Lemme just say that looking through the boxscores and seeing KC and Washington combine for 23 runs in the same night had me weirded out, like it was bizarro world or something. Those teams might not combine for that many runs in a week ever again.
Boof Bonser - Another good start again from the Boof, allowed 2 ER and K'ing 6 in 5 IP. He did allow 8 baserunners, but minimized the damage and continued racked up the K's. He's well worth using in mixed leagues, although his lack of command will result in some ugly outings.
Joe Nathan - Geez, a save opportunity for Nathan, his first in 18 days. He's pitching well for the most part, and the Twins will start generating more save opportunities for him. It might be worth seeing if he can be had for a discount given his lack of saves so far. He took a broken bat off his knee, stuggled a bit after that, but nothing indicates it will be a problem moving forward.
Curt Schilling - Schilling continued to struggle, although if you started him last night you enjoy living your fantasy baseball life dangerously. He went 6 IP, but allowed 12 hits and 5 ERs. He was cruising this year until 3 starts ago in Minnesota when he unraveled in the 7th inning, and he hasn't pitched well since. Something might be bothering him that he's not talking about, and he's sporting an ugly 1.39 WHIP.
Hideki Matsui - He's finally recovered from his injuries and has hit batting average up to .291, plus he's homered twice in the past week. Nice to see some signs of life from him, and the struggles were expected due to all the time he's missed in the past year.
Derek Jeter - He's only hit 3 HRs and stolen 4 bases this year, but he's hitting an amazing .367 this year to make up for hit. Some extra power and speed would be nice, but he's continuing to perform like an elite SS should in some shape or form.
Andy Pettitte - Another solid start from him. Given the lack of Ks (35 in 64 1/3 IP) and below average WHIP (1.35), he's not helping his owners as much as it seems, especially while only winning 3 games due to the lack of run support. I'd shop him and his flukey 2.66 ERA to try to find a more well-rounded pitcher in return.
Brian Roberts - He's quietly returned to form as well, lifting his average to .307 and swiping his 15th SB last night. He's justifying the draft position, but with only 2 HRs and 12 RBIs, there were much better draft day values at the 2B position. Still, he's definitely helping owners as much as he can, and you can't argue with the SB production.
Nick Markakis - Boy am I glad I traded him (with John Maine), even if all I got in return was a struggling Carlos Zambrano. He was a popular sleeper on draft day, and I bought into it, but his production has been below his draft value when many expected him to exceed it. A .264 average with 5 HRs and 3 SBs? Odds are you've picked up at least one waiver wire hitter that's producing better than that. You shouldn't cut him, but I'd keep him on the bench unless you don't have better options. Odds are he'll come around eventually, but the power he flashed in the 2nd half of last year seems to be a bit flukey.
Magglio Ordonez - Holy renassaince. 2 more HRs last night giving him a line of .345 with 12 HRs and 42 RBIs. He's definitely returned to his pre-knee injury hitting form, and there's no reason to sell high given he has a history of great hitting seasons in the past. He won't hit .340 this season, but the power is legit and he'll have plenty of runners to drive home all year long.
Freddy Garcia - His K rate is back up in the NL, but his ratios are a bit ugly so far. He's still worth a spot start against weaker offense, preferrably on the road. He turned in a quality outing last night with 6 IP, 9 baserunners, 3 ER, and 4 Ks against a quality Florida offense. He would have won too if Myers hadn't gotten hurt and blew the lead all at once.
Ryan Church - 3/5 with 2 HRs and 6 RBIs. Not a mixed league option, especially in Washington, but props for a big night. He'd likely be roster-able if he played somewhere better as he's a talented OF.
Jose Guillen - 4/5 with a 2 Rs and RBIs. He's hot, so pick him up if you need OF depth or have a hole in your lineup. He's always been a legit hitter when healthy, but Safeco Field will limit his power a bit.
B.J. Upton - Another HR and SB for him last night. His AVG is dropping back down to normal levels (I doubt he'll hit .300 this year), but given he's posted 8 HRs and 9 SBs, he's been an outstanding draft day value.
Oliver Perez - I watched him pitch last night, and he was honestly not very good for the most part, throwing a wild pitch, hitting 2 batters, and struggling to command his breaking pitches for innings at a time. However, he was effectively wild and posted a great statline of 7 IP, 6 baserunners, 0 Rs, and 5 Ks. It's a great sign to see him post such a solid night even when he wasn't at his best. He's been one of the best waiver wire finds of the year so far, and he definitely has the talent and supporting offense to keep this up.
Jose Reyes - 26 SBs already. Ridiculous.
Kip Wells - He tantalized many owners by posting 3 quality starts at the beginning of the year, but he's been beyond brutal since then, until last night. He posted 7 IP, 6 baserunners,1 ER, and 4 Ks. It was only the Pirates, so he'll need 2-3 more outings like this in a row before you should think about picking him up again. In other words, don't bother.
Mike Sweeney - 2 nights in a row with a HR. You could pick him up and hope he stays hot for a while if you're desparate at the UTIL spot, but in that lineup with his injury history it won't last for long. He was a great hitter in his prime, but never played for good teams and was injured quite a bit.
Cliff Lee - Brutal last night, giving up 8 ER in 4 1/3 IP. You might be tempted to take a chance on him if you remember his 2005 compaign, but odds are he'll never recapture that form. Avoid.
Alex Gordon - The most hyped bust of the year so far, but start paying attention to him. He has a little 6 game hitting streak including 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, and 2 SBs. He's likely on the WW in all but deep keeper leaguees, but he's a legit talent and might be starting to figure things out at the plate.
Chad Gaudin - Very underappreciated season so far, posting a 2.58 ERA and only allowing more than 2 ERs twice so far this year. At this point he's worth rostering in all mixed leagues to see what he'll do the rest of the year. He very well could surprise and be solid throughout.
Jeff Francis - 7 IP, 7 baserunners, 0 ER, and 4 K last night. That's 4 straight very good starts from him, so it's probably time to pick him up in mixed leagues. I'd start him based on quality matchups only, though, unless he gets on a serious roll. Being a Colorado pitcher is not a good thing, but after a rough stretch of 4 starts he's pitching very well. He was well thought of in the minors, so he has talent.
Sean Marshall - Great start last night in his first start of 2007, but he's not worth picking up a mixed leagues. First of all, it was in San Diego. Second of all, he was horrible last year. Lastly, he has no job security. Avoid.
Barry Zito - There's the Zito I was talking about in my last post about him. He never struggles for too long, and an outing against the weak Houston offense was just what he needed. He pitched 7 innings last night, giving up 6 baserunners and K'ing 2 batters. Definitely a step in the right direction, and he's still worth trying to acquire at a discount.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Injury Update: Brett Myers
Philadelphia closer Brett Myers left tonights game after giving up 4 runs and 5 hits in 2/3 IP with what's being called a sore right shoulder. Observers watching the game reported he was holding his triceps and looked to be in quite a bit of pain. After looking back over his recent usage, there's no question Jerry Manuel was abusing him. Myers pitched 6 times between May 12th - 20th, including 3 appearances over an inning long. The Philly bullpen has been a mess outside of Myers, so Manuel didn't feel comfortable using anyone else in close situations, regardless if it was a save opportunity or not. However, those are the times you go out and acquire an arm instead of abusing the one consistent guy in your pen. Also factor in that Myers wasn't used to the crazy life of a relief pitcher, instead pitching every 5 days throughout his minor and major league career. Manuel is a bad manager and needs to be fired, especially after this. It's one thing to take the best starter and turn him into a reliever, but it's another to abuse that arm.
Fantasy Impact: Nothing definitive will be known until tests are performed. There's no clearcut 2nd man in the Philly bullpen, so much like with Oakland, it's best to avoid the whole situation between now and when Tom Gordon returns. All Gordon owners will be getting a closer back when he returns from the DL, reportedly the first week of June.
Fantasy Impact: Nothing definitive will be known until tests are performed. There's no clearcut 2nd man in the Philly bullpen, so much like with Oakland, it's best to avoid the whole situation between now and when Tom Gordon returns. All Gordon owners will be getting a closer back when he returns from the DL, reportedly the first week of June.
Injury Updates: Randy Johnson and Josh Hamilton
Randy Johnson - News tonight has revealed that Randy Johnson will miss his next start with forearm tendinitis. Forearms are a tricky thing as many elbow problems start off as forearm pain. However, before I start a wildfire, this momentarily looks like a minor issue. Johnson will initially avoid the DL, and they'll see how he feels the next couple days.
Josh Hamilton - Further testing confirmed that his only problem was gastroenteritis, so he should be back as soon as his 15 days are up.
Josh Hamilton - Further testing confirmed that his only problem was gastroenteritis, so he should be back as soon as his 15 days are up.
Florida Marlins Closing Situation - Gregg Remains The Closer
The Florida Marlins announced that Kevin Gregg will remain the team's closer after Henry Owens returns from the DL.
Fantasy Impact: I just posted a day or two ago that Owens hadn't done anything prior to getting hurt to lose his closer's job, but Gregg has racked up 3 saves in his last 4 outings, striking out 6, walking 2, and allowing no hits. Apparently manager Fredi Gonzalez doesn't want to mess with what's working, so all of you who picked up Kevin Gregg might have a handy closer until Gonzalez changes his mind again. Owens will likely return to a setup role, and then it will be Gregg's job to lose at that point. Those who have Owens stashed on the DL should keep him there until you have to activate him, and if you do have to activate him, I'd keep him benched for a bit until this plays out more unless you absolutely need the roster spot for something more important.
Fantasy Impact: I just posted a day or two ago that Owens hadn't done anything prior to getting hurt to lose his closer's job, but Gregg has racked up 3 saves in his last 4 outings, striking out 6, walking 2, and allowing no hits. Apparently manager Fredi Gonzalez doesn't want to mess with what's working, so all of you who picked up Kevin Gregg might have a handy closer until Gonzalez changes his mind again. Owens will likely return to a setup role, and then it will be Gregg's job to lose at that point. Those who have Owens stashed on the DL should keep him there until you have to activate him, and if you do have to activate him, I'd keep him benched for a bit until this plays out more unless you absolutely need the roster spot for something more important.
Injury Updates: Thome, Kendrick, Mauer, Sheets
Jim Thome - Jim Thome has returned from the DL, and I'm sorry for not posting this when it happened Sunday. He smoked the ball last night, going 3/3 with a HR, so get him back in your lineups.
Howie Kendrick - The Angels recalled Kendrick from his minor league assignment last night and he has returned from the DL. He was killing the ball towards the end of his rehab assignment, so he's worth putting back in your starting lineups right away.
Joe Mauer - Mauer has made nice progress from his quad injury, and the Twins hope to have him back on Monday. I'll post as soon as he returns from the DL to the starting lineup.
Ben Sheets - Sheets left his start last night after 6 1/3 IP with a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand. Odds are he'll miss at least one start, but not more than two. The Brewers will likely monitor his progression over the next couple days and see where his recovery is. If he goes on the DL, he won't miss more than the 15 day minimum.
Howie Kendrick - The Angels recalled Kendrick from his minor league assignment last night and he has returned from the DL. He was killing the ball towards the end of his rehab assignment, so he's worth putting back in your starting lineups right away.
Joe Mauer - Mauer has made nice progress from his quad injury, and the Twins hope to have him back on Monday. I'll post as soon as he returns from the DL to the starting lineup.
Ben Sheets - Sheets left his start last night after 6 1/3 IP with a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand. Odds are he'll miss at least one start, but not more than two. The Brewers will likely monitor his progression over the next couple days and see where his recovery is. If he goes on the DL, he won't miss more than the 15 day minimum.
Justin Duchscherer To The DL
Oakland A's temporary closer Justin Duchscherer has been placed on the DL with a right hip strain.
He would have been a great pickup in fantasy leagues while Street was on the DL, but he joined his teammate there instead. As I posted before, he had actually asked to be placed there before Street went down, and likely tried to use rest and a cortizone shot to return and close for the A's to no avail.
Fantasy Impact: Those who picked Duchscherer up hoping he would close can drop him now. Kiko Calero would normally be next in line, but he's really struggled this year and the A's are going to use Alan Embree as their closer. Embree is worth picking up in all leagues, and should prove to be a solid, if unspectacular, closer in Street and Duch's absence.
He would have been a great pickup in fantasy leagues while Street was on the DL, but he joined his teammate there instead. As I posted before, he had actually asked to be placed there before Street went down, and likely tried to use rest and a cortizone shot to return and close for the A's to no avail.
Fantasy Impact: Those who picked Duchscherer up hoping he would close can drop him now. Kiko Calero would normally be next in line, but he's really struggled this year and the A's are going to use Alan Embree as their closer. Embree is worth picking up in all leagues, and should prove to be a solid, if unspectacular, closer in Street and Duch's absence.
A Dying Moose, Scott "Ball Four" Kazmir, and Thome's Welcome Home Party
John Lackey - Lackey had some control problems last night, walking 4 in 5 innings, but still managed to only allow 1 run to win his 7th game so far. He's been a great asset in Ws, Ks, and ERA, and has posted a reasonable WHIP of 1.26. His ERA won't stay below 3 for very long, but he's a great #2 starter on fantasy teams.
Francsico Rodriguez - K-Rod continues to perform as one of the best closers in the game, saving his 14th game of the season. He has a 2.29 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 29 Ks in 26 2/3 IP. He's been well worth his draft status the last 3 seasons.
Chone Figgins - This guy has been dreadful so far while posting a .130 average after coming off the DL. As a personal opinion, these guys are not worth having on your fantasy team. I've never been one to own empty speed (guys that contribute little else other than 30 SBs or so), and given the glut of 2nd tier talent at 2B this year, there's better options out there. Figgins has the most value at 2B, although he's eligible at 3B and OF as well in Yahoo. If you like this kinda player, he's a good buy-low, but I honestly don't think he's worth much in your lineup, especially batting 9th.
Mike Mussina - Mussina was killed by the Red Sox last night for 7 ERs and 10 Hs in 6 2/3 IP. I didn't start him last night, and I dropped him off the team I owned him. I read he's sitting in the mid-80s with his fastball, and it's obvious by his K rate (12 Ks in 29 IP) that he's not missing bats. He's definitely worth dropping until he strings together a couple solid outings, although it's possible he's either hurt again or just about done.
Manny Ramirez - Blasted a 3 run HR in the first, but that was his only hit of the game. I'll take it, and hopefully it's something he'll build off-of.
Alex Rios - Nice to see him try to run last night, attempting his 3rd and 4th SBs of the season, stealing one and getting caught once. Daniel Cabrera, the opposing pitcher, doesn't hold runners on very well, so you can't read too much into this. I'm sure Rios owners are quite disappointed with his lack of running so far, especially since he's hitting leadoff. He has 20 SB speed and talent, so I'm not sure why he's not running more.
A.J. Burnett - 4 runs in 6 2/3 IP last night, but K'd 8 and only allowed 8 baserunners (minus the HBP). Unfortunately due to a HR and a couple hits in the same inning, he gave up those 4 runs. He's been on a very nice streak and is putting his talent to good use now.
Daniel Cabrera - I dropped him a few weeks ago, and he's still not capitalizing on all that talent. He's still very inconsistent with his control, and when he's not walking lots of hitters, he's giving up lots of hits. His tantalizing spring of great control gave us a false sign of hope, and he's not closer to turning into the pitcher he could be.
Cole Hamels - Tough start for him last night allowing 5 ER in 6 IP, and the Marlins are actually scoring a lot of runs this year. He still K'd 8 hitters, so even on an off-night he contributed positively to your team.
Kenji Johjima - He's been justifying his draft position by hitting .317 with 6 HRs. He has upper-tier talent at the catcher position for fantasy, but due to the pitcher's ballpark he calls home and the below-average offense around him, his skills are slightly wasted.
Scott Kazmir - Another mediocre outing for him last night which included 3 more BBs in 5 IP. he's definitely not pitching up to this talent level, and it's mostly because of the regression in his command. He brought his walks down last year and posted a solid 1.27 WHIP, and his owners thought he'd take another step forward this year. So far, that has not been the case with a 1.44 WHIP and 29 BBs in 59 IP. Until he regains his command, the consistency won't be there like it was last year in the first half of the season.
Ken Griffey Jr. - I love that the The Kid is back this season. He's been my all-time favorite baseball player since he broke in as a 19 year old. He's posting a .300 BA and slugged his 10th HR last night. He's great for the game, but thanks to his injuries he's almost an after-thought as idiots like Bonds approach 755 HRs, and Sosa approaches 600 HRs. At least he's only 10 away from McGwire, so he'll pass at least one of the cheaters before he retires. As I've mentioned several times before, however, try to sell high.
Felipe Lopez - What a jerk. I dropped him in favor of Bobby Crosby a few days ago, and he lights up the Reds for 3 XBH, 1 HR, and 6 RBIs. He was motivated facing his former team in his former home ballpark, and he also reminded us what his value would be like had he not been traded. He still hasn't homered at home in Washington yet, and given that he's not stealing many bases, he's not worth starting.
Kyle Davies - What a great start for him last night, giving up 9 baserunners and 1 ER in 8 IP against the Mets. Keep an eye on him as he'll possibly rebound and have end-of-the-rotation fantasy value by the end of the season if he could maintain control of his pitches, but odds are he'll be crappy and not worth even considering.
Johan Santana - He was downright filthy last night, K'ing 13 and allowing 1 run over 7 IP. He picked up his 5th win of the season, and once Mauer returns, he'll start getting more run support.
Justin Morneau - 2 HR and 5 RBIs last night as he's now officially locked in. Wish I had picked him over stupid Jason Bay. I hate Jason Bay.
Mark Teahen - He's quitely been a solid fantasy asset this season, hitting over .300 with 4 HRs and 6 SBs. It'd be nice to see the power he flashed at the end of last season, but his minor league track record suggests that was a bit of a fluke, and he's more of a 20 HR guy than a 30 HR guy.
Jim Thome - 3/3, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI last night. Welcome back from the DL, Jim!
Jake Peavy - I love Jake Peavy. 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 Ks last night. Better yet, the Padres pulled him after 96 pitches in a 5-1 game. Given their bullpen is a huge strength, there was no need to run him back out there and push him possibly into a pitch count in the 110s. They're taking extra care of his arm, and it'll pay off in the long run.
