05.24.08
Need Some Saves?
So You Are in the Market for Saves
Maybe you’re in a deep rotisserie league and had Eric Gagne and Jason Isringhausen as your two closers, what can you do now? Well first off you should be kicking yourself for drafting two of the most injury prone closers in the game. That being said, I would stay away from acquiring guys who have frequented the DL more than Bartolo Colon goes to McDonalds; avoid guys like, Kerry Wood, Brad Lidge and Troy Percival.
Look for Spot Closers
With Izzy predictably going on the DL, Tony LaRussa has turned to Ryan Franklin in the ninth. So far he has responded with 3 saves, and the entire bullpen has gone 12 1/3 straight scoreless innings.
Gagne’s DL spot also opens up another closer job, which won’t be going over to one-time all-star closer Derrick Turnbow because he was recently released by the team. Instead manager Ned Yost will likely piece together the ninth with Salomon Torres and Guillermo Mota, both of whom have closer experience. I think most of the save chances will go to Torres, and in a league where saves are at a premium and he’s still available, snatch him up.
Look for Closers in Training
If all the closers are taken, start looking to the bullpen for up-and-coming closers. Many teams are grooming closers for the future, and they are just a few blown saves or an injury away from getting their chance.
Chris Perez of the Cards was just called up from the minors and has good stuff and good poise for a young guy. Keep an eye on Franklin, because if he slips, LaRussa is not afraid to put his young players in big situations.
Carlos Marmol of the Cubbies is a Kerry Wood sore shoulder away from getting his job as a dominant closer which he truly deserves. Marmol has electric stuff and has already gathered 41 Ks in 29 innings this year. He is a must add if closers are at a premium and you need help in ERA or Ks.
Jonathon Broxton of the Dodgers is in the same category as Marmol. This guy is a moose, who really goes after hitters with a heavy fastball and lots of grit. Only the brittle 38 year-old Saito stands in his way.
Rafael Perez of the Indians returns to his role of setup man as Joe Borowski has been activated off the disabled list. This leaves him behind both Borowski and Betancourt. But both of those guys are older and shakier than the younger and more talented Perez. For now, give him a look only in really deep leagues. Also keep an eye to the minors for Adam Miller who may join the Tribe’s bullpen later this year, and anyone who can hit 100 on the gun is worth a look!
Tony Pena of the D-Backs is the back up to oft-injured Brandon Lyon so he is worth a look. Although his numbers this year suggest he may not do well in the role if he gets it.
Lastly, on an unrelated note, if Clayton Kershaw is available in your leagues, pick him up now. The whispers that he’s is starting for the Dodges this Saturday are getting louder! Think, last year’s Tim Lincecum.
05.19.08
Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 5/18/08
Again, I would like to thank the guys from fantasybaseballsearch.com for having me as a guest on their weekly radio show. They do an hour and a half show every Sunday, and I was lucky enough to make my second appearance. Please check out the show as well as their sites. They are fantasybaseballsearch.com, www.fantasybaseballgenerals.com, and www.junkyardjake.com. Please visit these sites as they are great tools to help your fantasy teams.
Let the demise of Cliff Lee as Cy Young begin. A guy who many have touted as this year’s big pitcher to have, will slowly turn back into the pitcher he has been for the last few years. He lasted just 5.2 innings and allowed five earned runs, striking out only two while taking his first loss of the season. I see Lee winning 14 games with an ERA near 4.00 by the end of the year. He is one player that I certainly would try to sell high on now, as you might be able to get one of the top15 pitchers in the league, but move quickly.
2007 17 game winner Jeff Francis finally picked up his first win of the season on Sunday. Francis had been a victim of poor run support on some days, but he was incredibly awful on others. I believe he will finish the season at around the .500 mark, and is a decent option to pick up if you have someone who is really struggling.
A guy I would work on acquiring is Seattle’s Felix Hernandez. The guy has a ton of talent, is still very young, and has a great strikeout rate. King Felix had a good start Sunday going six innings, allowing two runs and striking out five. Felix has been a bit inconsistent throughout his career, but remember he came up when he was 19. Still under 25, he is more of a veteran now, and I believe he will start being very effective regularly very soon.
Although he is almost eligible to start receiving his social security benefits, Randy Johnson continues to be an effective pitcher when he is healthy enough to take the mound. The Big Unit threw seven shutout innings and struck out five improving his record to 4-1. His ERA is higher than he would like, but at his age, if you can get any contribution from him you should be happy, and he is far exceeding my expectations.
Whenever there is a game that is big to the Mets, it always seems that Oliver Perez pitches well. Not that a game in May is huge in the grand scheme of things, but you know the Mets want to beat the Yanks, especially on national television. And right on cue Perez threw well. Oliver went 7.2 innings, allowed two earned runs and fanned four. You know my thoughts on the guy, although he isn’t the most consistent, he is one that I really like.
Although Zach Greinke continues to pitch well and win, he is starting to allow more hits and runs. In the beginning of the season he was giving up zero or one run. The last few times out it has been two or three. I know what you are thinking, boy that’s really splitting hairs. But I really don’t expect this production to continue, and if you need something to point to for backup, it is that he hasn’t been as dominant later. He is another sell high candidate.
