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Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 5/27/08
Posted: May 28, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: aaron laffey, andy marte, Eric Byrnes, eric hinske, gary sheffield, Ian Kennedy, jay bruce, Johnny Cueto, Nick Blackburn, pedro martinez, sean gallagher, seth smith, travis hafner
Reds’ rookie Jay Bruce had quite the major league debut for himself. Bruce went 3-3 with two walks and a stolen base. The same thing applies to Bruce that I said about Kershaw the other day. There’s not much more to say about Bruce. If he is available, go get him right away, he should have a major fantasy impact in 2008.
I have been avoiding writing about Eric Hinske because I don’t believe this production is for real. Hinske has been bouncing around the league for about ten years now, and as I have said before, guys just don’t all of a sudden figure it out at age 30. Hinske’s career high in homers in a season is 24, and that was in his rookie season. Hinske hasn’t topped 15 since. It is a safe assumption he will do that this season (he already has 10), but I don’t believe he will set a new career high.
Reds’ pitcher Johnny Cueto had a pretty decent start on Tuesday, as he went five innings, allowed two earned runs and struck out four. Not bad, and this is three straight starts where he hasn’t allowed more than three runs. Cueto certainly has taken a big step back from all the hype that surrounded him in the beginning of the year, but he still can be an effective starter.
Aaron Laffey continues to be a very effective pitcher for the Indians, but you would never know it by his 3-3 record. Laffey allowed just one earned run on Tuesday, and although he didn’t record a strikeout, he still pitched well enough to earn his third run of the year. Continue to add Laffey in leagues where he is still available.
With the injuries to Brad Hawpe and Matt Holliday, Seth Smith has been given the chance to play the last few days, and although he has generally played well over the time that he has been on the field, I can’t recommend picking him up except for the most rare cases. I would only pick him up if he was an injury replacement for one of his teammates, and the league had at least 12 teams in it.
Twins starter Nick Blackburn pitched well right into the ninth inning, but Joe Nathan could hold the lead for him. Blackburn allowed just one run in 8.1 innings and struck out four, but was denied the win. Even though he has been pretty good the last few times out, I would still try to find better options than Blackburn.
Since his call up in place of Rich Hill, Cubs’ starter Sean Gallagher has been rotating good starts with bad starts. Tuesday was a time for a good start. Gallagher allowed just one run over seven innings and struck out three. Except in the most desperate of situations, I would look for better options if I were looking to add a player.
Given the injury to Travis Hafner, it is looking like former top prospect Andy Marte will get another chance to prove his value for the next week or so. Once a white-hot prospect, Marte is now just a marginal player at best and isn’t worth a spot on your fantasy roster. However, this guy had a ton of hype, and if he gets a chance to play, keep an eye on him for the future.
Injury News
Gary Sheffield has been placed on the 15 day DL with a left oblique strain. Sheff was barely batting over .210 before this injury and really shouldn’t have been on many fantasy teams. Give him a couple of weeks to see if he heals, although oblique injuries typically last closer to four weeks than two.
Pedro Martinez has been slated to start the June 3rd game against the San Francisco Giants. Pedro has been on the DL all season long with a hamstring injury, but barring any setbacks it looks like he is close to returning. Martinez will have a favorable matchup against the light hitting Giants, so he could have a successful return but I wouldn’t trust him in the long term.
Yankees rookie pitcher Ian Kennedy left his start on Monday after four innings with a strained muscle in his rib cage. Kennedy was having his usual ineffective start as he had allowed three runs in three innings before he left. I don’t see any reason to have him on your roster at this point, but wanted to report this injury.
Diamondbacks outfielder Eric Byrnes was placed on the disabled list with sore hamstrings that have been bothering him since Spring Training. His fantasy owners are hoping and praying that this was the cause for his ineffective play all season, as Byrnes was batting under .220 with just six homers and four steals. Hopefully when he is able to return, he will be able to pick up where he left off last season.
