MLB Fantasy News 2010

[HacheMan]

Onward and Upward!
Carlos Zambrano owners, rev your engines. The Cubs' embattled starter is set to make his return to the Chicago rotation this week and is scheduled for two starts if Lou Pineilla follows through on his apparent plan to have him start the series opener in Pittsburgh on Monday. Big Z's return is in some doubt at the moment, as he's been bothered by abdominal issues, but for now he's still on track to start. If he can't go, Tom Gorzelanny will likely continue to go in his place.

Elsewhere, the spectacular Ubaldo Jimenez tops out the two-start pitcher list, while plenty of other options are also listed below. To quickly address some concerns I've been hearing, I'd like to point out that the "Strong Play," "Decent Play" and "At Your Own Risk" categorizations are suggestions, not stone-cold guarantees. Clearly, they're going to be subjective. The pitchers are broken up based on talent level, seasonal results thus far, recent trends, match-ups and sometimes even just a gut feeling. You can disagree with them if you want, but know that I certainly do put a measure of thought into each choice. Ultimately, it's up to you to use your judgment and select pitchers you believe will help your team.

And if you find inaccuracies in the listing of pitchers, as always, don't hesitate to shoot me an email. I'll do my best to get the list updated over the course of the weekend. Keeping up with the developments of all 30 starting rotations can get very tricky, but it's always more manageable with the help of you bright folks.

With all that out of the way... onward and upward!



Going Twice...


American League

Strong Plays

Ervin Santana: @KC (Hochevar), @SEA (Fister)
Francisco Liriano: @SEA (Fister), @OAK (Cahill)
Nick Blackburn: @SEA (Vargas), @OAK (Gonzalez)
Andy Pettitte: CLE (Talbot), @TOR (Romero)
Gio Gonzalez: @BOS (Lackey), MIN (Blackburn)
Doug Fister: MIN (Liriano), LAA (Santana)
Jason Vargas: MIN (Blackburn), LAA (Pineiro)
Matt Garza: @TOR (Morrow), @TEX (Harden)

Justin Verlander: CLE (Westbrook), @KC (Bannister)
Decent Plays

John Lackey: OAK (Gonzalez), @BAL (Matusz)
Mark Buehrle: TEX (Harden), CLE (Westbrook)
Mitch Talbot: @NYY (Pettitte), @CWS (Peavy)
Jake Westbrook: @DET (Verlander), @CWS (Buehrle)
Armando Galarraga: OAK (Cahill), @KC (Hochevar)
Brian Bannister: LAA (Pineiro), DET (Verlander)
Joel Pineiro: @KC (Bannister), @SEA (Vargas)
Trevor Cahill: @DET (Galarraga), MIN (Liriano)
Rich Harden: @CWS (Buehrle), TB (Garza)

At Your Own Risk

Brian Matusz: @NYY (Vazquez), BOS (Lackey)
Luke Hochevar: LAA (Santana), DET (Galarraga)
Javier Vazquez: BAL (Matusz), @TOR (Morrow)
Brandon Morrow: TB (Garza), NYY (Vazquez)

National League

Strong Plays

Tommy Hanson: PHI (Blanton), @LAD (Billingsley)
Tim Hudson: PHI (Hamels), @LAD (Ely)
Ubaldo Jimenez: @SF (Lincecum), @ARI (Lopez)
Roy Oswalt: WAS (Atilano), CHC (Dempster)
Brett Myers: WAS (Stammen), CHC (Zambrano)
Chad Billingsley: ARI (Lopez), ATL (Hanson)
John Ely: ARI (Haren), ATL (Hudson)
Tim Lincecum: COL (Jimenez), @PIT (Ohlendorf)
Jaime Garcia: CIN (Arroyo), MIL (Bush)

Decent Plays

Carlos Zambrano: @PIT (Ohlendorf), @HOU (Myers)
Rodrigo Lopez: @LAD (Billingsley), COL (Jimenez)
Bronson Arroyo: @STL (Garcia), @WAS (Stammen)
Nate Robertson: MIL (Narveson), @NYM (Dickey)
Hisanori Takahashi: @SD (Correia), FLA (Nolasco)
Joe Blanton: @ATL (Hanson), SD (Correia)
Kevin Correia: NYM (Takahashi), @PHI (Blanton)
Ricky Nolasco: MIL (Bush), @NYM (Takahashi)

At Your Own Risk

Chris Narveson: @FLA (Robertson), @STL (Garcia)
Dave Bush: @FLA (Nolasco), @STL (Lincecum)
Ross Ohlendorf: CHC (Zambrano), SF (Zito)
Luis Atilano: @HOU (Oswalt), CIN (Leake)
Craig Stammen: @HOU (Myers), CIN (Arroyo)


Streamer City


The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Wednesday, 6/2: Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. OAK
Matsuzaka has certainly been hit-or-miss since rejoining the Red Sox rotation, but he tossed eight innings of one-hit ball over the past weekend and draws a favorable match-up at home against the A's this week.

Friday, 6/4: Joe Saunders @ SEA
The Mariners offense hasn't really fared well against anyone this season, but they've been particularly hopeless against lefties, with a 646 team OPS.

National League

Thursday, 6/3: Kris Medlen @LAD
After pitching well out of the bullpen for the early part of the season, Medlen has carried his success into the Braves rotation.

Wednesday, 6/2: Clayton Richard vs. NYM
Richard takes a 2.73 ERA and solid strikeout rate into this home outing against the Mets.

Saturday, 6/5: Jhoulys Chacin @ ARI
The young right-hander has demonstrated an ability to miss bats, and no team strikes out like the Diamondbacks.




Total Games


American League

6: BAL, BOS, CWS, TB, TEX, TOR
7: CLE, DET, KC, LAA, MIN, NYY, OAK, SEA

National League

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


Lefty/Righty Breakdown


American League

BAL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
BOS: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CWS: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CLE: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
DET: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
KC: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
LAA: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIN: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
NYY: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
OAK: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SEA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TB: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TEX: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
TOR: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
ATL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CHC: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CIN: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
COL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
FLA: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
HOU: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAD: 7 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
PHI: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
PIT: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SD: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SF: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
STL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
WAS: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

 

[HacheMan]

Cabrera hitting the next level
A two feature article special for this Memorial Day -- Week That Was by Glenn Colton and The Rookie Report by Bobby Colton (plus a bonus Schultz says for good measure)


Miguel Cabrera: Miguel Cabrera smacked three taters last night to increase his already gaudy stats. Miggy is raking at a .341 clip to go with 13 home runs and 44 RBI in just 173 at-bats. Was this jump to super elite level predictable? You bet. Miggy is just 27 years old – the age many players first hit their prime. With Miggy, that is scary. He has already posted 6 ML seasons in which he has averaged over 30 HR and 100 RBI. Don't be surprised if he posts a .340-45-140 campaign. If there is anyone out there who thinks Miggy is performing over his head, fleece the fool.


Chris Capuano: In a nice comeback story, the Brewers called up Chris Capuano. Before the injury plague began, Cap was a solid lefty starter, rang up 350 K's in the 05-06 seasons. Now, seemingly healthy after posting a 1.77 ERA over six minor league starts, Capuano makes a good speculative pick. Milwaukee needs to fortify their rotation, lefties are hard to come by, and Capuano has a major league track record. For those of you in deep NL leagues, you could do far, far worse. Buy.


Corey Hart: Sticking with the Brew Crew, Corey Hart jacked a two run walk off dinger to best the Mets Friday night. Many folks gave up on Hart too early. Many believed the talk that Hart would platoon with 40 year old Jim Edmonds or 4th outfielder Jody Gerut. If you believed that, you missed out. Hart is not likely to hit in the .280-290 range but he will supply the power. As of now, Hart is fifth in the National League with 10 home runs. Grab him if you can. He will also give you double digit steals by the end of the 2010 campaign.


Yuniesky Betancourt: Yuniesky Betancourt went 3-5 with a grand slam on Friday as the Royals opened up a can of [you know what] on the Bosox 12-5. Betancourt is hardly a sexy pickup [ok, grow up] but he is producing, has a track record of producing and should continue to produce. Thus far, he is hitting .289 with 4 dingers and 20 RBI – which would yield a HR tally in the teens and around 70 RBI by years end. Can he continue on this pace? Well, he did hit .289 exactly in both 06 and 07 and is just 28, so I do not see why not. Semi-interesting story: After this year's LABR draft, Lawr Michaels (a very accomplished player and this year's reigning Tout Wars champ) congratulated us on nabbing Yuni for a buck. When we responded to what we thought was sarcasm, he schooled us with what we should have known -- in deep leagues, it is players like Yuni who you get for a buck that make all the difference.


Wil Ohman: According to reports, the Orioles have named lefty Will Ohman the ninth-inning guy. Ohman has pitched 9 seasons in the bigs but has tallied a mere 3 saves. He has posted a WHIP below 1.25 only once and has never posted an ERA below 3.70. Bottom line – Ohman is best suited to keep doing what he has been doing – serving as a situational lefty who rarely faces more than a batter or two at a time. Yes, you can grab Ohman and get 2 or 3 saves in the next two weeks. However, he will not hold the job once Simon, Gonzalez or Uehara returns. Don't overspend.


Marlin Byrd: Marlin Byrd took the collar Friday night, dropping his average below .300. The bottom line here is that if you are still holding Byrd, you probably waited too long to sell high. Byrd is just another in a line of Texas outfielders who performed well over his head in a contract year and managed to hoodwink a new club into providing a pricey contract. Is Byrd a decent major league outfielder? Yes. Is he a roto stud? No. Byrd hit 20 homers in Texas in 09. In the five years before arriving in Texas, Byrd hit a total of 20 homers. Is he suddenly 5 times the power hitter than he was from the ages of 24-29? I highly doubt it. You should too.


Randy Winn: The Yankees cut ties with outfielder Randy Winn when they designated the veteran for assignment. Here is one of the best examples of why one has to watch baseball games and not just read stats. Winn did manage to post a .250 average. Hardly earth shattering, but not embarrassing either. However, if you watched Winn attempting to hit, you saw a hitter who had simply no chance to catch up to a decent fastball. Pitchers watch film, so pitchers knew it. They simply reared back and fired fastball after fastball passed the flailing veteran. Will he catch on somewhere? Probably. Will it matter for roto purposes? Not a chance.



Phil Hughes: Stories are starting to surface about an innings limitation for Yankee starter Phil Hughes. Oh no, here we go again? Will the Yankees ruin Hughes the way they messed with Joba last year? I just don't think so. They will find clever and reasonable ways to control his workload but will not institute stupidity such as limiting him to two innings per start in August or September. If there is a Hughes owner in your league who is worried, take advantage. Phil is a top talent and will continue to perform like one all year.


Mike Stanton: According to reports, Florida is going to call up uber prospect Mike Stanton within the next week or two. As Bobby notes in his column, Stanton has been on fire in AA. Is this a good thing for Stanton or his owners? The answer is that it depends. It is a bad thing for Stanton. Rushing him along will only hinder his development and make him less likely to reach his peak (just ask soon to be teammate Cameron Maybin). If you own Stanton in a keeper league, it is bad for the same reasons. The only winners are those who own Stanton just for this year. He will hit a bunch of homers, but beware of the .240 batting average he will post.


Javier Vazquez: Javier Vazquez, continue to frustrate. Thursday, the Yankee righty gave up five runs and 11 baserunners over 5 2/3 innings. Yes, he pitched pretty well against the Mets, but until you see 2-3 real quality starts in a row against top teams, Javy is just another guy who may not be able to cut it in NY. If he does post those 2-3 good starts, sneak through that window of opportunity and sell!


And now, as promised a two for one special:

Rookie Report
By Bobby Colton

Jason Heyward is the real deal. I know that everyone knows that already. However, there are other standout rooks you will see if you just take your eyes off of Heyward for a moment. Some are already in the big leagues and many more will arrive once June rolls around and the feared "Super Two" status can be avoided. Here's a look at the rookies making their mark and those who will be shortly.


Jason Heyward: Hey, I've heard of this guy! He's the kid Chipper Jones compared to Mickey Mantle this spring. Well, the Mick might be a little lofty right now, but boy can this kid hit. The Bravo's right fielder has raked to the tune of a .287 average along with 9 jacks and 35 RBI, good for a tie for 10th in baseball (more than David Wright, Jayson Werth, Ryan Howard, Ryan Braun, Albert Pujols, and many more stars).


Ian Desmond: Another NL-Easter, Ian's debut as a regular major leaguer has been eclipsed by his predecessor's inexplicable return to stardom. Despite Christian Guzman leading the NL in hitting, Desmond has a respectable .264 from the bottom half of the Nat's lineup. Plus, unlike Guzman, Desmond has been out there for 47 of the first 48 games of the year. If it weren't for Desmond's persistent defensive miscues, Washington would be going crazy for its promising young shortstop.


Ike Davis: I Like Ike, You Like Ike, We all Like Ike. Know who likes Ike the most? The New York Mets. Ike's .284 average, 4 long balls, and his ascension into the cleanup spot, have the Mets giddy with excitement they haven't felt from a first baseman since Keith Hernandez manned first back in the 80's. Oh, and have you seen his 3 flipping catches over the dugout railing?


Austin Jackson: Top ten in the AL in hitting. He is certainly proving the Yankees wrong – they said he wasn't ready for the big leagues. And how many of you believed that he would be out performed by Scott Sizemore? Clearly Jackson is ready to hit at the highest level, and with him at the top of the order, the Tigers are seriously competing for the AL Central title this Year.


Gaby Sanchez: This one came out of left field, or firstbase, or, well, you get the point. Gaby wasn't even the favorite for the firstbase job in Spring Training, yet he won the job over Logan Morrison, and now has locked down the two spot in the Florida order.


Neftali Feliz: What do you get when you add together 13 saves (good for 3rd in the league), a 2.96 ERA, and a .90 WHIP? Ladies and Gentlemen, the Texas Ranger's closer. Texas fans were ecstatic to see Frank Francisco get the boot from the closer role and see the young fire-baller take over. It will be a long time before anyone else closes games in Arlington .


Mike Leake: How impressive is this kid? He did not play one game in the minors his whole career, beat out super prospect Aroldis Chapman, and has made it almost two months without losing even one game. Not even one in his whole professional career. His 2.70 ERA is nothing to balk at either.

On The Way

Stephen Strasburg: Who else would be first on this list? 23.1 AAA innings, 9 hits, 4 walks, 27 k's, and 1 ER. From here, it looks like he is ready for the show.


