Sliders: Finding relief as a starter

Duchscherer-er-er. Duchscherer-er-er-er-er-er-er-er.

I looked at cheap used cars all weekend, so I heard that noise a lot. True story. But never did it leave me with as bad a feeling as when I discovered how well Justin Duchscherer pitched last week after I benched him in the most shallow of my Fantasy leagues.

Duchscherer-er-grr.

Let me spell it out for you: Two wins, 15 2/3 innings, two earned runs and 13 baserunners allowed. Those numbers translate to a 1.15 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, which normally wouldn't mean much except they contribute to season marks of 1.99 and 0.97, not to mention an 8-4 record.

And yet Duchscherer entered the week starting in only 65 percent of Fantasy leagues.

Keep in mind when I mentioned that record, I said 8-4, not 2-0 or 3-1. You know how when you were growing up and did something irresponsible, your mom would say, "You're getting to old for this?" Well, here's the Fantasy equivalent:

It's getting too late for this.

Sliders These guys' recent performances signify more than a hot or cold streak. Their Fantasy appeal has actually "slid" either up or down.

Justin Duchscherer, SP, Athletics

Duchscherer's numbers across the board suggest he's worthy of starting for any Fantasy team. (US Presswire)

You read correctly: Nearing the halfway point of the season, Duchscherer has an ERA below 2.00. Edinson Volquez has an ERA below 2.00 -- and with a disproportionately high WHIP -- and everyone acts like he's the second coming of Bob Gibson. But Duchscherer? Not a whisper, not a peep.

Granted, Volquez has better stuff, better strikeout potential and, overall, more Fantasy appeal, but why does he get all the hype when Duchscherer toils in virtual obscurity? Why no love for the guy whose name has more E-Rs than Thursday night primetime?

It especially makes no sense in a season when another reliever-turned-starter, Ryan Dempster, has dominated despite years of mediocrity in the bullpen. Fantasy owners caught on to him pretty quickly, why not Duchscherer, who has better overall numbers?

You want to know Duchscherer's season high for runs allowed? Three. That's it, three. He did it once. Talk about a rough day at the office.

So with no hype coming his way naturally, I'm taking personal responsibility for building him up, hyping him even though I already did a few weeks ago. That's right: I've never had a player slide the same direction twice in one season, but for Duchscherer, I'm going Checkers drive-thru style -- double-barrel, baby.

Never bench him again. Just don't do it -- I don't care the size of your league. Even if he gets shelled next time out, keep him active until it happens three or four times in a row. I'll do the same. We'll get together later and compare results.

Bobby Abreu, OF, Yankees

In a way, Abreu's continued decline seemed almost a given entering the season. His power numbers had decreased each of the last three seasons, and last season he finished with an on-base percentage below .400 (.369) for the first time since 2001. Still, with his 25 stolen bases and 11 home runs in the second half, he gave reason to believe his days as an above-average Fantasy outfielder hadn't completely passed him by.

Flash forward to late June, and his production mirrors that of some waiver-wire pickups in mixed leagues. Really, his downfall had nothing to do with his 4-for-37 (.108) slump entering Monday other than it highlighting his other shortcomings. The slump doesn't account for his Juan Pierre-like .335 on-base percentage, not when he still has a somewhat respectable batting average of .273.

The truth is he just doesn't walk anymore. His 27 free passes so far put him on pace for 57, by far his fewest since his days in Houston. And if you didn't even know he played in Houston, you realize just how long ago we're talking here.

With his power waning and his batting average hitting its lowest point last year since those ancient days in Houston, pitchers don't fear him anymore, so they load up and throw the ball right down Broadway. And he loads up and hits it with less power than some of those used cars I mentioned earlier. Ack.

Given his walk totals of the past, we know he only swings at strikes. So if he's not walking, he's seeing plenty of strikes. And if he's seeing strikes and still not hitting with authority, what kind of hitter is he?

Not one that ranks him among the top 30 outfielders in Fantasy.

Huston Street, RP, Athletics

Street has always masqueraded as an elite Fantasy closer. Groomed for the role since his college days at Texas, his pedigree has given Fantasy owners the impression he knows what he's doing on the mound in the ninth inning.

But I don't believe he does, at least not anymore than, say, Kevin Gregg.

Yeah, his career 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP don't look bad. His strikeout rate of more than a batter per inning is all fine and good. But he also has a troubling career save percentage of 79.5. To put that somewhat unfamiliar number in perspective, it's about 10 percent worse than Trevor Hoffman's over his career.

And then just this last week, Street blew a save and suffered a loss in consecutive games, allowing five earned runs and seven baserunners in two innings. Granted, he doesn't do that all the time -- he entered with a six-inning scoreless streak -- but his meltdowns are massive and not terribly infrequent.

