Yesterday two prominent players — David Wright and Drew Smiley — were officially shut down for the season. A handful more might face a similar fate. We breakdown who’s just been declared out, and who may be out for the rest of 2014.

David Wright
The Mets third baseman will be shut down with a left rotator cuff inflammation. After playing on a Hall of Fame level his first five seasons, Wright’s numbers started to dip precipitously in 2009 — a decline widely attributed to the dimensions of the Mets’ new ballpark Citi Field. His numbers perked up again in 2012, when the Mets moved the fences in. However he had his worst season as a pro in 2014, battling shoulder issues all season. His performance (and his bulky shoulder) must be making the Mets brass very nervous, because they owe the 31-year old $107 million over the next five seasons.

Drew Smyly
The Rays acquired Smyly, along with Nick Franklin, in the David Price deal. Smyly’s always had great stuff, but the 25-year old was never really able to break out of the fifth starter/swingman role he had in the stacked Tiger’s rotation. Since the deal, the left-hander has actually outperformed Price. The Rays decided to shut him down because he’s pitched his Major League high in innings, and they may as well save him for next year when the hope to be back to their role as plucky contenders.

Dustin Pedroia
Let’s talk about wo weird the big-budget Red Sox have played over the last several seasons: A World Series victory sandwiched between two last place finishes. Their star second baseman hasn’t been much of help in salvaging their 2014 seasons. Pedroia’s posting a career low in most offensive categories and is OPSing 674 during the second half of the year. A bad wrist is likely contributing to his poor show at the plate, and the Red Sox are likely on the verge of shutting him down for the season with that injury.

Jimmy Rollins
Quick. Who’s been the second best shortstop in baseball in 2014 according to bWAR. Yup, it’s Rollins. (We’re giving it away be the heading.) The rejuvenated 35-year old tweaked his hamstring legging out a triple on Monday, and while manager Ryne Sandberg says it’s “day-to-day,” Rollins didn’t seem as optimistic. Don’t be shocked if we don’t see J-Roll again until 2015.

Brett Gardner
Right now, Gardner’s status is “out indefinitely” with a strained lower abdominal. The Yankees are hanging on by a thread in the wild card race, and a few more losses in the next week and they are down for. If Gardner can’t return before then, it’s unlikely he will at all.

Ryan Braun
After being a near certainty for the playoff a few weeks ago, the Brewers are now a game-and-a-half out of the final playoff stump. Ryan Braun’s poor play has been a big part of their sudden implosion. Manager Ron Roenicke admitted yesterday that his slugger’s chronic thumb condition is now affecting his whole hand. Braun, who’s OPSing 677 since the All-Star break, sat out a few games in the past week, and it’s starting to look like the Brewers may be better off shutting down the 2011 MVP completely.

In fact, Suzuki foreign language skills sneakily leak out into a third language: Spanish.

In a Wall Street Journal article, several Spanish-speaking ballplayers shared humorous stories about the Japanese import surprising them with his skills in their native tongue

Veteran first baseman Carlos Pena remembered one of his frequent encounters with Ichiro. He was defending first for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Ichiro had just arrived on one of his patented infield hits. Ichiro peered over at Pena and asked, “Que coño tu mira?,” or, “What the hell are you looking at?” Pena clamped his lips together to prevent the laughter from bursting through.

According to Ichiro’s former teammate Raul Ibanez, the hit machine just picked up Spanish naturally.

“He’s a really observant, really smart guy and he can pick up Spanish pretty quickly,” Ibanez told the Journal. “He’d overhear us Latin guys talking and he would imitate it exactly the way that we said it and then he’d ask, ‘What does that mean?’ Everything that he does, he tries to do it exactly perfect, right? So it only makes sense that he would do that when he’s trying to speak Spanish.”

Ichiro’s motivation for learning Spanish has been to show solidarity with his fellow baseball immigrants.

“I feel a bond with them,” he said. “We’re all foreigners in a strange land. We’ve come over here and had to cope with some of the same trials and tribulations. When I throw a little Spanish out at them, they really seem to appreciate it and it seems to strengthen that bond.”

But that’s not all. There is a much saltier reason Ichiro tries to be tri-lingual

And besides,” he continued. “We don’t really have curse words in Japanese, so I like the fact that the Western languages allow me to say things that I otherwise can’t.”

