Fantasy Baseball News 2007

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Pick Up Greinke, Braun
In Andrew Miller, Scott Baker, Kevin Gregg, and Byung-Hyun Kim, we had some decent recommendations last week in Waiver Wired. It also paid off to show caution with Jesse Litsch. This week, we've got the usual assortment of prospects, journeymen, and temporary closers.

American League

Octavio Dotel, RP, KCA ? Dotel finally made his Royals debut Wednesday night, entering with a six-run lead and surrendering a Travis Hafner home run. The Royals already waffled on whether Dotel would close right away, and the current line is that they'll wait a week or two. He is a complete wild card, but saves are saves. AL: $6, Mixed: $1.

Zack Greinke, RP, KCA - ***DEEP SLEEPER OF THE WEEK*** - We know Greinke is talented; he's shown flashes of brilliance this year. But since he's been demoted to the bullpen, the hype has died down. If his first 9.1 innings in relief are any indication, Greinke could become a dominant reliever.

He's enjoying the gig, and certainly has the arsenal and intelligence to pitch in relief. In fact, he seems overqualified. I see him developing into a valuable late-inning guy at the least, with a decent shot at closing at some point this year. It would make a lot of sense for the Royals to trade Octavio Dotel in two months, assuming he re-establishes himself. If he doesn't, the closer role could be open anyway. While Joakim Soria is first in line for saves, his control is shaky and he's short on big league experience. AL: $3, Mixed: No.

Mike Napoli, C, LAA ? Over the past 14 days, Napoli is hitting .364/.389/.818 with four home runs and nine ribbies. Now there's the Napoli we expected to see. If he gets another 300 at-bats, he could easily pop 15 more homers. Check and see if he's better than your second mixed league catcher, assuming you don't need batting average. AL: $11, Mixed: $1.

Tyler Clippard, SP, NYA ? Baseball America describes Clippard's outlook as "solid #4." He's lost a little velocity on the heater, and doesn't have that one nasty out pitch. He does throw a decent curve and change, and has a deceptive delivery. He should stick in the Yanks' rotation until Phil Hughes returns, which might be four starts from now. Worth a look in AL-only, at least until the scouting reports get around. AL: $2, Mixed: No.

Chad Gaudin, SP, OAK ? Gaudin is starting to become popular in mixed leagues. He's been tough to hit but it doesn't look like a fluke based on the numbers. And the tiny home run rate is at least partially supported by a 52% groundball rate. I still feel iffy recommending him in all leagues, but I think the pickup is justified in a deep mixed. AL: $15, Mixed: $3.

Alan Embree, RP, OAK ? Embree is the main man for saves in Oakland, at least until Justin Duchscherer comes back. Embree, a 37-year-old southpaw, has looked decent this month. He could be tolerable for a couple of weeks, but may have to share duties with Kiko Calero. AL: $3, Mixed: No.

Ramon Vazquez, 3B, TEX ? A 9 for 15 start with two home runs has made Vazquez the favorite to fill in for Hank Blalock at third base for the Rangers. While Vazquez can draw a walk, he's pretty much a punchless, injury-prone journeyman on a hot streak. He was once the Padres' starting shortstop and leadoff man. Vazquez will probably sit against lefties; he's never hit them. AL: $2, Mixed: No.

National League

Matt Diaz, OF, ATL ? Diaz is hitting a robust .347/.369/.510 on the season, earning him plenty of playing time in left field. More than 60% of his at-bats have come against lefties, however, so look for a decline in power if he goes full-time. He's a streaky player, and can be considered in deeper mixed leagues while he's rolling. NL: $11, Mixed: $1.

Sean Marshall, SP, CHN ? The 24-year-old southpaw looked strong in his season debut against the Padres, whiffing eight in seven innings. His 1.82 ERA in four Triple A starts was impressive, but his success relied heavily on a low hit rate and didn't include many strikeouts. If Marshall can show improved control and keep the ball on the ground, I think he can post a low 4s ERA. He'll remain the Cubs' fifth starter as long as he does. NL: $7, Mixed: No.

Angel Guzman, RP, CHN ? Ryan Dempster looked solid last night, snagging a quick save against the Padres. While he did have a blow-up against the Mets a week ago, he's been pretty good overall. That's why it's curious that the Cubs are planning on moving Dempster into the rotation and turning the closer job over to Guzman The plan could work, though, as Guzman is more likely to stay healthy if used in short bursts. It might make sense to stash Guzman, but keep Dempster to see if the Cubs stay true to their word. NL: $2, Mixed: No.

Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, CIN ? EE tore up Triple A in 46 at-bats, earning a quick trip back to the big leagues. However, he's been 2 for 11 since coming back and may again be the odd man out when Josh Hamilton comes off the DL. I still like Encarnacion long-term, but would definitely cut him for [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4768"]Ryan Braun[/URL], Alex Gordon, or Kevin Kouzmanoff. NL: $4, Mixed: No.

Ryan Spilborghs, OF, COL ? With Jeff Baker already fighting for playing time as the Rockies' fourth outfielder, it will be tough for Spilborghs to get at-bats. Why Steve Finley was ever on the roster over Spilborghs is a mystery to me though. Spilborghs has regularly hit for a high average in the admittedly inflated environments of the Rockies' high minors affiliates. Keep an eye on him in case an injury opens up more PT ? Spilborghs is a decent hitter. NL: $1, Mixed: No.

Kevin Gregg, RP, FLA ? Despite the imminent return of Henry Owens and non-save situations his last two appearances, Gregg remains the Marlins' closer. The switch to the NL has gone well for the veteran, as he's whiffed a batter per inning. I think he can stick as the closer all year. NL: $16, Mixed: $8.

Hong-Chih Kuo, SP, LAN ? Kuo, a 25-year-old Taiwanese southpaw, has twice endured elbow surgery. He throws in the mid-90s and has recovered from a shoulder injury to snag a spot in the Dodgers' rotation. He's a risky pickup but must be considered given his strikeout potential (10.7 K/9 last year). If Kuo's control is decent and he stays healthy he could have mixed league value. NL: $7, Mixed: No.

[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4768"]Ryan Braun[/URL], 3B, MIL ? Big news of the day, Braun has finally gotten the call. He'll be playing every day and should be owned in all leagues. The 23-year-old mashed at Triple A, and has shown 20 steal potential as well. I can see 15 homers in the Majors this year for him. I'd cut Scott Rolen for Braun, and would consider him over guys like Kevin Kouzmanoff and Garrett Atkins. Remember, Braun should steal bases. NL: $24, Mixed: $12.

Antonio Alfonseca, RP, PHI ?Charlie Manuel is leaning towards Alfonseca as his closer while Brett Myers is out. Geoff Geary or Ryan Madson would probably be better choices, but hey, Alfonseca leads the league in fingers and he's done it before. I usually say "saves are saves" but Alfonseca is too risky. NL: $4, Mixed: No.

[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3803"]Jose Bautista[/URL], 3B, PIT ? Bautista has spent three games in the leadoff spot for the Bucs, and he's gotten on base six times. He's a tweener in that I wouldn't want him in a mixed league but he's probably already owned in NL-only. If he can be had in the latter, he's worth it for the runs. NL: $13, Mixed: No.

Shawn Chacon, SP, PIT ? Chacon will slide into the Pirates' rotation and start Saturday against the Reds. The weak K/BB ratio and five home runs allowed don't bode well. Ignore his fluke Yankee stint in 2005 and pass on Chacon in all leagues. NL: No, Mixed: No.

Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B, SDN ? The Kouz is finally hitting like the ROY candidate everyone expected him to be. Over the last two weeks, he's at .483/.556/.828 in 29 at-bats with a pair of homers and nine RBIs. Coming into the season I saw him as a .270, 20 HR type. I can see him sustaining that level of performance from here on out. NL: $18, Mixed: $8.

Mike Bacsik, SP, WAS ? Bacsik is a 29-year-old command lefty whose claim to fame is being included in the Roberto Alomar trade of 2001. He won't pick up strikeouts but shouldn't issue too many walks. The Nats turned to the journeyman to fill a spot in their tattered rotation. He tossed six shutout innings against the Orioles in his first start and pitching into the eighth inning in his second. Keep in mind that he's liable to get shelled at any time. NL: No, Mixed: No.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Ryan Braun Gets the Call
In what may prove to be the final game of his minor-league career, [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4768"]Ryan Braun[/URL] went 3-for-4 with a homer Wednesday at Triple-A. With Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino combining for a .593 OPS to give Milwaukee the fourth-worst production from third base among all MLB teams, the Brewers called Braun up Thursday afternoon. He's expected to make his big-league debut Friday and should take over as the everyday third baseman.

A wrist injury forced Braun to miss 13 games earlier this month, but he's 6-for-18 with a pair of homers since returning. In 34 games at Nashville, Braun batted .342 with a 1.119 OPS, smacking 10 homers and 12 doubles. He also posted a fantastic 11-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio after striking out 100 times in 118 games last season and continued to run quite a bit despite being a large mammal, attempting seven steals after going 26-for-30 on the bases last year.

There are some doubts about whether Braun can handle third base defensively long term, but if his improved strike-zone control is for real there's little question about his bat. He's capable of putting up solid numbers right away, making him a worthwhile pickup in most formats, and has 30-homer, 20-steal potential down the road. For more on Braun and the Brewers, check out Jeff Sackmann of The Hardball Times and Brew Crew Ball on NBCSports.com's "Fantasy Fix."

While Brewers fans dream about the present and future of their infield filled with past and present top prospects Braun, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and J.J. Hardy, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL] returned to the Diamondbacks' lineup Thursday after missing five games with a sore groin, but left in the fourth inning after aggravating the injury. The injury and a possible trip to the disabled list come at a horrible time for Young, because he was really beginning to pick up steam at the plate after a slow start. Ranked as my No. 3 overall prospect in baseball heading into the season, Young has hit .323 with two homers and three steals in 17 games this month.

He hasn't shown as much plate discipline as expected, walking just seven times in 155 plate appearances, but he's making good contact at the plate and was on a 20-homer, 20-steal pace prior to the injury. For the year, the 23-year-old Young is hitting .271 with a .775 OPS, which ranks 12th among MLB center fielders, sandwiched in between Vernon Wells (.779) and Johnny Damon (.747).

* With his second tune-up start mediocre at best Wednesday at Double-A, various reports out of New York suggest that Roger Clemens will make another minor-league rehab outing before joining the Yankees' rotation. Clemens was initially on track to debut early next week against the Blue Jays, but now looks likely to start at Triple-A instead after allowing three runs in 5.2 innings while struggling to throw strikes against Eastern League hitters.

That would push his debut into June, but it's possible that he could make his first start during a three-game series against the Red Sox, at Fenway Park, beginning June 1. If not against Boston, then Clemens will likely take the mound against the White Sox, in Chicago, on June 4. "He knows his body better than anybody else," manager Joe Torre said. "If he feels he'll get sharper by staying down there one more time, I'm sure that's what he'll do."

* One day after leaving a brutal outing while clutching his shoulder, Brett Myers underwent an MRI and said that he doesn't expect to need a stint on the disabled list. With Tom Gordon already out, my assumption was that Ryan Madson would take over at closer should Myers need time off. Of course, I hedged my bet by writing that "Antonio Alfonseca could also get a chance if manager Charlie Manuel chooses closing experience over the ability to actually get outs."

Amazingly, it sounds like that's exactly what Manuel is doing. "Alfonseca has been pitching pretty good for us and he's done that job before," Manuel said. It should be pointed that if Manuel thinks Alfonseca's 4.79 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and 9-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 20.2 innings qualify as "pretty good," then Madson's 2.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 19-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21.1 innings should make him a Cy Young contender.

AL Quick Hits: Joe Mauer is expected to test his injured quadriceps prior to Friday's game and could be cleared to come off the disabled list ? Jon Lester (forearm) allowed one run over five innings in a minor-league rehab start Thursday at Triple-A, giving him a 1.62 ERA in 16.2 innings at Pawtucket ? Adam Miller (finger) was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday at Triple-A and hasn't pitched since May 2 ? Frank Thomas smacked career homer No. 493 Thursday, tying him for 21st all time with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff ? Jeremy Bonderman (finger) returned from the DL with eight shutout innings Thursday against the Angels, but struggled with his command more than the end result suggests ? Reggie Willits got Thursday's game off because of a sore hamstring ? Miguel Tejada's homer Thursday was just his third of the season and first since April 25 ? Asked if he expects to be sent to Triple-A following another horrible road outing Thursday, Ervin Santana allegedly snapped at a reporter.

NL Quick Hits: After receiving a cortisone shot Thursday, Chipper Jones (thumb) is expected to be sidelined until at least Sunday ? John Smoltz picked up career win No. 200 Thursday against longtime rotation-mate Tom Glavine, who remained stuck on 295 wins ? Jason Jennings (elbow) is scheduled to return Tuesday against the Reds ? According to the Denver Post, the Yankees are among the teams interested in Todd Helton and Brian Fuentes ? Ryan Howard (oblique) went 0-for-3 in a minor-league rehab game Thursday at Single-A, but remains on track to return Friday ? As expected, manager Lou Piniella announced Thursday that Sean Marshall will remain in the rotation ? Tom Gorzelanny left Thursday's game after being hit on the thumb by a comebacker, but X-rays were negative and he's not expected to miss any time ? Despite all the talk this week about him being replaced by Angel Guzman, Ryan Dempster picked up his 10th save in 11th chances Thursday while lowering his opponent's batting average to .176.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Week That Was
The return of injured pitchers, the arrival of hyped rookies and some thoughts on Memorial Day in this week's Week That Was.

Sean Marshall: According to reports from the Cubbies, lefty Sean Marshall is in the rotation to stay. Clearly, this represents a buying opportunity in NL-only leagues. Marshall looked strong in his 2007 debut, striking out 8 while walking only 2. Add to that his 1.86 ERA in the minors and you have strong reason to be optimistic. I would buy here, but temper your expectations -- young pitchers are prone to inconsistency. Oh, and announcements from Lou Piniella are often as reliable as "the check is in the mail" and other similar promises.

[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL]: Padre hurler [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL] posted yet another solid outing, allowing just one run while striking out 10 Cubbies on Thursday. It may be too late to buy low here, but you will want to try. A couple of ugly starts suppress some very impressive stats this year. Add in the fact that Young is a virtual lock to strike out more than 150 and you have a strong middle of the fantasy team starter. One final thought on Young: very tall pitchers (Young is 6'10") often find their groove later than other pitchers. Young is ready to take it to the next level. Be on the train.

[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4048"]Ryan Braun[/URL]: [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4048"]Ryan Braun[/URL] has arrived from Nashville to take over as the Brewer 3B. I know many a fantasy owner out there will miss the Craig Counsell/Tony Graffanino corner production ? not! Braun was torching AAA pitching to the tune of .354 (including a double, triple and dinger in his last AAA game). The only risk with Braun is that he reminds no one of Brooks Robinson (or even Herb Brooks) at 3b. In any event, Braun represents a top of the line FAAB opportunity.

Orlando Hernandez: El Duque came off of the DL Friday and looked very strong in his 6 innings of work, allowing only two hits with no walks. If you own Hernandez, activate him immediately. As I have said in this space previously, the veteran who struck out a batter per inning last year, is in a great situation to succeed pitching for the Mets at Shea.

Antonio Alfonseca: With Flash Gordon and Brett Myers on the shelf, noise out of Philadelphia is that Antonio Alfonseca is the leading candidate for saves. Hmmm, what to do? Be afraid. Be very afraid. In only one of the past 5 years has Alfonseca had an ERA under 4.00. If that is not bad enough, he has never posted an WHIP under 1.3. Thus, you have a pitcher who has given up baserunners and runs at a high rate pitching in a launching pad home park. Again I say: Be afraid. If you own Alfonseca, sell now while he at least has some value created by this noise.

Yadier Molina: Yadier Molina continues to hit in May. Thursday, the Cardinal catcher knocked in a pair of runs. The most interesting part of Yadier's May is that going into Friday's game, he has a hit in each of his May starts. Impressive consistency if you ask me. Run around telling your leaguemates that Molina could not hit a beach ball with a broom last year, harp about his being a catcher who will run down later in the year and steal a better than average catcher who will help you this year (and in keeper leagues, will be a true gem).

Elijah Dukes: The Devil Rays have kept Elijah Dukes out of the lineup until Friday after allegations surfaced that he threatened to kill his wife. This is one of those things that really irks me. Of course, it is completely and totally inexcusable to threaten anyone. Period. However, until somebody proves something against Dukes, why should he be deprived of the opportunity to shine at his profession? If it is proven, punish him. Until then, the Devil Rays should resort to one of the tried and true fundamental principles of American life ? innocent until proven guilty. Ok, back to baseball analysis. (note: after I wrote this but before posting, I noticed that Dukes did start Friday and promptly went yard).

Josh Beckett: Josh Beckett threw a five-inning simulated game this week and is poised to return from the DL when eligible on Tuesday. Activate Beckett immediately. He has looked awesome this year, reeling off 7 wins in a row. Carp to the Beckett owner in your league about his 5+ ERA last year and how the blister could be chronic and get the pitcher I believe has the best shot at the Cy Young this year (and this coming from a Yankee fan!)

Neal Cotts: In what this writer believes to be a curious move, the Cubs sent reliever Neal Cotts to AAA. What did he proceed to do? He tossed three scoreless innings in his AAA debut. Yes, Cotts has been bad in three of his last four major league outings. However, he gave up only one earned run in the first six weeks of the season. Moreover, Cotts has talent and has shown it at the major league level (ERA under 2.00 in the 2005 campaign with the White Sox). The Cubs should be more patient. If you are in a deep NL league, you should be too.

Chris Duncan: Chris Duncan went yard in three straight games this week. That makes 8 HR in May already. Yes, Duncan is a weak fielder. Yes, Duncan strikes out too often. However, 9 HR, 2 SB and a .295 average is not too shabby. Go get Duncan now before other owners in your league figure out that his glove and sometime platoon status will not prevent him from posting very strong roto stats the rest of the way.

Last but not least, this week's Schultz Says: "The Indians (and his roto-owners) are rightfully a bit concerned about Jeremy Sowers' continued propensity for getting shelled. Even though he pitched well against the Royals on Thursday night, I don't think it's time to get all Winston Wolf thinking he's back to form. Sowers doesn't throw hard and his success comes from getting hitters to swing at pitches outside the strike zone. The Orioles were the first to employ the strategy of uniformly working counts, laying off anything remotely outside the strike zone and making Sowers throw his low velocity pitches over the plate. Similar to Kei Igawa, who also lacks any type of "out" pitch, Sowers isn't going to make hitters fear him until he can credibly put the ball by them. His minor league strike out numbers are respectable, so it's going to up to him to adjust.

I am curious to see what the soon-to-be-coming new manager of the Phillies does with their pitching staff. Regardless of the results of Brett Myers MRI, Charlie Manuel's decision making skills, including the bizarre statement/decision that Antonio Alfonseca will be their closer, continue to be head-scratching at best. Whatever benefits Brett Myers owners reaped from his two weeks as a closer might be it for the year. If you're optimistic about the news that he's getting an MRI, you're the type who thinks an athlete goes to see Dr. James Andrews just to make sure everything's fine.

This month it's Chipper Jones' thumbs, next month it will be his feet and later in the season his prostate will probably start bothering him. He is becoming the poster-child for "game-time decision." If you are in a league with weekly transactions, you simply can not have Chipper in any type of prominent role on your team. If you're in a daily transaction league, I hope you are enjoying the necessity of logging on to your team within an hour of every Braves' game to see if he's playing. I'm sure that's contributing to a productive lifestyle. Unfortunately, when Chipper plays, Chipper's quite good, so he's worth the hassle. But when he becomes too much of a drag on your non-roto lifestyle, trade him for full value to someone who doesn't realize what a headache "Laaaarrrrry" is.

Finally, a little accountability check: hopefully you all listened to me about not bailing on Kevin Kouzmanoff and similarly realized that Jorge de la Rosa only seems to pitch really well when I am watching him. I will try to keep you all posted as to when I will be watching him pitch next. "

Response: The thought of Schultz as Jorge de la Rosa's good luck charm sends shivers down my spine. That said, Schultzie makes some good points about Chipper and Alfonseca. Wait, did I see that Schultz compared Jeremy Sowers to Kei Igawa? What did Sowers do to be insulted in such a vile way?

On a final and serious note, I know that Memorial Day was not designed to be a happy occasion. However, I still want to wish for all of you a restful and enjoyable holiday. After all, those that we honor on Memorial Day paid the ultimate price to secure for all of us the blessings of freedom, including the freedom to spend time with family and friends and the freedom to enjoy America's pastime.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Beckett and Halladay Return
As we approach week nine of the fantasy season, be sure to set your lineup on time while we're on the long Memorial Day weekend. There will be six afternoon games on the holiday, so make sure you have your best possible squad in on time. This week will feature another Red Sox/Yankees series, two starts for Santana, Dontrelle and Schill, the return of Josh Beckett and Roy Halladay and even possibly a Roger Clemens sighting. We'll get you ready in this edition of the The Week Ahead.

Two-start pitchers:
Great options:
Johan Santana MIN vs. CHW John Danks, @ OAK Colby Lewis
Dontrelle Willis FLA @ CHC Jason Marquis, @ MIL Chris Capuano
Brad Penny LA @ WAS Jason Simontacchi, @ PIT Tom Gorzelanny
Ben Sheets MIL vs. ATL Chuck James, vs. FLA Byung-Hyun Kim
Curt Schilling BOS vs. CLE Cliff Lee, vs. NYY Andy Pettitte
Bartolo Colon LAA vs. SEA Miguel Batista, vs. BAL Steve Trachsel
Andy Pettitte NYY @ TOR Dustin McGowan, @ BOS Curt Schilling
Oliver Perez NYM vs. SF Tim Lincecum, vs. ARI Doug Davis
Chris Capuano MIL vs. ATL John Smoltz, vs. FLA Dontrelle Willis
Tim Lincecum SF @ NYM Oliver Perez, @ PHI Freddy Garcia
Jon Garland CHW @ MIN Boof Bonser, @ TOR Shaun Marcum
Ervin Santana LAA vs. SEA Horacio Ramirez, vs. BAL Jeremy Guthrie
Jeremy Bonderman DET @ TB Jae Seo, @ CLE Jeremy Sowers
Cliff Lee CLE @ BOS Curt Schilling, vs. DET Chad Durbin
Tom Gorzelanny PIT vs. SD David Wells, vs. LA Brad Penny

More strong options:
Braden Looper STL @ COL Rodrigo Lopez, @ HOU Jason Jennings
Freddy Garcia PHI vs. ARI Doug Davis, vs. SF Tim Lincecum
Ian Snell PIT @ CIN Kyle Lohse, vs. LA Brett Tomko
Chuck James ATL @ MIL Ben Sheets, @ CHC Sean Marshall
John Danks CHW @ MIN Johan Santana, @ TOR Dustin McGowan
Jeff Francis COL vs. STL Kip Wells, vs. CIN Kyle Lohse
Matt Belisle CIN @ HOU Jason Jennings, @ COL Rodrigo Lopez
Doug Davis ARI @ PHI Freddy Garcia, @ NYM Oliver Perez
Robinson Tejeda TEX @ OAK Chad Gaudin, @ SEA Miguel Batista
Jeremy Guthrie BAL @ KC Jorge De La Rosa, @ LAA Ervin Santana
Sean Marshall CHC vs. FLA Byung-Hyun Kim, vs. ATL Chuck James
Kyle Lohse CIN vs. PIT Ian Snell, @ COL Jeff Francis
Shaun Marcum TOR vs. NYY TBA, vs. CHW Jon Garland
Jeremy Sowers CLE @ BOS Josh Beckett, vs. DET Jeremy Bonderman

Other two-starters:
Chad Durbin DET @ TB Casey Fossum, @ CLE Cliff Lee
Kip Wells STL @ COL Jeff Francis, @ HOU Roy Oswalt
Jason Jennings HOU vs. CIN Matt Belisle, vs. STL Braden Looper
David Wells SD @ PIT Tom Gorzelanny, @ WAS Jason Simontacchi
Steve Trachsel BAL @ KC Scott Elarton, @ LAA Bartolo Colon
Miguel Batista SEA @ LAA Bartolo Colon, vs. TEX Robinson Tejeda
Horacio Ramirez SEA @ LAA Ervin Santana, vs. TEX TBA
Casey Fossum TB vs. DET Chad Durbin, vs. KC Scott Elarton
Byung-Hyun Kim FLA @ CHC Sean Marshall, @ MIL Ben Sheets
Dustin McGowan TOR vs. NYY Andy Pettitte, vs. CHW John Danks
Scott Elarton KC vs. BAL Steve Trachsel, @ TB Casey Fossum
Colby Lewis OAK vs. TEX TBA, vs. MIN Johan Santana
Rodrigo Lopez COL vs. STL Braden Looper, vs. CIN Matt Belisle
Jason Simontacchi WAS vs. LA Brad Penny, vs. SD David Wells

Team-by-team Game Totals:
Seven-game schedule: BAL, CHW, CIN, CLE, COL, DET, FLA, LAA, MIL, PIT, SEA, STL, TEX, TOR
Six-game schedule: ARI, ATL, BOS, CHC, HOU, KC, LA, MIN, NYM, NYY, OAK, PHI, SD, SF, TB, WAS
Five-game schedule: none

Rain threatened games:
Monday, May 28: CLE @ BOS (40%), CIN @ HOU (40%)
Wednesday, May 30: CIN @ HOU (40%), FLA @ CHC (40%), BAL @ KC (40%)
Thursday, May 31: DET @ CLE (40%), SD @ PIT (40%)
Saturday, June 2: ARI @ NYM (60%), NYY @ BOS (60%), LA @ PIT (60%)
Sunday, June 3: TEX @ SEA (60%)

Stadium Factor:
ESPN.com - MLB - Park Factor
Park Factor compares the rate of stats at home vs. the rate of stats on the road.
A rate higher than 1.000 favors the hitter. Below 1.000 favors the pitcher.

Top Hitter's Park Schedules:
1. Fenway Park (Red Sox) 1.424 runs ? 3 vs CLE, 3 vs NYY
2. Shea Stadium (Mets) 1.281 runs ? 3 vs SF, 3 vs ARI
6. Coors Field (Rockies) 1.201 runs ? 4 vs STL, 3 vs CIN
8. Kauffman Stadium (Royals) 1.123 runs ? 3 vs BAL
9. Citizens Bank Park (Phillies) 1.071 runs ? 3 vs ARI, 3 vs SF

No Games: 3. Comerica Park (Tigers) 1.255 runs, 4. Great American Ballpark (Reds) 1.239 runs, 5. Yankee Stadium (Yankees) 1.225 runs, 7. Dodger Stadium (Dodgers) 1.129 runs

Top Pitcher's Park Schedules:
3. Rogers Centre (Blue Jays) 0.763 runs ? 3 vs NYY, 4 vs CHW
4. Safeco Field (Mariners) 0.837 runs ? 4 vs TEX
5. Metrodome (Twins) 0.857 runs ? 3 vs CHW
6. RFK Stadium (Nationals) 0.860 runs ? 3 vs LA, 3 vs SD
7. Minute Maid Park (Astros) 0.862 runs ? 3 vs CIN, 3 vs STL

No Games: 1. Petco Park (Padres) 0.709 runs, 2. Turner Field (Braves) 0.729 runs

Caught Stealing %:
Toughest to steal against (SB/SBA, CS%)
1. Yadier Molina, STL 6-for-13 SB (53.8%) - 4 @ COL, 3 @ HOU
2. Ronny Paulino, PIT 18-for-34 SB (47.1%) ? 1 @ CIN, 3 vs SD, 3 vs LA
3. Paul Lo Duca, NYM 13-for-24 SB (45.8%) ? 3 vs SF, 3 vs ARI
4. David Ross, CIN 12-for-21 SB (42.9%) ? 1 vs PIT, 3 @ HOU, 3 @ COL
5. Kenji Johjima, SEA 14-for-23 SB (39.1%) ? 3 @ LAA, 4 vs TEX

Facing these elite catchers is bad news for the following players in the stolen base category: Willy Taveras (10-for-18 SB), Kaz Matsui (6-for-6 SB), Juan Pierre (17-for-22 SB), Russell Martin (8-for-9 SB), Rafael Furcal (6-for-8 SB), Eric Byrnes (9-for-13 SB), Dave Roberts (7-for-8 SB), Reggie Willits (11-for-11 SB), Gary Matthews Jr. (7-for-9 SB), Orlando Cabrera (6-for-6 SB), Ian Kinsler (6-for-6 SB)

Easiest to steal against (SB/SBA, CS%)
1. Jason Varitek, BOS 12-for-13 SB (7.7%) ? 3 vs CLE, 3 vs NYY
2T. John Buck, KC 12-for-15 SB (20.0%) ? 3 vs BAL, 3 @ TB
2T. A.J. Pierzynski, CHW 16-for-20 SB (20.0%) ? 3 @ MIN, 4 @ TOR
2T. Jorge Posada, NYY 36-for-43 (20.0%) ? 3 @ TOR, 3 @ BOS
5. Dioner Navarro, TB 23-for-29 SB (20.7%) ? 3 vs DET, 3 vs KC

Facing these catchers is good news for Grady Sizemore (15-for-16 SB), Johnny Damon (9-for-9 SB), Bobby Abreu (6-for-8 SB), Brian Roberts (15-for-18 SB), Carl Crawford (11-for-15 SB), B.J. Upton (9-for-12 SB), Corey Patterson (7-for-9 SB), Torii Hunter (8-for-11 SB), Jason Bartlett (5-for-5 SB), Julio Lugo (12-for-12 SB), Coco Crisp (9-for-11 SB), Curtis Granderson (6-for-6 SB), Mark Teahen (6-for-8 SB)

American League:
Baltimore: (6 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Boston: (3 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
Chicago White Sox: (6 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Cleveland: (6 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Detroit: (3 vs. Right-handers, 4 vs. Left-handers)
Kansas City: (3 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
Los Angeles Angels: (5 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers
Minnesota: (3 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
New York Yankees: (6 vs. Right-handers, 0 vs. Left-handers)
Oakland: (4 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers) note: Tue vs TEX (TBA)
Seattle: (6 vs. Right-handers, 0 vs. Left-handers) note: Sun vs TEX (TBA)
Tampa Bay: (4 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Texas: (5 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Toronto: (5 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)

Notes: The Red Sox, Tigers, Royals and Twins play at least three left-handers, while the Yankees and Mariners play just righties. That's good news for Manny Ramirez (.354 vs LHPs), Wily Mo Pena (.350 vs LHPs), Mike Lowell (.405 vs LHPs), Magglio Ordonez (.395 vs LHPs), Brandon Inge (.382 vs LHPs), Sean Casey (.364 vs LHPs), Reggie Sanders (.438 vs LHPs), Esteban German (.342 vs LHPs), Torii Hunter (.346 vs LHPs), Hideki Matsui (.347 vs RHPs), Derek Jeter (.375 vs RHPs), Jamie Burke (.381 vs RHPs), Ben Broussard (.341 vs RHPs), Ichiro Suzuki (.343 vs RHPs)

And bad news for Julio Lugo (.214 vs LHPs), J.D. Drew (.237 vs LHPs), Gary Sheffield (.161 vs LHPs), Curtis Granderson (.071 vs LHPs), Ryan Shealy (.077 vs LHPs), Tony Pena Jr. (.214 vs LHPs), Alex Gordon (.167 vs LHPs), Mark Grudzielanek (.213 vs LHPs), Luis Castillo (.195 vs LHPs), Michael Cuddyer (.200 vs LHPs), Wil Nieves (0-for-21 vs RHPs), Josh Phelps (.167 vs RHPs), Richie Sexson (.151 vs RHPs), [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=2353"]Jose Guillen[/URL] (.223 vs RHPs)

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

Notes: The Braves, Marlins, Dodgers, Brewers and Giants face three southpaws, while the Rockies and Astros face just righties. That's good news for Edgar Renteria (.357 vs LHPs), Matt Diaz (.349 vs LHPs), Hanley Ramirez (.429 vs LHPs), Miguel Cabrera (.400 vs LHPs), Jeremy Hermida (.364 vs LHPs), Miguel Olivo (.361 vs LHPs), Mike Jacobs (.353 vs LHPs), [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3797"][URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4378"]Luis Gonzalez[/URL][/URL], LA (.361 vs LHPs), Jeff Kent (.355 vs LHPs), Russell Martin (.359 vs LHPs), Rafael Furcal (.367 vs LHPs), Randy Winn (.412 vs LHPs), Matt Holiday (.356 vs RHPs), Kaz Matsui (.349 vs RHPs), Todd Helton (.394 vs RHPs)

And bad news for Scott Thorman (.185 vs LHPs), Chris Woodward (.206 vs LHPs), [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3187"]Craig Wilson[/URL] (.209 vs LHPs), Andruw Jones (.224 vs LHPs), Aaron Boone (.143 vs LHPs), Joe Borchard (.179 vs LHPs), Josh Willingham (.167 vs LHPs), Wilson Betemit (.158 vs LHPs), Juan Pierre (.204 vs LHPs), Tony Graffanino (.191 vs LHPs), Geoff Jenkins (.160 vs LHPs), Omar Vizquel (.204 vs LHPs), Bengie Molina (.190 vs LHPs), Clint Barmes (.105 vs RHPs), Jamey Carroll (.169 vs RHPs), John Mabry (.121 vs RHPs), Steve Finley (.121 vs RHPs), Troy Tulowitzki (.210 vs RHPs), Luke Scott (.212 vs RHPs), Chris Burke (.211 vs RHPs), Craig Biggio (.215 vs RHPs), Jason Lane (.207 vs RHPs), Morgan Ensberg (.173 vs RHPs), Adam Everett (.196 vs RHPs)

Some scheduled two-start pitchers in week 10:
Erik Bedard, Gil Meche, Mark Buehrle, Scott Baker, Paul Byrd, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Nate Robertson, James Shields, Tyler Clippard, Jesse Litsch, Felix Hernandez, Jered Weaver, Brandon McCarthy, Dan Haren, Randy Johnson, Jamie Moyer, Tim Hudson, Dave Bush, Aaron Harang, Wandy Rodriguez, Sergio Mitre, Ted Lilly, Derek Lowe, Mike Bacsik, [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL], Paul Maholm, Barry Zito, Tom Glavine, Anthony Reyes, Jason Hirsh

Latest on the injury front:
Outfielders:
Moises Alou (quadriceps) ? return early June
Garret Anderson (hip) ? return early June
Marlon Anderson (elbow) ? return mid-July
Rocco Baldelli (hamstring) ? return mid-June
Milton Bradley (hamstring) ? return early June
Jeff DaVanon (shoulder) ? return early June
Chris Denorfia (elbow) ? out for the season
Brian Giles (knee) ? return early June
Shawn Green (foot) ? might go on the DL
Jerry Hairston (shoulder) ? return early June
Josh Hamilton (flu) ? return early June
Reed Johnson (back) ? return July
Bobby Kielty (calf) ? return early July
Mark Kotsay (back) ? return early June
Scott Podsednik (groin) ? return June
Jason Repko (groin) ? might be out for the season
Juan Rivera (leg) ? return July/August
Dave Roberts (elbow) ? return mid-June
Cody Ross (hamstring) ? return early June
Reggie Sanders (hamstring) ? return June/July
Rondell White (calf) ? return June
Brad Wilkerson (hamstring) ? return early June
Preston Wilson (knee) ? return early June

Infielders
Willy Aybar (hand) ? out indefinitely
Hank Blalock (arm) ? return August
Mike Jacobs (thumb) ? return mid-June
Dan Johnson (hip) ? return mid-season
Nick Johnson (leg) ? return June/July
Akinori Iwamura (ribs) ? return early June
Maicer Izturis (hamstring) ? return mid-June
Howie Kendrick (hand) ? return late May
Corey Koskie (concussion) ? out indefinitely
Dallas McPherson (back) ? return August/September
Placido Polanco (ribs) ? might miss a few days
[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL] (ribs) ? return early June
Jose Valentin (knee) ? return June

Catchers:
Hector Gimenez (shoulder) ? likely out for the season
Joe Mauer (quadriceps) ? return late May
Gregg Zaun (hand) ? return June
Vance Wilson (elbow) ? out indefinitely

Designated Hitter:
Mike Piazza (shoulder) ? return mid-June

Starting Pitchers:
Brandon Backe (elbow) ? return August/September
Josh Beckett (finger) ? return May 29
Jason Bergmann (elbow) ? return early June
Chris Carpenter (elbow) ? return August/September
Matt Clement (shoulder) ? return July/August
Gustavo Chacin (elbow) ? out indefinitely
Lance Cormier (shoulder) ? return late May
Roy Halladay (abdomen) ? will return May 31 vs MIN
Mike Hampton (ribs) ? out for the season
Rich Harden (shoulder) ? return late June
Clay Hensley (groin) ? return late May
Orlando Hernandez (shoulder) ? return late May
Shawn Hill (elbow) ? out indefinitely
Luke Hudson (shoulder) ? out indefinitely
Phil Hughes (hamstring) ? return June/July
Jason Jennings (elbow) ? return late May
Josh Johnson (elbow) ? return mid-June
Jeff Karstens (leg) ? out indefinitely
Jon Lester (cancer) ? return late May
Francisco Liriano (elbow) ? out for the season
Esteban Loaiza (shoulder) ? return mid-June
Adam Loewen (elbow) ? return September
Rodrigo Lopez (elbow) ? return May 29 vs STL
Pedro Martinez (shoulder) ? return July/August
Wade Miller (back) ? return late May
Kevin Millwood (hamstring) ? return early June
Eric Milton (elbow) ? return late May
Mark Mulder (shoulder) ? return July
Ricky Nolasco (elbow) ? return mid-July
John Patterson (biceps) ? return mid-June
Carl Pavano (elbow) ? out for the season
Darrell Rasner (finger) ? return August/September
Mark Redman (toe) ? out indefinitely
Kenny Rogers (arm) ? return July
Jason Schmidt (shoulder) ? return late June
Jeff Weaver (shoulder) ? out indefinitely
Jake Westbrook (abdomen) ? return late May
Jerome Williams (ankle) ? out indefinitely
Jaret Wright (shoulder) ? out indefinitely
Victor Zambrano (arm) ? out indefinitely

Important Relievers:
Kris Benson (shoulder) ? likely out for the season
Jesse Crain (shoulder) ? out for the season
Elmer Dessens (shoulder) ? return mid-June
Justin Duchscherer (hip) ? return early June
Octavio Dotel (ribs) ? return mid-May
Mike Gonzalez (elbow) ? out for the season
Tom Gordon (shoulder) - return early June
Eddie Guardado (elbow) ? return June/July
LaTroy Hawkins (elbow) ? return mid-May
Brandon League (shoulder) ? out indefinitely
Ryan Madson (ribs) ? return late May
Brett Myers (shoulder) ? return mid-June
Arthur Rhodes (elbow) ? out for the season
Fernando Rodney (biceps) ? return early June
B.J. Ryan (elbow) ? out for the season
Duaner Sanchez (shoulder) ? return July/August
Huston Street (elbow) ? return early June
Mike Timlin (shoulder) ? return late May
Ryan Wagner (rotator cuff) ? out indefinitely
Kerry Wood (triceps) ? return late June
Joel Zumaya (finger) ? return August

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Zambrano Not Quite Right
No doubt looking to find some cure for whatever ails Carlos Zambrano, manager Lou Piniella said Sunday that the Cubs may make Henry Blanco the struggling ace's "personal catcher." Zambrano has a 3.27 ERA with Blanco behind the plate, compared to a 7.07 ERA with Michael Barrett catching for him, but that's unlikely to be the cause of his struggles. Plus, lost in the nice-looking ERA is that opponents have slugged .447 against Zambrano with Blanco catching.

Whether statistical or visual, various evidence points to some kind of arm problem causing Zambrano to pitch at less than full capacity. Zambrano is missing somewhere between 3-5 miles per hour on his fastball, typically working in the 90-92 range of late, and an examination of his delivery shows some significant modifications. Given his huge workloads over the past five years, it certainly wouldn't be surprising to learn that arm soreness is behind the changes.

He put together a strong start Saturday against the Dodgers, but Zambrano remains a huge question mark. His strikeouts and velocity are down, he's no longer an extreme ground-ball pitcher, and Zambrano is on pace to set a new career-high in homers allowed by the All-Star break. As for the personal catcher issue, it's worth noting that Zambrano held opponents to a .204 batting average with Barrett calling pitches for him last season. That's not the problem.

While Cubs fans take solace in knowing that they'd probably feel even worse about Zambrano if the team had actually signed him to that massive long-term contract last month, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Apparently it takes one-third of the schedule for the Twins to realize their mistakes with washed-up veterans. After ditching Tony Batista and Juan Castro about 50 games into last season, the fourth-place Twins are reportedly on the verge of demoting Ramon Ortiz to the bullpen. Signed this winter for $3.1 million after being one baseball's worst pitchers for the past several seasons, Ortiz put together a strong April before completely falling apart this month.

After serving up three homers Saturday against the Blue Jays, Ortiz is 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA in five May starts. His overall ERA has ballooned up to 5.75, which goes nicely with his 5.57 ERA last season and 5.36 ERA in 2005. In other words, much like Batista's awful play last season, this is exactly the type of sub par performance the Twins should have expected from Ortiz. Kevin Slowey will likely be called up from Triple-A to replace Ortiz in the rotation.

A 23-year-old right-hander with impeccable control, Slowey has a 1.54 ERA, 57-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .200 opponent's batting average in 64.1 innings at Triple-A. He doesn't have a blazing fastball, but the amazing numbers are no fluke: Slowey entered this season with a 1.96 ERA and 235-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 220.2 career minor-league innings. Often compared to Brad Radke, Slowey should quickly establish himself as a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter.

Meanwhile, Matt Garza is arguably the Twins' top prospect and logged 50 innings in Minnesota last year, yet remains at Triple-A while Slowey and Scott Baker pass him by. Garza complained publicly over the weekend, saying that he's frustrated by the Twins telling him to focus on off-speed pitches while at Rochester. Unfortunately for Garza, the public complaints likely set him back even further, although his 3.21 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 56 innings could force the issue.

* How am I feeling about picking Jake Peavy as the most undervalued fantasy pitcher in baseball heading into the season and advising anyone who would listen to draft him several rounds higher than most suggested? As Larry David would say, "Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good." With seven shutout innings Sunday against the Brewers, Peavy is now 7-1 with a 1.47 ERA, 85-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 0.93 WHIP in 73.1 innings spread over 11 starts.

The natural reaction is to assume that Peavy has benefited significantly from pitcher-friendly Petco Park. However, while pitching in the majors' most extreme pitcher's ballpark certainly hasn't hurt Peavy, he's 3-0 with a 0.33 ERA in four road starts, compared to 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA in seven starts at home. Normally there's a lot of luck involved in a sub-2.00 ERA, but Peavy's secondary numbers actually suggest that he's pitching at a 1.75-2.00 ERA level thus far. Wow.

* Carlos Quentin got off to a horrible start after missing the first two weeks of the season following shoulder surgery, but he's quietly beginning to put up some big numbers. Sporting an ugly .176 batting average and .542 OPS through May 17, Quentin has gone 12-for-34 (.353) with three homers, three doubles, and 14 RBIs in 10 games since then. He remains an excellent buy-low candidate because his season totals are still horrible, but that won't be the case for much longer.

AL Quick Hits: With Joakim Soria (shoulder) heading to the disabled list, Octavio Dotel has a clear path to saves ? Joe Mauer (quadriceps) continues to be "on the verge" of returning ? With eight innings of two-run ball Sunday against the Yankees, John Lackey became MLB's first eight-game winner ? Akinori Iwamura (oblique) is expected to return Monday after sitting out over a month ? Kevin Millwood (hamstring) tossed five scoreless innings in a minor-league rehab start Sunday at Double-A and is scheduled to return Friday against the Mariners ? B.J. Upton broke out of a 7-for-41 slump Sunday by going 4-for-5 to raise his batting average to .325 ? Expected to be without Pablo Ozuna for at least two months after he suffered a fractured fibula and torn ankle ligament Sunday, the White Sox signed [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3187"]Craig Wilson[/URL] to a minor-league deal ? After going hitless Sunday, Jason Giambi is 4-for-44 with one RBI since May 6 ? After throwing 127 pitches in a loss Sunday, the oft-injured A.J. Burnett is worth monitoring.

NL Quick Hits: After throwing a pain-free bullpen session Saturday, Tom Gorzelanny (thumb) is on track to make his scheduled start Monday ? Barry Bonds' homer Sunday was his first since May 8 and the 746th of his career ? Eligible to return from the disabled list Monday, Moises Alou (quadriceps) indicated that he likely won't be back until at least the weekend ? Ryan Howard raised his OPS from .796 to .878 Sunday, going 3-for-4 with two homers and four RBIs ? Jason Schmidt (shoulder) threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Sunday and could be close to throwing a simulated game ? With Ray Durham (abdomen) looking bound for the DL, Kevin Frandsen gets a value boost in NL-only leagues ? Kirk Saarloos gave up five runs without recording an out in his start Sunday, while Homer Bailey sits at 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA at Triple-A ? At 0-8 with a 6.08 ERA, the Cardinals demoted Anthony Reyes to Triple-A and replaced him in the rotation with career reliever Todd Wellemeyer.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

NL Closers of the Future
Here's the second of two columns looking at each team's closing situation for 2008 and beyond. Featured this week are the National League squads.

Found after each team's writeup is my listing of which pitchers have the best chance of leading the team in saves in 2008, 2009 and 2010, ranked in order.


Arizona - Jose Valverde ended 2006 with a 5.84 ERA, but the Diamondbacks showed plenty of confidence in him, naming him their 2007 closer before spring training even started. They can't ask for anything more than they've received from him so far, as he's converted 17 of his 19 save chances. Still, Valverde has a history of inconsistency and arm problems. If the Diamondbacks don't feel they're in position to win the NL West this year, they may decide to trade him at the peak of his value in July. The presence of Tony Pena and Brandon Lyon in setup roles is what makes it a possibility.

With a .159 average against this season, Pena is showing definite closer potential. The former Adriano Rosario is extremely tough on his righties with his hard slider, and he's been a lot better against left-handed hitters so far this year, though he doesn't have an outpitch to use against them. It's possible he'll have enough problems against lefties in the future to keep him in a setup role, but I'm guessing that won't be the case.

Lyon did a fine job as a closer in early 2005, but he's best utilized in the setup role he's in now. As far as insurance goes, he's not bad. One of the younger relievers should eventually take over if Valverde departs and Pena fails to pan out. Micah Owings is doing well in the rotation right now, but many have viewed him as a long-term reliever, possibly a closer. Dustin Nippert has struggled to develop as a starter, but his fastball-curve combination could allow him to dominate as a short man. 2006 supplemental first-round pick Brooks Brown projects as a setup man with his sinker and slider.

