It wasn't long ago that every team in baseball coveted Lastings Milledge.
As the Mets' first-round pick in 2003 (12th overall), the Florida native had it all. He could hit for average. He could steal bases. His power swing was developing. His range is center field was also progressing. The Mets figured they had a future All-Star outfielder in the making, as did many other baseball executives.
Milledge was targeted for seasons in trade deadline deals, but New York was content on keeping Milledge in orange and blue.
A lot has changed since Milledge made his 2006 debut. The 6-1, 180-pound outfielder had trouble adjusting to life in the majors and wasn't the instant impact prospect many envisioned. He also was deemed a locker room cancer and dealt with some off the field issues that in turn hurt his reputation.
By the 2007 offseason, Milledge's value plummeted and surprisingly the Mets opted to part ways with the once ballyhooed prospect. New York traded Milledge to Washington on Nov. 30 for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church.
A fresh start is exactly what Milledge needed. He now had time to develop with a team building toward the future and not in a pennant race; he was out of the bright lights of New York and he landed with a team that wasn't concerned about his troubled past but more about where the 23-year-old outfielder was headed.
"We think (Milledge) is a building block as we continue to build this organization through young players," Nationals GM Jim Bowden said after the transaction. "To get a young player of the potential that Lastings Milledge has, you have to pay a price, and we paid a steep price. We felt it was a move we needed to make -- continue with our plan of building through young players, mostly through the draft or via trade."
Another plus for Milledge is that he came to an organization that wanted him to play in center field. The Mets have Carlos Beltran locked up long term to play center, and Milledge had been converted to a corner outfielder in the minors. He admits he felt uncomfortable playing out of position and was glad to transition back to center.
"Center field is my premier position," Milledge told MLB.com when he was traded. "That's the position (where) I can do more for the team."
Milledge has done exactly just that. The Nationals coaching staff raves about his continued improvement defensively and now all the chatter is about his bat.
Milledge has hit safely in his last 14 games and has homered five times in that span. He also has nine RBI. The Nationals project Milledge as a middle of the order hitter and 11 of 12 homers this season have come hitting third, fourth or fifth.
"I'm just seeing the ball, mainly," Milledge told MLB.com during his recent hot streak. "I'm feeling the way I'm supposed to feel. I'm starting to feel like the guy that the Nationals traded for."
Manager Manny Acta was a Mets coach before coming to Washington. He has seen Milledge progress from a top prospect to an everyday major leaguer. He tells the story of Milledge being the real deal.
"Nothing surprises me by what he does," Acta told MLB.com. "He is very talented. I think the people in D.C. and the major leagues are going to enjoy this guy for a long time."
Call to the Bench -- We feel this player might be worthy of adding to Fantasy rosters for the long haul
Fred Lewis, OF, San Francisco
Owned: 40 percent
of leagues
Analysis: Rotisserie league owners might want to
give Lewis a once over. He remains the Giants' everyday left fielder
even with Dave Roberts off the DL, and he
continues to do an admirable job at the plate and on the bases. Lewis is
hitting .283 with 20 stolen bases. He also has 23 doubles and is closing
in on 10 homers. He is not as good as Grady Sizemore or Matt Kemp at
filling the stat sheet, but the 27-year-old breakout is a good low-end
buy in larger mixed league Fantasy formats, especially Roto.
You're Out! -- We feel this player might have already peaked and his value could be on the decline, so Fantasy owners might want to cut bait ASAP
Micah Owings, SP, Cincinnati
Owned: 24 percent of
leagues
Analysis: What happened to Owings? He was one of the
league's hottest pitchers in April, posting a 4-0 record and 3.48 ERA in
five starts. He started to get off track in May (2-3, 4.74 ERA) before
falling off the map in June (0-4, 8.22 ERA) and July (0-2, 11.37 ERA).
