Around the Horn Pick Ups

This weekly article gives you some options if you need a stop gap player at a position, or are looking to ride someone who is hot for a while

Catcher-Usually at the catcher position you have to find an area where a player can help you it is very rare you will find players that can help you in several categories. Well Carlos Ruiz is an excellent add for those who need some help in average and on base percentage. Throughout the first month of the season he has a league leading .481 OBP and batting .354 he can help give a boost to your team in those areas, also batting in a great line up in Philly he should score some runs. If you’re a Kurt Suzuki owner looking for a boost until he comes off the DL consider Ruiz

First Base-If you looking for some pop to your fantasy lineup start thinking about adding Troy Glaus of the Atlanta Braves in his last 6 games he has 4 multi hit games, he has homered twice and has had 8 RBI Even back when he was struggling he was hitting the ball hard. With no one to really push him for playing time in Atlanta look for him to start to show flashes of his old self

Second Base-Mike Aviles of Kansas City is a Hit machine since he has been called up to the big club with 12 hits in 28 at bats he is batting .429 and looking to regain his 2008 form where he hit .325 with 10 homers and 51 rbi’s….start thinking of this guy Beckham owners

Shortstop-Ian Desmond of the Nats is quietly starting to figure out major league pitching, so far in May he is hitting .267 with a .333 On base percentage which is significantly higher than the .246 & .307 marks he put up in April, he also has hit a couple of long balls and is looking more comfortable at the plate for the sneaky good Nationals

Thirdbase- 7 homeruns and 23 RBI sounds great from someone at the hot corner, if you can just focus on the power numbers and ignore the Mendoza hovering average Jose Bautista is the add you want. Ride him while he is driving the ball and on this power surge. He could turn out to be a Russ Branyan type of player.

Outfielder-Dizzy aka J.D. Drew probably caught his most recent bout of vertigo from rounding bases lately kiss the poor April numbers good bye. In May J.D. has hit .472 and scored 12 runs in 10 games. Don’t worry about the vertigo either after sitting out a game with it, he returned and went 2 for 4 with an RBI…as long as vertigo medicine isn’t on the banned substance list add Drew with confidence

Pitching- My add of the week for Pitcher is the first major leaguer to 7 wins, Tyler Clippard. During spring training if I told you by the second week of May a National will have 7 wins everybody would of thought Strasburg but Clippard has been nearly as un hittable with 30 strikeouts in 24 innings and a era under 2 I’d rather roster Clippard then a struggling Bobby Jenks or Brian Fuentes

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