2008: Valverde, Pena, Lyon, Nippert
2009: Pena, Valverde, Owings, Lyon
2010: Pena, Owings, Valverde, Brown

Atlanta - Because they didn't want to have to go shopping for a closer over the winter, the Braves gave Bob Wickman a one-year, $6.5 million extension last September. Still, upgrading the rest of the bullpen remained a priority and GM John Schuerholz went out and got perhaps the two best relievers available on the trade market in Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. Gonzalez was, of course, the more expensive of the two, even though Soriano is one of the game's most dominant relievers when he's on. Soriano had started to overtake the left-hander anyway, and when word came down last week that Gonzalez would require Tommy John surgery, it seemed to settle which of the two would become the heir to Wickman's job in Atlanta.

That said, Soriano isn't exactly a lock for the future. The Mariners dealt him in no small part because of concerns about his long-term health. Tommy John surgery caused Soriano most of 2004 and 2005, and he had some shoulder troubles before his 2006 season ended when he was hit in the head by a Vladimir Guerrero line drive. As his 0.61 WHIP this year demonstrates, Soriano is about as good as they come when healthy. He wouldn't have any trouble adapting to the closer's role if he can stay off the DL. Still, because of his injury history and the possibility that Gonzalez won't be ready for next year, the chances are better now of Wickman returning to the Braves in 2008.

More injuries to Soriano would bring Gonzalez back into the mix and perhaps open the door for 2005 first-round pick Joey Devine. Devine, pegged as the closer of the future when he was drafted, may always have too many problems against left-handed hitter to turn into a true force. However, he should be pretty useful in a setup role. Also notable are Anthony Lerew, Jose Ascanio and Neftali Feliz. While Lerew has gotten a look as a starter this year, his future may be in a setup role. Ascanio's career was sidetracked by back problems, but he has a 2.50 ERA in Double-A this year. The 19-year-old Feliz has a huge arm and will be someone to watch over the next couple of years. He's yet to pitch in full-season ball.

2008: Soriano, Wickman, Gonzalez, Macay McBride
2009: Soriano, Gonzalez, Devine, Lerew
2010: Soriano, Devine, Gonzalez, Ascanio

Chicago - Ryan Dempster's poor 2006 made the Cubs' closing situation unsettled right from the start of the spring, but manager Lou Piniella made it clear he was committed to Dempster even with Bob Howry and Kerry Wood available as possible alternatives. Well, Dempster got off to a fine start, Howry struggled and Wood went back on the DL, seemingly settling things once and for all. However, Piniella decided to throw the whole situation into turmoil anyway by telling Dempster earlier this month that he was going back into the rotation and then changing his mind and keeping him in the bullpen for now.

Dempster, who is in the second year of a three-year, $15.5 million contract he was given in Oct. 2005, was generally a pretty awful starter before a successful conversion to the pen following his return from Tommy John surgery. Considering that he's 11-for-12 in save opportunities, it's hard to see why the Cubs would want to change what's worked. He'd be a weaker bet at the back of the rotation than Angel Guzman, and he also has less upside than current fifth starter Sean Marshall.

It appears that Guzman is Piniella's new favorite as the closer of the future. He has plenty of stuff, but he's never been a short reliever and might struggle with command if he doesn't get regular work. Carlos Marmol would also be very intriguing as a starter, but the Cubs have him in the pen now. He's wild, but he's capable of overpowering major league hitters. I think he has as much of a chance of developing into a closer as Guzman does. Howry, a very good setup man in 2005 and 2006 with some closing experience with the White Sox, no longer resembles a candidate for saves. Wood seems like a long shot to make a significant contribution this year. Michael Wuertz is actually the Cubs' best reliever right now and probably should be the closer if Dempster isn't. However, even if he serves as a stopgap there, he's a long-term setup man. Rocky Cherry, who was up earlier this month, also looks like a setup guy. If neither Guzman nor Marmol develops, it might be former Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija closing for the Cubs come 2009 or 2010.

2008: Guzman, Dempster, Marmol, Wuertz
2009: Marmol, Guzman, Wuertz, Samardzija
2010: Marmol, Guzman, Samardzija, Wuertz

Cincinnati - If there's one team in baseball that desperately needs to go outside of the organization for a long-term closer, it's the Reds. David Weathers has done a far better job than anyone could have expected at plugging whatever hole Cincinnati has asked him to fill, but he's not intimidating anyone on the ninth inning with the game on the line. Ideally, he'd be a seventh-inning guy in front of Gary Majewski and Todd Coffey. However, Majewski had a career 96/67 K/BB ratio in 162 1/3 innings even before arriving in the controversial Austin Kearns trade last year and Coffey has never regained the splitter that made him a top relief prospect three years ago. If one of the two proves to be a long-term setup man, the Reds should be pleased. Left-hander Bill Bray is a quality talent, albeit one who has big problems staying healthy. Younger than practically all of the team's relief prospects, he'll be one of watch in 2008.

The minor league system also offers little hope. Brad Salmon has a nice track record, but he's 27 and he walks a few too many batters. Rule 5 pick Jared Burton turns 26 this week. His fastball-slider combination is similar to Salmon's. Again, if one of them turns into a setup man, the Reds can consider themselves fortunate. Marcus McBeth, who was part of the Chris Denorfia deal with the A's, may have more upside than Salmon or Burton, but his fastball lacks movement and he struggles against left-handers. The best long-term bet of any of the prospects is probably Sean Watson, who has used a sharp curve to fan 64 batters in 48 1/3 innings for low Single-A Dayton this year. However, the Reds are developing the 2006 second-round pick as a starter and would likely keep him in the rotation if he comes up with a quality changeup.

There's little doubt the Reds will go shopping for a closer over the winter. Weathers is signed for 2008, but the team will want him in a setup role. Maybe Eddie Guardado will come back strong from Tommy John surgery next month and secure the job, but he'd then have to be re-signed at the end of the season. They'll likely make a run at Scott Linebrink or settle for a one-year stopgap like Bob Wickman or Todd Jones.

2008: (Free Agent), Bray, Weathers, Salmon
2009: (Free Agent), Bray, McBeth, Salmon
2010: (Free Agent), McBeth, Bray, Watson

Colorado - Whether it happens in July or after the season, Brian Fuentes is probably on his way out of Colorado. It's nothing he's done wrong, but the Rockies have given every indication that they plan on being very cautious with their payroll going forward and it's likely the team will decide that the $6 million he'd likely command in his final year of arbitration would be better invested in the team's younger players. One possibility is that Fuentes will be part of a Todd Helton trade, with the Rockies including the left-hander in order to get another team to pick up more of Helton's salary. Traded on his own, Fuentes would likely net a couple of more strong prospects for an already packed farm system.

Manny Corpas, who has overtaken LaTroy Hawkins to become the Rockies' top setup man, would be the likely replacement if Fuentes is traded this year. Though he's just a fastball-slider pitcher, the native of Panama has been better than expected against left-handers. He's probably going to be a long-term setup man, but he'd be a more-than-reasonable fill-in if he stays at his current level. Still, the Rockies would likely sign some competition for him in the closer's role in the offseason if Fuentes is gone.

Juan Morillo is the pitcher the Rockies would like to eventually hand the job to. The flame-throwing right-hander was shifted to the pen to begin this year and currently has a 2.41 ERA in Double-A, though that comes with 13 walks in 18 2/3 innings. He's the rare Coors Field pitching prospect that has to be owned in fantasy leagues.

If not Morillo, perhaps the job will eventually go to Shane Lindsay or Darren Clarke. Lindsay, an Australian, has battled shoulder problems as a starter and might require a move in order to remain healthy. The 6-foot-8 Clarke was up briefly earlier this month. Another right-hander who has struggled to stay healthy, he'd be fortunate to make it as a setup man. He has good stuff, but he's 26 and he lacks Triple-A experience. One more sleeper is ex-Astro Taylor Buchholz, who has been forced into the rotation this year even though he makes more sense in short relief.

2008: (Free Agent), Corpas, Fuentes, Buchholz
2009: Morillo, Corpas, Buchholz, Clarke
2010: Morillo, Corpas, Clarke, Buchholz

Florida - The Marlins brought in Jorge Julio in March, trading Yusmeiro Petit to the Diamondbacks in the process, so that they'd have a stopgap closer while they tried to develop a long-term option. However, bust almost seems like too mild of a term to describe Julio's tenure in Florida, and he was sent back to the NL West for another former closer, Byung-Hyun Kim this month. Kim is in the rotation now and hopes to stay there. While Kevin Gregg is getting the job done currently, it looks like the Marlins' next closer will come from a group that includes Henry Owens, Taylor Tankersley, Ricky Nolasco, Matt Lindstrom and Carlos Martinez.

There are just too many possibilities to make any of the Marlins' relievers a strong investment, but Owens seems to he have the edge now. He was doing fine work before hurting his shoulder earlier this month, and he has the big fastball to keep it up. Lindstrom, who was also acquired from the Mets in the Jason Vargas deal, is an even harder thrower, but he lacks a great second pitch. Tankersley, the lone lefty in the group, profiles as more of a setup man, though he's as good of a bet as any of the relievers for the rest of this year. Nolasco may have been moved into the closer's role this spring if not for Josh Johnson's injury. Ideally, he'd remain in the rotation and develop into a third or fourth starter. However, a future in the pen is a real possibility. Martinez and Logan Kensing are both recovering from Tommy John surgery. Martinez has superior ability and might be a factor late in games next year.

In the minors are a few prospects with the potential to move from the rotation to the pen. Chief among them is 2006 first-round pick Brent Sinkbeil, a fastball-slider pitcher with second- or third-starter potential if he finds a changeup. Chris Volstad also projects as a starter, but his sinker could work nicely out of the pen early in his major league career. Jose Garcia was a candidate to win a spot in this year's pen before elbow problems caused a sudden drop in velocity, putting his future in question. Ryan Tucker is one of the hardest throwers in the organization and is more likely than either Sinkbeil or Volstad to end up in the pen. However, he also has a better chance of flaming out.

2008: Owens, Nolasco, Tankersley, Lindstrom
2009: Nolasco, Owens, Tankersley, Sinkbeil
2010: Nolasco, Sinkbeil, Owens, Tankersley

Houston - With the Astros already seriously concerned following an awful spring, Brad Lidge was yanked from the closer's role after making just two appearances in the first week of the season. Another shaky couple of weeks followed, but he's been rock solid for more than a month now, allowing two earned runs in his last 17 1/3 innings of work. In 13 1/3 innings this month, he's given up six hits, walked four and struck out 17. That doesn't necessarily mean he's ready to resume closing ? perhaps the added pressure would set him back ? but it looks like he will get another opportunity at some point, either when he gets traded to another team or Dan Wheeler falters. Wheeler so far is a perfect 9-for-9 since taking over the role and has a 2.48 ERA in 2 ? years as an Astro. He may look like a setup man, but there's no reason to think he won't be able to get the job done for a couple of years if Lidge is moved.

With both Lidge and Wheeler under control through 2008, the Astros could choose to keep the tandem intact. However, this is an organization in desperate need of some kind of change and moving one of the relievers, mostly likely Lidge, could bring in the young starter or third baseman the team feels it needs. For that reason, I'm going with Wheeler as the favorite for saves in 2008.

No. 3 on the closing depth chart in Houston is still Chad Qualls, though his stock is down a bit now. Next up is Paul Estrada, who has a 2.66 ERA in Triple-A. However, he hasn't come close to maintaining his awesome strikeout rate from Double-A, suggesting that he'll be more of a setup man in the majors. Juan Gutierrez would be interesting in short relief if he fails to make it as a starter, but the Astros don't see him making a switch anytime soon. More likely to end up in the pen is hard-throwing Felipe Paulino. He might work regularly in the 95-98 mph range if he's allowed to go an inning at a time, and I consider him the best bet to be the team's closer come 2009.

2008: Wheeler, Lidge, Qualls, Estrada
2009: Paulino, Lidge, Estrada, Wheeler
2010: Paulino, Estrada, Lidge, Wheeler

Los Angeles - Jonathan Broxton remains the Dodgers' probable long-term closer, but he'll have to wait longer than expected to inherit the job with Takashi Saito seemingly on his way to another great year. Saito, working on a 1.97 ERA in 93 appearances as a major leaguer, is under the Dodgers' control through 2011, but he's 37 and he might prefer to finish his career in Japan. Even if he stays, odds are that he'll be overtaken by Broxton in 2008. Broxton, who is listed at carrying 290 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame, appears sturdy enough to last a closer for at least 8-10 years. Only the fact that the Dodgers have some other very talented arms makes him something of a risk going forward.

One of those arms belongs to Yhency Brazoban, who looked like a possible long-term closer before Tommy John surgery. He's back now and seems likely to recapture his former promise, though his command issues are enough in evidence to suggest that he'd be better off in a setup role. Ex-Rockie Chin-Hui Tsao has made a surprisingly strong recovery from shoulder surgery, though he's back on the DL now. He's closer material when healthy, but he's probably always going to have physical problems. Left-hander [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3828"]Greg Miller[/URL] has become a full-time reliever and displayed great stuff at times in Triple-A this year. However, he's battling some massive control troubles now and seems like a long shot to develop into a reliable major leaguer. Perhaps the best bet to become the eighth-inning guy in front of Broxton is Jonathan Meloan, a right-hander with a starter's arsenal but enough concerns about his durability that he seems certain to remain in the pen.

2008: Broxton, Saito, Brazoban, Meloan
2009: Broxton, Meloan, Brazoban, Saito
2010: Broxton, Meloan, Brazoban, Zach Hammes

Milwaukee - Derrick Turnbow's struggles last year caused the Brewers to request Francisco Cordero in the Carlos Lee trade, and Coco has been an extremely reliable closer for his new team, converting 33 of his 35 save chances since his acquisition. Cordero, though, is a free agent at season's end, and at age 32, he could command a contract in the neighborhood of four years and $40 million. The Brewers probably won't go that far to keep him and might be content to turn the job back over to Turnbow, who was terrific over the first six weeks of this year before struggling lately. Still, even with his recent problems, Turnbow has strong peripherals: 15 hits, nine walks, two homers allowed and 27 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings.

How Turnbow performs over the rest of the year will likely determine the Brewers' winter decision-making process. Assuming that Cordero leaves, it possible the team could make a run at Scott Linebrink, Jason Isringhausen or Eric Gagne. Another possibility is that they settle for a setup man to go along with Matt Wise. Jose Capellan, who requested a trade after he failed to make the team this spring, remains in the organization but seems like a long shot to enter the closer mix. He might get his trade come July. Greg Aquino, who closed for Arizona for a time, is more likely to make an impact as a middle reliever. Former Twin Grant Balfour qualifies as a deep, deep sleeper for saves. His control problems probably will prevent him from being a major asset. The same goes for longtime prospect Dennis Sarfate. Odds are that the Brewers won't be able to turn to the minors for a closing option anytime soon.

2008: Turnbow, (Free Agent), Cordero, Wise
2009: Turnbow, (Free Agent), Cordero, Sarfate
2010: (Free Agent), Turnbow, Cordero, Mark Rogers

New York - Billy Wagner has held up just fine so far after signing a four-year, $43 million contract with the Mets prior to 2006. Given the stress he puts on his arm with every pitch, he didn't seem like a great bet to last into his mid-to-late 30s. However, he's lost little so far and he seems well on his way to posting another sub-3.00 ERA this season, something he's done every healthy year of his career. The Mets would love to see him last as their closer through his option year in 2010, but they did pick up a potential replacement when they traded Brian Bannister to the Royals for Ambiorix Burgos.

Burgos, who saved 18 games for Kansas City last year, has opened this season with a 3.42 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in 23 2/3 innings while serving mostly as a mop-up man. Just 23, he likely has a very promising future now that he's in an organization that can worry about what's in his best interests. He could turn into a dominant setup man for Wagner next year and serve as protection in case of an injury to the left-hander.

2006 third-round pick Joe Smith has also looked like a potential closer with his 1.25 ERA as a rookie this season, but his motion is always going to leave him vulnerable to lefties, suggesting that he'd be of much more use as a long-term setup man. Aaron Heilman, who is sharing setup duties with Smith, figures to eventually get his wish to become a starter somewhere. He'll be more expendable as long as Burgos and Smith continue to progress. Also not to be forgotten is Duaner Sanchez, though he's currently sidelined with a second major shoulder injury. He'll likely reemerge as a big part of next year's bullpen.

2008: Wagner, Burgos, Smith, Sanchez
2009: Wagner, Burgos, Smith, Sanchez
2010: Burgos, Smith, Wagner, Bobby Parnell

Philadelphia - What a mess. Unwilling to meet Wagner's asking price, the Phillies gave the then 38-year-old Tom Gordon a three-year, $18 million contract prior to last season, though they knew he was an injury risk. Gordon was very effective initially in his return to the closer's role, but he hurt his shoulder and wasn't as strong after coming back. As a result, the Phillies made adding a top setup man a priority last winter, only to fail miserably in free agency and on the trade market. That led to the panic move to shift Opening Day starter Brett Myers into the pen, and now both Myers and Gordon are on the DL with shoulder problems, leaving the Phillies with Antonio Alfonseca, Ryan Madson and Geoff Geary battling for saves.

Gordon is likely to be touch and go for the rest of his career, so it'd be nice if the Phillies could push him back into a setup role. However, Myers belongs in the rotation as a 200-strikeout-per-year horse. With manager Charlie Manuel likely gone and GM Pat Gillick a possibility to follow him out the door, odds are that Myers will return to the rotation next year and the Phillies will spend to bring in Cordero, Isringhausen or another name closer.

As for sleeper candidates for saves, there's still Madson, top prospect Joe Bisenius and Francisco Rosario. Madson has remained inconsistent this year after last year's failed attempt to turn him into a starter, but he has the fastball-changeup combination to succeed. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to handle pressure all that well, suggesting it might be for the best if he remains a setup man. Bisenius can work in the mid-90s and has a plus slider. He should get a look in a setup role later this year. Rosario, picked up from the Blue Jays last month, has struggled to put it together despite very good stuff. If it clicks for him, he might have more upside than Bisenius.

2008: (Free Agent), Gordon, Myers, Bisenius
2009: (Free Agent), Bisenius, Myers, Rosario
2010: (Free Agent), Bisenius, Rosario, Myers

Pittsburgh - Salomon Torres' performance in the closer's role after Mike Gonzalez hurt his elbow last year convinced the Pirates they could afford to part with Gonzalez in an Adam LaRoche trade. It now seems that they would have faced life without Gonzalez even had they chosen to keep him, and after a very shaky start, Torres has been adequate as a closer, going 11-for-14 before the Pirates ceased creating save chances a couple of weeks ago. Torres, though, is 35 and is already thinking about retirement after 2008. He's not going to be the Pirates' long-term closer, and there's a real chance he won't even finish the year in the role.

Matt Capps would be the choice to take over if a replacement is needed this year. The rock-solid 23-year-old rarely walks batters, and his only fault is that he's a little too prone to the home run ball to be an elite reliever. Still, he'd likely be a solid enough closer if given the chance. Possessing more upside is Josh Sharpless. He's actually the older of the two by three years, but his outstanding slider makes him very tough to hit when he's on. Unfortunately, he's wild and injury-prone. He might be a setup man as a result.

The Pirates lack many pure relief prospects beyond Sharpless. John Van Benschoten and Bryan Bullington could be interesting as relievers if they fail to make it as starters. I prefer Bullington as a sleeper, but neither is much of a fantasy prospect at this point. 2006 second-round pick Mike Felix, a left-hander, looks like a future setup man. Of some interest is Cuban defector Serguey Linares. Listed at 24, he's supposed to have a big fastball, though it's yet to show up this year. He has a 1.61 ERA at low Single-A Hickory, but that comes with just 10 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. It's far too early to get a read on him.

2008: Capps, Torres, Sharpless, Bullington
2009: (Free Agent), Capps, Sharpless, Torres
2010: (Free Agent), Capps, Sharpless, Felix

St. Louis - It's by no means a given, but with ownership not interested in matching the NL's biggest payrolls, the Cardinals may decide to set Jason Isringhausen free after the season, buying out his $8.8 million option for $1.25 million. A cheaper two-year deal is something the Cardinals would likely be open to exploring, but Izzy would likely do better if he leaves town. GM Walt Jocketty could then go get Todd Jones or Bob Wickman a replacement for a year while waiting to see whether his younger relievers develop. Alternatively, the Cardinals may decide to make Adam Wainwright their long-term closer if he continues to struggle as a starter.

The latter scenario seemed unlikely at the start of the season, but Wainwright is currently sporting a 5.59 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP. He's also battled some minor arm soreness. If that lingers, the Cardinals may decide he's more likely to stay healthy in the pen, giving them extra incentive to make the move. At the very least, he seems more likely than Braden Looper to get saves next year.

The Cardinals do have some alternatives. 2006 supplemental first-round pick Chris Perez is probably the favorite to be the long-term closer if Wainwright stays in the rotation. He's fanned 34 and given up only nine hits in 20 1/3 innings at Double-A. Tyler Johnson is more than just a typical lefty setup man and has the stuff to close if he throws more strikes. Still, judging by the fact that the Cardinals have let him go a full inning in just seven of his 27 appearances, it doesn't seem as though they have all that much faith in him. Before Tommy John surgery cost him 2007, Josh Kinney gave the St. Louis pen a big boost at the end of last year. Still, I don't see him as more than a middle reliever. 2004 first-round pick Chris Lambert recently made the move to the pen. I'm skeptical he'll develop, but if improved command comes, he does have a chance.

2008: Isringhausen, Wainwright, Perez, Johnson
2009: Perez, Wainwright, Isringhausen, Johnson
2010: Perez, Wainwright, Adam Ottavino, Johnson

San Diego - Maybe it only seems like Padres GM Kevin Towers could walk down to the beach, grab a random surfer and have him sporting a sub-3.00 ERA in the San Diego pen within a month. This is a team that can't find any room for Scott Cassidy, who had a 2.56 ERA in 42 appearances last season, or Royce Ring right now, and it looks like things will get even more crowded with Clay Hensley returns. At some point, the organization has to wonder if it makes sense to pay any reliever $7.5 million per year when it gets quality results from everyone it tries. Maybe only if that reliever happens to be the all-time saves leader is it worth it.

Trevor Hoffman's $7.5 million club option for 2008 will kick in automatically if he remains healthy and likely would be picked up anyway, barring a major arm problem. Still about as effective as ever even though he's throwing 84 mph, Hoffman could choose to keep going beyond 2008, assuming that the Padres still want him. It's hard to see them making a change before they absolutely have to.

With Cla Meredith proving that his success as a rookie was no fluke, it's clear that free-agent-to-be Scott Linebrink is a goner, maybe even in a deadline deal this year. Neither Meredith nor 2007's breakthrough pitcher, Heath Bell, seems like a great bet to succeed Hoffman, but the Padres will surely come up with someone when they need it. Rule 5 pick Kevin Cameron is one possibility. Leo Rosales, who has 14 saves as the closer at Triple-A, is another, though he seems more like setup material.

2008: Hoffman, Meredith, Bell, Cameron
2009: Hoffman, Cameron, Meredith, Rosales
2010: (Free Agent), Cameron, Meredith, Rosales

San Francisco - While the Giants have become more content with the idea of Armando Benitez finishing out 2007 as their closer, he's almost certain to open next year elsewhere. The club was all ready to anoint Brian Wilson as the closer of the future this spring, but a strong performance in winter ball wasn't a signal that he had turned the corner. A fastball-slider pitcher, he's plenty good enough to close when he's on. Still, it's likely to be at least another year or two before he's a realistic option at the end of games.

Wilson's failures this spring had more people speculating that Tim Lincecum would be the closer of the near future in San Francisco. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the opinion of anyone in the organization. Lincecum has flashed awesome potential since joining the rotation, and there's no way he'll end up in the bullpen unless he begins battling arm problems and the Giants become convinced he won't hold up as a starter.

There isn't much else. Brad Hennessey has done solid work as a setup man, but he's likely to stay in an eighth-inning role or drift back into middle relief. Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez might be the best bet besides Wilson to develop into a closer. However, the Giants may prefer to put him back into the rotation mix next year. Former top prospect Merkin Valdez will return from Tommy John surgery as a full-time reliever next season. If he recaptures his stuff, he'd have closer ability. Still, he's a long shot.

Odds are that the Giants will initially go outside of the organization to replace Benitez in the offseason. Francisco Cordero is a definite possibility for the Giants, especially if Barry Bonds goes.

2008: (Free Agent), Wilson, Sanchez, Lincecum
2009: (Free Agent), Wilson, Lincecum, Sanchez
2010: Wilson, (Free Agent), Lincecum, Osiris Matos

Washington - The Nationals have a perfectly reliable closer locked up through 2009, but it's highly unlikely that he'll be around for that long. While his stock has suffered a bit this year, Chad Cordero remains the Nationals' more attractive property in trade talks, and since it's going to be at least a couple of years before the team has meaningful games to close, it makes all the sense in the world to move him for a couple of quality pieces. I expect it to happen in July, but if not then, there's a good chance the transaction will come over the winter.

Jon Rauch is currently second in line for saves in Washington, but he's also a strong candidate to be traded in July. In fact, there are probably a few AL teams that will make a bigger run at him than at Cordero. The 6-foot-11 right-hander has shown far more durability as a reliever than he did as a starter, and though he's hit a rough patch lately, some seem to think he'd have less trouble switching leagues than Cordero would. I'm not sure I buy that ? Cordero strikes me as the new Bob Wickman, someone who will defy expectations every time it looks like the cliff is just up ahead ? but he can be a solid setup man on a contender.

If both Cordero and Rauch go this year, it appears that the rejuvenated Jesus Colome would get a chance to close for the Nats. The stuff has always been there, and he's finally turned into a pitcher after frustrating the Devil Rays for so long. If Colome falters, maybe Luis Ayala will pick up the slack after returning from Tommy John surgery. Emiliano Fruto, like Colome, has closer-type stuff and should contribute this year if he can cut down on the walks. Chris Schroder and his slider could help in a setup role. Ryan Wagner is a poor bet after his latest round of shoulder troubles, but the Nats do like him and will keep giving him chances. Zech Zinicola was drafted as a potential closer of the future, but he's yet to show that kind of potential as a pro. As up in the air as everything is when it comes to the Nationals, don't put much stock into these predictions.

2008: Rauch, Colome, Cordero, Fruto
2009: (Free Agent), Fruto, Colome, Zinicola
2010: (Free Agent), Fruto, Zinicola, Colome

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Rocket Cleared for Takeoff?
After failing to impress against Double-A hitters last week, Roger Clemens made his third minor-league start Monday and tossed six shutout innings at Triple-A. Clemens allowed two hits and two walks, and needed just 89 pitches to record 18 outs after struggling with his command last week. He racked up six strikeouts despite working with a fastball that was reportedly clocked at 88-92 miles per hour.

"I'm not where I would exactly like to be, but I'm moving forward right now," Clemens said afterward. However, roving minor-league pitching instructor Billy Connors told reporters that Clemens is "ready to go." He'll almost certainly avoid facing the Red Sox in the Yankees' upcoming three-game series at Fenway Park, instead likely making his season debut early next week against the White Sox.

While the last-place Yankees hope that Clemens' return isn't coming too late, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Bartolo Colon looked great upon returning from the disabled list last month, going 5-0 with a 3.69 ERA in his first five starts back from a torn rotator cuff. However, he was roughed up Monday for the second start in a row and has allowed 15 runs on 21 hits over his last 10.2 innings. After allowing nine runs Monday against the Mariners, Colon told reporters that tightness in his triceps bothered him throughout the game.

Colon had to leave a start earlier this month because of the same problem and trying to pitch through the tightness Monday was clearly a mistake. The back-to-back horrible outings have raised Colon's ERA from 3.69 to 5.29, but more importantly manager Mike Scioscia sounded concerned about Colon's physical status following the game, saying that the Angels are "going to take a look at it" and are hoping that it's merely "a little dead arm."

* Esteban Loaiza tossed four so-so innings in a minor-league rehab start Sunday at Triple-A, but decided afterward that he'll undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The knee injury ruined Loaiza's comeback from a bulging disk in his back and is expected to keep him sidelined for another 4-6 weeks. Loaiza expressed optimism about returning at some point this season, but even the best-case scenario would keep him off the fantasy radar until August.

Meanwhile, the man who replaced Loaiza in the A's rotation, Chad Gaudin, continues to impress. Gaudin held the Rangers to one run over 6.1 innings Monday, improving to 5-1 with a 2.32 ERA, 46-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.21 WHIP in 66 innings spread over 11 starts. He won't keep that up all season, but Gaudin is showing the same type of promise that made him a solid prospect while coming up through the Devil Rays' minor-league system.

* With Akinori Iwamura returning Monday after a month on the disabled list, the Devil Rays made room on the roster by demoting Jonny Gomes to Triple-A. Gomes has struggled since getting off to a fast start last season, hitting just .178 with a .599 OPS in 309 plate appearances over the past calendar year. However, with a total of 49 at-bats in two months, it's clear that manager Joe Maddon wasn't interested in giving Gomes a legitimate chance to reclaim a starting job.

Given Gomes' poor play and the Devil Rays' abundance of outfielders, his next extended chance may have to come on another team. Iwamura will resume starting at third base, with Ty Wigginton and Greg Norton getting most of the designated hitter at-bats, and Jorge Cantu was chosen to remain on the bench over Gomes. Shoulder problems and horrible batting averages have caused Gomes' stock to tumble, but he's still a 26-year-old with good power and a .800 career OPS.

AL Quick Hits: Josh Beckett (finger) will be on a 90-100 pitch limit while starting Tuesday against the Indians ? Rich Harden (shoulder) threw off flat ground Monday and could be close to throwing off a mound ? As expected, Kevin Slowey will make his big-league debut Friday against the A's in place of Ramon Ortiz ? Hamstring tightness has kept David Ortiz out of the lineup for the past two games ? It sounds like Chone Figgins could be on the verge of losing his starting job to Erick Aybar ? With Andy Marte demoted to Triple-A Monday, Casey Blake is now the Indians' everyday third baseman ? After a perfect inning in a minor-league rehab appearance Monday at Single-A, Justin Duchscherer (hip) is on track to return Wednesday ? Joe Mauer's (quadriceps) targeted return date has been pushed back to Friday ? After going 4-for-5 with two homers Monday, Adrian Beltre is 11-for-17 (.647) over the past four games to raise his OPS from .715 to .816 ? Gregg Zaun (thumb) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Wednesday ? With a 3.39 ERA despite a horrendous 18-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio, Steve Trachsel is the definition of a sell-high candidate.

NL Quick Hits: After throwing a 50-pitch bullpen session Monday, Randy Johnson (forearm) is expected to make his scheduled start Wednesday? Ben Sheets (blister) will start Tuesday against the Braves on six days' rest ? Kirk Saarloos was predictably sent to the minors Monday, but the Reds called up Bobby Livingston rather than Homer Bailey ? Chipper Jones (hands) cut short a batting-practice session Monday and could be headed to the disabled list ? Jason Schmidt (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with a start Wednesday at Single-A ? Ryan Freel was taken off on a stretcher following Monday's ugly outfield collision, but it sounds like he may avoid the DL ? Freddy Garcia dropped to 1-4 with a loss Monday, but worked past the sixth inning for the first time in nine starts ? [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL] (groin) played Saturday and Sunday, but got Monday off ? Eddie Guardado (elbow) made his first minor-league rehab appearance Monday, tossing a scoreless inning at Single-A ? With two hits Monday, Edwin Encarnacion is 9-for-27 (.333) with two homers and a 1.012 OPS since being recalled from Triple-A.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Prospects: Braun and Anderson
Before leaving for our honeymoon two Saturdays ago, I promised my wife to pay as little attention to baseball as possible for the eight-day cruise. I would send in my picks for a couple of free agent auctions and drafts on three select nights, but would otherwise not check Rotoworld, look for newspapers, wander to the sports bar with satellite television, or call any dirty 900-numbers that provided score updates, or worse yet, box scores. It was a daunting task given my normal routine and surely hindered my ability to properly assess a few of those free agent bids, but it was well worth making the sacrifice.

However, I did have one baseball experience on the cruise that's worth sharing. I came to understand that Jason Giambi had gotten himself into some trouble with comments about his steroid use, but the extent of said trouble varied largely and was often exaggerated. At different points along the journey, Giambi had been suspended, indicted, demoted, released, or had his contract voided. As a Giambi owner fearing the worst, I even picked up Jack Cust in one of those aforementioned free agent drafts. I was somewhat relieved to find out I was simply part of a bad game of telephone and that nothing is likely to come of the situation. Given what I know now, it was a pretty amusing series of conversations I had and a good study in how unreliable third-hand information can often be.

Back to the subject at hand, I'm going to use the standard column format this week and next week before posting a pair of columns reviewing this year's draft. In those draft columns I'll rank the top 30 draftees for fantasy purposes, with a detailed writeup of each player's strengths, likelihood for success, and potential value.


Callups


Tony Abreu ? 3B Dodgers ? A Dominican signing by the Dodgers in 2002, Abreu has never developed into quite the player most scouts thought he'd become. While the 5'11", 170-pound Abreu has always hit for average and sports a career mark of .301, the switch-hitter has never developed any other hitting skills that will help him at the big league level. Although Abreu doesn't strike out much, he had drawn just 73 walks in 1,522 minor league at-bats entering this year. Abreu also has very little power to speak of, and his 51 steals in 83 attempts for his career is a horrible success rate. On the plus side, his defense is solid enough that Abreu can play any infield position with at least average efficiency.

Abreu won't turn 23 until after this season is over, but it still didn't look like he'd ever be a quality regular entering the year. A strong start to the season got Abreu promoted, but it shouldn't do much to change his long-term outlook. While his .357/.397/.503 line is impressive, Las Vegas is one of the most notorious hitter's parks in the minors. Abreu will share time at third base with Andy LaRoche and Wilson Betemit, with LaRoche or Abreu heading back to the minors when the Dodgers go back to 12 pitchers this week. Abreu would have a little fantasy value if he started most days, but that isn't going to be the case just yet. Recommendation: Monitor in NL-only formats.

[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4048"]Ryan Braun[/URL] ? 3B Brewers ? The man of the week, Braun is sure to demand a big bid to acquire in most formats. The fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft out of Miami, Braun possessed a balanced offensive attack. He had shown the ability to hit for both average and power in college. He also controlled the strike zone well and drew a number of walks, meaning his skills were likely to translate well. Braun even threw in 57 stolen bases in three seasons as a starter, so he's not your typical corner infielder plodding around the bases.

Braun has continued to display his hitting prowess since debuting in professional baseball. He had a .308/.367/.549 line entering the year, and that's including a poor 59-game stint for High-A Brevard County dragging down his averages. His 140 strikeouts and just 55 walks in 165 games were mildly troubling, but Braun put any remaining questions about his bat to rest this year. The right-hander hit .353 with five homers this spring, and then went on to hit .342 with 12 doubles and 10 homers in 34 games for Triple-A Nashville before being promoted. His control of the strike zone improved, as he posted an 11/15 K/BB ratio, so there was nothing left to knock at the plate.

Braun's defense, which has always figured to be a problem, kept him off the club this spring. He showed some improvement in the minors, but the Brewers simply couldn't keep his bat out of the big league lineup any longer. Braun will take over at third base, and as long as his defense isn't truly awful, he's likely to remain there for the rest of the year. A move to the outfield seems likely down the road and Braun's athleticism means he should be able to handle the change easily. However, the Brewers will give him every chance to prove he can stick at third base. With the ability to produce in all five categories, Braun is a must in all leagues right now. He's capable of batting .300 with 18 homers the rest of the way, and he should throw in 10 steals too. Recommendation: Bid aggressively in all leagues.

Dewon Day ? RHP White Sox ? A former Blue Jays' minor leaguer taken in the 26th round of the 2002 draft, Day looked like an interesting relief prospect before suffering an elbow injury in 2004. He missed the rest of that season and most of the 2005 campaign as well. Day returned to action in 2006 with the White Sox and looked reasonably effective for High-A Winston-Salem, but Day was 25 and still had command issues, so he wasn't going to be highly regarded.

However, a big right-hander at 6'4", 210-pounds, Day had the mid-90s fastball and plus slider that was required of late-inning relievers. Moved up to Double-A Birmingham, Southern League hitters felt the wrath of those two pitches as Day had struck out 48 in 25 innings before being promoted on Monday. On the down side, Day had walked 12 batters and given up 26 hits, so he still has plenty of work to do to fully harness his potential. The White Sox will use Day in middle relief for now, but he's not a good bet to succeed right away. He is a name to file away for down the road, however. Recommendation: Ignore in AL-only leagues.

Donnie Murphy ? 2B Athletics ? A fifth round selection by the Royals in the 2002 draft, Murphy became an interesting prospect after posting a .313/.397/.425 line for Single-A Burlington in 2003. Murphy didn't have much power and his speed was below average for a middle infielder, but excellent control of the strike zone (78/65 K/BB ratio) allowed him to provide value. A promotion to High-A Wilmington and a brief debut in the majors didn't go so well in 2004, but Murphy breathed some life into his stock by rebounding for Double-A Wichita in 2005. Another trial in the majors didn't go well and Murphy struggled in 2006, so there was little reason to expect him to be a regular.

Acquired for cash considerations over the winter, Murphy was hitting .354 with 11 doubles and two homers for Triple-A Sacramento before being recalled. That he was striking out once per game is of concern given how closely his plate discipline and productivity have been tied in the past, but it hasn't hurt him yet. With Eric Chavez battling triceps tendonitis, the Athletics promoted Murphy last week to give them some insurance. He's unlikely to have an impact in fantasy leagues right now, but he could have uses in AL-only leagues if given more regular playing time. Recommendation: Ignore for now in AL-only formats.


Prospect Profiles


Brett Anderson ? LHP Diamondbacks ? I typically prefer to profile a prospect once they have a bit more experience under their belt, but Anderson has looked so strong that I'll jump on him earlier than usual. A 6'4", 200-pound left-hander from an Oklahoma high school, Anderson was projected as a first rounder entering the 2006 draft. Surprisingly, he fell all the way to the Diamondbacks at the 55th overall selection. Some teams may have shied away from the youngster given he was more polish than potential, and others were worried about complications from his already big frame.

However, that the left-hander possessed at worst average stuff means the Diamondbacks had themselves a bargain, and I rated Anderson the 15th best fantasy property following the draft. Anderson's fastball sits in the high-80s, and he can reach 92 when needed. As with all of his pitches, impeccable control allows it to be a plus offering despite average speed for a lefty. Anderson also has a plus changeup that sits around 10 MPH slower than his fastball. An even slower curve and a hard slider that could end up being useful round out his repertoire. Excellent mechanics help Anderson repeat his delivery well and thus he rarely misses his spots. As a result, he posted a 102/9 K/BB ratio in 57 innings as a senior, and was heralded as one of the most polished 18 year-old pitchers of the decade.

Anderson struggled with the decision of going pro or heading to school and playing for his father, the head coach at Oklahoma State University. The left-hander eventually decided to sign, but it was too late to play in organized ball. He headed to the instructional league instead and drew rave reviews from several Diamondback coaches.

Assigned to low Single-A South Bend to start the 2007 campaign, Anderson's offerings have continued baffling the opposition. His 2.01 ERA is good for seventh in the Midwest League, and his 64 strikeouts rank him third in the league. That he's also walked just seven batters give him one of the most impressive K/BB ratios in the low minors, and he's getting more than twice as many outs on the ground than the air. On the downside, Anderson has allowed the opposition to hit .237 against him, which is high given his dominant peripherals.

Anderson is adept at handling both left and right-handed hitters and should minimize the opposition's power, but he's still likely to give up a hit per inning. That means he's more likely to be a No. 3 starter than a front-of-the-rotation guy, although I wouldn't completely rule out him developing into a No. 2 option. That he'll have to play half his games at Chase Field is a negative, but it's largely neutralized (for those in mixed leagues) by the fact that he's in the National League. Those in NL-only formats may dock him a notch, but his likelihood for value means you shouldn't go overboard.

Anderson will play the whole season as a 19-year-old, but he could move very quickly given his polish. He'll need to fine tune his breaking pitches a little more and keep his body in shape, but both seem likely for such a smart and dedicated player. I'd expect Anderson to end up in High-A some time this summer, and continued success could allow for Anderson to see Double-A early in 2008. A 2009 debut as a 21-year-old is very possible, giving Anderson more value than most pitchers his age.

Asdrubal Cabrera ? SS Indians ? All general managers make decisions that look quite poor in retrospect. Mariners' general manager Bill Bavasi makes more than most of his peers, but what makes him an especially bad manager is that many of his decisions look poor right at the time they were made. Indeed, the decision to trade Cabrera for Eduardo Perez last summer is one such mistake.

Signed as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2002, Cabrera didn't debut in the United States until 2004 at low Single-A Everett. That season he showed modest ability at the plate, but he displayed no above average offensive skills and struggled on the basepaths as well. A promotion to Single-A Wisconsin the following season went much better, as Cabrera hit .318/.407/.474 to go with an excellent 32/30 K/BB ratio. He was successful in just 2-of-8 stolen base attempts and needed to work on reading pitchers better, as he did posses at least average speed for a middle infielder.

Cabrera was just 19 and had played in only 51 games for Wisconsin before the Mariners got aggressive with him and sent him to the California League. Cabrera didn't embarrass himself there, but his average dropped 34 points, his power deteriorated, and his plate discipline fell apart. However, Cabrera's excellent glove got him promoted to Triple-A Tacoma late in the season anyway. He clearly wasn't ready for the league offensively, and sending Cabrera to Double-A or even back to High-A to start the 2006 campaign seemed appropriate.

Instead, the Mariners sent Cabrera to Triple-A. There was no way Cabrera should have been there offensively, and it was too early to focus on his glove work and pigeonhole the youngster as a defensive-minded backup. The switch-hitter showed better control of the strike zone than he had in High-A, but his average dipped all the way to .236 and his power nor baserunning was progressing.

At that point, the Mariners were two games back in the AL West at 41-40 and dealt Cabrera to the Indians for Perez. While Perez is a useful platoon player at first base, it's highly unlikely that a player on the wrong side of a platoon is going to be the difference between making and missing the playoffs. Thus, giving up anything of even marginal value seemed foolish. Despite Cabrera's struggles in Triple-A both before and after the trade, he was still very much a prospect given his youth and how quickly he had been moved up the ladder.

After letting Cabrera finish out the year in Triple-A, the Indians got wise and sent him back to Double-A Akron to start the 2007 season. Still just 21-years-old, it was an age-appropriate level for the shortstop, and he's responded in a big way. Cabrera's .309/.399/.500 line is a big step up from last year's 658 OPS. That he's also posting a 21/22 K/BB ratio is very encouraging, especially since he had shown the skill previously in the low minors. Cabrera has even improved his baserunning, successfully converting on all 13 attempts so far this season.

Cabrera's breakout cannot be explained simply by the fact that he moved down a level. His improvements are immense and in multiple areas, so he must be taken seriously as a prospect. Given his defensive prowess, Cabrera won't need to maintain all of his current production when he moves up to higher levels. That's a good thing, as the 6'0", 170-pounder is only likely to hit for gap power in the majors.

If he can continue controlling the strike zone, Cabrera should hit for average and post decent on-base percentages. Since he could add 35 doubles and 10 homers to go with 25 steals, Cabrera could be an average regular both for the Indians and fantasy teams. However, where Cabrera fits into the club's long-term plans is in doubt. With Josh Barfield manning second base and Jhonny Peralta rebounding from a poor sophomore campaign at shortstop, there wouldn't appear to be room with the club. Cabrera could be a useful utility player, but he has a higher ceiling than that and a trade makes the most sense. The Indians are in a legitimate playoff push this summer, and trading Cabrera to bolster the big club seems rather likely. However, if they are to move him, it's going to take a lot more than a platoon first basemen.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Readers' Strategies


Yet again, the OTBS readers have come through with a high volume of quality responses?this time to last week's call for fantasy strategies. So this column will focus on those tactics. Hopefully, we can all walk away with some new approaches to audition! I'll also discuss a couple of veteran pitchers who've been on my mind.
Thanks to all of you who took the time to write up and submit your strategies. My apologies to those of you whose contributions are not included. Space was limited, so I had to stick with the most unique and succinct submissions.
[SIZE=+1]Players of Note[/SIZE]
Curt Schilling ? If Monday's 10-strikeout win is any indication, good things are in store for Schilling owners. Not only was his command better than it had been all season, his velocity was up as well, as the 40-year-old veteran touched 94 MPH on the gun. And according to Manager Terry Francona, Schill's splitter was also his best of the year. Perhaps the most encouraging news from a fantasy perspective is that there seems to be a tangible explanation for Schilling's return to form. Yesterday, he was on WEEI in Boston talking about how, in trying to reinvent himself as a finesse pitcher, he'd gotten away from throwing hard. Now that he's corrected this problem with the help of Pitching Coach John Farrell, Schilling expects everything to fall into place. If you buy it (as I do), you should also be buying Schilling low, if possible.
Roger Clemens ? Check this out: The Yankees were 5.5 games behind the Red Sox when they announced the Rocket's signing on May 6. Now they're 14.5 games out. Hahahahaha. Sorry, couldn't help it. Hahahahaha. Ooops, there I go again. Please excuse me. There's just something hilarious about a last-place squad blowing a small-market team's payroll on some Red-Sox dodging rent-a-prima-donna who can't save them. It's got to be even more humiliating than watching Aaron Hill steal home or Scott Proctor throw a toddler tantrum. Anyway?Clemens fared well in his last minor-league start, even though his velocity wasn't great. The big question is, how will this ring whore get up for games when his team has as much chance to make the Series as I have to win a Pulitzer? Factor that in with the other risk factors (i.e., his age and how he'll fare outside the cushy NL Central), and the red flag is flapping pretty hard.
[SIZE=+1]The Trash Dump[/SIZE]
To submit a question or comment to the Trash Dump, email jgangi@rotoworld.com.
Just a little trick I use during drafts: Always find one manager and scoff at every single one of his picks throughout the draft. I find if you do this during the first 10 rounds or so, they're more than likely to make blunders later on in the draft. Every time they make a pick, have a reaction ready. Possible suggestions include:

• Chuckle to yourself and say "This is just too easy."
• Look at your sheets then glance up with a puzzled look and ask, "Who??"
• Ponder aloud, "I thought he retired?"
• Make up fake injury reports
• Smile, then stifle a giggle, then uncontrollably burst out laughing.

- Justin

I've had good luck running four closers and tanking wins. To make this work you must have elite closers with high K rates. This lets me win saves and, as long as my starting pitching has a decent ERA and WHIP, I can dominate pitching categories I've won 5 of the last 7 years.
- Thunder Brothers, Maine
This year I created a new auction strategy: Wait for the players to come to me. I waited 1 ? hours before placing my first bid. Everyone thought I was crazy and they laughed that I was blowing the auction. Funny thing is I wasn't spending $25 on Juan Gonzalez circa 2005 or $35 on Randy Johnson circa 2006; I was patient and let the bidding come to me. I presently sit in 1st place with a 10-point lead and 82.5 of the possible 100 points.
- Jarrad Rose, Saginaw, MI
Don't knock the old guys! While I watched all the Alex Gordons and Matt Murtons and Edwin Encarnacions fly off the shelves early-ish in the draft, I laughed to myself. Everyone wants the "lightning in a bottle" guy. I find that it's the consistent, proven moderate performers who make the big difference. For example, guys like Shawn Green, Luis Gonzalez, Garrett Anderson, Ray Durham...all available way down the list - even in 30-round drafts. Picked Trot Nixon in the 28th round. 28th!?!? How about the pitchers? Glavine, Maddux, Hudson...all these guys can be had long after the "radar gun" arms (i.e. Daniel Cabrera) are gone. You don't have to always go for the high risk/high reward guy. I find that slow and steady more often than not will win the race.
- Brett R. Goldblatt

• Don't draft batters with 120 or more strikeouts the previous season. (High strikeouts usually means low average.)
• Don't draft batters who have fewer than 60 walks the previous season. (High walk totals tend to lead to higher averages and runs scored.)
• Don't draft pitchers who don't average at least 6 innings per start. (If the pitcher goes deep into the game, he is usually pitching well.)
• Don't draft pitchers with don't have at least a 2-1 K/BB ratio. (Walks kill, sometimes more than strikeouts help.)