Aroldis Chapman: Less stellar than Strasburg, but considering the blister issues he has had to battle, his performance has been extremely encouraging. 5-2 with a 3.55 ERA is very impressive, though he could stand to lower his 1.47 WHIP a little.


Jeremy Hellickson: He is busting down the door to the Rays. 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP proves to me that he is ready to help the AL East leading Rays. Unfortunately, there is no room in the five man rotation right now.


Madison Bumgarner: After a disappointing spring, Bumgarner has started to put things together on the farm, while Todd Wellemeyer struggles in the majors. 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA is good enough to best Wellemeyer at this point.


Buster Posey: Ok, it's time to just make room for him. He is raking to the tune of a .343 average, 6 homers and 31 rbi.


Brett Wallace: He's been traded for just about everyone the last couple of years, but the Jays might be the first place he sticks in the bigs. Wallace has posted a .289 average and a PCL leading 11 homers. Too bad Jose Bautista has 15 in the bigs.


Chris Carter: Not "Animal" from the Mets, but the A's prospect. Carter hasn't hit for much average (.246) but has 10 homers, putting him just one behind Wallace on the PCL leader board.


Carlos Santana: Santana should really be the Indians backstop by now, especially considering that they aren't going anywhere this year. His .310 average, 10 homers, 40 rbi's, and .440 OBP warrant a call-up.


Ruben Tejada: Not as high profile as the others, but just as deserving. He is twice the player Luis Castillo is now, and let's not even get started on the Alex Cora comparisons. He's hitting .299 on the year in AAA.


Michael Brantley: He struggled in April, and now, even though he's hitting in AAA, he is being blocked by Austin Kearns. Brantley's been strong with his .298 average.


Pedro Alvarez: What the heck are the Pirates playing for? Just stick him in there at third already. He has smacked 10 homers with a .267 average.


Mike Stanton: The only AA player on the list. Stanton is virtually certain to be called up (much to the chagrin of Cameron Maybin). 17 homers are phenomenal, plus he is hitting over .300 too.


And last, but not least, Schultz says: "Around the time that Plutarch was opining about all sorts of famous Greek and Roman personages, the argument began as to what would occur when the irresistible force met the immovable object. Apparently in those days, debates about chickens and eggs were too hoi polloi for the toga-wearing elite. In St. Louis, the discussion arises in the context of Brad Penny: what happens when one of baseball's most fragile pitchers meets up with a pitching coach who has made a living out of reclaiming the careers of wayward tossers? Although very few of you may have even realized such a question existed, come this Memorial Day, we seem to have an answer. The masterful coach works his magic and builds up expectations in all Brad Penny owners that they've snagged the best sleeper of the year not named Vladimir before the rug gets pulled out from underfoot and with a flourish to boot. Unless Dave Duncan's son or Brad Penny's nephew was in your league, you likely got Penny for a pseudo-eponymous price. Instead of checking pitching lines, you must now keep your eye on the injury report. If a healthy Penny pitches, you should pitch Penny. However, there might be long gaps in between and you should get your stop gap option in place.

While the rest of your league primes to treat Stephen Strasburg like a Vera Wang gown at a Filenes Basement discount sale, try to use the distraction to snag one of the fine young catchers about to break in to the bigs. Unless you are sitting pretty with Joe Mauer and Victor Martinez as your catching tandem, adding a catcher that can swing the bat can only help your team. Once they get some polish on their defense, Buster Posey and Carlos Santana will likely be promoted to the Big Show. For this year, Santana might be the wiser investment and not just because you get to annoy your friends by bragging that he's "Smooth" or complaining that he's got to change his "Evil Ways" if he goes into a slump. With the exception of Jake Westbrook, who the Indians got in the controversial 1974 Chris Chambliss deal, the Indians staff is young and could stand to go through their growing pains with the catcher that will be their battery mate. The Tribe is playing for the future so they'll deal with fielding gaffes in the present if it helps overall. The Giants boast a mighty pitching staff and Bengie Molina is one of the better defensive catchers in the league. Posey is the future behind the plate in San Francisco but there may be too much riding on Cain, Sanchez and that long-haired guy with the funny motion to make the switch too soon."


Response: Good stuff all around!


Second to last note: Last week I noted that Francisco Cervelli's large helmet makes him look eerily like a Flintstones character. Unfortunately, I referred to that character as "Kazoo" rather than the far more widely used "Gazoo". I stand corrected. How do I know this? I received many an email lambasting me for the gaffe. Some of those emails even contained links to various sites with historical info on the Great Gazoo. Well, I can draw a few conclusions: First, some people have too much time on their hands. Second, there are a lot of loyal readers out there and to them, I say thank you for the support. Finally, given that the most vocal complaints came from members of my home league (though the Doo was eerily silent), those complaints should be discounted – they are from folks staring up at Bobby's team and mine in the standings [petty, but I could not resist!]


Finally, on a serious note, have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend but take some time to reflect on the true meaning of memorial day. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to those who paid the ultimate price to secure our freedom and way of life.

 

[HacheMan]

Scherzer Strikes Out 14
Demoted to the minors after going 1-4 with a 7.29 ERA, Max Scherzer dominated in two Triple-A starts and rejoined the Tigers' rotation Sunday with 14 strikeouts. What makes the performance especially amazing is that he lasted just 5.2 innings because of a high pitch count, so strikeouts accounted for 14 of his 17 outs against the A's. No pitcher in the past 75 years has managed 14 strikeouts in fewer than six innings.

Obviously no one could have predicted Sunday's evisceration of the A's, but in general Scherzer blowing hitters away is nothing new. His fastball is among the game's most overpowering and Scherzer totaled 240 strikeouts in 226.1 innings prior to this season, which is what made his early struggles so surprising. His control remains an issue, but it looks like the 25-year-old is back on track and ready to live up to my preseason hype.

To make room for Scherzer in the rotation the Tigers finally cut bait on Dontrelle Willis, designating the struggling southpaw for assignment after paying him $29 million to win two games since 2008. He's still just 28 years old, but Willis hasn't been effective and healthy since way back in 2006, going 12-23 with a 5.73 ERA, numerous injuries, and frequent bouts of wildness since. He'll likely clear waivers and perhaps go to Triple-A.

While the over/under on the rest of Willis' career should probably be set at something like 10 wins, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Carlos Zambrano worked two-thirds of an inning Saturday in what was his final relief appearance, as the Cubs announced he'll rejoin the rotation Wednesday against the Pirates. Moving him to the bullpen was a mistake from Day 1, but predicting how he'll fare back as a starter is tough because he hasn't thrown more than 35 pitches in a game since April 20 and never even got consistent work as a reliever.

Once he gets stretched out again, an ERA in the 3.75-4.25 range with decent strikeout totals and a mediocre WHIP seems doable. Tom Gorzelanny has a 3.66 ERA, 53/20 K/BB ratio, and 1.35 WHIP in 51.2 innings, but he'll be removed from the rotation in favor of Zambrano. He doesn't deserve to be bumped, but the combination of a 2-5 record, two ugly recent outings, and Carlos Silva's deal with the devil sealed his fate.

* Grady Sizemore's knee injury was initially deemed a bone bruise, but a specialist has determined he needs arthroscopic surgery that's expected to keep him out for at least 6-8 weeks. If more damage is found while he's under the knife microfracture surgery may be needed, in which case he'd miss the remainder of the season and could find himself in the same boat as Carlos Beltran in terms of an uncertain recovery timetable.

* I criticized the Reds for 2009 first-round pick Mike Leake skipping the minors to join the Opening Day rotation, but so far the decision certainly looks good. He became the latest pitcher to shut down the Astros with six scoreless innings Sunday and his ninth Quality Start in 10 tries cut his ERA to 2.45. Leake initially struggled with his control, walking 12 in his first two starts, but has handed out just 13 free passes in eight starts since.

AL Quick Hits: Nelson Cruz's latest hamstring problem landed him back on the disabled list Sunday ... Howie Kendrick homered twice Sunday, including a walk-off blast with a slightly more subdued celebration than Kendry Morales ... Ricky Romero allowed just one run Sunday in a complete-game win over the Orioles ... Jorge Posada (foot) is hoping to come off the DL this week, but that seems optimistic ... David Huff amazingly appears to have avoided serious damage and may even make his next start after taking a line drive off his head Saturday ... Derek Holland left Sunday night's start with shoulder soreness after struggling to crack 90 miles per hour ... Josh Beckett (back) will not be ready to come off the DL when eligible Thursday ... Jose Bautista smacked his MLB-leading 16th homer Sunday, tying his career-high ... David Ortiz went deep again Sunday and is now hitting .363 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs this month ... Jayson Nix hit a grand slam off James Shields after replacing Mark Teahen (finger) midgame Sunday ... Carlos Guillen homered Sunday while starting his third straight game at second base.

NL Quick Hits: Upset that his batting average had dipped below .300, Albert Pujols homered three times Sunday ... Buster Posey started at first base and notched three hits in both weekend games ... Stephen Strasburg is slated to throw six innings or 95 pitches in his next and perhaps final Triple-A start Thursday ... Brian McCann (quadriceps) pinch-hit Sunday and remained in the game at catcher ... Jeff Francoeur broke out of a slump with four hits Sunday, but his OPS is still below .700 ... Anibal Sanchez shut out the Phillies for 6.2 innings Sunday, out-dueling Jamie Moyer in a 1-0 game ... Pat Burrell homered Sunday at Triple-A after signing a minor league deal with the Giants ... Ryan Braun moved up to second in the lineup Sunday for just the third time in his career, going 0-for-4 ... Brad Lidge (elbow) is due back from the disabled list Monday, but won't resume closing initially ... Jon Niese (hamstring) will make a minor league rehab start Monday following a successful bullpen session Saturday ... Placido Polanco (elbow) could rejoin the lineup within a few days after an MRI exam revealed no ligament damage.

 

[HacheMan]

Jimenez Beats Shaky Lincecum
Ubaldo Jimenez lived up to his end of the bargain and then some Monday afternoon, but instead of a dream pitcher's duel Tim Lincecum continued to struggle. Jimenez hurled his second complete-game shutout of the season (with the first being his no-hitter against Braves), striking out nine while holding the Giants to four hits and two walks. He's now 10-1 with a ridiculous 0.78 ERA and .172 opponents' batting average in 11 starts.

At the opposite end of the spectrum Lincecum managed just three strikeouts and gave up four runs in 5.2 innings, marking the first time since his rookie season that he's failed to last six innings in three straight starts. He also handed out five walks for the fourth straight start after issuing a total of 10 free passes in his first seven outings. Dontrelle Willis is the last pitcher with five or more walks in four straight starts.

"There's too much negative going on right now," Lincecum told reporters afterward. "I'm not necessarily saying something's wrong, but you've got to fix it. That's what I'm trying to do." Lincecum had a 1.86 ERA and 64/10 K/BB ratio through seven starts, so whether blisters, cracked finger nails, or a more significant issue at this point it's pretty safe to say "something's wrong" with him physically.

While Jimenez becomes the 15th pitcher since 1952 to win 10 games before June 1, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Back in November the Pirates traded for Akinori Iwamura and picked up his $4.8 million option, but he was benched Monday after hitting .173 in 44 games. Neil Walker is now the primary second baseman despite being called up from Triple-A last week and never playing second base prior to this season. Walker was a catcher when the Pirates made him the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft and moved to third base in 2007.

Walker is unlikely to be more than passable at second base and is no sure thing to be particularly strong offensively either, but the Pirates obviously don't have much to lose by experimenting and also need to determine whether third baseman Andy LaRoche is part of their future. Walker was on fire at Triple-A to begin this season, but has hit just .259 with a .755 OPS in 290 career games there. He's not a mixed league option yet.

* After months of speculation surrounding Stephen Strasburg's debut the Nationals finally announced that he'll join the rotation next Tuesday against the Pirates. His first start will come at home in Washington, of course, but before then he'll make one final Triple-A start Thursday. He's scheduled to throw six innings or 95 pitches, which would leave him with about 90-100 more innings if reported workload limits are followed.

* Dexter Fowler has been excellent against left-handed pitching this season, but the switch-hitter's struggles against right-handers made him the odd man out in Colorado's outfield and the Rockies demoted him to the minors Monday. He'll try to get on track at Triple-A and in the meantime Carlos Gonzalez will play center field, with Seth Smith and Ryan Spilborghs platooning in left field. Smith gains the most value in Fowler's absence.

AL Quick Hits: Alex Rodriguez drove in six runs Monday, moving past Eddie Murray into third place all time with 20 grand slams ... Jason Bartlett (hamstring) is not expected back before Friday, leaving Reid Brignac to start at shortstop ... Orlando Hudson (wrist) and Alexi Casilla (elbow) are both hurting, so Michael Cuddyer started at second base Monday for the first time since 2005 and homered ... Rajai Davis stole two bases Monday, giving him an MLB-leading 22 on the season ... Brett Gardner had three hits Monday, but was thrown out on two steal attempts after beginning the season 18-for-20 on the bases ... Ervin Santana held the Royals to one run in seven innings Monday, winning his fourth straight start ... Brandon Morrow allowed just three hits in seven innings of one-run ball Monday for his longest outing since April 19 ... Dontrelle Willis is reportedly drawing interest from the Diamondbacks and Marlins after being designated for assignment over the weekend.

NL Quick Hits: Andre Ethier returned from the disabled list Monday, with Xavier Paul heading back to Triple-A ... Joey Votto (neck) missed his sixth straight game Monday, but said he felt "really good" after taking batting practice ... Corey Hart took over the NL lead and surpassed his 2009 total with his 13th homer Monday ... Roy Oswalt was ejected from Monday's start in the third inning for arguing balls and strikes ... Mark DeRosa (wrist) went 0-for-4 and grounded into two double plays in his first rehab game Monday at Single-A ... Randy Wells tossed five shutout innings Monday after failing to make it out of the first inning in his previous start ... Jon Niese (hamstring) allowed two runs over six innings in a rehab start Monday at Triple-A ... Luis Atilano improved to 5-1 despite allowing four runs Monday and now has an ugly 16/21 K/BB ratio in 44 innings ... Chipper Jones homered Monday for the first time since April 16 ... Jim Edmonds came off the shelf Monday, but returns to a backup role ... Bronson Arroyo allowed six runs following a one-hour rain delay Monday, snapping a five-game winning streak ... John Baker (elbow) is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Single-A.