A joking, cursing Ichiro runs counter to the stoic image he usually projects, and baseball Latin contingent has long appreciate Suzuki’s attempts to bridge cultures with humor. In fact, when the seven Venezuelan players — including Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Francisco Rodriguez and Bobby Abreu– who made the All-Star game in 2004 posed for a picture, in the middle stood Ichiro, honorary, dirty-mouthed Latin ballplayer by way of Japan.

The difference now is that a player would have to pass through the waivers before being traded.

Here’s how it works: Iif a player placed on waivers is claimed the waiving team can either arrange a trade with the claiming team, give the player and all of his contractual agreements to the claiming team, or pull the player off waivers and keep him. If a player passes through waivers without being claimed, the team is free to trade him to any team in either league.

Here are ten players who have a good chance of being traded in front of the August 31 postseason deadline.

Bartolo Colon
The 41-year old has been good enough over the last three seasons that he should be of interest to contenders. He’s also slated to make $11 million next year, when he’s 42, suggesting he should be able to make it through the waiver wire. The Orioles would be a likely destination.

Matt Kemp
The Dodgers now say Kemp isn’t available. However, they will surely run him through the waivers and if a team puts a claim on him it’s almost a given that they would just dump Kemp and the remaining five years and $107 million on his contract on them. More likely he makes it through the waivers, and the Dodgers deal Kemp elsewhere with salary relief included.

Jonathan Papelbon
Another guy who’s unwieldy contract makes him a lock to get through waivers. Pap is, however, having his best season in years. Right now there isn’t a contender with clear closer needs. But if that changes over the next month Papelbon is a prime candidate for a new address.

Aaron Hill
Both the Dodgers and Giants could use an upgrade at second base and Hill could be the answer, even though he’s having a rough season. He’ll be making $12 million a year in ’15 and ’16, which will get him through the waiver wire, but might also require the D-backs to include salary in any deal.

Marlon Byrd
Since he’s suddenly become one of the best power hitters in baseball and he makes $8 million a year Byrd is very unlikely to make it through the waivers. However he’s 36, and the Phillies need to get younger so they should certainly try to deal him if he gets claimed. Toronto, who needs outfielders, should pull the trigger if he hasn’t been snatched up before.

A.J. Burnett
The third and last Phillie on the list (Yes, Ryan Howard could be had after the deadline.  But nobody in their right mind is trading for him now.) Burnett’s complicated options for 2015 makes it likely he gets through the waivers. He’s been inconsistent this year, but if he strings a few good starts together he will be targeted. Maybe a return to Pittsburgh?

Justin Morneau
We’re not entirely sure that Morneau could make it through the waviers; he finally seems to be over the concussions that almost derailed his career and he only makes $6.75 in ’15 with a mutual options for $9 million in ’16. But if he were to be claimed, we think the Rockies would try to work out deal.

Ben Zobrist
The versatile Zobrist is back to just being underrated– for a period of time he was mentioned so much as a player who gets overlooked he was no longer really overlooked. He’ll get claimed, thanks to low salary this year and a $7 million team option in ’15. The question becomes, do the Rays deal him. We say yes, if the return is right. Giants and Dodgers would both be very interested.

Daniel Murphy
We’re not quite sure his offense is good enough to offset his poor defense at second — which is why the Mets could be willing to part with Murphy, who is third year arbitration eligible in 2015. But he also hits well enough to see time at first base and DH, and the Blue Jays or Royals would seem like good destinations for the 29-year old.

Josh Willingham
He’s one of the better power hitters around when he’s healthy. However, he doesn’t seem to be in the Twins future, so the ’15 free agent will likely be moved if he is claimed. And he should be claimed. Good fit for the Yankees if they remain in contention.

Others who could get dealt: Alex Rios, Curtis Granderson, Adam Dunn.

Marlon Byrd
It says something about the evolution of Marlon Byrd and the de-evolution of baseball power that, at 36, Byrd is suddenly one the game’s better home run hitters. It makes no sense for him to stay in Philly, and a whole lot sense for a contender to bet on Byrd being worth the $8 million he will definitely make in ’15 and the $8 million he will likely make in ’16, via a plate appearance vesting option.

