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BY ADAM RONIS
The Diamondbacks will start Max Scherzer on Monday against the Phillies. He made his major league debut last night in relief and retired all 13 batters he faced. He went 4 1/3 innings and struck out seven. He threw 47 pitches; 35 for strikes. Pick him up in all leagues.
BY ADAM RONIS
Nate McLouth remains on fire. He went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBIs and a walk. Xavier Nady went 3-for-3 with two runs, three RBIs and two walks. He has 26 RBIs. I'd sell high.
Oliver Perez had one of his days where he couldn't find the plate. He went 1 2/3 innings, allowed two hits, seven runs -- two earned -- walked five, and struck out two. He'll have these type of days and he'll have those days where he is almost unhittable. Get the Rolaids for those that own him.
Carlos Quentin homered again. He now has seven home runs and 21 RBIs.
Joe Nathan remains one of the safest closers. He picked up his ninth save and has a 0.82 ERA.
Braden Looper is 4-1? Are you kidding me? And you wonder why Mets fans are steaming? Dave Duncan is the man. He went six innings, allowed seven hits, two runs, two walks and struck out four. Sell high.
Andy Sonnanstine pitched another good game and should be owned in AL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues. He went eight innings, allowed six hits, one run, two walks, and struck out five. He is 4-1 with a 4.42 ERA.
If you need offense, pick up Micah Owings. Oh wait, he is a pitcher. Too bad his stats don't count. He hit a pinch hit home run today and is batting .421 with a homer and three RBIs. If Owings was on the Mets, he'd hit fifth. What do you think?
Conor Jackson seems to be on his way to a breakout year. He hit his fifth homer today and has 25 RBIs with a .348 average.
Randy Johnson had another poor outing against the Astros today. He allowed nine hits, six runs, walked none and struck out two in four innings. He has a 4.79 ERA.
Brandon Lyon allowed one hit and a walk in the ninth, but didn't allow a run in the ninth for his 9th save. He has a 2.57 ERA.
Wladimir Balentien was called up from Triple-A and went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer. Pick him up in all leagues as he should play rightfield every day. Catcher Jeff Clement was also called up and went 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter. He should be owned in two-catcher leagues when he becomes eligible at catcher.
Cliff Lee had his worst start of the season, but it was still good enough to improve to 5-0. After all, he couldn't keep up a pace of a 0.41 WHIP. He went six innings, allowed eight hits, three runs, walked none and struck out three. He has a 0.96 ERA. I think he'll be good this year because he's not walking anybody, but see what you can get for him. You might be able to get a steal.
Dustin McGowan bounced backed from a seven-walk outing against the Red Sox today with a good outing in a no-decision. He went 7 1/3 innings, allowed four hits, one run, one walk and struck out five. Dice-K was also excellent in a no-decision. He went seven innings, allowing two hits, two walks and struck out four. He has a 2.52 ERA.
Manny Acosta walked five and allowed two hits and two runs in two innings to take the loss for the Braves. Rafael Soriano can't be back soon enough.
Shawn Hill went eight innings, allowed four hits, one run, walked two and struck out one. He has a 3.50 ERA. Ride him in NL-only leagues until he hits the DL again.
Placido Polanco is starting to come around. He went 2-for-5 with two solo homers.
Alex Rodriguez is expected to miss 3-4 weeks with the quad injury and Troy Tulowitzki is expected to be placed on the DL.
Check back for more on the later games tonight.
BY ADAM RONIS
Alfonso Soriano is expected to be activated from the DL tomorrow. He said his calf is feeling fine and he expects to steal bases.
Moises Alou is expected to come off the DL on Friday when the Mets play in Arizona.
Brian Schneider (infected thumb) was released from the hospital. He is still a few days away from playing.
Franklin Morales was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs. He had a 6.39 ERA.
The Rockies recalled infielder Omar Quintanilla.
John Smoltz said he is willing to be a closer when he returns from the DL.
Chad Cordero will go back on the DL with a strained lat muscle below his right shoulder
David Chase from BrockforBroglio.com hosts this week's roundtable.
Having trouble pulling off that blockbuster trade? Need some tips on how to approach other owners about a player you’re interested in? If so — you’ll love this weeks fantasy roundtable.
Adam Ronis - Newsday.com
1. Don’t insult the intelligence of another owner. Obviously, some owners are more savvy and experienced than others, but if you try to belittle their knowledge, it creates a negative conversation.
2. A lot of times owners fail to look at what the other team needs and solely looks at what they need to improve on. There’s someone on the other side that needs to improve as well. For example, if you’re trying to improve your pitching and offer Mark Teixeira for Brandon Webb, it seems like a fair deal. But if the trade partner is set at 1B, CI and U, how does this help his team? He might be looking for a second baseman. Many owners just throw out trade offers. If you’re in a competitive league, you need to dig deeper into the stats.
3. An owner will often evaluate a deal and shy from pulling the trigger if they feel they’re not the winner of the deal. The goal is not to rip someone off - it would be nice but won’t happen often. If it improves your team and it’s the best deal you can get done to improve your team with the players you are willing to deal, do it. The other owner might come out looking better, but it’s all about how it helps your team. You may have a ton of power and lack speed and trade a power hitter for a speed guy and it looks lopsided. But that addition of stolen bases you really needed can push you up the standings faster than holding on to the power hitter when you lead the next guy by 20 home runs.
