Atlanta Braves will place 3B Chipper Jones on the DL with bruised hands.
He hasn't played since May 23rd, and his rehab wasn't going as well as planned, so Atlanta decided not to keep wasting a roster spot and put him on the DL until he's ready to return. This will be done retroactively, and he'll be available to return on June 8th if he has healed by then.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure Chipper owners were displeased with the fact he hasn't played in 8 days and wasn't placed in the DL in the meantime, but unfortunately that's what makes fantasy and reality different. There's no sense in the Braves putting him on the DL and losing him for the mandatory 15 days when there was a chance of him coming back in 8-10 days. From a fantasy perspective, it's annoying because you can't stash him on the DL until the day after he's placed there, so you're stuck with a dead roster spot until a decision is made. It sounds like he'll return when he's eligible, and his owners had to know he'd make at least one DL visit this year.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Thursday Wrapup: 2 Months In The Books!
Alright, now that we're 2 months into the fantasy baseball season, this is the time where you have to take a look at your team, especially in rotisserie leagues, and figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are. The first couple months you can worry more about getting the best value in a trade, but now you should think a little more about will this trade negatively impact a particular catagory. Do you have lots of steals but are stuggling in RBIs? Time to deal one of your speeders for a bigger bat. Do you have quality bats through your lineup, but you're down there in ERA/WHIP? Time to use your extra bats to get a quality arm. You can officially start panicking about underperforming players. There's still some quality buy low/sell high guys out there at this point, especially if one terrible month is affecting their overall numbers (Pujols and Delgado come to mind, if their owners are only paying attention to total stats instead of recent trends).
Here's Thursday's action:
Craig Monroe - Hit his 8th HR last night, including his 3rd in the last 7 games. He'll hurt your batting average (.239 this year, .255 last year), but he has power in an impressive lineup. If your AVG can take the hit, he's worth a spot in your lineup as a HR/RBI guy in the 3rd OF/UTIL spot, and he could even be available on waivers.
Justin Verlander - 5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Spanked by a great offense last night as he obviously wasn't on his game. AL pitchers just can't maintain an ERA below the low 3s unless they have an elite K rate and outstanding stuff. Verlander has great stuff, but his K rate is not elite (50 K in 68 IP). I don't like his workload last year, given the Tigers went all the way to the World Series, and he has never thrown close to that many innings in his young career. Perhaps he'll stay strong all year, but he's a candidate to fade in the 2nd half.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Another top pitcher not on his game. No worries though, the Detroit offense is playing as good as any offense in baseball right now.
Mike Cameron - He jacked his 5th HR last night, and his numbers are now more in line with what he's been doing for most of his career. Make sure to grab him if he's still out there. He's another low AVG guy, but he's a 25/25 threat and he'll put up solid RBI numbers if he keeps hitting in the middle of the order.
Greg Maddux - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A fairly solid outing, and he's still a marginal 5th starter in fantasy leagues pitching half his games in Petco.
Ryan Zimmerman - Cranked his 7th HR last night, 6 of those coming in May. He's still a quality buy-low guy as his overall numbers (.247 AVG, mainly) are below where they should be. Another 100 RBI season will be very tough in that lineup, but he'll continue to improve.
Mark Buerhle - 8 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. His K numbers have improved this year to more of what we're used to seeing from him, and his overall performance reflects that. Given he's pitching for a contract, he should be plenty motivated to keep up the great work (3.66 ERA, career best 1.02 WHIP) he's been doing so far. His Ws are suffering, but those are always more luck based than anything else.
Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Welcome back, Roy. He's obviously safe to activate, if you haven't done so already. Hopefully that time off did him good and he'll return to his Cy Young-esque form.
Matt Cain - 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. He was battered for all 4 runs and 7/12 baserunners in the first 2 innings, but settled down after that and cruised through the next 5. The Mets offense is undoubtedly a tough matchup, so his overall line wasn't that bad.
Orlando Hernandez - 7 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Cruising right along. As I mentioned before, he'll be a quality fantasy starter when he's healthy. If you can move him in deal to get a less injury-prone starter based on his great numbers so far, I'd do it. He's not so much injury-prone, as he is injury-certain.
Jose Reyes - Stole his 29th base last night. He's on pace for 80 SBs, and he'd be the first player to reach 80 SBs in "I'm too lazy to look it up" long. It's been a while, trust me.
Prince Fielder - HR #19, tying him with Slump-Rod for the major league lead. There's nobody hotter at the plate right now.
Hanley Ramirez - His 16th SB last night. A cheaper, similar version of Jose Reyes. Less steals, more power. He's might be a borderline 1st rounder last year, so everyone who drafted him expecting similar/improved production is jumping for joy at this moment.
Corey Hart - 3/4 with a couple doubles last night. Keep an eye on him as he's a legit talent and possible 3rd OF in fantasy leagues before long. Or, pick him up and stash him if you have room. 20/20 potential.
Bronson Arroyo - 5 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Hope you benched him like I advised...there's something seriously wrong here. His velocity is down and he's getting lit up by bad offenses. Continue to keep him benched until something more comes of this.
Lance Berkman - Bigtime buy low guy here. Hitting only .244 with 6 HRs and 28 RBIs so far. He's been mired in a long slump, but he has a long track record of big years. Hopefully his HR last night gets him going.
Scott Rolen - He's now raised his batting average 50 points over the past 10 days, has 3 multi-hit games in a row including a HR and 2 doubles. He's coming around, and is worth starting again. He's another buy-low guy, although with the depth at 3B all starting to heat up except for Garrett Atkins, odds are you have a similar player on your roster already.
Kelvim Escobar - 8 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks. Bad performance last night, although he still pitched deep into the game and kept his team in it after a rough 5th inning.
Chone Figgins - 3/4 with 2 SBs last night. He's a decent buy-low guy if you're into light-hitting stolen base machines. He'll need to get hot for a while in order to keep his job as I can't see Anaheim putting up with a sub .200 (.160 right now) average for much longer.
Howie Kendrick - His bat has been dead since coming back from the HBP that landed him on the DL for a month. He's too talented of a hitter to keep slumping like this, though. I'd suggest buying low, but like with Rolen, 2B is deep this year and odds are you also have someone like him on your roster.
Ichiro Suzuki - He ends May with a .357 average, 26 Rs, and 13 SBs for the month. What a great comeback he had at the plate in May.
Here's Thursday's action:
Craig Monroe - Hit his 8th HR last night, including his 3rd in the last 7 games. He'll hurt your batting average (.239 this year, .255 last year), but he has power in an impressive lineup. If your AVG can take the hit, he's worth a spot in your lineup as a HR/RBI guy in the 3rd OF/UTIL spot, and he could even be available on waivers.
Justin Verlander - 5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Spanked by a great offense last night as he obviously wasn't on his game. AL pitchers just can't maintain an ERA below the low 3s unless they have an elite K rate and outstanding stuff. Verlander has great stuff, but his K rate is not elite (50 K in 68 IP). I don't like his workload last year, given the Tigers went all the way to the World Series, and he has never thrown close to that many innings in his young career. Perhaps he'll stay strong all year, but he's a candidate to fade in the 2nd half.
C.C. Sabathia - 7 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Another top pitcher not on his game. No worries though, the Detroit offense is playing as good as any offense in baseball right now.
Mike Cameron - He jacked his 5th HR last night, and his numbers are now more in line with what he's been doing for most of his career. Make sure to grab him if he's still out there. He's another low AVG guy, but he's a 25/25 threat and he'll put up solid RBI numbers if he keeps hitting in the middle of the order.
Greg Maddux - 6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. A fairly solid outing, and he's still a marginal 5th starter in fantasy leagues pitching half his games in Petco.
Ryan Zimmerman - Cranked his 7th HR last night, 6 of those coming in May. He's still a quality buy-low guy as his overall numbers (.247 AVG, mainly) are below where they should be. Another 100 RBI season will be very tough in that lineup, but he'll continue to improve.
Mark Buerhle - 8 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K. His K numbers have improved this year to more of what we're used to seeing from him, and his overall performance reflects that. Given he's pitching for a contract, he should be plenty motivated to keep up the great work (3.66 ERA, career best 1.02 WHIP) he's been doing so far. His Ws are suffering, but those are always more luck based than anything else.
Roy Halladay - 7 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. Welcome back, Roy. He's obviously safe to activate, if you haven't done so already. Hopefully that time off did him good and he'll return to his Cy Young-esque form.
Matt Cain - 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. He was battered for all 4 runs and 7/12 baserunners in the first 2 innings, but settled down after that and cruised through the next 5. The Mets offense is undoubtedly a tough matchup, so his overall line wasn't that bad.
Orlando Hernandez - 7 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. Cruising right along. As I mentioned before, he'll be a quality fantasy starter when he's healthy. If you can move him in deal to get a less injury-prone starter based on his great numbers so far, I'd do it. He's not so much injury-prone, as he is injury-certain.
Jose Reyes - Stole his 29th base last night. He's on pace for 80 SBs, and he'd be the first player to reach 80 SBs in "I'm too lazy to look it up" long. It's been a while, trust me.
Prince Fielder - HR #19, tying him with Slump-Rod for the major league lead. There's nobody hotter at the plate right now.
Hanley Ramirez - His 16th SB last night. A cheaper, similar version of Jose Reyes. Less steals, more power. He's might be a borderline 1st rounder last year, so everyone who drafted him expecting similar/improved production is jumping for joy at this moment.
Corey Hart - 3/4 with a couple doubles last night. Keep an eye on him as he's a legit talent and possible 3rd OF in fantasy leagues before long. Or, pick him up and stash him if you have room. 20/20 potential.
Bronson Arroyo - 5 IP, 11 H, 8 ER, 0 BB, 2 K. Hope you benched him like I advised...there's something seriously wrong here. His velocity is down and he's getting lit up by bad offenses. Continue to keep him benched until something more comes of this.
Lance Berkman - Bigtime buy low guy here. Hitting only .244 with 6 HRs and 28 RBIs so far. He's been mired in a long slump, but he has a long track record of big years. Hopefully his HR last night gets him going.
Scott Rolen - He's now raised his batting average 50 points over the past 10 days, has 3 multi-hit games in a row including a HR and 2 doubles. He's coming around, and is worth starting again. He's another buy-low guy, although with the depth at 3B all starting to heat up except for Garrett Atkins, odds are you have a similar player on your roster already.
Kelvim Escobar - 8 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 Ks. Bad performance last night, although he still pitched deep into the game and kept his team in it after a rough 5th inning.
Chone Figgins - 3/4 with 2 SBs last night. He's a decent buy-low guy if you're into light-hitting stolen base machines. He'll need to get hot for a while in order to keep his job as I can't see Anaheim putting up with a sub .200 (.160 right now) average for much longer.
Howie Kendrick - His bat has been dead since coming back from the HBP that landed him on the DL for a month. He's too talented of a hitter to keep slumping like this, though. I'd suggest buying low, but like with Rolen, 2B is deep this year and odds are you also have someone like him on your roster.
Ichiro Suzuki - He ends May with a .357 average, 26 Rs, and 13 SBs for the month. What a great comeback he had at the plate in May.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Jason Giambi To The DL
New York Yankee's DH Jason Giambi will be headed to the DL with torn tissue in the arch of his left foot.
Giambi is expected to miss at least 3 weeks. He's been pretty mediocre at the plate so far this year, hitting .262 with only 7 HRs, 23 RBIs, and 19 Rs.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure many fantasy owners were using him in some capacity, likely in a UTIL role. He can be filled with a bench hitter, and people to pick up would be Edwin Encarnacion, Carlos Quentin, or Mike Cameron (who's surprisingly unowned in both my leagues currently).
Giambi is expected to miss at least 3 weeks. He's been pretty mediocre at the plate so far this year, hitting .262 with only 7 HRs, 23 RBIs, and 19 Rs.
Fantasy Impact: I'm sure many fantasy owners were using him in some capacity, likely in a UTIL role. He can be filled with a bench hitter, and people to pick up would be Edwin Encarnacion, Carlos Quentin, or Mike Cameron (who's surprisingly unowned in both my leagues currently).