Indians DH Travis Hafner missed his second consecutive start on Tuesday with a sore shoulder, and he could be heading to the DL. Hafner won’t be playing on Wednesday and the Indians are off Thursday, so it is looking like Pronk will miss most of the week. If he doesn’t show some improvement soon, they will place him on the disabled list.
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.
We can now be found at http://www.fightingchancefantasy.com/. The new site will have all the same archives, all the same great articles and insight and hopefully some added organization and features. Head on over to the new site and don’t forget to bookmark us or add us to your feed, for all your fantasy info. If you have any comments or suggestions about the new site, please send them to andy@fightingchancefantasy.com.
Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 5/25/08
Posted: May 26, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: aaron cook, adam jones, clayton kershaw, daniel cabrera, Dustin McGowan, Eric Byrnes, ian kinsler, j.j. putz, jason kubel, jon lester, justin verlander, micah owings
Today, the big time prospect did not disappoint. Clayton Kershaw was as good as advertised on Sunday as he had his way with many of the St. Louis Cardinals. Kershaw went six innings, allowed two runs and struck out seven. There’s not too much else to say, if you were debating on using your waiver priority on him, this should seal the deal. Pick him up in all formats.
It finally looks like Justin Verlander has figured it out again. Verlander threw seven innings of one run baseball and struck out three. Control was still a bit of a problem as he walked four batters, but this is SO much better than the outings he was having in April. Verlander was still a victim of poor run support as the Tigers scored just one run and the bullpen lost the game, but it is a big step in the right direction. Hopefully you bought low on Verlander a couple weeks ago, the opportunity might still be there, but the price tag must have gone up some by now.
Just when you think Danny Cabrera has turned the corner, he goes out and puts up a stinker like he did on Sunday. Cabrera was up to his old tricks again, as he gave up four runs and walked six in just 5.2 innings. I believe that this will be what you get more often than not, and can’t recommend adding him to your roster at any time.
Jon Lester had his first start since his no-hitter and……not so good. You obviously don’t expect him to throw another no-hitter, but it was not even close. Lester gave up three runs over five innings and took the loss. He is still a decent pitcher that belongs towards the back end of your rotation so don’t drop him after this subpar outing, but you can’t expect the kind of brilliance that he showed last week either.
J.J. Putz owners, are you worried? Should you be? Putz was always a so-so reliever before given the opportunity to close when he suddenly became Superman. After a few years of dominance, Putz has struggled mightily in 2008. Is it the result of a nagging injury? It could be. Is it that he has just lost it? That could also be. Putz blew his third save in eight attempts, and his ERA is at 4.50. Some closers just lose it one day and never get it back (Brad Lidge, Eric Gagne, etc.). Is this what is happening with Putz? Too soon to tell, but if I owned him I would be shaking in my boots.
Dustin McGowan was a big disappointment on Sunday. After two consecutive starters threw complete games, McGowan was only able to go seven innings and allow one run. The Blue Jays just simply can’t have this! But seriously, McGowan was great today and struck out seven hitters and raised his record to 3-4, while lowering his ERA under 4.00. After the successful end of the season in 2007, I expect McGowan to continue this type of success and approach 15 wins this year, even after a bad start.
Micah Owings continued his great start to the season with his sixth win of the season. Owings allowed just two earned runs over six innings against the Braves, and although his strikeouts weren’t as high as other starts, he still got the job done. He was probably upset that he took an 0-fer at the plate, as Micah is possibly the best hitting pitcher in baseball. I don’t expect him to win 18 games or anything, but I believe he will be an effective pitcher all season long and win 13 to 15 games.
One of the better surprises of the first two months of the season is Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook. He actually might be the only thing that is going right in Colorado. Cook shut down the Mets today, as he went the distance, allowing just one run. Looking back at his career, Cook has been a .500 pitcher at best. As I have said many times before, guys don’t usually just become stars at 29 years old. Cook is a great sell high candidate, if you own him, shop him heavily this week.