- anonymous

I hold only one offensive player on the bench and all the other subs are pitchers. Draft pitchers in the later rounds, mostly veterans with decent K potential. You may not have a lot of high K pitchers but since you have so many, you throw them in there in a daily transaction league and it appears that you do.
- Emil Priola, Poland, Me
I draft only top closers and middle relief for pitching and do not draft any hitters where speed amounts to any portion of their value. By drafting HR-R-RBI-AVG, SV-ERA-WHIP I can get better value because I don't have to reach for speed. This guarantees three pitching wins and, by ignoring speed, I don't have to sacrifice HR and RBI. Most weeks I can usually count on at least a 6-4 win.
- Bart, Toronto, Canada Eh!
Bring in some schlub relative or friend into a league that no one else knows. This relative/friend should be completely clueless. Since you are the only one that knows this relative/friend, then you should easily be the only one to take advantage of his ineptitude.
- Bob K, NJ
I take a look at the bottom five pitching teams in the league in ERA and WHIP. See which teams have three-game series against those squads and do my best to start the one through five hitters that day. Obviously, if the Sox play the Devil Rays, and you have no player on Boston then you move on to the next best thing. For example, take a look a Brad Hawpe. Available in over 75% of leagues, he played Arizona and Kansas City and lit it up last week. He hit .348, .913 SLG, 4 HR, 8 H, 5 R, 7 RBI and 4 BB. Better than starting Andruw Jones or Carlos Lee!
- Matt
Exploit every rule loophole you can! Back in the late 1980s, I was able to pick up Mike Greenwell as a catcher, because he had filled in as an emergency catcher for an inning. The next year, I was able to put Dave Henderson into my second base slot because he had played a couple of innings there in a blowout loss. The drawback with this type of strategy is that after you are successful with it, the league will find a way to close the loophole. In our case, after Dave Henderson, the league moved from a one-game requirement to a three-game requirement.
- Gerry Manis.
I find that checking out stat splits and platooning players can be a great strategy for a weaker position. For example, in my league I start Curtis Granderson only when he faces righties and Shane Victorino when Granderson is facing a lefty. Granderson's numbers against righties are all-star caliber while his lefty split is closer to Craig Grebeck. Together, two waiver wire pick-ups equal one great centerfielder.
- Chip Fanning, San Diego, CA
Try to "help" other owners teams, not just your own. I constantly assess each team's rosters for what they need, not just what I need. Everyone spends too much time trying to screw people with trades, when if they would follow what the big leaguers do and look to help fit what teams need, they would fare much better. When I trade a middle reliever with good WHIP and ERA to a guy struggling in that category for an offensive player who has 20-HR potential and have that owner feeling good about himself, I know I have done well.
- Josh Beers, Lancaster, PA
I intentionally make 1-2 deals that do not help me each season to guys lower in the standings, so when I come asking for Jose Reyes later in the season for three mediocre players, I can remind them that they got the better end of the deal with me earlier in the year.
- Josh Beers, Lancaster, PA
In August and September, trade to take points away from your nearest competitors (rotisserie) while strengthening yourself. Helping two lower tier teams gain points in pitching from a close competitor is worth losing out in the deal overall. It is all about winning, so helping a close competitor lose ground is sometimes as important as me gaining ground.
- Josh Beers, Lancaster, PA
In our head to head league, in addition to our actual championship, we have a smack talk championship as well. Smack can only be directed at your adversary that week, and must be directed at the opponent's team and players (no personal attacks). I have used this to set up future trades. Talking smack about an opponent's slumping superstar softens them up for later, when I feign desperation and offer to take a "risk" on an underachieving slugger: "David Wright is looking more like David Wrong these days; if he spends any less time on the basepaths, the Mets are just going to make him the manager."
- James B.
Be the first to make an offer; be the first to reply to an offer! GMs like other GMs that are easy to talk to and trade with. I'm the "Jack of all Trades" in my league, every year I lead the league in trades. I make myself accessible, cell phone, IM and email. I am not a difficult GM to trade with, nor am I that annoying GM who constantly offers ridiculous deals. If someone puts an offer out to the whole league, don't ignore it, show that fellow GM that you noticed he has a player available, even if you're not interested in that player. At the very least you open up the lines of communication. Remember, all GMs love a counter offer. Never depend on your draft skills to win it all for you, trades are a big part of championships!!!
- Buck, NYC
I'm a bit of a data geek, so I track three sets of YTD stats daily: mine, the best of each bucket, and the worst of each bucket. These automatically graph out and visually show me the tight horse races and how my progress is trending. It instantly lets me know where to focus my roster efforts.
- Steve
I avoid any offensive player that doesn't contribute to at least four categories. Players such as Pierre, Dunn, and, yes, even Ichiro, I purposefully avoid on draft day. Those players not only help you in only 2/3 categories, they actually HURT you in the others. If you do this successfully, you can actually dominate offensively. In my league, I currently have one offensive player ranked in the top 30 (Aramis Ramirez, through trade) and yet I'm 2nd in AVG, HR, RBI and runs and 4th in SB.
- Jason Mergott
I like to maintain 2-3 constantly revolving roster spots. On Mondays and Thursdays I use them to pick up a couple of hitters active on those days who have good matchups. Thus, I have more hitters active than other fantasy players, who may have several of their players on an off day. On Tue-Wed/Fri-Sun, I use the spots for some middle relievers. This strategy gets me an extra 150 plate appearances for my hitters (and correspondingly greater R, RBI, HR, and SB) and extra wins, Ks, saves, and ratio improvements from all those extra middle reliever innings.
- Joe M In my keeper league's draft, I spend quickly at the beginning, getting guys I really want, even if it means overpaying a bit. Then I lie low for the middle rounds while calling names I doubt most people will want at that point, getting them cheap. By the end of the draft, most people's bankrolls are down near my level, so I get even more of the cheap players I want. Often my initial roster has many weak spots, but I pick up lots of free agents in the early stages of the season to upgrade. More often than not I finish in the money.
- Walter Faber

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Sheffield Rolling Again
Gary Sheffield continues to absolutely kill the ball, going 3-for-6 with two homers and five RBIs in Tuesday's blowout win over the Devil Rays. The pair of homers gives Sheffield 467 for his career, moving him past Hall of Famer Dave Winfield into 29th place on the all-time homer list. Sheffield got off to a brutal start, hitting just .160 with a .577 OPS through the Tigers' first 22 games, but has been on fire since.

Beginning with a three-hit game on April 28, Sheffield has hit .330 with a 1.067 OPS over the past 28 games. He's smacked 11 homers while driving in 23 runs over that span, drawing 14 walks on the way to scoring 27 runs. Known more for being an RBI man throughout his career, Sheffield leads the AL with 44 runs scored and has been a huge part of Magglio Ordonez's league-leading 48 RBIs.

While the Yankees wonder if they dealt away the wrong aging slugger during the offseason, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Ervin Santana's Jekyll-and-Hyde performance continued Tuesday when Santana tossed seven innings of one-run ball to beat the Mariners. The start came at home, where Santana is now 4-1 with a 2.12 ERA this season and 23-6 with a 2.95 ERA for his career. Unfortunately, Santana is just 9-16 with a 6.98 ERA on the road during his career, including 0-5 with a 9.30 ERA away from home this year.

Santana's road struggles have been so inexplicably consistent and frustrating for the Angels that manager Mike Scioscia hinted last week that Santana could be in danger of losing his rotation spot. However, it's tough demote a guy who's pitched like a Cy Young winner in half his career starts. Scioscia indicated that he won't juggle the rotation to get Santana more home starts, but things are already set up for Santana to pitch primarily at home through the end of June.

* In other Angels rotation news, the Los Angeles Times reports that Bartolo Colon "appears headed to the disabled list" after back-to-back brutal outings and ongoing triceps tightness. As Scioscia put it Tuesday, "If he doesn't make progress over the next couple of days, we'll consider different things. Extra rest could be the answer." If Colon is sidelined, the Angels will choose between moving Dustin Moseley out of the bullpen or recalling Joe Saunders from Triple-A.

* Already limited by a dislocated right pinkie finger, John Smoltz left Tuesday's game in the fourth inning after aggravating that injury and suffering a shoulder strain. While that sounds like a disastrous combination, Smoltz said afterward that he hopes to make his next scheduled start Sunday. "Had they given me 10 minutes I would have been OK, but you don't get 10 minutes on the mound to work yourself back into shape," Smoltz said. "I really don't anticipate a problem."

* Braden Looper pitching extremely well as a starter after spending the first nine years of his career pitching solely out of the bullpen was one of the biggest surprises of April. However, it looks like Looper's deal with the devil ran out at the end of the month. After going 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in five April starts, Looper began May by giving up six runs on 11 hits, causing his ERA to balloon from 1.91 to 2.84 in five innings of work.

He bounced back with two good outings after that, but was shelled by the Tigers on May 18 and got knocked around Tuesday by the Rockies. Looper finishes May with a 3-3 record, but also sports a 5.35 ERA along with an equally ugly 20-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.57 WHIP in 33.2 innings. With 66.2 innings in 11 starts overall, Looper is already approaching his career-high of 86 frames, which means fatigue could soon be a factor. If you still can, sell high.

* NBCSPORTS.COM VIDEO: Fantasy Fix ? Projecting the Returns to Earth

* Two weeks off didn't slow Josh Beckett down one bit. He returned from the disabled list Tuesday and picked up right where he left off, tossing seven innings of two-run ball against the powerful Indians' lineup. Beckett improved to 8-0 with the victory, needing just 87 pitches to record 21 outs. In an amusing twist, Beckett is the first Red Sox starter to begin the season 8-0 since Roger Clemens ran his record to 14-0 in 1986.

* Alan Embree is 3-for-3 since taking over as the A's closer and may have the job for a while after Justin Duchscherer suffered a setback during a minor-league rehab appearance Monday. Duchscherer said Tuesday that he felt pain in his injured hip while throwing one inning at Single-A and is expected to visit a hip specialist later this week. He was originally expected to return from the disabled list Wednesday, but those plans have clearly been put on hold.

AL Quick Hits: As expected, the Yankees confirmed that Roger Clemens will avoid Fenway Park by making his debut Monday against the White Sox ? After missing three straight games, David Ortiz (hamstring) is expected back in the lineup Wednesday ? Joe Mauer (quadriceps) suffered a setback Tuesday, putting his Friday return in jeopardy ? Kevin Youkilis extended his hitting streak to 21 games Tuesday and is now batting .411 in 107 at-bats this month ? Jake Westbrook (oblique) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A ? A sore toe will keep Brandon Inge out of the lineup Wednesday ? With five scoreless innings Tuesday, Jon Lester (forearm) has a 1.25 ERA in 21.2 innings at Triple-A ? Following a four-RBI game Tuesday, reigning MVP Justin Morneau is on a 50-homer, 135-RBI pace ? Pending the results of an MRI early next week, Scott Podsednik (groin) could be close to resuming baseball activities ? With Jonathan Papelbon getting the night off, Hideki Okajima picked up his fourth save Tuesday, giving him one more than Mariano Rivera.

NL Quick Hits: Chipper Jones (hands) has missed six straight games, but the Braves are expected to wait until Friday to decide whether he'll head to the disabled list ? Asked Tuesday to put a timetable on his return, Nick Johnson (leg) said, "I'm just worried about getting stronger" ? Josh Johnson (elbow) threw a 62-pitch simulate game Tuesday and is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend ? Juan Pierre came into Tuesday's game with just six extra-base hits in 231 plate appearances, but tripled once and doubled three times against the Nationals ? The Giants are reportedly hoping that Ray Durham (oblique) can avoid the DL and return Friday ? Takashi Saito (shoulder) was unavailable Tuesday, meaning Jonathan Broxton could be on the verge of a big fantasy boost ? Willie Harris' inexplicable run continued Tuesday with his first homer since 2005 ? With Ryan Freel (neck) heading to the DL Tuesday and Josh Hamilton already out, Dewayne Wise and Norris Hopper will see plenty of time in the Reds' outfield ? After going 4-for-4 with a homer Monday, Felix Pie is batting .406 at Triple-A.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Just Another Day for ARod
Alex Rodriguez was the talk of baseball after putting together one of the greatest first months in the sport's history by hitting .355 with 14 homers, 34 RBIs, and a 1.297 OPS. Thanks to the ridiculous April his season totals remain outstanding, but Rodriguez batted just .235 with a .783 OPS in May. He put the finishing touches on the month by going 1-for-5 Wednesday against the Blue Jays, dropping his overall batting average to .292.

Normally Rodriguez failing to follow up his historical April with a good May would be a big story and the source of more criticism, but instead he's making headlines for very different reasons. On Wednesday morning he was plastered all over the pages of New York newspapers after being spotted with what the New York Post described as "a mystery blonde" who's not his wife. Then Wednesday night he got into a controversy on the field.

Running the bases following a two-out pop up to third base off the bat of Jorge Posada in the ninth inning, Rodriguez allegedly called for the ball as if he was a fielder, causing the Blue Jays' defenders to let it drop in for a hit. Already up two runs, the Yankees went on to win 10-5, but not before John McDonald nearly got into an on-field fight with Rodriguez. At some point Wednesday afternoon I actually felt sorry for ARod, but he has an uncanny ability to end those feelings.

While I wonder whether it's possible that a hitter on a 60-homer, 140-RBI pace has ever been the subject of more criticism and negative headlines, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* With a crucial four-game series against the Indians starting Thursday in Cleveland, the Tigers will likely be without the starting left side of their infield for several days. Brandon Inge has been diagnosed with a fractured big toe on his left foot after being hit by a pitch Tuesday and could be headed to the disabled list. Meanwhile, Carlos Guillen left Wednesday's game with what is being called a mild groin strain.

As of Thursday morning the team seemed unsure about how long Guillen would be out, but it seems likely that he'll miss at least some time. All of which means that the Tigers will be trying to close the 2.5-game gap on the Indians with both Omar Infante and Neifi Perez in the starting lineup, which is not totally unlike trying to catch up to someone who's a couple laps ahead of you in a race while wearing cement shoes.

* Roy Halladay returned from the disabled list Wednesday, coming back from an appendectomy a couple weeks ahead of schedule. He'll start Thursday against the White Sox after taking three weeks off and is safe to put back in your fantasy lineup immediately. To make room for Halladay in the rotation, the Blue Jays sent Jesse Litsch down to Triple-A. After a near-complete game in his debut, Litsch was knocked around in his next three starts, lasting a total of nine innings.

* In a matchup of elderly southpaws Wednesday, 43-year-old Randy Johnson returned from the disabled list to beat 44-year-old Jamie Moyer. Johnson looked fantastic, tossing six innings of one-hit ball while racking up six strikeouts, but was yanked from the game after just 61 pitches. He's now recorded more than 18 outs in just one of his seven starts and while Johnson dropped his ERA to 3.89, it still has a ways to go before matching his 53-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

* Phil Hughes' comeback from a strained hamstring has now taken a backseat to an ankle injury. Hughes turned his ankle while working out last week and has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 sprain. That means Hughes is unlikely to get back on a mound for at least 4-6 weeks, regardless of how his hamstring feels. A return prior to the All-Star break is now almost completely out of the question and it's looking like Hughes might retain his Rookie of the Year eligibility for next year.

* Armando Benitez celebrated his monumental implosion against the Mets Tuesday by having his sore right knee drained of fluid Wednesday. With Benitez unavailable, Brad Hennessey stepped into the closer role and picked up the save with a perfect ninth inning in relief of Barry Zito. Hennessey may get another save chance before Benitez returns, although he could be back as soon as Friday. Whatever the case, the Giants' closer situation is clearly worth watching.

AL Quick Hits: Not only have the Twins given up on Joe Mauer (quadriceps) returning Friday following a setback, he may still be more than a week away ? With Bartolo Colon's (triceps) next start pushed back to June 8, Joe Saunders will likely be called up to start in his place Saturday ? Indians top prospect Adam Miller is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with a strained flexor tendon in his right middle finger ? Troy Percival worked out for five teams Wednesday and reportedly looked relatively good while throwing 87-90 miles per hour ? Jason Giambi (foot) may sit out Friday's game after receiving a cortisone shot Thursday ? Jake Westbrook (oblique) is expected to make at least two minor-league rehab starts, with the first one coming Friday ? It sounds like [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=1390"]Nelson Cruz[/URL] is on the verge of being demoted to Triple-A ? Mark Kotsay is expected to return from the disabled list Friday after missing the first two months following back surgery ? Erick Aybar made his first career start at third base Wednesday and manager Mike Scioscia indicated afterward that Chone Figgins' starting job could be in danger.

NL Quick Hits: With three homers in his first two minor-league rehab games, expect Josh Hamilton (gastroenteritis) to return from the disabled list when eligible Sunday ? Ryan Howard was out of the lineup Wednesday because of Randy Johnson, not an injury ? Making his first minor-league rehab start Wednesday at Single-A, Jason Schmidt (shoulder) tossed six shutout innings with seven strikeouts ? Dave Bush gave himself a little breathing room in the rotation with an impressive outing Wednesday against the Braves ? After playing catch Wednesday, John Smoltz (shoulder, finger) said that he's optimistic about making his scheduled start Sunday ? Yadier Molina is out for 4-6 weeks with a fractured left wrist, meaning Gary Bennett and his .625 career OPS are now starting ? Sergio Mitre had seven strikeouts in four shutout innings before leaving Wednesday's game with hamstring cramping ? Shawn Hill said Wednesday that his injured elbow "flared up" during a recent bullpen session and he's scheduled to receive a second opinion.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Bullpen Report: Week 9
Welcome back to the Bullpen Report. While I was off sailing the Caribbean last week, Matthew Pouliot evaluated all 30 bullpens of the future in his Strike Zone column. There, he searched for potential closer candidates for each of the next three seasons, and ended by handicapping the field for each club. It's a must read for anyone in keeper leagues and those in one-year formats will want to check it out for future reference as well. You can find the AL Version here, and the NL counterpart here.

A lot has happened since I left, so let's get into it without further ado.

All closers are rated in one of the following categories: Locked In, Secure, Shaky, In Danger, Filling-in, Co-Closer or DL.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Closer: Jose Valverde (Secure)

Key setup men: Tony Pena, Brandon Lyon, Doug Slaten, Brandon Medders

Every time it looks like Valverde is at peak value and a good candidate to sell high on, he throws up a stinker within a few days and his ratios look pedestrian again. The right-hander had his ERA down to 2.53, but he gave up three runs on Monday and it jumped all the way back to 3.68 as a result. Such is life with someone as inconsistent as Valverde. However, with 18 saves, more than a strikeout per inning, and no injuries in sight, Valverde still has plenty of value right now. Maybe you won't completely maximize your profit on him, but it's time to start shopping. There's nothing wrong with banking those 18 saves and solid ratios and spreading the risk to other, more consistent players.

Valverde still has two more years of service time to kill before he hits free agency, but he's going to start getting a little expensive with all these saves in his pocket. The Diamondbacks have a closer of the future in Pena, and should the right offer come along, moving Valverde to a contender is a distinct possibility. If that happens, Pena would move into ninth inning duties with Lyon ready to step in if he falters. Given the possibility of a trade, all three players are worth speculating on right now.

Atlanta Braves

Closer: Bob Wickman (Secure)

Key setup men: Rafael Soriano, Chad Paronto, Tyler Yates

Mike Gonzalez requiring Tommy John surgery is only slightly more surprising than Roger Clemens deciding to return to the majors for one more season. In other words, it's not. With him out of the picture, those holding Soriano are in even better shape. Now, manager Bobby Cox won't have the option to use someone else in the ninth inning of a save situation. It's going to take another injury to Wickman for that to happen, but Soriano will remain next in line until he takes over the role in 2008.

Baltimore Orioles

Closer: Chris Ray (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scott Williamson, Danys Baez, Chad Bradford, Jamie Walker

Ray's overall ERA is still a mediocre 3.65, but all of his other numbers are excellent and he's very likely to improve that ERA as the season moves on. Baez has been so bad that manager Sam Perlozzo has talked of moving him to a middle relief role, and it's likely that someone else would get the call in the event that Ray hits the disabled list. Next in line is now likely Williamson, who came off the disabled list on May 20 and has given up one run in eight innings of work on the season. He's an injury waiting to happen, but he's worth owning in AL-only formats when healthy.

Boston Red Sox

Closer: Jonathan Papelbon (Locked In)

Key setup men: Hideki Okajima, Joel Pineiro, Mike Timlin (DL)

The statistic of the month is that with both the Red Sox and Yankees' closers remaining healthy, setup man Okajima has more saves (four) than Hall of Famer Rivera (three). That just about sums up both team's seasons thus far. It's unlikely that Okajima will finish with 10 or more saves without Papelbon going on the disabled list, but he's still very valuable in AL-only formats. His stuff is better than advertised, and while his ERA is likely to go up, he's not going to get pounded as hitters start to see him multiple times.

Note: Rivera picked up his fourth save after this column was written.

Chicago Cubs

Closer: Ryan Dempster (In Danger)

Key setup men: Angel Guzman, Bob Howry, Mike Wuertz, Scott Eyre

It was foolish to ever list Dempster as Locked In on a team with Lou Piniella managing. Dempster had one bad outing, and all of the sudden two Chicago papers are reporting that Guzman is being groomed to take over closing duties. That's right, Guzman, a youngster with starting caliber stuff who looked strong after moving to the rotation, is going to replace Dempster, who's blown one save and looked dominant for the most part this year. It's almost as if Piniella and Phillies manager Charlie Manuel were dared to compete in a pitching stupid-off. There's no other logical explanation for this.

That said, these don't seem to be idle rumors. A team determined to enact a role change, justified or unjustified, will eventually find a way. Therefore, it's likely that the Cubs will begin looking for reasons to pull Dempster in the near future. Guzman has plenty of potential in the role with a quality fastball to go with two plus, but inconsistent, offerings in a slider and changeup. Dempster isn't a free agent until after the 2008 season, but Guzman is still a good player to speculate on, especially in keeper leagues. I'd expect the incumbent to hold off the youngster for at least another month, but the change seems imminent.

Chicago White Sox

Closer: Bobby Jenks (Locked In)

Key setup men: David Aardsma, Matt Thornton, Mike MacDougal, Nick Masset

Lower than normal velocity in the spring meant Jenks was a risky option, but nobody remembered to inform him. The portly right-hander is currently sporting the best ERA and WHIP of his brief career, and he looks like a much better option now than he did just two months ago.

MacDougal has all but fallen apart over the last three weeks, and it's unlikely he's next in line at the moment. Aardsma and Thornton are currently the favorites to serve as Jenks' backup, but Aardsma has also struggled of late. Manager Ozzie Guillen likes Thornton very much and he's pitched reasonably well, but the club would probably prefer to keep the left-hander in a setup role. Masset could be an option down the road, but not just yet. If Jenks went down tomorrow, I'd rank them Thornton, Aaardsma, MacDougal in likelihood of taking over. If Jenks goes down two days from now, that order may change.

Cincinnati Reds

Closer: David Weathers (Locked In)

Key setup men: Mike Stanton, Jon Coutlangus, Jared Burton, Eddie Guardado (DL)

Weathers had his worst outing of the season this past week, surrendering six runs and taking a loss against the Pirates. It's more of a blip on the radar screen than a warning sign of future problems, but his owners are stuck with the poor effort anyway. He remains locked into ninth inning duties.

Quite a few people have written in to back Guardado as a second half sleeper, but I'm just not seeing it. He's 36 years old, he had a 1.54 WHIP before going down last year, and he underwent Tommy John surgery less than a year ago. Even without the surgery I'd have strong reservations that he could pitch effectively. Add in the typical timeframe for a full recovery from the procedure he required, and I'd be shocked if he managed an ERA below 4.50. Given that Weathers has been pitching well and that Guardado isn't a long-term option, there's just not going to be any reason to make the switch.

Cleveland Indians

Closer: Joe Borowski (Secure)

Key setup men: Rafael Betancourt, Tom Mastny, Roberto Hernandez

Borowski teased us with some poor performances to start the year, but the Indians stuck with him and he's rebounded nicely. The right-hander has yielded a run in just one of his 10 outings this month, and he's got plenty of job security at the moment. Betancourt continues to excel in a setup role and is next in line. Fernando Cabrera fell from a possible closer replacement to off the list in less than a month, and he's so out of whack that the Indians won't even let him in a game right now. He's had an epic breakdown like this before, and that it's happened a second time knocks him down a fair amount in keeper leagues.

Colorado Rockies

Closer: Brian Fuentes (Secure)

Key setup men: Manny Corpas, Ramon Ramirez, LaTroy Hawkins

The Rockies are down on their knees praying that Fuentes keep pitching like he has for another eight weeks. If that happens, they'll either get quite a good haul of young players in a trade or save more money than they would have otherwise while dumping Todd Helton's contract. All of this is because Fuentes is having his best year to date, with a 2.22 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. That he's pitching well actually increases the likelihood that he's traded, making eighth-inning specialist Corpas very valuable.

Detroit Tigers

Closer: Todd Jones (Locked In)

Key setup men: Joel Zumaya (DL), Fernando Rodney (DL), Wilfredo Ledezma

Jones has given up runs in each of his last three outings, but he's suffered just one blown save in the three opportunities. His 4.22 ERA and 1.41 WHIP are now right in line with expectations. There's not chance of him being demoted, especially with Zumaya out. Rodney is currently on the DL, but he'll be back within a week and retake his position as setup man.

Florida Marlins

Closer: Kevin Gregg (Filling-in)

Key setup men: Henry Owens (DL), Taylor Tankersley, Matt Lindstrom

When Owens went on the disabled list with shoulder cuff tendonitis two weeks ago, Tankersley appeared to be the favorite for saves. However, he pitched himself out of that opportunity, allowing Gregg and his 1.99 ERA to take over. Gregg has converted all five save opportunities since and has looked excellent while doing so. He'll remain the closer when Owens returns from the disabled list in a few days. A few poor outings and the club may evaluate going back to a youngster like Owens, but it's Gregg's job to lose for now. Since he's always been a talented reliever, it wouldn't be surprising if he ran with the chance and closed for the remaining four months.

Houston Astros

Closer: Dan Wheeler (Secure)

Key setup men: Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls, Dave Borkowski

Wheeler still has just nine saves, although that's no fault of his own. The right-hander has a 3.04 ERA and stellar 0.89 WHIP, so he hasn't done anything to deserve such a poor total. Lidge continues to look like the Lidge of old as a setup man, adding pressure to Wheeler to keep performing. Given that Lidge was so bad in the closer's role, I wouldn't expect the club to mess with how things are going right now. It's likely they'll look to Lidge again if Wheeler struggles, but there are no signs of that happening. There's an outside chance a contender will take a chance on Lidge and try him as a closer after acquiring the right-hander.

Kansas City Royals

Closer: Octavio Dotel

Key setup men: Joakim Soria (DL), Joel Peralta, David Riske

Dotel, who had been out since the spring with a strained oblique, returned to action a week ago. He gave up two runs in his first outing, then pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings over his next two appearances. The club initially wanted to ease him back into a closer's role, but that's not going to happen with Soria out. Despite experiencing some shoulder inflammation and hitting disabled list, Soria is worth holding on to. Dotel is still a risk to struggle, get injured, or be traded.

Los Angeles Angels

Closer: Francisco Rodriguez (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scot Shields, Justin Speier (DL), Darren Oliver, Dustin Moseley

Shields' early season struggles are behind him. His command has been sharper of late, walking just one batter in his last 7 1/3 innings, and the results have followed. He remains a great option in AL-only formats and likely to take over as closer in 2009 if the club can't come to terms on an extension with K-Rod.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Closer: Takashi Saito (Locked In)

Key setup men: Jonathan Broxton, Chad Billingsley, Yhency Brazoban, Chin-Hui Tsao (DL)

You wouldn't know it from Saito's performance, but the right-hander has been bothered by a sore shoulder and asked to sit out Sunday's game as a result. He's supposedly been available on Tuesday and Wednesday, although the club had no need for him. Perhaps Saito can avoid a DL stint now, but that he's having problems increases the odds for an injury down the line. Broxton was already worth using in NL-only formats, but he now needs to be stashed away in all leagues. He's a top 10 closer if he takes over.

Milwaukee Brewers

Closer: Francisco Cordero (Locked In)

Key setup men: Derrick Turnbow, Matt Wise, Carlos Villanueva

Cordero keeps plugging along, with an ERA (0.43) lower than his WHIP (0.63). He's obviously not going to keep this up, but he's worth holding out for tier 1 closer value in a trade. Turnbow has lost part of his early season magic, giving up nine runs over his last nine appearances. Wise, a consistently solid option when healthy, will be next in line if Turnbow continues to struggle.

Minnesota Twins

Closer: Joe Nathan (Locked In)

Key setup men: Juan Rincon, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier

Nathan looked a little shaky for the first few weeks of the season, but it never materialized into many runs allowed and his WHIP is rebounding nicely now. Rincon is putting more runners on base than he usually does, but he's managed to strand most of them and he likely remains next in line. Neshek has been utterly dominant with a 1.46 ERA, but he's going to have to wait his turn.

New York Mets

Closer: Billy Wagner (Locked In)

Key setup men: Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano

Wagner has given up exactly one run in three of his last five outings, but he's also struck out a pair in each game and he's hardly losing anything just yet. His ERA still stands at an impressive 1.57. Heilman is currently ahead on the depth chart, but Smith is a better candidate to be with the team next season and is also more likely to develop into a closer. He could very well be handed ninth inning duties if Wagner were to require a DL stint.

New York Yankees

Closer: Mariano Rivera (Locked In)

Key setup men: Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Proctor, Brian Bruney

Entering today, Rivera had thrown a total of seven innings in May. He's given up two runs, struck out eight, and walked one. Those are all fairly typical Rivera numbers. However, he hasn't recorded a single win or save to date in May. That he's looked better on the mound when he does pitch is a good indicator that he hasn't lost it yet, and Rivera is a strange but recommended buy-low candidate right now.

Oakland Athletics

Closer: Huston Street (Injured), Justin Duchscherer (Injured), Alan Embree (Filling-in)

Key setup men: Kiko Calero, Jay Witasik

Duchscherer was supposed to fill in for Street when the former Texan went on the disabled list with irritation of his right ulnar nerve. Instead, Duchscherer also hit the disabled list thanks to a hip condition. Embree has done a fine job filling in, recording three saves and not allowing a run since the team's pair of aces went down. Street should be back within a week, relegating Embree back to setup duties. Duchscherer's status is up in the air after his latest setback. He could be back in a week, or a month. He needs to be held onto in AL-only formats right now, but a long injury outlook might change that.

Philadelphia Phillies

Closer: Tom Gordon (Injured), Brett Myers (Injured), Antonio Alfonseca (Filling-in)

Key setup men: Ryan Madson, Geoff Geary

Myers has been nothing but a workhorse his entire career. In fact, he never required a DL stint prior to the 2007 season. Now he's out indefinitely with a right shoulder strain after converting to a reliever mid-season and then being used every other day without fail. These are not coincidences.

Gordon would reassume closing duties if he were healthy, but he was placed on the DL with a shoulder injury and is now battling an upper respiratory illness that is rather serious. Gordon is doing better, but he's not near resuming baseball activities just yet. He's likely to miss at least another two weeks and possibly longer.

That means manager Charlie Manuel will turn to former closer Alfonseca, despite his mediocre ERA and awful 1.66 WHIP. The right-hander converted his only save opportunity since the switch this past week. He's not a good bet to perform well, but he needs to be claimed in most leagues. If he's bad enough before Myers or Gordon returns, Madson or Geary would likely take part in a closer-by-committee.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Closer: Salomon Torres (Secure)

Key setup men: Matt Capps, Damaso Marte, Jonah Bayliss, Josh Sharpless

Despite eight saves during April, Torres had a rough first month after yielding nine runs in 12 innings of work. He's pitched better in May, giving up just two runs over 9 1/3 innings, but has just four saves to show for it. Still, it's enough of a turnaround that Torres has some job security now. Capps has had a poor couple of weeks, but he remains second in line.

San Diego Padres

Closer: Trevor Hoffman (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scott Linebrink, Cla Meredith, Heath Bell, Kevin Cameron

Hoffman was unavailable on Friday due to a sore arm, but he insists it's nothing and the right-hander threw scoreless outings on Saturday and Sunday. It's not worth discounting him because of the news. Meredith still has a fine 3.60 ERA, but he's given up 10 runs in 11 innings of work in May. He will rebound, but Meredith was clearly pitching over his head for the first six months of his big league career. Expect an ERA around 3.00 to go with quality peripherals.

San Francisco Giants

Closer: Armando Benitez (Shaky)

Key setup men: Brad Hennessey, Kevin Correia, Steve Kline, Jonathan Sanchez, Vinnie Chulk

Benitez's knee has been acting up again, so he's going to sit out a few games after having fluid drained from the knee on Wednesday. Hennessey picked up a save in his place on Wednesday, but Benitez should be back within a few days. However, Benitez remains an injury risk, so Hennessey is worth stashing away despite very mediocre stuff.

Seattle Mariners

Closer: J.J. Putz (Locked In)

Key setup men: Brandon Morrow, Chris Reitsma (DL), George Sherrill

Although his strikeout rate is down a little, Putz still has the excellent control that allowed him to dominate the league last year. With a 1.25 ERA and 0.65 WHIP, he's not a fluke. Morrow continues to issue too many free passes, but he also continues to miss plenty of bats and pitch out of jams with relative ease. He's likely due for a bit of an ERA correction at some point, but he's still well worth using in AL-only formats.

St. Louis Cardinals

Closer: Jason Isringhausen (Locked In)

Key setup men: Ryan Franklin, Tyler Johnson, Russ Springer

It's only 20 innings, but Isringhausen is looking as good now as he has at any point in the past. There's little reason to sell-high right now. Franklin continues to be a pleasant surprise in a setup role and remains second in line.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Closer: Al Reyes (Locked In)

Key setup men: Brian Stokes, Shawn Camp, Chad Orvella

Reyes has given up three runs over his last two outings, but his peripherals remain fine and his ERA is still an impressive 2.38. He'll be fine.

The setup duties in Tampa Bay are much more interesting, in large part because nobody has an ERA below 5.00. Stokes continues to be very inconsistent, and he's nowhere near an option to close at this point. Orvella was great in the minors, but he's looked hittable and had trouble finding the strike zone since being recalled. There's a good chance most of his struggles are mental since he keeps turning into a pumpkin once getting promoted. Should Reyes go down, the club will probably give Stokes or Seth McClung, who is still in Triple-A, another chance.

Texas Rangers

Closer: Eric Gagne (Secure)

Key setup men: Akinori Otsuka, Frank Francisco, Wes Littleton

Performance hasn't been an issue for Gagne so far this year. He's given up just one run in 11 innings while yielding five hits and striking out nine. The five walks he's issued is a little high, but it's hardly something to be all that concerned about given the rust he was still shaking off. Gagne is likely to head back to the disabled list at some point, but it looks like he'll be a quality option when healthy. Due to Gagne's likelihood of an injury combined with the possibility of a trade means Otsuka can't be dropped.

Toronto Blue Jays

Closer: Jeremy Accardo (Secure)

Key setup men: Casey Janssen, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs

Accardo is now firmly entrenched as the Blue Jays' closer after converting 5-of-6 save opportunities since taking over the role. He did give up three runs in his one blown save, but his 1.16 ERA and 24/6 K/BB ratio are still excellent and he's got a bit of job security now. Frasor has pitched better of late, but the club would likely give Janssen and his superb control a shot at ninth inning duties should Accardo go down.

Washington Nationals

Closer: Chad Cordero (Secure)

Key setup men: Jon Rauch, Jesus Colome, Luis Ayala (DL), Ryan Wagner (DL)

Cordero was inserted back into the closer's role last week, recording three saves and throwing eight scoreless innings since returning from the bereavement list. He's going to be a very valuable trade commodity if he keeps pitching this well. Rauch has given up runs in each of his last four outings. If he continues to struggle, Colome will be next in line.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Temper Clemens expectations
Just a little less than a month ago the New York Yankees made a bid to salvage their season by signing Roger Clemens. Now the same scenario is about to take place in many fantasy leagues as "The Rocket" gets ready to make his 2007 debut and becomes eligible as a free agent.

In some leagues, Clemens was taken on draft day. In others, he could have been picked up at anytime during the season. But traditionally a player has to be on a major league roster before he can be claimed.

For leagues that use a predetermined waiver order, it's a no-brainer for the team that has the first pick to take Clemens. He's a Hall of Fame-caliber pitcher on a great offensive team.

In leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Bids (FAAB), it will take a significant portion of a team's season budget to get him. In American League- or National League-only leagues, a common practice is to save FAAB dollars in hopes of picking up a star player who comes over from the other league. But Clemens is worth a sizable bid now since he'll accumulate four months' worth of stats ? compared to only two months' worth from a typical trade-deadline acquisition.

No matter how your league handles the Clemens situation, the real issue surrounding the Rocket's relaunch is how well he'll perform this season in Yankees pinstripes.

Anyone expecting similar numbers to those he put up last season with the Houston Astros is going to be disappointed. With just a little offensive support, Clemens should do better than seven wins in 19 starts, but there are several reasons why he's unlikely to approach his 2.30 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.

The most obvious is his move to the AL, where teams hit 11 percentage points higher than their NL counterparts last season (.275 to .264). Hitters in the AL ? and in particular the AL East ? will provide a much greater challenge for Clemens than those in last year's relatively weak NL Central.

The Rocket's last year with the Yankees (2003) may offer a better comparison. In 33 starts, he posted a record of 17-9 with a 3.91 ERA, 190 strikeouts and a 1.21 WHIP.

If we assume Clemens gets 22 starts this year, a 12-6 record would be a reasonable expectation. So would an ERA about 4.00, 130 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP. Those numbers put him on par with Jose Contreras or Jeremy Bonderman ? a decent No. 2 starter.

At 44, Clemens' health is another factor. His legs have given him trouble in the past, and he's had little game action this year. When he came back with the Astros last June, he had worked his way into game shape by pitching in the World Baseball Classic. Sitting out the season's first 2? months was simply a way to make sure he didn't break down physically the way he did in the 2005 World Series. This year he's had to start from scratch. The bottom line: It's far from certain Clemens will remain healthy enough to make those 22 starts.

For teams at the bottom of the standings, it makes more sense to trade Clemens than it does to hold on to him. As a serviceable second-tier starter, he's not going to be the catalyst that takes a team from worst to first. But a contending team could get a nice boost by adding Clemens to its pitching staff. A couple of young prospects or a pitching-hitting combination might be enough to get a deal done. In fact, it wouldn't be a surprise for Clemens to be traded in 60%-70% of all fantasy leagues before the season is over.

Looking elsewhere for help

For those teams that aren't part of the Clemens sweepstakes, there are several players on the horizon who could make a significant impact on a fantasy team's season.

Minor league pitching prospects Yovani Gallardo of the Milwaukee Brewers, Homer Bailey of the Cincinnati Reds and Kevin Slowey of the Minnesota Twins have the talent to step right into a major league rotation and produce ? as we've already seen from San Francisco Giants rookie Tim Lincecum and briefly from the Yankees' Phil Hughes.

In addition, Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay has made tremendous progress in his recovery from an appendectomy. He's expected to start May 31.

Among those set to return from injuries in mid-June are Mike Piazza, Josh Johnson, Tom Gordon and even Eddie Guardado. In July, Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera and Kenny Rogers should be back in action. And for the final two months of the season, Chris Carpenter and Pedro Martinez are expected to be fully recovered.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Conor Jackson Heating Up
I'm back from my business trip to California, and ready to go swimming in the free agent pool once again. Let's dive right in to this week's waiver wire candidates.

American League

Brian Burres, SP, BAL ? Four weeks ago, I mentioned that the soft-tossing Burres would have to improve his control to survive in the bigs. With a walk rate over five per nine in his five starts, the hurdle remains. I'm also less than impressed with Burres' groundball rate, despite his excellent home run prevention. Color me a skeptic, even in AL-only. AL: $2, Mixed: No.

Jeremy Guthrie, SP, BAL ? I should remind you that Guthrie actually has a pedigree as the 22nd overall pick in the 2002 draft. He's made six starts on the year, and his 3.8 K/BB bodes well. His control has been impeccable, but there is some inconsistency in his stats. For a guy with a low strikeout rate, allowing just 27 hits in 40 innings doesn't check out. His 1.03 WHIP will rise significantly when this evens out, though he'll still be valuable in AL-only. AL: $9, Mixed: No.

Jerry Owens, OF, CHA ? Owens may be called up to lead off while Darin Erstad is out. The 26-year-old is hitting .305/.386/.389 in Triple A with 23 steals in 48 games. Owens makes decent contact and could provide the leadoff spark the Sox were pretending they were getting from Erstad. Given that the Sox may play Owens regularly and turn him loose on the basepaths, he should be considered in all leagues in the short term. AL: $8, Mixed: $1.

[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3187"]Craig Wilson[/URL], 1B/OF, CHA ? The White Sox are the worst southpaw-hitting team in the league, so the Wilson addition makes sense. The problem is that Wilson's bat has been missing for about a year now. I don't mean the actual piece of lumber he uses, but rather the lack of hits it's produced. He's going to have to show something in Charlotte to merit AL-only consideration. AL: No, Mixed: No.

Paul Byrd, SP, CLE - It's hard to ignore Byrd and his 3.57 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and six wins. Byrd posted a useful fantasy season as recently as '05. All his peripheral stats are well below average, except for his walk rate. That's historically low, with just three free passes in 58 innings. I expect that rate to triple, pushing his WHIP into the high 1.30s and eliminating most mixed league usefulness. AL: $9, Mixed: No.

Kevin Slowey, SP, MIN ? It's Slowey Time, as today's his Major League debut against the A's. Slowey is a guy you can look to for some help in WHIP in most leagues. He's got elite command of his fastball, not unlike former Twin Brad Radke. He won't give you strikeouts and should allow home runs, so there is some risk here. He could have a Jeremy Sowers debut, where the hits just don't drop in despite a low strikeout rate. Or he could pull a Scott Baker, where pinpoint command leads to a hit parade. Slowey to me looks like one of those guys whose ERA won't match his WHIP, like Dave Bush or Javier Vazquez. AL: $10, Mixed: $1.

Josh Phelps, 1B, NYA ? Phelps may benefit from Jason Giambi's misfortune. He's got decent pop and might be able to chip in a three-homer month for those in AL-only. AL: $2, Mixed: No.

National League

Conor Jackson, 1B, ARI ? Some have labeled Jackson the next Sean Burroughs, but statistically he has more in common with Paul Konerko. Jackson's having a great May at .316/.413/.519. Right now he looks good for roughly 3-4 home runs a month, as Konerko managed in his first couple of seasons with the White Sox. Jackson's got the contact and walk skills one looks for in a true .300 hitter. Those in need of RBIs will be disappointed, but Jackson can maintain a 100-run pace batting second in Arizona. NL: $20, Mixed: $9.

Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, CIN ? The rumors of EE's demise were greatly exaggerated (and my pessimistic view of his first eleven at-bats since his call-up didn't help). Over the last week, he's hitting .393/.452/.679. Nothing like a demotion to give a guy a kick in the pants. We're finally starting to see why everyone considered third base so deep heading into this season. Encarnacion's going to have to continue mashing to get the cleanup spot back, but there's no reason he can't knock four homers a month. NL: $16, Mixed: $6.

Armando Benitez, RP, FLA ? Benitez returns to Florida, where he had his best season in 2004. However, this is not the same pitcher who walked fewer than three per nine that year. Benitez is now a hittable, homer-prone reliever with poor control. Despite Benitez's 280 career saves, there is absolutely no reason to give him the closer job unless Kevin Gregg implodes. Right now Fredi Gonzalez is sticking with Gregg. But his owners have to be concerned that there are now two options breathing down the neck of the first-time closer. NL: $6, Mixed: $1.

Sergio Mitre, SP, FLA ? I'm not sure why, but I've always liked Mitre. He had this incredible run in June of '05 for the Cubs where he tossed 16 scoreless innings, outdueling Roy Halladay and Josh Beckett in consecutive starts. When that sinker is working, he can be tough. With a groundball rate over 60% this year, it's working now. Mitre's command has been very impressive, and we should expect the home run rate to stay low. If his newfound control holds up we could definitely see a sub-4 ERA this year from him. Currently he's struggling with a hamstring strain, however. NL: $13, Mixed: $3.

Corey Hart, OF, MIL ? Finally some regular PT for Hart, everyone's favorite preseason sleeper. He's 10 for his last 21. He could play at a 20/20 pace if used every day. NL: $9, Mixed: $1.

Shawn Chacon, SP, PIT ? I knocked Chacon last week, and he used this column as motivation to post a ten strikeout effort against the Padres. Keep in mind that the Marlins and Padres lead the NL in strikeouts. You will see random double digit strikeout games against them. I still don't trust Chacon in any league. NL: No, Mixed: No.

Justin Germano, SP, SDN ? I wrote about Germano a few weeks ago, quoting a Baseball America scouting report saying he doesn't have a plus pitch but can succeed when he hits his spots. Germano has done just that in four starts, walking only two in 25 innings. However, his hit rate's a fluke and he's not whiffing anyone. Exercise caution as he is not mixed league material even if he remains in the rotation. NL: $4, Mixed: No.

Hiram Bocachica, OF, SDN - **DEEP SLEEPER OF THE WEEK** - The Padres snagged the 31-year-old Bocachica off waivers from the A's recently. For now he'll pinch-hit and pick up some starts against lefties. You have to respect his line in Triple A this year - .318/.450/.628 in 129 at-bats. He has continually done this in Triple A, and you have to wonder if the former first round pick can become more than a Quad-A player. He could be Marcus Thames with some speed, given the chance.

Baseball Prospectus projects Bocachica at .267/.337/.462 with 15 HR and 10 steals in 353 at-bats. He remains a very long shot, but that's what Deep Sleeper of the Week is all about. NL: $1, Mixed: No.

Randy Messenger, RP, SFN ? The Giants got a warm body with a sub-3 ERA in return for Armando Benitez, so they're happy. In recent years Messenger has "delivered" high walk, home run, and hit rates. There it is, your joke of the day. With a strikeout rate under five per nine, Messenger's 2.66 ERA is not long for this world. Even on the Giants I don't see him closing at any point. NL: No, Mixed: No.

