Just as I did with American League Bail Bait, I shied away from most pitchers.  There just isn't enough season passed to think they will still be considered very valuable on September 30th.  However, I did make an exception for a few pitchers.

Edinson Volquez of the Cincinnati Reds makes the list even if his last two starts end-up beign closer to his second half efforts than his first dozen plus.  With 9.7 K/9 and a 1.6 GB/FB rate, I am comfortable believing he will still be valuable in 2009.

Jair Jurrjens is another pitcher with a favorable GB/FB of 1.8 and a HR/9 of .46.  While his 2007 HR/9 was more than twice as high, his minor leagues stats were the same as his 2008 efforts.  Almost twice as many groundballs than flyballs and a propensity to prevent HRs make me a believer.

Clayton Kershaw was sent down a couple days ago for reasons not rationally deduced.  He also has a favorable GB/FB of 1.57 and a 7+ K/9, but I think that will get better as his minor league figures were considerably better.  At 20 years old, he still remains a lock to be in the rotation in 2009 - if not within a month in 2008.

Chris Perez looks like the obvious closer-in-waiting for the Cardinals.  With current closer Ryan Franklin sporting a 1.0 GB/FB to go with a sub-2.0 K/BB, I can't see Franklin as a longer-than-September -2008 solution.

Continue reading for the hitters.

NL East:
Philadelphia Phillies:
OF Shane Victorino
OF Jayson Werth
New York Mets:
None
Atlanta Braves:
SS Yunel Escobar
SP Jair Jurrjens
Florida Marlins:
FM OF Cameron Maybin
OF Jeremy Hermida
Washington Nationals:
OF Elijah Dukes
OF Lastings Milledge
C  Jesus Flores

NL Central:
Chicago Cubs:
C  Geovanny Soto
SS Ryan Theriot
St. Louis Cardinals:
OF Ryan Ludwick
RP Chris Perez
Milwaukee Brewers:
OF Ryan Braun
FM OF Matt LaPorta
Pittsburgh Pirates:
OF Nate McLouth
FM OF Andrew McCutcheon
C  Ryan Doumit
Cincinnati Reds:
CF Jay Bruce
1B Joey Votto
Sp Edinson Volquez
Houston Astros:
C  J.R. Towles
CF Michael Bourn
RF Hunter Pence

NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks:
RF Justin Upton
Los Angeles Dodgers:
3B Andy LaRoche
1B James Loney
OF Matt Kemp
3B Blake DeWitt
SP Clayton Kershaw
San Francisco Giants:
SS Manny Burris
OF Fred Lewis
Colorado Rockies:
SS Troy Tulowitzki
C  Chris Iannetta
San Diego Padres:
LF Chase Headley