Even the best laid plans can get laid to waste -- laid to waste like a non-sinking Chien-Ming Wang sinker. The Yankees could be ready to go to the well on Phil Hughes, something they said they didn't want to do this early.

Now they might have no choice.

Not only is Wang just wrong right now, Hughes is seriously right and ready to help early next week -- perhaps as a two-start pitcher.

Hughes struck out seven in 7 2/3 effective innings Wednesday in Triple-A, raising his season totals through three starts to 3-0 with a 1.86 ERA, .233 batting-average against and 19 strikeouts to just three walks in 19 1/3 innings. He looks like a lot more capable option at Detroit and vs. the L.A. Angels in Fantasy Week 4 (April 27-May 3) than Wang.

Wang (0-3, 34.50 ERA) could be sent to the DL with Daisuke Matsuzaka-like shoulder tendinitis or something else, as speculated by the LoHud.com Yankees blog for the New York Journal-News. IE, he is not hurt, but he stinks so bad it hurts, so off to the DL you go.

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Hughes is not only a potential call-up for Tuesday at Detroit, but he is a two-start pitcher you can take the flier on in any league. Owned in 25 percent of CBSSports.com's leagues before that blog hit the internet, he will rise over 50 percent on rumor alone and well over 70 if the Yankees announce a decision to place Wang on the DL.

Hopefully you're not catching this story too late. The slow start by Joba Chamberlain in addition to CC Sabathia and Wang could help make Hughes a long-term option for the potent Yankees if he pitches well.

On second thoughts...

How good of a spring did Gordon Beckham have? Good enough to be considered as the starting second baseman out of spring training.

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And apparently good enough now to have the White Sox consider moving potential franchise 27-year-old Alexei Ramirez to center field to slot Beckham at shortstop.

It won't be a move made before June 1, when annually we expect some elite prospects on call to the majors, but at least the possibility exists now it could happen before the end of this year. The White Sox certainly need some help in center and the White Sox want to try to keep Beckham at shortstop instead of moving to second long term. They can kill two birds with one stone.

"He's playing Double-A right now, so take it little by little," Ozzie Guillen told MLB.com earlier this month. "I would rather take small steps, but the right ones with him and really, any player. ...

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"We don't know what direction we are going to go or how good Beckham is going to be. Really, it's a good thing for us, a great thing."

Beckham is one of the hottest players in all of the minor leagues. At 20 percent, he is the eighth most-owned minor leaguer in CBSSports.com's Fantasy leagues. Only David Price, Matt Wieters, Tommy Hanson, Matt LaPorta, Lastings Milledge (blech!), Clay Buchholz and Phil Hughes are higher.

The difference between those players (save for Wieters), is Beckham plays one of the thinnest positions in Fantasy.

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Beckham looked like a stronger Dustin Pedroia when he was cracking balls in spring training, including hitting a game-winning homer as a pinch hitter in his first at-bat as a White Sox. That comparison was based on the potential switch to second base by the slugging right-handed Beckham. Now, we could be getting a .300-30-100-100 shortstop -- short of 30 steals that is the next Hanley Ramirez-like run producer at the position.

Still, it is not yet a button the White Sox are ready to push.

"Alexei will be my shortstop in the pennant race," Guillen told MLB.com earlier this month. "If we are out of the pennant race, then we might change our mind -- 'Let's try this to give Beckham a shot to get his feet wet in the big leagues.' Right now, my plans are to keep him down there as the shortstop, and hopefully we don't have to do that.

"Let's see what direction we go. Let's see if this kid can do it at the big league level."

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Prospect watch

Every Friday, we break down all the minor leaguers who are owned in at least 1 percent of our Fantasy leagues. This will be your essential guide to unearthing the elite prospects before they hit the big time.

