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March 25, 2:50 p.m. ET

By David Gonos
Senior Fantasy Writer

The news is slowing down as teams get ready to make their final roster moves over the next week or so.

Call it the calm before the storm.

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Team executives are beginning to recognize where their rosters' holes reside and which strengths and weaknesses are becoming readily apparent. With that comes the eventual demotion of prospects, the release of veterans and trades for help.

The Mets have been rumored to be looking at closers like Tampa Bay's Danys Baez and Detroit's Ugueth Urbina, as have the Cubs.

The Rocky Mountain News also notes that manager Willie Randolph's team is checking out catcher Charles Johnson for backup duty behind Mike Piazza. Mike Cameron could end up in Emerald City, and some of the Mets' surplus of starting pitching could be wearing new caps soon as well.

Earlier in the week, the Reds were perusing through the Nationals' roster for a possible trade of Wily Mo Pena.

And even a swarm of bees were found scouting out the players in the Arizona-Colorado game Thursday in Tucson.

"I've got to call that a 'Bee' game," said Arizona manager Bob Melvin. Cue the game-show horn: Bwahhh, bwahhh, bwaaaaaaaaahhhh.

Gainer:

  • With the Devil Rays unable to find a trading partner for an outfielder, the St. Petersburg Times reports that Joey Gathright could be on his way back up with the big club as their top reserve outfielder. This news is important because his speed could help owners in AL-only leagues if he gets significant at-bats, which is highly likely if former Devil Rays draft pick Alex Sanchez doesn't pan out

Decliner:

  • Tony Graffanino (ankle) is slowing being passed up at second base in Kansas City by the incredibly hot spring bat of Ruben Gotay. AL-only teams were likely the only ones even considering Graffanino to begin with, but Gotay's six homers are surpassed by only two players this spring, and no one has more RBI (17).

Gotay is essentially assured of starting the season as the Royals' starting second baseman until Graffanino heals. Don't draft him on those numbers alone since they are inflated in spring play, but grab him as a middle infielder in AL-only leagues and hope he can continue his hellacious hitting come April.

In the trainer's room:

  • The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Jake Peavy (groin) will throw off the mound Friday and if that goes well he will make an appearance in a simulated game Monday. He could face Class A Lake Elsinore in a minor league game on April 2. Padres manager Bruce Bochy thinks the worst that might come out of all this is that the team will put a stricter pitch count on Peavy in the April 7 home opener against Pittsburgh. Hopefully, your opponents will see the red cross near his name and choose a different pitcher, allowing Peavy to fall to you.

Prospect tracker:

  • Carlos Quentin and Jorge Piedra were sent down to the minors on Thursday by their respective teams. The Rocky Mountain News notes Piedra was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs to allow him more playing time in center field. Piedra is worth picking up late as a reserve in NL-only leagues since Preston Wilson remains on the trade block in his final year with the Rockies.
  • The Arizona Republic reports the D-Backs' decided to send Quentin back down to their minor-league camp. Quentin, the team's top prospect according to Baseball America, represents the future for the team after Luis Gonzalez moves on. He is well worth a pick in a keeper league.

Bleacher Banter:

Andrew Brosche, Canyon Lake, Calif.: I am in a 12-team Head-to-Head league, where our scoring system is based on weekly averages. I took Alfonso Soriano with the 10th pick overall. I would like to have a decent backup in case of injuries. Would you suggest Russ Adams, Ruben Gotay, Omar Infante or Ty Wigginton? I would like to keep two with one of them being Wigginton. I also drafted Craig Biggio, so once he is eligible at 2B, he is a decent backup.

B.B.: Soriano and Biggio will be a nice middle infield to pair with whichever shortstop you selected. Wigginton is a nice grab because of his versatility. Adams is a nice shortstop prospect, with a better one in Aaron Hill arriving shortly behind him. And Infante is an unspectacular second baseman, but a starting one. Go with Wigginton and Gotay for the short term, with Biggio moving over when he qualifies

March 24, 3:57 p.m. ET

By Eric Mack
Senior Fantasy Writer

It is head scratching week in Fantasy Baseball.

Admit it, you're wondering why in the world the Devil Rays would demote talents like Delmon Young, B.J. Upton and Joey Gathright and then turn around and consider marginal players like Alex Sanchez, Alex S. Gonzalez (to play third) and Roberto Alomar, who has since retired. Why, in the name of lost franchises, would a GM make himself look so foolish?

