Fantasy Baseball 2012: 10 Prime Hitters to Realistically Trade for Right Now

As a sequel to the "Top 7 Pitchers To Realistically Trade For Right Now," today's countdown details a group of prominent hitters to pursue before the fantasy trade deadlines kick in next month.

To clarify, this listing doesn't solely focus on big-name hitters who've been struggling all season, nor does it tout a slew of red-hot batters to overpay for in the coming weeks.

It's merely a balanced, position-focused look at players with solid track records for August and September. It also helps if their fantasy standing has taken a hit in recent weeks or months, compared to where they stood coming out of spring training.

Enjoy the show!

First Base: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees

2012 Stats: 19 HR, 67 RBI, 56 Runs, 2 Steals, .262 BA

30-Day Stats: 7 HR, 24 RBI, 18 Runs, 1 Steal, .291 BA

Skinny: Mark Teixeira's 30-day run of fantasy goodness might not be enough to appease a large faction of fantasy owners who, on the whole, have garnered Round 6 value from a top-20 preseason pick.

As of July 27, Teixeira is the longest of long shots to match, eclipse or even flirt with last season's numbers in hits (146), homers (39) and RBI (111). On the plus side, he has zero chance or replicating last year's strikeouts (110).

My take: I'm willing to give Tex a relative free pass for a respiratory illness that plagued him throughout April, May and June. I'm also happy to regale his .299 career batting average for the months of August and September.

Of course, time is of the essence to make a reasonable deal. By waiting another 10 days...that's nine or 10 more games for Teixeira to roll through major league pitching and exponentially increase his trade value for the stretch run.

First Base: Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox

2012 Stats: 16 HR, 49 RBI, 45 Runs, .336 BA

30-Day Stats: 3 HR, 10 RBI, 8 Runs, .345 BA

Skinny: Paul Konerko's prodigious numbers in batting average have remained constant this season.

But look at the trends for the other categories: Konerko's capacity for home runs and RBI have precipitously dropped since May 27; and from a runs standpoint, the White Sox vet's June/July totals (14) couldn't even match his production for May (18).

And it's barely enough to beat April's run tally of 13.

Bottom line: For owners who covet a corner infielder with batting-average prowess, make a reasonable play for Konerko, using starting pitching as bait. With that, you'll be amazed at how agreeable Owner B can be on a one-for-one swap.

Second Base: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox

2012 Stats: 7 HR, 34 RBI, 44 Runs, 6 Steals, .267 BA

30-Day Stats: 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 Runs, 2 Steals, .246 BA

Skinny: This season may be a bona-fide disappointment for Dustin Pedroia, one of the most bankable fantasy assets in recent years. But it doesn't have to end in failure.

And it won't.

Pedroia may be staring at career lows in batting average and on-base percentage (.323); but when healthy, he's still a formidable fantasy contributor in all five categories.

He just needs a few days of productivity to spark a sustainable run of elite numbers; and it makes perfect sense for prospective owners to get ahead of that story.

Third Base: Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals

2012 Stats: 16 HR, 50 RBI, 48 Runs, 3 Steals, .265 BA

30-Day Stats: 4 HR, 13 RBI, 12 Runs, 1 Steal, .238 BA

Skinny: There's an upside to Moustakas's deflating tallies in batting average and on-base percentage (.255) since June 28.

On a month-to-month basis, he has still maintained consistent production in runs, homers, RBI, slugging and OPS; and yet, Moustakas's current owners may be freaking out about a possible decline to finish the campaign.

Moustakas only has one homer and three RBI since the All-Star break, but he has too much talent—and a stellar minor league track record—to fade down the stretch, especially if the Royals are making a second-half push toward respectability (.500 record).

As my No. 1 sleeper prior to the season (one spot ahead of Mike Trout), I fully expect Moustakas to finish strong for August and September. In fact, I plan to make a personal play for him, via trade, in at least three leagues.

Shortstop: Jose Reyes, Miami Marlins

2012 Stats: 6 HR, 26 RBI, 48 Runs, 23 Steals, .273 BA

30-Day Stats: 4 HR, 8 RBI, 14 Runs, 7 Steals, .273 BA

Skinny: With the have-not Marlins shipping Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante and Hanley Ramirez to the Tigers and Dodgers this week, it's impossible to gauge how the club will respond over the next 65 days.

Will Giancarlo Stanton be rushed back into the lineup after a knee scope?

Will pitcher Josh Johnson be a Marlin after the MLB trade deadline on July 31?

And will Jose Reyes feel emboldened to take more chances on the base paths, now that a good chunk of Miami's hitting prowess has been lost?

Bottom line: There's a reason why the Marlins backed a Brink's truck of money into Reyes's driveway last winter. When healthy, he has the capacity to dominate in three categories (runs, steals and batting average).

For good measure, Reyes also has a career batting mark of .303 in August, with 79 steals and 133 runs.

