Bail Season

As we near the Memorial Day weekend, many teams have come to grips with their bad April and have begun to entertain the notion of playing for 2006.

This is a common occurence, and one that I believe is premature. There is just too much babseball left. With MLB teams nearing the 40.5 game mark (25%), there is still 121.5 games left!

At this point, MLB teams will begin to adjust to their bad April and promote and demote players. It is here that the poor-start Roto teams should be focused, and it is here where the poor starts are most beneficial due to standings priority for free agent pick-ups and waiver claims.

While I advise against panicking, I don't advise passivity in this regard. A poor-starting Roto team must agressively deplete the free agent pool and waiver wire. Is Freddie Sanchez or Bobby Hill still available? Get them as Craig Wilson's injury will open OF ABs for Makowiak while pushing him away from infield ones. Did a team pick-up Jonny Gomes based on Piniella's assertions that TB needed more HRs only to watch him not play? Trade for him because he will be playing by the All-Star break (Still 80 games or so left in the season!)

Go to Baseball America and catch-up on the hot AAA and AA players so you know who will be called-up (Dan Johnson? jack Cust? Joey Gaithwright? Aaron Hill? Brad Eldred? Matt Cain? and so on.)

There is a lot of baseball left in this season, so do not quit yet. The beginning of July is the better time to seriously consider that as there will be more season gone than season coming.