Tim Dierkes - RotoAuthority
1. Don’t ignore the other team’s needs when finding your trading partner. If you need starting pitching, you can’t just offer up Ryan Braun for Jake Peavy. Instead I would start by finding a team that is running away with the ERA category, so much that they could sacrifice plenty. Then identify the categories they’re lacking and see if you can help. Nothing is more frustrating to me than getting an offer that clearly shows the other owner didn’t consider my needs. If I have five great outfielders, don’t offer me a sixth.
2. Don’t try to talk up the players you’re trying to trade. Way too transparent. Obviously the other owner is going to look at the numbers before pulling the trigger. If you try to hype up the player you’re offering it’s a dead giveaway that you think he’s a fluke in some way. Let the stats do the talking and don’t try to “educate” the other owner on why your offer is great.
3. Don’t bring the owner some wacky 10-player proposal. Ugh. It’s more of a personal preference, but I hate seeing trades like this (especially in April). No serious player trades his three best players for someone else’s three best players. Anything beyond a 2-for-2 trade is tough to evaluate and probably not necessary.
Rob Reed - Baseball Geeks
1. First and foremost (and my biggest pet peeves) are basic, one-sided trade offers where the owner making the offer has clearly paid no attention to my team needs and is just trying to pull one over on me. A fair trade offer that considers the needs of the team you are trying to trade with makes it much more likely that you will be heard. I either ignore such requests, or I throw out an equally bad (or worse) offer in return. We can call this fantasy mutual masturbation gone bad.
2. This leads to a second mistake. I know of a number of players who throw out fully one-sided deals with the thought that this will instigate negotiation. Fantasy trading should never be like slick business dealing. Let the other owner know where you think his weaknesses lie, support your claim in your offer, and request a player who fills one of your holes but who will not create a gap in the other fantasy player’s line up.
As an example here, there is a guy in my money league who has Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard, but he has terrible closers (let’s focus on Manny Corpas, who just lost the job, and Tony Pena, who is heir apparent if Lyon blows up). Assume I have Papelbon and Nathan (and two middle tier relievers) and Ryan Garko at first. I propose a Nathan and Garko for Fielder and Pena deal.
There is a great shot that this deal is made. I have found my biggest weakness, utilized my biggest strength, and structured this deal so, on paper, it looks slightly more one-sided against me. The owner sees I am reasonable, and I have just garnered respect. Even if no deal is made now, I establish a presumption in the mind of the other manager that I play fair. And, we can negotiate, suggesting Papelbon instead of Nathan or Corpas instead of Pena, or mix and match Howard instead of Fielder.
3. Lastly, I’m a big believer in league integrity. I have heard on a podcast more than once and read on a few fantasy blogs suggesting that I take advantage of new players to the league who may not understand the game. For me, this is the fantasy equivalent of stealing a base when you have a 12 run lead. Purely bush league and a mistake in principle.
Commish - Fantasy Baseball Geeks
I will respond with concepts on this rather than specifics. This becomes more of a sales technique than anything to do with any baseball or fantasy knowledge.
1. Do not make the other owner think you are very interested in making any trades. Act as if you are satisfied with your roster and have empathy for their injuries or struggling players. You should begin the dialogue, but allow them to feel as though they are in control. You are taking their temperature to see how much roto-pain they are in. The true test of an experienced owner and fantasy salesman is the ability to actually make the other owner make the official offer to you. In their mind they are still in control and are doing what is necessary to improve. This is part psychology and partly downright manipulative, but if done correctly will reap tremendous buy-low rewards. This takes practice to prefect, so get to work.
2. Do not email, offer, or reject a trade while intoxicated. You run the risk of doing something stupid and impaired judgement can lead to fantasy mistakes. This happens all the time and could ruin your season and friendships in the process - wait until morning to handle things rationally.
3. Do not ever under any circumstances let other owners know you are involved in discussions with a particular owner. This can lead to someone else vulturing in to make a better deal or to drive up the value on you. Even best friends will stab you in the back to acquire B.J. Upton on the cheap.
Lastly and completely off topic - don’t trade just to trade. In other words don’t be the guy that turns over his entire roster by seasons end. It might be fun to wheel and deal, but it is a recipe for failure to completely de-construct a roster.
Patrick DiCaprio - Fantasy Baseball Generals
1. Thinking only about your team and needs. This should be obvious but isn’t. As I recently discussed on my website, I was approached for one of my closers (Gregg and Wagner) with the proviso “I won’t trade players x and y.” This left waiver wire type pitchers that he was hoping to deal. Why I would trade a closer for these guys was left unanswered.
2. The league wide email solicitation. This is a sure sign of a lazy owner. The others have no obligation to respond so why would they?
3. Not realizing that most trades are marginal. Most trades end up providing little gain or cost in reality. So don’t be a jerk about a trade that is marginal anyway, be nice and you may end up getting a bigger fish down the line.
BY ADAM RONIS
Shane Victorino returned from the DL tonight, but didn't start. He was used as a pinch hitter and went 0-for-1.
Cole Hamels pitched real well against the Padres. He went 7 1/3 innings, allowed five hits, two runs, walked two and struck out six. He is 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA.
Garret Olson was called up to start for the Orioles tonight against the Rays and struggled with his control, but got the win. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowed four hits, two runs, five walks and struck out six. He threw 105 pitches, 60 were for strikes.
George Sherrill picked up his 10th save despite a 4.63 ERA. Sell high.
