If at this point in the season you’re struggling a little, can’t seem to find anyone on the waiver wire that will help your team immediately, and can’t work out a trade then there is only one solution.  Prospects.  The chance of these guys making an immediate impact and helping your team is well worth the risk.  This is why every time there is breaking news and the chance of a call up I have posted something on here.  At the end of the day if the prospect isn’t called up it can be frustrating, but realize that adding these guys on the fly is low risk.  The chance of getting a Buster Posey like player is well worth cutting a bench hitter for the the small chance that he will get called up.  If you are in a league that has a move cap or costs money to make moves then maybe this isn’t the best idea for you.  To all the rest I leave it up to you to make it your personal decision on whether or not you want to jump on these young guys who have the “chance” of coming.  If they do come up and perform well you could be set to win your championship.  If they do not get called up then you can either wait on them or just cut them again.  What do you have to lose?  Keep that in mind when I tell you to grab a Teheran or a Montero and they only make one start or don’t get the call.  The reward is far worth the risk.  So if you would like to follow me on this path lets take a look at these current situations with their fantasy impact.

Julio Teheran- A few weeks back I said to add him immediately.  Unfortunately he made one spot start and was optioned back down to AAA.  His final line didn’t look too impressive on paper against a tough Phillies lineup, but there were a lot of positives in that start.  It was extremely valuable for a young guy like this to get that experience and to experience some success against a division winning club.  The good news is that it looks like he will be recalled on Wednesday to replace the injured Brandon Beachy in the rotation.  I said it last time too, but this time around I really don’t see why the Braves would send him back down when Beachy returns.  His major league clock has already started and blowing two options on him would be a huge mistake.  Worst case scenario is that he struggles and goes into the bullpen once Beachy returns.  Best case scenario is that he shows flashes of brilliance, keeps the spot, and either forces Beachy to the bullpen, or forces a Derek Lowe trade.  Teheran is the top pitching prospect in all of baseball at only 20 years old and projects to be Atlanta’s #1 Starter for years to come.  He has much more talent than guys like Jeremy Hellickson, Michael Pineda, and Zach Britton, but whether or not that talent will come immediately at the big league level at age 20 is to be seen.  For the cost of cutting a bench player he is very much worth this risk.  If you haven’t done so yet add him right now as he should make at least 3 starts starting Wednesday night.

Jesus Montero- Well, now you have thousands of Yankees fans, baseball fans, and writers crying to call up Montero.  The Yankees were already doubting the future of Posada before this whole incident.  This whole thing can bring nothing but good for Montero in the short term.  He is dominating AAA and was quoted as being very “bored” there.  My gut still tells me that he will be coming very soon.  If you want to wait to be sure then do that, but if you think someone else will snatch him up then get him now.  He is a very good contact hitter, hits for a high average, and has some power.  He could easily be this year’s Buster Posey.

Eric Hosmer- I’ve been getting a ton of questions asking if Hosmer is legit.  Is he? Yes.  Will he experience growing pains?  Yes.  Which means Hosmer will not continue to hit over .300 for much longer.  Like most rookies Hosmer will begin to struggle once teams figure out how to pitch to him.  I’m sure his average will dip back into the .270 area eventually.  From there he should get hot again, and be off an on like every other player.  I think he can end around .280 with a decent 15 HR this season.  Those are pretty decent fantasy numbers.  Long term he is as good as any big 1B in baseball.  We’re talking Mark Teixeira good.  If he’s still out there grab him as a backup or utility player, but do not make him your primary 1B.  I’ve seen a lot of people trying to deal big 1B’s like Prince Fielder away because they now have Hosmer.  Don’t do it.  You will really weaken your team.  But a combo of Fielder/Hosmer is very solid.

Some more rookie pickups.

Tyler Chatwood- A two start pitcher this week with 4 of his last 6 starts being quality starts.

Carlos Carrasco- Just returned from the DL.  Don’t let his total numbers fool you.  After his first start and before his injury he threw 3 straight quality start gems in a row.  He’s a good option for the rest of this year, and long term he is a Gio Gonzalez like pitcher with strikeouts that will increase greatly.

Tyson Ross- He is now in the rotation now that Dallas Braden is out for a long time.  Anyone who pitches for Oakland has value.  Anyone.  He’s now made 4 starts, all of which have been quality starts.  Get him while he’s hot.

Alex White- Yet another good Cleveland starter.  He was a 1st round pick 2 years ago and has high upside.  Both starts he’s made in his young career have been quality starts and he struck out 6 in his last game.  He will get hit around a little eventually, but he’s not a bad option.  Long term Cleveland will have an amazing rotation with Drew Pomeranz, Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco, Alex White, and Josh Tomlin.  Things are looking good if your an Indians fans.

Since I haven’t touched a whole lot on prospects this season and to follow up to this news, I will take a look at all the top Baseball America Prospects on Wednesday.  We will look at dozens of prospects in order of their rank and their fantasy impact both this season and long term.  So don’t forget to come back to BSR this Wednesday!  Questions?  Comments?  Ask them.