It is no surprise the Milwaukee Brewers are playing to win now with general manager Doug Melvin on the hot seat with his inability to find starting pitchers the last couple of seasons with failed signings of Jeff Suppan and Doug Davis to name a few in addition to Prince Fielder in the last year of his contract. Melvin has essentially pushed all of his chips in at the poker table and is banking on the Brewers making another World Series run like they did a couple of years ago when they traded for CC Sabathia at the deadline.

From a fantasy baseball perspective, Greinke gets a bump up in rankings moving to the National League which should improve his WHIP and ERA as well as increasing his strikeouts slightly. The other possible winner of the trade is Carlos Gomez getting a shot to win the center field job with Cain now out of the picture.  Gomez has shown nothing outside of stolen base ability in his few seasons in the major leagues which gives him some value in NL only leagues but little value in mixed fantasy baseball leagues.

From the Royals side, Cain is the big winner as he should settle into the role as the starting center field, although Royals manager Ned Yost was trying to talk up Melky Cabrera for some reason at the press conference. Escobar struggled in his rookie season at the plate but still should be able to hit for a decent average with a handful steals. The comparisons to Elvis Andrus are a little overblown at this point so don’t go crazy with his stat projections in his second season. Jeffress has little value unless the Royals decide to move Joakim Soria and give Jeffress a chance to close. Dynasty league owners in AL only leagues should keep an eye on Odorizzi who was the top Brewers minor league pitcher but it still two to three years away from the major leagues.

Here is a look at the 2010 fantasy baseball tiers for shortstop.

Tier 1:  rounds 1-3

1.  Hanley Ramirez
2.  Jimmy Rollins
3.  Troy Tulowitzki
4.  Jose Reyes
5.  Derek Jeter

Tier 2:  rounds 7-8

6.  Jason Bartlett
7.  Alexei Ramirez
8.   Elvis Andrus

Tier 3:  rounds 10-15

9.  Miguel Tejada
10. Yunel Escobar
11.  Asdrubal Cabrera
12.  Erick Aybar
13.  Stephen Drew
14.  Alcides Escobar
15.  Everth Cabrera
16.  Rafael Furcal

Tier 4:  rounds 16-20

17.  J.J. Hardy
18.  Marco Scutaro
19.  Orlando Cabrera
20.  Ryan Theriot

Tier 5:  bottom of the barrel

21.  Cliff Pennington
22.  Ian Desmond
23.  Julio Lugo
24.  Edgar Renteria

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Projected Batting Order:

1.  2B Rickie Weeks (ADP 176)
2.  CF Carlos Gomez  (ADP 223)
3.  LF Ryan Braun (ADP 5)
4.  1B Prince Fielder (ADP
5.  RF Corey Hart (ADP 180)
6.  3B Casey McGehee (ADP 209)
7.  SS Alcides Escobar (ADP 236)
8.  C Gregg Zaun (ADP 417)

2010 Milwaukee Brewers Projected Rotation & Bullpen:

1.  Yovani Gallardo (ADP 82)
2.  Randy Wolf (ADP 210)
3.  Doug Davis (ADP 395)
4.  Manny Parra (ADP ND)
5.  David Bush (ADP ND)

Closer – Trevor Hoffman (ADP 165)
Handcuff – LaTroy Hawkins

2010 Milwaukee Brewers prospects with potential impact this year:

1.  Lorenzo Cain – CF
2.  Jonathan Lucroy – C

This is the fourth article in the series looking at the current 2010 fantasy baseball ADP (average draft position) for players at shortstop. The data uses ADP numbers from Mock Draft Central using the NFBC scoring system.

The chart below lists players arranged by my 2010 fantasy baseball rankings with the current ADP broken down by where that player would fall in a 12 or 15 team league by round and pick. The one caveat being that the 12 team numbers may be skewed slightly as some players may go later than others due to the larger player pool to pick from.

Undervalued:

J.J Hardy is currently going off the board as the number 19 shortstop which is too low in my eyes. He had some issues last season like the increase in strikeouts and being demoted to Triple-A. But don’t fall into the trap that many fantasy baseball owners do. You are not drafting him based on last years performance, but are selecting him based on his future performance in 2010. If he hits second in the batting order after Denard Span and Joe Mauer, he is going to get pitches to hit and is going to score more runs that he would have in the National League.

Everth Cabrera / Alcides Escobar are undervalued depending on the makeup of your team. If you are short on stolen bases midway through the draft, you could wait on Elvis Andrus and grab Cabrera or Escobar several rounds later. Cabrera will get you more steals and Escobar will have fewer steals but a higher batting average between the two.

