We take our look at Fantasy middle infielders every Wednesday. All stats and notes are through games of Sunday, July 10.
This might sound like a back-track, but after a few short weeks, we have to stop calling Bret Boone finished. Now with the Twins -- after an All-Star break trade for the mysterious PTBNL (player to be named later) -- we consider Boone a second-half sleeper among Fantasy second basemen.
Label us knee-jerks, but he has gone from No. 4 at his position, to worthless, and then back into the "intriguing" category.
"I'm not saying that Bret Boone is going to be a savior, but he might be a guy that can help," Minnesota GM Terry Ryan said. "There's a lot at stake for him, obviously.
"This is a high-reward, low-risk situation. I don't think there's any downside."
That similarly applies to Fantasy leagues. The downside has already been absorbed by someone, hopefully not you. No. 4 among second baseman in our Draft Averages this spring, Boone can be a solid waiver claim as an everyday player for the Twins.
"Sometimes, guys get jump-started when they move and get a new beginning," Ryan said. "I hope that's the case with Bret."
| Projected Twins lineup | ||
| Player | POS | |
| 1 | Shannon Stewart | LF |
| 2 | Bret Boone | 2B |
| 3 | Joe Mauer | C |
| 4 | Torii Hunter | CF |
| 5 | Jacque Jones | RF |
| 6 | Justin Morneau | 1B |
| 7 | Lew Ford | DH |
| 8 | Michael Cuddyer | 3B |
| 9 | Rivas/Punto | SS |
Boone's career in Seattle peaked in 2001, when he finished third in the AL MVP vote for the 116-win M's, batting .331 with 37 homers, 141 RBI and 118 runs. He will never come near that again, but his .231-7-34-30-4 first half can easily be beaten with new adrenaline injected into him by a burgeoning pennant race in the AL Central.
"It's a shot in the arm to go to a contender and a new atmosphere," Boone told the Twins' official website.
Even a 36-year-old veteran can jack it up when the games mean something again.
"Physically, I feel great," Boone told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "It was a tough 2½ months -- obviously, I'm not happy with my numbers -- but I feel like if I can get my swing right, I can produce again."
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We say you should expect Boone to go .265-8-40-40-4 in the second half, but he suggested you could have even greater expectations.
"I'm not going to set goals, numbers-wise," he told MLB.com. "If I can get my swing going, I know I can hit 15-20 homers and drive in 50-60 runs in half a season. But I want to win. Whatever I can do to help this team win."
His defense alone will earn him playing time, which makes him at least worthy of starting in AL-only leagues coming out of the break.
Now, Punto and Cuddyer will fight for time at third -- until, of course, the Twins trade for Reds third baseman Joe Randa, who is playing on an affordable one-year deal for a non-contender that makes him the ideal second-half rental.
We put Boone back in the top 20 at his position, meaning he is back to being a viable mixed-league middle infielder. Cast your vote for his second-half numbers!
Continuing our midseason look toward Fantasy Baseball's second half, we give your our complete second-half rankings among middle infielders, broken down at second base and shortstop:
| Second-base rankings | ||
| Player | TM | |
| 1 | Alfonso Soriano | TEX |
| 2 | Brian Roberts | BAL |
| 3 | Jeff Kent | LAD |
| 4 | Craig Biggio+ | HOU |
| 5 | Felipe Lopez+ | CIN |
| 6 | Chase Utley- | PHI |
| 7 | Chone Figgins+ | LAA |
| 8 | Marcus Giles | ATL |
| 9 | Jose Reyes | NYM |
| 10 | Jorge Cantu | TB |
| 11 | Jose Vidro+ | WAS |
| 12 | Rickie Weeks+ | MIL |
