The New York Mets placed OF Carlos Beltran on the DL with vaginitis. I mean a strained oblique.
Carlos "Fragile" Beltran strikes again. This DL stint was retroactively applied to July 25th, meaning he can return on August 10th.
Fantasy Impact: Toss him on your DL, and he should return when ready. This gives another shot of job security to Lastings Milledge, and both he or Pat Burrell would make very good injury replacements in the time that Beltran is out.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Tuesday: 2/3 Through, 14 Game Winner Failures
Adam Wainwright - 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (10). Not his best work, but you can afford to give up baserunners to the Pirates...odds are they won't score. He continues his nice run of mixed-league quality starts and should be owned in all leagues.
Jason Bay - 3/4, 1 R, 1 RBI. Slowly but surely he's becoming a quality hitter again. I'm hoping for a big last 2 months from his huge bust.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. 14 game winner failure #1. Unfortunately Brandon McCarthy surprisingly shut down the Indians to deny Carmona his 14th win. He still pitched well enough to get it, however.
Mike Mussina - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W (6). Another quality start from Mussina. He's clearly taken a step back from last year, but he's still providing enough value to be used in mixed leagues consistently.
Hideki Matsui - 2/3, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (21). He ends July with a .345 AVG, 13 HR (!!), 28 RBI, and 31 R. I can't see anyone else getting AL player of the month. You really have to dig though the HR totals for the Yankees last night to find this since they hit 8 of them during batting practice, I mean their game against the White Sox last night.
Bobby Abreu - 3/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (8). Abreu was another bigtime producing Yankee this month, posting a .353 AVG, 5 HR, 29 RBI, and 20 R. This is more like the Abreu that fantasy owners saw on a yearly basis in Philly, so hopefully he's turned the corner for good this time.
Alex Rodriguez - 0/5. On a night when the Yankees homered 8 times, who would have figured that A-Rod wouldn't have been among them? He's still hitless since his 499th HR, stretching that streak to 15 AB last night. Hopefully he doesn't keep this up too much longer as he tries to slug his 500th. It's obviously affecting his plate approach.
Manny Corpas - 1 IP, 1 K, SV (7). Corpas is rolling right along in the closer's role, giving up 1 run while being a perfect 7/7 in save chances. With Fuentes not having pitching in the minors yet on a rehab assignment, Corpas looks safe for a while, and there's also no guarantee that Fuentes will get his role back. I would imagine that Corpas will have to pitch himself out of the role at this point.
Erik Bedard - 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, W (11). Luckily he's quite unhittable these days as those walks would have killed most pitchers. Still, walks are not a problem for Bedard these days. Daniel Cabrera must have touched his pitching hand before the game or something.
Jamie Walker - 2/3 IP, 1 BB, SV (4). The Baltimore bullpen situation is still a mess with Ray out, likely for the season, but Walker has stepped up with 4 saves so far. Use him now, but don't think that he's the new closer. I'd still bank on Baez once he gets over his illness as being the leading candidate for saves. Walker and Bradford are too specialized to be a fulltime closer, although Baez is far from a safe closer himself. My advice? Avoid the situation.
Josh Beckett - 8 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. 14 game winner failure #2. Far from his best outing last night, obviously, but he pitched deep into the game and kept his team in the game. He had a rough June, but he finishes July with a 3.50 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Those are more in line with what we should expect from Beckett.
Brian Roberts - 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (9), SB (32). Roberts is showing improved pop over the summer months with 7 of his 9 HR coming in the last 2 months. He hasn't stolen less than 6 bases in any month, so he's been very consistent on the basepaths all season long. He's turning this into a monster season from a fantasy perspective for a 2B.
Corey Patterson - 1/4, 1 R, 2 SB (27). Patterson ends July with a .340 AVG, 4 HR, and 12 SB. He's looking more like the breakthrough Patterson of last season than the horrible version of himself that surfaced the first 3 months. The AVG is obviously a fluke, but hopefully he'll continue hitting more in the .280 range for the rest of the season.
David Ortiz - 3/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (18). His AVG has remained at high levels every month so far, but this is his first 5 HR month since April. Hopefully he'll get this thing turned around the last 2 months and provide the bigtime power his owners expect.
Ryan Zimmerman - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI. He finally turned in a solid month at the plate with a .311 AVG, but thanks to the absolutely miserable offense he's in, he only has 53 RBI through 4 months, less than half of what he put up last year. He should continue improving at the plate, but his surrounding situation and lack of great power makes him only a lower tiered mixed league 3B.
Edwin Jackson - 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. An error lead to the unearned run, which was good enough to land Jackson the loss. He's hardly fantasy-worthy in any league this year with a 6.56 ERA, but he's posted 82 K in 96 IP, showing that there is some potential here. He's a good young arm that should eventually come around at some point, and he's one to consider next year if he can close strong.
Chuck James - 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (9). He just doesn't pitch deep into games, does he? He's still managed 17 decisions on the year regardless of that, and he's settled into becoming a fringe mixed league starter. Last night ended his 5 start streak of 2 ER or less.
Jeff Francouer - 3/5, 3 R, 1 RBI, HR (12). Hopefully that power swing is coming around now for the stretch run. He's up to a shocking .300 so far this year, and the 69 RBI put him on pace for about 110 on the season. That pace shouldn't slow down any with Mark Teixeira joining the lineup tonight.
Kelly Johnson - 4/4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (12). Can someone please explain to me what the hell the Braves were doing benching this guy earlier this season? It looks like he's back to becoming more of a mainstay in the lineup, and while Willie Harris starts to fade like everyone knew, Johnson and his .392 OBP belong back at the top of the lineup.
Brian McCann - 2/4, 1 R, 4 RBI, HR (12). McCann finishes July with a .282 AVG, 5 HR and 22 RBI. Consider him among the elite catchers again even if his fluky 2006 AVG of .333 never returns.
Tom Glavine - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 K. Ugly walk total, but he only allowed 2 hits and pitched well despite the walks. Unfortunately the bullpen blew his 1st attempt at his 300th career win.
Jose Reyes - 2/5, 1 R, SB (50). First to 50 wins....nothing. He's on pace for 75 steals, which would be his career high.
David Wright - 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, SB (24). He's on pace for 36 SB, so he's not slowing down on the basepaths at all. He also has his AVG up to an even .300 after struggling earlier this season. The 18 HR so far equate to a pace of 27 (he's hit 26 and 27 the past two years), so while many people expect him to be a 35 HR hitter, his power hasn't developed to that level quite yet. Regardless, he's right there with A-Rod and Cabrera as elite fantasy 3B, with Ryan Braun knocking on the door.
Pat Burrell - 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (14). He's up to .435 this month, with 6 HR 22 RBI, and 17 R. His overall numbers still look horrible, but there's no reason he should not be owned and in lineups while he's hitting like this. He could post a very nice 2nd half of the season. His career numbers show inconsistency, but his talent is definitely still there.
Torii Hunter - 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (22). He's been very quiet, hitting an ugly .239 this month with 0 SB. He still managed to hit 5 HR with 11 RBI, so the power was still there. Expect him to settle into his current AVG of .288 for the rest of the year, but a further decline can't be ruled out.
Brandon Webb - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W (10). Vintage 2006 Webb here as he lowered his ERA to 3.08 on the season. This should have been expected while pitching at Petco versus a weak SD offense.
Chris Young - 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (19). Young had a big month despite only hitting .240. He hit 8 HR with 10 RBI (victim of the leadoff spot), scored 21 R and had 7 SB. That sort of production makes up for the low AVG, but this is his first month he's been able to do that. Keep an eye on his trends, because that AVG will be a killer to your team if he's not hitting HR and stealing bases.
John Lackey - 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (13). An efficient Lackey scattered baserunners and stranded all 10 in a CG SHO. He lowered his ERA to 3.07 with this effort as he continues to pitch like a fantasy ace.
Gary Matthews Jr. - 4/5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (12). Matthews is on pace for 18 HR, so he's on pace with his HR total from Texas last year, which is a bit of a surprise. The 12 SB so far has already exceeded his 2006 total. Labeled a bust by many fantasy outlets, he's actually maintaining similar fantasy value as his breakthrough season last year. His AVG and R are down, but his SB are up and his HR and RBI total is on par.
Justin Verlander - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. Just a bad outing from Verlander last night, who raised his July totals to a 4.50 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, his worst month so far. With a 3.49 ERA and 1.19 WHIP on the season, he's turning in another strong compaign and is slowly joining the elite fantasy pitchers in the AL. He's still a candidate to wear down, so hopefully he can bounce back with a strong August.
Dan Haren - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (13). He's settled back down nicely after a stretch of mediocre starts and has joined the ever growing 13 win club.
Brad Penny - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K. 14 game winner failure #3. He went 3-1 in July, but he posted a 4.91 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. His K rate remained about on par, but his walk rate shot up to 17 BB in 29 1/3 IP. I've been warning for a while about his tendency to collapse in the 2nd half, and July is indicating that it's starting again. If you still own him, I still advise you to trade him.
Jason Bay - 3/4, 1 R, 1 RBI. Slowly but surely he's becoming a quality hitter again. I'm hoping for a big last 2 months from his huge bust.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. 14 game winner failure #1. Unfortunately Brandon McCarthy surprisingly shut down the Indians to deny Carmona his 14th win. He still pitched well enough to get it, however.
Mike Mussina - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W (6). Another quality start from Mussina. He's clearly taken a step back from last year, but he's still providing enough value to be used in mixed leagues consistently.
Hideki Matsui - 2/3, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (21). He ends July with a .345 AVG, 13 HR (!!), 28 RBI, and 31 R. I can't see anyone else getting AL player of the month. You really have to dig though the HR totals for the Yankees last night to find this since they hit 8 of them during batting practice, I mean their game against the White Sox last night.
Bobby Abreu - 3/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (8). Abreu was another bigtime producing Yankee this month, posting a .353 AVG, 5 HR, 29 RBI, and 20 R. This is more like the Abreu that fantasy owners saw on a yearly basis in Philly, so hopefully he's turned the corner for good this time.
