Scott Kazmir's coming back this weekend, the Bradenton Herald reports. Excited?
I'm not sure how to feel, honestly. I expected big things from the Rays lefty this year. Lots of strikeouts and a bunch of wins for the defending AL champions. But it didn't happen. He just didn't look right at the start of the year, but I still thought he'd straighten out. I swung a deal for him in late April straight up for Bobby Abreu. Then he proceeded to really tank before getting sent to the DL with a "quadriceps injury." Whether or not the injury was serious, it seemed like the Rays really just wanted him to go on a rehab assignment and fix his mechanics. And he has, and he's gotten his velocity back up, too.
We'll have to see if Kaz is really back to form. I'm not activating him against the Marlins this weekend. I want to see him cut down the walks and start blowing his fastball by some hitters the way he used to, and in the process whittle down that 7.69 ERA. If he can do that, he becomes a serious buy-low candidate, because the potential is still there.
Showing posts with label Bobby Abreu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bobby Abreu. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Talkin' trades
I get asked what I think about fantasy trades all the time. I always have to start my answer with the same preface: "Well, without knowing your whole roster or your team needs, here's what I think ...."
That being said, my pal Sean asked me today what I thought of this deal: Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki for Hanley Ramirez. My response was this: If you can spare the steals, do it in a heartbeat.
Turns out he'd be the guy giving up Braun and Tulo, so it was a no-go. But if I was the guy dealing Hanley, I'd be all over it. Sure, he's a beast at shortstop, and you'd be parting with a huge pile of stolen bases in the deal. But even if Ramirez hit 40 homers this year, you're looking at a minimum of 60 from the other two guys. Tulowitzki's probably a bit undervalued, but with him recovering nicely from last year's injury-plagued season, I can foresee him returning to his 2007 form - which would make him a top-5 fantasy shortstop, just a peg below the elite guys like Ramirez and Jose Reyes. Then add in the hefty average and minimum of 30 homers you're bound to get from Braun, and the deal's a winner.
Anyway, I pulled off a deal of my own the other day: I shipped Bobby Abreu for Scott Kazmir. I had a serious lack of pitching with Brandon Webb on the DL and Francisco Liriano and Max Scherzer not meeting my expectations. I was in a pretty good place with stolen bases and have a decent crop of outfielders (Alex Rios, Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron), so I decided to part with Abreu. With eight steals already I figure he's probably already coming up on a third of his season total (30-25-22 the past three years); he's hitting .375 and hasn't topped .300 in a season since 2004; and he hasn't hit a homer yet, which is a little disconcerting. I belive Abreu will have a fine season, just not THAT fine a season at age 35.
I've always been a Kazmir fan, and while he does have his flaws (way too many pitches per start), he's another guy who's a bit undervalued because of some slight injury problems last year. If Kaz can stay healthy for 35 starts, the potential's there for a sub-4.00 ERA, 200 Ks and 15 W's. And that's exactly what my team could use.
That being said, my pal Sean asked me today what I thought of this deal: Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki for Hanley Ramirez. My response was this: If you can spare the steals, do it in a heartbeat.
Turns out he'd be the guy giving up Braun and Tulo, so it was a no-go. But if I was the guy dealing Hanley, I'd be all over it. Sure, he's a beast at shortstop, and you'd be parting with a huge pile of stolen bases in the deal. But even if Ramirez hit 40 homers this year, you're looking at a minimum of 60 from the other two guys. Tulowitzki's probably a bit undervalued, but with him recovering nicely from last year's injury-plagued season, I can foresee him returning to his 2007 form - which would make him a top-5 fantasy shortstop, just a peg below the elite guys like Ramirez and Jose Reyes. Then add in the hefty average and minimum of 30 homers you're bound to get from Braun, and the deal's a winner.
Anyway, I pulled off a deal of my own the other day: I shipped Bobby Abreu for Scott Kazmir. I had a serious lack of pitching with Brandon Webb on the DL and Francisco Liriano and Max Scherzer not meeting my expectations. I was in a pretty good place with stolen bases and have a decent crop of outfielders (Alex Rios, Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron), so I decided to part with Abreu. With eight steals already I figure he's probably already coming up on a third of his season total (30-25-22 the past three years); he's hitting .375 and hasn't topped .300 in a season since 2004; and he hasn't hit a homer yet, which is a little disconcerting. I belive Abreu will have a fine season, just not THAT fine a season at age 35.
I've always been a Kazmir fan, and while he does have his flaws (way too many pitches per start), he's another guy who's a bit undervalued because of some slight injury problems last year. If Kaz can stay healthy for 35 starts, the potential's there for a sub-4.00 ERA, 200 Ks and 15 W's. And that's exactly what my team could use.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Undroppables
They are known as the Undroppables.
Not to be confused with the untouchables – either the outcasts of Indian society or the pretty decent Kevin Costner flick – the Undroppables are the fantasy players who can’t be touched. Most leagues impose a short list of guys who cannot be released under just about any circumstances in the name of fair play. Makes sense. We wouldn't want to see some last-place team cutting ties with Alex Rodriguez just so a partner in crime can pick him up.
Another positive about the undroppables list is it forces owners to curb their George Steinbrenner tendencies and practice patience. No matter how much David Wright's homerless April hurt you, and regardless of how many sleepless nights you've had thinking about Alfonso Soriano's nine RBIs, you have no recourse but to stick with those two since they're on just about every undroppable list.
