We're two weeks deep in baseball and there's been a lot of shifting in value already. In order to make the proper roster moves and know what to look for when you begin trade negotiations, it helps to understand the perceived value shifts that happen each week. So that's when we bust out the complex algorithms and determine who's up and who's down.
Evan Longoria, 3B, TB -- Tee. Hee. Yes, that's correct. I'm flat out giddy over Longoria's call up. He picked up a ribeye on his very first hit and then followed it up last night with is first major league double and then his first major league home run. You should have already added him in every league you play in (or should be doing that right now .... ) And I've heard some people say that there are better, cheaper options for the same type of player; please. Longoria bleeds upside.B.J. Ryan, CL, TOR -- Ryan missed all of last season after J.P. Ricciardi kind of/sort of tricked everyone into thinking he was healthy. Now he's back and he's closing already. He also looked like he might have dropped some LB's since he last pitched, which never hurt anyone. A very nice add on an underrated Toronto team, although if he gets too hot it might be worth a sell.
Alfonso Soriano, OF, CHC -- He was just starting to heat up before he crow-hopped his way onto the disable list. Remember, he got hurt last year and still bounced back for decent power numbers, so it's worth considering him as a cheap buy from a struggling owner right now, if you have the room to stash him on your roster. (Or if that owner has already maxed out their DL slots, they'd probably be willing to give him for cheaper).
Mike Jacobs, 1B, FLA -- Dude's leading (tied anyway) the majors in homers with six so far this year. It's not totally unexpected -- he has plenty of power in his bat -- but it's a little surprising. The power is very much legitimate, but he is more than likely going to max out at 30 homers this season. Which means that he's a pretty good sell high if you can.Yovani Gallardo, SP, MIKL -- He'll be back this weekend, so it's your last chance to buy on him. He is very much real and very much sick-good, so you should probably take a stab at grabbing him.Manny Acosta, RP, ATL -- This can't couldn't get out of the closer role if he wanted to for the Braves at this point. Peter Moylan is out for the year (most likely) and Rafael Soriano is dealing with the same troubles he's had. I'd consider him a strong buy, given his likely low price in the perceived role of "temporary" closer.Erik Bedard, SP, SEA -- I'm a little concerned he won't ever meet expectations, but I also think he's a nice buy at this point; he is in fact elite, but with the injury history, some owners might not think so.Armando Galarraga, SP, DET -- He's definitely a sell, just because of his situation, but I think he's also definitely a start for this week. He might be pitching over his head, but he also might be a legitimate fantasy option. Depends on your risk/reward preference.Gil Meche, SP, KC -- Meche, to me, defines buy low. He's on the Royals, he hasn't pitched superbly, and people already discount him for reasons outside of logic anyway. Instead, he is a good pitcher who doesn't get much credit and a nice SP4 to add to your staff for a Royals team that is better than people think.