David Price
It is unlikely the Rays will ever be able to make a long term commitment to their ace at $25 million a year. Which means they will either trade Price, a ’16 free agent, tomorrow, in the offseason, or at the deadline in ’15. He gets increasingly less valuable as time goes on, and Tampa is a playoff long-shot, so they should do it tomorrow.

Matt Kemp
The relationship between Kemp and the Dodgers seems pretty broken, at this point. Although any team is going to scoff at Kemp’s insistence he play center because he’s just not good at it. His two home runs yesterday suggest he can still play, but the Dodgers are still going to have to eat good chunk of the $107 million Kemp is owed between ’15 and ’19 if they want anything good in return.

Starlin Castro
He’s only 24, but Castro has already amassed a a fair share of baggage, and you could make the argument the Cubs rebuild would be better without him. His contract is reasonable enough if he could just play up to 3/4 of his potential, which he struggles to do. The Cubs have a couple good shortstop prospects behind Castro and the Mets are hot for him. Deal seems logical.

Jon Lester
The best starter who is unequivocally on the market, Lester, a ’15 free agent, has said he would be very open to return to Boston next season if they dealt him at the deadline. So they should deal him at the deadline.

Alex Rios
He would be a more attractive trade candidate if his power hadn’t completely disappeared, but Rios is still hitting over .300 for the season, has good speed and is decent in right. The price is also right; Rios is just owed about $4 million more in ’14, and can be bought out for a million in ’15. The Rangers aren’t going to get a great return for Rios, but they no longer have any need for him so they may as well get something.

Joaquin Benoit
The Padres made out like bandits in the Huston Street trade and if they can get half of that haul for Benoit, who replaced Street in the ninth inning, they will have had themselves one fine trading season.

Ian Kennedy
Pitching in Petco makes every pitcher look good, and Kennedy, who had a rough couple years after almost winning the Cy Young in 2011, has recovered enough of his value this year that he could get something significant from a contender needing an arm.

Cole Hamels
As much as they need to rebuild, the Phillies certainly don’t need to trade Hamels, who just turned 30, has a fairly reasonable long-term contract, and is playing the best baseball of his career. But it they Dodgers were to offer up big time prospects Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Julio Urias it would be difficult for Amaro and company not to send “Hollywood” Hamels back home to Southern California.

After Sunday’s game St. Louis GM John Mozeliak announced that pitcher Michael Wacha was being placed on the the disabled list with a stress reaction in the scapula of his right shoulder. Wacha, the 27th best pitcher in 5-by-5 fantasy baseball this year, had already been scheduled to miss his start Sunday, so a trip to the DL suggests the 22-year old will be out for at least a few weeks.

“Based on what the doctors are telling me, they believe it’s in his best interest to shut down for a little while and let this quiet,” Mozeliak explained. “He’s just too young and too valuable.”

The Cardinals also placed Jaime Garcia on the DL. During his start Friday the left-hander re-aggravated the shoulder injury that had kept him out the first month-and-a-half of 2014.  Garcia’s bullpen session on Sunday “didn’t go well,” according to Mozeliak.

There is no timetable for his return and if you are among the 22 percent of Yahoo! league players who own Garcia you may as well cut bait on a pitcher who hasn’t really been healthy since 2011.

(There was some good news in St. Louis this weekend. Ace Adam Wainwright was back to  his dominant self Saturday after missing a start.)

If you need to replace Wacha or Garcia on your roster, the man whom the Cardinals ran out on Sunday instead of Wacha might be worth a look. Carlos Martinez was decent in his second start of the year, getting the win with 5 Ks, 3 runs and only four base runners allowed in five innings.

Martinez, 22, has been a top prospect for the last couple years and has good numbers in the minors. He is certainly worth monitoring, especially considering the the magical affect putting on the Cardinals uniform seems to have on pitchers.

Other options to replace St. Louis’s fallen duo should include Angels righty Matt Shoemaker, who followed up his ten K performance earlier in the week with another very nice win against the Rangers last night. Shoemaker is still un-owned in 90 percent of Yahoo! Leagues.