Although the Diamondbacks are still doing very well, a huge disappointment has been Eric Byrnes. After averaging 23 HRs and 35 SBs for the past two season, Byrnes hit just his fifth on Sunday (a grand slam at least), has only four steals, and his average is around .220. Byrnes is one of my favorite players for the way he plays the game, and I believe he will improve from this horrendous start. Don’t give up too much, but I would try to buy low on a guy who can give you some power and steal a bunch of bases.
Baltimore rookie Adam Jones is making small strides towards proving he was worth acquiring in the deal that sent Erik Bedard to Seattle. After an atrocious start to the year, Jones is starting to drive in a few more runs, and has his average above .250. This is not a ringing endorsement to go grab Jones now, but certainly keep your eye on his progress, he has a load of speed/power talent. Plus, (and I am required to write this) he has the funniest picture in history on his Yahoo profile.
Jason Kubel has long been one of the top hitting prospects for the Twins, but he was never able to stay healthy. So far in 2008 he has been on the field on most days, and he is showing signs of that potential. Kubel hit a grand slam on Sunday, and brought his RBI total to a respectable 25. His average (.255) is still lower than he would like, but it is looking like the injury issues are behind him, and he is someone to watch in the second half.
Rangers 2B/leadoff hitter Ian Kinsler is again off to a great start. Kinsler hit his sixth homer of the year and drove in his 28th run, and his average is near .300. Kinsler is close to being a top 5 option at second, and if he can stay on the field he has a real chance of cracking that top 5. Kinsler has never played more than 130 games however, but when he is in there, he puts up great stats at a weak position.
White Sox OF Carlos Quentin hit two homers Sunday night to reclaim the sole lead in the AL home run race. You might expect me to tell you to sell him high, but that will not be the case. As a Diamondback prospect, Quentin always flashed 30 HR potential. Now past his shoulder injury it is looking like Carlos will be living up to that potential, as he bombed out his 14th of the season, a game winner off of John Lackey.
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 5/24/08 Kershaw is Here! Longoria, Ian Stewart, Injury News
Posted: May 25, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: ben francisco, boof bonser, carlos delgado, clayton kershaw, cliff lee, Clint Barmes, Evan Longoria., fausto carmona, ian stewart, jesse litsch, lastings milledge, Luke Hochevar, magglio ordonez, matt holliday, randy johnson, robinson cano
I would like to start out tonight by welcoming the NEW (and second) member of the Fighting Chance Fantasy Sports Team. Andy Houle will bring a number of things to the table. One, he is a great fantasy player. He has been playing in leagues with me for about eight years now, and has been my stiffest competition. His opinions and knowledge are very respectable. He made his blogging debut today with the article “Need Some Saves?” Take a look at it, and give him a welcome and some feedback. Not only will he bring fantasy knowledge, but also brings a good deal of web design as well. There will be some great changes to the Fighting Chance site in the coming days/weeks, so we are all looking forward to that. Organization and beautification have been long overdue.
The “next big thing” is arriving on Sunday! The Dodgers have called up phenom pitcher Clayton Kershaw to start the final game of the series against the Cardinals. A few things need to be said. First, he may be on an innings limit for the season. Many teams put a maximum on the number of innings they want their young pitchers to throw. Two, he is going to get bombed from time to time. Almost all young pitchers have rough patches and are prone to big innings. Finally, as soon as he is available in your league, go get him. Use your waiver priority, as he could have the biggest fantasy impact of any young player.
The “next big thing” in the hitting category isn’t disappointing. Ok, so we would like to see Evan Longoria
hitting for a better average and striking out less, but after a two homer, six ribbie game, Longoria has seven homers and 26 RBI in 39 games. Not to mention that two of those homers are game winners. If he’s still available, I would grab him if you have the available roster spot.