Looking ahead at just this season, Street hasn't taken advantage of the Athletics' surprising start. He has only 13 saves, putting him on pace for 28, or three more than George Sherrill has already. Personally, I wouldn't trust the A's stopper as anything more than a low-end No. 2 Fantasy closer.

Magglio Ordonez, OF, Tigers

For all the diehard Ordonez fans out there, keep in mind he only had room to slide because he himself set the bar so high -- unreasonably high, really -- and we all should have known it.

Unless they're part of a select company of supremely talented superstars, players hit over .350 once in a lifetime. Ordonez hit .363 last year. It was nice. It was cool. But it was a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.

His previous career high was .320, and he achieved it during the prime of his career. His current batting average of .303 lags only a few points behind his career mark of .311, and his home-run pace (25) doesn't trail last season's total (28) by much. In other words, if you're waiting for Ordonez to do more than he already has, don't hold your breath.

I don't mean to call him a bum -- his current numbers still have plenty of appeal in Fantasy -- but he ranks a step and a half behind the elite class of outfielders.

Brian Buscher, 3B, Twins

Buscher is by no means an elite prospect, but he looks like he has the everyday third-base job locked up for now after putting together four multi-hit games in his last seven.

He hit .319 with eight home runs and a .916 OPS at in 185 at-bats at Triple-A, and although I normally subscribe to the theory that 27-year-old rookies get stuck in the minors so long for a reason, Buscher has that one particular skill set that always appeals to me. He knows how to walk and does it as often as he strikes out. With a batting eye that good, how could he go wrong?

Don't lie. You love the eye. You turned to CBS for advice, so you must.

I don't mean to say you should run and scoop Buscher up in every league -- his Fantasy worth hasn't slid that much -- but I think he deserves a roster spot in all AL-only leagues, which make up far more than the one percent in which he's currently owned.

Hanging Sliders These guys look like Sliders, but not so fast! Their recent performances might cause you to misinterpret their Fantasy appeal.

Marcus Thames, OF, Tigers

The semantics get kind of tricky here because I'd obviously pay more for Thames today than I would have two weeks ago, but I still don't feel like I have much use for him as anything more than a stopgap outside of AL-only leagues.

He has all the home runs now -- nine in his last 14 games -- and is therefore getting at-bats, but what about when he slows down? And make no mistake: He will slow down. He's demonstrated 30-homer potential in the past, sure, but right now, he's on pace for that many in 280 at-bats. Sounds a little far-fetched, doesn't it? And then he also has Gary Sheffield -- he of the much bigger contract and longer track record -- ready to take his at-bats once he comes off the DL.

Despite his good work of late, I just can't see Thames escaping the platoon role for long. And you need your Fantasy players to play everyday, especially in Head-to-Head leagues.

Ramon Vazquez, 3B, Rangers

In his professional baseball career, Vazquez isn't known for much, and most of what he is known for isn't good. He can field a little, but his .259 batting average and 19 home runs in 1,609 major league at-bats tell you everything you need to know about his bat.

So what is up with his current .333-4-24-30 line? Can you figure it out? I sure can't, which is usually a sign that it won't last.

His recent minor-league track record is another sign. In parts of the last four seasons he's spent in Triple-A -- a level he should theoretically dominate -- he's hit higher than .260 only once, and it happened way back in 2004.

By every indication, Vazquez is merely a glove-only utility infielder playing at the tip-top of his game right now. And to think the Rangers moved Hank Blalock to first base to clear a spot for him. For shame.

Then again, the Rangers also unearthed Josh Hamilton, Milton Bradley and David Murphy this year, so what do I know?

Change-up Every week, I make terrible errors in judgment. It happens to us all, and if it didn't, Fantasy wouldn't be a game worth playing. Fortunately, I permit myself the opportunity to correct one of my mistakes by throwing a change-up.

Vicente Padilla, SP, Rangers

... Apparently nothing, as Padilla can attest. On May 20, I said he couldn't possibly sustain an ERA below 4.00 and a WHIP below 1.40. Well, in four June starts, he has a 3.96 ERA and 1.12 WHIP.

If he really does have a major pitfall ahead, we probably would have seen signs of it by now. Instead, he hasn't posted an ERA above 4.00 in any single month this season, demonstrating remarkable consistency, and although I still can't imagine him sustaining his pace of 21 wins, I have to admit a career year looks like a distinct possibility.

So can he maintain an ERA just below 4.00 and a WHIP just below 1.40? Yeah, he can, and those numbers will certainly do your Fantasy team some good as long as you think of him as a back-end option.

You can e-mail Scott your Fantasy Baseball questions to dmfantasybaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Sliders in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.We'll answer as many as we can.