The Lineup is here to dish out fantasy insight on all things baseball. Here are five storylines you should be following this week:

What the heck is going with the Chicago Cubs and their staff ace Carlos Zambrano? During Spring Training, Zambrano declared himself a free agent after the 2007 season if the Cubs couldn't work out a deal before Opening Day. Then he softened on the stance and it seemed as if the two sides were going to reach an agreement early in April. It has been very quiet in Chi-town since and The Chicago Tribune revealed that, "We haven't heard anything because nothing is happening . . . After another slow start by Zambrano, you have to wonder if the Cubs would even give him an Oswalt-like deal now. Oswalt continues to be a consistent winner, while Zambrano has yet to prove he can focus in April." No kidding. Zambrano has a 4.41 ERA for his career, way higher than any other month. While he usually gets himself straightened out by May, he is posting a 6.00 ERA this May through two starts. It is worth nothing that his ERA has gone up every season since 2004. The Lineup isn't saying that fantasy owners should abandon ship on Zambrano, but this situation warrants attention. If Zambrano can't turn it around soon, fantasy owners may officially prepare to push the panic button.

Since being removed from the closer's seat, Houston Astros reliever Brad Lidge has put together some strong performances in a set-up role. Now The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that there is, "speculation if the Astros fall out of the National League Central race and Lidge's market value is restored as he continues to rebound, he will be traded." Since April 23, Lidge has allowed only one earned run while striking out more than a batter per inning. Lidge makes over $5 million on a team with an overall payroll under $90 million. Dan Wheeler has shown that he has the ability to close games effectively, so moving Lidge and plugging up other holes on the team is not a bad idea. Manager Phil Garner has stated previously that he expects Lidge to get another shot at closing sometime this season, so don't be surprised if Lidge is closing games again in Houston, if only to prove to other clubs that the guy can still be a ninth inning stopper. Plenty of fantasy owners dropped Lidge once he was demoted, but it might be a good idea to pick him up and stash if you have the roster space.

Encouraging news has come out regarding injured Cincinnati Reds reliever Eddie Guardado. The Cincinnati Inquirer reported that, "Guardado mentioned a new date after his first session against hitters since last August: May 31. That's the day he's eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list." While the nickname "Everyday" Eddie is no longer applicable, Guardado threw the ball hard and well on Monday. The Reds could certainly use the boost in the bullpen and Guardado was great for them last season after being traded from the Mariners, converting eight-of-nine saves with a 1.29 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14 innings. Now some of you may be thinking that Guardado will have to wrest the job away from the hands of David Weathers, who has a 2.70 ERA and 6 saves so far this season. Just keep in mind that Weathers has fewer than 50 career saves which is less than one-third of the 183 career saves that Guardado has on his resume. The Reds haven't made any statements about who will be the closer when he returns, but you have to believe that Guardado will be given a shot to close games this season. Keep your eyes peeled for any updates on Guardado's rehab, those of you desperate for saves may have another option available shortly.

The scrappy Arizona Diamondbacks are in the spotlight in this week's edition of The Lineup as they have favorable match-ups on the road against the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates. Staring pitcher Micah Owings is the lone two-start pitcher for Arizona and has had quality starts in both of his games since coming off the DL; those of you in need of wins might want to consider using the young Owings. Third baseman Chad Tracy has played modestly for fantasy owners thus far this season, but look out this week. Tracy ran roughshod over the Rockies last year with 5 home runs, 17 RBI and a .373 average in 18 games. And although Tracy only saw Pittsburgh pitching in five games in 2006, he still hit at a .524 clip last season. Outfielder Eric Byrnes looks to keep his hot start to the 2007 season going and should remain a starter on all fantasy rosters, especially against the Pirates, whom he owned a .357 average against in 2006. It is worth keeping an eye on how the really young players in Arizona (shortstop Stephen Drew and outfielders Carlos Quentin and Chris Young) play this week. These guys are really struggling at the plate, but a few games against squads as weak as their upcoming opponents might help them turn the corner.

After launching a game-winning home run off the New York Yankees' future Hall-of-Fame closer Mariano Rivera, you figured that Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre would have the adrenaline flowing for hours. That wasn't the case as the Seattle Post-Intelligencer revealed that, "The Mariners returned from Yankee Stadium to their midtown Manhattan hotel by bus, and the third baseman fell asleep. When the bus arrived, he was still snoozing, and his teammates decided to disembark quietly and let the bus depart with him still aboard." Luckily for Beltre, the bus had barely left the hotel before he realized what was up. His bat seemed to be lulled in a deep slumber before this series with the Yankees. But Beltre ended up with two home runs in the three game set. Don't be too encouraged by this. Aside from the two long-balls, Beltre had only one other hit in a total of 14 at-bats against the Yankees during that series. Beltre has been a big-time disappointment since joining the Mariners and this year looks no different. While he has 5 homers and 19 RBI so far in 2007, his batting average is a paltry .244. If you have a better option at third base, use it. Beltre will probably put up a 20-25 homer season, but he will hit around .250 and not provide you with great run or RBI totals. See how he plays this week just in case he turns the corner.