Today's Fantasy Rx

Anaheim: Scot Shields, RH Reliever
5-2 and 4 Saves on an 81:27 K:BB in 73.1 IP over 43 G
with 59 H, 5 HR, a 1.84 G-F, and a 3.07 ERA.

The only consistent groundball pitcher in the Angels' otherwise dominant bullpen, Shields offers the most long-term upside of any Anaheim reliever save perhaps Francisco Rodriguez. Shields owns the skills to succeed in almost any role as only a slightly elevated 3.3 walk rate worries me at all. More importantly for roto owners, his significant quantitative contribution as the Angels' long reliever forces his fantasy value well into double digits, ranking him among the two-dozen best AL pitchers this year. Yet Shields lacks the sub-3.00 ERA normally associated with outstanding middle relievers, making him an intriguing target, especially in mixed leagues, for any owner looking for a welcome competitive advantage.

We'll continue tomorrow with National League overachieving pitchers.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Two relatively minor moves on Tuesday could impact AL fantasy leagues significantly. Ugueth Urbina probably will stay with the Tigers through the first half of next season, but Detroit's decision to DFA Danny Patterson almost assures that Esteban Yan will close if they unexpectedly move Urbina this month or he suffers an injury. While Jamie Walker owns very strong skills, I expect Alan Trammell to stay with the right-handed option, especially given Yan's previous closing experience.

The Yankees' signing of John Olerud leaves a single lineup slot for Tony Clark, Ruben Sierra, and Kenny Lofton. If Jason Giambi returns later this year, expect him to DH while Olerud remains at first base to solidify the infield defense. Although I don't view Olerud as a great gamble, anyone depending on the quantitative contributions of Clark or Sierra at least should explore the possibility of switching Yankees to someone more likely to receive regular at-bats.