| 13 | Placido Polanco+ | DET |
| 14 | Bill Hall+ | MIL |
| 15 | Robinson Cano+ | NYY |
| 16 | Craig Counsell | ARI |
| 17 | Ryan Freel | CIN |
| 18 | Orlando Hudson+ | TOR |
| 19 | Bret Boone | SEA |
| 20 | Tadahito Iguchi | CHW |
| 21 | Adam Kennedy+ | ANA |
| 22 | Rob Mackowiak | PIT |
| 23 | Mark Bellhorn | BOS |
| 24 | Bill Mueller+ | BOS |
| 25 | Mark Grudzielanek- | STL |
| 26 | Ronnie Belliard | CLE |
| 27 | Todd Walker | CHC |
| 28 | Jose Castillo | PIT |
| 29 | Luis Castillo | FLA |
| 30 | Ray Durham | SF |
| 31 | Jerry Hairston+ | CHC |
| 32 | Neifi Perez- | CHC |
| 33 | Chris Burke+ | HOU |
| 34 | Antonio Perez | LA |
| 35 | Juan Uribe | CHW |
| 36 | Aaron Miles+ | COL |
| 37 | Jose Lopez+ | SEA |
| 38 | Michael Cuddyer- | MIN |
| 39 | Nick Green+ | TB |
| 40 | Marco Scutaro+ | OAK |
| 41 | Ruben Gotay | KC |
| 42 | Tony Graffanino+ | KC |
| 43 | Marlon Anderson+ | NYM |
| 44 | Willie Bloomquist+ | SEA |
| 45 | Luis Rivas+ | MIN |
| 46 | Jamey Carroll+ | WAS |
| 47 | Jose Hernandez+ | CLE |
| 48 | Miguel Cairo+ | NYM |
| 49 | Oscar Robles+ | LAD |
| 50 | Omar Infante+ | DET |
| HM | Mark Loretta+ | SD |
| HM | Kaz Matsui- | NYM |
| Shortstop rankings | ||
| Player | TM | |
| 1 | Miguel Tejada | BAL |
| 2 | Michael Young+ | TEX |
| 3 | Derek Jeter | NYY |
| 4 | Felipe Lopez+ | CIN |
| 5 | Bobby Crosby+ | OAK |
| 6 | Jimmy Rollins | PHI |
| 7 | Rafael Furcal+ | ATL |
| 8 | Jose Reyes- | NYM |
| 9 | Julio Lugo | TB |
| 10 | Carlos Guillen | DET |
| 11 | Edgar Renteria | BOS |
| 12 | Bill Hall+ | MIL |
| 13 | Craig Counsell | ARI |
| 14 | Pedro Feliz | SF |
| 15 | Khalil Greene | SD |
| 16 | Jhonny Peralta+ | CLE |
| 17 | David Eckstein | STL |
| 18 | Adam Everett+ | HOU |
| 19 | Russ Adams+ | TOR |
| 20 | Omar Vizquel | SF |
| 21 | Angel Berroa | KC |
| 22 | Neifi Perez- | CHC |
| 23 | Cesar Izturis | LAD |
| 24 | Alex A. Gonzalez | FLA |
| 25 | Orlando Cabrera | LAA |
| 26 | Jack Wilson | PIT |
| 27 | Juan Uribe- | CHW |
| 28 | Jose Lopez+ | SEA |
| 29 | Antonio Perez+ | LAD |
| 30 | Royce Clayton- | ARI |
| 31 | Mike Morse | SEA |
| 32 | Willie Bloomquist+ | SEA |
| 33 | Marco Scutaro+ | OAK |
| 34 | Omar Infante+ | DET |
| 35 | Wilson Betemit | ATL |
| 36 | Desi Relaford- | COL |
| 37 | Rich Aurilia | CIN |
| 38 | Luis Rivas+ | MIN |
| 39 | Damian Jackson+ | SD |
| 40 | Oscar Robles+ | LAD |
| 41 | Cristian Guzman- | WAS |
| 42 | Jamey Carroll+ | WAS |
| 43 | Maicer Izturis+ | LAA |
| 44 | J.J. Hardy- | MIL |
| 45 | Alex Cintron+ | ARI |
| 46 | Luis A. Gonzalez+ | COL |
| 47 | Abraham Nunez- | STL |
| 48 | Geoff Blum- | SD |
| 49 | Nick Punto- | MIN |
| 50 | Chris Gomez- | BAL |
| HM | Alex Rodriguez | NYY |
| HM | Nomar Garciaparra | CHC |
| HM | Clint Barmes | COL |
| HM | Chone Figgins | LAA |
| HM | B.J. Upton | TB |
| HM | Aaron Hill | TOR |
| HM | Kelly Johnson | ATL |
| HM | Kaz Matsui | NYM |
Eligibility notes
- Alex Rodriguez has three games at shortstop this season. He would be rated ahead of even Miguel Tejada in our rankings.
- Chone Figgins has four games at shortstop this season and 13 last season. He would be right behind Felipe Lopez at the position, if eligible in your league.
- While Aaron Hill's primary position as designated by Elias Sports Burreau on our site is shortstop, he has played just two games there with Russ Adams being locked in long term. Hill is seeing the most of his time at third in lieu of Corey Koskie (DL, late July return). Hill might eventually move to second base full time, but he has yet to play that position. If you league uses primary position as designated by our website as part of your league rules, Hill is eligible at shortstop. He is a top-15 option in that event.