Rays righty Jake Odorizzi (88 percent available) is another interesting add. He struck out ten and allowed no runs and just three base runners in his last start. His ERA of 4.29 is on the high side.  However he sports a FIP of 3.15, suggesting better day are ahead.  If he just splits the difference between his ERA and FIP and maintains his 10.5 Ks per nine innings he would be a very useful fantasy pitcher.

Closer carousel
Both the Angles and the Rays have threatened to go with the dreaded closer-by-committee. Joe Madden seems a better bet to actually go through with it, and since the Rays don’t win games anyway we’d stay away from their entire ninth inning committee of Grant Belfour, Jake McGee and Joel Peralta. In Anaheim, we still think Ernesto Fierri is a good bet to keep getting saves. Joe Smith’s stuff plays better in the eighth, and closer scion Cam Bedrosian’s fist shot at a ninth inning save resulted in a pretty ugly loss on Thursday. (Which Fierri did play a hand in when he was called in to clean up Bedrosian’s mess and gave up a homer.)

For a while, it looked like Neil Ramirez was going to replace Hector Rondon in Chicago. But Rondon, who was having some arm issues, pitched a clean ninth to pick up a save on Friday. Ramirez’s stats are pretty great.  But so, actually, are Rondon’s. Expect Rondon to keep the job if healthy and consider Ramirez borderline own-able as a set up guy.

Mark Melancon has replaced Jason Grilli in Pittsburgh. On the off-chance Melancon is still available he’s a must add.

Nolan Ryan holds the record for most strikeouts in a no-hitter with 17, however he walked four in that game. Matt Cain and Sandy Koufax, the lefty Kershaw is often compared to, have both stuck out 14 batters in a perfect game.

All these performances are among the ten best pitcher games of all-time, which we’ve listed below.

10. Juan Marichal Giants, 16 innings, 10 Ks July 2, 1963, 1-0 vs. Braves
He gave up 12 base runners (8 hits and 4 walks), but Marichal almost pitched the equivalent of two complete game shutouts because that’s what it took to get the win. Three years later the Giants ace would pitch 14 shutout innings in a 1-0 victory.

9. Brandon Marrow Toronto, shutout, 1 hit, 2 BBs 17 Ks August 8, 2010, 1-0 vs. Rays
While Marrow has always had the arm to be a dominating ace, he’s 42-42 with a 4.28 ERA for his career. He put it all together on this August night against the Rays.

8. Don Larson New York Yankees, perfect game 7 Ks, October 8, 1956, 2-0 vs. Dodgers
Larson gets extra credit because his perfect game comes in the World Series. He only had seven Ks, meaning he had to rely on his defense and a little luck to achieve his historic feat. He did help keep his fielders on their toes by only throwing 97 pitches

7. Randy Johnson Diamondbacks, perfect game, 13 Ks May 18 2004, 2-0 vs Braves
Johnson, who had thrown a no-hitter 14 years earlier, became at age 40 the oldest player to pitch a perfect game. Johnson threw 117 pitches and after the game said he only shook off his catcher Robby Hammock “two or three times.” The closest the Braves came to a hit was a slow roller that pitcher Mike Hampton almost beat out.

6. Nolan Ryan Angels, no-hitter, 17 Ks, 4 BB, July 15, 1973, 6-0 vs. Tigers
Nolan Ryan threw a record seven no-hitters. He also had a pair of no-hitters in which he had 14 Ks and two walks (including one as a 43-year old), but we’re going to credit the extra 3 Ks more than we are going to detract the two extra walks. 5. Matt Cain Giants, perfect game, 14 Ks, June 13, 2012, 10-0 vs. Astros
Cain surpassed his career high of 12 strikeouts in throwing the 22nd perfect game in major league history. He was also the first player to score a run while throwing a perfect game. Left fielder Melky Cabrera made a nice running grab in front of the wall in the sixth inning and center fielder Gregor Blanco made a hit-saving diving catch in the seventh.

4. Harvey Haddix Pirates 12.2 innings, 1 H, 1BB 8 Ks, May 26, 1959 vs. Braves
Harvey Haddix pitched a perfect game for 12 innings. Then he lost in the thirteenth, an inning that began with an error, then an intentional walk, and finally the Braves first hit, a run scoring, game-ending double. “All I know is that we lost,” Haddix said after the game. “What’s so historic about that? Didn’t anyone else ever lose a thirteen inning shutout?”