Overvalued:

People seem to be looking at Rafael Furcal as if it were still 2006. His days of 20-30 steals are over with his recent back problems. If you are going to take a shortstop at the spot in the draft where he is currently going, you need someone that performs much better in home runs and RBI or steals more bases than what Furcal is going to give you.

The FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide is now available for purchase for just $9.99. You can view a sample here to see the template for the top 10 catchers and top 10 starting pitchers.

The Draft Guide includes the following:

• Projections in Excel for 480 players using the standard 5 x 5 fantasy baseball categories
• Cheat sheets already set up to be printed out
• Expanded player rankings for all positions
• Ages for all players as of opening day
• Word / PDF document that explains how to use the projections and some tips for some neat things to do in Excel.
• The first article that will be only available to subscribers (and not posted on the website) for “how to win your fantasy baseball draft league”. This is a seven page document with 3,500 words of fantasy baseball goodness based on my 20 years of playing in fantasy baseball leagues.
• You will also receive weekly reports every Monday that feature updates to rankings and a new article all the way up to opening day.
• Support for any questions you have in regards to Excel to ensure you get the most out of the data.

Order now to get the information you need to dominate the competition!!!

Next up in the 2010 Fantasy Baseball ADP rankings will be third basemen.

This is the fourth report in the series of our 2010 fantasy baseball rankings looking at the position of shortstop. If you miss out on one of the top tier shortstops early, your options in the middle to later in the draft will offer you the potential to pick up some players with stolen bases but not much power.

This position features quite a few question marks as we head into fantasy baseball draft season. Will Jose Reyes rebound from surgery and still be able to steal 50+ bases? Can J.J. Hardy bounce back in a new environment after being demoted to AAA last season? Does rookie Ian Desmond get the chance to start at shortstop or does he start the season in the minor leagues?

Those of some of the questions to consider as you prepare for key players to focus in on. Let’s take a look at the 2010 fantasy baseball rankings to see where the value is.

1) Hanley Ramirez – the number one shortstop and the number two pick overall in fantasy baseball drafts. The stolen bases are trending downward going from 50 to 35 to 27 the last three seasons but the five-category package at a hard position to fill solidifies his status as the second best  player.

2) Jimmy Rollins – even in an off year he still went 21-77-31. He gets 670+ at bats every year and will score a ton of runs in the Philadelphia Phillies batting order. There had to something wrong with him the first half of the season that was never reported with the stat line he put up. The numbers then returned to normal after the All-Star break as he went 14-43-15.

3) Troy Tulowitzki – much like Aaron Hill, he bounced back after a subpar 2008 and put up stats similar to his 2007 numbers.  His career 57% success rate stealing bases means he might not run as much going forward. His 20 steals last year were 13 higher than his previous best total

4) Jose Reyes – the boom or bust pick of the shortstop position. His current fantasy baseball ADP has him going at the middle-to-end of the second round making him a potential steal IF he returns to form, as he was a top 5 pick in fantasy baseball drafts in previous seasons. Coming back from surgery due to a torn tendon in his hamstring and he has had some hamstring issues in the past make him a risky pick. He will be worth watching closely in spring training to see how well he is running.

5) Derek Jeter – he must not have liked what he heard about his regressing defense after the 2008 season. His new workout in the off-season  I think played a part in him boosting his offensive numbers, coupled with a new stadium that is kind to hitters. Still showing no sign of slowing down at age 35.

6) Alexei Ramirez – solid numbers across the board in his second season as he improved his plate discipline from 18 walks and 61 strikeouts to 49  and 66 in 62 more at bats.

7) Miguel Tejada – showed no signs of easing up at age 35 and even boosted his numbers last year, adding eight doubles, 20 more RBI and tacking on an additional 30 points in batting average. Age, coupled with moving back to the American East where the division is stacked with good pitching should give Tejada’s numbers a slight decrease across the board.

8.) Jason Bartlett – where did the power come from? Went from a single home run in 2008 to 14 last year. A change in the batting order helped to account for the increase in numbers. Hit lead-off 218 times, where he hit half of  his home runs from after batting ninth in all of 2008.

9) Asdrubal Cabrera – provides added flexibility of qualifying at second base and shortstop. Look for continued growth in 2010; should be bumped up a few spots in dynasty leagues.

