Don't Believe The Hype: Slim Pickings Edition

There isn't any kind of unifying theme to this week's drops. It seems as if some owners are tired of certain player's performances -- Chris Tillman, Roy Oswalt -- but there's no one who has been cut en masse. Because of that, we're just going to focus on the adds this week, as there are far more unifying moves in that realm.

Miguel Gonzalez, SP (29 percent owned, +20 percent): Gonzalez is a 28-year-old rookie pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, a former Rule 5 pick and Tommy John recipient that's now with his third organization. The O's needed help in their rotation, and Gonzalez had produced in his 44 innings with Triple-A Norfolk, posting a 5.3 K/BB and 1.61 ERA. He hasn't had quite those numbers in the majors, and his current peripherals make it appear as if there won't be a ton of future success, either. At the moment, his ERA is 3.38, but he's striking out hitters at a below-average rate, has a 2.1 K/BB, and has already given up 10 homers in 61 innings, or 1.5 per nine. This isn't to say that this is who he is forever, but once he isn't giving up a .254 batting average on balls in play to compensate for those numbers, are you sure you want to be the one stuck holding him?

Eric Chavez, 3B (31 percent owned, +16 percent): When Alex Rodriguez went down, it meant Eric Chavez was going to get the reps at third base -- at least until he goes down from an injury that, at this point, you're likely just expecting. He hasn't yet, though, and is hitting .303/.362/.547 in his 224 plate appearances. The lefty is hitting on the road and at home, and while he's been useless against his fellow southpaws, righties have been crushed. Snag him if you've got a league with daily moves, as you can bump Chavez from the lineup whenever a left-hander is on the mound. For example, when the Red Sox face the Yankees this weekend and toss both Franklin Morales and Jon Lester at them.

Dale Thayer, RP (17 percent owned, +13 percent): It's the same deal as last time. Huston Street is out, Padres turn to Dale Thayer to close. He's not a permanent option, but if you need saves, he can do the trick for a short bit.

Eric Young, OF (15 percent owned, +12 percent): Young is hitting .323/.384/.466 all of a sudden, after not producing much in the way of offense in his previous three seasons. The 27-year-old has picked up more playing time as the year has gone on, and crushed the ball in the last two months. It's hard to say this is going to stick, given that we're talking about less than two full months of offense from a guy whose career has not had very much at all, but he's worth keeping an eye on. As he's owned in just 15 percent of leagues, you likely have some time before you need to even stash.

David Phelps, RP/SP (16 percent owned, +12 percent): Rookie hurler David Phelps has been in the bullpen, but with CC Sabathia injured, the Yankees stuck him in the rotation. He's made four starts on the year, combining for 18 innings, 9.5 strikeouts per nine, and a 2.4 K/BB. The relief work has been better, but he's also looked good as a starter, so he's a pitcher to keep in mind. He might not stick for all of 2012 if it turns out Sabathia doesn't have anything seriously wrong with him, but he's a potential 2013 starting option, if the Yankees do want to keep their team under the luxury tax after all.

NL-only

Tyler Chatwood, SP (3 percent owned, +2 percent): Chatwood has had a rough season, but his ERA hasn't suffered for it. He's also been oddly productive as of late, dropping his ERA from 8.74 to 4.28 thanks to a 16-inning stretch where he's allowed just two earned runs. Be warned, though, that his BABIP is an unnaturally low .188 in that stretch, and he gave up three unearned runs on top of the others -- still good, but not any real corner-turning here. Also, there's the whole seven walks against six strikeouts in this stretch, too. Don't get fooled.

AL-only

Jeremy Guthrie, SP (8 percent owned, +3 percent): Guthrie in Kansas City: 31-1/3 innings, 7.5 strikeouts per nine, 3.7 K/BB, 0.9 homers per nine, 104 ERA+. If you were wondering about how awful the combination of a terrible defense and the best hitter's park in the majors was, you can look at Guthrie's 2012. He's a safe bet now that he's back on flat ground. Honestly, in mixed leagues, I'd rather Guthrie than Miguel Gonzalez.