and baseballs fly through the optimistic Peoria, Arizona air.  All together now, say "Peoria, Arizona air" five times fast Pads fans.

But (Insert Padres fan *sigh*...and a moment of silence for Jake the Snake Peavy) there’s still some chance that a ballplayer playing for a 75W-87L team, coupled with the fact that his first season only consisted of 148 at bats, might still be hovering under the sunny San Diego radar.

Sure, the cat may be out of the bag in terms of the power…(You can't expect a truck that carries 285+ pounds not to knock some serious silly into a regulation cushioned cork baseball), but we think Blanks is in store for a lot more than just a dinger laden career filled with tape measure taters.

Despite the high K rate in 2009, Blanks could easily eclipse Adam Dunn’s .249 career average next season, even while playing in Petco – a Park not exactly beloved by hitters who make a living on hitting for power.

San Diego's friendly giant even exhibited surprising speed and agility - which helped allow the Padres brass to give his big man sized glove a shot at patrolling the vast Petco outfield for portions of 2009 – while A-gone conveniently stood pat in the 1st base spot he's clung rightful claim to during '09.

Blanks even provided the not exactly pulse racing Padres the most exciting play of 2009 when instead of clouting the usual mammoth moon shot over Petco’s walls, the giant righty chugged around all three bags, and then stormed home for an inside the park home run! According to Wikipedia - Blanks is the biggest known professional baseball player to perform this! The biggest guy prior to Blanks was Cecil’s little boy wonder - Prince Fielder.  Blanks  even capped the oxygen draining marathon of bases with a sweet head first slide!

We can’t deny that the man who dons a figure eight on his back every night is no speed skater, but the athleticism he has displayed early in his career is yet another reason to take note of a possible rising Fantasy Baseball Star.

SO, what’s not to like? Well, besides the fact that we wish he’d have kept the nice beginnings of an Oscar Gamble afro wig…hmmm.

The strike outs could be a serious issue - 55 in 148 abs is simply unacceptable. But, we think his batters eye will become far more discerning as his experience grows, and he sees how many pitchers will want to avoid him launching their served up fastball rockets into other galaxies far far away. Another concern is the season ending Plantar Fasciitis bout he endured. Supposedly Blanks had some similar problems with sore tootsies back in college while playing for the Yavapai Roughriders, but never as bad as the debilitating injury plagued him during the final stages of his 2009 rookie MLB campaign.

But HOLD IT right there! STOP THE PRESSES! Cue a downloaded sound bite of a hastily scratched vinyl record! We are not claiming to be Dr. Scholls, but we think we may have discovered the freshly pedicured solution for our 2010 Fantasy Baseball SLEEPER KEEPERS frustrating feet!

We are indeed hoping the aptly nicknamed “Gigantor” reads this article! (Why else would we lace it with so many Google Keywords you may have wondered?) Maybe Manager Bud Black will Stumble upon us while bored of watching the Philadelphia Phillies play the New York Yankees in this years World Series! (Who could have predicted that one eh?) Well, at the very least, we are crossing  our Fantasy Baseball fingers that ANY ONE of the San Diego Padres trainers such as Todd Hutcheson, Paul Navarro, Brian Prilaman, Jim Malone or even Spencer Dallin, Tony Petricca or Phillip Kerr (All names of gentlemen whom our cracked research staff tracked down from the Padres MLB website) are made aware of the AMAZING benefits of FITFLOPS!

FitFlops are a product like NO other! They have even attracted the sexy size 9's of Assassination of a High School President (Cool Flick!) co-star Mischa Barton. In fact, Fitflops multitude of benefits have been praised & embraced the last couple years by several other high profile Hollywood pantyhoes - such as Pamela Anderson, Katie Holmes and Hilary Swank. That's some pretty hot pairs of gams guys!

Even Oprah has gone on the record as loving them. And love Oprah, or hate her - you have to admit the woman loves to shop...and so we should entrust that both she and her shopping army of assistants would do what they could to avoid turning her billion dollar hooves the Color Purple!

And no, we are not whole heartedly endorsing FitFlops just because we liked the sexy school girl outfit Mischa Barton's character Francesca Fachini wore during her seductive hommage to 'The Graduate'. *Gulp* Can you imagine had a girl ever muttered the words..."I'm so going to corrupt you" while in High School? I think the Bobby Funke in all of us wishes they heard that line at least once in our lives!