Alex Rodriguez - 0/5. On a night when the Yankees homered 8 times, who would have figured that A-Rod wouldn't have been among them? He's still hitless since his 499th HR, stretching that streak to 15 AB last night. Hopefully he doesn't keep this up too much longer as he tries to slug his 500th. It's obviously affecting his plate approach.
Manny Corpas - 1 IP, 1 K, SV (7). Corpas is rolling right along in the closer's role, giving up 1 run while being a perfect 7/7 in save chances. With Fuentes not having pitching in the minors yet on a rehab assignment, Corpas looks safe for a while, and there's also no guarantee that Fuentes will get his role back. I would imagine that Corpas will have to pitch himself out of the role at this point.
Erik Bedard - 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, W (11). Luckily he's quite unhittable these days as those walks would have killed most pitchers. Still, walks are not a problem for Bedard these days. Daniel Cabrera must have touched his pitching hand before the game or something.
Jamie Walker - 2/3 IP, 1 BB, SV (4). The Baltimore bullpen situation is still a mess with Ray out, likely for the season, but Walker has stepped up with 4 saves so far. Use him now, but don't think that he's the new closer. I'd still bank on Baez once he gets over his illness as being the leading candidate for saves. Walker and Bradford are too specialized to be a fulltime closer, although Baez is far from a safe closer himself. My advice? Avoid the situation.
Josh Beckett - 8 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. 14 game winner failure #2. Far from his best outing last night, obviously, but he pitched deep into the game and kept his team in the game. He had a rough June, but he finishes July with a 3.50 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Those are more in line with what we should expect from Beckett.
Brian Roberts - 2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (9), SB (32). Roberts is showing improved pop over the summer months with 7 of his 9 HR coming in the last 2 months. He hasn't stolen less than 6 bases in any month, so he's been very consistent on the basepaths all season long. He's turning this into a monster season from a fantasy perspective for a 2B.
Corey Patterson - 1/4, 1 R, 2 SB (27). Patterson ends July with a .340 AVG, 4 HR, and 12 SB. He's looking more like the breakthrough Patterson of last season than the horrible version of himself that surfaced the first 3 months. The AVG is obviously a fluke, but hopefully he'll continue hitting more in the .280 range for the rest of the season.
David Ortiz - 3/4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (18). His AVG has remained at high levels every month so far, but this is his first 5 HR month since April. Hopefully he'll get this thing turned around the last 2 months and provide the bigtime power his owners expect.
Ryan Zimmerman - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI. He finally turned in a solid month at the plate with a .311 AVG, but thanks to the absolutely miserable offense he's in, he only has 53 RBI through 4 months, less than half of what he put up last year. He should continue improving at the plate, but his surrounding situation and lack of great power makes him only a lower tiered mixed league 3B.
Edwin Jackson - 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. An error lead to the unearned run, which was good enough to land Jackson the loss. He's hardly fantasy-worthy in any league this year with a 6.56 ERA, but he's posted 82 K in 96 IP, showing that there is some potential here. He's a good young arm that should eventually come around at some point, and he's one to consider next year if he can close strong.
Chuck James - 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (9). He just doesn't pitch deep into games, does he? He's still managed 17 decisions on the year regardless of that, and he's settled into becoming a fringe mixed league starter. Last night ended his 5 start streak of 2 ER or less.
Jeff Francouer - 3/5, 3 R, 1 RBI, HR (12). Hopefully that power swing is coming around now for the stretch run. He's up to a shocking .300 so far this year, and the 69 RBI put him on pace for about 110 on the season. That pace shouldn't slow down any with Mark Teixeira joining the lineup tonight.
Kelly Johnson - 4/4, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (12). Can someone please explain to me what the hell the Braves were doing benching this guy earlier this season? It looks like he's back to becoming more of a mainstay in the lineup, and while Willie Harris starts to fade like everyone knew, Johnson and his .392 OBP belong back at the top of the lineup.
Brian McCann - 2/4, 1 R, 4 RBI, HR (12). McCann finishes July with a .282 AVG, 5 HR and 22 RBI. Consider him among the elite catchers again even if his fluky 2006 AVG of .333 never returns.
Tom Glavine - 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 2 K. Ugly walk total, but he only allowed 2 hits and pitched well despite the walks. Unfortunately the bullpen blew his 1st attempt at his 300th career win.
Jose Reyes - 2/5, 1 R, SB (50). First to 50 wins....nothing. He's on pace for 75 steals, which would be his career high.
David Wright - 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, SB (24). He's on pace for 36 SB, so he's not slowing down on the basepaths at all. He also has his AVG up to an even .300 after struggling earlier this season. The 18 HR so far equate to a pace of 27 (he's hit 26 and 27 the past two years), so while many people expect him to be a 35 HR hitter, his power hasn't developed to that level quite yet. Regardless, he's right there with A-Rod and Cabrera as elite fantasy 3B, with Ryan Braun knocking on the door.
Pat Burrell - 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (14). He's up to .435 this month, with 6 HR 22 RBI, and 17 R. His overall numbers still look horrible, but there's no reason he should not be owned and in lineups while he's hitting like this. He could post a very nice 2nd half of the season. His career numbers show inconsistency, but his talent is definitely still there.
Torii Hunter - 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (22). He's been very quiet, hitting an ugly .239 this month with 0 SB. He still managed to hit 5 HR with 11 RBI, so the power was still there. Expect him to settle into his current AVG of .288 for the rest of the year, but a further decline can't be ruled out.
Brandon Webb - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W (10). Vintage 2006 Webb here as he lowered his ERA to 3.08 on the season. This should have been expected while pitching at Petco versus a weak SD offense.
Chris Young - 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (19). Young had a big month despite only hitting .240. He hit 8 HR with 10 RBI (victim of the leadoff spot), scored 21 R and had 7 SB. That sort of production makes up for the low AVG, but this is his first month he's been able to do that. Keep an eye on his trends, because that AVG will be a killer to your team if he's not hitting HR and stealing bases.
John Lackey - 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (13). An efficient Lackey scattered baserunners and stranded all 10 in a CG SHO. He lowered his ERA to 3.07 with this effort as he continues to pitch like a fantasy ace.
Gary Matthews Jr. - 4/5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (12). Matthews is on pace for 18 HR, so he's on pace with his HR total from Texas last year, which is a bit of a surprise. The 12 SB so far has already exceeded his 2006 total. Labeled a bust by many fantasy outlets, he's actually maintaining similar fantasy value as his breakthrough season last year. His AVG and R are down, but his SB are up and his HR and RBI total is on par.
Justin Verlander - 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K. Just a bad outing from Verlander last night, who raised his July totals to a 4.50 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, his worst month so far. With a 3.49 ERA and 1.19 WHIP on the season, he's turning in another strong compaign and is slowly joining the elite fantasy pitchers in the AL. He's still a candidate to wear down, so hopefully he can bounce back with a strong August.
Dan Haren - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (13). He's settled back down nicely after a stretch of mediocre starts and has joined the ever growing 13 win club.
Brad Penny - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K. 14 game winner failure #3. He went 3-1 in July, but he posted a 4.91 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP. His K rate remained about on par, but his walk rate shot up to 17 BB in 29 1/3 IP. I've been warning for a while about his tendency to collapse in the 2nd half, and July is indicating that it's starting again. If you still own him, I still advise you to trade him.
Atlanta Braves Trade For Octavio Dotel
The Atalnta Braves finalized a deal that will net them RP Octavio Dotel from the Kansas City Royals for SP Kyle Davies.
This is a good trade for both teams. The Braves now have a solid 7th/8th/9th inning combination as well, with Rafael Soriano likely moving to the 7th inning, and Octavio Dotel moving to the 8th inning. Bob Wickman will likely remain the closer, even though he hasn't been very good. If the Braves were smart, they would have dealt Wickman for peanuts, traded for Dotel to be the 8th inning guy, and let Soriano close. On the other hand, the Kansas City Royals get a solid, young starter with upside, something they lack outside of prospect Luke Hochevar.
Fantasy Impact: Octavio Dotel is obviously the biggest loser here as he moves from closer to setup man. Dotel was always a great setup man, but he never carried that same success over to the closer's role. He's now #2 in line for saves, taking that position away from Soriano. He's still worth owning, especially with Wickman's unimpressive performance this season. His ratios might improve now that he's not closing anymore, given his history of pitching much better in a setup role. Soriano's value is like Okajima's now, except he doesn't carry the same impressive ratios. He can probably be dropped.
Pick up Joakim Soria immediately. He will replace Dotel as KC's closer, and he did a good job in that role earlier in the season. He should stay in that role all season long.
This is a good trade for both teams. The Braves now have a solid 7th/8th/9th inning combination as well, with Rafael Soriano likely moving to the 7th inning, and Octavio Dotel moving to the 8th inning. Bob Wickman will likely remain the closer, even though he hasn't been very good. If the Braves were smart, they would have dealt Wickman for peanuts, traded for Dotel to be the 8th inning guy, and let Soriano close. On the other hand, the Kansas City Royals get a solid, young starter with upside, something they lack outside of prospect Luke Hochevar.
Fantasy Impact: Octavio Dotel is obviously the biggest loser here as he moves from closer to setup man. Dotel was always a great setup man, but he never carried that same success over to the closer's role. He's now #2 in line for saves, taking that position away from Soriano. He's still worth owning, especially with Wickman's unimpressive performance this season. His ratios might improve now that he's not closing anymore, given his history of pitching much better in a setup role. Soriano's value is like Okajima's now, except he doesn't carry the same impressive ratios. He can probably be dropped.
Pick up Joakim Soria immediately. He will replace Dotel as KC's closer, and he did a good job in that role earlier in the season. He should stay in that role all season long.
Boston Red Sox Trade For Eric Gagne
The Boston Red Sox finalized a deal that will net them RP Eric Gagne from the Texas Rangers for SP Kason Gabbard, OF David Murphy, and OF Engel Beltre.