10) Elvis Andrus – wow, nice season as 21-year-old rookie where he put up similar numbers in both halves of the season.  When doing fantasy baseball projections, it is important to keep in mind position in the batting order as noted with Bartlett above. If Andrus ends up hitting second like he did part of the year in 2009, 40 stolen bases is a good possibility.

11) Yunel Escobar – the second best hitter in the Atlanta Braves lineup. Much more consistent in all categories than the next two players after him on my 2010 fantasy baseball rankings.

12) Stephen Drew – struggled out the gate with an injury and never made up ground. His 2009 numbers look pretty much the same as 2007. When  I hear the name Drew, I just think of missed at bats. Another player that gets drafted much higher than he should based on name and “potential”.

13) J.J. Hardy – there was no hot streak in 2009 to carry him like he had in 2008 and 2007. After spending the end of the of the season in the minor leagues and traded to the Minnesota Twins in the off-season, Hardy should see an improvement in numbers, especially if he gets slotted second in the batting order. Of some concern to note is his strikeout rate, which has crept up 7 percentage points over the last two years.

14) Everth Cabrera – quite a jump for Cabrera, going from a Rule-V pick that had never played above Single-A,  to a solid shortstop for the San Diego Padres. Has some defensive issues but the team should let him work through them. An outside shot to lead all the shortstops in steals depending on the health of Reyes.

15) Alcides Escobar -  handled himself quite well in 125 at bats with Milwaukee, batting .304 with four steals. No real power to speak of but should provide solid batting average and stolen bases in his first full season.

16) Rafael Furcal – another shortstop getting drafted much too high. His back surgery last July seems to have robbed him of his wheels. Without the 25+ steals, he is just another guy.

17) Marco Scutaro – not too often you see guys in their mid-30′s become full-time starters and parlay that into a nice payday. Should be good for another season of slightly reduced numbers now with the Boston Red Sox.

18) Erick Aybar – add up his numbers from 2007 and 2008 and presto, you have his 2009 year. He has decent speed, but unfortunately he has not learned to steal bases correctly yet, as evidenced by his 65% success rate in the minor leagues and 59% rate in the Show.

19) Ryan Theriot – no power, but he is nice to own if you are looking for stolen bases late in your fantasy baseball draft.

20) Orlando Cabrera – assuming he has a starting job.

The FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide is now available for purchase for just $9.99. You can view a sample here to see the template for the top 10 catchers and top 10 starting pitchers.

The Draft Guide includes the following:

• Projections in Excel for 480 players using the standard 5 x 5 fantasy baseball categories
• Cheat sheets already set up to be printed out
• Expanded player rankings for all positions
• Ages for all players as of opening day
• Word / PDF document that explains how to use the projections and some tips for some neat things to do in Excel.
• The first article that will be only available to subscribers (and not posted on the website) for “how to win your fantasy baseball draft league”. This is a seven page document with 3,500 words of fantasy baseball goodness based on my 20 years of playing in fantasy baseball leagues.
• You will also receive weekly reports every Monday that feature updates to rankings and a new article all the way up to opening day.
• Support for any questions you have in regards to Excel to ensure you get the most out of the data.

Order now to get the information you need to dominate the competition!!!

Next up in the series for the 2010 fantasy baseball rankings will be third basemen.

Second basemen Sean Rodriguez was recalled by the Los Angeles Angels from Triple-A to replace Howie Kendrick who was demoted. Rodriguez was hitting .273 with 21 home runs, 60 RBI and six stolen bases.

First basemen Logan Morrison (Marlins), out since April 10 with a fractured wrist, returned to action this week.

Jake Arrieta (Orioles) was promoted to Triple-A and tossed six innings with one run allowed and six strikeouts. On the season, Arrieta has a 2.49 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 65 innings.

Tobi Stoner (Mets) was promoted to Triple-A after going 2-2 with a 2.68 ERA in Double-A. Stoner held hitters to a .170 average while striking out 28 in 47 innings.

The move to second bases is not affecting the offense of Alcides Escobar (Brewers) as he continues to excel at the plate. Escobar has hit .400 over his last 10 games with one home run, six RBI and four stolen bases.

Catcher Jason Castro (Astros) was recently promoted to Double-A after hitting .309 with seven home runs and 44 RI.

Outfielder Jordan Danks (White Sox) could be playing with brother John in the major leagues in 2010. Danks, currently in Double-A is batting .318 with six home runs, 32 RBI and eight steals between two levels.

Zach Stewart (Reds) has been even better since his promotion to Double-A, going 3-0 with a 0.62 ERA in five starts. For the season, Stewart has a 1.51 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings.

