Dear Mr. Fantasy: What's the catch?

While Scott E. White Jr. is out of the office getting his unibrow plucked, it's time for good ol' Uncle Hurc to take your writer feedback this week.

No, I will not bore you with my incessant whining about it being 50 degrees in Florida in the middle of April. Seriously, a cold front in April? What's the world coming to?

Anyway, you have reached the point of no return, so enjoy the latest Dear Mr. Fantasy ...

I bypassed taking a catcher in the early rounds of the draft, deciding to target Chris Snyder as a sleeper with big upside. Is it time to cut bait with him and jump on one of the other catchers available in my league like J.R. Towles, Ryan Doumit or Jason Kendall? -- Mark Branaman, Indianapolis, Ind.

It seems some Fantasy owners are unsure about what to make of J.R. Towles. (Getty Images)

MH: There is no doubt in my mind you dump Snyder and head for the likes of Doumit or Towles (when he is healthy). I like what Kendall has done through the early season, and believe he will hit .300. But he won't provide much power and will have a hard time driving in runs batting ninth. If I had the choice, despite being in a platoon situation, Doumit has the biggest upside here. Although he had a long journey to the majors, he always hit for a decent average and produced runs in the minors. I think Towles is going to be a special player, but he still needs to develop. Doumit will deliver the most right away and the fact he is Fantasy eligible at two positions (C, OF) gives you options in case you grab another catcher down the line.

I have Ramon Hernandez as my catcher, but Ivan Rodriguez is a free agent. Should I drop Hernandez for I-Rod? -- Corey Gantenbein

MH: Pudge had everyone's blood boiling this spring when he smacked eight homers. Oh, if those stats only counted then Gabe Gross would be a must-have Fantasy option. To see a 17-year veteran be that aggressive at the plate was a nice surprise, but that's why you don't put too much stock in spring numbers. Rodriguez didn't go yard through the first two weeks, hit under the Mendoza Line and drove in a lousy two runs while striking out nine times in 41 at-bats. Hernandez, on the other hand, also hit under .200 but supplemented his poor average with two homers and seven RBI. The sad fact is that Hernandez would have been a top-five Fantasy catcher in 2007 had injuries not slowed his progress. When healthy, he can swing a mean bat. The fact he doesn't have as much mileage as Pudge, Hernandez is the better bet.

I drafted J.R. Towles as my catcher, however, A.J. Pierzynski is on the waiver wire. Should I drop Towles in favor of Pierzynski, or hold on to Towles because he has more offensive upside? -- Mark Burke, Minster, Ohio

MH: I'm pretty sure a lot of people were surprised by Pierzynski's offensive outburst the first two weeks, but if you take a closer look at his numbers, he is not a half-bad hitter. Over the last five seasons, he has averaged .280 at the plate, 12 homers, 64 RBI and a .427 slugging percentage. He is not a spectacular option, but a safe one. That's why he doesn't get a lot of credit in Fantasy. Coming from a guy that owns Towles in the majority of his leagues, I'm willing to take a flier on the rookie based on offensive potential because I don't value catchers very much. I will take the good with the bad. But if you don't want to pull your hair out, A.J. is your boy.

Why is Jacoby Ellsbury splitting time with Coco Crisp? I thought the center field job was Ellsbury's? Is this simply Boston showcasing Crisp for a potential trade? How long do you see this going on and should I hang on to Ellsbury? -- Tom Stricker, Seattle, Wash.

MH: It's called: The Red Sox are paying Crisp too much to sit his behind on the bench. Yes, showcasing him as trade bait has something to do with it. Also, the Red Sox need to keep Crisp fresh in the event they need him off the bench. He is not used to a role as a bench player and would render himself useless to Boston if he struggles to adapt in that capacity. Next, Crisp is a nice defensive option in center. Whatever shortcomings he suffers at the plate, he is still one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball. Fantasy owners might not care, but for baseball purposes, having a guy that can cover a lot of ground in the outfield is very valuable. Why do you think Andruw Jones got a hefty deal from the Dodgers? Finally, the Red Sox are doing their best to shield Ellsbury from his own success. A postseason hero, what happens if Ellsbury slumps to open the season as he tries to mirror his instant success? The fans would turn on him and he could lose his confidence. Think of Crisp as baseball training wheels for Ellsbury. I can see this platoon situation carrying on until possibly the trade deadline, when the Red Sox finally feel comfortable in dealing Crisp.

