Minnesota is known for four things: snow, Aaron Gleeman, lakes and a succession of 200-plus pound fireballing lefties that wrack up strikeouts.

Here are this week's Waiver Options:

American League

1. Francisco Liriano - SP - MIN - He's baaaack! Liriano pitched his third consecutive scoreless outing in the minors on Thursday night, striking out eight in seven scoreless innings. Over his last three starts he's gone 20 innings without allowing a single run. He's been downright dominant, issuing 10 hits and three walks while striking out 24. He's apparently gone back to his old _ arm slot, and seems poised to replace Livan Hernandez shortly after the All-Star break. He should fare much in his second stint in the majors this season.
Recommendation: Should be owned in all leagues.

2. Juan Rivera - OF - LAA - As the Angels head toward the All-Star break, manager Mike Scioscia has told Gary Matthews Jr. that he's going to be replaced in the lineup by Juan Rivera. In four starts this month, Rivera has three homers, five runs and seven RBI. He didn't play much last season after breaking his leg in winter ball, but was one of the Angels' better hitters in 2006, hitting 23 homers while batting .310. If he can lay claim to regular playing time in the LAAA outfield, he could emerge with mixed league value.
Recommendation: Should be owned in AL-only leagues.

3. Joel Zumaya - RP - DET - Todd Jones is 16-for-18 in save opportunities this season, but the wheels have started to come off a bit. He's allowed seven runs in his last six innings, during which time both of his blown saves have come. He's currently sitting on a 5.09 ERA, and has struck out just 12 batters in 35 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .303 off him so far this season. Zumaya has been back for three weeks, but he's struggled to shake the rust off, posting a 2.04 WHIP. He's limited the damage, though, and his ERA sits at 1.93. He should improve as he settles back into the major leagues, and with the Indians finally letting Joe Borowski go, perhaps the Tigers will be inspired.
Recommendation: Watch closely in mixed leagues.

4. Octavio Dotel - RP - CHW - Bobby Jenks is currently on the 15-day disabled list with left scapula bursitis, and he's expected back shortly after the All-Star break. Of course, anyone who has seen Jenks' gut flying towards home plate realizes that he's not exactly the epitome of health, so there isn't a firm return date. Scott Linebrink got the first shot at closing for the Sox, but he blew two of his first three save chances, leaving him 5-for-34 in his career. Octavio Dotel got the call on Wednesday, and struck out the side to nail down his first save of the year. He seems like the short-term option until Jenks gets back, with Matt Thornton also meriting consideration.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues

5. Adam Jones - OF - BAL - Jones entered June with a .245 batting average, but he's hit .333 since then to raise his average to .281 on the season. Jones has hit just five homers so far, but his minor league track record suggests that he has 20-homer power and is just waiting for it to appear in the bigs. Also, June was the first time he posted a slugging percentage over .450 in any month of his brief major league career, suggesting that his power potential is starting to grow. In the meantime, he has seven steals which has helped counteract his lack of power and the fact that he's stuck in the bottom of Baltimore's lineup. He's definitely worth watching in the second half to see if he finally starts going deep.
Recommendation: Should be watched in mixed leagues.

6. Adam Lind - OF - TOR - With Vernon Wells set to miss 4-to-6 weeks due to a leg injury, the Blue Jays are essentially forced to commit to Adam Lind in left field. He's already been getting regular playing time this month, and has gone 11-for-30 with a homer, five runs and eight RBI. The biggest key to his success has been that his BABIP has finally started to normalize, but it's still below average on the season. He's also hitting just .167 against lefties, but the 24-year-old has proven he can hit them in the minor leagues. If the current hot streak continues, Lind could work his way up in the lineup. A breakout is likely coming, and he should be watched in case it happens this year.
Recommendation: Should be owned in AL-only leagues.

7. Sean Gallagher - SP - OAK - Gallagher was traded to Oakland from Chicago this week, and it could end up being a nice fit. Oakland certainly knows how to maximize their young pitchers, and Gallagher showed plenty of promise while pitching for the Cubs this season. He'll also be throwing in one of the better ballparks for pitchers. Gallagher projects to eventually be a solid No. 3 type pitcher, and it's worth watching him to see how his second half in Oakland goes.
Recommendation: Should be owned in AL-only leagues

8. Jeff Mathis - C - LAA: Mathis will see the majority of playing time behind the plate for the Angels with Mike Napoli sidelined, making him someone who should instantly be on the radars of AL-only players. He's not going to hit for much average, but he has six homers in just 147 at-bats this season, and that kind of pop is worth snatching up at the catcher position.
Recommendation: Should be owned in AL-only leagues

