He’s obviously a much better player than he showed down the stretch, and he’s only 26 so there could still be a very big season or two in his bat, but Kotchman needs PT to perform. And he won’t get much of that in Boston, barring injuries. So, barring a change in his situation, go ahead and scratch Kotchman off your cheat sheets for 2010 unless you’re in a very deep AL-only league.

Since getting swept in the 2007 NLCS, the Arizona Diamondbacks have slipped significantly each season, plummeting to the basement of the NL West this season.

Many were surprised when Schafer won a job with the Braves directly out of Spring Training, but when he enjoyed a solid April, it looked like a wise decision. However, May brought with it serious scuffles for Schafer, and by early June, he was sent back to Triple-A. He didn’t exactly tear it up in the minors, either, struggling with making contact and almost immediately suffering a wrist injury that would ultimately end his season early.

At the time, Hernandez was hitting the cover off the ball at Triple-A, batting .355.

Despite playing well most of the summer, the Arizona Diamondbacks were never able to dig their way out of the hole they put themselves in over the first three months of the season – especially in June, when they crashed and burned, winning just nine of 26.

Shockingly, Wolf could very well be available in mixed leagues, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. Outside of a rough June, he’s been superb this season. He went 2-2, 2.84 in July and after Friday’s dominating performance (7 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), Wolf is now 3-1, 3.03 in August, having won his last three starts.

This past week and change has been pure misery for the Cubs, who have lost six of seven while the Cardinals are surging. Suddenly, Chicago – looking to avoid a sweep against the Phillies Thursday afternoon – finds itself four games back of St. Louis, with the third-place Astros just three games back.