Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Ks For Days

Quick hits for the week:

It's trade deadline time, a time in the baseball cycle that for this writer ranks right up there with the winter meetings, pitchers and catchers reporting, and sometimes, even the World Series. My quick take on a pair of trades that have gone down so far:

Colby Rasmus – A clear win for the Blue Jays, who have to be the envy of most every team in baseball right now with the moves they've made in the last year or so. At some point, Brett Lawrie is going to make the Shaun Marcum deal look quite good. Vernon Wells' ridiculous deal was somehow dumped on the Angels, and now the Jays get Rasmus for a couple relievers.

Hunter Pence – Pence is obviously a great addition for the Phillies, who clearly needed a right-handed bat to go with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Jonathan Singleton and Jared Cosart are the key pieces for the Astros in this deal, so this is a trade that we won't be able to evaluate for probably three years. With the lineup the Phillies now have, it's time to downgrade the pitchers facing that lineup, and this week that's the Giants and Rockies.

There are surely plenty more deals to come, likely involving Heath Bell and perhaps Ubaldo Jimenez and Hiroki Kuroda.

For the week 8/1 – 8/7

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. Clayton Kershaw - @SD, @ARI
2. Zack Greinke - STL, @HOU
3. Cole Hamels - @COL, @SF
4. Jair Jurrjens - @WAS, @NYM
5. Tim Lincecum - ARI, PHI
6. Chris Carpenter - @MIL, @FLA
7. Ian Kennedy - @SF, LAD
8. Matt Cain - ARI, PHI
9. Cliff Lee - @SF
10. Roy Halladay - @COL
11. Ubaldo Jimenez - WAS
12. Dan Hudson - @SF
13. Cory Luebke - LAD, @PIT
14. Chad Billingsley - @ARI
15. Mat Latos - LAD
16. Jhoulys Chacin - PHI, WAS
17. Juan Nicasio - WAS
18. Tim Stauffer - LAD
19. Madison Bumgarner - PHI
20. Tommy Hanson - @NYM
21. Tim Hudson - @NYM
22. Bud Norris - CIN, MIL
23. Kevin Correia - CHC, SD
24. Ryan Vogelsong - ARI
25. Vance Worley - @SF
26. Yovani Gallardo - @HOU
27. Jeff Karstens - SD
28. Aaron Harang - @PIT
29. Matt Garza - @PIT
30. Paul Maholm - CHC, SD
31. Shaun Marcum - STL
32. Anibal Sanchez - STL
33. Hiroki Kuroda - @SD (can I buy a few runs please?)
34. Jordan Zimmermann - @COL
35. Jaime Garcia - @MIL
36. Jonathon Niese - ATL
37. Carlos Zambrano - @PIT, CIN
38. Mike Pelfrey - FLA, ATL
39. Rubby De La Rosa - @ARI
40. Dustin Moseley - @PIT
41. Brandon Beachy - @WAS
42. Ricky Nolasco - STL
43. R.A. Dickey - ATL
44. Roy Oswalt - @SF
45. Josh Collmenter - @SF
46. Ryan Dempster - CIN
47. Joe Saunders - LAD
48. Derek Lowe - @WAS
49. Javier Vazquez - @NYM, STL

Borderline depending on league format

50. Mike Leake - @CHC
51. John Lannan - ATL, @COL
52. James McDonald - CHC
53. Jordan Lyles - CIN
54. Ted Lilly - @SD
55. Dillon Gee - FLA
56. Rodrigo Lopez - @PIT
57. Wandy Rodriguez - CIN
58. Chris Narveson - @HOU
59. Edwin Jackson - @MIL
60. Johnny Cueto - @CHC
61. Homer Bailey - @HOU
62. Brett Myers - MIL
63. Randy Wolf - STL
64. Chris Capuano - FLA
65. Clay Hensley - @NYM
66. Charlie Morton - CHC
67. Jason Marquis - @COL
68. Dontrelle Willis - @HOU

