Now that the All Star Break is upon us, it’s time to reflect on the first half of the fantasy baseball season and pay homage to those who helped us soar to new heights (at least at their positions). If I could field a team of offensive fantasy all stars, this is who I would take the field with. Remember, despite if players are an everyday fixture at a certain position, if they are eligible for another position on your fantasy roster, they’re eligible for recognition at that position in this list as well as at their normal spot. As always, feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

Catcher – Joe Mauer, Min: Here’s a no-brainer. Mauer has proven to be everything advertised since coming up to the show in 2004. He has lived up to the hype as the number one overall pick in 2001 and fantasy owners simply get giddy when his name is said. I personally tried my hardest to trade for Mauer at the beginning of the season, but the other fantasy owner who was in desperate need of help at first base which I had plenty of, declined the offer and justifiably so. Mauer is hitting .373 with 15 HR and 49 RBI. Not to mention the fact that he’s also scored 49 runs and has even stolen a base this year. Mauer probably won’t top .400, but his fantasy value has never been higher. If you were lucky enough to draft him a couple of months ago, drop down on your knees and thank the fantasy gods because he will give you nothing but fantastic numbers the rest of the way.

First base – Albert Pujols, StL: Pujols is without a doubt the one sure thing going into each year’s draft. It baffles me that Prince Fielder, Hanley Ramirez, and Jose Reyes were oftentimes taken before Pujols in some of my friends’ fantasy drafts. I understand that Fielder is all muscle and Ramirez/Reyes score loads of runs, steal tons of bases, and rack up nice overall stats, but Pujols can hit for average (.332), smack homeruns (he has 32), knock people in (87 RBI), score (73 runs), and even swipe a bag (he has 10 steals this year, one less than Jose Reyes who has been on the DL forever). He has won two MVPs and has come up just short on multiple occasions. Pujols was named the best current player in baseball by The Sporting News earlier this year and he is certainly living up to that lofty title. Expect Pujols to keep on keeping on and for him to grab his third MVP award in the fall.

Second base – Chase Utley, Phi: The debate for the best second baseman is baseball is usually a heated one. AL fans claim that it’s Ian Kinsler while NL fans clamor for Utley. In this case, the NL fans have it right. To be honest, their stats are almost identical. They each have 20 HR and 62 runs scored going into the all star break. Utley has six more RBI (61 to 55), but Kinsler has more stolen bases (18 to 9). The difference is in the category of batting average where Utley is hitting .313 while Kinsler has settled in at a mediocre .250. Utley has had fewer at-bats, but if he had the same amount of plate appearances as Kinsler, he would have about 22 more hits if the averages stayed the same. Those hits are crucial each week in fantasy matchups, not to mention the fact that Utley’s OBP of .430 far outweighs Kinsler’s .327 and with Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, and Jayson Werth hitting 4-5-6 behind Utley, it means that over the long haul he will probably score more runs. While this contest of who’s number one seems close at first, when you really dig deep into the numbers, Utley clearly takes the edge.

Third base – Mark Reynolds, Ari: Let’s get one thing straight, I am not a big Reynolds fan. I had the opportunity to draft him in nearly every one of my leagues, but passed him up every time. As I sit here and write this, I still can’t kick myself in the back side for shaking my head politely at him on draft day, but his numbers are starting to add up. He is only hitting .258, but he is putting up more consistent all-around numbers than anyone else that is third base-eligible. He has 24 HR, 62 RBI, 55 runs scored, and even 15 stolen bases (not something that you can usually count on with a sheer power guy). The thing that scared me away from Reynolds was his strikeout tendencies, which you are bound to get with a slugger, and consequently, his OBP. Despite already striking out 123 times this year and being on pace to shatter his own record for whiffs in a season (204 in 2008), his OBP still sits at a smooth .349. Reynolds may not have gotten onto the NL All Star squad, but he definitely deserved it, and I will gladly give him the nod here.

Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez, Fla: Ramirez was the first pick in nearly every league this year and rightfully so. As described before, he can run, he can hit for average, and he has some power too. Derek Jeter is giving him a run for his money as the top overall shortstop this year, but the difference is that Hanley finds ways to drive in runs every opportunity that he gets. To go along with his scorching .349 average, Ramirez has scored 53 runs, driven in 61, and could reach the 30-30 club for the second time in his career if he puts a few more balls over the fence in the second half of the season than he did in the first. Ramirez does leave something to be desired in the stolen base department since he has only swiped 13 bags this year, but I guess no one is perfect. Among shortstops, Ramirez is leading the league in average and RBI and is just two homeruns off of the league lead in homeruns. Expect Ramirez to continue to do more of the same in the second half and if the Marlins can stay in the race for the NL East, don’t be surprised if Ramirez starts stealing more bases to set up opportunities for his team to score more runs.

