Chris Carpenter may not be as dominant as he was pre-surgery, but he should help your ratios over the last two months.

Mixed League Options

Chris Carpenter, SP, STL- About time. The former Cardinal ace has been out of the fantasy picture seemingly forever, but has reemerged finally on the other side of Tommy John surgery. His first start went well, as he allowed only 1 run in 4 innings, and he could definitely be a sleeper for the last two months of the season. He is only 33 after all, which isn’t THAT old for a pitcher, especially one who didn’t emerge as a stud until he was 29. At his best, Carpenter was a workhorse with a great ERA, simply dazzling WHIP, along with good amounts of strikeouts and plenty of wins, a true fantasy stud. After his surgery, he can’t be counted on as a workhorse anymore, and probably will not get all his strikeouts back. The wins are iffy, with the Cardinal offense scuffling a bit behind him, but they should come. That leaves the ERA and WHIP, which will effectively define his value down the stretch. Perhaps the best part of Carpenter’s game from 2004-2006 was his WHIP, which sat in the low 1’s. He most likely will be more hittable, and that number could increase, but that new WHIP is still pretty valuable to a mixed league club. Keep an eye on him to see what happens, and be ready to pounce.

Brandon Inge, C, DET- With Pudge Rodriguez being traded to the Yankees, Inge finds himself handed the every day catching job. Inge has always had nice power numbers; his main problem was always getting in the lineup consistently. Problem solved. With catchers always in demand, Inge is definitely worth a shot as your backup, and could start if home runs are a big concern for your team. He has 9 homers this year, but if he were playing regularly that number would be somewhere from 15-20. He will hurt your average, but should get plenty of runs and RBI opportunities as a bonus in the potent Detroit offense. Inge should be starting in deeper AL only leagues now that he is getting regular playing time.

Anibal Sanchez, SP, FLA- Does anybody remember Anibal Sanchez? The whiz kid who threw the no-hitter in 2006 on his way to 10 wins with a 2.84 ERA is still just 24, and is back from a year and a half of recovery from shoulder surgery. He zoomed through a minor league rehab assignment and looked like his old self in his first start back on Thursday night, picking up the win while allowing just 2 runs in 5.2 innings. Sanchez is not a huge strikeout guy, but did put up very good ratios in 2006 and throughout his minor league career, and should do the same down the stretch. With the Marlins offense as loaded as it is this year, Sanchez could win most of his starts. Look at Sanchez as an option in deeper mixed leagues and in NL only leagues and worth a flier in normal mixed leagues.

NL Only Options

Corey Patterson, OF, CIN- With Ken Griffey out the door, Jay Bruce will move to right field and Patterson will take over in center for the Reds. This guy is one of the worst hitters in the league, but because we play this crazy game called rotisserie baseball, we don’t even care. We just want the steals he provides. For all you stolen base starved owners, Patterson immediately becomes worth owning, as Dusty Baker has no problem with giving him the green light, assuming he finds a way to reach base every once in a while. This immediately makes him a must add in all NL only formats, and even in some mixed leagues if you really need the steals. Of course, there’s always the potential for some homers and runs from Corey too, but that’s just icing on the cake.

Andy LaRoche, 3B, PIT- LaRoche is the third baseman of the future for the Bucs, and will join the club right away following his trade from the Dodgers. He will join his brother Adam, who occupies the other corner of the infield already, and should replace Jose Bautista at third as the Pirates look to rebuild and develop younger players. A pretty highly rated prospect, he projects as a .300-30-100 type of hitter, and obviously the kid can really hit. He has battled through injuries this year, but is now healthy and will get at least semi-regular playing time. LaRoche is a great target for keeper and NL-only leagues, as the 24 year old knows how to swing the bat and can help out across the board down the stretch given regular at bats.

Brandon Moss, OF, PIT- The second 24 year old acquired at the deadline by the Pirates will also find himself in a starting role right away, taking over Jason Bay’s spot. Moss is a pretty good hitter, but the thing that stands out to me about his minor league resume is his high amount of doubles. Moss typically sits in the .280, 15 HR range over a season, but has consistently clubbed doubles at a great rate, topping out at 41 last year. Why should a roto player care about doubles? Because often with young players, doubles turn into homers as they add more strength. However, any player in a league that rewards doubles, like a points league, will appreciate the doubles as they are. Don’t go too nuts over Moss, as the Red Sox traded him because they saw him for what he is, an expendable 4^th OF type bat with some potential to grow into a solid .280-25-90 type corner OF. NL only owners will still find value in a bat like his playing everyday though.

AL Only Options

David Price, SP, TB- Nothing new to report here, as Price continues to dominate the minor leagues. I am writing about Price now not because he has been promoted, but because if you wait until he is promoted, you’ll miss out on him. The number 1 pick in 2007 has an electric fastball/slider combination and is still developing a changeup to complete his arsenal. He has huge impact potential and could make a Joba-like splash in the bullpen or could find himself slotted into the rotation with either Andy Sonnanstine or Edwin Jackson relinquishing their spot. There is an enormous amount of hype behind Price, and he has backed it up with his great performances in the minors. The Rays can use his arm down the stretch as they push for their first ever playoff berth, and they will. If you can afford to, stash Price and wait to reap the benefits of a top-notch power arm down the stretch.

Josh Fields, 3B, CHW- Looking for some power numbers? Fields is your man. Given the starting 3^rd base job with Joe Crede’s injury, the former Oklahoma State quarterback will look to improve on his 2007 debut, when he hit 23 home runs in 373 at bats over 100 games. He didn’t make the roster in spring training, and scuffled a little bit in Triple A ball, but he is still the same hitter he showed he could be last year, a big power swing with a ton of strikeouts. Make no mistake here, this kid is not a great hitter, and is hardly a kid anymore, playing his age 25 season. He definitely will hit some homers in his time though, and looks to be a Craig Nettles/Russell Branyan type of hitter. Whether he will get the playing time of Nettles or that of Branyan will ultimately determine his career path. For now, a good AL only player who can provide some power numbers down the stretch to replace Crede, Casey Blake, or what’s left of Hank Blalock.

Denard Span, OF, MIN- Span has found a home at the top of the Minnesota lineup due to his excellent on-base skills and speed, and should find a home in many AL only lineups for the same reason. He is very fast and has stolen 20 bases at all levels this year, and in the small ball Minnesota lineup, he can be counted on to get a frequent green light. He is a slap hitter, and will provide almost no power, but think of him as Ryan Theriot in the outfield, a valuable asset indeed in deep leagues. The 24 year old is probably more suited to a career as a 4^th outfielder than as a leadoff hitter, but for now will find himself coveted for his speed.