BRADENTON, Fla. - Poor Pittsburgh Pirates fans. Will they ever catch a break?
This team's already into its second decade of underachieving - 14 straight losing seasons. Will 2007 be any different? Hard to say. But it's not like there isn't any talent there, and that's what us fantasy nerds are interested in.
Start with OF Jason Bay, the Buccos' most serious fantasy threat. The late-blooming Canadian had offseason knee surgery, and that fact coupled with his big drop-off in steals from 2005 to 2006 (21-11) has me a little concerned in that department. However, his power numbers should be just fine, especially with the addition of impact bat Adam LaRoche in the lineup this season. Bay's a solid second- or third-rounder and would be a fine OF to build around.
As for LaRoche, his breakout '05 campaign (.285/32/90) with the Braves made him a valuable trading chip, and the Pirates gave up closer Mike Gonzalez to get him. The first baseman will bat cleanup in front of Bay in the hopes he'll give a pretty stagnant offense some life. It remains to be seen if the still-developing 27-year-old will turn it up a notch at the plate, and it's probably a little premature to say the lefty will hit 40 homers this year playing home games at PNC Park. Still, I don't think similar production to last year is out of the question, which means he's a no-brainer for NL-only leagues and a good backup 1B in mixed leagues.
C Ronny Paulino, who doubled and hit a two-run homer Saturday in a 5-3 loss to the Yankees, is an up-and-coming hitter who deserves a look in deep leagues. 3B Freddy Sanchez opened everybody's eyes by winning the NL batting title (.347) last year, and while he could also be eligible at 2B, which would boost his value, he's pretty much a one-stat wonder. Ditto goes for leadoff man Chris Duffy (26 steals in 84 games last year), who gives you speed but not much else - although we know how valuable speed is in this game.
There are a ton of young arms in the rotation, but will any of them take the leap this year? Lefty and staff "ace" Zach Duke hasn't come along as fast as the Pirates had hoped. Righty Ian Snell's had a solid spring and offers some strikeout potential as a No. 2. And Tom Gorzelanny, another lefty, has a bunch of talent too. It's your guess as to which of them - if any - make the jump in '07.
Looking for a really deep sleeper? First baseman Brad Eldred has been tearing it up in the Grapefruit League this spring, batting .524 with four homers so far. He was 3-for-4 with two doubles Saturday and showed surprising speed and athleticism for a big guy (6-5, 275 pounds). The Pirates even gave him a tryout in right field, since he's blocked by LaRoche at first. The man they call "Big Country" seems to be an all-or-nothing type guy who swings for the fences, but he's kind of intriguing. He'll likely begin the year in the minors since a broken thumb pretty much wiped out his 2006 season, and he still needs some polishing. But if he proves himself to be at least passable in the outfield, we could see him again there soon in the majors, which would put him in a tie with Adam Dunn as the majors' heaviest outfielder. For real.
Some other observations:
-We've already discussed the fantasy outlook for Pirates closer Salomon Torres. He didn't help ease my mind after surrendering a go-ahead, two-run homer in the nint to pinch-hitter Eric Duncan, once considered the Yankees' best prospect. Be ready, Matt Capps.
-It was another up-and-down outing for Yankees lefty Kei Igawa, who ran into some trouble for the second straight game: Three innings, five hits, four strikeouts, no walks, two runs allowed (on Paulino's homer). The positive is he showed some poise and found the strike zone, which will be key once he gets to the Bronx. If he can earn Joe Torre's trust and keep himself in games long enough, the offensive support is there to at least get him some wins.
-A Yankees fan was seen trying to get Alex Rodriguez to sign a copy of his children's book. It's worth nothing the fan appeared to be in his mid-40s and had no children present with him.
Showing posts with label Kei Igawa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kei Igawa. Show all posts
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Spring report No. 1
TAMPA, Fla. - It wouldn't be a New York Yankees training camp without controversy.
