Ryan Theriot is a great source for runs and stolen bases along with a decent average in NL only formats.

AL Only Options

Adam Lind – Outfielder – Toronto Blue Jays – The release of Frank Thomas and Reed Johnson, and the subsequent move making Matt Stairs the primary DH, has created an opportunity for Adam Lind to finally become a full time player in Toronto. Lind’s arrival has long been anticipated, as he has nothing left to prove in the minors and deserves a long look with the big club. Before his recall, he was batting .365 with three home runs in Triple A. Lind has the ability to hit for a high average with plus power, and most projections have him hitting 15-20 bombs if he gets 400+ at-bats. He was just added to the Blue Jays roster and will almost certainly be sitting on the waiver wire in your AL only league. Grab him now, before your league mates wake up to this opportunity.

Luke Hochevar – Starting Pitcher – Kansas City Royals – Hochevar is the crown jewel of the Royals farm system, and his arrival in the majors has long been anticipated in Kansas City. He did not make the big club out of spring training, but all it took was one injury to get him promoted for at least a few spot starts. Hochevar was dominating in Triple A with a 2.25 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and .184 BAA.  He has not been that good in his first two major league starts so far, but he hasn’t been bad either. He had a rough outing against the A’s that accounts for his current stats, but a very dominating outing against the Blue Jays is more in line with what is expected of Hochevar. He should be picked up in AL only formats for as long as he is around, and used when the match ups look good. As with any rookie, you should bench him against the better hitting teams.

Mike Cuddyer – Outfielder – Minnesota Twins – Cuddyer had his breakout season in 2006, and is currently the second half of the Twins one-two punch in the middle of the lineup with Justin Morneau. He was injured five games into the season, and just returned to action a few days ago. The Twins really missed his bat in the middle of the line up. Cuddyer projects as a .280-.285 hitter with 25 home run potential, and should see plenty of RBI chances with Carlos Gomez and Brendan Harris setting the table at the top of the line up. He is a number 2-3 outfielder in AL only formats and more like a 4-5 outfielder in mixed leagues. Pick him up before everybody else sees that he is off the DL.

NL Only Options

Clint Barmes – Middle Infielder – Colorado Rockies – In 2005, Clint Barmes stepped in and gave the Rockies a much needed lift at shortstop where they were relying on a washed up Desi Relaford to replace Royce Clayton who departed in free agency. Barmes had a breakout half season and looked like their shortstop for years to come. A somewhat suspicious accident involving a moose, or venison, or something like that, caused an unusual injury from which Barmes never bounced back. Then, the arrival of Troy Tulowitski in 2007 spelled the end of Barmes’ shot with the Rockies. This season, the Rox gave Jayson Nix a shot at the full time second base job, and he has not responded well, creating another opportunity for Barmes to reclaim a major league job. Nix’s failure and a recent injury to Tulowitski have combined to ensure that Barmes will see plenty of playing time going forward. He is currently batting .290, and still has some pop to hit home runs, and will score plenty of runs batting near the top of the Rockies potent lineup. Barmes should be added in NL only formats as he will likely see the majority of playing time at second base once Nix is returned to the minors, which should be any day now.

Ryan Theriot – Middle Infielder – Chicago Cubs – Cubs manager Lou Pinella has no qualms about putting Ryan Theriot at or near, the top of the batting order, and for good reason. This season, Theriot is showing the kind of patience at the plate that a good leadoff hitter must have to be effective. His current OBP of .390 is reflection of that patience. Theriot stole 28 bases last season, and was only caught 4 times, which is the kind of success rate only seen among the elite base stealers in the game. Along with that, Theriot is driving the ball better and getting more extra base hits with a 27% line drive rate, his highest ever. All this adds up to a player who should be on every NL only league roster and deep mixed leagues as well. He should score a ton of runs if he continues to hit in the top half of the Cubs order, and should also maintain his average up in the .285-.300 range. Grab him now before everybody is on to his stolen base production.

Scott Olsen – Starting Pitcher – Florida Marlins – There has never been any question about this left-hander’s talent. His head, however, has been another question altogether, as he has often been accused of lacking focus and not having his head in the game. The word from Marlins camp this season is that Olsen has straightened himself out and it’s showing in his record, currently sitting at 3-0. One of Olsen’s main problems in the past was a tendency to leave pitches up in the zone, resulting in home runs and a reputation as a fly ball pitcher. He has gotten the gopheritis under control this season, so far at the expense of his strikeout rate, which is currently at a career low. However, the strikeouts should return as he gains confidence in his newly tuned mechanics, and when he gets going you can expect somewhere around 8K/9IP. The Marlins are able to put runs on the board, so he should get run support. Olsen will be a good source of wins and strikeouts in NL only formats and should be picked up in all such leagues.