This was a nice upgrade for the Red Sox without having to part with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, or Jacoby Ellsbury. They now have a killer 7th/8th/9th inning combination with Hideki Okajima moving to the 7th inning, Eric Gagne moving to the 8th inning, and Jonathan Papelbon staying in the 9th inning.
Fantasy Impact: I mentioned a while ago that Gagne was a candidate to be traded, so hopefully you moved him before this trade. He moves to a setup role, and is now #2 in line for saves, so his fantasy value drops quite a bit. The Red Sox are careful with Papelbon and his shoulder, so Gagne now has the fantasy value that Okajima used to have and is still worth owning. You can still use Okajima for ratios, but he won't be vulturing saves anymore, so his fantasy value drops a bit as well. Kason Gabbard was an interesting spot-start candidate, but going to Texas kills his fantasy value and he should not be used in mixed leagues. He'll probably have a permanent rotation spot now, though.
The Texas closer situation is one to monitor. C.J. Wilson closed last night for 1 2/3 IP, but he's far more effective against left handers and probably isn't the true closer. That should belong to Joaquin Benoit, and he's the guy I've picked up in both of my leagues. Benoit has posted a 3.11 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 56 K in 55 IP, so it looks like he could be a successful closer.
This was a nice upgrade for the Red Sox without having to part with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, or Jacoby Ellsbury. They now have a killer 7th/8th/9th inning combination with Hideki Okajima moving to the 7th inning, Eric Gagne moving to the 8th inning, and Jonathan Papelbon staying in the 9th inning.
Fantasy Impact: I mentioned a while ago that Gagne was a candidate to be traded, so hopefully you moved him before this trade. He moves to a setup role, and is now #2 in line for saves, so his fantasy value drops quite a bit. The Red Sox are careful with Papelbon and his shoulder, so Gagne now has the fantasy value that Okajima used to have and is still worth owning. You can still use Okajima for ratios, but he won't be vulturing saves anymore, so his fantasy value drops a bit as well. Kason Gabbard was an interesting spot-start candidate, but going to Texas kills his fantasy value and he should not be used in mixed leagues. He'll probably have a permanent rotation spot now, though.
The Texas closer situation is one to monitor. C.J. Wilson closed last night for 1 2/3 IP, but he's far more effective against left handers and probably isn't the true closer. That should belong to Joaquin Benoit, and he's the guy I've picked up in both of my leagues. Benoit has posted a 3.11 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 56 K in 55 IP, so it looks like he could be a successful closer.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Frank Gore Breaks Hand
San Francisco 49ers RB Frank Gore broke his hand during practice yesterday.
Fantasy Impact: This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes, Gore got hurt got hurt again, but established RBs need the least amount of time on the field during the preseason. Tomlinson, for example, barely ever plays in the preseason. With the pounding that RBs take over the course of the season, there's no need to give them many carries. It'll take a few weeks for him to heal, but coach Mike Nolan stated that he expects Gore to return to practice with a cast on his hand.
There's been some discussion as to whether or not this will affect his "fumbling problem", but I'm not buying it, nor do I believe there's much of a problem to begin with. Yes, he did fumble in his first 4 games last season, most of which were near the goal line, and that caused him to lose goal line carries for a while. He only fumbled twice the rest of the year (12 games), losing one, so he clearly corrected the problem. Plus he earned goal line carries back towards the end of the year. He'll likely score more TDs this season. Besides, it's a broken hand, not ligament damage that could affect the strength of his grip. Ignore this babble.
I understand the injury concerns that Gore has with the 2 ACL tears (1 in each knee) in college, and the torn labrum in both shoulders that he had surgery on prior to the 2006 season. He had 312 carries last year without an injury, and none of the injuries he's suffered previously are recurring issues. Don't move him in your rankings because of this.
Fantasy Impact: This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes, Gore got hurt got hurt again, but established RBs need the least amount of time on the field during the preseason. Tomlinson, for example, barely ever plays in the preseason. With the pounding that RBs take over the course of the season, there's no need to give them many carries. It'll take a few weeks for him to heal, but coach Mike Nolan stated that he expects Gore to return to practice with a cast on his hand.
There's been some discussion as to whether or not this will affect his "fumbling problem", but I'm not buying it, nor do I believe there's much of a problem to begin with. Yes, he did fumble in his first 4 games last season, most of which were near the goal line, and that caused him to lose goal line carries for a while. He only fumbled twice the rest of the year (12 games), losing one, so he clearly corrected the problem. Plus he earned goal line carries back towards the end of the year. He'll likely score more TDs this season. Besides, it's a broken hand, not ligament damage that could affect the strength of his grip. Ignore this babble.
I understand the injury concerns that Gore has with the 2 ACL tears (1 in each knee) in college, and the torn labrum in both shoulders that he had surgery on prior to the 2006 season. He had 312 carries last year without an injury, and none of the injuries he's suffered previously are recurring issues. Don't move him in your rankings because of this.
Monday's 5 Games
Cole Hamels - 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W (12). The Cubs don't hit lefties well at all, so this should have been expected. It's a small fact that could help you determine a spot starter down the line, too. He thoroughly dominated a very good lineup and only allowed a solo HR to Ryan Theriot.
Brett Myers - 1 IP, 1 K, SV (7). His health remains a serious concern, but he's back for now and will produce very good fantasy numbers while healthy. You can drop Alfonseca now except for deep leagues, where you might want to stash him and see if Myers can avoid further shoulder problems.
Ted Lilly - 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. His win streak had to end sometime, and it came against a very good offense. He battled himself all game, but he dodged most bullets with most of the damage coming on a 2 out HR by Aaron Rowand.
Aaron Rowand - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (15). Continues to amaze. .329, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 64 R. He's on pace to set a career high AVG, fall just short of his career high in HR, blow away his career high in RBI, and match his career high in R. Just don't draft him next year.
Tadahito Iguchi - 1/3, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (7), SB (9). He didn't have any fantasy value in standard mixed leagues before the trade to the Phillies, but he's hitting in the #2 spot in the order with Utley out. If he stays there and hits the way he did the previous two seasons, he's not a bad injury-replacement fantasy 2B at all.
Jeremy Accardo - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, BS (4). Over the last two months, Accardo is having some problems. He's posted a 4.74 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP, and the main problem is the 12 BB in 19 IP. He's proving that he's not a true closer, even though his overall ratios remain strong. He's 17/21 in save chances, so his role remains safe, and even if he worsens, it's not like the Blue Jays have a great alternative.
Alex Rios - 2/5, 2 R, 1 RBI. He's on pace for a .305 AVG, 30 HR, 93 RBI, 110 R, and 13 SB. That's quite a stat line from this fine young player.
B.J. Upton - 1/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (14). Remember when I said his power had slowed down? He's up to 5 HR and 15 RBI in 17 games this month. He's only attempted one steal this month, and that might be because his quad is still bothering him a bit. Expect him to pick up the steals a bit down the stretch, and enjoy what's been a great fantasy season from him thus far.
Jonny Gomes - 1/3, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (11). He hit .274 with 5 HR, 12 RBI, 10 R, and chipped in 3 SB to boot this month. Those numbers are pretty much in line with what he'd be doing for the Devil Rays if they continue to play him regularly, and those are good enough to be an OF3 in fantasy leagues.
Gil Meche - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Pretty good outing. He's still a fringe mixed league starter in most formats.
Scott Baker - 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. What a great outing from Baker, even if it came against the Royals. They had just come off a 29 run, 4 game series against Texas, and Baker shut them down. He's settling in as an unheralded fantasy starter despite the ugly overall numbers. Be careful with his matchups, but his emergence isn't a completely surprise.
Joe Mauer -2/4, 3 RBI. He had a very bad .229 June, but he's bounced back with a solid .315 July and should close the season strong. He's also had back-to-back 16 RBI months.
Joe Blanton - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. 5 straight starts of either 4 or 5 ER. It's starting to become a real concern, even if last night's outing was against Detroit. Given the last 2 were against very good offenses (Angels, Tigers), I'd give him another shot depending on the matchup.
Placido Polanco - 3/5, 1 R, 1 RBI. He's only a 2 catagory player, but with the .343 AVG at the 2B position, he's a pretty damn good option even if R is the only other catagory he really contributes to. The 60+ RBI he's on pace for isn't hurting you, either.
Todd Jones - 1 IP, 1 H, SV (28). Almost a carbon copy of last year. He had a bad May and a brutal June, but he's sporting a 1.38 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 9 saves in July. He's settled back down as a reliable closer for your fantasy team.
Kelvim Escobar - 8 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. This would get a win on most nights, but not last night, as the Angels were shutout by Miguel Batista. Escobar is sporting a nifty 2.87 ERA.
Reggie Willits - 2/3, SB (22). The white Chone Figgins, apparently. Willits is hitting .306 with 22 SB in 27 attempts. He's playing pretty much every day, hits well from both sides of the plate, and steals equally against RHP/LHP. Not too much you could ask for from a SB expert.
Brett Myers - 1 IP, 1 K, SV (7). His health remains a serious concern, but he's back for now and will produce very good fantasy numbers while healthy. You can drop Alfonseca now except for deep leagues, where you might want to stash him and see if Myers can avoid further shoulder problems.
Ted Lilly - 5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. His win streak had to end sometime, and it came against a very good offense. He battled himself all game, but he dodged most bullets with most of the damage coming on a 2 out HR by Aaron Rowand.
Aaron Rowand - 2/4, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (15). Continues to amaze. .329, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 64 R. He's on pace to set a career high AVG, fall just short of his career high in HR, blow away his career high in RBI, and match his career high in R. Just don't draft him next year.
Tadahito Iguchi - 1/3, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (7), SB (9). He didn't have any fantasy value in standard mixed leagues before the trade to the Phillies, but he's hitting in the #2 spot in the order with Utley out. If he stays there and hits the way he did the previous two seasons, he's not a bad injury-replacement fantasy 2B at all.
Jeremy Accardo - 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, BS (4). Over the last two months, Accardo is having some problems. He's posted a 4.74 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP, and the main problem is the 12 BB in 19 IP. He's proving that he's not a true closer, even though his overall ratios remain strong. He's 17/21 in save chances, so his role remains safe, and even if he worsens, it's not like the Blue Jays have a great alternative.
