Fantasy Game Of The Night: Detroit Tigers at Arizona Diamondbacks

Baseball's best team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, face off against baseball's most disappointing team, the Detroit Tigers.  Of particular interest for fantasy players is how well D'backs' rookie fireballer, Max Scherzer, does in what may be his final start before moving to the bullpen to make way for cancer survivor Doug Davis.

While everyone feels good for anyone getting past the scare and threat of cancer, I'm not sure Davis has been good enough to bump a player as good as Scherzer.  One reason to do so, though, would be to limit Scherzer's innings for the season, and, as long as Arizona is running away with the division, this reason trumps the cancer survivor one.

The Tigers offer something else to fantasy players.  This team has been listless and is currently ten games under .500 at 16-26.  To just finish at .500, they would have to go 65-51, and this team does not appear capable of accomplishing that much less winning another ten games to get themselves into play-off contention.

As a result, do not be surprised to see the team moves towards trading whatever veterans they can to restock the farm system/prepare for another go in 2009 or to start sitting some veterans like Gary Sheffield and Placido Polance to give ABs to younger players.

A trade I can see occurring would be C Ivan Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for a C-level minor league arm or two like Chase Wright and/or Kevin Whelan.  IRod is a free agent after the season, and the Yankees can easily improve upon Jose Molina.  A key development would be bad news on Jorge Posada's throwing shoulder.  Regardless, IRod would provide insurnace and allow Posada to rest.