Crooked Pitch

There comes a time for every fantasy baseball owner where they need to find a short-term pickup. Not someone to center the team around, not a high risk/high reward prospect, no, just someone to fill in until an injured player gets back. The criteria for choosing such a player comes down to two things; durability and consistent performance. If you are scrambling for some short-term relief, here are three players that are probably available.

A.J. Pierzynski | Chicago White Sox | C
Over the past three seasons Pierzynski’s logged at least 472 at-bats each year. During this time he’s averaged 14 home runs, 58 RBI and scored 62 runs. He hits both left and right handed pitching well and he is under no real challenge to lose his job. He also hits in the middle of a veteran lineup with plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. He is currently available in 77% of Yahoo leagues.

Lyle Overbay | Toronto Blue Jays | 1B
Currently available in over 90 % of Yahoo leagues, Overbay has, at least, 425 at-bats in each of the last three seasons. Over that time he has averaged .277 with 16 home runs, and 68 RBI. He is currently batting .342 with ten RBI.

Bronson Arroyo | Cincinnati Reds | SP
There is a good chance Arroyo is sitting available in your league right now (Currently available in 75% of Yahoo leagues). He has 200-plus innings pitched in each of his last three seasons. Coming off a 2008 campaign where he posted 15 wins, he has averaged 166 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.33 for the last three years.

These players may just buy you enough time to get your regulars back in the lineup and still keep you in first place contention.

Although Reds starting pitcher, Bronson Arroyo, says he feels great, Dusty Baker says the Reds are going to get him checked out.

“We’re kind of lost right now,” he said. “We’re going to get him checked out, maybe something is wrong with him. His pitches aren’t sharp. His breaking ball isn’t crisp. He’s kind of gotten a little bit predictable as far as throwing the 3-2 breaking ball. Ordinarily, that ball (Tom) Glavine hit doesn’t stay up in the zone.

“We’ll get him examined. You don’t want to find anything. But, hopefully, we can come up with some kind of solution. I know he’s going crazy, too.”

Arroyo was clear that he doesn’t think anything is physically wrong with him.

“There ain’t nothing to check out,” he said. “They said they want to check me out? That’s probably the best I felt in years on a day game. I’ve got no excuses. They just beat my (butt). I had a good fastball, decent command, everything felt good.”

At 1-4 with an 8.63 ERA, if Arroyo is still in your fantasy lineup, you might need a trip to the doctor too.