Rich Hill - He's struggling, but he was due to struggle. 4 HRs last night accounting for 5 ERs in all. He only allowed 8 baserunners and K'd 8, so he still pitched pretty well despite the ugly ERA on the evening. He was due to get his ERA back over 3, but he's still pitching very well on the season. The longballs will continue to be a problem for him, but he's definitely a quality 3/4 guy in your fantasy rotation and is providing solid draft value.
Ben Sheets - Solid outing last night cut short by a blister. Always something with him, isn't it? At least it's not his shoulder, and he won't miss more than 15 days I'd assume.
Randy Wolf - He continues to roll, posting his 6th win in yet another quality start. He's becoming an every-outing start in mixed leagues. I sat him last night against the tough Milwaukee offense facing Ben Sheets, but as usual he turned in a good game.
Tim Lincecum - Maybe he'll be closer to Francisco Liriano than I thought. 8 IP, 6 baserunners, 2 ER, and 4 Ks. He's pitched brilliantly since his first outing, and should continue to do so, especially when faces teams for the first time.
Francsico Rodriguez - K-Rod continues to perform as one of the best closers in the game, saving his 14th game of the season. He has a 2.29 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 29 Ks in 26 2/3 IP. He's been well worth his draft status the last 3 seasons.
Chone Figgins - This guy has been dreadful so far while posting a .130 average after coming off the DL. As a personal opinion, these guys are not worth having on your fantasy team. I've never been one to own empty speed (guys that contribute little else other than 30 SBs or so), and given the glut of 2nd tier talent at 2B this year, there's better options out there. Figgins has the most value at 2B, although he's eligible at 3B and OF as well in Yahoo. If you like this kinda player, he's a good buy-low, but I honestly don't think he's worth much in your lineup, especially batting 9th.
Mike Mussina - Mussina was killed by the Red Sox last night for 7 ERs and 10 Hs in 6 2/3 IP. I didn't start him last night, and I dropped him off the team I owned him. I read he's sitting in the mid-80s with his fastball, and it's obvious by his K rate (12 Ks in 29 IP) that he's not missing bats. He's definitely worth dropping until he strings together a couple solid outings, although it's possible he's either hurt again or just about done.
Manny Ramirez - Blasted a 3 run HR in the first, but that was his only hit of the game. I'll take it, and hopefully it's something he'll build off-of.
Alex Rios - Nice to see him try to run last night, attempting his 3rd and 4th SBs of the season, stealing one and getting caught once. Daniel Cabrera, the opposing pitcher, doesn't hold runners on very well, so you can't read too much into this. I'm sure Rios owners are quite disappointed with his lack of running so far, especially since he's hitting leadoff. He has 20 SB speed and talent, so I'm not sure why he's not running more.
A.J. Burnett - 4 runs in 6 2/3 IP last night, but K'd 8 and only allowed 8 baserunners (minus the HBP). Unfortunately due to a HR and a couple hits in the same inning, he gave up those 4 runs. He's been on a very nice streak and is putting his talent to good use now.
Daniel Cabrera - I dropped him a few weeks ago, and he's still not capitalizing on all that talent. He's still very inconsistent with his control, and when he's not walking lots of hitters, he's giving up lots of hits. His tantalizing spring of great control gave us a false sign of hope, and he's not closer to turning into the pitcher he could be.
Cole Hamels - Tough start for him last night allowing 5 ER in 6 IP, and the Marlins are actually scoring a lot of runs this year. He still K'd 8 hitters, so even on an off-night he contributed positively to your team.
Kenji Johjima - He's been justifying his draft position by hitting .317 with 6 HRs. He has upper-tier talent at the catcher position for fantasy, but due to the pitcher's ballpark he calls home and the below-average offense around him, his skills are slightly wasted.
Scott Kazmir - Another mediocre outing for him last night which included 3 more BBs in 5 IP. he's definitely not pitching up to this talent level, and it's mostly because of the regression in his command. He brought his walks down last year and posted a solid 1.27 WHIP, and his owners thought he'd take another step forward this year. So far, that has not been the case with a 1.44 WHIP and 29 BBs in 59 IP. Until he regains his command, the consistency won't be there like it was last year in the first half of the season.
Ken Griffey Jr. - I love that the The Kid is back this season. He's been my all-time favorite baseball player since he broke in as a 19 year old. He's posting a .300 BA and slugged his 10th HR last night. He's great for the game, but thanks to his injuries he's almost an after-thought as idiots like Bonds approach 755 HRs, and Sosa approaches 600 HRs. At least he's only 10 away from McGwire, so he'll pass at least one of the cheaters before he retires. As I've mentioned several times before, however, try to sell high.
Felipe Lopez - What a jerk. I dropped him in favor of Bobby Crosby a few days ago, and he lights up the Reds for 3 XBH, 1 HR, and 6 RBIs. He was motivated facing his former team in his former home ballpark, and he also reminded us what his value would be like had he not been traded. He still hasn't homered at home in Washington yet, and given that he's not stealing many bases, he's not worth starting.
Kyle Davies - What a great start for him last night, giving up 9 baserunners and 1 ER in 8 IP against the Mets. Keep an eye on him as he'll possibly rebound and have end-of-the-rotation fantasy value by the end of the season if he could maintain control of his pitches, but odds are he'll be crappy and not worth even considering.
Johan Santana - He was downright filthy last night, K'ing 13 and allowing 1 run over 7 IP. He picked up his 5th win of the season, and once Mauer returns, he'll start getting more run support.
Justin Morneau - 2 HR and 5 RBIs last night as he's now officially locked in. Wish I had picked him over stupid Jason Bay. I hate Jason Bay.
Mark Teahen - He's quitely been a solid fantasy asset this season, hitting over .300 with 4 HRs and 6 SBs. It'd be nice to see the power he flashed at the end of last season, but his minor league track record suggests that was a bit of a fluke, and he's more of a 20 HR guy than a 30 HR guy.
Jim Thome - 3/3, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI last night. Welcome back from the DL, Jim!
Jake Peavy - I love Jake Peavy. 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 Ks last night. Better yet, the Padres pulled him after 96 pitches in a 5-1 game. Given their bullpen is a huge strength, there was no need to run him back out there and push him possibly into a pitch count in the 110s. They're taking extra care of his arm, and it'll pay off in the long run.
Rich Hill - He's struggling, but he was due to struggle. 4 HRs last night accounting for 5 ERs in all. He only allowed 8 baserunners and K'd 8, so he still pitched pretty well despite the ugly ERA on the evening. He was due to get his ERA back over 3, but he's still pitching very well on the season. The longballs will continue to be a problem for him, but he's definitely a quality 3/4 guy in your fantasy rotation and is providing solid draft value.
Ben Sheets - Solid outing last night cut short by a blister. Always something with him, isn't it? At least it's not his shoulder, and he won't miss more than 15 days I'd assume.
Randy Wolf - He continues to roll, posting his 6th win in yet another quality start. He's becoming an every-outing start in mixed leagues. I sat him last night against the tough Milwaukee offense facing Ben Sheets, but as usual he turned in a good game.
Tim Lincecum - Maybe he'll be closer to Francisco Liriano than I thought. 8 IP, 6 baserunners, 2 ER, and 4 Ks. He's pitched brilliantly since his first outing, and should continue to do so, especially when faces teams for the first time.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Josh Hamilton to the DL
The Cincinnati Reds placed OF Josh Hamilton on the 15 day DL with gastroenteritis.
I've never heard of a player being put on the disabled list with bad gas, but I guess there's a first for everything. I'm personally a bit skeptical as to what is going on given Hamilton's history, but I'll give the situation the benefit of the doubt. He was probably severely dehydrated from the virus, and thus needed an IV at a hospital.
Fantasy Impact: Assuming everything is all good, he'll be back when the 15 days are up. It's retroactive to May 19th, so he should be back in the starting lineup on June 3rd or 4th. Most of his owners grabbed him off waivers as a 4th OF, so they shouldn't miss him too terribly much.
I've never heard of a player being put on the disabled list with bad gas, but I guess there's a first for everything. I'm personally a bit skeptical as to what is going on given Hamilton's history, but I'll give the situation the benefit of the doubt. He was probably severely dehydrated from the virus, and thus needed an IV at a hospital.
Fantasy Impact: Assuming everything is all good, he'll be back when the 15 days are up. It's retroactive to May 19th, so he should be back in the starting lineup on June 3rd or 4th. Most of his owners grabbed him off waivers as a 4th OF, so they shouldn't miss him too terribly much.
Cubs Supposed Closing Situation - Dempster Out, Guzman In
The Chicago Cubs are going to convert current closer Ryan Dempster back to the starting rotation, and they're going to move Angel Guzman to the bullpen to be the new closer.
This is a ridiculous over-reaction by Lou Pinella who has a history of doing such things throughout his tenure in the major leagues. Dempster does have a 4.43 ERA, but he has a very solid 1.03 WHIP, and he's converted 9 out of 10 save chances. He's also posted 21 Ks in 20 1/3 IP. He's only had two truly bad outings, including the last one where he blew up for 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning, but most closers have an outing or two like that during the year. It happens. Dempster has given Pinella very little reason to remove him from the closer's role, but he's doing it anyways. Outside of a very solid 2000 season, Dempster has a long track record of being a mediocre to poor starter, never posting an ERA below 4.71 other than in 2000. Given that, Pinella looks even dumber for making this decision.
Regarding Guzman, he's long been viewed as a great arm in the Cubs farm system. He's posted quality starts in 2 of his 3 appearances since being recalled from the minors, so it's not like he was pitching badly. He limited the powerful Mets offense to 1 run in 5 innings in his last outing, even though he surrendered 8 hits. He has far more value as a starter than a reliever to the Chicago Cubs, so the switch from this side doesn't make sense either. Guzman has very little track record as a reliever, although he does have the stuff to closer. Whether or not he has the mental makeup is to be determined, however.
Fantasy Impact: Wait until this actually plays out in a game, and then go ahead and drop Ryan Dempster. Odds are very strong that he won't have any value as a starter given his history. Guzman has upside as a closer for a good team, so pick him up and stash him to see how he adjusts to his new role. I wouldn't use him right away until you see how he reacts to being a closer for the first time for the sake of your ERA and WHIP, even if it costs you a save or two.
This is a ridiculous over-reaction by Lou Pinella who has a history of doing such things throughout his tenure in the major leagues. Dempster does have a 4.43 ERA, but he has a very solid 1.03 WHIP, and he's converted 9 out of 10 save chances. He's also posted 21 Ks in 20 1/3 IP. He's only had two truly bad outings, including the last one where he blew up for 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning, but most closers have an outing or two like that during the year. It happens. Dempster has given Pinella very little reason to remove him from the closer's role, but he's doing it anyways. Outside of a very solid 2000 season, Dempster has a long track record of being a mediocre to poor starter, never posting an ERA below 4.71 other than in 2000. Given that, Pinella looks even dumber for making this decision.
Regarding Guzman, he's long been viewed as a great arm in the Cubs farm system. He's posted quality starts in 2 of his 3 appearances since being recalled from the minors, so it's not like he was pitching badly. He limited the powerful Mets offense to 1 run in 5 innings in his last outing, even though he surrendered 8 hits. He has far more value as a starter than a reliever to the Chicago Cubs, so the switch from this side doesn't make sense either. Guzman has very little track record as a reliever, although he does have the stuff to closer. Whether or not he has the mental makeup is to be determined, however.
Fantasy Impact: Wait until this actually plays out in a game, and then go ahead and drop Ryan Dempster. Odds are very strong that he won't have any value as a starter given his history. Guzman has upside as a closer for a good team, so pick him up and stash him to see how he adjusts to his new role. I wouldn't use him right away until you see how he reacts to being a closer for the first time for the sake of your ERA and WHIP, even if it costs you a save or two.
Monday - Interleague Is Over
After an interesting, interstate rival filled weekend (for the most part) being over, it's back to the grind within the AL and NL.
Ryan Zimmerman - He continued to break out of his slump by adding his 5th HR and 12th 2B yesterday. His upside is limited by the putrid offense around him, but he's still a quality buy low candidate if his owner hasn't noticed the recent hot streak.
Ken Griffey Jr. - The man won't stop hitting. .303 on the year, and smashed his 9th HR last night. Again, he's still a great sell-high due to his health, although perhaps being in RF might help him stay healthy this year. Odds are against it, though.
Bronson Arroyo - Gross-o. 6 Rs in 2 IP against that previous stated putrid Washington offense. Just an off-night for the hairy wonder.
Manny Ramirez - Who else hates this guy right now? He's still mired in his slump, which means he's still a great buy-low guy. He'll go on an absolute terror sometime very soon.
Tim Wakefield - The downward spiral continues. He didn't have control of his knuckler last night, walking 5 and giving up 9 hits and 6 runs. He's lucky it wasn't worse.
C.C. Sabathia - Not at his best last night in giving up 8 hits and K'ing 4 in 5 IP, but still only gave up 1 run and continues to pitch like a staff ace.
Vincente Padilla - A guy owned by many last year after posting a very solid year, but he's been horrible this year. He gave up 2 runs and 5 hits last night while K'ing 4 in 5 2/3 IP, so that's a start. Perhaps he'll bounceback a bit.
Jose Contreras - Season-high 8 Ks last night in 6 1/3, although he did give up 9 hits. He continues to pitch like a back-of-the-rotation fantasy starter, so pick him up if he's out there. With Thome back and the offense starting to pick up, maybe Contreras can regain his 2nd half 2005 form.
Brandon Webb - His numbers look bad, giving up 5 or more runs in 5 of his 10 starts. Digging deeper, one realizes 4 of those 5 bad starts were all against the Rockies, and the lone other against the Mets. He continues to have control issues, walking 4 more last night, which is a concern. However, against Colorado, he has 25 IP, 6.84 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and an 0-2 record. Against everyone else, he has 45 IP, 2.80 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 3-1 record. Don't start him against the Rockies, apparently.
Rickie Weeks - Coming back after missing a few days with a wrist injury (sorry for not posting about it), he went 4/5 with 3 RBIs. He's fine and get him active!
Noah Lowry - 7 IP of shutout ball last night. He's due for a regression with 2.69 ERA against his 1.34 WHIP, but he continues to pitch very well despite the large amount of baserunners. He's worth adding and starting against weaker offenses as a #5/6 starter in mixed leagues.
Ryan Zimmerman - He continued to break out of his slump by adding his 5th HR and 12th 2B yesterday. His upside is limited by the putrid offense around him, but he's still a quality buy low candidate if his owner hasn't noticed the recent hot streak.
Ken Griffey Jr. - The man won't stop hitting. .303 on the year, and smashed his 9th HR last night. Again, he's still a great sell-high due to his health, although perhaps being in RF might help him stay healthy this year. Odds are against it, though.
Bronson Arroyo - Gross-o. 6 Rs in 2 IP against that previous stated putrid Washington offense. Just an off-night for the hairy wonder.
Manny Ramirez - Who else hates this guy right now? He's still mired in his slump, which means he's still a great buy-low guy. He'll go on an absolute terror sometime very soon.
Tim Wakefield - The downward spiral continues. He didn't have control of his knuckler last night, walking 5 and giving up 9 hits and 6 runs. He's lucky it wasn't worse.
C.C. Sabathia - Not at his best last night in giving up 8 hits and K'ing 4 in 5 IP, but still only gave up 1 run and continues to pitch like a staff ace.
Vincente Padilla - A guy owned by many last year after posting a very solid year, but he's been horrible this year. He gave up 2 runs and 5 hits last night while K'ing 4 in 5 2/3 IP, so that's a start. Perhaps he'll bounceback a bit.
Jose Contreras - Season-high 8 Ks last night in 6 1/3, although he did give up 9 hits. He continues to pitch like a back-of-the-rotation fantasy starter, so pick him up if he's out there. With Thome back and the offense starting to pick up, maybe Contreras can regain his 2nd half 2005 form.
Brandon Webb - His numbers look bad, giving up 5 or more runs in 5 of his 10 starts. Digging deeper, one realizes 4 of those 5 bad starts were all against the Rockies, and the lone other against the Mets. He continues to have control issues, walking 4 more last night, which is a concern. However, against Colorado, he has 25 IP, 6.84 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and an 0-2 record. Against everyone else, he has 45 IP, 2.80 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 3-1 record. Don't start him against the Rockies, apparently.
Rickie Weeks - Coming back after missing a few days with a wrist injury (sorry for not posting about it), he went 4/5 with 3 RBIs. He's fine and get him active!
Noah Lowry - 7 IP of shutout ball last night. He's due for a regression with 2.69 ERA against his 1.34 WHIP, but he continues to pitch very well despite the large amount of baserunners. He's worth adding and starting against weaker offenses as a #5/6 starter in mixed leagues.
Weekend Catchup
Had a 4 day vacation of relaxation, and also went to the Cubs/Sox game on Friday. Yay for ballpark food and beer, boo to the outcome.
Ian Snell - He's still pitching quite well so far, but an ERA of 2.76 does not match up with a WHIP of 1.21, which is what he's got going on right now. He'll have to cut down the baserunners if he's going to keep his ERA around 3, but I think a mid-3s ERA is more correlated to him this season. If you can package him for an ace for your staff, go for it.
Byung-Hyun Kim - Kim enjoyed a successful return to the rotation, and maybe getting out of Colorado's thin air will help him. He's worth keeping an eye on after being traded to the Marlins and moved back into the starting rotation. He still has a bit of upside, although for mixed leagues he'll probably just remain a spot-starting option.
Brett Myers - He's making it impossible for the Phillies to remove him from the closer's role. He made things interesting on Friday by loading the bases, but he's 6/6 in save opportunities, and he's also K'ing a ton of batters in the process.
Albert Pujols - Now's your last chance to deal for him before he goes off. 4/4 on Friday with a HR, and continued solid hitting over the rest of the weekend. I just traded David Ortiz and Dan Wheeler for him, to give you an idea of what an owner might be looking for. I believe an offensive explosion is imminent. He's currently at .273, and he's only hit below .329 once in his career.
