Buy Low, Sell High!

My promised Buy Low/Sell High column is here, so let's get to it. The main thing to keep in mind here is not what the player has done so far and where his stats sit, but moreso what he'll do for you once he's on your team.

BUY LOW

Travis Hafner - He'll be a bit harder to buy low on given the big name, and the big production his name has brought the last two seasons, but his numbers thus far are mediocre at .262, 14 HR, 57 RBI, and 49 R. His RBI and R are there, but his AVG and HR are not, and those two stats tend to stand out more to owners. See if you can get him at a discount because his 2nd half should resemble his past 2 seasons of production.

Manny Ramirez - Much like Hafner, his numbers in the 1st half don't resemble his previous seasons. He's hitting .284 with 11 HR, 45 RBI, and 45 R. His HR are down the most, but he's almost always a .300+ hitter, and his 45 RBIs are well off his usual pace. Don't bid too aggressively for him due to the fact he's 35 years old now, but I can't imagine him not improving on those numbers in the 2nd half.

Vernon Wells - It's going to be a bit harder to get him given his recent power surge, but his overall numbers are quite disappointing for those who don't follow recent trends as closely. His .253 AVG and 13 HR are not what they should be, so he's due for a bigger 2nd half. Like I've mentioned before he has a spotty track record over the past several years, but he has the talent to put together a much better 2nd half, and I'd bet that he'll come through on that.

Jason Bay - I've ranted and written about him numerous times here, so you know the story. He's hitting .254 with 13 HR. Again, like most of his list, the 56 RBI and 43 R are about in line with what you expect from him. However, more owners will be inclined to look at the terrible AVG and low HR total, and you can capitalize off of that. He's a streaky hitter, but given the subpar first half, he should be much more good than bad in the 2nd half of the season.

Andruw Jones - He's had the most brutal 1st half of them all, posting a .211 AVG. His HR/FB% is well down from his career norm, so we can only assume that it will even out in the 2nd half. The 15 HR and 54 RBI are not bad at all, but he's due to hit at least .250 this half, with more longballs and run production.

Paul Konerko - This won't work at all for the people paying attention to recent trends with as well as he's been hitting, but the very disappointing .262 AVG might allow you to get him at a discount. He's been hitting much better for over a month now, so he's already on the way up. Expect .280+ and 15 HR the rest of the way.

Brian McCann - This is another tricky one, but given his gaudy stats from last year, you might be able to find an owner down on him. He's been a pretty solid fantasy catcher with 9 HR and 49 RBI, but he's not matching what he did in his first full season last year. Expect him to keep improving and take a shot at getting him for a lower price than normal.

Adam LaRoche - He's quietly getting back on his game, and he can be had very cheap given his horrible .239 AVG. He's hitting.407 with 3 HR already this month, and he had a big 2nd half last year with a .323, 19 HR, 48 RBI split after the AS break. Get him for cheap and hope he does the same thing. Perhaps he and Bay will get it going together.

Roy Oswalt - The 3.53 ERA and 1.38 are not at all what owners were looking for when drafting Oswalt, likely as their ace. He went through a rough stretch of games, but he bounced back and pitched well against the Mets in his last outing. He's done being an elite K pitcher, but his ratios should be lower in the 2nd half, and you might be able to get him from a frustrated owner.

Felix Hernandez - He was pretty terrible after returning from elbow tenderness/soreness, but he's looked much better in 3 of his last 4 outings. The peripherals say he's back on top of his game, but his overall numbers are still a bit ugly. He's a risk being so young, but he's worth the gamble if he's re-found himself. I expect a better 2nd half.

Roy Halladay - He comes with probably the most amount of risk on this list, but his 4.46 ERA and 1.27 WHIP are well above his normal standards. As long as he's healthy, which is a big if from him, I expect a much better 2nd half. As I mentioned before, he's not the best risk for teams looking to make a final move to stay on top, but he's a good risk for teams looking to take on uncertainty to make a big push up the standings.

Chris Carpenter - Carpenter can probably be had very cheaply, and he turned in a very good 2nd rehab start. He might have even been dropped in your league. This is a great guy to trade for (if you can get him cheap) and stash for teams making a run. Given the low price tag I'm assuming he'll cost, he could give you an ace on your staff once he returns. This isn't a muscle or ligament injury...it was a bone spur. That makes a world of difference in shortening recovery time for a pitcher.

Chris Ray - I know I was wrong in saying he was a buy low a while ago as he's continued to struggle, but his peripherals still say that his 1st half performance was bad luck and nothing else. Point to the 4.89 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, and get a quality closer for cheap.

SELL HIGH

Magglio Ordonez - He's not going to hit .367 this season. He's going to have a decline in the 2nd half, although I'm not sold it'll be a steep one at all. Still, he hasn't homered since June 2nd, and that's not a fluke...his power hasn't been the same since coming to Detroit. Be selective in who you move him for, but I'd much rather have an established stud OF for the 2nd half such as Vladdy, Holliday, or someone of that status than Ordonez. He'll be a R/RBI force in the middle of that lineup, but his AVG should decline and his power has already started.

Hunter Pence/Ryan Braun/Corey Hart - These guys are only here in redraft leagues...don't move them in keeper leagues unless you don't plan on keeping them. They've put up huge numbers so far, so try to use them to get a proven stud in return. These guys aren't going to hit .350 or post a 30/30 pace all season long, so rid your hands of them before they inevitably start slumping.

Dan Haren - Like I've mentioned before, only move him if you can get a strikeout stud in return as part of a bigger deal. I don't expect a collapse in the 2nd half, but his 2.30 ERA and 1.00 WHIP just won't happen again in the AL over the rest of the year. You could probably find a handful of pitchers that will outperform him the rest of the way.

Chris Young - Pretty much the same as Haren, but I expect him to regress more. His 2.00 ERA and 1.06 WHIP are insane, and he's shown a propensity to wear down as the season progresses the last several years. He won't keep this up, but if he's your 3rd or 4th starter, don't worry too much. His value is about as high now as it'll be though, so capitalize on it if you can.

Brad Penny - Exact same situation as Young. Something always seems to happen to him in the 2nd half of the season, and I think his established value right now is as good as it'll get. That 2.39 ERA is due to go over 3.00 by the end of the year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see his 2nd half ERA sit around 4.00 or thereabouts.

Jeremy Guthrie - His numbers over 102 IP are great, with a 2.74 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP. He pitches in the AL East, and he'll be facing the Red Sox, Yankees, and Blue Jays a lot more in the 2nd half. You won't get much for him straight up, but he's a quality 2nd piece to include in a trade if you're looking to upgrade somewhere.

Chad Cordero/Eric Gagne/David Weathers/Octavio Dotel/Al Reyes - I expect most, if not all, of these guys to be traded by the trading deadline. Ostuka from Texas could be dealt as well. They're all veteran relievers who don't have much of a future closing on their current teams, and they're all pitching well right now with the exception of Reyes who is hurt. Trade them before they are moved and are not closing anymore, whether you use them to upgrade to a closer with more job security, or you use them to upgrade a different position if you're set in the bullpen.

Alan Embree/Antonio Alfonseca - These 2 guys are closers on borrowed time. Use them in a trade while they still have value. Embree is a bit safer to keep his job if Street stays out a while, but Alfonseca is dodging the return of two guys (Gordon, Myers) and won't be closing for much longer.