Outfield 1 – Carl Crawford, TB: Crawford doesn’t have huge power numbers by any means and he’s not a name that is even to the household level in some cases, but he has been delivering night-in and night-out. Crawford has 109 hits halfway through the season and to add insult to injury, has stolen 44 bases. You read that right, but do a double take if you have to. Through 89 games, he has stolen 44 bags, which puts him on pace to steal just about 80 right on the nose. This of course leads to high run totals (he’s crossed the plate 58 times), but he has also knocked in 39 runs of his own which isn’t too bad for a guy who isn’t swinging for the fences every time he steps to the plate. Crawford and teammate B.J. Upton have combined for 75 steals before the all-star break and are two of the main reasons why Tampa Bay is still holding on as they try to defend their AL crown. Crawford is pure speed on the base paths and if you own him, he has probably helped you to capture the stolen base category in your league week to week. Don’t count on Crawford to propel you to wins in the homerun or RBI categories, but your team’s average, stolen bases, or runs totals will continue to blow out the competition as long as Crawford can stay healthy.

Outfield 2 – Torii Hunter, LAA: When Hunter jumped ship from the Twins in 2007 and headed to put on his halo, I thought he would just be another guy who thrived in one city, signed a fat contract, and then fell off the face of the earth (I’m talking to you Andruw Jones). Hunter has been nothing close to this though. Last year wasn’t his best as his average, homerun, and RBI totals all fell from the year before, but 2009 has been Hunter’s best not only in Los Angeles, but in his career. Never has he hit over .300 (he’s hitting .305), had more than 31 homeruns (he’s on pace for 36), nor had more than 110 RBI (he’s on pace for 137). The Angels as a whole have been playing very well offensively and Hunter is just one more piece to the puzzle that may help launch the team back to the World Series for the first time since they won it all in 2002. Hunter recently went on the DL with a strained adductor, but doctors said that there were no tears and Hunter is eligible to come off in time to play the last week of July. Hunter has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners this season and this injury is just one little hiccup on his way to having a career year.

Outfield 3 – Raul Ibanez, Phi: This is not meant to be a snub at Ryan Braun or Jason Bay. When you look at the outfielders in baseball today, there is a seemingly infinite list to choose from when looking for the best, but Ibanez has delivered more than anyone thought possible and is still ahead of Bay and Braun in both homeruns and RBI despite having 52 and 73 less at bats than each of them respectively. When Philadelphia brought him in to replace Pat Burrell, fans weren’t too happy with the front office for giving so much money to an old guy who was supposed to be just as much of a defensive liability as the guy he was taking over for. However, the friendly confines of Citizens Bank Park have warmly embraced Ibanez offensively and defensively. It is known that he is already having the best season of his life as he hits .309 with 22 HR and 60 RBI while also scoring 53 runs, but he is also playing the ball at better angles and doesn’t have as much field to cover with centerfielder Shane Victorino zipping across the outfield whenever a ball is hit. Ibanez was just activated from the DL after suffering a nagging groin injury or else he might be close to 30 HR and 80 RBI by now. I’m not sure if Ibanez will keep playing at the pace he set in the early going, but I can tell you that right now, he is on pace for 56 homeruns and just over 150 RBI and if anyone is projecting those kinds of numbers at the midway point of the season, I’ll take my chances with him.

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Roy Halladay has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past decade and now as the trade deadline creeps closer, the Blue Jays have shockingly said that they would listen to offers for the perennial Cy Young candidate. Halladay is a free agent after 2010 and if he has indicated he will bolt town after that season, the Blue Jays are wise to field offers for him with his value higher than it possibly ever has been. Yesterday on ESPN Insider, Buster Olney created the “early line” on Halladay. Let’s take a look at his top three.

Leading the way are the Phillies with odds Olney has assigned at 5:2. Just the other day I wrote how the Phillies were scouting Pedro Martinez in the Dominican Republic. Obviously that is a pretty desperate measure so when Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi acknowledged he had his ears open, the Phillies front office surely was on the horn. Philadelphia’s farm system is pretty loaded, but the team has somewhat labeled pitcher Kyle Drabek, along with prospects Jason Knapp and Dominic Brown as untouchable. Drabek would surely be the coveted prize in the eyes of any team, but with names like Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, Antonio Bastardo, and Michael Taylor gracing the rosters of their minor league affiliates, the Phillies have a good chance of landing Halladay (but it will cost them many shining pieces of their future).

He next lists the Dodgers’ odds at 8:1. Los Angeles is the best team in the NL and would clearly benefit from having Halladay in the rotation. He does have a home in Colorado so he wouldn’t be too far from his family if he bolted for the west coast. If the Dodgers could finish out the summer and have Halladay and emerging ace Chad Billingsley starting games one and two of a playoff series, they would be major contenders for not only returning to the NLCS, but would also significantly increase their chances of winning the World Series. Obviously Dodgers GM Ned Colletti isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal as evidenced by his trade last year for Manny Ramirez. Halladay will surely be an enticing option for Los Angeles team as they look to put themselves over the top.