Oliver Perez - Wow, has he rebounded this year or what? He held the Yankees to 2 runs and 5 hits in 7 2/3 IP. He's becoming an every-outing start at this point.
Eric Gagne - He's back healthy, for now. He converted a save opportunity on Friday, and he hasn't been scored upon yet. The 5 walks in 7 1/3 IP are a bit of a concern, but those can be disregarded for now given how little he's pitching in recent years. I'd try to move him immediately if you don't own both Gagne and Otsuka.
Boof Bonser - 12 Ks on Friday! Very nice performance from this kid, and it probably led to many mixed league adds if he wasn't already owned. He's got pretty good stuff and can be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter for your fantasy team this year.
Torii Hunter - All of you who drafted him are reaping the rewards of his terrorizing start. This just goes to show you that contract year players are usually worth drafting due to their added motivation. He's never hit .300 before, but he did reach .289 once back in 2002, so perhaps the extra motivation will keep his average up there. I'd bet it'll probably come back down to the .270 - .280 area, though.
Barry Zito - 2 disgusting starts in a row. He's been known to start slow the last couple years, so I'd suggest inquiring into his availability in your league. His ERA was fine before his last 2 starts. His move to the NL will most likely benefit him in the long run.
Chris Young (SD) - He's rolling right along with a 2.89 ERA, but just like with Ian Snell, his 1.26 WHIP doesn't match up. Combine that with his propensity to fade in the 2nd half the last two years (almost an ERA rise of 1), and now might be a good time to sell.
Alex Rodriguez - After a long HR/RBI slump, he's homered in the past 3 games and also stole a base last night. Back to normal for A-Rod!
David Wright - 3 HRs in the past two games show the power has returned. I hope you bought low on him when I recommended it a few weeks ago, if it was possible.
Paul Konerko - Another buy-low candidate starting to heat up...7/16 with a HR and a 2B the past 4 games. I'd suggest making a move for him now while his numbers are still terrible and catch him on the upswing.
Chris Ray - 2 converted saves after a blowup against Boston a few days ago. He's the opposite of Snell/Young...his 4.35 ERA is too high for his 1.16 WHIP. He's throwing well, so expect that ERA to drop while racking up saves. A good buy-at-a-discount candidate.
Brandon Phillips - The 2B crop after Chase Utley is turning out to be quite a deep bunch. 2 HRs over the weekend, giving him 8 HRs/SBs along with a .286 average and plenty of Rs/RBIs. Given Cincy is hitting him in the middle of the order, expect big numbers the rest of the way. He was an elite talent in the minors who got lost after a few failed chances with the Indians, so he's not playing over his head.
Jered Weaver - He's made a successful return from a minor arm injury so far this year, proving his rookie year was not a fluke. Nobody expect him to post a sub 3.00 ERA in his first full season, so the 3.46 ERA and 36 Ks in 39 IP are right for him. He needs to cut down on his 1.41 WHIP, though, and I think he will as he shakes the rust off.
Anthony Reyes - A somewhat popular sleeper has been disgusting this year, posting an 0-7 mark to go along with a 5.84 ERA. He has a solid 1.23 WHIP, but thanks to numerous big innings, his ERA doesn't match it. He's only had one quality start this year, but remains someone to monitor given his minor league track record.
Scott Baker - Here's another guy to keep an eye on. He had a great first start back in the majors against the powerful Brewer offense, going 8 1/3 with 5 Ks and allowing only 2 ER. He was a sleeper last year as the 5th starter, but thanks to mis-managed outings that were often 10 days apart, he found no rhythm and posted ugly outings. If Minnesota commits to pitching him every 5th day, he could have value in mixed leagues before long.
Dan Haren - Enough can't be said about his amazing start. 1.74 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 54 Ks in 67 1/3 IP. I just wish I had targeted him this year.
John Smoltz - Well, my recommendation here shows why it's a mixed bag starting pitchers coming off of an injury. Can't argue it didn't make sense to sit him, especially against Boston's offense, although if you did, you missed out on 7 IP of shutout ball with 7 Ks.
Randy Johnson - He's back! 10 more Ks in 5 2/3 IP. After struggling to regain his form following his return from injury, he's pitching great and should post very good numbers this year being back in the NL.
Chad Cordero - I told ya. Back in the closer's role with his 5th save on Sunday. No worries here, other than the possibility he'll be traded near the deadline.
Chris Duncan - He's proving last year was no fluke by hitting his 7th HR so far this season to go along with his .290 average. His Rs and RBI have suffered with the slumping STL offense, but I expect those will rebound as Pujols and the rest of the Cardinals exit their slump.
Kevin Gregg - He notched his 3rd save on Sunday, proving he's the definitive closer in Henry Owens' absence. I can't imagine he'll remain the closer when Owens returns, given Owens didn't give them any reason to remove him.
Pat Burrell - He's entered a hot streak, homering 5 times in the past 10 games. His batting average is still in the .250s, but he's worth using in mixed leagues while hot. Given the offense around him, he could straighten himself out and have quite a bit of value the rest of the year.
Geoff Jenkins - He's as hot and cold as any player in the majors, but it's possible that he'll prove valuable in mixed leagues all year long. He's up to 9 HRs now, and with the Brewers offense maturing all at once, he should post plenty of Rs and RBIs as well.
Carlos Zambrano - All the progress he showed in his last start with the Mets just went right out the window. He deserved better given that Cotts gave up a 2 out grand slam to AJ Pierzynski, causing 3 more runs to be charged against Zambrano, but he shouldn't have loaded the bases to begin with. I watched this game, and his stuff doesn't look the same. I'm officially worried at this point. I don't know if it's bad mechanics or an injury.
Kelvim Escobar - That's more like it. 8 IP of shutout ball against the Dodgers on Sunday, so last week's massacre was definitely just a blip in the radar.
Felix Hernandez - He lasted only 5 IP this start, but he had already thrown over 100 pitches by that point. His stuff is still fine, as evidenced with the 9 Ks, but his command isn't there yet. He gave up 8 hits and 3 walks, but I won't worry unless this keeps up for another start or two.
Matt Morris - Holy flashback, Batman. Morris posted a complete game, 1 run, 2 hit start with 9 Ks. His ERA dropped to 2.93, but he's not worth much of a mixed league start unless he follows this up with another few quality outings. His WHIP stands at 1.34, so that ERA should be shooting up sometime very soon. His stuff isn't the same after shoulder surgery a few years ago.
Ian Snell - He's still pitching quite well so far, but an ERA of 2.76 does not match up with a WHIP of 1.21, which is what he's got going on right now. He'll have to cut down the baserunners if he's going to keep his ERA around 3, but I think a mid-3s ERA is more correlated to him this season. If you can package him for an ace for your staff, go for it.
Byung-Hyun Kim - Kim enjoyed a successful return to the rotation, and maybe getting out of Colorado's thin air will help him. He's worth keeping an eye on after being traded to the Marlins and moved back into the starting rotation. He still has a bit of upside, although for mixed leagues he'll probably just remain a spot-starting option.
Brett Myers - He's making it impossible for the Phillies to remove him from the closer's role. He made things interesting on Friday by loading the bases, but he's 6/6 in save opportunities, and he's also K'ing a ton of batters in the process.
Albert Pujols - Now's your last chance to deal for him before he goes off. 4/4 on Friday with a HR, and continued solid hitting over the rest of the weekend. I just traded David Ortiz and Dan Wheeler for him, to give you an idea of what an owner might be looking for. I believe an offensive explosion is imminent. He's currently at .273, and he's only hit below .329 once in his career.
Oliver Perez - Wow, has he rebounded this year or what? He held the Yankees to 2 runs and 5 hits in 7 2/3 IP. He's becoming an every-outing start at this point.
Eric Gagne - He's back healthy, for now. He converted a save opportunity on Friday, and he hasn't been scored upon yet. The 5 walks in 7 1/3 IP are a bit of a concern, but those can be disregarded for now given how little he's pitching in recent years. I'd try to move him immediately if you don't own both Gagne and Otsuka.
Boof Bonser - 12 Ks on Friday! Very nice performance from this kid, and it probably led to many mixed league adds if he wasn't already owned. He's got pretty good stuff and can be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter for your fantasy team this year.
Torii Hunter - All of you who drafted him are reaping the rewards of his terrorizing start. This just goes to show you that contract year players are usually worth drafting due to their added motivation. He's never hit .300 before, but he did reach .289 once back in 2002, so perhaps the extra motivation will keep his average up there. I'd bet it'll probably come back down to the .270 - .280 area, though.
Barry Zito - 2 disgusting starts in a row. He's been known to start slow the last couple years, so I'd suggest inquiring into his availability in your league. His ERA was fine before his last 2 starts. His move to the NL will most likely benefit him in the long run.
Chris Young (SD) - He's rolling right along with a 2.89 ERA, but just like with Ian Snell, his 1.26 WHIP doesn't match up. Combine that with his propensity to fade in the 2nd half the last two years (almost an ERA rise of 1), and now might be a good time to sell.
Alex Rodriguez - After a long HR/RBI slump, he's homered in the past 3 games and also stole a base last night. Back to normal for A-Rod!
David Wright - 3 HRs in the past two games show the power has returned. I hope you bought low on him when I recommended it a few weeks ago, if it was possible.
Paul Konerko - Another buy-low candidate starting to heat up...7/16 with a HR and a 2B the past 4 games. I'd suggest making a move for him now while his numbers are still terrible and catch him on the upswing.
Chris Ray - 2 converted saves after a blowup against Boston a few days ago. He's the opposite of Snell/Young...his 4.35 ERA is too high for his 1.16 WHIP. He's throwing well, so expect that ERA to drop while racking up saves. A good buy-at-a-discount candidate.
Brandon Phillips - The 2B crop after Chase Utley is turning out to be quite a deep bunch. 2 HRs over the weekend, giving him 8 HRs/SBs along with a .286 average and plenty of Rs/RBIs. Given Cincy is hitting him in the middle of the order, expect big numbers the rest of the way. He was an elite talent in the minors who got lost after a few failed chances with the Indians, so he's not playing over his head.
Jered Weaver - He's made a successful return from a minor arm injury so far this year, proving his rookie year was not a fluke. Nobody expect him to post a sub 3.00 ERA in his first full season, so the 3.46 ERA and 36 Ks in 39 IP are right for him. He needs to cut down on his 1.41 WHIP, though, and I think he will as he shakes the rust off.
Anthony Reyes - A somewhat popular sleeper has been disgusting this year, posting an 0-7 mark to go along with a 5.84 ERA. He has a solid 1.23 WHIP, but thanks to numerous big innings, his ERA doesn't match it. He's only had one quality start this year, but remains someone to monitor given his minor league track record.
Scott Baker - Here's another guy to keep an eye on. He had a great first start back in the majors against the powerful Brewer offense, going 8 1/3 with 5 Ks and allowing only 2 ER. He was a sleeper last year as the 5th starter, but thanks to mis-managed outings that were often 10 days apart, he found no rhythm and posted ugly outings. If Minnesota commits to pitching him every 5th day, he could have value in mixed leagues before long.
Dan Haren - Enough can't be said about his amazing start. 1.74 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 54 Ks in 67 1/3 IP. I just wish I had targeted him this year.
John Smoltz - Well, my recommendation here shows why it's a mixed bag starting pitchers coming off of an injury. Can't argue it didn't make sense to sit him, especially against Boston's offense, although if you did, you missed out on 7 IP of shutout ball with 7 Ks.
Randy Johnson - He's back! 10 more Ks in 5 2/3 IP. After struggling to regain his form following his return from injury, he's pitching great and should post very good numbers this year being back in the NL.
Chad Cordero - I told ya. Back in the closer's role with his 5th save on Sunday. No worries here, other than the possibility he'll be traded near the deadline.
Chris Duncan - He's proving last year was no fluke by hitting his 7th HR so far this season to go along with his .290 average. His Rs and RBI have suffered with the slumping STL offense, but I expect those will rebound as Pujols and the rest of the Cardinals exit their slump.
Kevin Gregg - He notched his 3rd save on Sunday, proving he's the definitive closer in Henry Owens' absence. I can't imagine he'll remain the closer when Owens returns, given Owens didn't give them any reason to remove him.
Pat Burrell - He's entered a hot streak, homering 5 times in the past 10 games. His batting average is still in the .250s, but he's worth using in mixed leagues while hot. Given the offense around him, he could straighten himself out and have quite a bit of value the rest of the year.
Geoff Jenkins - He's as hot and cold as any player in the majors, but it's possible that he'll prove valuable in mixed leagues all year long. He's up to 9 HRs now, and with the Brewers offense maturing all at once, he should post plenty of Rs and RBIs as well.
Carlos Zambrano - All the progress he showed in his last start with the Mets just went right out the window. He deserved better given that Cotts gave up a 2 out grand slam to AJ Pierzynski, causing 3 more runs to be charged against Zambrano, but he shouldn't have loaded the bases to begin with. I watched this game, and his stuff doesn't look the same. I'm officially worried at this point. I don't know if it's bad mechanics or an injury.
Kelvim Escobar - That's more like it. 8 IP of shutout ball against the Dodgers on Sunday, so last week's massacre was definitely just a blip in the radar.
Felix Hernandez - He lasted only 5 IP this start, but he had already thrown over 100 pitches by that point. His stuff is still fine, as evidenced with the 9 Ks, but his command isn't there yet. He gave up 8 hits and 3 walks, but I won't worry unless this keeps up for another start or two.
Matt Morris - Holy flashback, Batman. Morris posted a complete game, 1 run, 2 hit start with 9 Ks. His ERA dropped to 2.93, but he's not worth much of a mixed league start unless he follows this up with another few quality outings. His WHIP stands at 1.34, so that ERA should be shooting up sometime very soon. His stuff isn't the same after shoulder surgery a few years ago.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Jason Bergmann To The DL
Washington Nationals starter Jason Bergmann is headed to the DL with elbow sorness. When it rains, it pours. The Nationals top 3 starters are all on the DL, with Bergmann joining John Patterson and Shaun Hill. The 25 year old made a name for himself in his last start, taking a no-hitter into the 8th inning. Unfortunately, ESPN flashed over to that inning, and his next pitch was deposited over the right field wall by Brian McCann.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure he was picked up in many leagues after that start, or possibly before given he was posting solid ratios all year long. It's a shame as he was pitching very well prior to the soreness, so hopefully it's nothing major and he'll avoid surgery. I don't believe he's worth stashing, but keep an eye on him if he returns and has a good start or two.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure he was picked up in many leagues after that start, or possibly before given he was posting solid ratios all year long. It's a shame as he was pitching very well prior to the soreness, so hopefully it's nothing major and he'll avoid surgery. I don't believe he's worth stashing, but keep an eye on him if he returns and has a good start or two.
Hank Blalock To The DL
Texas Rangers 3B Hank Blalock is headed to the 60 day DL after being diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I don't understand exactly what the disease is, but apparently a rib is interfering with the nerves in his shoulder. He'll have surgery to remove the rib and be gone for about 3 months.
Fantasy Impact: Blalock can be dropped in mixed leagues, but if you have an empty DL slot, go ahead and stash him to see how his recovery goes. In the league I own him, I already have Kendrick and Mauer on the DL, so I don't have another spot and gladly let him go. If it takes 3 months, he'll only play for a month, plus he'll be rusty at the plate, and it's impossible to chew up an active roster spot given that. It's a shame as he had homered in 3 straight games prior to complaining about the injury. Here's to a quick recovery, Hank.
Fantasy Impact: Blalock can be dropped in mixed leagues, but if you have an empty DL slot, go ahead and stash him to see how his recovery goes. In the league I own him, I already have Kendrick and Mauer on the DL, so I don't have another spot and gladly let him go. If it takes 3 months, he'll only play for a month, plus he'll be rusty at the plate, and it's impossible to chew up an active roster spot given that. It's a shame as he had homered in 3 straight games prior to complaining about the injury. Here's to a quick recovery, Hank.
Belated Thursday Wrapup: Dye Not Dead, D. Young Awake, And Good Ole Fausto
Jermaine Dye: Sooner or later the White Sox offense was going to wake up, and Dye seems to be taking that first step. He drove in 4 runs with a double, HR, and sac fly on Thursday. If you're one that likes to buy low after a player starts to wake up, Dye is your man. He'll never repeat what he did last year, but he's a quality hitter that's due for a nice hot streak. Once Thome and his great OBP get back, he'll have more men on base to drive in as well.
Delmon Young: Another guy that falls in the same catagory as Dye...he's heating up and now's a good time to buy low before the window shuts for good. He smacked 2 HRs on Thursday and looks to be breaking out of his slump with his 3rd straight 2 hit game in a row.
Fausto Carmona: A complete game shutout for the surging youngster. He's still not K'ing many people, but with the way he's pitching it doesn't matter. He could be a surprise fantasy pitcher this year as he has a great offense behind him. I expect him to regress as teams figure him out, but he had a successful track record in the minors as a starter, and could be here for good despite being due for a rough patch soon.
Johan Santana: His WHIP is a bit higher than usual, but other than that he's pitching great again, and he usually heats up about now as well. He's actually off to a better start this year than the last few, so he could be in for even better numbers than usual come year's end if he goes on his summer hot streak.
Travis Hafner: His numbers are down a bit right now (.280, only 7 HRs so far), so it might be a good time to call his owner and see if you can get him for a slight discount.
Hideki Okajima: He's worth owning in all formats right now. His ratios (ERA, WHIP, K/9) are insane, and he's clearly the #2 guy for saves behind Papelbon. Papelbon owners would be real smart to add him if they have an empty roster spot, and even non-Papelbon owners should consider him as well. It's a scary time for opposing teams to be down heading into the 8th inning against Boston.
Jon Rauch/Chad Cordero: Again, don't worry about the save for Rauch on Thursday. Cordero had worked 2 straight days after being gone for a week, so he got a day off. He'll get the next save chance for Washington.
Chipper Jones: Jones hit his 11th HR, and has been a true force when in the lineup. With the lack of production at the 3B position this season, it's almost impossible to advise selling Jones unless you can package him for either A-Rod or Wright. He's hitting too well, and there's too many guys not producing at the 3B position this year. The best idea is to make sure you have a quality backup for when he misses game, and enjoy his production when he's healthy.
