Dear Mr. Fantasy: Should I add or should I drop?

Can you believe that we are already seven weeks into the Fantasy Baseball season? How time flies.

It's great to see that our baseball feedback forum is still being swamped with questions, so keep 'em coming. Without your questions, poor Scott E. White Jr. might be forced to beg for his meal money.

I added Nate McLouth in all of my leagues after the first week of the season, and he has yet to slow down. Do you think he will eventually regress, and if so, should I sell him high? -- Ryne Branum

MH: There is no need to sell high on McLouth. The only issue that really concerns me is that McLouth plays for a potential last-place team and certain RBI situations might not present themselves. McLouth is a pretty good hitter and can fill the stat sheet like a Grady Sizemore. McLouth hit a lot of doubles in the minors and now they just seem to be flying out of the ballpark. The Pirates coaching staff doesn't think he will slow down because he has a quick, compact swing which allows him to jump on pitches. They compare him in some regards to a young Barry Bonds when he had a toothpick frame during his Pirate years.

I have Jason Isringhausen as one of my closers, and now I am forced to bench him since he has been demoted from the closer's role. Is it worth holding on to him in case he is able to reclaim his job? Do I trade him for close to nothing or just drop him? Please help. -- Bob Smith, Madison, N.H.

MH: The Cardinals hope Isringhausen won't be out of the closer's role for long. They are giving him a "mental break" in hopes of restoring his confidence. Manager Tony La Russa says it takes a "special guy" to work the ninth inning and added Isringhausen is "that guy." If you can afford to stash Izzy, then that is the best remedy. If you are in a shallow league and need the roster spot, then drop him for another closer. It's hard to possibly survive a month without saves in Fantasy. Entertaining a trade is also reasonable, but the return will be minimal, so hitting the waiver wire seems a more logical choice if it is absolutely necessary.

It's gotten so bad for Pronk that he's now showing up on some waiver wires. (US Presswire)

MH: First off, I gotta give some love to Teaneck. My mother is a Teaneck native and I wouldn't be here today without her (ironic this comes on the heels of Mother's Day). So, wup, wup for Teaneck. Secondly, without a doubt add Hafner to your bench. Clearly, he has frustrated Fantasy owners hovering close to the Mendoza Line. But the guy still has the potential to hit 20-plus homers and drive in 100-plus runs. If you can afford to stash that kind of potential on your bench, then do it. Hafner, much like Jason Isringhausen and Ryan Howard, are battling "mental" demons and their confidence has been shot. Hafner is hard at work fixing the problem, and Indians manager Eric Wedge has the utmost belief Pronk will turn it around. Fantasy owners should have the same conviction. Hafner is hitting just .191 against right-handers as opposed to .285 against lefties. If he solves his issues against right-handers, the sky is the limit.

I traded Edinson Volquez for Justin Verlander after four weeks. I figured Verlander would right the ship and become the Cy Young caliber pitcher he's always been. I figured Volquez wasn't this good. Did I make the right decision? Verlander looks awful. Is he cooked? -- Adam Hunter, New York, N.Y.

MH: No way. This turkey is not done. Verlander's biggest problem right now is falling behind hitters and issuing too many free passes. He has walked 21 in 49 innings. He walked a total of 127 batters his previous two seasons over 387 2/3 innings. Hitters are starting to be a little more patient with the hard-throwing Verlander these days, and some of his old tricks aren't working as well. The Tigers, as well as Verlander, are pleased with the way he is throwing the ball, he is just a bit unlucky. It’s hard to give up on the potential ace of one of the best teams in baseball.

I just made a trade for Rick Ankiel as a fourth outfielder in a standard 14-team league. I see incredible potential in him. I'm thinking possibly 30-35 homers, .270 average and 100-plus RBI. Am I overrating him? -- Dominick Muzio

MH: The only category you are overrating Ankiel in is RBI. It's unlikely he gets close to 100 because he is splitting time between hitting second and fourth. He has just five RBI hitting second and 10 hitting fourth. If he hits more behind Albert Pujols, who always seems to be on base, then reaching 100 RBI is a possibility. Right now, he is on pace for a .284 average, 28 homers, 97 runs and 81 RBI. Most of your projections are realistic.

Who will have better numbers by season's end: Justin Morneau or Conor Jackson ? -- Chris Tweedy

MH: Let's go with history here and back Morneau. Perhaps Jackson will hit for a better average, but Morneau has the track record of being a 30-plus homer guy and big-time RBI producer. In fact, I wouldn't be opposed as to selling high on Jackson.

I have been hurting at catcher this year. I now have Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jeff Clement, so taking everything into consideration (i.e. playing time), which of these two backstops has more Fantasy upside for the remaining of 2008? -- Bill Lohse, Chicago

MH: It's pretty much a coin toss. Salty might be splitting time behind the plate with Gerald Laird, but the Rangers will ultimately try to find ways to keep his bat in the lineup. The same goes for Clement in Seattle. He'll likely DH more than catch, but the Mariners want his bat in the lineup. I'm torn because Saltalamacchia can do some serious damage playing in the Ballpark at Arlington. However, my gut tells me to trust Clement because he hasn't struggled much at the plate during his rise through the minors. Don't forget, Clement was also a first-round pick (third overall) in that loaded 2005 draft class (Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, Ryan Braun, etc.). If I had to choose, I'm going with Clement.

Stephen Drew or Ryan Theriot? -- Brian Calimano, New Brunswick, N.J.

MH: In a Head-to-Head format, Drew is the choice because he hits lower in the lineup and has the chance to plate more runs. Also, he has the better power swing. In a Rotisserie league, it's Theriot because of average, runs and stolen bases. Theriot is seeing a lot of great pitches hitting in front of Derrek Lee and is capitalizing to the tune of a .333 average. Theriot is not a popular pick in a lot of Fantasy leagues because he virtually has no power and won't total a lot of RBI. But push come to shove, Drew is the better pick since he was a big-time prospect coming out of Florida State and has the potential to be a solid No. 1 Fantasy SS.

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