Alex Rios - 2/5, 2 R, 1 RBI. He's on pace for a .305 AVG, 30 HR, 93 RBI, 110 R, and 13 SB. That's quite a stat line from this fine young player.
B.J. Upton - 1/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (14). Remember when I said his power had slowed down? He's up to 5 HR and 15 RBI in 17 games this month. He's only attempted one steal this month, and that might be because his quad is still bothering him a bit. Expect him to pick up the steals a bit down the stretch, and enjoy what's been a great fantasy season from him thus far.
Jonny Gomes - 1/3, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (11). He hit .274 with 5 HR, 12 RBI, 10 R, and chipped in 3 SB to boot this month. Those numbers are pretty much in line with what he'd be doing for the Devil Rays if they continue to play him regularly, and those are good enough to be an OF3 in fantasy leagues.
Gil Meche - 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Pretty good outing. He's still a fringe mixed league starter in most formats.
Scott Baker - 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. What a great outing from Baker, even if it came against the Royals. They had just come off a 29 run, 4 game series against Texas, and Baker shut them down. He's settling in as an unheralded fantasy starter despite the ugly overall numbers. Be careful with his matchups, but his emergence isn't a completely surprise.
Joe Mauer -2/4, 3 RBI. He had a very bad .229 June, but he's bounced back with a solid .315 July and should close the season strong. He's also had back-to-back 16 RBI months.
Joe Blanton - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. 5 straight starts of either 4 or 5 ER. It's starting to become a real concern, even if last night's outing was against Detroit. Given the last 2 were against very good offenses (Angels, Tigers), I'd give him another shot depending on the matchup.
Placido Polanco - 3/5, 1 R, 1 RBI. He's only a 2 catagory player, but with the .343 AVG at the 2B position, he's a pretty damn good option even if R is the only other catagory he really contributes to. The 60+ RBI he's on pace for isn't hurting you, either.
Todd Jones - 1 IP, 1 H, SV (28). Almost a carbon copy of last year. He had a bad May and a brutal June, but he's sporting a 1.38 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 9 saves in July. He's settled back down as a reliable closer for your fantasy team.
Kelvim Escobar - 8 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. This would get a win on most nights, but not last night, as the Angels were shutout by Miguel Batista. Escobar is sporting a nifty 2.87 ERA.
Reggie Willits - 2/3, SB (22). The white Chone Figgins, apparently. Willits is hitting .306 with 22 SB in 27 attempts. He's playing pretty much every day, hits well from both sides of the plate, and steals equally against RHP/LHP. Not too much you could ask for from a SB expert.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Atlanta Braves Trade For Mark Teixeira
The Atlanta Braves are close to finalizing a deal that will net them 1B Mark Teixeira from the Texas Rangers for C/1B Jarrod Saltalamacchia, P Elvis Andrus, P Matt Harrison, and P Neftali Feliz.
The one and only blockbuster that will happen before the trading deadline as Teixeira was the only bigtime player on the market. The Braves net the power hitting Teixeira, who is also a very solid defnder at 1B. The Rangers get the ultra-talented Saltalamacchia and a trio of very interesting pitching prospects. This will give the Braves a loaded lineup and enough firepower to battle the Mets, while the Rangers get young for a player that probably wouldn't have re-signed with them after the 2008 season. It looks like a win/win, but for this trade to balance out over its entirety, the Braves will need to re-sign Teixeira, or win the World Series in 2007 or 2008.
Fantasy Impact: Teixeira and Saltalamacchia are the players of note here.
Teixeira's overall fantasy value should go up. He was isolated in a weak lineup without protection in Texas, and he's projected to hit cleanup behind Renteria and Chipper, and then ahead of Andruw/Francouer/McCann. It's an amazing set of players around him. The only concern is that Teixeira is a career .302 hitter at Arlington, but a .264 hitter on the road. He's hit 84 HR at home, but 69 on the road in the exact same number of AB. The road HR ratio still projects to be 32.5 per season (based on 620 AB), so expecting about 10-12 HR the rest of the way from him seems reasonable. He could be a monster in R/RBI if he can find a way to hit .280.
Saltalamacchia is also a winner here. With Texas completely out of the playoff picture, he'll get a chance to play every day, in a very hitter friendly lineup, with C eligiblity in fantasy leagues. I'm not sure what position he'll play the rest of the year, but he's too talented of a hitter to stay at the C position long term. He could be one of the more valuable fantasy C over the last 2 months of the season.
The one and only blockbuster that will happen before the trading deadline as Teixeira was the only bigtime player on the market. The Braves net the power hitting Teixeira, who is also a very solid defnder at 1B. The Rangers get the ultra-talented Saltalamacchia and a trio of very interesting pitching prospects. This will give the Braves a loaded lineup and enough firepower to battle the Mets, while the Rangers get young for a player that probably wouldn't have re-signed with them after the 2008 season. It looks like a win/win, but for this trade to balance out over its entirety, the Braves will need to re-sign Teixeira, or win the World Series in 2007 or 2008.
Fantasy Impact: Teixeira and Saltalamacchia are the players of note here.
Teixeira's overall fantasy value should go up. He was isolated in a weak lineup without protection in Texas, and he's projected to hit cleanup behind Renteria and Chipper, and then ahead of Andruw/Francouer/McCann. It's an amazing set of players around him. The only concern is that Teixeira is a career .302 hitter at Arlington, but a .264 hitter on the road. He's hit 84 HR at home, but 69 on the road in the exact same number of AB. The road HR ratio still projects to be 32.5 per season (based on 620 AB), so expecting about 10-12 HR the rest of the way from him seems reasonable. He could be a monster in R/RBI if he can find a way to hit .280.
Saltalamacchia is also a winner here. With Texas completely out of the playoff picture, he'll get a chance to play every day, in a very hitter friendly lineup, with C eligiblity in fantasy leagues. I'm not sure what position he'll play the rest of the year, but he's too talented of a hitter to stay at the C position long term. He could be one of the more valuable fantasy C over the last 2 months of the season.
Sunday: Chone ".400" Figgins
Matt Garza - 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K. Bigtime K output from the youngster Garza, who's posted a 1.37 ERA this season so far. He's due for an ERA correction, but his stuff is for real and he's definitely someone to use in mixed leagues against most offenses.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K. The defense failed him, although it was a tie game anyways, so it didn't directly cost him a win. Still, he pitched great and is bouncing back nicely after a rough spot.
John Maine - 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W (12). A rain shortened game, but Maine was dominating the lowly Nationals anyways. He's bounced back with 2 straight wins after back-to-back rough outings.
Jose Reyes - 2/3, 2 R, SB (49). He's yet another player alternating good and bad months, July being a bad one. He's only hitting .259 this month, but he's stolen at least 10 bases in all 4 months, and he's chipped in 20 R this month as well. He'll end up with a career high 70 bases if he keeps that up the next two months.
Carlos Zambrano - 7 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, W (14). MLB's first 14 game winner as he won for the 9th time in 12 starts since the fight with Barrett. He's been the best pitcher in the NL since that incident, vying with Erik Bedard for best pitcher in MLB. His ERA has gone from 5.62 to 3.47.
Alfonso Soriano - 2/5, 1 R, 2 SB (15). 2 HR game followed by a 2 SB game. Let's hope that Soriano can start increasing those numbers over the last 2 months as the Cubs are now nibbling on Milwaukee's heels.
Derrek Lee - 1/4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (11). His 5th HR in 9 games. I told ya he'd start hitting for more power. There was just no statistical reason behind his power slump in the first half.
Chien Ming-Wang - 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, W (12). A rather ugly start from the peripherals, but he again pitched around baserunners to pick up another win, his 5th in 6 starts. Things will even out for him if he keeps putting that many men on base, but he hasn't allowed a HR in 6 starts and the walks are uncommon for him.
Alex Rodriguez - 0/2. He's hitless in his last 9 official AB since his 499th HR, so as with many sluggers, he might be thinking about the milestone too much. I'd expect some struggles until he hits #500, which shouldn't be too long. Not really fantasy noteworthy, but just an observation.
Bobby Abreu - 2/3, 1 R, 2 RBI. Abreu has quitely put together a very nice month, hitting .337 with 4 HR, 26 RBI, 18 R, and 2 SB. His HR and SB numbers are well down from usual standards, but he has a chance to put in a very good 2nd half. The Yankees will need it in order to grab a playoff spot.
Ian Snell - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Not bad, but he's really struggling right now. If you look at his bad starts over the past month and a half, they've come against the Angels, Braves, Rockies, and Mets. He's also turned in a substandard outing against the Phillies here, all good offenses. Perhaps you should think about paying closer attention to the matchups with Snell from here on out, if you haven't been able to trade him yet.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Solid outing from Matsuzaka, but the offense was quiet and he started to fall apart in the 7th, plus the bullpen pinned the 2nd run on him. That's back to back quality outings since his 3 start rough patch.
Scott Kazmir - 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He's starting to turn the corner. This was an outstanding start against the Red Sox. His control is getting better and his results are bearing that out. He's still mixed in 2 3+ walk starts in his past 4 outings, but he's allowing less hits and missing more bats. His buy-low window is closing.
Carlos Pena - 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (25). He's not going away, yet at least. He's posted a solid .286 AVG with 8 HR and 22 RBI this month. His splits against LHP are still very ugly, but he's really emerged this season as the player several teams in the past hoped he would become. He's a legit power 1B for the Rays, but at 28, this is probably his best season. There's still a chance he'll collapse the last 2 months, so if you're in contention and can't afford the risk, I'd move him.
Brad Lidge - 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 K. What the hell are the Astros doing using him for 2 innings with a 4 run deficit? He had pitched 5 times in the previous 9 days, so he didn't need the work. Ridiculous.
Lance Berkman - 1/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (16). His first HR in 14 games since the AS break, and he's hitting .235 in that span. The offense isn't very good, but Carlos Lee hits behind him, so he has protection and probably isn't getting pitched around too often. His LD% and BA/BIP are down a bit, but not alarmingly. His HR/FB is definitely down, at 15.8%. He's still sporting a very nice .326 AVG with RISP, so maybe he's just bored with so few people on in front of him. I don't see any reason why he's struggling as badly as he has been.