Wednesday Wrapup: Prince Of Power, Felix Struggles Again, And Red Hot Guerrero
Kelly Johnson - The man won't stop hitting, and he will likely end the season as the waiver wire pickup of the year at 2B position, much like Dan Uggla last season. He hit his 7th HR while scoring 2 Rs and driving in 2. He's up to .289 on the season, and with an OBP of .395 and 5 SBs, he's been an excellent leadoff man for the Braves. Given the quality of the lineup the Braves have behind him, Johnson will be a great fantasy option all season long.
Prince Fielder - He's now pacing the NL with 18 HRs, and with his .291 AVG, he's been a fantasy monster all year long. His season this year reminds me a lot of Ryan Howard's last year, but without the pre-season hype. Your team is likely golden if you drafted him as your starting 1B, getting borderline 1st round value from a later pick.
Tim Hudson - Back to form with 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 3 Ks. I'm not sure where I stand on him. Given some of his seasons in the AL with Oakland, it's possible he could give you a sub 3.00 ERA in the NL. His WHIP of 1.08 so far matches his career best in 2003 when he posted a career low 2.70 ERA. His K rate this year isn't quite as high as it was last year, but it's not dramatically lower, and pitching in the NL could negate that difference. If you've held onto him this long, it's probably in your best interest to keep him unless you can get a better K pitcher in return.
Dave Bush - I read a great line on him the other day when people on a message board were discussing starting him, and one guy stated "There's a restraining order preventing Bush from getting anywhere near my starting pitcher spots until he show signs of being a major league pitcher." Haha. Well, last night was a big step in the right direction, giving his owners 7 IP with 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 6 Ks. I'd recommend waiting another start before activating him, if you've held onto him this long, and he's worth picking up if you have pitching troubles.
Jon Garland - Remember I said it was worth picking him up after 2 straight 1 ER starts? Well, I hope you didn't have him active. 2 straight bad performances from him, including a season high 5 BBs and 6 ERs last night. His K rate is brutal (26 K in 69 IP), and I read he's not getting as many groundballs as in the past. That's not a recipe for success, although his WHIP remains very strong at 1.16. With the lack of Ks, making him a 3 catagory pitcher, I just don't think he's worth the risk unless he's pitching lights out (Fausto Carmona being a good comparison).
Scott Baker - I really thought he had turned it around after his first start, but apparently he's still having problems. He's definitely off-the-radar again for now, and he could be out-of-the-rotation very soon with Matt Garza pitching very well in AAA. He's a better pitcher than this, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Regardless, you can either stop monitoring him, or drop him if you had him stashed.
Michael Young - He's raised his average 24 points over the past 10 days, but only has 3 Rs, 0 HRs, and 2 RBIs to show for it. He's just not producing, and hopefully you've picked up a quality SS off the waiver wire to plug in while he works through his troubles. He's only 30 years old and has 4 straight years of hitting over .300, so he'll likely rebound sometime soon. He's definitely overrated in fantasy leagues unless he regains his 20 HR power.
Dan Haren - 8 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, and 4 Ks for the win. He's like the damn Energizer bunny with these starts, not allowing more than 3 ER all year, with his only 3 ER performance being on opening day. He's seriously the 2006 Brandon Webb of this year.
Grady Sizemore - Another HR and SB for him last night. He's been a fantasy monster outside of the disappointing .269 AVG.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - He didn't rebound like I thought he would. He went 4 strong innings, but then gave up 6 ER and 8 Hs over the last 1 2/3 IP of his outing. He might still be adjusting to the major leagues at this point, and his 4.83 ERA and 1.31 WHIP are awfully disappointing. I stayed away from him due to the hype this spring, and he's a perfect example of why you don't pay a high price for a player who hasn't established himself in the major leagues yet.
Khalil Greene - A grand slam last night to give him 7 HRs on the season, but thanks to his horrible AVG (.221), playing half his games at Petco, and his 7th spot in the batting order, he's not an option in mixed leagues.
Jason Bay - A stolen base last night! I thought I had read the boxscore wrong. Bay has been extremely disappointing in the SB department, attempting and swiping his only base of the year last night after stealing 32 bases in 35 tries over the last two seasons. He's coming off of offseason knee surgery, but he's obviously healthy, so I have no idea why he's not stealing bases. Several Pirates fans have said the 2005 total of 21 SBs was a big fluke, but he did swipe 11 last year. Don't expect many more, apparently, even though you probably drafted him assuming 10-15 would be on the way.
Chris Young (SD) - 7 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing only 4 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He's been outstanding the last 3 times out, but like I said before, given his propensity to wear down as the season goes along, he's still a great sell-high candidate.
Eric Byrnes - 2 HRs last night, giving him 8 HRs to go along with 9 SBs. He was the most underrated 25/25 threat in the draft this year, and he's on pace for just that. He only hit .267 last year, but that's because he hit a lowly .244 against RHP. He's up to .306 this season, including a very impressive .317 against RHP this year. It's very possible he's solved this huge hole in his game, and he could end up not hurting your AVG like he did last season.
Randy Johnson - Apparently that forearm wasn't a problem at all, as he pitched 6 shutout innings last night, allowing only 1 hit and K'ing 6 in a very impressive 61 pitch outing. His last 4 starts have been very good, and he'll be a top NL starter as long as he stays healthy.
Felipe Lopez - If you're still holding out hope for him, knock it off. With his lack of HR/RBI potential and his subpar AVG, owners needed him to repeat his 40+ SB season to warrant using him. He's now 6/11 in SBs this year, making him pretty much useless.
Russell Martin - The new #3 catcher behind Mauer/Martinez in fantasy? He could be. He's only hit 4 HRs this year, but he's stolen 8 bases, is hitting .303, and has 32 Rs and 36 RBIs. That's an impressive offensive line for a catcher.
Alex Rios - HR #12 last night. Yup, trading him to get Manny Ramirez is definitely paying off...for the other damn owner.
Barry Zito - He's rolling now, shutting out the Mets for 7 innings last night, holding them to 6 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He seems to be locked in now and could be in for a nice stretch of outings.
Brad Hennessey - A changing of the guard at the closer position for the Giants? He notched his 2nd save last night after Benitez's ugly outing the night before. I wouldn't overreact and say this is a permanent change, but he's worth adding to find out. He doesn't overpower hitters with 14 Ks in 22 1/3 IP, but with a 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, he's been a very good reliever.
Elijah Dukes - He's been killing the ball much like he threatened to do to his wife. OK, that was an ugly joke, but he does have 10 HRs. His .223 AVG and 25 Rs/19 RBIs make him a 1 catagory player so far, but he does have legit talent as a hitter. Fantasy baseball aside, it's a complete joke that MLB isn't doing anything regarding his situation. The wife has filed a restarining order, and if he's taken to court for anything, MLB better step up and deliver a harsh punishment for this troubled youngster. He's hardly been a model citizen so far in his career.
James Shields - His amazing breakthrough season continues. He allowed 3 ERs and 5 Hs in the first inning, and then allowed 2 Hs and 1 BB the rest of the game for his 2nd complete game of the year. Given how he tamed the explosive Tigers offense, he's a must-start from here on out.
Sergio Mitre - Those who started him last night had to be angered as the misfortune. He left after 4 innings with hamstring cramps up 4-0, but not before he had K'd 7 hitters and allowed only 3 Hs and 1 BB. I'm still scared of a meltdown, but he posted 5 quality starts in a row before leaving early last night on his way to a 6th. He ratios are amazing (1.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP), and his K rate isn't that bad (38 Ks in 51 2/3 IP). Perhaps he's really breaking out, although no one is taking him too seriously yet. Perhaps you should add him and find out? I'm tempted to.
Aaron Harang - A CG last night for Harang, allowing 6 Hs and 2 ER while K'ing 7. That's two great starts, so hopefully you tried to buy low on him when I suggested doing so.
Erik Bedard - 8 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing 4 Hs and 2 BBs to go with 5 Ks. It was against the Royals, so he delivered exactly as his owners were expecting. That's 6 straight quality starts for Bedard after a rough beginning of the season.
Gil Meche - Perhaps the most underrated signing of the offseason thus far, Meche has reverted back to his 2006 1st half successful form, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He'll have to get that WHIP down to maintain his solid ERA, but his 57 Ks in 78 IP is solid.
Albert Pujols - 2/4 with a 3 run HR last night. He hasn't had a big power explosion yet, but he's hitting .340 this month after a disgusting April. The power should soon follow. I'd still attempt to buy low given his overall numbers so far, although it'll be harder now.
Felix Hernandez - He's still not right, allowing 9 Hs, 3 HRs, and 7 ERs in 6 IP last night. Maybe his back is still bothering him, but who knows. If you're a gambling man, now's a good time to attempt to trade for him as his redraft league value won't get much lower. I'm not sure where he's at health-wise given his struggles since he returned from an arm injury, but I'm very tempted to bench him until he turns in an impressive performance.
Jeff Weaver - Also an ugly outing for this youngster, going 4 2/3 IP while allowing 9 Hs, 3 BBs, and 5 ERs. He's pitched well recently, so he just ran into a hot offense. He should be fine.
Vladimir Guerrero - What a monster he's been this season, hitting a whopping .350 with 11 HRs and 44 RBIs. He doesn't steal much anymore, going 1/2 so far this season, but with the other numbers he's putting up, nobody cares.
Prince Fielder - He's now pacing the NL with 18 HRs, and with his .291 AVG, he's been a fantasy monster all year long. His season this year reminds me a lot of Ryan Howard's last year, but without the pre-season hype. Your team is likely golden if you drafted him as your starting 1B, getting borderline 1st round value from a later pick.
Tim Hudson - Back to form with 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 3 Ks. I'm not sure where I stand on him. Given some of his seasons in the AL with Oakland, it's possible he could give you a sub 3.00 ERA in the NL. His WHIP of 1.08 so far matches his career best in 2003 when he posted a career low 2.70 ERA. His K rate this year isn't quite as high as it was last year, but it's not dramatically lower, and pitching in the NL could negate that difference. If you've held onto him this long, it's probably in your best interest to keep him unless you can get a better K pitcher in return.
Dave Bush - I read a great line on him the other day when people on a message board were discussing starting him, and one guy stated "There's a restraining order preventing Bush from getting anywhere near my starting pitcher spots until he show signs of being a major league pitcher." Haha. Well, last night was a big step in the right direction, giving his owners 7 IP with 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 6 Ks. I'd recommend waiting another start before activating him, if you've held onto him this long, and he's worth picking up if you have pitching troubles.
Jon Garland - Remember I said it was worth picking him up after 2 straight 1 ER starts? Well, I hope you didn't have him active. 2 straight bad performances from him, including a season high 5 BBs and 6 ERs last night. His K rate is brutal (26 K in 69 IP), and I read he's not getting as many groundballs as in the past. That's not a recipe for success, although his WHIP remains very strong at 1.16. With the lack of Ks, making him a 3 catagory pitcher, I just don't think he's worth the risk unless he's pitching lights out (Fausto Carmona being a good comparison).
Scott Baker - I really thought he had turned it around after his first start, but apparently he's still having problems. He's definitely off-the-radar again for now, and he could be out-of-the-rotation very soon with Matt Garza pitching very well in AAA. He's a better pitcher than this, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Regardless, you can either stop monitoring him, or drop him if you had him stashed.
Michael Young - He's raised his average 24 points over the past 10 days, but only has 3 Rs, 0 HRs, and 2 RBIs to show for it. He's just not producing, and hopefully you've picked up a quality SS off the waiver wire to plug in while he works through his troubles. He's only 30 years old and has 4 straight years of hitting over .300, so he'll likely rebound sometime soon. He's definitely overrated in fantasy leagues unless he regains his 20 HR power.
Dan Haren - 8 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, and 4 Ks for the win. He's like the damn Energizer bunny with these starts, not allowing more than 3 ER all year, with his only 3 ER performance being on opening day. He's seriously the 2006 Brandon Webb of this year.
Grady Sizemore - Another HR and SB for him last night. He's been a fantasy monster outside of the disappointing .269 AVG.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - He didn't rebound like I thought he would. He went 4 strong innings, but then gave up 6 ER and 8 Hs over the last 1 2/3 IP of his outing. He might still be adjusting to the major leagues at this point, and his 4.83 ERA and 1.31 WHIP are awfully disappointing. I stayed away from him due to the hype this spring, and he's a perfect example of why you don't pay a high price for a player who hasn't established himself in the major leagues yet.
Khalil Greene - A grand slam last night to give him 7 HRs on the season, but thanks to his horrible AVG (.221), playing half his games at Petco, and his 7th spot in the batting order, he's not an option in mixed leagues.
