Pitchers aren't the only stars to have been bitten by the injury bug lately. Justin Morneau was coughing up blood Friday night after a home-plate collision (never a good sign) and will probably be shelved for at least a few days. Miguel Tejada was placed on the DL with a broken wrist, meaning he'll miss a game for the first time since 2000. Bummer, he was only 1,480 games away from Cal Ripken's Iron Man streak!
Anyway, here are a few guys I'd look to add right now to fill out your roster:
• Kaz Matsui, 2B, Rockies and Willy Taveras, OF, Rockies: Kaz got a bad rap during his time in New York, which admittedly didn't work out so well. But he's batting .316 with 13 steals in his first full season on Blake Street. Taveras, meanwhile, is at .313 with 18 swipes in his first year as a Rockie. Consider this: there are only 10 players in the league currently batting above .300 with double-digit steals. Most of them aren't sitting on a lot of waiver wires right now, but here are two just waiting for you to double-click them.
• Corey Hart, OF, Brewers: Here's one more guy who fits into the above-mentioned category. Hart's numbers in June alone (seven homers, 14 RBIs, .306 average, seven steals) make him worthy of a roster spot in any league.
• Alex Gordon, 1B/3B, Royals: Hey, remember this guy? I seem to recall a bunch of hype surrounding the rookie before the season, and then he went out and struggled to bat .100. The immensely talented kid is starting to figure it out (.333, two homers, nine RBIs in June), just a little behind schedule.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Ailing arms
Got an injured pitcher? Join the club.
Curt Schilling and A.J. Burnett have sore shoulders. Jason Schmidt’s shoulder is even more messed up. Rickety Randy Johnson’s old back problems are flaring up, and even the usually durable Dontrelle Willis and John Lackey are talking about missing starts.
Injuries are virtually unavoidable when it comes to your pitching staff. Whether it’s mildly bad news (Schilling likely just needs to take two aspirin and some cortisone shots) or a disastrous diagnosis (Schmidt is done for the year), these things can be expected when a human being is asked to violently hurl a baseball at a catcher’s mitt a few thousand times a year.
Fantasy players were counting on some serious innings from the starters mentioned above. I had Schmidt pegged as a solid contributor this year – and so did the Los Angeles Dodgers, who gave him $47 million this offseason in exchange for one victory in 2007. Schilling, just a few weeks removed from a near no-hitter, saw a quick decline in velocity and is obviously an injury risk at age 40. Ditto for the 43-year-old Johnson, who’s found the fountain of youth in the Arizona desert but may have to pitch through pain the rest of the year. Burnett’s had injuries before but says he’ll be OK, and the aches experienced by Willis and Lackey seem like nothing, but you never know.
So, if you own one of these pitchers, what’s your backup plan? Of course it depends on the severity of the injury – Schmidt owners have to think about long-term replacements, while Schilling owners might be best served just grabbing a few spot starters. Either way, here are some options:
• You may have an opportunity to get an ailing ace dirt-cheap, especially if the rest of your league is in zombie mode. Chris Carpenter, Rich Harden and Pedro Martinez are all expected back at some point this year, and although all three carry considerable risk they could serve as a serious ace up your sleeve. Carpenter and Martinez probably won’t be useful until late summer, but Harden returns from the DL next week and will initially work out of the Oakland Athletics’ bullpen.
• It’s only a matter of time before the Boston Red Sox call up Jon Lester. The promising young lefty has been taking it slow in the minors as he works his way back from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The Fenway front office is rightfully concerned about Lester’s long-term health and won’t say if he’ll be coming up to take Schilling’s place, but keep an eye out for his return.
• We do know for certain Chad Billingsley is replacing Schmidt, at least for the time being. The big boy (6-foot, 244 pounds) experienced some ups and downs as a rookie starter last year and had been used out of the bullpen in ‘07, but now he's easing back into a starting role. It'll be slow going, but at the tender age of 22, this youngster has lots of upside.
