Fantasy Athletics

As Watson noted earlier, there has been a fairly decent seismic shift in the National League Arms Race, what with the Cubs acquiring Rich Harden only 24 hours after the Brewers picked up CC Sabathia. And just like it affects real baseball, the trade does some things for fantasy owners as well. So, why not look at the four biggest names in the trade?

Rich Harden, SP -- I've said it once, and I'll say it again: sell high on Harden. Billy Beane rarely gets suckered and this deal kind of looks like one of those times, no? Which makes me think "ruh-roh" with regard to Harden's health. Especially when you remember that during his next to last start in an Oakland uni, he was barely topping 90 mph. But his move to one of the most offensively potent teams and a World Series contender should boost his value in theory, making him a prime sell.

On Sunday night, for the first time in the history (which spans multiple decades, and I'm only 26) of my fantasy playing, I traded for Rich Harden. I feel like I got a good deal, and he came with Felix Hernandez, but it occurred to me yesterday morning that, "Holy Crap. I just traded for a season-long red cross."

Yes, I am slow on the uptake.

The point though, is not to tell you to trade for him. Quite the opposite, in fact. The point is, that if I, as a skeptic of Harden the fantasy player, am willing to allow him to become part of a deal, then he has sufficiently reached some sort of level where there is a chance the general public thinks he might stay healthy.

And right now, you can get some good value back for him too.

For instance, Aaron Harang has stunk the joint up so far this year. It's pretty likely his owner wants to move him. Would a straight up Harang for Harden trade work? Most certainly; you could even possibly (likely?) persuade the other owner into sweetening the deal because of Harang's struggles. Harang is rocking a high BABIP and a heavier reliance on his slider. Additionally, he's allowing tons of line drives and far fewer ground balls as of right now.

The principle of this trade remains simple: regardless of how much Harang turns around his season, it will be better than the time that Harden spends on the disabled list.

To get you ready for draft season, Fantasy FanHouse will be running through each major league team, covering lineups, rotations and sleeper/busts.

Meet the ...
The Rebuilders. I was going to make some type of Moneyball joke but that seems absurd. Almost as absurd as anyone that thinks Billy Beane's strategy doesn't work. Ridiculous. However, because Beane's methods involve using little money the A's are cheap, this is a team that looks pretty bare on the surface. But there's fantasy talent to be found, and it can be found cheaply.

The Breakout
Daric Barton has a healthy lead on Dan Johnson (whose mancrush I just can't quit for some reason) on the first base job for this year. And probably for a much longer time than that. Barton hit 13 taters total last year, but four of them were in just 72 at bats during his cup of coffee, but the premium he provides is in his average stats. His back-to-back .389 OBP seasons in 2006 and 2007 at Sacramento make him a pretty desirable (and cheap! my favorite combination) option for most leagues. Keepers especially.

The Bust
Jack Cust came out hot last year because he just absolutely crushes the ball and he hit the scene on a tear. (And this a tough spot -- Rich Harden is just way too easy and no one that could "bust" is getting taken high enough in fantasy drafts ... ahem, Eric Chavez). The longball is sexy, and he can, in fact, mash the hell out of it. But he is streaky as all get out and his average is going to stink. Oh yeah, and he was listed on that little Congressional thing. Anyway, he probably won't be highly sought after, but then again, there won't be many A's starters that are. I'd steer clear of Cust.