 

[HacheMan]

Jonny be Good
In this week's edition of Saves and Steals, your blithesome correspondent updates the status of Bobby Jenks' right calf, hashes out the bullpen situations in Milwaukee and Arizona and welcomes Brad Lidge back from the disabled list, but not necessarily to his perch as Philadelphia's closer.

In honor of Jake Gyllenhaal's Prince of Persia, which opened over the weekend, this week's tiers are brought to you by the five levels of video game film adaptations.


Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "Resident Evil" Tier.)


Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers

Comment:


Jonathan Broxton earned his third win in Monday's victory over the Diamondbacks when Casey Blake scored on a walk-off balk in the bottom half of the ninth inning. As of May 6, Broxton had earned only one save while blowing two opportunities. He used the remainder of the month to convert 12-of-12 saves and allow only one earned run in 13 2/3 innings while posting a 19/2 K/BB rate.


Tier 2: Rock Steady (8) (AKA: The "Silent Hill" Tier.)


Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs

Comment:

Jose Valverde hasn't allowed an earned run since April 7, a streak of 20 consecutive scoreless appearances. His 0.44 ERA is the best amongst major league closers.


Tier 3: OK options (8) (AKA: The "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" Tier.)


Rafael Soriano, Tamp a Bay Rays
Billy Wagner, Atlanta Braves
Jon Rauch, Minnesota Twins
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals
Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners
Matt Capps, Washington Nationals

Comment:

David Aardsma blew his third save and was slapped with his third loss when he allowed a walk-off three-run homer to Howie Kendrick on Sunday. Aardsma produced a 2.79 ERA in 10 April appearances but regressed in May, posting a 6.75 ERA in seven outings. Keep an eye on him.


Matt Capps has struggled since May 5, allowing a 6.30 ERA in 10 appearances. Up until that point, he'd posted a 0.63 ERA in his first 14 appearances. Despite recent struggles, he's safe as Washington's closer.


Tier 4: Question marks (5) (AKA: The "Max Payne" Tier.)


Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
Kevin Gregg, Toronto Blue Jay
Matt Lindstrom, Houston Astros
Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians
Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox

Comment:

Bobby Jenks hasn't pitched since tweaking his right calf during warmups prior to Friday's game against Tampa Bay. He is day-to-day. Matt Thornton earned a four-out save in Friday's win over the Rays and probably needs to be owned in all leagues. Not only could the left-handed Thornton continue to vulture saves from Jenks based on matchups, but there are several easily-forseeable scenarios in which he could have the job outright at some point, including a more serious injury to Jenks that required time on the DL, a Jenks trade out of town (Philadelphia reportedly scouted him recently), or Ozzie Guillen tiring of Jenks' act completely and yanking him from the closer's job.


Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (6) (AKA: The "House of the Dead" Tier.)


Trevor Hoffman/John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers
Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates
Chad Qualls, Arizona Diamondbacks
Manny Corpas, Colorado Rockies
Jose Contreras, Philadelphia Phillies
Will Ohman, Baltimore Orioles

Comment:

Is Trevor Hoffman nearing a return to the closer's role? Brewers manager Ken Macha hinted as much last week and Hoffman has tossed three scoreless innings in a setup capacity since he was yanked from ninth-inning duties. Carlos Villanueva was the temporary closer while Hoffman worked on his mechanics, but Villanueva blew a save and was overtaken by John Axford. Axford, 27, notched his second save on Saturday with a flawless ninth against the Mets and has allowed only two runs and struck out 13 in eight innings this season. He has control problems, which makes starting innings the more feasible use of his talents if he is pitching effectively. He needs to be owned in all formats until Hoffman officially reclaims his former job.


Chad Qualls blew his fourth save of 2010 by giving up two runs on four hits to the Giants in the ninth innings of Sunday's loss. Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch has stuck with him all year, but expect to see a change soon if Qualls implodes again in the near future. Aaron Heilman is next-in-line for saves and his 3.38 ERA is by far and away the best of any reliever in Arizona's bullpen, which has given up a major league worst 7.70 ERA and .308 opponent's batting average. The unit has also punted 11 save opportunities.


Brad Lidge was activated from the disabled list on Sunday, but Phillies manager Charlie Manuel previously indicated that Jose Contreras will continue to get save chances until Lidge proves he can handle ninth-inning duties. Because we have no idea if Lidge will ever get to that point, and because Contreras has posted a 0.59 ERA and 22/2 K/BB rate over 17 appearances, Contreras owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Lidge could eventually reclaim the closer's job, but his mixed league value at this point is equal to most other setup men with an outside shot at saves.

I'd be mildly surprised if either one of these guys was the team's main closer in August. No team makes more sense as a suitor for a deadline trade for a closer than Philadelphia and they've already begun scouting opposing bullpens looking for potential matches.


* * * * * * * * * *



Injured

Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins (Out for the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow)
Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles (60-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder)
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies (15-day disabled list with shoulder stiffness)
Franklin Morales, Colorado Rockies (15-day disabled list with left shoulder weakness)
Ryan Madson, Philadelphia Phillies (15-day disabled list with a broken toe)
Alfredo Simon, Baltimore Orioles (15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring)

Comment:

Mike Gonzalez was transferred from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list last week and is now eligible to be activated on June 9.


Huston Street is in the middle of a throwing program and is expected back in the middle of June. Franklin Morales, meanwhile, is on a rehab assignment and should return later this week.

The Graveyard:
Frank Francisco, Texas Rangers
Jason Frasor, Toronto Blue Jay
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles
Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies


* * * * * * * * * *


The Steals Department

This week, we'll check in on a pair of speedster outfielders who were owned in just about every fantasy league at the season's outset. Early-season struggles by each caused some mixed leaguers to cut bait, but recent performance should have you returning to the waiver wire to check on their availability.


Nyjer Morgan (owned in 62% of ESPN leagues) has been one of the most dropped non-injured players in fantasy this season. It wasn't just his putrid .253/.327/.347 line that caused his mass exodus from fantasy rosters. Morgan also couldn't find his footing on the base paths, going only 9-for-17 in stolen base conversions prior to Monday's game.

Perhaps that's why some ears perked up by his monster output on Memorial Day, a game in which he batted second for the first time since joining the Nationals. Morgan went 3-for-4 with a walk, two steals and four runs scored against the Astros, which gives the optimist hope for a rebound.

Morgan is one of the game's more daring base runners, so if his bat is adequate, he should retain mixed league value for the next few years. He stole 42 bases last year but was caught 17 times, which tied for the major league lead. His 67% career stolen base percentage in the major leagues has always hovered below the 75% conversion rate that is considered decent and the 80%-plus that is considered good. This isn't a detriment to owners in leagues in which they aren't docked for failed stolen base attempts, however.

Because of his track record, job security and willingness to attempt steals -- even to the possible detriment of his own team -- a hot day is enough for owners with roster space to give him a shot and hope for the best. Weekly players are just starting their scoring period, remember, so could use the next six days to track his progress before deciding if he's worth hanging on to come Sunday night.


Rajai Davis (owned in 88% of ESPN leagues) has become a popular add at the same time that owners are abandoning Morgan. It's easy to see why. Davis has led off Oakland's last six games and hit .400/.464/.520 while swiping seven bases in 28 plate appearances.

Those that relinquished Davis after a terrible .224/.275/.282 April have come to regret it while he's hit .314 in a resurgent May (Morgan, by the way, hit .223 in May). In addition, Davis never stopped running, swiping 10 bases in April and 12 in May to lead the majors in that category.

Davis needs to be starting in every league, while Morgan deserves a spot at the end of mixed league benches for the time being to see if he can turn his season around in the coming week.

 

[HacheMan]

Junior and Joyce
Jim Joyce costing Armando Galarraga a perfect game will no doubt be Wednesday's most talked about event, but at this point a sure-fire, inner-circle Hall of Famer retiring surely qualifies as far bigger news than an umpire screwing up. After hitting just .184 with zero homers and a .454 OPS in 108 plate appearances Ken Griffey Jr. mercifully called it quits before the Mariners' game against the Twins, retiring at age 40 with 630 homers.

Griffey's amazing prime was interrupted by a trade from Seattle to Cincinnati and the never-ending string of injuries that followed, and in the end he stuck around two years longer than his skills warranted, hitting .208/.310/.369 in 150 games during his second stint with the Mariners. Through age 30 he hit .296 with 438 homers and a .948 OPS, but after age 30 he batted just .260 with 192 homers and an .833 OPS.

None of that changes the fact that Griffey is one of this generation's truly elite players and one of the best center fielders in baseball history, but it's a shame that along with memories of that greatness will come questions about what could have been and how things ended. As someone who grew up in the 1990s, fortunately I'll always remember that smooth left-handed swing, the amazing catches, and the backwards hat.

While the greatness of a player hopefully takes precedence over the awfulness of an umpire, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* If for some reason you haven't seen the replay yet, take a look and try not to gag. Armando Galarraga was flawless Wednesday night, setting down the Indians in order, but first-base umpire Jim Joyce blew an admittedly close call on what would have been the game's 27th and final out. Galarraga recovered from the disappointment to retire the next hitter and then showed lots of class afterward by hugging a distraught Joyce.

"I just cost that kid a perfect game," Joyce said afterward. "I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay. It was the biggest call of my career." By all accounts Joyce is among the game's better umpires and doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the likes of Joe West and Bob Davidson, but that and his contrition doesn't change the fact that his mistake robbed Galarraga of a career-defining moment.

A rookie standout in 2008 who struggled mightily last season and began this year in the minors, Galarraga came into Wednesday with a career 20-18 record and 4.62 ERA. The good news is that his spot in the Tigers' rotation is probably pretty secure now. The bad news is that he'll forever be linked to Joyce and known for something he simultaneously did and didn't do. And perhaps as one of the driving forces behind expanded replay.

* Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and assistant general manager Dan Jennings were both in attendance Tuesday to see outfielder Mike Stanton smack his 19th and 20th homers of the season at Double-A, and speculation is mounting that the 20-year-old slugger will be called up as soon as this weekend. To make room for him in the lineup the Marlins will have to bench either Cameron Maybin or Chris Coghlan.

Stanton hit more homers than any other minor leaguer during the past two seasons, but this year he's taken things to a new level with a career-high .307 batting average and nearly as many walks (40) as strikeouts (50). He's also sporting a .436 on-base percentage and .722 slugging percentage, and manager Fredi Gonzalez is already on record as saying that Stanton will likely bat seventh in the lineup once he arrives.

AL Quick Hits: Boston has decided to slow down Josh Beckett's (back) rehab timetable, so he may be out until July ... Justin Ducscherer will miss the remainder of the season following hip surgery and is a major question mark for 2011 ... Jorge Posada (foot) came off the disabled list Wednesday and started at designated hitter, but has not yet been cleared to resume catching ... Kevin Gregg is expected to get a few games off following Tuesday's implosion, but will apparently remain the Blue Jays' closer ... Vladimir Guerrero was scratched from Wednesday's game after a ball ricocheted off the cage and struck his eye during batting practice ... Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is expected to do so again Saturday ... Michael Cuddyer is expected to miss at least four days on bereavement leave for his father-in-law, pushing Jim Thome into the lineup every game ... Mike Lowell is reportedly drawing interest from the Mariners, White Sox, and Rangers now that he's purely a bench player for the Red Sox ... Alexi Casilla will miss 4-8 weeks after arthroscopic elbow surgery.

NL Quick Hits: Edwin Jackson tossed nine shutout innings in a no-decision Wednesday as the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks by a score of 1-0 in extra innings for the second straight game ... Jon Niese (hamstring) is slated to come off the disabled list Saturday against the Marlins ... Chipper Jones is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday's game with a finger injury ... Franklin Morales came off the shelf Wednesday and bullpen-mate Huston Street (groin) may not be far behind ... Derek Lowe held the Phillies to one run over eight innings Wednesday and is now 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA in his last four starts ... Mark Reynolds (quadriceps) was out of the lineup again Wednesday, but popped out as a pinch-hitter ... Cole Hamels will stay on his normal schedule despite throwing just 24 pitches in Tuesday's rain-delayed start ... Scott Hairston returned from the DL and jumped right back into the lineup Wednesday ... General manager Walt Jocketty said Wednesday that there's no timetable for the Reds to call up Aroldis Chapman ... Luis Castillo could be headed to the DL if his foot problems don't improve soon.

 

[HacheMan]

Pocket Full of Posey

A routine criticism of those who play fantasy baseball and follow sabermetrics is that the increased focus on statistics have somehow taken away from the enjoyment of the game. Well, the events of Wednesday night have once again proven those critics completely wrong.

I had absolutely no reason to cheer for the Tigers last night -- I'm an unabashed Mets fan, after all -- but I hooted and hollered when Austin Jackson made that fantastic running catch to start the top of the ninth inning and my heart sunk to the ground when Armando Galarraga was denied a place in baseball history. It was beautiful and tragic. And it was a reminder of everything I love and loathe about this game.

You are going to read dozens of opinions about the "Imperfect Game" today, so I won't bore you too much with mine, but I'll just say that for everything fantasy baseball and sabermetrics has done to enhance my overall baseball experience, nothing beats a compelling story on the field.

Oh, and another thing. You should have listened when I recommended Galarraga two weeks ago. And with that, it's back to business.

MIXED LEAGUES

Angel Pagan OF, Mets (Yahoo: 27 percent owned, ESPN: 45.3 percent)

And to think, this guy wasn't even on Jerry Manuel's lineup card on Opening Day. Pagan rightly usurped Gary Matthews Jr. in early April and has since become a reliable fantasy contributor, batting .333/.388/.495 with three homers (one of the inside-the-park variety), 13 RBI, seven stolen bases, 19 runs scored and a 15/10 K/BB ratio in the month of May. Carlos Beltran is unlikely to return before the All-Star break, but even when he does, Pagan deserves regular playing time over Jeff Francoeur in right field. I recommended Pagan as an NL-only option earlier this season, but he has arrived as a mixed-league asset.

Mike Stanton OF, Marlins (Yahoo: 14 percent owned, ESPN: 6.8 percent)

Joe Frisaro of MLB.com writes that a promotion could come "any day now." Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com hearsthe Marlins are aiming to call him up next week. Either way, he's one worth stashing in advance of his debut. Stanton, 20, is currently making a mockery of the Southern League, batting .300/.429/.706 with 20 homers and 50 RBI through his first 224 plate appearances with Double-A Jacksonville. While his power potential is unquestioned, there are still legitimate concerns about his ability to make contact. He's made superficial strides with his strikeout-to-walk ratio this season (51/40 K/BB ratio), but he won't get the same respect on the major league level. Thus, don't be shocked if he hits for a low batting average in his first taste of the bigs.