- Red-hot Willie Bloomquist still should be considered a utility man, but he has only four games this season at second base. That should rise in the coming weeks, but he warrants a flier as a reserve in AL-only leagues right now.
Bleacher Banter
Mark Briscoe, Beaverton, Ore.: I have Marcus Giles as my second baseman. He is not providing the needed numbers at second base. Rickie Weeks is available in my league. Should I drop a proven Fantasy guy like Giles and go with a rookie with potential? E.M.: Weeks will make a charge, but Giles still gets the edge because of veteran stability. Pick up Weeks if he is available, but you cannot drop Giles. Try to trade him if you want to go with Weeks.
Clifford Laraway, Westfield, Mass.: Jose Vidro or Alfonso Soraino? Felipe Lopez or Carlos Guillen? Is Guillen healthy enough?
E.M.: Our rankings give the edge(s) to Soriano and Lopez. We suggest trading Vidro and Guillen. Both should have excellent value in any league at their positions.
Jeff Irvin, Houston: I have two questions: 1. With Jose Vidro back, should I replace Chase Utley at 2B? 2. Bill Hall is available, and he is eligible at shortstop and third. Would you replace Edgar Renteria or Felipe Lopez with Hall?
E.M.: While Utley has been so-so of late, we still like him ahead of Vidro. Lopez, meanwhile, is now the shortstop of choice behind the clear-cut top three of Tejada, Young and Jeter.
James Kinkade, Santa Monica, Calif.: Do you think Jose Vidro will have a better second half than Bret Boone?
E.M.: Fairly easily. Vidro is a top mixed-league starter. Boone is a mixed-league reserve still.
Nathon Cassell, Houston: I picked up Chase Utley and Bobby Crosby to fill in my middle infield, but now I'm not sure who to start with Carlos Guillen returning. I'm thinking about trading one of them but wasn't sure which one to keep. My gut feeling is to stick with Bobby Crosby, but it's hard to trade an All-Star in Guillen. What do you think?
E.M.: Guillen is too risky to consider top five at his position like we do Crosby and Utley, who both have more pop.
Bob Greneveld, Sunnyvale, Calif.: I want to drop Juan Uribe. Which of these three will have the best stats the rest of the year: Ron Belliard, Bill Hall or Rickie Weeks? E.M.: Our rankings consider Weeks a couple of ticks better than Hall the rest of the way. Hall does have versatility, though, which adds to his value in NL-only leagues. Belliard is closer to Uribe right now.
Steven Hulme, Wilmington, Del.: Who should I keep in a Head-to-Head mixed league for the remainder of the season: Jose Vidro or Rickie Weeks?
E.M.: While we might suggest trying to keep both, our rankings choose Vidro over Weeks because of his steady veteran status. They are very, very close, though.
Dylan Anderson, Connecticut: Somehow this year I've wound up with four very good second baseman. Starting right now is Jorge Cantu and Craig Biggio, but off the DL are Jose Vidro and Mark Loretta. I can only start two of the them. Who will produce the best in the second half?
E.M.: We order it: Biggio, Cantu, Vidro and then Loretta (DL, thumb) because of his uncertainty of a late July return. Cantu and Vidro are very, very close.
Victor Cretella, New Market, Md.: Should I trade Edgar Renteria for Craig Biggio? I have Reyes at 2B now but could move him to short and play Biggio at 2B.
E.M.: Absolutely. We consider Biggio a top-five second baseman from here on out, while Reyes is not far behind -- and ahead of Renteria at short.
Mike Brown, Hudson, Ohio: Currently, I'm stacked up the middle with Felipe Lopez, Bill Hall and Jhonny Peralta. Of my three middle infielders, who should I trade?
E.M.: Deal Hall. He has more immediate value than Peralta, and Lopez is too productive to give up.
Francis Whitney, Boston: I'm in a 5x5 Rotisserie league, and I have one spot open for two guys. My question is who should I put in that open spot: Jose Vidro or Jorge Cantu?
E.M.: Since we cannot call it a dead heat, we give Cantu the one-slot edge because of his bigger power numbers and the fact he hits in the No. 3 hole instead of the No. 2 spot.
Jim Mayhew, Fort Myers, Fla.: Who has more long-term appeal at second base: Aaron Miles or Chris Burke?
E.M.: Burke has Miles in pop and steals. Burke can develop into a top-five Fantasy second baseman in his prime. Miles will be nothing more than scrappy in a David Eckstein way.
You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball middle-infielder questions to bleacher@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: Middle Infield in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses or answers to all questions.
