Fantasy Spin: Giants Aquire 1B Ryan Garko From The Indians

Ryan Garko was a late scratch Monday night for the Indians, because right before the game they announced he was headed to San Francisco in a trade for High-A pitcher Scott Barnes. San Francisco was looking for a first baseman to improve their lineup and Garko is a good fit for them. He may not carry a team to the post-season, but he will fit in just fine.

How will this effect Garko's value though?

Garko has been playing well this season with a .285 average and 11 home runs. He wasn't playing every day for the Indians, but now he'll see everyday at bats. For this reason, I see his value increasing significantly.

I also like when guys are in the situation he is in right now. He knows that the Giants needed him and he may produce well with the mentality the team needs him to do well to succeed.

A few years ago Garko was one of the top first base prospects, so the pedigree is there. He's also had a lot of success in the minors. I can see him hitting another 10 homers for the rest of the year with 30 RBI and 30 runs so if you are interested in numbers like that, pick him up and play him. He probably won't produce enough to be a top 10 first baseman from here on out.

Looks like the tribe called up Andy Marte to fill the void at first base. He played for the team last year and wasn't very good at all, but maybe one more year of maturity is what he needed to finally start hitting well. I don't think he's worth picking up in mixed leagues until we can see some production out of him.

Another player who is effected by this trade is Kelly Shoppach. He was only playing about twice a week with the Indians, but now that Garko is gone, he should play about three or four times a week. If you are in desperation for a catcher, pick him up. He can definitely hit for power, but his average could make the Grinch cringe. He may get into a groove playing more often though and hit for a better average.