Fantasy Baseball News 2008

[Hache Man]

Kemp and Kotchman Take Off!
Kemp and Kotchman on fire, Sheff hurting and much more in this week's Week That Was.

Matt Kemp Matt Kemp continued swinging a hot bat Friday night with four RBI. Thus far, the Dodger OF has over 20 RBI despite, quite remarkably, playing only part time. It is just a matter of time before Joe Torre and the Dodger brass realize that they need to play Kemp everyday no matter how much they are paying Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre. Call the Kemp owner in your league and tell him how loyal Torre is to veterans and grab Kemp (of course, you should leave out that Torre had the foresight to install Melky Cabrera as the everyday CF last year despite the high salaries of Damon and Matsui).

Gary Sheffield: According to reports, the Tigers are planning to rest Gary Sheffield more often. Probably a good idea as Sheffield is hitting a meager 179. Ok, I know, enough blather . . . you want to know what the future holds for Sheff. Well, watching him play against the Yankees in his former home this week, I have to say that he looked off balance and out of sorts to me. Bottom line: from a fantasy perspective, Sheff is a player to avoid. First, he does not appear healthy. Second, his bat looks slow. Third, given the amount of his pre-swing movement, any slowdown in bat speed will make him even more unlikely to catch up with a good fastball. That he was having trouble catching up to 89mph fastballs this week says it all. No doubt Sheff was a great player. If there is someone in your league who is willing to pay for the past instead of the future, fleece the fool.

Jose Bautista: Pirate 3B Jose Bautista smacked two dingers Friday night in the victory over the Nationals. To say that Jose has been ice cold would be an understatement.
Even with the big night, Jose is hitting a paltry.213 this year. Is this an aberration? Not really. Over the last two years combined, Jose has an average under .250. If you own him, take this opportunity to market him and his alleged breakout – DO IT QUICKLY! – you have a limited window. On the other hand, if you do not own him, keep it that way.

Russell Martin: In what can only be described as odd, bizarre, or just downright dumb, the Dodgers played Russell Martin at 3B last night. Does this mean anything from a fantasy perspective? Answer: Yes. It means that Joe Torre will not let Martin get the rest he needs to stay strong through the whole year. It also means that Martin is even more likely to get hurt than most catchers if he as to play out of position at the hot corner. Bottom line – you should look to deal Martin in August before he starts a statistical slide.

Josh Willingham: Florida had to place Josh Willingham on the DL with what is being described as a lower back problem. Given Willingham's history, this is hardly a surprise. I am a major proponent of avoiding injury prone players in fantasy. While Willingham will put up quality numbers while on the field, players like him will always cost more than they can produce in the 300-400 AB they will likely get. This injury does present a buying opportunity for those in deep NL leagues. The Marlins called up Brett Carroll. This kid looks good. He hit .315 at AAA last year and hitting around .400 there this year. Expect Carroll to be up a lot this year and produce better than expected results at a very small price.

Reggie Willits: The Angels called up Reggie Willits this week. Where he will play is a mystery. However, the fact is that he hit.293 with 27 SB last year. Given that Vlad will need time at DH, Garrett Anderson is injury prone and Gary Matthews is just not that good, Willits should find a way to get enough ABs to be valuable in deep AL leagues.

Randy Wolf: Padre southpaw Randy Wolf mowed down nine in just six innings Thursday night. So far, Wolf has finally looked like the Wolf of old, with a high K rate and an ERA of around 3.50. Frankly, his success does not really surprise me. He has always struck out more than his share but been bitten by the gopher – a problem that will be much less severe in the cavern called Petco. If you can, get Wolf now – he will continue his winning ways in SD.

Kenji Johjima: According to reports, ice cold Kenji Johjima will get a couple of days off. In roto parlance, Kenji is the classic buy low candidate. He is struggling now, but in his prime with two strong years already under his belt. Johjima hit 32 HR and around .290 over the last two years. The same should happen this year. Buy now while you still can get a big discount.

Casey Kotchman: Casey Kotchman had another big night Wednesday, going 3-4, with 3 RBI. Kotchman is hitting over .300 against both lefties and righties. Bottom line – his time has come. With parts of 4 major league seasons already under his belt at the ripe old age of 25, Kotchman is poised for a major breakout. The success you are seeing is evidence of just that. Players that make the majors at 20 when their peers are still in college or single A have a talent well above the pack. That such early risers do not perform up to their ability right away in the Show is predictable. Those who can see that, get major bargains. Kotchman is one such bargain.

Alex Rodriguez: In news that everyone knows, the Yankees placed ARod on the DL with a strained thigh muscle. This is a good thing for ARod owners and the Yankees. Let him heal and he will get back in Mid-May ready to be ARod – a force capable of carrying real and fantasy baseball teams alike. Bottom line – do not panic. By season's end, ARod will have ARod numbers.