Yunel Escobar returned from a finger injury and went 0-for-4 with a walk.
We know it's a huge "if", but if Chipper Jones stays healthy the entire season, he will be the best value of the draft. He drops because of his penchant for injury. He homered again tonight, his 8th of the season. He is hitting .432 with 21 RBIs. Larry is good.
Tom Glavine returned from the DL tonight and pitched well in a no-decision against the Nationals. He went six innings, allowed six hits, two earned runs, one walk and struck out two. He has a 2.60 ERA.
Chad Cordero started the top of the ninth inning with a 6-2 lead against the Braves and allowed two hits and one run in 1/3 inning before Jon Rauch got the final two outs for his fifth save of the season. Rauch could hold on to the job for awhile because Cordero might go back on the DL with a strained lat muscle below his right shoulder.
Roy Halladay pitched a great game against the Red Sox, but gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 1-0 loss. He went 8 2/3 innings and allowed five hits, one run, one walk and struck out six. He is 2-4 with a 3.26 ERA.
Jon Lester went eight innings, allowing one hit, no runs, four walks and struck out six in a no-decision. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth and allowed one hit and struck out two for the win.
Nate McLouth was one of my preseason sleepers and if you took him, you are reaping the rewards so far. He hit his seventh homer against Johan Santana tonight.
So much for Carlos Delgado breaking out of it with a two-homer game on Sunday. He went 0-for-5 and is hitting .194.
Ian Snell wasn't good against the Mets tonight, but he could have had a better line if his defense didn't let him down. A double-play ball was turned into an error leading to a bigger inning for the Mets. Snell went 4 1/3 innings, allowed five hits, four runs, five walks and struck out two. Don't give up on him.
Billy Wagner was charged with his first blown save, but the run was unearned so he still has a 0.00 ERA. A Jose Reyes error led to the run. Wagner pitched two innings.
Curtis Granderson is off to a fast start since returning from the DL. He went 2-for-3 with three runs, a homer and two walks. He already has three home runs. Placido Polanco showed why he hit so well last season with a 4-for-5 night with two runs and an RBI. His average will continue to go up.
Phil Hughes was terrible again. He went 3 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, six runs, three walks and struck out two. He is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA. Could Yankees fans actually be yearning for Kei Igawa?
Jorge Cantu, mentioned as a pickup in Sunday's column, went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. The .309 average won't continue, but his power is legit.
Derek Lowe left his last start, but made the start against the Marlins tonight. He went five innings, allowing eight hits, six runs -- three earned -- walked one and struck out two in a no-decision. He has a 2.88 ERA.
Andrew Miller was horrible again and can't be used in fantasy right now. He allowed nine hits, six runs, walked two and struck out none in three innings. He has a 9.12 ERA.
Fausto Carmona has a 2.60 ERA, but it is very misleading. His control has been awful. He went 6 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, two runs -- one earned -- walked four and struck out two in a no-decision against the Mariners. His BB/K ratio is an awful 26/13. He can't continue to keep his ERA this low with that ratio. Trade him while the ERA is low.
Rafael Betancourt came into a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning against the Mariners and allowed a three-run homer to Adrian Beltre.
Mike Cameron returned from his 25-game suspension and went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs with a walk. He should be owned in all leagues.
Ben Sheets wasn't right tonight as evidenced by his seven walks. He went five innings, allowing three hits, four runs -- three earned -- and struck out two to get the win. He is 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA. This has to be a result of his tricep injury because he walked four batters coming into tonight. Sell high while he is still somewhat healthy.
Eric Gagne picked up his 8th save of the season and his job is still safe since no one in the Brewers bullpen has been great.
Joakim Soria, one of my targeted closers, continued his amazing start. He has pitched 11 innings, allowed just four hits, no runs, no walks and struck out 13 with six saves.
I guess the Johnny Cueto for Cy Young talk has cooled down. Rookie pitchers will be consistent, even the ones with great stuff. Cueto had his worst start of the season against the Cardinals. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, seven runs -- six earned -- walked one and struck out two. He is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA.
Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan has done a great job with the staff. He could make me a viable fantasy pitcher. Joel Pineiro is the latest project. He went seven innings, allowing one hit, no runs, four walks and struck out three to improve to 2-2 with a 3.75 ERA.
Joe Crede hit his seventh homer and has 22 RBIs. Sell high.
Max Scherzer made his major league debut against the Astros tonight and was outstanding in relief of Edgar Gonzalez, who gave up six runs in 2 2/3 innings. Scherzer went 4 1/3 perfect innings and struck out seven. He should be owned in NL-only leagues and deep mix leagues. If he becomes a starter, he should be owned in all leagues.
He threw 47 pitches; 35 for strikes. He could start in place of Gonzalez, but Doug Davis is due back soon.
Greg Smith threw another good game for the A's, but fell to 2-1. He went eight innings, allowing three hits, two runs, three walks and struck out five, but lost 2-0 to the Angels. He is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA.
Joe Saunders is 5-0 after going eight innings, while allowing four hits, no runs, one walk and struck out five. He has a 2.08 ERA. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 11th save.
Brian Fuentes pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing just a walk and struck out a batter for his second save. He has a 2.08 ERA and is pitching way better than Manny Corpas right now.