Since the "vegetarian" Prince Fielder hasn't hit a home run in the first two weeks, do you still foresee 40-plus dingers? I know you're going to tell me it's still early, but I'm genuinely concerned about his diet affecting his power swing, especially over the long haul of an entire season. -- Lawrence Fleischer, San Jose, Calif.

MH: If you ever get a chance to catch a Brewers game, it doesn't look as though the diet is helping Prince much. He looks heavier than ever and it still appears as though he is stopping by the burger joints. I'm no doctor, but can eating red meat really help your power swing? There are plenty of supplements that vegetarians take to offset the loss of proteins in their diet, and I'm sure Fielder is on them. As long as he stays strong in the weight room, that's all that matters. Secondly, I am going to tell you to relax. Fielder started slow last season and only hit six homers in April. Also, he hit just three homers in July. All good hitters slump, but Fielder's has come early. No one really cared to pay attention to his July numbers last season because he had 27 homers going into the month. I would stick with Fielder and his boom could come as early as Fantasy Week 3 (April 14-20). The Brewers play the Cardinals and Reds in that timeframe. Fielder hit .300 with five homers and 14 RBI in 15 games last season against St. Louis, and he hit .345 with five homers and 12 RBI in 15 games against the Reds.

What do you think is fair market value for Joe Crede? I have a stacked third base position with Mark Reynolds, Miguel Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez. I need some pitching help and speed. What kind of player should I target for Crede? -- Hemang Shah

MH: The only person who can answer this question is White Sox GM Ken Williams because he turned down every offer this offseason and kept Crede, who has been a real gem through the first two weeks. Williams seems to have his own idea of what fair value is for Crede, but I will do my best to undercut him and take a stab in Fantasy terms. It doesn't seem a lot of Fantasy owners are respecting Crede's early season boom. In trades on CBSSports.com, he is going for the likes of Marlon Byrd, Jon Lester, Khalil Greene, Jason Kubel, Joey Gathright and Dustin Pedroia. Ouch. Can the man get a little respect for his four homers and 15 RBI? If you are looking for some starting pitchers, at this time I think Crede can pull in the likes of Tim Hudson, Chad Billingsley, Ian Snell, Adam Wainwright, Dustin McGowan and Ted Lilly.

Is Juan Pierre worth keeping on my roster? I had him slotted as my "stolen base" guy in a 12-team, Head-to-Head league. I'm left with B.J. Upton, Alex Rodriguez and Lastings Milledge to steal the majority of bases. If I need 6-7 stolen bases per week to win, can I get by without Pierre? --Michael Snyder, Macomb, Mich.

MH: If you combine Upton's, Milledge's and Rodriguez's stolen base totals through the first two weeks, then the answer is no (four totals SBs). Upton is your best bet to steal 40-plus bases, but he won't touch Pierre's potential. Milledge and A-Rod could steal 20-30 bases, but again, they're not primarily guys who get on base to steal every time out. In a deep Fantasy league, there is no harm in keeping a guy like Pierre on the roster. He is just an injury away from being an everyday player. Also, if the Dodgers get fed up with keeping a $55 million guy on the bench, someone will be willing to take Pierre off their hands.

I'm in a 12-team, Head-to-Head league and I have a dilemma. I currently own Grady Sizemore, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Vernon Wells and Carl Crawford. I can only start three outfielders and one utility. So I have to give up one of these guys. Bay is coming off a monster week, and I no longer know who to trade. Who should I deal and what can I expect? -- Ryan Carter

MH: Ryan, why do you have to deal any of those guys? Don't you have bench spots? You can never go wrong with having a solid bench. It gives you options on a weekly basis, and what happens when an injury flares up? You won't need to worry about replacing one of your stars because you can just bring someone off the bench. I would actually refrain from dealing any of these players unless you are in dire need at other positions. In that case, you would want to deal either Wells or Bay. Personally, I would keep Wells since he is a Fantasy monster when healthy. His 2007 season has to be forgotten because he was injured (shoulder) for most of the season. He is back at 100 percent and producing like a Fantasy champ. It also appears as though Bay has returned to his former 30-homer, 100-RBI self, but there is just a little more risk involved with him. Bay could probably bring you a middle of the road Fantasy starter at any infield position and definitely a No. 3 Fantasy SP.

Who is more promising and worthy of starting on my Fantasy team: Carlos Gomez or Michael Bourn? -- Clay Sorrells, Oxford, Miss.

MH: This is a tough call because I think Gomez will develop into a special player, but for the more immediate cause, it's Bourn. He has the better on-base percentage and has had more time to work on his game since he did attend college (Houston). Gomez is still a pup at 22 years old and hasn't had a lot of at-bats above Double-A (317 ABs).

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