Vin Mazzaro is NEXT for the Oakland A's.

Bud Norris has only thrown well this month hence his 5.97 ERA on the season, but he has a 3.07 ERA and a .95 WHIP in July. He gets the lowly Pirates this weekend and will face the marginal NL the remainder of the season. Do not look for Norris to be there in the end for you but get him while he’s hot.

Omar Infante should not have made the NL All Star team, although he is having a very nice season. He is hitting .332 on the season and .643 in the last week and he has all sorts of eligibility. If you need some help in the utility spot or perhaps you are in need of a stopgap at a thin position, take a look at the 2010 NL All Star.

J.P. Arencibia is a very good hitting catching prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He is currently hitting .319, with 25 HR, and 64 RBI on the season for Triple-A Las Vegas and he should be on the big league squad around the trade deadline. It looks like Arencibia might be able to help your team out at the end of the season and his stock will soon soar, so be sure to scoop him up ASAP.

Alfredo Simon is not owned in any league in Hotbox formats, which is mind-blowing since he is a full time closer, albeit for one of the worst teams in MLB. Simon should at least be on a roster at this point since he will get points and the Dominican big man has three saves in the last week.

I never thought I would ever recommend picking up Rodrigo Lopez but we are at that point of the season. He threw well against the Marlins (7 IP, 5 base runners), and faces the Padres and Giants, two offenses that do not exactly set the world on fire, in his next two starts. If he can escape with a 2-0 record consider yourself lucky, but give him a shot if you’re desperate.

Bill Hall is getting a lot more playing time than he should but that is great news for his production. Never the most consistent hitter but his pop has always been known since his monstrous 35 HR in 2006. He is hitting a respectable .286 in July, with 1 HR and 5 RBI, while getting on base at a .344 clip. Hall is eligible all around the diamond which will help him find his way in your lineup on a slow day.

Kyle Drabek threw a no-hitter last week, and it is possible he will be up before September, albeit a very small one. He is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball and might be able to help your team in the playoffs, so keep an eye on him or pick him up if you have room on your roster.

Vin Mazzaro is another one of the A’s new very good pitching prospects but is still behind Dallas Braden and obviously Brett Anderson. When both of them return from injury Mazzaro will likely be the odd man out, but Ben Sheets will likely get injured soon so be ready to pick up Mazzaro, who is 1-0 in 14 IP with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP this season.

Matt Anaya
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Upton and Longo are not happy with each other.

Nothing like Carlos Zambrano vs Michael Barrett but MLB teams are starting to feel the heat!

Matt Anaya
Twitter

Tyler Colvin is playing a lot and mashing.

Get ‘em in Your Lineup

Tyler Colvin is finally getting some playing time these days as Kosuke Fukudome has been benched. Colvin should see ample playing time the remainder of the season and will likely end around .275 and around 20 HR. If you are lacking OF depth, take a look at Colvin who should be a decent option the rest of the year.

Jason Castro was the 10th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, so he has good potential to be a good option at a thin position. Although Castro did not set the world on fire at AAA this season (.265, 4 HR), he had a very impressive 2009 by hitting .300 with 10 HR. Castro should be a nice MLB player and has the potential to help your team out at a typically tough position to fill.

Carlos Santana has emerged as one of top catching prospects in fantasy baseball and should be on a roster by now. If he is not, consider yourself lucky and scoop him up, especially if you are not strong at the catching position. Santana is only owned in 20% of Hotbox leagues and should be starting for any team that do not have Mauer, Martinez, and McCann.

Aubrey Huff is owned in 56% of Hotbox leagues but only starting in 12%. He has been on a tear lately, hitting .350 in the last two weeks, with five bombs and 12 RBI. Huff is 1B and OF eligible and is capable of having random awesome seasons (see BAL 2008), and as long as he is this hot you should pick him up.

Buster Posey is another solid catching option these days that might be available in your league. He was a hot pick up a few weeks ago when he finally got called up, but make sure to pick him up if he is available. He is hitting .303, with one HR, seven RBI, and nine runs on the season.

R.A. Dickey is 6-0 for the red hot Mets and is more than likely available in your league. The knuckleball journeyman has a 2.33 ERA, with 35 K and only 14 BB in over 46 IP this season and will have some more than favorable starts against the lowly NL.

Pick ‘em Up But Keep ‘em On Your Bench

Mike Stanton looks exactly like Miguel Cabrera did when he was called up as a 20-year-old Marlins prospect, but do not expect similar rookie numbers. Cabrera hit .268, with 12 HR, and 62 RBI in 2003 while Stanton is only hitting .218 with one career HR. Stanton has the potential to be one of the best power hitters in all of baseball but it looks like you will have to be patient with the young hitter.

