Fantasy MLB: Trade deadline analysis

It was an exciting trade deadline for baseball fans and fantasy managers alike. A few blockbusters took place early as Carlos Beltran made his way west, while Colby Rasmus begins anew in Toronto.

However, in the madness of the final 24 hours more than a dozen major leaguers were sent packing. Here’s a recap of where they’re headed as well as the fantasy baseball impact.

Ryan Ludwick to the Pirates

I love this trade for the Pirates. He may be batting just .238 with a .301 on base percentage, but Ludwick is also responsible for 11 home runs and 64 RBIs.

Plus, on the road Ludwick has 39 RBIs in 49 games. That puts him on pace for 130 RBIs should he play 162 road games. That is key since Pittsburgh is closer to neutral than the pitcher-friendly Petco Park.

Derrek Lee to the Pirates

The .246 average may not impress anyone, but Lee is batting .298 with 13 RBIs since the all-star break. A long-time National Leaguer, he boasts a .297 career average at PNC Park.

Lee is a solid replacement over the struggling Lyle Overbay at first base.

Michael Bourn to the Braves

The Houston native was thrilled to be with the Astros, but at least he will now get a chance to play for a contender. Bourn is best known for his defence in centre field and his speed on the base paths.

He is a bit of a free-swinger for a leadoff man, but thanks to a .303 average, Bourn is getting on base often this season. He should now rack up more runs with some big bats behind him in the Braves lineup.

Jordan Schafer to the Astros

He is currently on the disabled list with a broken finger, but Schafer is a speedster who can replace Bourn in Houston. Remember, Bourn was something of a late bloomer when he went to Houston, and the same can be said of this former top prospect for the Braves.

Schafer has 15 swipes this season, but his batting average sits at just .240. In a rebuilding situation, the Astros can afford to give Schafer regular at-bats despite his early struggles.

Hunter Pence to the Phillies

While Carlos Beltran may be the better player now, Hunter Pence likely has the better future. It should be fun to see how he develops now that he enters a favourable ballpark in a solid lineup.

A model of consistency, Pence has blasted 25 home runs in three straight seasons and hit .282 the last two. His value soars now that he will add greater run production due to the likes of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the Phillies lineup.

Rafael Furcal to the Cardinals

The lone home run and .197 average says he’s done, but Busch Stadium has been known to have the Ponce De Leon fountain of youth (just check out Lance Berkman). In the Cardinals lineup, Furcal is bound to improve.

Plus, the trade breathes new life into the 33-year-old shortstop who now gets a crack at meaningful baseball.

Brandon Allen to the A’s

For some reason Brandon Allen never quite earned his opportunity to break out in the desert. The writing was on the wall that Paul Goldschmidt was next in line, and moving Allen avoids the awkwardness.

The A’s are a team that is desperate for power and that is exactly what Allen offers. Look for him to play every day at first base, though the production will be limited considering the wide dimensions of Oakland Coliseum.

Kosuke Fukudome to the Indians

This Japanese native is no Ichiro, but in a sense that is a good thing. While Ichiro has never been known for his patience at the plate that is exactly what Fukudome will offer his new team.

The 34-year-old outfielder boasts a .374 on-base percentage, which means there should be more runners on base for the heart of the Indians order.

Edwin Jackson to the Cardinals

This is a pitcher with some success and great stuff who will now enjoy the coaching of perhaps the best pitching coach in the game, Dave Duncan. Jackson will also have some solid run support while pitching for the Cardinals, plus the added motivation of a playoff chase.

I only see good things for the remainder of the season for Jackson.

Jason Marquis to the Diamondbacks

With an 8-5 record and 3.95 ERA Jason Marquis is having a pretty good season, and now he will have an upgrade in support as he moves to the Arizona Diamondbacks. One of those pitchers who is better in reality than fantasy, Marquis is not one to get strikeouts and he allows a lot of runners to reach base.

Koji Uehara to the Rangers

Statistically he is one of the best pitchers in baseball with a stellar 1.69 ERA and even better 0.69 WHIP. In other words it’s rare that someone reaches base and even rarer that someone scores against Uehara.

The bad news for his fantasy managers is that he will remain in the setup role while playing in a much more hitter-friendly stadium. Not a major impact, but not one for the better either.

Mike Adams to the Rangers

A lot of fantasy managers picked Adams up in a speculative move with hopes that he would close should Heath Bell get traded. As it turns out, it’s Adams who got traded while Bell stays in San Diego.

Adams has been dominant this season with a 1.12 ERA, but again this is a pitcher moving from one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks to a dangerous ballpark. I would drop him since he will remain in middle relief.

Ubaldo Jimenez to the Indians

This is a monster move by the Rockies and they scooped up a lot of young talents. What it comes down to is two things. First of all, is Ubaldo more like the pitcher from last year when he almost won the Cy Young, or this season when his record is 6-9.

The second part is whether Ubaldo will thrive now that he is out of Coors. At 27 years old, the Indians believe the gamble was worth taking since they are in need of an ace. I like the chances of this one working out for them as Jimenez boasts a 3.38 ERA and 1.08 WHIP on the road this season.

David Pauley to the Tigers

Pauley was enjoying incredible success with the Mariners, boasting a 2.15 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. However, there are a couple of concerns here.

First of all, he is not one to strike batters out, so the ball is put into play often, which suggests perhaps this season was more about luck than anything else. Next, you can’t ignore that Safeco Field is one of the most pitcher-friendly confines in baseball, so a move away should increase his ERA and WHIP.

Erik Bedard to the Red Sox

The Red Sox were not able to come to terms for Rich Harden, so they settled for the next best injury-prone Canadian. Bedard, like Harden, has all of the talent in the world. However, the big question is whether he will be healthy enough for a playoff run.

Just 31 years old, Bedard has pitched better on the road this season to the tune of a 2.16 ERA. On the other hand, for his career Bedard boasts a 6.99 ERA at Fenway.

Brad Ziegler to the Diamondbacks

Once used as a closer for the A’s, Brad Ziegler will now make the move to the desert. His fantasy value will remain low as he is not a strikeout artist and he no longer gets saves.

On the other hand, it’s usually a positive when a pitcher moves from the AL to NL, as they no longer have to deal with designated hitters. Though this is minimized a bit when you pitch out of the bullpen.