• Baltimore Orioles rookie Jeremy Guthrie hasn't given up more than three runs in any of his 10 starts this season. He'd probably have more than four wins too if it weren't for the O's sorry offense and bullpen, but it's hard to ignore Guthrie's 2.42 ERA and 0.89 WHIP at this point.
• The San Diego Padres' Justin Germano is another unheralded youngster worth checking out. His numbers (5-1, 2.63 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) since taking Clay Hensley's spot in the rotation have been dynamite, so don't hesitate to throw him out there, at least until he cools off.
• There’s also the ageless Kenny Rogers, who looked great in his first start of the year Friday night for the Detroit Tigers after experiencing a blood clot in his left (throwing) shoulder. It seems he's fully recovered, so we pretty much know what to expect from Rogers – namely a half-decent ERA and a good shot at some Ws. Cameramen beware.
• Josh Johnson just came off the DL and promptly had his world rocked by the Chicago White Sox in his first game back. Your leaguemates may have brushed him off, but the right-hander did go 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA last year for the Florida Marlins. Give him a chance.
Curt Schilling and A.J. Burnett have sore shoulders. Jason Schmidt’s shoulder is even more messed up. Rickety Randy Johnson’s old back problems are flaring up, and even the usually durable Dontrelle Willis and John Lackey are talking about missing starts.
Injuries are virtually unavoidable when it comes to your pitching staff. Whether it’s mildly bad news (Schilling likely just needs to take two aspirin and some cortisone shots) or a disastrous diagnosis (Schmidt is done for the year), these things can be expected when a human being is asked to violently hurl a baseball at a catcher’s mitt a few thousand times a year.
Fantasy players were counting on some serious innings from the starters mentioned above. I had Schmidt pegged as a solid contributor this year – and so did the Los Angeles Dodgers, who gave him $47 million this offseason in exchange for one victory in 2007. Schilling, just a few weeks removed from a near no-hitter, saw a quick decline in velocity and is obviously an injury risk at age 40. Ditto for the 43-year-old Johnson, who’s found the fountain of youth in the Arizona desert but may have to pitch through pain the rest of the year. Burnett’s had injuries before but says he’ll be OK, and the aches experienced by Willis and Lackey seem like nothing, but you never know.
So, if you own one of these pitchers, what’s your backup plan? Of course it depends on the severity of the injury – Schmidt owners have to think about long-term replacements, while Schilling owners might be best served just grabbing a few spot starters. Either way, here are some options:
• You may have an opportunity to get an ailing ace dirt-cheap, especially if the rest of your league is in zombie mode. Chris Carpenter, Rich Harden and Pedro Martinez are all expected back at some point this year, and although all three carry considerable risk they could serve as a serious ace up your sleeve. Carpenter and Martinez probably won’t be useful until late summer, but Harden returns from the DL next week and will initially work out of the Oakland Athletics’ bullpen.
• It’s only a matter of time before the Boston Red Sox call up Jon Lester. The promising young lefty has been taking it slow in the minors as he works his way back from non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The Fenway front office is rightfully concerned about Lester’s long-term health and won’t say if he’ll be coming up to take Schilling’s place, but keep an eye out for his return.
• We do know for certain Chad Billingsley is replacing Schmidt, at least for the time being. The big boy (6-foot, 244 pounds) experienced some ups and downs as a rookie starter last year and had been used out of the bullpen in ‘07, but now he's easing back into a starting role. It'll be slow going, but at the tender age of 22, this youngster has lots of upside.
• Baltimore Orioles rookie Jeremy Guthrie hasn't given up more than three runs in any of his 10 starts this season. He'd probably have more than four wins too if it weren't for the O's sorry offense and bullpen, but it's hard to ignore Guthrie's 2.42 ERA and 0.89 WHIP at this point.