Milton Bradley - 3/6, 3 R, 2 RBI. He's hitting .349 with 4 HR, 12 RBI, and 15 R in 17 games for SD. He's always been a talented hitter, but given he'll be hitting in Petco half the time, I believe this hot streak is definitely an anomaly. Still, he can be used in mixed leagues til he cools off if you have a hole in your lineup.
Adrian Gonzalez - 2/5, 3 R, 3 RBI, HR (16). He's hitting .309 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 17 games since the AS break. Hopefully he'll get his AVG up over the last 2 months, but like Bradley, since he plays in Petco, the power numbers will remain down compared to his talent level. His hot streak to start the season has turned into an anomaly as well.
Shaun Marcum - 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W (7). Bigtime performance against the struggling White Sox. He's a fringe mixed league starter who I'd be wary of given his matchup. He's better off as a spot starter.
Javier Vazquez - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. He was cruising until the 8th inning, when he fell apart, and then his defense failed him on the 3rd out, causing 2 unearned runs and putting the game away. He's still pitching very well and just had a bad inning. His trade value is quite high right now if the White Sox blow the team up before the deadline, but signs point to only Dye being moved right now.
Jermaine Dye - 1/3, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (19). He's on fire, hitting .318 with 7 HR and 13 RBI in 18 games since the AS break. He's pushed his trade value back up, although with him being 33 years old and a free agent at year's end, it remains to be seen exactly what type of deal the Sox can get for him.
Yovani Gallardo - 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. 3 singles, a walk, and a passed ball in the 5th inning lead to all 4 runs scoring in that frame, making his outing look worse than it actually was. Just the victim of a bad inning, all of which was not his fault. His 100 pitches through 5 innings show a lack of efficiency, but his bullpen blew the win for him.
Albert Pujols - 2/4, 3 RBI. Had a big bases clearing double to put the game away. He's quite clutch.
Chad Billingsley - 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. His command failed him, but the Rockies are a tough matchup for any pitcher. Stay with him.
Matt Holliday - 2/3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (20), SB (7). Who doesn't love this guy? He actually came undervalued in fantasy leagues this year because people weren't sold on him after one good year. His HR and R totals are a bit off of last year, but he's right on target with everything else. He's borderline 1st round material next year as he reminds me a lot of Miguel Cabrera production-wise, only in the OF. In real life, however, his value is questionable given he's hit over .370 at home each of the past two years, and about .280 on the road.
Mike Piazza - 3/5, 3 RBI. He's been great at the plate since returning, hitting .400 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 8 games. He's still a very good hitter, and hopefully if he's traded, he'll be moved to a team with a permanent DH role.
Adrian Beltre - 2/4, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR (16). He's up to 12 RBI in his past 5 games as he's killing the ball right now. He has much better numbers after the AS break, so he might be due for a big 2nd half once again. He's almost living up to that monster contract he got with one good year. OK, not really.
Ichiro Suzuki - 2/5, 2 R, 2 SB (29). He'd been fairly quiet on the basepaths recently, so hopefully he's ready to start running wild again. His .271 AVG this month is easily his worst output in any month this year, but he'll start hitting again very soon.
Sergio Mitre - 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, W (5). Dump him. No point in wasting a roster spot on him anymore.
Miguel Cabrera - 4/5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (25). He's hitting .400 with 7 HR, 16 RBI, and 12 R in 17 games since the AS break. Enjoy the hot streak from one of the game's best hitters.
Tim Hudson - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (11). Got 14 runs of support, needed only 1. Another great performance from Hudson who only has one bad inning in his last 4 starts.
Chone Figgins - 3/5, 3 R, 1 RBI, SB (27). He's up to .337 on the year in the most shocking fantasy season to date, almost solely in the last 2 months. He's hitting .419 with 42 R, 31 RBI, and 22 SB in June/July. He's going to cool off, but this was a guy that often looked lost at the plate last year, and was miserable after coming off the DL earlier this season. His LD% is up to an incredible 26.1%, showing that he's making very good contact. However, his BA/BIP is .391, which is almost unsustainable even with all the great contact. It does go to show, however, that he's hitting the ball the best of his career and that while he'll slow down a bit, he probably won't come screeching to a halt.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 K. The defense failed him, although it was a tie game anyways, so it didn't directly cost him a win. Still, he pitched great and is bouncing back nicely after a rough spot.
John Maine - 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W (12). A rain shortened game, but Maine was dominating the lowly Nationals anyways. He's bounced back with 2 straight wins after back-to-back rough outings.
Jose Reyes - 2/3, 2 R, SB (49). He's yet another player alternating good and bad months, July being a bad one. He's only hitting .259 this month, but he's stolen at least 10 bases in all 4 months, and he's chipped in 20 R this month as well. He'll end up with a career high 70 bases if he keeps that up the next two months.
Carlos Zambrano - 7 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, W (14). MLB's first 14 game winner as he won for the 9th time in 12 starts since the fight with Barrett. He's been the best pitcher in the NL since that incident, vying with Erik Bedard for best pitcher in MLB. His ERA has gone from 5.62 to 3.47.
Alfonso Soriano - 2/5, 1 R, 2 SB (15). 2 HR game followed by a 2 SB game. Let's hope that Soriano can start increasing those numbers over the last 2 months as the Cubs are now nibbling on Milwaukee's heels.
Derrek Lee - 1/4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (11). His 5th HR in 9 games. I told ya he'd start hitting for more power. There was just no statistical reason behind his power slump in the first half.
Chien Ming-Wang - 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, W (12). A rather ugly start from the peripherals, but he again pitched around baserunners to pick up another win, his 5th in 6 starts. Things will even out for him if he keeps putting that many men on base, but he hasn't allowed a HR in 6 starts and the walks are uncommon for him.
Alex Rodriguez - 0/2. He's hitless in his last 9 official AB since his 499th HR, so as with many sluggers, he might be thinking about the milestone too much. I'd expect some struggles until he hits #500, which shouldn't be too long. Not really fantasy noteworthy, but just an observation.
Bobby Abreu - 2/3, 1 R, 2 RBI. Abreu has quitely put together a very nice month, hitting .337 with 4 HR, 26 RBI, 18 R, and 2 SB. His HR and SB numbers are well down from usual standards, but he has a chance to put in a very good 2nd half. The Yankees will need it in order to grab a playoff spot.
Ian Snell - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Not bad, but he's really struggling right now. If you look at his bad starts over the past month and a half, they've come against the Angels, Braves, Rockies, and Mets. He's also turned in a substandard outing against the Phillies here, all good offenses. Perhaps you should think about paying closer attention to the matchups with Snell from here on out, if you haven't been able to trade him yet.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. Solid outing from Matsuzaka, but the offense was quiet and he started to fall apart in the 7th, plus the bullpen pinned the 2nd run on him. That's back to back quality outings since his 3 start rough patch.
Scott Kazmir - 6 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He's starting to turn the corner. This was an outstanding start against the Red Sox. His control is getting better and his results are bearing that out. He's still mixed in 2 3+ walk starts in his past 4 outings, but he's allowing less hits and missing more bats. His buy-low window is closing.
Carlos Pena - 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (25). He's not going away, yet at least. He's posted a solid .286 AVG with 8 HR and 22 RBI this month. His splits against LHP are still very ugly, but he's really emerged this season as the player several teams in the past hoped he would become. He's a legit power 1B for the Rays, but at 28, this is probably his best season. There's still a chance he'll collapse the last 2 months, so if you're in contention and can't afford the risk, I'd move him.
Brad Lidge - 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 K. What the hell are the Astros doing using him for 2 innings with a 4 run deficit? He had pitched 5 times in the previous 9 days, so he didn't need the work. Ridiculous.
Lance Berkman - 1/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (16). His first HR in 14 games since the AS break, and he's hitting .235 in that span. The offense isn't very good, but Carlos Lee hits behind him, so he has protection and probably isn't getting pitched around too often. His LD% and BA/BIP are down a bit, but not alarmingly. His HR/FB is definitely down, at 15.8%. He's still sporting a very nice .326 AVG with RISP, so maybe he's just bored with so few people on in front of him. I don't see any reason why he's struggling as badly as he has been.
Milton Bradley - 3/6, 3 R, 2 RBI. He's hitting .349 with 4 HR, 12 RBI, and 15 R in 17 games for SD. He's always been a talented hitter, but given he'll be hitting in Petco half the time, I believe this hot streak is definitely an anomaly. Still, he can be used in mixed leagues til he cools off if you have a hole in your lineup.
Adrian Gonzalez - 2/5, 3 R, 3 RBI, HR (16). He's hitting .309 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 17 games since the AS break. Hopefully he'll get his AVG up over the last 2 months, but like Bradley, since he plays in Petco, the power numbers will remain down compared to his talent level. His hot streak to start the season has turned into an anomaly as well.
Shaun Marcum - 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W (7). Bigtime performance against the struggling White Sox. He's a fringe mixed league starter who I'd be wary of given his matchup. He's better off as a spot starter.
Javier Vazquez - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. He was cruising until the 8th inning, when he fell apart, and then his defense failed him on the 3rd out, causing 2 unearned runs and putting the game away. He's still pitching very well and just had a bad inning. His trade value is quite high right now if the White Sox blow the team up before the deadline, but signs point to only Dye being moved right now.
Jermaine Dye - 1/3, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (19). He's on fire, hitting .318 with 7 HR and 13 RBI in 18 games since the AS break. He's pushed his trade value back up, although with him being 33 years old and a free agent at year's end, it remains to be seen exactly what type of deal the Sox can get for him.
Yovani Gallardo - 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. 3 singles, a walk, and a passed ball in the 5th inning lead to all 4 runs scoring in that frame, making his outing look worse than it actually was. Just the victim of a bad inning, all of which was not his fault. His 100 pitches through 5 innings show a lack of efficiency, but his bullpen blew the win for him.
