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.

Down on the Farm–Top Pitching Prospects Minor League Statistics (through 5/8)

The following pitchers were promoted to the major leagues since the last time I published this article:

Max Scherzer
Nick Adenhart
Aaron Laffey
Jo-Jo Reyes

They will be replaced by new entrants next week.

Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds

Bailey went 1-1 in his last two starts, Bailey has been going deeper into the games, and striking out more batters. He has 17 Ks in his last 14 innings, and his ERA is still under 3.00. His call up to the majors doesn’t appear to be imminent at this point, but he is certainly pitching like he wants it to be sooner rather than later.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
7	4	3	2.72	46.1	37	14	12	39	.222

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

Kershaw appears to be close to the majors now, and it looks like his call will come sometime in May. The Dodgers had him work out of the bullpen in his last appearance to try to keep his innings down. They have said he will not pitch more than 25 innings in any month, something Joe Torre called the Kershaw Decree, playing off the Joba Rules.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
6	0	3	1.08	33.1	23	4	11	36	.192

Gio Gonzalez, Oakland Athletics

In his last three starts, Gonzalez has been very hittable, as he took the loss in two of them. His ERA more than doubled, and he walked more guys than he struck out. Gonzalez still has a very high ceiling, but it doesn’t appear he will be in the majors soon.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
7	0	2	5.18	33	37	19	18	26	.289

Adam Miller, Cleveland Indians

Miller has had a decent last ten days, although he is yet to record a decision. He does have 10 strikeouts in just 12.2 innings, but he also has five walks and has a .328 batting average against. Miller will certainly be someone to watch if he gets the call to the majors, but I don’t believe it will be in the near future.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
3	0	0	2.84	12	19	4	5	10	.328

Jeff Niemann, Tampa Bay Rays

Niemann was optioned back to the minors on April 20^th, but hasn’t pitched in the minors since his return. Still researching why that might be, will keep you updated.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
2	1	1	3.27	11	8	4	5	9	.195

Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers

Forget about his win-loss record and the rest is pretty impressive. He has only allowed eight runs in seven starts, and although his strikeouts have been down over his past couple of starts, Porcello is still one to watch for the future.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
7	2	4	1.98	36.1	25	8	12	22	.191

Carlos Carrasco, Philadelphia Phillies

Carrasco has posted two consecutive wins, and gotten his strikeout level to over one an inning. He is only 21 years old, and his ceiling is very high. Given some injuries to the rotation in Philly, there’s a shot he could be in the show this year.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
6	3	2	3.25	36	30	13	14	39	.234

Philip Humber, Minnesota Twins

The Twins had Humber pitching out of the bullpen for a couple of appearances, but he is back starting again. Although he did collect a win, Humber certainly has been disappointing so far. He projects to be about a number three starter, so don’t go crazy if/when he is called.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
6	1	3	4.97	29	38	16	13	20	.319

Justin Masterson, Boston Red Sox

After an amazing start that culminated with getting an appearance for the Red Sox, Masterson has been struggling as of late. He has given up four runs in back to back games, and watched his ERA jump from under one to over three. I wouldn’t grab him if he’s just spot starting again, but if he gets the call for an extended stay, Masterson has proven that he can pitch at the highest level.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
6	1	2	3.25	27.2	23	10	10	34	.225

Chris Volstad, Florida Marlins

Volstad continues to be impressive, and looks like he will be ready if duty calls in Florida. He needs to strikeout more hitters to have a huge fantasy impact, as being in Florida won’t net him a ton of wins, but keep his name on your watch list later in the season.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
7	3	1	2.58	45.1	33	13	17	32	.208

Wade Davis, Tampa Bay Rays

Davis will be an impressive addition when he gets the call to the Rays, but it appears there is more than one or more pitchers in front of him in line. He continues to put together a solid, although unspectacular, 2008 campaign.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
7	3	2	3.51	41	34	16	13	29	.234

Joe Savery, Philadelphia Phillies

Although Savery continues to rack up the strikeouts, he has struggled his last couple times out. He allowed nine runs in the past 11 innings, but struck out 14. He’s got a long road before he could end up with the Phillies, but he is a name to watch.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
6	1	2	3.56	43	42	17	18	39	.259

Radhames Liz, Baltimore Orioles

Liz is allowing way too many runs right now, and hasn’t collected a win yet. He is still striking out a batter an inning, but he needs more than that to make it to the major leagues. He has a world of talent, and a great arm, but hasn’t been able to put it together as of yet.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
6	0	3	5.35	33.2	32	20	14	34	.262

 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.

Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 4/29/08 Injury Notes, Pitching Good and Bad, Sell High

Roy Halladay has got a lot to complain about. He has now gone the distance in four consecutive starts, and his record during this time? 1-3. Granted, they weren’t your traditional complete games (he gave up four runs in one, and five in another), but when your pitcher goes all the way, you gotta score enough runs to get him the win. Halladay has been extremely durable this year, but I am concerned given his injury history and all the innings that he is putting on his arm early in the season. If you own him, maybe test the market for his value.

Yanks rook Phil Hughes is having a tough season. Hughes has not only had a tough time going deep into games (only lasting through six once), but he is getting tattooed pretty regularly, and Tuesday was no different. Hughes threw 82 pitches in just 3.2 innings and he gave up six runs. Hughes even uncorked two wild pitches. I still believe that Hughes will find his confidence at some point during the year and pitch well, but I don’t know when that will be.

Johnny Cueto had another one of those “bump in the road” games tonight. He had been rotating bad start and good start for his last four, but this is two pretty bad ones in a row. Cueto gave up six runs in just 1.2 innings for his shortest outing of the year. The next start will be a big one for Cueto to see what he is made of. Can he bounce back from back to back bad starts to get back on track? Or will he go down the path of many young pitchers before him, and collapse under some adversity?

Marlins rookie Andrew Miller looked like he had turned the corner his last time out, but he was awful again tonight. Miller lasted just three innings again (he is yet to go past five innings yet), and gave up six earned and didn’t strike out a batter. He got off the hook for the loss by a good comeback by the Marlins, but his ERA is now over nine and he would need to put together a good month before I could recommend putting him on your roster.

All the pitching Tuesday was bad. Red Sox starter Jon Lester was amazing Tuesday. Lester went eight shutout innings, gave up just one hit and fanned six. Lester has been no better than average so far this season, but the talent is there, and when he throws games like this it shows what is possible when the guy learns to be consistent.

Arizona minor league phenom Max Scherzer made his major league debut tonight, and boy did he make some noise. Mad Max went 4.1 innings, didn’t give up a hit or a walk and struck out seven. If he is going to be this good, I guarantee the Diamondbacks will find a way to give him starts. I didn’t turn on the TV until after he was relieved, but they showed his strikeouts afterwards, and he had a really live fastball with some movement on it. He could make a big fantasy impact in 2008.

Any excuse to write about Boof Bonser, I will take it. The Boofer was nasty tonight, going seven innings, only giving up one run and whiffing eight. Bonser has been good in 2008 outside of one bad start, and is getting close to be worth owning in all leagues. He strikes out a pretty good number, and although the Twins aren’t great, they aren’t so bad that they often waste solid efforts from their starters.

Freakin Nate McLouth just won’t go away. I sound frustrated with him today because the owner I am playing in a head to head league has Nate. McLouth led off the game today at Shea with his seventh homer of the year, and now has driven in 22 runs, while hitting .327. I keep thinking that you should sell high before he comes back to earth, but McLouth keeps hitting. Can he keep this up all year? I still don’t think so.

Stop the presses, Andruw Jones got a hit. Jones seems to be in a competition with Barry Zito for worst contract ever, as his batting average continues to be well below the Mendoza line. He is averaging over a strike out per game, and has just four RBI in 25 games. It is time for you to cut ties with Jones if you can find anything on the waiver wire worthwhile. Jones may still turn it around, but this is a long drawn out slump that he is stuck in.

Injury Notes

It has just been announced that Alex Rodriguez will be sent to the DL after the game against the Tigers tonight. This is a devastating blow to his fantasy teams, as he was certainly your first round pick. Hopefully this rest will be what he needs to get back healthy, and back on the field.

Troy Tulowitzki left the game tonight in the first inning with some sort of leg injury. The last play that he was a part of was a grounder up the middle that he pretty much just waved at on the way by him and he was taken out of the game after that. Too soon for details, but stay tuned on a guy who was really in a funk anyway.

Scott Kazmir has been told that he will be pitching for the Rays this Sunday against the Red Sox. Kazmir was 0-1 with a 3.55 ERA during his three rehab starts, but more importantly he got through them pain free. I am still nervous about Kazmir, but if you have him, you have to plug him back into your lineup when he is set to come off the DL, and hope he gets back to the form that showed him leading the AL in strikeouts.