Jason Bay - A stolen base last night! I thought I had read the boxscore wrong. Bay has been extremely disappointing in the SB department, attempting and swiping his only base of the year last night after stealing 32 bases in 35 tries over the last two seasons. He's coming off of offseason knee surgery, but he's obviously healthy, so I have no idea why he's not stealing bases. Several Pirates fans have said the 2005 total of 21 SBs was a big fluke, but he did swipe 11 last year. Don't expect many more, apparently, even though you probably drafted him assuming 10-15 would be on the way.
Chris Young (SD) - 7 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing only 4 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He's been outstanding the last 3 times out, but like I said before, given his propensity to wear down as the season goes along, he's still a great sell-high candidate.
Eric Byrnes - 2 HRs last night, giving him 8 HRs to go along with 9 SBs. He was the most underrated 25/25 threat in the draft this year, and he's on pace for just that. He only hit .267 last year, but that's because he hit a lowly .244 against RHP. He's up to .306 this season, including a very impressive .317 against RHP this year. It's very possible he's solved this huge hole in his game, and he could end up not hurting your AVG like he did last season.
Randy Johnson - Apparently that forearm wasn't a problem at all, as he pitched 6 shutout innings last night, allowing only 1 hit and K'ing 6 in a very impressive 61 pitch outing. His last 4 starts have been very good, and he'll be a top NL starter as long as he stays healthy.
Felipe Lopez - If you're still holding out hope for him, knock it off. With his lack of HR/RBI potential and his subpar AVG, owners needed him to repeat his 40+ SB season to warrant using him. He's now 6/11 in SBs this year, making him pretty much useless.
Russell Martin - The new #3 catcher behind Mauer/Martinez in fantasy? He could be. He's only hit 4 HRs this year, but he's stolen 8 bases, is hitting .303, and has 32 Rs and 36 RBIs. That's an impressive offensive line for a catcher.
Alex Rios - HR #12 last night. Yup, trading him to get Manny Ramirez is definitely paying off...for the other damn owner.
Barry Zito - He's rolling now, shutting out the Mets for 7 innings last night, holding them to 6 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 7. He seems to be locked in now and could be in for a nice stretch of outings.
Brad Hennessey - A changing of the guard at the closer position for the Giants? He notched his 2nd save last night after Benitez's ugly outing the night before. I wouldn't overreact and say this is a permanent change, but he's worth adding to find out. He doesn't overpower hitters with 14 Ks in 22 1/3 IP, but with a 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, he's been a very good reliever.
Elijah Dukes - He's been killing the ball much like he threatened to do to his wife. OK, that was an ugly joke, but he does have 10 HRs. His .223 AVG and 25 Rs/19 RBIs make him a 1 catagory player so far, but he does have legit talent as a hitter. Fantasy baseball aside, it's a complete joke that MLB isn't doing anything regarding his situation. The wife has filed a restarining order, and if he's taken to court for anything, MLB better step up and deliver a harsh punishment for this troubled youngster. He's hardly been a model citizen so far in his career.
James Shields - His amazing breakthrough season continues. He allowed 3 ERs and 5 Hs in the first inning, and then allowed 2 Hs and 1 BB the rest of the game for his 2nd complete game of the year. Given how he tamed the explosive Tigers offense, he's a must-start from here on out.
Sergio Mitre - Those who started him last night had to be angered as the misfortune. He left after 4 innings with hamstring cramps up 4-0, but not before he had K'd 7 hitters and allowed only 3 Hs and 1 BB. I'm still scared of a meltdown, but he posted 5 quality starts in a row before leaving early last night on his way to a 6th. He ratios are amazing (1.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP), and his K rate isn't that bad (38 Ks in 51 2/3 IP). Perhaps he's really breaking out, although no one is taking him too seriously yet. Perhaps you should add him and find out? I'm tempted to.
Aaron Harang - A CG last night for Harang, allowing 6 Hs and 2 ER while K'ing 7. That's two great starts, so hopefully you tried to buy low on him when I suggested doing so.
Erik Bedard - 8 IP of shutout ball last night, allowing 4 Hs and 2 BBs to go with 5 Ks. It was against the Royals, so he delivered exactly as his owners were expecting. That's 6 straight quality starts for Bedard after a rough beginning of the season.
Gil Meche - Perhaps the most underrated signing of the offseason thus far, Meche has reverted back to his 2006 1st half successful form, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He'll have to get that WHIP down to maintain his solid ERA, but his 57 Ks in 78 IP is solid.
Albert Pujols - 2/4 with a 3 run HR last night. He hasn't had a big power explosion yet, but he's hitting .340 this month after a disgusting April. The power should soon follow. I'd still attempt to buy low given his overall numbers so far, although it'll be harder now.
Felix Hernandez - He's still not right, allowing 9 Hs, 3 HRs, and 7 ERs in 6 IP last night. Maybe his back is still bothering him, but who knows. If you're a gambling man, now's a good time to attempt to trade for him as his redraft league value won't get much lower. I'm not sure where he's at health-wise given his struggles since he returned from an arm injury, but I'm very tempted to bench him until he turns in an impressive performance.
Jeff Weaver - Also an ugly outing for this youngster, going 4 2/3 IP while allowing 9 Hs, 3 BBs, and 5 ERs. He's pitched well recently, so he just ran into a hot offense. He should be fine.
Vladimir Guerrero - What a monster he's been this season, hitting a whopping .350 with 11 HRs and 44 RBIs. He doesn't steal much anymore, going 1/2 so far this season, but with the other numbers he's putting up, nobody cares.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday In Review
Tom Gorzelanny - Gorzelanny was a bit sloppy in 7 IP, allowing 7 Hs and 3 BBs, but he limited the Padres to 1 ER and lowered his ERA to 2.39. As I said before, he won't keep his ERA below 3 for very long with a WHIP of 1.26, but he'll be a quality pitcher for as long as he remains healthy. That sounds like a sell high candidate, doesn't it?
Jason Bay - Bay is officially on fire, registering 4 multiple hit games in his last 5, including 3 HRs. It was overdue, but he might keep this up for quite some time. Now if only the Butt Pirates would be smart enough to bat their best hitter 3rd instead of sliding both Sanchez and Bay down in the order so that Duffy and his .236 AVG can hit 2nd.
Salomon Torres - By allowing only 2 ER in his last 10 appearances, Torres has added some job security to his role as the Pittsburgh closer. I'm sure his owners were living life on the edge, but he's settled down quite a bit since his rough start. Owners might want to play up the hot streak and move him for a closer with more job security. Much like Chad Cordero, he's closing for a team going nowhere and could be an attractive setup man while the Pirates explore younger, in-house alternatives for next season.
Carlos Quentin - Those who need OF help should look here. He's a quality, young hitter who was probably dropped in many leagues due to his slow start and injury. He's only 24 with limited major league experience, so he'll have his ups and downs, but he has solid upside and could prove to be a nice pickup as he gets acquainted with the major leagues.
Josh Beckett - He returned from his blister like he never left, allowing 3 Hs, 1 BB, and 2 ER while K'ing 7 in 7 innings. I'm starting to re-think my suggestion to never start pitchers coming off an injury. It's been a mixed bag this year, and that seems to be the case when starting most pitchers. Unless you know they'll be on a strict pitch count and have missed a month or more, it seems reasonable to go ahead and start them as you normally would.
Hideki Okajima - Okajima picked up his 4th save of the season last night. He's turning out to be a very valuable non-closer. Between Boston's ability to generate lots of save chances and Papelbon's inability to be used like most rubber-armed closers, Okajima will continue to pick up a save here and there throughout the season. Papelbon owners should take a serious look into acquiring him as insurance as he probably can be had fairly cheap.
Brad Penny - He continues to dominate, throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings while only allowing 4 Hs and 1 BB. He also K'd 4 in the outing. He's extending his sell-high window with outings like this, so make sure to take advantage. Don't have him on your team when he goes south.
Jason Giambi - He stole a base last night. Must have had one of those injections in his leg muscles.
Jeremy Accardo - 1 2/3 more innings of shutout ball last night against the Yankees. He did finally give up a few runs in a blown save against the Twins a few nights ago, but he was due for one of those. What's most important here is his mental state and ability to bounce back after an outing like that. It's a great sign for him going forward.
Tim Lincecum - He continues to roll, allowing 6 baserunners and 3 ERs in 7 IP against the powerful Mets offense. He also K'd 8 hitters. He is an every-outing start, and he's making me look silly for not stashing him in at least one of my leagues.
Oliver Perez - The amazing comeback season continues as he allowed 5 hits and 3 ER in 7 IP while K'ing 8 of his own against Lincecum last night. It's a shame 3 of those 5 hits were HRs, but at least they were all solo shots. He had only allowed 6 all season prior to this outing, so HRs shouldn't be a problem for him moving forward.
Carlos Delgado - 2 more HRs last night, so his buy-low window has officially closed. Hopefully you tried to acquire him when I suggested it a couple weeks ago!
Gary Sheffield - 2 more HRs last night as well, and he's on complete fire with 9 Rs, 5 HRs, and 9 RBIs over his past 10 games. His slow start is a thing of the past, and his AVG should continue it's rise towards the .300 territory.
Jeremy Bonderman - Another great outing post-injury, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing 1 ER on 4 Hs while K'ing 8. He's been on a roll since coming back from his blister, and hopefully this will be his breakout year where he both starts and finishes strong.
Jeremy Hermida - Hit a towering 3 run blast and also stole a base last night. After his torrid start coming off the DL, he's cooled down quite a bit and his batting average plummeted to .240. Hopefully he's shaken off the mini-slump and can resume his quest towards becoming a great fantasy OF.
Kevin Gregg - No save opportunity presented itself at the beginning of the 9th inning the last two nights, but he's come in and given up 2 singles and struck out the other 5 guys he's faced for 2 saves. He has a real chance to hold this job down all year.
David Weathers - He bounced back from his ugly 6 ER outing by allowing 2 BBs in a scoreless inning for his 10th save. He's not a good bet to stay the closer all year long, so he remains one to be moved as his overall numbers remain solid.
Ben Sheets - He endured a tough 3 ER, 4 H 1st inning, but he settled down nicely after that, posting a 6 IP, 11 H, 2 K a performance. Given he was coming back from a finger blister, this was a solid outing and he should pitch better next time out.
John Smoltz - Not good. He left after allowing 3 ER and 8 Hs in 3 1/3 IP with both an irritated pinky finger from his previous injury, and more alarmingly a strained right shoulder. If he was dealing with finger pain on his throwing hand, it's possible he might have altered his delivery and hurt his shoulder, but that's just pure speculation. Smoltz said that it's no big deal, but this is obviously cause for some concern. They'll see how his bullpen session goes and take it from there.
Mark Teahen - A HR? Really? Gee, thanks Mark. Unfortunately I'm starting him at 3B thanks to the lack of any other option there on one of my teams. I thought he'd bust through a little more this year, and while his overall numbers are fairly solid, he doesn't have any catagory that stands out.
Boof Bonser - 10 baserunners in 6 2/3 IP, but he K'd 6 and pitched around jams by only allowing 1 ER. He won't continue to do that, so he'll have to keep working on his walks and Hs to keep his ERA below 4.
Scott Rolen - Slowly but surely he's turning his season around. 3/4 with a HR last night, and he's raised his average 32 points over the past 10 games. Only 1 HR in that stretch, but the power should come as he starts to hit better.
Ervin Santana - Wanna know one of the wildest split stats in baseball? Here is your man. At home: 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP. On the road: 6.98 ERA, 1.63 WHIP. He makes for a great 6th starter that you only use when he's at home. That's as extreme as splits get, but this is about 2 years worth of numbers so it's a legit reason to use him in that manner. At home last night he went 7 IP, allowing 6 baserunners and striking out 4.
Jason Bay - Bay is officially on fire, registering 4 multiple hit games in his last 5, including 3 HRs. It was overdue, but he might keep this up for quite some time. Now if only the Butt Pirates would be smart enough to bat their best hitter 3rd instead of sliding both Sanchez and Bay down in the order so that Duffy and his .236 AVG can hit 2nd.
