Fantasy FanHouse

Fantasy Spin: Harden to the Cubbies

Will Brinson — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago, Oakland, Athletics, Cubs, MLB Transactions, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

As Watson noted earlier, there has been a fairly decent seismic shift in the National League Arms Race, what with the Cubs acquiring Rich Harden only 24 hours after the Brewers picked up CC Sabathia. And just like it affects real baseball, the trade does some things for fantasy owners as well. So, why not look at the four biggest names in the trade?

Rich Harden, SP -- I've said it once, and I'll say it again: sell high on Harden. Billy Beane rarely gets suckered and this deal kind of looks like one of those times, no? Which makes me think "ruh-roh" with regard to Harden's health. Especially when you remember that during his next to last start in an Oakland uni, he was barely topping 90 mph. But his move to one of the most offensively potent teams and a World Series contender should boost his value in theory, making him a prime sell.

Chad Gaudin, RP/SP -- Gaudin pitched very well when he was in the Oakland rotation, but got bumped back to the bullpen. It's assumed he'll do the same in Chicago, but are so confident he can't beat out Jason Marquis for a rotation spot? Because I sure think he can. In terms of available fantasy guys in this deal, he's the one I'm taking a flier on.

Sean Gallagher, SP -- Gallagher has to be the lynchpin for Beane, right? As Peter Gammons said, the Cubs liked -- and were "nearly sold on" -- Gallagher as a starter. But as good as Ryan Dempster has been, they need a true number two and Gallagher's not that. So maybe Beane thinks he's going to be great. Which makes me think he's worth a gamble in deeper fantasy leagues.

Matt Murton, OF -- I've never hated Murton as much as it seems Cubs fans and the organization did. He always seemed like a smart baseball player that had sleeper written all over him. He might not set the world on fire in Oakland, but you gotta think he's gonna play at least (as opposed to Chicago). I'm taking a gamble.

Fantasy Spin: Harden to the Cubbies originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bust a Move: Hype Machine Rules the Day

Will Brinson — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Baseball, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

As always, the hype machine owns everyone. Two youngsters -- one in Los Angeles and one in a somehow bigger circus scene that is Cincinnati.

Clayton Kershaw, SP, LAD (18,458 Adds) -- Hey, I'm just as guilty as everyone else. A keeper league team I own is sinking quickly, and instead of grabbing someone to shore up this season, I've got a death grip on Kershaw. Joe Torre called him Sandy Koufax. Basically. And if the bullpen doesn't cough up his start, we'd be even hotter on the guy right now. Seasonal leagues should use their first waiver claim to grab him and then sell high. Keeper leagues want to hold if the price is right.

Jay Bruce, OF, CIN (13,017 Adds) -- It seems inevitable that he will stick, right? Well, because Dusty Baker is a fool, there is actually a question. Bruce is a legitimate threat to dominate this season, so he is a moderate buy. He's probably already too hyped (and owned) in your league, so it is tough to get a reasonable price. But if he begins to struggle, pounce on him in a trade offer.

Doug Davis, SP, ARI (3,840 Adds) -- Obviously, Davis returning from cancer was at best a risky proposition for fantasy owners. A great story, sure, but a risky bet. Sadly, he is still a sell high. The return is great, but history tells us he is not going to maintain a decent ERA. I'd use him in matchups for a back of the rotation guy, but don't be fooled by the fascinating nature of his cancer battle. (Heartless, I know.)

Max Scherzer, RP, ARI (1,451 Drops) -- A very strong buy. He still helps a ton in Roto leagues and can do some damage in H2H if he gets any long relief work, particularly in deeper leagues. He could still start later on and the hype on him has completely cooled at this point.

Clint Barmes, 2B/SS, COL (2,186 Drops) -- The latest in the line of Rockies to get injured, Barmes was a prime pickup for owners who needed middle infield help before he got injured. He's on the disabled list now, but he'll at least be back before Troy Tulowitzki, so that makes him a nice cheaper buy, likely off the waiver wire. Good pickup though, if you need the help.