And now, next to last, more roto wisdom from Bobby:

Chase-ing the MVP By Bobby Colton

Thus far this season Chase Utley has yet to miss a beat in the Philadelphia Phillies' three-man MVP relay. Two years ago Ryan Howard took home the MVP prize, just one year following his Rookie of the Year campaign. Last season it was Jimmy Rollins' turn to win the MVP. Rollins made very bold statements claiming that his Phillies, not the defending NL East Champs the Mets, were the team to beat that season. Rollins ignited the Phillies' September surge that sent the Mets to an early winter break. Rollins' hardware just added to his spectacular season.

This season the NL East standings are a little out of whack, featuring the abysmal Florida Marlins atop the division while the Phillies, Mets, and Braves all struggle to stay afloat. The Phillies have gotten almost no help from Rollins who went on the DL after injuring his ankle trying to get back to second base on a pickoff attempt. Howard meanwhile, has been struggling to find his swing, batting just .178. He was even benched for two "mental health" days after being just completely ineffective. Howard also has a good shot at breaking his own record for strikeouts, a record that neither the Phillies, nor Howard, is excited about.

While the two former MVPs have been unproductive, Chase Utley has taken the role of team leader. As of Friday morning, Utley ranked 9th in the MLB in RBIs, 5th in runs scored, 5th in average, and was leading the majors in homeruns. Utley's power stroke emerged last season after making the move to the three hole in the order. Unfortunately for Utley, he suffered an injury and missed a month of the season. Utley finished with 22 homers last season. That means that after just the month of April, Utley already has half the homers he hit last season.
It is inevitable that the Florida Marlins will fall out of first place sooner rather than later. If the Phillies take the NL East again, look for Utley to take the MVP award. If the Mets win, David Wright could be poised to grab the MVP honors. If the Braves win the division, Chipper Jones could be the MVP, but that would entail him staying relatively healthy (that's as likely as the Marlins winning the division), the second Brave would be Mark Teixeira. My vote for MVP after April is the Philadelphia second baseman.


And finally, this week's Schultz Says: "It's only the beginning of May and there's more than five months of baseball yet to be played but I'm starting to wonder if it may not be to soon to start worrying about Andruw Jones. In his contract year, Jones responded with his lowest average, home runs and RBI in a decade. Only two seasons removed from a 40 HR season and three away from a 50 HR campaign, there was every reason in the world to think a change of scenery would jolt Andruw back to his former self. Apparently not. 30 games in, his average sits at .161 with 1 HR and 4 RBIs. He should turn it around at some point but he's looked so miserable at the plate I fear it might be too little, too late. If you have him, you can't cut him and no one in their right mind would take him from you. My heart goes out to you cause you're stuck with him.

Moving the pendulum over to the other side, how bout that Max Scherzer? One ridiculously awesome long relief appearance and the kid makes it into the starting rotation. It seems as if the D'Backs aren't going to copy the Joba Rules or do the Braveheart Hold like the Twins did with Johan Santana; they're going to let Scherzer show what he can do. He's scheduled to start against the Phillies on Monday and if he's dominates like he did last Tuesday against Houston (or comes anywhere close), he's not going anywhere for quite some time. If you play in a league of morons and no one has grabbed him yet, remedy that situation immediately.

But before you get all excited about Scherzer, let the ghost of Yovani Gallardo serve as a reminder how tenuous it is to rely on super-young pitchers to anchor your roto-staff. The Brewers 22-year-old ace suffered a torn ACL in his right knee within days of coming off the DL for a torn meniscus in his left knee. While his current year-ending injury came as the result of an unexpected collision, it keeps him from putting up great numbers just as if he blew out his pitching elbow. The potential of young phenom pitchers is too spectacular to ignore and who doesn't drool at the prospect of getting the next Johan Santana for a few years because they nabbed him as a rookie for $1. Remember though, with every reward comes risk and with young pitchers you get lots of risk. See ya next year Yovani.

Response: It would have been much easier for Schultz to just read last week's column and say I was right about Andruw! That said, he is right about relying on young pitchers – it is just as dangerous as relying on old or injury prone hitters. It is a roto no-no.