Keep an eye on Rockies catcher Chris Ianetta. He played third base tonight after Troy Tulowitzki left with a strained left quad. He is hitting .324 with two homers in just 34 at-bats. He should be owned in NL-only leagues. Garrett Atkins played second base, so in leagues where one game qualifies you for a position, Atkins is a top second baseman.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Yankees placed third baseman Alex Rodriguez on the 15-day DL with a strained right quadriceps. A-Rod had an MRI today that revealed a Grade 2 strain. It's the first time he has been on the DL since July 2000. Morgan Ensberg should get most of the time at third while A-Rod is out.
BY ADAM RONIS
Tom Glavine and Mike Lowell have been activated from the DL. Both are starting tonight.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Braves have placed John Smoltz on the 15-day DL with a sore right shoulder. Dr. James Andrews examined him and said he had a severely inflamed biceps tendon and inflammation of the rotator cuff. His return date is uncertain.
BY ADAM RONIS
Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino was activated from the DL after being sidelined with a calf injury. Jayson Werth is still expected to see a lot of time in the outfield with Geoff Jenkins struggling.
It's the same old story with Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera. I compared him to a girl who is a tease and right on cue, he lived up to the billing. The Cabrera with no control surfaced again against the White Sox yesterday. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowed four hits, two earned runs, walked seven and struck out two. In his previous three starts, he walked 0, 2 and 3. Another concern is his strikeouts are down. His high for the season is five, which he did twice. He has allowed 31 hits in 37 innings, but a BB/K ratio of 21/21 isn't cutting it. Everyone waits for this guy to break out because of his good stuff, but I don't see it coming this year.
George Sherrill blew his first save of the season, but his ERA is 5.06.
There was uncertainty as to how much playing time Carlos Quentin would get in the White Sox outfield this season. Quentin has quelled the talk of him platooning with a hot start. He went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and walk yesterday. He is hitting .312 with six home runs, 20 RBIs, 20 runs, two steals and a .454 on-base percentage. Most impressive is his 14/12 BB/K ratio. He walked just 18 times in 229 at-bats last season. Should be owned in all leagues and has great upside.
John Smoltz will be examined by doctors today. He left Sunday's start against the Mets after four innings with shoulder soreness. He has been pitching through it all season and is used to pitching through pain. He has a 2.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and has 36 strikeouts and just eight walks in 27 innings. He is a great fantasy pitcher when healthy, but at his age, you can't expect a full season. He is expected to miss his next start. If he doesn't get placed on the DL, Jo-Jo Reyes would likely fill in. If Smoltz is placed on the DL, Chuck James can be recalled.
The Brewers sent David Bush to Triple-A since he still has options.
Alex Rodriguez was removed for a pinch hitter in the eighth inning yesterday after aggravating his strained quadriceps. He will miss a few games.
The good news for Matt Cain? He picked up a win and didn't allow a run. The bad news? He walked five batters and only lasted 5 1/3 innings. He has struck out 29 and walked 23 in 32 2/3 innings.
Scott Kazmir made his final rehab start at Triple-A and allowed one run in five innings. he'll face the Red Sox this weekend.
Mariners catcher Jeff Clement could be called up from Triple-A soon according to a published report. Clement is batting .384 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 73 at-bats. He would likely be used as the DH. AL-only owners should pick him up and once he gains eligibility at catcher, he should be owned in leagues that start two catchers. Another Mariners prospect to keep an eye on is outfielder Wladimir Balentien. He hit three home runs for Triple-A Tacoma yesterday.
As a result of Monday's rainout, the Mets will skip Nelson Figueroa's next start.
Ty Wiggington began his rehab yesterday and could return Thursday.
BY ADAM RONIS
There has been a lot of pessimism for Mets fans recently. Imagine if they had signed Barry Zito? Be thankful they didn't because the Giants have sent the $126-million pitcher to the bullpen after he allowed eight earned runs in three innings in a 10-1 loss to the Reds on Sunday. Pat Misch, who has never won a Cy Young award by the way, will take his spot in the rotation. Zito is 0-6 with a 7.53 ERA in six starts. He has allowed 41 hits in 27 2/3 innings, He has made 261 starts and his durability was one of his major strengths. He pitched in one game as a reliever last season. Now the 2002 AL Cy Young winner is just awful. The Giants won't need a fifth starter until May 10 and Noah Lowry could return by then. Zito was someone to avoid in drafts and hopefully you did.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Angels have called up infielder Brandon Wood from Triple-A Salt Lake. Wood hit .273 with eight home runs, 18 RBIs and six doubles. He could play second, shortstop or third base. He should be added in AL-only leagues.
BY ADAM RONIS
Rangers third baseman Hank Blalock has a partially torn hamstring and could miss up to one month. He is expected to be placed on the 15-day DL tomorrow. Ramon Vasquez should get most of the time at third base in Blalock's absence.
BY ADAM RONIS
National League Player of the Week -- Lance Berkman (Astros): Berkman hit .455 (10-for-22) with four home runs, 12 RBIs, seven runs and one stolen base.
American League Player of the Week -- Magglio Ordonez (Tigers): Ordonez hit .400 (10-for-25) with three home runs, 10 RBIs, and five runs.
National League Pitcher of the Week -- Carlos Zambrano (Cubs): Zambrano went 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He struck out nine in 14 innings.
