By Ted Cahill

The trading deadline has passed in just about every baseball league, fantasy or otherwise.

So since you can no longer try to rip off your fellow owners for pitching I’ll give you six pitchers I like for the remaining six weeks of the season. All the pitchers on my list are available in at least 80 percent of ESPN leagues and all but one is up for grabs in at least 65 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

I feel like this is a good time to mention the track record with this year’s Pitcher Pickups of the Week. So far I’ve advised seven pitchers who have made 11 starts. Combined they’re 6-3 with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. They’ve thrown 72 1/3 innings, striking out 35 batters.

As a comparison, CC Sabathia has made 10 starts in the same time frame, going 7-3 with a 3.54 ERA. So my group hasn’t done too bad considering they were all available in at least 60 percent of all leagues and plenty could have been picked up in more than 90 percent.

But enough of my bragging, here are the pitchers I like for the stretch run.

Jeff Niemann, Rays

Formerly a Pickup of the Week, I’m now in it for the long haul. He’s a former first-round pick who has really saved the Rays pitching staff this year since the much higher-profile rookie pitcher hasn’t performed as expected for Tampa Bay.

Since shutting out Oakland July 10, Niemann is 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA. In 43 1/3 innings the right-hander has struck out 35 hitters and opponents are hitting .244 off him. And all of that with a high BABIP of .296. Things might get even better for Niemann.

Aaron Laffey, Indians

Like I said last week, Laffey’s a favorite of mine and has been for a while. However, he’s also pitching like an ace since the All-Star Break. As a bonus, he’s basically out to secure a spot in next year’s rotation, instead of having to compete for it during Spring Training.

In his last five starts, the left-hander is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA and 18 strikeouts. He’s a sinker-baller, so don’t expect many punch outs, but he has a knack for getting out of trouble and has good control.

Barry Zito, Giants

No, he’s not the pitcher that won 23 games in 2002, but he’s coming around. Zito has always been a second-half pitcher. In his career, Zito is 73-38 with a 3.45 ERA after the break. And for once, the left-hander is pitching for a contender.

Lately, Zito has been pretty efficient. In his last five starts, Zito is 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA. His nasty curveball is striking hitters out again, to a tune of almost one an inning. I expect him to turn it on even more as the playoffs get closer.

Tommy Hunter, Rangers

My friend and I were recently perusing the Texas which now includes names such as Dustin Nippert and Derek Holland. Really it was no surprise that the only pitcher we really knew much about was Kevin Millwood; this is the Rangers after all. But then we remembered you can no longer take that attitude with this team.

Hunter is a name worth knowing. Since the break, he’s 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA. He has a WHIP just south of one and has pitched very well against contenders like Boston and Detroit. Of the young Rangers’ starters, he’s the one I’m most impressed by.

Joe Blanton, Phillies

I’ve already put a Ranger on the list, so why not toss a Phillie on here too? Yeah, the ballpark is awful, but Blanton isn’t. Like Zito, this former A is much better in the second half, compiling a 26-16 record with a 3.92 ERA.

This season, Blanton is pitching decently at home, though 15 home runs in 78 innings is an awful lot. But the right-hander is hot, going 3-2 with a 1.79 ERA since the start of July. I wouldn’t worry about the lack of wins, he plays for Philadelphia, that ERA is more than enough reason for me to pick him up.

Brett Cecil, Blue Jays

As if this list needed another rookie. Cecil, the third rookie pitcher to catch my eye, might be the least sure thing of the group. I liked him enough two weeks ago to make him the Pickup of the Week and he thanked me by getting hurt in the fifth inning of his start against Baltimore.

But provided he’s healthy (and all indications point that way) all the reasons I liked him then still apply. Even with that subpar outing, Cecil is 3-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last five starts. Before the injury he hadn’t failed to last at least six innings and was striking out almost one an inning. He’s still for real.

Pitcher Pickup of the Week: Manny Parra, Brewers

Any pitcher on a five game winning streak with Pittsburgh and Washington in his sights is someone I like. This week Parra will look to extend his streak, going on the road to do so.

He’s already beaten the Nationals on the streak, though he allowed five runs in six innings. Parra also struck out seven in that outing. Historically he doesn’t pitch very well away from Miller Park, but like everything else with Parra it’s truly a mixed bag. In his only start in Pittsburgh, Parra threw 5 2/3 shutout innings for a win, but in Washington he allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings. He’s not perfect, but I feel pretty good about Parra.