[Hache Man]

Don't be Gallardowned

Losing Yovani Gallardo is a huge blow for the Brewers and fantasy teams alike. Not only have we lost one of the better pitcher's in the game, we've lost one of the best names. Don't despair - at least this week - there's another uniquely named pitcher that should provide fantasy help this week. Find out who below:

Two-Start Pitchers

American League

Must Start
Daisuke Matsuzaka - @DET (Jeremy Bonderman), @MIN (Kevin Slowey)
Javier Vazquez - @TOR (Dustin McGowan), @SEA (Jarrod Washburn)
Cliff Lee - @NYY (Andy Pettitte), TOR (A.J. Burnett)
Zack Greinke – LAA (Nick Adenhart), BAL (Brian Burres)
Ervin Santana - @KC (Brian Bannister), @TB (Andy Sonnanstine)
A.J. Burnett – CHW (Javier Vazquez), @CLE (Cliff Lee)

Other Options (by team)
Matt Albers* - @OAK (Dana Eveland), @KC (Brian Bannister)
Brian Burres - @OAK (Justin Duchscherer), @KC (Zack Greinke)
Tim Wakefield - @DET (Nate Robertson), @MIN (Nick Blackburn)
Gavin Floyd – MIN (Nick Blackburn), @SEA (Miguel Batista)
Jeremy Bonderman – BOS (Daisuke Matsuzaka), NYY (Darrell Rasner)
Nate Robertson – BOS (Tim Wakefield), NYY (Andy Pettitte)
Brian Bannister – LAA (Ervin Santana), BAL (Matt Albers)
Nick Blackburn - @CHW (Gavin Floyd), BOS (Tim Wakefield)
Andy Pettitte – CLE (Cliff Lee), @DET (Nate Robertson)
Dana Eveland – BAL (Matt Albers), @TEX (Sidney Ponson)
Jarrod Washburn – TEX (Kevin Millwood), CHW (Javier Vazquez)
Miguel Batista – TEX (Sidney Ponson), CHW (Gavin Floyd)
Andy Sonnanstine - @TOR (A.J. Burnett), LAA (Ervin Santana)
Kevin Millwood - @SEA (Jarrod Washburn), OAK (Greg Smith)
Sidney Ponson - @SEA (Miguel Batista), OAK (Dana Eveland)
Dustin McGowan – CHW (Javier Vazquez), @CLE (Fausto Carmona)


National League

Must Start
Ryan Dempster - @CIN (Johnny Cueto), ARI (Randy Johnson)
Oliver Perez - @LAD (Chad Billingsley), CIN (Johnny Cueto)
Jamie Moyer - @ARI (Max Scherzer), @SF (Undecided*)

Other Options

Max Scherzer – PHI (Brett Myers), @CHC (Jason Marquis)
Randy Johnson – PHI (Adam Eaton), @CHC (Ryan Dempster)
Jair Jurrjens – SD (Chris Young), @PIT (Tom Gorzelanny)
Johnny Cueto – CHI (Ryan Dempster), @NYM (Oliver Perez) www.newyorkmets.ws
Ubaldo Jimenez – STL (Joel Pineiro), @SD (Greg Maddux)
Scott Olsen – MIL (Jeff Suppan), @WAS (Shawn Hill)
Shawn Chacon – WAS (Shawn Hill), @LAD (Chad Billingsley)
Chad Billingsley – NYM (Oliver Perez), HOU (Shawn Chacon)
Jeff Suppan - @FLA (Scott Olsen), STL (Braden Looper)
Tom Gorzelanny – SF (Jonathan Sanchez), ATL (Jair Jurrjens)
Chris Young - @ATL (Jair Jurrjens), COL (Mark Redman) www.atlantabraves.ws
Jonathan Sanchez - @PIT (Tom Gorzelanny), PHI (Adam Eaton)
Joel Pineiro - @COL (Ubaldo Jimenez), @MIL (Ben Sheets)
Shawn Hill - @HOU (Shawn Chacon), FLA (Scott Olsen)

Possible Streamers

The following pitchers are available in half of mixed leagues and should make decent starts next week:

American League

Monday, May 5 – Dana Eveland v. BAL – Eveland is sporting a 1.42 ERA at home so far this season, and will face the Orioles on Monday night. A second start in Texas means he's worth using. Beware, he was hit hard in his last start, but he still only gave up two walks.

Tuesday, May 6 – In nine innings against the Athletics last season, Brian Burres allowed just one run and struck out eight. He's had a solid start to the year, and could be a worthy spot starter.

Tuesday, May 6 – In his only start against Toronto this year, Andy Sonnanstine picked up the win while allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Blue Jays managed just six hits off him, making this rematch worth consideration.

Friday, May 9 – Jose Contreras @ SEA - In twelve innings of work against Seattle last season, Contreras earned a 3.00 ERA while striking out nine and walking just one. It's risky, making it a move for gamblers.

National League

Tuesday May 6 – Jair Jurrjens v. SD – Jurrjens has gotten off to a great start and is slowly be snatched up in fantasy leagues. Next week he has favorable match-ups against the Padres at home and the Pirates. He's worth grabbing if you're hurting from the loss of Gallardo's stats or the unique name.