Salomon Torres - By allowing only 2 ER in his last 10 appearances, Torres has added some job security to his role as the Pittsburgh closer. I'm sure his owners were living life on the edge, but he's settled down quite a bit since his rough start. Owners might want to play up the hot streak and move him for a closer with more job security. Much like Chad Cordero, he's closing for a team going nowhere and could be an attractive setup man while the Pirates explore younger, in-house alternatives for next season.
Carlos Quentin - Those who need OF help should look here. He's a quality, young hitter who was probably dropped in many leagues due to his slow start and injury. He's only 24 with limited major league experience, so he'll have his ups and downs, but he has solid upside and could prove to be a nice pickup as he gets acquainted with the major leagues.
Josh Beckett - He returned from his blister like he never left, allowing 3 Hs, 1 BB, and 2 ER while K'ing 7 in 7 innings. I'm starting to re-think my suggestion to never start pitchers coming off an injury. It's been a mixed bag this year, and that seems to be the case when starting most pitchers. Unless you know they'll be on a strict pitch count and have missed a month or more, it seems reasonable to go ahead and start them as you normally would.
Hideki Okajima - Okajima picked up his 4th save of the season last night. He's turning out to be a very valuable non-closer. Between Boston's ability to generate lots of save chances and Papelbon's inability to be used like most rubber-armed closers, Okajima will continue to pick up a save here and there throughout the season. Papelbon owners should take a serious look into acquiring him as insurance as he probably can be had fairly cheap.
Brad Penny - He continues to dominate, throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings while only allowing 4 Hs and 1 BB. He also K'd 4 in the outing. He's extending his sell-high window with outings like this, so make sure to take advantage. Don't have him on your team when he goes south.
Jason Giambi - He stole a base last night. Must have had one of those injections in his leg muscles.
Jeremy Accardo - 1 2/3 more innings of shutout ball last night against the Yankees. He did finally give up a few runs in a blown save against the Twins a few nights ago, but he was due for one of those. What's most important here is his mental state and ability to bounce back after an outing like that. It's a great sign for him going forward.
Tim Lincecum - He continues to roll, allowing 6 baserunners and 3 ERs in 7 IP against the powerful Mets offense. He also K'd 8 hitters. He is an every-outing start, and he's making me look silly for not stashing him in at least one of my leagues.
Oliver Perez - The amazing comeback season continues as he allowed 5 hits and 3 ER in 7 IP while K'ing 8 of his own against Lincecum last night. It's a shame 3 of those 5 hits were HRs, but at least they were all solo shots. He had only allowed 6 all season prior to this outing, so HRs shouldn't be a problem for him moving forward.
Carlos Delgado - 2 more HRs last night, so his buy-low window has officially closed. Hopefully you tried to acquire him when I suggested it a couple weeks ago!
Gary Sheffield - 2 more HRs last night as well, and he's on complete fire with 9 Rs, 5 HRs, and 9 RBIs over his past 10 games. His slow start is a thing of the past, and his AVG should continue it's rise towards the .300 territory.
Jeremy Bonderman - Another great outing post-injury, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing 1 ER on 4 Hs while K'ing 8. He's been on a roll since coming back from his blister, and hopefully this will be his breakout year where he both starts and finishes strong.
Jeremy Hermida - Hit a towering 3 run blast and also stole a base last night. After his torrid start coming off the DL, he's cooled down quite a bit and his batting average plummeted to .240. Hopefully he's shaken off the mini-slump and can resume his quest towards becoming a great fantasy OF.
Kevin Gregg - No save opportunity presented itself at the beginning of the 9th inning the last two nights, but he's come in and given up 2 singles and struck out the other 5 guys he's faced for 2 saves. He has a real chance to hold this job down all year.
David Weathers - He bounced back from his ugly 6 ER outing by allowing 2 BBs in a scoreless inning for his 10th save. He's not a good bet to stay the closer all year long, so he remains one to be moved as his overall numbers remain solid.
Ben Sheets - He endured a tough 3 ER, 4 H 1st inning, but he settled down nicely after that, posting a 6 IP, 11 H, 2 K a performance. Given he was coming back from a finger blister, this was a solid outing and he should pitch better next time out.
John Smoltz - Not good. He left after allowing 3 ER and 8 Hs in 3 1/3 IP with both an irritated pinky finger from his previous injury, and more alarmingly a strained right shoulder. If he was dealing with finger pain on his throwing hand, it's possible he might have altered his delivery and hurt his shoulder, but that's just pure speculation. Smoltz said that it's no big deal, but this is obviously cause for some concern. They'll see how his bullpen session goes and take it from there.
Mark Teahen - A HR? Really? Gee, thanks Mark. Unfortunately I'm starting him at 3B thanks to the lack of any other option there on one of my teams. I thought he'd bust through a little more this year, and while his overall numbers are fairly solid, he doesn't have any catagory that stands out.
Boof Bonser - 10 baserunners in 6 2/3 IP, but he K'd 6 and pitched around jams by only allowing 1 ER. He won't continue to do that, so he'll have to keep working on his walks and Hs to keep his ERA below 4.
Scott Rolen - Slowly but surely he's turning his season around. 3/4 with a HR last night, and he's raised his average 32 points over the past 10 games. Only 1 HR in that stretch, but the power should come as he starts to hit better.
Ervin Santana - Wanna know one of the wildest split stats in baseball? Here is your man. At home: 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP. On the road: 6.98 ERA, 1.63 WHIP. He makes for a great 6th starter that you only use when he's at home. That's as extreme as splits get, but this is about 2 years worth of numbers so it's a legit reason to use him in that manner. At home last night he went 7 IP, allowing 6 baserunners and striking out 4.
Memorial Day Weekend Wrapup
Between Memorial Day festivities and a busy day at work yesterday, I've fallen a bit behind. Here's a recap of the action on Sunday and Monday...
Scott Olsen - A popular sleeper pick heading into the year, but he's done nothing but disappoint with a 5.11 ERA. He hasn't shown any signs of turning it around, so he's worth dropping in mixed leagues at this point for those who tried to show patience with him. Keep an eye and don't be afraid to pick him back up if he strings 3-4 solid performances in a row together.
David Wright - He stole his 10th base on Sunday, and he hasn't been caught yet this year. His previous high of SBs is 20, and he's now on pace for a bit over 30, so this is a nice surprise for his owners. However, his .267 AVG, 8 HRs and 27 RBIs are definitely a disappointment as we reach 1/3 of the way through the season. He's too good not to get real hot, so I'd look into buying him at a discount right now.
Alex Rodriguez - A-Rod continues his horrible slump as his AVG has now fallen under .300, and while the 5 HRs this month have been nice, his crappy batting average and lack of run production when he does get a hit are extremely frustrating. Look for him to get back on track sometime soon.
Bobby Abreu - He's now hitting .228, and there's no explanation for his struggles that I can see. Torre has tried moving him around in the lineup, but that hasn't helped either. He has a long career of .300 AVG and .400 OBP, so this is way out of line for his performance. He's not dealing with a leg injury as he's stolen 8 bases so far, but all other stats are way down. I'd still suggest buying low as his long career indicates this is quite an anomaly, but buy way low because his slump has hit 2 months and there's always a chance this could be some bigger problem.
Ryan Howard - It's safe to say he's back. 4/8 with 3 HRs and 5 RBIs over Sunday/Monday. His batting average, which was a fluky .313 last season, is sitting at a horrible .224. Expect a nice rebound there, but I don't see him hitting .300 again with the amount of times he strikes out (44 Ks in 34 games this year, 181 Ks last season).
Cole Hamels - Maybe I'm expecting too much from him, but a 3.74 ERA from this young kid seems a bit high. He's allowed 10 HRs already, so that's definitely playing a part in his ERA thus far. Unless he can control the HRs, expect an ERA in the mid 3's even though he has low 3's stuff. The fact he pitches half his games in Citizen's Bank doesn't help, either.
Adam Dunn - 2 HRs and 4 RBIs on Sunday, and he's putting together a great season so far. His .258 average would be the 2nd best of his career, and the 14 HRs with 33 RBIs, 38 Rs, and 7 SBs round out his season thus far. Despite the low average, Dunn is solid in OBP, posting OBP's over 100 points higher than his AVG for his career. It's a shame that manager Jerry Narron wastes that production when he could be hitting 2nd.
Nick Swisher - Adam Dunn - lite. Providing excellent draft day value with a .298 AVG thus far. His BBs are impressive as usual, and his K rate is a bit better this year. I don't expect his AVG to stay that high this year, so if you can find someone who does, I'd look to upgrade.
Joe Blanton - Gross. 8 ERs and 10 Hs in 6 IP. A popular waiver pickup in mixed leagues recently, myself included, and he's rewarded his owners with 2 staright poor performances. I'd hold him unless you see another pitching option on the waiver wire that you like a lot in case this is just a bump in the road, but he's disappointed badly last year and that can't be ignored.
Miguel Tejada - This recent power surge was a blessing for all his owners. He smacked 3 HRs in 4 days while driving in 8 runs and scoring 4 to bring him up to 5 HRs total. If he's re-discovered his power stroke and can get into the 25 HR range by the end of the year, he'll justify his draft position.
Scott Kazmir - Another slightly disappointing young southpaw. His walks continue to be a problem as he's up to 32 BBs in 66 IP, so there's a definite cause for his troubles. He limited this White Sox to 4 ERs despite 8 Hs and 3 BBs, so while he has the talent to fend off the walks and keep his ERA reasonable, he'll be more prone to disasterous outings unless he regains the improved command he found last year.
A.J. Burnett - Another solid outing, getting the 8 IP complete game allowed 3 ER and 6 baserunners while K'ing 8. He's found his control, and the results prove it. The 125 pitches are a concern for a pitcher with a history of elbow problems, so hopefully he'll have a shorter leash next outing. He gets the White Sox next, so I'd consider benching him. Many pitchers don't have their best stuff coming off a high pitch outing, so take that into consideration if you're on the fence about starting him.
Adrian Beltre - He hit his 7th, 8th, and 9th HRs over the weekend. If he happens to be unowned in your league, grab him given the lack of production from 3B this year. He's up to .270, and has chipped in 5 SBs as well. His production has gone in the tank after signing the huge deal to come over to Seattle after his monstrous 2004 season, but if he could get back to 30 HRs, he'll be a fine asset in fantasy leagues.
Kevin Youkilis - There is no hotter hitter in baseball right now. He has at least 2 hits in 9 straight games, and in the last 10 he has 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, and even a SB. He only hit 13 HRs last year, so the 8 HRs this year are on pace to kill that total. Congrats to those of you who had him, and shame to those of you who dropped him at some point (me in both leagues).
Noah Lowry - Gave up 7 Hs, 3 BBs, and 4 ERs in 4 innings. This is the type of blowup I said he was destined for, and I'd imagine at least one more is around the corner. Hope you didn't pick him up.
Jake Peavy - Johan Santana of the NL. 7 more shutout innings, with only 2 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 8. There's no better pitcher in fantasy baseball right now, and the scary thing is that given everything (home ballpark, health), he's capable of keeping this up.
Randy Wolf - 6 innings of shutout ball with 5 Ks and 5 baserunners. His ERA is down to 3.41, and his K rate remains at a career best with 71 Ks in 66 IP. He's finally healthy and can keep pitching at a mid 3's ERA level all year long.
Rich Hill - A nice bounceback outing against LA after a rought stretch, matching Wolf with 6 IP of shutout ball, allowing 5 baserunners and K'ing 3. Unfortunately Pinella subbed him out when they needed a pinch hitter despite him only being at 66 pitches. His fantasy owners were probably unhappy about the situation, but even more important was a rebound to form.
Morgan Ensberg - 3 HRs in 5 days. Keep an eye on him...his hitting talent hasn't disappeared yet. Like with Beltre, the weak 3B crew this year warrants following 3B with a previous history getting hot.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 5 ER. Just a blip in the radar screen for Oswalt and nothing to worry about. Arizona can be a tough place to pitch.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 3 K, and another win. Carmona pitched out of a few jams and earned his 6th victory. Continue to ride the hot hand here.
Kyle Lohse - Another random great start from Lohse. Ignore.
Chuck James - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, and a career high 8 Ks. He's a talented young pitcher and worth keeping tabs on. He's been very inconsistent this year, but he's mixed in some very nice starts.
Jose Contreras - After an almost spot-less May, he ends it on a sour note, allowing 13 baserunners and 7 ER in 5 1/3 IP. If you picked him up, don't panic based on one start, because he's quietly been very solid for almost a month now.