Brad Hennessey, RP, SFN ? Hennessey is the closer of the moment for those in need of saves. We know he has the opportunity to close, but does he have the skills? A career K/BB of 1.2 and a microscopic strikeout rate suggest he does not. Hennessey has, however, discovered some control this season (his first exclusively as a reliever). He's getting some groundballs this year and may have just enough ability to skate by. NL: $14, Mixed: $6.

Todd Wellemeyer, SP, STL ? Wellemeyer is the Cardinals' latest reliever-to-starter experiment. The hard-throwing 28-year-old has lousy control, and we'll see what Dave Duncan can do with him. I would curiously watch from afar, even in a deep NL-only league. NL: No, Mixed: No.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Benitez Back in Florida
Rumored to be after him all season, the Marlins finally got their man Thursday, sending Randy Messenger to the Giants for Armando Benitez. The move comes at an odd time for a number of reasons. For one thing, Benitez imploded against the Mets earlier this week and then had his injured knee drained of fluid the next day. Beyond that, the Marlins activated Henry Owens from the disabled list Thursday, giving their bullpen a big boost anyway.

Benitez's trade stock has taken a major hit recently, as evidenced by the Marlins swapping a run-of-the-mill middle reliever for him while the Giants picked up all but $333,000 of his $5 million salary. San Francisco was apparently just happy to rid themselves of Benitez after getting just 45 saves from him during a three-year, $21.5 million contract. In an interesting twist, Benitez signed that deal following a 47-save season for Florida in 2004.

It's highly unlikely that Benitez will have that kind of success in his second stint with the Marlins, but they'd settle for simply avoiding another Jorge Julio-type disaster. Still, it's somewhat unclear why the Marlins felt that they needed Benitez with Kevin Gregg pitching well and Owens back in the bullpen mix. Owens and Gregg see their fantasy value drop significantly, although given Benitez's struggles and injuries they may still have a chance to battle for saves yet this season.

Meanwhile, with Benitez out of the picture Brad Hennessey is the odds-on favorite for ninth-inning duties in San Francisco. Brian Wilson was thought to be next in line for the job heading into spring training, but was cut at the end of camp and is now on the disabled list at Triple-A. A starter as recently as last season, Hennessey has been good in a setup role, posting a 2.82 ERA, 14-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.03 WHIP in 22.1 innings.

Hennessey likely doesn't have the raw stuff or command to succeed in the closer role long term, but the Giants don't have many other passable options?Messenger, Vinnie Chulk, and Kevin Correia are now the top setup men?and his career numbers as a reliever have been solid. In 63 total innings out of the bullpen, Hennessey has a 3.14 ERA and .217 opponent's batting average despite a sub par 34-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

While the Giants make Benitez someone else's problem and the Marlins are careful what they wish for, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Between decreased velocity and some ugly outings, it's time to start worrying about Bronson Arroyo. The Astros knocked Arroyo around Thursday, getting to him for eight runs on 11 hits in five innings. Arroyo has a hideous 16.36 ERA over his last three starts, allowing 20 runs on 24 hits over 11 innings. Opponents have smacked him around to the tune of a .429 batting average and 1.286 OPS over that span, with his overall ERA ballooning from 2.64 to 4.73 in two weeks.

To make matters worse, the horrible three-start stretch has come against three of the worst offensive teams in the entire league. Pittsburgh, Houston, and Washington rank 13th, 14th, and 16th among NL teams in scoring, yet Arroyo allowed 8, 6, and 6 runs against them while failing to record more than 15 outs in any of the three outings. Arroyo has said that there's nothing wrong with him physically, but don't be shocked if that changes.

* Mariners baserunning coach Mike Goff said earlier this week that Ichiro Suzuki is much more willing to take chances on the bases now that his streak of 45 straight successful steals is over. That's not the type of thing that usually gets revealed by players or coaches, but it's pretty clearly true. Prior to having his streak snapped on May 17, Ichiro had attempted seven steals in 36 games. In 14 games since then, he's already attempted nine steals.

Along with hitting .364 in May, Ichiro went 13-for-15 swiping bases after attempting a grand total of one steal in all of April. Ichiro was sitting on a .260 batting average through May 6, but since then he's hitting .411 with two homers, 12 steals, and 23 runs scored in 24 games. He's currently sporting a .336 batting average overall and is on pace for his usual 230 hits, 45 steals, and 120 runs scored. Interestingly, he's also on pace for a career-high 78 RBIs.

* Over at NBCSports.com, this week's "Gleeman Report" video focuses on when to expect top pitching prospects Homer Bailey, Yovani Gallardo, Adam Miller, and Matt Garza to receive call-ups. Also worth checking out is Thursday's "Fantasy Fix" show, with Al Yellon from Bleed Cubbie Blue joining Gregg Rosenthal, Tiffany Simons, and Yours Truly to talk about what's wrong with Alfonso Soriano and the Cubs.

* Rickie Weeks headed to the disabled list Thursday and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with tendinitis in his right wrist. Interestingly, the Brewers will likely replace Weeks at second base by simply sliding their old third-base platoon over. Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino had been splitting time at third base, but they went to the bench when [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4048"]Ryan Braun[/URL] was called up from Triple-A last week. Now they'll likely get into an identical platoon at second base.

AL Quick Hits: With Jason Giambi (foot) expected to miss at least three weeks, Melky Cabrera's fantasy value receives a nice boost ? Roy Halladay (appendectomy) returned from the disabled list Thursday with seven shutout innings against the White Sox, picking up his 100th career win ? Marcus Thames is stealing at-bats from Sean Casey, with manager Jim Leyland saying Thursday that "Casey hasn't produced anything" and the Tigers "need to get some thunder in there" ? After back-to-back benchings, Chone Figgins returned to the lineup Thursday with three hits and two steals ? Carlos Guillen (groin) ran in the outfield prior to Thursday's game and hopes to return over the weekend ? With their rotation struggling behind Scott Kazmir and James Shields, the Devil Rays may replace Casey Fossum (7.89 ERA) and Jae Seo (8.13 ERA) with prospects Andy Sonnanstine and J.P. Howell ? As expected, Joe Saunders will come up from Triple-A to start in place of Bartolo Colon (triceps) Saturday ? Frank Thomas hit career homer No. 495 Thursday and tied Edgar Martinez for the all-time record with 243 homers as a designated hitter.

NL Quick Hits: Carlos Beltran left Thursday's game with a bruised knee and is scheduled to undergo an MRI ? Prince Fielder went deep again Thursday, tying Alex Rodriguez for the MLB lead with 19 homers ? Edwin Encarnacion went 4-for-4 Thursday, giving him a .333 batting average and two homers since returning from Triple-A last week ? Pedro Martinez is expected to throw off a mound Monday for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery and continues to eye an August return ? Corey Hart is finally getting another chance for regular at-bats and has taken advantage, going 8-for-15 over the past four games ? St. Louis is reportedly interested in Jason LaRue as a short-term replacement for Yadier Molina (wrist) ? Lance Berkman's homer Thursday was his first since May 9 ? Mike Gonzalez (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Thursday to start what will likely be a year-long recovery process ? After showing almost no ability as a hitter, the Padres are converting former No. 1 overall pick Matt Bush into a pitcher.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Week That Was
The closer merry-go-round plays a big role in this week's Week That Was ? along with some heavy handed moralizing and speechifying by that Yankee fan of Yankee fans, Mr. Schultz.

Matt Morris: Matt Morris looked strong again this week, winning his 6th game of the season. Simply put, he will not keep up his success. If you own Morris, call everyone in your league, take out an ad, heck, even hire a skywriter, just crow and crow about the 2.66 ERA and SELL! When you get behind the numbers, it is pretty scary. First, Morris barely has more strikeouts than walks. Second, his last ERA under 4.00 was all the way back in 2003, and finally, he has never been the same pitcher since injuring his shoulder mid way through the 2004 campaign. SELL!

Armando Benitez: In what must be viewed as a "what the heck" move, the Fish traded for Armando Benitez. I just cannot figure out why anyone wants a closer who continues to blow big game after big game. I just cannot. Apparently, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez sees the light (at least for now). Gonzalez says he will stick with Kevin Gregg as his closer. What does this all mean? Well, Gregg holds some of his value, but now there is a much greater risk that he will lose his job. Henry Owens' value plummets as there are now two impediments (Gregg and Armando) to Owens getting his job back. Bottom line on Benitez ? if you really believe he can be a big game closer, I hope you have a large trust fund, because you are gullible and people will be fleecing you for years to come.

Matt Capps: In more closer news, the Pirates announced that Matt Capps is in and Salomon Torres is out as the Pirates closer. Frankly, I am not surprised. Capps has better stuff and given that the Pirates are not going to win this year, they may as well train their future. If Capps is a free agent in your league, grab him. He may have a few bumps in the road, but closers not named Benitez are hard to come by.

Scott Proctor: In a recurring episode of "how dumb can you be?," Scott Proctor hit Kevin Youklis in the 9th inning with the Yankees up by 6 runs. Papi followed with a hit, and voila, Proctor's stupidity leads to a potential rally, Youklis scoring, and the need to bring in Mariano Rivera to stop the bleeding right there. From a real life perspective, I just hope that Schilling has more class than Proctor and just retaliates by hitting a player in the back or side rather than coming dangerously close to a hitter's head. On the fantasy front, well, frankly, you should not own Proctor and his 13 BB/17K stat line anyway. However, if you do, you should expect another suspension. Any other roto effects here? Well, with Vizcaino and Farnsworth lighting fires and Proctor headhunting, the Yankees will have no choice but to use Mariano much more often. In the short term that will be good for Mariano owners as he will compile strong stats and more innings. Yankee fans just have to hope that they do not burn him out.


Jason Giambi: It looks like the Giambino will be out at least 4-6 weeks with a partially torn plantar fascia tendon. (Sounds painful, no?) This is bad for Giambi and his owners, but has a number of positive roto-effects. First, Melky "leche" Cabrera will assume an everyday role. If he is available in your league, grab him. Second, it allows Johnny Damon to DH. This should keep Damon's legs fresher and lead to greater productivity fantasy-wise. Finally, without Giambi, the Yankees may be sparked into returning to taking pitches, moving runners, and doing the other sundry things that winners do, rather than waiting for the three run homer.

Jerry Owens: With Darren Erstad being placed on the DL, the Chisox called up Jerrry Owens from Triple-A to assume the everyday centerfielder role. Owens has speed to burn and should be grabbed up by any owners in need of swipes (23 in two AAA months). Moreover, given that Owens was hitting over .300 in AAA, the batting average risks are somewhat reduced. So far, so good, as Owens went 2-4 with a swipe in his first start.

Brad Hennessey: With the addition by subtraction of trading Armando Benitez, Brad Hennessey becomes the Giants closer. If you need saves, grab Hennessey ? why not? However, I recommend that you roster Kevin Correia as well. Hennessey has good ERA and WHIP numbers out of the pen this year. However, his low strikeout ratio worries me. Correia, on the other hand, has better strikeout numbers and, unlike Hennessey, is in his second year of successful relief pitching.

Rickie Weeks: In a move that Brewer fans have been dreading but expecting, the team placed second baseman Rickie Weeks on the DL with more wrist problems. If you own Weeks, you have no choice but to wait it out. If you got an injury-prone discount, then no big deal ? you are getting what you paid for (I know, another participle dangled). However, if you paid full value, then shame, shame on you. As we repeat countless times on these pages, fantasy baseball success is about risk aversion! Craig Counsell and Tony Graffanino will split 2B in the interim. Of the two, I like Graffanino better (for his name and his solid last two seasons).

Lance Berkman: Lance Berkman may finally be heating up, hitting his first homer in almost three weeks Thursday. Now is the time to buy. Berkman is just too good of a hitter to lay low this long. He may not bust out for another 45 dingers, but by years' end, he will be a multi-position (1B/OF), 100 RBI performer you will be glad to have owned. BUY!

Roy Halladay: The "Doc" is back as Roy Halladay returned from appendicitis to hurl seven scoreless innings against the Chisox this week. Expect Halladay to continue to pitch well the rest of the way. However, do not expect the big strikeout numbers. They show no signs of returning.

Last but not least, this week's Schultz Says: "So much interesting news in Yankeeville this week and practically none of it baseball related. Within the last couple days, the New York tabloids alleged that Alex Rodriguez was cheating on his wife and the next night he responded by executing one of the bushiest of bush league moves: calling for a pop-up while running the bases. A-Rod's "I got it" play is so low class, you won't see anyone pull it in beer league softball. There's a number of words you could call A-Rod for this little ploy and Colton would be right in removing each and every one of them. After all, we are family friendly here at The Week That Was. I guess that little slap from the 2004 ALCS (you know, the one where the Yankees became the first team in baseball's history to blow a 3-0 lead) wasn't an isolated incident. If your league counts unsportsmanlike actions as a category, A-Rod's gotta be your number one pick. As for the headlines questioning his fidelity: I'm sure he'll remember this when he's considering whether to opt out of his contract. Surely the Cleveland Plain Dealer or the Florida Tribune have better things to cover.

Another guy making news for his off-the-field activities is Elijah Dukes. This situation bears noting from a roto-perspective as Devil Ray ownership seems inclined to take some sort of remedial measures for Dukes' actions. It's unclear whether Stuart Sternberg was sincere in his comments about the team exacting their own discipline or simply displaying his dismay over Dukes' violent outburst. If this all passes over, expect Dukes' high power, low average stats to remain constant while Tampa Bay battles the Yankees for 4th place in the Eastern Division. If it doesn't, perhaps Dukes gets a change of scenery that provides him with the impetus to raise his game to a new level. This is a situation worth watching and Dukes may be an interesting player to take a low-risk gamble on if his current owner is worried . . . or overly ethical about the players on his roto-team.

Retired closer Troy Percival may become the uber-sleeper of this year's season. The teams expressing interest in the former Angels closer (Phillies, Tigers, Indians) all seem to have questionable closer stability. Despite stories that his velocity is only in the high eighties, it sounds like Percival's comeback is going to occur somewhere. There's always a closer each year that improbably comes out of nowhere to save 20+ games. Could this year's model be Troy Percival?

Response: I do not think Schultz is a Yankee fan. Oh, and do you think Schultzie was highlighting all of the ethical lapses on the last Indians team to win big (you know, where Indian pitcher Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn gets "friendly" with Mrs. Dorn (aka wife of Indian 3B Roger Dorn)?

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Interleague Returns
Interleague baseball continues this week with some intriguing matchups, including Barry Zito (5-5, 4.21) taking on Dan Haren (6-2, 1.64) and his former Oakland teammates and a C.C. Sabathia (8-1, 3.78) vs Aaron Harang (6-2, 4.22) duel in Ohio. Jason Schmidt, Jeff Weaver and Joe Mauer will return to action, while the Dodgers play a major league season-high six southpaws this upcoming week. King Felix, Doc Halladay, Dice K and a lefty nicknamed Chin Strap get two starts in week 10. Find out why Ryan Howard could be in store for a tough week, [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=2353"]Jose Guillen[/URL] might have a big week and the latest on the injury report. The Week Ahead has done the research to help you make those difficult lineup decisions.

Two-start pitchers:
Great options:
C.C. Sabathia CLE vs. KC Jorge De La Rosa, @ CIN Aaron Harang
Dan Haren OAK vs. BOS Julian Tavarez, @ SF Barry Zito
[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL] SD vs. LA Mark Hendrickson, vs. SEA Felix Hernandez
Erik Bedard BAL @ SEA Felix Hernandez, vs. COL Jason Hirsh
Daisuke Matsuzaka BOS @ OAK Lenny DiNardo, @ ARI Micah Owings
Tim Hudson ATL vs. FLA Sergio Mitre, vs. CHC Jason Marquis
Aaron Harang CIN @ STL Brad Thompson, vs. CLE C.C. Sabathia
Jered Weaver LAA vs. MIN Boof Bonser, @ STL Brad Thompson
Derek Lowe LA @ PIT Paul Maholm, vs. TOR Tomo Ohka
Barry Zito SF @ PHI Jon Lieber, vs. OAK Dan Haren
Felix Hernandez SEA vs. BAL Erik Bedard, @ SD [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL]
James Shields TB vs. KC Gil Meche, @ FLA Sergio Mitre
Tom Glavine NYM vs. PHI Jamie Moyer, @ DET Nate Robertson
Roy Halladay TOR vs. TB Andrew Sonnanstine, @ LA Mark Hendrickson
Mark Buehrle CHW vs. NYY Tyler Clippard, vs. HOU Wandy Rodriguez

More strong options:
Ted Lilly CHC @ MIL Claudio Vargas, @ ATL Kyle Davies
Matt Cain SF @ ARI Micah Owings, vs. OAK Lenny DiNardo
Boof Bonser MIN @ LAA Jered Weaver, vs. WAS Mike Bacsik
Jason Marquis CHC @ MIL Dave Bush, @ ATL Tim Hudson
Jon Garland CHW vs. NYY TBA, vs. HOU Jason Jennings
Gil Meche KC @ TB James Shields, vs. PHI Jon Lieber
Nate Robertson DET @ TEX Vicente Padilla, vs. NYM Tom Glavine
Dave Bush MIL vs. CHC Jason Marquis, @ TEX Vicente Padilla
Micah Owings ARI vs. SF Matt Cain, vs. BOS Daisuke Matsuzaka
Jamie Moyer PHI @ NYM Tom Glavine, @ KC Jorge De La Rosa
Sergio Mitre FLA @ ATL Tim Hudson, vs. TB James Shields
Jon Lieber PHI vs. SF Barry Zito, @ KC Gil Meche

Other two-starters:
Jason Hirsh COL vs. HOU Wandy Rodriguez, @ BAL Erik Bedard
Wandy Rodriguez HOU @ COL Jason Hirsh, @ CHW Mark Buehrle
Mark Hendrickson LA @ SD [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL], vs. TOR Roy Halladay
Vicente Padilla TEX vs. DET Nate Robertson, vs. MIL Dave Bush
Jorge De La Rosa KC @ CLE C.C. Sabathia, vs. PHI Jamie Moyer
Kyle Davies ATL vs. FLA Byung-Hyun Kim, vs. CHC Ted Lilly
Tyler Clippard NYY @ CHW Mark Buehrle, vs. PIT Shawn Chacon
Shawn Chacon PIT @ WAS Mike Bacsik, @ NYY Tyler Clippard
Andrew Sonnanstine TB @ TOR Roy Halladay, @ FLA Wes Obermueller
Julian Tavarez BOS @ OAK Dan Haren, @ ARI Doug Davis
Paul Maholm PIT vs. LA Derek Lowe, @ NYY TBA
Brad Thompson STL vs. CIN Aaron Harang, vs. LAA Jered Weaver
Lenny DiNardo OAK vs. BOS Daisuke Matsuzaka, @ SF Matt Cain
Wes Obermueller FLA @ ATL Buddy Carlyle, vs. TB Andrew Sonnanstine
Mike Bacsik WAS vs. PIT Shawn Chacon, @ MIN Boof Bonser

Team-by-team Game Totals:
Seven-game schedule: ATL, BOS, CHC, CHW, HOU, KC, LA, NYY, OAK, PHI, PIT, SF, TB
Six-game schedule: ARI, BAL, CIN, CLE, COL, DET, FLA, LAA, MIL, MIN, NYM, SEA, SD, STL, TEX, TOR, WAS
Five-game schedule: none

Rain threatened games:
Monday, June 4: NYY @ CHW (40%), LA @ PIT (40%)
Tuesday, June 5: BAL @ SEA (40%), KC @ CLE (40%), PIT @ WAS (40%), PHI @ NYM (80%), DET @ TEX (40%),
Wednesday, June 6: PHI @ NYM (40%)
Saturday, June 9: NYM @ DET (40%), LAA @ STL (40%)

Stadium Factor:
ESPN.com - MLB - Park Factor
Park Factor compares the rate of stats at home vs. the rate of stats on the road.
A rate higher than 1.000 favors the hitter. Below 1.000 favors the pitcher.

Top Hitter's Park Schedules:
1. Great American Ballpark (Reds) 1.330 runs - 3 vs CLE
3. Coors Field (Rockies) 1.188 runs ? 3 vs HOU
4. Shea Stadium (Mets) 1.186 runs ? 3 vs PHI
5. Yankee Stadium (Yankees) 1.165 runs ? 3 vs PIT
6. Kauffman Stadium (Royals) 1.123 runs ? 3 vs PHI

No Games: 2. Fenway Park (Red Sox) 1.307 runs

Top Pitcher's Park Schedules:
1. Rogers Centre (Blue Jays) .0746 runs ? 3 vs TB
2. Petco Park (Padres) 0.767 runs - 3 vs LA, 3 vs SEA
3. Turner Field (Braves) 0.805 runs ? 3 vs FLA, 4 vs CHC
5. RFK Stadium (Nationals) 0.867 runs ? 3 vs PIT
6. Safeco Field (Mariners) 0.869 runs ? 3 vs BAL

No Games: 4. Minute Maid Park (Astros) 0.828 runs

Caught Stealing %:
Toughest to steal against (SB/SBA, CS%)
1. Yadier Molina, STL 6-for-14 (57.1%) - DL
2. David Ross, CIN 12-for-23 (47.8%) ? 3 @ STL, 3 vs CLE
3. Ronny Paulino, PIT 20-for-36 (44.4%) ? 1 vs LA, 3 @ WAS, 3 @ NYY
4. Kenji Johjima, SEA 14-for-24 (41.7%) ? 3 vs BAL, 3 @ SD
5. Paul Lo Duca, NYM 17-for-28 (39.3%) ? 3 vs PHI, 3 @ DET
6. Brad Ausmus, HOU 15-for-23 (34.8%) ? 3 @ COL, 3 @ CHW

Facing these elite catchers is bad news for the following players in the stolen base category: Johnny Damon (9-for-9 SB), Bobby Abreu (8-for-11 SB), Brian Roberts (19-for-22 SB), Corey Patterson (11-for-13 SB), Mike Cameron (7-for-9 SB), Marcus Giles (7-for-9 SB), Gary Sheffield (7-for-10 SB), Kaz Matsui (8-for-8 SB), Willy Taveras (13-for-21 SB)

Easiest to steal against (SB/SBA, CS%)
1. Jason Varitek, BOS 17-for-18 SB (5.6%) ? 4 @ OAK, 3 @ ARI
2. Jorge Posada, NYY 40-for-49 SB (18.4%) ? 4 @ CHW, 3 vs PIT
3. John Buck, KC 13-for-16 SB (18.8%) ? 1 @ TB, 3 @ CLE, 3 vs PHI
4. Johnny Estrada, MIL 26-for-33 (21.2%) ? 3 vs CHC, 3 @ TEX
5. Michael Barrett, CHC 25-for-32 (21.9%) ? 3 @ MIL, 4 @ ATL

Facing these catchers is good news for Eric Byrnes (10-for-14 SB), Alfonso Soriano (8-for-10 SB), Ryan Theriot (8-for-10 SB), Kenny Lofton (16-for-19 SB), Rickie Weeks (8-for-10 SB), Corey Hart (7-for-7 SB), Ian Kinsler (7-for-7 SB)

American League:
Baltimore: (5 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Boston: (3 vs. Right-handers, 4 vs. Left-handers)
Chicago White Sox: (5 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Cleveland: (4 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Detroit: (4 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Kansas City: (5 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Los Angeles Angels: (6 vs. Right-handers, 0 vs. Left-handers
Minnesota: (4 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers) note: FRI vs WAS (TBA)
New York Yankees: (4 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
Oakland: (6 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Seattle: (3 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
Tampa Bay: (6 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Texas: (4 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Toronto: (5 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)

Notes: The Red Sox, Yankees and Mariners play at least three southpaws, while the Angels play just right-handers. That's good news for Jorge Posada (.356 vs LHPs), Derek Jeter (.343 vs LHPs), Manny Ramirez (.360 vs LHPs), Mike Lowell (.373 vs LHPs), Vladimir Guerrero (.375 vs RHPs), Orlando Cabrera (.331 vs RHPs), [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=2353"]Jose Guillen[/URL] (.421 vs LHPs), Kenji Johjima (.407 vs LHPs)

And bad news for Wil Nieves (.103 vs LHPs), Bobby Abreu (.233 vs LHPs), Julio Lugo (.229 vs LHPs), J.D. Drew (.227 vs LHPs), Chone Figgins (.129 vs RHPs), Maicer Izturis (.200 vs RHPs), Shea Hillenbrand (.224 vs RHPs), Richie Sexson (.238 vs LHPs), Adrian Beltre (.238 vs LHPs)

National League:
Arizona: (5 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Atlanta: (5 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers) note: TUE ATL vs FLA (TBA)
Chicago Cubs: (6 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Cincinnati: (4 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
Colorado: (5 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Florida: (5 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
Houston: (3 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
Los Angeles Dodgers: (1 vs. Right-handers, 6 vs. Left-handers)
Milwaukee: (5 vs. Right-handers, 1 vs. Left-handers)
New York Mets: (3 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
Philadelphia: (4 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers)
Pittsburgh: (4 vs. Right-handers, 3 vs. Left-handers) note: SAT vs NYY (TBA)
San Diego: (4 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
San Francisco: (5 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)
St. Louis: (5 vs. Right-handers, 0 vs. Left-handers) note: THU vs CIN (TBA)
Washington: (4 vs. Right-handers, 2 vs. Left-handers)

Note: The Astros, Phillies, Mets and Pirates go against three lefties, while the Dodgers play a MLB season-high six southpaws. The Cardinals don't face any. That's good news for Jayson Werth (.360 vs LHPs), Abraham Nunez (.364 vs LHPs), Ronny Paulino (.361 vs LHPs), Xavier Nady (.378 vs LHPs), Freddy Sanchez (.340 vs LHPs), Russell Martin (.373 vs LHPs), [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3797"][URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4378"]Luis Gonzalez[/URL][/URL], LA (.362 vs LHPs), Rafael Furcal (.340 vs LHPs)

And bad news for Carlos Ruiz (.192 vs LHPs), Ryan Howard (.130 vs LHPs), Pat Burrell (.176 vs LHPs), Chris Duffy (.200 vs LHPs), Jack Wilson (.222 vs LHPs), Wilson Betemit (.158 vs LHPs), Juan Pierre (.200 vs LHPs)

Some scheduled two-start pitchers in week 11:
Daniel Cabrera, Jarrod Washburn, Julian Tavarez, Joe Kennedy, Justin Verlander, Vicente Padilla, Brian Bannister, C.C. Sabathia, Kevin Slowey, John Lackey, Chien-Ming Wang, Javier Vazquez, Scott Kazmir, Tomo Ohka, Carlos Zambrano, Jeff Suppan, Bronson Arroyo, Adam Wainwright, Byung-Hyun Kim, Kyle Davies, Woody Williams, Aaron Cook, Randy Wolf, Greg Maddux, Adam Eaton, Orlando Hernandez, Zach Duke, Micah Bowie, Matt Morris and Randy Johnson

Latest on the injury front:
Outfielders:
Moises Alou (quadriceps) ? return early June
Garret Anderson (hip) ? return early June
Marlon Anderson (elbow) ? return mid-July
Rocco Baldelli (hamstring) ? return mid-June
Jeff DaVanon (shoulder) ? return late June
Chris Denorfia (elbow) ? out for the season
Darin Erstad (ankle) ? return late June
Brian Giles (knee) ? return early June
Shawn Green (foot) ? return mid-June
Jerry Hairston (shoulder) ? return early June
Josh Hamilton (flu) ? return early June
Reed Johnson (back) ? return July
Bobby Kielty (calf) ? return early July
Scott Podsednik (groin) ? return June
Jason Repko (groin) ? might be out for the season
Juan Rivera (leg) ? return July/August
Dave Roberts (elbow) ? return mid-June
Cody Ross (hamstring) ? return early June
Reggie Sanders (hamstring) ? return June/July
Rondell White (calf) ? return June
Brad Wilkerson (hamstring) ? return early June
Preston Wilson (knee) ? return early June

Infielders
Willy Aybar (hand) ? out indefinitely
Hank Blalock (arm) ? return August
Ryan Freel (neck) ? return mid-June
Mike Jacobs (thumb) ? return mid-June
Dan Johnson (hip) ? return mid-season
Nick Johnson (leg) ? return July
Chipper Jones (thumb) ? return mid-June
Maicer Izturis (hamstring) ? return June 5
Corey Koskie (concussion) ? out indefinitely
Dallas McPherson (back) ? return August/September
Pablo Ozuna (leg) ? return August/September
Jason Smith (abdomen) ? out indefinitely
[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL] (ribs) ? return early June
Jose Valentin (knee) ? return June
Rickie Weeks (wrist) ? return mid-June

Catchers:
Hector Gimenez (shoulder) ? likely out for the season
Joe Mauer (quadriceps) ? return early June
Yadier Molina (wrist) ? return early June
Gregg Zaun (hand) ? return June
Vance Wilson (elbow) ? return mid-June

Designated Hitter:
Jason Giambi (foot) ? out until at least late June, might be done for year
Mike Piazza (shoulder) ? return mid-June

Starting Pitchers:
Brandon Backe (elbow) ? return August/September
Jason Bergmann (elbow) ? return early June
Chris Carpenter (elbow) ? return August/September
Matt Clement (shoulder) ? return July/August
Gustavo Chacin (elbow) ? out indefinitely
Bartolo Colon (triceps) ? return June 8
Lance Cormier (shoulder) ? return June 5
Mike Hampton (ribs) ? out for the season
Rich Harden (shoulder) ? return late June
Shawn Hill (elbow) ? out indefinitely
Luke Hudson (shoulder) ? out indefinitely
Phil Hughes (hamstring) ? return July/August
Josh Johnson (elbow) ? return mid-June
Jeff Karstens (leg) ? out indefinitely
Jon Lester (cancer) ? out indefinitely
Francisco Liriano (elbow) ? out for the season
Esteban Loaiza (shoulder) ? return July
Adam Loewen (elbow) ? return September
Pedro Martinez (shoulder) ? return August
Wade Miller (back) ? return early June
Eric Milton (elbow) ? return mid-June
Mark Mulder (shoulder) ? return July
Ricky Nolasco (elbow) ? return mid-July
John Patterson (biceps) ? return mid-June
Carl Pavano (elbow) ? out for the season
Horacio Ramirez (shoulder) ? return mid-June
Darrell Rasner (finger) ? return August/September
Kenny Rogers (arm) ? return July
Jason Schmidt (shoulder) ? return June 5 vs SD
John Thomson (shoulder) ? return early June
Jeff Weaver (shoulder) ? return June 9 @ SD
Jake Westbrook (abdomen) ? return early June
Jerome Williams (ankle) ? out indefinitely
Jaret Wright (shoulder) ? out indefinitely
Victor Zambrano (arm) ? return early June

Important Relievers:
Kris Benson (shoulder) ? likely out for the season
Yhency Brazoban (shoulder) ? out indefinitely
Jesse Crain (shoulder) ? out for the season
Elmer Dessens (shoulder) ? return mid-June
Justin Duchscherer (hip) ? return late June
Mike Gonzalez (elbow) ? out for the season
Tom Gordon (shoulder) - return early June
Eddie Guardado (elbow) ? return mid-June
Brandon League (shoulder) ? return late June
Brett Myers (shoulder) ? return mid-June
Arthur Rhodes (elbow) ? out for the season
Fernando Rodney (biceps) ? return early June
B.J. Ryan (elbow) ? out for the season
Duaner Sanchez (shoulder) ? return August
Huston Street (elbow) ? return early June
Mike Timlin (shoulder) ? return early June
Ryan Wagner (rotator cuff) ? out indefinitely
Kerry Wood (triceps) ? return late June
Joel Zumaya (finger) ? return August

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

June Outfielder Rankings

The June player rankings are presented this week. Players are ranked based on how much I believe they'll be worth in 5x5 leagues over the rest of the year. Included along with the position rankings is an updated top 250 list.

Click the links below to see the other positional and overall rankings for June.
Outfielders
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Second Basemen
First Basemen & DH
Catchers
Starting Pitchers
Relief Pitchers
Top 250 Overall

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Team</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Carl Crawford</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Vladimir Guerrero</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Carlos Beltran</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Grady Sizemore</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Alfonso Soriano</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Matt Holliday</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Manny Ramirez</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Carlos Lee</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Ichiro Suzuki</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Bobby Abreu</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Vernon Wells</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Jason Bay</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Adam Dunn</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Juan Pierre</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Jeff Francoeur</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Andruw Jones</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Gary Sheffield</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Magglio Ordo?ez</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Alex Rios</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Nick Swisher</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Jermaine Dye</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Johnny Damon</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Torii Hunter</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Eric Byrnes</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Hideki Matsui</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Michael Cuddyer</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Barry Bonds</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Curtis Granderson</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Nick Markakis</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>J.D. Drew</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Delmon Young</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Willy Taveras</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Gary Matthews Jr.</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Corey Patterson</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Raul Ibanez</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Shane Victorino</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Pat Burrell</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Josh Willingham</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Brad Hawpe</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Coco Crisp</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Hunter Pence</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Moises Alou</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Chris Duffy</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Brian Giles</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Rocco Baldelli</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Kenny Lofton</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Mike Cameron</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Aaron Rowand</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Jim Edmonds</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Austin Kearns</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Chris Duncan</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL]</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Ryan Freel</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Jacque Jones</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Craig Monroe</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Geoff Jenkins</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Ken Griffey Jr.</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Garret Anderson</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Sammy Sosa</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>David DeJesus</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>61</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=2353"]Jose Guillen[/URL]</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>62</TD><TD>Carlos Quentin</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>63</TD><TD>Dave Roberts</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>64</TD><TD>Randy Winn</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>65</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3797"][URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4378"]Luis Gonzalez[/URL][/URL]</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>66</TD><TD>Jeremy Hermida</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>67</TD><TD>Milton Bradley</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>68</TD><TD>Josh Hamilton</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>69</TD><TD>Corey Hart</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>70</TD><TD>Xavier Nady</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>71</TD><TD>Scott Podsednik</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>72</TD><TD>Shawn Green</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>73</TD><TD>Juan Encarnacion</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>74</TD><TD>Luke Scott</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>75</TD><TD>Ryan Church</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>76</TD><TD>Andre Ethier</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>77</TD><TD>Elijah Dukes</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>78</TD><TD>Brad Wilkerson</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>79</TD><TD>Reggie Willits</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>80</TD><TD>Jay Gibbons</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>81</TD><TD>David Dellucci</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>82</TD><TD>Travis Buck</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>83</TD><TD>Frank Catalanotto</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>84</TD><TD>Mark Kotsay</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>85</TD><TD>Trot Nixon</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>86</TD><TD>Melky Cabrera</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>87</TD><TD>Adam Lind</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>88</TD><TD>Jason Kubel</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>89</TD><TD>Reed Johnson</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>90</TD><TD>Wily Mo Pe?a</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>91</TD><TD>Cliff Floyd</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>92</TD><TD>Jay Payton</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>93</TD><TD>Darin Erstad</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>94</TD><TD>Jose Cruz Jr.</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>95</TD><TD>Marcus Thames</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>96</TD><TD>Emil Brown</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>97</TD><TD>Jack Cust</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>98</TD><TD>Juan Rivera</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>99</TD><TD>Shannon Stewart</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>100</TD><TD>Matt Diaz</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>101</TD><TD>Felix Pie</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>102</TD><TD>Victor Diaz</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>103</TD><TD>Kevin Mench</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>104</TD><TD>Endy Chavez</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>105</TD><TD>Willie Harris</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>106</TD><TD>Ryan Klesko</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>107</TD><TD>Matt Murton</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>108</TD><TD>Reggie Sanders</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>109</TD><TD>Terrmel Sledge</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>110</TD><TD>Nook Logan</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>111</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=1390"]Nelson Cruz[/URL]</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>112</TD><TD>Rondell White</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>113</TD><TD>Alejandro De Aza</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>114</TD><TD>Jayson Werth</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>115</TD><TD>Jeff Baker</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>116</TD><TD>Greg Norton</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>117</TD><TD>Jerry Owens</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>118</TD><TD>Rob Mackowiak</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>119</TD><TD>Tony Gwynn Jr.</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>120</TD><TD>Matt Kemp</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Rising: Matt Holliday (8 to 6), Carlos Lee (10 to 8), Jeff Francouer (18 to 15), Magglio Ordonez (29 to 18), Torii Hunter (26 to 23), Curtis Granderson (33 to 28), Willy Taveras (37 to 32), Gary Matthews Jr. (40 to 33), Hunter Pence (73 to 41), Mike Cameron (52 to 47), Ken Griffey Jr. (69 to 57), Sammy Sosa (68 to 59), Randy Winn (78 to 64), Reggie Willits (NR to 79), Melky Cabrera (101 to 86), Jack Cust (NR to 97), Victor Diaz (NR to 102), Willie Harris (NR to 105)

Falling: Alfonso Soriano (4 to 5), Bobby Abreu (6 to 10), Jermaine Dye (15 to 21), Johnny Damon (17 to 22), Chris Duffy (31 to 43), Rocco Baldelli (30 to 45), Ryan Freel (46 to 53), Jacque Jones (44 to 54), Dave Roberts (51 to 63), Brad Wilkerson (70 to 78), Kevin Mench (80 to 103), [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=1390"]Nelson Cruz[/URL] (82 to 111), Chris Snelling (110 to NR)

- Lyle Overbay's broken hand will get Adam Lind back into the lineup on a regular basis. He'll start in left field, leaving Matt Stairs to handle first base against right-handers. Both should be fine plays in AL-only leagues until either Overbay or Reed Johnson returns next month.

- Victor Diaz's two-homer game Sunday guarantees that he'll stick around after Jerry Hairston Jr. and Brad Wilkerson come off the DL. He debuts at No. 102. [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=1390"]Nelson Cruz[/URL] is likely in for a demotion this week. The Rangers could also send down Matt Kata, with Hairston taking over as Ramon Vazquez's platoon partner at third base.

- Darin Erstad's ankle injury has made Jerry Owens the White Sox's center fielder and leadoff man against right-handers. Owens will stick around for more than the two or three weeks Erstad is out if he produces, and he should be a nice source of cheap steals in AL-only leagues.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

June Starting Pitcher Rankings

The June player rankings are presented this week. Players are ranked based on how much I believe they'll be worth in 5x5 leagues over the rest of the year. Included along with the position rankings is an updated top 250 list.

Click the links below to see the other positional and overall rankings for June.
Outfielders
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Second Basemen
First Basemen & DH
Catchers
Starting Pitchers
Relief Pitchers
Top 250 Overall

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Team</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Johan Santana</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Jake Peavy</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Roy Oswalt</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Brandon Webb</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Roy Halladay</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Daisuke Matsuzaka</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>John Smoltz</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>C.C. Sabathia</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Ben Sheets</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Carlos Zambrano</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Felix Hernandez</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Tim Hudson</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Josh Beckett</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>John Lackey</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Dan Haren</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Curt Schilling</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Matt Cain</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Jeremy Bonderman</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Cole Hamels</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Erik Bedard</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL]</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Jered Weaver</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Barry Zito</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>A.J. Burnett</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Rich Hill</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Justin Verlander</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Randy Johnson</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Ian Snell</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Bronson Arroyo</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Scott Kazmir</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Roger Clemens</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>John Maine</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Bartolo Colon</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Brad Penny</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Ted Lilly</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Aaron Harang</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Dontrelle Willis</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Rich Harden</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Derek Lowe</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Andy Pettitte</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Jason Schmidt</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Tim Lincecum</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Jose Contreras</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Kelvim Escobar</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Greg Maddux</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Chien-Ming Wang</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Chuck James</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Mike Mussina</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Daniel Cabrera</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Javier Vazquez</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Tom Glavine</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Mark Buehrle</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Chris Capuano</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Freddy Garcia</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Gil Meche</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Oliver Perez</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Randy Wolf</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Tom Gorzelanny</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>James Shields</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Orlando Hernandez</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>61</TD><TD>Noah Lowry</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>62</TD><TD>Scott Olsen</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>63</TD><TD>Josh Johnson</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>64</TD><TD>Cliff Lee</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>65</TD><TD>Dave Bush</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>66</TD><TD>Fausto Carmona</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>67</TD><TD>Jeff Francis</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>68</TD><TD>Adam Wainwright</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>69</TD><TD>Nate Robertson</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>70</TD><TD>Jon Garland</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>71</TD><TD>Kevin Millwood</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>72</TD><TD>Jarrod Washburn</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>73</TD><TD>Chad Gaudin</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>74</TD><TD>Pedro Martinez</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>75</TD><TD>Jon Lieber</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>76</TD><TD>Joe Blanton</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>77</TD><TD>Jason Jennings</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>78</TD><TD>Boof Bonser</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>79</TD><TD>Ervin Santana</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>80</TD><TD>Braden Looper</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>81</TD><TD>David Wells</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>82</TD><TD>Paul Byrd</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>83</TD><TD>Homer Bailey</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>84</TD><TD>Matt Morris</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>85</TD><TD>Tim Wakefield</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>86</TD><TD>Jamie Moyer</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>87</TD><TD>Kevin Slowey</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>88</TD><TD>Adam Eaton</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>89</TD><TD>Justin Germano</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>90</TD><TD>Chris Carpenter</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>91</TD><TD>Claudio Vargas</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>92</TD><TD>Joe Kennedy</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>93</TD><TD>Yovani Gallardo</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>94</TD><TD>Jake Westbrook</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>95</TD><TD>Zach Duke</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>96</TD><TD>Jon Lester</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>97</TD><TD>Jason Marquis</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>98</TD><TD>Jeff Suppan</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>99</TD><TD>Clay Hensley</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>100</TD><TD>Matt Belisle</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>101</TD><TD>Brandon McCarthy</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>102</TD><TD>Jeremy Guthrie</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>103</TD><TD>Kyle Lohse</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>104</TD><TD>Kenny Rogers</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>105</TD><TD>Matt Garza</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>106</TD><TD>Micah Owings</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>107</TD><TD>Scott Baker</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>108</TD><TD>Anthony Reyes</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>109</TD><TD>Kyle Davies</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>110</TD><TD>Jeremy Sowers</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>111</TD><TD>Hong-Chih Kuo</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>112</TD><TD>Sean Marshall</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>113</TD><TD>Doug Davis</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>114</TD><TD>John Danks</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>115</TD><TD>Anibal Sanchez</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>116</TD><TD>Andrew Miller</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>117</TD><TD>Wandy Rodriguez</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>118</TD><TD>Mark Mulder</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>119</TD><TD>Zack Greinke</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>120</TD><TD>Joe Saunders</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>121</TD><TD>Sergio Mitre</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>122</TD><TD>Mark Hendrickson</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>123</TD><TD>John Patterson</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>124</TD><TD>Carlos Silva</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>125</TD><TD>Andrew Sonnanstine</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Rising: Brandon Webb (6 to 4), Daisuke Matszuzaka (8 to 6), Tim Hudson (15 to 12), John Lackey (17 to 14), Dan Haren (19 to 15), Jered Weaver (26 to 22), Randy Johnson (35 to 27), Ian Snell (34 to 28), Roger Clemens (40 to 31), Tim Lincecum (67 to 42), Gil Meche (66 to 55), Oliver Perez (68 to 56), James Shields (95 to 59), Orlando Hernandez (73 to 60), Noah Lowry (72 to 61), Josh Johnson (75 to 63), Fausto Carmona (NR to 66), Jeff Francis (80 to 67), Chad Gaudin (101 to 73), Joe Blanton (98 to 76), Homer Bailey (NR to 83), Kevin Slowey (103 to 87), Justin Germano (NR to 89)

Falling: Roy Halladay (3 to 5), Carlos Zambrano (5 to 10), Matt Cain (11 to 17), Bronson Arroyo (20 to 29), Mike Mussona (30 to 48), Adam Wainwright (57 to 68), Kevin Millwood (52 to 71), Ervin Santana (58 to 79), Chris Carpenter (16 to 90), Clay Hensley (70 to 99), Kyle Lohse (74 to 103), Anthony Reyes (55 to 108), Jeremy Sowers (61 to 110), Anibal Sanchez (65 to 115), Zack Greinke (86 to 119), Adam Loewen (82 to NR), Phil Hughes (91 to NR)

- Jason Schmidt will return this week after making just one rehab start. He was consistently in the high-80s in his lone rehab start, which is an improvement over where he was this spring and in his first three starts before going on the DL. Still, he's not going to dominate there. Odds are that he'll be up and down initially and gradually improve if he remains pain free.

- In anticipation of his likely start this weekend, Bailey comes in at No. 83. His strikeout rate was down in Triple-A this year, and I'd honestly be more excited had it been Yovani Gallardo getting the opportunity this week. Still, Bailey's potential can't be overlooked. My guess is that he'll be too inconsistent to be of help in mixed leagues this year, but it'd still be nice to have him stashed away.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

June Relief Pitcher Rankings

The June player rankings are presented this week. Players are ranked based on how much I believe they'll be worth in 5x5 leagues over the rest of the year. Included along with the position rankings is an updated top 250 list.

Click the links below to see the other positional and overall rankings for June.

Outfielders
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Second Basemen
First Basemen & DH
Catchers
Starting Pitchers
Relief Pitchers
Top 250 Overall


<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Team</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Francisco Rodriguez</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Joe Nathan</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Billy Wagner</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Jonathan Papelbon</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Mariano Rivera</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Francisco Cordero</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>J.J. Putz</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Bobby Jenks</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Trevor Hoffman</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Takashi Saito</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Chris Ray</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Huston Street</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Brian Fuentes</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>Jason Isringhausen</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Chad Cordero</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Jose Valverde</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Bob Wickman</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>Todd Jones</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Al Reyes</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Ryan Dempster</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Joe Borowski</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Brett Myers</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Dan Wheeler</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Eric Gagne</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Octavio Dotel</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Jeremy Accardo</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Matt Capps</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>David Weathers</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Armando Benitez</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Brad Hennessey</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Tom Gordon</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Akinori Otsuka</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Kevin Gregg</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Brad Lidge</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Jonathan Broxton</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Rafael Soriano</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Scot Shields</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Scott Linebrink</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Rafael Betancourt</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Pat Neshek</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>Hideki Okajima</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Jon Rauch</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Alan Embree</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Cla Meredith</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Casey Janssen</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>Tony Pe?a</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Derrick Turnbow</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Angel Guzman</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Salomon Torres</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Eddie Guardado</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Joakim Soria</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Chad Billingsley</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Joe Smith</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Fernando Rodney</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Aaron Heilman</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Justin Duchscherer</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Juan Rincon</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Jesus Colome</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Kevin Correia</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Carlos Villanueva</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Rising: Jason Isringhausen (17 to 14), Jose Valverde (19 to 16), Eric Gagne (30 to 24), Octavio Dotel (32 to 25), Jeremy Accardo (57 to 26), Matt Capps (34 to 27), Brad Hennessey (NR to 30), Kevin Gregg (NR to 33), Brad Lidge (41 to 34), Pat Neshek (52 to 40), Alan Embree (NR to 43), Angel Guzman (105 SP to 48), Eddie Guardado (NR to 50)

Falling: Jonathan Papelbon (3 to 4), Huston Street (5 to 12), Ryan Dempster (15 to 20), Armando Benitez (20 to 29), Salomon Torres (27 to 49), B.J. Ryan (23 to NR), Henry Owens (31 to NR), Jason Frasor (33 to NR), Joel Zumaya (37 to NR), Bob Howry (48 to NR), Fernando Cabrera (49 to NR)

- Back-to-back bad outings have taken Dan Wheeler's ERA from 3.04 to 4.85. He hardly deserves to lose his job -- he's still 9-for-10 in save chances -- but the Astros may decide to go back to Lidge anyway. Lidge has pitched eight hitless innings in his last seven appearances.

