Undervalued – SS Ian Desmond:  If you judge Desmond by only his numbers last year, he’d be a top 5 fantasy player at his position. A legitimate 20/20 guy who hits for average is exactly what you need at a weak position like shortstop. So as the bigger names go off the board early, and even the aged names like Jeter get fantasy attention, let Desmond slide to you in the middle rounds, and feel quite good about your selection.

Overvalued – SP Stephen Strasburg: Strasburg is ridiculously good. And will be again this year. But, because of the concerns about his health and another pitch count, this hurts his fantasy value. For a pitcher going as one of the first five players going at his position, you need more than 160 innings, even if those 160 innings are statistically spectacular. So there should be huge trepidation in counting on Strasburg as your top fantasy pitcher, because he could once again, be sitting on the pine, during the stretch run of your fantasy playoffs, and that’s why he’s overvalued.

Sleeper – C Wilson Ramos: Catcher is such a gelatinous fantasy position. Every catcher outside the top three, are all the same. And a player like Ramos is going undrafted in the majority of leagues. His injury-riddled season last year kept his numbers down. The presence of Kurt Suzuki, the fantasy equivalent to dry toast, keeps Ramos off radars. In two catcher leagues, Ramos makes a fantastic late round snag as his ceiling is much higher than Suzuki, certainly, and higher than others being drafted ahead of him.

Bust – 1B Adam Laroche: If Laroche played a different position, he may garner more excitement. But at such a deep position, the now 32-year-old Laroche just doesn’t put up enough excitement and statistics to warrant a starting role on your fantasy squad. And, expect a drop from his 33 HR season last year too, as it was a career best.

Follow Jimmy Dinsmore, the Fantasy Geek, on Twitter @fantasy_geek

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1. Yankees – Riding a 10-game winning streak and own an 18-4 mark in last 22 games
2. Dodgers – Have maintained lead in NL West despite playing weeks without star OF Matt Kemp
3. Rangers – Lead the AL in hitting and runs scored while still boasting the league’s third-best team ERA
4. Nationals – Team has gone NL-best seven games over .500 on the road; bats starting to get healthy
5. Reds – Joey Votto has carried the team to the top of the NL Central and emerged the NL MVP favorite
6. Orioles – Easily one of baseball’s best first-half surprises; They need to carry it to the second half
7. Rays – Despite struggling to put runs on the scoreboard at times, the pitching has been rock solid
8. Giants – Quietly playing good baseball on the West Coast and poised for a second-half push
9. White Sox – Veteran Paul Konerko leading AL Batting Title race by 28 points with .358 BA
10. Mets – R.A Dickey and Johan Santana have been two of best pitchers over past month of baseball
11. Angels – After a slow start to the season (18-25 on May 21), they’ve won 18 of their last 25 games
12. Braves – The young arms have not provided the lift the team was hoping for to this point
13. Pirates – Pulled into a first-place tie a week ago, but quickly fell 3.5 games back after sweep
14. Indians – Consistency has been a huge problem for Tribe; Still in thick of AL Central
15. Cardinals – Injuries continue to mount of the defending champs; too many hurdles to overcome

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16. Blue Jays – Rotation is in shambles with 3 of 5 starters disabled; Offense still makes them factor
17. Red Sox – Long road ahead for Boston, who needs to get healthy if they are going to make a run
18. Marlins – When you’re hitting .237 as a team and its mid-June it’s not good news
19. Tigers – Have been easily one of the biggest disappointments, but AL Central still up for grabs
20. Diamondbacks – On the verge of getting back to .500, but already 9 games back of Dodgers
21. A’s – The young arms have reasons for hope into future, bat the lineup still needs plenty of work
22. Brewers – Ryan Braun (.314 BA, 19 HR, 49 RBI) has been one of the few bright spots
23. Phillies – Hard to believe that the Phillies are sitting in dead last in NL East and likely to stay there
24. Royals – Young talent starting to hit; still struggling to score & keeping opponents off scoreboard
25. Mariners – It’s hard to take a step forward when you are just 12-19 at home, but future is bright
26. Astros – The team is showing more grit than we gave it credit for, but another fire sale likely ahead
27. Twins – Minnesota used to have a formula to compete in small market, but that seems like long ago
28. Rockies – Not even the late-season charging Rockies will be overcome 16-game deficit in division
29. Padres – There are Triple A teams that field as competitive of a lineup on some nights
30. Cubs – Theo Epstein is willing to trade anybody on the roster as the multi-year rebuild project begins

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Through the first 35 games of the season the Washington Nationals have posted a 22-13 (.629) record and enter Tuesday’s action in first place in the NL East.