Cliff Lee collected his eighth win of the year tonight against the Texas Rangers, although he wasn’t incredibly sharp. He did allow just two runs over 6.2 innings, but he also walked four. The walks didn’t cost him since they went with eight strikeouts. Lee’s ERA still sits at 1.50, but I am still urging you to sell high on Lee while his value is still very high.
The strong pitching of the Toronto Blue Jays continued on Saturday, as it continues to be what is keeping them hanging around in the standings. A day after Roy Halladay went the distance, Jesse Litsch did him one better. Not only did Litsch throw a complete game, but his was a shutout to boot. Litsch isn’t a fireballing strikeout machine, but at 6-1 is a great option at the bottom of your rotation, and possibly a very valuable trade chip.
We warned yesterday that Robinson Cano could be breaking out of his funk. Apparently Seattle pitching is just what the doctor ordered. Cano went 4-4 on Saturday, doubling three times and driving in another run. If you are planning on making a move to trade for Cano, do it quickly before the Yankee 2B gets any hotter.
Randy Johnson did something on Saturday that he hadn’t done in just over a year, reach double digits in strikeouts. Unfortunately for the Unit, the Diamondbacks didn’t provide him with any run support, and his masterful outing was for nothing. Johnson lasted six innings, allowed just the one run and fanned 10. He left trailing by a run, and although the D-Backs quickly tied the game, they would lose it on the walkoff homer by Jeff Francoeur. Continue to play Johnson while he is pitching well, but be ready to have a back up plan for when the Unit goes back on the DL, which is almost inevitable.
As much as I would like to endorse picking up a guy who isn’t named Boof Bonser, he is just not pitching in a way that makes picking him up possible. Boof lasted just three innings and gave up eight runs, raising his ERA to over 6.00.
Royals rookie Luke Hochevar just seems to pitch on the wrong day. His last outing he opposed Jon Lester in his no-hitter, and then Saturday his opponent was Jesse Litsch who threw a shutout. In fact in Hochevar’s seven starts the Royals have only scored ten runs. Luke’s ERA is over 4.50 so you can’t just blame no run support for his 3-4 record, but it isn’t helping him either. Chances are there is someone better on the waiver wire than Hochevar at this point.
Although his average is still really low at least Carlos Delgado is starting to hit for some more power than he did last season. Delgado hit only 24 homers all last season, but on Memorial Day Weekend he is already up to eight. His stock has fallen to an all time low for Delgado, but if you have an injury, you could do worse than Delgado. At least he should hit for some power for you.
A sleeper going forward is Cleveland’s Ben Francisco. After a fairly successful call up in 2007, Francisco followed that up with a great 2008 Spring before being sent back down to the minors to start the season. Francisco is making the most of his second opportunity, as he is hitting .365 and driven in 11 runs in just 19 games. I don’t know how long he will be playing everyday, but he is certainly worth keeping an eye on for the next couple of days to see if this hot hitting continues.
The Tigers dropped 19 runs on the Twins on Saturday, with the attack led by Magglio Ordonez. Maggs hit his eighth and ninth homers today, and has pretty much picked up where he left off in 2007. I wouldn’t recommend trying to trade for Ordonez, but if you own him, he should put up great stats again in 2008.
A sleeper going into the season who has disappointed greatly is Washington’s Lastings Milledge. I expected him to hit for a good average with 20/20 capabilities. Well, he’s got a shot at the 20 steals, but Milledge hit just his second home run on Saturday, making 20 HRs a long shot. In a year-to-year league, it may be time to cut ties with Lastings if he doesn’t turn it around in the next couple of days. Keeper league players, you have to exercise more patience with a guy under 25 with this kind of potential.
Injury News
Matt Holliday suffered a slightly strained hamstring and left Saturday’s game. It isn’t believed to be a serious injury, but he may miss a game or two. Holliday will be re-evaluated on Sunday, so stay tuned for further details.