Travis Wood (Reds) is currently 6-3 in Double-A with a 1.11 ERA. Wood is holding opposing batters to an .181 average and has struck out 69 in 81 innings.

Third basemen Dayan Viciedo (White Sox) is slowly starting to turn his season around in Double-A. Viciedo is now hitting .277 on the season with four home runs and 37 RBI. After only three walks and 26 strikeouts in 116 at bats in May, Viciedo has three walks and three strikeouts in 45 at bats so far in June.

With Brett Myers of the Philadelphia Phillies scheduled to have surgery on his right hip that will likely end his season, let’s take a look at some the internal options the Phillies have to fill that void either by call up or via trade.

Carlos Carrasco was the minor league pitcher closest to the majors when the season started, beginning the year in Triple-A. He has been off to a disappointing start so far this season at 0-6 with a 5.40 ERA. In 55 innings, he has allowed 63 hits with 58 strikeouts and opposing batters are hitting .281 against him. He has been better in his last three starts with 7 runs allowed in 19 2/3 innings with 21 strikeouts that the Phillies might be willing to give him a shot while he has momentum.

Antonio Bastardo was recently promoted to Triple-A where he has made two starts, allowing three runs in 13 innings with 12 strikeouts. In 34 2/3 innings at AA, he had a 1.82 with 39 strikeouts while holding batters to a .178 average.

Kyle Kendrick has done nothing to distinguish himself in Triple-A, with a 4.25 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 53 innings, but he could be an option because of his past big league experience.

The longest of long shots is Kyle Drabek in Advanced A ball. Drabek currently holds a 2.48 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings. If nothing else, the injury to Myers should have him bumped up to AA very shortly.

If the Phillies look to trade for a starter, they might move shortstop Jason Donald who is currently in AAA blocked by Jimmy Rollins. Donald has been off to a slow start with a .234 average with one home run and four steals. In AA in 2008, Donald hit .307 with 14 home runs and 11 stolen bases.

Outfielder Michael Taylor in AA could also be a trade target of other teams. Taylor is hitting .342 with 9 home runs, 37 RBI and 8 stolen bases with a low 19 strikeouts in 152 at bats.

In other minor league news from week 8…

Tommy Hanson continues to dominate in Triple-A, allowing one run in seven innings with nine strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting a paltry .164 on the season against him.

Gordon Beckham was promoted to Triple-A and is seeing time at third base. It looks like the White Sox are intent to get his bat into the line up at any position they can. Beckham hit .299 with 4 home runs and 22 RBI in 38 games in AA before the promotion. He has gone 3 for 7 in two games with the Charlotte Knights.

Wade Davis should be next in line the next time the Tampa Bay Rays need a starting pitcher from the minors. Davis in Triple-A currently has a 3.40 ERA in 53 innings with 32 strikeouts. His AAA numbers were actually better in 2008 following his promotion from AA.

2008 ERA – 2.72 Innings – 53 Hits – 39 Strikeouts – 55
2009 ERA – 3.40 Innings – 53 Hits – 44 Strikeouts – 32

The Cleveland Indians have several promising arms they could turn to in AA in the second half of the season. Jeanmar Gomez has a 1.29 ERA in five starts with 0.57 whip ratio and 3o strikeouts in 35 innings.
Teammate Chuck Lofgren was just promoted to Triple-A after posting a 1.42 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings.

Mat Latos (Padres) tossed seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts and could see a promotion to Triple-A in another month or two. Latos has a 0.50 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings on the season.

Madison Bumgarner (Giants) is heating up in AA, running off four straight wins since his promotion. Between his two minor league stops, Bumgarner is 7-1 with a 1.14 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings with zero home runs allowed.

Brad Lincoln (Pirates) should be ready for a move up to Triple-A in the near future. Lincoln has a 2.05 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings of work. He has allowed only two home runs and 12 walks on the season.

Alcides Escobar (Brewers) has been working at second base since the injury to Rickie Weeks and his hitting has taken off. He has boosted his average to .290 with two home runs and 21 steals. It remains to be seen whether the Milwaukee Brewers promote him the second half of the season or use him as the main trade bait to try to get Jake Peavy from the San Diego Padres.

Catcher Carlos Santana is hitting .292 with 7 home runs and 29 RBI in AA. He also has a 31 to 22 walk to strikeout ratio. If the Cleveland Indians go into fire sale mode and trade Victor Martinez or Kelly Shoppach, Santana could see time in the second half of the season.