One pitcher comes off the DL, another goes on. John Smoltz will be returning to the DL with inflammation in the rotator cuff and severly inflamed biceps tendon. It was diagnosed that it could be cured without surgery, but there has been no timetable for his return. Put him on your injury list, and wait to see if fantasy waste Chuck James, or hot prospect Jo Jo Reyes are called up to take his spot.

Ben Sheets made his first start since coming off the DL, and was far from impressive but still improved his record to 4-0. Sheets threw 108 pitches in five innings, gave up just three earned runs, but walked seven batters. I have been advising anyone who asks me that owns Sheets to try to find an owner in your league that will trade for him and get him off of your team. The fact that he got another win most likely keeps his trade value higher than it should, so take advantage while he still has value.

Quick Hitters

Nats 3B Ryan Zimmerman hit his first homer tonight since the first weekend of the season. Zimmerman has been in a pretty good slump since that first weekend, and his owners are hoping that this is the key to getting him back on track. I was pretty high on Zim going into the season, but now it is looking like last year’s numbers might be what we should expect. If you’ve got him, play him, if you don’t maybe you can buy him at a very low point.

Orioles closer George Sherrill collected his 10^th save of the year tonight and was tied for the league lead until K-Rod notched his 11^th just a few minutes ago. This is completely unexpected from a guy who was setting up in Seattle until he was traded for Erik Bedard and was anointed closer. You might want to try to sell high, but I am confident that Sherrill will nail down most chances presented to him, it is just a matter of how many chances the Orioles will give him.

Mike Cameron’s 25 game suspension for stimulant use is up, and he was back in the lineup for the Brewers. You pretty much know what to expect from Cameron, a decent amount of pop, and a lot of strikeouts.

Yankees 2B Robinson Cano connected on his second homer tonight, and with all the injuries that the Yanks have endured the last week or so, they need him to start contributing more than ever.

Mets’ RF Ryan Church continues to be one of the sleeper stories of the year. Church is still hitting over .315 and connected on his third homer of the season and is closing in on 20 RBI. No one could’ve expected this when they traded Lastings Milledge for Church and Schneider, but right now that trade is looking great for the Mets. He is certainly worth owning while he has a hot bat, but I would be trying to sell high if at all possible.

Angels starter Joe Saunders moved to 5-0 tonight after another incredibly strong start. Saunders threw eight shutout innings and whiffed five. It is the fourth time that Saunders has thrown eight innings, as he continues his improbable season. He is definitely a sell high candidate, but if you can’t find a taker keep running Saunders out there and enjoy it while it lasts. He has the talent to be a good fantasy starter, but he will certainly take a step back from the unheard of start he is on.

As always, your questions about your team (adds, drops, trades, etc) and comments are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee an answer within 18 hours.

Down on the Farm–Top Pitching Prospects Minor League Statistics

Max Scherzer, Arizona Diamondbacks

Scherzer was called up to the big leagues today, although it is not certain in what capacity he will serve. He might get a start if Micah Owings’ injured ankle makes him unable to go, but nothing has been announced yet. If Scherzer has a spot in the Arizona rotation, grab him up.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	0	0	1.17	23	12	3	3	38	.146

Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds

There’s no need for an introduction here, as Bailey’s name has been known in fantasy leagues for a while now. After an unimpressive stint in the majors last year and being passed over by Johnny Cueto this Spring, his star had tarnished some. However, now it looks like Bailey has a new motivation because he is looking great so far in ’08. When he gets the call, pick him up.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
5	3	2	1.95	32.1	25	7	7	22	.216

Nick Adenhart, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Adenhart nearly won a rotation spot out of Spring Training, but it was given to Ervin Santana (turned out to be a good call). He has done nothing in his time in the minors to hurt his chance of being in Anaheim, and it is just a matter of time before the spot that Dustin Moseley is keeping warm will belong to Adenhart.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	3	0	1.17	23	15	3	12	14	.190

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers

His knee-buckling curveball was dubbed “Public Enemy No. 1” by Dodgers HOF announcer Vin Scully. Not bad for a 20 year old. Kershaw has elite talent, and there is a strong possibility that he will see Los Angeles at some point this year. He might even be worth grabbing and stashing until then.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
5	0	3	1.40	25.2	17	4	10	31	.185

Gio Gonzalez, Oakland Athletics

Gonzalez had a decent spring and is one of the top prospects in the Athletics system. He has good strikeout potential, but he was passed up for the first promotion by Greg Smith. It is unclear when he will reach the majors, but when he does he’s worth owning on your team.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	0	0	2.50	18	15	5	9	18	.238

