NewsWiretap: Take substance over sizzle
Bonifacio, Gaudin among understated options available
By Chris Stryshak / MLB.com
07/02/09 11:56 AM ET
Greetings and salutations.Ever since "Jaws" chewed up box office records around the world and showed Hollywood how a big-time action movie could be marketed to a mass audience, summer has largely belonged to the blockbuster.
This is not always a bad thing.
Some of my fondest childhood memories involve dragging my dad down to the local multiplex to take in the latest big-screen smash (and "Ghostbusters II" -- thank you, Bill Murray). To this day, if you ask me what I remember about the summer of 1989, I will tell you two things:
It was the summer that Gregg Jefferies broke my young heart with his lackluster rookie campaign, causing me to angrily toss his Starting Lineup figurine in the trash after a particularly rough performance.
More importantly, it was the summer of Tim Burton's "Batman," as I lived, slept and breathed the Caped Crusader. Toys, breakfast cereals, Prince's video for "Batdance" -- you name it, I eagerly devoured it.
Twenty years later and here we are again, smack-dab in the middle of another season of explosive summer epics, including the whiz-bang CGI-fest that is "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and next month's latest '80s nostalgia trip, "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra."
With so many big-budget bonanzas assaulting our eyes and ears (thanks, Michael Bay), the players featured in this week's Wiretap offer a welcome respite from all of the sound and fury.
These 'Tappers may not have the sizzle or the panache of a Matt Wieters or a David Price, but they can nevertheless help a lagging squad find its way while reinforcing the tried and true saying that bigger isn't always better.
OK, let's get 'Tapped.
The Musts
Emilio Bonifacio, 2B/3B, Marlins:
With eligibility at both second and third base, Bonifacio -- who seemingly fell off the fantasy map after a nuclear first week of the season -- has reemerged as the National League's answer to multi-position speedster Chone Figgins. The 24-year-old burner has looked positively Figginsian during his current nine-game hitting streak, batting .324 with 10 runs scored and five steals. While teammate Hanley Ramirez has garnered most of the accolades in south Florida due to his 10-game RBI streak, Bonifacio has quietly put together an impressive streak of a different sort, with at least one run scored in nine straight contests. Who do you think Hanley has been plating these last two weeks? If you can live with his streakiness and his low power output, Bonifacio offers plenty of upside in other areas.
Chad Gaudin, SP, Padres: Are we absolutely sure Gaudin isn't really the supposedly injured Jake Peavy in a bushy chin beard disguise? Has anyone actually seen these two together in the same room? Or maybe we have some kind of Lindsay Lohan/Jamie Lee Curtis "Freaky Friday" kind of thing in which they've somehow switched bodies. If true, it would certainly explain the insane run that Gaudin has been on lately. Since getting bombed by the Angels for eight earned runs in three innings on June 12, the 26-year-old right-hander has stitched together a nifty 2.14 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP and 28 punchouts over his last three starts. On the year, the bearded one is averaging 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings and has only allowed six home runs over 70 2/3 frames. Those are the sort of numbers that should appeal to owners in all leagues.
The Shoulds
Mark Ellis, 2B, A's:
Ellis was hitting a listless .206 (13-for-63) with no home runs and a .503 OPS before landing on the disabled list on April 29 with a strained left calf. In four games since his return to action, the 32-year-old has ripped a double and swatted two long balls, getting an early start on his semi-annual postbreak fireworks display. You see, Ellis is what the kids call a "second-half player" thanks to a career .280/.349/.443 line down the stretch. Once again, I stress that I'm no math wizard, but if you tally up his second-half numbers from 2006-07, you come away with a player who ripped at a .295 clip with 19 homers, 76 ribbies and 90 scored. And don't let his devotion to being a fine husband scare you; Ellis will miss at least one game while his wife gives birth to their second child, but he'll be back in the lineup before long.
Nate Schierholtz, OF, Giants: After Fred Lewis faltered through most of June, Schierholtz seized his opportunity by the bootstraps and hasn't looked back. Since Giants skipper Bruce Bochy started penciling in Schierholtz on a more consistent basis, the 25-year-old has been spraying the ball all over the yard, ripping at a molten .424 clip (14-for-33) with a pair of homers over his last eight games. Simply put, the kid can hit. Nasty Nate batted .320 with 18 jacks, 73 RBIs and nine steals in 93 games with Triple-A Fresno last season. Looking for a shot of youth-fueled adrenaline down the stretch? Look no further than Schierholtz.
The Coulds
Kevin Correia, SP, Padres:
It's hard to get too worked up over a hurler who's made a living mostly as a long man/spot starter (and not a particularly effective one at that) over his six-plus big league seasons. Still, it should take only a cursory glance at the 28-year-old righty's recent log to see why he's deserving of your undivided attention. Over his last five starts, Correia is 4-1 with a 2.41 ERA and a Dan Harenian 29/3 K/BB ratio, stymieing batters to the tune of a .155/.183/.267 line over 33 2/3 innings. Does it even need to be pointed out that he makes half his starts at spacious PETCO Park? If you're looking for a fresh face for your rotation, take a flier on the Californian.
Miguel Montero, C, Diamondbacks: Catchers. Everyone has to have one (some formats even call for two!), but unless you're fortunate enough to have the likes of Victor Martinez or Joe Mauer behind the dish, the brave few who don the tools of ignorance are treated primarily as a fantasy afterthought. But it doesn't have to be that way: Consider the 26-year-old Montero, a veteran of three-plus Major League seasons and a lifetime .243 hitter over 569 at-bats. With regular D-backs backstop Chris Snyder sidelined until after the All-Star break with a lower back strain, Montero has responded with a .320 average, two homers and nine RBIs over his last 13 games. In 2006, his last full Minor League season, Montero clubbed 17 moon shots and knocked in 75 runners, proof that there is some serious power potential bubbling just beneath the surface.
Chris Stryshak is a fantasy writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