American League Pitcher of the Week -- James Shields (Rays): He went 2-0 with a 1.12 ERA and 0.69 WHIP in 16 innings with 12 strikeouts. He threw a two-hit shutout with one walk and seven strikeouts against the Red Sox on Sunday.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Diamondbacks recalled pitcher Max Scherzer today. He has generated a lot of buzz with his dominance in Triple-A Tuscon. In 23 innings, he had a 1.17 ERA with 38 strikeouts and three walks. Yusmeiro Petit was sent down. He could be inserted into the starting rotation if Micah Owings has to miss time with his injury. Pick up Scherzer in NL-only leagues and very deep mixed leagues for now until we know more about his role.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Yankees placed catcher Jorge Posada on the 15-day DL with continued soreness in his right shoulder. Posada could have a tear in his shoulder. Drafting a catcher who turns 37 in the rounds he went wasn't the greatest idea. Despite hitting .338 last season, there was no way he would repeat that. Another reason why you shouldn't invest heavily in catchers.
BY ADAM RONIS
Micah Owings left the game against the Padres with a right ankle injury in the top of the sixth inning and Justin Upton left the game in the bottom of the seventh with leg cramps. Owings allowed five hits, five runs, three walks and struck out five in his worst outing of the season. He came in 4-0. His ERA increased to 3.48 ERA. Upton went 0-for-3 with a run and walk before leaving.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Blue Jays recalled outfielder Adam Lind. Lind was hitting .356 with four home runs and 15 RBIs at Triple-A Syracuse. He should be owned in AL-only leagues and very deep mixed leagues. Joe Inglett was sent to Triple-A Syracuse.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Red Sox placed Sean Casey on the DL with a strained right hip. Casey was hitting .346 with eight RBIs in 17 games. Brandon Moss was recalled. Jed Lowrie will likely get extra at-bats.
BY ADAM RONIS
Ryan Howard will receive a day off for the second straight game due to a slump. He is in a 3-for-28 skid and has struck out 13 times. Chase Utley is starting at first base. Howard hit .221 last April and .225 in May. He'll be fine. Buy low!!
BY ADAM RONIS
After a terrible outing in which he couldn't get out of the first inning yesterday, Twins starter Francisco Liriano has been sent to Triple-A Rochester. He is 0-3 with a 11.32 ERA and has exhibited no control. He only pitched 2/3 innings yesterday and allowed six runs. I told you to be patient since he was coming off Tommy John surgery. Liriano could have value late in the season. Bobby Korecky was recalled to take his spot.
BY ADAM RONIS
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is in the starting lineup tonight and is at third base.
BY ADAM RONIS
Cliff Lee is better than Cy Young! Ok, I'm not that crazy, but Lee is certainly the biggest surprise is so far. He threw a three-hit shutout, walked none and struck out nine to improve to 4-0 with a 0.28 ERA. He threw 120 pitches, 80 of which were strikes. The most impressive thing about him so far is his 29/2 K/BB ratio. That translates to success. Keep in mind, the four games have come against the Royals, Twins and A's twice. Still, he has pitched eight innings twice and a complete game and hardly no one goes that far in games anymore regardless of the opponent. It's been a few years since Lee had a good year, but so far, so good. He won't keep this pace up, but he should be owned in all leagues.
Brian Bannister opposed Cliff Lee and pitched well going 6 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, two runs, no walks and struck out four. He's 3-2 with a 2.48 ERA. Where is Ambiroix Burgos again?
San Diego pitcher Chris Young makes me pull my hair and trust me there is a lot of hair to pluck out. If only he could throw more strikes, he could be a top-notch fantasy pitcher. Young threw 121 pitches in seven innings, allowed two hits, one run, walked three and struck out 10 in a 1-0 loss to the Giants. He is very difficult to hit, but he throws too many pitches that force him out of games early and it doesn't help he's on a poor offensive team. Batters hit .206 against him in 2006 and .192 last season. The walks and penchant for injuries keep him from being among the elite.
I told you not to pass over Tim Lincecum because he plays on a putrid offensive team. Again, wins are hard to gauge. Lincecum went 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits, walked five and struck out nine. He is 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA.
Joba Chamberlain let in a run? No way. I thought he was untouchable and would win every game if he started. Chamberlain allowed his second earned run of the season when he allowed a game-winning single to Joe Crede. Jermaine Dye left the game with a strained left groin and is day-to-day.
Chad Billingsley struck out 12 in six innings, but he allowed five runs, six hits and two walks to drop to 0-4.
Brandon Lyon pitched a scoreless ninth for his sixth save of the season.
Andruw Jones hit No. 2 for the second straight game and went 1-for-5.
BY ADAM RONIS
Scott Rolen is expected to be back in the Blue Jays lineup tomorrow. Rolen was sidelined with a finger injury and went 0-for-9 in his rehab with Single-A Dunedin. Rolen said he still has a bad bone bruise and feels it when he hits and throws. Keep him reserved until he produces and shows he's healthy enough to play.
Hunter Pence is starting to turn things around after a very slow start. He went 2-for-4 with a run scored hitting leadoff in the absence of Michael Bourn and is now up to .268. Lance Berkman is sizzling, going 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs giving him six HRs and 20 RBIs with a .325 average. He also stole his fourth base.
Corey Patterson returned to the starting lineup and went 2-for-3 with a run and Jerry Hairston Jr. started at shortstop and went 1-for-4.
Jose Valverde had another good outing in notching his third save. He threw a scoreless inning and struck out two.
Johnny Cueto had another shaky outing, but he did pitch seven innings in falling to 1-2. He allowed eight hits, five runs, walked two and struck out two and has a 4.05 ERA. As with all rookie pitchers, expect inconsistency.