He was optioned down to the minors before being sent to the Reds in the Adam Dunn trade. Cincinnati, dying for starting pitching, could add
Owings to their rotation. But mixed league owners in all likelihood
should dump the right-hander since he now departs to a hitter-friendly
ballpark and non-contending team.
GIDPs -- We feel this player might not warrant as much Fantasy consideration as he is receiving and should be avoided in most instances
Jody Gerut, OF, San Diego
Owned: 11 percent of
leagues
Analysis: The ball must seem as big as a grapefruit to
Gerut since he is hitting everything in sight. He has four homers since
Aug. 5 and seven multi-hit games since July 23. He doesn't have a bad
stat line for a leadoff hitter -- .290, 12 HR, 33 RBI -- but the biggest
qualm with Gerut is that he doesn't play everyday. He continues to share
starts in center field with Scott Hairston
and mixed league Fantasy owners can't really afford to have a guy in
that lineup that plays just three or four times per week.
Scouting -- We feel this player is on the verge of being a Fantasy reliable option, but still needs to be monitored over the next few weeks
Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B, Cleveland
Owned: 9 percent
of leagues
Analysis: The Indians didn't have much of a choice
but to bring back Cabrera in mid-July as second base continued to be a
problem. Cabrera, who opened the season as Cleveland's starting second
baseman, was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in early June as he continued
to hit below .200. Since his return, his average has gone from .184 to
.218. He has even has homered three times since his return. He homered
just once before his demotion. Cabrera made waves as a second-half
player in 2007 and could be doing the same again in 2008. However, the
Indians are also set to bring Josh Barfield
off the DL, so Cabrera might have to fight for at-bats.
Stopgap corner -- We feel this player might be worth using for the upcoming scoring period
Willy Aybar, 3B, Tampa Bay
Owned: 2 percent of
leagues
Analysis: He is no Evan Longoria, but the Rays are turning to Aybar to start while
their All-Star third baseman is on the DL with a wrist fracture. Aybar
had a two-homer performance Sunday against the Mariners and has hit
safely in five of his last seven games. Aybar always produced a decent
average in the minors and had 10-15 homer power. He is definitely a
viable stopgap Fantasy option in AL-only leagues while he is seeing
everyday at-bats and might even develop into a quick-fix corner
infielder in mixed leagues.
Farm Boys -- This segment is for those long-term keeper owners looking for the next Fantasy superstar
Drew Stubbs, OF, Cincinnati
Owned: 0 percent of
leagues
Analysis: The former Texas Longhorn and Reds' 2006
first-round pick (eighth overall) finally earned his promotion to
Triple-A. His career has been a slow process up until 2008. He started
the season at Class A where he played all of 2007. But after 86 games
with Sarasota, Cincinnati bumped him to Double-A for 26 games and now
have him working with the Louisville Bats. Stubbs is hitting .273 with
five homers, 47 RBI, 29 doubles and 30 stolen bases in 112 games this
season. The Reds are in need of a leadoff hitter and Stubbs could be the
guy that fills that role in the future. He doesn't have a lot of power,
but might be worth stashing in long-term NL-only Rotisserie leagues.
Doctor's Report -- This segment highlights a player on the verge of coming off the DL and ready to make an immediate Fantasy impact.
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Pittsburgh
Owned: 37 percent of
leagues
Analysis: The Pirates first baseman is expected to
come off the DL Thursday. LaRoche has been on the DL since late July
with a strained ribcage, but he appears over the issue with the way his
rehab is going with Class A Hickory. In two games, LaRoche is hitting
.571 with one homer, one double and two RBI. LaRoche was on a tear
before going on the DL as he hit .390 with seven homers and 18 RBI in
July. He has always been a second-half hitter and could be a real
sleeper for Fantasy owners down the stretch. Add to the fact that baby
bro Andy has been acquired since he has been on the DL, LaRoche will be
motivated to perform well with his brother across the diamond.
You can e-mail us your Fantasy Baseball questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Waiver Wire in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.