The latest flap is over the "relationship" between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. Don't get any ideas, Red Sox fans - I know A-Rod's recent comments about "not sleeping over Jeter's house" will give you boo-birds some ammo. But we're talking strictly about their friendship, or the perceived lack thereof in the past few years.
There was no sign of hard feelings between the two superstars when the Yankees began full-squad workouts at Legends Field on Tuesday. They were all smiles while taking batting practice together and running through some conditioning drills. And Jeter even responded to Rodriguez's comments a day later in a media session, reinforcing the idea the two aren't as close as they once were but haven't let that affect the clubhouse dynamic or play on the field.
For fantasy purposes, we have to remember these two guys have been lightning rods for controversy and headlines for most of their careers. Everything they say and do, every little happening, is going to be magnified and analyzed in the media spotlight. And while A-Rod's performance did take a slight dip last year as the Big Apple pressure-cooker took its toll, he still finished with top-flight numbers that weren't far off his career averages. And frankly, that's all that matters.
A few other thoughts:
- Johnny Damon played through a lot of pain last year, including a broken bone in his foot. He still managed 25 stolen bases, a three-year high, although he swiped only one bag in the final month of the year. Still, he didn't seem to have much trouble running some sprints (albeit not at full speed) Tuesday. I realize he's 33, but batting at the top of this Yankees lineup is a good way to ward off Father Time, and his ability to run makes him a very useful second or third outfielder.
- I think Kei Igawa is a pretty intriguing player, and judging by the 25-or-so Japanese media members who patiently waited around to talk to him Tuesday, I'm not alone. Projected as the Yankees' fifth starter, the lefty won't go very high on draft day in mixed leagues, if at all, but he should be on your radar. There's a potential for double-digit wins just by virtue of playing for the Yanks (see: Aaron Small, 2005), but of course we really don't know how he'll adjust to the American game. Not a bad guy to tack on at the end of your draft when you're just looking for names you recognize.
- No sign of Bernie Williams at camp ... not that you were going to draft him anyway, but nobody wants to see his Yankees career end with hard feelings.
The latest flap is over the "relationship" between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. Don't get any ideas, Red Sox fans - I know A-Rod's recent comments about "not sleeping over Jeter's house" will give you boo-birds some ammo. But we're talking strictly about their friendship, or the perceived lack thereof in the past few years.
There was no sign of hard feelings between the two superstars when the Yankees began full-squad workouts at Legends Field on Tuesday. They were all smiles while taking batting practice together and running through some conditioning drills. And Jeter even responded to Rodriguez's comments a day later in a media session, reinforcing the idea the two aren't as close as they once were but haven't let that affect the clubhouse dynamic or play on the field.
For fantasy purposes, we have to remember these two guys have been lightning rods for controversy and headlines for most of their careers. Everything they say and do, every little happening, is going to be magnified and analyzed in the media spotlight. And while A-Rod's performance did take a slight dip last year as the Big Apple pressure-cooker took its toll, he still finished with top-flight numbers that weren't far off his career averages. And frankly, that's all that matters.
A few other thoughts:
- Johnny Damon played through a lot of pain last year, including a broken bone in his foot. He still managed 25 stolen bases, a three-year high, although he swiped only one bag in the final month of the year. Still, he didn't seem to have much trouble running some sprints (albeit not at full speed) Tuesday. I realize he's 33, but batting at the top of this Yankees lineup is a good way to ward off Father Time, and his ability to run makes him a very useful second or third outfielder.
- I think Kei Igawa is a pretty intriguing player, and judging by the 25-or-so Japanese media members who patiently waited around to talk to him Tuesday, I'm not alone. Projected as the Yankees' fifth starter, the lefty won't go very high on draft day in mixed leagues, if at all, but he should be on your radar. There's a potential for double-digit wins just by virtue of playing for the Yanks (see: Aaron Small, 2005), but of course we really don't know how he'll adjust to the American game. Not a bad guy to tack on at the end of your draft when you're just looking for names you recognize.
- No sign of Bernie Williams at camp ... not that you were going to draft him anyway, but nobody wants to see his Yankees career end with hard feelings.
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