Were you worried about the Tigers offense? How about now? The Tigers have scored 37 runs in the last three games and Curtis Granderson is back. The Tigers hit five home runs in an 8-2 win over Texas. Magglio Ordonez hit two. More concerning was the performance of Jeremy Bonderman. He threw 110 pitches, including just 56 for strikes. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, two runs, seven walks and struck out seven. He has a 4.28 ERA. With 21 walks and 17 strikeouts, an injury could be a factor.
Pat Burrell is being overshadowed by Chase Utley, but he is hitting ,355 with eight homers and 25 RBIs. He is a career .260 hitter. He'll likely get 30 HR and 100 RBIs, but selling high is a good idea.
Brad Lidge has yet to allow an earned run in 10 innings. He picked up his fifth save.
David Ortiz is hitting .189, but he hit another homer against the Angels. He has four home runs and 20 RBIs.
Joe Saunders hasn't been dominant, but he improved to 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA in a win over the Red Sox. He went six innings, allowed seven hits, three runs, walked three and struck out three. He has a K/BB ratio of 15/9.
Francisco Rodriguez picked up his ninth save.
Aaron Cook often gets overlooked, but he is pitching really well. He went eight innings allowed four hits, two runs, three walks and struck out five to improve to 3-1 with a 2.91 ERA. He has a K/BB ratio of 17/11. He should be owned in NL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues.
Brian Fuentes returned to the closer role and picked up the save with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts.
Francisco Liriano was awful against the A's. He has no control right now and should be benched until he turns it around. I said to be patient, but he doesn't look like he belongs in the majors right now. He lasted 2/3 of an inning, allowed five hits. six runs and walked three. His ERA is 11.32. He threw 35 pitches, 15 for strikes.
Greg Smith improved to 2-0 with another good performance. He went seven innings, allowed seven hits, two runs, walked one, and struck out three. He has a 2.88 ERA and should be owned in AL-only leagues.
Fausto Carmona improved to 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA, but he wasn't sharp against the Royals. He went five innings, allowed nine hits, four runs, four walks and struck out one. He has walked 22 and struck out just 11. That's a recipe for disaster.
So much for Hanley Ramirez cutting back on stolen bases. He stole two tonight and has eight. Josh Willingham went 3-for-4 with a homer and four RBIs. He has six home runs and 16 RBIs.
Chipper Jones celebrated his 36th birthday with a 3-for-3 night and his seventh homer. He is batting .442. Manny Acosta pitched two scoreless innings for his second save for the Braves.
Have I mentioned Carlos Delgado stinks? He went 0-for-4 and is hitting .198.
Once again, add Felipe Lopez in NL-only leagues. He went 2-for-4 with a homer and six RBIs, but then again the Mets bullpen has allowed three grand slams this season. Yes, I am a disgruntled Mets fan.
Between Mark Teixeira, David Ortiz, C.C. Sabathia, Miguel Cabrera, Jose Reyes and other underperforming fantasy superstars, who is liable to continue to stink throughout the course of the season and why?
Eric Stashin, rotoprofessor.com
The player I'd think is most likely to struggle the entire season would be Roy Oswalt. While he may not be in the class of players listed above, he was probably drafted as a #1 fantasy pitcher in all formats.
Players like Reyes & Cabrera have already started to turn their seasons around. Ortiz is still struggling, but he's just too good to struggle the entire way. Teixeira started slowly last season as well, so it's not a complete surprise that he hasn't really gotten going yet. It's just a matter of time. Sabathia has been pathetic and shown no signs of turning around, but I have to believe that he will. Coming off a Cy Young season, there's no way he lost it all at once like this.
Oswalt, meanwhile, had thrown up three stinkers before finally looking good the other night. He went 7 innings, giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4 against the Phillies. It's promising, yes, but given his past few seasons, you wonder if it is just the exception instead of a return to the norm.
Since 2004, his strikeouts have gone from 206 to 184 to 166 to 154, a trend that cannot make owners happy. After winning 20 games in both '04 & '05, he won just 15 in '06 and 14 in '07. His WHIP and BB/9 were both career worst at 1.33 and 2.55, respectively, in 2007.
Could he turn things around and put up solid numbers the rest of the way? Possibly, but I don't really see it. Obviously, his ERA is not going to stay at 6.65 and his WHIP will come down from 1.70, but with the trends that he's shown, he certainly is going to under perform what fantasy owners hoped he'd give them. Of the star players, he is the most likely to be a bust this season in my mind.
David Chase, BrockforBroglio.com
At this point, any performance is still just random variance. The best pitchers, and hitters go through regular sustained slumps over the course of the long season; everything is just magnified around this time of the year. I think all of them will rebound and perform at or close to their expected level of performance. I remember people thought the sky was falling with Carlos Zambrano last season, and he went on to finish with respectable numbers. My best advice: offer aggressively for each one of these players, and get yourself a bargain.
Brett, Greener on the Other Side, kobayashibaseball.blogspot.com
Tough call but I will go with CC Sabathia. He logged close to 270 total innings last year including playoffs and threw a lot pitches. He's the only pitcher on this list and pitchers have proven to be less reliable on an annual basis. He did have a career year last year and because of all of the innings thrown, he was able to amass a ton of k's. His K rate in 2007 wasn't among the top 20 and if he misses a few starts due to injury he won't repeat last year's numbers as a result.