Ryan Dempster: Or is that dumpster? His ugly 2nd half 2006 self came back to haunt his owners with a complete blowup. The good thing is that he's still the best Cubs reliever, and he has plenty of job security. This will be a good test for him to see what type of mental makeup he has as he'll attempt to bounce-back from this.
Jon Garland: Alright, I'm sold, pick him up. After holding the Yankees to 1 run on Thursday, I'm convinced that he's back to his 2005 form. Don't be afraid to cut bait if he strings a couple bad performances together, but he's pitching incredibly right now. He won't help in K's, but he'll help in the other 3 catagories.
Ben Sheets: The K's are back! As I mentioned before, I was a bit concerned about his K-rate in the early going, but it did indeed prove to be a fluke as his track record suggested. He's now K'd 18 in his last 20 IP, so he's back on track and pitching great. 2 weeks ago I was offered Sheets and Manny for Webb and Rios in a league, and I jumped on it. It's not as lopsided as it sounds due to Webb's usual consistency and Sheet's flakiness, but for that value, Sheets was well worth buying low on. All his owners should be happy as he appears healthy and ready to dominate this year.
Jeremy Hermida: Hitting very well so far, but just 1 HR and no SBs yet. He's showing no rust so far, and could be ready to show his talent. Like I said before, he's worth picking up and speculating on if you have an empty spot, and he's well worth watching in all leagues.
Tim Linecum: After a rough first start in Philly, this super prospect has pitched 14 innings and allowed 9 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 16. He's here to stay, and will continue to get better. Expect some rough spots as with all rookie pitchers not named Liriano, but he'll probably prove to be one of the best waiver wire pitchers of this year.
Roy Oswalt: Cruising along like your staff ace should. 2.83 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 6 wins so far. His strikeout rate isn't what it was a few years ago, but that's of little concern when he pitches like this.
Ichiro Suzuki: Unfortunately I miss a few buy-low candidates trying to go through the boxscores every day, and unfortunatley I haven't touched on him yet until it's too late. He's stolen 7 bases in the last 7 days and has his average up over .320. He's back on track, so hopefully his owners were patient.
Delmon Young: Another guy that falls in the same catagory as Dye...he's heating up and now's a good time to buy low before the window shuts for good. He smacked 2 HRs on Thursday and looks to be breaking out of his slump with his 3rd straight 2 hit game in a row.
Fausto Carmona: A complete game shutout for the surging youngster. He's still not K'ing many people, but with the way he's pitching it doesn't matter. He could be a surprise fantasy pitcher this year as he has a great offense behind him. I expect him to regress as teams figure him out, but he had a successful track record in the minors as a starter, and could be here for good despite being due for a rough patch soon.
Johan Santana: His WHIP is a bit higher than usual, but other than that he's pitching great again, and he usually heats up about now as well. He's actually off to a better start this year than the last few, so he could be in for even better numbers than usual come year's end if he goes on his summer hot streak.
Travis Hafner: His numbers are down a bit right now (.280, only 7 HRs so far), so it might be a good time to call his owner and see if you can get him for a slight discount.
Hideki Okajima: He's worth owning in all formats right now. His ratios (ERA, WHIP, K/9) are insane, and he's clearly the #2 guy for saves behind Papelbon. Papelbon owners would be real smart to add him if they have an empty roster spot, and even non-Papelbon owners should consider him as well. It's a scary time for opposing teams to be down heading into the 8th inning against Boston.
Jon Rauch/Chad Cordero: Again, don't worry about the save for Rauch on Thursday. Cordero had worked 2 straight days after being gone for a week, so he got a day off. He'll get the next save chance for Washington.
Chipper Jones: Jones hit his 11th HR, and has been a true force when in the lineup. With the lack of production at the 3B position this season, it's almost impossible to advise selling Jones unless you can package him for either A-Rod or Wright. He's hitting too well, and there's too many guys not producing at the 3B position this year. The best idea is to make sure you have a quality backup for when he misses game, and enjoy his production when he's healthy.
Ryan Dempster: Or is that dumpster? His ugly 2nd half 2006 self came back to haunt his owners with a complete blowup. The good thing is that he's still the best Cubs reliever, and he has plenty of job security. This will be a good test for him to see what type of mental makeup he has as he'll attempt to bounce-back from this.
Jon Garland: Alright, I'm sold, pick him up. After holding the Yankees to 1 run on Thursday, I'm convinced that he's back to his 2005 form. Don't be afraid to cut bait if he strings a couple bad performances together, but he's pitching incredibly right now. He won't help in K's, but he'll help in the other 3 catagories.
Ben Sheets: The K's are back! As I mentioned before, I was a bit concerned about his K-rate in the early going, but it did indeed prove to be a fluke as his track record suggested. He's now K'd 18 in his last 20 IP, so he's back on track and pitching great. 2 weeks ago I was offered Sheets and Manny for Webb and Rios in a league, and I jumped on it. It's not as lopsided as it sounds due to Webb's usual consistency and Sheet's flakiness, but for that value, Sheets was well worth buying low on. All his owners should be happy as he appears healthy and ready to dominate this year.
Jeremy Hermida: Hitting very well so far, but just 1 HR and no SBs yet. He's showing no rust so far, and could be ready to show his talent. Like I said before, he's worth picking up and speculating on if you have an empty spot, and he's well worth watching in all leagues.
Tim Linecum: After a rough first start in Philly, this super prospect has pitched 14 innings and allowed 9 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 16. He's here to stay, and will continue to get better. Expect some rough spots as with all rookie pitchers not named Liriano, but he'll probably prove to be one of the best waiver wire pitchers of this year.
Roy Oswalt: Cruising along like your staff ace should. 2.83 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 6 wins so far. His strikeout rate isn't what it was a few years ago, but that's of little concern when he pitches like this.
Ichiro Suzuki: Unfortunately I miss a few buy-low candidates trying to go through the boxscores every day, and unfortunatley I haven't touched on him yet until it's too late. He's stolen 7 bases in the last 7 days and has his average up over .320. He's back on track, so hopefully his owners were patient.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Josh Beckett To The DL
Boston Red Sox starter Josh Beckett has been placed on the disabled list with a tear in the middle finger of his pitching hand. As has happened several times throughout his career, Beckett suffered another blister/tear on the same middle finger, and the Red Sox are playing it safe and placing him on the disabled list.
Fantasy Impact: It will be retroactive to his last start, which came back on May 13th, so he'll be available to come off the disabled list and make a start on May 29th. He'll probably only miss the minimum 15 days, and until then you could use a spot starter or two to cover your innings.
Fantasy Impact: It will be retroactive to his last start, which came back on May 13th, so he'll be available to come off the disabled list and make a start on May 29th. He'll probably only miss the minimum 15 days, and until then you could use a spot starter or two to cover your innings.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Hunter-ific, Wolf'in Down K's, And Blalock's Forearm
Hunter Pence: En fuego. He hasn't needed much rookie adjustment so far. Pence has played in 16 games, racking up a .355 AVG, 4 HRs, 15 RBIs, and 2 SBs to boot. Owners might have dropped him after an initially slow start, but he's raking right now and needs to be active in mixed leagues.
Randy Wolf: Comeback player of the year? If Josh Hamilton continues his decline, Wolf might have a shot. Now more than a year removed from TJ surgery, he's posted a 5-3 record with a 3.91 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and most impressively 62 Ks in 53 IP. He's been a quality K guy in the past, but nothing like this before. Perhaps his new elbow ligament came from a horse. He's definitely worth starting in mixed leagues at the moment while he's pitching well. Maybe a move to LA was just what he needed.
Hank Blalock: Blalock underwent tests on his forearm after the game, but nothing major showed up. He might miss a game or so to rest his soreness, but a DL stint seems unlikely at the moment.
John Danks: Danks has been on a roll with 3 straight quality starts, the latest being last night against the Yankees. He has a great arm, but many thought he wasn't quite ready for the major league level yet. He's proving them wrong so far, and another quality start or two might warrant a pickup in mixed leagues. If the White Sox offense continues to come out of its slumber, he'll be worth spot starting against weaker offenses thanks to his K potential (35 in 41 2/3 IP so far).
Matt Thornton/Bobby Jenks: I haven't read anything about Jenks having arm troubles, so my guess last night was that Guillen played matchups in the 9th inning (2 lefties, plus a switch hitter who didn't hit lefties at all due up in the 9th) and saved his closer for the 2nd game. The Sox got blown out in the 2nd game, but Thornton pitched a clean 9th for his first save. Nothing to worry about here for Jenks owners.
Cole Hamels: 8 IP, 2 Hits, 2 Runs, and 11 Ks last night. He's rounding into ace form, so hopefully you followed my advice earlier and at least inquired about buying low.
Ryan Zimmerman: 2/3 with a HR last night. He was due to heat up, and with his current .247 average, he has room to grow. He's a decent buy-low guy, but with the inept offense around him, his R and RBI ceilings are fairly low. Still, he's a top 10 3B that could be had on the cheap right now.
Chad Cordero: Cordero is being eased back into the closer's role, so don't fret about his 8th inning appearance last night. His manager Manny Acta stated this would happen, so maybe think about making an inquiry into his owner to see if he is spoofed by his appearance last night. He's still a candidate to be traded towards the trading deadline, and I'm not sure if he'd be dealt somewhere where he can close. If he can be had cheaply, it'd probably be worth the saves up until that point, but just beware of that possibility.
C.C. Sabathia: A great 1 run, 5 hit performance last night in 8 innings with 5 Ks. He was a popular candidate to ascend to #1 fantasy starter role this year, and so far he's living up to that. A great draft day value so far.
A.J. Burnett: CG, 1 run, 5 hits/walks, and 10 Ks. Just what the doctor ordered for my struggling fantasy rotation, that's for sure. Only 2 BBs, so his command was good last night. He's put together 3 straight quailty starts, so despite the 5 BBs last time out, he's finding his groove.
Jorge Sosa: Brilliant outing last night against the Cubs, and that's now 3 straight solid performances since joining the rotation. He had a surprising 2005 stint in the starting rotation with Atlanta, but I wouldn't read too much into this yet.
Rich Hill: He's struggled a bit in 3 of his 5 last starts, but he's still enjoying a fine season and his WHIP is a very strong 1.06. It isn't much of an opportunity with his very strong numbers, but perhaps you can talk about his recent struggles and past poor performance and get him for a discount. He reminds me a lot of Barry Zito, who would have had an even better career had he spent his prime years in the NL. Great sleeper heading into the season, and a quality option the rest of the year.
Mark Teixeira: He's continued his torrid hitting going 3/4 last night and adding his 4th HR in May. Hopefully you didn't trade him away after his slow start, learning from last year!
Noah Lowry: A tough luck CG loss last night, and his ERA is all the way down to 3.04 now. His ERA does NOT match his low K rate and 1.35 WHIP, so don't be fooled into picking him up. Some shellings are likely on the way, but he might be worth a spot start here and there against weaker offenses.
Brandon Webb: He's been irritating to own so far, serving up 2 HRs to Brad Hawpe last night which accounted for 4/5 ERs he allowed. He's alternated great starts with mediocre ones for much of the season. His WHIP sits at 1.29, but he's only walked 3 in his last two outings. He's not really a buy-low, but he might be a "buy at a discount". I expect him to eventually find his form from last year if his command stays stable. He won't post the same numbers, but he'll be plenty valuable the rest of the way.
John Lackey: 6 shoutout innings last night, and he's been awesome this year with a 2.43 ERA and 54 Ks in 59 1/3 IP. Another good draft day value.
Duchscherer/Calero/Embre/Witasick: With Dutch not able to pitch the past two days and Street on the DL, the bullpen has blown a save in each of the last two nights. This situation is a mess, but I think Duchscherer is worth holding onto to see if he gets the rest he needs to take over the closer's role until Street returns. None of the rest are worth owning right now.
Bronson Arroyo: To everyone's surprise, he's pitching just as well this year as he did last year, posting a 2.64 ERA thus far, and amassing a quality 43 Ks in 61 1/3 IP. His ERA will hop back over 3 before too long, but he'll provide his owners with a reliable back-end starter all year long.
Jake Peavy: Awesome again last night, although not quite so dominant with only 5 Ks but 9 hits in 7 IP. Allowed 2 runs in the first, then blanked them the next 6 innings. Too bad his offense didn't give him that final run he needed until after he left.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Injury Updates: Smoltz, Chipper, and Beckett
John Smoltz: Smoltz will make his scheduled start this weekend versus Boston. I'd probably play it safe and bench him against an elite offense coming off a finger injury on his pitching hand. Perhaps some of you guys are moreso the gambling type than I, but I believe it's best if you keep him benched for this one.
Chipper Jones: Chipper is back in the lineup tonight after missing the last several games with a variety of injuries. He's been on fire at the plate, but this is what you have to put up with to enjoy that production. Hopefully he'll feel fine tonight and stay in the lineup until his next injury.
Josh Beckett: Beckett will miss his scheduled start with his finger tear, as I figured he would, and he'll probably head to the DL if I had to guess. There's no point to Boston letting him pitch through it at this point in the season.
Chipper Jones: Chipper is back in the lineup tonight after missing the last several games with a variety of injuries. He's been on fire at the plate, but this is what you have to put up with to enjoy that production. Hopefully he'll feel fine tonight and stay in the lineup until his next injury.
Josh Beckett: Beckett will miss his scheduled start with his finger tear, as I figured he would, and he'll probably head to the DL if I had to guess. There's no point to Boston letting him pitch through it at this point in the season.
Not So Uggla, The Zambrano We Love, And Felix Returns
Dan Uggla: Uggla was noted by a lot of fantasy outlets as having a high bust probability this year after last year's surprise season. His average is poor and he's not much of a base stealer, but his power numbers are doing just fine so far and he's more or less repeating his performance from last year. So far so good, and there's no reason to do anything with him.
Sergio Mitre: Mitre is putting up some impressive ratios (2.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) so far, but I don't have faith in him as more than a spot starter in mixed leagues against weak offenses. I have a feeling he's due to crash back down as nothing in his past suggests he's anywhere this good.
Hanley Ramirez: He's more than living up to expectations thus far. It seemed split between people whether he would progress or regress this year, and he's definitely progressing thus far. Between Ramirez, Cabrera, Uggla, and Hermida, the Marlins have the foundation for a quality offense for years to come, or more accurately until their cheap contracts start to expire.
Jhonny Peralta: Another HR last night gives him 8 on the season, and outside of batting average, he's definitely close to returning to his 2005 form. I'm not sure if he'll get up to .280, but the rest of his production is giving his owners great value this season.
Jeremy Accardo: 3/3 in saves, and still unscored upon. Not too bad so far for a waiver wire closer, and yet another example of why taking high-risk closers in the middle rounds is a waste of a draft choice. Teams will begin to figure him out, but from what I've read, he does have closer-quality stuff.
Hank Blalock: 3 straight 2 hit, 1 HR games. The power seems to be coming back, and the only thing that sucks is the lack of baserunners on when he jacks one out.
Carl Crawford: Up to 11 steals now. Those who didn't freak out when he was 1/3 in steals early in the season have been rewarded with 10 straight successful attempts. The 5 HR are nice too, and it seems like the power surge early last year wasn't as big of a fluke as some thought.
Brandon McCarthy: He was more than likely dumped to the waiver wire after starting off the season like a steaming turd, but he's starting to get his command figured out and lasted 6 innings last night, K'ing 7. I don't like his flyball tendencies in the Texas heat, especially during the summer months, so I don't think he's more than a spot starter against weak offenses, preferrably on the road. He will continue to improve though.
James Shields: Another great outing last night, although another no decision to show for it. He's on a roll, and should continue pitching well. I'd only bench him against the Yankees and Red Sox going forward.
Carlos Zambrano: Another glimmer of hope. After working hard on his mechanics of keeping his front closed after his last start, he put together one of this season's better performances by holding the Mets to 1 run in 8 IP. The 3:3 K:BB ratio isn't great, but he took a step in the right direction. He's still a great buy-low candidate, but act fast.
Carlos Lee: 2 more HRs last night, and he's been a monster so far this year. I'm looking really smart taking Jason Bay over him so far. Or not.
Hunter Pence: The best hitting prospect in the majors is off to a great start, hitting .310 with 3 HRs. I doubt he hits above .300 this year given pitchers will start adjusting to and attacking his weaknesses, but he's well worth picking up and using if you have a hole in your lineup while he's hot. The power is definitely legit, and the average could be too if he stays on top of the swing flaws that pitchers will eventually find.
Randy Johnson: 6 IP, 9 Ks, 1 H. He was not removed due to injury, and said he's feeling great. Buy low opportunity might be closed after this start, and being back in the NL will provide great help to his numbers.
Bobby Crosby: Numbers over the last month are .280, 15 Rs, 4 HRs, 14 RBIs, 4 SBs. Pick him up if you have a hole at SS...this might be the year he stays healthy and put his immense talent to full use.
Kelvim Escobar: I looked at his stat line this morning and immediately vomitted. Don't worry, he's not hurt. Just one of those nights. One of those ugly, ugly nights. *curses*
Felix Hernandez: Felix's control was off last night, but the most important part of his outing was that he didn't re-injure himself, and that his stuff looked great. He was pulled after 3 2/3 due to hitting his pitch count which was a shame due to the 10 runs of support the Seattle offense gave him. I'd use him next time out without concern.
Rafael Furcal: 3 straight 4 hit nights, and he's now hitting .297. I tried very hard to acquire him in a league where my SS (Felipe Lopez) sucks, but unfortunately we didn't have a match. It's a shame, because he was a great buy-low candidate a week ago.
Sergio Mitre: Mitre is putting up some impressive ratios (2.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) so far, but I don't have faith in him as more than a spot starter in mixed leagues against weak offenses. I have a feeling he's due to crash back down as nothing in his past suggests he's anywhere this good.
Hanley Ramirez: He's more than living up to expectations thus far. It seemed split between people whether he would progress or regress this year, and he's definitely progressing thus far. Between Ramirez, Cabrera, Uggla, and Hermida, the Marlins have the foundation for a quality offense for years to come, or more accurately until their cheap contracts start to expire.