• The San Diego Padres' Justin Germano is another unheralded youngster worth checking out. His numbers (5-1, 2.63 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) since taking Clay Hensley's spot in the rotation have been dynamite, so don't hesitate to throw him out there, at least until he cools off.
• There’s also the ageless Kenny Rogers, who looked great in his first start of the year Friday night for the Detroit Tigers after experiencing a blood clot in his left (throwing) shoulder. It seems he's fully recovered, so we pretty much know what to expect from Rogers – namely a half-decent ERA and a good shot at some Ws. Cameramen beware.
• Josh Johnson just came off the DL and promptly had his world rocked by the Chicago White Sox in his first game back. Your leaguemates may have brushed him off, but the right-hander did go 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA last year for the Florida Marlins. Give him a chance.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Countdown to lift-off
T-minus 30 minutes until the Rocket makes his 2007 debut. What can we expect of Roger Clemens this year?
As I've mentioned earlier, I think Clemens will be a top-tier AL pitcher this season, but not a Cy Young candidate. The poor Pittsburgh Pirates should offer a an easy warm-up test for him today though (he was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA against them last year, and is 5-1 all-time vs. Pittsburgh), even if he only lasts five or six innings.
If you've got Clemens on your team, and you don't have a glaring need for him right now, he might make good trade bait if he has an outstanding debut. Again, it's all about selling high and getting the most bang for your buck.
As I've mentioned earlier, I think Clemens will be a top-tier AL pitcher this season, but not a Cy Young candidate. The poor Pittsburgh Pirates should offer a an easy warm-up test for him today though (he was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA against them last year, and is 5-1 all-time vs. Pittsburgh), even if he only lasts five or six innings.
If you've got Clemens on your team, and you don't have a glaring need for him right now, he might make good trade bait if he has an outstanding debut. Again, it's all about selling high and getting the most bang for your buck.
Price is right, and other young arms
It's understandable if you didn't catch baseball's amateur draft on ESPN2 this week. Not everyone is lucky enough to have absolutely nothing better to do at 2 p.m. on a Thursday.
I, on the other hand, watched most of the first round, and at the risk of giving away too many inside secrets to my fantasy competitors, there's one name I can share with you: David Price, the No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Price, a 21-year-old left-hander from Vanderbilt, is already a polished product who could be on the fast track to the majors. Of course, just because he was the top player taken doesn't make him can't-miss - anybody still waiting for Paul Wilson's career to pan out? - but Price is a guy to at least file away in your memory banks.
It's always a good idea for fantasy players to familiarize themselves with some of the game's top prospects, even if you're not in a keeper league.
That kind of knowledge can put you ahead of the curve when rookie talent enters your league, and while not every call-up goes on to immediate superstardom, you'll at least have a chance at finding a rare gem who makes an impact.
Let's check in with some pitching prospects whom you may or may not already know:
• Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds: Cincy has been cautious bringing along Bailey, the organization's top prospect in each of the past three seasons and one of the game's elite young arms. The 21-year-old pitched five solid innings in his major-league debut Friday night, and while he's still working on his command, his excellent fastball and curve make him someone who can certainly contribute this season and be a stud by next year.
• Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: Lincecum, a 2006 first-rounder, forced his way into the Giants' starting rotation and hasn't looked back. The righty has had a couple shaky outings, but has also held his own against Roy Oswalt twice and dominated at times. If he's not already owned in your league, there's something wrong.
• Phil Hughes, New York Yankees: Hughes already made a splash this year with a near-no-hitter that was ruined by a hamstring pull. Of course, every prospect gets magnified in the fish bowl that is New York, but Hughes is the real deal. The only concern is injuries - he was already going to be sidelined until later this summer, then he rolled an ankle last week while rehabbing. But until we hear otherwise, Hughes could still be the kind of late-season difference-maker you'll want to keep in your DL spot if you can afford to do so.
• Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers: Gallardo has a live arm and a four-pitch repertoire. He's currently tearing his way through Triple-A. He led all minor-league pitchers in strikeouts in 2006 (188 in 155 innings) and seems to be knocking on the door of the big leagues. The Brew Crew don't have a spot in their rotation or a pressing need for him right now, but run to the waiver wire whenever this young man gets called up.
I, on the other hand, watched most of the first round, and at the risk of giving away too many inside secrets to my fantasy competitors, there's one name I can share with you: David Price, the No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Price, a 21-year-old left-hander from Vanderbilt, is already a polished product who could be on the fast track to the majors. Of course, just because he was the top player taken doesn't make him can't-miss - anybody still waiting for Paul Wilson's career to pan out? - but Price is a guy to at least file away in your memory banks.
It's always a good idea for fantasy players to familiarize themselves with some of the game's top prospects, even if you're not in a keeper league.
That kind of knowledge can put you ahead of the curve when rookie talent enters your league, and while not every call-up goes on to immediate superstardom, you'll at least have a chance at finding a rare gem who makes an impact.
Let's check in with some pitching prospects whom you may or may not already know:
• Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds: Cincy has been cautious bringing along Bailey, the organization's top prospect in each of the past three seasons and one of the game's elite young arms. The 21-year-old pitched five solid innings in his major-league debut Friday night, and while he's still working on his command, his excellent fastball and curve make him someone who can certainly contribute this season and be a stud by next year.
• Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants: Lincecum, a 2006 first-rounder, forced his way into the Giants' starting rotation and hasn't looked back. The righty has had a couple shaky outings, but has also held his own against Roy Oswalt twice and dominated at times. If he's not already owned in your league, there's something wrong.
• Phil Hughes, New York Yankees: Hughes already made a splash this year with a near-no-hitter that was ruined by a hamstring pull. Of course, every prospect gets magnified in the fish bowl that is New York, but Hughes is the real deal. The only concern is injuries - he was already going to be sidelined until later this summer, then he rolled an ankle last week while rehabbing. But until we hear otherwise, Hughes could still be the kind of late-season difference-maker you'll want to keep in your DL spot if you can afford to do so.
• Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers: Gallardo has a live arm and a four-pitch repertoire. He's currently tearing his way through Triple-A. He led all minor-league pitchers in strikeouts in 2006 (188 in 155 innings) and seems to be knocking on the door of the big leagues. The Brew Crew don't have a spot in their rotation or a pressing need for him right now, but run to the waiver wire whenever this young man gets called up.
Friday, June 08, 2007
"D'oh!"
You might end making an annoyed grunt of your own if you haven't already added Homer Bailey.
Bailey, the Reds' top prospect the past three seasons, is set to make his major league debut Friday against the Cleveland Indians. In case you don't already know, Bailey is considered one of the premier pitching prospects in the game, on par with Phil Hughes and Tim Lincecum. The 6-foor-4, 204-pounder can touch the high-90s with his fastball, and he's 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA at Triple-A Louisville.
But before you get too excited, realize the stars aren't quite aligned for Bailey to be an immediate success. While Cincinnati's taken a very careful approach bringing Bailey through its system, this was because they don't exactly have a good track record of success with young arms. Bailey's easily one of the most anticipated Reds rookies in recent memory, so he'll be feeling a lot of pressure to be the savior of an extremely disappointing team that isn't very good. On top of all that, his first big league start comes against one of the premier offenses from the superior American League. That's an awful lot of strikes against the kid.
That being said, Bailey is still someone worth picking up, and that doesn't just go for keeper leagues. If you can get your hands on him, I'd probably keep him on the bench for now and see how this first game goes. He's got the goods to contribute, and the Reds have said he'll get at least another start regardless of how the first one goes. So let's see what he's got.
I'll have a little more on Bailey and some other pitching prospects in my next post.