Albert Pujols - 2/4, 3 RBI. Had a big bases clearing double to put the game away. He's quite clutch.
Chad Billingsley - 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. His command failed him, but the Rockies are a tough matchup for any pitcher. Stay with him.
Matt Holliday - 2/3, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (20), SB (7). Who doesn't love this guy? He actually came undervalued in fantasy leagues this year because people weren't sold on him after one good year. His HR and R totals are a bit off of last year, but he's right on target with everything else. He's borderline 1st round material next year as he reminds me a lot of Miguel Cabrera production-wise, only in the OF. In real life, however, his value is questionable given he's hit over .370 at home each of the past two years, and about .280 on the road.
Mike Piazza - 3/5, 3 RBI. He's been great at the plate since returning, hitting .400 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 8 games. He's still a very good hitter, and hopefully if he's traded, he'll be moved to a team with a permanent DH role.
Adrian Beltre - 2/4, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR (16). He's up to 12 RBI in his past 5 games as he's killing the ball right now. He has much better numbers after the AS break, so he might be due for a big 2nd half once again. He's almost living up to that monster contract he got with one good year. OK, not really.
Ichiro Suzuki - 2/5, 2 R, 2 SB (29). He'd been fairly quiet on the basepaths recently, so hopefully he's ready to start running wild again. His .271 AVG this month is easily his worst output in any month this year, but he'll start hitting again very soon.
Sergio Mitre - 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, W (5). Dump him. No point in wasting a roster spot on him anymore.
Miguel Cabrera - 4/5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR (25). He's hitting .400 with 7 HR, 16 RBI, and 12 R in 17 games since the AS break. Enjoy the hot streak from one of the game's best hitters.
Tim Hudson - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (11). Got 14 runs of support, needed only 1. Another great performance from Hudson who only has one bad inning in his last 4 starts.
Chone Figgins - 3/5, 3 R, 1 RBI, SB (27). He's up to .337 on the year in the most shocking fantasy season to date, almost solely in the last 2 months. He's hitting .419 with 42 R, 31 RBI, and 22 SB in June/July. He's going to cool off, but this was a guy that often looked lost at the plate last year, and was miserable after coming off the DL earlier this season. His LD% is up to an incredible 26.1%, showing that he's making very good contact. However, his BA/BIP is .391, which is almost unsustainable even with all the great contact. It does go to show, however, that he's hitting the ball the best of his career and that while he'll slow down a bit, he probably won't come screeching to a halt.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Saturday: Thanks, Offense
Orlando Hernandez - 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W (7). Exactly what was expected against the Nationals. He continues to be a great fantasy starter found on the waiver wire this season. I'd still move him for the fear that he'll run into another physical problem by the time the year's up.
Carlos Delgado - 3/7, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Really the only notable offensive performance in this doubleheader. His .322, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R performance in 17 games is hopefully a sign of a solid 2nd half from Delgado.
Anthony Reyes - 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (1). He ups his record to 1-10 with this performance. He is one to watch now that he's back in the bigs. I believe in his talent, but don't think the Cardinals have done enough to develop it. He remains a potential fantasy option down the stretch if he can show some consistency, and also remains a possible trade candidate.
Albert Pujols - 4/8, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB (2). A very nice doubleheader for Pujols as he continues his scorching hitting post-AS break, posting a .356 AVG with 7 HR, 16 RBI, and 15 R in 16 games.
Ryan Braun - 3/8, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (18). He continues to hit like a top 5 fantasy stud in his rookie year. He's bound to slump at some point, but he's showing no signs of it. His redraft value couldn't be any higher if you agree that he's due to slump.
Greg Maddux - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. The SD bullpen is elite, but the offense is not. Given the lack of Ks and lack of Ws, I don't believe Maddux is much of a mixed league option anymore. I know I've been touting him as a decent end-of-the-rotation option, but his numbers just don't support that. You could do worse, but I think you could do better.
Roy Oswalt - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. Finally. I've been touting him as a bounce back candidate for a while, and while his last start showed progress, this was the breakout start I was waiting for. Let's hope he continues building on this.
Carlos Lee - 2/4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (22). He's gone on an absolute tear since the AS break, posting a .316 AVG, 6 HR, 13 RBI, and 8 R in 15 games. I'm elated that I took Jason Bay over him, and it's costing me 1st place. Ugh.
Andrew Miller - 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. He pitched around the baserunners and produced a fairly solid line, but the bullpen let him down. Continue to stay with him.
Carlos Guillen - 2/4, 1 RBI, 2 SB (9). With a .316 AVG, 14 HR, 71 RBI, 57 R, and 9 SB, he's been an insanely underrated fantasy SS in terms of where he was drafted. He's stayed relatively healthy for the 2nd consecutive year as he's starting to ease concerns about his durability.
John Smoltz - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Another great start from Smoltz, but his offense didn't give him enough run support to pick up the victory. He's easing concerns about his shoulder with each consecutive solid start.
Chris Young - He's come out with guns blazing after the AS break with a .295 AVG, 5 HR, 6 RBI, 16 R, and 6 SB. Odds are he's in for a very nice 2nd half as he starts to figure out the major league level. His AVG figures to be a question mark, but the Diamondbacks finally have him leading off consistently, and he's actually hit .293 in that spot this season. The daily consistency in the lineup position figures to help him.
Kenji Johjima - 1/3, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (11). He's been really scuffling over the past 2 months. He started off with 2 months hitting over .300, but then hit .268 in June and .179 so far in July. Due to the lack of solid options at the catcher position, you have to stick with him and figure that he'll bounce back soon enough.
J.J. Putz - 1 1/3 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, SV (30). He bounced back just fine after his first blown save of the season.
Johan Santana - 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. Thanks, offense. He apparently wasn't happy about that 4 HR performance last time out, mowing down Cleveland with ease.
Roy Halladay - 8 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Thanks, offense, part 2. 0 runs of support in this one, but Halladay is starting to get on a roll, allowing 3 ER over his last 24 IP.
Mark Buehrle - 8 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, (8). Bounced right back after the Detroit shelling, putting in one of his best outings of the year. He's continued to be quite a surprise in fantasy leagues this year, especially his ERA which currently sits at 3.06. The Sox signed him to a contract extension, appeasing the fans, but I really wonder what he'll be worth in another 2 years staying in the AL. His pitching style would be far more effective in the NL.
Bobby Jenks - 1 IP, 1 K, SV (30). 6 straight scoreless innings including 5 saves and a win. His ERA is back down to 3.38, so he's bounced back nicely after a very rough stretch. Hopefully he'll hold up and turn in a solid 2nd half, unlike last year.
Roger Clemens - 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. He had turned in back-to-back outings of 1 and 2 ER, but came back with another mediocre outing against Baltimore. I think this will be a trend his owners will have to put up with this year.
Hideki Matsui - 2/3, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (19). He's up to 11 HR this month as he continues the most impressive power surge of his career.
Miguel Tejada - 2/4, 4 RBI. A nice 2nd game back for Tejada, who's hitting 5th instead of 3rd currently. If he hits well, he'll get moved back up to his usual spot. With Roberts having a great season and Patterson on fire, the 3rd spot is a very nice RBI spot for the Orioles right now, as Markakis and his 13 RBI in 15 games post-AS break can attest.
Jason Bay - 2/3, 1 R, SB (3). No, the 20 SB Bay is not coming back, no matter how much us owners would like it to happen. He is, however, hitting much better, going 9 for his last 18. I think his hot streak is finally kicking off. Your buy-low window will start to close, so go get him.
Jimmy Rollins - 3/5, 1 R, 3 RBI, SB (18). He was moved to the 3rd spot in the lineup last night with Utley hurt. If he stays there, his fantasy value gets a boost with the increased RBI opportunities he'll receive.
Sean Marshall - 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (5). A great performance from Marshall, who's maintaining solid mixed league value. Continue using him unless he starts struggling over the course of several outings. Always ride the hot hand.
Aaron Harang - 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. He left the start early with a strained back. An MRI showed nothing serious, so he's only scheduled to miss one start as it stands right now.
Alfonso Soriano - 3/5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (18). Another hot streak? Hopefully. He had been without a HR in July 14th, and he hasn't stolen a base since July 7th. He continues to frustrate his owners, but will likely go on another power surge shortly. The stolen bases apparently will be sporadic as he was running for a contract last year. He's only stolen 5 bases over the past 2 months.
Jon Lester - 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. A pretty solid start despite the ER. He's looking good so far, but I'd avoid picking him up yet until he proves himself a bit more.
James Shields - 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. That's actually not a bad outing at all against the Boston Red Sox, especially with his recent performances against powerful offenses. I'd still suggest benching him against the strong offenses.
Jonny Gomes - 2/5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (10). He had been scuffling since the AS break, so it was nice to see him bust out with a big game like this, especially since Tampa Bay is so fickle with his performance. If he remains in the lineup, he'll be a downer on your AVG, but his power numbers will be there and he'll be worth using.
Kevin Millwood - 2 2/3 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. I spot started him last night. Gross. He's gone back to sucking his last two outings, so I'd put him back on the waiver wire.
Jeff Francis - 7 2/3 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W (11). He's really been Jeckyl/Hyde over his past 7 starts, but weirdly enough Colorado has won 6 of them. I'm on the fence about him. I'd likely keep him benched for another start to see what happens.
Garrett Atkins - 3/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (15). He's picked up his AVG a ton over the past 2 months, hitting .311 with 12 HR and 41 RBI in 48 games, He's back to being a great fantasy 3B, especially given the very productive Colorado lineup around him. Try to sell his owner on poor overall numbers and land him for cheap.
Matt Cain - 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. His best start in about a month and a half, but per usual, no win for his effort. This gives his owners some positive news, so let's hope he builds on this.
Kevin Gregg - 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, BS (2). Only his 2nd blown save, although he's quietly not doing his owners much help in the ERA department. His overall mark stands at a solid 3.32, but he had a 5.14 ERA in June and currently sports a 4.76 ERA in July. His job is secure because he's not blowing saves and Benitez is giving up a lot of runs, but I'd trade him because he's really hurting your ERA.