His struggles early on are worrisome because someone of his talent and ability rarely goes through stretches this awful. Despite having a great 11K start against KC recently, his previous few starts were so terrible that it makes me wonder if something is wrong.
While this was a tough choice, CC Sabathia is the least likely of that group to rebound.
Adam Ronis, newsday.com
Of the guys mentioned, I'll go with C.C. Sabathia by process of elimination. I think Teixiera will have a huge year. He has started slow in the past and I wouldn't worry about him. Unless Ortiz is hiding a serious knee injury, I think he will come close to the numbers he put up last season. He said the knee is bothering him and that's probably stemming from the surgery in the offseason. He played with a sore knee last season and still produced. Miguel Cabrera is already breaking out of it and there's no worry there. Same with Jose Reyes. He might not steal as many bases as last season, but he will produce. Sabathia could be feeling the pressure of playing for a contract. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone thrives in a contract year. See Andruw Jones. Sabathia is still throwing in the mid-90s, but his location is bad right now. He gets a two-strike count on a hitter and throws a fat pitch. He hardly walked anyone last season (37) and he's on pace to reach last season's total in just a few more starts. He already has 14. He also had a huge jump in innings pitched. He went from 192 2/3 to 241 last season. Then he threw an additional 15 1/3 innings in the postseason. He should be fine once he finds his command. But of all the guys listed, he is the most likely to struggle.
Tim Dierkes, rotoauthority.com
I will go with Sabathia. Combining the tangible massive increase in innings from '06 to '07 plus the intangible weight of a contract year, I could see Sabathia regressing to perhaps his 2005 level. His control was worse and he posted a 4.03 ERA that year. A duplication of that season wouldn't stink, but it would be a disappointment. Plus, pitchers are more risky than position players in general.
I would suggest David Ortiz's November knee surgery might be affecting him, but he absolutely raked in August and September of last year while outwardly admitting to knee pain. I think Papi will be fine.
Commish, fantasybaseballgeeks.com
Let me start off by saying that traditionally I am usually very conservative/patient/tied to my pre-season rankings. So I usually expect the players that I ranked high to eventually play to form. Usually that philosophy pays off, but other times; like last year when I kept starting Richie Sexson week after week and kept watching his and my Batting Average plummet it works to my disadvantage. This year Roy Oswalt is seriously testing that patience.
Having said that, there are huge busts every year. Sometimes it is a Sophomore slump - Troy Tulowitzki 2008? Sometimes it is the pressure of playing for a new contract - Andruw Jones 2007. Sometimes it is the pressure of playing up to the level worthy of a new contract - Barry Zito 2007 - 2013. Sometimes it is that you were playing over expectations and your talent level finally caught up with you - Jason Bay.
As for the Bust candidates mentioned I am going to rank them in order of who I am least worried about to most worried:
Miguel Cabrera: He will end up hitting over .300 with his usual 30/110/110 line. Miggy Cab and the rest of the Tigers will start hitting the way we expected very soon. No need to jump ship.
Mark Teixeira: He is a career .245 hitter in April and hit .231 w/ 2 HR last April. He is one 2009 free agent who will put big numbers to justify his wallet busting new contract.
David Ortiz: .113 & 1 HR. Never in my wildest dreams did I see this kind of start for Ortiz, but unless his knees are worse than he is letting on, there is no way he doesn't approach at a minimum 2003's line of .288/31/101/79. He will need to start picking it up soon though.
Jose Reyes: The only reason he is this low is because he has already missed time due to hamstring problems. And since Reyes needs his legs to be a fantasy asset (don't they all) a nagging hamstring will put a major damper on his season. But I think by the end of the season his numbers will make us forget about the last few games that he has missed.
CC Sabathia: The reason he is last on this list is this number; 256 1/3. That is the number of innings he pitched last year, including the playoffs. He had a bad post season and is off to an even worse start this season. Sort of reminds me of Mark Prior's 2003/2004 seasons. At age 22 Prior had 234 total IP, including the playoffs. His regular season numbers in 211 1/3 IP that year 18-6, 245 K, 2.43/1.103. The next year was the start of his demise. In 2004 in the 118 2/3 innings that he was able to pitch his numbers fell to 6-4 and 4.02/1.348. He was able to keep his K/9 rate over 10.0 however. Back to Sabathia; his increased workload is my major concern for the rest of this season but he also posted career bests in all major categories in 2007. So a little regression should have been expected. One other major factor for my concern; in 2007, Sabathia walked 37 batters in 34 games. Through 4 games this year he has already walked 14. Not a good sign.
Rob Reed, baseballgeeks.com and playertrack.com
First, I have to ask: who is the mole in the roundtable? Baseball Tonight asked this question on Thursday night, so we're going to look like copycats.
This question became much easier after Wednesday's games. Jose Reyes is back from some hammy trouble, and he knocks a homer (I'm still last in the SB category in the two leagues where I drafted him, however, and I am getting a little antsy in that regard).
The answer became clear, though, when Miguel Cabrera knocked 5 RBIs off of C.C. before most Cleveland fans had finished their first beer. C.C. allowed 9 earned for the second start in a row. That's 7 2/3 of 18 ER. 13.50 ERA, 0-3. 14 Ks in 18 IP and 14 BBs! Opposing batters are hitting .390 off of him. No typo.