Have they just gotten off to a hot start or is this team going to stick around to be in the conversation come October?

Manager Davey Johnson has done a great job with this team’s nearly three decades after leading the Mets to World Championship.

No rotation in MLB has performed better from top to bottom than the Nationals’ unit to this point of the season.  Overall, they have the best team ERA in baseball with a 2.27 mark.

Stephen Strasburg and newcomer Gio Gonzalez each are allowing less than two earned runs per nine innings while Jordan Zimmerman (2.14 ERA), Ross Detwiler (2.75), and Edwin Jackson (3.71) have also shown flashes of brilliance.

Like many other parts of the team, the bullpen has been hurt by injuries as Drew Storen and Brad Lidge have both made their way to the DL. Henry Rodriguez has shown signs of being able to close out games in their absence, but he’s blown three of his save opportunities.

The team has managed to find its way to first place without the benefit of having outfielder Michael Morse all season. Right fielder Jayson Werth is expected to be out until July after recently being put on the DL.  Catcher Wilson Ramos suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Third basemen Ryan Zimmerman has returned from his stint on the DL and he’ll be counted to help breathe life into a struggling offense. Veteran first basemen Adam LaRoche is enjoying a bit of a resurgence and 19-year old phenom Bryce Harper has been called upon to help the team win now.

Final Take: The Nats are ninth in the NL in batting average and 12th in runs scored. Those numbers will need to improve if they are going to hold onto their lead. If they can keep their pitching going at this level until the All-Star break they could get a big lift with Morse and Werth returning to lineup and may even look to add a bat via trade before the deadline. With the Phillies struggling badly, the NL East is up for grabs and Washington is going to be a factor in the race for the duration of the season.

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1. Rangers – The Rangers boast baseball’s most explosive offense and are second in the AL in team ERA
2. Dodgers – It’s a new beginning in LA and this Dodgers’ team is a serious pennant contender
3. Nationals – Questions remain about the bats, but the rotation has been the best in the NL from top to bottom
4. Rays – The return of Evan Longoria to full health has paid dividends early on for Tampa Bay
5. Orioles – The surprise team of the season thus far, the O’s sport baseball’s best record to this point
6. Braves – Atlanta’s youth brings plenty of optimism; They have a NL-best 10 road wins
7. Cardinals – Despite the off-season losses, the Cardinals remain the class of the NL Central
8. Indians – For the second straight year the Tribe is off to a hot start. Can they sustain it this time?
9. Blue Jays – Always overlooked in AL East, the Blue Jays are a very dangerous team and a tough out
10. Yankees – The Yanks have the thump, but they are only 11th in the AL in ERA and now without Rivera
11. Tigers – Our preseason #1 team has been a major disappointment thus far. Still counting on more
12. Giants – Going 4-5 thus far inside the division isn’t doing them any favors; falling behind LA quickly
13. Mets – New York has been better than most expected, but not sure they are a playoff-caliber team
14. Reds – The pitching has delivered but the bats have been atrocious, especially in the clean-up spot
15. Marlins – The Miami makeover has netted the same mediocre results the Marlins’ fans are used to

16. A’s – Oakland has held their own behind strong pitching, led by the reenergized Bartolo Colon
17. Astros – Despite most not being able to name more than three players, the Astros are competitive
18. Diamondbacks – Injuries have dampened the D-Backs’ spirits early on, but they remain dangerous
19. Red Sox – The Bobby Valentine Era is going to be short-lived if things don’t turn around quickly
20. Phillies – The loss of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley has proven too much to overcome thus far
21. White Sox – A decent start has turned sour as the team has dropped 9 of its last 12 games
22. Rockies – The humidor appears to be broke as the Rockies are dead last in the NL in ERA
23. Brewers – Good pitching and timely hitting has been tough to come by for the Brewers early on
24. Mariners – Finally the M’s are showing some life at the plate; appear to be heading in right direction
25. Angels – Albert Pujols finally hit a homerun, but the Angels are already 6.5 games behind Texas
26. Pirates – Scoring runs has been a great challenge for the Bucs; another losing season in the making
27. Cubs – The team has a long way to go and have really struggled on the road going 4-8 to this point
28. Royals – Optimism remains around its young talent, yet the Royals have to realize it in the standings
29. Padres – The lineup they are putting out on nightly basis is flat out embarrassing
30. Twins – Hey Justin Morneau is hurt again, surprised? Easily the worst team in baseball

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from official press release...

Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the acquisition of minor league LHP Chris Manno and OF Bill Rhinehart from the Washington Nationals in exchange for OF Jonny Gomes and cash considerations.

1B/OF Yonder Alonso (#23) was recalled from Class AAA Louisville to replace Gomes on the Reds' roster. He will be in uniform for tonight's game against the New York Mets at Great American Ball Park.

Gomes, 30, this season for the Reds hit .211 with 11 HR and 31 RBI in 77 appearances and 59 starts.

Alonso, 24, this season is an International League All-Star at Louisville and hit .296 with 24 doubles, 4 triples, 12 HR, 56 RBI and 6 stolen bases in 91 games. He made 21 appearances for the Bats at first base and 62 appearances in the outfield.

In each of the last 2 years, Alonso played for the World Team in Major League Baseball's prestigious XM All-Star Futures Game and this season was rated by Baseball America as the 73rd-best prospect in all of baseball. He made his Major League debut last season with 22 appearances and 3 starts for the Reds.

Manno, 22, went 1-3 with a 1.04 ERA and 12 saves in 13 opportunities at Class A Hagerstown (43.1ip, 20h, 15bb, 69k, 1hr, .135 opponents' BA). He was selected by the Nationals out of Duke University in the 26th round of last year's June first-year player draft.

Rhinehart, 26, has spent the 2011 season at Class AA Harrisburg, where in 89 appearances he hit .283 with 21 HR and 59 RBI in 89 games. He was selected by Washington in the 11th round of the June 2007 first-year player draft and was a minor league All-Star that season and again in 2008.

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The Washington Nationals are amongst the hottest teams in baseball, but following picking up their 11th victory in 12 games on Thursday, manager Jim Riggleman resigned as the team’s manager following the game.

Riggleman was frustrated by the team’s unwillingness to talk about extending his contract, which was due to expire at the end of the season.

General manager Mike Rizzo said Riggleman told him before the game, "If we wouldn't pick up his option, he wouldn't get on the team bus today."

And Riggleman stuck to his word. "You have to feel like there's a commitment to you, and I didn't feel that," Riggleman told reporters after the game. "I'm obviously not the person who they want to go down the road with them."

In his career he's 662-884, a .445 winning percentage. Among the 86 managers who have managed at least 1,400 games in the majors, that winning percentage ranks 84th.

MY TAKE:  Not sure how a guy who quits on his team in the middle of the season when the team is winning makes a great candidate for any upcoming managerial openings. The Nats have some nice young talent and positive days ahead. Riggleman can’t say the same thing. With only 30 jobs out there as a MLB manager it is unbelievable to think how easily someone can piss one of them away so easily. Just imagine if every player in a contact year just quit in the middle of the season because they wanted a new deal.

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2010 Rewind: It was another typical season for the Nationals in 2010. Since moving to the nation’s capitol in 2005 the former Expos club has finished in last place all but once – they were in fourth in 2007. The team played winning baseball in April and was at .500 at the end of May before the real losing began. They hit the cellar on June 11 and never got out of it. But, the Nationals 69 wins was 10 more than each of the last two seasons and they are optimistic about the future.

The Good: Ryan Zimmerman won his second straight Silver Slugger award with 25 HR, 85 RBI and a .307 batting average. While those power numbers are down from the previous season, it was the first time he finished over .300 in a full season. There are a lot of great third baseman in the game today and Zimmerman is near the top of the list. On the mound, Livan Hernandez had a good year posting his best ERA (3.66) since playing for, well, the Expos in 2004. More importantly for the Nationals he logged 211 innings giving a weak bullpen much needed rest. Hernandez will take the ball on opening day for Washington in 2011.

