Future fantasy all-stars

Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN Fantasy wrote a great piece on what a 2014 fantasy all-star squad might look like.

It's pretty fascinating to think about which of today's players might have longevity and be top fantasy producers four years from now. It's also fun to look back at past predictions - Cockcroft's all-2007 list, written in 2004, included Marcus Giles, Rocco Baldelli and Mark Prior; his all-2012 list, done in 2008, had Russell Martin at catcher and Brandon Webb, Scott Kazmir and Jake Peavy in the rotation. Not looking so good right now.

Still, it's a pretty cool thought experiment, and it's particularly helpful for anyone competing in a keeper league. I just traded for Matt Wieters in mine, and it's good to see Cockcroft, and others, still predicting the Orioles catcher to be an all-star years from now despite this year's disappointing campaign thus far.

OK seriously, what's up with Webb?

I've already blogged about Brandon Webb's mysterious shoulder ailment and its fantasy implications. Even though Webb was placed on the DL after one unimpressive start to open 2009, it seemed like the Diamondbacks sinkerballer was making progress in some rehab work.

Now, a setback.

I get concerned when a manager calls an injury "confusing," as Bob Melvin did, or when he doesn't know what the next move will be. And while I appreciate the D'backs' patience in not rushing their ace back too quickly, I'm now extremely concerned about his status for this season.

If Webb is wasting away in your DL slot as you watch contemporaries Tim Lincecum (12 strikeouts Friday) and Johan Santana (10 Ks) light it up, it might be time to consider a major trade for an ace-level pitcher. Two underachieving guys to target: Cole Hamels (0-2, 9.69 ERA, various bumps and bruises) and CC Sabathia (1-1, 4.81), whose values will only rise from this point.

Worried about Webb?

If you own Brandon Webb, there's a decent chance he's your No. 1 starter.

He didn't pitch like it on Opening Day.

Webb gave up six runs on six hits in only four innings Monday before leaving with shoulder stiffness in the Diamondbacks' 9-8 win over the Rockies. Now he's going to skip his next start, although no medical tests are planned yet. It sounds like manager Bob Melvin is just being cautious:

"For a guy like him, this isn't something you can mess around with. I'd hate for him this early in the season to go out there and pitch with some soreness already, or some stiffness."

Webb has made at least 33 starts the past five seasons and has been a model of consistency, so it's not like there were any warning signs. Right now I'd just keep my fingers crossed and hope this is just a false alarm.