Buster Posey C, Giants (Yahoo: 48 percent owned, ESPN: 55 percent)

Posey isn't yet eligible at first base in most leagues, but he figures to be more useful behind the plate, anyway. The 23-year-old put together a .333/.427/.542 batting line over parts of three seasons in the minor leagues, including a .349/.442/.552 batting line with Triple-A Fresno this season. Even better, the 2008 first-round pick managed a 102/98 K/BB ratio in 750 minor league plate appearances. With a track record like this, it's no stretch to say that Posey might already be the most disciplined hitter in the Giants' lineup. With Aubrey Huff now in left field and Mark DeRosa possibly done for the season due to a wrist injury, Posey should have a clear avenue to playing time. He's a must-own across all formats.

John Axford RP, Brewers (Yahoo: 17 percent owned, ESPN: 24.6 percent)

Two weeks ago, I recommended Carlos Villanueva as the speculative choice for the ninth-inning gig while Trevor Hoffman got his act together, but Axford has emerged to notch each of the last three saves for the Brew Crew. The 27-year-old fireballer has amassed an impressive 2.79 ERA and a 14/4 K/BB ratio over his first eight appearances since being called up from Triple-A Nashville last month. But before you get too excited about his eye-popping strikeout totals in the minor leagues (9.9 K/9), just know that he has also struggled mightily with his command (6.0 BB/9). I still think Hoffman will reclaim the job eventually, but Tuesday's little blowup against the Marlins tells us that he hasn't figured things out quite yet.

Brett Myers SP, Astros (Yahoo: 10 percent owned, ESPN: 4.7 percent)

This isn't the old Brett Myers. He can't pop the catcher's mitt at over 90 mph consistently anymore -- in fact, he barely averages over 89 mph on his heater --.but has pitched to a 3.04 ERA through his first 11 starts this season, including a 2.67 ERA over his last eight outings. And his xFIP of 3.89 tells us that he has (mostly) earned it. I'd only recommend him in deeper mixed leagues at the moment because of his high WHIP and the fact that he pitches for the lowly Astros, but he'll move up a few notches if/when he is traded to a contender.

Seth Smith OF, Rockies (Yahoo: 7 percent owned, ESPN: 8.9 percent)

Dexter Fowler's demotion to Triple-A Colorado Springs earlier this week means that Smith should at least get regular at-bats against right-handed pitching moving forward. And that's a good thing for fantasy owners. The 27-year-old outfielder has a .296/.373/.524 triple-slash and a 894 OPS in 494 career at-bats against righties. Only 13 other outfielders posted a higher OPS against right-handed pitching last season. Sure, Ryan Spilborghs will start against most southpaws, but that shouldn't be enough to scare mixed leaguers away.

Jeremy Bonderman SP, Tigers (Yahoo: 12 percent owned, ESPN: 19.2 percent)

It's no surprise to learn that Ubaldo Jimenez led the majors in ERA last month (min. 20 innings pitched), but did you know Bonderman was second? Yep, it's true. The 27-year-old right-hander compiled a 1.33 ERA and 26/7 K/BB ratio over four starts and one relief appearance in May and has a 3.72 ERA and 1.24 WHIP through his first 10 games this season. He doesn't throw as hard as he did before undergoing surgery for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in 2008, but his 7.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 this season closely resembles his promise of the past. Remember that Bonderman just happens to be in a contract year, so he should have extra motivation to succeed.

Brad Lidge RP, Phillies (Yahoo: 49 percent owned, ESPN: 64.8 percent)

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel indicated Tuesday that Lidge would be eased back into the ninth-inning role, but Jose Contreras was used in the eighth inning on Wednesday. Sure, Manuel cold have just been going the unconventional route by using his best reliever in a tie game, but Lidge would have likely been in line for a save opportunity should the Phillies have pulled ahead in the top of the ninth. It's tough to criticize Contreras because he has been so effective, however it's worth noting that he did end up surrendering the go-ahead run on Wednesday. It's still a murky situation -- and I'm not convinced Lidge is past his physical problems -- but both pitchers are worth owning in most formats.

Jonny Gomes OF, Reds (Yahoo: 35 percent owned, ESPN: 70.3 percent)

Some people are going to tell you that Gomes is well on his way to shedding the platoon tag. That's not entirely true. Granted, Gomes is hitting .277 in 101 at-bats against righties this season, a vast improvement from his .229 career mark, but he's done that while posting only a 761 OPS and 34/6 K/BB ratio compared to a 1.126 OPS and 9/9 K/BB ratio against left-handers. Basically, he's doing just enough to warrant regular playing time. Throwing splits aside, Gomes is worthy of your attention because he remains a legitimate power threat no matter who is on the mound.

Juan Pierre OF, White Sox (Yahoo: 39 percent owned, ESPN: 90.4 percent)

Many gave up on Pierre after a rough April (.190/.260/.193), but he managed to bat a more palpable .286/.339/.339 last month. Despite his early struggles, the veteran speedster is second in the majors with 20 stolen bases. He's still hitting too many groundballs (60 percent compared to 55.8 percent career) and not enough line drives (16.6 percent compared to 21.8 percent career), but there's enough of a track record here to suggest he'll soon return to career norms in those areas. We all know the stolen bases will be there, but his batting average figures to continue to rise throughout the summer months.





<!--RW-->



AL ONLY

Kelly Shoppach C, Rays (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

Shoppach, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in April, just started a minor league rehab assignment and is expected to be activated from the disabled list early next week. John Jaso has probably earned consideration for regular at-bats against right-handers, but that shouldn't render Shoppach useless. In fact, he's still plenty valuable. The 30-year-old backstop has an elite 1.002 career OPS against southpaws compared to a mediocre 701 OPS against right-handers, so he's probably best served in a platoon role anyways. His power potential should still have a place in AL-only leagues.

Luke Hochevar SP, Royals (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 0.9 percent)

It's the first week of June and Zack Greinke only has one win, meanwhile Hochevar is tied for the team lead with five wins despite a 5.10 ERA. The good news is that the 2006 first-round pick is beginning to show some progress after enduring a rough April. The 26-year-old right-hander has went at least seven innings in each of his last three starts, posting a 3.75 ERA and 18/4 K/BB ratio over 24 innings. He's also throwing harder than at any point during his career (93.7 mph average on his fastball compared to 91.6 mph for his career). Some patience is required and his win potential is limited because he pitches for the Royals, but Hochevar should at least be on your radar, especially with a start against the Astros in his future.

Jeremy Hermida OF, Red Sox (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 0.5 percent)

Leave it to me to recommend a guy who made an awful error against the Athletics on Wednesday and is hitless over his last four games, but hear me out for a second. Hermida currently has a .234 batting average in balls in play, despite a line drive rate of 21.6 percent, easily the highest of his career. Assuming the Red Sox don't give up on him, there's simply no way he'll be languishing around the Mendoza Line much longer. And besides, with injuries to Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury, they may have no choice but to keep throwing him out there.

David Murphy OF, Rangers (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)

Let's be honest, there is no real substitute for what Nelson Cruz can provide to a lineup, but Murphy should prove to be an adequate fill-in for the next 10 days or so. The 28-year-old outfielder is batting .271/.293/.399 with just two homers and 15 RBI over 133 at-bats this season, but he is still hitting exactly as many flyballs (40.2 percent) as his career average. In other words, the home runs will come. Murphy has proved especially productive against right-handers (829 career OPS) in the past, so don't be afraid to use him in the short-term.

NL ONLY

Neil Walker 3B, Pirates (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.2 percent)

Pirates manager John Russell announced on Monday that Walker will get the majority of the starts at second base over the struggling Akinori Iwamura moving forward. Walker, now 24 years old, has never met the expectations of being a first-round pick in 2004, but he earned a promotion to the big leagues after batting .321/.392/.560 with six homers, 26 RBI and 10 stolen bases over his first 43 games with Triple-A Indianapolis. Since then, he has responded by going 10-for-32 (.313) with one home run and four RBI. If you have any doubts, just realize that while Iwamura isn't part of the team's future, Walker still might be. He'll get a chance to play.

Jerry Hairston Jr. 2B/3B/SS/OF, Padres (Yahoo: 6 percent owned, ESPN: 2.8 percent)

Padres manager Bud Black told Dan Hayes of the North County Times that giving Everth Cabrera some extra time to nurse his sore right hamstring would be "the prudent thing to do," meaning that Hairston should play everyday for the next few weeks. Granted, he's batting just .241/.291/.337 on the year, but he has shown signs of life lately by hitting .297 with three home runs and seven RBI over the past nine games. At age 34, he's not going to steal 20 bases again, but he still possesses decent speed while qualifying all over the field. He's a must-own in NL-only formats.

Mike Fontenot 2B/3B, Cubs (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 1.1 percent)

I mentioned Fontenot in our Season Pass on Wednesday and I'll echo that sentiment here. It looks like Cubs manager Lou Piniella has begun to employ something of a platoon at second base as Ryan Theriot continues to slump at the plate. Fontenot, a left-handed hitter, should benefit if he decides to go with a strict platoon. The 29-year-old infielder is batting .313/.361/.464 this season and has a 788 career OPS against right-handers. Meanwhile, Theriot has a meager 694 career OPS against righties compared to a 784 career OPS against southpaws. Something to keep an eye on.

Carlos Monasterios SP, Dodgers (Yahoo: 2 percent owned, ESPN: 1.8 percent)

He'll likely only have short-term value as a starter until Charlie Haeger and Vicente Padilla make their respective returns from the disabled list, but the 24-year-old right-hander has filled in ably in the rotation, allowing just two runs over his last two starts, spanning 10 innings. Monasterios, a Rule 5 pick over the winter, has compiled a 1.87 ERA (second among NL rookies), 1.02 WHIP and a 17/8 K/BB ratio over his first 33 2/3 big league innings. He had a blister drained following Wednesday's start against the Diamondbacks, but expects to be ready to go for his next scheduled start against the Cardinals on Monday.

 

[HacheMan]

Strasburg's Final Tune-Up
In his final minor-league start before Tuesday's insanely hyped call-up to Washington, Stephen Strasburg tossed five shutout innings Thursday afternoon at Triple-A against the Mets' affiliate. He allowed three hits, struck out five, and walked one while facing a lineup that included former big leaguers Mike Jacobs, Russ Adams, Justin Turner, Mike Hessman, J.R. House, Ruben Tejada, and Mike Cervenak.

While not exactly a murderer's row that group isn't a whole lot worse than the Pirates hitters he'll be facing next week, and Strasburg finishes his minor-league career with a 1.30 ERA, .160 opponents' batting average, and 65/13 K/BB ratio in 55.1 innings spread over 11 starts. He threw 89 pitches Thursday, so Strasburg should be fully stretched out for a 100-plus pitch outing in his debut. Pittsburgh ranks second-worst in runs scored.

While the wait is almost over for the latest "greatest pitching prospect ever" here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Brett Anderson spent most of May on the disabled list with inflammation in his elbow and forearm, but looked healthy while shutting out the Tigers for 5.2 innings last week in his return start. Unfortunately his second outing didn't go nearly as well Thursday, as Anderson left after 2.2 innings with tightness in his elbow and could be headed right back to the DL, calling it "a reoccurring of what happened last time" after the game.

* Jason Bartlett has been out since Saturday with a hamstring injury that was initially termed a mild strain and the Rays finally placed him on the disabled list Thursday. He'll be eligible to return in 10 days because the move was backdated and in the meantime Reid Brignac will continue to start at shortstop while perhaps playing well enough to push Bartlett out of the Rays' long-term plans. Brignac has hit .299/.354/.453 so far.

* Mark Teahen underwent surgery Thursday to repair a fractured middle finger suffered over the weekend and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. So far Omar Vizquel has gotten the nod to fill in for Teahen at third base in all three games since the injury, but Jayson Nix will also see some action. Teahen was hitting just .255/.340/.387 with three homers in 45 games, so it's not exactly a big loss offensively and will improve Chicago's defense.

It'll be interesting to see if Teahen's injury causes general manager Ken Williams to step up his reported interest in Mike Lowell, who could slide in at third base and potentially give Chicago's lineup some much-needed pop. Of course, Lowell has barely played for the Red Sox since David Ortiz got back on track and with a 23-30 record the White Sox may decide soon that they aren't even buyers.

* You can avoid making a Joyce-like mistake by following me on Twitter.

AL Quick Hits: MLB announced Thursday that Jim Joyce's blown call will not be overturned to give Armando Galarraga a perfect game ... Ken Griffey Jr. is expected to remain in the Mariners organization after one of the six greatest center fielders in baseball history announced his retirement ... Jered Weaver shut out the Royals for seven innings Thursday as Zack Greinke fell to 1-7 despite a 3.60 ERA ... As expected, Grady Sizemore will undergo knee surgery Friday and miss at least 6-8 weeks ... Magglio Ordonez missed the cycle by a single and drove in five runs Thursday ... David Huff struggled Thursday in his first start since being hit in the head by an Alex Rodriguez line drive ... Baltimore is expected to fire manager Dave Trembley prior to Friday's game ... Felix Hernandez had nine strikeouts Thursday, including four in one inning ... Carlos Guillen left Thursday's game with a toe injury, but X-rays were negative ... According to general manager Mark Shapiro the Indians are not close to calling up stud catching prospect Carlos Santana ... Former closer Chad Cordero joined the Mariners in a middle relief role Thursday.

NL Quick Hits: Bryce Harper's college career is over after he was suspended following an ejection in the National Junior College World Series, so he'll have to settle for being the No. 1 pick next week ... Takashi Saito filled in for Billy Wagner on Thursday, but left the save situation with a leg injury ... San Francisco is expected to call up Pat Burrell, but he'll likely just be a bench bat initially ... Longtime shortstop Cristian Guzman dropped a game-ending fly ball in right field Thursday and then Carlos Lee hit a walk-off homer ... Dave Bush (blister) will not make his scheduled start Sunday, with Manny Parra taking his place against the Cardinals ... Chipper Jones (finger) is unlikely to play this weekend and may need a cortisone shot ... Daniel Murphy is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn MCL in his right knee ... Scott Olsen (shoulder) is likely a week away from beginning a minor league rehab assignment ... Carlos Zambrano will start Friday after having his scheduled return to the rotation rained out Wednesday ... Josh Johnson tossed seven innings of one-run ball Thursday, improving to 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA.