- David Weathers is another who has done little wrong as a closer. Still, the Reds might turn to Guardado in save situations after he comes off the DL, something that could happen in a week or so. Weathers' ability to go multiple innings might make him more useful in a setup role than Guardado would be, especially considering that the Reds already have a couple of lefties in their pen.

- The timing of the Pirates' switch from Torres to Capps in the closer's role was curious. After all, Torres was the superior pitcher in May, beating Capps in ERA 3.00 to 5.40. Still, it's seemed all along that the Pirates would be better off with Torres in the setup role he occupied for most of last year. He'll get more work, and he can pitch multiple innings on occasion. Capps is much more of a one-inning guy. He should be just fine in the ninth

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Homer Time?
In discussing the likely call-up timetables for some of baseball's top pitching prospects in last week's "Gleeman Report" video for NBCSports.com, I hypothesized that the last-place Reds would give in and bring Homer Bailey up before long. It turns out, "before long" was actually "next week." While nothing official has been announced yet, both major newspapers in Cincinnati report that Bailey is scheduled to make his major-league debut Saturday against the Indians.

While Tim Lincecum has stolen some of his thunder, Bailey entered this season second to only Phil Hughes among the best pitching prospects in baseball. Despite not turning 21 years old until last month, Bailey has gone 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A. His 51-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 58.1 innings is a little less dominant than expected, but a .191 opponent's batting average shows that he's still been plenty overpowering.

Bailey's long-term fantasy potential is huge, because he profiles as a top-of-the-rotation starter capable of producing strikeouts in bunches. However, like most 21-year-olds with 20 career starts above Single-A, he still has work to do when it comes to throwing strikes. Beyond that, a debut matchup against the Indians is a rough one, because Cleveland ranks second among MLB teams in scoring and no team has produced a higher OPS against right-handed pitching.

Keeper leaguers shouldn't be afraid to go all-out for Bailey, but his value in one-year leagues is likely less than most probably imagine. He should have decent value in NL-only leagues at some point, but it may not come until the second half and likely won't be on the same level as Lincecum. In one-year mixed leagues, the odds of Bailey being more than a fringe starter aren't great and he's not worth busting your free-agent budget or waiver-wire priority on.

While Reds fans hope that Bailey can give them something to cheer for in a what has the look of an otherwise brutal season, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Originally slated to start Monday against the White Sox, Roger Clemens has been scratched from his season debut because of a groin injury. Clemens told the Yankees that his groin is simply "fatigued," but he's scheduled to undergo an MRI Monday to determine if something more significant is at play. If no further damage is found, Clemens is currently penciled in to debut Saturday against the Pirates.

In the meantime, the Yankees will turn to Matt DeSalvo to start in Clemens' place Monday, leaving Kei Igawa to work on his mechanics in the minors for a while longer. Igawa started Sunday at Triple-A, allowing two earned runs over seven innings while striking out nine. If Clemens' debut needs to be delayed for more than one turn through the rotation, expect Igawa to get the nod over DeSalvo, who has zero fantasy value. Phil Hughes isn't close to returning.

* The frenzied "What's wrong with Albert Pujols?!" notes keep rolling into my e-mailbox, but Pujols has quietly recovered from a slow start to put up his usual huge numbers. After smacking a pair of homers Sunday, Pujols is batting .417 with five homers and a 1.217 OPS since a four-hit game against the Tigers on May 18. If you want a more long-term view, consider that Pujols was hitting just .197 through April 20, but has batted .333 with a .953 OPS in 38 games since then.

In other words, nothing is wrong with Pujols. It simply takes someone's season totals a while to round back into shape when he begins the year in a 12-for-61 slump. Pujols is now sporting an overall hitting line of .292/.378/.510 and is on pace for 35 homers, 95 RBIs, and 95 runs scored. While not quite in line with his career norms, those are amazing numbers considering how poorly he started the season and you can bet that they'll continue to rise.

* Getting plunked by a John Danks fastball Sunday is going to cost Lyle Overbay 4-6 weeks after he was diagnosed with a fractured left hand. Losing a good left-handed hitter from a primarily right-handed lineup that's already struggling to score runs is a big blow for the Blue Jays, but they do have some depth in corner bats. Matt Stairs figures to see most of the time at first base with Overbay sidelined, opening up a spot in the outfield for Adam Lind.

Lind got off to a solid start, but has hit just .202 with a .543 OPS since May 1 and may have been in danger of being sent down to Triple-A prior to Overbay's injury. However, with a good minor-league track record and .770 OPS in 217 big-league plate appearances, Lind figures to start hitting eventually. Because both Stairs and Lind hit left-handed, the Blue Jays may move Troy Glaus across the diamond against southpaws, with John McDonald replacing him at third base.

AL Quick Hits: According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Yankees and White Sox have discussed a Bobby Abreu-for-Jermaine Dye swap ? Following a brief minor-league rehab assignment, the Twins are now hoping to have Joe Mauer (quadriceps) back Friday ? With zero steals in the past six games, Brian Roberts revealed Sunday that he's been playing through a hamstring injury for "maybe two weeks" ? Hit in the eye by a bouncing ball Saturday, Akinori Iwamura is expected to miss most of this week ? Andy Pettitte said afterward that back spasms led to his fifth-inning struggles and early exit Sunday night against the Red Sox ? Jeremy Sowers dropped to 1-6 with a loss Sunday against the Tigers and appears headed for Triple-A once Jake Westbrook (oblique) returns ? Ervin Santana turned in another strong outing at home Sunday, but heads to St. Louis for his next start ? With Doug Mientkiewicz (wrist) out 6-8 weeks, Johnny Damon is preparing for action at first base ? Kevin Slowey turned in an impressive big-league debut Friday, holding the A's to one run over six strike-pumping innings.

NL Quick Hits: Carlos Beltran (knee) missed his third straight start Sunday, but hopes to play Tuesday ? Brian Giles (knee) is eligible to return from the disabled list Tuesday, but likely won't be back until at least the weekend ? Takashi Saito (hamstring) exited a save situation Sunday, giving Jonathan Broxton a chance for some saves this week ? Hunter Pence went 4-for-5 with a homer Sunday, giving him nine multi-hit games in his past 11 starts and 19 total extra-base hits in just 128 at-bats ... After homering Sunday, Adam LaRoche is batting .291 with 19 RBIs since hitting just .133 in April ? Tim Lincecum was knocked around Sunday for the first time since his big-league debut, but still managed six strikeouts in 6.1 innings ? With eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings of one-run ball Sunday, Sean Marshall appears to have secured a spot in the Cubs' rotation ? Moises Alou (quadriceps) reportedly suffered a setback while running Saturday and is unlikely to return Tuesday ? The Cubs recalled Felix Pie from Triple-A, but it's unclear how many at-bats he'll receive this time around ? Troy Tulowitzki (groin) sat out Sunday's game, but expects to be back in the lineup Tuesday.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

June Overall Top 250 Rankings

The June player rankings are presented this week. Players are ranked based on how much I believe they'll be worth in 5x5 leagues over the rest of the year. Included along with the position rankings is an updated top 250 list.

Click the links below to see the other positional and overall rankings for June.

Outfielders
Third Basemen
Shortstops
Second Basemen
First Basemen & DH
Catchers
Starting Pitchers
Relief Pitchers
Top 250 Overall

<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=TableTopRed><TD>Rank</TD><TD>Player Name</TD><TD>Team</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>1</TD><TD>Jose Reyes</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>2</TD><TD>Alex Rodriguez</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>3</TD><TD>Johan Santana</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>4</TD><TD>Albert Pujols</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>5</TD><TD>Carl Crawford</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>6</TD><TD>Vladimir Guerrero</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>7</TD><TD>Chase Utley</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>8</TD><TD>Jake Peavy</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>9</TD><TD>Ryan Howard</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>10</TD><TD>Carlos Beltran</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>11</TD><TD>Miguel Cabrera</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>12</TD><TD>Mark Teixeira</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>13</TD><TD>Grady Sizemore</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>14</TD><TD>David Ortiz</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>15</TD><TD>Alfonso Soriano</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>16</TD><TD>Derek Jeter</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>17</TD><TD>Jimmy Rollins</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>18</TD><TD>David Wright</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>19</TD><TD>Roy Oswalt</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>20</TD><TD>Travis Hafner</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>21</TD><TD>Matt Holliday</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>22</TD><TD>Manny Ramirez</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>23</TD><TD>Hanley Ramirez</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>24</TD><TD>Derrek Lee</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>25</TD><TD>Brandon Webb</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>26</TD><TD>Carlos Lee</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>27</TD><TD>Roy Halladay</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>28</TD><TD>Ichiro Suzuki</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>29</TD><TD>Justin Morneau</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>30</TD><TD>Miguel Tejada</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>31</TD><TD>Joe Mauer</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>32</TD><TD>Lance Berkman</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>33</TD><TD>Bobby Abreu</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>34</TD><TD>Francisco Rodriguez</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>35</TD><TD>Vernon Wells</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>36</TD><TD>Daisuke Matsuzaka</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>37</TD><TD>Aramis Ramirez</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>38</TD><TD>Jason Bay</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>39</TD><TD>Joe Nathan</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>40</TD><TD>Victor Martinez</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>41</TD><TD>John Smoltz</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>42</TD><TD>Billy Wagner</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>43</TD><TD>Adam Dunn</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>44</TD><TD>Jonathan Papelbon</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>45</TD><TD>Michael Young</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>46</TD><TD>C.C. Sabathia</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>47</TD><TD>Juan Pierre</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>48</TD><TD>Prince Fielder</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>49</TD><TD>Ben Sheets</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>50</TD><TD>Rafael Furcal</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>51</TD><TD>Jeff Francoeur</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>52</TD><TD>Andruw Jones</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>53</TD><TD>Carlos Zambrano</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>54</TD><TD>Gary Sheffield</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>55</TD><TD>Mariano Rivera</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>56</TD><TD>Carlos Delgado</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>57</TD><TD>Felix Hernandez</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>58</TD><TD>Magglio Ordo?ez</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>59</TD><TD>Alex Rios</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>60</TD><TD>Tim Hudson</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>61</TD><TD>Brian Roberts</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>62</TD><TD>Todd Helton</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>63</TD><TD>Josh Beckett</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>64</TD><TD>Nick Swisher</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>65</TD><TD>Francisco Cordero</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>66</TD><TD>Jim Thome</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>67</TD><TD>John Lackey</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>68</TD><TD>Jermaine Dye</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>69</TD><TD>Paul Konerko</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>70</TD><TD>Dan Haren</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>71</TD><TD>Curt Schilling</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>72</TD><TD>Brian McCann</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>73</TD><TD>J.J. Putz</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>74</TD><TD>Johnny Damon</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>75</TD><TD>Jeff Kent</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>76</TD><TD>Matt Cain</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>77</TD><TD>Torii Hunter</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>78</TD><TD>Jeremy Bonderman</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>79</TD><TD>Bobby Jenks</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>80</TD><TD>Jorge Posada</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>81</TD><TD>Cole Hamels</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>82</TD><TD>Robinson Cano</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>83</TD><TD>Russell Martin</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>84</TD><TD>Erik Bedard</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>85</TD><TD>Eric Byrnes</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>86</TD><TD>Trevor Hoffman</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>87</TD><TD>Adrian Gonzalez</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>88</TD><TD>Garrett Atkins</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>89</TD><TD>Hideki Matsui</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>90</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL]</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>91</TD><TD>Michael Cuddyer</TD><TD>MIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>92</TD><TD>Takashi Saito</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>93</TD><TD>Barry Bonds</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>94</TD><TD>Curtis Granderson</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>95</TD><TD>Ryan Zimmerman</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>96</TD><TD>Julio Lugo</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>97</TD><TD>Brandon Phillips</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>98</TD><TD>Nick Markakis</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>99</TD><TD>Jered Weaver</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>100</TD><TD>Dan Uggla</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>101</TD><TD>Edgar Renteria</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>102</TD><TD>Barry Zito</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>103</TD><TD>Richie Sexson</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>104</TD><TD>J.D. Drew</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>105</TD><TD>Chipper Jones</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>106</TD><TD>J.J. Hardy</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>107</TD><TD>A.J. Burnett</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>108</TD><TD>B.J. Upton</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>109</TD><TD>Chris Ray</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>110</TD><TD>Ivan Rodriguez</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>111</TD><TD>Bill Hall</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>112</TD><TD>Delmon Young</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>113</TD><TD>Kevin Youkilis</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>114</TD><TD>Huston Street</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>115</TD><TD>Willy Taveras</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>116</TD><TD>Eric Chavez</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>117</TD><TD>Felipe Lopez</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>118</TD><TD>Rich Hill</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>119</TD><TD>Carlos Guillen</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>120</TD><TD>Justin Verlander</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>121</TD><TD>Mike Piazza</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>122</TD><TD>Brian Fuentes</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>123</TD><TD>Chone Figgins</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>124</TD><TD>Randy Johnson</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>125</TD><TD>Troy Glaus</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>126</TD><TD>Adrian Beltre</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>127</TD><TD>Ian Snell</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>128</TD><TD>Howie Kendrick</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>129</TD><TD>Jason Isringhausen</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>130</TD><TD>Gary Matthews Jr.</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>131</TD><TD>Orlando Cabrera</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>132</TD><TD>Rickie Weeks</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>133</TD><TD>Bronson Arroyo</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>134</TD><TD>Chad Cordero</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>135</TD><TD>Jose Valverde</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>136</TD><TD>Scott Kazmir</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>137</TD><TD>Edwin Encarnacion</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>138</TD><TD>Ian Kinsler</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>139</TD><TD>Roger Clemens</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>140</TD><TD>Bob Wickman</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>141</TD><TD>Scott Rolen</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>142</TD><TD>Orlando Hudson</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>143</TD><TD>Todd Jones</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>144</TD><TD>John Maine</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>145</TD><TD>Kelly Johnson</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>146</TD><TD>Frank Thomas</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>147</TD><TD>Corey Patterson</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>148</TD><TD>Marcus Giles</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>149</TD><TD>Raul Ibanez</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>150</TD><TD>Bartolo Colon</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>151</TD><TD>Brad Penny</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>152</TD><TD>Adam LaRoche</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>153</TD><TD>Al Reyes</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>154</TD><TD>Shane Victorino</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>155</TD><TD>Ted Lilly</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>156</TD><TD>Ramon Hernandez</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>157</TD><TD>Aaron Harang</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>158</TD><TD>Pat Burrell</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>159</TD><TD>Dontrelle Willis</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>160</TD><TD>Jhonny Peralta</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>161</TD><TD>Ryan Dempster</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>162</TD><TD>Josh Willingham</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>163</TD><TD>Rich Harden</TD><TD>OAK</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>164</TD><TD>Nomar Garciaparra</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>165</TD><TD>Joe Borowski</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>166</TD><TD>Brad Hawpe</TD><TD>COL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>167</TD><TD>Kenji Johjima</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>168</TD><TD>Derek Lowe</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>169</TD><TD>Brett Myers</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>170</TD><TD>Mark Teahen</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>171</TD><TD>Coco Crisp</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>172</TD><TD>Hunter Pence</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>173</TD><TD>Andy Pettitte</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>174</TD><TD>Moises Alou</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>175</TD><TD>Jason Schmidt</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>176</TD><TD>Ken Griffey Jr.</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>177</TD><TD>Dan Wheeler</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>178</TD><TD>Michael Barrett</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>179</TD><TD>Tim Lincecum</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>180</TD><TD>Eric Gagne</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>181</TD><TD>Chris Duffy</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>182</TD><TD>Melvin Mora</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>183</TD><TD>Jose Contreras</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>184</TD><TD>Kelvim Escobar</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>185</TD><TD>Brian Giles</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>186</TD><TD>Octavio Dotel</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>187</TD><TD>Mike Lowell</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>188</TD><TD>Rocco Baldelli</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>189</TD><TD>Greg Maddux</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>190</TD><TD>Aubrey Huff</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>191</TD><TD>Jason Varitek</TD><TD>BOS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>192</TD><TD>Jeremy Accardo</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>193</TD><TD>Mike Cameron</TD><TD>SD</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>194</TD><TD>Chien-Ming Wang</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>195</TD><TD>Chuck James</TD><TD>ATL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>196</TD><TD>Mike Mussina</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>197</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL]</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>198</TD><TD>Kenny Lofton</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>199</TD><TD>Matt Capps</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>200</TD><TD>Jim Edmonds</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>201</TD><TD>A.J. Pierzynski</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>202</TD><TD>Aaron Rowand</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>203</TD><TD>David Weathers</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>204</TD><TD>Daniel Cabrera</TD><TD>BAL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>205</TD><TD>Tadahito Iguchi</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>206</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4048"]Ryan Braun[/URL]</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>207</TD><TD>Javier Vazquez</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>208</TD><TD>Armando Benitez</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>209</TD><TD>Austin Kearns</TD><TD>WAS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>210</TD><TD>Tom Glavine</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>211</TD><TD>Conor Jackson</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>212</TD><TD>Mark Buehrle</TD><TD>CWS</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>213</TD><TD>Brad Hennessey</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>214</TD><TD>Chris Capuano</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>215</TD><TD>[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL]</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>216</TD><TD>Akinori Iwamura</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>217</TD><TD>Freddy Garcia</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>218</TD><TD>Tom Gordon</TD><TD>PHI</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>219</TD><TD>Chris Duncan</TD><TD>STL</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>220</TD><TD>Casey Blake</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>221</TD><TD>Gil Meche</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>222</TD><TD>Gerald Laird</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>223</TD><TD>Oliver Perez</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>224</TD><TD>Akinori Otsuka</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>225</TD><TD>Ryan Freel</TD><TD>CIN</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>226</TD><TD>Ryan Garko</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>227</TD><TD>Paul Lo Duca</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>228</TD><TD>Kevin Gregg</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>229</TD><TD>Randy Wolf</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>230</TD><TD>Jacque Jones</TD><TD>CHC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>231</TD><TD>Tom Gorzelanny</TD><TD>PIT</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>232</TD><TD>Josh Barfield</TD><TD>CLE</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>233</TD><TD>Sammy Sosa</TD><TD>TEX</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>234</TD><TD>Jason Giambi</TD><TD>NYY</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>235</TD><TD>James Shields</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>236</TD><TD>Brad Lidge</TD><TD>HOU</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>237</TD><TD>Craig Monroe</TD><TD>DET</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>238</TD><TD>Johnny Estrada</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>239</TD><TD>Ty Wigginton</TD><TD>TB</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>240</TD><TD>Orlando Hernandez</TD><TD>NYM</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>241</TD><TD>Ray Durham</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>242</TD><TD>Garret Anderson</TD><TD>ANA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>243</TD><TD>Aaron Hill</TD><TD>TOR</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>244</TD><TD>Jonathan Broxton</TD><TD>LA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>245</TD><TD>Noah Lowry</TD><TD>SF</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>246</TD><TD>Geoff Jenkins</TD><TD>MLW</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>247</TD><TD>Alex Gordon</TD><TD>KC</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>248</TD><TD>Stephen Drew</TD><TD>ARZ</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW2><TD>249</TD><TD>Jose Vidro</TD><TD>SEA</TD></TR><TR class=TABLEALTROW1><TD>250</TD><TD>Scott Olsen</TD><TD>FLA</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Clemens Finally Ready?
An MRI on Roger Clemens' "fatigued groin" reportedly showed torn scar tissue in the area. That sounds really bad, but it's actually pretty good news and means that Clemens will likely be able to finally make his long-awaited season debut Saturday against the Pirates. Clemens played catch Monday and is slated to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, at which point the Yankees hope to be able to replace his "penciled-in return" for a penned-in version.

Meanwhile, general manager Brian Cashman responded to reports that the Yankees could void Clemens' contract by saying that the team has no plans to do so. While the thought of ending the Clemens comeback before it even began made for good headlines in New York, it makes no sense from the Yankees' point of view. Because he's on a minor-league contract, Clemens doesn't begin to earn his prorated $28 million in salary until he actually pitches in the majors.

For a lot more about Clemens' ever-changing situation and the rest of the Yankees' significant drama, check out Cliff Corcoran from Bronx Banter joining Gregg Rosenthal, Tiffany Simons, and Yours Truly on NBCSports.com's "Fantasy Fix" show.

While the Yankees shift their focus to the Wild Card race from their home in a last-place tie with the Devil Rays in the AL East, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Chipper Jones is eligible to return from the disabled list Friday, but that sounds highly unlikely after Jones updated the status of his injured hands Monday. "I came in today and said, 'Put me in a cast, both hands," Jones said. "I feel like they need to be immobilized because taking off my socks and pulling up my pants" hurts. The good news?if there is any for a man who may or may not be walking around Atlanta with socks on and pants around his ankles?is that a CT scan Monday revealed no breaks or fractures.

* Derek Lowe took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Monday against the Pirates, but had to settle for merely a win while allowing four runs in 7.2 innings. It was just Lowe's second victory this season when allowing more than one run and even that almost didn't happen. With Takashi Saito sidelined with a hamstring injury, Jonathan Broxton took over closing duties and had a very shaky ninth inning.

Entering the game with a two-run lead, Broxton gave up two hits and a walk, cutting the Dodgers' margin to 6-5 and allowing the tying run to reach third base before wriggling out of the jam. It sounds like Saito will sit out most of this week, meaning Broxton will likely have another chance to put together an "easy" save. His short-term fantasy value is at an all-time high, but Saito is in no danger of losing ninth-inning duties as long as he can avoid a lengthy absence.

* In a departure from Rich Harden's expected recovery timetable, manager Bob Geren said Monday that he hopes to have the oft-injured right-hander back from the disabled list "in a couple of weeks." Geren indicated that Harden will likely pitch out of the bullpen when he returns, which immediately created speculation that the A's are grooming him for the closer role with Huston Street also sidelined with an arm injury.

However, assistant general manager David Forst tried to end that speculation by saying that Harden would simply be worked back slowly as a reliever before resuming his role as a starter. Still, Geren said that moving Harden to the bullpen full time "has been talked about" and the A's certainly need relief help at the moment. Given his propensity to break down physically despite continuing to possess top-notch stuff it could be the best way to get value out of Harden.

* Manager Mike Scioscia broke the news to Shea Hillenbrand that he's no longer the Angels' regular designated hitter, with the team choosing instead to start Reggie Willits while shuffling Garret Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero through the DH spot. Hillenbrand has a history of lashing out at managers and general managers who don't have the same rose-colored view of his abilities that he possesses, but he was amazingly restrained this time around.

Rather than repeating his past history by calling general manager Bill Stoneman names, anonymously writing "this ship is sinking" on a clubhouse billboard, or nearly brawling with Scioscia, Hillenbrand said: "This is a pretty big step backward for me personally, but the welfare of the team comes first. Whatever role he wants to put me in, I'm here." With Juan Rivera eventually adding another bat to the mix, Hillenbrand seems likely to be traded.

AL Quick Hits: Yankees general manager Brian Cashman reportedly has no interest in a rumored Bobby Abreu-for-Jermaine Dye swap ? David Ortiz's homer Monday was his first since May 9 ? Jay Gibbons has fallen so far out of favor with the Orioles that manager Sam Perlozzo called demoting him to the minors "an interesting thought" when asked about it Monday ? After struggling Monday, Felix Hernandez has given up 42 hits in 25.1 innings since returning from the disabled list ? Despite a 0.87 ERA in four post-injury starts at Triple-A, Jon Lester (forearm) is expected to make at least one more minor-league rehab start at Pawtucket ? With Andrew Miller dominating in the minors and Kenny Rogers (shoulder) on the comeback trail, the Tigers have reportedly been shopping Mike Maroth ? Along with demoting David Aardsma and Mike MacDougal to Triple-A, the White Sox dropped Paul Konerko to sixth in the batting order Monday ? Mark Ellis hit for the cycle Monday night against the Red Sox, but it was Eric Chavez who provided the walk-off homer after Alan Embree blew a save.

NL Quick Hits: Michael Barrett and Carlos Zambrano "talked" and "remain close" after their fight in the dugout and clubhouse Friday, but Barrett won't be behind the plate when Zambrano takes the mound Wednesday ? Kevin Gregg allowed an earned run Monday for the first time since May 9, but improved to a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities by closing out a three-run lead ? Alfonso Soriano went 5-for-5 with three RBIs Monday, homering for the third straight game ? Anibal Sanchez (shoulder) has not been cleared to throw off a mound and is reportedly unlikely to return before August ? San Diego is rumored to be interested in Adam Dunn, whose fantasy stock would plummet with home games at pitcher-friendly Petco Park ? Prince Fielder tied Alex Rodriguez for the major-league lead Monday with his 20th homer ? In an effort to clear a lineup spot for Felix Pie, the Cubs are reportedly shopping Jacque Jones ? Mike Jacobs (thumb) is still at least 10 days from swinging a bat.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Prospects: Buchholz and Slowey
We're just 48 hours away from one of my favorite days of the year, the Rule 4 draft. ESPN2 will have coverage of the event starting at 2 PM ET, and will continue until 6 PM. If you can get the day off, posses a DVR, or have a schedule conducive to watching the event, I'd highly recommend it. The draft being televised provides a quick and easy way to get scouting reports on each player, including their physical stature, tools, projection, and statistical profile. I'm interested to hear what readers think of both the picks made and of the quality of the coverage, so I'll encourage comments.

Next week I'll rank the top 15 properties from the draft, taking into account the player's isolated value, likelihood of fulfilling his potential, and readiness for the majors. Since we're a fantasy site, I'll also take into account the player's contributions relative to standard 5x5 leagues as well as any organizational philosophies or park factors that may come into play. The week after I'll rank and profile the 16-30 best prospects, and provide notes on some other intriguing draft picks. Those in keeper leagues should obviously be paying plenty of attention, but all fantasy players should begin getting a feel for who's coming down the pike either for fantasy purposes or for their hometown team.

Lastly, before we get on to this week's column, I just have to link to Double-A Mississippi manager Phillip Wellman's tirade on Friday. Apparently, Wellman was upset when one of his players was ejected for using a foreign substance, and what followed was perhaps one of the greatest outbursts ever caught on film. To say that Wellman got his money's worth with this ejection is the understatement of the year. If you haven't already seen it, it's an absolute must.


Callups


Yunel Escobar ? SS/3B Braves ? A second round selection in the 2005 draft after defecting from Cuba, Escobar is already 24 years old despite having just two years experience in U.S. professional baseball. The 6'2", 200-pound right-hander looked strong in both the Appalachian and South Atlantic leagues after signing. The Braves decided to get aggressive and moved Escobar up to Double-A Mississippi the following season, but Escobar struggled hitting for average or power. While he has decent speed, Escobar also converted just 7-of-16 stolen base attempts. A late surge in the Arizona Fall League gave Escobar some hope, and he's turned things around by hitting .333/.379/.456 for Triple-A Richmond this season.

Escobar's work with the glove isn't as good as one would expect, and his defense won't vault him into an everyday shortstop. He's fine at second or third and could be an acceptable utility player, but the Braves would prefer to see what he could do as a starter first. Since he doesn't draw many walks and hasn't shown the power that some scouts predicted, he's unlikely to be an average regular. However, with Chipper Jones going down this past week, Escobar will get a chance to start five times per week in the majors. He's capable of hitting .280 or better right now and he has hit a homer and two doubles since the promotion, but I wouldn't count on continued power output. He also won't steal many bases, so he's not a great option for the next two weeks. Recommendation: Claim in deep NL-only formats.

Jerry Owens ? OF White Sox ? A second rounder by the Expos in 2003, Owens didn't look like much more than a fifth outfielder during his first full season in 2004. Traded to the White Sox that winter, Owens began performing like a quality prospect after batting .331/.393/.406 with 38 steals in 58 attempts. His defense still needed work, he'd need to improve his stolen base percentage, and he'd have to be a center fielder to become a regular, but there was a decent chance that would happen. Owens did improve his work on the basepaths in 2006, but he also regressed at the plate and showed no improvement in the field. Assigned to Triple-A Charlotte to begin the 2007 campaign, Owens has looked better while batting .305 to go with a 26/26 K/BB ratio and 23 steals in 30 attempts.

With Darin Erstad hurt and none of the club's other options playing well, Owens will get a chance to start in center field against right-handers for the next four weeks. He's been brutal against left-handers in the past and his defense still isn't worthy of the position, but he'll have his uses. Since he could hit .290 against right-handers to go with five steals a month, he's worth more than a nominal bid in AL-only leagues. Erstad owners may want to pursue him a little more aggressively, just to cover their bases. Recommendation: Claim in AL-only leagues.

Kevin Slowey ? RHP Twins ? The callup of the week, Slowey is going to get a lot of attention in AL-only leagues. Slowey was a 2005 second rounder out of Winthrop University, where his excellent command, approach, and deception made him a relatively sure bet to have a big league career. How good the right-hander could become was very much in doubt, but he was not projected to be more than a No. 3 starter. Slowey signed quickly and looked good after debuting in professional baseball, recording an 84/8 K/BB ratio in 72 innings in the low minors. High-A figured to be a better test and Slowey passed with flying colors thanks to an insane 1.01 ERA and 99/9 K/BB ratio in 89 1/3 innings.

Slowey moved up to Double-A New Britain mid-season and continued pitching exceptionally well. His 3.19 ERA was a big jump, but his peripherals were still very strong and there was little reason to expect Slowey to struggle at higher levels. Indeed, the Twins got aggressive with the right-hander and assigned him to Triple-A Rochester to start the 2007 campaign. He's responded well again, recording a 1.57 ERA and 57/5 K/BB ratio before being promoted.

Slowey doesn't have ace stuff, but you sure couldn't tell that from his results. His fastball typically sits around 90 MPH and his slider and changeup are plus but not truly dominant pitches. A smart pitcher who hits his spots and keeps hitters off balance, Slowey shouldn't have a problem succeeding in the majors. While projecting him to be a No. 3 starter still seems reasonable, one has to give him the benefit of the doubt given how excellent he's been in the minors. Thus, it's best to expect No. 2 starter results in time. Maybe he won't be quite that good right away, but it'd be surprising if Slowey didn't have a very good career and I still wouldn't bet against immediate success either.

With the Twins lacking quality options at the back of their rotation, Slowey is getting his chance in the majors. He was called up to face the Athletics last week and gave up just one run in six innings of work. The Twins will stick with him for good as long as he produces, though there will be some pressure with Matt Garza still down in Triple-A. Those in mixed leaguers should take a chance on the right-hander, but are probably better off only spot starting him at first. Recommendation: Claim in all leagues.

Andrew Sonnanstine ? RHP Devil Rays ? I wrote about Sonnanstine a few weeks ago, saying that he had a chance to make a contribution in the majors this season but would have to battle an impressive group of alternatives at Triple-A Durham. With the back of the Devil Rays' rotation providing the club almost no chance at winning, the team turned to J.P. Howell and Sonnanstine to replace Jae Seo and Casey Fossum.

I'd recommend checking out the link for a detailed review of Sonnanstine, but the short version I'll review here. The right-hander lacks great stuff, and his consistently quality results have been met with skepticism at each stop in the minors. His fastball only sits in the high-80s, but his changeup and slider are quality offerings and his command is excellent. A developing splitter should also help. The right-hander has used this repertoire to record a 2.55 ERA entering 2007 and has added to his impressive resume with a 2.66 ERA for Triple-A Durham this season.

In part because he lacks plus stuff, Sonnanstine does give up more hits, including more homers, than most pitchers who have such excellent peripherals. That means he's unlikely to ever become a front of the rotation starter, but he could post ERAs around 4.00 while eating plenty of innings. I suspect he may need an adjustment period after reaching the majors, but he's still worth taking a chance on in AL-only formats. Mixed leaguers should only consider the right-hander when he has very favorable matchups. Recommendation: Claim in AL-only leagues.


Prospect Profiles


Clay Buchholz ? RHP Red Sox ? There's no prospect watchers out there that are going to be learning who Buchholz is today. He's a dynamite pitching prospect, and since he's played for a high-profile team, he's been given a lot of coverage since being drafted in 2005. However, still up for debate is how good Buchholz can become, and when he'll reach the level of a productive major leaguer. Understanding a reasonable answer to both questions will help fantasy owners evaluate Buchholz's value accurately, so I'll check in on both fronts.

Despite his prospect stardom, Buchholz hasn't had a typical career path before being drafted. The right-hander went undrafted out of high school, and then played briefly as a position player for McNeese State. He transferred to Angelina Junior College in Texas, and suddenly everything clicked. Buchholz used his athleticism to dominate both on the mound and at the plate while playing the outfield. Big league clubs were impressed enough to start looking at Buchholz as early as the late first round in the 2005 draft. The Red Sox eventually took the plunge, snagging Buchholz with the 42nd pick.

Assigned to Lowell of the New York-Penn League after signing, Buchholz has about an effective debut as could have been expected. He showed both control and plus stuff on the mound, and ended up posting a 2.61 ERA and 45/9 K/BB ratio in 41 innings of work. The Red Sox had to be exceptionally pleased. Buchholz had little experience pitching for someone who was already in his age 20 season, and his performance on the mound was nearly flawless. He didn't get buy just on stuff, but hit his spots and showed a better approach than expected.

Promoted to Single-A Greenville to start the 2006 campaign, Buchholz continued to dominate. The 6'3', 200-pound right-hander recorded a 2.62 ERA, striking out 117 and walking just 29 batters in 103 innings of work. The club wasn't letting Buchholz pitch deep into games, but his velocity was actually getting stronger in the fifth inning and he pitched better the second time around lineups. Add in how athletic Buchholz was, and it seemed extremely likely that he would continue pitching well late in games when given the chance. A late season promotion to High-A Wilmington also went well, with Buchholz hitting 97 on the radar gun late in the season and striking out 24 in 16 innings.

Moved up to Double-A Portland to start this season, Buchholz hasn't disappointed. His 1.70 ERA is good for second in the league, and his 80 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings rank first. He's also walked just 13 batters and allowed Eastern League hitters to compile just a .182 batting average. He's pitched deeper into games, averaging almost six innings per start after rarely appearing in the sixth inning during 2006. In short, he's been flat out dominant.

Buchholz's fastball is a plus pitch, sitting from 91-94 most of the time and getting dialed up to 96 or 97 when needed. However, Buchholz prefers to get ahead in the count with his fastball, and then retire batters with his arsenal of quality breaking pitches. His curveball is excellent and can be thrown for strikes or as a chase pitch. Buchholz's slider is also a quality offering, and his two types of changeups serve as a way to keep hitters even more off-balance. Add his great command, clean injury history, and athletic frame to a deep and impressive arsenal, and you have the makings of a future ace. Some people might hesitate to call Buchholz a future ace given that he's 22 and in Double-A, but his unique career path means he shouldn't be discounted much due to age.

Given how he's pitched, it won't be long before Buchholz is moved up to Triple-A. If he continues to dominate after the promotion, the big club could very well come calling in the second half. Working against Buchholz is that the team probably won't want him to jump from the 119 innings he threw last year to anywhere near 200. He'll amass near that many innings if called up in August or September, so the club could hold off barring a total breakdown in their big league starters. That means he's a much better bet for 2008, and his combination of talent and major league-readiness will make Buchholz a very popular pick next spring. Those in keeper leagues should consider him a Top 20 talent.

Aaron Thompson ? LHP Marlins ? The Marlins had an interesting quartet of starters ticketed for High-A Jupiter to start the season. The list included three first rounders from the 2005 draft in Chris Volstad, Sean West, and Thompson, as well as 2006 first round selection Brett Sinkbeil. Each of the above starters had middle of the rotation or better potential if everything worked out, so Jupiter's rotation was one to watch. Unfortunately, West had shoulder surgery, Sinkbeil has battled elbow tendonitis, and Volstad has been inconsistent, meaning Thompson is the only one of the four helping his stock.

Selected 22nd overall in the 2005 draft out of a Houston, Texas high school, Thompson was seen as a refined left-hander that would move quickly. His stuff wasn't poor enough to rule out him developing into a No. 2 starter, but settling in as a solid No. 3 or quality No. 4 seemed more likely. Thompson signed quickly and thus was able to make eight starts in the Gulf Coast League and five in the New York-Penn League. Between the two stints he compiled a 3.96 ERA and 58/20 K/BB ratio in 52 1/3 innings of work. Thompson's command wasn't excellent and the opposition was making hard contact when they were able to connect, but it was still a solid debut for the 18-year-old.

Assigned to Single-A Greensboro the following season, Thompson put up another solid season. He threw 134 innings in 24 starts, striking out 114 and walking 35 while posting a mediocre 3.63 ERA. Thompson gave up 139 hits, including 12 homers, and it was concerning how the opposition continued to make quality contact. Since he was just 19-years-old, in a park that helped homers, and didn't show a big platoon split, there was every reason to continue trying Thompson as a starter.

Moved up to Jupiter this spring, Thompson has continued pitching reasonably well while posting very similar ratios. His 3.55 ERA and 52/19 K/BB ratio in 63 1/3 innings almost mirrors his performance at Greensboro. However, he's still giving up more than a hit per inning, and that can't be completely written off due to luck or poor defense.

It's encouraging that Thompson has maintained most of his level of his raw performance while moving up a level. That he's yet to give up a homer is also a plus, but he's in a great park for avoiding the long ball. Despite the similar statistical profile overall, Thompson is actually performing a bit worse than he did last season given the switch in ballparks. It's still been a positive year in that Thompson has remained productive while moving up and continuing to avoid injuries, but it's not been as good as first glance.

Thompson's best pitch is a slider that sits 7-10 MPH slower than his fastball. It's his out pitch when he's in a big spot, but Thompson also has several other quality offerings. His sinking fastball sits in the mid-to-high 80s with good control and induces more than its fair share of grounders. Thompson's curveball has more potential than his changeup, but both need work going forward. If he can develop one of them into an average or better offering, Thompson has a future in a big league rotation. If not, his fastball-slider combination would allow him to be an excellent reliever. However, with clean mechanics, a good pitching sense, and a deceptive delivery, the club will give Thompson every opportunity to stay in the rotation.

Thompson will likely spend the rest of the season at Jupiter, and then move up to Double-A as a 21-year-old next season. He'll need to continue working on his secondary stuff and throwing more of his strikes on the corners. It's possible the 6'3", 195-pound Thompson will add a little more velocity as he matures, and his makeup might allow him to develop into a No. 2 starter if everything breaks right. Still, it's much more likely that he's a true No. 3. That said, Thompson might resemble something better given he's in the National League and gets to play half his games in a pitcher-friendly park. He's likely to break into the majors at some point during the 2008 season, although a full-time role shouldn't be expected before 2009. Given that Thompson is likely to someday produce at least some value, he's a worthwhile commodity.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Miller to Replace Robertson
Yesterday in this space I suggested that the Tigers send Nate Robertson to the bullpen, but instead the struggling left-hander was placed on the disabled list Wednesday with what the team is calling a "tired arm." With Zach Miner also heading to the DL, the Tigers called up Aquilino Lopez and Yorman Bazardo for bullpen reinforcements, but they'll make another move Sunday when Andrew Miller steps into the rotation in place of Robertson.

Miller will make at least two starts in place of Robertson, but both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press suggested Thursday that he could be in the majors to stay this time. The No. 6 overall pick in last June's draft, Miller has a 2.25 ERA, 52-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .242 opponent's batting average in 11 starts this season, including a 0.59 ERA in four starts since a promotion from Single-A to Double-A.

A 6-foot-6, 22-year-old southpaw with 34 walks in 93 professional innings, Miller may struggle with command initially. However, he throws extremely hard, has the ability to miss plenty of bats, and induces a ton of ground balls. That's the perfect formula for a pitcher and will help make up for shaky control. With Robertson out and Kenny Rogers still several weeks away from returning, Miller has a chance to beat out Mike Maroth for a spot in the second-half rotation.

While prospect hounds salivate over the chance to see Miller, Homer Bailey, and Tim Lincecum take the mound this weekend, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Normally it's not big news when someone with a .623 career OPS gets called up from Triple-A by a last-place team, but Joey Gathright is a little different. The fastest man in baseball, Gathright rejoined the Royals Wednesday after batting .328 with a .450 on-base percentage and 21 steals in 50 games at Triple-A. Gathright has always done a ton of running, but appears to have made a breakthrough in his approach at the plate.

After coming into the season with a sub par 231-to-132 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 330 minor-league games, Gathright ranked second in the Pacific Coast League with 37 walks while striking out just 23 times. "My emphasis this year was just to get on base as much as I can," Gathright said. "Just be the best leadoff hitter I could be. Getting on base and working on bunting were my main focuses of my offseason."

That seems like an obvious revelation for a speedy slap-hitter, but if Gathright's new approach at the plate can stick with him in the majors he has a chance to have huge fantasy value. Even after going 2-for-3 with a double Wednesday, Gathright still sports an ugly .253 batting average and .628 OPS in 724 career plate appearances. However, despite getting on base just 32 percent of the time, he's swiped 49 bags. Pick him up, watch him run, and hope the plate discipline sticks.

* As expected, the White Sox placed Joe Crede on the disabled list Wednesday and called up Josh Fields from Triple-A as his replacement. Crede is reportedly seeking a second and third opinion on his injured back after an MRI confirmed that he has two herniated disks and fluid build up. While it should be taken with a grain of salt given his obvious frustration, Crede indicated Wednesday that season-ending surgery is an option.

"It's to a point where heat and ice can only do so much," Crede said. "You get the nerve thing, that's the scariest. Any kind of pain shooting down the leg, that's the worst scenario." Fields represents a dropoff defensively, but Crede was hitting just .216 with a .576 OPS. Fields followed up a 19-homer, 25-steal season at Double-A by hitting .283 with 10 homers, eight steals, and an .891 OPS in 56 games at Triple-A before the call-up. He has good value in AL-only leagues.

* After suggesting on Monday's "Fantasy Fix" show that Brad Lidge could be close to reclaiming ninth-inning duties in Houston, I received a few strongly worded e-mails from Astros fans who basically called me crazy (among several other things). While my sanity may indeed be in question, it sounds like manager Phil Garner is equally as nuts. Garner said Wednesday that Lidge has "pitched well enough to go back to the closing role now."

Of course, Garner also added that he's yet to make the switch and is reluctant to do so because the combination of Lidge setting up Dan Wheeler has worked so well. Since an ugly outing on April 20, Lidge has tossed 23.1 innings with a 0.77 ERA, 34-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .171 opponent's batting average. Wheeler has pitched well over that span too, but the manager speaking publicly about Lidge possibly saving games again is a big boost to his fantasy stock.

* Aramis Ramirez left Wednesday's game with a strained left knee and said afterward that "it has been sore for two or three weeks." He's scheduled to undergo an MRI Thursday, with Mark DeRosa set to fill in at third base until he returns. Ryan Theriot and Cesar Izturis also figure to pick up at-bats if Ramirez is out for an extended period of time, but the Cubs won't know Ramirez's official timetable until the tests come back.

AL Quick Hits: Roger Clemens (groin) threw batting practice Wednesday and said afterward that he's "locked in and ready to go" for his long-awaited season debut this weekend ? After a problem-free bullpen session, Bartolo Colon (triceps) is on track to make his scheduled start Friday ? Joe Mauer (quadriceps) said Wednesday that he "felt pretty good" after playing in the first game of his minor-league rehab assignment and remains on track to return Friday ? Huston Street (elbow) played catch Wednesday and is expected to throw again Friday ? With the Orioles heading to Baltimore, Ramon Hernandez stayed behind in Seattle to undergo X-rays after he was struck in the groin by a foul tip Wednesday ? Derek Jeter is expected to get a routine day off Thursday, with Miguel Cairo starting in his place ? Andy Pettitte (back) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and indicated afterward that he expects to make his scheduled start Friday ? With Alan Embree getting the night off, Santiago Casilla recorded four outs to pick up his first big-league save Wednesday.

NL Quick Hits: Trevor Hoffman extended his MLB record by picking up his 500th career save Wednesday and hasn't allowed a run since blowing back-to-back leads in late April ? Barry Bonds (shin) walked as a pinch-hitter Wednesday, suggesting that he'll avoid the disabled list ? John Smoltz (shoulder, finger) was sore Wednesday and said that he'll "wait until the last minute" to decide if he'll make his scheduled start Sunday ? The Mets' banged-up outfield took another hit Wednesday, as Endy Chavez went down with a hamstring injury ? Meanwhile, it sounds like Shawn Green (foot) will beat Moises Alou (knee) back from the DL, perhaps by Sunday ? Greg Maddux improved to 5-3 with a 3.82 ERA with a victory Wednesday and has thrown more than 85 pitches in just three of his dozen starts ? Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Wednesday that Miguel Cabrera (hamstring) "should be ready" to return Friday ? With six shutout innings Wednesday, Orlando Hernandez lowered his ERA to an improbable 1.94 ? Dodgers prospect Scott Elbert will miss the remainder of this season following shoulder surgery.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Bullpen Report: Week 10
The closing situation to watch right now is in Houston, where incumbent Dan Wheeler has struggled lately. The right-hander gave up three runs in back-to-back outings and took the loss in his second appearance. He picked up a save with a scoreless inning in his one outing since then, but even brief struggles from Wheeler are worth monitoring. That's because there are those within the Astros' organization who still want former stopper Brad Lidge inserted back into the closer's role. Some think it would be better for the team to let Lidge reestablish himself as the club's closer for the future, while others think he should be given a chance to help his trade value.

Either way, Lidge looks ready for the promotion. The right-hander was demoted from the closer's role in April, but he's recorded a 25/4 K/BB ratio and has given up just two earned runs in his last 18 1/3 innings of work. The club won't demote Wheeler without reason, so they'll need to find an opening when he struggles for more than an outing or two. Another poor performance this coming week could do the trick, meaning Lidge is worth stashing away in all but the shallowest of leagues.

All closers are rated in one of the following categories: Locked In, Secure, Shaky, In Danger, Filling-in, Co-Closer or DL.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Closer: Jose Valverde (Secure)

Key setup men: Tony Pena, Brandon Lyon, Doug Slaten, Brandon Medders

Valverde pitched just once this week, striking out two in a scoreless inning of work to pick up a save. I will renew my recommendation to start shopping the right-hander, as he's still a risk for injury and consistency issues, as well as a possible trade candidate. Lyon and Pena, especially, haven't been as good of late, but Pena is more likely to take over as closer should Valverde be dealt.

Atlanta Braves

Closer: Bob Wickman (Secure)

Key setup men: Rafael Soriano, Chad Paronto, Tyler Yates

Wickman got into three games this week, yielding a run in a non-save situation and then pitching a pair of scoreless innings to record two saves. Soriano has been utterly dominant in front of him, yielding just six walks and 10 hits in 26 innings of work.