Jhonny Peralta: Another HR last night gives him 8 on the season, and outside of batting average, he's definitely close to returning to his 2005 form. I'm not sure if he'll get up to .280, but the rest of his production is giving his owners great value this season.
Jeremy Accardo: 3/3 in saves, and still unscored upon. Not too bad so far for a waiver wire closer, and yet another example of why taking high-risk closers in the middle rounds is a waste of a draft choice. Teams will begin to figure him out, but from what I've read, he does have closer-quality stuff.
Hank Blalock: 3 straight 2 hit, 1 HR games. The power seems to be coming back, and the only thing that sucks is the lack of baserunners on when he jacks one out.
Carl Crawford: Up to 11 steals now. Those who didn't freak out when he was 1/3 in steals early in the season have been rewarded with 10 straight successful attempts. The 5 HR are nice too, and it seems like the power surge early last year wasn't as big of a fluke as some thought.
Brandon McCarthy: He was more than likely dumped to the waiver wire after starting off the season like a steaming turd, but he's starting to get his command figured out and lasted 6 innings last night, K'ing 7. I don't like his flyball tendencies in the Texas heat, especially during the summer months, so I don't think he's more than a spot starter against weak offenses, preferrably on the road. He will continue to improve though.
James Shields: Another great outing last night, although another no decision to show for it. He's on a roll, and should continue pitching well. I'd only bench him against the Yankees and Red Sox going forward.
Carlos Zambrano: Another glimmer of hope. After working hard on his mechanics of keeping his front closed after his last start, he put together one of this season's better performances by holding the Mets to 1 run in 8 IP. The 3:3 K:BB ratio isn't great, but he took a step in the right direction. He's still a great buy-low candidate, but act fast.
Carlos Lee: 2 more HRs last night, and he's been a monster so far this year. I'm looking really smart taking Jason Bay over him so far. Or not.
Hunter Pence: The best hitting prospect in the majors is off to a great start, hitting .310 with 3 HRs. I doubt he hits above .300 this year given pitchers will start adjusting to and attacking his weaknesses, but he's well worth picking up and using if you have a hole in your lineup while he's hot. The power is definitely legit, and the average could be too if he stays on top of the swing flaws that pitchers will eventually find.
Randy Johnson: 6 IP, 9 Ks, 1 H. He was not removed due to injury, and said he's feeling great. Buy low opportunity might be closed after this start, and being back in the NL will provide great help to his numbers.
Bobby Crosby: Numbers over the last month are .280, 15 Rs, 4 HRs, 14 RBIs, 4 SBs. Pick him up if you have a hole at SS...this might be the year he stays healthy and put his immense talent to full use.
Kelvim Escobar: I looked at his stat line this morning and immediately vomitted. Don't worry, he's not hurt. Just one of those nights. One of those ugly, ugly nights. *curses*
Felix Hernandez: Felix's control was off last night, but the most important part of his outing was that he didn't re-injure himself, and that his stuff looked great. He was pulled after 3 2/3 due to hitting his pitch count which was a shame due to the 10 runs of support the Seattle offense gave him. I'd use him next time out without concern.
Rafael Furcal: 3 straight 4 hit nights, and he's now hitting .297. I tried very hard to acquire him in a league where my SS (Felipe Lopez) sucks, but unfortunately we didn't have a match. It's a shame, because he was a great buy-low candidate a week ago.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Huston Street To The Disabled List
Oakland A's closer Huston Street has been placed on the disabled list with an irritated right ulnar nerve. I guess the warning signs were there as Street had only pitched once in the past 9 days, and generally even if save opportunities don't exist, managers try to get their closers some work in between to keep them fresh. This is somewhat surprising though, as usually abnormally bad performance is the best indicator of an injury, but Street had been pitching brilliantly so far this year.
Fantasy Impact: The situation is a bit of a mess as Justin Duchscherer would be next in line as the A's top setup man, but he said today that it might be best if he went on the DL to rest his ailing arthritic hip. Considering the A's haven't placed him there yet, he still has to be considered the favorite for saves as he might try to pitch through the pain given Street's injury. He didn't have a good outing against KC last night, giving up 2 runs and 3 hits in a loss. Kiko Calero is another possibility as he was the setup man last year for the A's when Street was injured and Duchscherer closed, but he's posted a 5.51 ERA so far. His WHIP remains a solid 1.16 however, so it could be bad luck. Duchscherer is the guy worth picking up here, but keep an eye on the next save opportunity and also whether or not Duchscherer joins Street on the DL.
Smoltz's Pinky, The Roll Of The Dice, and Mad Dog's CG
John Smoltz: First and foremost, let me address the scary moment last night when John Smoltz was defensively involved in a run-down, and a crash into the baserunner dislocated his pinky. X-rays were negative, so that's the best possible scenario. Smoltz has been pitching well this year, posting a 3.19 ERA with a 5-2 record plus 48 Ks in 59 1/3 IP. He might have his start pushed back depending on how the swelling subsides over the next several days, but he's avoided breaking anything and probably shouldn't miss more than one start at most.
Daisuke Matsuzaka: Dice-K continued his roll with a CG effort last night, giving up 1 run and 6 hits while K'ing 5. Combine this with his last effort, and he seems to have worked out his issues and his new throwing regimine might be the reason why. Most encouraging was that he didn't walk anyone, so hopefully he's fixed his control issues and will begin dominating the way fantasy owners imagined when they drafted him.
Greg Maddux: Greg Maddux also tossed a complete game last night, his first in about 2 years. Petco Park will no doubt help aid his stats this year, and because of that he's well worth owning in all formats. I would always start him at home, but I'd avoid his away starts against good offenses to maximize his value to your rotation.
Tom Gorzelanny: This dude is on a serious roll this year, and looks to be fulfilling the promise and talent he flashed in the minor leagues. His 2.36 ERA and 1.09 WHIP are great, and 34 Ks in 53 1/3 IP is respectable. Toss in the 5 wins, and he's been great to his fantasy owners so far this season. He's not quite this good, and given he's never thrown 200 innings before and has also battled arm problems the past, I'd highly suggest moving him now.
Hank Blalock: After a slow April, he's quitely been hitting very well in May. .370 with 3 HRs 6 doubles, and a 1.127 OPS. He's always had the talent, but he's consistently disappointed since his rookie season. I thought he'd get things turned around this year, and if you do too, contact his owner and point to the less-than-stellar overall stats and get him cheap. He could really become a monster once it heats up in Texas and balls start flying out of the ballpark.
Jesus Colome: Colome notched a save in last night's game, but he's not worth picking up. Washington is going to ease Cordero back into the closer's role after he missed a week due to the bereavement list, and given Rauch had pitched in 3 straight games, they gave Colome a chance. Odds are it'll be his only save of the season as he's clearly 3rd in line.
Brett Myers: After being moved to the closer's role following Gordon's arm problems, he's posted 7 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 R, and 9 Ks. He's doing nothing to disprove my claim that he'll still be the closer when Gordon returns.
J.J. Hardy: 12 HRs, good for 2nd in the majors right now. A Brewers fan drafted him in one of my leagues, saying that he was confident Hardy would breakout this year. Kudos to him as he was likely waiver wire material in most leagues to start the season. Hardy was a legit power prospect at SS before injuries de-railed his first few seasons in the majors, but he's cruising now. He's not quite this good, obviously, but expect solid numbers the rest of the way as this isn't completely out of his realm.
Troy Glaus: In a shocking turn of events, he played last night through his foot injury and actually slugged a HR. Given he said he felt something pop in his foot the previous day, I'm not sure what's going on here. He's a bigtime power hitter and fantasy producer (outside of average) and is SS eligible, but he's always a health risk. He's played ~150 games the last two years, so maybe he has another one of those in him this year. It's hard to recommend selling him given the power he produces at the SS position, but if you have holes and can get a decent SS in return, I'd look to make a move before this foot issue becomes a bigger problem. It'd be even better if you can play up his very out-of-character batting average thus far.
David Wright: Your buy-low opportunity is quickly closing as he's really starting to rake now. Talk about his overall sub-standard numbers and see if you can get a deal done quick for a discount and he's entering what should be a nice tear.
Daisuke Matsuzaka: Dice-K continued his roll with a CG effort last night, giving up 1 run and 6 hits while K'ing 5. Combine this with his last effort, and he seems to have worked out his issues and his new throwing regimine might be the reason why. Most encouraging was that he didn't walk anyone, so hopefully he's fixed his control issues and will begin dominating the way fantasy owners imagined when they drafted him.
Greg Maddux: Greg Maddux also tossed a complete game last night, his first in about 2 years. Petco Park will no doubt help aid his stats this year, and because of that he's well worth owning in all formats. I would always start him at home, but I'd avoid his away starts against good offenses to maximize his value to your rotation.
Tom Gorzelanny: This dude is on a serious roll this year, and looks to be fulfilling the promise and talent he flashed in the minor leagues. His 2.36 ERA and 1.09 WHIP are great, and 34 Ks in 53 1/3 IP is respectable. Toss in the 5 wins, and he's been great to his fantasy owners so far this season. He's not quite this good, and given he's never thrown 200 innings before and has also battled arm problems the past, I'd highly suggest moving him now.
Hank Blalock: After a slow April, he's quitely been hitting very well in May. .370 with 3 HRs 6 doubles, and a 1.127 OPS. He's always had the talent, but he's consistently disappointed since his rookie season. I thought he'd get things turned around this year, and if you do too, contact his owner and point to the less-than-stellar overall stats and get him cheap. He could really become a monster once it heats up in Texas and balls start flying out of the ballpark.
Jesus Colome: Colome notched a save in last night's game, but he's not worth picking up. Washington is going to ease Cordero back into the closer's role after he missed a week due to the bereavement list, and given Rauch had pitched in 3 straight games, they gave Colome a chance. Odds are it'll be his only save of the season as he's clearly 3rd in line.
Brett Myers: After being moved to the closer's role following Gordon's arm problems, he's posted 7 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 R, and 9 Ks. He's doing nothing to disprove my claim that he'll still be the closer when Gordon returns.
J.J. Hardy: 12 HRs, good for 2nd in the majors right now. A Brewers fan drafted him in one of my leagues, saying that he was confident Hardy would breakout this year. Kudos to him as he was likely waiver wire material in most leagues to start the season. Hardy was a legit power prospect at SS before injuries de-railed his first few seasons in the majors, but he's cruising now. He's not quite this good, obviously, but expect solid numbers the rest of the way as this isn't completely out of his realm.
Troy Glaus: In a shocking turn of events, he played last night through his foot injury and actually slugged a HR. Given he said he felt something pop in his foot the previous day, I'm not sure what's going on here. He's a bigtime power hitter and fantasy producer (outside of average) and is SS eligible, but he's always a health risk. He's played ~150 games the last two years, so maybe he has another one of those in him this year. It's hard to recommend selling him given the power he produces at the SS position, but if you have holes and can get a decent SS in return, I'd look to make a move before this foot issue becomes a bigger problem. It'd be even better if you can play up his very out-of-character batting average thus far.
David Wright: Your buy-low opportunity is quickly closing as he's really starting to rake now. Talk about his overall sub-standard numbers and see if you can get a deal done quick for a discount and he's entering what should be a nice tear.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Michael Vick's In The Doghouse
There seems to be a news update almost daily about Michael Vick's involvement in a dog fighting ring. I've been focusing on baseball updates, but with the way this story is picking up steam, I wanted to address this issue.
First of all, Vick is an idiot for involving himself in this legal activity. Any athlete that puts their reputation and sports life on the line to be a part of something illegal just doesn't get it. Why would you risk fame and fortune for this? What does he possibly gain from doing it? Those are only answers that these athletes can provide, unfortunately.
Not only is dog fighting a very vicious, inhumane part of society, but so is everyone involved in the process of making it happen. Nobody will deny the fact that any athlete that does something like that deserves to be punished. The problem is that in this day and age, celebrities and athletes get far more free passes than the common citizen does. Not only is this a terrible precedent for society as a whole, but it's especially a terrible example for the children that look up to these athletes. These children see their favorite athlete doing something illegal and possibly think it's OK to do it, and they also see these athletes get away with lots of it and think that they won't be held accountable for it either. We can only hope that Michael Vick is not only punished by the law, but will also face a lengthy suspension from the NFL.
Fantasy Impact: This story, as it has grown, is undoubted increasing the chances that Michael Vick will be investigated and punished by the NFL. I have to think his playing status for the start of the season is now in question, and his future with the Falcons could be too depending on the depth of his involvement. I'm sure owner Arthur Blank has been elated by the financial impact that Vick has made on the Falcons, but there's no doubt that he's fallen short of expectations on the football field. The new coaching staff has no ties to him, although by trading Matt Schaub earlier this offseason, they lack a quality in-house alternative. There's nothing definitive to be said about him right now, but dynasty and keeper league owners should give a lot of thought to seeing what they can salvage from his value in a trade before this situation gets any worse.
First of all, Vick is an idiot for involving himself in this legal activity. Any athlete that puts their reputation and sports life on the line to be a part of something illegal just doesn't get it. Why would you risk fame and fortune for this? What does he possibly gain from doing it? Those are only answers that these athletes can provide, unfortunately.
Not only is dog fighting a very vicious, inhumane part of society, but so is everyone involved in the process of making it happen. Nobody will deny the fact that any athlete that does something like that deserves to be punished. The problem is that in this day and age, celebrities and athletes get far more free passes than the common citizen does. Not only is this a terrible precedent for society as a whole, but it's especially a terrible example for the children that look up to these athletes. These children see their favorite athlete doing something illegal and possibly think it's OK to do it, and they also see these athletes get away with lots of it and think that they won't be held accountable for it either. We can only hope that Michael Vick is not only punished by the law, but will also face a lengthy suspension from the NFL.
Fantasy Impact: This story, as it has grown, is undoubted increasing the chances that Michael Vick will be investigated and punished by the NFL. I have to think his playing status for the start of the season is now in question, and his future with the Falcons could be too depending on the depth of his involvement. I'm sure owner Arthur Blank has been elated by the financial impact that Vick has made on the Falcons, but there's no doubt that he's fallen short of expectations on the football field. The new coaching staff has no ties to him, although by trading Matt Schaub earlier this offseason, they lack a quality in-house alternative. There's nothing definitive to be said about him right now, but dynasty and keeper league owners should give a lot of thought to seeing what they can salvage from his value in a trade before this situation gets any worse.
Injury Update: Jeremy Hermida
The Florida Marlins activated OF Jeremy Hermida from the DL today. He's not to be picked up in mixed leagues yet, but he is well worth monitoring. He's suffered several injuries so far in his young career, but he has a lot of talent and is a potential 30 HR/15 SB threat once he gets acclimated to the majors. If you do have a spot you're not doing anything with, he's worth adding for speculation's sake, but I imagine it'll take him a few weeks to get back up to speed and start showing what we can expect from him this season, which might be 10-15 HRs and 5 SBs as a conservative estimate. He could be nice to have in the 2nd half this season.
Injury Updates: Mauer, Kendrick, Felix, and Beckett
Joe Mauer: Mauer is still experiencing some discomfort in his hamstring, so while he's eligible to come off the DL on Sunday, that looks unlikely at this point. I'm not sure how much extra time he'll need, but it hopefully won't be too much longer until the best catcher in fantasy returns to the lineup. They might activate him at DH to start, but that's of little interest to us fantasy leaguers as long as he's able to hit effectively and stays in the lineup.
Howie Kendrick: Kendrick has been out since April 17th with a broken finger suffered on a hit-by-pitch, but it seems possible that he'll return next week. He'll be going on a minor league rehab assignment soon, and as long as he doesn't feel any pain in his finger, he'll likely rejoin the team next week.
Felix Hernandez: King Felix will return tomorrow evening to face the Anaheim Angels. Like I said before, I advise against starting pitchers in their first game back. Felix hasn't thrown in a game since feeling pain in his elbow on April 18th, and he'll likely be limited to 75-80 pitches. Even though he's facing a weaker offense, it was an elbow injury and I'm still worried this will mirror the Fracisco Liriano situation from last season. Liriano left a start with an elbow injury, missed a start, said he was fine. He tried pitching through it, but re-injured himself his first start back and needed Tommy John surgery. This situation is different, however, with Seattle being very cautious that he was 100% before activating him. Keep a close eye on his start tomorrow night and see how he throws, and most importantly what he says about his arm the following day.
Josh Beckett: Beckett left his start yesterday with torn skin on the middle finger of his pitching hand...the same injury that has plagued him his entire career. Sure enough, in my last post about him, I stated how he didn't have any blister problems last year, and then his next start it happens for the first time in over a year. Odds are he'll miss a start, or perhaps the Red Sox will play it safe and DL him for 15 days to make sure it fully heals. If you can get ace value for him, deal him. Considering this injury tends to linger and/or re-occur with him, see what his value is like on the trade market so you don't have to worry about it again. I know this will probably raise a red flag with potential trading partners, but see if someone will take the risk with him having such a fine start to the season. In hindsight, I should have recommended this given his past, but I thought after a full year without problems, he might have figured out how to deal with the issue.
Howie Kendrick: Kendrick has been out since April 17th with a broken finger suffered on a hit-by-pitch, but it seems possible that he'll return next week. He'll be going on a minor league rehab assignment soon, and as long as he doesn't feel any pain in his finger, he'll likely rejoin the team next week.
Felix Hernandez: King Felix will return tomorrow evening to face the Anaheim Angels. Like I said before, I advise against starting pitchers in their first game back. Felix hasn't thrown in a game since feeling pain in his elbow on April 18th, and he'll likely be limited to 75-80 pitches. Even though he's facing a weaker offense, it was an elbow injury and I'm still worried this will mirror the Fracisco Liriano situation from last season. Liriano left a start with an elbow injury, missed a start, said he was fine. He tried pitching through it, but re-injured himself his first start back and needed Tommy John surgery. This situation is different, however, with Seattle being very cautious that he was 100% before activating him. Keep a close eye on his start tomorrow night and see how he throws, and most importantly what he says about his arm the following day.