Tuesday, May 6 – Scott Olsen v. MIL – Streaming a pitcher against Milwaukee isn't the brightest idea, but Olsen shut them out for 7 1/3 last week, and his Sunday matchup against the Nationals makes him a strong option next week.

Tuesday May 6 – Shawn Chacon v. WAS – Streaming Shawn Chacon isn't the brightest idea, but he's gotten off to a great start and the Washington offense provides the opportunity for a solid start.

Tuesday May 6 – What a day for streamers. Jonathan Sanchez has shown plenty of talent this season, and a start against the Pirates shouldn't slow him down. Expect plenty of strikeouts.

Saturday May 10 – Jamie Moyer SF – In his lone start against the Giants last season, Moyer allowed three runs in seven innings, but the Giants hit just .185 off him. Still, it's Jamie Moyer, so only the die-hards are going to want to try this one.


Total Games

American League
7: BAL, BOS, CHW, DET, KC, SEA, TEX, TOR
6: CLE, ANA, MIN, NYY, OAK, TB

National League
7: ARI, COL, PHI, STL
6: ATL, CHI, CIN, FLA, HOU, LAD, MIL, NYM, PIT, SD, SF, WAS


Righty vs. Lefty match-ups

American League
Baltimore - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Boston - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Chicago White Sox - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Cleveland - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Detroit - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Kansas City - 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Los Angeles Angels - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Minnesota - 3 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
New York Yankees - 2 vs. Righties, 4 vs. Lefties
Oakland - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Seattle - 6 vs. Righties, 0 vs. Lefties
Tampa Bay - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Texas - 3 vs. Righties, 4 vs. Lefties
Toronto - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties

Notes:

The Yankees face four left-handed pitchers, which should help Johnny Damon (.305 vs. LHP over last three years),

National League:
Arizona - 5 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Atlanta - 3 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Chicago Cubs - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Cincinnati - 3 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Colorado - 7 vs. Righties, 0 vs. Lefties
Florida - 5 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Houston - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Los Angeles Dodgers – 6 vs. Righties, 1 vs. Lefties
Milwaukee - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
New York Mets - 6 vs. Righties, 0 vs. Lefties
Philadelphia - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
Pittsburgh - 2 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties, 1 Undecided
San Diego - 4 vs. Righties, 2 vs. Lefties
San Francisco - 1 vs. Righties, 5 vs. Lefties
St. Louis - 3 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties
Washington - 3 vs. Righties, 3 vs. Lefties

Notes:

The Reds face three lefties, which is good news for Edwin Encarnacion (.267 vs. LHP), Brandon Phillips (.296 vs. LHP) and Jeff Keppinger (.338 vs. LHP). It's could hurt Ryan Freel (.250 vs. LHP) and Scott Hatteberg (.235 vs. LHP).

The Pirates face three lefties, which should help help Xavier Nady (.319 vs LHP over last three years).

The Cardinals face three lefties, suggesting that Rick Ankiel (.304 career vs. LHP) and Yadier Molina (.270 career vs. LHP) will benefit, while Chris Duncan (.199 career vs. LHP), Skip Schumaker (.254 career vs. LHP) and Ryan Ludwick (.214 career vs. LHP) could struggle.

Washington also has three games against lefties next week, which is good news for Ryan Zimmerman (.330 career vs. LHP) and Austin Kearns (.293 career vs. LHP). Christian Guzman (.210 vs. LHP) could struggle.

The Injury Bug

For the latest on injuries, check out Rotoworld's handy Injury Page.

Howie Kendrick – 2B – Should begin rehab assignment
Rich Harden – SP – Should be back this week
Yovani Gallardo – SP – Out for the season
Aramis Ramirez – 3B – Day-to-day with bruised wrist
Brian Schneider – C – Should be playing by start of week
Jimmy Rollins – SS – Should return by end of week
Jack Wilson – SS – Should return this week
Marlon Byrd – OF – Should return this week
B.J. Upton – OF – Day-to-day with strained shoulder
Scott Kazmir – SP – Will be back by start of week
Troy Tulowitzki – SS – Out for two months with torn quad

Waiver Wired

For this week's top waiver adds, read my opinion in this week's Waiver Wired.

AL

1. Jeff Clement
2. Jarrod Saltalamacchia
3. Nick Adenhart
4. Armando Galarraga
5. Emil Brown

NL

1. Max Scherzer
2. Aaron Cook
3. Jayson Werth
4. Luis Castillo
5. John Lannan

[Hache Man]

AL Team-by-Team Notes
Lyle Overbay keeps getting on base at a nice clip, but he's hit just three homers in 316 at-bats since returning from a broken hamate bone last year. He has a total of four extra-base hits this season, leaving him with a .337 slugging percentage. He's hitting more balls on the ground than ever before, and when he does get it into the air, he's not scorching liners like he used to. The injury Overbay suffered is known for reducing a player's power, but the effect tends to last an additional month or two after the player returns. In this case, it's stretched into the next year, creating doubt about whether he'll ever be the player he was. He looks through as a quality option in mixed leagues at this point. Maybe he'll yet turn it around, but the upside isn't there to make him worth waiting around for.