Johan Santana - Not his best outing allowing 4 ER in 8 IP, but with only 8 baserunners, 7 Ks, and a Win, who's complaining? These are some of his best numbers in his career through the first two months, and he's now entering the time where his hot streak usually starts.
Paul Konerko - Konerko continues to move out of his slump, raising his average 40 points over the past 10 games. I'd still try to buy low as his overall numbers look pretty bad, but expect him to continue hitting well the rest of the year, especially with Thome back in the lineup.
Jeff Francis - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He's not a K pitcher, but he's pitching too well right now to leave him on the waiver wire. That's not 5 straight outings of 2 ER or less. Unfortunately that might mean he's due for a bad outing, but pick him up and use him in the right matchups.
Curt Schilling - And he's back. 7 innings of 6 hit, 1 ER ball with 10 Ks against a quality Cleveland offense. Feel free to get him back into the lineup if you benched him like I did during his cold streak.
Doug Davis - 8 IP, 7 Hs, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks. Hmm, he's actually pitched well in 5 of his last 7 outings. Given what he did last year, the fact he pitches in a quality hitter's ballpark, and his large amount of walks outside of his last outing, I can't recommend doing anything with him other than pointing to his stellar ERA and getting rid of him. His ugly 1.62 WHIP and 32 BB in 66 IP are terrible signs heading forward.
Carl Crawford - After raving about his high SB percentage last week, he goes and gets caught in 3 of his next 4 attempts. He's actually been kind of a bust, with only 12 SBs (6 CS), 5 HRs, and 24 runs scored. The lack of power in the middle of the lineup is hurting him and he's been moved to the 3rd spot. It hasn't hurt his green light for stealing bases, but he's not being driving in as much as he would be leading off.
Steve Trachsel - A complete game, 1 ER performance that gives him a 3.39 ERA? Props to him for a great start, but don't you even think about picking him up. He has a 1.30 WHIP, which isn't bad, but is due to go up thanks to his abysmal 18:31 K/BB ratio.
Brian Roberts - 6 SBs in the last 10 games give him 19 for the year. He's definitely justifying the high draft position at 2B with all these steals to go along with the .312 AVG and 34 runs scored.
Bartolo Colon - He pitched well for a while, but his arm is bothering him again, and he was blasted for 11 hits and 9 R (7 ER) in 6 1/3 IP before complaining of additional arm soreness. Expect another DL stint, and unless you have an empty DL slot, go ahead and drop him.
Chad Gaudin - One of the more amazing stories so far this year. He pitched 6 2/3 IP of ER ball, only allowing 7 baserunners. He's been a quality pitcher all year, and while he's due for some regression, continue starting him as he's shown no signs of slowing down yet. If you can sell another owner on his performance despite the lack of name recognition, he'd be a great throw-in in a trade to upgrade somewhere in your lineup for cheap.
Alan Embree - 3 perfect outings in his 3 save chances. I was wrong to tell everyone to avoid the Oakland bullpen as he's stepped up and thrived in the closer's role, despite it being a small sample. With Duchscherer suffering a setback in his rehab and Street still out, he should have the closer's role for a while.
Scott Olsen - A popular sleeper pick heading into the year, but he's done nothing but disappoint with a 5.11 ERA. He hasn't shown any signs of turning it around, so he's worth dropping in mixed leagues at this point for those who tried to show patience with him. Keep an eye and don't be afraid to pick him back up if he strings 3-4 solid performances in a row together.
David Wright - He stole his 10th base on Sunday, and he hasn't been caught yet this year. His previous high of SBs is 20, and he's now on pace for a bit over 30, so this is a nice surprise for his owners. However, his .267 AVG, 8 HRs and 27 RBIs are definitely a disappointment as we reach 1/3 of the way through the season. He's too good not to get real hot, so I'd look into buying him at a discount right now.
Alex Rodriguez - A-Rod continues his horrible slump as his AVG has now fallen under .300, and while the 5 HRs this month have been nice, his crappy batting average and lack of run production when he does get a hit are extremely frustrating. Look for him to get back on track sometime soon.
Bobby Abreu - He's now hitting .228, and there's no explanation for his struggles that I can see. Torre has tried moving him around in the lineup, but that hasn't helped either. He has a long career of .300 AVG and .400 OBP, so this is way out of line for his performance. He's not dealing with a leg injury as he's stolen 8 bases so far, but all other stats are way down. I'd still suggest buying low as his long career indicates this is quite an anomaly, but buy way low because his slump has hit 2 months and there's always a chance this could be some bigger problem.
Ryan Howard - It's safe to say he's back. 4/8 with 3 HRs and 5 RBIs over Sunday/Monday. His batting average, which was a fluky .313 last season, is sitting at a horrible .224. Expect a nice rebound there, but I don't see him hitting .300 again with the amount of times he strikes out (44 Ks in 34 games this year, 181 Ks last season).
Cole Hamels - Maybe I'm expecting too much from him, but a 3.74 ERA from this young kid seems a bit high. He's allowed 10 HRs already, so that's definitely playing a part in his ERA thus far. Unless he can control the HRs, expect an ERA in the mid 3's even though he has low 3's stuff. The fact he pitches half his games in Citizen's Bank doesn't help, either.
Adam Dunn - 2 HRs and 4 RBIs on Sunday, and he's putting together a great season so far. His .258 average would be the 2nd best of his career, and the 14 HRs with 33 RBIs, 38 Rs, and 7 SBs round out his season thus far. Despite the low average, Dunn is solid in OBP, posting OBP's over 100 points higher than his AVG for his career. It's a shame that manager Jerry Narron wastes that production when he could be hitting 2nd.
Nick Swisher - Adam Dunn - lite. Providing excellent draft day value with a .298 AVG thus far. His BBs are impressive as usual, and his K rate is a bit better this year. I don't expect his AVG to stay that high this year, so if you can find someone who does, I'd look to upgrade.
Joe Blanton - Gross. 8 ERs and 10 Hs in 6 IP. A popular waiver pickup in mixed leagues recently, myself included, and he's rewarded his owners with 2 staright poor performances. I'd hold him unless you see another pitching option on the waiver wire that you like a lot in case this is just a bump in the road, but he's disappointed badly last year and that can't be ignored.
Miguel Tejada - This recent power surge was a blessing for all his owners. He smacked 3 HRs in 4 days while driving in 8 runs and scoring 4 to bring him up to 5 HRs total. If he's re-discovered his power stroke and can get into the 25 HR range by the end of the year, he'll justify his draft position.
Scott Kazmir - Another slightly disappointing young southpaw. His walks continue to be a problem as he's up to 32 BBs in 66 IP, so there's a definite cause for his troubles. He limited this White Sox to 4 ERs despite 8 Hs and 3 BBs, so while he has the talent to fend off the walks and keep his ERA reasonable, he'll be more prone to disasterous outings unless he regains the improved command he found last year.
A.J. Burnett - Another solid outing, getting the 8 IP complete game allowed 3 ER and 6 baserunners while K'ing 8. He's found his control, and the results prove it. The 125 pitches are a concern for a pitcher with a history of elbow problems, so hopefully he'll have a shorter leash next outing. He gets the White Sox next, so I'd consider benching him. Many pitchers don't have their best stuff coming off a high pitch outing, so take that into consideration if you're on the fence about starting him.
Adrian Beltre - He hit his 7th, 8th, and 9th HRs over the weekend. If he happens to be unowned in your league, grab him given the lack of production from 3B this year. He's up to .270, and has chipped in 5 SBs as well. His production has gone in the tank after signing the huge deal to come over to Seattle after his monstrous 2004 season, but if he could get back to 30 HRs, he'll be a fine asset in fantasy leagues.
Kevin Youkilis - There is no hotter hitter in baseball right now. He has at least 2 hits in 9 straight games, and in the last 10 he has 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, and even a SB. He only hit 13 HRs last year, so the 8 HRs this year are on pace to kill that total. Congrats to those of you who had him, and shame to those of you who dropped him at some point (me in both leagues).
Noah Lowry - Gave up 7 Hs, 3 BBs, and 4 ERs in 4 innings. This is the type of blowup I said he was destined for, and I'd imagine at least one more is around the corner. Hope you didn't pick him up.
Jake Peavy - Johan Santana of the NL. 7 more shutout innings, with only 2 Hs and 1 BB while K'ing 8. There's no better pitcher in fantasy baseball right now, and the scary thing is that given everything (home ballpark, health), he's capable of keeping this up.
Randy Wolf - 6 innings of shutout ball with 5 Ks and 5 baserunners. His ERA is down to 3.41, and his K rate remains at a career best with 71 Ks in 66 IP. He's finally healthy and can keep pitching at a mid 3's ERA level all year long.
Rich Hill - A nice bounceback outing against LA after a rought stretch, matching Wolf with 6 IP of shutout ball, allowing 5 baserunners and K'ing 3. Unfortunately Pinella subbed him out when they needed a pinch hitter despite him only being at 66 pitches. His fantasy owners were probably unhappy about the situation, but even more important was a rebound to form.
Morgan Ensberg - 3 HRs in 5 days. Keep an eye on him...his hitting talent hasn't disappeared yet. Like with Beltre, the weak 3B crew this year warrants following 3B with a previous history getting hot.
Roy Oswalt - 6 IP, 10 H, 2 BB, 5 ER. Just a blip in the radar screen for Oswalt and nothing to worry about. Arizona can be a tough place to pitch.
Fausto Carmona - 7 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 3 K, and another win. Carmona pitched out of a few jams and earned his 6th victory. Continue to ride the hot hand here.
Kyle Lohse - Another random great start from Lohse. Ignore.
Chuck James - 6 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 ER, and a career high 8 Ks. He's a talented young pitcher and worth keeping tabs on. He's been very inconsistent this year, but he's mixed in some very nice starts.
Jose Contreras - After an almost spot-less May, he ends it on a sour note, allowing 13 baserunners and 7 ER in 5 1/3 IP. If you picked him up, don't panic based on one start, because he's quietly been very solid for almost a month now.
Johan Santana - Not his best outing allowing 4 ER in 8 IP, but with only 8 baserunners, 7 Ks, and a Win, who's complaining? These are some of his best numbers in his career through the first two months, and he's now entering the time where his hot streak usually starts.
Paul Konerko - Konerko continues to move out of his slump, raising his average 40 points over the past 10 games. I'd still try to buy low as his overall numbers look pretty bad, but expect him to continue hitting well the rest of the year, especially with Thome back in the lineup.
Jeff Francis - 7 2/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K. He's not a K pitcher, but he's pitching too well right now to leave him on the waiver wire. That's not 5 straight outings of 2 ER or less. Unfortunately that might mean he's due for a bad outing, but pick him up and use him in the right matchups.
Curt Schilling - And he's back. 7 innings of 6 hit, 1 ER ball with 10 Ks against a quality Cleveland offense. Feel free to get him back into the lineup if you benched him like I did during his cold streak.
Doug Davis - 8 IP, 7 Hs, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks. Hmm, he's actually pitched well in 5 of his last 7 outings. Given what he did last year, the fact he pitches in a quality hitter's ballpark, and his large amount of walks outside of his last outing, I can't recommend doing anything with him other than pointing to his stellar ERA and getting rid of him. His ugly 1.62 WHIP and 32 BB in 66 IP are terrible signs heading forward.
Carl Crawford - After raving about his high SB percentage last week, he goes and gets caught in 3 of his next 4 attempts. He's actually been kind of a bust, with only 12 SBs (6 CS), 5 HRs, and 24 runs scored. The lack of power in the middle of the lineup is hurting him and he's been moved to the 3rd spot. It hasn't hurt his green light for stealing bases, but he's not being driving in as much as he would be leading off.
Steve Trachsel - A complete game, 1 ER performance that gives him a 3.39 ERA? Props to him for a great start, but don't you even think about picking him up. He has a 1.30 WHIP, which isn't bad, but is due to go up thanks to his abysmal 18:31 K/BB ratio.
Brian Roberts - 6 SBs in the last 10 games give him 19 for the year. He's definitely justifying the high draft position at 2B with all these steals to go along with the .312 AVG and 34 runs scored.
Bartolo Colon - He pitched well for a while, but his arm is bothering him again, and he was blasted for 11 hits and 9 R (7 ER) in 6 1/3 IP before complaining of additional arm soreness. Expect another DL stint, and unless you have an empty DL slot, go ahead and drop him.
