This MLB season has reached the All-Star break. This hiatus gives you some time to think about your team without having to worry about today’s active roster.  It’s the perfect time to think about your strategy for the rest of the season.

Is a player having a career year or is he destined to come back to earth? Will that rookie being called up have a stellar second half? What about a player returning from an injury? I’m here to help you sort through the fodder.

Normally I just post pickups on Twitter, but I thought I’d lump all the pickups together.  Without further ado, let’s get to the All-Star Break edition of Waiver Wire pickups.

Jorge Posada, C:  About the best thing he’s done all year is give Jeter a hug, but the catcher position is thin and he’s been coming around.  Why not?

Mark Trumbo, 1B:  Dude hits homers and the AVG won’t kill you.

Mark Ellis, 2B:  Going to Coors should elevate his value to Top 10 2B status for the rest of the season.  Expect Runs, HRs, and a few SBs.

Jemile Weeks, 2B:  He’s mainly a SB play, but should help in AVG as well.

Darwin Barney, 2B/SS:  Remember him?  He’ll hit for AVG and score some Runs while offering position flexibility.

Rafael Furcal, SS:  I have to believe he’ll rebound and help in Runs, SBs, and AVG.

Eduardo Nunez, SS/3B:  With ARod out he’ll play for the next 4-6 weeks and help a little in every category.

Pedro Alvarez, 3B:  Coming off an injury this guy can help any team once he’s back in the majors.  He’s worth the risk, because there aren’t many players with the ability to help in HR and RBI on the cheap.

David Freese, 3B:  Great lineup along with solid numbers when healthy lead me to believe he’ll be productive.

Emilio Bonifacio, 3B/SS/OF:  As long as he’s hitting he’s going to steal bases.  Emilio is streaky so play him while he’s hot and then feel free to jettison.

Eric Thames, OF or Travis Snider, OF:  Can’t decide between which Blue Jay I like better.

Travis Hafner, Util:  Pronk can smash.  He’s worth a roster spot as long as he’s healthy as he’ll help in HR and RBI.

Cory Luebke, SP:  Great park, great K/IP rate.  What’s not to like?   Oh, you want Wins too?  Well, we can’t have everything we want.  Take the strikeouts and be happy.

Rubby De La Rosa, SP:  Forget the funny name, because the guy throws 100 mph with strikeout stuff.

Phil Hughes, SP:  If he’s healthy he’ll help in all categories.

Mike Adams, RP:  Once Heath Bell is traded Adams becomes the Padres closer.

Joe Nathan, RP:  At some point he’s going to be the closer again in Minnesota.

Javy Guerra, RP:  If you need Saves run to the grab this guy.

Feel free to drop me a line on Twitter with any roster questions.

Last year’s Draft Guide helped thousands of Fantasy Baseball players compete against co-workers, friends, and family!

This guide can help you as well.

Here’s what the Draft Guide gives you:

* Simple framework for the first 13 Rounds of your draft utilizing the streaming strategy.
* Each round broken down; making the draft process as simple as possible.
* Each position broken down into tiers.
* Included with the guide are Starting Pitchers updates and trade advice throughout the season.

Guide has been removed.

As we reach the All-Star break, it’s time to look back at the first half Fantasy All-Stars.

C: Miguel Olivo
Olivo is producing above the likes of Mauer, McCann, and Victor Martinez; easy selection.

1B: Paul Konerko
Miggy, Votto, and Morneau are all having stellar years and were considerations, but when you get top level production from a guy not even drafted, that’s awesome.

2B: Robinson Cano
This was a close one. Martin Prado is offering top tier production at a very low price, but Cano is giving 1st round production.

3B: David Wright
The power is back. Wright is complete as it gets.

SS: Hanley Ramirez
Hanley may not hustle, but he produces.

OF: Carl Crawford
Crawford will win you Steals without hurting your team in other categories. Well worth the high draft pick.

OF: Josh Hamilton
All I’m saying is WOW.

OF: Vladimir Guerrero
I thought about Alex Rios, but I had to give the last spot to Big Bad Vlad.