 

[HacheMan]

Double Dose of Strasburg

It seems like it's been a long time coming, but we've finally arrived upon Stephen Strasburg's much anticipated major-league debut. Not only does he make his first appearance in a major-league uniform in the coming week, he also makes his first appearance on our "Going Twice..." list, with starts scheduled on Tuesday and Sunday. The young phenom would be a recommended play pretty much regardless of his match-ups, but with the hapless Pirates and Indians on the docket, fantasy owners should feel very comfortable going forth with Strasburg in his first taste of big-league action.

Strasburg rounds out a lengthy list of two-time starters this week; the rest are listed below, alongside streamer recommendations, team-by-team match-ups and injury updates. Good luck!

Going Twice...



American League

Strong Plays

Jered Weaver: @OAK, @LAD (Kuroda)
Phil Hughes: @BAL (Bergesen), HOU (Moehler)
Cliff Lee: @TEX (Feldman), @SD (LeBlanc)
Felix Hernandez: @TEX (Lewis), @SD (Richard)
Jeff Niemann: TOR (Marcum), FLA (Volstad)
Colby Lewis: SEA (Hernandez), @MIL (Gallardo)
Zack Greinke: @MIN (Slowey), @CIN (LeCure)
Shaun Marcum: @TB (Niemann), @COL (Francis)

Decent Plays

Gavin Floyd: DET (Galarraga), @CHC (Lilly)
Fausto Carmona: BOS (Matsuzaka), WAS (Stammen)
Armando Galarraga: @CWS (Floyd), PIT (Karstens)
Kevin Slowey: KC (Greinke), ATL (Medlen)
Ben Sheets: LAA (Kazmir), @SF (Zito)
Scott Feldman: SEA (Lee), @MIL (Bush)

At Your Own Risk

Tim Wakefield: @CLE (Huff), PHI (Kendrick)
Brad Bergesen: NYY (Hughes), NYM (Pelfrey)
Daisuke Matsuzaka: @CLE (Carmona), PHI (Hamels)
David Huff: BOS (Wakefield), WAS (Strasburg)
Scott Kazmir: @OAK (Sheets), @LAD (Ely)

National League

Strong Plays

Stephen Strasburg: PIT (Karstens), @CLE (Huff)
Kris Medlen: @ARI (Lopez), @MIN (Slowey)
Ted Lilly: @MIL (Gallardo), CWS (Floyd)
Johnny Cueto: SF (Zito), KC (Bannister)
Yovani Gallardo: CHC (Lilly), TEX (Lewis)
Mike Pelfrey: SD (Richard), @BAL (Bergesen)
Cole Hamels: SD (LeBlanc), @BOS (Matsuzaka)
Clayton Richard: @NYM (Pelfrey), SEA (Hernandez)
Barry Zito: @CIN (Cueto), OAK (Sheets)
Matt Cain: @CIN (LeCure), OAK
Chris Carpenter: @LAD (Monasterios), @ARI (Lopez)

Decent Plays

Edwin Jackson: ATL (Lowe), STL (Garcia)
Derek Lowe: @ARI (Jackson), @MIN (Blackburn)
Jeff Francis: HOU (Moehler), TOR (Marcum)
Chris Volstad: @PHI (Kendrick), @TB (Niemann)
Wandy Rodriguez: @COL (Hammel), @NYY (Vazquez)
Zach Duke: @WAS (Strasburg), @DET (Galarraga)
Wade LeBlanc: @PHI (Hamels), SEA (Lee)
Sam LeCure: SF (Cain), KC (Greinke)

At Your Own Risk

Rodrigo Lopez: ATL (Lowe), STL (Carpenter)
Jason Hammel: HOU (Rodriguez), TOR (Morrow)
Brian Moehler: @COL (Francis), @NYY (Hughes)
Kyle Kendrick: FLA (Volstad), @BOS (Wakefield)


Streamer City



The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Wednesday, 6/9: Carl Pavano vs. KC
With the exception of a few dud outings, Pavano has been exceedingly sharp this year, limiting walks and supplying strikeouts. He figures to fare well at home against the Royals.

Thursday, 6/10: Max Scherzer @ CWS
Scherzer certainly seemed to be back in his element while striking out 14 hitters in his return from the minors this past week. See if he can keep it up against the struggling White Sox.

Friday, 6/11: Jason Vargas @ SD
Despite his continued success, Vargas remains unclaimed in most leagues. Snag him for this start at spacious Petco Field.

National League

Wednesday, 6/9: Aaron Harang vs. SF
Harang has been up-and-down this season to say the least, but he's a good situational play and merits consideration in this home match-up against the Giants.

Thursday, 6/10: Jhoulys Chacin vs. HOU
Chacin gets recommended for a second week in a row in this tilt against the lowly Astros.

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Total Games



American League

6: BAL, CWS, DET, KC, MIN, NYY, TB, TOR
7: BOS, CLE, LAA, OAK, SEA, TEX

National League

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


Lefty/Righty Breakdown



American League

BAL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
BOS: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CWS: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CLE: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
DET: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
KC: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
LAA: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
MIN: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
NYY: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
OAK: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SEA: 4 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TB: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
TEX: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TOR: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
ATL: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CHC: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CIN: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
FLA: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
HOU: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAD: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
MIL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYM: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PHI: 6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PIT: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SD: 3 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
STL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
WAS: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP

 

[HacheMan]

No Way Jose
Another double feature this week -- Week That Was by Glenn Colton and the Injury Bug by Bobby Colton (plus, of course the wisdom that Schultz says).


Jose Bautista: Jose Bautista continued defying all odds last night as he jacked homers 17 and 18 against A.J. Burnett and the Yankees. At some point do we all have to admit we were wrong and that Jose is the real deal? Uh, no! (see Schultz says below). Yes, Bautista has had a sick two months. Yes, if you drafted him you already have made a whole season of profit. But no, he is not going to hit 50 dingers and that .259 average will fall. Why do I say this? Well, first, Bautista's 3 year averages are a .244 with 14 HR (and this is during the prime ages of 26-28). Quite honestly, I cannot explain the power surge. However, pitchers will learn to stop throwing him fastballs. That A.J. threw Bautista one belt high fastball with no score and bases empty is forgivable if ill-advised. However, that he threw yet another with a runner on is not (perhaps Posada or Cervelli would not have called that pitch but Moeller did). At some point, pitchers will stop throwing Jose fastballs, his dingers will become far more rare and his average will return to the .240s. Sell.


Felipe Paulino: Felipe Paulino finally got a W last night, pitching 8 strong innings against the struggling cubbies. It was nice outing in which Paulino struck out seven, walked two and gave up just five hits. Despite the ugly1-7 record, Paulino has an ERA around 4 and a WHIP under 1.40. As the summer moves along, look for Paulino to rack up the K's, put up decent ratios and return far more value than the small price he cost. Buy.


Justin Masterson: Like Paulino, Justin Masterson notched his first W last night. However, that is where the similarities end. Masterson's win was anything but a masterpiece. Justin walked six, hit 2 batters and gave up 5 hits for a whopping total of 13 baserunners in fewer than 6 innings. Not pretty. If you own Masterson, shame on you. He pitches for a bad team, has no pitch to get lefties out and has a truly ugly 1.82 WHIP. The Tribe should move him back to the pen until he can learn a pitch to deal with lefties. Sell.


Brennan Boesch: Brennan Boesch just keeps on keeping on. Friday night, the Tiger rookie went 2-4 with a three-run tater. In just 121 at bats since his call-up, Boesch is hitting.339 with five home runs and 25 RBI. Can he keep this up? Answer – sort of. Will he hit .340? No. The average will fall. However, there should be a power spike as he continues to get comfortable in the bigs. Last year, Boesch hit 28 dingers in the minors. What does that tell me? Well, it says he is a kid with serious power who is smart enough to come to the big leagues, hit the ball where it is pitched, concentrate on timing, pitch recognition and contributing. I cannot prove this, but all I see says this kid is for real and is here to stay. Full disclosure, a few weeks ago, I was not a believer and Rick and I traded Boesch for Alfredo Simon right before Simon got hurt. Well, I was wrong. Don't make the same mistake.


Brett Cecil: Brett Cecil was great last night stifling the Yankees in a 6-1 win. I watched a good bit of the game and was very, very impressed. Cecil throws a nice change against both lefties and righties, throws heat in the 93 range when needed, changes eye level and expands the strike zone like a cagey veteran. I am a complete believer. With a 1.01 WHIP and 45/13 K/BB ratio, there is little not to like. Look at his last 8 starts. In 6 of those he gave up 2 runs or less and in the 7th it was 3 runs. This kid is for real and is here to stay. Buy.


Jose Lopez: Jose Lopez is starting to become Jose Lopez again. Thursday, Jose hit a three-run homer in a win over Seattle. He was 2-4 on the night. After a dreadful start during which he was learning the hot corner, Jose has upped his average to .244, including going 13-31 over his last 7 games. Lopez is only 26 years old. From ages 23-25, when many are toiling in the minors, Lopez averaged .274 with 18 dingers in the majors. Prediction: Despite the weak start, he will beat both figures by year's end – by a lot. Plus, he is 2b and 3b eligible – flexibility that is huge during the long fantasy season.


Josh Johnson: Josh Johnson continues to prove that he is one of the best pitchers in the game. Friday, Josh gave up just one earned run in seven innings, while blowing down 8. Check these numbers out: 2.10 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 77 Ks. He was abused as a young pitcher in Florida, but he had TJ in 2007, came back for 80+ decent innings in 08 and has been just great ever since. Look for Josh Johnson to win a Cy Young before too long.


Mark Teahen: Mark Teahen broke his middle finger and will be out at least 4-6 weeks. Simply put, the pale hose do not have anyone who can take over – or at least no one with any fantasy relevance. Omar Vizquel is a good veteran bench guy but cannot play the hot corner daily. Jayson Nix and Brent Lillibridge are well, Nix and Lillibridge. Hey, what about Mike Lowell? Given the openings at 3b in Chi and 1b in Ana, it might be time to buy Lowell cheap before he is traded.


Paul Konerko: Paul Konerko continues to prove the doubters wrong. Konerko jacked another two dingers Wednesday to raise his total to 16. Only once in the last 6 years has Paul hit fewer than 28 homers. Conclusion – at 34 with consistent power production, the ability to rest at DH on occasion and hitting in the homer friendly south side, there is no reason to think Konerko will slow down substantially. 40 dingers are a very real possibility. Do NOT sell high. Keep.


John Axford: John Axford staked his claim to the Brew Crew closer job, picking up his third save against the Marlins on Wednesday night. Can he hold the job? Well, his competition is pretty weak. Hoffman is cooked, Hawkins was never a serious contender and is now on the DL, and Carlos Villanueva seems destined to be an 8th inning guy who vultures a few saves. Add in the fact that Milwaukee is unlikely to trade for a Kerry Wood or Matt Capps and you have a golden opportunity for Axford. Can he hold it? I honestly do not know. But, there could hardly be a better situation for him. [I could have gone through a bunch of analysis of small data samples, but I preferred to be honest – I do not know but I do know that the Brewer pen is a mess and he is the sharpest quill right now].


And now, as promised another two for one special:

Injury Bug Biting Contenders
By Bobby Colton

As we head into June, injuries are becoming a major concern for ball clubs looking to make it to October. Here's a look at how specific injuries are affecting the contenders.

Kendry Morales: There's a lesson that can be taken from all of this. NO CELEBRATIONS. Ok, maybe that's a little bit of an overreaction, but what a terrible loss for the Angles and Morales, who was building on his breakout season last year. Now the Angels need to replace perhaps their best hitter from outside the organization. It goes without saying that Robb Quinlan won't cut it as a starting 1B for a contender.


Brandon Wood: You never want to see a guy get hurt, but Wood's injury was a major boon to the Angels' lineup. Kevin Frandsen has been raking in his place.


Brett Anderson: Early reports from Friday's MRI are not good. With Anderson seemingly out of the picture in Oakland, the A's unlikely division lead is now more tenuous than ever. It should only be a little while before Oakland fades into the sunset and ships off every expiring contract they have, and even some that are not.


Nelson Cruz: He is having monster year on the field, hitting .327 with 10 hrs and 7 steals in only 32 games. If Cruz comes back 100% in a week or two, then the Rangers have a legitimate shot at the AL West title this year.


Jason Bartlett: He's having a real tough time getting on track this year after a surprisingly good campaign last year. The Rays hope the time off will help Bartlett get on track to help them try and fend off the Yankees.


Jacoby Ellsbury/Mike Cameron: Bill Hall, Darnell McDonald, and Jeremy Hermida do not qualify as a starting outfield on a playoff team. It can't be understated how important Ellsbury and Cameron are to the Sox team, especially Ellsbury, and the fake activation from the DL is only salt in the wounds of the Red Sox.


Nick Johnson: This might have been the biggest move of the year for the Yanks so far. Johnson's .167 average, in the two hole none the less, was just not getting it done. Now, the Bombers can stick Jorge Posada in the DH spot and let the red hot Francisco Cervelli play behind the dish every day.


Jair Jurrjens: Kris Medlen has been good enough in the rotation for the Braves, but he is not Jurrjens. Medlen will presumably become an integral part of the Braves pen in front of Takashi Saito and Billy Wagner once Jurrjens comes back. Until then, the Braves need to hope Medlen keeps it up.


Brad Penny: The latest Dave Duncan reclamation project had been wonderful this season, until the injury. With struggling Kyle Lohse on the DL next to him, the Cards will be in severe trouble if P.J. Walters and Adam Ottavino are forced to pitch in the majors for very long.


Vincente Padilla: Is he an ace? Definitely not. Is he an integral part of the Dodger's rotation. Definitely. The Dodgers need pitching something fierce, although DFA'ing Ramon Ortiz was a step in the right direction.


Edgar Renteria: Renteria has been hitting very well all season, after his incredible start to the 2010 campaign. The Giants actually have some options in the infield that can fill in for Edgar, notably Juan Uribe. For now, the Giants have enough to get by without him.


Mark DeRosa: DeRosa joins Nick Johnson and Brandon Wood in the "my injury helped my team" category. DeRosa's injury started a chain of events that led to the promotion of Buster Posey. Now, with Posey at first, possibly splitting time with Pat Burrell, Aubrey Huff in left, and Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval manning the other positions DeRosa plays, Mark might be relegated to a utility role upon his return.


John Maine: Just as he was starting to put things together. Hasinori Takahashi and RA Dickey have been good options thus far for the Mets, but after being roughed up by the Padres, Takahashi might end up being better suited for the pen after all.


