Manny Ramirez.

BY ROB SHAW
sportsnet.ca

While the headlines may involve Manny Ramirez moving to the Windy City, there are plenty of other stories across Major League Baseball for fantasy managers to wrap their minds around.

ROYALS

With six homeruns over the last 14 games, Wilson Betemit has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last few weeks. He has certainly made the most out of an opportunity to play everyday with a .326 average, 24 runs, 29 RBI, and 10 home runs. At 28 years old, Betemit is still capable of enjoying a productive career.

INDIANS

For the most part, whenever Fausto Carmona pitches he will get a win or a loss. In 27 starts this season, Carmona has gone 11-13, a remarkable total of 24 decisions. Had he been pitching for a winning team, Carmona would probably have at least 15 wins to better reflect his 4.19 ERA.

TIGERS

We’ve been writing about him for several weeks now, but Ryan Raburn is a true fantasy option. The Tigers utility player has now blasted 10 home runs with 44 RBI in 260 at bats this season. The power is legit, as Raburn has blasted 34 home runs in 870 career at bats.

BLUE JAYS

Though it’s been a disappointing season for Adam Lind, the 27-year old who blasted 35 home runs a season ago, does have 19 home runs this season. The problem for Lind has been getting on base via hits, as his .233 average is only better than Aaron Hill in the Blue Jays lineup.

ASTROS

Brett Myers has been everything the Astros could hope for this season. The former Phillies prospect has pitched at least six innings in every start and has managed a 10-7 record with a 2.97 ERA. Myers seems to be enjoying his time in Houston, as he has already signed an extension with the club, foregoing what could have been a bigger payday had he hit the open market. Hopefully, he’ll have better run support next season.

METS

RA Dickey continues to impress for the Mets. This weekend he improved his record to 9-5 while lowering his ERA to 2.56. Though he is 35-years old, Dickey could have some longevity since he predominantly throws the knuckleball.

CUBS

Even though it has not translated into many wins, Kosuke Fukudome is having a career season. He has blasted a career best 12 home runs and his average would be a career-best .274.

REDS

Jay Bruce is finally living up to his expectations after a sluggish first half to the season. The Reds 23-year old slugger boasts seven home runs over the last 12 games and plays a central role in the team’s offense now that he alternates between the middle of the order and the leadoff spot.

MARLINS

While Albert Pujols is making his case for the MVP award, Hanley Ramirez, who was also a top pick in many fantasy drafts, has been simply decent. He blasted his 19th home run on Monday and now has 68 RBI and a .299 average. Solid production, but not what you hoped to get from the shortstop who batted .342 with 24 home runs last season.

BRAVES

The most hotly debated All-Star, Omar Infante has lived up to Bobby Cox’s billing with a .343 average this season in 337 at bats. The 28-year old veteran has also scored 53 runs, hit seven home runs, and stolen six bases.

CARDINALS

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina has rebounded from a tough start that had him watching the All-Star game from home with a .223 average. Since then, Molina has hit .344 to bring his batting average to a respectable .263.

NATIONALS

Michael Morse is making the most out of an opportunity to play everyday for the Nationals. Morse has racked up eight hits over the last three games and now has 10 home runs to complement a .297 average. The 28-year old has likely earned a shot at playing everyday next season.

YANKEES

With A-Rod and Mark Teixeira ailing, the Yankees have been relying on the pop of Marcus Thames. The former Yankees prospect, who has offered some power for the Tigers over the last few seasons, blasted his 10th home run on Monday. Thames now has six home runs in the last six games and boasts an average of .318, significantly better than his career .249 batting clip.

WHITE SOX

Gordon Beckham continues to swing a hot bat for the White Sox. The second year pro had just three home runs and a .216 average at the break, but since has been hitting .338 with six home runs.

PIRATES

Neil Walker is one of the many young talents in Pittsburgh enjoying a great season. He is currently riding a seven-game hit streak with four runs, two home runs, and nine RBI during the stretch.

BREWERS

Casey McGehee continues to rank as one of the main run producers for the Brewers. The 27-year old third baseman has 86 RBI this season, more than perennial All-Stars Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.

Athletics

After struggling last season, Gio Gonzalez has established himself as a legit Major Leaguer this season. The 24-year old southpaw has racked up 12 wins with a 3.23 ERA despite issuing 73 walks. His greatest strength has been getting outs, as supported by his .225 opposing batting average.

RANGERS

Nelson Cruz marked his return from the DL with a double in four at bats and a run scored. With Cruz healthy, the Rangers are only lacking Ian Kinsler in their lineup. Kinsler is expected to return late this week assuming there are no setbacks from his recovery from a strained groin.

ROCKIES

A career utility man, Ryan Spillborghs is just a home run shy of tying his career high of 11 home runs. The 30-year old veteran owns a career .444 slugging percentage and in comparison, long-time starter Melvin Mora owns a .433 career slugging percentage.

DODGERS

James Loney is one of the many Dodgers who have struggled in the second half of the season. He has not hit a home run in more than a month, and is batting just .199 since the All-Star break. Though he is just 26 years, there are some questions with whether Loney is a legitimate starter at first base due to his lack of power.

ORIOLES

With his recent win at Los Angeles, in which he limited the Angels to four hits and one run, Brian Bergesen has picked up three wins in a row. It’s a nice reversal of fortune for the 24-year old talent who had lost seven straight decisions prior to the win streak.

ANGELS

For the second time in his last four starts, Jered Weaver allowed just one run to score against him in eight innings of work. Nonetheless, Weaver has now lost three straight decisions to bring his record to 11-10 despite a stellar 3.12 ERA and career-best 200 strikeouts.

DIAMONDBACKS

It’s as if someone flipped a switch inside Stephen Drew, as the Diamondbacks shortstop has gone from a bust to a must-start. In his current seven-game hit streak, Drew has 16 hits, 11 runs, and nine RBI.

GIANTS

Matt Cain remains one of the least lucky starters in Major League Baseball. In his prime, Cain has a 3.11 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, yet his record is an even 10-10. For his career, Cain is seven games under .500 despite a 3.46 ERA and .231 opposing average.

PHILLIES

Chase Utley looks like he is playing injured with just two hits in his last 17 at bats. His average is just .265 with 11 home runs, well below last year’s total of 31 home runs and a .286 batting clip. Next year fantasy managers will have to determine if this is simply a matter of Utley dealing with injuries, or more alarming, a case of him breaking down.

PADRES

Miguel Tejada now has 295 career home runs and 2252 career hits. If not for his use of steroids during the prime of his career, baseball statisticians could make a point of inducting Tejada into the Hall of Fame. Instead, Tejada may be establishing his legacy with the first-place Padres vying for a championship.

TWINS

Though he has 20 fewer home runs than last season, Michael Cuddyer has remained productive. He has 10 RBI over the last nine games and has managed to stay healthy throughout the season.

MARINERS

Ichiro is literally not slowing down on the base paths. His 34 steals this season are eight more than a season ago and he has been drawing walks at a healthy pace. The only concern is that his .309 season average is more than 20 points lower than his career mark.

RED SOX

Though he continues to be a solid run producer, Adrian Beltre average has gone down .012 points over the last two weeks. It could be a case of Beltre coming back to earth in a remarkable season.

RAYS

Carlos Pena may not get many hits, but he makes them count. The Rays first baseman blasted a three-run shot off the Blue Jays on Monday, and now has 26 home runs and 77 RBI despite a pathetic .214 batting average.