It’s that time of year again. That time of year when you realize that drafting that “hot prospect” really wasn’t a good idea. Of course I told you this time and time again over the weeks leading up to the season. Drafting prospects who are going to start the season in the minor leagues is terrible. To win at fantasy baseball you need numbers. You can’t get numbers from players who aren’t playing in the big leagues. So, what’s done is done and it is time to recover from such mistakes. Luckily you have made a wise decision and subscribed to the Assistant G.M. for Fantasy Alarm. This entitles you to all of my extensive research and evaluations on prospects and the minor leagues.
Today let’s talk about some players who could make an impact on your fantasy team sooner rather than later. These are veteran players who didn’t make the big league club but are determined to fight it out in the minors to earn another shot. These players will get the first look when the need arrives with the parent club.
Bobby Abreu – OF - Las Vegas (Mets)
Abreu is off to a fast start in the hitter friendly confines of Las Vegas. He is hitting a whopping .526/.591/1.275 with 5 RBI already this season. With Chris Young out and only Andrew Brown in his way, Abreu could reach New York by the end of the month.
Jeff Francoeur – OF – El Paso (Padres)
The Padres are already challenged with the bats and could use another power bat against LHP. Francoeur is likely in a battle with Kyle Blanks to be the first OF’er recalled this season.
Kyle Blanks – OF – El Paso (Padres)
I really like Blanks a lot. He’s never really gotten a fair shake at the big league level due to his countless injuries. Still, he has a patient approach at the plate, has great raw power and hits LHP very well. When he gets called up he is definitely a guy I would keep my eye on in fantasy.
Miguel Olivo – C – Albuquerque (Dodgers)
It is curious that Tim Federowicz got the call up when A.J. Ellis went out with the knee injury and not Olivo. Olivo offers far more defensively and still has some pop in that bat of his. He’s hitting .474/.545/.1.388, 2 HR, 7 RBI so far for the Isotopes.
Scott Sizemore – 2B/3B – Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees)
Sizemore is batting a robust .429/.519/1.090 with three 2B’s already in Triple-A. He will eventually get the call once Dean Anna & Yangervis Solarte fizzle out in the big apple. The Yankees will also regret losing Eduardo Nunez to the Twins in what was a terrible executive mistake.
Jeff Francis – LHP – Louisville (Reds)
I say this as more of a joke than anything else but Francis is 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA right now. His WHIP is at 0.83 and he has 12 K’s in his 12 innings of work. Nobody should ever give Francis another shot on their fantasy team but you just know that the pitching depraved Reds will call him up soon.
The Farm Report is a part of the Fantasy Alarm Assistan G.M. Package and is available all season long. Get the latest from Ray Flowers, Jeff Mans, Todd Zola, Howard Bender, Ted Schuster, Michael Pichan and more. Find out more about the Fantasy Alarm Assistant GM!!