The idea is a good one, but it can only take you so far. Usually there are about 20 or fewer undroppables, which leaves about 90 percent of your roster up in the air. And that's great, because it creates lots of room for uncertainty and strategy we love in fantasy sports. It also leaves the door open for some really bad decisions. But that's where I come in.
Here are a few players who, while perhaps not officially undroppable, should be considered as such:
• Mariano Rivera: There was a stretch earlier this year when The Sandman's skills seemed to have eroded. His two blown saves and bloated ERA surely weren't what we signed up for when drafting the greatest closer ever. But it's hard to justify cutting bait on a guy who has been so dominant for so long, especially when others are banking on Joe Borowski and Octavio Dotel for saves. Show Mo some love.
• Carlos Delgado/Paul Konerko: These two are kind of NL and AL versions of one another. Both could hit 30 homers in their sleep. Both ended April hitting under .200. While neither will win a batting title, the power potential is still there. They've gone deep a combined 211 times the past three seasons. And isn't that why you drafted them in the first place?
• Richie Sexson: If you thought the previous two sluggers were having aggravating seasons, you obviously don't own Mr. Richmond Lockwood Sexson, a guy who can't even see the Mendoza Line from where he's sitting (.180 through Friday). The funny part is, you suffer through Sexson's ups and downs all year, then you look back and realize he had the most frustrating 35-homer, 100-RBI season ever.
• Scott Kazmir: Young Kaz hasn't quite been the emerging stud we expected this season. He's throwing way too many pitches because, he says, his mechanics are off, and he hasn't won at home since last July. The good news is that first part can be corrected easily enough. As for the second part, he does pitch for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Don't hold it against him. The Ks will come.
• Bobby Abreu: He hasn't been hitting much lately, but more disturbingly, he hasn't been walking. Expect that to change soon (career .409 on-base percentage). While he may never be a 30-30 guy again (can a Home Run Derby really mess you up that much?), he can still run a little, and he'll get lots of RBI chances wherever he hits in that New York Yankees lineup.
P.S. After I wrote this, Delgado hit two bombs, Sexson hit a three-run shot, and Abreu was 1-for-5 with a game-ending strikeout representing the tying run in a 3-1 loss. Two out of three ain't bad, I guess.
Not to be confused with the untouchables – either the outcasts of Indian society or the pretty decent Kevin Costner flick – the Undroppables are the fantasy players who can’t be touched. Most leagues impose a short list of guys who cannot be released under just about any circumstances in the name of fair play. Makes sense. We wouldn't want to see some last-place team cutting ties with Alex Rodriguez just so a partner in crime can pick him up.
Another positive about the undroppables list is it forces owners to curb their George Steinbrenner tendencies and practice patience. No matter how much David Wright's homerless April hurt you, and regardless of how many sleepless nights you've had thinking about Alfonso Soriano's nine RBIs, you have no recourse but to stick with those two since they're on just about every undroppable list.
The idea is a good one, but it can only take you so far. Usually there are about 20 or fewer undroppables, which leaves about 90 percent of your roster up in the air. And that's great, because it creates lots of room for uncertainty and strategy we love in fantasy sports. It also leaves the door open for some really bad decisions. But that's where I come in.
Here are a few players who, while perhaps not officially undroppable, should be considered as such:
• Mariano Rivera: There was a stretch earlier this year when The Sandman's skills seemed to have eroded. His two blown saves and bloated ERA surely weren't what we signed up for when drafting the greatest closer ever. But it's hard to justify cutting bait on a guy who has been so dominant for so long, especially when others are banking on Joe Borowski and Octavio Dotel for saves. Show Mo some love.
• Carlos Delgado/Paul Konerko: These two are kind of NL and AL versions of one another. Both could hit 30 homers in their sleep. Both ended April hitting under .200. While neither will win a batting title, the power potential is still there. They've gone deep a combined 211 times the past three seasons. And isn't that why you drafted them in the first place?
• Richie Sexson: If you thought the previous two sluggers were having aggravating seasons, you obviously don't own Mr. Richmond Lockwood Sexson, a guy who can't even see the Mendoza Line from where he's sitting (.180 through Friday). The funny part is, you suffer through Sexson's ups and downs all year, then you look back and realize he had the most frustrating 35-homer, 100-RBI season ever.
• Scott Kazmir: Young Kaz hasn't quite been the emerging stud we expected this season. He's throwing way too many pitches because, he says, his mechanics are off, and he hasn't won at home since last July. The good news is that first part can be corrected easily enough. As for the second part, he does pitch for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Don't hold it against him. The Ks will come.
• Bobby Abreu: He hasn't been hitting much lately, but more disturbingly, he hasn't been walking. Expect that to change soon (career .409 on-base percentage). While he may never be a 30-30 guy again (can a Home Run Derby really mess you up that much?), he can still run a little, and he'll get lots of RBI chances wherever he hits in that New York Yankees lineup.
P.S. After I wrote this, Delgado hit two bombs, Sexson hit a three-run shot, and Abreu was 1-for-5 with a game-ending strikeout representing the tying run in a 3-1 loss. Two out of three ain't bad, I guess.
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