Shane Victorino is a class A thief when it comes to the basepaths.

Desperately Seeking Steals?

Are you struggling in your fantasy league and in desperate need for someone to steal some bases for you? I have seven players that have a potential of being a free agent in your fantasy league that may give you some help, even if it is a quick fix, short-lived, or to cover while you what for players to recover from injury.

SS Jason Bartlett, TB ~ He may be a hindrance in the batting average category, hitting a lowly .229 over the past two weeks, but what Bartlett can do is steal a base. He is not a very impressive player, but with a stolen base every eight at bats, you can call him the “Willy Taveras” of second baseman. He bats near the bottom of the line-up and will not gain you much on the runs and runs batted in category, especially considering that he brings a slap-hitting approach to the plate that has not netted a extra-base hit in the last 48 at bats.

OF/DH Johnny Damon, NYY ~ Johnny Damon has erupted as of late, hitting an impressive .527 over the past two weeks, netting one homerun, two triples, three doubles, and 21 singles all while stealing five bases and thumping the ball with an impressive (and likely short-lived) .729 slugging percentage. As Damon works his way back into a top-of-the-line-up hitter, if he is still available, you grab him. If he is not, likely the manager who drafted him is willing to trade him away. Remember that Damon is a perennial second-half hitter.

OF Lastings Milledge, WAS ~ I know it is hard to believe that anything good other than Ryan Zimmerman can come out of this National’s team, but Milledge is starting to produce enough in other areas to be considered for pick-up. Milledge is hitting .273 over the past two weeks, increasing his homerun production with two shots out of the park and stolen five bases in the last 48 at-bats. What Milledge does have going for him is the fact that his on-base percentage has steadily increased as the season progresses and everyone knows that speed and a high on-base percentage on a poor offensive team equals stolen base potential.

OF Shane Victorino, PHI ~ Although his young career has been littered with platoon jobs and injuries, there is no question that Victorino can flat-out fly on around the bases. With four stolen bases in the past two weeks, there is no doubt that in larger leagues, he has been added and dropped a hundred times. If it is the rare occasion that he is in-between teams, you can be the fantasy manager that picks him up and actually reaps the benefits as the Phillies slowly put their offense together and matches the output of their pitching to date.

OF Fred Lewis, SF ~ I have to be honest that I am a little biased with this player. In my NL-Only league, I took a chance on Lewis when he was listed as the fifth outfielder behind Randy Winn, Aaron Rowand, Rajai Davis, and Dan Ortemeier. Since then, Ortemeier has been a non-factor and Davis has since been waived and picked up by the Oakland organization across the bay. Lewis has stolen four bases in the past two weeks, hit an “average” batting average of .273, all while producing a .396 on-base percentage. He will hit a homerun every once in a while, but that is not important. What is important is that if you need steals, he can produce them and has consistent enough at bats to warrant starting in most fantasy formats that utilize NL players.

OF Milton Bradley, TEX ~ Has there been a hotter bat as of late than that of Milton Bradley’s. There is no doubt that he is reaping the benefits of playing in Texas, but he has even added a little speed to those old leagues. Swiping three bags in the past two weeks, Bradley gets the nod because of the speed increase and the potential offensive production that should continue. I use the word “should” because he has a track record of becoming red-hot, then fizzling out or getting injured as any. He is an injury risk, but if you want the double benefit of offensive production and speed, he is tops of the potential free agents.

SS Bobby Crosby, OAK ~ Another candidate who can get hot all-around, hitting the ball and the base paths hard. The problem is that he can just as easily hit the disabled list just as hard. Crosby has hit his prototypical .255 batting average, yet added three stolen bases in the past two weeks. With the Athletics offense somewhat stalled out, the team will typically go to “small-ball” type of play to generate runs like you see most NL teams do. With that comes an opportunity over the next several weeks to gather some stolen bases until you find the next hot commodity for stolen bases to take his place.

Had this article been due just days ago, I would have added Jerry Hairston, Jr. to the list, however, he has just found himself on the disabled list with a sprained thumb.

Other notables would be…

Garrett Anderson (ANA) who stole two bases but is batting .200 in June and has proven that he is not the player he once was, especially on the base paths.

Reed Johnson (CHC) who stole three bases, hitting .300 over the past two weeks, but only saw 20 at bats during that time period.

Josh Anderson (ATL) who had 22 at bats, stole two bases and hit .318 with limited time. If you are in a keeper league, he easily catapults over everyone mentioned in this article. The article was focused on a quick fix or he would be featured.