2010 FANTASY BASEBALL: THE SPACKLE LIST

Scouring the waiver wire to fill that one available spot left on your roster? The following players are among those that may be candidates to fill an opening left on your bench by by a dl stint, a player you had high hopes for  in the preseason but finally had to drop, or maybe you just want to take a flier on an upside candidate.

Consider these players to fill the holes on your bench…

Position Players:

Francisco Cervelli (C)- Most people will ignore Cervelli for fantasy purposes, assuming that with Posada in front of him he will not see enough playing time to be relevant. But with Nick Johnson out with an injured wrist it may only be a matter of time before Manager Joe Girardi realizes his best lineup, both offensively and defensively, is with Cervelli behind the plate and Posada at DH. In 45 at bats this year Cervelli is hitting .400 with 12 RBIs and a .480 OBP. 

David Freese (3B)- Is there that much depth at 3B that Freese should be available in as many leagues as he is? With 20 RBIs and a .320 BA he wont be much longer.

Alberto Callaspo (3B)- After years of waiting for Alex Gordon’s fantasy relevance to make an appearance, it seems it comes only in the form of his replacement. After hitting .300 with 11 homers and 41 doubles last year Callaspo has picked up where he left off batting .294 with 5 HR and 19 RBI so far this season. He also has eligibility at 2B.

Carlos Ruiz (C)- Ruiz has been both overlooked and steady as the Phillies backstop this season, batting .353 with a .480 OBP in the potent Philly lineup.

Gaby Sanchez (1B)- The rookie could fill in as a nice spot start at DH and 1B. Think James Loney with a bit more power (power numbers all from minor league seasons) and a few less points in BA.

Felipe Lopez (2B)- Although currently injured, when healthy Lopez should slide back into the leadoff spot of a potent Cardinals lineup. He is also versatile, with eligibility at 2B, SS, DH and (after one more appearance) 3B.

Desmond Jennings (OF)- If you’re in a keeper league with a roster spot to burn, keep an eye on Jennings as he comes back from a shoulder injury. With a .325 BA and double digit steals in the minors Jennings is a viable future option in a dynamic offense.

Pitchers:

Derek Holland- Holland was hit or miss last year with the Rangers but showed potential heading into the 2010 season. Now that he has been called up it is worth keeping an eye on his progress, as he will be backed by a contending team. In the minors this year he was 4-1 with a miniscule 0.93 ERA in 6 starts.

Scott Olsen- Olsen has been a surprise thus far for the overachieving Nats.  After two sub-par outings to start the year Olsen has been borderline brilliant in his last three, giving up 1 ER in 20.1 innings with 20 Ks, including taking a no-hitter into the 8^th against the Braves.

Colorado Rockies- The Rockies have their ace in Ubaldo Jiminez, but offer plenty of options after him. Recent call-up Jhoulys Chacin has yet to give up a run in two starts while recording more than A strikeout per inning. On the DL keep an eye on the return of Jorge De La Rosa who has shown star potential since a slow start last season as well as the return of one time ace Jeff Francis, due back later this month.

Wade LeBlanc- One of a few Padres pitchers who seem to be overachieving, LeBlanc has pitched to a 1.15 ERA over his first 24 innings while improving his strikeout and walk rates.

Doug Fister- Although it’s not likely that his ERA remains at the current 1.71 level, Fister has pitched well enough to garner some attention. Without the K rate it’s tough to recommend him as a no-brainer, but if Seattle’s offense ever picks up he could definitely be useful as a match-up guy.

Matt Thornton/Sergio Santos- With Manager Ozzie Guillen giving Bobby Jenks the anti-vote of confidence, these two overlooked relievers could have huge fantasy value if given the closer role. Thornton has 25 Ks in 15 innings and Santos just gave up his first run of the year after 12 innings of work.

Tyler Clippard/ Jose Contreras/ Joba Chamberlain- In terms of setup men with the possibility for some saves (and wins) these three are all good options. At this point most know about Clippard and his 6 wins for the Nats, but with more than a strikeout per inning and an ERA under 1 his peripherals are equally good. The same goes for Contreras, who could easily step in as closer when/if Lidge falters, and Joba, who could snag a few saves here and there as the Yankees try to protect Rivera as much as possible.