Meanwhile, you saw “double impact” if you owned Andrew McCutchen, Julio Borbon, and Will Venable – 2 SBs – or Colby Rasmus – 2 HRs!

Hooray!  Borbon is waking up!  Since I own him in the FBTM AL-Only Keeper League – and turned down about three trade offers for him before the season started – I’m very happy to see him come alive.

Heck, as evidenced by my absence from the publishing table for the last week or so, it has started already, and it has become clear to me that I – and my lack of time – will be a big obstacle in the middle of FBTM’s short-term future.

What does this mean for Fantasy Baseball Trade Market?

Unfortunately, until further notice, you’ll see much less content on the site.  I’m afraid that this will be true for the remainder of the season.  While we will still try to add something new as often as we can, it has become clear to me, that I have to manage to life’s priorities.  To do that, something has to take a back seat.  Writing, editing, and publishing will have to be that “something”.

Rest assured, as I can, I’ll still keep you up-to-date with daily “across the board” performers via Twitter (@TradeMarket) or Facebook.  I’ll answer any e-mail questions that you send my way (or get it answered by one of the other Traders).  Just e-mail me at fbtrademarket@gmail.com.  I’ll toss out some of my famous editorial rants as time permits.  Plus, I still plan (hope?) to roll out my “take” on – and method of measuring – quality starts.

Amidst all of this chaos, though, the good news is that the FBTM leagues are all cruising at full steam.  Those will continue on under the FBTM banner, but I just don’t know if I’ll have time to report on our progress until the season ends.  Finally, if invited, I hope to make a few more podcast appearances in an effort to help keep the Fantasy Baseball Trade Market name “alive”.

After my personal “dust” settles in the Fall, I plan to head into next off-season by running the 2nd Annual FBTM Expert Slow Mock Draft.  Like this past Winter, we’ll hold a series of weekly mock drafts as well as promote a lot of pre-season keeper talk and player evaluation.  But, in the end, we’ll have to see what life brings.

Until then, however, I thank each and every one of you in advance for all of your support and patience.  Please keep us in the back corner of your mind, and remember … if you need some advice, we’ll still be here.  As always, we’ll be very happy to help!

Two players “doubled-down” yesterday, however.  Ty Wigginton had two HRs and Pirates phenom Andrew McCutchen had two SBs.  In total, though, it was a slow night on the base-paths with only six SBs.  Meanwhile, 25 total HRs got blasted out of MLB parks.

Personally, since I …

… own him in the FBTM AL-Only, I would rather see Julio Lugo get the majority of Orioles’ 2B playing time while Brian Roberts is on the DL, but, if Ty keeps putting up this type of production, I can’t see how Baltimore can stop trotting him out into their line-up.

As for McCutchen, with only 8 Hits in 31 ABs, for a .258 BA, he is starting off pretty slow.  Don’t worry yet, however.  You drafted him for a reason – er, he’s good.  Hang on, and keeping riding it out.  He’ll get himself straightened up before too long.

Well, week one is in the books.  How ya’ doing?  Are you in first place looking down upon the rest of the league?  Are you in last; shaking your fist at your underachieving bunch?  Or, are you somewhere in-between?

The beauty of this time of the year is that we still have 25 weeks left to go!  Plenty of time to turn things around … and plenty of time to watch it all fall apart. Don’t just sit there!

I’ve said it before, and I will continue to say it.  Always be looking to improve your squad.  That is why I am here.  I’m here to point out some players that can provide value.  Like…

Jason Hammel (owned in 4% of Yahoo! leagues) – the Rockies starter came up with 10 wins last year and has improved his Major League ERA each year.  With a career minor league ERA and WHIP of 3.46 and 1.271, respectively, it is safe to say that he’s not #1 starter material (or even #2 or #3 for that matter), but he can be serviceable if used correctly.  On the road, away from Coors Field, he had 7 wins, a 3.13 ERA, a 1.189 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 95 innings.

Brad Penny (owned in 16% of Yahoo! leagues) – the Cardinals starter pitched 7 strong innings in his 2010 debut.  He struck out 4 and walked 2 while allowing 1 run and 6 hits.  He induced 13 groundball outs, compared to 4 fly ball outs.  Why should you take notice?  Because whomever St Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan touches turns to gold.  Keep an eye on his Wednesday start against the pathetic Houston Astros line-up.

Kelly Johnson (owned in 30% of Yahoo! leagues) – the Diamondbacks starting 2B has flourished in the Arizona desert.  He has already hit 3 homeruns to go along with his 368/478/947 line.  If that wasn’t enough, with a .267 BABIP there is room for improvement.  Prior to a disastrous 2009 that made him expendable by the Braves, he had a career .311 BABIP.  He would make a fine MI on anyone’s roster.

