The Return of the Hoff
We finally broke in the new house this weekend with a barbecue that did us all a ton of good. After all the scraping, sanding, and hauling we did on the place, it felt great to finally use the space for fun.
You could think about your fantasy team the same way. You've scraped, sanded, painted, primed and hauled your team to the point you're at. Don't forget to enjoy your players and the team you've put together. That's the point, isn't it?
* One of the best ways to profit off of the trade deadline and team turmoil as the contenders separate out from the pretenders is to find a closer on the wire. This weekend, two separate closing situations came to a point that may mint new saves opportunities for names both unfamiliar and familiar.
We all knew Trevor Hoffman's name, but he's been dropped from most of the fantasy teams that were holding on to him, still waiting for him to get those final three saves on the way to 600. Well, now it looks like the Brewers also want him to get those saves, if only to fill some seats in the final weeks of the season. The team said that Hoffman will share duties going forward with John Axford, which is unfortunate for Axford owners and mustache enthusiasts alike.
In Florida, Leo Nunez has had some struggles that may open the door for a new name in the category. Clay Hensley, the former starter from San Diego with no strikeouts in his game, might be next in line. He's suddenly been striking people out left and right this year, and pairing that with his always-strong groundball rate has made him a revelation in the way Leo Nunez was just last year.
* The dust has settled on some older closer situations, but things are not completely clear. Drew Storen had an up-and-down weekend, getting his first career save on Friday and giving up a few runs on Sunday. Sean Burnett didn't fair much better and is a lefty, though, and with all the buzz Storen still looks like the eventual winner there. The question is if that is in 2010 or 2011.
Joel Hanrahan got a nice save on August third and seemed like the closer in Pittsburgh, but since then he's given up five runs getting five outs. He's a flyball pitcher, and he'll give up home runs. With his great K-rate, and the Bucs' reliance on Evan Meek to garner double-plays and pitch multiple innings, Hanrahan is probably still the winner there. It may also be a rocky ride.
* For the first few years of his career, Brandon Morrow has been consistent in one category: walks. He has a career 5.21 walks per nine, which is ghastly - and backed up by his work in the minor leagues (4.34 BB/9). It's too bad, because he has commensurate strikeout ability as well. His 9.63 K/9 is elite for a starter, and this year he's bumped that number up to 10.19 - best in baseball for qualified starters.
So then Morrow went out on Sunday and came within one out of a no-hitter, and the most amazing thing about the performance was not the 17 strikeouts he amassed in nine innings. No, the best part of the start was the fact that Morrow only walked two batters. That will lower Morrow's career-best walk rate to 4.03. Considering that he strikes out so many batters, it might just work. If strikeouts are your main aim, Morrow is already mixed-league relevant.
* Daric Barton left Sunday's game with shoulder spasms, and Chris Carter was removed from his game in Triple-A after one at-bat. Carter is the obvious replacement for Barton and has upside to beat his predecessor at the position. Though Carter's current line at Triple-A (.260/.366/.526) doesn't look that great, he's playing in a tough home park, and he's still showing great home run power. He now has 26, 32, 39 and 25 home runs in his past four seasons in the minor leagues. He has been ironing out some contact issues this year, and looks ready to go. The batting average might not be there, but the power is legit.
* It looks like Vernon Wells may have a fractured toe. He dislocated it making a great catch, and if he misses significant time, his absence will be noted. After a terrible July, Wells was regaining steam in August and looked ready to continue being a surprising source of power this year.
* Matt LaPorta went 3-for-4 with a home run on Sunday, which raises his batting average to .297 since returning from the minor leagues. The power is there too, with six home runs in that same stretch, but it's borderline at first base if you're thinking forward. This year, he has outfield eligibility and is helping many fantasy teams at the back end of the lineup. If he's on your waiver wire and you're looking for a late boost, he makes a great free pickup.