Travis Hafner, 1B/DH, CLE (933 Drops) -- I mention this -- note the low number -- only because it seems insane that Pronk is already imminently droppable in many leagues. Especially when you consider two years ago, he was an MVP candidate and an absolute monster. Now, he's being shuttled. I don't think he's going to turn it around and I don't think he tops 30 homers this year, but if he's just filthy cheap and you have bench room, you have to at least make a claim.

Bust a Move: Hype Machine Rules the Day originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 27 May 2008 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Joba Coming to a Rotation Near You

Matt Snyder — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:36:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB, MLB Waiver Wire

Joba Chamberlain is going to be a starting pitcher soon ... and we finally have definitive evidence. After Joba tossed 35 pitches tonight against the O's in mop-up duty, his manager proclaimed the the "process has begun."

Several things had to happen for this turn of events, and the most significant is that the Yankees just aren't winning. Phi Hughes and Ian Kennedy didn't do their part, Mike Mussina started badly and sucked last night, and the "New Boss" Hank has been complaining enough that Cashman and Girardi finally were scared enough to make the transition a reality.

Fantasy Spin:

It's going to take several weeks, but Joba's upside is most certainly worth the wait. As Tom Petty taught us, the waiting is the hardest part ... and he wasn't lying. Joba as a starter will eventually be an elite one. He's got better make-up and stuff than both Kennedy and Hughes, in addition to the fact that he's developed much more pedigree and confidence in his service time to this point. Not many of the hitters he's seen have seen his full arsenal of pitches, either. There's no reason to think he's going to go through a down period. Go get this man now if he's available via your waiver wire, and he is in nearly a quarter of all fantasy leagues.

Also realize the offense in the Bronx has been suffering without Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada. ARod is already raking in his second day back and Posada will be back soon enough. The other guys will come around as well.

I actually tried to make this post short so you didn't waste time before grabbing Joba.

It matters that much. Get outta here and make the move.

Joba Coming to a Rotation Near You originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Thu, 22 May 2008 00:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Brett Myers Sucks

Matt Snyder — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Slump or Suck, MLB Fantasy Felony, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

What? You wanna argue with me?

Are you going to tell me about how he struck out 208 batters when he was only 24, or that he followed that up with 189 in 198 innings the following season? Or that he's K'd 50 this season in less than 60 innings? I don't care about that. He sucks.

Are you going to inform me that he's only 27 years old and he may be suffering through a rough start with his location because he's still adjusting back to being a starter after being thrust into the closer's role early last season? Oh c'mon.

I suppose next you'll tell me that he won 25 games combined in '05-'06, to which I'd reply that he's only on pace for about seven this year. Like I said ... SUCKS!

Please don't tell me that his WHIP was between 1.20 and 1.30 each of the last three years, because this year it is 1.60. As Chuck Barkley would say, that's turrible.

Those sub-4.00 ERAs his last two years as a full-time starter that you want to bring up? A thing of the past. He's sitting with a 5.76 currently. Wow, he blows.

I don't want to hear that his allowed .335 BABIP is way too high and statistically should start coming down, because it doesn't help my cause. He's just a bad pitcher.

Small sample size? Puh-leez. It's late May.

/the idiot in your fantasy league that has given up on Brett Myers ...

Brett Myers Sucks originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 14:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Stash Schilling?

Matt Snyder — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Damage Control, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

Getting the jump on injured, rehabbing or struggling players can help win your fantasy leagues. Stash tells you what your play is for these guys.

Fans of Curt Schilling -- basically only Red Sox fans at this point since he's become an insufferable, bloggy, loud-mouth -- received some good news late last week when he was able to long toss a bit. Schill's on the 60-Day DL, so he won't be back for a bit ... most reports indicate mid-July at the absolute earliest. More realistic is to see him rejoin the Sox rotation for the last six weeks of the regular season to help with the pennant race.

Can he still help?

The numbers tell you his decline hasn't been severe enough to think he's done. His ERA last year was 3.87, nearly a run better than the league average, and he was still able to rack up a 101/23 K/BB. He won nine games in 24 starts, including one complete game shutout. While several of these numbers are in decline (his K/9 has been in decline for the past three years), again, it's not severe enough to believe he can't aid the cause of both the Red Sox and your fantasy team.