CBSSports.com's most-owned minor leaguers
Player POS TM % Player POS TM % Player POS TM %
David Price SP TB 83 Chris C. Carter 1B OAK 3 Jon Meloan RP CLE 1
Matt Wieters
C BAL 78 Jason Donald SS PHI 3 Michael Brantley OF CLE 1
Tommy Hanson SP ATL 67 Beau Mills 1B CLE 3 Conor M. Gillaspie 3B SF 1
Matt LaPorta
OF CLE 32 Daric Barton 1B OAK 3 Alan Horne SP NYY 1
Lastings Milledge
CF WAS 31 Tom Gorzelanny SP PIT 2 Andrew Lambo LF LAD 1
Clay Buchholz
SP BOS 27 Ross Detwiler SP WAS 2 Brett Sinkbeil
SP FLA 1
Phil Hughes
SP NYY 25 Will Inman SP SD 2 Joe Mather LF STL 1
Gordon Beckham
SS CHW 20 J.R. Towles C HOU 2 Kasey Kiker SP TEX 1
Andrew McCutchen
OF PIT 16 Wilmer Flores SS NYM 2 Cesar Carrillo SP SD 1
Mat Gamel
3B MIL 16 Gerardo Parra OF ARI 2 Jason Hirsh SP COL 1
Pedro Alvarez
3B PIT 14 Sean West
SP FLA 2 Bradley Holt SP NYM 1
Neftali Feliz SP TEX 14 Aaron Cunningham OF OAK 2 Kala Kaaihue 1B ATL 1
Madison Bumgarner SP SF 12 Junichi Tazawa SP BOS 2 Steven Shell
RP WAS 1
Jeff Clement
C SEA 12 Hank Conger C ANA 2 Collin Balester SP WAS 1
Carlos Carrasco
SP PHI 11 Freddie Freeman 1B ATL 2 Brett Lawrie C MIL 1
Buster Posey
C SF 10 Todd Frazier SS CIN 2 Tyler Colvin LF CHC 1
Jason Heyward OF ATL 10 Steve Pearce RF PIT 2 David Cooper 1B TOR 1
Gio Gonzalez
SP OAK 9 Mark Prior SP SD 2 Greg Reynolds
SP COL 1
Lars Anderson 1B BOS 9 Chris Valaika SS CIN 2 Wes Hodges 3B CLE 1
Homer Bailey
SP CIN 9 Andrew Brackman
SP NYY 2 Ryan Shealy 1B KC 1
Chris Tillman SP BAL 9 Greg Halman OF SEA 2 Chin-lung Hu SS LAD 1
Alcides Escobar SS MIL 8 Desmond Jennings OF TB 2 Josh Barfield
2B CLE 1
Justin Smoak 1B TEX 8 Nolan Reimold
OF BAL 2 Mark Melancon RP NYY 1
Michael Moustakas 3B KC 7 Aaron Hicks OF MIN 2 Cole Rohrbough SP ATL 1
Brett Wallace
3B STL 7 Deolis Guerra SP MIN 2 Kellen Kulbacki LF SD 1
Michael Bowden SP BOS 7 Greg Smith SP COL 2 Ryan Kalish OF BOS 1
Fernando Martinez
OF NYM 7 Jason Castro C HOU 2 Brandon Allen OF CHW 1
Wade Davis SP TB 7 Tyler Flowers C CHW 2 Mark Trumbo 1B ANA 1
Dayan Viciedo 3B CHW 6 Adrian Cardenas SS OAK 2 Gorkys Hernandez OF ATL 1
Gaby Sanchez 1B FLA 6 Jeremy Jeffress SP MIL 2 Kyle Kendrick SP PHI 1
Tim Beckham SS TB 6 Ben Revere CF MIN 2 Chris Nelson SS COL 1
Jarrod Parker SP ARI 6 Jose Ceda RP FLA 2 Henry A. Rodriguez SP OAK 1
Daniel Bard
SP BOS 6 Joe Koshansky 1B MIL 1 Jesus Guzman 3B SF 1
Aaron Poreda SP CHW 6 Joaquin Arias 2B TEX 1 Dominic Brown OF PHI 1
Matt Joyce OF TB 6 Charles Lofgren SP CLE 1 Michael Main SP TEX 1
Austin Jackson OF NYY 6 James J. Simmons RP OAK 1 Cale Iorg SS DET 1
Brian Matusz SP BAL 6 Kevin Frandsen 2B SF 1 Humberto Sanchez RP NYY 1
Michael Stanton OF FLA 6 Danny Cortes SP KC 1 Eric O. Young 2B COL 1
Brett Cecil SP TOR 5 Dellin Betances
SP NYY 1 Eric Patterson 2B OAK 1
Chad Cordero RP SEA 5 William Rowell 3B BAL 1 Casey Weathers RP COL 1
Yonder Alonso 1B CIN 5 Troy Patton SP BAL 1 Daryl Jones CF STL 1
Logan Morrison 1B FLA 5 Brad Lincoln SP PIT 1 Gregor M. Blanco LF ATL 1
J.P. Arencibia
C TOR 5 Wilkin Ramirez OF DET 1 Chris Coghlan 3B FLA 1
David Freese
3B STL 5 Sean O'Sullivan
SP ANA 1 Fautino De Los Santos RP OAK 1
Max Ramirez C TEX 5 Josh Reddick LF BOS 1 Brandon Erbe SP BAL 1
Matt Antonelli 2B SD 5 John Raynor OF FLA 1 Jerry Blevins RP OAK 1
Josh Vitters 3B CHC 5 Josh D. Fields RP SEA 1 Chad Gaudin
SP SD 1
Carlos Gonzalez OF COL 5 Kyle Skipworth C FLA 1 Brad Mills RP TOR 1
Carlos Santana C CLE 5 Radhames Liz SP BAL 1 Matt Tuiasosopo 3B SEA 1
Michael Ynoa SP OAK 4 Sean Rodriguez 2B ANA 1 Daniel McCutchen SP PIT 1
Dallas McPherson 3B SF 4 Lance Broadway RP CHW 1 David Hernandez
SP BAL 1
Jake Arrieta SP BAL 4 Jeremy Sowers SP CLE 1 Nicholas Weglarz 1B CLE 1
Kila Ka'aihue DH KC 4 Cedric Hunter CF SD 1 Sean Doolittle 1B OAK 1
Kyle Blanks 1B SD 4 Brandon Jones LF ATL 1 John Bowker 1B SF 1
Reid Brignac SS TB 4 Wilson Ramos C MIN 1 Carlos Rosa RP KC 1
Luke Hochevar
SP KC 4 Josh Bard
C WAS 1 Bud Norris SP HOU 1
Eric Hosmer 1B KC 4 Daniel Schlereth RP ARI 1 Jonny Gomes LF CIN 1
Jhoulys Chacin SP COL 4 Kyle Drabek
SP PHI 1 Brian Bogusevic OF HOU 1
Timothy Alderson SP SF 4 Jeremy Accardo RP TOR 1 Michael Saunders 3B SEA 1
Angel Villalona 3B SF 4 Wilin Rosario C COL 1 Daryl Thompson
SP CIN 1
Jonathon Niese
SP NYM 4 Ivan DeJesus
SS LAD 1 Bryan D. Anderson C STL 1
Jesus Montero C NYY 4 Matt Latos SP SD 1 Engel Beltre OF TEX 1
Ian Kennedy
SP NYY 3 Jess Todd RP STL 1 Isaac Davis
1B NYM 1
Adam Miller
SP CLE 3 Austin Romine C NYY 1 Joe Savery SP PHI 1
Carlos Triunfel SS SEA 3 Joshua Lindblom P LAD 1 Ryan Tucker SP FLA 1
Jordan Walden SP ANA 3 Jemile Weeks 2B OAK 1 Andrew Cashner SP CHC 1
Angel Salome
C MIL 3 Freddy An. Garcia SP NYM 1 Chris Johnson 3B HOU 1
Jose Tabata OF PIT 3 Drew Stubbs OF CIN 1 Juan Francisco 3B CIN 1
Jeremy Hellickson SP TB 3 Daniel Moskos SP PIT 1 Nick Evans LF NYM 1
David Huff SP CLE 3 Michael Burgess RF WAS 1 Wade LeBlanc SP SD 1
Matt Dominguez 3B FLA 3 Kevin Mulvey SP MIN 1 Anthony Swarzak SP MIN 1
Chris Marrero OF WAS 3 Neil Walker 3B PIT 1 John Mayberry OF PHI 1
Jake McGee
SP TB 3 Vin Mazzaro
SP OAK 1 Mike Carp
1B SEA 1
Phillippe Aumont
SP SEA 3 Julio Borbon CF TEX 1 Nicholas Noonan SS SF 1