NL Quick Hits: 2010 draftee Mike Minor blew through the minor leagues, showed more strikeout ability than was thought, and might just stick in the rotation after his start today; Kenshin Kawakami is in Triple-A now and not a Bobby Cox favorite … Former DVDer Thomas Diamond struggled in his second start for the Cubs after doing well in his first; sounds like a rookie … Fernando Martinez was called up in New York, but most owners should watch the playing time battle in that outfield sort itself out before picking him up … Takaishi Saito picked up a save for the Braves over the weekend, but only because Billy Wagner had been used three days in a row … In Arizona, Juan Gutierrez (shoulder) played catch, felt good and may not miss much more than the minimum; who knows if he's the closer when he returns, as Aaron Heilman has been doing fine, racking up eight strait scoreless appearances before giving up two runs over the weekend… Rafael Furcal has missed five days with a lower back strain, but thinks he'll be back on Tuesday … Chris Young the pitcher felt great after a bullpen Saturday and is hoping to help the team soon … Dusty Baker was forced to give Francisco Cordero a vote of confidence after another poor outing; Nick Masset is the name to remember behind him … Esmil Rogers got the first call to replace Aaron Cook, but the team is waiting for the more interesting Jhoulys Chacin to build up his innings to be the eventual replacement … Speaking of building up innings, Tony LaRussa admitted that the team may skip a Jaime Garcia turn sometime this month; Garcia has never thrown more than 155 innings and is coming off TJ surgery … Chris Coghlan underwent season-ending surgery, but might be interesting at third or second base next year … Stephen Strasburg (shoulder) felt good again on Saturday and is on track to start Tuesday … Mike Adams was activated over the weekend, and is an immediate pickup in holds leagues … The rebounding Geovany Soto has a mild ligament strain in his shoulder and might miss some time … Ruben Tejada took over at second base for the Mets, but he doesn't have much power or speed … Brad Penny (strained lat) is getting close to returning after playing catch … New Brewers' centerfielder Lorenzo Cain will get at-bats against lefties and may also steal some time from the old man, Jim Edmonds; Cain is able to give you speed while he fills in for the injured Carlos Gomez (concussion) … Chris Heisey has been starting for the Reds and playing well; he has enough power and speed upside to be relevant in most leagues.
AL Quick Hits: The Red Sox lost Kevin Youkilis for the year, and gained Mike Lowell as the team's primary replacement as well as Jason Varitek (foot), who finally took batting practice, and teammate Dustin Pedroia (foot), who thinks he'll be back on the next homestead (August 17th) … Carlos Guillen should be in the lineup today, deep leaguers looking for middle infield help … Bizarrely, Jack Wilson will be replaced by Josh Wilson after the former Mariner shortstop J Wilson slipped in the bathroom and hurt himself … Gordon Beckham is having some groin issues and isn't sure when he'll be back in the lineup … Oakland closer Andrew Bailey is playing catch, but suffered a 4-to-6 week injury to his ribcage about two-and-a-half weeks ago … Michael Saunders has missed some games since he ran into an outfield wall, but is only day-to-day at worst … Michael Brantley, on the other hand, is up and playing most days in Cleveland; his speed makes him interesting to deeper leagues … The Twins activated Orland Hudson, but without any power or speed to speak of, he's not a great fantasy option … Breath is baited in Tampa Bay, where both Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann are getting their shoulders checked this week, but neither situation is red-alert yet … Gregor Blanco has no power, but a little bit of speed and is starting most games for the Royals right now … Kevin Slowey's next start has been pushed back because of a sore elbow, which is unfortunate given his recently improving performance … The Blue Jays called up super prospect J.P. Arencibia to fill in for an injured John Buck, but after the youngster's two-home-run performance in his debut, we'll see if Buck doesn't get Wally Pipped; pick up the prospect anyway for the time being … Alexi Casilla has bone chips in his left ankle and a stint on the DL looks likely … JJ Putz earned a save on Saturday, but it's unclear if Bobby Jenks was just getting time off or has lost his job; the public stance is that he's kept it … Aaron Hill went 3-for-4 with two home runs and might be a good pickup as his batted ball luck picks up … The Mariners have been talking to the Mets, and Chone Figgins might be the big name that moves to Flushing … Daniel Hudson had a nice start on Friday and is interesting in all leagues at this point, thanks to his competition most nights.