Chad Gaudin - One of the more amazing stories so far this year. He pitched 6 2/3 IP of ER ball, only allowing 7 baserunners. He's been a quality pitcher all year, and while he's due for some regression, continue starting him as he's shown no signs of slowing down yet. If you can sell another owner on his performance despite the lack of name recognition, he'd be a great throw-in in a trade to upgrade somewhere in your lineup for cheap.
Alan Embree - 3 perfect outings in his 3 save chances. I was wrong to tell everyone to avoid the Oakland bullpen as he's stepped up and thrived in the closer's role, despite it being a small sample. With Duchscherer suffering a setback in his rehab and Street still out, he should have the closer's role for a while.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Saturday Wrapup: Carlos and Hoffman Return
Howie Kendrick - Kendrick has not hit well since returning from his broken finger, so I'd consider using the 2B you picked up in his place for a little while longer until he gets hot, and I'd start shopping his replacement for an upgrade at another position in the meantime as Kendrick will return to form soon enough.
Kelvim Escobar - Wow, what a season for him so far. He's always had the talent to do this when he's healthy, and he's certainly capable of keeping this up all year long. However, his arm will likely not allow him to pitch 200 innings this year, so now is a good time to try to move him for a guy more likely to pitch at a high level all season long. The only problem you might run into is the lack of name recognition, which unfortunately makes guys like Escobar more valuable to their knowledgable owners than anyone else.
Carlos Zambrano - There's the Carlos we love! He pitched an excellent game last night, although Pinella left him in a bit too long and he ended up at 125 pitches. Given he's been battling issues with his velocity all season long, this didn't seem like a good idea. He was still only about 90-91 MPH last night compared to throwing mid-90s most of his career. I figured we'd see increased velocity as the season wore on, but I'm a bit worried as to what the cause of this is.
Ryan Dempster - Gave up a couple hits to start the 9th, but got a K and a double play to get out of it. There doesn't seem to be any indication of Pinella actually removing Dempster from the closer's role, so maybe he came to his senses, or this will be a drawn-out process. I picked up Guzman in a league in which I needed saves, but I'm very tempted to drop him if Dempster continues to close.
Aramis Ramirez - Smacked his 12th HR last night, and has his average up to .295. He's performing like an elite 3B yet again this year despite being drafted at a slight discount. He, unlike Garrett Atkins, is living up to his draft day position.
C.C. Sabathia - Cruising right along. He hasn't had a dominant outing this month, but he's been very consistent and turned in a solid performance (7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, 6 K) against a very tough Tigers offense.
Justin Verlander - Had control problems last night with 4 BBs, but he limited the damage by allowing only 3 Hs and 2 ERs in 6 IP. He hasn't posted the K rate expected of him (44 K in 63 IP), but he's pitched efficiently and has great numbers across the board.
Edgar Renteria - .332 AVG with 7 HR and 3 SB this year. He's been an outstanding value as he was likely one of the last SSs taken on draft day. He'll slow down a bit batting average-wise, but he has the talent to keep this up, posting 3 seasons of .290 or better in his career, including hitting .330 once. His career high in HRs is 16, so his HR pace will decline a bit as well.
Antonio Alfonseca - It's official, he's the Phillies closer while Gordon and Myers are on the DL. He gave up 1 hit in a scoreless inning last night for the save, but he's only attractive to those who chase saves with little regard to ERA/WHIP.
Carlos Delgado - He Del-Got-It last night, smashing 2 HRs and driving in 5. Given his poor overall numbers, he's still a quality buy-low guy who should heat up in a hurry.
John Maine - He bounced back a bit last night, giving up 2 ER in 6 IP with 8 Ks. He walked 4 more, so his outing wasn't as encouraging as one might think. He's still managing to avoid major damage while walking 34 in 61 1/3 IP, but he's not going to keep doing that. If you haven't yet, I'd still try to trade him before his numbers continue to decline.
Richie Sexson - He got a hit last night, which is noteworthy in itself given his .182 AVG so far. He's making Adam Dunn look like Ted Williams. I feel sorry for everyone who drafted him.
Alex Rios - I'm punching myself in the balls every time he hits a HR. He's now hitting .309 with 11 HRs, 35 Rs, 26 RBIs, and 4 SBs. He's making me look stupid for trading him along with Webb to get Manny and Sheets. I know Manny will get hot as well and not look back, sometime soon preferrably, right? Jerk.
Michael Cuddyer - He's providing very solid 3rd OF value, as that's what he likely is for your team. 4/5 last night with a HR, giving him a .290 AVG with 7 HRs so far this year. He's hit 3 HRs and driven in 9 over the past week, so he's getting hot and moving his numbers to those that were expected by his owners.
Edwin Encarnacion - HR last night, giving him solid numbers since returning from the minors. He should continue to hit, and is a borderline starter at 3B in mixed leagues. You could do worse than picking him up/trading garbage for him if he's available in your league. He should be a top 10 3B this year when all is said and done.
Bronson Arroyo - Alright, it's time to get worried. After getting lit up for 6 ERs in 2 IP against Washington 5 days ago, he got hit around for 6 ER in 4 IP this time, walking 4 in the process. That's 12 ER in 6 IP against the two worst offenses in the NL. I would bench him until he posts a solid outing.
Jim Edmonds - He's been on a tear the last two weeks, and is worth adding if you need OF help. He's too good of a hitter when healthy to continue the pace he was on. With the entire Cardinals lineup starting to heat up, he'll post solid numbers outside of SBs while he's healthy.
Jason Isringhausen - He's quietly posting a great season again as the Cardinals' closer. 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 14 Ks in 19 IP while saving 13.
Manny Ramirez - Slowly heating up. He's raised his average 27 points in the last 6 days to .272. The power should soon follow as he's only hit 7 HRs so far this year. Last chance to get him at a discount.
Aaron Cook - A CG, 1 ER performance last night. 27 Ks in 72 1/3 IP along with un-impressive ratios, and you'll realize this was just a great performance by an average pitcher. Don't pick him up.
Brandon Webb - Well, it looks like he just needed a non-Colorado matchup to get him back on his game. 7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, and 8 K. Granted the Houston offense is rather weak, but this was a nice sign to see after 2 straight 5 R performances. Expect him to continue to improve, especially if he keeps showing better control.
Jose Valverde - Another great bullpen steal on draft day. 2.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 22 Ks in 21 1/3 IP while saving 18 games. He's always had the talent to do this, but he's finally showing the consistency necessary to keep this up all year long.
Ryan Braun - Milwaukee's prized hitting prospect, and arguably the best hitting prospect in the minors after Billy Butler and Hunter Pence graduated, has been promoted. 3/4 with a HR and a SB in his 2nd game. He's still on waivers in Yahoo's league, and he's worth a claim for all teams in need of a 3B or UTIL help.
Justin Germano - He's had an amazing start to his career, posting a 1.08 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, but with 9 Ks in 25 IP, it's hard to see him keeping this up. Pitching half his games in SD will help him maintain some semblance of success, but I figure things will go south for him eventually. It's hard to recommend him in mixed leagues.
Trevor Hoffman - Returned to the closer's role last night after a save opportunity presented itself with Brocail walking 2/3 hitters he faced. His sore arm is obviously not a long-term concern, but he'll continue to need days off more than most closers. Like I said before, all Hoffman owners need to own Linebrink to guard against a further injury, and to make sure they claim all saves generated by the Padres bullpen.
Kelvim Escobar - Wow, what a season for him so far. He's always had the talent to do this when he's healthy, and he's certainly capable of keeping this up all year long. However, his arm will likely not allow him to pitch 200 innings this year, so now is a good time to try to move him for a guy more likely to pitch at a high level all season long. The only problem you might run into is the lack of name recognition, which unfortunately makes guys like Escobar more valuable to their knowledgable owners than anyone else.
Carlos Zambrano - There's the Carlos we love! He pitched an excellent game last night, although Pinella left him in a bit too long and he ended up at 125 pitches. Given he's been battling issues with his velocity all season long, this didn't seem like a good idea. He was still only about 90-91 MPH last night compared to throwing mid-90s most of his career. I figured we'd see increased velocity as the season wore on, but I'm a bit worried as to what the cause of this is.
Ryan Dempster - Gave up a couple hits to start the 9th, but got a K and a double play to get out of it. There doesn't seem to be any indication of Pinella actually removing Dempster from the closer's role, so maybe he came to his senses, or this will be a drawn-out process. I picked up Guzman in a league in which I needed saves, but I'm very tempted to drop him if Dempster continues to close.
Aramis Ramirez - Smacked his 12th HR last night, and has his average up to .295. He's performing like an elite 3B yet again this year despite being drafted at a slight discount. He, unlike Garrett Atkins, is living up to his draft day position.
C.C. Sabathia - Cruising right along. He hasn't had a dominant outing this month, but he's been very consistent and turned in a solid performance (7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 ER, 6 K) against a very tough Tigers offense.
Justin Verlander - Had control problems last night with 4 BBs, but he limited the damage by allowing only 3 Hs and 2 ERs in 6 IP. He hasn't posted the K rate expected of him (44 K in 63 IP), but he's pitched efficiently and has great numbers across the board.
Edgar Renteria - .332 AVG with 7 HR and 3 SB this year. He's been an outstanding value as he was likely one of the last SSs taken on draft day. He'll slow down a bit batting average-wise, but he has the talent to keep this up, posting 3 seasons of .290 or better in his career, including hitting .330 once. His career high in HRs is 16, so his HR pace will decline a bit as well.
Antonio Alfonseca - It's official, he's the Phillies closer while Gordon and Myers are on the DL. He gave up 1 hit in a scoreless inning last night for the save, but he's only attractive to those who chase saves with little regard to ERA/WHIP.
Carlos Delgado - He Del-Got-It last night, smashing 2 HRs and driving in 5. Given his poor overall numbers, he's still a quality buy-low guy who should heat up in a hurry.
John Maine - He bounced back a bit last night, giving up 2 ER in 6 IP with 8 Ks. He walked 4 more, so his outing wasn't as encouraging as one might think. He's still managing to avoid major damage while walking 34 in 61 1/3 IP, but he's not going to keep doing that. If you haven't yet, I'd still try to trade him before his numbers continue to decline.
Richie Sexson - He got a hit last night, which is noteworthy in itself given his .182 AVG so far. He's making Adam Dunn look like Ted Williams. I feel sorry for everyone who drafted him.
Alex Rios - I'm punching myself in the balls every time he hits a HR. He's now hitting .309 with 11 HRs, 35 Rs, 26 RBIs, and 4 SBs. He's making me look stupid for trading him along with Webb to get Manny and Sheets. I know Manny will get hot as well and not look back, sometime soon preferrably, right? Jerk.
Michael Cuddyer - He's providing very solid 3rd OF value, as that's what he likely is for your team. 4/5 last night with a HR, giving him a .290 AVG with 7 HRs so far this year. He's hit 3 HRs and driven in 9 over the past week, so he's getting hot and moving his numbers to those that were expected by his owners.
Edwin Encarnacion - HR last night, giving him solid numbers since returning from the minors. He should continue to hit, and is a borderline starter at 3B in mixed leagues. You could do worse than picking him up/trading garbage for him if he's available in your league. He should be a top 10 3B this year when all is said and done.
Bronson Arroyo - Alright, it's time to get worried. After getting lit up for 6 ERs in 2 IP against Washington 5 days ago, he got hit around for 6 ER in 4 IP this time, walking 4 in the process. That's 12 ER in 6 IP against the two worst offenses in the NL. I would bench him until he posts a solid outing.
Jim Edmonds - He's been on a tear the last two weeks, and is worth adding if you need OF help. He's too good of a hitter when healthy to continue the pace he was on. With the entire Cardinals lineup starting to heat up, he'll post solid numbers outside of SBs while he's healthy.
Jason Isringhausen - He's quietly posting a great season again as the Cardinals' closer. 1.42 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 14 Ks in 19 IP while saving 13.
Manny Ramirez - Slowly heating up. He's raised his average 27 points in the last 6 days to .272. The power should soon follow as he's only hit 7 HRs so far this year. Last chance to get him at a discount.
Aaron Cook - A CG, 1 ER performance last night. 27 Ks in 72 1/3 IP along with un-impressive ratios, and you'll realize this was just a great performance by an average pitcher. Don't pick him up.
