Q, from Melvin McCormick in Chicago: Thank you - finally an article longer than two paragraphs that DOESN'T extol the talents and accomplishments of one of the biggest goldbricks in baseball. If he were with the Yankees, he would be raring to go. Thanks again for not mentioning Ken Griffey Jr.

Answer: Melvin wrote this before last week's column, which I ended with a few potshots at Junior. Griffey made headlines again last week when he pulled up lame with a stiff hamstring. Once again, if you're playing fantasy baseball and own Ken Griffey Jr., let me offer this subtle response: You're an idiot.

Q, from Alex Perez in Chicago: I have a trade offer on the table where I give up Vernon Wells and Eric Chavez and get Lance Berkman and Mark Prior. I have Adrian Beltre to cover myself at third, and my outfield is Manny Ramirez, Brian Giles, Moises Alou and Dave Roberts. What do you think?

A: I think this deal is a no-brainer. I am a huge Beltre guy and would keep him over Chavez. So sending Chavez and his sub-.250 average packing makes perfect sense. As for Wells, it's a tough call. He was batting just .242 through Friday, but is only 25 years old. And this is the same outfielder that led the majors with 215 hits and made the All-Star team last year.

I'm not wild about Berkman. I drafted him but later sent him packing. The wild card in this deal is Prior, who could be back from injury sooner than people think. I drafted him much earlier than I probably needed to, but pairing him with Kerry Wood was too tempting to pass up. And once Prior gets healthy, we all know he can carry a fantasy staff on his back.

Q, from Gerald Yip in Cincinnati: Do you think it makes sense to trade the Cubs' Derrek Lee for the Cardinals' Edgar Renteria? I feel they are comparable at least offensively. I think Lee may be a better bet on defense and in the stolen base department.

A: It comes down to needs, I think. Gerald went on to mention in his e-mail that he already has Albert Pujols at first but could play Lee as an infielder in his league. Still, his shortstop quality would take a serious hit if he dumped Renteria, with the likes of Bobby Crosby and David Eckstein the next-best options off the waiver wire in his league. Despite Lee finally coming out of his annual early-season slump, I'd have to hold onto Renteria.

Hot box

Pick him up: R.A. Dickey, SP, Rangers. Here's something you don't see every day - a recommendation to grab a Texas pitcher. Apparently purging themselves of A-Rod has the Rangers all fired up, because the entire team is on fire, with Dickey going 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Adding to his appeal is the fact that Dickey's 25 relief appearances and 13 starts in 2003 qualify him as a starter or reliever in many leagues.

Sit him down: Bobby Crosby, SS, Athletics. Everybody's trendy rookie sleeper of 2004 came into the week hitting .203 with 26 strikeouts in 64 at-bats. He has also been banged up big time, missing time with knee and hand injuries.

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John Nemo can be reached at johnmnemo@yahoo.com

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