Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Trading Zack Greinke

Yahoo! fantasy baseball readers believe Zach Greinke is the real deal. When asked if it's a good idea to sell, buy or hold Greinke right now, most respondents to Yahoo! Fantasy sports' poll said they'd keep the star right-hander. Afterall, Greinke is off to potentially one of the great pitching seasons in baseball history. Only about one quarter of readers said they'd deal him away at this time.

If the price is right, however, why not deal a guy who almost certainly can't keep up the pace? There's got to be someone willing to overspend. Just looking at Greinke's player page on CBSsports.com you can see some of the deals managers are making for his services.

One deal I caught:

Yovani Gallardo & Hanley Ramirez
for
Greinke & Michael Young

Ramirez is likely the best fantasy performer in that deal year in, year out. Gallardo is a stalwart ace if he stays healthy. While Greinke is the better pitcher in the deal right now, Young is a nice hitter who loses SS eligibility next year. His value diminishes greatly at third base. In a keeper league, this deal is a no brainer - trade Greinke.

There are deals out there to be had, so if you own Greinke, float some trade offers. You might be surprised at what you can get.

Rain on Whitesell's parade

The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned first baseman Josh Whitesell back to the minors before today's double-header against the Marlins. Whitesell had been struggling to hit, going 3-26 since his call-up earlier this month. That doesn't mean he won't be back. The double-header called for an increased strain on the bullpen, so Whitesell's replacement came in the way of another arm, not a bat.

Fantasy Impact: We'd drop Whitesell due to his demotion and struggles at the plate. We'd also keep an eye on him and the Arizona corners. If Whitesell proves resurgent at Triple-A and either Mark Reynolds or Chad Tracy remains dormant, Whitesell can be back up in a matter of weeks.