Brandon Webb - Well, it looks like he just needed a non-Colorado matchup to get him back on his game. 7 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, and 8 K. Granted the Houston offense is rather weak, but this was a nice sign to see after 2 straight 5 R performances. Expect him to continue to improve, especially if he keeps showing better control.
Jose Valverde - Another great bullpen steal on draft day. 2.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 22 Ks in 21 1/3 IP while saving 18 games. He's always had the talent to do this, but he's finally showing the consistency necessary to keep this up all year long.
Ryan Braun - Milwaukee's prized hitting prospect, and arguably the best hitting prospect in the minors after Billy Butler and Hunter Pence graduated, has been promoted. 3/4 with a HR and a SB in his 2nd game. He's still on waivers in Yahoo's league, and he's worth a claim for all teams in need of a 3B or UTIL help.
Justin Germano - He's had an amazing start to his career, posting a 1.08 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, but with 9 Ks in 25 IP, it's hard to see him keeping this up. Pitching half his games in SD will help him maintain some semblance of success, but I figure things will go south for him eventually. It's hard to recommend him in mixed leagues.
Trevor Hoffman - Returned to the closer's role last night after a save opportunity presented itself with Brocail walking 2/3 hitters he faced. His sore arm is obviously not a long-term concern, but he'll continue to need days off more than most closers. Like I said before, all Hoffman owners need to own Linebrink to guard against a further injury, and to make sure they claim all saves generated by the Padres bullpen.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Friday Wrapup: Sizemore = Large, Bay's Power, And Pinella/Closer Rant
Grady Sizemore - Swiped his 16th base, and he's only been caught once. Add in 8 HRs and and 38 Rs scored, and you have quite a fantasy asset on your team. He's taking another step forward into the elite fantasy OFs this year, and I think his batting average (currently .274) has some room for growth as well.
Victor Martinez - Giving his owners exactly what they paid for. While Mauer was the more popular pick, often 1-3 rounds ahead of Martinez, he's hit .318 with 7 HRs and 36 RBIs. He's hitting in the middle of one of the best offenses in the majors, so he's actually in a better situation than Mauer.
Jered Weaver - Posted a mediocre outing against the Yankees, but giving up 3 ERs in 5 IP is about average against an offense like that. He allowed 10 baserunners in 5 IP, but K'd 5 and has continued to be solid since returning from bicep tendenitis earlier in the season.
Orlando Hernandez - El Duque has posted excellent ratios and 29 Ks in 38 IP, so he's been pitching great this year. He'll be in and out of the rotation all year long with various ailments, but he's well worth using in front of the Mets offense when he's healthy.
Dan Haren - Haren continues to dominate, holding the Orioles to 1 ER and 2 Hs in 7 IP with 3 Ks. He's been the best draft day value at SP this year, hands down. He's this year's Brandon Webb.
Erik Bedard - Another solid outing against Oakland, posting 7 IP, 9 baserunners, 2 ER, and 8 Ks. He continues to bounceback from his early season struggles and is bringing his ERA down to a level that he should maintain the rest of the year.
Jason Bay - Hit his first HR in 2 weeks, so perhaps he's ready to go on one of his patented HR tears. Us owners can hope anyways, right? His HR pace is below his past two years, so I imagine he'll start showing more power.
Aaron Harang - Another solid outing from Harang, posting 8 IP, 7 baserunners, 2 ER, and 5 Ks. He had a real rough stretch, allowing 5 ER in 4 out of 5 outings, but he's too good to keep this up and he should improve. He's not really a buy low, but you could probably get a discount on him if you act soon.
Salomon Torres - He's hardly been as good this year as last, giving his owners a 4.95 ERA and 1.30 WHIP so far. This was actually the first outing allowing a run in his last 10 appearances, so he's vastly improved while converting his last 5 save opportunities. He's given himself added job security with his recent stretch.
David Weathers - Ugh, another disgusting closer blowup in a non-save situation. Weathers has been great this year, but after pitching a scoreless 9th to keep the game tied, he blew up by allowing 6 baserunners in the top of the 10th while only getting 1 out, and they all scored. I think he was pitching above his head, but I wouldn't worry too much about one outing.
Tim Hudson - Another rough outing last night, but he was due for a bad stretch. I still think he can be a fine asset in Ws and ratios, so if you hadn't sold him high, I'd hang onto him. I think 15 Ws, low 3s ERA, a solid WHIP, and decent K numbers are attainable come season's end.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - Matsuzaka was rolling last night, but after the 4th inning he appeared ill in the dugout and returned to get shelled in the 5th inning. This was just an unfortunate occurence and not something to be worried about.
Kenny Lofton - Lofton stole his 16th base of the season last night, so if you're one who loves to chase steals, Lofton is your guy. He's probably owned by now, but he's worth adding and using. He probably won't give you much AVG help, and he wont provide HR/RBI help either, but hitting leadoff for a good lineup and stealing bases gives him some value.
Julio Lugo - He stole 2 bases last night as well, giving him 14 on the season. With eligibility at 2B/SS/3B in Yahoo, he's quite valuable despite the putrid .235 AVG so far this year. His worst AVG in a season playing 100 or more games is .263, so I imagine that he'll get his average back up around that level by the end of the year.
Scott Baker - He had some control problems walking 4 last night, but Toronto is a tough matchup for him. He allowed 3 ER in 5 1/3 IP, so he wasn't too bad. Expect more solid outings from the underrated youngster.
Joe Nathan - He posted his 10th save last night, but put 2 more baserunners on. His K rate is fine (25 in 21 1/3 IP), and he has a 2.11 ERA, but his WHIP is a very uncharacteristic 1.45. His walk rate is fine, it's just that he's allowed 25 hits in those 21 1/3 IP. I imagine he'll drag that down as the year goes on...he's too good not to and it doesn't seem like he's battling any sort of injury.
Chad Cordero - I'm kicking myself for not taking my own advice and going after him when his value bottomed out. He's 3/3 in save chances since returning from the bereavement list and is cruising now. I would, however, suggest trading him for a closer that's going to have the job all year long. It would make too much sense for Washington to not trade him come the deadline. They won't make a playoff push, he's an expensive reliever, and he'll demand plenty of interest. Worst of all, however, is that he probably won't be a closer if he's dealt.
Felix Hernandez - Ugh, another injury. At least it wasn't his arm. Felix was cruising through 5, but got wild in the 6th and gave up a walk, double, and triple and then was removed with a tight lower back. Again, Seattle will probably play this safe and I wouldn't be surprised if Felix missed his next start. It will likely depend on his bullpen session and I'll post an update when there is one.
James Shields - Rough outing last night, allowed 10 hits, walking 3, and giving up 4 ERs. He was actually lucky to only allow 4 runs despite allowing 13 baserunners, but he did a good job pitching out of jams. A matchup against a full-strength Sox lineup at US Cellular is not a good one, so we can't hold this one against him.
Mark Buehrle - He's actually pitching very well this year, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He's increasing his K rate as well, K'ing 40 in 56 IP, which is a career high rate so far. He has plenty of motivation being in a contract year, so expect continued positive results. He's a quality 4/5 starter for fantasy teams this year.
Bobby Jenks - Another closer cruising along, posting a 2.70 ERA and going unscored upon in his last 8 appearances. 21 Ks in 20 IP, and a 1.15 WHIP. He's been justifying his draft day value so far this year, and should remain that way all year long.
J.J. Hardy - He won't stop hitting HRs, adding his 15th last night. Just wow so far.
Prince Fielder - Outstanding draft-day value here, as well. He also hit his 15th last night, and he's evolving into the bigtime power hitting 1B many thought he'd become. Hopefully he'll have a longer shelf-life than his father.
Trevor Hoffman/Scott Linebrink - Hoffman has complained of some arm soreness, so he sat out last night's game and Linebrink picked up the save. Hoffman had worked 3 times in 4 days, which is a little much for him personally. He said it's just his arm being cranky, so it's likely not a major concern. Linebrink is well worth picking up in all leagues in the meantime, doubly so for Hoffman owners.
Angel Guzman - Pinella at work again. Guzman had not entered a high pressure situation before since moving to the bullpen, throwing 1 2/3 IP in a 5-1 deficit. Last night with the bases loaded, 0 out, and 1 run already in with a 8-6 lead, Pinella calls on Guzman to come into the game. As you can imagine, he was jittery and all over the strikezone to the first hitter, walking him with a wild pitch that allowed a runner to score mixed into the 4 balls. An RBI single and sac fly followed before he induced a double play to get out of the inning. This was a perfect situation for Pinella to use Dempster to get out of the high-stress jam, and then use Guzman to start the 9th and close out the game.
Now, I don't want to specifically blame Pinella for too much of this, but it's an epidemic with many managers where they save their closer for the 9th inning no matter what the circumstance. After Howry loaded the bases with 0 outs and a 3 run lead, Pinella has to call on his best reliever at that point to make sure there's a game to save in the 9th inning. I understand he doesn't want his closer to go 2 innings as most managers don't, but you have to put your best reliever in when the game is on the line, whether it's the 8th or 9th inning. The rigid closer usage around the league is rather ignorant. What I do blame Pinella for is using Guzman in a situation like that. He hasn't had to enter a stressful relief situation yet since being converted from the starting rotation, and Pinella puts him into one of the most stressful situations in baseball? That's a horrible way to build confidence with a young relief pitcher as he's being put out there in a situation where failure is the likely result. I'm curious to see how Guzman bounces back from this.
Victor Martinez - Giving his owners exactly what they paid for. While Mauer was the more popular pick, often 1-3 rounds ahead of Martinez, he's hit .318 with 7 HRs and 36 RBIs. He's hitting in the middle of one of the best offenses in the majors, so he's actually in a better situation than Mauer.
Jered Weaver - Posted a mediocre outing against the Yankees, but giving up 3 ERs in 5 IP is about average against an offense like that. He allowed 10 baserunners in 5 IP, but K'd 5 and has continued to be solid since returning from bicep tendenitis earlier in the season.
Orlando Hernandez - El Duque has posted excellent ratios and 29 Ks in 38 IP, so he's been pitching great this year. He'll be in and out of the rotation all year long with various ailments, but he's well worth using in front of the Mets offense when he's healthy.
Dan Haren - Haren continues to dominate, holding the Orioles to 1 ER and 2 Hs in 7 IP with 3 Ks. He's been the best draft day value at SP this year, hands down. He's this year's Brandon Webb.
Erik Bedard - Another solid outing against Oakland, posting 7 IP, 9 baserunners, 2 ER, and 8 Ks. He continues to bounceback from his early season struggles and is bringing his ERA down to a level that he should maintain the rest of the year.
Jason Bay - Hit his first HR in 2 weeks, so perhaps he's ready to go on one of his patented HR tears. Us owners can hope anyways, right? His HR pace is below his past two years, so I imagine he'll start showing more power.
Aaron Harang - Another solid outing from Harang, posting 8 IP, 7 baserunners, 2 ER, and 5 Ks. He had a real rough stretch, allowing 5 ER in 4 out of 5 outings, but he's too good to keep this up and he should improve. He's not really a buy low, but you could probably get a discount on him if you act soon.
Salomon Torres - He's hardly been as good this year as last, giving his owners a 4.95 ERA and 1.30 WHIP so far. This was actually the first outing allowing a run in his last 10 appearances, so he's vastly improved while converting his last 5 save opportunities. He's given himself added job security with his recent stretch.
David Weathers - Ugh, another disgusting closer blowup in a non-save situation. Weathers has been great this year, but after pitching a scoreless 9th to keep the game tied, he blew up by allowing 6 baserunners in the top of the 10th while only getting 1 out, and they all scored. I think he was pitching above his head, but I wouldn't worry too much about one outing.
Tim Hudson - Another rough outing last night, but he was due for a bad stretch. I still think he can be a fine asset in Ws and ratios, so if you hadn't sold him high, I'd hang onto him. I think 15 Ws, low 3s ERA, a solid WHIP, and decent K numbers are attainable come season's end.
Daisuke Matsuzaka - Matsuzaka was rolling last night, but after the 4th inning he appeared ill in the dugout and returned to get shelled in the 5th inning. This was just an unfortunate occurence and not something to be worried about.