Luis Castillo: Maybe Castillo fits into the "my injury helped my team" category as well. His injury gives Ruben Tejada the chance to play second every day (I hope). Tejada offers much better play in the field, on the bases, and maybe even at the dish, as Luis had been struggling offensively.


Jason Marquis: I can't believe the Nationals are in the contenders category and not banished along with the likes of the Royals, Indians, and D-Backs. Marquis struggled early on, but he is still an important part of the Nat's rotation that will boast Stephen Strasburg and possibly Roy Oswalt.


Chris Young: Far and away the best Friar's pitcher. Young will be absent for a while, but with the way John Garland and Clayton Richard are pitching so far, the Padres might just be able to hang in the race for long enough to get Young back.


Jimmy Rollins: Rollins has to be wrapped in bubble wrap to stay in one piece. The Phils are floundering of late and desperately need their on-field leader to return and displace the likes of Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro.


Ryan Madson: As well as Jose Contreras has pitched, he is still the same train-wreck that has been in the league the last couple years. If Lidge falters and Contreras comes back to earth, Madson's boneheaded decision to kick that chair in the midst of a temper tantrum could really hurt Philly.


Edinson Volquez: Suspended and hurt, but when he comes back he will be a very big part of the Red's rotation.


Huston Street: Street is still a premier closer in the major leagues, but he needs to find a way to stay healthy. Street will probably be a huge part of preserving many more leads for Colorado later on this season.


Jorge de la Rosa: De la Rosa has been solid this year and is fighting for a luxurious contract after this season. Once de la Rosa returns, the Rockies will have a much stronger rotation than their NL West counterparts.


And last, but not least, Schultz says: "For this week, we're going to start at the point in time where the last Schultz Says ended, right in the middle of a rambling monologue concerning Buster Posey's prospects as catcher. Forever adrift in the annals of history will be the long lost last line of what will surely be an oft-talked about and endlessly debated Memorial Day edition of the column. All right, now I've built it up too much, it really wasn't that insightful but it's one of the true adages of rotisserie baseball. One of the more valuable commodities in this time consuming endeavor that has led you to this point is a position player with catcher eligibility: a catcher who doesn't catch. If Posey is going to spend his time in the majors at first base, he can spend some time in your lineup as your catcher.

If you're the guy in your league who ended up with Jose Bautista, here's your game plan for the month of June. Find the owner in your league that is known to be clueless. You know who I'm talking about. The guy who has the team that habitually finishes near the bottom of your league because he annually trades away solid starters for the rookie with a career .240 batting average in the minors that hits 450 his first week in the major or the journeyman pitcher who has had a fluky couple weeks leading everyone to think there's been a massive turnaround. (If you don't know who this person is in your league, go look in a mirror and I suspect you'll find him). This is the guy who will overpay for you for Bautista, who has 20 hits and 18 home runs. Spin the wheel and make the deal.

You could probably cut and paste Livan Hernandez into the above paragraph and it would still make sense.

With Grady Sizemore out for the rest of the year, you can count on Michael Brantley getting a recall up the bigs. However, the Indians aren't going to be chartering any planes just yet. With time on their side, the Tribe may be inclined to see what they have in Trevor Crowe. He didn't do much with his opportunity last year and before shifting their focus to Brantley, the Tribe might see if this Crowe can fly."

 

[HacheMan]

Spotlighting the Sellers
I'm skipping the notes for a week in favor of a look at some trade candidates. I'm going to run down the potential sellers in MLB and identify some of the players who could come up for bid.

Trade Candidates

Baltimore - With a league-worst 15-41 record headed into Sunday's action, the Orioles wouldn't exactly seem to be ripe for the picking. However, Kevin Millwood and Luke Scott figure to draw quite a bit of interest. Millwood has a solid 4.29 ERA and a 63/21 K/BB ratio in 79 2/3 innings despite pitching in baseball's toughest division. He has surrendered 14 homers already, but pitching in Camden Yards is playing a role there.

Millwood has a limited no-trade clause, but he's already talked about being willing to pitch for the Mets. St. Louis would also make a lot of sense as a destination. Since he's a free agent at season's end, he seems nearly certain to go, assuming that he stays off the disabled list.

After a slow start, Scott is hitting .265/.333/.523 with 10 homers. One of the game's more underrated hitters, he has a career .264/.348/.497 line and he's far from helpless against lefties. Scott turns 32 this month, he has limited defensive value and he's probably going to command $5 million-$6 million in arbitration next year, so he is expendable. He might fit with the A's or the Mariners if they can get back into the AL West race.

Ty Wigginton is having a career year at age 32 and is a free agent at season's end. The Orioles might prefer to re-sign him given that they have question marks at first base and third base for 2011.

In the bullpen, temporary closer Will Ohman may have some real value, though he won't bring back the same kind of package that George Sherrill did last year. Mark Hendrickson could fetch a lesser prospect.


Cleveland - The Indians probably won't get draft picks back for free-agents-to-be Kerry Wood, Jake Westbrook and Russell Branyan, so they might as well trade them. It's just a matter of finding takers. Barring a great run over the next six weeks, Wood is more likely to go in an August deal than in July. Westbrook could be in the same boat. He's been strong over the last month, lowering his ERA from 5.74 to 4.36, but his peripherals remain shaky. Those two will be more attractive when they're only owed another $2 million-$3 million. Right now, any team picking either up would be on the hook for about $7 million.

Since overcoming his back problems, Branyan has hit .248/.323/.487 with seven homers in 113 at-bats. The Mariners could use his bat in the middle of their lineup, and he's likely come cheap. As a winter free agent signing, Branyan has no-trade protection through June 15. However, he'll be fair game then.

The Indians are leaning towards declining Jhonny Peralta's $7 million option for 2011, which would make him a free agent. There's no market for his services now, but he'd make sense as a stopgap if a contender loses its third baseman to injury.

Austin Kearns and Mark Grudzielanek are other veterans who could go.

The real prize here would be Fausto Carmona. The 26-year-old right-hander has bounced back from two disastrous seasons to open 2010 with a 3.53 ERA through 11 starts. His unusual contract includes options for 2012-14 that total $28 million. It's a big price tag for a guy who just flaked out for two years. Still, he's back looking like a building block now and the Indians would ask for a lot in return.


Kansas City - The Royals will hope someone offers to take Jose Guillen and Kyle Farnsworth off their hands. However, it's Joakim Soria and David DeJesus teams are more likely to ask about. Scott Podsednik figures to draw inquiries as well.

Soria is outstanding and under control through 2014, but he's wasted closing out games for a team that's on pace for 65 wins. If the Royals can get a king's ransom for him, they'd be silly not to take it. The Phillies still have some top prospects to barter with.

DeJesus is due just $6 million under the terms of his 2011 option, so he's still a nice asset. He's hitting .303/.378/.460 through 211 at-bats this season. He'd be a great fit for San Diego's outfield, and the Braves and Yankees are a couple of more teams that could consider him. The Royals, though, will probably keep him.


Chicago White Sox - Paul Konerko's name is the one that keeps coming up. He has 16 homers already, and he appears on his way to what will be his best season since 2006, if not his best season ever.

Of course, whenever Konerko is involved in trade rumors, the Angels always top the list. It makes particular sense now, as Kendry Morales is done for months or maybe the season. The problem there is that the Angels need help immediately and the White Sox may not be ready to give up on the season just yet. If the White Sox wait, there might not be any takers for Konerko remaining in July.

One player who likely is available now is Bobby Jenks. The White Sox, though, can't expect much in return for their closer, who is sporting a 5.40 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP. If he does go, Matt Thornton is likely to replace him.

I don't think we'll see the White Sox's other big ticket players moved. A.J. Pierzynski, Andruw Jones, Mark Kotsay, Freddy Garcia, J.J. Putz and Tony Pena Jr. could draw limited interest. I doubt anyone will want Juan Pierre.


Seattle - It's really all about Cliff Lee. The Mariners don't have any money problems, so they'll wait until late July before making a call on whether to sell. Although he's going to be a free agent, Lee should bring back an elite prospect or two very good ones. The cost will be particularly high since he'll be a Type A free agent and he'll fetch two draft picks if the Mariners keep him now and lose him in December.

Besides Lee, the most notable name will be slumping third baseman Jose Lopez. The Mariners are frustrated with him, but Lopez is still just 26 and, according to UZR, he's been a terrific defender at his new position this year. He could intrigue non-contenders, given his modest $4.5 million salary for 2011 and the fact that he won't be a free agent until after 2012.


Toronto - The Jays entered Sunday tied with the Twins for the AL's fourth-best record. However, that merely leaves them tied for third in the AL East. In any other division, it'd make sense for them to add a piece or two and attempt a playoff run. However, they simply don't have as much talent as the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox.

Working under that assumption, the Jays should still be open to moving Lyle Overbay and a pitcher or two from the group of Kevin Gregg, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs and Brian Tallet. All but Tallet will be eligible for free agency at season's end, though the Jays do have a $4.5 million option on Gregg.

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Arizona - If there's good news, it's that expendable pieces like Kelly Johnson, Adam LaRoche and Chris Snyder have really helped their trade value so far this year. Johnson is hitting .264/.370/.539, costs next to nothing and is under control for 2011, though he's in line for something like $5 million-$6 million in arbitration. He could be a huge upgrade for the Mets.

LaRoche, a free agent to be, is slumping recently, but he's still hitting .260/.354/.464 and he's on pace to drive in 100 runs. Snyder has proven to be completely over the back surgery that killed his trade value last year. He doesn't hit for average, but he has a 765 OPS this year anyway and he's always been a solid defensive catcher.

Since blowing things up completely is an option, the Diamondbacks will weigh a Dan Haren move. Haren is making just $8.25 million this year, and he's under control at $25.5 million for 2011-12. There's also a 2013 option on his contract worth $15.5 million. He'd be a very hot property despite an inflated 4.83 ERA this year and his history of second-half fades. The Mets and Cardinals could be his top suitors.

Closer Chad Qualls and setup man Aaron Heilman are other candidates to go. Both are free agents at season's end. Heilman would close if Qualls is traded. If both are moved, the Diamondbacks would have to go to a committee until someone -- hopefully Juan Gutierrez -- steps up.


Houston - The Astros have little hope of reemerging as a contender in 2011, so ideally, they'd be able to shed all of their big salaries this year. Alas, Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman all have no-trade clauses and Lee, at least, seems unlikely to waive his. Lee would be the hardest to move anyway. Oswalt is likely to go. He's not a New York kind of guy, but he just wants to pitch for a contender and he has said he's willing to give D.C. a try after the Nationals expressed interest in him.

Berkman could be a tougher sell, given that there are far fewer teams in need of first basemen than ace starters. He's making $14.5 million this season, and his $15 million option for next year includes a $2 million buyout. My guess is that he stays.

Brett Myers is intriguing, given his success this year and modest salary. He might end up bringing nearly as much as Oswalt in return, since he's not weighed down by the hefty contract and the no-trade clause. He has a 3.04 ERA in 11 starts this year.

The Astros could move closer Matt Lindstrom if they get a strong offer, but they'll be more inclined to keep him. He's making just $1.625 million this season, and he's under control through 2012.


Pittsburgh - The Pirates don't have a lot left after doing so much selling last year. Zach Duke's stock is well down, and while Paul Maholm is solid, no contender is going to be dying to have him start Game 3 of a postseason series.

Octavio Dotel will probably be moved. He had some rough outings early, but he's allowed just two runs in 13 innings since the beginning of May and he's fanned 32 in 22 1/3 innings this season. The Pirates can plug Evan Meek into the closer's role after he goes.

As far as defensively challenged, injury-prone catchers go, Ryan Doumit is pretty good. Still, with Pierzynski and Snyder out there, there are more catchers available than there are contenders that need them.


Milwaukee - While things aren't quite hopeless yet, the Brewers need to rally over the next few weeks or changes will come next month. Prince Fielder remains a long shot to be moved, but Randy Wolf, Corey Hart, Rickie Weeks, Jim Edmonds, Crfaig Counsell and Carlos Villanueva will appeal to teams.


Chicago Cubs - The Cubs probably won't be sellers, but they do have the option of moving either Derrek Lee or Xavier Nady, possibly to the Angels. They could also trade a starter, either Tom Gorzelanny or Carlos Silva. They'll want to stay in the NL Central race and get some bullpen help, but they could retool in the process

 

[HacheMan]

Company For Strasburg
These next 48 hours should be heaven for prospect hounds, with the draft kicking off in prime-time tonight followed by arguably baseball's top pitching prospect and top hitting prospect both being called up to debut Tuesday. At this point everyone knows about Stephen Strasburg's impending arrival in Washington, but the Marlins also announced Sunday that 20-year-old outfielder Mike Stanton will called up from Double-A.

Stanton led the minors in homers during the past two seasons and has stepped things up even further this year by going deep 21 times in 52 games at Double-A despite being one of just four 20-year-olds in the Southern League. Better yet the 6-foot-5, 240-pound slugger has responded to questions about his high strikeout rate by whiffing 20 percent less and walking 60 percent more while hitting a career-high .311.

I have little doubt that Stanton will hit for huge power in the majors after homering 89 times in 323 games as a minor leaguer, but promoting him to the big leagues after 52 games above Single-A and zero time at Triple-A is very aggressive on the Marlins' part and he's certainly far more likely than Strasburg to struggle initially. Cameron Maybin figures to be the odd man out in the outfield now that Chris Coghlan is hitting again.

While the Nationals prepare to select Bryce Harper with the No. 1 overall pick tonight, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Ubaldo Jimenez's scoreless streak came to an end Sunday at 33 innings, as he cruised through seven shutout innings before serving up a two-run homer to Conor Jackson for his first runs allowed since May 15. Orel Hershiser's record streak is safe again, but 11-1 with a 0.93 ERA is still pretty damn amazing. In fact, the last pitcher with a lower ERA in the first 12 starts of a season is Dutch Leonard way back in 1914. Seriously.

* Just a couple weeks ago Matt Capps was a perfect 16-for-16 closing out games for the Nationals, but Sunday's blown save was his fourth in six chances since and his third in four games this month. His overall numbers are still solid, as Capps is 18-for-22 in saves with a 3.62 ERA and 25/7 K/BB ratio in 27.1 innings, but he's now allowed 14 runs in his last 10 outings and both Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen are waiting in the wings.