We are NOT affiliated with Fitflops in any way, and want to reiterate, we were not paid a red cent, or a dime store nickel from the makers of FitFlops to give this glowing testimonial! THE PRODUCT SIMPLY WORKS FANTASTIC, AND HAVE HELPED SEVERAL PEOPLE WE KNOW WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS TO WHAT KYLE BLANKS WENT THROUGH IN 2009. 

We here at www.waiversharks.com want Kyle Blanks to become the next Frank Howard, or Frank Thomas. So if this blog is read by ANYONE close to him, PLEASE feel free to contact us so we can further explain the virtues of these sensational sandals! One person - who shall remain nameless at her request, even went so far as to say they SAVED HER LIFE after months of not being able to walk on her heel!

Now, although most of FitFlops product line is currently skewed towards women, they do have a couple of models for men – Claiming the sandals “Give you a workout while you walk".  A potential cure for Plantar Fasciitis is definitely another of the specially engineered sandals and boots miracle advantages!

As stated, the primary target market for FitFlops appears at this time to be more women than men, but there are currently two MENS FitFlops versions – and we would think more are in the works.

SO, we are willing to place high stakes bets that if any of Kyle Blanks ‘peeps’ can shoe horn the big mans boats into some man sized FitFlops sandals this off season & beyond – we could be witnessing an absolute breakout candidate for the 2010 baseball season!

Hell, maybe the fine folks at FitFlop will even design a specially formulated FitFlops cleat!? Okay, FitFlop spikes are not very likely – but, if the hype machine we mentioned earlier doesn’t put this 2010 Sleeper beyond reach in your respective Fantasy Baseball league - we feel Blanks is one draft board darling worth an Oscar Meyer wiener sized gamble!

Just like Kevin Kouzmanoff  did last year (shown above getting a playful 'piggy back' ride ride form Big Blanks after Kyle clubbed a walk off home run) - we strongly suggest you are quick to jump on board the 2010 Kyle Blanks Sleeper Train! Especially if you spot him wearing a shiny new pair of Freeway Mens FitFlops during Spring Training!

After all, discovering the next big thing to come along in Major League Baseball is no small feet!

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The Deep

Ryan Roberts – 2B/3B/OF (LF)

A flaming hot August has allowed this tattooed wonder to thrust his name into fantasy significance.

With the dealing of Felipe Lopez opening up a nightly roster spot, Roberts has used his “toolsy” abilities and timely hitting to grab a large quantity of available at-bats. While getting the opportunity is one thing, it’s what the product of Fort Worth, Texas has done with the opportunity that has impressed fantasy guru’s world-wide. We pause a moment to note our friend sites: If you are interested in sports betting,  to make more money.

After going .352 with four homers and 12 RBI, (along with a .443 OBP & 1.004 OPS) for the month of August, Roberts is putting in a bid for consideration in making next year’s starting roster out of spring training. After minimal exposure through three seasons, (bouncing from Toronto to Texas to ‘Zona) the former 18th round pick finally seems to have found a home.

Still a deep option, Double-R has a touch of speed and the multi-position eligibility is always a blessing for weeks when you need to shift around due to roster expansion. The D-Backs offense has survived on hot bats all season, why should using this situation be considered anything different?

The DYNASTY

Brandon Allen – 1B (poss. OF)

This recently acquired bulky left-handed hitting former prep linebacker was once considered as the heir apparent to Paul Konerko in the Windy City .

Times change, and with that so does Kenny Williams plans as the future was dealt for the present to bring in some bullpen help in Chi-Town as this 23-year old prospect was dealt for Tony Pena. Since the deal, Allen accelerated his value and has worked his way up to getting a share of the first base duties since arriving in the desert.

Plugging away since the age of 18 in the White Sox system with limited success (.264-84-347 in over 2100 AB’s), the move to the Diamondbacks top affiliate in Reno of the Pacific Coast League has seemed to give him the fresh start that may have been the medicine needed.

Chad Tracy was rumored to be dealt all season long has been awful enough not to garner enough interest for a deal; however, with him not in the long term plans of the snakes, it’s probable that Allen is getting a taste of the everyday life in hopes that he will be prepared for a 2010 starting gig.