Outfield: Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks

2012 Stats: 8 HR, 42 RBI, 62 Runs, 12 Steals, .271 BA

30-Day Stats: 1 HR, 9 RBI, 16 Runs, 4 Steals, .271 BA

Skinny: Before getting into why Justin Upton would be a sneaky-good pickup for the stretch drive, let's rehash one gaffe from the spring:

I should have raised a bigger stink about Upton's uneven RBI output from last year (88), compared to the 31 homers back in March. To fall short of the 1-to-3 ratio of homers-to-RBI was a little disconcerting.

Instead, I was blinded by Upton's scintillating marks in runs (105), hits (171), doubles (39) and on-base percentage (.369). I also thought that, given Upton's age last season (23), he simply needed time to develop into a regular 30-homer, 100-RBI threat.

Well, Upton is neither a "bust" nor "overrated" from this so-so season; but at the same time, he might never fulfill the duties of a top-10 outfielder from year to year.

He's certainly worth your time before the trade deadline, though, especially if you can spare a Tier II starting pitcher.

Outfield: Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians

2012 Stats: 4 HR, 46 RBI, 42 Runs, 11 Steals, .293 BA

30-Day Stats: 3 HR, 13 RBI, 11 Runs, 2 Steals, .337 BA

Skinny: Instead of aiming high on Shin-Soo Choo (12 HR, 65 runs, .297 batting) before the fantasy trade deadline, might I recommend a less heralded, but equally effective Indians outfielder?

Not only is Michael Brantley hitting at a .337 clip since June 28, but his .435 on-base percentage and elite-level walk-to-strikeout ratio (16/11) suggest his current hot streak is more than just a random, fleeting experience.

Take it from someone who knows.

Three weeks ago, as a means of juggling my roster after a 12-man swap (acquiring Brandon Phillips, Jason Kipnis, Jordan Zimmermann, Adrian Beltre, among others), I dropped Brantley (my No. 6 outfielder at the time) for Justin Morneau, thinking the Tribe outfielder was at the end of a stellar run.

D'oh!

Outfield: Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers

2012 Stats: 13 HR, 57 RBI, 51 Runs, 7 Steals, .258 BA

30-Day Stats: 2 HR, 9 RBI, 8 Runs, 1 Steal, .259 BA

Skinny: To be honest, there aren't a lot of peripheral indicators that Nelson Cruz will counterbalance a sluggish campaign with two monster months.

Sure, Cruz has 23 career homers and a lifetime on-base percentage of .341 in the month of September (2006-11). He also has a decent shot of eclipsing his personal high in runs (75 in 2009).

But through it all, he's more of a fingers-crossed acquisition than a sure thing for the pennant chase.

Of course, there's a reason why Cruz boasted per-season averages of 28 homers, 80 RBI and 15 steals from 2009-11. When healthy and feeling good about his swing, he can be a difference-maker in August and September.

Outfield: Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays

2012 Stats: 11 HR, 39 RBI, 56 Runs, 12 Steals, .246 BA

30-Day Stats: 2 HR, 16 RBI, 13 Runs, 6 Steals, .264 BA

Skinny: Barring a major surge in the next 65 days, Ben Zobrist's 2011 output with hits (158), doubles (46) and RBI (91) will likely not be replicated.

But every other key stat is in play, which should hearten fantasy owners who prefer to dig deeper than Zobrist's middling batting average (.248).

The 30-day numbers are certainly encouraging, but I'm more focused on Zobrist's .381 on-base percentage and Joey Votto-esque plate discipline (16 walks/15 strikeouts) since June 28.

We're talking about two clear indicators of Zobrist's comfort level at the plate, even if it hasn't led to consistent power production.

Bottom line: There's a reason why Zobrist was a viable threat for 20 homers, 90 RBI, 95 runs, 20 steals and a .280 batting average during spring training. His admirable consistency—and tangible upside—should be coveted for August and September.

Outfield: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles

2012 Stats: 23 HR, 53 RBI, 65 Runs, 11 Steals, .293 BA

30-Day Stats: 4 HR, 13 RBI, 16 Runs, 1 Steal, .277 BA

Skinny: Adam Jones may be on track to eclipse personal highs in runs (83), hits (165), homers (25), RBI (83), batting average (.284) and on-base percentage (.335)...but it's no longer an impressive blowout.

Yes, Jones is batting .315 with three homers, nine RBI and 11 runs since July 12, but he seems to have lost the buzz of April (six homers, .333 batting) and May (10 homers, 22 RBI, .298 BA), when the Orioles hitter was crushing the opposition and drawing praise (from yours truly) for joining the ranks of the fantasy elite.

There is some trepidation about giving Jones a full endorsement, based on his career marks for August (10 homers, .257 BA) and September (eight homers, .261 BA)—easily Jones' worst two months of almost five full seasons in the majors.

But therein lies the beauty of a stealth pickup: Jones's owners, especially those who've already done the research, may be inclined to cash in early on the kid's amazing start to the season.