We finally broke in the new house this weekend with a barbecue that did us all a ton of good. After all the scraping, sanding, and hauling we did on the place, it felt great to finally use the space for fun.
You could think about your fantasy team the same way. You've scraped, sanded, painted, primed and hauled your team to the point you're at. Don't forget to enjoy your players and the team you've put together. That's the point, isn't it?
* One of the best ways to profit off of the trade deadline and team turmoil as the contenders separate out from the pretenders is to find a closer on the wire. This weekend, two separate closing situations came to a point that may mint new saves opportunities for names both unfamiliar and familiar.
We all knew Trevor Hoffman's name, but he's been dropped from most of the fantasy teams that were holding on to him, still waiting for him to get those final three saves on the way to 600. Well, now it looks like the Brewers also want him to get those saves, if only to fill some seats in the final weeks of the season. The team said that Hoffman will share duties going forward with John Axford, which is unfortunate for Axford owners and mustache enthusiasts alike.
In Florida, Leo Nunez has had some struggles that may open the door for a new name in the category. Clay Hensley, the former starter from San Diego with no strikeouts in his game, might be next in line. He's suddenly been striking people out left and right this year, and pairing that with his always-strong groundball rate has made him a revelation in the way Leo Nunez was just last year.
* The dust has settled on some older closer situations, but things are not completely clear. Drew Storen had an up-and-down weekend, getting his first career save on Friday and giving up a few runs on Sunday. Sean Burnett didn't fair much better and is a lefty, though, and with all the buzz Storen still looks like the eventual winner there. The question is if that is in 2010 or 2011.
Joel Hanrahan got a nice save on August third and seemed like the closer in Pittsburgh, but since then he's given up five runs getting five outs. He's a flyball pitcher, and he'll give up home runs. With his great K-rate, and the Bucs' reliance on Evan Meek to garner double-plays and pitch multiple innings, Hanrahan is probably still the winner there. It may also be a rocky ride.
* For the first few years of his career, Brandon Morrow has been consistent in one category: walks. He has a career 5.21 walks per nine, which is ghastly - and backed up by his work in the minor leagues (4.34 BB/9). It's too bad, because he has commensurate strikeout ability as well. His 9.63 K/9 is elite for a starter, and this year he's bumped that number up to 10.19 - best in baseball for qualified starters.
So then Morrow went out on Sunday and came within one out of a no-hitter, and the most amazing thing about the performance was not the 17 strikeouts he amassed in nine innings. No, the best part of the start was the fact that Morrow only walked two batters. That will lower Morrow's career-best walk rate to 4.03. Considering that he strikes out so many batters, it might just work. If strikeouts are your main aim, Morrow is already mixed-league relevant.
* Daric Barton left Sunday's game with shoulder spasms, and Chris Carter was removed from his game in Triple-A after one at-bat. Carter is the obvious replacement for Barton and has upside to beat his predecessor at the position. Though Carter's current line at Triple-A (.260/.366/.526) doesn't look that great, he's playing in a tough home park, and he's still showing great home run power. He now has 26, 32, 39 and 25 home runs in his past four seasons in the minor leagues. He has been ironing out some contact issues this year, and looks ready to go. The batting average might not be there, but the power is legit.
* It looks like Vernon Wells may have a fractured toe. He dislocated it making a great catch, and if he misses significant time, his absence will be noted. After a terrible July, Wells was regaining steam in August and looked ready to continue being a surprising source of power this year.
* Matt LaPorta went 3-for-4 with a home run on Sunday, which raises his batting average to .297 since returning from the minor leagues. The power is there too, with six home runs in that same stretch, but it's borderline at first base if you're thinking forward. This year, he has outfield eligibility and is helping many fantasy teams at the back end of the lineup. If he's on your waiver wire and you're looking for a late boost, he makes a great free pickup.
