I'm a big window-of-opportunity fantasy player, so while we've all waited for months for the Padres to promote Chase Headley to the big club, and he's finally here, that doesn't mean you can't trade him before he plays. I have Headley on quite a few teams, activated him already on all of them and dealt him in another.
Headley should be good, but how good? This was discussed in Saturday's Out of the Box by Jason Grey, as well as the Answer Guys mailbag by Dave Hunter, and I agree with the points made. Headley should be a nice player, and I expect he'll be helpful to your team, depending on need and who you kick to the curb to acquire him. Regardless, like a shiny, new car, the value drops when you get it off the lot. If Headley goes hitless Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, the bloom is quickly off the rose and you're thinking he's Adam Lind. You know what, that might be the result. There are no guarantees, but before these guys play, you think there are.
Rookies rarely win fantasy championships. They are far more likely to stand in the way of them, or have little impact. That's not to say you can't overcome the inconsistent yet tantalizing Clayton Kershaw, but it's obvious you could turn his potential into a big-time trade offer that someone like Adam Eaton would never warrant. I'd rather have Kershaw than Eaton, of course, but are you aware which Phillies pitcher leads the staff in quality starts? It's not Cole Hamels. Eaton gets you nothing in trade, but Kershaw probably gets you a top 20 outfielder, even though he doesn't deserve it. You just have to part with the kid.
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Eric Karabell