Josh Beckett: Beckett left his start yesterday with torn skin on the middle finger of his pitching hand...the same injury that has plagued him his entire career. Sure enough, in my last post about him, I stated how he didn't have any blister problems last year, and then his next start it happens for the first time in over a year. Odds are he'll miss a start, or perhaps the Red Sox will play it safe and DL him for 15 days to make sure it fully heals. If you can get ace value for him, deal him. Considering this injury tends to linger and/or re-occur with him, see what his value is like on the trade market so you don't have to worry about it again. I know this will probably raise a red flag with potential trading partners, but see if someone will take the risk with him having such a fine start to the season. In hindsight, I should have recommended this given his past, but I thought after a full year without problems, he might have figured out how to deal with the issue.
Weekend Action - What The Cust Is Going On?
Jack Cust: Alright, time to address the hottest hitter in the majors. 6 HRs and 14 RBIs over the past week. This guy has always been a very legit power prospect, but he's a ridiculous liability on defense. His only possible position is DH, but despite that, he spent minor league time in NL systems which helped block his path to the majors. He's definitely a 30 HR candidate over a full season, and he'll draw plenty of walks, but his K-rate will prevent him from becoming a high average hitter. He's well worth picking up (he's OF eligible) and starting during his hot streak, and he'll have a month to prove himself before Piazza returns. What happens at that point is a mystery as I can't see Oakland benching Piazza or trying Cust in the field.
A.J. Burnett: 6 2/3 IP, 5 BB. This is definitely becoming a trend, and a worrisome one at that. I'm not sure what to say, but be selective with who you start him against while his wild streak continues. The Rays are too impatient of a team, so he escaped with a pretty good start despite the walks. He can't be doing that against quality offenses and have that sort of success.
Jon Garland: He's well worth spot starting against weaker offenses. He'll never K many people, but he's posted a 0.99 WHIP so far (it will go up as he pitches too much to contact) and only has 2 non-quality starts this year. He's not worth a roster spot due to his lack of Ks, but he's a solid spot starter, especially once Thome gets back and the Chicago lineup starts hitting again.
Joe Blanton: He's posting the best K rate of his career, and his ratios have been very solid so far. He's definitely worth picking up if still available in your league. Oakland's offense should be pretty solid, and he pitches in arguably the weakest offensive division in the AL. He's coming off an impressive outing in Cleveland in which he only gave up 2 runs in 7 IP. A solid 4/5 starter type for mixed leaguers.
Jake Peavy: 4 straight starts of 7 IP or less, but 10+ Ks...a major league record. Welcome to the best pitcher in the NL. 53 1/3 IP, 5-1, 1.52 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 66 Ks. When he's healthy, he's one of the best in baseball, so let's enjoy the 2007 season from him.
Takashi Saito: 25 straight converted saves for the most undervalued closer on draft day. As I stated before, he actually has legit stuff to avoid the downfall most Japanese pitchers face in their second seasons, and so far he's proving his doubters wrong. He's again posting outstanding ratios and K numbers, equaling what he accomplished last season.
Ben Sheets: He's posted much better K numbers over his last two starts, so it looks like he's quietly turning around. He turned in a quality start against the Mets offense last time out, allowing 3 ER and K'ing 5 over 6 IP. With the Brewers offense breaking through this season, he should start racking up wins as well. I'm thinking he's under-valued at this point and is a good buy-low.
Chuck James: Another pitcher to keep an eye on. He has control issues, but he's a quality pitcher backed by a quality offense. He had a great outing against Pittsburgh last time out (although few don't), so keep an eye on him over his next outing or two and see if he can string together some consistency.
Jeremy Accardo: Toronto's official new closer. A perfect 2 K inning for his first save, and he has the stuff to be a quality closer. Pick him up if still available.
Ted Lilly: Very impressive season thus far. The league switch was definitely going to help him, but he's been great so far with a 2.53 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. With 48 Ks in 53 1/3 IP, he's keeping a very strong K rate and should provide great value to those who drafted him late in mixed leagues this year. He'll remain valuable for as long as his shoulder stays healthy.
Oliver Perez: Another impressive season thus far. If he can maintain his control, he's going to be very valuable this year as well. His K rate has remained very good, and he's walked 14 in 42 IP, which is very good considering he walked 7 in a brutal 2 2/3 IP start earlier in this season. Outside of that blowup and another meltdown after an error in his start before Sunday, he's been solid and is probably worth starting each time out now that he's showing consistency.
Jose Reyes: 21 SBs already. Crazy. We could see our first 80 SB guy in quite some time. Some maniac in one of my leagues took him over Pujols, and that's looking genius thus far. He's a big Mets fan, so I can't give him too much credit.
A.J. Burnett: 6 2/3 IP, 5 BB. This is definitely becoming a trend, and a worrisome one at that. I'm not sure what to say, but be selective with who you start him against while his wild streak continues. The Rays are too impatient of a team, so he escaped with a pretty good start despite the walks. He can't be doing that against quality offenses and have that sort of success.
Jon Garland: He's well worth spot starting against weaker offenses. He'll never K many people, but he's posted a 0.99 WHIP so far (it will go up as he pitches too much to contact) and only has 2 non-quality starts this year. He's not worth a roster spot due to his lack of Ks, but he's a solid spot starter, especially once Thome gets back and the Chicago lineup starts hitting again.
Joe Blanton: He's posting the best K rate of his career, and his ratios have been very solid so far. He's definitely worth picking up if still available in your league. Oakland's offense should be pretty solid, and he pitches in arguably the weakest offensive division in the AL. He's coming off an impressive outing in Cleveland in which he only gave up 2 runs in 7 IP. A solid 4/5 starter type for mixed leaguers.
Jake Peavy: 4 straight starts of 7 IP or less, but 10+ Ks...a major league record. Welcome to the best pitcher in the NL. 53 1/3 IP, 5-1, 1.52 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 66 Ks. When he's healthy, he's one of the best in baseball, so let's enjoy the 2007 season from him.
Takashi Saito: 25 straight converted saves for the most undervalued closer on draft day. As I stated before, he actually has legit stuff to avoid the downfall most Japanese pitchers face in their second seasons, and so far he's proving his doubters wrong. He's again posting outstanding ratios and K numbers, equaling what he accomplished last season.
Ben Sheets: He's posted much better K numbers over his last two starts, so it looks like he's quietly turning around. He turned in a quality start against the Mets offense last time out, allowing 3 ER and K'ing 5 over 6 IP. With the Brewers offense breaking through this season, he should start racking up wins as well. I'm thinking he's under-valued at this point and is a good buy-low.
Chuck James: Another pitcher to keep an eye on. He has control issues, but he's a quality pitcher backed by a quality offense. He had a great outing against Pittsburgh last time out (although few don't), so keep an eye on him over his next outing or two and see if he can string together some consistency.
Jeremy Accardo: Toronto's official new closer. A perfect 2 K inning for his first save, and he has the stuff to be a quality closer. Pick him up if still available.
Ted Lilly: Very impressive season thus far. The league switch was definitely going to help him, but he's been great so far with a 2.53 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. With 48 Ks in 53 1/3 IP, he's keeping a very strong K rate and should provide great value to those who drafted him late in mixed leagues this year. He'll remain valuable for as long as his shoulder stays healthy.
Oliver Perez: Another impressive season thus far. If he can maintain his control, he's going to be very valuable this year as well. His K rate has remained very good, and he's walked 14 in 42 IP, which is very good considering he walked 7 in a brutal 2 2/3 IP start earlier in this season. Outside of that blowup and another meltdown after an error in his start before Sunday, he's been solid and is probably worth starting each time out now that he's showing consistency.
Jose Reyes: 21 SBs already. Crazy. We could see our first 80 SB guy in quite some time. Some maniac in one of my leagues took him over Pujols, and that's looking genius thus far. He's a big Mets fan, so I can't give him too much credit.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Roy Halladay To The DL
Toronto Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay has been placed on the disabled list with acute appendicitis. Heh, right after I just got done posting about him. The Blue Jays say that he'll miss about a month, and this is obviously bad news for all his owners who were likely counting on him to be their staff ace this year. The concerns about his forearm remain, and given the Blue Jays flatout lied about B.J. Ryan's injury earlier this year by saying it was a back problem instead of an elbow problem, you have to wonder if they're playing games again here. If it's truly appendicitis, he should be back in 3-4 weeks and be fine.
Fantasy Impact: What can I say? As hard as we try, we can't replace an ace. You'll have to check your waiver wire and see what's out there. Or, you can do something I started doing in my league where my rotation isn't deep and use spot starters. The key there is to factor in where he's pitching, the offense he's pitching against, the offense behind him, and the opposing pitcher. Use common sense and rankings, and you'll likely turn out a few gem starts in there somewhere. I'll post any additional news regarding his situation.
Fantasy Impact: What can I say? As hard as we try, we can't replace an ace. You'll have to check your waiver wire and see what's out there. Or, you can do something I started doing in my league where my rotation isn't deep and use spot starters. The key there is to factor in where he's pitching, the offense he's pitching against, the offense behind him, and the opposing pitcher. Use common sense and rankings, and you'll likely turn out a few gem starts in there somewhere. I'll post any additional news regarding his situation.
Henry Owens To The DL
Florida Marlins closer Henry Owens has been placed on the disabled list with right rotator cuff tendonitis. One of this year's surprises will be out for a few weeks, and I believe this injury is just treated with rest. Unfortunately, this gives Marlins' manager Fredi Gonzalez the opportunity to invent a reason to go back to Jorge Julio as his closer. Given his comments earlier this week about wanting to see Julio back in this role, this is likely the scenario that will play out.
Fantasy Impact: Go ahead and put Owens on your DL, but pay close attention to what happens in his absence. I would not bother picking up Julio...let someone else drool over his save potential while you keep your ERA and WHIP nice and slim. Instead, pick up Taylor Tankersley and wait for Julio to explode like the volcano he is if you have an empty roster spot and feel like placing a "futures" bet.
Fantasy Impact: Go ahead and put Owens on your DL, but pay close attention to what happens in his absence. I would not bother picking up Julio...let someone else drool over his save potential while you keep your ERA and WHIP nice and slim. Instead, pick up Taylor Tankersley and wait for Julio to explode like the volcano he is if you have an empty roster spot and feel like placing a "futures" bet.
Zambrano and Hallday Suck, Escobar Rules, And One Hot Johnson
Carlos Zambrano: Seriously, can the Cubs just start using him in the 2nd inning? Another first inning blowup led to 3 runs before the Cubs offense even got to hit. Again, he settled down after that and pitched good baseball the following 5 innings. He gave up 6 runs in total, 4 earned, with two coming after Murton screwed up a flyball that should have been out #3. He's actually pitching well the last three outings in the overall sense, but 2 first inning blowups have made his lines look worse. I'm sure he'll get this figured out, and his buy-low window is still wide open.
Jason Bay: 2-4 with a double and a bomb. Hopefully this is the start of another power outburst as he's still underproducing so far this early season. His numbers aren't bad enough to warrant much of a buy-low, but perhaps you can persuade his owner that the surrounding lineup is bad enough to get him at a discount with somewhat sub-par numbers thus far. Wouldn't hurt.
Roy Halladay: Yuck. 5 IP, 11 H, 7 ER. That's two straight bad outings from Halladay, and it's worth nothing that he never really did anything to completely fix his forearm problems. Maybe it's bothering him again, maybe not. His next start is a big one for his owners because 3 straight ugly appearances from a pitcher this good would be bad news.
Kelvim Escobar: Who had him benched yesterday? I did! Double yuck. 9 innings of shutout ball with 9 Ks against the powerful Cleveland offense. Escobar is on a serious roll, and now affords you a sell high opportunity because this man cannot stay off the disabled list for very long. If you can get a top notch starter for him in return for either him straight up or a package with a lesser player, jump ship. Still, he'll be putting up very nice numbers while he's healthy.
Dan Johnson: Perhaps he's pissed off about that AAA demotion last year, or perhaps he's realizing his potential. 4-4 with 2 HRs yesterday gives him a .383 line with 4 HRs and 12 RBIs on the season in limited action. His 8 K/11 BB ratio is excellent, and he's well worth an add in mixed leagues if you're not already too late. He's not a 30 HR guy from what I've read, but 18-20 more from here on out for a guy that's likely your UTIL man would be pretty nice along with a quality batting average.
Tim Wakefield: A 1.79 ERA? Crazy. He's more of the 4.00 ERA guy, but he's pitching extremely well and might be worth a spot start against weaker offenses, especially with Boston's powerhouse offense backing him. A much better pitcher in leagues that don't count Ks, but those leagues aren't fun anyways.
David Weathers: Easily one of the last closers off the board on draft day is providing solid value so far. A sub 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 14 Ks in 15 IP. A very unlikely closer candidate, but he's doing the job well so far and is probably worth shopping as he's never been this good.
Ken Griffey Jr.: He is en fuego right now with 5 HRs and 10 RBIs in the past 10 games, not to mention the .432 AVG in that same span. If you can find someone in your league that think he's jumped in the fountain of youth and will hit 40 HRs this season, you've found a trading partner, and also the league idiot.
Daniel Cabrera: There isn't a much better matchup for him than a young, impatient Tampa Bay lineup, but he found a way to give up 6 runs in 6 IP while only striking out 2, but walking none. What the hell? At least he won. From the looks of it, I'd guess he was around the strike zone a little too much. That being said, he'll probably throw a no hitter with 25 Ks the next time you bench him.
Jose Contreras: Two shutouts on the same day. Contreras is quietly pitching very well, but his K rate has gone south this season as he's only K'd 21 batters in 40 1/3 IP. He's worth keeping an eye on, and possibly spot starting against weaker offenses. He's worth less if he continues to not miss bats, but you can't ignore the sub 3.00 ERA he's posted since getting lit up on opening day.
Jason Bay: 2-4 with a double and a bomb. Hopefully this is the start of another power outburst as he's still underproducing so far this early season. His numbers aren't bad enough to warrant much of a buy-low, but perhaps you can persuade his owner that the surrounding lineup is bad enough to get him at a discount with somewhat sub-par numbers thus far. Wouldn't hurt.
Roy Halladay: Yuck. 5 IP, 11 H, 7 ER. That's two straight bad outings from Halladay, and it's worth nothing that he never really did anything to completely fix his forearm problems. Maybe it's bothering him again, maybe not. His next start is a big one for his owners because 3 straight ugly appearances from a pitcher this good would be bad news.
Kelvim Escobar: Who had him benched yesterday? I did! Double yuck. 9 innings of shutout ball with 9 Ks against the powerful Cleveland offense. Escobar is on a serious roll, and now affords you a sell high opportunity because this man cannot stay off the disabled list for very long. If you can get a top notch starter for him in return for either him straight up or a package with a lesser player, jump ship. Still, he'll be putting up very nice numbers while he's healthy.
Dan Johnson: Perhaps he's pissed off about that AAA demotion last year, or perhaps he's realizing his potential. 4-4 with 2 HRs yesterday gives him a .383 line with 4 HRs and 12 RBIs on the season in limited action. His 8 K/11 BB ratio is excellent, and he's well worth an add in mixed leagues if you're not already too late. He's not a 30 HR guy from what I've read, but 18-20 more from here on out for a guy that's likely your UTIL man would be pretty nice along with a quality batting average.
Tim Wakefield: A 1.79 ERA? Crazy. He's more of the 4.00 ERA guy, but he's pitching extremely well and might be worth a spot start against weaker offenses, especially with Boston's powerhouse offense backing him. A much better pitcher in leagues that don't count Ks, but those leagues aren't fun anyways.
David Weathers: Easily one of the last closers off the board on draft day is providing solid value so far. A sub 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 14 Ks in 15 IP. A very unlikely closer candidate, but he's doing the job well so far and is probably worth shopping as he's never been this good.
Ken Griffey Jr.: He is en fuego right now with 5 HRs and 10 RBIs in the past 10 games, not to mention the .432 AVG in that same span. If you can find someone in your league that think he's jumped in the fountain of youth and will hit 40 HRs this season, you've found a trading partner, and also the league idiot.
Daniel Cabrera: There isn't a much better matchup for him than a young, impatient Tampa Bay lineup, but he found a way to give up 6 runs in 6 IP while only striking out 2, but walking none. What the hell? At least he won. From the looks of it, I'd guess he was around the strike zone a little too much. That being said, he'll probably throw a no hitter with 25 Ks the next time you bench him.
Jose Contreras: Two shutouts on the same day. Contreras is quietly pitching very well, but his K rate has gone south this season as he's only K'd 21 batters in 40 1/3 IP. He's worth keeping an eye on, and possibly spot starting against weaker offenses. He's worth less if he continues to not miss bats, but you can't ignore the sub 3.00 ERA he's posted since getting lit up on opening day.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
B.J. Ryan To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
B.J. Ryan, after a second examination on his elbow, was told to undergo Tommy John surgery today. He'll be out the rest of the season. Like I said before, with Jason Frasor giving up runs in his last 3 appearances, it's likely the Blue Jays will turn to Jeremy Accardo in the next save situation. It's a situation worth monitoring as there's no clearcut answer right now.
Fantasy Impact: Drop B.J. Ryan in all redraft leagues and in most shallow keeper leagues. Only put him on the DL if you play in a league where all reliable closers are kept. Jeremy Accardo is worth a roster spot now, and Frasor is worth holding onto if you have the space. I just wouldn't suggest keeping him active until this situation plays out and he starts showing consistency.
Fantasy Impact: Drop B.J. Ryan in all redraft leagues and in most shallow keeper leagues. Only put him on the DL if you play in a league where all reliable closers are kept. Jeremy Accardo is worth a roster spot now, and Frasor is worth holding onto if you have the space. I just wouldn't suggest keeping him active until this situation plays out and he starts showing consistency.
A "Complete Game Shutout" No Decision, Dice-K Rebounds, and Forgotten Closers Making Waves
James Shields: 9 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K. That statline means a win, right? Wrong. Unfortunately for us Shields owners, he hurled 9 shutout innings to get a ND as Erik Bedard, Dannys Baez, and Chris Ray matched his goose eggs with goose eggs of their own. Shields continues his strong pitching and is well worth using in all appearances but those against elite offenses.
Erik Bedard: Shields' nemesis last night produced 7 shutout innings of 10 K baseball. I hope you bought low on him, because his last two outings show that he's turned it around.