Not only was Holliday injured but the Rockies put two other starters on the disabled list. Clint Barmes has a sprained knee and Brad Hawpe has a sore right hammy. Neither injury is considered serious, but if you own these players you will have to be looking for a short term replacement. More important than these injuries was the news that prospect Ian Stewart was recalled when Barmes was DL’d. Stewart has a chance to play some third, some first, or some outfield. Saturday Garrett Atkins missed the game and Stewart filled in for him. Ian was having an incredible year at AAA this season, so if you are a Hawpe or Barmes owner I would go right after Stewart. Given the chance to play, he could have an impact.
A day after leaving his last start, Indians’ starter Fausto Carmona was placed on the DL due to his hip injury. Carmona had an MRI to determine the extent of the injury, but the results are not yet known. Stash him in your injury spot for 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.
No Brainers
Cole Hamels, PHI—5/25 vs. HOU (Sampson), 5/31 vs. FLA (Hendrickson)
C.C. Sabathia, CLE—5/25 vs TEX (Mathis), 5/31 vs. KC (Tomko)
Brandon Webb, ARI—5/26 vs. ATL (Jurrjens), 5/31 vs. WAS (Bergmann)
Ben Sheets, MIL—5/25 vs. WAS (Bergmann), 5/31 vs. HOU (Sampson)
Gotta Play ‘Em
John Maine, NYM—5/25 vs. COL (De La Rosa), 5/30 vs. LAD (Billingsley)
Chien-Ming Wang, NYY—5/25 vs. SEA (Silva), 5/31 vs. MIN (Perkins)
Javier Vasquez, CWS—5/26 vs. CLE (Byrd), 5/31 vs. TB (Kazmir)
James Shields, TB—5/25 vs. BAL (Cabrera), 5/30 vs. CWS (Contreras)
Scott Kazmir, TB—5/25 vs. TEX (Ponson), 5/31 vs. CWS (Vasquez)
Justin Verlander, DET—5/25 vs. MIN (Perkins), 5/30 vs. SEA (Silva)
John Lackey, LAA—5/25 vs. CWS (Contreras), 5/31 vs. TOR (Marcum)
Ted Lilly, CHC—5/25 vs. PIT (Maholm), 5/30 vs. COL (De La Rosa)
Micah Owings, ARI—5/25 vs. ATL (Glavine), 5/20 vs. WAS (Redding)
Chad Billingsley, LAD—5/25 vs. STL (Wellemeyer), 5/30 vs. NYM (Maine)
Jon “No Hitter” Lester, BOS—5/25 vs. OAK (Blanton), 5/30 vs. BAL (Trachsel)
Jair Jurrjens, ATL—5/26 vs. ARI (Webb), 5/31 vs. CIN (Belisle)
Dustin McGowan, TOR—5/25 vs. KC (Meche), 5/30 vs. LAA (Weaver)
Daniel Cabrera, BAL—5/25 vs. TB (Shields), 5/31 vs. BOS (Colon)
Worthwhile For Two Starts
Shaun Marcum, TOR—5/26 vs. KC (Tomko), 5/31 vs. LAA (Lackey)
Ryan Dempster, CHC—5/26 vs. LAD (Kuroda), 5/31 vs. COL (Cook)
Todd Wellemeyer, STL—5/25 vs. LAD (Billingsley), 5/31 vs. PIT (Maholm)
Joe Blanton, OAK—5/25 vs. BOS (Lester), 5/31 vs. TEX (Mathis)
Aaron Cook, COL—5/26 vs. PHI (Moyer), 5/31 vs. CHC (Dempster)
Greg Maddux, SD—5/25 vs. CIN (Belisle), 5/31 vs. SF (Misch)
Bartolo Colon, BOS—5/26 vs. SEA (Washburn), 5/31 vs. BAL (Cabrera)
Mark Hendrickson, FLA—5/25 vs. SF (Misch), 5/31 vs. PHI (Hamels)
Tom Glavine, ATL—5/25 vs. ARI (Owings), 5/30 vs. CIN (Arroyo)
Hiroki Kuroda, LAD—5/26 vs. CHC (Dempster), 5/31 vs. NYM (Pelfrey)
Getting Desperate
Jose Contreras, CWS—5/25 vs. LAA (Lackey), 5/30 vs. TB (Shields)