American League Notes

Baltimore - That the Orioles have boasted such solid results from their pitching staff is the biggest reason they're still over .500 on the season, but it's hard to see it lasting. The group currently has a 168/129 K/BB ratio to go along with a 4.19 ERA. Entering Saturday's game, the Orioles had the third-fewest strikeouts and fourth-most walks in the AL. Jeremy Guthrie, looking very solid once again this year, is the only starter with a 2:1 K/BB ratio. Brian Burres is off to the same kind of fluky start he had last year and is likely to fade just as rapidly. I think Daniel Cabrera has made real progress, but not to the point at which he's close to fulfilling his upside. If Garrett Olson can stick in the rotation over Matt Albers with Adam Loewen sidelined, he'd be an intriguing pickup in AL-only leagues. It was command that held him back after he debuted last year, but he impressed this spring and again in Triple-A last month. He's not worth playing yet, but he'd be nice to have stashed away. … It looked like this might be the week Alex Cintron was called up to help out at shortstop, but he had to go home from Triple-A following a death in his family. There's still a good chance he'll start taking time away from Luis Hernandez soon.

Boston - Jon Lester now has 33 major league starts (and one relief appearance) under his belt, the equivalent of one full season. In 184 career innings, he's allowed 190 hits, walked 97 and struck out 132. He's given up 22 homers. Expectations were that his velocity would improve more now that he's had a full year to recover from chemotherapy, but he's never touched 95 mph in the majors like he did in the minors. He's typically in the 89-92 mph range. His best offering might be his cutter, and his curve is a quality breaking ball. Even without the big-time heat, he looks like a potential No. 2 at times. However, the poor command makes him a No. 4 right now. It doesn't look like the breakthrough is coming, and the Red Sox will be hurting themselves in the short-term if they bypass him and send down Clay Buchholz when Bartolo Colon comes up. It might be the right decision anyway because of the need to monitor Buchholz's innings, but Buchholz is clearly the better pitcher right now. … Mike Lowell is trying to pull absolutely every pitch he sees and still doesn't have an RBI after 50 at-bats this season. Mixed leaguers should be able to do better at third base, at least for this week.

Chicago - Far be it from me to disagree with Joe Morgan, but I don't think Jermaine Dye is in for a great season or even a very good one. He's the White Sox's third-best outfielder both offensively and defensively right now. He does have a solid enough average after 24 games, but it comes with a 21/7 K/BB ratio. His power numbers are also rather unimpressive, mostly because he's hitting the ball on the ground more than usual. Good fastballs seem to be getting past him with more frequency than ever before. He'll make adjustments and end up with fair home run and RBI numbers, but he's just a fourth or fifth outfielder in mixed leagues. … Alexei Ramirez was placed on the restricted list for the trip to Toronto he couldn't make due to visa troubles. It'd have made a whole lot more sense just to option him to Triple-A. Ramirez is hitting .121 in 33 at-bats to date. He's not helping the White Sox, and he'd be a lot more likely to contribute later on if given regular at-bats in the minors. The White Sox will probably have him switch places with Jerry Owens sometime soon.

Cleveland - Travis Hafner's slow start has added to the doubt whether he's ever going to return to 2006 form. The especially scary thing is that his numbers are this bad even with all of his line drives falling in (12-for-16). As those who have watched him can attest, it's not poor luck that's done him in; he's really played this badly. I'm more concerned than I would normally be for someone with his track record. He still has significant value while batting in the middle of a lineup that's sure to improve, but he could be finished as a .300 hitter. If the Indians had it to do over again, they wouldn't have given him the $52 million extension last summer. … Even if Rafael Betancourt was perfect while Joe Borowski was on the DL, there's a good chance Borowski would have been given a chance to win back his job. Betancourt, though, has taken a loss and a blown save while giving up four runs in his last two appearances. Borowski is still a couple of weeks away from returning from his biceps strain, but all signs point to him returning to the closer's role before the end of the month.