Dice-K Matsuzaka: I read this morning that the Red Sox adjusted his throwing schedule to allow him to throw more in between starts. Japanese baseball teams have their pitchers throw a lot more, and due to Matsuzaka becoming used to that schedule from pitching in the Japanese major leagues since he was 18 years old, Boston felt he was too strong during his starts. Let's hope this shift in routine helps Dice-K get out of his slump, because he looked much better last night. He never had control problems in Japan, but for some reason he's walked 18 in 45 IP over here. I imagine he'll get past this.
Lyle Overbay: 2 HRs last night, and he's hitting almost .300 this month. After a slow start, he's worth adding if you're hamstrung by injuries to your offense, or if you use multiple UTIL or CI spots. His 2006 season was nice, and he has the talent to replicate it.
Rafael Soriano: He's received the last several save chances, so it appears that he's the favorite for saves after all. I think it's moreso the fact more righties are due up in the 9th since Gonzalez has worked the 9th before with tough lefties up. While it's technically a committee, the makeup of most lineups makes Soriano the favorite.
Brad Lidge: I know just his name alone produces gag reflexes and violent outbursts, but hear me out. He's allowed one run in his last 10 appearances, totalling 15 Ks and only 2 BBs. He's clearly turned himself around, and given there's probably no closers on your waiver wire, all Dan Wheeler owners should go pick Lidge up. He's proving to have plenty of value in the 8th inning role with good ratios, a high K rate, and he's got 2 wins as well. He even might get a save chance if Wheeler needs a night off. You never know when Phil Garner might get crazy and put him back in as the closer.
Derrick Turnbow: Brad Lidge's little brother (in fantasy baseball terms). He lost his job to Francisco Cordero, but he too has turned himself around posting a 1.76 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 23 Ks in 15 IP. Given the way Francisco Cordero has been used (6 straight appearances as of last night, which is borderline abuse for a closer), and also given that he's had shoulder issues in the past, all Cordero owners should pick Turnbow up if he's not already owned. Just like Lidge, he's an elite setup man right now and he'll help even if he's not producing saves. You never know when Cordero's shoulder might act up again.
Speaking moreso in terms of 5x5 rotisserie leagues, it's very helpful to own the good setup men, especially if you have the one that sets up your closer(s). The good ones post solid K rates and solid ratios, so while they only give you a few vulture wins and get a couple saves if the closer needs a night off, they keep your ratios down and allow you some versatility with who your starting pitchers are. Plus, you don't need to rush to the waiver wire if your closer needs a DL stint. Something to definitely keep in mind and employ. I used Scot Shields and Jonathan Broxton last year, and they gave me a handful of Ws and SVs, great ratios, and lots of Ks.
Erik Bedard: Shields' nemesis last night produced 7 shutout innings of 10 K baseball. I hope you bought low on him, because his last two outings show that he's turned it around.
Dice-K Matsuzaka: I read this morning that the Red Sox adjusted his throwing schedule to allow him to throw more in between starts. Japanese baseball teams have their pitchers throw a lot more, and due to Matsuzaka becoming used to that schedule from pitching in the Japanese major leagues since he was 18 years old, Boston felt he was too strong during his starts. Let's hope this shift in routine helps Dice-K get out of his slump, because he looked much better last night. He never had control problems in Japan, but for some reason he's walked 18 in 45 IP over here. I imagine he'll get past this.
Lyle Overbay: 2 HRs last night, and he's hitting almost .300 this month. After a slow start, he's worth adding if you're hamstrung by injuries to your offense, or if you use multiple UTIL or CI spots. His 2006 season was nice, and he has the talent to replicate it.
Rafael Soriano: He's received the last several save chances, so it appears that he's the favorite for saves after all. I think it's moreso the fact more righties are due up in the 9th since Gonzalez has worked the 9th before with tough lefties up. While it's technically a committee, the makeup of most lineups makes Soriano the favorite.
Brad Lidge: I know just his name alone produces gag reflexes and violent outbursts, but hear me out. He's allowed one run in his last 10 appearances, totalling 15 Ks and only 2 BBs. He's clearly turned himself around, and given there's probably no closers on your waiver wire, all Dan Wheeler owners should go pick Lidge up. He's proving to have plenty of value in the 8th inning role with good ratios, a high K rate, and he's got 2 wins as well. He even might get a save chance if Wheeler needs a night off. You never know when Phil Garner might get crazy and put him back in as the closer.
Derrick Turnbow: Brad Lidge's little brother (in fantasy baseball terms). He lost his job to Francisco Cordero, but he too has turned himself around posting a 1.76 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 23 Ks in 15 IP. Given the way Francisco Cordero has been used (6 straight appearances as of last night, which is borderline abuse for a closer), and also given that he's had shoulder issues in the past, all Cordero owners should pick Turnbow up if he's not already owned. Just like Lidge, he's an elite setup man right now and he'll help even if he's not producing saves. You never know when Cordero's shoulder might act up again.
Speaking moreso in terms of 5x5 rotisserie leagues, it's very helpful to own the good setup men, especially if you have the one that sets up your closer(s). The good ones post solid K rates and solid ratios, so while they only give you a few vulture wins and get a couple saves if the closer needs a night off, they keep your ratios down and allow you some versatility with who your starting pitchers are. Plus, you don't need to rush to the waiver wire if your closer needs a DL stint. Something to definitely keep in mind and employ. I used Scot Shields and Jonathan Broxton last year, and they gave me a handful of Ws and SVs, great ratios, and lots of Ks.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Marlins/Rangers/Blue Jays Closer Situations, Beckett Wins Again, And A Small Rant
Henry Owens/Jorge Julio: Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said that he envisions Jorge Julio back in the closers role. Now I know the Marlins traded specifically for him before the season started, but this should be nowhere close to happening. Owens has blown one save, and even then those runs scored based on someone else's throwing error. Owens has done nothing to lose the job, posting 2 relief victories and 3 saves since taking over the closer's role. This is something to keep in mind, and perhaps trading Owens along with another player to upgrade your closer position might be the best bet since Gonzalez obviously doesn't know what's best for his team, and that's to have Julio only pitch in 8-0 games.
Eric Gagne/Akinori Otsuka: Gagne has returned from his latest injury, which was some sort of hip ailment. He'll presumably return straight to the closer's role as that's why the Rangers risked millions of dollars on him. At this point it's safe to assume he'll get hurt again before too long, so Otsuka owners should definitely hang onto him. Even if he's only pitching the 8th innings, he'll help your ratios and add some Ks and a vulture win here and there while Gagne pitches towards his next injury.
Jason Frasor/Jeremy Accardo: Toronto manager John Gibbons wasn't commital to Frasor in the closer's role, and given his recent performance that should be no shock. I would pick up Jeremy Accardo as I think he'll get the next save opportunity. Accardo has yet to allow a run, and has posted 13 Ks in 14 2/3 IP. When I first posted about BJ Ryan's injury, I forgot that a few years ago Frasor was given a chance to close, and he didn't perform all that well. I usually keep these instances in mind because either a pitcher has a closer's mentality, or he doesn't, and I generally avoid those who have failed before. LaTroy Hawkins, Jason Frasor, and David Riske are examples of solid relievers that just can't handle closing. Octavio Dotel is actually another one, but he's been at least mildly successful in the role. He was nowhere near as dominant as a closer as he's been as a setup man, however.
Josh Beckett: Yup, I took Felipe Lopez over him. Good times. 7 starts later, he's 7-0 with a sub 3.00 ERA and 40 Ks in 46 2/3 IP. He has the talent to keep this up (I'd imagine an ERA closer to 3.5 than 2.5 when all is said and done), so he's not a sell high candidate unless you believe an injury is around the corner. He battled countless blister issues in Florida, but didn't have a single problem with them last year, so perhaps Boston's team doctors know something that Florida's don't.
Hank Blalock: The .295 average (.344 against LHP!) and .352 OBP are very nice, but where's the power? He's only hit 2 HRs, but he does have 10 doubles. He's bouncing back fairly well so far, but some additional HRs should be nice for someone who definitely has 30 HR power. He's providing reason for optimism, though. His R and RBI production should rise as the Texas offense gets going.
Andy Pettitte: His 2.72 ERA does not match up to his 1.43 WHIP and 27:19 K:BB ratios, but he's having success so far and pitched well last night. He's rather unlucky to only have 2 wins. His ERA will go up, but he should start winning more ballgames as he's pitching fairly well overall.
Horatio Ramirez: 7.62 ERA, including last night's performance of 5 2/3 IP, 11 Hs, 7 ERs, and 0 Ks. To think Seattle traded Rafael Soriano for him is laughable. In fact, I'd say Rafael Soriano on the DL is more effective than Horatio Ramirez in the starting rotation.
David Ortiz: Mini rant time! Boston scores 9 runs, hits 4 HRs, and I look to see Ortiz have an 0-3 night. I hate seeing a team one of your studs is on score a ton of runs, but then you check the boxscore and he's rewarded you with an 0 fer. Ugh.
Dan Wheeler: STOP GIVING UP GOPHERBALLS.
Mike Cameron: Stole a base 2 nights ago, homered last night. I think it's about time to get him back in your lineup, or pick him back up. He's streaky, but he hit 22 HRs and stole 25 bases last year. He's a bit like Torii Hunter, and he's well worth owning. In fact, I just added him in both my leagues.
Chad Gaudin: I spot started him last night against the Royals in a league where I don't really have a 5th starter, and boy did that pay off with 8 IP, 1 ER, and 8 Ks. He's put together a very impressive 2-1/2.40/1.14/34 Ks in 41 1/3 IP. He's not this good, but he's apparently worth using against weaker offenses.
Justin Morneau: He's someone I overlooked in my slow start portion of a post days ago. He's only at .274 right now after his 2/4 with 2 HR game last night, but he's up to 8 HRs total now and I expect that average to keep climbing towards the .300 area.
Eric Gagne/Akinori Otsuka: Gagne has returned from his latest injury, which was some sort of hip ailment. He'll presumably return straight to the closer's role as that's why the Rangers risked millions of dollars on him. At this point it's safe to assume he'll get hurt again before too long, so Otsuka owners should definitely hang onto him. Even if he's only pitching the 8th innings, he'll help your ratios and add some Ks and a vulture win here and there while Gagne pitches towards his next injury.
Jason Frasor/Jeremy Accardo: Toronto manager John Gibbons wasn't commital to Frasor in the closer's role, and given his recent performance that should be no shock. I would pick up Jeremy Accardo as I think he'll get the next save opportunity. Accardo has yet to allow a run, and has posted 13 Ks in 14 2/3 IP. When I first posted about BJ Ryan's injury, I forgot that a few years ago Frasor was given a chance to close, and he didn't perform all that well. I usually keep these instances in mind because either a pitcher has a closer's mentality, or he doesn't, and I generally avoid those who have failed before. LaTroy Hawkins, Jason Frasor, and David Riske are examples of solid relievers that just can't handle closing. Octavio Dotel is actually another one, but he's been at least mildly successful in the role. He was nowhere near as dominant as a closer as he's been as a setup man, however.
Josh Beckett: Yup, I took Felipe Lopez over him. Good times. 7 starts later, he's 7-0 with a sub 3.00 ERA and 40 Ks in 46 2/3 IP. He has the talent to keep this up (I'd imagine an ERA closer to 3.5 than 2.5 when all is said and done), so he's not a sell high candidate unless you believe an injury is around the corner. He battled countless blister issues in Florida, but didn't have a single problem with them last year, so perhaps Boston's team doctors know something that Florida's don't.
Hank Blalock: The .295 average (.344 against LHP!) and .352 OBP are very nice, but where's the power? He's only hit 2 HRs, but he does have 10 doubles. He's bouncing back fairly well so far, but some additional HRs should be nice for someone who definitely has 30 HR power. He's providing reason for optimism, though. His R and RBI production should rise as the Texas offense gets going.
Andy Pettitte: His 2.72 ERA does not match up to his 1.43 WHIP and 27:19 K:BB ratios, but he's having success so far and pitched well last night. He's rather unlucky to only have 2 wins. His ERA will go up, but he should start winning more ballgames as he's pitching fairly well overall.
Horatio Ramirez: 7.62 ERA, including last night's performance of 5 2/3 IP, 11 Hs, 7 ERs, and 0 Ks. To think Seattle traded Rafael Soriano for him is laughable. In fact, I'd say Rafael Soriano on the DL is more effective than Horatio Ramirez in the starting rotation.
David Ortiz: Mini rant time! Boston scores 9 runs, hits 4 HRs, and I look to see Ortiz have an 0-3 night. I hate seeing a team one of your studs is on score a ton of runs, but then you check the boxscore and he's rewarded you with an 0 fer. Ugh.
Dan Wheeler: STOP GIVING UP GOPHERBALLS.
Mike Cameron: Stole a base 2 nights ago, homered last night. I think it's about time to get him back in your lineup, or pick him back up. He's streaky, but he hit 22 HRs and stole 25 bases last year. He's a bit like Torii Hunter, and he's well worth owning. In fact, I just added him in both my leagues.
Chad Gaudin: I spot started him last night against the Royals in a league where I don't really have a 5th starter, and boy did that pay off with 8 IP, 1 ER, and 8 Ks. He's put together a very impressive 2-1/2.40/1.14/34 Ks in 41 1/3 IP. He's not this good, but he's apparently worth using against weaker offenses.
Justin Morneau: He's someone I overlooked in my slow start portion of a post days ago. He's only at .274 right now after his 2/4 with 2 HR game last night, but he's up to 8 HRs total now and I expect that average to keep climbing towards the .300 area.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday = Slow Day, But Penny Is Worth Much More Than His Name
Brad Penny: Wow, where did this come from? Penny has always had quality stuff, but he's been very inconsistent throughout his career, and he's not a very efficient pitcher. Last night was possibly the best start of his career, allowing 0 runs and 5 hits while K'ing 14 in 7 innings to pick up the win. Given he had 15 Ks in 38 IP prior to this start, he needed something like this to bring his K rate back up. He was due to as he's posted a solid 7 K/9 IP ratio in his career. He was getting extremely lucky by posting a sub 2.00 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP and a 15:17 K:BB ratio so far this season, but he was very impressive last night. Now is your chance to sell high on this guy as there's no question his ERA will shoot back above 3 at some point, plus he's always an injury risk.
Fausto Carmona: Another impressive 7 innings from him last night. Given his lack of Ks (11 in 33 IP), it's hard to recommend him in anything but deeper leagues (or leagues that don't reward Ks), but he's worth a look if your rotation is struggling. I've read his poise is much improved from his attempt at closing last season, and he has a great offense supporting him. I'm not sure how long he'll stick around since he was demoted after Cliff Lee came off the DL, but he's pitching like he belongs.
Matt DeSalvo: Flukey start. 7 IP, 3 hits, and 1 R might entice you to put in a waiver claim for him, but I can't imagine him continuing success in the majors in anything other than an "occasional start" role. He didn't strike out a single batter, and he was facing a rather anemic offense. Don't bother.
Adrian Gonazalez: 9 HRs and 29 RBIs from a middle round 1B. Another round of congrats is in order for those of you who took him as a sleeper 1B or a UTIL guy. He's been awesome and has the talent to keep this up all year long. His home ballpark of Petco will hurt him somewhat, meaning more of his power will come on the road, but he's hitting .315 at home and those HRs will just be more doubles.
Dan Wheeler: Another save last night, although not without a 2 run HR. I haven't been paying attention to his ratios that much even though I own him, but he hadn't been scored upon in 8 straight appearances, so nothing to worry about here. His 1.07 WHIP is very nice, and he had a sub 3.00 ERA before last night.
Troy Tulowitzki: After a slow start to his career, he's been on fire recently. If you have SS problems, keep a close eye on him. He's now batting 2nd in the order, and that'd be a great place for his fantasy value with Holliday and Helton behind him. He has 15-20 HR power and can swipe a few bags, so he could be somewhat helpful in all catagories.
Bengie Molina: 2 HRs and 5 RBIs last night. If you're struggling at the C position with Mauer and Piazza on the DL, he's worth a look. The only problem is that with him hitting .333 right now, he's due for a decline, so picking him up with a possible downswing on the horizon might not work out so well. I've personally gone with AJ Pierzynski as my backup beacuse he's due to break out of his slump.
I bumped Molina's note to the end of the list because I wanted to expand upon what I said in there. A mistake I've made before in fantasy baseball is that when I lose a guy earlier in the season, specifically at a position I don't have a backup for, I immediately sort by what the waiver wire fodder have done so far this year and pick up the highest rated player, or my favorite among the top 3. Something you often miss by doing this is an established player who's off to a cold start. He might have been dropped, or was someone people were watching and then forgot about after that cold start. AJ Pierzynski is a solid example of this. He's a borderline starting catcher in fantasy, so he wasn't drafted in all leagues. He's a career .286 hitter, so there's no doubt that his current .227 start is abnormal, and baseball usually finds a way to average things out. I like to own players during that time, obviously, so he's often a better pickup if your starter is going to miss several weeks than someone off to a scorching start.
Fausto Carmona: Another impressive 7 innings from him last night. Given his lack of Ks (11 in 33 IP), it's hard to recommend him in anything but deeper leagues (or leagues that don't reward Ks), but he's worth a look if your rotation is struggling. I've read his poise is much improved from his attempt at closing last season, and he has a great offense supporting him. I'm not sure how long he'll stick around since he was demoted after Cliff Lee came off the DL, but he's pitching like he belongs.
Matt DeSalvo: Flukey start. 7 IP, 3 hits, and 1 R might entice you to put in a waiver claim for him, but I can't imagine him continuing success in the majors in anything other than an "occasional start" role. He didn't strike out a single batter, and he was facing a rather anemic offense. Don't bother.
Adrian Gonazalez: 9 HRs and 29 RBIs from a middle round 1B. Another round of congrats is in order for those of you who took him as a sleeper 1B or a UTIL guy. He's been awesome and has the talent to keep this up all year long. His home ballpark of Petco will hurt him somewhat, meaning more of his power will come on the road, but he's hitting .315 at home and those HRs will just be more doubles.
