Helton’s Power Going Going Gone

I HAVE HELTON.  I AM WORRIED HE MIGHT GET TRADED TO THE AL AND THEN I LOSE HIM.  I NEED ANOTHER OUTFIELDER.  I AM THINKING OF OFFERING HELTON FOR BILL HALL.  IS THIS A DECENT TRADE?
THANKS,
BRIAN FROM IOWA

Good thinking, Brian!  I can definitely see Helton getting dealt to a certain team that plays its home games in the Bronx if the Rockies fall out of contention.  But Colorado’s still in the thick of the NL West race (only four and a half games back of the division lead), so I don’t think a move will happen anytime soon.  While this real life trade may be on hold for the time being, your fantasy swap should be completed right away!  Even if Helton stays put, his massive power decline over the past few years, despite playing in Coors, has severely hurt his fantasy value.  Since the beginning of the 2005 season, Helton has hit a combined 41 homers, well below the average at the first base position.  Unless we’re talking about an OBP league, I can think of at least 10 National League first basemen I’d rather have than Helton.  I’m not a huge fan of Hall, as he strikes out a bit too much for my taste.  So you might want to look at other outfielders.  But when we add in the possibility of losing Helton for nothing, you can do a lot worse.

Zach Steinhorn, MLB.com