Detroit - Not that he's been a stud at the beginning of his starts, but it's late in outings that Justin Verlander is getting killed. He's given up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings when asked to go beyond the sixth this season. His velocity still isn't quite where it should be, at least not consistently, but command has been the bigger problem. His curveball and changeup have still looked pretty good most of the time. It wouldn't come as a complete shock to find out that he's hurting, but I don't really believe that's the case. It's not the time to make a big play for him if you don't have him, but those already in possession of him should stand pat. … According to MLB.com, Dontrelle Willis (knee) hit 95 mph on the radar gun while throwing 71 of his 92 pitches for strikes during his rehab start on Friday. I'm skeptical, but if it's true, he'd suddenly look like a much better bet in AL-only leagues. Even if the fastball wasn't there, the improved control was a good sign. … Armando Galarraga has been a nice stopgap for the Tigers, but he'll probably be booted from the rotation after Willis makes one more rehab start. The Tigers might be better off if Kenny Rogers suffers an injury as conveniently times as Willis's.



Kansas City - How much longer can the Royals live with Tony Pena Jr.'s .157/.174/.205 line when Alberto Callaspo is hitting .368/.429/.447 in 38 at-bats off the bench? Pena may be the AL's best defensive shortstop, but he's still no one's ideal solution as a long-term regular. The Royals likely will go shortstop hunting again this summer after trying in vain to pick up Chin-Lung Hu from the Dodgers last year. In the meantime, Callaspo looks like their best option. Pena isn't this bad, but Callaspo should best him in OPS by 100-150 points the rest of the way. … With two solid outings following a poor season debut, Luke Hochevar has made a case to stay in the rotation. John Bale (arm) could come off the disabled list as a reliever, displacing the struggling Yasuhiko Yabuta. Brett Tomko still shouldn't feel particularly safe, though, as the Royals do have Kyle Davies in Triple-A. I'm not yet very fond of Hochevar for fantasy purposes.

Los Angeles - Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana are off to incredibly similar outstanding starts. Both are 5-0. Saunders has allowed 31 hits and 10 walks in 43 1/3 innings. Santana has given up 30 hits and nine walks in 40 innings. Both have surrendered three homers. The only real difference is that Santana has nine additional strikeouts. Both should be considered sell-high candidates at this point. I think Saunders is the better pitcher, but the strikeouts aren't going to come and he does have a history of shoulder problems. With the Angels relying on him to be a horse, I could see him going down with an arm injury. Santana probably doesn't have quite as much perceived value, and there are no flashing red lights saying he has to be moved now. Still, he is in somewhat over his head. He will begin giving up more homers once his schedule gets tougher. I certainly wouldn't suggest dropping either in a shallow mixed league, but parting with one for a quality hitter off to a disappointing start would be a good idea. … That the Angels recalled Reggie Willits and gave him two straight starts shows how little faith they have in Juan Rivera right now. The Blue Jays, Braves, Astros and maybe the Yankees are teams that should be interested if the Angels make him available. They certainly don't need both he and Willits. … If Howie Kendrick (hamstring) plays in a minor league game as hoped on Sunday, he should be fine to activate for this week.

Minnesota - Nick Blackburn does get a few more grounders than the average hurler, but that he's allowed just one homer in 38 1/3 innings this season is a fluke. He's given up 47 hits and struck out only 19 in 38 1/3 innings. His cutter should serve to keep him in the majors, but once American Leaguers get more used to it, it's not going to be such an effective weapon. While he probably has a month or two left as a solid starter in AL-only leagues, he isn't likely to last as more than a bottom-of-the-rotation guy. … Carlos Gomez will apparently avoid the DL after a scary head injury on Friday. He's fine to leave active for this week. … Scott Baker aggravated his groin injury during his start on Saturday and could be forced to the disabled list. With Phil Humber struggling, Glen Perkins and Kevin Mulvey would seem to be the top candidates to take his spot in the rotation. Perkins is the better sleeper for this year. … Kevin Slowey (biceps) will rejoin the rotation this week regardless of what happens to Baker. He should be activated immediately.

New York - With Alex Rodriguez (quad) and Jorge Posada (shoulder) on the shelf, the Yankees really need Robinson Cano to snap out of it. Cano has fanned only 15 times in 113 at-bats, so it's incredible that he's hitting just .150. The slump can't last for much longer, and he's pretty much the ultimate buy-low candidate at this point. … Morgan Ensberg has just one extra-base hit in 55 at-bats, so the Yankees could give Wilson Betemit (eye) a look at third base if he comes off the DL this week. With Alberto Gonzalez also in the mix, it's possible none of the Yankees' options at third base will get enough playing time to generate value with A-Rod sidelined. … Darrell Rasner will be the choice to replace Phil Hughes (rib) in the rotation on Sunday. He shouldn't be an every-week option in AL-only leagues, but with the run support he'll get, he'll be worth using most of the time. He had a 4.01 ERA in six starts for the Yankees last year. … The Yankees are sending out signals that they won't demote Ian Kennedy following his loss to the Tigers. It's surely in part because they have no one else in Triple-A they'd like to turn to. Kennedy can't be used with a rematch against the Tigers next on the schedule, but I'm still guessing that he'll be able to work through his command problems in the majors. He's not as far off his game as Hughes was.

