Transaction Analysis: Bautista's Season Ends Early

Here's a look at the transactions this week that had the most significant fantasy impact.

Blue Jays

Jose Bautista, OF - placed on the 15-day DL (left wrist)
Adeiny Hechavarria, IF - recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas
David Cooper, 1B - placed on the 15-day DL (upper back)
Adam Lind, 1B - activated from the 15-day DL

Impact: The Blue Jays slugger will miss the rest of the 2012 season as he undergoes surgery to stabilize a tendon in his left wrist. Bautista injured his wrist on July 16 and missed more than a month before returning to action on Aug. 24. He lasted just two games before landing right back on the DL, leaving the Jays without one of their best hitters for the rest of the season. Moises Sierra will serve as the regular right fielder and could have some value in deeper leagues. Lind returns to action after missing a month with tightness in his lower back and should get most of his playing time as DH down the stretch. Although his overall numbers this season do not look impressive (.227, 8 HR, 27 RBI in 59 games), he has hit much better since he returned from a stint in the minors in late June. David Cooper will miss some time with a strained upper back and neck, leaving behind a .300 average, four home runs and 11 RBI in 45 games. Hechavarria should get regular playing time with Brett Lawrie out, but has yet to show that he can handle major league pitching.

Dodgers

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B - acquired from Boston along with RHP Josh Beckett, OF Carl Crawford, IF Nick Punto and cash considerations for 1B James Loney, RHP Allan Webster, IF Ivan DeJesus Jr. and two players to be named

Impact: The Dodgers and Red Sox pulled off a huge nine-player deal last Saturday with the two teams swapping first basemen. Gonzalez is obviously the better hitter, despite having an off-year by his standards. He joins his new club sporting a .300 average, 15 home runs and 86 RBI in 123 games this season. Loney is on pace for the worst season of his career and joins the Red Sox with a .254 average and just four home runs and 33 RBI in 114 games. However, being inserted into Boston's prolific lineup could improve his RBI total. After a strong 2011 season, Beckett has had a miserable 2012, going 5-11 with a 5.23 ERA in 21 starts with the Red Sox this year. It remains to be seen whether a move back to the National League can help him improve those numbers. Crawford is out for the year due to elbow surgery, and the other players involved in the deal are unlikely to provide much fantasy value.

Orioles

Joe Saunders, LHP - acquired with cash considerations from Arizona for RHP Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named
Jake Arrieta, RHP - optioned to Triple-A Norfolk

Impact: Baltimore made a deal to improve its rotation when they picked up Saunders from the D-Backs. The 31-year-old lefty has put up decent numbers over his career, but has never been good enough to make him a top fantasy option. He joins the O's with a career 75-62 record and a career 4.17 ERA. His career strikeout rate of just 5.15 K/9 has severely hindered his value, especially in leagues with innings limits. Saunders became expendable after Arizona called up top pitching prospect Tyler Skaggs last week but should be an improvement over Jake Arrieta. The 26-year-old Arrieta has been terrible this year, posting a 3-9 record and 6.13 ERA over 18 starts. Lindstrom has pitched well in relief for the Orioles this year, but is not a likely candidate for saves in Arizona at this point.

Red Sox

David Ortiz, DH - placed on the 15-day DL (right Achilles tendon)
Ryan Kalish, OF - recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket

Impact: Ortiz's return from a strained right Achilles' tendon was short-lived, as he appeared in just one game before landing back on the DL. The Red Sox DH missed over a month with the injury before being activated before last Friday's game against Kansas City, and then felt soreness during the game. He will undergo a platelet-rich plasma injection, and the team hopes to get him back sometime this season. He has hit well when he's been healthy this year, hitting .318 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI in 90 games. Ryan Lavarnway and Mauro Gomez should receive some additional playing time as a result of the injury to Ortiz. Both players have shown an ability to put up solid offensive numbers in the minors and could have some value in deeper leagues. Kalish returns to a .203 average, no home runs and five RBI in 25 games and should probably be avoided in most fantasy leagues.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP - activated from the 15-day DL
Franklin Morales, LHP - placed on the 15-day DL (left shoulder)
Clayton Mortensen, RHP - optioned to Double-A Portland
Zach Stewart, RHP - recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket

Impact: The Red Sox had to shuffle their rotation this past week as Dice-K returned from the DL, while Morales got injured. Matsuzaka missed almost two months with a neck injury and looked sharp on Monday, throwing seven innings while giving up just one unearned run on five hits and two walks against the Royals. The impressive performance only brought his ERA for the season down to 5.10 through six starts, so fantasy owners might still want to take a cautious approach with him. Morales was shelved with a tired left shoulder after giving up 10 earned runs (and four unearned ones) in 13.1 innings over his last three starts. Zach Stewart made a spot start in place of Morales and gave up nine earned runs in just three innings. The poor start brought his ERA for the season up to 7.91 and has made it unlikely that he will get another start down the stretch. Mortensen is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA over 19 relief appearances and should be recalled in early September.

Twins

Denard Span, OF - placed on the 15-day DL (right shoulder)
Chris Parmelee, 1B - recalled from Triple-A Rochester

Impact: The Twins leadoff hitter and center fielder will miss at least a couple of weeks due to a sprained sternoclavicular joint in his right shoulder. Span has hit .286 with 60 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 108 games this year. Darin Mastroianni should receive additional playing time as a result of Span's injury and could be of help to fantasy teams in need of stolen bases. Parmelee could also see some time at the corner outfield positions, though he has not performed well with the bat this season.

White Sox

Gavin Floyd, RHP - placed on the 15-day DL (right elbow)
Dylan Axelrod, RHP - recalled from Triple-A Charlotte and then optioned to Double-A Birmingham

Impact: Floyd will miss at least a couple of weeks due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. While an MRI revealed no structural damage, the fact that this is his second time on the DL this year for elbow issues is cause for some concern. He is 9-9 with a 4.55 ERA and 114 strikeouts over 138.1 innings and was replaced in the rotation by Dylan Axelrod. Axelrod pitched 7.1 strong innings on Wednesday against the Orioles, giving up just one earned run on three hits and four walks, while striking out five. He was shipped to Double-A immediately after the start, but should be recalled again next week to make another spot start. His overall numbers so far have been unimpressive, as he leaves behind a 4.93 ERA through 11 appearances. He's probably not the best option to help out a fantasy team.