The downsides are his age, injury history, and the fact that you'll have to sit on him for the majority of the fantasy slate. Let's examine those:

-At age 41 he's old, but older power pitchers have still fared well in the past few years (Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens). An added bonus for Schilling is that he's a student of the game, meaning that even if his arm can't qualify him as a power pitcher anymore he should be able to will his way through an order when needed.

-While Big Schill has been hampered several times in his career with arm problems, he's also successfully battled back. This means that while he'll be anxious to get back on the hill, he's not going to do anything stupid and impair his chances of making a healthy return. He knows what healthy feels like and what problematic pain feels like. Check this quote: "I've not had a day where I've had, on a scale from 1-to-10, pain in the 2-3 neighborhood." Yeah, that was Schilling -- shocking that he talked to the media, I know. But the point is that he knows what he's in for, and he's ready.

-Finally, the fantasy spin ... he's a stashee in really large leagues right now. You most certainly can't use him in an active pitching slot for a while. If you don't have a bench, ignore him the way you do when he talks politics. If you do have a bench, it's a tough decision. You have to assume you aren't getting a start until August 15th in a best-case scenario. So, if you have true starting pitchers that you can count on and don't use someone on your bench like Brandon Backe, Brian Burres, or Brett Tomko, make the move now and sit on Schilling. If you'd have to cut bait on Boof Bonser, Jon Danks, or Ian Snell; don't. It's too early to give up on the potential numbers those young arms stand to throw up before mid-August. Schilling's upside is enough of a gamble over the aforementioned young trio if they were all currently pitching ... but 38's not yet. So you hold off.

We realize that every situation is unique and it's tough to make decisions like this with a fistful of bennies on the line ... so hit us up with specific questions here at Fantasy FanHouse if you are interested in owning the 41 year-old ketchup-stained sock dude.

Stash Schilling? originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Wed, 21 May 2008 09:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Andruw Jones Could Have Surgery on His Knee ... Mmmm, Knife

Will Brinson — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: Los Angeles, Dodgers, NL West, MLB Injuries, MLB Rumors, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

Finally, a decent excuse from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andruw Jones' poor performance, since it would just be too freaking easy to come out and say "he is overweight". Apparently, Jones has a problem with his right knee that could cause surgery.

The Dodgers centerfielder had an MRI on his knee and the rumors of the surgery are being batted around, according to Tony Jackson's Inside the Dodgers blog.

We learned after the game that Andruw Jones had an MRI today, that the MRI showed fluid and torn cartilage in his right knee and that if it isn't better by Thursday or Friday, he'll have arthroscopic surgery that will sideline him, according to what Jones says the doctors told him, for four to five weeks. My experience has been that they usually don't even TALK about surgery unless they're fairly sure it's going to happen. But he is going to get treatment and try to make it work.

Just so we are clear, there is like a 75% chance (at minimum, in my undoctored opinion) that his weight gain caused the problems with his knee.

I also firmly believe that he will undergo surgery this season. And there is obviously no telling how much time Druw will miss if he is forced to stick his leg underneath a really sharp knife, but hey, think of all the free ice cream at the doctor's office!

Update: Karma strikes back, emptying my stomach as I find out that Jones has a "golf-ball sized wart behind his knee that might have to be surgically removed." Geh.

Fantasy Spin: I dropped Druw a while ago and suggest you do the same. If Juan Pierre is available in your league, bust a move. Obviously if Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier are there, snatch them up. Pierre could end up being a huge steal with the way he has played and his proclivity for the stolen base.

Andruw Jones Could Have Surgery on His Knee ... Mmmm, Knife originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 20 May 2008 13:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Stash Him? Fatolo Still Valuable

Matt Snyder — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:44:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB, MLB Waiver Wire

Getting the jump on injured, rehabbing or struggling players can help win your fantasy leagues. Stash tells you what your play is for these guys.

For those late to the party, the Red Sox signed someone in the off-season who was just two years removed from winning a freaking Cy Young. Turning 35 late next week, he's not ancient by any stretch. He is, however, fat.

Yep, good ol' Bartolo Colon still checks in at 250 while not even standing six feet tall ... but he's no ordinary fat man. He can throw a baseball really hard.