Util: Martin Prado
He needs to be on the team somewhere.

SP: Josh Johnson
Except for the Win total, Johnson is the best pitcher in the league.

SP: Adam Wainwright
Look at Wainwright’s totals, they’re better than Ubaldo Jimenez.

RP: Billy Wagner
Wagner is dominating. The Saves aren’t leading the league, but the peripherals are all there.

The first half has been about the big stars producing. I’m sure there are many other players that could be included on this list. If you think I missed someone, post a comment and state your case.

While putting my draft board together I’ve highlighted some players as Buy, Sell, and Gamble.

• Buy: Players who offer great value at their current ADP.
• Sell: Players who offer low value at their current ADP.
• Gamble: Mostly high risk/reward, late round players (Sleepers).

Don’t simply avoid a player on the Sell List; just downgrade your expectations and target them a little lower.  Each player’s ADP is in parenthesis.

Catcher

• Buy: Victor Martinez (33) He’ll put up good numbers and play 150+ games unlike most other catchers.
• Sell: Jorge Posada (132) There are too many other young catchers available; don’t give yourself a headache.
• Sell: Joe Mauer (12) Too many missed games, 1st Round picks should play 150+ games.
• Gamble: Geovany Soto (164) Expect 130+ games and numbers closer to 2008.

First Baseman

• Buy: Ryan Howard (11) He’ll produce like any other 1B in Round 1 minus Great Albert.
• Sell: Lance Berkman (70) The injuries are too big of a concern.
• Gamble: Adam LaRoche (191) Expect 25 HR, 85 RBI, 85 R, and .270 AVG.

Second Baseman

• Buy: Jose Lopez (117) Looks to be progressing nicely; only other 100 RBI 2B will be Chase Utley.
• Sell: Aaron Hill (55) Expect a repeat of last year and be disappointed.
• Gamble: Rickie Weeks (193) Could pay off big with a 30/30 season.

Third Baseman

• Buy: Ryan Zimmerman (30) Not as big of a name as David Wright, but just as productive a round later.
• Buy: Aramis Ramirez (62) 30 HR, 100 RBI, and .290 AVG as the 8th 3B off the board sounds good to me.
• Sell: Gordon Beckham (98) The guy has mucho talent, but the Sophomore slump looms.
• Gamble: Edwin Encarnacion (349) If he bats fifth for the Blue Jays, 25 HR and 100 RBI are possibilities.

Shortstop

• Buy: Asdrubal Cabrera (149) Speed, AVG, and 2B eligibility make him very useful.
• Buy: Stephen Drew (123) Expect 100 R, 20 HR, and .285 AVG.
• Sell: Jose Reyes (25) Too many injury concerns and there is speed to be found later in the draft.
• Gamble: Alcides Escobar (216) Could grab 50 SBs if given the playing time.

Outfield

• Buy: Curtis Granderson (47) Expect .280 AVG, 35 HR, 25 SB, and 110 R.
• Buy: Juan Pierre (171) Remember him? Expect .290 AVG and 50 SBs.
• Buy: Michael Cuddyer (134) Solid .270 AVG, 25 HR, 90 RBI.
• Sell: Josh Hamilton (65) Injuries make him a huge risk, but the power is legit.
• Sell: Torii Hunter (99) You don’t get points for his defense, which is in decline by the way.
• Gamble: Julio Borbon (164) This year’s Chris Davis, but if he sticks, he’ll win you the SB category.
• Gamble: Drew Stubbs (285) Not sure what to make of this guy yet, but he’ll help with HRs or SBs.
• Gamble: Chris B Young (317) If he starts to get hot, HRs and SBs rain from the heavens.