Extreme caution advised

69. Jake Westbrook - @FLA
70. Livan Hernandez - ATL, @COL
71. Micah Owings - LAD
72. Kyle Lohse - @FLA
73. Brad Hand - @NYM, STL
74. Kyle Kendrick - @COL
75. Chien-Ming Wang - ATL
76. Randy Wells - @PIT, CIN
77. Bronson Arroyo - @HOU, @CHC
78. J.A. Happ - MIL
79. Jason Hammel - PHI
80. Barry Zito - PHI
81. Aaron Cook - PHI, WAS

Notes: If you're in an NL-only league, be prepared to lose Hiroki Kuroda and Ubaldo Jimenez to the AL. The Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and others are looking aggressively to upgrade their pitching staffs. … Pretty odd to see Kevin Correia with three more wins (12) than Felix Hernandez, Tim Lincecum, and Cliff Lee, who each have nine. I hope the Pirates can add a bat or two in the next couple days to keep things interesting in the NL Central. … Madison Bumgarner has a 34:2 K:BB in 35 innings this month and a 45:3 mark in 42 innings if you go back to his last start in June. Safe to say the Giants will be a playoff threat no matter which Carlos Beltran shows up (the 2004 version, or the 0-for-4 in his SF debut version). … Roy Oswalt (back) could return as early as the Giants series next weekend assuming his next rehab start (Monday or Tuesday) goes well. … Jonathan Sanchez could return from a biceps injury this week, potentially affecting the two-start status of Tim Lincecum. Not a huge deal, as Lincecum should be started regardless, and Sanchez probably should be benched this week considering if he does start, it would likely be against the Phillies. … Stephen Strasburg (elbow) may be nearing a minor league rehab assignment that could put him on track for one or two starts late in the year. Re-draft leagues should consider stashing him if league rules allow, but his return before 2012 is far from a given. … Chien-Ming Wang's first MLB start in over two years didn't go so well – four innings, six runs allowed (four earned) on eight hits with a 2:1 K:BB ratio. … Top five NL pitchers this year in terms of WAR: Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Madison Bumgarner (!). Must be nice to be Charlie Manuel. … With the move to St. Louis, Edwin Jackson is now the hardest thrower in the National League. Combine that with Dave Duncan's tutelage, and Jackson could be a difference-maker not just for the Cardinals, but for NL-only leaguers as well.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. Josh Beckett - CLE, NYY
2. CC Sabathia - @CHW, @BOS
3. David Price - TOR, OAK
4. Justin Verlander - @KC
5. Jered Weaver - SEA
6. Felix Hernandez - OAK
7. James Shields - TOR
8. Jon Lester - CLE
9. Ricky Romero - @TB, @BAL
10. Ervin Santana - MIN, SEA
11. Dan Haren - SEA
12. Colby Lewis - @DET, CLE
13. C.J. Wilson - CLE
14. Matt Harrison - @DET
15. Jeff Niemann - OAK
16. Brian Duensing - @LAA, CHW
17. Doug Fister - OAK, @LAA
18. Scott Baker - @LAA
19. Trevor Cahill - @SEA, @TB
20. Gio Gonzalez - @SEA
21. Justin Masterson - @BOS
22. Alexi Ogando - @DET
23. Jeremy Hellickson - OAK
24. John Danks - NYY, @MIN
25. Derek Holland - CLE
26. Josh Tomlin - @BOS, @TEX
27. Rich Harden - @SEA
28. Michael Pineda - @LAA
29. Brandon McCarthy - @TB
30. Brett Cecil - @TB
31. Max Scherzer - TEX, @KC
32. Rick Porcello - TEX
33. Brandon Morrow - @BAL
34. Mark Buehrle - NYY
35. Jason Vargas - @LAA
36. Phil Hughes - @CHW, @BOS
37. Bartolo Colon - @CHW
38. Francisco Liriano - @LAA
39. Erik Bedard - OAK