* Detroit re-signed Adam Everett for $1.55 million after he hit .238 with a .613 OPS last year, but he was designated for assignment Sunday after hitting .185 with a .468 OPS this year. Presumably they'll give Ramon Santiago more starts at shortstop following the move, but there's also speculation that 2007 second-round pick Danny Worth could be given a shot to play regularly despite hitting just .256 with a .662 OPS in the minors.

* Last week the Cardinals expressed optimism that Brad Penny would be back from his strained lat muscle by the middle of the month, but this weekend a team source told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch that he may not be ready until July. Penny is slated for a bullpen session at some point this week, but Tony La Russa called it "fortunate" if he can rejoin the rotation during the week-long homestand that begins June 14.

* Don't make a draft day mistake, follow me on Twitter.

AL Quick Hits: Javier Vazquez allowed just one hit in seven innings of two-run ball Sunday, with a Vernon Wells homer doing the only damage ... Orlando Hudson (wrist) may finally be headed to the disabled list after not playing since May 30 ... Jeremy Bonderman was roughed up for seven runs on 11 hits Sunday after five straight Quality Starts ... Mike Cameron (abdomen) started Sunday for the first time since May 30, playing center field and batting eighth ... Doug Fister was placed on the DL after missing Saturday's start with shoulder fatigue ... One day after allowing four runs without recording an out, Will Ohman received his first save chance Sunday and blew a one-run lead ... Brandon Morrow had his most impressive start of the season Sunday against the Yankees, whiffing eight and walking one in seven innings of one-run ball ... Leading off Sunday for the second straight game, John Jaso homered and drove in five runs ... Justin Morneau was out of the starting lineup for both weekend games with the flu ... Josh Hamilton drove in a run as a pinch-hitter Sunday after getting a cortisone shot in his right knee.

NL Quick Hits: Tim Lincecum got back on track Sunday with seven innings of three-run ball, although it was against the Pirates ... Carlos Beltran (knee) is reportedly still 4-6 weeks from potentially coming off the disabled list, but is at least playing extended spring training games now ... Randy Wells struggled again Sunday versus the Astros' weak lineup and is now 0-4 with a 6.11 ERA since May 1 ... Joining in on all the prospect fun, the Pirates are expected to call up Brad Lincoln to start Wednesday ... Hanley Ramirez was moved to the leadoff spot Sunday for the first time this season, drawing three walks ... Homer Bailey (shoulder) may be asked to make a rehab start at Triple-A rather than rejoining the Reds' rotation Tuesday ... Chipper Jones is hoping to be back in the lineup Tuesday after getting a cortisone injection in the knuckle of his right ring finger ... Pablo Sandoval returned to the third spot in the batting order Sunday after hitting eighth Saturday ... John Axford notched his fourth save Sunday as the Brewers used five relievers and none of them were Trevor Hoffman.

 

[HacheMan]

Draft Night, Strasburg Day
The top of the draft played out exactly as expected Monday night, with the Nationals taking 17-year-old phenom Bryce Harper first overall, the Pirates picking high school right-hander Jameson Taillon at No. 2, and the Orioles selecting high school shortstop Manny Machado at No. 3. The only real surprise was that Harper was announced as an outfielder after playing primarily catcher this season in junior college.

Last week agent Scott Boras made it clear that he wanted Harper to move out from behind the plate as a pro and apparently the Nationals agreed, choosing to ditch the value of positional scarcity and defense in favor of fewer health risks and demands defensively. Ultimately his bat will determine whether Harper lives up to the hype and he's certainly likely to move much quicker through the minors as a corner outfielder.

In addition to the presence of Bud Selig and incredibly general, shallow analysis on MLB Network, part of the reason why the baseball draft can't compete with the NFL and NBA drafts in popularity is that even the very best prospects are rarely close to the majors. Harper is no exception and his timetable is much slower than Stephen Strasburg, who'll debut tonight just 364 days after being last year's No. 1. Harper is several years away.

While someone explains to me why MLB Network barely used their actual draft experts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Matt LaPorta was one of my favorite sleeper picks in AL-only leagues coming into the season, but he was slowed early making his way back from offseason hip surgery and batted just .218 with one homer and a .567 OPS through 35 games before the Indians demoted him to the minors Monday. Andy Marte came off the disabled list to replace LaPorta on the roster, but doesn't figure to see much action barring more injuries.

If healthy I'm still confident that LaPorta will eventually develop into a power bat and likely middle-of-the-order threat for Cleveland, but for now the Indians will stick with veterans Russell Branyan and Austin Kearns at first base and left field, and perhaps try to cash them in for value at the trade deadline. LaPorta is 25 years old and already crushed Triple-A pitching, so his return will rely on looking healthy and like his old self.

* As the baseball world prepares for today's arrival of both Strasburg and Mike Stanton, another top prospect is regressing. Aroldis Chapman allowed seven runs in two innings Monday at Triple-A, walking six and throwing just 33 of 72 pitches for strikes. Chapman has shown flashes of brilliance, but a mediocre 4.45 ERA and 61/34 K/BB ratio in 54.2 innings overall show the dangers of getting too caught up in spring training hype.

* Matthew Pouliot analyzed the first-round picks last night over at Hardball Talk, so click here for his thoughts on the first five picks and click here for his write-ups of the rest of the top 15. And if for some reason you're exceptionally interested in No. 21 pick and Ohio State right-hander Alex Wimmers, click here for my Twins-heavy take.

AL Quick Hits: For the second time in four starts Daisuke Matsuzaka tossed eight shutout innings Monday ... Cliff Lee took a shutout into the ninth inning Monday and now has an amazing 57/4 K/BB ratio on the season ... Brian Roberts (back) was unable to play an extended spring training game Monday and is headed for another doctor's visit ... Josh Hamilton (knee) rejoined the lineup Monday after getting a cortisone injection ... Jonathan Papelbon was placed on bereavement leave Monday, meaning Daniel Bard has at least three games as the fill-in closer ... Erik Bedard (shoulder) threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Monday, but remains far from coming off the disabled list ... ESPN reported Monday that the White Sox are shopping Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski told MLB.com that he'd be open to a trade ... After placing Mike Sweeney (Achilles') on the shelf Monday the Mariners called up Mike Carp and started him at first base over Casey Kotchman ... Chone Figgins was bumped to ninth in the batting order Monday despite hitting well of late.

NL Quick Hits: Shut down after experiencing a setback on his rehab assignment, Mark DeRosa (wrist) could be headed for season-ending surgery ... Carlos Silva amazingly improved to 8-0 with seven innings of one-run ball Monday ... Charlie Manuel admitted Monday that Jimmy Rollins (calf) is unlikely to come off the disabled list before late next week ... Adrian Gonzalez broke up Cole Hamels' no-hitter with a homer in the seventh inning Monday and later added another long ball ... Bengie Molina is in a brutal 8-for-66 (.121) slump, so Buster Posey started at catcher Monday for the first time this season ... Todd Helton has been fitted for contact lenses in an effort to explain his lack of production ... Jair Jurrjens (hamstring) threw batting practice Monday and is slated for a simulated game Friday ... Homer Bailey (shoulder) will make a rehab start Tuesday at Triple-A ... Jeff Suppan was released Monday as the Brewers ate the remaining $8 million on his mistake of a contract ... Wade LeBlanc shut out the Phillies for seven innings Monday, winning for the first time since April ... Chipper Jones (finger) missed his fifth straight game Monday, but hopes to rejoin the lineup Tuesday ... Kosuke Fukudome is once again struggling after a monster April.

 

[HacheMan]

Nationals sticking with Capps

In this week's edition of Saves and Steals, your obstreperous correspondent notes with amusement the near-daily votes of confidence given by Jim Riggleman and Mike Scioscia to Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes, respectively, updates Jonathan Papelbon's status and wonders how long John Axford can hold off Trevor Hoffman.

In honor of the 2010 Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft, which was emceed by the always-awkward Bud Selig on Monday evening, this week's tiers are brought to you by the five levels of first-round pick draft values.


Tier 1: Elite (3) (AKA: The "Bryce Harper" Tier.)


Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers

Comment:
Jonathan Papelbon was placed on the bereavement list Monday with a family medical issue. Although it's not yet known how long he will miss, a player on the bereavement list must vacate the roster for at least three games, so he's out through at least Wednesday.

Daniel Bard should receive save chances until that time. In a non-save situation Monday against the Indians, he allowed one run in the ninth inning on two hits.


Tier 2: Rock Steady (10) (AKA: The "Zach Cox" Tier.)


Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals
Francisco Rodriguez, New York Mets
Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers
Heath Bell, San Diego Padres
Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati Reds

Rafael Soriano, Tamp a Bay Rays

Billy Wagner, Atlanta Braves

Comment:
Rafael Soriano has allowed only one earned run since the start of May and hasn't yet blown a save opportunity.

And speaking of closers enjoying stellar starts with new teams, Billy Wagner may want to reconsider his desire to retire after the season. He's still one of the best in the business. While Wagner has only nine saves, he has produced a 1.61 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 35/9 K/BB rate over 22 2/3 innings.


Tier 3: OK options (5) (AKA: The "Alex Wimmers" Tier.)


Jon Rauch, Minnesota Twins
Leo Nunez, Florida Marlins
Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals
Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers
Matt Capps, Washington Nationals

Comment:
Despite blowing his fourth save of the season by surrendering three runs to the Reds in Sunday's 4-3 loss, Matt Capps was given another vote of confidence by manager Jim Riggleman after the game. Capps has been scored upon in seven out of his last 10 appearances. He followed a 0.68 ERA in 12 April appearances with a 5.73 ERA in May. Unfortunately, things have gotten even worse in June, as he's already blown three saves this month and allowed eight runs -- three earned -- in four appearances. Capps leads the majors with 18 saves, but his ERA is up to 3.62.

It seems doubtful that Riggleman would change his mind about Capps' status anytime in the near future, but keep in mind that Tyler Clippard is probably just ahead of Drew Storen as next-in-line for save opportunities.


Tier 4: Question marks (6) (AKA: The "Michael Choice" Tier.)

David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners
Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
Kevin Gregg, Toronto Blue Jay
Matt Lindstrom, Houston Astros
Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians
Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox

Comment:
David Aardsma was rocked on Sunday by the Angels for three runs in a non-save situation. He's been getting thumped for over a month, now. Aardsma has allowed a 7.71 ERA since the beginning of May, surrendering a .324/.390/.486 line to opposing hitters while blowing two saves and collecting two losses in 10 appearances. He doesn't appear to have job security issues just yet, but Brandon League is probably next-in-line for saves if he continues to falter.

Capps wasn't the only embattled closer to receive a vote of confidence over the weekend.

Brian Fuentes was backed publicly once again by Angels manager Mike Scioscia on Sunday. He's produced a 5.52 ERA, three blown saves and one stint on the DL, but Scioscia will stick with him over Fernando Rodney, who has a 2.70 ERA and converted five save opportunities with five scoreless innings while Fuentes was hurt earlier this year. Rodney is still worth stashing at the back end of fantasy rosters, as Fuentes' grip on the job is tenuous at best.


Tier 5: Rollercoaster rides (6) (AKA: The "Hayden Simpson" Tier.)

Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies

John Axford, Milwaukee Brewers
Octavio Dotel, Pittsburgh Pirates
Chad Qualls, Arizona Diamondbacks
Manny Corpas, Colorado Rockies
Will Ohman, Baltimore Orioles

Comment:
Brad Lidge struck out a pair of Padres with filthy sliders in a commanding ninth inning on Friday to earn his first save since coming off the disabled list. He's given up just one run over seven appearances this season and is the undisputed closer in Philadelphia once again.

John Axford collected his fourth save Sunday against the Cardinals by tossing a scoreless tenth inning. He's clearly the first choice in save situations and is doing a fine job of convincing Brewers manager Ken Macha to hold off on re-insterting Trevor Hoffman into the ninth-inning role. Milwaukee, in fact, used five relievers in Sunday's 5-4 extra-inning win, and Hoffman was not one of them.

The Brewers promoted Triple-A Nashville closer Chris Smith on Monday, which is at least worth keeping an eye on. The 29-year-old right-hander doesn't have a history of major league success but was lights out for the Sounds this season.

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Injured

Joe Nathan, Minnesota Twins (Out for the season with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow)
Mike Gonzalez, Baltimore Orioles (60-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder)
Huston Street, Colorado Rockies (15-day disabled list with shoulder stiffness)
Ryan Madson, Philadelphia Phillies (15-day disabled list with a broken toe)
Alfredo Simon, Baltimore Orioles (15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring)

Comment:
Mike Gonzalez struggled in Saturday's bullpen session and it's safe to say his activation timeline has been pushed back. He's scheduled for another bullpen session on Tuesday.

Street is scheduled to appear for Triple-A Colorado Spring on Thursday and Friday and could return to Colorado's bullpen in a week or so.

The Graveyard:
Frank Francisco, Texas Rangers
Jason Frasor, Toronto Blue Jay
Jim Johnson, Baltimore Orioles
Trevor Hoffman, Milwaukee Brewers

<CENTER>* * * * * * * * * *</CENTER>

The Steals Department

It's time for mixed leaguers to take Angel Pagan seriously. He's owned in only 46.5% of ESPN leagues and is on an even smaller percentage of rosters in Yahoo leagues, despite the fact that he's posted a .291/.355/.427 line through 222 at-bats this season, numbers not far off from his .283/.336/.440 career production and even lower than the .306/.352/.503 line he mashed in the second half of last season while filling in for Carlos Beltran. He posted the latter numbers mostly out of the lead-off spot and has increased his RBI numbers this year after sliding down the batting order (he's been penciled in all over, but has hit second the last four games after a stretch of hitting sixth).

Beltran is still 4-6 weeks away from returning, according to team sources, and even when he gets back it's doubtful he will be able to play every single day. Because of Pagan's production, it's likely he would get near everyday at-bats even when Beltran is eventually activated between filling in for him on rest days and potentially slashing into Jeff Francoeur's playing time in right field.

But those are issues a month-plus away. For now, as is our custom in this space, lets focus on what stolen base potential Pagan could add to your mixed league roster. To this point in his career, based solely on prior production in the major leagues, Baseball Reference projects Pagan over a 162-game schedule for 18 steals, but that number understates his potential. Pagan never played full-time prior to the second half of last season and his career high for games played in a major league season is the 88 contests he participated in last year.

He was a major speed threat in the minors, averaging over 40 steals a season from 2001-2005, seasons in which he progressed from Low-A to Triple-A. As is some times the case with part-time players, he wasn't given complete autonomy on the bases early on in his major league career during the infrequent times in which he played, and that was reflected by meager stolen base outputs. But Pagan has often flashed terrific speed, such as when he motored to 11 triples in only 343 at-bats for the Mets last year. This year, he already has 10 steals (and an inside-the-park homer!) and should pass his previous career high of 14 swipes in 2009 prior to the All-Star break.