Chris Perez is going to be a name that you will be hearing plenty about in the coming days. Perez is a minor leaguer for the Cardinals who was just called up when Jason Isringhausen was put on the DL. Chris appears to have been the Cards closer in waiting, who may not be waiting anymore. Isringhausen is close to the end of his career, and if Perez pitches well while he is in St. Louis, you might not see Izzy back in the 9th inning when he is healthy enough to return. I’m not sure that Perez is worth all the hype he has received the past couple days, but if you are looking for a new source of saves, Perez might be closing for the Cardinals within the next few weeks.
Home Run Derby
Light hitting White Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera hit two baseballs out on Sunday, hopefully the start of a turnaround to a nightmare start of the season for the OC. Cabrera will never lead your team to the top of your game in homers, but it is nice to get this kind of game from an unexpected source. I expect his numbers will improve from the .220 he is currently hitting, just don’t expect this power showing to continue.
Adam Dunn has now homered in four straight games. One of the best home run hitters in the majors, you can pretty much write Adam down for 40 bombs now. You can also probably write him down for a .245 average too, but you didn’t draft him for his ability to take the ball the other way, or hit with two strikes. After a power outage to start the year, Dunn is now where we expected, and you can safely expect him to keep hitting homers.
In the past eight games, Ryan Howard now has four home runs, and is another player who is getting back on track from a tough start to the year. He still is striking out at an alarming rate (64 in 45 games), but at least now he is showing the power that we expect from him. Continue to start Howard (obviously) and expect him to play like the first round pick he was.
Fenway Park was a launching pad between the Red Sox and Brewers, as an amazing eight taters went over the fence. Leading the charge were formerly struggling sluggers Ryan Braun (eight in the last eight games), and David Ortiz (three in the past three games) as it seems both of them are back on track to produce like they did last season. But also leaving the yard was J.J. Hardy, Dustin Pedroia, Prince Fielder, and Kevin Youkilis.
As always, your questions (adds, drops, trades) and comments are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Don’t forget to check me out at mlbfrontoffice.com on Tuesdays under In The News. Also go to fantasybaseballsearch.com to find me in the Gurus Blog.
05.18.08
Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 5/17/08
The bullpen situation in Cleveland is an absolute mess. A couple days after removing Rafael Betancourt from the interim closers role while Joe Borowski is out, Masa Kobayashi gave up a TOWERING three run homer to Adam Dunn and blew a save himself. I can’t believe it is possible, but are the Indians (and fantasy players) asking how much longer Joe Borowski will be out? Borowski is one of the more criticized closers in baseball, but we are finding out why he has kept his job for so long.
One start after getting absolutely tattooed, Rich Harden showed flashes of brilliance again Saturday. Harden
allowed just one run over seven innings and struck out eight, as he showed why fantasy owners continue to pick him, even though he breaks their hearts with his injuries every season. Hold on to him, until…….
Not too many details yet, but Brad Penny will be scratched from his start on Sunday due to stiffness in his right arm. No news yet to the extent of the injury or when he will pitch again, but it is certain that at least this start will be skipped as the Dodgers will move Derek Lowe up to pitch on Sunday.
For the second consecutive start, Arizona rookie Max Scherzer didn’t allow an earned run, but he wasn’t exactly sharp. Scherzer lasted just five innings, and although he struck out five he walked four and gave up three hits. Overall, not bad at all, but he has been unable to recapture the magic from that first appearance of his career. Also, Doug Davis is making his way back to the majors following cancer treatment, so Scherzer’s days in the rotation appear to be numbered.
Ervin Santana has now struggled in two consecutive starts. Santana has seen his ERA go up almost an entire run in just two starts, as he gave up four runs over six innings and striking out five. Santana took his first loss of the season on Saturday, and he is someone that I would look to sell high before he has a few more starts like this.
Aaron Harang had one of his typical starts, and of course, the Reds didn’t score the runs in time for him to get a win. Harang went seven, allowed just one run, one walk, and struck out five but left in a tie game. The Reds would win on a walk off homer by Adam Dunn, so Harang’s record will still sit at 2-5. He is a player that I would be targeting cheap if I were looking for starting pitching.
Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsusaka ran his record to a perfect 7-0 with another impressive start on Saturday. Dice didn’t allow an earned run over 6.2 innings, and struck out six, lowering his season ERA to 2.15. He has taken his game to the next level this season, and is starting to prove what all the hype was about last season. He obviously isn’t going to finish the season 25-1, so you have to expect at least a little drop in production, but it appears that Matsusaka is going to have a top 15 starter kind of year.
After three great starts in succession, it appeared that Matt Garza had it all put together. Well, Garza took one on the chin Saturday against St. Louis. In just 4.1 innings, Garza allowed six runs, walked two and only fanned one. He is still a young pitcher, and I always preach with pitchers under 25 you are going to have your fair share of starts like this. But be patient with Garza, he was one of the best pitching prospects in recent years.
One day after hitting homer number seven and eight, Alfonso Soriano went 5-5 today and hit dingers
number nine and ten. Soriano is now hitting .295 and is the hottest hitter in baseball. Look for Soriano to finish the year between 35-38 homers and 93-97 ribbies as he gets back to a feared fantasy player. He isn’t stealing bases like he used to, but his power still makes him valuable.