Starting Pitcher

• Buy: Roy Halladay (24) Worth every penny, he’ll carve up the NL.
• Buy: Cole Hamels (90) Halladay will take the pressure off, he’s looking at 17 W, 180 Ks, and 3.50 ERA.
• Buy: Clayton Kershaw (96) He’s ready to elevate into fantasy stardom; 1st Round pick next year.
• Sell: Chris Carpenter (65) The injuries will come.
• Sell: Zack Greinke (30) The Ks are legit, but he won’t be as good as last year; 12 W and 3.50 ERA.
• Gamble: Brett Anderson (145) He won’t win many games, but a 3.50 ERA and 175 Ks are helpful.
• Gamble: Erik Bedard (251) The Ks are still there.
• Gamble: Stephen Strasburg (269) He’ll only play 1/2 the season, but expect a 3 ERA and Ks.
• Gamble: Brian Matusz (286) Could earn AL ROY honors; sub 4 ERA and 150 Ks.

Relief Pitcher

• Buy: Jose Valverde (125) Performs like an elite closer, 40 SVs.
• Buy: Billy Wagner (146) Velocity is up, he’ll lock down 35 SVs.
• Buy: Chad Qualls (187) His knee looks recovered; 35 SVs.
• Sell: Ryan Franklin (150) Last year was just too good to be true.
• Sell: Andrew Bailey (117) Shoulder concerns are worrisome.
• Gamble: Chris Perez (360) Could keep the closer job even when Kerry Wood gets off the DL.
• Gamble: Jon Rauch (NA) Has past experience and the Twinkies will win a ton of games.

I’m always down to discuss anything Fantasy Baseball related.  Feel free to post a comment or tweet me up anytime.

For most Yahoo leagues, it’s trade deadline time.  I always believe it’s a good idea to get your trade offers in before the weekend, so today is your last chance.

Here are a few players to think about on the Trade Market.

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B (Bait)
Gonzalez is a solid producer, but playing in San Diego with that junk around him will hurt his value. I’d use him to shore up other holes in your lineup and pickup a guy like Billy Butler to fill in at 1B.

Ben Zobrist, 2B/SS/OF (Bait)
Zobrist has been producing like a madman all year, but I think his production will start to tail off; Sell high, but only if you can get a solid return, because he provides a lot of position flexibility.

Ian Kinsler, 2B (Target)
Kinsler is injured right now, but he’ll be back soon. An impatient or skiddish owner might trade him away on the cheap.

Gordon Beckham, 3B/SS (Bait)
Beckham has been on fire for the past month, but he’s starting to cool.  If you can package him, I’d say go for it. Try to find an owner that loves college baseball.

Jermaine Dye, OF (Target)
Dye hasn’t been hitting, but he’s a proven veteran. Even with the addition of Alex Rios, I still think Dye will get his. You may want to bench him for the time being, but he’s an HR and RBI addition that could take your team to the top.

Jason Bay, OF (Target)
That lineup has to start producing again, it’s just too good. I would expect Bay to be right in the middle of the resurgence. He won’t come cheap, but he’ll be worth it.

Torii Hunter, OF (Bait)
I’d use this opportunity to trade him before he comes back. An owner might take the gamble. I’ve never been high on Hunter’s fantasy value. Maybe a Bay for Hunter swap?

Jake Peavy, SP (Bait)
Peavy looks to be coming off the DL in a few weeks. You should be trying to unload him right now. He may come back and win some games for the White Sox, but I think he’s worth more to your team right now if you can get good value in return.

John Lackey, SP (Target)
Lackey’s season numbers are pretty good, but his second half has been impressive. An owner may be willing to part with him if given the right players in return. I’d give it a try.

Cole Hamels, SP (Target)
Hamels has not been very good, but I keep believing he’ll get better. Most owners won’t let him go for nothing, because of his reputation, but I’d throw a deal at it.

Johan Santana, Dan Haren, Roy Halladay, SP (Bait)
Their respective teams are pretty far out of the race. All of these guys will continue pitching for the duration of the season, but I’m not sure they’ll get a lot of victories if their teams start playing different guys. Right now is a great time to use their name and #1 SP status to load up for the stretch run.

Kevin Gregg, Matt Capps, Kerry Wood, Mike MacDougal, RP (Bait)
Owners in need of Saves may overpay for one of these guys. I’d throw fliers out to Save-strapped owners.

These are just a sample of guys to think about on the Trade Market. In reality, you should evaluate your entire roster. If you have a specific situation, post it up or drop me a line and I’ll be happy to help you out.