Drew Stubbs (owned in 29% of Yahoo! leagues) – his 1 homerun and 4 RBIs came on a grand slam against the Cubs, but you aren’t looking for power from him … that is a bonus (although, he did hit 8 Major League homers in 42 games last season).  His game is “cheap speed.”  He stole 46 bases in AAA Louisville last year (121 in 423 career minor league games), and he already has 2 steals in 2010.

Luke Hochevar (owned in 6% of Yahoo! leagues) – the Royals starter has a win, 2.84 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 7 strikeouts in 2 starts.  The former first round draft pick might be finally putting it all together.  His 2009 K/9 rate of 6.7 in 143 Major League innings is in line with his career minor league number (8.3).  He should be a good source of ratio stats and Ks.  Just don’t count on a lot of wins.

Pedro Alvarez (owned in 2% of Yahoo! leagues) – the Pirates 3B prospect only has 3 hits in 21 plate appearances, but they were all homeruns.  He batted 288/378/535 with 27 homeruns and 95 RBIs in 126 games split between AA and A+ in 2009.  The only thing holding Pittsburgh back from calling him up is Andy LaRoche and his 3 hits in 21 plate appearances … none of which went yard.

Carlos Santana (owned in 3% of Yahoo! leagues) – the Indians C prospect is absolutely abusing AAA pitching in 2010 to the tune of 438/500/1313 (7 hits in 18 plate appearances) with 4 homeruns and 8 RBIs.  With a minor league career line of 288/396/495 with 66 homeruns, 317 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 473 games, it is only a matter of time before he suits up for the Tribe.

Jake Fox (owned in 3% of Yahoo! leagues) – now, why on Earth would I be telling you to pick up a guy that is hitless in 2010?  Because Mr. Fox started at catcher on Sunday.  The magic number for eligibility in Yahoo! leagues is five.  The 27 year-old has 29 homeruns, 98 RBIs and a 318/384/650 line in 99 career AAA games.

Four players “doubled-down” yesterday as Andruw Jones (is he still playing?) and Scott Rolen (I knew I should’ve started him!) each hit two Home Runs.

Meanwhile, Ryan Theriot (now, him, I started) and Denard Span (I just saw him get dropped in a 10-team league, believe it or not) each swiped two bags.

For our purposes, though, the players who stood out – the guys who went “across the board” – were:

• Mark Teahen – 3 for 5, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 SB, 1 Run
• Shin-Soo Choo – 3 for 3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 2 Runs
• Will Venable – 3 for 5, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 1 SB, 4 Runs

Everyone knows Choo, but Will Venable might be one of the most unnoticed players in MLB.  Only 2% owned in Yahoo! leagues, he banged out 12 HRs in 293 ABs in 2009.  Over 600 ABs, that would pro-rate to about 25 bombs.  Sure, his BA is soft (.256 last season), but for a 5th or 6th OF, you could do much worse.

He’s hot right now – 5 for 9 in his last two games – and might be ripe for a pick-up.  Just don’t plan to keep him long if his current BB/K rate (0/5) doesn’t improve.

Alright, folks, it’s time you learned something about me – I’m a deep league player. Well, I prefer to play in deeper leagues.  You know, the 14 to 16 team leagues where guys like Carl Pavano are not only own-able, but valuable! Those are my kind of leagues!

Last season, I played in …

… two such leagues, finishing 5^th in one and taking home the title in the other.  This year may have different outcomes.  Yes, I’m aware it’s early still, but when your roster boasts a list of DL players 5 miles long, a repeat is often very difficult.

Don’t believe me? Ian Kinsler, Lance Berkman, Cliff Lee, Brandon Webb, Huston Street, Scott Kazmir, Joe Blanton, Daisuke Matsuzaka.  How you like them apples?  That’s right, my current pitching staff consists of Chris Carpenter, Tim Hudson, Mark Buehrle and a personal favorite …

Gio Gonzalez – The name is synonymous with ERA-WHIP suicide, but the allure of this young arm is the strikeout.  Last season, Gio posted 109 Ks in 98.2 IP … good enough for a 9.94 K/9. That’s elite, my friends. Unfortunately, an astronomical 5.11 BB/9 nearly makes the K/9 a moot point.

In his first start of 2010, Gio posted a great outing against the Angels, going 6 IP with 6 Ks, 1 BB, a 3.00 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and the Win. His next start is against the Seattle Mariners in Seattle. If you’re like me, and own the majority of DL-eligible starting pitchers in MLB, Gio is an attractive option … if for nothing more than the strikeouts.