The signing made sense for the Red Sox, with Curt Schilling's injury woes and the unpredictability of youngster Clay Buchholz. Now Buchholz is on the DL with a broken fingernail (I'm sure he's quite chagrined to be sidelined with that -- but fingers matter to pitchers), and the Sox are going to need a replacement for the short-term beginning Tuesday.

Meanwhile Colon has been studly in Triple-A. He entered Thursday with a 1.12 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in eight innings. The seven-to-one K/BB looked enticing as well.

Thursday, the numbers only got better.

I'll let PawSox explain:

Bartolo Colon was magnificent, giving up just one hit in six innings. Colon needed just 64 pitches to get through the outing. The 2005 Cy Young winner fanned 4 and didn't walk anyone.

That takes Fat Bart's ERA down to 0.64 in and his WHIP to an absurd 0.50. With the Red Sox needing the aforementioned replacement starter now is the perfect time to add the former elite pitcher to any bench that has reasonable space (meaning you cut bait on someone like Jim Edmonds, but not Rafeal Furcal).

Now ...

I don't really think he's going to be of much help to your actual team for a bit if at all. He's still only able to throw 64 pitches (otherwise they would have run him out there for another inning the way he was dealing). Realistically, the Red Sox can't get him deep in a game with that low a pitching allowance. Maybe next time he can stretch to 80, and I still don't think that's good enough to really be worth a roster spot in many fantasy leagues.

When he does get the call, be ready to shop him immediately. If you have to hold him, hopefully he starts off quickly. His name has value, and it doesn't hurt that he's playing for the Red Sox.

Basically what I'm saying is that I like your chances of getting a good return for the Cy Young award winning Bartolo who now throws for the best team in the AL ... and I like those chances much more than actually getting a good fantasy season out of the washed up quasi-old fat-man, no matter what his uniform says. He'll be done quite quickly.

VERDICT:

Stash him now, sit on him (better than him sitting on you, right?) until he's recalled, and then deal him before he hurts you. Just ask his owners circa 2006 and 2007. He's still the same cat. He'll hurt again.

Stash Him? Fatolo Still Valuable originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Fri, 16 May 2008 10:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Quick Pitches: Hill Out, Scherzer a Temp?

Matt Snyder — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:11:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

To the surprise of no one who has been watching (in agony) Rich Hill pitch this season, he was finally relieved of his duties as a member of the Cubs rotation. Jon Lieber will take over. Personally this couldn't have come soon enough, because I was embarrassed for Hill when watching his absolutely disgraceful attempts to find the strike zone all season. From a fan's point of view, he's just not tough enough. From a fantasy analysts' point of view, he's the ultimate buy-low currently based upon his upside to get punch-outs and dubyas down the road. If you have bench space where you can allow him to rot for about a month, take a flier.

As for Lieber, he's an old workhorse who can log the innings. He has been one of the few brights spots out of the Cubs bullpen this season, and the ERA is sparkling. He doesn't K many, but he should be able to keep that ERA down and garner some victories. He's a pick-up in really, really deep leagues (like 12 team NL-Only). Other than that, you can ignore for now.

More pitching notes after the jump ...

* 21 year-old phenom Nick Adenhart got the call for his first major league start for the Angels Thursday night, to which the A's bats responded: Welcome to the Show, kid. Adenhart -- much like Ryan Howard began ... no, not that Ryan Howard -- is a temp anyway, as the Angels are only planning on him getting three starts before being sent back down to dominate the minors some more (4-0, 0.87 thus far). He's a must-have in long-term keeper leagues, but for this season the Angels have better things to do than let a 21 year-old kid get knocked around.

* The Royals, on the other hand, don't. Okay, so Luke Hochevar is 24. The message remains. He's going to be left in the rotation to learn the bigs and take his lumps. His upside is very high (keeper leaguers), but he's going to have his share of failures this year. He did bounce-back from a disastrous debut with a solid outing in his second start, resulting in a win. I like him for AL-only leagues for now, but if he strings a few good starts together, take a look in deeper mixed leagues.