3. Clayton Kershaw Dodgers, no-hitter, 15 Ks, 0 BB, June 18, 2014, 8-0 vs. Rockies
Rameriez, who made the error, almost didn’t start because one of the fingers on his throwing hand was dinged up. He was replaced for defense after his bad throw allowed the only base runner Kershaw gave up.

2. Sandy Koufax Dodgers, perfect game, 14 Ks, September 9, 1965, 1-0 vs. Cubs
The one perfect effort among Koufax’s five no-hitters came in 1-0 game with his Dodgers a game out of first place. They would go on to win the pennant and the World Series, making his amazing September day even more significant.

1. Kerry Wood Cubs, 1 hitter, 20 Ks, May 6, 1998, 2-0 vs. Astros
Wood was a rookie when he threw his signature game and the best pitching performance in the history of baseball. He struck-out the first five batters he faced and the only base runners he allowed were on an infield single and a hit batsman. He would throw 122 pitches, and Wood’s pitch count as a rookie became an issue the next year when he blew out his arm. Although he had an admirable 14 year career he would never be the same type of pitcher.

But there is another just as important hot stove league that forms in the weeks before July 31,  the last day teams can trade a player without securing waiver rights.

As a fantasy owner you need to be on top of any potential summer hot stove league developments because a change of scenery can radically change the outlook for a player.

Hot stove talk is already heating up on Chicago’s north side. The Cubs are obviously going nowhere in 2014 and GM Theo Epstein has a stacked minor league system and a want to remake Chicago like he did the Red Sox. The team is reportedly listening to offers on starting pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel.

Samardzija, if you remember, came out like gangbusters, leading the league in ERA for most of the first two months of the season. However, he didn’t get his first win until May 26, thanks to the Cubbies anemic offense. He has two wins now, but his ERA has gone from 1.46 to 2.77 in the past few weeks. In fact, his numbers are very similar to Hammel, who has six wins along with a 2.81 ERA. .984 WHIP and 8.2 Ks per 9, and has quietly put together a pretty spectacular fantasy season.

But we still think it’s Samadzija who would benefit the most from a trade to a contender. The former Notre Dame football standout is playing for a contract this year and just has better stuff than Hammel. If we were a Hammel owner we’d actually be weary of him being shipped out because the well-traveled 31-year old has never pitched as well as he has during his first year with the Cubs.

The Mets ageless wonder Bartolo Colon is also starting to pop up in trade rumors. Last year, when he was a mere 40, he was darn near the American League Cy Young winner. He hasn’t been quite that good in Queens, but he is striking more batters out in 2014 and could see a bump in value if he’s moved to a better team, particularly one in the National League. Curtis Granderson, who’s been heating up lately, is another veteran the Mets might want to cut bait on, but his contract probably makes him untradable. There had been Twitter-sphere talk that New York was also looking to deal second baseman and stealthy base-stealer Daniel Murphy, but GM Sandy Alderson shot that down during a Q&A sessions with season ticket holders Saturday, for whatever that’s worth.

Phillies GM Reuben Amaro apparently doesn’t understand the difference between at-bats and plate appearances. Yes, really. Not the person I’d want running my team. However he’s inexplicably still pulling the strings in Philly and over the last couple weeks he’s indicated there may be a fire sale if his team continues their losing ways.

You can blame the Phillies old vets for the teams decline, because most of them are playing pretty well. However Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins both have no-trade protection and have indicated a strong preference to remain in Philadelphia. Although Rollins seemed to soften that stance a bit after setting the team’s all-time hit record this week.

Ryan Howard still has one of the most unmovable contracts in the game, Marlon Byrd continues his renaissance, but the 36-year old’s 2016 plate-appearance-based option might make him a tough sell, and Cliff Lee is currently injured.

Lee’s rehab is progressing and he’s about to start on a throwing program. If all goes well he should be back in a few weeks and would be the Phillies biggest trading chip if he can prove he’s healthy. And a healthy Lee on a contender would be a beautiful thing for any fantasy owner that currently has the left-hander stashed in their DL spot. (Ditto Rays ace David Price, who’s been pitching more to his ability as of late, and is about a 50-50 bet to be moved before the deadline.)