Ian Snell – Remember your 2008 drafts?  You had plans of drafting this guy, didn’t you? Only to have him snapped up the pick before yours. It’s a shame that you missed out on him. Since then, he’s only been … bad.  So, why am I mentioning him here on this list?  Well, maybe it’s the appeal created about him years ago that still makes me notice him on the waiver wire.

Or, it could have been his solid outing against the Athletics last week.  You know, the one that saw him pitch 6 IP, 4 K, 2 BB, 1.50 ERA, and 1.00 WHIP.  But, I’m thinking it has more to do with the 10 GB he had compared to the 8 FB.  If he keeps that up, the Mariners improved defense should help him.  His next start is against the Rangers in Texas – a match up that’s not for the faint of heart or the risk adverse. He won’t be on my roster just yet.

Dontrelle Willis – Yeah, it’s slim pickings in deep leagues, but Dontrelle Willis has shown – in the past – the kind of talent that will help you win leagues. His season debut was promising as he pitched 6 IP, 4 K, 2 BB, 3.00 ERA, and 1.50 WHIP, but don’t go adding him to your line-ups just yet.  His next scheduled start is against the Royals, as good or as bad of a matchup as you’d like for a potential pitch-or-ditch candidate.

Those are just three pitchers to keep an eye on if you’re looking for arms in deeper leagues.  Now, what about some hitters?

In 14+ team leagues, ABs are king. I should rephrase that … productive ABs are king. For example, it’s nearly impossible to replace a guy like Lance Berkman in these kinds of leagues, but there are options …

Daric Barton – I’m not one to brag.  Well, yes I am, but as soon as it became official that Lance Berkman was on the DL, I quickly headed to the free agent list and picked up Daric Barton.  Who? You know, the Oakland Athletics starting 1B.  Yeah, that guy. I quickly snapped him up when I realized that there weren’t many ABs available, let alone a starter. So far this year, he’s been great. 7/16, 3 R, 7 RBI, .438 AVG, and .565 OBP. Now, I’m not banking on that kind of production the rest of the way, but early-season counting stats are helpful nonetheless.

Rick Ankiel - Let’s face it.  Ankiel has gotten off to a good start, thanks in large part to one great 4/4 game. His overall numbers – 6/16, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB, .375 AVG, and .353 OBP – are better than those of Matt Diaz and Melky Cabrera.  Those two are owned in 13.1% and 8.1% of ESPN leagues, respectively, compared to 4.4% for Ankiel.  Sure it’s early, but if Ankiel is going to get everyday ABs in the 5-hole in the Royals line-up, I’d rather take that over having to choose between the Braves LF platoon.

Aaron Rowand – He always seems to be available on waivers.  He’s owned in 1.9% of ESPN leagues, and, yet, despite this, you should consider rostering him. Thus far, Rowand has gone 6/22 with 2 R, 3 RBI, .273 AVG, and .273 OBP. Those numbers aren’t great, by any means, but you know what kind of production to expect from him.

If it weren’t bad enough that he was a mock draft maniac this off-season – supporting FBTM in all of their pre-season mocks while running his own weekly drafts for FGD, the last time we conversed, he let spill the fact that he’s in over 20 (!!) leagues for 2010.  Over 20?!  Really?  Wow, Ivar.  How do you find the time?

I have this mental picture of …

… Ivar frantically jumping from Yahoo! to ESPN to CBS to scour waiver wires and set line-ups.  It makes me wonder – since most web sites limit your number of leagues, just how many Yahoo! and ESPN “sign-ons” does Mr. Anderson have?  And, given his desire to set the world record for fantasy league participation, does he own each and every Major League baseball player in one league or another?

Anyway, we, here at FBTM, are grateful to number Ivar amongst our closest of fantasy baseball friends, and I, personally, thank him for including the FBTM Championship League and FBTM Grand Slam Auction League in his whopping total of fantasy activities.  In fact, I REALLY thank him for – SOMEHOW – finding time to write up his thoughts of both the aforementioned drafts.  Support Ivar, and check them out at the links below.  ’Cause he’s da’ man!!!

Ivar and the FBTM Championship League

Ivar and the FBTM Grand Slam Auction League

“Know Thyself” — the Oracle of Delphi
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.” — Yogi Berra

Some baseball writers decry fantasy baseball because cheering for teams has been replaced by cheering for individual players. Readers of websites like ours know that this has long since stopped being the problem. The problem is not that we like our favorite players better than our favorite teams … the problem is that we have so many fantasy teams that a lot of us can’t even be sure who our favorite players are anymore.