Adam Miller, Cleveland Indians

Miller was spending some time in extended Spring Training allowing a blister to heal, and he had a pretty decent AAA debut. Miller will be a valuable fantasy player when he is finally called up, as he is on a good team and strikes out about a batter an inning.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
1	0	0	0.00	5	4	0	2	2	.200

Jeff Niemann, Tampa Bay Rays

Niemann has already seen the big leagues when he filled in for injured Matt Garza, so he appears to be Tampa’s first choice when a sub is needed. He has had a good minor league career, and has good strikeout potential. I would wait until he has a set rotation spot to pick him up.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
2	1	1	3.27	11	8	4	5	9	.195

Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers

Porcello is just 19, and in High Class A, but is an elite talent. There is an outside chance that he could be in Detroit at some point this year, but he is also supposed to be on an innings limit, so that could hurt his chances. If you hear that he does arrive in the Bigs, get your hands on Porcello

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
5	1	4	2.13	25.1	17	6	6	20	.238

Aaron Laffey, Cleveland Indians

It has been reported that Laffey will get a spot start on Monday, and could fill the rotation spot while Jake Westbrook is injured. Jeremy Sowers got the first shot, but he was sent back to the minors. Laffey may get an extended look if he fairs well on Monday.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
5	3	1	2.77	26	24	8	6	20	.238

 

Carlos Carrasco, Philadelphia Phillies

The top pitching prospect in the Phillies system, Carrasco could be in Philadelphia by the end of the year. His numbers were incredible before a bad outing in which he gave up six earned in just five innings. He has great strikeout potential, and when he hits the majors he could make a big impact.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	1	2	3.91	23	23	10	9	27	.274

Philip Humber, Minnesota Twins

Humber came to the Twins in the Johan Santana trade, and will certainly see some time in Minnesota this year, possibly soon with the implosion of Francisco Liriano and the injury to Kevin Slowey. He isn’t an elite prospect, and I would suggest waiting until he proves he can succeed at the major league level before adding him.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
5	0	3	5.24	22.1	29	13	11	12	.31

Justin Masterson, Boston Red Sox

Another pitcher who has gotten a taste of the big leagues, Masterson made spot start for the Sox on Thursday and was impressive. He looks to be who the Red Sox will call upon if they have any injuries, and he could be worthy of a spot on your fantasy team then. His minors numbers aren’t impressive, so be cautious of getting too excited from one start.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	1	0	0.95	19	14	2	5	23	.209

Chris Volstad, Florida Marlins

At just 21, Volstad looks to be the best pitcher in the Marlins system. He has had a good start to the season in ’08. He isn’t a huge strikeout pitcher, and being in Florida won’t net him a ton of wins, so make sure that he is successful at the highest level before adding him.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
5	2	0	2.90	31	25	10	10	21	.225

Wade Davis, Tampa Bay Rays

He is thought to be one of the top pitching prospects in the minors, but certainly hasn’t pitched like it so far. He isn’t overpowering, so doesn’t strike out a ton, but he could be an effective pitcher at the major league level. He probably won’t be up for a while, but keep an eye on his season at AA.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
5	3	1	3.10	29	25	10	9	15	.243

Jo-Jo Reyes, Atlanta Braves

Reyes was nothing short of horrendous during his call up to Atlanta last season. His ERA was over 6.00, and he walked more guys than he struck out. He has turned it around this year in Triple A, as he is dominating his competition. He has given up just one earned run in four starts, and is striking out better than a batter an inning.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	1	0	0.43	21	11	1	6	24	.157

Joe Savery, Philadelphia Phillies

Savery is still in Class A ball, so is a long shot to land in Philly this year, but he is one of the better pitching prospects in baseball. He struggles with his control at times, but has the chance to be something special when his time comes for the Phillies.

 

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	1	1	2.25	32	29	8	12	25	.248

Radhames Liz, Baltimore Orioles

Liz reminds me of another Orioles pitcher, Danny Cabrera. He shows incredible flashes of brilliance, but struggles with his control and focus. He can strike hitters out at an incredible rate (161 Ks in 137 IP in ’07), but until he can get focused and consistent he will have a hard time being successful.

Starts	Wins	Losses	ERA	IP	Hits	ER	BB	Ks	BAA
4	0	2	5.82	21.2	24	14	6	24	.289

 As always, your questions about your team (adds, drops, trades, etc) and comments are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee an answer within 18 hours.