Baltimore Orioles

Closer: Chris Ray (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scott Williamson, Chad Bradford, Danys Baez, Jamie Walker

It was a rough week for Ray, who gave up a walk-off, two-run homer to Vladimir Guerrero on Sunday before yielding a run in a non-save situation on Wednesday. The right-hander's strikeout rate is up and his walk rate down, but his ERA has somehow climbed almost a run and a half from last year's mark. That trend isn't likely to continue. Since his ERA isn't pretty and some of Ray's failures this year have been pretty high profile, he's worth smelling around to see if you can get him on the cheap.

Williamson has looked good while healthy, striking out 11 and giving up a pair of earned runs in 10 innings of work. He'd be the closer should Ray be unavailable. Williamson himself is no stranger to the disabled list and you can just about stick a fork in Baez, so if Ray goes down it's quite possible that minor league closer James Hoey would get a shot. The right-hander possesses dominant stuff and has 34 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this season.

Boston Red Sox

Closer: Jonathan Papelbon (Locked In)

Key setup men: Hideki Okajima, Joel Pineiro, Mike Timlin (DL)

Papelbon looked human this week, giving up a homer to Alex Rodriguez in the top of the ninth in a tie game on Sunday. His 2.11 ERA and 1.08 WHIP aren't as good as last year, but he's still a tier 1 closer.

Meanwhile, Okajima continues to look like one of the best setup men in baseball, recording a 1.27 ERA and having already thrown 28 1/3 innings. Maybe maintaining an ERA under 2.00 is a stretch, but it'd be surprising if he posted anything higher than a 3.00 the rest of the season. He's got the stuff, command, and deception to remain effective.

Chicago Cubs

Closer: Ryan Dempster (Shaky)

Key setup men: Angel Guzman (DL), Bob Howry, Mike Wuertz, Scott Eyre, Carlos Marmol

The Cubs placed Guzman on the disabled list this week, citing a strained right elbow. It should come as no surprise that Guzman, who has an extensive injury history, couldn't handle a mid-season switch to the bullpen that included work early and often. Maybe it's nothing major and he'll be back trying to take Dempster's job in no time, or maybe he'll miss the rest of the season. Either way, he remains an injury risk going forward. The club obviously thinks highly of the right-hander and will give him more chances at taking over the closing duties if that's where they'd like to see him go, but his value takes a hit for now.

In the meantime, Dempster hasn't given up a run since his job was threatened and he still looks like by far the best bet to close in Chicago. It's tough to rule anything out with the Cubs, but he should remain the closer until Guzman is both healthy and productive. Should Dempster himself go down, Howry has rebounded from some poor performances recently and would be next in line. Marmol has gotten some lip service as a potential closer, but I'd guess he's behind at least Howry and probably Wuertz still.

Chicago White Sox

Closer: Bobby Jenks (Locked In)

Key setup men: Matt Thornton, Nick Masset, Dewon Day

Jenks continues to hold down the ninth inning duties with a 2.49 ERA, but overall the club's bullpen has posted a 9.11 ERA during the last month. That's not a typo, just a funny yet startling coincidence. Included in that decline was David Aardsma falling apart after a dominant six weeks, Mike MacDougal struggling to the point where his ERA reached over 7.00, and Andrew Sisco completely forgetting where the strike zone was. All three were demoted this past week, and one of the club's strengths has quickly turned into a weakness.

Outside of Matt Thornton, the club doesn't have a single reliable reliever in front of Jenks right now. That makes it an easy decision to replace Jenks should he go down, but it will hurt the club as it tries to transition leads from starter to closer. Perhaps one or more of the demoted relievers will find their groove again and come back strong, but Jenks' value takes a hit in the meantime. In addition to likely seeing less save opportunities as the team is hurt by the recent events, Jenks is also much more likely to be working with smaller leads or entering tie games now. I wouldn't recommend selling low on him, but 95 cents on the dollar might be a good enough offer to make a change.

Cincinnati Reds

Closer: David Weathers (Secure)

Key setup men: Mike Stanton, Jon Coutlangus, Jared Burton, Eddie Guardado (DL)

Even though he was charged with just one run this week, Weathers wasn't his most effective. His 1 1/3 scoreless innings for a save in his first appearance was nice, but his second outing was a nightmare. Weathers entered with the bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth inning of a four-run game against the Rockies in Coors Field on Sunday. He then proceeds to give up a triple to Kaz Matsui, scoring all three inherited runners and bringing the game within a run. Three batters later and Brad Hapwe singled to score the tying run, giving Weathers a blown save despite just the one run to his credit.

Weathers gave up six runs in an outing the week before, so he's not on the firmest of grounds right now. Still, it'll take quite a few more poor outings before the club considers any alternatives and they don't currently have anyone that fits the profile unless they want to reevaluate Todd Coffey yet again. Maybe a healthy and effective Guardado could be an alternative come August, but as I've stated before, I'm betting against it.

Cleveland Indians

Closer: Joe Borowski (Secure)

Key setup men: Rafael Betancourt, Tom Mastny, Roberto Hernandez

Borowski pitched just once this week, giving up two runs in a game that was already out of hand. Betancourt has continued to look excellent in a setup role and is next in line. Mastny has given up six runs over his last two outings, but he seems likely to rebound and is worth holding onto in AL-only formats.

Colorado Rockies

Closer: Brian Fuentes (Locked In)

Key setup men: Manny Corpas, Ramon Ramirez, LaTroy Hawkins, Jorge Julio

Fuentes has been dominant for the Rockies thus far, giving up just one earned run since the start of May. The better he pitches, the more likely he is to be dealt this summer, so Fuentes owners are faced with quite the catch-22 right now. If you are a Fuentes owner in a moderately deep league, make sure to grab Corpas.

Detroit Tigers

Closer: Todd Jones (Secure)

Key setup men: Joel Zumaya (DL), Fernando Rodney, Wilfredo Ledezma

What an ugly couple of weeks Todd Jones has had, and it couldn't have come at a worse time with Zumaya out and Rodney just returning from the disabled list on Tuesday. Jones had given up five runs over his last three appearances entering Friday's game with the Indians. In that game, Jones blew a four-run lead in the ninth by surrendering five earned runs. He gave up a homer, two walks, three singles, and a double in the inning, so his game was clearly well off.

Jones hasn't appeared in a game since that day. It's possible he was being bothered by some sort of injury and the club is trying to have him avoid the disabled list, but the Tigers haven't found a save opportunity since and that could easily be the cause as well. Although Rodney hasn't been as his best this year, he remains next up should Jones have to go on the disabled list.

Florida Marlins

Closer: Kevin Gregg (Shaky)

Key setup men: Armando Benitez, Henry Owens (DL), Taylor Tankersley, Matt Lindstrom

The Marlins are the early front-runner for "Most frustrating bullpen of the year" award. The club started with Jorge Julio, and then went to Owens before he got hurt. Tankersley was the big prospect with lots of potential and Lindstrom had the fastball for the role, but the veteran Gregg was having the best year and took over. Owens was initially supposed to get the job back when he returned, but Gregg was doing such an excellent job that he took the duties for the short-term.

Then this past week the Marlins acquired Benitez, giving Gregg a very tenuous hold on the closing duties. Manager Fredi Gonzalez is saying that Gregg will continue to act as closer, but it makes more sense for Benitez to assume the role eventually. Since he'll be a constant threat to Gregg, the incumbent loses some value. It'd be surprising if Benitez didn't get a chance to close again at some point, so he's worth keeping on your roster.

Houston Astros

Closer: Dan Wheeler (Shaky)

Key setup men: Brad Lidge, Chad Qualls, Dave Borkowski

I discussed Wheeler versus Lidge in the introduction, but I'll add to it here. Wheeler still has excellent peripherals and he's very capable of holding onto the job and doing an adequate job for the rest of the year. Lidge is capable of being a top 5 closer is he's fully returned to pre-2006 form, so the way to approach this situation is to grab both players if at all possible. If it's not possible, try selling whichever player you have to the owner with the other option. He's likely to give up more than most owners to secure a quality closer.

Kansas City Royals

Closer: Octavio Dotel (Secure)

Key setup men: Joakim Soria (DL), Joel Peralta, David Riske

Dotel pitched just once this week, but he recorded his first save in over two years during the outing. He'll remain the closer barring injury and is still likely to be dealt in July. Soria could come off the disabled list today, and he's worth keeping active in AL-only formats. He's also an option to stash away in shallower leagues given Dotel's injury risk and possibility of a trade.

Los Angeles Angels

Closer: Francisco Rodriguez (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scot Shields, Justin Speier (DL), Darren Oliver, Dustin Moseley

Another year, another dominant season from Rodriguez. The right-hander has a 2.10 ERA to go with 35 strikeouts and 19 saves in 25 2/3 innings of work. To think that's not even his career-best rate in any category is truly amazing. Speier's recovery from an infection isn't going well and he had to head back to extended spring training to build up some stamina. He'll be useful in AL-only leagues when he returns, but that's still a few weeks away.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Closer: Takashi Saito (Locked In)

Key setup men: Jonathan Broxton, Chad Billingsley, Yhency Brazoban (DL), Chin-Hui Tsao (DL)

Saito was bothered by a sore shoulder two weeks ago, and then injured his hamstring against the Pirates on Sunday. He'll be out just another day or two, with Broxton having taken over as closer in the meantime. The young flamethrower has picked up one save in Saito's absence thus far and is capable of doing an excellent job in the role. That Saito has had a few minor injuries means Broxton is a better property going forward, and it'd be best to pair the two in most leagues.

Milwaukee Brewers

Closer: Francisco Cordero (Locked In)

Key setup men: Derrick Turnbow, Matt Wise, Carlos Villanueva

It's not going to hold up, but Cordero might be having one of the best two month stretches ever for a reliever. The right-hander is 22-for-22 in save opportunities. He's given up one run in 24 2/3 innings, good for a 0.36 ERA. He's struck out 35 batters while showing good command. And lastly, he's given up all of seven hits and eight walks, yielding a 0.61 ERA. That's absurdly dominant numbers, and it makes him an obvious sell-high option right now. I'd recommend targeting an under performing closer (Chris Ray, Mariano Rivera) for an upgrade at another position.

Turnbow hasn't been as dominant as he was in April of late, but he has been better after a rough middle of the month. He's still probably next in line since he profiles better as a closer than any of the club's other options. If the club looks more at production, Wise would be the next choice.

Minnesota Twins

Closer: Joe Nathan (Locked In)

Key setup men: Juan Rincon, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier

The Twins' bullpen is one of the more boring ones around. Nathan is one of the handful of best closers in the game, fantasy or otherwise. Rincon is a top-notch setup man who would take over if Nathan went down. Neshek dominates right-handers as well as anyone in the game, and Guerrier is about as good as fourth options get. Of course, in addition to being so consistent that they're boring, it's a great group of players to own. Expect more of the same.

New York Mets

Closer: Billy Wagner (Locked In)

Key setup men: Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano

Smith has been one of the bigger relief surprises this summer. The right-hander was a third round pick out of Wright State last summer, and was thought to advance quickly. However, nobody expected Smith to reach the majors out of camp in his first full professional season. That makes his current 1.40 ERA and 28/9 K/BB ratio even more impressive, and that he's been able to adapt so quickly is a positive for the future. While he may not ever be preferred as a closer since lefties can get to him, Smith is still going to be a quality setup man for some time.

New York Yankees

Closer: Mariano Rivera (Locked In)

Key setup men: Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Proctor, Brian Bruney

Rivera has been excellent since his early season struggles, yielding just one run his last 9 2/3 innings of work. His K/BB ratio is 20/4 on the season and there's little reason to expect anything short of excellent results going forward. That he has only six saves is a bigger concern, but the Yankees are bound to break out of their funk any day now. Expect 20+ saves and an ERA under 3.00 from here on out. Surprisingly, Rivera is still a good buy-low candidate due to his all around pedestrian numbers.

Oakland Athletics

Closer: Huston Street (Injured), Justin Duchscherer (Injured), Alan Embree (Filling-in)

Key setup men: Kiko Calero, Santiago Casilla

Street still hasn't been able to play catch of this writing, but his strained ulnar nerve is supposedly healing well and all that's left to do is strengthen the muscle. If that's true, Street should be back within a week or so. If he experiences a setback, surgery is still possible. However, it seems much more likely, given all the reports, that he'll be back closing very soon.

Duchscherer is still battling his hip condition and was told not to throw for the first two weeks of June. A return late this month is possible, but July is a more realistic expectation. With both of the club's two best options unavailable, Embree has done a fine job while filling in, picking up five saves while yielding just two runs in nine innings of work. He'll remain the closer until one of Street or Duchscherer is ready.

Philadelphia Phillies

Closer: Tom Gordon (Injured), Brett Myers (Injured), Antonio Alfonseca (Filling-in)

Key setup men: Ryan Madson, Geoff Geary

The Phillies were supposed to use a committee approach with Myers and Gordon out, but Alfonseca has quickly taken the reigns as the club's closer. The right-hander hasn't given up a run in six outings since Myers went down, picking up two saves and a win in the process. I don't expect he'll continue to be so successful, but he has to be used right now. Myers is at least two weeks away and Gordon at least three, with both players seemingly good candidates for a setback or two. Myers will remain the closer when both are healthy, but the whole situation is probably going to be volatile for the rest of the season.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Closer: Matt Capps (Secure)

Key setup men: Salomon Torres, Damaso Marte, Jonah Bayliss,

Capps seemed like a good bet to take over for Torres at some point, and I recommended holding on to him even after Torres picked it up after a slow start. However, Torres being removed from the closer's role after just one blown save and a month that wasn't particularly bad was surprising. It's likely that the club preferred him in a setup role all along, and just wanted to make sure Capps was ready. Now, Capps can gain experience in the role for the future and Torres can do what he does best, log a ton of innings as a quality setup man.

Capps has a 2.87 ERA and 24/6 K/BB ratio in 31 1/3 innings, so he certainly earned the promotion. He's not likely to continue posting an ERA under 3.00, but one in the lower threes is rather possible. He'll do an adequate job as closer, likely settling in as average or a bit above. Since the club doesn't have any other great options going forward, he has a ton of value in keeper leagues right now. It wouldn't be surprising to see him closing until he hits free agency in 2012.

In the short-term, Capps is having a four-game suspension appealed on Friday. He'll likely get three games, meaning Torres is a fine play over the weekend.

San Diego Padres

Closer: Trevor Hoffman (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scott Linebrink, Cla Meredith, Heath Bell, Kevin Cameron

Hoffman picked up career save No. 499 on Tuesday, and he'll become the first player ever to record 500 saves in the near future. It was big news when Hoffman blew saves in back-to-back outings for the first time in over a decade in late April, but those were the only two outings in which he's given up a run all year. The right-hander turns 40 this winter, but with the way he's throwing, I'd like to see what he could with that changeup at age 50.

Meredith hasn't been awful of late, but he hasn't fully rebounded yet either. He can't be used right now. The rest of the setup men listed all have ERAs near or under 2.00 right now. Linebrink has the most value in the short-term, but Cameron could be a closer one day.

Note: Hoffman picked up No. 500 after this column was completed.

San Francisco Giants

Closer: Brad Hennessey (Secure)

Key setup men: Randy Messenger, Kevin Correia, Vinnie Chulk

With Benitez off to the Marlins, Hennessey takes over as the Giants' closer. The right-hander has done a fine job this year, showing good command and avoiding hard hit balls en route to a 2.82 ERA. However, he's not likely to continue pitching near that well, and he doesn't profile as a long-term closer. The club has zero good options currently in the majors besides Hennessey, so it wouldn't he shocking if he kept the role for the rest of the year. However, a few struggles or the team wanting to evaluate for the future could easily boot Hennessey from the role. He's fine for now, but he'll likely be on thin ice come August.

Seattle Mariners

Closer: J.J. Putz (Locked In)

Key setup men: Brandon Morrow, Chris Reitsma, Julio Mateo

It's been business as usual for Putz so far this year, picking up 15 saves to go with excellent ratios. He's quickly been able to prove that last year's breakout was no fluke, and his value in keeper leagues is very much on the rise. Morrow still has command problems, but opposing batters simply can't find a way to make good contact against the right-hander. He remains a quality option in AL-only leagues even if he weren't backing up a closer.

St. Louis Cardinals

Closer: Jason Isringhausen (Locked In)

Key setup men: Ryan Franklin, Tyler Johnson, Russ Springer

Isringhausen still isn't slowing down, recording a 1.57 ERA and 0.87 WHIP thus far. That he's been pain and injury free thus far boosts him up closer rankings a little. However, holding on to Franklin or Johnson just in case isn't a bad idea if you have a deep bench.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Closer: Al Reyes (Secure)

Key setup men: Brian Stokes, Gary Glover, Shawn Camp, Chad Orvella

Reyes appeared in three games this week, picking up a save and throwing three scoreless innings of work. Glover is working on a 4 1/3 inning scoreless streak, which is about the nicest thing I can write about any of the club's setup men. Despite some success in Triple-A, Orvella has looked totally lost in the majors once again. He can almost be written off for this year after this latest bout of ugly outings. Stokes still hasn't come close to putting everything together, but the club likes him and he's probably still next in line at the moment. If the club does indeed trade Reyes at the trading deadline, it's possible one of the club's intriguing minor leaguers will get the call.

Texas Rangers

Closer: Eric Gagne (Secure)

Key setup men: Akinori Otsuka, Frank Francisco, Wes Littleton

It seems Gagne hasn't had a problem adjusting to life without his previous fastball velocity. The right-hander is using his excellent changeup and slow curve to keep the opposition off balance, and it's worked to the tune of a 0.69 ERA in 13 innings thus far. Gagne struggled with his command as he was understandable rusty out of the gate, but it's been better of late. Despite the success, Gagne remains an injury risk and could also be traded this summer. Otsuka would step in under either scenario, making him an astute pickup while his value is at its lowest.

Toronto Blue Jays

Closer: Jeremy Accardo (Secure)

Key setup men: Casey Janssen, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs

Outside of one outing in which he gave up three runs and blew a save, Accardo has done a fine job as the Blue Jays' closer. He's thrown nine scoreless innings outside of that one outing since the promotion, picking up seven saves along the way. He has plenty of job security at the moment, so don't hesitate to acquire the right-hander if the price is right. Janssen has been excellent in a setup role, and the club is more likely to turn to him than try Frasor again if Accardo can't go.

Washington Nationals

Closer: Chad Cordero (Secure)

Key setup men: Jon Rauch, Jesus Colome

Rauch has struggled lately, giving up seven runs over four outings two weeks ago and then being charged with three runs while retiring just one batter on Wednesday. The club might still look to him if Cordero were dealt, but Colome also could enter the mix. He's always had closing type stuff despite a modest strikeout rate, and his 2.37 ERA certainly helps his case. His control is still an issue and could become a major problem again at any time, but he is intriguing.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Head of the class
Fantasy summer school is in session. Today's lesson is in perspective drawing ? that is, putting two months' worth of statistics in perspective and drawing some conclusions. (All dollar values are for AL- or NL-only, 5x5 leagues.)

VALEDICTORIANS

Alex Rodriguez's blazing start made every other player look like a Little Leaguer. On April stats alone, he was on pace to surpass 73 homers and $73 in fantasy value.

Though A-Rod has cooled off somewhat from that sizzling pace, his $44 value still tops all American League hitters. However, he's been passed in the race for fantasy MVP honors. Jose Reyes has leveraged his dominance in stolen bases to top the charts at a whopping $49. And he's yet to tap into the home run power he showed last season.

On the mound, Jake Peavy ($36) is setting the standard, while Dan Haren ($34) has been a model of consistency with quality starts in 11 of his 12 outings.

But enough about these high achievers. Let's take a position-by-position look at the rest of the class.

CATCHER

Dean's list: Russell Martin ($32), Jorge Posada ($25). Detention: Mike Piazza ($5), Brian McCann ($12).

Martin was poised for a breakthrough season, but not to this degree. His eight stolen bases give him a huge advantage over everyone else. Posada has been outstanding, but most of his value is tied to a lofty .357 average that he isn't likely to maintain. Injuries have kept Piazza, McCann and Joe Mauer ($13) from fulfilling their high expectations.

FIRST BASE

Dean's list: Prince Fielder ($39), Kevin Youkilis ($31). Detention: Richie Sexson ($13), Adam LaRoche ($11).

Fielder finished May with a flourish, hitting homers in four consecutive games to tie A-Rod for the major league lead. Youkilis finished with a 22-game hitting streak. Sexson recovered from a slow start last year, but his owners may not be able to wait any longer this time.

SECOND BASE

Dean's list: Kelly Johnson ($30), B.J. Upton ($32). Detention: Robinson Cano ($12), Freddy Sanchez ($9).

Thanks to the emergence of Johnson, Upton and others, depth is so plentiful here that Aaron Hill's excellent season ($24) hardly warrants a mention. Cano has been symbolic of the New York Yankees' struggles. Sanchez missed the start of the season with a knee injury but hasn't produced like a reigning batting champ.

SHORTSTOP

Dean's list: J.J. Hardy ($37), Jhonny Peralta ($26). Detention: Michael Young ($20), Bill Hall ($16).

What is it about Milwaukee Brewers shortstops and home runs? Hardy takes over and goes crazy, while Hall moves from short to the outfield and loses his power. Peralta is literally seeing the ball better after a terrible 2006 spurred him to have laser eye surgery. Young hasn't been horrible but should be driving in more runs from the No. 3 spot.

THIRD BASE

Dean's list: Mike Lowell ($30), Mark Reynolds ($13). Detention: Garrett Atkins ($9), Joe Crede ($7), Chone Figgins ($4).

What was once touted as having the deepest talent pool is looking more like a desert. Atkins can't seem to make solid contact anymore, and a balky back is threatening to make Crede's breakout season last year look like a fluke. Reynolds is going to make it difficult for [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL] to reclaim his starting job once he returns from the disabled list.

OUTFIELD

Dean's list: Shane Victorino ($31), Gary Matthews Jr. ($29), Aaron Rowand ($28), Sammy Sosa ($21), Reggie Willits ($19), Josh Hamilton ($18), Hunter Pence ($16). Detention: Alfonso Soriano ($22), Andruw Jones ($21), Vernon Wells ($20), Bobby Abreu ($18), J.D. Drew ($10).

Victorino doesn't have much power, but he's stealing bases (16), scoring runs (34) and playing every day. Sosa and Hamilton are strong comeback award candidates. Matthews' production (.284, 7 HRs, 33 RBI, 9 SB) is justifying his big offseason contract. Wells and Drew ? maybe not as much. Soriano, Jones and Abreu are still waiting for their power strokes to return.

STARTING PITCHER

Dean's list: Oliver Perez ($25), James Shields ($25), Chad Gaudin ($21), John Maine ($20), Jason Marquis ($17), Brad Penny ($24), Josh Beckett ($32). Detention: Scott Kazmir ($13), Carlos Zambrano ($10), Matt Cain ($10), Bronson Arroyo ($3).

Good decisions here can pay off big time as Perez, Shields and Maine owners will attest. Those guys were just good enough to be included as back-of-the-rotation starters from the beginning of the season, giving fantasy owners the full benefit of each start.

Kazmir and Zambrano have decent strikeout totals, but it hasn't translated into dominance in other categories. Cain has been a victim of poor run support and blown saves. He should bounce back. Arroyo, however, just can't seem to get anyone out.

RELIEF PITCHER

Dean's list: Al Reyes ($25), Jason Isringhausen ($20). Detention: Mariano Rivera ($6), Chad Cordero ($7), Jorge Julio (-$8).

Reyes was an afterthought for saves entering the season but has turned into the biggest bullpen bargain. Rivera's meager numbers (five saves, 5.03 ERA) are more a reflection of the Yankees' all-or-nothing tendencies than a deterioration of his skills. Any fantasy owner who's speculated on Julio getting saves flunks this course immediately.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

One Out From History
I feel robbed. Thanks to Shannon Stewart, we've all been denied something truly historic: The first ever blog entry about the no-hitter a blogger threw the day before. Sure, Curt Schilling also lost out on what would have been the first no-hitter of his 20-year career and, at 40 years old, probably won't have another great chance for one before he retires. Still, no-hitters happen every season. When's the last time someone tossed a no-no and then blogged about it?

Only Julio Lugo's fifth-inning error kept Schilling from having a perfect game when Stewart stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday afternoon. Actually, if you want to be technical about it?and Red Sox fans seem to favor that approach in their complaints?without Lugo's error Stewart never would have even come to the plate for a fourth time. Whatever the case, Schilling tossed him a first-pitch fastball and Stewart slapped a clean single into right field.

The crowd in Oakland actually seemed disappointed despite their team suddenly having the tying run on base in a 1-0 game. Schilling quickly retired Mark Ellis on a pop up to preserve the win and his first shutout since 2003. Since struggling against the Royals in the season's first week, Schilling is 6-1 with a 3.11 ERA and 61-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in a dozen starts. He remains homer prone, but Boston's offense will keep the victories coming even if his ERA climbs a bit.

Prior to Thursday, the Red Sox had scored an average of 5.8 runs in Schilling's starts, including five games with six-plus runs and two with double-digit totals. David Ortiz's first-inning solo homer off Joe Blanton provided all the run support Thursday, with Blanton ending up as the tough-luck loser. The A's have scored an average of just 4.2 runs in Blanton's starts, which is why he's 5-4 with a 3.60 ERA while Schilling is 6-2 with a 3.49 ERA.

While Schilling settles for writing one of those boring, run-of-the-mill "I threw a one-hitter yesterday" blog entries that have become so clich? of late, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Two days after manager Phil Garner talked publicly about Brad Lidge potentially moving back into the closer role, current closer Dan Wheeler coughed up a two-run lead Thursday against the Rockies. The blown save was likely magnified by Lidge throwing a scoreless eighth inning to set Wheeler up. Lidge has now allowed an earned run in just one of his last 17 outings (and two of the past 23), giving him a 0.74 ERA and 35-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio since mid-April.

Meanwhile, Wheeler has given up nine runs in his last four appearances, watching his ERA jump from 3.04 to 5.60 in one week. Given Garner's comments and Lidge's dominance since a horrible start to the season, it seems obvious that a change is forthcoming. If a move is made, Wheeler will retain fantasy value as a solid setup man who could easily be thrown back into the closer role at some point. Jump back on the Lidge bandwagon now, before it becomes official.

* NBCSPORTS.COM VIDEO: The Gleeman Report ? Mailbag Time

* Hong-Chih Kuo turned in six solid innings Thursday against the Padres and was in line for his first victory of the season when the Dodgers took a 5-1 lead into the ninth inning. Unfortunately, Jonathan Broxton and the defense behind him imploded, as the Padres scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to win 6-5. Filling in for injured closer Takashi Saito, Broxton came into the game despite no save being possible thanks to the four-run lead.

He proceeded to give up five runs on five hits and two walks while recording just one out, with the Padres going single, error, single, single, double, walk, single, strikeout, walk. The last walk came with the bases loaded and the score tied at five apiece, with Broxton walking Russell Branyan to force Adrian Gonzalez in from third base as the game-winning run. As bad as Broxton's performance was?and it was plenty ugly?the defense also let him down in a big way.

Nomar Garciaparra made two very clear misplays at first base, although only one was officially ruled an "error." The bad news is that Broxton's ERA has ballooned from 1.08 to 4.15 in the span of six appearances, but the good news is that Saito is expected to be available Friday. He reportedly felt good while going through a pregame workout Thursday and should be put back into all fantasy lineups immediately. Meanwhile, Kuo is worth grabbing in NL-only leagues.

* A.J. Burnett is pitching very well since a rocky first month, posting a 3.10 ERA, 70-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and .195 opponent's batting average in seven starts since getting knocked around on May 1. However, his high pitch counts are starting to become a concern. Burnett threw a season-high 130 pitches while totaling 13 strikeouts in a no-decision Thursday and has tossed 118, 103, 103, 125, 117, and 130 pitches over his last half-dozen outings.

We've been down this road with Burnett before. In fact, he was working under the same pitching coach, Brad Arnsberg, when he blew out his arm after racking up a huge workload in Florida years ago. Overworking Burnett back then was part of the reason why Arnsberg was fired along with manager Jeff Torborg and given Burnett's lack of perfect health since then, it's disturbing to see that apparently no lessons have been learned.

* NBCSPORTS.COM VIDEO: Fantasy Fix ? Is Hamilton Something Special?

AL Quick Hits: Jermaine Dye sat out Thursday's game after having his sore right knee drained of fluid and shot up with cortisone ? Joe Mauer (quadriceps) is expected to play Friday and Saturday before getting Sunday off ? X-rays on Ramon Hernandez's injured groin came back negative Thursday, making him day-to-day ? After going 0-for-5 Thursday to drop his batting average to .239, Sammy Sosa is 7-for-44 (.159) with a 16-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio since his last homer on May 22 ? Fausto Carmona held the Royals to one run over seven innings Thursday, winning his seventh straight decision ? Jim Thome is expected to play first base at least twice during interleague play, with Paul Konerko moving to the bench ? Joakim Soria (shoulder) came off the disabled list Thursday, but will now serve as Octavio Dotel's setup man ? Curtis Granderson smacked his MLB-leading 12th triple Thursday and 10 of them have amazingly come away from spacious Comerica Park ? Hyped as a great pickup in this space earlier in the week, Joey Gathright has gone 5-for-7 with two steals in two games since being called back up.

NL Quick Hits: Aramis Ramirez (knee) reportedly may be able to avoid the disabled list, but he's unlikely to play again until at least Monday ? After going 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs Thursday, Edwin Encarnacion is 25-for-62 (.403) with three homers and 12 RBIs in 16 games since returning from Triple-A ? An MRI on Endy Chavez's injured hamstring showed no tear, but he's still expected to miss at least a month ? After playing Thursday at Triple-A, [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL] (ribs) could return over the weekend and end Mark Reynolds' days as a starter ? Freddy Sanchez homered Thursday for the first time since August 23 of last season, a span of over 300 at-bats ? Angel Guzman (elbow) has been shut down for at least two weeks, but it looks like he'll be able to avoid season-ending Tommy John surgery ? Rich Hill won Thursday for the first time since May 5, striking out a season-high 11 batters in the process ? Felipe Lopez was yanked from Thursday's game for not running hard on a ground ball.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Domincan Pie
Before we jump into today's waiver pickup candidates, let's talk trades a little bit. Specifically, trade vetoes. A lot of folks email me telling me about a veto situation or asking me whether they think a certain trade should be allowed to pass.

I have a very "hands off" philosophy on this. Unless there is some reason to label it corruption or collusion, the deal stands. When I make trades, I rarely consider them "even." I think I'm getting at least a slight advantage, or I wouldn't make the trade. Real GMs do it this way too. Stupidity should not be vetoed. Just get the stupid people out of your league the following year. Everyone had the same opportunity to hit up the dumb guy with a lopsided offer. Don't veto it out of spite or because it will make things harder for your team. That's my two cents.

American League

Josh Fields, 3B, CHA ? You may recall that Joe Crede opted not to have back surgery this offseason. That looks like a bad decision, as he's probably been playing hurt for some time. Fields will start regularly at third base in his absence, which could conceivably last all season. Fields, a former quarterback, should have 25 HR power one day. He had a slow start at Triple A this year but turned it on in May with a .972 OPS. Young hitters often need some adjustment time, but Fields should be a 20 HR, 10 steal guy for the Sox in '08. AL: $5, Mixed: No.

Andrew Miller, SP, DET ? Miller will start Sunday in place of Nate Robertson, who's got a "tired arm." Miller is a big southpaw with a mid-90s heater and deadly slider. I was lukewarm on his prospects for this season after his showing in A ball, but his work at Double A is changing my mind. He's maintained his ridiculous groundball rate while showing excellent, improved command. He'll have a tough assignment against the Mets, but I'd give him a go in AL-only anyway. It seems like the stats have caught up to the talent. I could see Miller replacing Mike Maroth in the rotation if his next couple of starts resemble his first against the Cardinals. AL: $9, Mixed: No.

Fernando Rodney, RP, DET ? Rodney has returned from biceps tendinitis to slide into the setup role behind Todd Jones. While Rodney hasn't quite been himself this year, he still may be a better option than Jones in the ninth. Might be time to make a pre-emptive pickup of Rodney if you need saves. The Tigers used Jones in a 10-0 game on Wednesday. AL: $3, Mixed: No.

Joey Gathright, OF, KCA ? Insert requisite car-jumping reference here. Now that we have that out of the way, let's discuss Gathright's fantasy strengths. He's a major burner who walked in more than 16% of his plate appearances at Triple A this year. His solid contact rate supports a .300 average, with his speed adding a boost there. He could be a 50 steal player given a full season of at-bats. A regular role could come via an Emil Brown trade, release, or benching. AL: $10, Mixed: $1.

Brian Bannister, SP, KCA ? Through eight starts, Bannister has been excellent. No more worries about whether he'll stick in the rotation. I'd rather not rain on the parade, but I have to point out that a most of what he's doing can't last. He's not going to continue to allow fewer than a hit per inning. His flyballs will become home runs at twice the current rate. And his strikeout rate is already dangerously low. Bannister has shown excellent control, but that's the only real skill we've seen. An ERA under 5 from here on out would be a big win for him and the Royals, in my opinion. AL: $4, Mixed: No.

Lenny DiNardo, SP, OAK ? The groundballing southpaw has nice stats through 31 innings this year, and he beat the Red Sox on Tuesday. But groundballs or not, a 1.25 K/BB ratio says stay away in any format. AL: $1, Mixed: No.

Andy Sonnanstine, SP, TBA ? Sonnanstine lives off a plus changeup he learned from Jamie Shields, per Baseball America. He'll be an innings eater with fine control, with some similarities to Tomo Ohka or Dave Bush. Despite a fine minor league performance this year, I can see him getting knocked around as a rookie. I would pass unless in a deep AL-only league. AL: $2, Mixed: No.

J.P. Howell, SP, TBA ? Howell is the lefty the Rays acquired for Joey Gathright last year. He isn't known for his heater, but does throw four pitches including a plus curve. He's at least got his fastball into the upper-80s again after an extensive offseason conditioning program. I like him a bit more than Sonnanstine. Baseball Prospectus sees a lot of Shawn Estes in Howell, not a terrible thing. AL: $3, Mixed: No.

Victor Diaz, OF, TEX ? Diaz is hitting for a ton of power for the Rangers - eight home runs in 68 at-bats. He still hasn't drawn a walk, but that's his game. I don't see him maintaining a decent batting average, but he could stick as the regular right fielder and knock around 25 home runs over a full season. AL: $12, Mixed: $1.

Matt Stairs, 1B/OF, TOR ? Stairs should get a lot of playing time at first base for the Blue Jays while Lyle Overbay is out. For some cheap AL-only pop when the opposing pitcher is right-handed, you could do worse than Stairs. AL: $4, Mixed: No.

National League

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C, ATL ? Salty is back on the fast track after a lost 2006. Brian McCann's ankle and finger injuries should allow Saltalamacchia some starts behind the plate, and otherwise he'll split time at first with Scott Thorman. It's time to start thinking about Saltalamacchia as your second catcher right now and a long-term option in a keeper league. No one knows whether he'll stay behind the plate or with Atlanta, but he looks like a solid 20 HR guy with catcher eligibility in 2008. NL: $5, Mixed: No.

Yunel Escobar, 3B, ATL ? The 24-year-old Cuban defector can play any infield position and possesses a fine line drive swing. He might end up a utility man for the Braves, but will play third base regularly while Chipper is out. He's off to a fine start and is even batting second. Worth a buck in NL-only while playing every day. NL: $1, Mixed: No.

Felix Pie, OF, CHN ? Pie is here to stay. I see him as a future star in the mold of Grady Sizemore or Carlos Beltran. It would not surprise me to see him play at a 20/20 pace this year and really break out in '08. Full disclosure, I am a Cubs fan. NL: $13, Mixed: $3.

Homer Bailey, SP, CIN ? Bailey's much-anticipated big league debut is today against the Tribe. The 21 year-old has a tall order facing the best righty-hitting team in the game. He's got ace stuff, and has upped his strikeout rate considerably since April. I think Yovani Gallardo has a little more polish, and I'd prefer the Brewer phenom in a mixed league this year. But Bailey's going to be owned in most leagues anyway. It's a fun gamble, though I'd bet against shallow mixed league value. NL: $6, Mixed: No.

Garrett Atkins, 3B, COL ? Atkins may be showing some signs of life, going 7 for 16 with four extra-base hits over the last seven days. Another sign he might be back is that his contact rate is back in the high 80s recently. He's still hitting flyballs, so the home runs should come. It may be too late to buy low, but you can try. I see him settling in as a .300-20-90 type guy for several years despite the hiccup in '07. NL: $23, Mixed: $10.

Brad Lidge, RP, HOU ? Before Thursday night's Dan Wheeler blowup, Phil Garner admitted that Lidge has pitched well enough to close again. My guess is that the next chance goes to Lidge. I could be wrong, but I don't buy the argument that he doesn't have the mental fortitude to close anymore. NL: $18, Mixed: $10.

Tony Abreu, 3B, LAN ? Abreu is a top prospect, and would be more well-known in a shallow farm system. The switch-hitter can play any infield position and hits plenty of line drives. He can hit for decent average with doubles power and a few steals as the Dodgers' regular third baseman. Abreu is worth using in NL-only but it does seem likely that the Dodgers will upgrade at third base via trade. NL: $6, Mixed: No.

Dave Roberts, OF, SFN ? Roberts hasn't played in the bigs since May 9th, but may return Sunday from his minor elbow surgery. Roberts is what he is. Pick him up for a boost in steals and runs, until the next injury surfaces. If he's healthy and leading off, he's too good to remain on a mixed league waiver wire. NL: $15, Mixed: $5.

Dmitri Young, 1B, WAS ? Young is hitting a robust .329/.403/.509 through 173 at-bats. His opportunity proves that most baseball teams do not care the slightest bit about what players do off the field if they can produce on it. Fantasy leaguers shouldn't care either. He's been especially on fire over the last three weeks, and should be at least a short-term pickup in mixed leagues. A midseason trade could leave Da Meat Hook without a starting role, however. NL: $14, Mixed: $3.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Surging Yankees
Hot hitters, the effects of injuries and recoveries, and Schultz's continued homage to Jorge De La Rosa in this week's Week That Was.

Bobby Abreu: Bobby Abreu looked like the Abreu of old Thursday night, getting on base three times and scoring three times. People from everywhere (except New York) like to jump on the "Yankees are cooked" bandwagon. Well, first, they are wrong. Second, in order to be a fantasy baseball winner, you have to leave your emotions at the door. Root for or against the Yankees all you want. However, any type of cogent analysis shows that Abreu is a quality hitter in a quality lineup. If a Yankee hater owns him in your league, strip him or her clean. It will be painful for them, but lead to so much fun for you.

Jose Valentin: After almost 6 weeks on the shelf, Jose Valentin is back with the Mets. I would not get too excited here. Yes, Valentin was a real find last year. However, he is a serious batting average risk. Jose hit .170 in 2005 and .216 in 2004. As I say ad nauseum in this space, risk aversion is a key aspect of roto success. Valentin is a major risk. If you own him, sell after the first hot streak. If you do not own him, keep it that way.

Dan Wheeler: Dan Wheeler took another step toward giving the closer job back to Brad Lidge Thursday night by blowing a ninth inning lead against the Rockies. Wheeler has given up 9 earned runs (yes 9) in just four June appearances. With Brad Lidge pitching well, it is just a matter of time before they switch roles again. What to do? Well, assume that Lidge and Wheeler will flip flop for the rest of the year, with each getting some saves, Wheeler posting a nice WHIP (1.24 now despite the troubles) and Lidge striking out a bunch but posting unhelpful ratios. Value accordingly.

Mike Rabelo: Pudge's backup went 2-4 Thursday night and continues his hot hitting. Since the Tigers trip Boston in Mid-May, the Tiger switch hitter is 10-24 and has raised his average all the way to .286. I wonder what happened in Beantown to spark this sudden offensive explosion. In any event, you could do worse than a switch-hitting backup catcher who provides a decent average.

Joey Gathright: Joey Gathright is back with the Royals and has already provided some spark. Gathright collected three hits and stole a base Thursday. Steals are hard to come by. Grab Joey if you feel the need . . . for speed. (Thank you Goose and Mav). Long term, can Joey succeed? Yes. He is only 26, has hit for a decent average in the bigs (.276 in 2005) and was hitting almost .320 in AAA this year.

Joe Crede: According to reports out of Chicago, Joe Crede, who is currently on the shelf with his constantly cranky back, has two herniated disks. I can tell you from personal experience, that when those puppies act up, it is no fun at all. I can also tell you that the condition is chronic and you just do not know when you will wake up in a bad way. While Crede is on the shelf, Josh Fields will be at the hot corner for the ChiSox. Fields was hitting .283 in AAA with 10 HR and 8 SB. Look for Fields to struggle for a good average, but provide decent counting numbers.

Chien-Ming Wang: Chien-Ming Wang is back in midseason form. The Yankee hurler threw a complete game earlier this week against the aforementioned ChiSox. Yes, Wang will not post imposing strikeout numbers, however, he will post solid ratios, win a bunch of games, and be a constant contributor to your fantasy squad for the remaining four months.

Angel Guzman: This week, the Cubs placed Angel Guzman on the DL with an elbow problem. Ugh. Why do major league managers mess with quality young arms? First Bret Myers, now Angel Guzman. If you have a hard throwing youngster, do not move them from starter to reliever and back again. It just ends in woe. Moral of the story ? next time you see a good pitcher changes positions or roles in the middle of the year, look for an opportunity to sell high.

Jason Schmidt: Jason Schmidt pitched one hit ball, going six innings in his first start in over seven weeks. Schmidt is a quality major league pitcher. However, he is not throwing as hard as he used to and is not as reliable as he used to be. He pitches for a good team in a good park, so that is a plus. In the end, if you want a pitcher who will give you 100 good innings, Schmidt makes sense. If you are looking for him to be solid every fifth day for the next four months, look elsewhere. If you own him and someone is willing to pay for the Schmidt of old, sell.

Victor Diaz: Victor Diaz continues to rake. So far, he has blasted 8 dingers in just 71 AB. Not too shabby. Yes, he was awful in 2006, but he has shown flashes of brilliance over his career. He will look bad at times, however, there is room in the Texas outfield and it is just such a great place to hit in the summer. Look for 20+ homers cheap.

Last but not least, this week's Schultz Says: "All the fun rumors out of Texas seem to relate as to whether the Rangers are considering trading Mark Teixeira before this year's trading deadline. If you are in an AL only league that doesn't carry over stats if a player is traded to the NL, you should be sleeping a little restlessly until July 31 passes. What should keep you up at night is Teixeira's agent Scott Boras, who surely has no qualms about encouraging his clients to test the open market. Don't believe me: just watch how quickly he has A Rod opting out of his Yankee deal after this season. If Texas feels that there is any chance they are going to lose Teixeira to free agency, they are going to have to deal him. While waiting for Teixeira to come into his own, the Rangers traded Travis Hafner to the Indians (for Einar Diaz) and Adrian Gonzalez to the Padres (with [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=194"]Chris Young[/URL] for Akinori Otsuka and Adam Eaton). Point being, they got nothing in return for 2 All-Star quality first basemen and can't let the guy they held on to leave them holding an empty bag.

Once again Joey Gathright is getting a chance to blossom into the stolen base machine all his roto-owners have been waiting for. His speed is so tantalizing that there is always someone who makes a bad investment in him in the hopes that the roto-roulette wheel finally lands in his favor while they own him. As long as he's not tripping over his own feet, he's going to have a chance to succeed in the Royals lineup. However, unless he's not going to cost you anything dear, leave it to someone else to gamble on the speedster. He's burned too many owners in the past. If you really want to take a chance on some cheap speed, try Jerry Owens. At least if you get burned on that one, there's no one else to laugh at you and say they told you so.

Oh yes, forgot to tell everyone that I would be watching Jorge de la Rosa pitch against the Indians. Per some baffling rule of the cosmos, he pitches well when I watch him and his outing against the Tribe was no exception. In case anyone else buys into this mumbo-jumbo, I will not be watching any Royals game this upcoming week.

Final thought: if you were managing a team that was about to be no-hit and could send up one batter with 2 outs in the 9th to break it up, who would you pick? My answer, Carl Everett. First off, he did it once before to Mike Mussina and when he did, it wasn't even a surprise. Everett just seems to enjoy being a pain in the ass and what better way to disappoint every one on the other team, everyone in the stands and everyone watching on TV then to ruin their ability to say they played in or watched a no-hitter. Hands down: Carl Everett is just to mean of a human being to let that many people be happy. He would be my man. Who's yours? "
Response: Good points on Big Tex and the Rangers' bad deals, odd fascination with De La Rosa, and a just puzzling and baffled, huh? when it comes to the Carl Everett reference. However, if I had to pick someone to break up a no-hitter, it would have been Rod Carew. The guy just seemed like he could slap a single at will (for those of you too young to have seen Carew play, that is too bad ? he is so much more than a vague reference in the Adam Sandler Hannukah songs).
Enjoy the weekend and all the hoopla that will surround the Rocket's return on Saturday.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

NL Team-by-Team Notes
Homer Bailey managed to hold his own against one of the game's best offenses in his major league debut, but it did take him 114 pitches to get through five innings against the DH-less Indians. Bailey's fastball command is usually pretty shaky, and he's had quite a bit more difficulty getting strikeouts with his curveball lately than he did at lower levels. He's an outstanding long-term prospect, but he's likely to be pretty inconsistent his first time or two around the league. With the red-hot Angels on the schedule this week and then a start in an AL park against a patient A's team coming up, it's going to be a while longer before he's an option in mixed leagues. Most contending NL-only teams should be able to do better.

National League Notes

Arizona - Mark Reynolds is 4-for-31 with no RBI and 10 strikeouts this month, so the Diamondbacks should be very pleased to have [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL] back from the DL. Reynolds has a future in the majors, but he has holes in his approach ? he's especially vulnerable to high fastballs ? and it looks like he's going to require at least a few more months of minor league time. While he's going to stick around for now and play against left-handers, he's barely worth using in NL-only leagues. ? What's especially impressive about Micah Owings' performance thus far is the way he hasn't missed a beat after being skipped in the rotation. Manager Bob Melvin indicated that he'll be passed over less frequently in the future, and with a rather easy schedule coming up, Owings should be an every-week play in NL-only leagues through the All-Star break. ? Doug Davis and Livan Hernandez both get the Yankees this week, making them poor options. Davis isn't worth owning anyway.

Atlanta - Chipper Jones is hoping to return from his hand injuries for Tuesday's game or by Friday at the latest. The Braves will probably go back down to 12 pitchers and keep Yunel Escobar around for the immediate future. If they can't get Escobar enough at-bats in a utility role, they'd then send him back to Triple-A to play regularly. Edgar Renteria's minor hand injury suffered Sunday only makes it an easier decision to stay with the rookie. ? Tim Hudson is expected to start Thursday after suffering a bruised shin in his outing Saturday against the Cubs. John Smoltz and his sore shoulder will follow on Friday. If there was ever a time to bench Smoltz, it'd be now, as he'll be pitching in Cleveland. Still, I'd take my chances with him. ? Anyone thinking of adding Buddy Carlyle in an NL-only league can wait to see what happens when he faces the Indians. Braves starters are always tempting, but Carlyle offers little upside.