This even after Rays GM Chuck LaMar himself admits Young, 19, is the "best right fielder they could come across right now" -- as he told a Tampa paper this week.

It is all about the Benjamins, as in how much money this big-time prospect would have to make so soon.

You see, teams are sticking their prospects back in the minors at the beginning of the season to delay the start of their arbitration clock. It they spend at least the first month of the season in the minors, they will wait until next year to start their three-year wait for initial salary arbitration -- where a productive young player could make his case to earn far more than the league minimum. Players between three to six years of service are paid through salary arbitration. After six years they become a first-time free agent and can start negotiating big-time money.

The Pirates are in the same boat with big-time 21-year-old right-hander Zach Duke. Talent-wise, Duke is ready to serve as the team's No. 5 starter over injury-recovering vet Dave Williams or mediocre mid-level prospect Ryan Vogelsong, who made 26 starts in 2004 and posted an awful ERA somewhere in the six-million range.

Duke will likely spend at least the first month of the season in the minors, though, so his three-year arbitration wait won't begin until next season.

While it is odd to see needy, young, small-market clubs like the Devil Rays and Pirates wait on prospects -- to the frustrating point of holding them back -- it actually makes sense long term.

Gainer:

  • The Angels' crowded DH situation has finally named its man as Mike Scioscia told the Los Angeles Times Jeff DaVanon will open the season in that role. DaVanon gets the beginning nod over Casey Kotchman, Dallas McPherson, Robb Quinlan or Juan Rivera. Also, DaVanon's value further soars because he will bat in the No. 2 hole in the lineup behind leadoff man Darin Erstad, according to the paper. Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson and Steve Finley will follow him in the order, so he should be a big-time run scorer this season if makes the DH spot his own. With so many talented options in Los Angeles of Anaheim, though, DaVanon will really have to produce to stay there. Consider DaVanon a nice waiver option in mixed leagues and be sure to grab in him your AL-only drafts this week and next.
  • Unlike Kotchman, the Rangers' stud first-base prospect Adrian Gonzalez continues to thrive in his bid to at least serve as the team's DH this season. He drove in a run Wednesday and now has a team-high 15 RBI this spring. How can the Rangers not keep him around this season? He is likely a better defensive option than Mark Teixeira, so if Gonzalez is able to make the club, he could see a significant role this season, making him an excellent sleeper and keeper prospect. David Dellucci and one of the outfielders who give way to defensive standout Gary Matthews Jr. -- Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix and Richard Hidalgo -- are Gonzalez's top competitors for DH time.

Decliner:

  • The Newton's Third Law is in effect in Los Angeles of Anaheim -- still an awful name, by the way. With every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. DaVanon's rise causes a drop in versatile base stealer Chone Figgin's value. He will no longer hit second in front of Vlad, Anderson and Finley -- now batting ninth, which will cost him as many as 100 plate appearances this season. With such a sudden drop in opportunity, his production across the board will decline as well. Although he figures to a score decent amount of runs batting directly before the top of the order, his awful RBI totals should get even worse. Less plate appearances mean less base-stealing chances, too. Figgins remains a valuable man in Rotisserie leagues because of his steals and position eligibility, but move him down your board some now that he is a No. 9 hitter.

In the trainer's room:

  • Sidney Ponson might not have foot-in-mouth disease, but he reportedly is still inflicted with a fist-to-face plague. He reported to camp Wednesday with a swollen right hand after being involved in an altercation with a restaurant patron, according to the Baltimore Sun. Ponson, of course, is still dealing with the legal issues of his arrest this winter for a fight in his native Aruba. The paper reports Ponson was getting antagonized by an intoxicated patron, so at least he likely won't face any charges stemming from this incident. You have to wonder, though, if Aruba has TVs? Bull Durham pretty clearly explains how to survive bar fights as a major-league pitcher -- never swing with your pitching hand. Ponson either didn't pay attention or has never seen that movie.

Prospect tracker:

  • Felix Hernandez, Seattle's 18-year-old right-handed prodigy, has already been assigned to the minors, but he worked two innings Wednesday vs. the Angels and struck out Vladimir Guerrero, last season's American League MVP, with a sizzling fastball. "The pitch he struck out Guerrero with, I'm not sure Superman could have hit that one," M's manager Mike Hargrove said. "That was some serious cheese." Hernandez is the best right-handed pitching prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, so track his progress in Triple-A. You will want him on your roster when he does get the call. He is No. 32 in our Top 100 rookies right now, but that low of a ranking is more due to his anticipated major-league arrival being delayed by inexperience. He is showing this spring, though, his fastball is major-league ready. With a good first half, he could make a midseason splash in Seattle.