* With Yovani Gallardo destroying his ACL, the Brewers will look to Dave Bush to fill the rotation spot. He's shown in the past that immediately following your thinking he's going to be reliable, he proves you wrong. I wouldn't bite unless it was an extremely deep league. You don't need the aggravation.

* Finally, Max Scherzer hasn't even made a big league start yet, and he's absolutely destroying hype-meters everywhere. The Diamondbacks could be in for a very sensitive but ultimately good problem quite soon. Big Unit and Micah Owings are not going to be removed from the rotation behind Haren and Webb. So Scherzer is the last piece of the rotation, right? Well, for now. Doug Davis had his cancerous thyroid removed and you've got to guess the Snakes' brass wouldn't allow cancer to steal his job. He will have two rehab starts, so Scherzer is going to get the chance to prove his worth; but things get salty after that. Will he be a temp like Adenhart? If the youngster fires a gem or two next week against a quality offense (he's taking on the Phillies and Cubs), things will really get interesting. He's too good to revisit the minors, so you worry (fantasy standpoint obviously) about him sliding into a Joba Chamberlain role. No matter what you do with Max at this point, it's gotta be considered a gamble based upon the unknown ... but you know I like gambling.

Quick Pitches: Hill Out, Scherzer a Temp? originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Sat, 03 May 2008 14:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bust a Move: Quentin Up, Liriano Down

Will Brinson — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

BAM! will take a look at who's getting added and who's getting dropped in fantasy leagues. And whether you should follow suit. It's like a 'Three Up, Three Down' with a way cooler name.

Carlos Quentin, OF, CHW (14,815 Adds) -- A seven game hit streak, even as modest as it is, will get you noticed in fantasy baseball, as will having five home runs on the season and being relatively unowned in most leagues. Quentin is locked into starting in Chicago, he's always had a lot of upside and he plays in a decent hitter's park. Not to mention his BB/K rate is all the way up to 1.08 (from 0.33 last season). A nice add.

Aaron Cook, SP, CHW (13,783 Adds) -- Cook's ownership percentage is skyrocketing because he's racked up three straight wins for the Rockies. He's allowed only six runs over the last 21 innings, while striking out a pretty healthy 13 batters (for a contact -- groundball guy anyway). Cook's a decent add right now while he's hot, but remember that he's getting a little lucky; he's seen a small uptick in FB% (countered by a dip in his line drive rate, not his ground ball rate, which is a little disconcerting) and his BABIP is lower than it should be, even with a nice defense.

Jonathan Sanchez, SP, SF (5,632 Adds) -- We've talked Sanchez before, but he didn't actually start going off until after his two start week. He K'd 10 batters in his last outing and is being touted in some circles as "the next great strikeout artist" (if I may paraphrase). Sanchez is a definite add for his strikeout potential. In fact, most of his periphs check out alright, so go ahead and pounce.

Francisco Liriano, SP, MIN (6,223 Drops) -- Simple. Liriano is in the minors. I'd drop him too if I didn't have much roster room, but in terms of keeper leagues or DL/deeper bench options, I'd hold on, just because of his potential. Or at least the possibility that you could get something for him in a trade. He ain't right though.

Manuel Corpas, RP, COL (5,023 Drops) -- Always nice when the job is easy. Corpas gave up his closer's gig by failing to nail down games for the Rockies, ceding the way for Brian Fuentes. In H2H leagues, Corpas is a definite drop. Roto leagues might want to hold on just in case he rights the ship.

Livian Hernandez, SP, MIN (5,584 Drops) -- I hope everyone saw this coming eventually. Hernandez started the season out hot, but it just wasn't anything that was going to last, especially when you look at his WHIP as it related to his ERA and realize that he couldn't continue to allow that many hits without earned runs following. He's too old for my taste in almost any league, unless it's a points league and you want to gamble on two starts. Maybe.

Bust a Move: Quentin Up, Liriano Down originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bust a Move: Splits? We Don't Need No Stinking Splits

Will Brinson — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:10:00 EST

Filed under: NL West, Fantasy Baseball, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

BAM! will take a look at who's getting added and who's getting dropped in fantasy leagues. And whether you should follow suit. It's like a 'Three Up, Three Down' with a way cooler name.