According to multiple sources, the first Phillies to be traded may well be closer Jonathan Papelbon. The notorious baseball jerk has learned to pitch with diminished velocity and has only given up one run in his last 25 appearances. He’s been linked to Detroit, who could use a closer now that there is increasing evidence their 39-year old incumbent Joe Nathan is done.

Like Papelbon, Huston Street and Chad Qualls have also exceeded expectations as a ninth inning men this season. And, like Papelbon, if we owned them in fantasy we would not want to see them traded to a contender.

Bad teams still generate plenty of save situations and closers are creatures of habit; you don’t necessarily want them to to have to pick up their lives and move to a different city mid-season. Papelbon would probably still be decent in Detroit, but Street, with his flyball tendencies, wants to be pitching in San Diego. Qualls, who’s been shockingly lights out, is only making $3 million this season.  So if he gets dealt to a contender they can afford to use him in a set up role, where he would lose all of his fantasy value.

They key is not to automatically assume a trade to a better team is a good thing. If you keep that in mind, and continue to monitor all the latest trade rumors, you can get a leg up in fake baseball.

But yesterday Cespedes’s play was overshadowed by the glove work of the game’s two center fielders. In the first inning of what was ultimately a sweep-preventing 7-1 A’s victory Mike Trout did his Mike-Trout-thing and went over the center field wall to rob Cespedes.

That may have been a homer, or, at worst, a double. Cespedes would have the last laugh, however, and had two RBI singles later in the game. But the funniest (and best) play of the night came courtesy of Coco Crisp. He went over the wall to rob Josh Hamilton of a laser beam blast of homer, marking the second time in the series he had performed such heroics, as he had taken a Trout homer off the boards on Monday.

Crisp’s thievery on Hamilton’s bid to touch ‘em all was so improbable that it fooled the Anaheim Angles Stadium fireworks operator, who had already set off the celebratory polytechnic explosive that mark a home team home run.

Crisp’s reaction to the premature celebration was priceless. He stood in center and wagged his finger Dikembe Mutombo-style at Hamilton, the Angels and their hapless fireworks guy.

By winning on Wednesday, the A’s have a three-and-a half-game lead on the surging Angles. While it’s notable that Anaheim is finally getting its act together after struggling for the past two seasons despite their superstar-laden lineup, the A’s continue to be baseball best story.

Oakland’s 230 wins over the past three season are the most in the Major Leagues, despite having only MLB’s 25th largest payroll. (The A’s payroll of $83,401,400 is about a third of what the Dodgers cough up to hoover around .500.)

It’s not that the A’s lack talent. Their third baseman Josh Donaldson has been one of the best players in the game since last season, and Sonny Gray is one of baseball’s finest young hurlers. However, Oakland may well be the most anonymous in baseball. In fact, Coco Crisp is probably their best known player. Not because of his defense or nice speed/power combo, but because his name sounds like a delicious mash up of sugary breakfast cereals and he sports a pretty impressive Afro.

Although Moneyball made Oakland’s GM Billy Beane famous a decade ago, it’s the current incarnation of the A’s that will define what will be a pretty sterling legacy.

Instead of running out big name stars like Giambi, Tejeda, Chavez, Hudson and Zito, which the A’s were able to do when Michael Lewis was following the team, these — the real Moneyball A’s — rely heavily on retreads like good dad Brandon Moss, Scott Kazmir and Jed Lowrie, and employ and handful of clever platoons.

The next step for Oakland is playoff success. Something that has eluded them throughout Beane’s entire tenure. They will almost certainly be in the postseason again this year, and the Angels — who are finally justifing their enormous payroll — may well be the plucky A’s biggest obstacle to their first World Series since 1990. Judging by what happened this week, it could develop into a pretty special rivalry.

Among the three hottest fantasy adds this week are Danny Santana, Josh Harrison and Brock Holt

Before their current hot streaks, none of the trio has had a stretch of Major League success, and each has an unimpressive minor league resume. That in mind, they aren’t safe bets to provide short term value, let alone be long term answers. Holt may be kicked to the bench with Mike Napoli’s return to the Red Sox, although he did have four hits and a new position on Sunday. Harrison, an infielder in the minors, has been manning right field for the Bucos but is vulnerable with uber-prospect Gregory Polanco impending call-up.  Santana may have secure lineup spot with the Twins, rotating between shortstop and center field, but his weak minor league hitting numbers suggest he is also the least likely to keep up his current offensive surge.