Michael Saunders now has five home runs and 17 RBI with only 89 AB on the season. He is only one HR away from tying Mike Sweeney for the team lead in HR and as long as Milton Bradley is hitting .207 look for Saunders get more opportunity in the second half of the season.

Matt Anaya
Twitter

This is former Diamondbacks manager Wally Backman, who was hired by the DBacks in 2004 then fired a few days later after they found out about his serious debt. He has been a successful managerial career but his off the field problems have kept him out of a big league dugout.

And after watching this video of Backman, now manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones, he wont be going anywhere anytime soon. Extremely NSFW, but extremely LOL.

Better line?

“Lets go get a beer, Doc.” or “S**t, I broke my nail.”

Matt Anaya
Twitter

Delmon Young is finally acceptable to pick up.

Delmon Young is finally starting to swing the bat, albeit not exactly how a #1 pick should be swinging it. If you look at Young’s astounding minor league numbers you see why he has been a disappointment, but it looks like he is on his way to having his best season as a big leaguer. He is hitting .274, with only 6 HR, but 34 RBI through June 9, and if you need an OF, take a look at Young.

Jamie Moyer is having a terrific season so far. He is only 6-5, but the Phillies have been struggling and it is not all his fault. He barely walks anyone, as his 33/14 K/BB ratio suggests, and you will not give up a lot of runs if no one is on base. He has an ERA under 4.00 and is coming off a CG W against the first place at the time Padres. Pick up Moyer because he pitches in the weak NL and does not give up many runs.

Brad Lincoln will be making his big league debut on Wednesday, even though he should have been up last season. Lincoln is already better than Ross Ohlendorf and probably a few other pitchers on the Pirates, but that is why the Bucs are perennially in last place. Lincoln will strike some guys out, but he will not get more than 10 wins the rest of the season because that will be nearly 20% of his team’s victories. Pick up Lincoln and use him as a good match-up only pitcher.

Jake Arrieta of the Orioles is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, but he plays for one of the worst teams, and is in the toughest division. He is a tremendous keeper option and should be picked up in your league. He has a lot of upside but will not show all of it this season, but he will have more than a handful of good games.

Jose Tabata was acquired in the Xavier Nady trade a few years ago, and might be older than the 22 years he is listed at, but he is still a good player and will get plenty of playing time in the mediocre Pittsburgh OF. The Pirates are finally calling up their young players including Tabata, Brad Lincoln, and hopefully Pedro Alvarez will be next. Tabata should hit for a good average, as his .308 minor league average suggests, and he should be able to swipe a few bags, as he had 25 so far this season. Take a look at Tabata if you need OF help and a keeper option too.

John Jaso is raking this season at a .306 clip, with 3 HR, and 24 RBI. If you compare his numbers to 2009 AL MVP Joe Mauer (.311, 2 HR, 24 RBI), Jaso is a great pick up right now. Mauer will likely get going very soon and Jaso will likely taper off, but pick up Jaso while he is red hot.

Freddy Sanchez is currently in the midst of an 11 game hitting streak, while hitting .362 on the season. Sanchez is a former All Star, albeit in Pittsburgh, but he is still a capable fantasy second baseman. Look for his average to stay above .300 all season long and he is a perfect 2B for your squad.

Matt Anaya
Twitter

Dude was picking fights before he touched home LOL.

Dude hits a bomb and starts a fight before he even hits home plate. Wild.

Take a look

You can hear someone say, “SEE YA,” right after he hits it and you gotta love the creepy country music for the celebration music.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

Haha Bryce is still an immature teen, but he will be the #1 pick.

I’m with Bryce, that ball is at least a foot outside.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya

T-Rex needs to work on his release point.

This is a wild video of a baby T-Rex (not a full grown one LOL) throwing out the first pitch during a Memphis Redbirds game. He’s got decent form, but gets a little wild on the release.

Horrible joke, just watch.

Dude has actually done this before …

Wild stuff, man.

Matt Anaya
Twitter

Shawn Johnson Throws HEAT! Not.

Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson shows off her repertoire on the mound … not really but she’s a cutie who likes sports so we put her on the site. She is only 4′9″, but that happens when you can bench press a Buick at nine years old.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya
Twitter.com/DugoutDoctors

Jay-Z and Eminem in the ESPN booth.

Jay-Z and Eminem were in the D to take in a Yankees/Tigers game and they stopped by the ESPN booth to hang out with Souljaboy … old white guys.

The rappers were promoting their stadium tours that will not sell more than 20,000 tickets because rap is dead and nobody is into 35+ year old rappers. Neither of them have made a good album since 1998, but I digress and please watch the video.

Matt Anaya
Twitter.com/MatAnaya
Twitter.com/DugoutDoctors