Dan Wheeler: Another save last night, although not without a 2 run HR. I haven't been paying attention to his ratios that much even though I own him, but he hadn't been scored upon in 8 straight appearances, so nothing to worry about here. His 1.07 WHIP is very nice, and he had a sub 3.00 ERA before last night.
Troy Tulowitzki: After a slow start to his career, he's been on fire recently. If you have SS problems, keep a close eye on him. He's now batting 2nd in the order, and that'd be a great place for his fantasy value with Holliday and Helton behind him. He has 15-20 HR power and can swipe a few bags, so he could be somewhat helpful in all catagories.
Bengie Molina: 2 HRs and 5 RBIs last night. If you're struggling at the C position with Mauer and Piazza on the DL, he's worth a look. The only problem is that with him hitting .333 right now, he's due for a decline, so picking him up with a possible downswing on the horizon might not work out so well. I've personally gone with AJ Pierzynski as my backup beacuse he's due to break out of his slump.
I bumped Molina's note to the end of the list because I wanted to expand upon what I said in there. A mistake I've made before in fantasy baseball is that when I lose a guy earlier in the season, specifically at a position I don't have a backup for, I immediately sort by what the waiver wire fodder have done so far this year and pick up the highest rated player, or my favorite among the top 3. Something you often miss by doing this is an established player who's off to a cold start. He might have been dropped, or was someone people were watching and then forgot about after that cold start. AJ Pierzynski is a solid example of this. He's a borderline starting catcher in fantasy, so he wasn't drafted in all leagues. He's a career .286 hitter, so there's no doubt that his current .227 start is abnormal, and baseball usually finds a way to average things out. I like to own players during that time, obviously, so he's often a better pickup if your starter is going to miss several weeks than someone off to a scorching start.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Roger Clemens Returns To The New York Yankees
Roger Clemens has returned for another season, signing a one year deal with the New York Yankees.
Who didn't see this one coming? I'm sure Clemens would have preferred to stay with the Astros, but he'd be doing nothing by pitching for them again. The Astros are in terrible shape and have no chance at making the playoffs this year, barring some ridiculous miracle. The top two bidders were the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. From what I've read, the Yankees outbidded the Red Sox by $10 million dollars. The Red Sox didn't feel they needed Clemens until late June as their rotation of Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka, and Wakefield has actually been very solid, plus they have Jon Lester on the way back up as well. They wanted to take Clemens back later on in the year, hopefully allowing him to stay healthier and feel fresh come playoff time. The Yankees, on the other hand, had a far greater need with the rash of injuries that have attacked their rotation. When your rotation includes Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner, you know times are tough. They needed help now, or face the possibility they won't be in good position to win the AL East come late June. The Yankees are taking on the risk that Clemens will have future leg problems or tire come playoff time in exchange for him helping them right now when their rotation is in shambles. It's actually worth the Yankees doing this, so for once they're not overpaying for something stupid in their rotation (Pavano, Wright, Igawa).
Fantasy Impact: For those who drafted and stashed Roger Clemens, this is what you were waiting for. However, Clemens in the AL East is far less enticing than Clemens in the NL Central as his ERA, WHIP, and K rate will suffer while his chances for wins will increase. That's not a tradeoff us fantasy baseball players want. He isn't going to be posting a sub 3.00 ERA and a sub 1.10 WHIP in the best hitting division in baseball, so I actually suggest selling high unless your fantasy rotation reminds you of the Yankees starting rotation. If you look at this numbers with the Yankees the first time around, I think that's pretty reminiscient of what we'll see now, although it's possible the wins won't be quite so high given he can't work as far into games anymore. See what you can get for him, especially if you can make a deal right now and get full value given he won't be pitching in the majors for roughly another month.
Who didn't see this one coming? I'm sure Clemens would have preferred to stay with the Astros, but he'd be doing nothing by pitching for them again. The Astros are in terrible shape and have no chance at making the playoffs this year, barring some ridiculous miracle. The top two bidders were the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. From what I've read, the Yankees outbidded the Red Sox by $10 million dollars. The Red Sox didn't feel they needed Clemens until late June as their rotation of Schilling, Beckett, Matsuzaka, and Wakefield has actually been very solid, plus they have Jon Lester on the way back up as well. They wanted to take Clemens back later on in the year, hopefully allowing him to stay healthier and feel fresh come playoff time. The Yankees, on the other hand, had a far greater need with the rash of injuries that have attacked their rotation. When your rotation includes Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner, you know times are tough. They needed help now, or face the possibility they won't be in good position to win the AL East come late June. The Yankees are taking on the risk that Clemens will have future leg problems or tire come playoff time in exchange for him helping them right now when their rotation is in shambles. It's actually worth the Yankees doing this, so for once they're not overpaying for something stupid in their rotation (Pavano, Wright, Igawa).
Fantasy Impact: For those who drafted and stashed Roger Clemens, this is what you were waiting for. However, Clemens in the AL East is far less enticing than Clemens in the NL Central as his ERA, WHIP, and K rate will suffer while his chances for wins will increase. That's not a tradeoff us fantasy baseball players want. He isn't going to be posting a sub 3.00 ERA and a sub 1.10 WHIP in the best hitting division in baseball, so I actually suggest selling high unless your fantasy rotation reminds you of the Yankees starting rotation. If you look at this numbers with the Yankees the first time around, I think that's pretty reminiscient of what we'll see now, although it's possible the wins won't be quite so high given he can't work as far into games anymore. See what you can get for him, especially if you can make a deal right now and get full value given he won't be pitching in the majors for roughly another month.
Weekend Action - Papelbon Returns, Peavy Dominates, Josh Hamilton
Jon Papelbon: Well, it seems the concerns about his shoulder can be put to rest, for now. It's always a curious move as to why a rested closer is held out of a save situation, but perhaps it was just fatigue. He returned for 2 saves this weekend throwing the heat we expect from him, so he seems fine for now. Crisis avoided!
Jake Peavy: This guy is just flatout dealing this year. An ERA under 2 and the most Ks in the NL. I would not be surprised at all if he finishes another year with an ERA under 3 and 215+ Ks, assuming his shoulder doesn't act up again. His pitch counts have been managed very well to this point, so continued dominance is likely. Congrats to those of you who drafted him as your ace this year, as he came at a nice discount after the abhoration year he endured last season.
Josh Hamilton: What a story this kid is. 2+ years of missed baseball due to drug abuse, and he returns this year with only a fraction of a season played in A ball late last summer. He's hitting .306 with 8 HRs, 2 SBs, and a handful of Rs and RBIs. Unprecedented production from someone who's had little minor league experience, especially with all the missed time prior to late last year. This just goes to show everyone how insanely talented this kid is. The best approach for him is this: in redraft leagues, wait a bit for him to further establish his numbers, and then sell him high. After missing 2+ years, his body is not conditioned for the 162 game grueling season, and he'll probably start to fade as the season wears on. In keeper leagues, you keep him and stash him on your bench if he starts to falter. You likely drafted him real late after his impressive spring, or you picked him up. If you play in a league like I play in, you'll be keeping this guy for a last round draft choice which is insane value for what he'll be producing once he gets fully acclimated to the major leagues. It's possible he'll keep this up all year, but it's definitely a longshot. If you don't want to deal him in your redraft league and think he'll maintain this, no one would fault you, but I just think his body is a year away from being able to produce consistently for 162 games.
Carlos Zambrano: Bad first inning, great rebound after that on Friday. Your window of buying low on him is closing, although his bad first inning against Washington re-opened it for a minute. He had a stellar outing against St. Louis before, and all-in-all had a very solid outing against Washington as well, save the one bad pitch to Austin Kearns. This is your chance to get a staff ace at a discount. Point to his terrible ratios and try to acquire him. In a league I needed pitching, I traded John Maine and Nick Markakis to get him from an owner that had solid pitching, but a big hole in his OF. That might help provide a benchmark for those of you looking to deal for him. If you own him, stay put. Do not deal him for anything less than he's been worth over the past two seasons.
John Patterson: Well, for those of you still hanging onto hope for him to turn it around, you can officially drop him now. He left his Saturday start early after complaining of bicep soreness, although he officially went on the DL with an elbow ailment. I thought he'd come around after his mediocre spring given he didn't pitch the entire spring, but his velocity was never the same and he eventually admitted to pitching hurt. No reason to hang onto him in any format unless you have a DL spot you don't need.
Bobby Jenks: His velocity remains a bit down, but he's bounced back from a tough spring/early season to bring his ratios back down to reasonable levels, and his K-rate is still strong at a touch over 1 per inning. It looks like he's rounding into form, and while he's not the most reliable closer out there, once Thome returns he should be given more save opportunities. An ERA in the mid-3s with 35 saves and lots of Ks is the most likely scenario.
Daniel Cabrera: God I hate owning this guy. There's no rhyme or reason to his performance as his control is still erratic after a promising spring. He can shut down the best offenses in the league when he's on, or he can walk 5+ guys and give up 6 runs to the weakest offenses when he's off. Considering he's a back-end rotation guy for his owners, I suggest starting him against all but the elite offenses and just take what you can get from him. He's going to rack up the Ks in every outing, so you'll at least be getting something. There's always the chance he'll figure it out and become a dominant starter, but nobody knows when or if that will ever happen.
Fracisco Cordero: Wow, did his owners get a steal on him this season. 12 saves, 0 ERs, and 20 Ks. He's been the most dominant closer in the NL, and just goes to show how erratic the closer position is from a year to year basis. Congrats to those who draft him.
Brandon Webb: 4 more walks. I'm not sure what the problem is, but his 39 K/20 BB ratio is troubling. It's amazing he still has an ERA under 4 given that, but I can't imagine he won't figure it out. As I mentioned before, he had two seasons prior to this where he had figured out his walk problem, so odds are he'll get this straightened out. Hopefully soon.
Mark Teixeira: Buy low opportunity is closed. Over the past 10 days, he's hitting .368 with 4 HRs and 9 RBIs. I'm glad he decided to right this ship before the All-Star break this season.
Mike Gonzalez/Rafael Soriano: Further proof Bobby Cox is playing the matchup game. Yesterday, Soriano entered the 8th to face Garciaparra and Kent, then Gonzalez entered the 9th to face Luis Gonzalez and Ethier. Expect the same to continue until Wickman returns. Both are worth owning, needless to say. Given Cox isn't allowing one guy to step up and shine, it proves Wickman will regain the closer's role when he returns, so his owners need not worry.
Ryan Dempster: Another closer far outperforming his average draft position. He got himself back into shape this offseason, and is pitching very well. I expect him to maintain solid value all season long as the Cubs should provide plenty of save opportunities with the way their starting pitching has been throwing the ball, and the fact their offense should start warming up with the weather.
Zack Greinke: Well, he was a nice story this spring and to start the season, but he's gone way south after his grandparents passed away, with one good outing against Minnesota mixed in. It's a sad story for a pitcher who battled mental problems this past two seasons, and not only do I feel bad for the kid, but I also question his mental ability as a pitcher at this point. He has pretty good stuff, although no dominant out pitch, but he's well worth dropping at this point. Keep an eye on him as his talent hasn't gone anywhere to see if he can get this turned around.
Cole Hamels: He's been good so far, but I think he's still not pitching at the level he could be. He's only 23, so there's plenty of time. His Ks are there, but I think he can still improve his ratios as the season goes on. He has arguably the best changeup outside of Johan Santana.
Brett Myers: Alright, this might be tricky, but I'd suggest attempting to buy low on him right now. If you can find an owner who feels threatened by Tom Gordon's return and thinks Myers is only a short-term closer, make a deal and get him for a discount. He's going to be a great closer, and it appears obvious now that he's going to stay in that role this season. There's no way they moved him into the bullpen to be an 8th inning guy. I strongly feel that Gordon will return to a setup role, one that he also thrives in.
Barry Bonds: He's been an absolute steal so far for his owners. I overlooked his run for the HR record this year, providing him plenty of motivation to stay on top of his game. After he gets the record, I'd try to sell high on him as he'll not only be limited by the weak offense around him, but also by his age and the demands of the long season. If you can get a top flight OF in return for him, jump on it.
Jake Peavy: This guy is just flatout dealing this year. An ERA under 2 and the most Ks in the NL. I would not be surprised at all if he finishes another year with an ERA under 3 and 215+ Ks, assuming his shoulder doesn't act up again. His pitch counts have been managed very well to this point, so continued dominance is likely. Congrats to those of you who drafted him as your ace this year, as he came at a nice discount after the abhoration year he endured last season.
Josh Hamilton: What a story this kid is. 2+ years of missed baseball due to drug abuse, and he returns this year with only a fraction of a season played in A ball late last summer. He's hitting .306 with 8 HRs, 2 SBs, and a handful of Rs and RBIs. Unprecedented production from someone who's had little minor league experience, especially with all the missed time prior to late last year. This just goes to show everyone how insanely talented this kid is. The best approach for him is this: in redraft leagues, wait a bit for him to further establish his numbers, and then sell him high. After missing 2+ years, his body is not conditioned for the 162 game grueling season, and he'll probably start to fade as the season wears on. In keeper leagues, you keep him and stash him on your bench if he starts to falter. You likely drafted him real late after his impressive spring, or you picked him up. If you play in a league like I play in, you'll be keeping this guy for a last round draft choice which is insane value for what he'll be producing once he gets fully acclimated to the major leagues. It's possible he'll keep this up all year, but it's definitely a longshot. If you don't want to deal him in your redraft league and think he'll maintain this, no one would fault you, but I just think his body is a year away from being able to produce consistently for 162 games.
Carlos Zambrano: Bad first inning, great rebound after that on Friday. Your window of buying low on him is closing, although his bad first inning against Washington re-opened it for a minute. He had a stellar outing against St. Louis before, and all-in-all had a very solid outing against Washington as well, save the one bad pitch to Austin Kearns. This is your chance to get a staff ace at a discount. Point to his terrible ratios and try to acquire him. In a league I needed pitching, I traded John Maine and Nick Markakis to get him from an owner that had solid pitching, but a big hole in his OF. That might help provide a benchmark for those of you looking to deal for him. If you own him, stay put. Do not deal him for anything less than he's been worth over the past two seasons.
John Patterson: Well, for those of you still hanging onto hope for him to turn it around, you can officially drop him now. He left his Saturday start early after complaining of bicep soreness, although he officially went on the DL with an elbow ailment. I thought he'd come around after his mediocre spring given he didn't pitch the entire spring, but his velocity was never the same and he eventually admitted to pitching hurt. No reason to hang onto him in any format unless you have a DL spot you don't need.
Bobby Jenks: His velocity remains a bit down, but he's bounced back from a tough spring/early season to bring his ratios back down to reasonable levels, and his K-rate is still strong at a touch over 1 per inning. It looks like he's rounding into form, and while he's not the most reliable closer out there, once Thome returns he should be given more save opportunities. An ERA in the mid-3s with 35 saves and lots of Ks is the most likely scenario.
Daniel Cabrera: God I hate owning this guy. There's no rhyme or reason to his performance as his control is still erratic after a promising spring. He can shut down the best offenses in the league when he's on, or he can walk 5+ guys and give up 6 runs to the weakest offenses when he's off. Considering he's a back-end rotation guy for his owners, I suggest starting him against all but the elite offenses and just take what you can get from him. He's going to rack up the Ks in every outing, so you'll at least be getting something. There's always the chance he'll figure it out and become a dominant starter, but nobody knows when or if that will ever happen.
Fracisco Cordero: Wow, did his owners get a steal on him this season. 12 saves, 0 ERs, and 20 Ks. He's been the most dominant closer in the NL, and just goes to show how erratic the closer position is from a year to year basis. Congrats to those who draft him.
Brandon Webb: 4 more walks. I'm not sure what the problem is, but his 39 K/20 BB ratio is troubling. It's amazing he still has an ERA under 4 given that, but I can't imagine he won't figure it out. As I mentioned before, he had two seasons prior to this where he had figured out his walk problem, so odds are he'll get this straightened out. Hopefully soon.
Mark Teixeira: Buy low opportunity is closed. Over the past 10 days, he's hitting .368 with 4 HRs and 9 RBIs. I'm glad he decided to right this ship before the All-Star break this season.
Mike Gonzalez/Rafael Soriano: Further proof Bobby Cox is playing the matchup game. Yesterday, Soriano entered the 8th to face Garciaparra and Kent, then Gonzalez entered the 9th to face Luis Gonzalez and Ethier. Expect the same to continue until Wickman returns. Both are worth owning, needless to say. Given Cox isn't allowing one guy to step up and shine, it proves Wickman will regain the closer's role when he returns, so his owners need not worry.
Ryan Dempster: Another closer far outperforming his average draft position. He got himself back into shape this offseason, and is pitching very well. I expect him to maintain solid value all season long as the Cubs should provide plenty of save opportunities with the way their starting pitching has been throwing the ball, and the fact their offense should start warming up with the weather.
Zack Greinke: Well, he was a nice story this spring and to start the season, but he's gone way south after his grandparents passed away, with one good outing against Minnesota mixed in. It's a sad story for a pitcher who battled mental problems this past two seasons, and not only do I feel bad for the kid, but I also question his mental ability as a pitcher at this point. He has pretty good stuff, although no dominant out pitch, but he's well worth dropping at this point. Keep an eye on him as his talent hasn't gone anywhere to see if he can get this turned around.
Cole Hamels: He's been good so far, but I think he's still not pitching at the level he could be. He's only 23, so there's plenty of time. His Ks are there, but I think he can still improve his ratios as the season goes on. He has arguably the best changeup outside of Johan Santana.
Brett Myers: Alright, this might be tricky, but I'd suggest attempting to buy low on him right now. If you can find an owner who feels threatened by Tom Gordon's return and thinks Myers is only a short-term closer, make a deal and get him for a discount. He's going to be a great closer, and it appears obvious now that he's going to stay in that role this season. There's no way they moved him into the bullpen to be an 8th inning guy. I strongly feel that Gordon will return to a setup role, one that he also thrives in.
Barry Bonds: He's been an absolute steal so far for his owners. I overlooked his run for the HR record this year, providing him plenty of motivation to stay on top of his game. After he gets the record, I'd try to sell high on him as he'll not only be limited by the weak offense around him, but also by his age and the demands of the long season. If you can get a top flight OF in return for him, jump on it.
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