Tim Redding, WAS—5/25 vs. MIL (Parra), 5/30 vs. ARI (Owings)
Gil Meche, KC—5/25 vs. TOR (McGowan), 5/30 vs. CLE (Lee)
Carlos Silva, SEA—5/25 vs. NYY (Wang), 5/31 vs. DET (Verlander)
Manny Parra, MIL—5/25 vs WAS (Redding), 5/30 vs. HOU (Moehler)
Mike Pelfrey, NYM—5/26 vs. FLA (Nolasco), 5/31 vs. LAD (Kuroda)
Jason Bergmann, WAS—5/26 vs. MIL (Sheets), 5/31 vs. ARI (Webb)
Paul Maholm, PIT—5/25 vs. CHC (Lilly), 5/31 vs. STL (Wellemeyer)
Glen Perkins, MIN—5/25 vs. DET (Verlander), 5/31 vs. NYY (Wang)
Matt Belisle, CIN—5/25 vs. SD (Maddux), 5/31 vs. ATL (Jurrjens)
Patrick Misch, SF—5/25 vs. FLA (Hendrickson), 5/31 vs. SD (Maddux)
Brett Tomko, KC—5/26 vs. TOR (Marcum), 5/31 vs. CLE (Sabathia)
Chris Sampson, HOU—5/25 vs. PHI (Hamels), 5/31 vs. MIL (Sheets)
Doug Mathis, TEX—5/25 vs. CLE (Sabathia), 5/31 vs. OAK (Blanton)
Jorge De La Rosa, COL—5/25 vs. NYM (Maine), 5/30 vs. CHC (Lilly)
Need Some Saves?
Posted: May 24, 2008 in ClosersTags: adam miller, Brad Lidge, Carlos Marmol, chris perez, Closers, Guillermo Mota, Jonathon Broxton, Kerry Wood, Middle Relief, Rafeal Perez, Relief Pitching, Ryan Franklin, Salomon Torres, Saves, Tony Pena, Troy Percival
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.
Beyond the Boxscore–Fantasy MLB News and Notes 5/23/08
Posted: May 24, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: clayton kershaw, dan uggla, doug davis, edinson volquez, fausto carmona, felix hernandez, gavin floyd, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Joe Saunders, matt garza, Oliver Perez, robinson cano, Zach Greinke
The majority of the news tonight revolves around starting pitching, so let’s just get the hitting out of the way quickly.
Rangers’ catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his second homer of the season, and he made it count. Salty went Grand Salami, and although he is hitting just over .220, he is certainly an option for those of you suffering with a crappy option at catcher. He is young, he is powerful, now he just needs some experience
and confidence and he could be a tough out for years to come.
Yankees 2B Robinson Cano looks like he might be breaking out of his season long slump. Cano has five hits in the last three games, and has driven in a run in three straight games. If his owner in your league is even a little bit down on Cano, see if you can swing a deal for him now (unless you own Chase Utley of course). Cano is a great hitter and when he does bust out of this funk, he is going to fill a lot of fantasy categories.
Another 2B in the news is Florida’s Dan Uggla. Uggla continues to punish the baseball, and he is putting himself in the company with the best at his position. However, if you think he will finish the season with numbers similar to Chase Utley, I believe you will be sorely disappointed. Uggla has his average up to .320 and hit his 15th homer of the year on Friday. His power was never a question, but I think his average will take a sharp dive in the wrong direction.