Ervin Santana, SP, LAA (39,427 Adds, yes we're using the exclamation point for these)
Our headliner this week was best known for his inability to pitch on the road last year. His home/road starts are well documented and it was often chalked up to timing that it took to get ready ... or something like that. Anyway, now Mike Scioscia is saying something about his mechanics being off last year. Seeing as how Ervin has been flat out dealing this year, I'm inclined to believe him, and actually thought as much before the start of the season; absolutely grab him if he's available. I'd probably hold off on starting him at Detroit this week though. Just to be safe.

Conor Jackson, 1B, ARI (18,361 Adds)
Well, this shouldn't even be a question, really. Jackson is completely and utterly legit. The reason he's been unowned in the past is that his power has not shown up until now. And it might not stay forever. He's a very, very talented and very patient hitter, which is what we stat peeps like so much. Take, for instance his 53 walks last year. Not a ridiculous number, no. But it is when you consider he only struck out 50 times. A must add in any league where he's available. Make room.

Todd Wellemeyer, SP/RP, STL (6,980 Adds)
Don't be a sucker. Wellemeyer's a career journeyman who is pitching like he's a Cy Young candidate this year. He's K'ing a ridiculous amount of batters, which is a good sign. However, the biggest negative against him (and this, along with BABIP are two things to check if want an idea of whether someone's a fluke or not) is his strand rate, which is sitting at an absurd 90%. That means that 90% of the runners he allows on base do not score. An impossible rate to keep up, even with miracle worker Dave Duncan as his pitching coach.

Frank Thomas, DH, ??? (14, 625 Drops)
The Big Hurt was released outright by the Blue Jays today, so it's not surprising to see fantasy owners dump him, especially considering he was already slumping. But if you need HR's and power in general, I'd go sneak up and grab him after he clears waivers. Thomas is going to get signed and he's going to get hot and hit some taters. Plus, he absolutely mashes the ball when he's got a chip on his shoulder.

Wandy Rodriguez, SP, HOU (10,934 Drops)
Quite simply, Wandy went to the Disabled List. You'll get dropped pretty quickly when that happens. He had been beasty at home, and played well overall, but he'll be gone for at least two weeks at this point anyway. Rodriguez is a nice pitcher to own in most leagues, but if you're disabled slot is already full, go ahead and make a move to add someone else.

Braden Looper, SP, STL (9,273 Drops)
Looper got his face beat in by the lowly San Francisco Giants on Sunday, as they jumped out to eight early runs on him. His quick drop numbers are a result of a) his being a two start pitcher and b) the aforementioned paddling by San Fran. I'd cast him aside in almost any league, personally. He started out hot last year, but was the beneficiary of a great H% and eventually it caught up to him. This year, prior to today's start, he had allowed exactly zero percent of fly balls hit to leave the park. Unlikely that would continue anyway.

Bust a Move: Splits? We Don't Need No Stinking Splits originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Bonus Always Be Closing: Party Like It's 1995

Will Brinson — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Cleveland, Indians, Braves, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

Usually we reserve Always Be Closing for Mondays. But, much like 1995, the Braves and Indians are all the rage right now. Only this time, instead of being World Series opponents, they are the focus of closer issues. Both Peter Moylan and Joe Borowski -- the current shutdown guys -- were placed on the 15 day disabled list, leaving the closing duties open for two pretty cushy save situations.

Atlanta Braves
Bobby Cox never officially named Moylan the closer in the ATL, and maybe it's because he knew he could face "right elbow soreness" a little later down the road. Like, perhaps, today. Moylan had been absolutely dominant last season and equally as tough this year, nailing down his only save situation thus far. This works out "well" in the sense that the Braves need a roster spot for Buddy Carlyle, who was called up to take a rotation slot in the coming week. It works out "not well" in the sense that the previously deep pitching staff is getting thin quickly. Manny Acosta has a 7.20 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP on the season, but he's only pitched five times this year and the one bad outing was that freakish debacle against the Pirates. Add him immediately in all deep and NL-only leagues and think about jumping anywhere else if you need saves.