Miguel Cabrera - 1/4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (24). He's been remarkably steady this year, making him a great H2H player. May was a down month, but in April, June, and July, he's hit at least .337 with 7 HR and 17-19 RBI in each month. Not too bad, huh?
Carlos Delgado - 3/7, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Really the only notable offensive performance in this doubleheader. His .322, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R performance in 17 games is hopefully a sign of a solid 2nd half from Delgado.
Anthony Reyes - 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (1). He ups his record to 1-10 with this performance. He is one to watch now that he's back in the bigs. I believe in his talent, but don't think the Cardinals have done enough to develop it. He remains a potential fantasy option down the stretch if he can show some consistency, and also remains a possible trade candidate.
Albert Pujols - 4/8, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB (2). A very nice doubleheader for Pujols as he continues his scorching hitting post-AS break, posting a .356 AVG with 7 HR, 16 RBI, and 15 R in 16 games.
Ryan Braun - 3/8, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (18). He continues to hit like a top 5 fantasy stud in his rookie year. He's bound to slump at some point, but he's showing no signs of it. His redraft value couldn't be any higher if you agree that he's due to slump.
Greg Maddux - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. The SD bullpen is elite, but the offense is not. Given the lack of Ks and lack of Ws, I don't believe Maddux is much of a mixed league option anymore. I know I've been touting him as a decent end-of-the-rotation option, but his numbers just don't support that. You could do worse, but I think you could do better.
Roy Oswalt - 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K. Finally. I've been touting him as a bounce back candidate for a while, and while his last start showed progress, this was the breakout start I was waiting for. Let's hope he continues building on this.
Carlos Lee - 2/4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (22). He's gone on an absolute tear since the AS break, posting a .316 AVG, 6 HR, 13 RBI, and 8 R in 15 games. I'm elated that I took Jason Bay over him, and it's costing me 1st place. Ugh.
Andrew Miller - 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K. He pitched around the baserunners and produced a fairly solid line, but the bullpen let him down. Continue to stay with him.
Carlos Guillen - 2/4, 1 RBI, 2 SB (9). With a .316 AVG, 14 HR, 71 RBI, 57 R, and 9 SB, he's been an insanely underrated fantasy SS in terms of where he was drafted. He's stayed relatively healthy for the 2nd consecutive year as he's starting to ease concerns about his durability.
John Smoltz - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. Another great start from Smoltz, but his offense didn't give him enough run support to pick up the victory. He's easing concerns about his shoulder with each consecutive solid start.
Chris Young - He's come out with guns blazing after the AS break with a .295 AVG, 5 HR, 6 RBI, 16 R, and 6 SB. Odds are he's in for a very nice 2nd half as he starts to figure out the major league level. His AVG figures to be a question mark, but the Diamondbacks finally have him leading off consistently, and he's actually hit .293 in that spot this season. The daily consistency in the lineup position figures to help him.
Kenji Johjima - 1/3, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (11). He's been really scuffling over the past 2 months. He started off with 2 months hitting over .300, but then hit .268 in June and .179 so far in July. Due to the lack of solid options at the catcher position, you have to stick with him and figure that he'll bounce back soon enough.
J.J. Putz - 1 1/3 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, SV (30). He bounced back just fine after his first blown save of the season.
Johan Santana - 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K. Thanks, offense. He apparently wasn't happy about that 4 HR performance last time out, mowing down Cleveland with ease.
Roy Halladay - 8 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Thanks, offense, part 2. 0 runs of support in this one, but Halladay is starting to get on a roll, allowing 3 ER over his last 24 IP.
Mark Buehrle - 8 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, (8). Bounced right back after the Detroit shelling, putting in one of his best outings of the year. He's continued to be quite a surprise in fantasy leagues this year, especially his ERA which currently sits at 3.06. The Sox signed him to a contract extension, appeasing the fans, but I really wonder what he'll be worth in another 2 years staying in the AL. His pitching style would be far more effective in the NL.
Bobby Jenks - 1 IP, 1 K, SV (30). 6 straight scoreless innings including 5 saves and a win. His ERA is back down to 3.38, so he's bounced back nicely after a very rough stretch. Hopefully he'll hold up and turn in a solid 2nd half, unlike last year.
Roger Clemens - 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. He had turned in back-to-back outings of 1 and 2 ER, but came back with another mediocre outing against Baltimore. I think this will be a trend his owners will have to put up with this year.
Hideki Matsui - 2/3, 2 R, 1 RBI, HR (19). He's up to 11 HR this month as he continues the most impressive power surge of his career.
Miguel Tejada - 2/4, 4 RBI. A nice 2nd game back for Tejada, who's hitting 5th instead of 3rd currently. If he hits well, he'll get moved back up to his usual spot. With Roberts having a great season and Patterson on fire, the 3rd spot is a very nice RBI spot for the Orioles right now, as Markakis and his 13 RBI in 15 games post-AS break can attest.
Jason Bay - 2/3, 1 R, SB (3). No, the 20 SB Bay is not coming back, no matter how much us owners would like it to happen. He is, however, hitting much better, going 9 for his last 18. I think his hot streak is finally kicking off. Your buy-low window will start to close, so go get him.
Jimmy Rollins - 3/5, 1 R, 3 RBI, SB (18). He was moved to the 3rd spot in the lineup last night with Utley hurt. If he stays there, his fantasy value gets a boost with the increased RBI opportunities he'll receive.
Sean Marshall - 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (5). A great performance from Marshall, who's maintaining solid mixed league value. Continue using him unless he starts struggling over the course of several outings. Always ride the hot hand.
Aaron Harang - 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. He left the start early with a strained back. An MRI showed nothing serious, so he's only scheduled to miss one start as it stands right now.
Alfonso Soriano - 3/5, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (18). Another hot streak? Hopefully. He had been without a HR in July 14th, and he hasn't stolen a base since July 7th. He continues to frustrate his owners, but will likely go on another power surge shortly. The stolen bases apparently will be sporadic as he was running for a contract last year. He's only stolen 5 bases over the past 2 months.
Jon Lester - 6 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. A pretty solid start despite the ER. He's looking good so far, but I'd avoid picking him up yet until he proves himself a bit more.
James Shields - 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. That's actually not a bad outing at all against the Boston Red Sox, especially with his recent performances against powerful offenses. I'd still suggest benching him against the strong offenses.
Jonny Gomes - 2/5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR (10). He had been scuffling since the AS break, so it was nice to see him bust out with a big game like this, especially since Tampa Bay is so fickle with his performance. If he remains in the lineup, he'll be a downer on your AVG, but his power numbers will be there and he'll be worth using.
Kevin Millwood - 2 2/3 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. I spot started him last night. Gross. He's gone back to sucking his last two outings, so I'd put him back on the waiver wire.
Jeff Francis - 7 2/3 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, W (11). He's really been Jeckyl/Hyde over his past 7 starts, but weirdly enough Colorado has won 6 of them. I'm on the fence about him. I'd likely keep him benched for another start to see what happens.
Garrett Atkins - 3/4, 1 R, 1 RBI, HR (15). He's picked up his AVG a ton over the past 2 months, hitting .311 with 12 HR and 41 RBI in 48 games, He's back to being a great fantasy 3B, especially given the very productive Colorado lineup around him. Try to sell his owner on poor overall numbers and land him for cheap.
Matt Cain - 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. His best start in about a month and a half, but per usual, no win for his effort. This gives his owners some positive news, so let's hope he builds on this.
Kevin Gregg - 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, BS (2). Only his 2nd blown save, although he's quietly not doing his owners much help in the ERA department. His overall mark stands at a solid 3.32, but he had a 5.14 ERA in June and currently sports a 4.76 ERA in July. His job is secure because he's not blowing saves and Benitez is giving up a lot of runs, but I'd trade him because he's really hurting your ERA.
Miguel Cabrera - 1/4, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (24). He's been remarkably steady this year, making him a great H2H player. May was a down month, but in April, June, and July, he's hit at least .337 with 7 HR and 17-19 RBI in each month. Not too bad, huh?
Friday: #754
Pat Burrell - 2/3, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (13). Burrell is on fire since the AS Break, hitting .455 with 2 HR and 16 RBI in 15 games. He's well worth using in mixed leagues while he's on fire. He's always been a very talented hitter, but a complete mystery as to why he has long periods of problems at the plate. Don't be afraid to cut bait or bench him if he gets cold. He's mostly a 2 catagory player in HR and RBI, but will score enough runs too.
Andy Pettitte - 7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Not a bad start, and he dodged baserunners to post a solid ERA for the day. You really have to question his fantasy value this year. He's 6-7 (mostly due to bad luck), 4.11 ERA, a horrible 1.45 WHIP, and only 86 K in 138 IP. If you didn't sell high like I suggested earlier, see if you can use him as throw-in to upgrade a position and get name recognition value for him.
Jeremy Guthrie - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (7). He's skating by keeping his ERA in check so far, but the peripherals tell a different story. Make sure to move him before things start going south for one of this year's fantasy surprises.
Ramon Hernandez - 3/3, 2 RBI. Hernandez had been a huge fantasy bust this year, but he's been playing well below his performace the last couple seasons. He's only 31 years old, so while catchers age faster than most positions, I think he could put together a solid 2nd half for those stuck with a crappy option at catcher. Give him a try.
Jhonny Peralta - 2/5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (16). He's been quiet recently as these are his first HR and RBI since the AS Break. Expect him to start producing more runs as he's in a great RBI position, bouncing back and forth between the 5th and 6th spot in the Cleveland lineup.
Kevin Youkilis - 1/5, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (10). Take note, he's only had 1 good fantasy month despite the solid overall numbers. Outside of an explosive May, he's been very pedestrian for a 1B/3B eligible player. Move him at the deadline for an upgrade.
Jorge Sosa - 6 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. He seems to be slowly falling apart and is no longer a mixed league option given his current performance. He's likely the first Mets pitcher to be dropped if they upgrade at the deadline, or if Pedro Martinez gets healthy in time to contribute this season.