Although he is hitting for a good average and swiping some bases, Corey Hart has been a mild disappointment to his fantasy owners with his lack of power. Hart connected on just his second homer of the season on Saturday, and hopefully this will start a little chain reaction of power. You don’t expect him to hit 35 out of the yard or anything, but we were projecting 20-25. He is hitting .301 and has stolen seven bases, so he isn’t a wasted pick, but his owners would like to see him showing a little more pop, he could be available cheap.
The knock on Albert Pujols coming into the season (besides the elbow injury) was that he had no one hitting behind him that struck any fear into the opposing pitcher to stop them from pitching around Albert. Well, the Cardinals may have found that protection in Ryan Ludwick. With two more bombs on Saturday, that is now six for Ludwick in the past ten games to go with RBI. He isn’t a young guy, so this production might be a fluke, but if you can pick up a guy batting over .330 with ten homers you gotta grab him now.
As always, your questions (adds, drops, trades) and comments are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Don’t forget to check me out at mlbfrontoffice.com on Tuesdays under In The News. Also go to fantasybaseballsearch.com to find me in the Gurus Blog.
05.17.08
Two Start Pitchers – Week 8 – (Sunday – Saturday Scoring)
No Brainers
Jake Peavy, SD—5/19 vs. STL (Wellemeyer); 5/24 vs. CIN (Arroyo)
Josh Beckett, BOS—5/18 vs. MIL (Villanueva); 5/23 vs. OAK (Harden)
Felix Hernandez, SEA—5/18 vs. SD (Estes); 5/24 vs. NYY (Wang)
Chien-Ming Wang, NYY—5/18 vs. NYM (Perez); 5/24 vs. SEA (Hernandez)
Cliff Lee, CLE—5/18 vs. CIN (Volquez); 5/24 vs. TEX (Feldman)
Edinson Volquez, CIN—5/18 vs. CLE (Lee); 5/23 vs. SD (Estes)
Gotta Start ‘Em
John Maine, NYM—5/20 vs. ATL (Glavine); 5/24 vs. COL (Francis)
Matt Cain, SF—5/18 vs. CHW (Danks); 5/24 vs. FLA (Hendrickson)
Shaun Marcum, TOR—5/18 vs. PHI (Kendrick); 5/24 vs. KC (Hochevar)
Zach Greinke, KC—5/18 vs. FLA (Hendrickson); 5/23 vs. TOR (Burnett)
Brad Penny, LAD—5/18 vs. LAA (Weaver); 5/23 vs. STL (Wainwright)
Jered Weaver, LAA—5/18 vs. LAD (Penny); 5/24 vs. CWS (Danks)
Brett Myers, PHI—5/19 vs. WAS (Redding); 5/24 vs. HOU (Moehler)
Randy Johnson, ARI—5/18 vs. DET (Robertson); 5/24 vs. ATL (Glavine)
Derek Lowe, LAD—5/19 vs. CIN (Arroyo); 5/24 vs. STL (Lohse)
Oliver Perez, NYM—5/18 vs. NYY (Wang); 5/23 vs. COL (Reynolds)
Worth Two Starts
John Danks, CWS—5/18 vs. SF (Cain); 5/24 vs. LAA (Weaver)
Mark Hendrickson, FLA—5/18 vs. KC (Greinke); 5/24 vs. SF (Cain)
Jeff Francis, COL—5/18 vs. MIN (Slowey); 5/24 vs. NYM (Maine)
Justin Duchscherer, OAK—5/18 vs. ATL (Reyes); 5/24 vs. BOS (TBA)
Bronson Arroyo, CIN—5/19 vs. LAD (Lowe); 5/24 vs. SD (Peavy)
Tom Glavine, NYM—5/20 vs. NYM (Maine); 5/24 vs. ARI (Johnson)
Jeremy Guthrie, BAL—5/18 vs. WAS (Lannan); 5/23 vs. TB (Garza)
Kyle Lohse, STL—5/18 vs. TB (Jackson); 5/24 vs. LAD (Lowe)
Edwin Jackson, TB—5/18 vs. STL (Lohse); 5/24 vs. BAL (TBA)
Luke Hochevar, KC—5/29 vs. BOS (TBA); 5/24 vs. TOR (Marcum)
Jo-Jo Reyes, ATL—5/18 vs. OAK (Duscscherer); 5/23 vs. ARI (Gonzalez)
Getting Desperate
Nate Robertson, DET—5/18 vs. ARI (Johnson); 5/24 vs. MIN (Bonser)
John Lannan, WAS—5/18 vs. BAL (Guthrie); 5/24 vs. MIL (Villanueva)
Boof Bonser, MIN—5/19 vs. TEX (Feldman); 5/24 vs. DET (Robertson)
Kevin Slowey, MIN—5/18 vs. COL (Francis); 5/23 vs. DET (Gallaraga)
Kyle Kendrick, PHI—5/18 vs. TOR (Marcum); 5/23 vs. HOU (Backe)
Jason Marquis, CHC—5/18 vs. PIT (Dumatrait); 5/24 vs. PIT (Dumatrait)
Brandon Backe, HOU—5/18 vs. TEX (Gabbard); 5/23 vs. PHI (Kendrick)
Carlos Villanueva, MIL—5/28 vs. BOS (Beckett); 5/24 vs. WAS (Lannan)
Kason Gabbard, TEX—5/18 vs. HOU (Backe); 5/23 vs. CLE (Carmona)
Scott Feldman, TEX—5/19 vs. MIN (Bonser); 5/24 vs. CLE (Lee)
Phil Dumatrait, PIT—5/18 vs. CHC (Marquis); 5/24 vs. CHC (Marquis)
Shawn Estes, SD—5/18 vs. SEA (Hernandez); 5/23 vs. CIN (Volquez)
Brian Moehler, HOU—5/19 vs. CHC (Lilly); 5/24 vs. PHI (Myers)
Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 5/16/08
It has been an offensive night tonight, with baseballs leaving ballparks all over the country.
By the 5th inning of tonight’s game, Phillies CF Jayson Werth had three home runs and eight RBI tying the franchise record for runs batted in within a single game. Werth has been a decent player to have at the end of your roster, but tonight someone will grab him and start to play him daily. He is ok as an injury replacement, or an occasional play, but I wouldn’t want to have to have him in my lineup daily. Before this explosion he had six homers in 33 games while hitting .272. Not bad, but not great. If you happen to own Werth, I would try to throw his name in some trade talks and see if you can take advantage of this guy’s career night.
Alfonso Soriano is hot, red hot. With his two home runs on Friday, Soriano now has five dingers in his
last five games, with 10 RBI during that time. Is this the signal of the end of his season starting slump? The Cubs, and his fantasy owners sure hope so. After going 40/40 in 2006, Soriano took a pretty good sized step back in 2007. He struggled to start the season in 2008, but if this is any indication, Soriano could be back to first round pick production.
The third guy to hit two or more over the wall is the American League RBI leader Josh Hamilton. Hamilton homered in the third and the fourth inning on his way to a 5-5 night as he raised his RBI total to 49. In his second season back from a hiatus from baseball due to drug addictions, it appears that Hamilton is now ready to realize the potential that made him one of the brightest prospects before his lifestyle forced him from the game. He obviously can’t keep this pace up or he will finish with close to 200 ribbies, but he will hit 30 HRs and drive in 120 as long as he stays healthy.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been struggling since his recall to the majors, but he did take his first ball out of the park on Friday. Salty is hitting just under .200 and four batted in over ten games. Salty also most likely has catcher eligibility in your league, which makes him a sleeper candidate if the catcher you drafted isn’t living up to expectations. He isn’t playing every day, but if he goes on a little hot streak, Salty will be in the lineup on most occasions.
Dan Uggla is playing out of his mind lately. Uggla hit his seventh homer in his last ten games, and has his average up to .313. Uggla also has 14 RBI over that span. He has never had his average this high, and is due to have a dry spell. Take this opportunity to see if you can land one of the top few options at second base.
After being a fantasy darling in his first two years in the league, Jason Bay fell off the fantasy map in 2007. In 2008, he is trying to regain the form that made him the National League ROY. Bay hit his ninth homer of the year on Friday, and has his average at .271. He still isn’t back to the status that he once held, but Bay is back to being a top 20 outfielder.
Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday missed Friday’s game with some tightness in his back. Manager Clint Hurdle made a point to say that the injury was nothing serious, and he was only out due to precautionary reasons. It is possible that he will miss another game, but this is nothing that will cost him any significant time.
Not all the news concerns the guys with the bats, there were some great pitching performances as well.
Looking for a sleeper closer in the second half of the year, keep an eye on the A’s Joey Devine. Once the closer in waiting for the Braves during John Smoltz reign, Devine is now an important part of Oakland’s bullpen. Devine’s ERA is at a ridiculous 0.55, and he has allowed just one earned run in 14 appearances, striking out 22 batters in just 17 innings. If anything were to happen to Huston Street, Devine should be the next in line given his performance this season.
Johnny Cueto continues to drive his owners crazy with his inconsistency. However, his performance on Friday was a step in the positive direction. Cueto lasted six innings, allowed three runs, and whiffed seven. He didn’t factor in the decision, but continues his good start, bad start routine. Unfortunately for those of you who have Cueto, if he keeps following this pattern, his next time out will be bad.
Francisco Liriano is showing some improvements in AAA ball. Liriano had his longest outing since going
down to the minors, when he went eight innings, gave up three runs, walked just one batter and struck out four. He has continued to last longer into games, walk less guys, and give up fewer runs. This doesn’t mean that his return is imminent, but it at least means that he is making progress, and all is not lost with one of the most exciting prospects in recent memory.
Orioles prospect Garrett Olson is off to a 3-0 start to 2008. Olson beat the Nationals giving up three runs over five innings and striking out three. I wouldn’t go running to the waiver wire to grab Olson, but if you have a short term injury, he could be a decent fill-in.
The FIRST PLACE Tampa Bay Rays got another strong performance from young Andy Sonnanstine. Sonnanstine threw eight great innings against the St. Louis Cardinals as he ran his record to 6-1. His record might be a little misleading, seeing that his ERA is 4.67 but he was terrific Friday. Sonnanstine allowed just one run and struck out three against the Cardinals, as the Rays went to eight games over .500. I envision the number of runs that Sonnanstine has been giving up will catch up to his win-loss record, but for now ride the hot hand if you can’t find a taker in a trade.
Marlins’ pitcher Andrew Miller had a shaky outing, but not one of the horrible ones he had been having in the beginning of the season. Miller pitched five innings and allowed four runs (only two were earned), and struck out six. It is a slight step back, but Miller has certainly been pitching better in May than he did in April. He is a decent end of the rotation starter, with the potential to be the second or third best guy on your staff.
As always, your questions (adds, drops, trades) and comments are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Don’t forget to check me out at mlbfrontoffice.com on Tuesdays under In The News. Also go to fantasybaseballsearch.com to find me in the Gurus Blog.
05.15.08
Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy News and Notes 5/14/08
His fantasy demise was written in the first two weeks of the season, but now C.C. Sabathia is making all
of you without patience with their stars pay for your quick hooks. Sabathia threw an absolute gem tonight, a complete game shutout with 11 strikeouts. That is now four of his last five starts that he has allowed one run or less. He is obviously back to the form that won him the AL Cy Young award last year and is a must start every time out. Further proof that fantasy championships aren’t won and lost in the first two weeks.
There were some good expectations that Indians’ 1B Ryan Garko would develop into an everyday force at the plate in ’08. Unfortunately that hasn’t been the case so far this season. However, Garko has now homered in two consecutive games after his bomb on Wednesday, and could be a sign that he is back on track and could be a good fantasy performer this year. Keep an eye on him over the weekend and see if this trend continues.
Last night we wrote about Edwin Jackson teasing fantasy owners into false hope that he could remain consistent. Tonight’s teaser is Danny Cabrera. I have to admit, even I am falling for the tease a little this time. After going the distance in his last start, Cabrera threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run and whiffing three. Most impressive is that Cabrera has only walked one batter in his last two starts combined. I’m not ready to say add him yet, but he is 4-1 with an ERA under 4. One more good start, and perhaps I might be willing to change my mind.
Another pitcher in Baltimore is having an incredible season. Closer George Sherrill is second in the majors after picking up his 15th save on Wednesday. If you read my position rankings in the beginning of the year, I did like Sherrill as an option at closer, but my reasoning for selling him high has more to do with his team than his talent. The Orioles are currently two games over .500, thus giving Sherrill a good number of save chances. I really expect the O’s to go in the crapper anytime now, they aren’t this good and therefore Sherrill’s chances will be fewer and farther between in the future. Now’s the time to see if you can turn him into a more reliable fantasy closer on a team that wins some games.
Is it truly possible, has Mike Mussina won five consecutive starts? One of my favorite targets, Mussina has been pitching great in ’08. Mussina hasn’t given up more than three runs since April 17th, and shockingly has turned himself into a serviceable starter. I plead with you to try to package him in some sort of trade if you own him, there’s got to be a Yankee fan in your league who is buying into this. I can’t believe this will continue.
Royals rookie Luke Hochevar is now starting to look like he belongs. In his five starts he has given up two runs or less in three of them, and has now run his record to 3-2 after six shutout innings on Wednesday with five strikeouts. He is fanning batters at a little better rate than was expected (24 in 28 IP), and looks like he will be in KC to stay.
Another rookie, Manny Parra of Milwaukee, finally threw a pretty good game. Parra had his longest outing of the year (6.2 innings) and gave up just one earned run. The bullpen blew the lead for him so it didn’t lead to a win, but perhaps this could be the first step towards him regaining the form that made him a highly sought after player in the Spring. Do not add him yet, but keep an eye on his next couple starts.
Phillies starter Brett Myers continues to struggle with consistency. Myers had another horrible outing, two starts after throwing a gem. Myers couldn’t get out of the fifth inning and gave up six runs. I don’t suggest dropping him outright, but I would gauge interest around the league in him and take the best offer you can get right now. Not tonight since he just got bombed, but over the weekend, see if you can get anyone to give you something for Myers. His name alone might make it possible to get something for him.
A possible sell high candidate is the Red Sox 3B Mike Lowell. With a homer on Wednesday, Lowell now has four in the past ten games, while his average sits at .273. Lowell had a career year in 2007, and with this hot streak in 2008, you might be able to get a good deal of value for Lowell from someone in your league.
Another miracle from off the scrap heap seems to be happening in St. Louis. Somehow, pitching coach Dave Duncan has made Todd Wellemeyer into a better than average fantasy starter. Wellemeyer raised his record to 4-1 on Wednesday, with seven innings of two-hit, one-run ball. Wellemeyer has been so much more than you could have hoped for, and while he continues to pitch like this, keep him on your active roster.
Nats 3B Ryan Zimmerman may be heating up again. He homered for the second consecutive day, and fantasy owners are hoping that this is the start of something much, much bigger. Now, I wouldn’t expect 35 homers from Zim, but his average should be near .300, and I would look for 25-28 HRs by the end of the year.
With a grand slam in the 8th inning, Carlos Quentin continues to lead the American League in home runs. Quentin is quickly turning into one of the biggest bargains from Draft Day, as he was most likely selected at the very end of your draft, if he was picked at all. He was always a good prospect for the D-Backs, so this has a very good chance of lasting all season.
Although he had an injured ankle, which may have been responsible for his inconsistency, Micah Owings
looks like he is back on track. Owings threw six shutout innings while striking out five. Perhaps more surprising than his good start, Owings was actually 0-3 at the plate dropping his average to .370! Owings is a good option in all leagues, and at age 25 looks like he is ready to put it all together for Arizona.
Even when he pitches well, Justin Verlander can’t get a win. In one of his best starts of the year, Verlander pitched six innings, allowed just two earned runs and struck out just three. Verlander fell to 1-7 and is one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy in 2008. This is not a guy you drop, however, just keep throwing him out there and hope that he figures it out. He is way too talented to be doing this bad.
John Lackey made his return from the DL on Wednesday, and the results were as good as you could have hoped for. Lackey lasted seven innings in his first start of the year, allowed just one earned run and whiffed four. If someone had a brain failure and dropped Lackey, go get him right away, but I seriously doubt that happened. Lackey is one of the more underrated pitchers in fantasy baseball, and hopefully he is fully recovered from his injury.
Boston rookie Clay Buchholz landed on the DL with a broken fingernail. The Sox will most likely call up Justin Masterson to take Buchholz spot in the rotation, so give him a look if you need a replacement for Clay. This doesn’t sound like an injury that should cost him more than the 15 days that are required when going to the disabled list, so just transfer Buchholz to your injury spot.
As always, your questions (adds, drops, trades) and comments are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Don’t forget to check me out at mlbfrontoffice.com on Tuesdays under In The News. Also go to fantasybaseballsearch.com to find me in the Gurus Blog.
05.10.08
Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 5/9/08
Given the struggles/injuries to Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, the Yankees were basically forced to give
Kei Igawa another shot at the majors (not to mention his huge contract). Well, Igawa was back to his old major league self on Friday, as he got spanked around again. Igawa lasted just three innings, gave up 11 hits, six runs and didn’t strike anyone out. Do not touch Igawa if he was the last pitcher on Earth.
40+ year old Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers was a little bit more than serviceable for the fourth consecutive start. During this time, Rogers hasn’t given up more than three runs, and has run his record up to 3-3. It would take either a 16 or more team league, or a desperate injury situation before I picked up Kenny Rogers though.
From the very old to the very young, Brewers’ rookie Manny Parra has moved to the land of the unownable (is that a word?). Parra has still yet to get through more than 5.1 innings, and has yet to give up less than two runs. He needs to show any sign of consistency before you can even think about adding him to your roster. Continue to monitor Parra, but if he keeps pitching like this, he should spend the whole year on the waiver wire.
After a really tough start, it looks like Ted Lilly is back to the form he showed in 2007. Lilly threw his fourth straight start in which he allowed three runs or less, and today he struck out ten batters in just seven innings. If he happened to be dropped in your league, definitely find a way to get Lilly on your roster in most traditional leagues.
For the second time in three starts, James Shields threw a shutout tonight. Of course he threw a total stinker out in the start between the shutouts, but he is absolutely a must start every time out. Tonight was his best start yet, as he allowed only one hit. Shields is keeping the strikeout level in the ball park of one per inning, and is turning himself into a top 20 pitcher.
Jimmy Rollins made the most of his return to the Phillies lineup Friday night, as he hit his third homer of the season. I’m not breaking any news here, but the reigning MVP needs to get immediately back into your lineup now that he is off of the DL.
Mariners 1B Richie Sexson was hit with a six game suspension after he charged the mound and threw his helmet at the opposing pitcher. Sexson is appealing the suspension, and was in the starting lineup on Friday. This shouldn’t be big fantasy news, Sexson lost his fantasy appeal years ago.
C.C. Sabathia has now thrown four straight impressive starts. Ok, there was a four earned run game, but he just had one bad inning. Sabathia struck out nine in just seven innings, while giving up just one run. Even with this good start, his ERA is still 6.55, however, that is way down from the 13.50 it peaked at. Sabathia will go back to being a top ten pitcher after his horrible start.
For the second time in three games Alex Gordon has left the yard. Gordon is looking to improve on his disappointing rookie season, and for the most part he is doing that. After having his average around the .230-.240 range in 2007, Gordon is hitting nearly .290 in 2008 with now five homers and nearly 20 RBI. I believe it will be 2009 before Gordon realizes the potential numbers that have been thrown out there for him as his ceiling, but he should have a very respectable 2008. Look for .285, 23 HRs, and 85 RBI.
Rangers’ rookie Brandon Boggs has been impressive since he was called to the majors. Boggs did hit 19 HRs in just 104 games in AA in 2007, so he has some pop, but he isn’t listed as one of the top few prospects for the Rangers. In 11 games for the Rangers, Boggs is hitting .385 with two homers and eight RBI. If you have an empty or unproductive roster spot, you can give him a chance, but don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.