Information from the Associated Press was used to compile this report.

Bleacher Banter:

Stu Monson, Highland, NY: Everyone in my 12-team, 6x6 league seems to want Ichiro. It seems there are a few teams with no speed. I also have Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran and have been offered David Ortiz for Ichiro. Should I make the trade, or hold on to him until someone is real desperate for his speed?

B.B.: While Ortiz is big-time run production and decent return, we suggest holding on to Ichiro like you said. Waiting for an in-season trade will drive his price up much more. You might even be able to get first-round caliber talent for him if they are desperate enough.

March 23, 7 p.m. ET

By Eric Mack
Senior Fantasy Writer

Gainer:

  • The Tigers apparently will not miss soft-hitting Alex Sanchez -- now with the Devil Rays. They have a comparable talent (a cheap one, too) in Nook Logan and have the luxury of injecting a large amount of run production with the emerging bat of Craig Monroe. He drove in five runs and hit a pair of homers Tuesday, raising his spring average to .353 and his RBI total to 16, which is second-best in baseball right now. He is making it very difficult to keep his potent bat out of the lineup and will likely be the Tigers' everyday center fielder with speedy Logan coming off the bench. Logan is hitting .385 himself this spring (four doubles and five triples), but he doesn't boast as much batting skill over the course of a full season as Monroe, who has hit 23 and 18 homers the past two seasons. Monroe is smack dab in his prime at age 28, so he qualifies as a nice outfield sleeper on Draft Day -- or off the waiver wire if you have drafted already.

Decliner:

  • Doug Waechter entered spring as a clear rotation member, but his 6.92 ERA in 13 innings might now have him as the odd man out if spring-training invitee Hideo Nomo gets a spot. Waechter's saving grace -- other than youth and upside -- is Nomo has a 6.75 ERA in eight innings. Downgrade both of these low-end options right off your board.

In the trainer's room:

  • Although reports on ace Mark Prior's sore elbow are promising, the Cubs are considering holding him out of regular-season action until mid-April to be on the safe side. They have traditionally been very cautious with him, so a mid-April return should be expected at this point -- especially when you consider how long they held him out at the beginning of last season. Keep Prior high on your draft board but understand the annual injury risk involved with potentially the most dominant right arm in Fantasy.

Prospect tracker

  • The Pirates might have known something all along. With Jason Kendall dealt this offseason and ex-prospect J.R. House going down for the year with shoulder surgery -- subsequently cut altogether -- Ryan Doumit is making the organization regret nothing. Doumit, the Pirates' top catching prospect, has been absolutely impressive this spring, hitting .438 (7-for-16) with a team-leading 11 RBI (and a slow-pitch-softball-like 1.438 slugging percentage). "I didn't expect to be here this long," Doumit told MLB.com. "It's just good to go out here and contribute." He is coming off an injury-plagued 2004 season at Double-A Altoona in which he hit 10 homers in 221 at-bats. His lack of big-league polish will get him sent to Triple-A to open the season, but his torrid spring will do wonders for accelerating his big-league arrival, which can now be as soon as May. With Benito Santiago at age 40, and Humberto Cota just 5-for-27 this spring, the Pirates will be tempted to go to the well sooner rather than later on a switch hitter that can play solid defense with double-digit pop.

March 22, 6:45 p.m. ET

By David Gonos
Senior Fantasy Writer

As the season slowly approaches, Fantasy owners that have already drafted will find themselves holding their breath each time they walk by a TV to see their first-round pick holding his elbow.

Owners will wince and wait for the hammer to fall when their stud closer has a little red cross next to his name on their lineup page.

Cubs' closer Joe Borowski's injury report continued to worsen Tuesday as the day wore on. It went from a 3-4 week problem to six weeks, and now the team is saying he could miss the next two months.

The Giants will have to play without the services of Barry Bonds for half, or possibly all, of 2005 while he recovers from his second knee surgery this year.

