Greg Maddux moves to the Dodgers where he can help you with a few more wins in September.

Mixed League Options

Greg Maddux, SP, LAD- The little fantasy value that Maddux has provided this season was a product of his ballpark. After all, the Mad dog is 42-years-old, doesn’t strike anybody out, and was on the worst offensive team in baseball. He kept his ratios down due to the spacious Petco Park, but was otherwise useless. Well, after a scenery change, Maddux lands in the perfect place to actually improve his value outside of Petco. Not only does he stay in a pitcher friendly park, he finds himself pitching in front of a very potent offense, recently bolstered by Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake. This will result in his ERA staying right around 4, his WHIP remaining low, and Maddux winning more games. With only about 7 starts left, Maddux could still get to 10 wins for the ridiculous 21^st straight year by winning 4 of those starts. I would bet on him doing it, and that would mean he will be a fantastic starter down the stretch. Pick him up in all mixed leagues.

Dave Bush, SP, MIL- I know you already know who one of the players is, but humor me a little bit and take a look at these pitchers:

A: 9 wins, 4.60 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 129 Ks

B: 11 wins, 4.28 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 126 Ks

C: 7 wins, 4.26 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 90 Ks

Pitcher C is Dave Bush. The main differences here are that he strikes out less guys, and has had some bad luck. Even more different, however is their availability. Options A and B are Justin Verlander and Roy Oswalt, respectively, and are available in about 0 percent of all leagues. Bush however, is widely available to help out your club down the stretch. His ERA is good, great if you look at it after May (3.15) and unbelievable if you look at it in August (1.77). His WHIP is top notch; it’s really a great number. And his offense is very good, which should lead to some wins down the stretch. Worth a pickup in all mixed leagues.

Jason Kubel, OF, MIN- Kubel is a very talented hitter who has been around for a long time. You may have picked him up like I did in 2004 as a sleeper pick coming off a huge season tearing up the minors, only to have the next season ended by an awful knee injury. After a bad 2006, he rebounded in 2007 to have a solid year for the Twins. This year he has remained mostly healthy, and has become a very good option in the outfield. His numbers will end up around .280-20-80, a line that will remind you of guys like Josh Willingham and Xavier Nady. The difference is that Kubel is more widely available than those guys. He is just 26 and due to the circumstances of his career, it is likely that his best baseball remains ahead of him.

AL Only Options

Matt Harrison, SP, TEX- Harrison threw an unbelievable start against the Rays, allowing just 3 hits and no runs over 8 innings. The Rangers have always had horrible pitching problems, and Harrison is one of the prospects they are bringing up to try to ameliorate the situation. He has won 4 of his last 5 outings, and appears to be living up to the hype. Pick him up for the stretch in all AL leagues, and hope that his breakout is legit. He is a great keeper prospect also, as he is just 22 and has plenty of room to improve. Hopefully he won’t fall victim to the Arlington pitcher’s curse.

Carl Pavano, SP, NYY- When Yankees management declared Pavano would get a start Saturday over Phil Hughes, his stock took a huge upturn. The injury prone righty hasn’t pitched in a loooong time, but is talented enough to at one point be traded for Pedro Martinez, and also to have garnered an enormous contract from the Yankees a few years back. The Yanks lineup has enough value to make any pitcher worth owning in AL leagues, and Pavano is no exception. Assuming he can string a few starts together, he will help you out during the stretch run.

Joey Gathright, OF, KC- Another guy returning to duty after a DL stint, Gathright will jump right back into a role as a designated base stealer. He is an absolute blazer on the bases and will help in AL leagues in that category. There’s not too much to say about Gathright, as he doesn’t hit for much average, has no power, and is in a pretty awful lineup. His limited value lies only in his speed, but those guys are quite valuable in deep fantasy baseball leagues.

NL Only Options

Jo-Jo Reyes, SP, ATL- Reyes is a great looking prospect who has struggled in the major leagues so far this season. He has been excellent in Triple-A, striking out 33 in 34 innings to go with a 2.12 ERA, however his success has not translated to the Bigs, as he has gone 3-9 with a 5.18 ERA in 16 starts. The 23-year-old was forced into a rotation spot earlier than he should have been due to injuries, but his minor league stats show that he is ready for the show. It’s common for rookies to take a while to adjust, so his performance isn’t all that concerning. Reyes was just re-inserted into the rotation from the minors and responded with a quality start against the powerful Mets lineup. This is a good sign for the talented young lefty down the stretch, and he will most likely get a look for the remainder of the season. He is definitely worth a flier in NL only leagues down the stretch. There is the potential for a breakout down the stretch, so watch his starts and if he can put something together, he should be on your radar in mixed leagues for years to come.

Emmanuel Burriss, MI, SFG- Burriss is not that good of a player, and is exactly the type of guy that the Giants rely on too much, leading to their struggles. He has almost no power, hasn’t hit for average at a level higher than A ball, and doesn’t get on base often. The only value Mr. Burriss provides is the potential for stolen bases. This is an attribute that NL only owners will find very useful down the stretch, as they try to make up ground in the category. Burriss stole 68 bases last year between two levels of the low minors. This is not all that impressive considering the competition, but shows the pure speed that the 23-year-old possesses. He has been playing pretty regularly lately, and that could translate to 5 or so more steals for the Giants. Look at him only in NL only leagues, as his lack of productivity and at bats prevents him from deserving serious attention in mixed leagues.

Pedro Feliz, 3B, PHI- Feliz is just back off the DL and will jump right back into the starting lineup for the contending Phillies. The 33-year-old’s calling card has always been his light tower power along with a penchant for strikeouts and low batting average. His defense is enough to keep him in the Phillies lineup, and his power should be enough to keep him in some NL only lineups. He sports shortstop eligibility in some leagues, which almost makes him a must have. In his short rehab stint at Double A Reading, Feliz went 4-8 with 2 home runs, an encouraging sign to say the least. One thing that is remarkable about the versatile power hitter is his consistency. Year after year, he hits .250-20-80 or thereabouts. He will almost assuredly reassume that pace upon his return, making him a valuable asset in NL leagues.