Oakland - Incredibly, the A's have managed to find roster space for Jack Cust, Frank Thomas and Mike Sweeney so far. Travis Buck's DL stint has helped out, and with Emil Brown driving in runs like crazy, one has to wonder whether Buck will have a spot when he's ready to return from shin splints. The A's can demote Chris Denorfia to make room for him, but it'd be pointless unless they were willing to start him against right-handers. As is, they might prefer Cust and Brown in the outfield corners. … Rich Harden (back) is set to return after one more rehab start Tuesday. He might face the Rangers next Sunday, so AL-only leaguers with limited options could consider activating him for the week. … Since the A's currently have five starters with sub-4.00 ERAs, they'll have a tough call when it comes to making room for Harden. Greg Smith is pitching as well as anyone on the team, but he still might be the top candidate to go. It'd only be a short-term demotion anyway, as it's not like there's any chance of both Harden and Justin Duchscherer going a month without getting hurt.



Seattle - Just how much money are the Mariners swimming in? Obviously, it was enough so that they could cut Brad Wilkerson a month into a $3 million contract and call up Jeff Clement and Wladimir Balentien a week ahead of when they would have ruled out any chance of the two top prospects becoming a free agent after 2013. Of course, the person who will receive credit for the latter moves, GM Bill Bavasi, has no chance of still being with the team then, so what does he care? Clement will get the opportunity to be a part-time catcher as well as a DH against right-handers, making him a particularly good bet. He'll definitely be worth using in two-catcher mixed leagues once he qualifies behind the plate. Balentien probably isn't as ready for the majors. He'll drive some fastballs out of the park, but coming up with singles will be a problem. It was worth giving him a look. I just don't think it was necessary to cut Wilkerson to make it happen. Miguel Cairo is still on the roster, after all. … J.J. Putz's command problems aren't very worrisome. He was essentially on a rehab assignment his first couple of appearances back from a rib-cage strain. His velocity is fine, and the rest should come along soon enough.

Tampa Bay - So far, it's the Carlos Pena of old who has showed up for the Rays. He does have six homers, but those come with a .214 average and just one double. Jonny Gomes has about 100 points of OPS on him. Because he bats in a premium position in what's shaping up as a solid lineup top to bottom, Pena is still a pretty good bet for this season. He's always been streaky, and even if his average ends up around .250, he'll likely get his 100 RBI to go along with 30 homers. I wouldn't suggest paying a hefty price for him in fantasy leagues, but there's also no reason to sell. … Andy Sonnanstine's strong showing against the Orioles has allowed him to retain his rotation spot with Scott Kazmir back. Jason Hammel still has a better ERA than Edwin Jackson or Matt Garza, but sending him to the pen was the right move. He's not as good as Sonnanstine right now, and he doesn't have Jackson's upside. … Cliff Floyd (knee) could return before the end of the week, but it's nothing anyone should count on. When he does get back, both Gabe Gross and Jonny Gomes will lose playing time. Nathan Haynes could be bumped from the roster.

Texas - I received plenty of complaints about Josh Hamilton's ranking last week, and I'll probably look pretty silly if he ends up playing 150 games. However, he was injury-prone before his drug problems and he was limited to 90 games last year. He may be a worse bet to stay healthy than any AL position player. Selling high wouldn't be a bad idea. … The Rangers called up Jarrod Saltamalacchia, but aren't giving him any time at first base or DH, even though they have plenty of at-bats available with Ben Broussard in a horrible slump. Instead, they're mixing in Chris Shelton at first and giving Brandon Boggs time in left. Salty is in line for more at-bats eventually, but he's not going to be an asset in mixed leagues in the short term. … The Rangers should seriously consider forgetting about Marlon Byrd (knee) and keeping Boggs around as a four-game-per-week starter in the outfield. Whichever way they go there, it looks like Frank Catalanotto's role is only going to be further reduced. With about $9 million left on his contract, he has no trade value at all. … Ramon Vazquez is the better bet in AL-only leagues than German Duran while Hank Blalock (hamstring) is out, though he has little in the way of upside. Duran at least has some pop in his bat, but as bad as the Rangers' infield defense has been, it's hard to blame Ron Washington for wanting to go with the superior glove at third.