Chicago - Perhaps the only thing more predictable than Lou Piniella's ridiculous fit in the June 2 game against the Braves was that Angel Guzman went on the DL a couple of days later with an arm problem. The Cubs jerked around and then overused a young pitcher with a lengthy injury history and almost seemed surprised when he got hurt. Guzman's injury, combined with Sean Marshall's success as the fifth starter, suggests that Ryan Dempster won't be moved out of the closer's role anytime soon. Carlos Marmol might now be the No. 2 option should anything happen to Dempster. ? Felix Pie is up, and it sounds like GM Jim Hendry had a little talk with Piniella to ensure that the rookie played regularly and hit second in the order. Maybe that's not the perfect lineup spot for him just yet, but he does need to be in center field everyday while he's up. The Cubs are again looking to move Jacque Jones, though it's looking like they're going to have to pick up salary in order to make it happen. In the meantime, right field is way too crowded with Jones, Cliff Floyd and Matt Murton all requiring at-bats. Pie's speed could make him a possibility in shallow mixed leagues later on.

Cincinnati - Ryan Freel is still having headaches and dizziness after his May 28 collision, leading him to believe he's suffering from post-concussion syndrome. It figures to be weeks, maybe months, before he's ready to play again. As a result, Norris Hopper has fantasy value as the Reds' fourth outfielder. He doesn't bring much to the table other than the occasional stolen base, so the team should be looking to do better. However, manager Jerry Narron seems to really like him. It's obvious Narron doesn't see Jeff Conine as an outfield option. ? Freel's injury also benefits Edwin Encarancion, who won't have to deal with anyone challenging him for playing time at third base. He's back looking like a solid choice in shallow mixed leagues. ? Eddie Guardado (elbow) could come off the DL this week. He probably won't go into the closer's role right away, but it'd be no surprise to see him getting save chances over David Weathers by the end of the month.

Colorado - Garrett Atkins has started to turn it around this month, and the strongest suitor for his services is likely out of the mix with Chone Figgins suddenly playing so well for the Angels, which would seem to indicate that the third baseman isn't going anywhere anytime soon. The Rockies didn't want to sell low anyway, especially with prospect Ian Stewart not quite banging down the door. Atkins is likely to hit .300 the rest of the way. The power won't come all of the way back, but he'll amass quality run and RBI numbers anyway. ? Jason Hirsh brought to an end speculation that his rotation spot was in jeopardy with his complete-game victory over the Orioles on Sunday. Considering that the league is batting .247 against him and his walk rate has been decent enough, he shouldn't have had anything to worry about. His problem has been that he's struggled from the stretch, and since that's not something he has a history of going back to the minors, it's probably just a fluke.

Florida - Dan Uggla has an even higher OPS this year than he did as a rookie, and he's second in the NL with 51 runs scored. Still, it's hard to see him maintaining his current pace with his strikeout rate up. He's fanned 68 times in 64 games, including 16 times already this month. Also, he's getting fewer RBI opportunities with Hanley Ramirez batting third and Alfredo Amezaga and Reggie Abercrombie platooning in the leadoff spot. He's a clear top-10 second baseman, but it's unlikely that he'll finish with a .270 average and he especially makes a lot of sense as a sell-high candidate in 4x4 leagues. ? Dontrelle Willis is expected to stay on four days' rest this week, meaning he'll be facing the Indians, not the Royals. At this point, it's the right move for mixed leaguers to bench him when he has difficult matchups like this one. ? Mike Jacobs (ankle) is getting closer, but he's not expected back this week, leaving Aaron Boone to play first base against his former team.

Houston - It's not happening all at once, apparently, but Brad Lidge is being returned to the closer's role, while Dan Wheeler will go back to working the eighth. It's obvious Lidge is physically ready to return to the role, as he's been about as lights out as any NL reliever of late. What will be more interesting to see is whether he's up for the role mentally. A couple of shaky appearances could set him back for weeks, and the Astros are taking a real chance by having him switch roles when it barely matters in which order they use their two best relievers. If it works out, Lidge should be a top-10 fantasy closer the rest of the way. Still, it'd be too risky to trade a big name for him now. Wheeler needs to be held on to in mixed leagues for at least a couple of more weeks. ? Lance Berkman finally seems ready to go on a tear, so this might he the last time he is going to come relatively cheap. ? Jason Jennings' stock is climbing, and he looks like a viable option in mixed leagues now that he's over his elbow problems. He typically had a better walk rate outside of Coors Field during his days with the Rockies, and it seems to be carrying over now that he no longer has to worry about pitching in the park more than once per season.

Los Angeles - The Dodgers are trying to shake things up, recalling Matt Kemp and James Loney last week and finally dropping Juan Pierre to the eighth spot in the lineup, which is where he should have been all along. Unfortunately, Kemp's at-bats will come mostly at Andre Ethier's expense and Loney isn't going to play regularly. As frustrating as Nomar Garciaparra's power slump has gotten, it doesn't make much sense to bench him for any length of time. Also, while it's still fun to rail against the [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3797"][URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=4378"]Luis Gonzalez[/URL][/URL] signing, the fact is that he's been the Dodgers' best offensive outfielder to date. There's no one change here that's likely to jumpstart the team. While I'd suggest trying Wilson Betemit as a regular again, that's not going to happen this week. Russell Martin should be batting higher in the order, but it wouldn't make much of a difference. ? Kemp will probably start four times per week for now, with regular duty a possibility if he's productive. He's a better bet than Loney in NL-only leagues. Loney is worth having stashed away, but he's not going to be a good play unless Nomar goes down. ? Hong-Chih Kuo impressed in his second outing, guaranteeing him at least a couple of more starts. He's not a very good play against the Mets this week, but he should be owned in NL-only leagues.

Milwaukee - The events in Texas the last two days show why it would be a bad idea for a big-market team to give Francisco Cordero the four-year, $40 million contract he could command in the offseason. Completely brilliant for two months, he blew back-to-back save chances in his return to the scene of last year's failures. Cordero seems to be a lot like Armando Benitez was in his prime. He'll convert 80-90 percent of his regular-season saves, but it'd be hard to trust him in a postseason game. ? Rickie Weeks (wrist) could be back in a week, but there's going to be no reason to put him back into the leadoff spot right away. Corey Hart has hit .333/.444/.600 in his eight games at the top of the order, and he's 10-for-11 stealing bases this year. He probably won't hang on to the leadoff spot permanently, but it'd be for the best if he remained the regular right fielder the rest of the way.

New York - Jose Reyes hasn't looked anything like an MVP candidate the last five weeks. The minor hamstring injury he suffered on May 16 may have something to do with it, but he was slumping before that. He's currently working on a streak of five straight games without a stolen base, his longest of the season. He seems to be running well enough, so this likely still qualifies as a temporary lull. The Mets certainly wouldn't have anything to complain about if he finished the season with his current .310/.396/.452 line. What is disappointing for fantasy purposes is that he has just two homers after stroking four during spring training. ? Endy Chavez (hamstring) had cooled off at the plate, but losing him for at least a month with Shawn Green (foot) and Moises Alou (quad) already on the DL was a major blow. Green will return Monday, resulting in a demotion for Ben Johnson. The Mets don't trust Johnson in center field, so they'll keep Carlos Gomez on the roster for now. Gomez, Ricky Ledee and Damion Easley can all see time in left until Alou is activated, an event that's likely at least a week away. The Mets might want to go get Brady Clark from the Dodgers to occupy a reserve role.

Philadelphia - The Phillies had some knowledge of Freddy Garcia's shoulder issues when they acquired him, but he's been so capable of adapting to his diminished velocity, becoming more of a groundball pitcher through the years, that it appeared to be a pretty good risk. Garcia did seem to have it going in the right direction when he allowed two or three runs in each of his final five starts of May. However, after back-to-back ugly outings to begin June, soreness put him on the DL on Saturday. With Brett Myers (shoulder) also out and at least a month away from being able to start games in the majors and left-hander J.A. Happ on the Triple-A DL with an elbow injury, the Phillies lack any quality options to step in. They might go to reliever Clay Condrey or Ottawa's J.D. Durbin. Kyle Kendrick in Double-A is pitching as well as any of the Triple-A starters, but they'd really be rushing him if they threw him into the rotation now. The best option would be to pick up Tomo Ohka from the Blue Jays. ? Since the Phillies probably won't try stretching Myers out, he could be activated next week. That means he'd almost certainly beat Tom Gordon (shoulder) back to the closer's role.

Pittsburgh - It hasn't happened yet, but Zach Duke might be one more bad start away from an assignment to the minors. With 104 hits allowed and 22 strikeouts in 72 innings, it's obvious there will be no simple solutions here. He needs to rework his approach if he's going to have a chance. John Van Benschoten would be the choice to replace him in the rotation, as Indianapolis teammate Bryan Bullington aggravated his shoulder on Sunday. ? Rajai Davis did nothing to impress while making three straight starts against lefties, so it looks like Chris Duffy will remain the Pirates' primary center fielder. Watch for signs of him beginning to turn it on. Duffy is no quality regular, but he can hit .300 for a couple of months at a time and steal a bunch of bases in the process. ? Matt Capps is expected to serve his suspension this week, meaning he'll miss either three or four games, depending on the results on his appeal. With Salomon Torres on the DL, Damaso Marte might be the Pirates' top option in the ninth while Capps is out.

St. Louis - I've always liked Todd Wellemeyer's arm, but because of his poor command, he's not a major league starting pitcher. With Braden Looper now performing closer to expectations and Brad Thompson looking like nothing more than fifth starter, the Cardinals are really hurting for starting pitching. An Ohka acquisition would be an instant upgrade, and the club shouldn't wait much longer to go back to Anthony Reyes, who has been strong in his two Triple-A starts. I still expect that Reyes will be a very solid NL-only starter the rest of the way. Even if Ohka replaces Wellemeyer, the Cardinals could still bump Kip Wells or Thompson to open another spot. ? Troy Percival could be a decent seventh-inning guy or maybe even a true setup man as he attempts a comeback from elbow problems, but there's not going to be any reason to pick him up in NL-only leagues. Jason Isringhausen is as strong now as he was two years ago, and Ryan Franklin remains the No. 2 option for saves at the moment.

San Diego - Justin Germano isn't just a Petco creation, but he's probably not going to prove to be more than a bottom-of-the-rotation starter for the Padres. Clay Hensley is the better pitcher if he can get himself straightened out over the next few weeks. Germano has a barely average fastball, and while his curve is nice for keeping hitters off balance, it doesn't result in a lot of strikeouts. While he'll be worth using in NL-only leagues as long as he's in the San Diego rotation, he's already a sell-high candidate. ?
Brian Giles may miss another full week with the right knee contusion that has sidelined him since May 20. Terrmel Sledge and Hiram Bocachica will continue to fill in.

San Francisco - Brad Hennessey isn't going to be the Giants' long-term closer, but he is the best bet on the roster right now, with Kevin Correia next in line. I don't see Randy Messenger entering the mix at any point. Jonathan Sanchez would be an interesting alternative, but he's just not throwing enough strikes right now. The Giants will be in the market for Eric Gagne, Al Reyes or any other closer who becomes available next month. My guess is that they'll get someone and return Hennessey to a setup role. ? Dave Roberts returned from elbow surgery a couple of days early because Fred Lewis went on the disabled list with a strained oblique. With Roberts still not quite 100 percent, he may sit more than usual against lefties for the next couple of weeks. That could lead to some value for Dan Ortmeier, who is occupying the fourth outfield spot that Lewis was supposed to fill upon Roberts' return. ? Another significant outfield injury would likely cause the Giants to bypass Ortmeier and go to Nate Schierholtz, who is batting .341/.367/.516 with four homers and five steals for Triple-A Fresno. Schierholtz probably isn't going to be a long-term regular, but the Giants find his ability to hit for average and doubles power attractive.

Washington - Elijah Dukes is the type of talent the Nationals should be gambling on. Still, they might not have what it takes to pry him away from Tampa Bay. It could depend on whether the Rays like the idea of Jesus Flores as an alternative to Dioner Navarro as the catcher of the future. If Dukes goes to Washington, he'd be the everyday center fielder, sending Ryan Langerhans and Nook Logan to the bench where they belong (actually, the PCL might be where Logan belongs). Dukes could also soon gain a spot at the top of the lineup. ? It's odd to look at the box each and see Cristian Guzman outhitting Felipe Lopez by more than 100 points. It's one thing for him to disappoint offensively, but Lopez at least seemed like a lock to steal 30-40 bases for a bad Nationals team this year. Instead, he has just six in 11 attempts, making him a complete bust for fantasy purposes. He can't be used in mixed leagues until he resumes running. ? Unfortunately, Guzman's days as a quality basestealer are long behind him. He's doing everything else the last couple of weeks, but that can't last. Even if having LASIK surgery after 2005 did make him a legitimately improved hitter, he's still not going to do better than .270-.280 the rest of the way. That won't be enough to give him much fantasy value when he has just one homer and two steals in 32 games.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Teix Heads to Disabled List
Prior to his returning from the disabled list Friday, Joe Mauer's quadriceps injury led some Twins fans to wonder if he needed to move out from behind the plate and caused the local media (and Torii Hunter) to accuse him of lacking toughness. Lost in all the quadriceps-induced hysteria is that Mauer's stint on the DL was his first since suffering a knee injury two games into his rookie season, way back in 2004. In other words, he's been one of baseball's healthiest catchers.

No one seems to be suggesting that Mark Teixeira should move away from first base and with a streak of 507 straight games being snapped he's yet to be accused of lacking toughness, but he headed to the DL over the weekend with the same injury Mauer had. Mauer was sidelined for slightly over a month and the Rangers indicated Sunday that they expect Teixeira to miss more than 15 days after he was unable to walk without a limp.

With Teixeira out, Brad Wilkerson figures to see most of the playing time at first base, with Victor Diaz and Marlon Byrd picking up at-bats in the outfield. After going 4-for-6 Sunday, Byrd is now hitting .407 in 15 games since being called up in late May. In addition to making it easier for Wilkerson, Diaz, and Byrd to be in the lineup, Teixeira's injury also gives Sammy Sosa some extra time to get back on track. He's 9-for-54 (.167) with zero homers over the past two weeks.

While Teixeira's injury puts all the trade rumors and speculation on hold for a while, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Jon Lester came into Saturday's minor-league rehab start with a 0.87 ERA at Triple-A, but left it with an extended stay in Pawtucket looking likely. Lester struggled Saturday, failing to make it out of the third inning while allowing three runs on five hits, and is now scheduled to make another rehab start Thursday. Meanwhile, manager Terry Francona indicated Sunday that Lester will likely be optioned to Triple-A once his 30-day rehab stint expires.

Lester is expected to throw a bullpen session Monday in front of Francona and pitching coach John Farrell, at which point Francona said he plans to sit down with Lester to discuss his timetable. With Julian Tavarez continuing to pitch reasonably well in the fifth-starter role and the Red Sox holding a 9.5-game lead in the division, the team is clearly being as cautious as possible with Lester. Don't expect significant fantasy value until the second half, if then.

* Jeremy Sowers was expected to be sent down to Triple-A once Jake Westbrook was healthy enough to return from the disabled list later this month, but the Indians apparently decided that they couldn't wait that long. Sowers was demoted Sunday despite the fact that Westbrook is still likely several weeks away from stepping back into the rotation. Beyond that, top prospect Adam Miller isn't an option to replace Sowers because he's currently sidelined with an injury of his own.

Of course, none of that makes removing Sowers from the rotation a bad decision. After going 7-4 with a 3.57 ERA in 14 starts as a rookie, Sowers went 1-6 with a 6.93 ERA and .310 opponent's batting average in a dozen starts this year. At 24 years old he still has plenty of time to bounce back, but with just 54 strikeouts in 150.2 career innings he looks like little more than a solid back-of-the-rotation starter even when things are going well.

* For keeper leaguers looking to get an early jump on this year's draft class, there are four players who stand out as the best bets to reach the majors and have a fantasy impact within the 12 months. At the top of the list is No. 1 overall pick David Price, who dominated at Vanderbilt and could be joining Scott Kazmir atop the Devil Rays' rotation by the end of the year. Price has legitimate ace potential, with outstanding stuff for a left-hander and big-time strikeout ability.

His college teammate, Casey Weathers, went to the Rockies with the eighth overall pick. A right-hander reliever with a mid-90s fastball, Weathers should move very quickly and has the potential to close at some point. However, with Brian Fuentes established as the Rockies' ninth-inning man and Coors Field around to inflate ERAs, Weathers didn't land in the greatest situation for an immediate fantasy impact.

In terms of hitters, no draftee beats Matt Wieters from Georgia Tech. A switch-hitting catcher who batted .358 with a .592 slugging percentage this season, Wieters went to the Orioles with the No. 5 pick. Wieters is considered a strong defender and could be MLB-ready as soon as next season, but has Ramon Hernandez blocking his path to Baltimore through 2009. It'll be interesting to see how the Orioles proceed if Wieters plays as well as expected.

Matt LaPorta is in a similar position to Wieters after getting drafted seventh overall by the Brewers. A defensively challenged slugger who's likely limited to first base, LaPorta is now stuck behind Prince Fielder on the long-term depth chart. It's possible that LaPorta could play a somewhat passable left field, but it's still an intriguing selection given the Brewers' young roster. He should move quickly and put up huge power numbers at Florida, but needs a place to play.

* Gary Sheffield continues to absolutely crush the ball after a slow first month. Sheffield went 4-for-5 with a homer in Sunday's blowout win over the Mets, giving him 16 homers and 37 RBIs in 37 games dating back to April 30. He's batted .331 with a 1.125 OPS over that span, compared to .193 with a .614 OPS through the season's first 23 games. Despite sitting with a .191 batting average during the first week of May, Sheffield is now on pace for a .280-45-115-150 season.

AL Quick Hits: Jered Weaver followed in his brother's footsteps by leaving Sunday's game with back tightness, but said afterward that he doesn't expect to miss a start ? Manager Buddy Bell said Sunday that Zack Greinke, not Joakim Soria, is now the Royals' backup closer behind Octavio Dotel ? With Tampa Bay apparently looking to make deals, the Twins are reportedly interested in Ty Wigginton and the Nationals are said to be after Elijah Dukes ? Kenny Rogers (shoulder) tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in his first minor-league rehab start Sunday at Triple-A ? With two homers and five RBIs Sunday, Alex Rodriguez is now on a .300-65-165 pace ? Manager Bob Geren said Sunday that Kurt Suzuki will start in place of Jason Kendall at least once a week and will "definitely" play more than Adam Melhuse did ? After sitting out Sunday's game, Garret Anderson (hip) and Casey Kotchman (elbow) are expected to return Tuesday ? Magglio Ordonez and his league-leading 1.108 OPS were scratched from Sunday's lineup due to knee stiffness.

NL Quick Hits: Chipper Jones (hands) took batting practice Saturday and is hoping to get back in the lineup Tuesday ? After looking good last week in his first outing back from a shoulder injury, Jason Schmidt got knocked around Sunday by the Blue Jays ? Edgar Renteria left Sunday's game after being hit on the left hand by a Ted Lilly pitch, but X-rays taken afterward were negative ? With two homers and five RBIs Sunday, Albert Pujols is now on a .300-40-110 pace ? David Wright homered Sunday for the fourth straight game, taking Andrew Miller deep for a three-run bomb in the first inning ? [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=MLB&id=3586"]Chad Tracy[/URL] (oblique) returned from the disabled list Sunday, but Mark Reynolds will still get plenty of at-bats this week during interleague play ? Eddie Guardado (elbow) could return this week, but likely won't take over as the Reds' closer ? With another dominant outing Sunday against the Red Sox, Randy Johnson now sports a 70-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 53.2 innings.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Big Z Rolling Again
With Carlos Zambrano struggling through the first two months, I suggested that perhaps his problems were due to an arm injury. The signs were seemingly all there for a pitcher who racked up huge workloads in his early twenties, from decreased velocity and a drop in strikeouts to more homers served up and a different arm angle being used. Rather than falling apart even further or revealing some sort of significant ailment, Zambrano has instead made me look silly.

Zambrano turned in his best performance of the season Monday, tossing eight innings of one-run ball against the Astros while totaling eight strikeouts and just one walk. Big Z also provided his own run support by homering off Woody Williams for the eventual game-winning run in a 2-1 victory, giving him a dozen homers and a .370 slugging percentage in 359 career at-bats. For comparison, Cesar Izturis has 11 homers and a .335 slugging percentage in 2,588 career at-bats.

Zambrano has eight-plus strikeouts in three of his past four starts after failing to reach that number during his first 10 outings. However, what makes his resurgence confusing is that mixed in with the three good starts was a clunker against the Braves on June 1. Atlanta knocked him around for seven runs on 13 hits without a single strikeout in five innings, whereas he's gone 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA and 25-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the three surrounding starts.

While Zambrano turns in back-to-back Quality Starts for the first time this year and moves to within one more solid outing of being on one of the quietest 20-win paces you'll ever see, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* Josh Fields is just 3-for-21 with zero extra-base hits and eight strikeouts since being called up from Triple-A last week, but he's in no danger of losing his roster spot after Joe Crede announced Tuesday that he'll undergo what may turn out to be season-ending back surgery. I recommended Fields as a good AL-only pickup in this space last Thursday and Crede likely being sidelined for the remainder of the season gives his fantasy stock a pretty sizable boost.

With a high strikeout rate and very little major-league experience, it's not surprising to see Fields struggle initially. Crede's injury should afford him significantly more time to turn things around than would have normally been allowed, which will ultimately help his development. Whether or not that means he'll start hitting well enough this season to be a major fantasy asset remains to be seen, but Fields certainly has the skills and track record to suggest that it'll happen eventually.

* After a slow start and a stint on the disabled list, Ryan Howard is officially "back." Howard homered Monday for the third time in four games and has hit .316 with seven homers, 18 RBIs, and a 1.166 OPS in 17 games since returning from a quadriceps injury. Howard's overall batting average remains low at .245 and he's hit just .194 against left-handers, but his .939 OPS ranks sixth in the NL and he's on pace for 40 homers and 125 RBIs despite 18 intentional walks in 46 games.

* On NBCSports.com's "Fantasy Fix" show Monday morning I advised everyone to "stay away" from Freddy Garcia and his sore shoulder even before hearing the results of his MRI. With test results in hand, the Phillies announced a few hours later that Garcia has a "frayed rotator cuff" and "possible labrum problems," which is very bad news. Even more so than elbow problems, shoulder injuries can be death to a pitcher's effectiveness.

Garcia has been among the most durable pitchers in baseball during his career and he's just 32 years old, but he's also piled up a lot of innings already and has seen his velocity drop significantly over the past couple seasons. He's scheduled to seek a second opinion, but it sounds like season-ending surgery is an option. If that's the case, his days as a dependable fantasy asset could be over and the free-agent-to-be will likely miss out on a big long-term deal.

* After going 0-for-9 in a May 3 doubleheader, Michael Young's batting average stood at .192 and he sported an ugly .519 OPS through 28 games. Beginning the next day with a three-game series against the Blue Jays in which he went 8-for-13 (.615) with two homers and six RBIs, Young has batted .362 with a .927 OPS in 34 games since then. His overall numbers remain below par, but Young is back on track and is very close to being on a 100-RBI, 100-run pace.

AL Quick Hits: It's not quite a Young-like turnaround, but Josh Barfield is hitting .304 over the past 42 games after beginning the season 7-for-60 (.117) ? As expected, the Red Sox activated Jon Lester (forearm) from the disabled list Monday and optioned him to Triple-A ? Out since mid-May, Rocco Baldelli (hamstring) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment as soon as this weekend ? Demoted to Triple-A last month, Andy Marte was named International League Batter of the Week after hitting .462 with four homers and 11 RBIs from June 4-10 ? Adrian Beltre reportedly plans to play through thumb and elbow injuries, with manager Mike Hargrove saying Monday that "80 percent of Beltre is better than our other options" ? According to general manager Brian Cashman, the Yankees have no plans to bring Kei Igawa back up from Triple-A anytime soon.

NL Quick Hits: Barry Bonds' homer Monday was No. 747 of his career and his first since May 27 ? With James Loney called up from Triple-A, Nomar Garciaparra was out of the Dodgers' lineup Monday for the second straight game ? Eric Milton (elbow) undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery makes it more likely that Homer Bailey will stick in the Reds' rotation ? According to manager Willie Randolph, Moises Alou (quadriceps) "isn't going to play anytime soon" ? Meanwhile, Shawn Green (foot) returned from the disabled list Monday without first going on a minor-league rehab assignment ? Brett Myers (shoulder) is scheduled to throw off a mound Tuesday and hopes to return next week ? After blowing a save Sunday, Ryan Dempster bounced back by tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning Monday to convert his 13th save in 15 chances ? Matt Morris' complete game Monday was his third in the last five starts ? With seven shutout innings Monday against the White Sox, Adam Eaton has very quietly gone 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA since getting knocked around by the Giants on May 3.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Prospects: Draft Review 1-15
This past Thursday was one of the most fun days of the year for those who follow the minor leagues. With 30 teams drafting up to 50 times each, the huge influx of new players provides a daunting homework assignment. Most of those players will never matter in a fantasy league and many still will go on to college or take years to develop, giving owners plenty of time to evaluate their potential.

However, the elite talent in the draft you'll want to know right away, be it for keeper leagues or those of you simply looking to next season. As 2006 selections Andrew Miller, Tim Lincecum, and Brandon Morrow have shown, the path to fantasy relevance can be very fast for these players. Players further from the majors will also need to be considered, as it's much easier to get a future stud now as opposed to after he's already racking up big numbers in the minors.

Over the next two weeks I'll rank the top 30 players from last week's Amateur Draft, with one eye always on fantasy league value. This week is players 1-15, with 16-30 coming in next Tuesday. I performed this same exercise last year, and those columns can be found here for 1-15 and here for 16-30.

Fantasy Rank. Name ? Position, Team - Actual Round-Pick (Overall)

1. David Price ? LHP, Devil Rays ? 1.01 (1st)

Price was the consensus top talent in the draft, and it was refreshing to see the best player go first overall and not slip due to bonus demands, as happened last year with Andrew Miller. Price, a 6'6" left-hander from Vanderbilt, most often draws comparisons to Miller both due to their similar physical attributes as well as their stuff. Like Miller, Price has a plus fastball that can hit 95 MPH but mostly sits in the low-90s. Both players also have dominant sliders, with Price's sitting around 85-87 MPH. Finally, each player has a changeup that lags behind their other offerings, but is at least an average pitch and still has plenty of potential.

In addition to all the measurables that scouts like, Price has the results of a future ace. His 2.63 ERA this year was actually higher than it was as a sophomore, but his 194/31 K/BB ratio in 133 1/3 innings pitched is out of this world. Price was also dominant as a freshman and in high school, so there's a long track record of success here. With no significant injury history, good athleticism, and a clean delivery, Price is better bet to stay healthy than most pitchers. That he's considered poised and intelligent on the mound further add to his credentials.

The comparison to Price and Miller is also an apt one when assessing their potential. Miller gets more grounders and has a faster heater, but Price has had better results and grades out higher in some of the auxiliary factors. I'd rank them almost dead even coming out of college, with Price perhaps slightly ahead. Pitching in the AL East will be tough, but it's not enough to drop Price out of the top spot. If he's not a No. 2 starter it'd be very surprising, and it's likely he'll eventually be a true ace.

2. Matt Wieters ? C, Orioles ? 1.05 (5th)

Plenty of teams had Wieters second on their draft boards last week, but adviser Scott Boras was an issue and some teams may have shied away after taking need into account. A big, athletic catcher from Georgia Tech, Wieters stands 6'5", weighs 230 pounds, and throws hard enough to get into 12 games as a pitcher this year. He's often compared to another switch-hitting Georgia Tech catcher who was dominant in college, Jason Varitek. Wieters has better bat speed and a more compact swing that Varitek, making it likely he develops into a better hitter. However, using Varitek as a starting point is a pretty good place to begin a career projection.

Wieters was one of the most refined players coming out of high school in 2004, and it showed when he posted a .366/.470/.581 line, good for a 1051 OPS, as a freshman. He's been remarkably consistent with OPSs of 1086 and 1072 the last two seasons, and he's also shown excellent plate discipline with a career 108/152 K/BB. In addition to his success for Georgia Tech, Wieters also showed good potential with wooden bats. He hit .307 with eight homers during the Cape Cod League in 2006, good for second in each category.

Catchers tend to pan out less than any other position in the draft, but Wieters is so refined and has such a strong track record that it'd be surprising if he fell victim to the averages. Although he's tall for a catcher, Wieters has the arm and athleticism to stay behind the plate and the Orioles have every intention of keeping him there. He'll focus on his defense and game-calling skills after signing, but Wieters' bat will carry him to the major leagues. Ramon Hernandez is signed through 2009, but the club could rotate the two using the DH spot as early as mid-2008. With 30-homer potential from a premium position and no major flaws to his game, Wieters is an excellent fantasy property.

3. Rick Porcello ? RHP, Tigers ? 1.27 (27th)

One of the more interesting subplots of draft day, Porcello was considered a lock for one of the top five selections before teams got wind of his bonus demands. Porcello, a Scott Boras advisee, was reportedly asking for a bonus in the range of $6-$7 million and a major league contract. While the right-hander is very likely to move off those demands somewhat, teams were concerned that a commitment to North Carolina was a very positive fallback option for the youngster, giving them little leverage. As a result, Porcello slipped all the way to the Tigers at pick 27.

Porcello, a 6'5" right-hander out of a New Jersey high school, is both refined and has an impressive repertoire of pitches. His fastball sits the mid-90s and can hit 98 MPH, and both his slider and curveball look like plus pitches. His changeup is also a potentially average offering, and while his command has wavered in the past, it's been better as a senior. With good instincts and an athletic body, Porcello is the complete package for a high school pitcher and has legitimate ace potential.

This ranking assumes that Porcello is going to sign, but the Tigers have made no qualms about making splashes before (see Andrew Miller last season) and it's going to be difficult to pass up such a big talent. Porcello would normally be a candidate to hold out, but with new rules stipulating that all players must make a decision by August 15, it could advance his path to the majors. He still won't see Detroit until late 2009 or 2010, but his enormous potential is worth taking near the top of your draft.

4. Matt LaPorta ? 1B/OF, Brewers ? 1.07 (7th)

The first truly surprising pick of the draft, LaPorta was rumored to be going anywhere from picks 5-to-30 in the first round. That he went towards the higher end of the spectrum was somewhat unexpected, but that he went to the Brewers was a total shock. With Prince Fielder locking down first base for the next handful of years, the Brewers selected LaPorta as a left fielder despite the fact that he was a catcher and then a first basemen at Florida.

LaPorta isn't going to be Jason Giambi-esque at first base, but he's not fast and simply being average at first would have been an accomplishment for him. Translating that projection to the outfield isn't encouraging, although Brewers scouts are convinced he can handle the position. As long as he's not truly awful out there, the Brewers will likely stick with him. And there's good reason to do so, as LaPorta has the best power potential in the draft.

LaPorta entered the 2006 season as a lock for a top five selection after batting .328 and leading the nation with 26 homers as a sophomore. Unfortunately, a strained oblique sidelined the right-hander for part of his junior season and affected his swing after returning. LaPorta chose not to sign with the Red Sox as a 14th round pick last summer, and rebounded with a dominant .402/.582/.817 line as a senior. While strikeouts had been an issue in the past, LaPorta improved his plate discipline and ended up with an outstanding 16/55 K/BB ratio.

As a senior, LaPorta was older than most of his competition and one can discount his performance because of it. However, a balanced approach, strong showings with wooden bats, and consistent power to all fields mean LaPorta's offensive prowess is as likely as any player's to translate well to the majors. He's a true 40-homer threat down the road, which is a rare label for a player this young. His bat could be ready for the majors during the later stages of next season, and the likelihood of productivity as well as a quick ETA boost LaPorta up these rankings.

5. Jason Heyward ? OF, Braves ? 1.14 (14th)

Since he doesn't get as much attention as some of the other high draft picks on this list, Heyward could be a relative bargain in your league. A big left-handed hitter out of a Georgia high school, Heyward stands 6'4" and there are reports that he already weighs a muscular 220 pounds despite not turning 18-years-old yet. Although he has a big frame, Heyward is athletic enough to have played center field in high school. He'll move to a corner in the majors, but he does have enough speed to eventually be a modest stolen base threat.

However, Heyward's best tool is his bat. His plus power potential rivals that of LaPorta, and if he develops as expected he should hit 30 or more homers annually. However, Heyward isn't your typical high schooler with raw power, as he's a smart hitter and has excellent control of the strike zone. Some scouts have said he can be too patient at times, but that's a much better problem than the opposite scenario. He has as much potential as any high school bat in the draft and should move quicker than most, so he earns this ranking despite playing at a deep position.

6. Beau Mills ? 3B/1B, Indians ? 1.13 (13th)

One of the more interesting story lines of the draft, Mills began his college career at Fresno State. He smacked 22 homers as a freshman while showing solid plate discipline and batting .319. He regressed slightly as a sophomore, but still had an excellent season by all accounts. However, Mills was suspended for academic reasons following the season, so he transferred to Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho.

Playing against significantly inferior competition this season, Mills posted a ridiculous .458/.556/1.033 line that included 38 homers and 123 RBI in 62 games. Those stats obviously need to be discounted by a huge margin, but production of that magnitude is impressive at any level. Mills currently plays third base and most reports suggest he isn't bad there, but a below average arm probably means the 6'3", 220-pounder is destined for first base.

Mills, the son of Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, has a balanced and powerful swing. There are minor concerns that he'll be exposed against tough breaking pitches, but he's always adjusted well in the past and scouts rave about his baseball know-how. While he's more likely to hit .270 than .300 as a pro, Mills could hit 35 doubles and 30 homers in his best years. That'd make him an RBI force and he'd be rather valuable at either first or third, although his owners will obviously hope for the latter. His upside isn't that of some players listed below, but he should be a regular by 2009 and there's a very good chance his game translates well.

7. Mike Moustakas ? SS, Royals ? 1.02 (2nd)

Although a consensus top 10 selection, Moustakas likely wouldn't have been taken second overall if bonus demands weren't an issue. Although he's advised by Scott Boras, Moustakas wasn't considered to have demands as high as several other potential top picks. Still, the 6'0", 190-pound Moustakas is an excellent prospect and wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway.

A two-way player who has hit the mid-90s on a radar gun, Moustakas is preferred as a position player. He set the record for both career and single-season home runs at a California high school, belting 24 long balls this year and 52 in his career. The left-hander has a good approach at the plate and plus bat speed, so he shouldn't have a problem hitting well in pro ball. He doesn't have any speed to speak of, but Moustakas should hit for a high average in addition to his 30+ homer potential.

Moustakas has played shortstop in high school, and he certainly has the arm for the position. However, with limited range, a move to third base or even first base is likely. The Royals have said they'll keep Moustakas as a shortstop for now, but odds are strongly against him staying there. If he were to stay at shortstop, he'd be worthy of a top three pick. As is, he's still a top 10 option while playing a corner spot. Although he's fairly refined, it'd be surprising if Moustakas reached the majors before 2010. Although he has more upside than a player like Mills, his ETA keeps him ranked lower.

8. Josh Vitters ? 3B, Cubs ? 1.03 (3rd)

Considered the top high school bat entering the season, Vitters didn't disappoint and was considered by the Royals before going to the Cubs at pick No. 3. A 6'3", 190-pound third basemen, Vitters has a quick swing that generates consistently hard contact. It's the type of swing that should allow for Vitters to provide balanced offensive production at the majors, hitting for average while spraying doubles all over the yard and reaching 25 or 30 homers in his better years.

Vitters is a better bet than most high school hitters because of his polish, but he's probably going to be a better player in the majors that in fantasy leagues. His defense should help a big league club at third base, he doesn't have much speed, and he's not the power prospect that Heyward, LaPorta, or Moustakas are. Still, a third basemen who has a good chance to hit .300 with 25 homers is an excellent property, so Vitters is well worth waiting on.

9. Ross Detwiler ? LHP, Nationals ? 1.06 (6th)

Detwiler, a lanky 6'4" left-hander out of Missouri State that weighs just 175 pounds, should develop into a No. 2 or 3 starter for the Nationals. Detwiler had a poor freshman year, but broke out as a sophomore with a 2.81 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning. His command needed work, but his low-to-mid-90s fastball was very promising. His command did improve slightly as a junior and his strikeout rate also went up, leaving Detwiler with a 2.22 ERA and a 110/38 K/BB ratio in 89 innings of work.

Detwiler's high-70s curveball is a plus offering, but his changeup needs further refinement and showing more consistent demand will be a must. That means Detwiler isn't as refined as some college starters, but a left-hander with a mid-90s fastball and a plus breaking pitch has plenty of potential. That he has a small frame creates some worries about durability or future injuries, but it's not something to get wrapped up in. Eventually pitching in the National League and in a pitcher's park should help Detwiler, and he's a recommend fantasy option.

10. Jarrod Parker? RHP Diamondbacks ? 1.09 (9th)

A 6'1" right-hander out of an Indiana high school, Parker has a fastball that gets noticed. He sits in the mid-90s, and has touched as high as 98 MPH in the past. Add in that he has good command of the pitch, and Parker gets plenty of swings and misses. With such a dominant fastball he hasn't needed his secondary offerings much in the past. However, he does posses a promising low-80s slider and a workable changeup.

Good health and continued development of his breaking pitch will determine exactly how good Parker becomes. His fastball means he's got a future as a reliever if things don't work out at the front of games, but his command, mechanics, and likelihood for improvement all bode well for continuing as a starter. He'll need three or so years in the minors before being ready, but he has a frontline starter potential and is more likely to reach it than some of the players rated lower.

11. Casey Weathers ? RHP, Rockies ? 1.08 (8th)

As I see it, there's a big drop-off in talent after the first 10 picks this year. While there are some players with top 10 potential that haven't been covered yet, the relative combinations of upside and certainty really separates those covered above. I'd try hard to acquire at least one of them if your league has a draft upcoming.

With no dominant options remaining, focusing on someone like Weathers makes sense. Although he was an overdraft at No. 8 by the Rockies, Weathers is a future closer in the big leagues. He served that role for a dominant Vanderbilt team this past year, recording a 2.37 ERA and 75/21 K/BB ratio in 49 1/3 innings of work. With a fastball that consistently hits 96 MPH to go with a plus slider, he has both the repertoire and production to profile as a ninth inning option.

Weathers' command isn't bad, but it's also not a positive yet and he'll need to refine it before reaching the majors. His two primary pitches are major league ready when he can spot them and he won't need to worry about further developing his changeup, so he could advance quickly despite the control issues.

Current Rockies' closer Brian Fuentes is signed through 2008, but he's a trade candidate this summer. That means Weathers could take over closing duties at any point between August of this year and April of 2009. The club has several other interesting options for the role in the likes of Manny Corpas and Franklin Morales, but Weathers is the favorite to close by 2009 until proven otherwise. Pitching half his games in Coors Field will hurt, but he's still capable of being an above average option in the role.

12. Matt Dominguez ? 3B, Marlins ? 1.12 (12th)

Dominguez was a teammate of Moustakas at Chatsworth High School in California, and was actually thought to be the better prospect entering the season. While he doesn't have the hitting upside of his teammate, Dominguez does have hitting potential. A 6'2", 180-pound third basemen, Dominguez smacked 14 homers this season after an impressive junior season. He's expected to hit for both average and power at the next level, although he's more likely to hit .280 with 20 homers annually than near what Moustakas is capable of.

While some scouts say Dominguez has more potential than simply an above average third basemen, he's yet to show consistency at the plate. As a somewhat raw high school bat, Dominguez could end up looking like anywhere from an All-Star to a borderline starter. It helps to know that as a potential Gold Glove winner he'll remain at third, but his bat panning out isn't a given. He's likely to push Miguel Cabrera to first base if the All-Star hasn't left via free agency already, making Dominguez worth monitoring closely.

13. Phillippe Aumont ? RHP, Mariners ? 1.11 (11th)

Canadian players don't usually get selected this high, but Aumont has plenty of upside for a high school arm and gained momentum before the draft as a result. A big right-hander at 6'7" and 225 pounds, Aumont slings a mid-90s fastball from a low arm slot. While most teams would prefer Aumont used his height to his advantage and came over the top more, the Mariners likely won't change his approach right away. Aumont also throws a promising low-80s slider and has worked on changeup, but it lags behind his other offerings.

Since he's relatively inexperienced for a high school player, Aumont is a bit of a wild card. Maybe he'll quickly refine his secondary offerings and improve his command with good coaching, or maybe he's quite raw and will need some time to develop. That makes him a risky option in fantasy leagues, but with the reward a durable No. 2 starter, plenty of owners will be willing to take the chance. If starting doesn't work out, his fastball-slider combination would be well suited for closing duties.

14. Josh Smoker ? LHP, Nationals ? 1A.01 (31st)

I tend to gravitate towards high school left-handers with good command. It caused me to rank Brett Anderson 15th in last year's column (see above link), and it's leading to me rank Smoker here now.

A solid 18-year-old at 6'2" and 190 pounds, Smoker throws a fastball that sits in the high-80s or low-90s, touching 93 at its peak. While the velocity on the pitch is only a touch above average, Smoker's fastball moves well and he has plus command of the offering. Smoker's curveball is his second best pitch and is already a plus offering, and he also throws a changeup, slider, and split-finger fastball.

That he's savvy enough to throw all of these pitches in a game gives some insight to how smart he is on the mound. Although his fastball reaches the 90s now, Smoker threw in the low-to-mid 80s earlier in his high school career but still managed to handle the opposition with ease. He knows how to attack hitters and manage a game, which is a great sign for someone so young.

Smoker will probably continue to throw all of the above offerings after signing, but will eventually narrow it down a pitch or two. I suspect he'll do well in the low levels of the minors, then get tested at High-A with a mid-summer promotion in 2008. Although he doesn't have Aumont's upside, Smoker is a better bet for long-term health and is more likely to be a contributor in the majors. If everything breaks right, he could still be a No. 2 starter.

15. Andrew Cumberland ? SS, Padres ? 1A.16 (46th)

It's not likely that you'll have to pick Cumberland this high to acquire him in your draft, but he's one of the later picks that I'm recommending. A 5'10" middle infielder from a Florida high school, Cumberland has some of the best speed in the draft. He utilizes that speed in the field, on the basepaths, and at the plate, getting to first base as quick as any left-hander in the draft. Speed isn't his only trick, however, as Cumberland is adept at pitch recognition, makes solid contact, and is a smart runner on the bases.

Cumberland should hit for average and draw a fair number of walks at the next level, making him an ideal leadoff candidate. He also has enough power to hit 35 or 40 doubles a year, but he's unlikely to top 15 homers, especially playing half his games at Petco Park. So long as he scores 100 runs and steals 30 or more bases, his owners certainly won't mind.

Despite his athleticism, Cumberland is raw in the field and doesn't have a great arm. That means he's probably destined for second base or center field, even though he's played shortstop in high school. Fantasy owners would certainly prefer second base and that's where I think he'll end up, which helps his ranking. Since his bat isn't a guarantee, Cumberland fell to the supplemental first round. However, he has Rafael Furcal upside on the offensive end.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Rekindling the Passion


This week I'll provide some ideas for jump starting your fantasy baseball enthusiasm. I'll also discuss Chone Figgins, Felix Pie, Brandon Inge, and Brian Bannister. Finally, we'll hear from readers on how they know when another owner is a "newbie."
[SIZE=+1]Topic of the week: Rekindling Your Fantasy Passion[/SIZE]
Even the most diehard fantasy owners lose some of that fervor for fantasy baseball once in a while. Well okay, maybe not Aaron Gleeman, but the rest of us fantasy baseball mortals tend to experience the occasional decline in interest over the six-month marathon that is the fantasy baseball season. As common as this scenario may be, it can still spell disaster for your chances of success. Just one missed roster deadline or key free-agent pickup could make the difference between fantasy glory and gloom.
So, how do we avert such a crisis? Below are some of my ideas. If you have any, please send them along.

• Engage in some painful activities so as to reinforce your appreciation for fantasy baseball. For example:
  • Over the course of a week, force yourself to sit through full episodes of Deal or No Deal, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?, and Two and a Half Men. By Wednesday, you should be longing for game highlights and tickers once again.
  • Take your wife/girlfriend clothes shopping. Let her lead you to as many stores as she wants (Macy's, Talbots, Ann Taylor, Bebe, Abercrombie, J. Jill, Banana Republic, Aeropostale, Urban Behavior, etc.) Make sure she tries on each item, and every time she asks you how something looks, give it careful consideration and respond with an honest, thorough answer (e.g., "That tunic makes your breasts look big, but does it match your double-handle topstitched shoulder bag?"). Then take her shoe shopping.
• Post the following message to your league board: "There is NO WAY I will lose to a bunch of Elliot-Yamin-loving, Croc-wearing, flirtini-drinking doofuses like you guys. If I do, I vow to hang a poster of Justin Timberlake in my cube for the remainder of the year!" Fear of humiliation reinforced by constant reminders from your fellow owners should keep your head in the game the rest of the way.
• Steer clear of other potentially addicting activities, such as UFC Unleashed, World of Warcrafts, or anything involving six channels for $14.99.

Got more? Send them to jgangi@rotoworld.com. You just might make next week's Trash Dump!
[SIZE=+1]Players of Note[/SIZE]
Chone Figgins ? A few weeks back, I wrote about Figgins when he was batting .108 with just three steals. At that time I expressed concern that his finger injury might linger but advised on acquiring him (given his upside) and hoping he got healthy. Well, apparently you can stop worrying about his finger. He's been so hot at the plate since I wrote about him that he has remarkably raised his average to .259 while swiping 10 bags. For the month of June, he's hitting .467. He's scored 11 runs over his last 10 games. Congrats to those who were able to buy him low or grab him off the wire. You can expect continued production from here on in.
Felix Pie ? One of the biggest fantasy contributors over the past week, Pie racked up four steals to go along with six runs, seven RBI, and a homer. So, naturally, fantasy owners are wondering if this guy is for real. Well, it's not like he's going to net you four steals a every week, but he has shown prowess on the base paths before, like in 2004 when he stole 32 bases for Single-A Daytona. And he did manage a .294 AVG over five years in the minors. Being that he's playing regularly, he's an option in deep or NL-only leagues for those hurting for steals.
Brandon Inge ? With his .583 OBP and 10 RBI over the last week, Inge's bat has been as hot as anyone's. Still, it's not something you want to get too excited about. This is a guy with a six-year history of mediocrity, as evidenced by his career .242 AVG. Brian Bannister ? Spanning his last three starts, Bannister has yielded just one run over 22 innings, lowering his season ERA to an impressive 2.91. Over that period, he has displayed impeccable command, allowing just two walks. Quietly, the 26-year-old sophomore has been a quality major leaguer with a career 3.46 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. His success is not all that shocking, however, considering that he posted similar numbers (a 3.26 ERA and 1.20 WHIP) over four years in the minors. In fact, his strikeout numbers (7.96 K/9) were far more impressive in the minors, so perhaps we might even see some improvement in that area.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Verlander No-Hits Brewers
Less than a week after Curt Schilling came up one out short of throwing baseball's second no-hitter of the season, Justin Verlander finished the job Tuesday. Unleashing a triple-digit fastball into the ninth inning, Verlander held the Brewers hitless while racking up a dozen strikeouts in the Tigers' first no-hitter since Jack Morris in 1984. Verlander walked four and needed several good defensive plays behind him to preserve the no-hitter, but had overpowering stuff throughout.

