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.
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