MLB Fantasy Baseball: Saturday Trade Talk and Daily Notes

Q: Should I deal Kevin Youkilis and Yunel Escobar (or Stephen Drew) for Adrian Gonzalez? A team in my head-to-head league is in dire need of a shortstop.

I currently have three: Jose Reyes, Escobar, and Drew.

Another option is Carlos Quentin or Milton Bradley and either of the two shortstops for Matt Holliday. I need to free up a roster spot, so the two-for-one won't hurt me. Which deal looks better for the rest of the season?

A: It's an interesting proposition.

Let's take Stephen Drew out of the equation. He has very limited trade value. The rest of the way, he's likely going to be a shortstop that is serviceable, but isn't going to hold value elsewhere. He's a guy you deal with because you have strength elsewhere.

Unless the guy is a Diamondbacks fan, it will be very hard to justify selling on him when you have two other players of better quality. I think, regardless of the trade, you will need to include Escobar.

I like selling high on Youkilis. He fades after the All-Star break every year. Post-break since 2005, he hits .249 but .309 before it. That includes a .230 mark in July and .260 mark in August. I recommend selling him in any format at about this point.

If the guy is "desperate," then it's worth the offer for Gonzalez. But, you aren't sending equal value, and on the other side of the transaction I would say no. Gonzalez is a 40-home run guy who will drive in near 100. That's in a bad offensive ballpark with a poor offensive team.

I think you're better off using Quentin and Escobar to grab Gonzalez. The value you are looking to give up shouldn't net you Holliday by most standards.

Quentin is one of the better outfielders right now, but no one knows how long he'll keep this up. He's on pace for 35 home runs and is driving in runs at a better pace because of his offense.

However, he's hitting .056 in his last five games and has started to slow down from a power perspective. It might be fair to state that a move now makes sense.

Quentin has never played a full season, so it's a gamble. Bradley has an injury history. He's a sell-high type guy too, but his current injury makes you concerned as an owner.

It's not always a matter of which deal looks better for the rest of the season, but more a fair deal that would help both parties. I would offer Quentin and Escobar for Gonzalez.

It's near equal value and helps your team out while eliminating the potential risk for a downturn by Quentin. I'd look for another outlet to trade Youkilis to avoid his second-half fade.

Notes for Saturday's Games:

• Rule No. 1 of successful team management is: don't start guys with ERA's over 10 for any month. It's a solid suggestion, I think. Keep Micah Owings on your bench until he pitches well in consecutive starts. He's struggling to keep the ball down, and he's allowing more fly balls.
• Nick Blackburn has posted a 2.37 ERA at home in six starts. He's allowed two runs or less in six of his last seven starts, with the exception being on the road against the White Sox. Arizona has struggled with the bats, so he makes a decent spot start in deeper leagues.
• Every time Greg Maddux pitches at home, he should be in your lineup. It's not even a question any more. Maddux has a 1.70 ERA and .213 BAA when he pitches in Petco. Expect more of the same.
• Joe Saunders is much tougher on the road than at home. He goes against a tough Phillies lineup, but has held Boston, the White Sox, Tampa, and Seattle to three runs or less in his last four road outings. Three of those are pretty good offenses, two of them are very good. I wouldn't hesitate to use him against an inconsistent Brett Myers.
• Brett Myers is better at home, but his last two outings have been brutal. Normally, I'd recommend him for spot usage here, but he's walked 10 in his last 18 innings. Just not a good sign.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka returns from the DL to pitch against the Cardinals. Matsuzaka tired in the fifth inning of his only rehab outing. I like him against the Cardinals, but I also think holding him back a start is worth it. He might be 8-0, but I'd be cautious.
• Paul Maholm is 3-1 at home this season, with an ERA of 3.42. He's destroyed lefties, holding them to a .185 average. Walks are always a concern, but Toronto is not a patient team outside of Matt Stairs. He's a decent play if you're looking for a decent ERA and WHIP number. His opponent is Jesse Litsch, and he's a better play of the two.
• Jair Jurrjens has pitched very well against teams that have an offense in the lower-third of the league. With Seattle playing poorly, I would use Jurrjens at home here. He's posted a 2.85 ERA there for the season. Mark Teixeira has pounded Jarrod Washburn.
• Spot starts for Saturday? Let's go with Jurrjens, Dana Eveland (yes, again, just move on), Jesse Litsch, and Nick Blackburn.

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