Toronto - Adam Lind is up, but he's off to an awful start as the replacement for Thomas. Just 1-for-16 after five games, he's now sporting a .251/.294/.418 line in 366 at-bats as a major leaguer. Part of the problem is that seven of his at-bats this season have come against lefties. Lind won't be an asset versus southpaws anytime soon, and the Jays would be better off using Matt Stairs if one of the two has to play against left-handers. Lind is likely to do just fine against righties. He could get to 20 homers even after the late start, and he'd probably hit at least .260 as a true platoon player. With no other internal options and seemingly no desire at all to pursue Barry Bonds, the Jays will have to remain patient. … Diminished velocity hasn't prevented B.J. Ryan from throwing seven scoreless innings and striking out 10. It appears that he's still at least a week away from pitching on back-to-back days for the first time, but things are definitely looking up. If he needs to, he can be successful all year while throwing 88-90 mph.

[Hache Man]

NL Team-by-Team Notes
I didn't think it was a problem that the Cubs' were using their second-best reliever as their closer. Having Carlos Marmol available in the seventh and eighth and Kerry Wood finish up in the ninth was exactly the right arrangement for the team at the start of the year. However, it may be time to reevaluate. It has little to do with Wood's struggles. Yes, he's blown four saves, but he has a 0.87 WHIP and he's given up just one homer in 15 innings. The real reason to go in a different direction is that Carlos Marmol is going to be on the DL by July 1 if it doesn't happen. Marmol has thrown 21 innings through the Cubs' 31 games this season, and while he has been dominant, it takes him a lot of pitches to get his outs. He's thrown 338 pitches this season, nearly half of them sliders. Wood is at 201. Billy Wagner has thrown 170. The NL's busiest closer, Jose Valverde, is at 305. The extraordinary workload Marmol has been asked to undertake would seem to make him a very poor bet for the second half unless something changes soon. Making him a one-inning closer might be the only way to save him from Piniella's wrath.

National League Notes

Arizona - Max Scherzer flashed enormous potential while retiring all 13 hitters he faced, striking out seven of them, in his major league debut Tuesday against the Astros. Now he'll get to join the rotation in place of Edgar Gonzalez. It could be a short-term assignment with Doug Davis likely to return from thyroid cancer surgery later this month, but he's worth playing in all formats while starting. If everything goes well for Davis, Scherzer could be reassigned to the bullpen later. However, his performance this year has put to bed talk that he's going to be a long-term reliever. … Orlando Hudson doesn't appear ready to return from a hamstring injury, so mixed leaguers will probably want to look elsewhere this week. NL-only leaguers can take their chances with him. … Chad Tracy (knee) is set to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday, so the time to sell high on Mark Reynolds is running out. Reynolds isn't going to the bench when Tracy gets back, but he figures to lose some of his value.

Atlanta - That John Smoltz's shoulder woes will at least temporarily force him into the closer's role after he comes off the DL really shakes things up in Atlanta. Rafael Soriano, on the DL himself with an elbow injury, might yet get the job back if Smoltz is able to go back into the rotation after the break. However, Mike Gonzalez will also be an option by then. In fact, Gonzalez could return from Tommy John surgery before either Smoltz or Soriano is activated. He'd serve as a setup man for Manny Acosta initially. On the off chance that everyone is healthy for any length of time, the Braves could suddenly find themselves in possession of the game's best bullpen. Unfortunately, the rotation will suffer. Now it's a must that Jair Jurrjens remain a consistent force alongside Tim Hudson and Tom Glavine. Jo-Jo Reyes could get a long look in one of the remaining two spots. He has upside, but throwing strikes is still a problem. He should be picked up in NL-only leagues anyway. The fifth spot is currently Jeff Bennett's, but Chuck James could be back soon to get another shot.

Chicago - Sending down Rich Hill to work through his command problems was the right move, assuming that the Cubs don't make the mistake of burying him. All indications are that he'll be brought right back as soon as he starts throwing strikes. He's still likely to have some value in mixed leagues later this year. In the meantime, Jon Lieber will be worth using in NL-only leagues. … Aramis Ramirez missed a second game Sunday with a sore wrist, but he needs to be kept active in all formats.

Cincinnati - No one should be overreacting to Johnny Cueto's current 5.40 ERA when he still has an excellent 1.09 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 35 innings. He is giving up homers and pitching in front of arguably the game's worst outfield defense has cost him, but he's still looking like a pretty good bet. … Bronson Arroyo, on the other hand, has some real problems. He's overthrowing both his slider and curve, so neither has its usual amount of break, and his changeup has been worthless against left-handers. He's enough off his game that the Reds really should consider sending him to the pen. It'd be another way to get Homer Bailey into the rotation. … Ryan Freel is starting to win more time in center. He's the best hitter of the Reds' current options in center field, though he doesn't match Corey Patterson defensively. Because Freel is also quite injury prone, it'd make sense to keep using Patterson against righties at least three times per week. Jerry Hairston Jr. started just once last week (in right field to give