Gainer:

  • One man's tragedy is another man's treasure, to butcher a common phrase. While Bonds and Borowski rehab over the early part of the season, Pedro Feliz and LaTroy Hawkins become the greatest beneficiaries from their teammates' misfortunes. Feliz finally works his way into the starting lineup as the Giants' left fielder. His position eligibility makes his Fantasy owners drool with anticipation - 70 games at 1B, 51 games at third, 20 games at shortstop and four games, with many more to come, in the outfield. We've moved him up to the Fantasy level of Moises Alou, Shawn Green and Brad Wilkerson. He is currently tied for the team lead this spring with nine RBI.
  • Hawkins will start the season as the Cubs' closer, but he has Chad Fox and possibly Ryan Dempster and Scott Williamson to contend with. Over the past two seasons, Hawkins has proved to be an excellent setup man but a subpar closer, as evidenced by his nine blown saves last year. He is still certainly worth drafting, but relying on him as anything more than your No. 2 or 3 closer in a 12-team league would be a mistake.

Decliner:

  • Eric Gagne's knee is still tender, forcing the bespectacled closer to do a strange little hop after each pitch. The team is attempting to change his delivery slightly to accommodate his injury. Fantasy owners should know by now that that can't be a good omen of things to come. Upgrade Yhency Brazoban a few spots on your mixed-league cheat sheet.

In the trainer's room:

  • Bonds told reporters Tuesday that he might not return to play until midseason -- if he returns at all this year. While leaning on a crutch, the active home runs leader repeatedly said he was tired. "Right now I'm just going to try to rehab myself to get back to, I don't know, hopefully next season, hopefully the middle of the season," he said. "I don't know. Right now I'm just going to take things slow." Team trainer Stan Conte did not offer a prediction on the outfielder's return. Pick up Feliz in any leagues you can.

Prospect tracker:

  • Prospect tracker: The Kansas City Star reports that the Royals will likely start Ruben Gotay at second base in the season opener on April 4 at Detroit. "I think it's going to be tough for Graf (Tony Graffanino) to be ready to play every day by opening day," said general manager Allard Baird. Graffanino is trying to return from 2004 shoulder surgery and a rolled ankle, but his starting job could be in jeopardy if Gotay's hot spring continues into the regular season. Entering this week, Gotay led the Cactus League in slugging percentage and total bases while being tied for the lead in hits and homers. Consider Gotay as a late-round option in mixed leagues this spring. Joe McEwing's signing on Tuesday should not affect Gotay's value.

Bleacher Banter:

Robert Gibson, Toronto: I'm in a 10-team Head-to-Head league and I was offered Francisco Rodriguez for Brad Lidge. Both are top rate closers, but who do you think will post the best Fantasy numbers?

B.B.: Both are expected to have huge seasons, but as we've seen in recent history with relievers like Hawkins, Matt Herges and Arthur Rhodes, some top setup men have a tough time making the conversion of pitching the ninth instead of the eighth inning. While K-Rod has certainly shown that he is a capable closer in short stints, you should lean toward the proven commodity in Lidge. Both will post impressive strikeout numbers for a reliever, however.

Dani, Cincinnati: I am the only female in a 16-team, Head-to-Head league where we can keep up to five players. I have elected to keep only two (Manny Ramirez and Miguel Tejada) and I'm hoping to get an early jump on some of the more talented players in the free-agent pool. Who do you think has the most upside of the following first basemen? Sean Casey, Shawn Green, Aubrey Huff, Paul Konerko, Derrek Lee, Phil Nevin or Brad Wilkerson? Bonds (knee) and Lance Berkman (knee) are available free agents in the draft this year. Given their injury status and questionable return dates, in a 25 round draft, where do you think they should be taken?

B.B.: Huff and Konerko probably have the most upside of the players you mentioned. Huff could end up on a contending team by the All-Star break, which means his run production could take a steep climb upward. In a 16-team league, even half a season of Bonds is worth a pick in the middle to late rounds. Berkman, on the other hand, should be back sometime in May, so picks in Rounds 7 or 8 would not be wasted on him.

March 21, 1:35 p.m. ET

By Eric Mack
Senior Fantasy Writer

One man's trash is another man's treasure, which is why the final two weeks of meaningless games are actually so meaningful for Fantasy-leaguers. In an instant, a worthless backup catcher can turn into a potential Draft Day sleeper -- as was the case Sunday.

The Dodgers dealt from a position of depth for a position of need, sending No. 5 starter Kaz Ishii to the Mets for catcher Jason Phillips, who will serve as the Dodgers' everyday catcher this season.

Phillips, who was hitting .550 this spring with a homer, four doubles and a team-leading nine RBI, has some intriguing potential with an everyday job behind the plate for the first time. After an awful 2004 campaign in which he was seeing spotty playing time, the 28-year-old backstop could put together a solid .280-15-60-50 season. Those numbers could put him in the Michael Barrett range among Fantasy players at the position.

