After the first month you may have figured out the weakness in your fantasy baseball team. Here in this article, I mention a player to target in trades and a player to get rid of for each position. Let's take a look...
--Catcher--
Target: Victor Martinez BOS
Surprisingly Victor Martinez has started off a little slow. A guy like this will always hit as long as he is healthy and all signals point towards him being healthy. Last year he was already playing great in Cleveland before he was dealt hitting .284 with 15 HR, but when he arrived in Boston he started tearing the league apart hitting .336 with 41 RBI in only 56 games. When Martinez gets back on track, expect him to get those numbers back. The Boston lineup has been a little shaky as of late but you have to expect guys like Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury to rebound soon. I'm guessing Martinez is at his lowest value point for the whole season, and he will quickly rise in the ranks in catchers as the season progresses.
Trade: Yadier Molina STL
Often praised by his defense, Yadier Molina has broken out with his bat lately. He started off the season blazing hot but recently cooled off. Don't mistake his hot start for a new standard in production. He will give you around a .290 average and 12 HR, but that is about it. Right now you might be able to deal him as a top 10 catcher because he has started out pretty well.
--First Base--
Target: Mark Teixeira NYY
I feel like I've heard this story before. Mark Teixeira hitting bad in April? I would have never guessed...
Big Tex is a career .239 hitter in April throughout his career. If you take all his Aprils and smash them together for a whole season, it would be one disappointing year: 616 AB, 81 RBI, 24 HR, .239 AVG. The numbers in the end are what people look at though, and Mark Teixeira's numbers will rebound nicely as the season progresses. Most of the time owners draft Tex knowing he will suck in April, but if there is any way you can pry him away you should. I'd trade about anything to get the kind of production Tex is about to unleash on the league.
Trade: Jorge Cantu FLA
Jorge Cantu is good, but not this good. He has been one of the top 1B/3B producers in the league and that just ain't right. In terms of hitting, April has always been Cantu's best month of production throughout his career. I'm not saying Cantu will be bad for the rest of the season, but it might be wise to sell high on Cantu if you are looking for a great trade chip. I wouldn't think twice about dealing him if I got something great back in return.
--Second Base--
Target: Ben Zobrist TB
All those people who were late to the 2009 Zobrist party are quick to point out Zobrist's lack of power this season. Are people really so quick to give up on players? Even Big Papi took a long time to get his first homer last year and he ended the year with 28, a very respectable number. Zobrist hasn't been invisible so far with five stolen bases, but his power will quickly come back and remind you of why you drafted him. If you don't have him, I'm sure it'd be super easy to grab him up. Try to make a play off his 0 HR so far and you might get him for a really cheap price.
Trade: Martin Prado ATL
Martin Prado is definitely playing way over his head right now. A .392 average so far? Are you kidding me? He has taken advantage of his unsustainable .452 BABIP and he's looking like a fantasy stud. He is a decent play in deep leagues because he has so much flexibility to fill in for injured players and he will hit for average, but don't expect him to do anything else great for your team. If you can use him as a trade chip along with some other player, you might be able to score a floundering ace or something.
--Shortstop--
Target: Jose Reyes NYM
Jose Reyes got off to a slow start so far this season, but now that he has moved to the 3-hole in the lineup, expect a big uptick in his RBIs. Hanley Ramirez moved to the 3-hole last year and hit a career high in RBI. The Mets would not have moved Reyes to hit third if they did not have faith in him. It's only time before he starts really heating up.
Trade: Rafael Furcal LAD
It's nice to see that Furcal has come back from his back injury well. He already has 16 runs and 8 SB, which are great for a leadoff hitter. The only problem I have with him is all the injuries he's had in the past three years. His back might not be hurting him right now, but back injuries can pop back up at any time. I'd rather just sell high on Furcal and add some other base stealer from free agency. Furcal could crash and burn soon.
--Third Base--
Target: Gordon Beckham CHW
It took Gordon Beckham almost a full month last year before he started hitting well. He is doing the exact same thing this season so far. The kid has some amazing talent and it's only time before he starts hitting. He is suffering from a terrible .250 BABIP which is bound to rebound. Last year when he was hot, he was getting RBIs almost every day. In this loaded lineup, expect similar production soon.
Trade: Adrian Beltre BOS
Let's face it: Adrian Beltre is not going to ever get back to his 50 HR self. He might not even hit 25 HR ever again. Even though he's now playing in a pure hitter's park, he still hasn't even hit a homer yet. I have a feeling his end line will be along the lines of .280-15-80-10
Those numbers are good, but nothing worth starting at 3B in any league except for super deep leagues.
--Outfield--
Target: Carlos Lee HOU
As you've come to realize throughout the years, Carlos Lee was put on this earth to hit. This guy could hit .300 standing on his head. He's a pure hitter just like Manny Ramirez and Vladimir Guerrero. I find his .143 average so far very hard to believe, but on further inspection it makes sense. Michael Bourn is doing his job by getting on the bases and even Jeff Keppinger is hitting for average...though when you inspect the heart of Houston's lineup, that's when you start seeing sub .200 averages. Even if Lance Berkman isn't very Berkmanish in the next weeks, just having him there will provide much needed protection for Lee and even Hunter Pence. Expect them to start playing like you are accustomed to.
Trade: Scott Podsenik KC
I don't think there is anyone out there who is playing more over their head than Scott Podsenik. This guy doesn't have the tools to lead the league in hitting. Podsenik is a good leadoff hitter and he has great speed, but I expect a market correction for him coming very soon. It might be wise to trade him to an owner in desperate need of stolen bases now before his average dips below .300.
--Starting Pitcher--
Target: Jon Lester BOS
Jon Lester seems to just not like April. Last year he got off to a slow start with a 5.65 ERA through his first two months but then completely dominated from then on to finish the year out well. He's starting slow again this year and one number that really jumps out at me is the .365 BABIP that he has through his four starts. That puts him in the top 10 in BABIP currently. I honestly don't think there is anything to worry about with Lester. His velocity is there, he's just getting very very unlucky. It's time to get him at a discount and reap the benefits later on.
Trade: Andy Pettite NYY
Andy Pettite has sure turned back the clock this season. Some of the leading factors in his early success are that he hasn't given up a home run yet and he has a advantageous .269 BABIP. Both of those are going to increase as the year goes on, especially in Yankee Stadium. I have a feeling Andy Pettite is going to get hit hard really soon, so you should deal him while his value is super-high.
--Closer--
Target: Brad Lidge PHI
We've seen Brad Lidge at his best, and we've seen him at his worst. He was completely beaten up last year with all those injuries and he tried pitching through it. He is now pitching pain free and the results show it. His last five outings in the minors have been scoreless and he looks to come back to Philly on Friday. This may be your last chance to buy low on Brad Lidge before he scores 30+ saves for the rest of the season.
Trade: Heath Bell SD
This suggestion is not a hit on Heath Bell. We all know he is really tough and a great closer. The problem I have is that he will get traded by the deadline and he might not be the closer for the team he goes to. Remember George Sherrill last year? He went to the LA Dodgers even though they had a closer. I can see a similar situation rising for Bell. Own him with caution.