The former 5th rounder has worked on his eye at the dish, lowering his K totals to a respectable 1.7K/BB ratio and become a greater contact hitter. He has great extra-base power and could settle in as a 25+ HR type that could also swing for 40+ doubles with regularity. He’s got a great situation unfolding for him in the hot desert, keep him on the radar as 2010 could be his breakout.

The Shallow & The Deep Special ODE TO THE A’s Edition

By Adam Forsyth

The Deep

Rajai Davis – Outfield (CF/RF)

This former 38th-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates has loved the move to the American League and while it was just a short trip across the San Francisco Bay , it has totally revived this talented speedster.

Thriving in O-Town, Davis has been a force to be reckoned with since the All-Star break, thrashing the opposition at a .326 clip. With little to non-existent power, Rajai does his damage on the base paths by running wild and helping the A’s and their humble offense create runs.

In his 92 appearances, the 28-year old Connecticut native is 29-for-37 (78%) in stolen base attempts, which puts him ahead of some premium base running threats; such as: Curtis Granderson (77%), Ichiro (75%), Shane Victorino (75%) and Chone Figgins (74%) to name a few. If at some point he is given the full green light, Davis could swipe 50+ bags in a full season.

Davis will however need to improve his output within his own division if he plans to take it to the next level. He has struggled against AL West foes, Anaheim , Seattle and Texas , hitting only .234 (15/64) this season.

Have no fear though, as regardless of this information, Davis definitely has all the ingredients to be a nice speed add to your roster as the season comes to a close and deserves consideration as a late round speed pick in your 2010 draft.

The Deeper

Cliff Pennington – Shortstop

A prototypical Oakland A’s type player, Pennington isn’t going to amaze too many out there with outlandish, eye-popping statistics. I think that it is fair to say that with this former Texas A & M shortstop, what you see is what you get.

Although he raked at college, (which lead to his first round selection, 21st overall) hitting to the tune of .346 in his three years at A & M, Pennington’s transition to pro ball hasn’t been without a hitch. Needless to say, while he won’t be a liability with the twig, to assume that he will have a plus .330 batting average wouldn’t be fair.

As a matter of fact, the light-hitting prospect will probably settle in around the 260-.275 range year-to-year (currently hitting .263 with the big club through 95 AB’s), be a solid contact hitter that doesn’t strikeout a lot and has a good eye at the dish (nearly a 1:1 BB:K ratio). Simply stated, Pennington can put the ball in play, throw down a bunt when necessary and play sound defense. All are elements that have made the career of Oakland GM Billy Beane such a success.

The 25-year old Texan has a touch of speed and can be counted on for double digit swipes, even upwards of 25+ if given the chance to run with regularity. Not keeper-esque numbers all around per se; but definitely someone not to allow fly completely under the radar at a tough fantasy position moving into 2010. It appears as if the current audition to finish this season is to prepare him for the job which may officially be his to lose now that Orlando Cabrera is out of the picture.

The DYNASTY

Brett Wallace – Third Base

The key member of the Matt Holliday deal, Wallace is sure to give the A’s a push to have him on their 2010 opening day roster. One simple indication could be their need for another power bat, as Oakland currently has only three active roster players with more than six home runs! Yes, that’s right, SIX HR’s. Free-swinging Jack Cust and his 145 whiffs has 20, Kurt Suzuki has 11 knocks and Adam Kennedy with 10 are the only A’s players to circle the bases with even a hint of regularity.

Enter this hot-corner blue chipper that the Cards’ certainly didn’t want to dish; however, in order to get a player of Holliday’s caliber was more than likely the only way to the Billy Beane would pull the trigger. With 18 long balls this season, spread through AA and two-AAA teams, Wallace is showing signs of comfort at the plate as well as his .298 career minor league average would indicate through nearly 700 AB’s.

Wallace has average defensive skills and could even be more comfortable as a first baseman. I’m sure that Daric Barton (or future FANTALYTICS article member) Chris Carter would have something to say about that. One way or the other, the A’s are at least looking to add more young talent to their mix in hopes of shaking off the struggles of the past three seasons. Expect this California kid to be considered a major cog in that development, bringing this small market dynamo back to the top of the AL West.

By Adam Forsyth

The DYNASTY

Jason Heyward – Outfield

Some guys, you can just tell they possess the “It” factor. Meet Jason Heyward.