National League

1. Mike Cameron - OF - MIL - Mike Cameron is a poor man's Ryan Howard, and that's not just because he's about 50 pounds lighter: they both have pretty brutal averages, but make up for it in other ways. Cameron missed the first month of the season due to suspension, but if you pro-rate his numbers to match Howard's number of plate appearances, he'd have roughly one less homer and just three fewer runs. He'd be 22 RBI off Howard's league-leading pace, but he'd have 12 additional steals to help counteract that. Cameron has never hit more than 30 homers, so clearly he lacks the power-filled history of Howard, but so far this season he's hitting more fly balls and more of them are leaving the park. It's a trend that may not continue, but shouldn't be ignored. Cameron is available in 80% of fantasy leagues.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues.

2. Jeff Francoeur - OF - ATL - Francoeur is owned in more than half of all leagues, so I'll keep this short: at this point in the game, there aren't many outfielders on the waiver wire that offer his kind of upside - especially in terms of RBI potential. If he starts hitting, he should be grabbed.
Recommendation: Should be watched closely in mixed leagues.

3. Chad Tracy - 1B/3B - ARI - With Eric Byrnes looking more and more like he'll miss the end of the season, Connor Jackson should move out to left and Chad Tracy should get regular playing time during the second half of the season (or at least until the D-Backs import another outfielder). Tracy's numbers were down last season, but he did hit seven homers in 227 at-bats despite dealing with knee pain that eventually required surgery. In just over 100 at-bats this year he's looked like the Chad Tracy of old: 20-homer power and an average around .275. That he qualifies at third in most leagues makes this an attractive skill set.

4. Cody Ross - OF - FLA - Ross was covered in this space over a month ago, when Jacque Jones had just been imported to platoon with him. Ross has since moved into the everyday lineup, and while his power is extremely streaky, he's improved his approach at the plate raising his average to .268 on the season. He's also contributed 15 homers, making him a solid option in fantasy outfields, as long as owners are patient enough to wait out the dry spells in return for the hot streaks.
Recommendation: Should be owned in mixed leagues.

5. Taylor Buchholz - RP - COL - The Brian Fuentes trade rumors continue to heat up, and once he's shipped out Taylor Buchholz looks like the favorite for saves in Colorado's bullpen. He's not overpowering, but he's been very successful in the Rockies bullpen so far this season. Manny Corpas has been solid for the Rockies, making him another option for the Rox, but the smart money is on Buchholz. Recommendation: Worth a speculative grab in mixed leagues.

6. Oliver Perez - SP - NYM - Yeah, this guy. Prior to his June 29 appearance against the Yankees, Perez and pitching coach Dan Warthen worked together to adjust his delivery and where he stood on the mound. Since then, he's pitched 11 2/3 innings of four-run ball against the Yankees and the Phillies. He'll pitch against the Rockies on Friday, and if he throws well he should be considered in mixed leagues. Perez has the opportunity to pitch quality starts in three consecutive games for the first time this season, and if he succeeds, one has to think the new delivery has a lot to do with it.
Recommendation: Should be monitored in mixed leagues.

7. Josh Johnson - SP - FLA - I'm not a doctor, but I do play fantasy sports and that's close enough. It's thought that pitchers typically need about 18 months to recover from Tommy John surgery, so Josh Johnson's return after 12 is somewhat surprising. That being said, he was reportedly throwing in the mid-90s during his first start back on Thursday night, which is actually faster than he threw before getting injured. Johnson was very solid in 2006, posting a 3.10 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP, but he started to experience arm pain during the end of the season. Eleven months and multiple trips to the DL later, it was finally announced that he'd need Tommy John surgery, so I'm still somewhat skeptical that the Marlins are doing what's best for their young pitcher. When healthy, though, Johnson has shown he has the skills to succeed in the majors, so he's worth stashing to see if he is fully healed, just don't activate him immediately. Let him make a couple starts to prove he's back before sticking him in your lineup. Recommendation: Worth consideration in mixed leagues.

8. Scott Hairston - OF - SD - The outfield in San Diego is in flux, and Scott Hairston is getting hot at just the right time. He's hitting .529 in July, with four homers in 17 at-bats. He's always been a bit of a streaky hitter, but going back to last season, Hairston has hit .267 with 22 homers in 330 at-bats for the Padres. He's already playing against most lefties and some righties, and if the Padres trade Kevin Kouzmanoff and move Chase Headley back to third base (which has been discussed), Hairston could lock down regular playing time.
Recommendation: Worth consideration in NL-only leagues.

Patrick Dahl covers baseball and football for Rotoworld.com.