Rookie watch

Top AL rookies to date

  1. Travis Snider, OF, TOR -- His 1.000-plus OPS through Wednesday is outstanding.
  2. Ricky Romero, SP, TOR -- His major league success trumps his minor league numbers.
  3. Rick Porcello, SP, DET -- Despite solid ERA, he has allowed a scary .298 batting average.
  4. Brett Gardner, OF, NYY -- Needs to get average up, but he's on 30-steal pace.
  5. Elvis Andrus, SS, TEX -- He has been much better offensively than we anticipated.
  • Honorable mentions: Scott Richmond, SP, TOR; Brad Bergesen, SP, BAL; Trevor Cahill, SP, OAK; Chris Getz, 2B, CHW; Jeff Niemann, SP, TB; Koji Uehara, SP, BAL; Ryan Perry, RP, DET; Brett Anderson, SP, OAK; Rob Johnson, C, SEA; and Jeff Bailey, 1B, BOS.

Top NL rookies to date

  1. Jordan Zimmermann, SP, WAS -- It took only one start for us to be impressed.
  2. Kenshin Kawakami, SP, ATL -- Our belief he was superior to Uehara has been right.
  3. Dexter Fowler, OF, COL -- He has won everyday at-bats in a great hitter's park.
  4. Jordan Schafer, OF, ATL -- He has been a whiff machine, which you had to expect.
  5. Shairon Martis, SP, WAS -- His 4-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio is disconcerting.
  • Honorable mentions: Brian Barden, 3B, STL; Colby Rasmus, OF, STL; Joe Thurston, 2B, STL; Felipe Paulino, SP, HOU; Josh Geer, SP, SD; Lou Marson, C, PHI; Bobby Parnell, RP, NYM; and Cameron Maybin, OF, FLA.

Newbie needs

Jarod Pavese, Chino, Calif.: I play in a 16-team Head-2-Head keeper league and I have five starting pitchers (you can start three). I have Dan Haren, Jake Peavy, Jered Weaver, Yovani Gallardo and Manny Parra. Tommy Hanson is a free agent. Would you drop Parra or Weaver for him?

Emack: Wow, you have real small roster sizes. With that in mind, you have to stash the highest upside guy. Don't drop Weaver, but dropping Parra for Hanson is doable. Hanson could be a big-time rookie starter that might be useful in your league type come June 1 -- perhaps mid-May.

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You can e-mail us your Fantasy Baseball prospect questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Prospects in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.