My apologizes to all for both the lateness and abbreviated version of The Wire Troll this week. An extended road trip to Toronto got in the way this week, and five days without Internet makes for some serious catching up. Without further ado let’s take a look at some potential wire acquisitions for this week.

Blake DeWitt, Los Angeles Dodgers, 3B: The Dodgers are still waiting for the MRI results on Jeff Kent’s left knee, but it isn’t looking good. DeWitt is likely to be the benefactor here and the Dodgers are certainly going to give him a good look at second base over the balance of 2008. He managed four homers, 18 RBI, and a fine .306 BA in 111 at bats at Triple-A Las Vegas while working on the conversion from third to second base. DeWitt is a solid acquisition in NL-only and deep leagues that use corner and middle infielders.

Matt Lindstrom, Florida, RP: The newest spin the wheel on the closer candidate is Lindstrom of the Marlins. Kevin Gregg has hit the shelve for at least the next week with a knee problem, and it would appear that Lindstrom is the front runner for saves. He has been slated as the closer of the future for a couple years so this should give the Fish an opportunity to take a good look at him down the stretch. He’s walked 23 in only 47 IP this season — not a good sign — but he does appear to have the job. If your fantasy squad is needing a push in the saves category, he is worth the gamble.

Joaquin Arias, Texas, 2B: Doesn’t it seem like over the past month or so, every week brings us a new middle-infield prospect with speed potential? This week’s candidate is Arias. He enjoyed a fine season at Triple-A Oklahoma with 23 thefts. Arias is batting .325 since his promotion and has stolen three bases in replacing the injured Ian Kinsler, making him a solid option down the stretch if your fantasy squad needs a push in the speed department.

Brandon Wood, Los Angeles Angels, SS/3B: Isn’t it hard to believe that Wood is still only 23? He strikes out too much and has, so far, been over matched when given the opportunity, but we still have those 31 homers and 84 RBI at Triple-A Salt Lake to remind us of that enormous potential. With both Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick nursing sore hamstrings right now it looks like Wood (at least over the next couple of weeks) will get playing time opportunities. The potential is there, so roster him in both keeper and AL-only formats.

Kila Ka’aihue, Kansas City, 1B: Since being promoted to the Triple-A Omaha Royals, Ka’aihue has been on fire. In 105 at bats, he has amassed ten homers, 19 RBI, and a fine .305 BA. Combined at both Double and Triple-A, he has hit 36 long balls and produced 98 RBI. A September call-up is in order and, really, what is holding him back from playing time opportunities in Kansas City — Ross Gload?

Jonathon Niese, New York Mets, SP: The 22-year-old southpaw is being promoted from Triple-A New Orleans this week, and is scheduled to start Tuesday in place of the injured John Maine. Niese went 5-1 with the Zephyrs and struck out 144 over 164 IP at two levels this year. The Mets will definitely be able to supply him with the offensive support, so if you’re looking at an opportunity to garner some potential wins down the stretch, he is worth a flier in both keeper and NL-only leagues.

With the Yankees dropping their rubber match against the Blue Jays by a 6-2 count on Sunday afternoon, it’s becoming more and more clear that their 13-year run of post-season appearances is nearing an end. New York missed a chance to gain ground today and still trails Boston by seven games for the AL Wild Card, [...] more

Smart fantasy owners will pay attention to familiar names in the minors, as often the spawn of former major leaguers turn out to be pretty damn good themselves, and in many cases much better (see Bonds, Barry; Griffey, Ken Jr.; and Fielder, Prince for just a sampling). So it is with great interest that I pour [...] more

This is something we’ve discussed quite a bit over the years, but it simply can’t be stressed enough: beware paying a high price for pitching on draft day, when so many arms emerge from the fold during the season in a very unpredictable manner. The wise owner didn’t overspend on pitching, focusing instead on offense, [...] more

The Jacksonville Jaguars, looking to build on a big 2007 season by shoring up a defense that was generally middling, finally agreed to terms with their first round pick, defensive end Derrick Harvey, on Wednesday. Harvey has been holding out for the last 33 days, causing a rift between the team and agent Ken Kremer. Apparently, [...] more