Cleveland Indians
Borowski has long been the bane of fantasy owners because of his ability to give up four earned runs en route to getting a save. In other words, no one understood why he kept the closer gig in the first place. Well, now he doesn't have it. Or at least he doesn't for the next 15 days as he'll be spending that time on the disabled list. Taking his place will likely be Rafael Betancourt. Betancourt recorded 31 holds last year, the sixth highest totals in the MLB, so it's pretty clear that Eric Wedge trusts him in a late inning role. Add in his 0.76 WHIP and a .184 BAA, and he's a very nice candidate to add in nearly any league. If he pitches well in this gig, there's no guarantee he gives it back.

Bonus Always Be Closing: Party Like It's 1995 originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Always Be Closing: Hells Bells

Will Brinson — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Baseball, Injury Report, MLB Damage Control, MLB Bust a Move, Fantasy MLB

For your fantasy assistance, Always Be Closing will occasionally stop in and take a look at some relief gigs that are worth monitoring, should the current closer falter. Finding saves is a cheap and dirty business. And there are always a few jobs that are murky, especially early in the season. Thinking ahead never hurt anyone.

Is there any particular reason that we think Trevor Hoffman should be absolutely dominant this year? He's the all time saves leader and that's nice, sure, but he is also 40 years old, and age takes its toll on baseball players pretty quickly after they hit the forty spot. Hoffman is currently sitting at 0-2 with four saves. The number of saves, though, is more of a byproduct of the Padres being involved in a ton of close games than it is Hoffman's dominance -- in just under six innings he's struck out six batters, allowed eight hits, walked four and has a 9.53 ERA and a 2.12 WHIP while allowing batters to hit .320 off of him. And I don't care how long you stand in the corner and scream small sample size; Hoffman is old.

On the other hand, it would seem tough for Bud Black and the Fathers to actually take away the closing gig from Hoffman. If he does lose the job, though, it will be Heath Bell (this could be considered ironic because of Hoffman's nickname -- see our title) that likely gets the closing gig. Bell has only two strikeouts so far this season but if you look at his stats for last year, you can get an idea of what to expect -- 6-4 with a 2.02 ERA and a sub-1.00 WHIP over 93.2 innings pitched. Bell is a MR stud and a potential closing candidate that should be grabbed in deeper leagues on the chance that Hoffman loses his gig.

If Kerry Wood continues to pitch the way he has, he may prove me wrong, although it's still very early . Personally, I would be selling high as fast as possible. Wood, Mark Prior and Rich Harden are the three most beloved pitchers in all of fantasy baseball, if only because they were seen as so freaking talented; when they actually seem healthy and start pitching well people start frothing over the possibilities. He'll get hurt.

Speaking of hurt, B.J. Ryan is no longer that. He's back to pitching for a still very underrated Toronto Blue Jay team, and he is the closer. Officially and all that. However, it's unlikely that Toronto will run him out there back-to-back-to-back nights or anything, so temper expectations if you're looking for a slew of saves. If he's available though, snatch him up. With 75 plus saves over the two seasons before he was injured, Ryan was one of the truly dominant shutdown closers pre-injury. He's already picked up one save since coming back and should have a pretty good shot at 25+ this season if he stays healthy. On the other end of the spectrum, if Jeremy Accardo has been dropped in your league, grab him and ride out the occasional save opps he'll get while Ryan continues to get healthy. Not a superb option, of course, but saves is saves, son.

If you want the "new BJ", meaning only that he pitches for Baltimore (which I guess makes him the "new Chris Ray", since Ray became Ryan after Ryan ... or something) don't forget about George Sherrill, part of the Erik Bedard trade, who has still not allowed a run. Don't let a bad team scare you off from using a closer. (Although bear in mind that he's going to be a sell high sooner than later just because the Orioles won't keep this pace for him.)

Peter Moylan, as expected by, well, us is closing for the Braves. Or at least he got a save on Friday. People are still acting like Manny Acosta might get some run at shutting down in the ninth but go with Moylan. He's been nothing but dominant since the beginning of last year and hasn't given anyone -- me or Bobby Cox -- reason to steer away from him.

Always Be Closing: Hells Bells originally appeared on Fantasy FanHouse on Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments