Position Battle Winners

Joe Crede will be the starting 3B for the White Sox beating out Josh Fields…..wait this just in, Crede is injured already!?!?!?! He fouled a ball off his foot and it is possible that he might miss Opening Day. Still think that Crede is only playing to increase his trade value, but knowing his injury history, maybe Fields isn’t going to AAA just yet.

As previously reported, it is official that Jorge Cantu will man third base for the Marlins. If he is able to continue what he did in Spring Training and regain his 2005 form, Cantu could be a major sleeper who could also still have 2B eligibility in your league.

Jayson Nix was also named the starter at 2B for the Rockies. Those of you in keeper leagues were hoping for Ian Stewart to score an upset win here, but he has been sent to Colorado Springs. Nix will hit for a decent average and run some, but don’t count on him to give big production.

Former Mets’ prospect Carlos Gomez has been named the starter in center for the Twins. Was he the best man for the job, or are the Twins just trying to show they got SOMETHING from the Santana trade? Gomez will run a lot, just don’t expect too much more.

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Injury News

Bad Break in Detroit—Budding superstud Curtis Granderson broke a finger on his right hand when he was hit by a pitch by Phillies pitcher Travis Blackley. I love when a pitcher you will never hear from again has such a major impact on someone’s season. The initial diagnosis is that Granderson will miss 3-6 weeks. The Tigers (and fantasy owners) will struggle to replace his production. Figure it will be mid to late April before you see Granderson patrolling centerfield for Detroit.

Same old story in Toronto—Scott Rolen has a broken bone and a ripped fingernail after taking ground balls in Sunday. Rolen suffered the injury during routine drills before a game, and he is expected to miss six weeks. Rolen broke the bone above the top knuckle of the middle finger on his right hand, and also reportedly ripped the entire fingernail off of the finger. I doubt too many fantasy teams have Rolen starting at third base, but he could be a useful utility or bench replacement after he returns from this injury.

Father Time Catching Up in Atlanta?—Although it is not official, it appears that John Smoltz will begin the year on the disabled list. Smoltz is experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder, and it is likely the Braves will be conservative and start him on the DL. John will try to play catch (I wish my job involved playing catch!) on either Monday or Tuesday, and if that goes well, an appearance in a minor league game would be the next step. Guys in their 40s with shoulder trouble make me want to find other options, even those with careers as brilliant as Smoltz.
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Bruce Reassigned—The hopes of many fantasy owners were dashed on Thursday, when the Reds assigned prized prospect Jay Bruce to AAA. It now appears that recently signed Corey Patterson will get the nod in centerfield and leadoff. I continue to be baffled by teams picking up retreads to plug into their lineups who will give them modest statistics at best, when they have young kids waiting in the wings who can have a good impact on their team. Thanks for hiring Dusty Baker, don’t be surprised if Joey Votto isn’t far behind. All is not lost for those who own Bruce, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in Cincinnati before too long, much like Ryan Braun last year. If you have a deep bench or can reserve players, holding on to Bruce is not a bad idea.

Also sent to the minors was Seattle catcher Jeff Clement, which comes as no surprise. One of the best catching prospects, Clement must bide his time one more year until the contract of Kenji Johjima expires. Clement hit 20 HRs and drove in 80 last year in the minors, so any injury to Johjima and you better run to your free agent pool and pick him up immediately. But for now, unless your league allows minor league players, Clement won’t be worth a roster spot until 2009.

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New Ace in Anaheim, or Los Angeles? Or Wherever the Angels Are–With the injuries to John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, Jered Weaver is staking his claim to start on Opening Day for the Angels. After disappointing in 2007, Weaver is out to show that his rookie season was not his peak. In four starts this spring, Weaver is 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 14 IP. He has struck out eight, while only walking two and opponents are hitting just .106 off of him. Manager Mike Scioscia hasn’t decided between Weaver and Jon Garland as of yet, but based on their spring performances, it is just a matter of time before Jered gets the nod.

Reds Rookies Rolling—Both Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto are turning heads in Reds camp. Although Manager Dusty Baker hasn’t named the two young guns to the rotation, it is more and more evident by the day that both of them could be in Cincinnati when the spring is over. Before today, Cueto had only given up one run in 9 spring innings with 8 Ks. He pitched pretty well again on Monday, giving up just 2 ER in 4 IP with 3 BB and 4 Ks. Volquez has pitched four times giving up just five runs and striking out 19 batters in just 13 innings. Baker is notorious for not playing young guys, so the fact that he is talking these two young pitchers up is a testament to the impact that they could make. Keep your eye on this situation.

Daddy Dice—Daisuke Matsuzaka’s wife gave birth to a son on March 15^th, and leave it to the Fighting Chance to find a fantasy spin on even this story. While it looked like Dice would miss the trip to Japan waiting for his son to be born, Matsuzaka will now start the Red Sox season opener in Japan. Given his long history as an ace in Japan, expect Dice to open the season throwing a gem. Jon Lester will start the second game in Japan.

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