Bailey, the Reds' top prospect the past three seasons, is set to make his major league debut Friday against the Cleveland Indians. In case you don't already know, Bailey is considered one of the premier pitching prospects in the game, on par with Phil Hughes and Tim Lincecum. The 6-foor-4, 204-pounder can touch the high-90s with his fastball, and he's 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA at Triple-A Louisville.
But before you get too excited, realize the stars aren't quite aligned for Bailey to be an immediate success. While Cincinnati's taken a very careful approach bringing Bailey through its system, this was because they don't exactly have a good track record of success with young arms. Bailey's easily one of the most anticipated Reds rookies in recent memory, so he'll be feeling a lot of pressure to be the savior of an extremely disappointing team that isn't very good. On top of all that, his first big league start comes against one of the premier offenses from the superior American League. That's an awful lot of strikes against the kid.
That being said, Bailey is still someone worth picking up, and that doesn't just go for keeper leagues. If you can get your hands on him, I'd probably keep him on the bench for now and see how this first game goes. He's got the goods to contribute, and the Reds have said he'll get at least another start regardless of how the first one goes. So let's see what he's got.
I'll have a little more on Bailey and some other pitching prospects in my next post.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Closing thoughts
A copule random notes on some closers:
Remember in the old days how we'd have to try to get inside every manager's head when it came to players' roles? Friday we got two rare "official" announcments regarding closer situations: Matt Capps is replacing Salomon Torres in Pittsburgh, while the recently acquired Armando Benitez will NOT close in Florida, at least for now.
It's not every day we're actually told how these bullpens are going to shape up, so let's take the info and run with it. Torres has been on a short leash since spring training, and the smart money was on young Capps taking over sooner rather than later. Now that day has come, and it's safe to drop Torres and pick up Capps if he's still out there. Capps has the potential to put together the kind of fine season Mike Gonzalez has last season - there won't be a ton of save chances, but he'll get the job done and keep his ratios low.
As for Benitez, let's face it, he hasn't exactly been a fantasy gem for some time now, especially this year. But the rumors of him going back to the Marlins have been floating around since camp, and they were intriguing for two reasons: Benitez wanted to return to Florida, and he had one of his best seasons there, in 2004 (47 saves, 1.29 ERA). Closer-of-the-week Kevin Gregg is keeping his job for now, and he's been fine. But Benitez is a logical choice to replace him should he falter, so you've got to keep close tabs on this situation. Henry Owens is another possibility to take back the job now that he's off the DL.
If you're wondering, Brad Hennessy is probably the Giants' No. 1 saves guy for now ... not exactly someone you run to the computer to add, but it can't help to take a look if you need saves.
Remember in the old days how we'd have to try to get inside every manager's head when it came to players' roles? Friday we got two rare "official" announcments regarding closer situations: Matt Capps is replacing Salomon Torres in Pittsburgh, while the recently acquired Armando Benitez will NOT close in Florida, at least for now.
It's not every day we're actually told how these bullpens are going to shape up, so let's take the info and run with it. Torres has been on a short leash since spring training, and the smart money was on young Capps taking over sooner rather than later. Now that day has come, and it's safe to drop Torres and pick up Capps if he's still out there. Capps has the potential to put together the kind of fine season Mike Gonzalez has last season - there won't be a ton of save chances, but he'll get the job done and keep his ratios low.
As for Benitez, let's face it, he hasn't exactly been a fantasy gem for some time now, especially this year. But the rumors of him going back to the Marlins have been floating around since camp, and they were intriguing for two reasons: Benitez wanted to return to Florida, and he had one of his best seasons there, in 2004 (47 saves, 1.29 ERA). Closer-of-the-week Kevin Gregg is keeping his job for now, and he's been fine. But Benitez is a logical choice to replace him should he falter, so you've got to keep close tabs on this situation. Henry Owens is another possibility to take back the job now that he's off the DL.
If you're wondering, Brad Hennessy is probably the Giants' No. 1 saves guy for now ... not exactly someone you run to the computer to add, but it can't help to take a look if you need saves.
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