Olney puts the other Los Angeles team, the Angels, as the third favorite to land the big-time pitcher at the same odds as the Dodgers, 8:1. The Angels shocked the world when they won the World Series in 2002 and have been trying desperately to win it all again since then. Manager Mike Scioscia is one of the best in baseball, but his team has been struggling in the pitching department. However, the team’s offense (which is without Vladimir Guerrero at the present moment) is led by several stellar players including Chone Figgins, a surprising Juan Rivera, Torii Hunter, and underrated shortstop Maicer Izturis. Thanks to these players who have made up for some of the pitching woes, the Angels sit only one game behind the Rangers in the NL West standings. If Halladay were to be placed at the top of the rotation, he would be a dominant leader in front of John Lackey, Jered Weaver, and Ervin Santana and the Angels would arguably be one of the best all around teams in the AL.

Right now, it is not even sure if Halladay will be dealt, but the rumors are certainly enticing especially to Halladay’s fantasy owners.

If Halladay comes to Philadelphia he will be pitching in one of the most hitter friendly parks in baseball, but his abilities as a ground ball pitcher will surely do a large part to negate Citizens Bank Park’s norms. The NL West is already becoming a runaway for the Dodgers and Halladay would feast on his divisional opponents if they made a play for him. He could easily have Los Angeles sitting ready for the playoffs to begin at the start of September. Pitching for the Angels would mean that Halladay would see much of the same talent he has been throwing to for years now and understanding AL hitters’ tendencies would surely go a long way for his team despite the face that GM Tony Reagins says they are not interested in trading for pitching right now.

Halladay is as close to a sure fire thing that you can find in baseball. He constantly gives everything he’s got every time he steps on the mound and is not a pitcher who is satisfied with pitching for six innings and calling it a day. Whether Halladay stays in Toronto, jumps the border for Philadelphia, or heads westward for Tinseltown, he will continue to produce at a level that only he can reach. Just as CC Sabathia shined with his new team in 2008, if/when Halladay is dealt, expect the same things you’ve been getting all year no matter where he ends up: lots of innings, plenty of strikeouts, and a menacingly low ERA.

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A report today on philly.com states that sometime over the course of the next two days, the Phillies will scout free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez in the Dominican Republic. Philadelphia is surely not the only team looking at the three-time Cy Young winner, but they have garnered the most attention due to the fact that their pitching rotation is in shambles as they have relied upon rookie Antonio Bastardo (who recently was placed on the DL) and veteran Rodrigo Lopez (who picked up a nice win on Friday) to fill in the back of the rotation.

Philadelphia’s pitchers have left fantasy owners longing for much more as Jamie Moyer is the only man on the staff with over five wins (he has seven) and 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, who was expected to be mentioned in the Cy Young race this year, sporting a paltry 4-5 record with a 4.98 ERA. Despite the fact that Philadelphia’s starters have been nothing more than mediocre this year, Martinez is not the answer.

Pedro’s last good season was in 2005 (his first with the Mets) when he went 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA and struck out 208 batters. Since then, not counting 2007 in which he only pitched in five games, his ERA has been hovering around or above 5.00 and in 2008, his once legendary strikeout to walk ratio weighed in at a disappointing 2:1. There is a reason that he went unsigned in the offseason and if you are a Phillies fan, you should hope that GM Ruben Amaro remembers that.

Philadelphia has been clamoring for starting pitching since Brett Myers went down with what seemed to be a season ending injury in late May. Names such as Jake Peavy, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and even Roy Halladay have been floated around, but with so many teams still in the playoff race, front offices are hesitant to make deals that would send out their ace pitcher when they think that they still have a chance of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy at the end of the season.

Amaro has indeed become desperate and he has not been afraid to show it at times. Last week in an interview he was quoted as saying, “We can say, ‘Pretty please can we have a pitcher?’ but that doesn’t mean one will become available.” The Phillies have undoubtedly been hitting the phones as much as possible as the trade deadline creeps closer and now as teams keep refusing to talk, Pedro Martinez probably seems like a decent option. Unfortunately, too many times, people are fooled by remembering Martinez in his days wearing a Red Sox uniform and not what he did in his last years with the Mets.

As a fantasy owner, if Martinez is picked up by a team, you cannot fall for this same bait. Martinez’s name carries a great legacy, but one that has not been visibly evident in the past several years. Don’t be antsy and jump on the Martinez bandwagon knowing that some team will pick him up. I guarantee that there are still better pitchers in your league’s waiver wire that show more promise than the aging Pedro. So if/when a team signs him, whether it is Philadelphia, the Cubs, or the Angels, be sure to remember what kind of player Pedro is now, and not 10 years ago.

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