Opening Daze
April 08, 2006
Now, honestly, Week One of the baseball season is no time to panic when a player goes onto the DL or happened to leave all his bats back in camp.
But it is time to scour the waiver wire for players to fill holes during slumps or DL stints or, maybe for that special player that will stick (AND produce) throughout the year.
Jay Gibbons – Gibbons was on many draft lists for a last-round sleeper pick, and after the start he’s had, he may not be on the WW much longer. In two starts, Gibbons has gone 4-for-8 with three 2B, a HR and five RBI. Since he qualifies at 1B and OF, it would be smart to snatch him up if you can.
Adrian Gonzalez – Gonzalez is a very early recipient to a full-time starting job – possibly for the rest of the season, as Ryan Klesko is on the DL for an extended time. A former No. 1 pick, Gonzalez can hit to all fields with some pop, even in Petco Park. He should hit at least .275 with 15-18 HR with a full season of AB.
J.J. Hardy – When it was announced that Rickie Weeks was going to hit sixth instead of second in the Brewers’ batting order, that was all that anyone cared about. No one wondered about how J.J. Hardy would do. To start the season, Hardy has gone 4-for-11 with two HR and 10 RBI.
James Loney – Loney is a long-time Dodger prospect that has yet to show the power expected of him. He’s getting a cup of coffee while Nomar Garciaparra is on the DL, so he won’t be up for very long. He probably won't hit for much power, but he should produce a decent average. Those in NL-only keeper and deep dynasty leagues should give him a shot.
Jose Lopez – A lot was made about the drop in quality 2B in fantasy ball this season. That is prime opportunity for a youngster like Lopez to step up and get into position to move up the ranks. He is set as the No. 2 hitter behind Ichiro Suzuki, where he has gone 7-for-17 with a 3B and four RBI. You could do a lot worse at 2B.
Nick Markakis – The Orioles’ top prospect got a job with the parent squad out of spring training and manager Sam Perlozzo said that Markakis will likely get a start somewhere in the OF on a nearly daily basis. He should hit .285 or so with developing power. A must add for deep keeper or AL-only leagues.
Matt Murton – Murton has handled his first road games as a starter quite well, having hit 3-for-9 with a HR and three RBI. He should hit 15+ HR, bat around .290 or so and has a good shot at stealing double-digit bases – nice stats for your backup OF/UT guy.
Xavier Nady – Nady is like Murton-lite, with less speed. Nady is in a better situation than he was in while at San Diego. The Mets will continue to use him in key situations and, with a little luck, will have some good sleeper value as the season wears on.
Hanley Ramirez – The rookie shortstop has gotten off to a fine start (6-for-13 with a 2B, a 3B and three RBI. The BA and power won’t be impressive, but he should get an NL-only team some needed steals and would be a nice add.
Jeremy Reed – With all the confusion/bad reports/crafty front-office misdirection, Reed probably went undrafted in your league. Or, if you’re like me and have him in a dynasty league and sat him to start the season, you need to wake up and realize the guy’s just fine. He started the season going 4-for-12 with a 2B, a 3B and a SB, so pick him up if you need some OF depth.
Tim Salmon – Nope, I’m not having mid-90s flashbacks. Salmon is healthy and playing. He should DH and play the occasional game in the OF and might help a deep team and should definitely help an AL-only team with his pop. He’s already gone 3-for-6 with two HR.
Marcus Thames – It would be more fun to say Chris Shelton here, but 1) he should have gone drafted in a decent size league, and 2) if he wasn’t, he’s gone now. So let’s look at teammate Thames. Let’s ignore the question, Why is Marcus’ name pronounced “Thames” in the U.S. and “Tims” in the U.K.? The more important question is, How can he help my team? He’s a career minor leaguer that’s getting his shot. He has 20-HR potential if he gets good playing time, and he should in Detroit. A good guy to look at in AL-only leagues and one to watch in large leagues.
Fantasy Baseball 