Verlander was fantastic last season, going 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, and has pitched even better thus far as a sophomore. However, he's missed surprisingly few bats for someone with his tremendous raw stuff and dominating track record. After striking out 427 batters in 335 college innings (11.5 per nine innings), Verlander totaled 136 strikeouts in 118 minor-league frames (10.4/9).

Yet in 272.1 major-league innings coming into Tuesday, Verlander had just 187 strikeouts for an average of 6.2 per nine innings. Not only were his 12 strikeouts against the Brewers a career-high and the first double-digit strikeout game of his career, it was just the second time Verlander has totaled more than seven strikeouts in 45 career starts. That stat shocked me given his 3.52 career ERA and the 100-MPH heater he pumps at hitters every time out.

It's difficult to draw many long-term conclusions from a no-hit performance, because Verlander was clearly on top of his game and had the Brewers' lineup completely overmatched. With that said, if he's able to build on the outing and unlock the strikeout ability he showed prior to reaching the majors, it could be significantly more important to his overall development than the actual no-hitter. Missing another 2-3 bats per game could take Verlander to the next level, which is scary.

While Verlander joins Mark Buehrle in the club that Shannon Stewart kept Schilling out of, here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* In the least-shocking injury news since Phil Leotardo's trip to the gas station, A.J. Burnett left Tuesday's start with a strained shoulder. Last week in this space I wrote that Burnett's "high pitch counts are starting to become a concern" and opined that "it's disturbing to see that apparently no lessons have been learned" by Blue Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, who was with Burnett when he blew out his arm pitching for the Marlins years ago.

Of course, it didn't take a genius to realize that Burnett was a major injury risk. When you take a pitcher with a significant history of arm problems and give him an extremely heavy workload over an extended period of time, it's asking for trouble. Burnett tossed 118, 103, 103, 125, 117, and 130 pitches over a six-start stretch leading into Tuesday's game, with the 130-pitch outing coming five days earlier. And all of that came while the Blue Jays often skipped their fifth starter.

Manager John Gibbons called Burnett's injury a "minor strain" and said that the team's trainers "don't think it's any big deal." The Blue Jays got off lucky this time if that's the case, but it's simply delaying an inevitable breakdown if they continue to work him so hard going forward. What's interesting is that the Blue Jays held Burnett under 100 pitches in his first five starts last season after signing him to a five-year, $55 million contract during the winter.

However, in 27 starts since then (he'd have more, but injuries cost him about one-third of last season), Burnett has topped 110 pitches 15 times, including outings of 121, 125, and 130 pitches. Why a team would make such a heavy investment in a pitcher who has an extremely checkered injury history and then choose to use him as if he's a durable workhorse seemingly defies logic. The way things are going, I'll be surprised if the Blue Jays get 100 starts for their $55 million.

* Let go by the Rangers, A's, Tigers, Yankees, and Red Sox?including the latter three teams within the past 18 months?Carlos Pena is quietly putting together an outstanding first season with the Devil Rays. Pena's eighth-inning grand slam Tuesday broken open the game as the Devil Rays beat the Padres 11-4. It was his 14th homer in 50 games, although with 86 homers in 1,685 career at-bats coming into this season Pena has always had good power.

What's surprising is that he's hitting .311 to go along with all the long balls. Pena entered this year with a .243 batting average in 507 big-league games and had never hit above .250 in a full season. Now he's sporting a .311/.399/.656 hitting line that puts him on pace for 40 homers, 110 RBIs, and 100 runs scored. The good news is that Pena's spot in the Devil Rays' lineup is secure, but the bad news is that his .351 batting average on balls in play likely isn't sustainable.

* After playing catch on back-to-back days last week, Huston Street suffered a setback in his recovery and will be shut down indefinitely. Street experienced pain in his injured elbow and will seek a second opinion after initially being diagnosed with no structural damage in the ligament by Dr. Lewis Yocum. According to the San Francisco, Chronicle, Street now "seems unlikely" to return before the All-Star break and surgery is being discussed as an option.

"If Huston continues to have pain, other options might have to be considered," assistant general manager David Forst said. "But it's been just over a month, we can wait a while. Huston has more than this season to contribute." Josh Johnson has missed four months with a similar injury, but the A's once seemed confident that Street would avoid the same type of lengthy timetable. In other words, don't sell that Alan Embree stock just yet.

AL Quick Hits: After initially being told that he'd avoid going under the knife, Adam Loewen (elbow) is now reportedly "resigned to the fact that he'll need season-ending surgery" ? Rich Harden (shoulder) threw off a mound Tuesday and is expected to pitch a simulated game later this week ? Since beginning the season 0-for-20 and 7-for-63, Brandon Inge has hit .318 with eight homers and a .967 OPS over the past 38 games ? Despite taking batting practice Tuesday, B.J. Upton (quadriceps) has not yet been cleared to return ? While the Yankees win 10 of 12 games to climb back to .500, Bobby Abreu has gone 20-for-41 (.488) with nine extra-base hits, 11 walks, 12 RBIs, and 15 runs scored over that stretch ? Jered Weaver (back) reportedly felt better Tuesday after seeing a chiropractor and will likely make his scheduled start Saturday against the Dodgers ? Fausto Carmona turned in another strong outing Tuesday, but was out-pitched by Scott Olsen and saw his seven-game winning streak come to an end.

NL Quick Hits: Moved back into the closer role, Brad Lidge promptly blew his first save chance Tuesday ? John Smoltz (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and expects to make his scheduled start Friday against the Indians ? Meanwhile, Chipper Jones (hands) could be back in the lineup as soon as Wednesday after taking batting practice Tuesday ? Unable to throw off a mound yet, Anibal Sanchez will be examined by doctors this week after continuing to experience shoulder pain ? After going 0-for-4 Tuesday, Chris Duncan is 2-for-26 with 13 strikeouts and zero walks since returning from an infected knee ? Kevin Gregg pitched a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to pick up his 10th save, with Armando Benitez setting him up with a scoreless eighth inning ? Meanwhile, Brad Hennessey converted his first save chance since Benitez was traded, although it took Randy Winn robbing Aaron Hill of a homer to happen ? Not only did Hong-Chih Kuo hold the Mets to one run over seven innings Tuesday, he smacked the last of three straight Dodgers homers (on three straight pitches) off John Maine.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Wheeler Keeps Lidge's Job Safe
Despite throwing seven innings of two-run ball against the A's Wednesday, Chris Sampson had a rough night. One of the two runs he allowed scored on a Jason Kendall solo homer, which was Kendall's first long ball since May of 2006 and just his second in 350 games spread over three seasons with the A's. As if that wasn't demoralizing enough all by itself, Sampson then got into a dugout scuffle after Dan Wheeler cost him a victory by coughing up the lead.

With the Astros up 3-2 in the eighth inning, Wheeler came in to bridge the gap between Sampson and new closer Brad Lidge. However, before Lidge could even have a chance to blow another save, Wheeler gave up the lead before leaving with one out left to get. Sampson attempted to talk to Wheeler in the dugout, at which point Wheeler shoved and yelled at him. It wasn't quite Carlos Zambrano versus Michael Barrett, but it was still plenty interesting.

Lidge may be on thin ice after blowing his first save chance since reclaiming ninth-inning duties, but Wheeler isn't doing much to convince manager Phil Garner that yet another switch is the right move. Wheeler is 0-3 with two blown saves in eight appearances this month, posting a hideous 15.95 ERA while allowing opponents to bat .417 with a 1.172 OPS. Whatever you think of Lidge's ability to handle closing long term, he deserves another shot over Wheeler at this point.

While dugout shoving matches slowly but surely make their way through all 30 major-league teams?my pick for the next one is Elijah Dukes versus some sort of SWAT team?here are some other notes from around baseball ?

* When A.J. Burnett left his start Tuesday with a shoulder injury, manager John Gibbons insisted that it was "no big deal." That may ultimately be the case, but Burnett will miss at least one start with what has been diagnosed as a strained right shoulder. An MRI reportedly showed only a "mild strain" and Gibbons continued to downplay the injury Wednesday, telling reporters: "It's fine. He'll miss one start. He doesn't need to go on the disabled list, we don't think."

Burnett wasn't quite as dismissive of his injury, but did issue the leader in the clubhouse for Obvious Admission of the Week when he said, "I've thrown a lot here recently, so maybe I'm a little tired." Burnett's heavy workload and high pitch counts were broken down in this space yesterday, but the short version is that he's a major risk for further problems down the road and has a lot more chance to land on the DL than Gibbons wants everyone to believe.

* B.J. Upton headed to the disabled list Wednesday with a strained left quadriceps muscle, which is the same injury that sidelined Joe Mauer and Mark Teixeira. However, the Devil Rays indicated that they hope Upton can return when eligible to come off the DL in two weeks, which would be significantly sooner than Mauer got back into the Twins' lineup and a much quicker timetable than the Rangers have given Teixeira.

With Upton out for at least two weeks, expect Ty Wigginton to get the bulk of the playing time at second base. Wigginton isn't much of a defender there (or anywhere), but he'll hit for enough power to be a moderate fantasy asset. A side effect of Upton going down is that the various Wigginton trade rumors will likely die down for a while. In particular, reports of the Twins being interested in him have popped up in both Minnesota and Florida newspapers.

* The Dodgers continue to search for a third baseman, but the solution might be right under their noses. Starting back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month, Wilson Betemit homered on both Tuesday and Wednesday, going a combined 4-for-8 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Betemit lost his starting spot after hitting .125 with a ghastly .464 OPS in April, but has batted .309 with a 1.169 OPS in 34 games since then.

Of course, he started just 12 of those 34 games while the Dodgers gave looks to Andy LaRoche and Tony Abreu. Betemit's .226 batting average remains ugly, but his .362 on-base percentage and .476 slugging percentage are very solid and he's a defensive upgrade over Abreu. He deserves another shot at the everyday job and it's beginning to look like the Dodgers are willing to give it to him.

* With Felix Pie up from the minors and Cliff Floyd back from the disabled list, the Cubs lessened some of the crowd in their outfield Wednesday by demoting Matt Murton to Triple-A. Murton has been slumping of late, but that's understandable given that he started just three games in the past two weeks. A 25-year-old with a .294/.363/.441 hitting line in 801 big-league plate appearances, Murton has absolutely no business heading back down to the minors. Look for a trade very soon.

AL Quick Hits: Carlos Guillen's hamstring strain will keep him out Thursday and may sideline him through the weekend ? As expected, Adam Loewen will undergo season-ending elbow surgery ? With Kenny Rogers (shoulder) potentially returning as soon as next week, the Detroit Free Press reports that the Tigers continue to shop Mike Maroth ? Adrian Beltre will be shut down for 3-5 days, with manager Mike Hargrove saying Wednesday that his sprained thumb "isn't getting any better" ? Curt Schilling followed up his near no-hitter by allowing six runs in five innings Wednesday ? If the Red Sox look to trade Mike Lowell, the Minneapolis Star Tribune suggests that the Twins could be interested ? Jason Hammel could step into the rotation after tossing 6.2 innings of relief following Edwin Jackson's disastrous 0.1-inning start Wednesday ? Alex Gordon homered Wednesday and is on the verge of climbing over the Mendoza Line for the first time ? Knocked around for seven runs in his last start, Carlos Silva beat the Braves Wednesday by tossing the Twins' first complete-game shutout since 2005.

NL Quick Hits: John Smoltz's (shoulder) next start has been pushed back to Saturday against the Indians ? Carlos Villanueva stepped in for Chris Capuano (groin) on short notice Wednesday, but the Brewers could turn to Yovani Gallardo if the injury proves more serious than initially thought ? Serving as the Braves' designated hitter, Chipper Jones (hands) returned from the disabled list Wednesday and singled three times ? After getting knocked around Wednesday by the Blue Jays, Tim Lincecum is now 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA in interleague play compared to 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA against the NL ? Two weeks after returning from the DL, Henry Owens (shoulder) has been shut down again with the same injury ? Ryan Klesko left Wednesday's game with soreness in both hips, but said afterward that he expects to return after Thursday's off day ? Jack Wilson was a healthy scratch Wednesday for the third straight game as the Pirates finally begin to sour on him ? With a visit to Dr. James Andrews scheduled, Anibal Sanchez (shoulder) could be facing surgery.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Past, present and future
A pair of tall Texas-born right-handers made their season debuts this past weekend, and both of them came out victorious.

Reds rookie Homer Bailey battled his way through five innings as manager Jerry Narron gave him every opportunity to qualify for the win. Bailey threw 114 pitches ? 25 in his fifth and final inning, when he walked a pair of batters and nearly gave up a go-ahead homer to Victor Martinez.

The high pitch count was surprising, considering how young pitchers (especially prized prospects) are restricted throughout their minor league careers to protect their valuable arms. It would be a shame to start Bailey down the dreaded Kerry Wood road so soon.

The problem Bailey ran into in the minors resurfaced in his first major league start. He walked four batters and gave up five hits (for a 1.80 WHIP). Part of that can be attributed to nerves, but he'll certainly need to be more efficient going forward.

One day after Bailey made his first major league start, Roger Clemens made his 691st. The Rocket showed a little rust early but quickly got in the groove and retired the final seven batters he faced.

Even more impressive was that he racked up seven strikeouts and was able to throw 108 pitches in six innings. Of course, that was against the Pirates. The Mets figure to provide a stiffer challenge in Clemens' next start.

Despite the differences in their performances, Clemens and Bailey have more in common than just their home state. They're both power pitchers with a cocky streak. And they both broke into the majors at age 21.

Clemens posted a 9-4 record and 4.32 ERA in his rookie season of 1984. Bailey probably wouldn't mind those numbers when his season is over. In fact, neither would Clemens. Nor their fantasy owners.

Interleague quirks

By now, fantasy owners have gotten used to checking the upcoming schedule before setting their lineups to see which players are in National or American League parks.

As interleague play winds down, there's probably no happier person than Toronto DH Frank Thomas. Each American League team plays six series against NL teams, and the Blue Jays played their first three series this year on the road. So after the June 11-13 visit to San Francisco, the Blue Jays will be able to use their designated hitter for the rest of the regular season.

Conversely, the Detroit Tigers wrap things up with an NL road trip to Philadelphia and a pair of extreme pitcher's parks in Washington and Atlanta ? limiting DH Gary Sheffield's effectiveness but giving a boost to Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman and the rest of the pitching staff.

Speaking of hitter's parks vs. pitcher's parks, the top five hitter's parks will only be in use for one series during the final week of interleague play. The Red Sox (Fenway Park is ranked No. 1 this season), Reds (No. 2 Great American Ballpark), Royals (No. 4 Kauffman Stadium) and Yankees (No. 5 Yankee Stadium) are on the road all week. The Yankees and Rockies will play June 19-21 at No. 3-ranked Coors Field.

A cautionary tale

As anyone who's played fantasy baseball seriously can tell you, it takes a full-season commitment to win your league. Each week provides an opportunity to improve. And upgrades, no matter how small, eventually help you build a contender.

But not everyone has the time to check box scores and review rosters on a daily basis. Other things get in the way. Like summer vacations. ? At least that's my excuse.

I failed to pick up Kevin Slowey in my AL-only league last week. And I'm still kicking myself.

It wasn't like he was a surprise call-up either. I mentioned him two weeks ago in this column and included him in my list of sizzlers last week after he made his first start. But alas, a week out of the office, a disrupted routine and a Sunday evening return home left me with just enough time to put in a claim for a pair of Devil Rays.

Perhaps J.P. Howell will turn out to be a fine addition to my roster, but I'll still be thinking "what if" every time Slowey takes the mound.

The moral of this sad tale: Don't wait until a few minutes before your weekly transaction deadline to figure out your claim. Write yourself a note, set up your pending claims earlier in the week or tie a string around your finger. But above all, don't let your fantasy team spoil your vacation.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Bullpen Report: Week 11
It's never too early to start looking towards next season. With several owners following that clich? in some of my leagues, it's got me thinking about the closers for 2008. Later on in the year I'll be providing a full column on the subject, but in the meantime I will try to interject more future-looking thoughts into the comments each week. In addition, over in the Prospect Report I've been covering the best talents from this past week's draft. Included are several players who could eventually become big league closers, so it's worth checking out for those in keeper formats.

All closers are rated in one of the following categories: Locked In, Secure, Shaky, In Danger, Filling-in, Co-Closer or DL.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Closer: Jose Valverde (Secure)

Key setup men: Tony Pena, Brandon Lyon, Doug Slaten

Valverde appeared in two games this week, throwing a scoreless inning in a non-save situation in one and blowing a one-run lead and a save opportunity in the other. Pena still looks next in line despite a mediocre K/BB ratio. Normally it'd be worrisome if a potential closer struck out just two batters for every one he walked, but Pena has had the results thus far and he has the stuff to succeed despite a few walks.

Atlanta Braves

Closer: Bob Wickman (Secure)

Key setup men: Rafael Soriano, Tyler Yates, Peter Moylan

On the day of his 35th birthday, Wickman had recorded three 30-save seasons and two campaigns in which he posted an ERA under 3.00. In the three years since, Wickman has posted two 30-save seasons, and is on pace for a third, to go with an ERA under 3.00 in each year. He'll slow down eventually and you won't want to be the one holding the bag when he does, but it's also hard to bet against him until there are signs of decline. With the way he's pitching, some team, perhaps the Braves, will give him a one-year deal this off-season to close again in 2008.

Baltimore Orioles

Closer: Chris Ray (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scott Williamson, Chad Bradford, Danys Baez, Jamie Walker

Ray made two appearances this week, picking up a save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Rockies and then giving up three runs in a tie game against the Nationals. Despite an ERA over 4.00, he's still someone I recommending buying now.

Williamson's usage has been very intriguing. He pitched three times in four games after being activated from the disabled list, then went eight days without appearing in another contest. Williamson walked two and gave up two runs in that game, then went another eight days before appearing in two games this week. The Orioles have resisted using him in high-leverage situations of late as well, and perhaps the right triceps tendon that sidelined him earlier this year is still an issue. If he's healthy enough, which of course is far from a given, he'd replace Ray should something happen to the youngster. If not, minor leaguer James Hoey would probably be the choice, assuming he has a few big league innings under his belt by then.

Boston Red Sox

Closer: Jonathan Papelbon (Locked In)

Key setup men: Hideki Okajima, Brendan Donnelly, Javier Lopez, Joel Pineiro

Papelbon recorded a pair of scoreless innings this week, striking out four and picking up two saves. Both he and Okajima still look excellent, and the only question remaining for the Red Sox bullpen is who is third in line. Timlin has been a warrior for the Red Sox, but he looks all but done as an effective reliever. He badly wants to keep playing, but the team will use him in increasingly lower leverage situations. Donnelly has emerged as the team's third option, with lefty specialist Javier Lopez supplementing him nicely. They're unlikely to have much fantasy value outside of deep AL-only leagues, however.

Chicago Cubs

Closer: Ryan Dempster (Secure)

Key setup men: Angel Guzman (DL), Carlos Marmol, Bob Howry, Mike Wuertz

Dempster appeared in four games and went 2-for-3 in save situations this week. He threw scoreless innings in his other three appearances, but Dempster gave up three runs in the eighth inning against the Braves to blow a game on Sunday. Despite the club looking to alternatives for the future, it's not near enough to cause his job any jeopardy at the moment.

Marmol is coming on strong and could be someone the club sees as a potential closer down the road. In 13 1/3 innings with the big club thus far, Marmol has a 1.35 ERA and 15/5 K/BB ratio. His mid-90s fastball and plus curve give him the necessary repertoire for the role. I think Howry, who has recovered from May woes to record seven straight scoreless appearances, should be next in line, but the club may look more towards the future and go to Marmol if Dempster finds himself hurt or removed from the ninth. He's worth claiming in deeper leagues.

Chicago White Sox

Closer: Bobby Jenks (Locked In)

Key setup men: Matt Thornton, Nick Masset, Boone Logan, Dewon Day

None of the players sent to the minors when the White Sox cleared house two weeks ago have made it back to the team's bullpen, leaving the team's setup roles very much in doubt. The club will likely play matchups and ask their starters to go deeper than normal to compensate. If the club has any hopes of contending, they're going to need something to come together soon. Outside of Jenks and Thornton, none of their current options look ready to fulfill a major role.

Cincinnati Reds

Closer: David Weathers (Secure)

Key setup men: Mike Stanton, Jon Coutlangus, Todd Coffey, Eddie Guardado (DL)

Weathers needed a good week with Guardado coming back from the disabled list soon, and he turned one in by picking up two saves and yielding just one run in 5 1/3 innings of work. Guardado is still rehabbing in the minors and could be back within a week. I'm still betting against him being effective enough so soon after Tommy John surgery to grab ninth inning duties back. But if it only requires a small investment, Weathers owners can opt for the insurance.

Cleveland Indians

Closer: Joe Borowski (Secure)

Key setup men: Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez, Roberto Hernandez

Betancourt has always been a quality setup man with good control and a strong strikeout rate, but his 25/2 K/BB ratio highlights how he's taken it to another level at age 32. I wouldn't be surprised if he continues posting an ERA below 2.50.

Mastny still can't find the strike zone and on the rare occasion he does he's been hit hard. Perez was starting for Triple-A Buffalo, but he's up as a reliever now and is quickly ascending the team's depth chart. He's given up one earned run and struck out 14 in as many innings. In addition, he's always had the sinking fastball and slider to succeed, so as long as his command doesn't desert him he'll be fine to use in AL-only leagues.

Colorado Rockies

Closer: Brian Fuentes (Locked In)

Key setup men: Manny Corpas, Ramon Ramirez, LaTroy Hawkins, Jorge Julio

Fuentes pitched just once this week, striking out two in a scoreless inning to record a save. With an ERA of 2.15 and a WHIP still well below 1.00, the Rockies will look to shop him hard this trade deadline. Corpas, who continues to impress with good command and an ERA under 3.00 in a setup role, is next in line. 2007 first rounder Casey Weathers could join the team later in the year and would immediately be considered for use in high leverage situations.

Detroit Tigers

Closer: Todd Jones (Secure)

Key setup men: Joel Zumaya (DL), Fernando Rodney, Wilfredo Ledezma

Jones has rebounded from a disastrous late May to throw two straight scoreless innings. It's not enough to remove the thoughts of Jones getting hit hard for four straight outings, but it's something. Rodney has given up runs in each of his three outings since returning from the disabled list, but the club has no other options should Jones go down.

Florida Marlins

Closer: Kevin Gregg (Shaky)

Key setup men: Armando Benitez, Henry Owens (DL), Taylor Tankersley, Matt Lindstrom

Gregg pitched twice this week, giving up three runs in a game the Marlins were already losing and then picking up a save with a scoreless inning on Tuesday. Gregg's numbers are still fine overall, but Benitez has given up just one run in seven innings of work since coming to the Marlins and the club may be looking to make a switch. It'd be best to grab both players and ride whichever wins out, but if not I'd say Benitez is the favorite to garner more saves from here on out.

Houston Astros

Closer: Dan Wheeler (Co-Closer), Brad Lidge (Co-Closer)

Key setup men: Chad Qualls, Dave Borkowski

Wheeler blew a save by giving up three runs to the Rockies last Thursday and then converted a save against the White Sox the next day. However, manager Phil Garner announced that Wheeler and Lidge would share closing duties for a while, with the goal being to eventually give Lidge the role full-time. Readers of this column knew that those who favored Lidge within the Astro organization were pushing hard, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.

The reason the Astros want to ease Lidge back into the role is because most of his problems over the last two years seem to stem from mental issues rather than a loss in stuff. Indeed, Lidge put up a 0.84 ERA and 28/6 K/BB ratio after moving to middle relief this year, and the club hopes he can regain the mental edge that allowed him to be one of the game's dominant closers in 2004 and 2005. Unfortunately, Lidge found that old habits die hard and he gave up a game-tying homer to Mark Kotsay on Tuesday, the first batter he faced in his first save opportunity since April.

It helps that Wheeler gave up four runs in the eighth inning on Wednesday night to blow a game, but Lidge is still going to have to prove he has the mental toughness required for ninth inning duties. Another couple of blown saves and he'll be right back into setup duties, giving Wheeler plenty of value once again. Since the club wants him to succeed so badly, I'd wager that Lidge is the favorite to lead the team in saves from here to the end of the season. However, it'd be far from shocking if he continued to implode, making both players worth owning in all leagues right now.

Kansas City Royals

Closer: Octavio Dotel (Secure)

Key setup men: Zack Greinke, Joakim Soria, Joel Peralta, David Riske

Dotel made two appearances this week, combining to throw 1 2/3 scoreless innings and pick up a save. The right-hander hasn't been overpowering since joining the club on May 23, but he's been decent enough to get the job done. He'll remain the team's closer until he's dealt in July.

Greinke was announced as the club's top setup man this week after hitting the high-90s in several relief outings. The results haven't been there in every outing, but Greinke has a world of potential in any role. I'd prefer he didn't get pigeonholed into a relief role this early in his career, but maybe it's worth a shot for the remainder of the year. He's no lock to perform well given his inconsistent nature, but he's worth stashing away. Soria, who has thrown three scoreless innings since returning from the DL, is there should Greinke struggle.

Los Angeles Angels

Closer: Francisco Rodriguez (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scot Shields, Justin Speier (DL), Darren Oliver, Dustin Moseley

Shields struggled somewhat in April this year, but has rebounded well since and has now given up just one run and one walk in his last 13 outings. Rodriguez continues to dominate as well, recording his 20th save and 39th strikeout of the season on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Closer: Takashi Saito (Locked In)

Key setup men: Jonathan Broxton, Chad Billingsley, Yhency Brazoban (DL), Chin-Hui Tsao (DL)

As expected, Saito was unavailable on Thursday and Broxton stepped in to the closer's role for the game. Unfortunately, Broxton blew a four-run lead by yielding five runs, four of which were earned, while retiring just one batter. Some bad defense in the inning didn't help, but Broxton still had plenty of opportunities to pitch out of the jam. With Saito back in action, Broxton will return to the setup role. The lone poor outing as a closer shouldn't do anything to affect his value, and it's not an indication that he'll have trouble handling the role down the road.

Milwaukee Brewers

Closer: Francisco Cordero (Locked In)

Key setup men: Derrick Turnbow, Matt Wise, Carlos Villanueva

Cordero entered Saturday with a 0.36 ERA, then proceeded to give up four runs in a blown save against his former team, the Rangers. The Brewers sent Cordero right back out there the next night, and he blew the save again by giving up a run in the ninth. While the outings were certainly disappointing, Cordero had to come back to earth at some point. It is interesting that five of the six runs he's given up this year have been to his old team; perhaps they know something about his patterns or if he tips his pitches. Either way, I don't think he'll have a problem adjusting and continuing to succeed, and he did bounce back with a scoreless ninth on Wednesday night.

Minnesota Twins

Closer: Joe Nathan (Locked In)

Key setup men: Juan Rincon, Pat Neshek, Matt Guerrier

Since debuting with the big club last summer, Neshek has pitched in 68 major league innings. During that span he's struck out 90 batters, walked 17 hitters, and yielded 35 hits. His ERA is 1.72. His WHIP is 0.76. The opposition is batting .150 against him. Lefties do get to him a little more, especially for power, but even they can't top .180 against the right-hander. If he keeps pitching this well, the Twins are going to have to start thinking about him as a potential closer despite his delivery.

New York Mets

Closer: Billy Wagner (Locked In)

Key setup men: Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Pedro Feliciano

Wagner appeared in a pair of games this week, blowing a one-run lead against the Phillies and then converting a three-run save against the Tigers the next day. The Mets ended up losing the game against the Phillies in 11 innings, but it was one of the few dark spots to Wagner's season thus far. Smith gave up four runs in a game against the Tigers on Sunday, but he bounced back on Tuesday and it's not something to worry about.

New York Yankees

Closer: Mariano Rivera (Locked In)

Key setup men: Kyle Farnsworth, Scott Proctor, Brian Bruney

It was another fine week for Rivera, who picked up two saves and a win in three appearances. Rivera didn't give up a run in his 4 2/3 innings of work this week while also striking out six. With his ERA down under 4.00 and his WHIP hovering near 1.00, there shouldn't be anyone willing to trade Rivera at a discount any longer. If for some reason an owner in your league is, Rivera is worth acquiring up immediately.

Oakland Athletics

Closer: Huston Street (Injured), Justin Duchscherer (Injured), Alan Embree (Filling-in)

Key setup men: Santiago Casilla, Kiko Calero

As of this column last week, Street could have pitched in a major league game by now. Instead, his rehab has been shut down as he continues to experience pain in his elbow. The club will certainly let Street rest the injury, and it'd be surprising if he were back within a month now. If another examination discovers more damage to the nerve, Street could require surgery and be out three months. That's a worst-case scenario right now, but it's one that is becoming increasingly likely. We should know the extent of the injury by Monday.

With Duchscherer's hip condition sidelining him until at least early July, the club is going to have to start evaluating some long-term options. Embree has done a fine job thus far, but the Athletics are a playoff contender and likely won't want to head to the post-season with the left-hander acting as their stopper.

That line of thinking could make Casilla an option later in the season. The right-hander has always had the fastball and complimentary cutter, splitter, and curve, but command has gotten in his way before. Said command wasn't very prevalent down in Sacramento, but Casilla has walked just two batters in eight innings since being promoted. He also hasn't given up a run and even picked up a save on a day when Embree wasn't available. He's worth claiming in AL-only leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies

Closer: Tom Gordon (Injured), Brett Myers (Injured), Antonio Alfonseca (Filling-in)

Key setup men: Ryan Madson, Geoff Geary

Alfonseca continues to do a quality job for the Phillies. He hasn't given up a run in any outing since being handed the team's interim closing duties. Those who took the plunge have been rewarded with five saves and a win since late May. However, with Myers due back in a few days, Alfonseca's days as a closer are numbered. Perhaps the club will ease Myers back into the role, but that likely wouldn't take more than 10 days or so. Feel free to drop Alfonseca as soon as it's clear that Myers is ready to take over.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Closer: Matt Capps (Locked In)

Key setup men: Salomon Torres (DL), Damaso Marte

Capps had an up-and-down week, recording a win, a loss, and a save while giving up one run in 5 1/3 innings of work. Although he hasn't pitched much since moving into the closer's role, Capps has plenty of job security right now. Torres has a sore elbow and will be out until late June or early July. That leaves Marte the only other capable option with all of the club's younger pitchers struggling. Capps has a suspension upcoming, so Marte will be a fine play while Capps sits out three or four games.

San Diego Padres

Closer: Trevor Hoffman (Locked In)

Key setup men: Scott Linebrink, Cla Meredith, Heath Bell, Kevin Cameron

Hoffman was charged with a loss this week despite failing to give up an earned run. That occurred when Willie Bloomquist reached first base on a Kevin Kouzmanoff throwing error in the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon. Bloomquist later moved to second on a sacrifice and third on a stole base, finally scoring the tie-breaking run on a groundout. It's no reason to dock Hoffman any points.

Meredith still hasn't been able to put everything back together. He gave up four more runs this week, two of which were earned, and can't be used in fantasy leagues right now.

San Francisco Giants

Closer: Brad Hennessey (Secure)

Key setup men: Kevin Correia, Randy Messenger, Jonathan Sanchez

Hennessey entered a tie game against the Athletics on Friday, giving up two runs in the top of the 10th inning in a game the Giants would lose 5-3. The next day, Hennessey entered with the Giants down one run in the top of the ninth, and promptly extended the A's lead by allowing a run on a Shannon Stewart single. Hennessey showed some resiliency by coming back on Tuesday and picking up a save in a one-run game against the Blue Jays. The pair of poor outings aren't enough to put him in danger, but Hennessey's margin for error is smaller now than it was a week ago.

Correia profiles better as a closer than Messenger, although the former Marlin has had the better results thus far. Who is next in line could change weekly, but Correia likely gets the nod as of now. Sanchez is back from the minors, but he has a lot of consistency he needs to show before being considered. He's not there yet.

Seattle Mariners

Closer: J.J. Putz (Locked In)

Key setup men: Brandon Morrow, Chris Reitsma (DL), Eric O'Flaherty

It was a strong week for Putz, who picked up four saves and struck out six over four scoreless innings of work. He's given up 14 hits and six walks in 30 1/3 innings of work, good for a ridiculous 0.66 WHIP. He's not this good, but he should continue to post ratios similar to that of a top tier closer and the Mariners continuing to play well should allow for plenty of save opportunities.

St. Louis Cardinals

Closer: Jason Isringhausen (Locked In)

Key setup men: Ryan Franklin, Tyler Johnson, Russ Springer

No major changes in the Cardinals' bullpen this week, with Isringhausen pitching just once and giving up a run in a non-save situation versus the Angels and Franklin still looking solid in a setup role. Johnson has struggled of late, giving up seven runs while recording just one out over his last two outings. Manager Tony LaRussa is a fan of the left-hander and it will take considerably more to get him removed from high leverage situations, but he's still not much of an option in fantasy leagues.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Closer: Al Reyes (Secure)

Key setup men: Brian Stokes, Jason Hammel, Gary Glover, Shawn Camp

The bottom line on the Devil Rays' bullpen: Reyes is still succeeding, and likely to continue doing so, while the rest of the club's bullpen belongs in a horror movie. However, there was one interesting development this week, with the club calling on Hammel from Triple-A. Hammel was starting for Durham before the promotion and was given a chance to start for the big club last year, but he's being used as a reliever for now.

Interestingly, the Devil Rays have a surplus of starting pitching prospects throughout their minor league system coupled with a lack of quality relief options. Hammel doesn't crack the team's top five long-term options as a starter, so making the switch and working on developing him into a closer would actually make some sense. He'd probably throw harder in relief and he's always had above average command, though the lack of a second dominant pitch could hinder his chances. With all of that said, Hammel could also be headed to the rotation with Edwin Jackson struggling, as the club hasn't given any direction on his long-term position. Either way, he's worth a flier in AL-only formats right now.

Texas Rangers

Closer: Eric Gagne (Secure)

Key setup men: Akinori Otsuka, Frank Francisco, Wes Littleton

It was another strong week for Gagne, who appeared in three games and totaled three scoreless innings of work and four strikeouts. Gagne's pinpoint command and impressive changeup have returned, and it's enough for him to retire big leaguers for now. Perhaps the opposition will adjust eventually, but it's an encouraging start for the right-hander.

Still up in the air is if he'll be able to stay healthy for the remainder of the year. I'm still expecting Gagne to need another trip to the DL at some point, making Otsuka very valuable. That he's been mentioned as a possible trade candidate could help as well, with some contenders seemingly needing help in the ninth.

Toronto Blue Jays

Closer: Jeremy Accardo (Shaky)

Key setup men: Casey Janssen, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs

After a week in which he took a pair of losses, Accardo can ill-afford another poor outing or two this week. The right-hander entered a tie game against the Devil Rays last Thursday, giving up two runs to take the loss in a 5-3 Blue Jays' defeat. The next day, Accardo blew a save in the 10th inning against the Dodgers after a two-run Olmedo Saenz home run. Janssen was given a save opportunity on Saturday as a result, successfully converting it with two scoreless innings of work. Accardo was back again as the closer on Wednesday, but it's clear his leash is getting shorter. As a result, Janssen is worth stashing away in all leagues right now.

Washington Nationals

Closer: Chad Cordero (Secure)

Key setup men: Jon Rauch, Jesus Colome

Cordero appeared in four games this week, giving up two runs in 3 2/3 innings while going 2-for-2 in save opportunities and also taking a loss. Rauch had a rough patch of games the past few weeks, but he threw three scoreless innings this week and is entrenched as the club's backup plan at the moment. Despite poor command, Colome is third in line.

 

[Hache Man]

Re: Fantasy Baseball News 2007

Consider Marshall In Mixed
I've received a lot of requests for rankings of this year's rookie phenom starting pitchers. How do Homer Bailey, Yovani Gallardo, Phil Hughes, Tim Lincecum, and Andrew Miller stack up against each other?

A synthesis of the Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America Top 100 Prospect rankings gives us this result:

1. Hughes
2. Bailey
3. Lincecum
4. Miller
5. Gallardo

Those may be solid keeper rankings, but let's pull Hughes out since he will be on the shelf until August or later. And keep in mind those are not fantasy baseball rankings.

Honestly I think we are splitting hairs with these guys, but here are my fantasy rankings:

1. Lincecum ? He's been toasted in his last three starts, but I am keeping the faith. He gives you the most strikeouts and had the best Triple A numbers.
2. Gallardo ? I don't think he's the second best pitcher here, but he is in fantasy. His strikeout rate should be stronger than Bailey or Miller and he pitches in the worst division in baseball. The opportunity is still somewhat missing but I'm not too concerned.
3. Bailey ? Bailey is certainly going to be awesome one day, but I think he'll have his growing pains as a rookie. His control still needs work and while he also pitches in the NL Central he's in a hitter's ballpark.
4. Miller ? Though he may outpitch Bailey this year, I see Bailey with the better strikeout rate. Additionally, it's a lot harder to pitch in the AL. But you could flip the last two and I wouldn't argue too much.

There you go. Argue amongst yourselves. On to the wire!

American League

J.D. Drew, OF, BOS ? The Drew leadoff experiment should result in a lot of runs scored while it lasts. This is a .400 OBP guy batting in front of a strong lineup. While Drew put up an 0fer last night, his bat has come alive over the last week. I've added him in a couple of mixed leagues; if he's healthy he'll hit. His contract will give him a long leash. AL: $23, Mixed: $11.

Luis Terrero, OF, CHA ? Terrero's been playing every day lately, and I don't see why he can't maintain a regular outfield spot in a lousy Chicago outfield. Especially with Jermaine Dye on the block. Terrero has double digit pop and good speed; he needs to be owned in AL-only. He slugged a prodigious .560 in Triple A last year. AL: $7, Mixed: No.

Jason Stanford, SP, CLE ? Stanford, a 30-year-old southpaw, tossed a surprising gem last night by allowing one run in six innings and striking out seven. Keep in mind, though, that the Marlins lead all of baseball in strikeouts by a considerable margin. There have been many unexpected high strikeout pitching performances against them this year.

Stanford followed a normal progression to make his big league debut with the Tribe in '03. He pitched well in 50 innings that year. In '04, he beat out Chad Durbin for the fifth starter job in spring. A strained forearm popped up in April, which turned into Tommy John surgery by July. A low point came in '05, when Stanford was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Reportedly he made disparaging remarks to a man wearing a pink shirt and one thing led to another. I did not make that up.

He battled through the 2006 season, topping it off with a clubhouse fight with teammate Jake Dittler. That time, he punched the glass off a fire extinguisher and required stitches.

Stanford supposedly finally returned to his old form and behaved this year in Triple A, but his 3.41 ERA was supported by a weak 1.72 K/BB. Just for kicks, I wrote four paragraphs about a guy I'm not recommending. You like? AL: No, Mixed: No.

Esteban German, 2B/3B/OF, KCA ? German will fill in for Mark Grudzielanek and play second base regularly. The versatile 29-year-old will bat second, draw walks, and steal a few bags. He shouldn't be available in your AL-only league, but could be considered in a deep mixed league based on your needs. AL: $12, Mixed: $1.

Brian Bannister, SP, KCA ? I still don't believe Bannister can be a useful fantasy starter. I respect his excellent control, but he's not striking anyone out. Those two factors should result in a hittable pitcher. He's also been more than a little lucky on home runs allowed. I will continue to pass, even in AL-only. AL: No, Mixed: No.

Juan Rivera, OF, LAA ? Rivera is now hitting off a tee. He probably won't be playing for the Angels until mid-August, but keep him on your radar if he's on the wire. AL: $5, Mixed: Not yet.

Carlos Pena, 1B, TBA ? Who would've thought Pena would be among the league leaders in home runs almost halfway through the season? Probably not the Tigers or Yankees, who both let him go. Pena had 20 HR pop coming into the season, but he's on a 40 HR pace. Sure, he'll slow down, but he'll remain solid and is worth using in all leagues until he cools off. AL: $24, Mixed: $12.

Jonny Gomes, DH, TBA ? Unfortunately Gomes still hasn't gained OF qualification. If given the chance to play, Gomes can still show 25 HR power and draw walks. He may be able to push aside Greg Norton for regular playing time. Keep an eye on him. AL: $4, Mixed: No.

Jason Hammel, RP, TBA **DEEP SLEEPER OF THE WEEK** ? Hammel is probably a better pitcher than teammates Andy Sonnanstine and J.P. Howell. His fastball and curve are both plus pitches and his second attempt at starting for the Rays should go much better. He will push Edwin Jackson out of the rotation any day now. Hammel is a fine value buy in AL-only. AL: $4, Mixed: No.

Am I crazy to think the D-Rays could contend next year? We know they've got a ton of offense coming down the pipeline. A rotation comprised of Shields, Kazmir, and the best of Sonnanstine, Howell, Hammel, Niemann and Price could definitely surprise some people. Watch out, Yankees and Red Sox.

Kameron Loe, SP, TEX ? Loe survives on the strength of his groundball rate, but he hasn't been useful since 2005. His eight shutout innings against the Pirates should earn him more starts in the awful Texas rotation. But remember that the Pirates stink. He'd be a sizeable gamble in AL-only. AL: No, Mixed: No.

Dustin McGowan, SP, TOR ? McGowan has the pedigree and stuff of an ace and is healthy now. Why is he overlooked in fantasy? Beats me, but I'm buying. He's tossed five quality starts in a row. His peripherals aren't mind-numbing but he's getting groundballs and showing decent command. I like him even more as a keeper for '08. AL: $11, Mixed: No.

National League

Sean Marshall, SP, CHN ? You may recall that I was skeptical of Marshall's hot start earlier in this space. While he's obviously over his head at a 2.12 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, I'm now hopping on his bandwagon. That's because I read a post by my friend Tom Koch-Weiser over at the fine STATS, Inc. blog. Tom found that Marshall has completed a "radical transformation in his pitching repertoire." He's ditched his changeup, brought back his slider, and developed a plus curveball. He's not going to anchor your staff but mixed league value must be acknowledged. NL: $15, Mixed: $3.

Mike Fontenot, 2B, CHN ? Hey, something good did come back from the Sammy Sosa trade! Fontenot is off to a blazing start (9 for 21) for the Cubs in Aramis Ramirez's absence. He's got some pop and could turn into Ron Belliard or Todd Walker one day. Worthy of NL-only consideration, especially while playing regularly. NL: $5, Mixed: No.

Josh Johnson, SP, FLA ? I just snagged Johnson in one of my mixed leagues (I play in four). He's looked solid in three rehab starts and should rejoin the Marlins' rotation next week. He won't come near last year's 3.10 ERA but if he's truly over his nerve problem he should provide strikeouts. NL: $16, Mixed: $4.

Mark Loretta, 2B, SS, 3B, HOU ? Loretta will take over at shortstop for at least a month with Adam Everett out. Worth a gander if you need some batting average in NL-only. NL: $4, Mixed: No.

Hong-Chih Kuo, SP, LAN ? With Jacque Jones not doing many bat flips these days, someone had to assume the mantle. Fantasy owners care more about Kuo's pitching prowess, however. He's a risky pick with good stuff and plenty of upside. As a starter in his career, he's whiffed 50 in 47 innings. If he can show decent control he makes for a fine mixed league sleeper with some Erik Bedard similarities. NL: $12, Mixed: $1.

Yovani Gallardo, SP, MIL ? You may have heard about this. Gallardo replaced the injured Chris Capuano on the Brewers' roster, and stands a decent chance of starting Monday. Who knows after that, but it's not impossible to envision him sticking. Gallardo's ERA and WHIP, even around 3.90 and 1.30, might be borderline or worse in some mixed leagues. However, he should boast a strong strikeout rate as he mows down a lackluster division. Great keeper and respectable mixed league addition. Remember, though, that even comparable pitchers like Peavy, Harden, and Penny didn't really provide fantasy value until their sophomore year. NL: $18, Mixed: $6.

Kyle Kendrick, SP, PHI ? The 22-year-old Kendrick throws in the low to mid-90s with a solid slider. However, he made the jump from Double A and posted only a 5.5 K/9 at that level. His fine debut against a lousy White Sox offense might buy him some more starts but there is work to be done in the minors yet. NL: No, Mixed: No.

John van Benschoten, SP, PIT ? JvB is definitely talented, but his development isn't where you'd expect it for a 27-year-old. Not only did he pitch mainly in relief in college, but he missed a lot of time with shoulder surgeries. Baseball America says his velocity is back after all that, but his Triple A numbers were uninspiring. A 6.1 K/9 and a 4.1 BB/9 don't bode well for his immediate future, which will be in the Pirates' rotation. His one saving grace may be his groundball tendencies, but I remain wary. NL: No, Mixed: No.

Justin Germano, SP, SDN ? Germano is turning some heads with a 2.36 ERA in seven starts. I love his control and groundball rate. But like the aforementioned Bannister, a pitcher just can't sustain miniscule strikeout and hit rates at the same time. Something has to give and I think it will be Germano's WHIP, despite some fine work yesterday. I could definitely make room for him in NL-only but he's not crossing over into mixed territory. NL: $7, Mixed: No.

Chase Headley, 3B, SDN ? Headley, a 23-year-old Double A third baseman, has been called up to start today for four probable reasons. One, Kevin Kouzmanoff has a strained back. Two, Bud Black dislikes Russell Branyan. Three, Headley is mashing at a ridiculous .357/.433/.648 clip and deserves a taste. Four, he's probably the team's best trading chip. The switch-hitter has fine pitch recognition, and Baseball America thinks he could eventually push Kouzmanoff to left if he's not dealt. This is probably only a cup of coffee for Headley, but his power breakout makes him one to watch for keeper leagues. NL: $1, Mixed: No.

Tim Lincecum, SP, SFN ? Timmmmmay! Timmmay? Lincecum's owners are pissed after seeing him post three consecutive clunkers. I still like him a lot. His peripherals remain solid, so I'll just ride it out. The Brewers make for an admittedly tough assignment on Tuesday, but I'll start him anyway.

You: "You're out of your mind."
Tim: "Ain't it cool?"

Bonus points if you name that terrible movie.

NL: $45, Mixed: $30. (Were my initial $55/40 values a tad overzealous? Yes.)

Adam Wainwright, SP, STL ? His brilliant start against KC makes it three good ones out of the last four. Since he faced some of the worst offenses in baseball in those three outings, I'm not convinced he's turned the corner. I like the control but need to see more strikeouts. NL: $7, Mixed: No.

Micah Bowie, SP, WAS ? Raise your hand if you thought Bowie would be relevant in any fantasy league this season. Me neither. But here we are, people are asking about the Nats' journeyman. A 1.09 K/BB in his five starts tells me he's a bad buy. There is almost no chance he is on your roster at season's end. NL: No, Mixed: No.