Oh, my, Lance Berkman is a man possessed. As of right now Berkman is 2-2, raising his average to .378 and hit his 14th double and 12th HR of the year. He is exceeding his expectations by so much it is
ridiculous. Berkman is capable of 40 homers, and it looks like this season he may approach that number.
As always, your questions (adds, drops, trades) and comments are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Don’t forget to check me out at mlbfrontoffice.com on Tuesdays under In The News. Also go to fantasybaseballsearch.com to find me in the Gurus Blog.
05.05.08
2008 Fantasy MLB Two Start Pitchers Monday-Sunday
No Brainers
Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS – 5/5 vs. DET (Jeremy Bonderman),
5/10 vs MIN (Kevin Slowey)
Gotta Play ‘Em
Fausto Carmona, CLE – 5/6 vs NYY (Andy Pettitte), 5/11 vs. TOR (A.J. Burnett)
Javier Vazquez, CWS – 5/5 vs. TOR (Dustin McGowan),
5/10 vs. SEA (Jarrod Washburn)
Ervin Santana, LAA – 5/5 vs. KC (Brett Tomko), 5/11 vs. TB (Andy Sonnanstine)
Chris Young, SD – 5/6 vs. ATL (Jair Jurrjens), 5/11 vs. COL (Mark Redman)
Oliver Perez, NYM – 5/5 vs. LAD (Chad Billingsley), 5/11 vs. CIN (Johnny Cueto)
Andy Pettite, NYY – 5/6 vs. CLE (Fausto Carmona), 5/11 vs. DET (Nate Robertson)
Chad Billingsley, LAD – 5/5 vs. NYM (Oliver Perez), 5/11 vs. HOU (Shawn Chacon)
Jair Jurrjens, ATL – 5/6 vs. SD (Chris Young), 5/11 vs. PIT (Zach Duke)
Scott Olsen, FLA – 5/6 vs. MIL (Jeff Suppan), 5/11 vs. WAS (Shawn Hill)
A.J. Burnett, TOR – 5/6 vs. TB (Andy Sonnanstine) , 5/11 vs. CLE (Fausto Carmona)
Worthwhile For Two Starts
Brian Bannister, KC – 5/6 vs. LAA (Nick Adenhart), 5/11 vs. BAL (Brian Burres)
Gavin Floyd, CWS – 5/6 vs. MIN (Nick Blackburn), 5/11 vs. SEA (Miguel Batista)
Randy Johnson, ARI – 5/6 vs. PHI (Adam Eaton), 5/11 vs. CHC (Ryan Dempster)
Brian Bannister, KC – 5/5 vs. LAA (Nick Adenhart), 5/10 vs. BAL (Brian Burres)
Jonathan Sanchez, SF – 5/6 vs. PIT (Zach Duke), 5/11 vs. PHI (Adam Eaton)
Johnny Cueto, CIN – 5/5 vs. CHC (Ryan Dempster), 5/11 vs. NYM (Oliver Perez)
Dustin McGowan, TOR – 5/5 vs. CHW (Javier Vasquez),
5/10 vs. CLE (Aaron Laffey)
Jeremy Bonderman, DET – 5/5 vs. BOS (Daisuke Matsusaka) ,
5/10 vs. NYY (Kei Igawa)
Max Scherzer, ARI – 5/5 vs. PHI (Jaime Moyer, 5/10 vs. CHC (Jason Marquis)
Dana Eveland, OAK – 5/5 vs. BAL (Garrett Olson), 5/11 vs. TEX (Sidney Ponson)
Andy Sonnanstine, TB – 5/6 vs. TOR (A.J. Burnett), 5/11 vs. LAA (Ervin Santana)
Getting Desperate
Ryan Dempster, CHC – 5/5 vs. CIN (Johnny Cueto), 5/11 vs. ARI (Randy Johnson)
Kevin Millwood, TEX – 5/5 vs. SEA (Jarrod Washburn), 5/10 vs.OAK (Greg Smith)
Tim Wakefield, BOS – 5/6 vs. DET (Nate Robertson), 5/11 vs. MIN(Nick Blackburn)
Braden Looper , STL – 5/6 vs. COL (Mark Redman), 5/11 vs. MIL (Jeff Suppan)
Ubaldo Jimenez, COL – 5/5 vs. STL (Joel Piniero), 5/10 vs. SD (Greg Maddux)
Jeff Suppan, MIL – 5/6 vs. FLA (Scott Olsen), 5/11 vs. STL (Braden Looper)
Brian Burres, BAL – 5/6 vs. OAK (Justin Duchscherer) ,
5/11 vs. KC (Brian Bannister)
Nick Blackburn, MIN – 5/6 vs. CHW (Gavin Floyd), 5/11 vs. BOS (Tim Wakefield)
Nate Robertson, DET – 5/6 vs. BOS (Tim Wakefield), 5/11 vs. NYY (Andy Pettitte)
