Fantasy Flings: National League East

From now until the regular season begins, Fantasy Flings is where you'll find interesting story lines about your favorite teams from Spring Training. If there is a position battle, a nagging injury, a comeback story or a youngster making a surge for the "big club" we'll let you know the fantasy implications.

Atlanta Braves
Omar Infante and Matt Diaz are popular kids in camp as Spring Training winds down. They're popular not so much for their talent or spring numbers (although both have great spring stats) but for who they will be replacing in the starting lineup if mending time stretches into the regular season. Chipper Jones is nursing an oblique injury and Garrett Anderson a calf problem. Both are expected to return to action this week. If that doesn't happen or further set-backs occur, Infante and Diaz gain some NL-only value.





Florida Marlins
Injuries are running their course through Marlins camp like a virus. Hanley Ramirez is back on the field after a bout with shoulder tendinitis, but Gaby Sanchez hasn't made it back from a knee bruise and third base hopeful Dallas McPherson is now apparently on the mend with a side injury. Ramirez looks safe, but keep an eye on the other two as their health will go a long way towards shaping the Marlins infield. On a brighter note, the front three rotation mates for the Marlins (Johnson, Nolasco & Volstad) have a combined spring ERA of 2.53 and a strikeout to walk ratio of 5.00 (45:9 K:BB).

New York Mets
Daniel Murphy is all the rage in Port St. Lucie. He's batting .373 with four doubles and two triples in 59 at-bats. His bat really has never been in question, it's been his defense; something he's worked hard to fix. I know that defense isn't in the fantasy baseball dictionary, but there is a reason I mention Murphy's glove work. Now that his glove isn't a liability and he's swinging the bat fantastically, Murphy is being moved up to the #2 spot in the Mets batting order and given the starting left field job. Hitting in front of Beltran, Delgado and Wright will do a lot to bring Murphy's fantasy value up.

Philadelphia Phillies
Kyle Kendrick was optioned to the minor leagues in a move that can only mean that Chan Ho Park and J.A. Happ have made the team with impressive spring performances. Happ has a 3.15 ERA in 20 spring innings and has struck out 14 batters while walking just six. Park has 11 strikeouts in 11.2 innings but the most impressive stat is the fact that he's given up zero walks in route to a 1.54 ERA. One of these guys will be the Phillies fifth starter. Whoever wins the battle should instantly be grabbed in NL-only leagues and with as good as the Phillies are, should be monitored for mixed-league addition as well.

Washington Nationals
There are only two weeks left for the Nationals to decide which three playes will comprise the outfield for 2009. Seven players are competing for the honor but there is really only one spot up for grabs. Lastings Milledge has already been named the team's leadoff hitter which cements his hold on center field. Adam Dunn is back in camp from Team USA duties and should take over in left field soon. The final spot, in right field, will be decided over the remaining two weeks. Elijah Dukes was the early front-runner, but Austin Kearns and Josh Willingham are also in the running. There isn't room on the roster for all three players, so someone is going to lose out in a big way. Kearns and Dukes have both had decent springs at the plate and Dukes is the hitter with the highest upside. Avoid all in mixed-leagues until the final decision has been made. Dukes is my guess as he's got 20/20 potential. If he's named the started he should be instantly signed in all formats due to that upside and speed/power potential.