Borderline depending on league format

40. A.J. Burnett - @CHW
41. Gavin Floyd - NYY
42. John Lackey - CLE, NYY
43. Luke Hochevar - BAL
44. Freddy Garcia - @BOS
45. Carlos Villanueva - @TB
46. Felipe Paulino - DET
47. Bruce Chen - BAL
48. Danny Duffy - BAL
49. David Huff - @BOS, @TEX
50. Carlos Carrasco - @BOS
51. Jeremy Guthrie - @KC
52. Jake Peavy - NYY, @MIN
53. Tyler Chatwood - MIN
54. Jeff Francis - DET
55. Carl Pavano - CHW
56. Philip Humber - NYY
57. Fausto Carmona - @TEX

Extreme caution advised

58. Guillermo Moscoso - @TB
59. Duane Below - @KC
60. Nick Blackburn - CHW
61. Kyle Davies - DET
62. Zach Britton - TOR
63. Jake Arrieta - TOR
64. Wade Davis - TOR
65. Alfredo Simon - @KC, TOR
66. Brad Bergesen - @KC
67. Andrew Miller - NYY
68. Tim Wakefield - CLE
69. Brad Mills - @BAL
70. Brad Penny - TEX
71. Joel Pineiro - MIN
72. Luke Hochevar - @BOS
73. Kyle Davies - @BOS, @CLE
74. Joel Pineiro - @DET

Notes: It's easy to forget that Matt Harrison was part of the Mark Teixeira deal considering the other names that came over from Atlanta (Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz), but Harrison has been a huge surprise this year with a 2.94 ERA. He'll have the occasional rocky outing and he's not an ace, but he's now someone you can rely on in 12-team mixed leagues each and every start. … Don't look now, but John Lackey is 4-1 with a 23:3 K:BB in 27.1 innings this month. He had one ugly outing on July 4, but has been pretty good since, though allowing 29 hits over 18.1 innings in his last three starts is rather concerning. I still think he can be a solid option down the stretch. … Rick Porcello through his first 15 starts: 4.8 K/9. Last four starts: 6.7 K/9. His opponents in those four starts have had less than stellar offenses, but maybe he's figuring some things out. … Nice work by Brad Penny in his last start. Not only did he allow seven runs in 3.2 innings, but he got into a fight with his catcher, Victor Martinez. Penny could be out of the rotation soon if the Tigers acquire another starter. … David Huff has bought into the Cleveland starting pitcher Kool-Aid with two solid starts, but his slate looks tough this week with road starts in Boston and Texas. Roll with him in AL-only leagues, but be wary outside of those formats. … It's pretty startling to go to the Royals' team ESPN page and see that the team leader in ERA is Jeff Francis with a 4.65 mark. Fortunately the Royals have a decent crop of young arms on the way, headed by Jake Odorizzi. … Rich Harden has a 30:10 K:BB in 29.1 innings in July, furthering the conclusion that when healthy, he's at least a No. 3 starter, if not more. … Matt Moore is simply overwhelming minor league hitters right now. After posting a 2.20 ERA and 11.5 K/9 in Double-A, Moore was bumped up a level, and the dominance continued. In two starts, Moore has allowed one run in 13 innings with a 20:4 K:BB. He's ready whenever the Rays need his services. … If you subscribe to WAR as an accurate depiction of player value, Justin Masterson has been the 10th (tied) most valuable pitcher in baseball. Either way, Masterson has been very good for a resurgent Indians squad with a 2.57 ERA, 6.7 K/9, and 2.6 BB/9. He was a pretty good prospect for the Red Sox at one time, so this isn't entirely flukish.