NL Quick Hits: 2010 draftee Mike Minor blew through the minor leagues, showed more strikeout ability than was thought, and might just stick in the rotation after his start today; Kenshin Kawakami is in Triple-A now and not a Bobby Cox favorite … Former DVDer Thomas Diamond struggled in his second start for the Cubs after doing well in his first; sounds like a rookie … Fernando Martinez was called up in New York, but most owners should watch the playing time battle in that outfield sort itself out before picking him up … Takaishi Saito picked up a save for the Braves over the weekend, but only because Billy Wagner had been used three days in a row … In Arizona, Juan Gutierrez (shoulder) played catch, felt good and may not miss much more than the minimum; who knows if he's the closer when he returns, as Aaron Heilman has been doing fine, racking up eight strait scoreless appearances before giving up two runs over the weekend… Rafael Furcal has missed five days with a lower back strain, but thinks he'll be back on Tuesday … Chris Young the pitcher felt great after a bullpen Saturday and is hoping to help the team soon … Dusty Baker was forced to give Francisco Cordero a vote of confidence after another poor outing; Nick Masset is the name to remember behind him … Esmil Rogers got the first call to replace Aaron Cook, but the team is waiting for the more interesting Jhoulys Chacin to build up his innings to be the eventual replacement … Speaking of building up innings, Tony LaRussa admitted that the team may skip a Jaime Garcia turn sometime this month; Garcia has never thrown more than 155 innings and is coming off TJ surgery … Chris Coghlan underwent season-ending surgery, but might be interesting at third or second base next year … Stephen Strasburg (shoulder) felt good again on Saturday and is on track to start Tuesday … Mike Adams was activated over the weekend, and is an immediate pickup in holds leagues … The rebounding Geovany Soto has a mild ligament strain in his shoulder and might miss some time … Ruben Tejada took over at second base for the Mets, but he doesn't have much power or speed … Brad Penny (strained lat) is getting close to returning after playing catch … New Brewers' centerfielder Lorenzo Cain will get at-bats against lefties and may also steal some time from the old man, Jim Edmonds; Cain is able to give you speed while he fills in for the injured Carlos Gomez (concussion) … Chris Heisey has been starting for the Reds and playing well; he has enough power and speed upside to be relevant in most leagues.
AL Quick Hits: The Red Sox lost Kevin Youkilis for the year, and gained Mike Lowell as the team's primary replacement as well as Jason Varitek (foot), who finally took batting practice, and teammate Dustin Pedroia (foot), who thinks he'll be back on the next homestead (August 17th) … Carlos Guillen should be in the lineup today, deep leaguers looking for middle infield help … Bizarrely, Jack Wilson will be replaced by Josh Wilson after the former Mariner shortstop J Wilson slipped in the bathroom and hurt himself … Gordon Beckham is having some groin issues and isn't sure when he'll be back in the lineup … Oakland closer Andrew Bailey is playing catch, but suffered a 4-to-6 week injury to his ribcage about two-and-a-half weeks ago … Michael Saunders has missed some games since he ran into an outfield wall, but is only day-to-day at worst … Michael Brantley, on the other hand, is up and playing most days in Cleveland; his speed makes him interesting to deeper leagues … The Twins activated Orland Hudson, but without any power or speed to speak of, he's not a great fantasy option … Breath is baited in Tampa Bay, where both Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann are getting their shoulders checked this week, but neither situation is red-alert yet … Gregor Blanco has no power, but a little bit of speed and is starting most games for the Royals right now … Kevin Slowey's next start has been pushed back because of a sore elbow, which is unfortunate given his recently improving performance … The Blue Jays called up super prospect J.P. Arencibia to fill in for an injured John Buck, but after the youngster's two-home-run performance in his debut, we'll see if Buck doesn't get Wally Pipped; pick up the prospect anyway for the time being … Alexi Casilla has bone chips in his left ankle and a stint on the DL looks likely … JJ Putz earned a save on Saturday, but it's unclear if Bobby Jenks was just getting time off or has lost his job; the public stance is that he's kept it … Aaron Hill went 3-for-4 with two home runs and might be a good pickup as his batted ball luck picks up … The Mariners have been talking to the Mets, and Chone Figgins might be the big name that moves to Flushing … Daniel Hudson had a nice start on Friday and is interesting in all leagues at this point, thanks to his competition most nights.
