Time for the long-awaited second edition of my last-minute trading advice. If you missed the first part, or just need a refresher, take a moment and get up to speed here:

http://www.fantasybaseballmafia.com/archives/2007/July/trading1.html
 
Now that that’s complete, make sure you’re fully in the mindset that we’re operating under here: categories are king! Winning categories is the only way to win standard roto fantasy leagues. Having said that, and assuming that you’re not going to try to make a deal for A-Rod or Jose Reyes at the deadline, here are some interesting players you may want to take a shot at once you’ve identified the specific categories you need help with.

Average

First, be aware that this will be the hardest category to make up ground on. If you’ve got a .006 or similar deficit between you and the next guy, I wouldn’t spend much effort trying to improve—other than dumping the guys who you know will bring you down. But if you feel like you’ve got a sniff, take a shot at buying these guys:

Derek Jeter: This may seem obvious, but depending on the mood of his owner, you may be able to buy average here relatively low. Jeter has been a relative disappointment across all categories; he’s on pace for only 12 HRs and 16 SBs. But you can be assured he will hit .335 or better the rest of the season.

Dustin Pedroia: Second basemen with a pulse are hard to find, so his owner might make you pay, but if you find someone who doesn’t need him as much he can come cheap. He won’t help you in many categories but he’s a pure hitter and should maintain or improve his .323 average—the 36 walks are evidence of a great hitting eye.

Moises Alou: Should be able to grab him real cheap from someone who has any depth at all in the outfield, and if nothing else (and I do mean nothing) he hits for average. His walk rate is still great and his .311 average should be maintained or improved if he stays healthy.

Runs

David DeJesus: Bet you didn’t realize that DeJesus is actually tied with Ichiro for runs scored. His walks per AB is more than 0.10, a very strong figure. He’s good at getting on base and good at scoring once he’s there, and the Kansas City Royals are prone to these bizarre offensive outbursts that may improve with Gathright coming up and Butler and Gordon only getting better, and Teahen way overdue for an outburst.

Kevin Youkilis: In order to get runs scored, you obviously need two things: the ability to get on base and a solid offense to get you home. Youkilis doesn’t often get himself home with power or speed, but he’s got a nice trio of Papi/Manny/Lowell to get him home and he gets on base at a nifty .398 clip.

Home runs

Richie Sexson: Buyer beware; if you’re teetering in a place where losing three or four points of batting average could drop you quite a few spots, don’t touch Richie. But even a moderate hot streak from him could mean double-digit homers the rest of the way and you can be certain his owner is truly disgusted at this point by the depressing .196 BA and is ready to dump him. We’re still waiting for that magical second half to kick in, but the track record is there.

Jermaine Dye: He hasn’t exactly played to potential either this year, but he’s still got 22 homers and now with the trade stigma off his back, he’s playing for a new contract and you can expect a resurgence which has already begun. Maybe his owner isn’t quite paying attention and is still ready to dump him.

Andruw Jones: See above. Again, his owner may be so frustrated by the .217 BA that he just wants to cut bait, but I truly believe Andruw could hit 15 HRs the rest of the season. He has to heat up if he wants any type of serious contract. Just don’t overpay here; you can’t be expected to give up third-round value for his performance to date.

Stolen bases

Julio Lugo: He was very close to getting cut in many situations and is now batting a pitiful ninth, but there’s no question that Lugo can run to the tune of 26 SBs to date, even with occasionally interrupted playing time. He will help you out in this category and hopefully can play himself higher up in the lineup if he continues his mini-resurgence.

Corey Patterson: This is the kind of guy you want if you’re specifically targeting this category. He has a depressing 29 RBI thusfar but is almost up to his steals base from last year. Most owners will view him as a disappointment in total and if you can offer them some power and consistency, they’ll be ready to dump Patterson and you can enjoy 15-20 more steals this year.

Jason Bartlett: Here’s a low, low-end choice who may even be on the waiver wire in some leagues. His walk rate is passable and he does score some runs when the Twins are hitting well, but the steals are obviously the real prize here—he could be good for double digit steals from here forward, and that’s all you may need from your MI. You should be able to get Bartlett as a throw-in in a bigger deal.

RBIs

Jeff Francoeur: Say whatever you want about his poor plate discipline (though you have to enjoy the .303 BA this year after .260 in 2006), he has a knack for hitting the ball when there are runners on base—which will happen even more often with Teixeira now part of the mix in Atlanta.

Brad Hawpe: Because of his strong walk rate, Hawpe often gets pitches to hit, and he hits behind Kaz Matsui, Garrett Atkins and Matt Holliday who will be on base plenty. He had an explosive stretch that has cooled off a little bit, but don’t be surprised if his owner expects you to overpay. Look for Hawpe owners who are thick in the outfield department in order to get a deal done.

Good luck with your trades! Don’t forget to send all trade questions to wiretap@fantasybaseballmafia.com to have your questions answered on the official Mafia podcast. Now go start making those deals!