MIXED LEAGUE TOP 100

1. Clayton Kershaw - @SD, @ARI
2. Zack Greinke - STL, @HOU
3. Cole Hamels - @COL, @SF
4. Jair Jurrjens - @WAS, @NYM
5. Tim Lincecum - ARI, PHI
6. Josh Beckett - CLE, NYY
7. CC Sabathia - @CHW, @BOS
8. David Price - TOR, OAK
9. Chris Carpenter - @MIL, @FLA
10. Ian Kennedy - @SF, LAD
11. Matt Cain - ARI, PHI
12. Justin Verlander - @KC
13. Jered Weaver - SEA
14. Cliff Lee - @SF
15. Felix Hernandez - OAK
16. Roy Halladay - @COL
17. James Shields - TOR
18. Jon Lester - CLE
19. Ubaldo Jimenez - WAS
20. Ricky Romero - @TB, @BAL
21. Ervin Santana - MIN, SEA
22. Dan Haren - SEA
23. Colby Lewis - @DET, CLE
24. Dan Hudson - @SF
25. Cory Luebke - LAD, @PIT
26. Chad Billingsley - @ARI
27. C.J. Wilson - CLE
28. Mat Latos - LAD
29. Jhoulys Chacin - PHI, WAS
30. Matt Harrison - @DET
31. Jeff Niemann - OAK
32. Juan Nicasio - WAS
33. Tim Stauffer - LAD
34. Madison Bumgarner - PHI
35. Brian Duensing - @LAA, CHW
36. Doug Fister - OAK, @LAA
37. Tommy Hanson - @NYM
38. Scott Baker - @LAA
39. Trevor Cahill - @SEA, @TB
40. Gio Gonzalez - @SEA
41. Tim Hudson - @NYM
42. Bud Norris - CIN, MIL
43. Kevin Correia - CHC, SD
44. Ryan Vogelsong - ARI
45. Vance Worley - @SF
46. Yovani Gallardo - @HOU
47. Justin Masterson - @BOS
48. Jeff Karstens - SD
49. Aaron Harang - @PIT
50. Alexi Ogando - @DET
51. Jeremy Hellickson - OAK
52. John Danks - NYY, @MIN
53. Derek Holland - CLE
54. Josh Tomlin - @BOS, @TEX
55. Matt Garza - @PIT
56. Rich Harden - @SEA
57. Michael Pineda - @LAA
58. Brandon McCarthy - @TB
59. Paul Maholm - CHC, SD
60. Shaun Marcum - STL
61. Anibal Sanchez - STL
62. Hiroki Kuroda - @SD (can I buy a few runs please?)
63. Brett Cecil - @TB
64. Max Scherzer - TEX, @KC
65. Jordan Zimmermann - @COL
66. Jaime Garcia - @MIL
67. Jonathon Niese - ATL
68. Carlos Zambrano - @PIT, CIN
69. Mike Pelfrey - FLA, ATL
70. Rick Porcello - TEX
71. Rubby De La Rosa - @ARI
72. Brandon Morrow - @BAL
73. Mark Buehrle - NYY
74. Jason Vargas - @LAA
75. Phil Hughes - @CHW, @BOS
76. Bartolo Colon - @CHW
77. Francisco Liriano - @LAA
78. Erik Bedard - OAK
79. Dustin Moseley - @PIT
80. Brandon Beachy - @WAS
81. Ricky Nolasco - STL
82. R.A. Dickey - ATL
83. Roy Oswalt - @SF
84. Josh Collmenter - @SF
85. Ryan Dempster - CIN
86. Joe Saunders - LAD
87. Derek Lowe - @WAS
88. Javier Vazquez - @NYM, STL
89. A.J. Burnett - @CHW
90. Gavin Floyd - NYY
91. Mike Leake - @CHC
92. John Lannan - ATL, @COL
93. James McDonald - CHC
94. John Lackey - CLE, NYY
95. Jordan Lyles - CIN
96. Ted Lilly - @SD
97. Luke Hochevar - BAL
98. Dillon Gee - FLA
99. Freddy Garcia - @BOS
100. Carlos Villanueva - @TB

Regan, a four-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association award winner, was named the 2010 Fantasy Baseball Writer of the Year.

Follow @vtadave on Twitter.