I am in six leagues this year, meaning that due to the individuality of three drafts and three auctions, I have six very different rosters. Virtually every player who makes a play on one of my teams this Summer will simultaneously hurt several other of my teams by boosting a competitor in another league. So, has my identity been reduced from cheering fan to actuarial portfolio manager? Well, that does kind of come with the territory – of identifying and maximizing value to win each league as a discrete contest rather than falling in love with certain players and drafting by overpaying for them everywhere.

That said, let me propose a new term: “Magnet Player.” A magnet player is a guy who seems to end up on your roster in every league, usually because of a strategy you use or a gut feeling that you have about that player’s performance potential that seems to leave you valuing him more highly than anyone else.

I analyzed my own rosters (one 15-team mixed, three 12-team mixed, one 12-team NL-Only, and one 13-team NL-Only) to see which guys are my magnet players for 2010. Now, mind you, I am not advocating that you go out and try to corner the market on some player just to be able to call him a magnet, but it seems worth it to know which players have the most relative influence on one’s fantasy season. Since you’ll read on a dozen websites this week not to trust the small sample sizes of the “breakout” stars of the first week of play, this seems as good as an exercise as anything to occupy you as you finally get to watch some real games.

Refrigerator Magnets are relatively weaker magnets who landed on my team in 3/4 of qualifying leagues:

Vladimir Guerrero, DH, Texas: OK, seriously. If Vlad went 80-35-95-5-.300, would it really be a sign that the Earth is ready to crash into the sun? I kept grabbing Vlad in the mid-late rounds of drafts because the AL’s pension program, better known as the DH, has every chance of allowing him to have a comeback year at the plate. There are other kinds of upside other than just the young potential breakout stud. Despite Vlad’s big role in destroying my FBTM Championship League team last year, I’m back for more.

Ervin Santana, P, LA Angels: I know the elbow is iffy again, but I just can’t stay away. Erv’s awful first half last year, as he recovered from elbow problems, camouflaged a great second half where he seemed to have returned to his dominant 2008 form. Forget the three-year old myth that Ervin can’t win on the road, his road ERA was one run better on the road than at home in 2008. I know why you might see the elbow problem and pass … I just refused to listen 75% of the time.

Milton Bradley, OF, Seattle: Just because he’s a magnet, doesn’t mean I have to love the guy. He’s my fifth outfielder wherever I own him, simply because I think he’s very likely to bounce back and produce well above expectations in Seattle this year. Hitting cleanup with Ichiro and Figgins on base ahead of him should lead to RBI opportunities. The DH role should help keep him healthy. Oh, and, by the way, Bradley has a career .292 AVG in the AL … as opposed to a .265 AVG in the NL.

Finally, my “True North” magnet player, owned in 100% of qualifying leagues:

Gavin Floyd, P, Chicago White Sox: Really? Gavin Floyd? Can’t say I would have guessed Floyd to be my true north magnet before the drafts, but I also won’t deny being a fan. I see Floyd as a rising star, the ace of the White Sox’s decent rotation, and I put my roster where my mouth is. Floyd’s surface performance dipped last year due to BABIP correction and unluckiness in wins while his strikeout rate rose. The tall righty turned 27 over the Winter, and I expect him to end the season performing like a soft ace in my leagues … outperforming the fourth starter value at which I drafted or purchased him.

Have fun with Opening Week, fans. I’ve finished the exercise of figuring myself out, and as a result, I’m apparently off to buy a Gavin Floyd #34 jersey!

• Orlando Cabrera – 2 for 4, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, 1 SB, 1 Run
• Rajai Davis – 2 for 5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 2 Runs
• Curtis Granderson – 2 for 4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 1 Run

Four other players had …

… multiple SB performances.   I love it when my guys do that!  The speed demons yesterday would be Juan Pierre, Rafael Furcal, Scott Podsednik, and Shin-Soo Choo.  We would expect that type of production from guys like Pierre and Scotty “Pods” … but Furcal and Choo? Really?

That’s just one more reason you are “dead to me”, Rafael. I waited weeks and weeks to see you display this level (or any level!) of speed last year.  You’re a bum!  As for Choo? Sure, he steals bases, but I didn’t know he had that type of day in his toolbox.  Was it a case of mere circumstance? Were the SB opps just “there” yesterday? Or, is Manny really going to let his guys run this year? That might bear some watching when it comes to the Michael Brantleys and Grady Sizemores of the Tribe.