Recently turning 20, Heyward has been tearing it up since joining the Braves farm system, and could be in position to challenge for an OF spot in the 2010 season.

Climbing his way up to AA-Mississippi, Heyward is currently hitting .364 through 130 AB’s, launching six long balls and adding an addition 15 extra base hits (12 doubles and three triples) to round out a .643 SLG. Percentage.

With Garret Anderson only under contract for this season, Heyward will at least post a challenge, along with other super prospect Jordan Shafer for a roster spot. Not overly powerful, he seems to have a bit of everything and being a fairly complete player and will hit for a solid average. Has a touch of speed that will allow the Braves to become a more aggressive team on the base paths.

Expect his arrival sometime in 2010, with the potential to make it out of camp (a la Shafer this season) in a move that may hinder his development. The Braves have been making moves that may provide a little clearance for him to jump in early, so don’t be surprised if he is given every opportunity to lose the roster spot, rather than earn it.

The Deep

Alcides Escobar - Shortstop

Speed, speed and more speed? Yes, that is what you will be getting in this sure-handed shortstop that was originally drafted for his range and glove in the toughest infield position in baseball.

This undrafted Venezuelan has risen to the ranks of above average when it comes to using the stick after the Brew Crew took a chance on a skinny kid that couldn’t really hit much turning into an offensive threat. Now, we’re not going to suggest that he is going to hit .300 anytime soon; however, he could slip into the .280 range and with his stellar glove keeping him in the Brewers line-up, the rest of the talking shows up in the stolen base column.

Swiping 176 bases in five and a half minor league seasons, Escobar currently only has one stolen bag since being called-up; however, with the Brewers not typically known as a running team, (2nd last in the league with 43 SB’s) this slick running middle infielder can be the one to introduce them to that type of game.

With J.J. Hardy out of the mix, it’s been made abundantly clear that the Brewers are ready to move forward with Escobar as their future man at Short.

By Adam Forsyth

The Deep

Desmond Jennings – Outfield (CF)

Tampa Bay has been turning into quite a factory of talent in recent years after struggling season after season in the AL East.

Kudos to their scouting team for getting this Alabama talent in the 10th round as Jennings could get the call-up the moment the major league rosters expand in September.

Now, it’s not to get excited as he will probably not get much exposure with the Rays battling the BoSox and Rangers for the AL Wild Card; however, he will at least get his first exposure of major league talent and could surprise some owners.

Blessed with natural speed and a great approach when on base, this contact hitter is a prototypical leadoff hitter as he rarely strikes out and gets on base with regularity. (.386 minor league OBP) A shift to RF may be in order, as BJ Upton plays a steady CF; however, Jennings may have the upside to push his way to a starting day roster next season. Won’t hit for power, but can use his wheels to turn a single into a double and a double into three bases.

Injuries are a bit of a concern, as he hasn’t been able to complete either of the past two seasons, dealing with shoulder and knee injuries. As his body gets more acclimated to playing such a long season; hopefully the wear and tear will be more absorbed by his body.

The DYNASTY

Pedro Alvarez – Third Base

After struggling a bit in High-A-Lynchburg through 66 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates former number two overall pick was still accelerated to the AA-Altoona Curve to continue his progression to the major league.

Since the promotion, it appears that his bat made the trip as he is posting a dramatic increase at the plate that has some believing he may get a shot to show his stuff this season when September opens up rosters. The Pirates continue to decimate their roster and completed their fire sale at the deadline this season leaving only one roster player from their 2008 opening day roster (Ryan Doumit) and pinning their future hopes on a pair of young stud OF’s (McCutchen and Lastings Milledge) to pull them out of this dismal run.

You can add this New York born and raised talent in their resurrection as Alvarez will bring a steady glove, a touch of power and a keen eye at the plate each and every day to the ballpark. He is a contact hitter with some extra base power and should hit for average at the pro level. Considering he is 22-years old, the opportunity for him to make the Pirates squad out of spring training as their starting hot corner man is more probable than giving Andy LaRoche another full season to come through on his “he’s got talent, he’s gotta produce” history.

The Shallow

Carlos Guillen – 1B/3B/Outfield (LF)

Thankfully, hitting left-handed has always been the stronger suit for this aging Tiger, as an ailing shoulder will limit, if not end his days of switch-hitting, if only for the remainder of the season.