Kenny Lofton - Lofton stole his 16th base of the season last night, so if you're one who loves to chase steals, Lofton is your guy. He's probably owned by now, but he's worth adding and using. He probably won't give you much AVG help, and he wont provide HR/RBI help either, but hitting leadoff for a good lineup and stealing bases gives him some value.
Julio Lugo - He stole 2 bases last night as well, giving him 14 on the season. With eligibility at 2B/SS/3B in Yahoo, he's quite valuable despite the putrid .235 AVG so far this year. His worst AVG in a season playing 100 or more games is .263, so I imagine that he'll get his average back up around that level by the end of the year.
Scott Baker - He had some control problems walking 4 last night, but Toronto is a tough matchup for him. He allowed 3 ER in 5 1/3 IP, so he wasn't too bad. Expect more solid outings from the underrated youngster.
Joe Nathan - He posted his 10th save last night, but put 2 more baserunners on. His K rate is fine (25 in 21 1/3 IP), and he has a 2.11 ERA, but his WHIP is a very uncharacteristic 1.45. His walk rate is fine, it's just that he's allowed 25 hits in those 21 1/3 IP. I imagine he'll drag that down as the year goes on...he's too good not to and it doesn't seem like he's battling any sort of injury.
Chad Cordero - I'm kicking myself for not taking my own advice and going after him when his value bottomed out. He's 3/3 in save chances since returning from the bereavement list and is cruising now. I would, however, suggest trading him for a closer that's going to have the job all year long. It would make too much sense for Washington to not trade him come the deadline. They won't make a playoff push, he's an expensive reliever, and he'll demand plenty of interest. Worst of all, however, is that he probably won't be a closer if he's dealt.
Felix Hernandez - Ugh, another injury. At least it wasn't his arm. Felix was cruising through 5, but got wild in the 6th and gave up a walk, double, and triple and then was removed with a tight lower back. Again, Seattle will probably play this safe and I wouldn't be surprised if Felix missed his next start. It will likely depend on his bullpen session and I'll post an update when there is one.
James Shields - Rough outing last night, allowed 10 hits, walking 3, and giving up 4 ERs. He was actually lucky to only allow 4 runs despite allowing 13 baserunners, but he did a good job pitching out of jams. A matchup against a full-strength Sox lineup at US Cellular is not a good one, so we can't hold this one against him.
Mark Buehrle - He's actually pitching very well this year, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He's increasing his K rate as well, K'ing 40 in 56 IP, which is a career high rate so far. He has plenty of motivation being in a contract year, so expect continued positive results. He's a quality 4/5 starter for fantasy teams this year.
Bobby Jenks - Another closer cruising along, posting a 2.70 ERA and going unscored upon in his last 8 appearances. 21 Ks in 20 IP, and a 1.15 WHIP. He's been justifying his draft day value so far this year, and should remain that way all year long.
J.J. Hardy - He won't stop hitting HRs, adding his 15th last night. Just wow so far.
Prince Fielder - Outstanding draft-day value here, as well. He also hit his 15th last night, and he's evolving into the bigtime power hitting 1B many thought he'd become. Hopefully he'll have a longer shelf-life than his father.
Trevor Hoffman/Scott Linebrink - Hoffman has complained of some arm soreness, so he sat out last night's game and Linebrink picked up the save. Hoffman had worked 3 times in 4 days, which is a little much for him personally. He said it's just his arm being cranky, so it's likely not a major concern. Linebrink is well worth picking up in all leagues in the meantime, doubly so for Hoffman owners.
Angel Guzman - Pinella at work again. Guzman had not entered a high pressure situation before since moving to the bullpen, throwing 1 2/3 IP in a 5-1 deficit. Last night with the bases loaded, 0 out, and 1 run already in with a 8-6 lead, Pinella calls on Guzman to come into the game. As you can imagine, he was jittery and all over the strikezone to the first hitter, walking him with a wild pitch that allowed a runner to score mixed into the 4 balls. An RBI single and sac fly followed before he induced a double play to get out of the inning. This was a perfect situation for Pinella to use Dempster to get out of the high-stress jam, and then use Guzman to start the 9th and close out the game.
Now, I don't want to specifically blame Pinella for too much of this, but it's an epidemic with many managers where they save their closer for the 9th inning no matter what the circumstance. After Howry loaded the bases with 0 outs and a 3 run lead, Pinella has to call on his best reliever at that point to make sure there's a game to save in the 9th inning. I understand he doesn't want his closer to go 2 innings as most managers don't, but you have to put your best reliever in when the game is on the line, whether it's the 8th or 9th inning. The rigid closer usage around the league is rather ignorant. What I do blame Pinella for is using Guzman in a situation like that. He hasn't had to enter a stressful relief situation yet since being converted from the starting rotation, and Pinella puts him into one of the most stressful situations in baseball? That's a horrible way to build confidence with a young relief pitcher as he's being put out there in a situation where failure is the likely result. I'm curious to see how Guzman bounces back from this.
Belated Thursday Action: Cubs Closer Update and Bonderman's Return
Jeremy Bonderman - Bonderman made a successful return to the rotation with 8 IP, 9 baserunners, 0 ER, and 6 K's. He was a bit wild early, as to be expected by someone who hadn't pitched in 2 weeks, but he settled down nicely and turned in an excellent outing. Obviously he's safe to return to your active lineup.
Orlando Cabrera - Cabrera has been a surprise this year, hitting .312 so far with 3 HR, 6 SB, and a good amount of Rs/RBIs. He's provided solid value to those who took him as a starting SS towards the end of the draft.
Carlos Guillen - Another great draft day value. Guillen hit his 5th and 6th HRs of the season, and is now hitting .327. Despite his strong year last season, he was again very underrated in drafts this year and is continuing to be a top 5 option at SS. His health is the only concern, but he's avoided a major injury the last two seasons and might be shaking that reputation.
Tom Gorzelanny - Gorzelanny allowed 10 hits in 5 1/3 IP, but managed to avoid major damage by only surrendering 2 ER. He left his start a bit early with a thumb contusion suffered by a comebacker, but he appears to be fine and will only miss one start at most.
Braden Looper - Looper continues his improbable run as a converted started by limiting the Pirates to 1 ER over 6 IP. His K rate is low (36 Ks in 61 IP), but his ratios are very solid. I imagine he'll start getting hit harder as more teams get a better look at him, so he remains a sell high candidate if someone believes he'll keep this up all year.
Delmon Young - He remains an excellent buy-low candidate. He's quietly raised his average 15 points over the past 10 days, but still hasn't gotten truly hot yet. Pitchers have adjusted to him after his call-up last year, so he's currently re-adjusting and will continue to improve.
Jeremy Accardo - Accardo continued his improbably run as a reliver this year as he still has not been scored upon. He's 5/5 in save chances, so barring a terrible cold streak, he should remain Toronto's closer all year long.
Alex Gonzalez - He hit his 8th HR of the season and has probably been a popular pickup in mixed leagues at SS, but he'll never hit for a high average, he doesn't steal bases, and his runs scored will remain low hitting towards the bottom of Cincy's lineup. 25 HRs is a reasonable assumption given he's hitting in one of the best HR parks in the majors, but he won't contribute enough to other catagories to warrant starting him.
John Smoltz - 7 IP, 7 Hs, 0 ERs, 5 Ks against the powerful Mets lineup. He's pitching as well as any pitcher in baseball right now, and continues to provide solid draft day value behind the elite starters. He doesn't have the upside some of them do, but he's as reliable as any.
Bob Wickman - Picked up his first save since returning from the DL. With Mike Gonzalez done for the year with Tommy John surgery, Rafael Soriano is a must-add as Wickman remains probably to have an additional injury this season due to his age. Wickman's owners would be wise to work a small trade to add Soriano for insurance.
Casey Blake - He's been on absolute fire over the past month, but avoid picking him up as it's likely just a hot streak and not an indication of anything better unless you're stuck at 3B. He's 33 years old and only has one quality season, back in 2004. He's never combined for .250 and 20+ HRs in any other season.
Micah Owens - A complete game, 9 H, 1 ER, 8 K performance. I don't know too much about his minor league track record, but he's posted solid numbers so far this season. He's emerging as a potential spot starter against weak offenses, if not more if he keeps improving.
Eric Byrnes - One of the most underrated OFs on draft day, he's hitting .299 with 6 HRs, 9 SBs, and 26 Rs/RBIs. He's likely going to have big hot/cold streaks, but he'll probably hit .280 with 25 HRs and 30 SBs. Can't complain about that as your 3rd OF!
Ryan Dempster - Pitched a clean 9th inning for his 10th save in 11 chances. I'm not sure what Pinella plans on doing now, but that's 2 straight perfect inning saves from Dempster since his 9th inning meltdown last week. I just don't understand why they'd remove him from the roll, and like I posted in my analysis of the Cubs closing situation, Dempster is well worth using until the switch becomes official.
Orlando Cabrera - Cabrera has been a surprise this year, hitting .312 so far with 3 HR, 6 SB, and a good amount of Rs/RBIs. He's provided solid value to those who took him as a starting SS towards the end of the draft.
Carlos Guillen - Another great draft day value. Guillen hit his 5th and 6th HRs of the season, and is now hitting .327. Despite his strong year last season, he was again very underrated in drafts this year and is continuing to be a top 5 option at SS. His health is the only concern, but he's avoided a major injury the last two seasons and might be shaking that reputation.
Tom Gorzelanny - Gorzelanny allowed 10 hits in 5 1/3 IP, but managed to avoid major damage by only surrendering 2 ER. He left his start a bit early with a thumb contusion suffered by a comebacker, but he appears to be fine and will only miss one start at most.
Braden Looper - Looper continues his improbable run as a converted started by limiting the Pirates to 1 ER over 6 IP. His K rate is low (36 Ks in 61 IP), but his ratios are very solid. I imagine he'll start getting hit harder as more teams get a better look at him, so he remains a sell high candidate if someone believes he'll keep this up all year.
Delmon Young - He remains an excellent buy-low candidate. He's quietly raised his average 15 points over the past 10 days, but still hasn't gotten truly hot yet. Pitchers have adjusted to him after his call-up last year, so he's currently re-adjusting and will continue to improve.
Jeremy Accardo - Accardo continued his improbably run as a reliver this year as he still has not been scored upon. He's 5/5 in save chances, so barring a terrible cold streak, he should remain Toronto's closer all year long.
Alex Gonzalez - He hit his 8th HR of the season and has probably been a popular pickup in mixed leagues at SS, but he'll never hit for a high average, he doesn't steal bases, and his runs scored will remain low hitting towards the bottom of Cincy's lineup. 25 HRs is a reasonable assumption given he's hitting in one of the best HR parks in the majors, but he won't contribute enough to other catagories to warrant starting him.
John Smoltz - 7 IP, 7 Hs, 0 ERs, 5 Ks against the powerful Mets lineup. He's pitching as well as any pitcher in baseball right now, and continues to provide solid draft day value behind the elite starters. He doesn't have the upside some of them do, but he's as reliable as any.
Bob Wickman - Picked up his first save since returning from the DL. With Mike Gonzalez done for the year with Tommy John surgery, Rafael Soriano is a must-add as Wickman remains probably to have an additional injury this season due to his age. Wickman's owners would be wise to work a small trade to add Soriano for insurance.
Casey Blake - He's been on absolute fire over the past month, but avoid picking him up as it's likely just a hot streak and not an indication of anything better unless you're stuck at 3B. He's 33 years old and only has one quality season, back in 2004. He's never combined for .250 and 20+ HRs in any other season.
Micah Owens - A complete game, 9 H, 1 ER, 8 K performance. I don't know too much about his minor league track record, but he's posted solid numbers so far this season. He's emerging as a potential spot starter against weak offenses, if not more if he keeps improving.
Eric Byrnes - One of the most underrated OFs on draft day, he's hitting .299 with 6 HRs, 9 SBs, and 26 Rs/RBIs. He's likely going to have big hot/cold streaks, but he'll probably hit .280 with 25 HRs and 30 SBs. Can't complain about that as your 3rd OF!
Ryan Dempster - Pitched a clean 9th inning for his 10th save in 11 chances. I'm not sure what Pinella plans on doing now, but that's 2 straight perfect inning saves from Dempster since his 9th inning meltdown last week. I just don't understand why they'd remove him from the roll, and like I posted in my analysis of the Cubs closing situation, Dempster is well worth using until the switch becomes official.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Get Boofed, Curt Shelling, And Ollie Perez
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.
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.
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.
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