The Bad: Although he had only pitched in a handful of games many people thought Stephen Strasburg should have been placed on the All-Star team. The young star struck out 14 batters in his debut June 8 and continued to pitch well through the summer. Unfortunately his season ended in late August with an injury to his forearm which led to Tommy John surgery in September. While the franchise still hopes Strasburg will be an ace of the staff for many years, he may miss all of 2011.

Biggest Loss: In his two years with Washington, Adam Dunn launched 76 HRs and drove in 208 runs. But his defense became a liability for the team.  He was relegated to playing only first base last season where he committed 13 errors, the second most in the NL. He became a free agent and signed with the White Sox. The team dealt much maligned outfielder Nyjer Morgan to Milwaukee as spring training wore down.

Best Addition: One of the biggest stories in the off-season was the Nationals signing of Jayson Werth. In the last three seasons, all with the Phillies, Werth hit 87 HRs with 251 RBI and a .279 batting average. The team will count on him for some power in the middle of the lineup.

Fantasy Slant: There are not many players better at third base than Zimmerman and he could put up better numbers than each of them. Werth may not be able to replicate some of his stats outside of the Philly lineup and he may be picked too early in a lot of fantasy drafts. Adam LaRoche will play first base every day for the Nats and could be a nice late pick to fill in a corner position.

Final Take: With very little depth at pitching, the Nationals don’t have much of a chance at a winning season in 2011. But the offense and defense should be better this year and they have plenty of hope for the future…2011 Record – 62-100, last in the NL East.

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One look at his stat line on Wednesday night (5 2/3 IP, 3 runs, 7 H, 7 K’s, and 1 BB) and it doesn’t appear that rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg lived up to his hype, but my view from scout seats behind the plate makes me think differently.

Strasburg failed to hit the 103 MPH that Reds’ prospect Aroldis Chapman reached when I saw him pitch earlier this season in Louisville, but the Nationals’ ace displayed masterful control of a fastball with movement, a wicked slider, a jaw-breaking sinker and a curve ball with spin.

The right-hander picked his fifth win against two losses in nine starts.

Longtime Reds’ announcer Marty Brennaman has seen a ton of baseball in his nearly four decades of calling play-by-play for the team and even he admits he’s never seen anything quite like this.

“The only other pitcher I can say I got this excited to see would be Randy Johnson. There are just not too many pitchers you would pay money to watch,” Brennaman told the Indy Star. “With this guy, you have the expectation you're going to see a no-hitter or 18 strikeouts. At the very least, you know you'll see him throw the ball a hundred miles an hour.”

It was a bit strange when Strasburg exited to a chorus of applause and a majority of the fans giving him a standing ovation. That of course prompted to me to boo. It's no surprise that his shirts out sold Reds' t-shirts 2:1 in at least one stadium gift shop. Even the Reds' hit king himself, Pete Rose, was at the game sitting six rows in front of him with his girlfriend, checking out the youngster.

Barring injury Strasburg has the chance to be very special to say the least. For now he just needs to take it one game at a time.

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Count me as a believer in the hype surrounding rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg. However, those that are saying he should be in the All-Star Game are foolish.

Through five starts the numbers are astounding. The righty is now 2-2, 2.74 ERA, 48K’s, 7 BB’s and 25 hits through 31 2/3 innings.

Despite the fact the Nationals are terrible and one of the toughest teams to watch, Strasburg remains must see T.V.

Still how can be considered an All-Star after just five starts?

Those in favor of the notion cite the fact fans want to see him and frankly his presence could be just the thing the National League needs to get over the hump and actually win a Mid-Summer Classic, something they’ve struggled with for over the past decade and beyond.

While there’s no doubt that the kid has the stuff to be an All-Star for 10-12 years and beyond, putting in after just five starts is ridiculous. That isn’t fair to some of the pitchers that have put together great seasons over a period of three months.

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from MLB.com:

The Reds remain in the running for free-agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera, and it appears there are only two other suitors -- the Rockies and Nationals -- a Major League source told MLB.com on Thursday night.

Cincinnati has definitely made an offer to Cabrera, who is also considering Colorado and Washington. It did not appear that any of the three teams were close to reaching a deal on Thursday.

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