You probably noticed there were a lot of different positions mentioned in the last paragraph. In Yahoo! leagues Josh Harrison is eligible at 2B, 3B and the outfield. Santana checks the 2B, SS and OF boxes. Holt can do 1B and 3B and — given where he played in the minors — is a Red Sox injury away from adding another infield positions.

If you have the space, carrying a Swiss army knife-type reserve is a valuable fantasy asset.  Not only can they cover a bunch of positions in an injury pinch, they also allow you to make up previously lost games on Mondays and Thursdays, and can even be inserted in place of your everyday players when they are slumping or facing a particularly nasty platoon split. Of course such a super reserve would have to be able to hit well enough to justify their temporary spot. The aforementioned trio are doing that at the moment, and are each probably worth an add they would be unworthy of if they only played one position.

Former AL MVP Watch
Josh Hamilton has returned the Angles as red hot as when he left them with a thumb injury. We’re not sure what that means, other than the American League 2010 MVP has always been extremely streaky. We’d sell if you can get back elite talent. If not, may as well enjoy the ride.

Miguel Cabrera isn’t quite on the same pace as his MVP seasons in 2012 and 2013, but .326 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs ain’t chopped liver. Unfortunately he will miss Mondays game with a tight hamstring. It sounds precautionary, but hammies can be tricky. Owners hold their breath.

Cabrera’s teammate and 2011 MVP winner Justin Verlander continues to struggle. He wasn’t quite a top tier pitcher in 2013 and hasn’t even been able to justify a roster spot in 2014. Adding to his ERA and WHIP woes this season he’s also not striking anyone out and is down to 6.4 Ks per nine innings You have to keep on running him out there because of the Verlander brand, but it’s starting to get painful.

Closer Carousal
Joe Nathan, so dominant for so long, has been pretty lousy in his first season for the Tigers, allowing ten earned runs in his last five appearances. He’s also 39. Joba Chamberlain, who has been looking closer-like lately, had the ninth inning for Detroit on Sunday because Nathan had appeared in the previous two games. However, the former Yankee blew the game by giving up a three-run homer to David Ortiz, which should give Nathan a bit more ninth-inning rope.

How much rope Rays closer Grant Balfour has left is another question. He had been on the best stretch of a terrible season — five straight scoreless appearances — when he imploded again on Sunday, giving up five runs after recording the first two outs of ninth against the Mariners. His ERA now sits at 6.46 and his peripherals are barely better than that. He’d probably be out of the closer position if the Rays had any better options, but lefty Jake McGee‘s spectacular numbers are somewhat of product of him being a lefty specialist (although he’s been getting righties out to the last couple years) ,and Juan Carlos Oviedo (the former Leo Nunez) has a track record closer mediocrity. Still, we’d probably take a speculative flyer on Oviedo if we were really desperate for saves.

On Friday, Price hit Big Papi in the back with a 94 MPH fastball. It was the first time the Rays ace had faced the Sox slugger since Game 2 of the ALDS, in which Ortiz took Price deep twice and spent a good deal of time admiring his second blast.

Later in Friday’s game Red Sox pitcher Brandon Workman retaliated by throwing behind Rays star Evan Longaria. On Tuesday MLB suspended Workman six games but declined to punish Price.

In Friday’s post game press conference Ortiz accused Price of “acting like a little girl.” The All-Stars then patched things up in a phone conversation. However Ortiz hit out at Price again on Tuesday, while blasting the league office for only suspending Workman.

 “I don’t think what they’re doing is fair,” Ortiz said. “I think the rules should be for everybody. We didn’t start this up. I didn’t hit nobody. Workman didn’t hit anybody in the first inning. [Price] did.”

“I’m not going to get hit again,” he continued. “Not by him. He did it on purpose. He punked me, and that’s very disrespectful. I’m a grown-ass man. To come back and do what he did [Friday night], I think it was some punk ass s—.”

The Red Sox and Rays, who are both struggling mightily this year, face off ten more times. Assuming Price is still with the team — and if the Rays don’t get it together the free-agent-to-be is a prime trade candidate — those will be some interesting match ups. We’ve already discussed baseball best teammate fights. Check out the game’s most notorious intrasquad feuds below.

Roger Clemens vs. Mike Piazza

Going into the 2000 World Series, Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens and Mets catcher Mike Piazza had history; Piazza had taken Clemens deep in three straight games and the Rocket responded by hitting Piazza in the head. In the first inning of Game Two of the Fall Classic, Clemens sawed off Piazza’s bat on what was a foul ball. Part of the bat’s barrel skidded toward Clemens, who then angrily threw it at Piazza, who was heading for first base. The two men menacingly walked toward each other and the benches cleared, although no punches were thrown. Clemens later claimed he was tossing the shard to a ball boy, but the video evidence suggests otherwise. As for Piazza, he said that after the World Series, which the Yankees won in five, he took karate lessons to be ready for his next confrontation with Clemens. He ultimately decided against violence because Clemens was “a really big guy.” And a really angry one, too.

Omar Vizquel vs. Jose Mesa
Some things are supposed to remain in the locker room. Omar Vizquel broke that cardinal rule of sports when he wrote in his 2003 autobiography that he blamed former Indians teammate Jose Mesa for blowing the 1997 World Series. The already volatile closer was none-too-pleased and promised he would throw at the shortstop whenever they squared off in the future. “Even my little boy told me to get him. If I face him 10 more times, I’ll hit him 10 times. I want to kill him,” Mesa explained. Almost true to his word, he would face Vizquel three more times and would hit him twice.

Michael Barrett and A.J. Pierzinski

Catchers Barrett and Pierzinski both had reputations for being difficult characters, so it wasn’t that big of a surprise when they squared off in a 2006 interleague Chicago Derby. It started when Pierzinski, who had tagged up from third on a sacrifice fly and beat the throw home, bowled over his fellow backstop, who was waiting for the ball and blocking the plate. Then A.J. gathered himself and dramatically slapped home. This was too much for Barrett, who slugged Pierzinski in the jaw, knocking him backward and sparking an all-out bench clearing brawl. Piernzinski ended up on top of Barrett, and when the umpires finally cleared the melee he walked off the field raising his arms like a professional wrestler, much to the delight of the Comiskey Park crowd.

Juan Marichal and John Roseboro
Giants pitcher Juan Marichal clubbing Dodgers catcher John Roseboro with his bat is one of the most notorious images in baseball history. The Giants and Dodgers had been bitter rivals, and there had already been bad blood between Marichal and Roseboro before the incident. Earlier in the game, which was in the thick of the 1965 pennant race, Marichal had flattened Dodger shortstop Pee Wee Reese on the base paths. So when he next came to bat Sandy Koufax moved him off the plate with a fastball. When Roseboro buzzed Marichal’s ear with his return throw the ace went nuts. He would eventual strike Roseboro in the side of the head, opening a bloody wound. Giants centerfielder Willie Mays, a good friend of Roseboro’s, rushed in to protect his buddy from his teammate.  Roseboro wasn’t seriously injured, despite all the blood, and he and Marichal would put the battery behind them and became friends. In fact, when Marichal came up short on his first two Hall of Fame ballots Roseboro lobbied on his behalf, telling voters they shouldn’t hold the ugly scene in 1965 against the 243 game winner, who was eventually inducted.

Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb
The feud between Babe Ruth was as philosophical as it was personal. “Anyone can hit a home run if they try,” Cobb sneered in 1920 when asked about Ruth, whose unprecedented home runs totals were taking baseball out of its dead ball period which the speedy Cobb had dominated. “It’s a brute way to approach the game.” Cobb, notoriously racist, would also get on Ruth for his perceived black features. Ruth returned the favor by insulting Cobb whenever his name was mentioned. It all came to a head during a game in 1924 when Cobb, the Tigers player/manager, had one of his pitchers throw at Ruth multiple times. Ruth finally had enough, pointing out to Cobb in center field. It looked for a moment like the two legends would square off mano-a-mano. They didn’t. However later in the inning a hit batsman sparked a 25 minute all-out brawl which had fans spilling onto the field to get in on the action. Ruth and Cobb would never become friends.