He could throw two complete game shutouts in a row and still have a season ERA over 6.00. That's bad. Very bad. He'll get better... but, this is worse than Carlos Z last year. Carlos took months to get out of the funk, and fantasy owners just don't have the earned run capacity to just let C.C. figure it out until late May or June.
In my money league, I'm stashing him on the farm. In another league, an optimistic owner (obviously bothered with Tim Hudson's recent velocity issues) offered up Huddy for Sabathia. 8 minutes later, and 10 seconds after receiving the trade offer email, I clicked "Accept."
I'm getting asked a lot about Troy Tulowitski as to whether it is a sophomore slump. For you Troy owners, he hit .244 with 21 Ks in 80 some odd ABs in April, 2007. He'll be fine.
Big Papi will be fine. He is probably the best option to try and trade for him now as I suspect that many of his owners are very down on him (what with all this offseason, knee problem talk -- isn't this eerily sounding like the "don't draft Albert Pujols" contingent at the start of the season?). I proposed a deal of Joe Nathan and Jim Thome for David Ortiz and Francisco Liriano. Wishful thinking, but I think the owner (who is in last place and needs a closer -- I have five of 'em) just might go for it.
So long as he doesn't read this roundtable, of course.
(Editor's Note: unfortunately, the owner in question didn't take the Thome bait -- even after a grandslam; I owned C.C. in three leagues at the time I answered this. I traded C.C. in one league for Tim Hudson before the both Hudson and Sabathia pitched this week. I'm still happy about this trade. And, after a stellar week, the "Get Papi from frustrated owners" window is now closed.)
Rudy Gamble, razzball.com
No doubt that Sabathia is disappointing a lot of owners but, really, he's fatter than the Cleveland Brown defensive tackles. Can you be THAT surprised? Part of my strategy for taking Santana, Peavy, or Webb in every league was so I didn't have to make a call on guys like Sabathia and injury-prone guys like Bedard and Kazmir.
I'm going to go with Jose Reyes as the disappointment based on his pre-season ADP. I was sour on him before the season as my projections had him at #16 vs. the consensus top #4 with all his positive value tied up in SBs. While I'm not going to read too much into his 3 for 5 SB record so far, I do think he'll disappoint in SBs. Maybe Pedro's hammy problems are contagious. Maybe he just reduces his attempts a tad and/or is slightly less successful. Let's say 55 SBs. I think Michael Bourn, Willy Taveras and Carlos Gomez will all give him a run as SB champ. There goes the "Draft Reyes and you're guaranteed top ranking in SB" strategy.
It's too risky to project a drop in stats for someone of Reyes' age (24) so I'll predict he doesn't improve on last year's 119/12/57/.280. Given it took him 160 G and 681 PAs to get these stats, a DL stint would derail some improvements. My advice - trade Reyes for a 4-category hitter or pitcher like Santana, Peavy, M. Cabrera, D. Wright, P. Fielder, etc.
BY ADAM RONIS
Frank Thomas has signed with the A's. Pick him up in AL-only leagues and deep mixed leagues if he was released.
BY ADAM RONIS
The Rockies named Brian Fuentes the new closer. Pick him up in all formats.
BY ADAM RONIS
Manny Corpas blew his fourth save of the season by allowing a two-run homer to Aramis Ramirez last night. Clint Hurdle hasn't pulled Corpas from the closer role yet, but did say he will reevaluate the situation. That's not an endearing statement for Corpas and remember, Hurdle pulled Fuentes from closing last season after one bad week. It certainly seems like Hurdle will make the switch. If he wasn't seriously contemplating a change, then why not give the usual vote of confidence managers' give in these type of situations? Corpas has given up key hits at the wrong times and has blown three of his last four saves. In 12 innings he has allowed 13 hits, walked six and struck out five while allowing two home runs. He is 0-1 with four saves, a 7.50 ERA and 1.58 WHIP and hitters are batting .358 against him. Corpas was phenomenal in the second half last season with 1.35 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. Make sure you pick up Fuentes in case he takes over.
Trevor Hoffman blew his second save of the season costing Greg Maddux his 350th career victory. Hoffman has a 8.22 ERA.
Struggling fantasy studs Prince Fielder and David Ortiz are beginning to turn it around. Fielder hit two homers last night and has three, while Ortiz hit his third and has 18 RBIs. Hope you didn't get fleeced for them or you were able to pull off the heist.
Chad Cordero paid a visit to Dr. James Andrews, which is never a good sign but considering the diagnosis, it's not that bad. He had tendinitis and weakness in his right shoulder. He doesn't need surgery and will continue to pitch, but his velocity is down and he won't close for now. Jon Rauch will continue to closer.
Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs each hit their seventh homers last night. How would Jacobs look at first base for the Mets right now? Instead it's a successful at-bat when Carlos Delgado gets an RBI groundout.
Rajai Davis was claimed off waivers by the A's. He has excellent speed, but don't pick him up until the A's show he will get playing time.
Casey Kotchman is finally healthy and thriving. He went 2-for-3 with a home run last night and is hitting .329 with six home runs and 14 RBIs.
Joe Girardi said he will be shocked if Alex Rodriguez is in the lineup tonight. He is back with the team, but won't return until tomorrow at the earliest.
Rich Hill will have his next start skipped. He is now scheduled to pitch May 3. Hill has been better lately, but has struggled with his control since the spring. Owners need to be patient with him.
| Manny Corpas blew his fourth save of the season last night and his job as closer could be in jeopardy. |