Injury News
Another great cancer survivor story came from Arizona’s Doug Davis today. Davis had surgery to remove his cancer on April 10th, and just six weeks later is back on the mound in a major league mound. Not only that, but he pitched very well. Davis lasted seven innings, allowed just one run and struck out four. His return signals the end of Max Scherzer as part of the rotation, so Davis isn’t very popular with fantasy players, especially those in keeper leagues. Davis is an average fantasy option, and even saying that, unless you have an injury I can’t recommend picking up Davis. He has been an average starter throughout his career, and I believe he will continue to be just that.
Indians starter Fausto Carmona left his start tonight after injuring his hip covering first base. It is too soon to find out if he will miss any extended time, or any at all. Keep an eye on this situation for details.
More Pitching News
The rumors are flying again about the arrival of super prospect Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers. The speculation comes from the fact that he was pulled after just one inning in his last start Kershaw is in line to make his next start on Tuesday, the exact time that the Dodgers would need a fifth starter again. More details if this becomes official, but right now it is still just a rumor.
Angels starter Joe Saunders continues to pitch way over his head. Saunders ran his record to 8-1 on Friday after pitching into the ninth inning against the White Sox. Saunders was almost able to go the distance, but got into a little trouble in the ninth before being relieved by K-Rod. Saunders is a guy that I would definitely try to sell high on, and after tonight’s performance, he may have made that a lot easier for you to do.
Saunders’ opponent, Gavin Floyd, was able to go the distance, although it was in a losing effort. Floyd has been a very effective pitcher in most of his starts in 2008, and his ERA is under 3.00. Floyd deserves better than his 4-3 record and is a pretty decent option if you are looking to add a pitcher.
Even with Josh Hamilton leading the world in RBI, the trade which sent him to Texas continues to look good for both teams, as Edinson Volquez continues to pitch masterful baseball. On Friday, Volquez allowed just one run over six innings and fanned 12 to actually raise his ERA to an incredible 1.34. Although he is going to have to start allowing SOME runs, Volquez should finish the season as one of the top 15 starters in the majors.
The inconsistencies from Mets’ starter Oliver Perez continue. I keep touting him as a guy who can give your team a lot of help in the second half, but unless he learns to keep these walks under control, Perez is going to hurt you more than help. On Friday, Perez allowed only two runs over five innings, but in could have been much worse if some of his eight walks were to have crossed the plate. I still like Perez, but am starting to become more and more concerned about his control, and if he can give you consistent outings each time he takes the ball on the mound.
The recent shakiness for Royals’ SP Zach Greinke finally manifested itself into a bad start for the youngster. One of the best sell high options, Greinke finally allowed more than three runs for the time all season as he allowed six runs over just five innings. For those of you who are consistent readers of this blog know that I have been waiting for this sort of outing from Greinke, and I believe there are more where this came from in the future.
The Tampa Bay Rays continue to get strong pitching, and continue to have the best season in their franchise
history. Friday it was Matt Garza’s turn, and the man they got for Delmon Young didn’t disappoint. Garza went 7.1 innings, allowed just one run and struck out four. Long considered the Twins top pitching prospect, Garza has been up and down some after returning from an injury that cost him the beginning of the season. Keep your expectations under control, and you won’t be disappointed with having Garza on your roster.
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 5/22/08
Posted: May 23, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: aaron laffey, Andrew Miller, c.j. wilson, chris young, corey hart, daisuike matsusaka, Eric Gagne, Ervin Santana, Ian Kennedy, jason bay, joe borowski, johan santana, matt joyce, ryan howard, victor martinez
The next young arm that is going to be added in a lot of fantasy leagues in the next 24 hours is going to be
the Marlins’ Andrew Miller. Miller was one of the two big pieces that the Marlins got back in the Miguel Cabrera trade, but he got off to a terrible start. This is the fourth consecutive good start for Miller, and tonight was the best of his major league career. Miller lasted seven shutout innings, while striking out nine. Not bad for a guy who turned 23 yesterday. Unless your staff is stacked, see if you have someone you can replace with Miller, and keeper league players, act quickly.