So after having much success, the multi-position eligible Guillen struggled out of the gates and has had injuries crawl up and suck the life out of his once prominent bat. So why then are we mentioning him here? Well, his versatility alone makes him a more valuable add in deep leagues, as he can shift into multiple positions upon a day off for an everyday bat.

Also, he is hitting slightly over .300 over the last month, while displaying a bit of power (4 HRs, 14 RBIs) while getting on base at a .383 clip. Not too shabby for a guy that many proclaimed his career was over after his struggles early on.

Another item that makes Guillen valuable, even with the addition of Aubrey Huff, is the fact that the Tigers could use as many bats as possible, especially left-handed bats.

Their offense is hit or miss and after going a big 0-16 with RISP on Sunday against the Royals, it’s apparent that they will continue to struggle if the hot hands don’t come around. Expect Guillen to compliment that surge as he will finish strong, salvaging something from the 2009 campaign.

By the way Tigers fans, September 13th is PAWS Bobbleheadday at Comerica Park! It’s the last Bobblehead Day of the year for the Detroit Tigers – and will be given out to ALL Kids 14 and under when the Tigers play host to the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

The Deep

Justin Masterson – Starting Pitcher

Effective in a spot start, slash long reliever, Masterson finally has the opportunity to show his stuff in a starters’ role. While he seems to be on a pitch count, or at least has his innings pitched being watched like a hawk, this former 2nd round pick can look to throw his name into fantasy relevance in Cleveland where the re-build is obviously in full effect.

Blocked in development in Beantown, Cleveland will give Masterson the opportunity to develop into a top-end rotation arm, and while he faltered a bit, (alright, alright, he got hammered in Minnesota ) he should still be able to give fantasy owners a bit of what they need against favorable opposition.

This 24-year old has shown fairly decent control to this point, improving on his career 1.7K/BB ratio by upping to a more healthy 2.44 total. However, he did look nervous against the Twins, and while we all know how intimidating playing in the Metrodome can be, should he struggle with his control (5BB in 3.1 IP) a return to a bullpen role, at least for the remainder of the season, could be in order.

One way or the other, as a DEEP shark, Masterson is finally in the long term plans of a major league organization as a starting pitcher, so expect him to prove the rest of the way this season, where he will fall in the pecking order come 2010.

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By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

Chris Coghlan – 2B/Outfield (LF)

Tearing the cover off of the ball at a .380 clip over the last month (35/92) while displaying a balanced attack of extra-base power (six 2B, one 3B and 4 HR’s) and the added touch of speed (2 SB’s) Coghlan has lifted his season BA close to .290 after middling away at around .250 for most of the season.

Earlier in the season, he was a hot waiver wire add when he seemingly took over a corner OF spot; however, until recently Coghlan has been minimally attractive to fantasy owners. Creeping up to 32 percent ownership, he is a nice multi-position add for managers seeking a playoff spot as most leagues are entering their final push to the post-season.

The current streak that he is on includes 15 multi-hit performances in his last 22 games, and can be attributed to his high contact rate and patience at the dish. With only 52K’s and a 1.37K/BB ratio, Coghlan has basically taken over the leadoff spot by doing what a leadoff hitter does best. Chris is a key “Cog” in starting the rally of an under-rated Marlins attack.

The Deep

Travis Snider – Outfield (LF)

After starting out the season with a bang, Snider seemed to struggle the rest of his stay in T.O. which ultimately cost him a spot on the roster. He was guarded with caution, mostly hitting in the nine-slot of the Toronto line-up and saw limited at-bats.

At only 21-years of age, the power displayed by this Kirkland , Washington native is Major League type. With the free sale of Alex Rios, it appears that the Jays are willing to not only give him a shot sometime soon to reclaim his role on the team; but also, allow him the chance to be a key piece of the Blue Jays attack.

Now, while it doesn’t necessarily determine job security as being a “cornerstone” in the Jays line-up currently is about as secure as Bartolo Colon’s belt after a visit to the buffet, it should at least provide him a steady home address until he is eligible for arbitration.

Snider will swing and miss with frequency; however, his power will make up for any annoyance. Swatting 13 HR’s in his 160 AAA-Las Vegas AB’s (along with 13 extra-base pokes) while hitting a confidence boosting .319 should give him the type of lift necessary to make his second go-around with Toronto much more successful.