Rich Hill - 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. Not his best outing, but his quality ERA and Ks made this a fairly positive start. He's been quite unlucky this year with only 6 wins on a strong team, especially with the solid 3.59 ERA. He's settling in as what he'll likely be the next several years...a strong K pitcher with solid ratios and decent win totals. He reminds me a lot of a young Barry Zito given his pitching style.
Bronson Arroyo - 7 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Another quality start from Arroyo who's really settled back down as a solid mixed league option. Unfortunately wins will continue to be a problem thanks to a very shallow, shoddy bullpen.
Edwin Encarnacion - 2/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (7). Not fantasy worthy thanks to how he's handled, but worth mentioning. What a frustrating season for Encarnacion. For his sake, I hope he's used in a deadline deal so he can be given a true opportunity somewhere else. The Reds have yanked him around enough, and perhaps he'll land in a place where he will provide fantasy value the rest of the way.
Jake Peavy - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W (10). He gave up 3 H and 1 ER in the first inning, and then 1 H and 2 BB the last 6 innings as he settled down and dominated the way we're used to. Perhaps he's finally over the sore biceps that was likely causing him problems the last few starts.
Brian Giles - 2/5, 3 RBI. He's leading off currently for SD. It's amazing how Petco Park has killed his fantasy value. He was a great fantasy OF for Pittsburgh, but his power died once moving to spacious Petco Park.
Bill Hall - 3/5, 2 R, 2 RBI. Huge fantasy bust this year. 9 HR and 41 RBI through 4 months compared to 35 HR and 85 RBI last year. The rest of his rate stats are in line, but his HR are way down from his random outburst last year thanks to his HR/FB% of 9.8%. Given he'll lose his SS eligibility this year, he'll likely not be draftable next year unless he shows more power the last 2 months. He doesn't have more than 1 year of huge power, so it's hard to expect that he will indeed bounceback due to the small sample size.
Corey Hart - 3/6, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (15). He's crashed to .208 this month, but he's still hit 6 HR. His AVG now is more in line with what's expected from him, so he should be good to go the rest of the way.
Jon Garland - 7 1/3 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (8). Back to the outings he seems to be famous for...numerous baserunners, solid ERA, and few Ks. I look at how he's pitching over the past month, and while the blowup against Minnesota was flukey, I'm not seeing enough here to warrant continued use. The poor offense and bad bullpen hurt his wins, he doesn't K enough hitters, and his WHIP is rising back to normal levels.
Eric Byrnes - 2/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (16). A walkoff HR for Byrnes last night as he continues to provide amazing fantasy value. He's never performed at this level before, so while I'm a bit worried about a 2 month fall-off down the stretch, his power/speed combination matches what he did last year, so he should provide enough value in catagories even if his AVG starts to fall.
Stephen Drew - 1/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (7). Big things were expected from Drew, but like most rookies in fantasy leagues, he's disappointed with his performance. This will likely turn him into a nice draft day value next season, but not one to use this year.
Felix Hernandez - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W (7). I didn't like him coming back out to pitch the 7th in a 7-1 game, pushing his pitch total up to 120. However, he continued his success over the A's and turned in a great outing. He's turned himself around this month and his patient owners will likely get a quality mixed league pitcher the rest of the way. Be careful that he might be shut down early again this year, though. Given that, depending on your team situation, give though to moving him.
Jered Weaver - 5 1/3 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (7). He had pitched well in June, and his stats in July had been solid too, prior to this start. He'll likely never pitch like he was last year now that the league has figured him out a bit, but he's here to stay as a quality mixed league starter.
Barry Zito - 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. This is ridiculous. I apologize for recommending him as a buy low, but I still hold out hope that he figures out whatever the hell is causing this. He's not this bad, especially in the NL. He has such a long history of quality pitching to think that he's going to stay bad.
Hanley Ramirez - 3/5, 1 R, 4 RBI, HR (17). I think he feels fine now after a 5 day absence, don't you?
Barry Bonds - 1/1, 2 R, HR (20). #754 for Barry. I'm not going to get going on the whole Barry situation. I don't think there's been a baseball record about to be broken that I could care less about. I know Bonds is far from the only guilty one, and that he would have been a great player regardless, but I just can't get myself to care about this.
Andy Pettitte - 7 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Not a bad start, and he dodged baserunners to post a solid ERA for the day. You really have to question his fantasy value this year. He's 6-7 (mostly due to bad luck), 4.11 ERA, a horrible 1.45 WHIP, and only 86 K in 138 IP. If you didn't sell high like I suggested earlier, see if you can use him as throw-in to upgrade a position and get name recognition value for him.
Jeremy Guthrie - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (7). He's skating by keeping his ERA in check so far, but the peripherals tell a different story. Make sure to move him before things start going south for one of this year's fantasy surprises.
Ramon Hernandez - 3/3, 2 RBI. Hernandez had been a huge fantasy bust this year, but he's been playing well below his performace the last couple seasons. He's only 31 years old, so while catchers age faster than most positions, I think he could put together a solid 2nd half for those stuck with a crappy option at catcher. Give him a try.
Jhonny Peralta - 2/5, 2 R, 5 RBI, 2 HR (16). He's been quiet recently as these are his first HR and RBI since the AS Break. Expect him to start producing more runs as he's in a great RBI position, bouncing back and forth between the 5th and 6th spot in the Cleveland lineup.
Kevin Youkilis - 1/5, 1 R, 3 RBI, HR (10). Take note, he's only had 1 good fantasy month despite the solid overall numbers. Outside of an explosive May, he's been very pedestrian for a 1B/3B eligible player. Move him at the deadline for an upgrade.
Jorge Sosa - 6 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. He seems to be slowly falling apart and is no longer a mixed league option given his current performance. He's likely the first Mets pitcher to be dropped if they upgrade at the deadline, or if Pedro Martinez gets healthy in time to contribute this season.
Rich Hill - 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K. Not his best outing, but his quality ERA and Ks made this a fairly positive start. He's been quite unlucky this year with only 6 wins on a strong team, especially with the solid 3.59 ERA. He's settling in as what he'll likely be the next several years...a strong K pitcher with solid ratios and decent win totals. He reminds me a lot of a young Barry Zito given his pitching style.
Bronson Arroyo - 7 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Another quality start from Arroyo who's really settled back down as a solid mixed league option. Unfortunately wins will continue to be a problem thanks to a very shallow, shoddy bullpen.
Edwin Encarnacion - 2/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (7). Not fantasy worthy thanks to how he's handled, but worth mentioning. What a frustrating season for Encarnacion. For his sake, I hope he's used in a deadline deal so he can be given a true opportunity somewhere else. The Reds have yanked him around enough, and perhaps he'll land in a place where he will provide fantasy value the rest of the way.
Jake Peavy - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, W (10). He gave up 3 H and 1 ER in the first inning, and then 1 H and 2 BB the last 6 innings as he settled down and dominated the way we're used to. Perhaps he's finally over the sore biceps that was likely causing him problems the last few starts.
Brian Giles - 2/5, 3 RBI. He's leading off currently for SD. It's amazing how Petco Park has killed his fantasy value. He was a great fantasy OF for Pittsburgh, but his power died once moving to spacious Petco Park.
Bill Hall - 3/5, 2 R, 2 RBI. Huge fantasy bust this year. 9 HR and 41 RBI through 4 months compared to 35 HR and 85 RBI last year. The rest of his rate stats are in line, but his HR are way down from his random outburst last year thanks to his HR/FB% of 9.8%. Given he'll lose his SS eligibility this year, he'll likely not be draftable next year unless he shows more power the last 2 months. He doesn't have more than 1 year of huge power, so it's hard to expect that he will indeed bounceback due to the small sample size.
Corey Hart - 3/6, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR (15). He's crashed to .208 this month, but he's still hit 6 HR. His AVG now is more in line with what's expected from him, so he should be good to go the rest of the way.
Jon Garland - 7 1/3 IP, 10 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (8). Back to the outings he seems to be famous for...numerous baserunners, solid ERA, and few Ks. I look at how he's pitching over the past month, and while the blowup against Minnesota was flukey, I'm not seeing enough here to warrant continued use. The poor offense and bad bullpen hurt his wins, he doesn't K enough hitters, and his WHIP is rising back to normal levels.
Eric Byrnes - 2/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (16). A walkoff HR for Byrnes last night as he continues to provide amazing fantasy value. He's never performed at this level before, so while I'm a bit worried about a 2 month fall-off down the stretch, his power/speed combination matches what he did last year, so he should provide enough value in catagories even if his AVG starts to fall.
Stephen Drew - 1/5, 1 R, 2 RBI, HR (7). Big things were expected from Drew, but like most rookies in fantasy leagues, he's disappointed with his performance. This will likely turn him into a nice draft day value next season, but not one to use this year.
Felix Hernandez - 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W (7). I didn't like him coming back out to pitch the 7th in a 7-1 game, pushing his pitch total up to 120. However, he continued his success over the A's and turned in a great outing. He's turned himself around this month and his patient owners will likely get a quality mixed league pitcher the rest of the way. Be careful that he might be shut down early again this year, though. Given that, depending on your team situation, give though to moving him.
Jered Weaver - 5 1/3 IP, 11 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, W (7). He had pitched well in June, and his stats in July had been solid too, prior to this start. He'll likely never pitch like he was last year now that the league has figured him out a bit, but he's here to stay as a quality mixed league starter.
Barry Zito - 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. This is ridiculous. I apologize for recommending him as a buy low, but I still hold out hope that he figures out whatever the hell is causing this. He's not this bad, especially in the NL. He has such a long history of quality pitching to think that he's going to stay bad.
Hanley Ramirez - 3/5, 1 R, 4 RBI, HR (17). I think he feels fine now after a 5 day absence, don't you?
Barry Bonds - 1/1, 2 R, HR (20). #754 for Barry. I'm not going to get going on the whole Barry situation. I don't think there's been a baseball record about to be broken that I could care less about. I know Bonds is far from the only guilty one, and that he would have been a great player regardless, but I just can't get myself to care about this.
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