Yankees rookie Ian Kennedy finally had a start that he didn’t embarrass himself. Kennedy has been a whopping disappointment for both the Yankees and fantasy players, and I am guessing most people had given up on him by now. Kennedy gave up just one run over six innings with four punchouts. I still think that you should wait for two or three more starts like this before thinking of adding him to your roster.
After swirling rumors about his job security, Rangers’ closer C.J. Wilson collected his ninth save of the season. He still could be replaced sometime soon by Eddie Guardado, but perhaps he has bought himself some more time with the 1-2-3 performance he gave on Thursday.
Despite walking more than a batter an inning, Daisuke Matsusaka remained unbeaten with his 8th win of the season against Kansas City. Dice allowed three runs, walked six and struck out seven over 5.2 innings in which he threw 118 pitches. It wasn’t pretty, but he got the job done.
Both Santanas took the loss on Thursday, with Johan losing to the Braves and Ervin going down to the Jays. Ervin gave up four runs over six innings with seven Ks. He has been shaky his last few times out which is to be expected. He is pitching over his head, I would try to move him if I had him (which I do, and I will).
Johan Santana had two parts to his line score which wouldn’t make me happy if I owned him. First, Santana gave up a career high 12 hits, second, he struck out only one over seven innings. He is a great buy low candidate. Don’t expect anyone to give him away, but I bet the price is lower than it was when the season started.
Even when he loses, Aaron Laffey is pretty impressive. The great Indians’ rookie threw seven, one-run innings and struck out six while only walking one. Laffey has been one of the more impressive rookies in 2008 and is starting to look like a must-start each time out.
Ryan Howard is on a tear, and is starting to show he was worthy of your first round pick. After his 13th on Thursday, Howard now has six in his last nine games. Ryan will most likely finish with 50, or somewhere near that, you just have to hope that he starts to cut down on the strikeouts which have plagued him this year.
Tigers rookie Matt Joyce is making the most of his opportunity to play. Joyce connected on his fifth homer of the season Thursday, and raised his average to .276. Joyce is worth a look in larger leagues as he is showing that he has some pop. Joyce did have a season of 17 HRs in 130 games, so this isn’t a total fluke. Continue to watch Joyce, and if he continues to hit like this, pick him up.
Jason Bay continues on the road to fantasy relevance again with his 11th homer of the season Thursday while he now has 22 RBI. After hitting just 21 HRs all of last season, Bay looks to be on pace to get back to the numbers he put up his first two years in the league.
With his third homer in five days, it also looks like Corey Hart is getting back to the form that made him a very sexy pickup in 2007. Hart also stole his eighth base of the year, which puts him on pace to smash his career high of 23 last season. I believe that Hart will hit fewer homers in 2008, but steal more bases than he did in 2007.
Injury News
Brewers closer Eric Gagne has been shut down indefinitely with rotator cuff tendonitis. It is too soon to have a timetable for his return, but if you have him, try ANYTHING to get someone to take him or just cut him off your team.
One day after taking a Pujols line drive to the nose, San Diego pitcher Chris Young was placed on the
Disabled List with the broken nose. He hopes to miss just the mandatory 15 games, so stash him in your injury spot on your roster and hope that there are no lingering effect to that scary injury.
Indians closer Joe Borowski will be activated off the DL on Friday and immediately regain his role as closer in the Cleveland bullpen. Yeah, he gives up a lot of runs and blows some saves, but after the way his replacements performed during his absence Borowski’s job security has never been higher. Put him back in your lineup immediately.
Indians catcher Victor Martinez left the game Thursday with an injured finger, making him day-to-day. This is just the latest is in a string of tough events for one of the best catchers in the league. Martinez is hitting for a good average, but still hasn’t homered yet this year. Considering you probably have no second option behind the plate, continue to play Victor and hope this doesn’t keep him out long.
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.
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