The Dodgers apparently had little use for the left-handed 13-game winner, with Wilson Alvarez and Scott Erickson establishing themselves as suitable options for their rotation this spring and still-promising prospect Edwin Jackson expected to be a phone call away in Triple-A. Now, whether Erickson really was the trash in this scenario will not be introduced in this discussion, but the Dodgers must have some high hopes for the offensive potential of Phillips.

Ishii will have some work to do with the Mets to cut down on his awful walks rate, issuing 106, 101 and 98 free passes in his first three seasons. Pitching coach Rick Peterson has a similar rebuilding task with No. 4 starter Victor Zambrano (who is certainly no Scott Kazmir -- their names will forever be linked).

A side note on the Mets having wild childs Zambrano and Ishii at the back end of their rotation: Expect a lot of four- and five-inning starts out of them as their pitch counts climb quickly. That should put added pressure on an unsettled and unproven bullpen and force No. 1 starter Pedro Martinez to serve as a bullpen-saving ace. And we know all too well how Pedro fares in the latter innings at this stage in his career.

Gainer:

  • It appears the Padres are finally catching on about punchless Sean Burroughs. The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting converted outfielder Xavier Nady could very well be the opening-day third baseman (with Rockies lefty Joe Kennedy on the mound. Burroughs is up to his old tricks this spring -- or lack thereof -- hitting a soft .273 with zero extra-base hits in 33 at-bats. Last season, Burroughs hit a punchless .298 with a .365 slugging percentage. Nady's hot spring is impressive (.351 with three homers, eight RBI and a team-leading eight runs scored), but it is his transition to the hot corner that has the team's manager taking notice. "It looks like it's been an easier transition than I thought it would be for him," Bruce Bochy said. "Now, he has a ways to go, in fairness to him. The toughest thing is he needs to work in center field, too, because if we get in a situation where (Dave) Roberts is down four or five days, then Nady's our center fielder." With a larger role this season, Nady is an intriguing sleeper. The talented right-handed hitter (.330 with 22 homers in just 291 Triple-A at-bats last season) could at least force his way into a platoon with the disappointing Burroughs, a lefty.

Decliner:

  • OK, perhaps spring-training stats do make a difference. Dodgers catcher David Ross picked up where he left off last season (.170 average in 2004), going 0-for-spring (an easy .000 average to calculate). Ross was projected to be the Dodgers' starter behind the plate with defensive specialist Paul Bako pulling reserve duty and prospect Dioner Navarro serving as the Triple-A starter. Bako (.267 this spring) isn't impressive enough with the bat, and Navarro (.231 this spring) was ruled not yet ready for a major-league job. Ross will now serve his sentence in baseball purgatory -- a backup in Triple-A to Navarro. He should be cut and ignored in all Fantasy leagues this season.

Prospect tracker:

  • Rookie Brandon McCarthy, a 21-year-old pitching prodigy who has drawn Jack McDowell comparisons this spring, might open the season in the White Sox's rotation if Mark Buehrle is unable to go with his "stress reaction" in his foot. The 6-foot-7, 180-pounder spent most of last season at the Class A levels, making just four starts in Double-A at the end of the season. He has a 30-14 career minor-league record with a 3.20 ERA and 406 strikeouts in 351 innings and batters have hit .238 against him. This spring he has impressed manager Ozzie Guillen with his poise and command, posting a 0.59 ERA in 15 1/3 innings, allowing a paltry .170 batting-average-against and striking out nine while walking just one. It will be hard for him to stay as dominant when the games start to count, but you have to at least consider him for your Fantasy team on upside alone.

Bleacher Banter:

Seth Hopson: In a 12-team Head-to-Head league with standard pitching categories and K/BB added in for good measure. Would you take Jeff Weaver, Joel Pineiro or Doug Davis as a No. 5 starter?

B.B.: If this was a points-based league, Weaver would be the clear choice because he pitches for a contender. He has the most upside of the three in any format, though, so we could advise taking the chance on him. He slots as the Dodgers' No. 3 starter this season behind Brad Penny and Derek Lowe at this point. He has the best pitcher's park of the three and the better offense to pitch for, too -- albeit slightly over Pineiro.

You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball questions to bleacher@commissioner.com. Be sure to put Attn: Bleacher Banter 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.