Jarrod Washburn, SEA – 5/5 vs. TEX (Kevin Millwood),
5/10 vs. CHW (Javier Vasquez)
Joel Piniero, STL – 5/5 vs. COL (Ubaldo Jiminez) , 5/10 vs. MIL (Ben Sheets)
Shawn Hill, WAS – 5/6 vs HOU (Shawn Chacon), 5/11 vs. FLA (Scott Olsen)
Miguel Batista, SEA – 5/6 vs. TEX (Sidney Ponson), 5/11 vs. CHW (Gavin Floyd)
Jamie Moyer, PHI – 5/5 vs. ARI (Max Scherzer), 5/10 vs. SF (Barry Zito)
Adam Eaton, PHI – 5/6 vs. ARI (Randy Johnson), 5/11 vs. SF (Jonathan Sanchez)
Garrett Olson, BAL – 5/5 vs OAK (Dana Eveland), 5/10 vs. KC (Brett Tomko)
Sidney Ponson, TEX – 5/6 vs. SEA (Miguel Batista), 5/11 vs. OAK (Dana Eveland)
Shawn Chacon, HOU – 5/6 vs. WAS (Shawn Hill), 5/11 vs. LAD (Chad Billingsley)
Mark Redman, COL – 5/6 vs. STL (Braden Looper), 5/11 vs. SD (Chris Young)
05.04.08
2008 Fantasy MLB Two Start Pitchers Week 6 Sunday-Saturday Scoring
The following pitchers are those who will have two starts here in Week Six. This is for those whose scoring period goes from Sunday-Saturday
No Brainers
Johan Santana, NYM – 5/4 vs ARI (Dan Haren), 5/9 vs. CIN (Bronson Arroyo)
Cole Hamels, PHI – 5/4 vs. SF (Tim Lincecum), 5/9 vs SF (Tim Lincecum)
Tim Lincecum, SF – 5/4 vs. PHI 5/9 (Cole Hamels), vs. PHI (Cole Hamels)
Scott Kazmir, TB – 5/4 vs BOS (Jon Lester), 5/10 vs. LAA (Joe Saunders)
Roy Halladay, TOR – 5/4 vs. CWS (Jose Contreras), vs. CLE (C.C. Sabathia)
Dan Haren, ARI – 5/4 vs. NYM (Johan Santana), 5/9 vs CHC (Ted Lilly)
Gotta Play ‘Em
Ben Sheets, MIL – 5/4 vs. HOU (Chris Sampson), 5/10 vs. STL (Joel Piniero)
Ian Snell, PIT – 5/4 vs. WAS (Tim Redding) 5/10 vs. ATL (Jo-Jo Reyes)
Max Scherzer, ARI – 5/5 vs. PHI (Jamie Moyer), 5/10 vs. CHC (Jason Marquis
Joe Saunders, LAA – 5/4 vs. BAL (Steve Traschel) , 5/10 vs. TB (Scott Kazmir)
Derek Lowe, LAD – 5/4 vs. Col (Aaron Cook), 5/10 vs. HOU (Chris Sampson)
Greg Maddux, SD – 5/4 vs. FLA (Andrew Miller) , 5/10 vs. COL (Ubaldo Jiminez)
Worthwhile For Two Starts
Matt Albers, BAL – 5/5 vs, OAK (Dana Eveland), 5/10 vs. KC (Brett Tomko)
Ubaldo Jimenez, COL – 5/5 vs. STL (Joel Piniero), 5/10 vs. SD (Greg Maddux)
Greg Smith, OAK, 5/4 vs. TEX (Scott Feldmann), 5/10 vs. TEX (Kevin Millwood)
Carlos Silva,SEA, 5/4 vs. NYY (Darrell Rasner), 5/9 vs. CHW (Jose Contreras)
Todd Wellemeyer, STL – 5/4 vs. CHC (Jason Marquis), 5/9 vs. MIL (Manny Parra)
Boof Bonser, MIN – 5/4 vs. DET (Kenny Rogers), 5/9 vs. BOS (Jon Lester)
Jon Lester, BOS – 5/4 vs. TB (Scott Kazmir), 5/9 vs. MIN (Boof Bonser)
Getting Desperate
Tim Redding, WAS – 5/4 vs. PIT (Ian Snell), 5/10 vs. FLA (Andrew Miller)
Brett Tomko, KC- 5/4 @ CLE (Ervin Santana), 5/9 vs. BAL (Matt Albers)
Darrell Rasner, NYY – 5/4 vs. SEA (Carlos Silva), 5/10 vs. DET (Kenny Rogers)
Andrew Miller, FLA – 5/4 vs. SD (Greg Maddux), 5/10 vs. WAS (Tim Redding)
Chris Sampson, HOU – 5/4 vs. MIL (Ben Sheets), 5/10 vs. LAD (Derek Lowe)
Bronson Arroyo, CIN – 5/4 vs. ATL (Tom Glavine), 5/10 vs. NYM (Johan Santana)
Jose Contreras, CWS – 5/4 vs. TOR (Roy Halladay), 5/9 vs. SEA (Carlos Silva)
Kenny Rogers, DET – 5/4 vs. MIN (Boof Bonser) , 5/9 vs. NYY (Darrell Rasner)
Jason Marquis, CHC – 5/4 vs. STL (Todd Wellemeyer), 5/10 vs. ARI (Max Scherzer)
