Fantasy Baseball News & Updates
Fantasy Baseball News & Updates
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By declining Pedro Feliz's $5.5 million option a few days ago, the Phillies freed up spending money but also left themselves without much depth at the hot corner. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said he's talked to teams about potential trades, but added it's more likely the team will find a third baseman through free agency. "We're also not closing the door on Pedro [Feliz]," Amaro said. "But it seems like there is more third-base inventory than the actual needs there are in the industry."
Having delivered a .290 average in seven of the last eight seasons while providing above-average defense, Polanco is expected to draw plenty of interest on the free-agent market this offseason. Unless the Tigers somehow re-sign him, they're ready to give a shot to Scott Sizemore, a 24-year-old prospect who combined to hit.308 with 17 jacks and 66 RBIs across two levels in 2009. If Sizemore can't make the jump, Detroit has Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn as fallback options.
Polanco has hit .323 since the All-Star break after batting just .256 heading into the mid-season break. He's increased his batting average to .288, which still ties for his lowest mark since 2002 when he hit for the same average. The fact he's been able to increase his batting average 32 points in the second half is a testament to his sharp hitting eye.
He's been tearing through pitchers in his past seven games with a .516 batting average (16-for-31). After toiling for most of the season with a sub-.280 batting average, the second baseman has used his recent surge to vault his batting average all the way to .290. A third straight .300 campaign is still in the cards for Polanco.
Polanco, who surpassed his entire RBI output from the last 12 games with a couple of swings in this one, has been putting good wood on nearly everything that enters his wheelhouse this month. The elder statesman is batting .371 with 12 runs and 10 RBIs in 18 September contests to raise his average to a season-high .283.
Polanco has finally provided the breakthrough month that's been needed to jump start his unusually low batting average. The second baseman brought a .271 batting average into September but has seen that jump 11 points after a .363 surge in the month. He's a fantastic option at the middle infield spot in leagues which carry that position.
It's been awhile since Polanco reached double digits in homers. Even though the second baseman has flirted with the mark in recent years -- he hit eight or nine homers in three of four years from 2005-08 -- Polanco hadn't reached the double-digit mark since 2004, when he walloped 17 for the Phillies. What's helped him reach the mark is his 38.1 fly ball percentage, his highest rate in eight years.
Detroit skipper Jim Leyland wants to get as many left-handed hitters into his lineup as he can against Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona. That means Alex Avila will get the start behind the plate, as will Clete Thomas in right field, Carlos Guillen in left and Aubrey Huff at DH.
Polanco snapped out of a 1-for-14 rut with the blast, which was his first since July 21. After a very rough first half of the season, the elder statesman has found something of a stroke since the break, batting .291 with 24 runs in 41 games.
As disappointing as Polanco has been in the average department (.272), it's worth noting that he's four RBIs away from matching last year's total of 58.
Among Polanco's many hitting struggles in '09 has been his inability to hit on the road. He carries just a .237 mark away from Detroit's Comerica Park, where's he holds a comforting .303 figure. His road hitting woes are at the point that you should consider starting him only at home if you have a favorable alternative option.
It took a while but Polanco has finally found himself at the plate this month. He’s nursing a 10-game hitting streak, during which he’s gone 19-for-48 (.396 AVG) with four doubles and eight runs to boost his average more than 15 points to a season-high .276.
Polanco has hit safely in seven straight games, but his .264 average is his lowest since his rookie season back in 1998. That's likely to rise closer to the .307 mark last year, as he continues to make above-average contact.
Polanco’s fantasy value is largely dependent on his batting average, so a .254 mark this season has left him an afterthought in most leagues. But that could change soon. The second baseman is 8-for-24 since the All-Star break and has suffered from poor luck all season. If those fortunes turn around, a nice second-half breakout could be in store for owners in AL formats.
Inconsistency has dogged Polanco this season, as he'll tease owners with a performance like this one day, only to go 0-for-8 in the next two contests. He's hitting .259 with seven jacks, 43 RBIs and three stolen bases, not enough to warrant consideration outside of AL-only contests.
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