Since the second half of last season, Pagan has been known to astute owners as an underrated player that could fill the stat sheet. He has plenty of mixed league value and should be owned in far more leagues than he is now.

 

[HacheMan]

Strasburg's Debut: Wow
Stephen Strasburg lived up to the hype and then some Tuesday night, racking up 14 strikeouts in seven innings for the most any pitcher has had in his debut since Astros flame-thrower J.R. Richard in 1971. He was facing a weak Pirates lineup and did serve up a two-run homer to light-hitting Delwyn Young, but Strasburg was overpowering throughout and the Washington crowd was absolutely electric.

Jaw-dropping velocity gets most of the headlines and Strasburg's fastball was indeed in the high-90s all night, cracking triple-digits multiple times, but he also baffled the Pirates with his big-breaking curveball and underrated changeup. He threw 65 of 94 pitches for strikes, induced a ground ball for five of seven non-strikeout outs, and walked zero to become the first pitcher ever with 11 or more strikeouts and no walks in his debut.

Strasburg whiffed every hitter in Pittsburgh's lineup at least once, finished with seven straight strikeouts before being removed for a pinch-hitter with a 4-2 lead, and tied Max Scherzer for the most strikeouts in a game this season. And afterward he got a shaving cream pie to the face from rotation-mate John Lannan and donned the team's famous silver Elvis wig. Save for one swing by Young, it was essentially a perfect debut.

While the Strasburg world tour travels to Cleveland this weekend, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Mike Stanton's debut was completely overshadowed by Strasburg's brilliance, but the 20-year-old Marlins slugger acquitted himself nicely by going 3-for-5 with two runs in his first game Tuesday. Batting seventh in Florida's lineup he struck out once and notched three singles, so it wasn't exactly the power-hitting equivalent of Strasburg's gem, but as far as opening acts go it was certainly a good one.

* After seeing first hand what a top prospect can do, the Pirates will call up both Brad Lincoln and Jose Tabata from Triple-A for Wednesday's game. Lincoln went right after Evan Longoria as the fourth pick in the 2006 draft and has bounced back pretty well from Tommy John surgery in 2007, with a 3.89 ERA and 97/24 K/BB ratio in 130 innings at Triple-A. He longer projects as a star, but is capable of being a mid-rotation guy.

Tabata was acquired from the Yankees in the mid-2008 deal for Xavier Nady and has seen his stock decline since showing lots of promise as a teenager in the low minors. He managed just 14 homers in 246 games between Double-A and Triple-A, but has hit .290 during that time and should develop more pop at 21 years old. Even if the power never comes Tabata's speed has fantasy upside with 27 steals in 84 games at Triple-A.

* One day after Matt LaPorta was demoted back to the minors another of my preseason sleeper picks bit the dust Tuesday, as the Pirates sent Jeff Clement and his .189 batting average to Triple-A. I'm still pretty confident that LaPorta will be a productive bat in the middle of the Indians' lineup some day, but Clement is a couple years older with a lesser minor-league track record and could be running out of chances.

* Jacoby Ellsbury spent six weeks on the disabled list and returned for just three games last month before being placed back on the shelf, and now at the urging of agent Scott Boras he's seeking a second opinion on his ribs from Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles. At this stage there's no way to pinpoint any kind of timetable for Ellsbury's return, but for better or worse hopefully meeting with Yocum will at least provide some clarity.

AL Quick Hits: Armando Galarraga followed up his near perfect game last week with five innings of two-run ball in a no-decision Tuesday ... Jeff Niemann allowed just two hits Tuesday in a complete-game shutout of the Blue Jays, improving to 6-0 with a 2.48 ERA ... Michael Cuddyer returned from bereavement leave Tuesday, but J.J. Hardy (wrist) remained out of the lineup and the Twins placed Orlando Hudson (wrist) on the disabled list ... Kevin Millwood fell to 0-7 while allowing 15 baserunners in 5.2 innings Tuesday ... Kansas City once again didn't give him any support, but Zack Greinke also struggled Tuesday while falling to 1-8 ... Chone Figgins isn't happy about being dropped to ninth in the batting order, but remained there Tuesday ... Carlos Pena homered twice and knocked in five runs Tuesday, but is still hitting just .183 ... Felix Hernandez was roughed up for seven runs Tuesday, dropping to 3-5 with a 3.77 ERA ... Kevin Slowey shut out the Royals for seven innings Tuesday, allowing just three hits with zero walks ... Magglio Ordonez was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with a sore oblique.

NL Quick Hits: Matt Cain hurled his fourth career complete-game shutout Tuesday against the Reds ... MLB's investigation has concluded that Oliver Perez's knee injury is legitimate enough to warrant a disabled list stint ... Casey McGehee delivered a walk-off single Tuesday for his NL-leading 45th RBI ... Ivan Rodriguez rushed back from the DL to catch Strasburg's debut Tuesday ... Mike Pelfrey held the Padres to one run on five hits in nine innings Tuesday, but got a no-decision in an extra-inning game ... Brad Lidge notched his third save Tuesday, but had to wriggle out of a bases-loaded mess to do it ... John Baker (elbow) will meet with doctors after experiencing a setback on his rehab assignment ... After going hitless in his first four at-bats Ike Davis delivered a walk-off homer in the 11th inning Tuesday ... Raul Ibanez broke out of his slump with four hits Tuesday, raising his batting average to .246 ... In addition to all the big names, the first first rounds of the draft also had some great names.

 

[HacheMan]

Ramirez Finally Hits The DL
After struggling with a deep bone bruise at the base of his left thumb for the better part of a month, Aramis Ramirez was finally placed on the disabled list Wednesday. He's hit just .168 with a miserable .517 OPS in 47 games this season, which is amazing for a guy whose worst marks in his first six years with the Cubs were a .289 batting average and .898 OPS. Don't expect the Cubs to rush him back.

Jeff Baker and Mike Fontenot have filled in for Ramirez at third base, but Chad Tracy was called up from Triple-A to replace him on the roster and may also see some action there if the Cubs are willing to sacrifice defense. Tracy hasn't been healthy and effective since 2007, but is still just 30 years old and was crushing Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .396 batting average and 1.075 OPS in 26 games.

While the Cubs do with the Ramirez what they probably should have done weeks ago, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Now that service time considerations are out the window teams are calling up their top prospects in bunches and Jake Arrieta will be the latest to make his debut when he joins the Orioles' rotation Thursday. Poor control keeps him from being an elite pitching prospect, but the 24-year-old right-hander has a good fastball-slider combination and has posted a 3.01 ERA with 142 strikeouts in 165 innings at Triple-A.

Arrieta is definitely worth adding in AL-only leagues, but an opening matchup with the Yankees sets the 2007 fifth-round pick up for a rough debut. Based on Arrieta's fastball velocity, strong slider, and shaky command there's been some talk of him fitting better as a late-inning reliever long term, but there's no indication that the Orioles plan to make that switch in the short term and he has mid-rotation potential as a starter.

* After struggling as a rookie last year Derek Holland looked great following his call-up in mid-May, going 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 15/3 K/BB ratio in three starts. He was used as a reliever on May 26 and then rejoined the rotation for a Sunday night start two weeks ago, but was removed in the second inning after throwing in the mid-80s and revealed afterward that his hand was numb.

Texas placed Holland on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, but now it sounds like something more significant is going on. Holland had to cut short a bullpen session Wednesday due to shoulder pain, throwing only 17 of a scheduled 30 pitches. At the very least the setback means he's unlikely to return this month and there's now a fear that the 23-year-old southpaw could be facing surgery.

AL Quick Hits: Justin Masterson tossed his first career complete-game shutout Wednesday against the team that drafted (and traded) him, two-hitting the Red Sox ... Kendry Morales will finally undergo surgery on his broken ankle Thursday and is still hoping to play again this season ... Brian Roberts has been shut down indefinitely and will undergo further tests on his injured back ... Jason Bartlett (hamstring) is expected to return from the disabled list when eligible Monday ... Mike Gonzalez (shoulder) was clocked in the mid-80s during an extended spring training game Tuesday ... Josh Beckett (back) is scheduled to play catch Saturday for the first time in two weeks ... Brett Gardner is day-to-day after X-rays on his injured thumb came back negative ... Felix Pie (back) has begun hitting off a tee, but isn't due back until at least next month ... According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com the Yankees are the clear front-runners for Cliff Lee if the Mariners decide to trade him ... Ozzie Guillen isn't happy about his son being drafted by the White Sox in the 22nd round.

NL Quick Hits: Buster Posey smacked his first career homer Wednesday and is now batting .450 ... Jose Tabata notched two hits before leaving his MLB debut with a sore hamstring Wednesday ... Jimmy Rollins (calf) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Monday at Single-A ... Mark DeRosa (wrist) has decided against surgery for now, but may not be able to return without going under the knife ... Adam Dunn and the Nationals have reportedly begun contract extension talks ... Scott Olsen has been shut down following a setback in his recovery from shoulder soreness ... John Maine (shoulder) will make his first rehab start Sunday at Double-A ... Gregg Zaun's career could be in jeopardy following season-ending shoulder surgery next week ... John Baker will be examined by Dr. James Andrews after suffering a setback while rehabbing his injured elbow ... Jayson Werth was benched Wednesday for the second straight game as he continues to clash with Charlie Manuel ... Less than 11 months removed from Tommy John surgery, Edinson Volquez is set to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.

 

[HacheMan]

Smoak Alarm
While we're all still trying to pick our collective jaws off the floor from Stephen Strasburg's historic debut on Tuesday night, I wanted to add a new wrinkle to Waiver Wired this week. That's right. We're going for a little shopping at the five-and-dime.

From this week forward, I plan to recommend at least two players who are owned in less 10 percent of leagues under the mixed league subheading. For this week's kick off, I've included three players. You'll find them at the bottom of this page. I know you can hardly contain your enthusiasm at the greatness that awaits you, but remember to read all the good stuff the precedes it, as well.

MIXED LEAGUES

Justin Smoak 1B, Rangers (Yahoo: 13 percent owned, ESPN: 11.5 percent)

Smoak arrived to the big leagues with plenty of fanfare in April, but batted just .175 with four home runs and 12 RBI through the end of May. The poor superficial results left him dumped on the wire in many formats despite an unlucky batting average on balls in play, an impressive line drive rate and an advanced approach at the plate. Well, things have finally started to even out for him in June, as the 23-year-old rookie is batting .400 (10-for-25) with two homers and eight RBI over his last nine games. I'd only deploy him against right-handed pitching for now, but that obviously still makes him plenty valuable in deeper mixed leagues.

Brett Cecil SP, Blue Jays (Yahoo: 40 percent owned, ESPN: 52.8 percent)

I harped on Cecil after his perfect game bid in early May, yet he's still widely available in most leagues. What gives? The 23-year-old left-hander has gone eight innings in back-to-back starts (the most recent of which was against the Yankees on Saturday) and he has allowed two runs or less in each of his last four outings. More broadly, Cecil has issued just 13 walks over his first 57 2/3 innings to go along with a stingy 1.01 WHIP. While it hasn't translated to the big leagues yet (42.6 percent groundball rate in 27 major league appearances), his minor league groundball rate of 59.7 percent hints at future success in that area.

Alfredo Simon RP, Orioles (Yahoo: 20 percent owned, ESPN: 12.3 percent)

Simon is scheduled to throw 30 pitches on Thursday, most likely in an extended spring training game. Provided he has no setbacks, the big right-hander is expected to be activated for Monday's series in San Francisco. Don't forget that he compiled a 2.92 ERA over 12 appearances and was 6-for-7 in save chances before going on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain last month. Interim Orioles skipper Juan Samuel has already made it pretty clear that he wants Simon to resume the ninth inning role upon his return, and with Mike Gonzalez topping out in the mid-80s down in extended spring training, he could keep the job for a while.

Gavin Floyd SP, White Sox (Yahoo: 49 percent owned, ESPN: 37.2 percent)

Yes, Floyd has been one of the season's biggest enigmas to this point, posting a 6.18 ERA over his first 12 starts, but I'm thinking now might be a good time to stash him. Besides a promising outing against the Tigers on Monday (6IP, 1ER, 8K), Floyd has endured an extremely unlucky batting average on balls in play (.369) and in turn, his strand rate is an equally unlucky 62.6 percent. Thus, while his ERA still looks like a horror show, his xFIP of 4.15 portends better days ahead. I'd like to see him build off Monday's outing before I'm a true believer, but there's enough of a track record here to justify a roster spot.

Julio Borbon OF, Rangers (Yahoo: 28 percent owned, ESPN: 30.4 percent)

Borbon scuffled to a .191/.214/.250 triple-slash in April and eventually found himself dropped out of the leadoff spot in favor of Elvis Andrus. Many were ready to write him off as a fantasy bust, however he has batted .313 with seven RBI and 13 runs scored since the start of May. Granted, it would be nice if he showed even an ounce of patience (just two walks in 167 at-bats this season) and he has been a bit of a disappointment in the stolen base department (8-for-12), but his recent run of success is enough to show that he isn't a lost cause in mixed leagues. Far from it.

Chris Coghlan OF, Marlins (Yahoo: 49 percent owned, ESPN: 50.2 percent)

He's at it again. The man who won the Rookie of the Year Award last season by getting hits in bunches has strung together seven multi-hit games in his last eight, improving his batting average from .217 to .265 in the process. If that isn't impressive enough, just know that Coghlan is batting an even .500 (15-for-30) over his first seven games this month. Sure, 20-year-old phenom Mike Stanton got the call from Double-A Jacksonville this week, but as long as Coghlan keeps hitting, Cameron Maybin should be the one worrying about playing time.

Gio Gonzalez SP, Athletics (Yahoo: 31 percent owned, ESPN: 25.7 percent)

I recommended Gonzalez as an AL-only option in early April, but it has taken me a long while to buy into him in mixed leagues. Old habits die hard, as Gonzalez has burned me far too often in the past due to his spotty control. While he's still far from perfect in that area (3.95 BB/9 this season), the young left-hander has allowed three runs or less in five straight starts and in eight of his last nine. Interestingly, Gonzalez is throwing harder than ever this season, yet his strikeouts are down -- 7.52 K/9 compared to 8.93 K/9 career. I'm no pitching coach, but if Gonzalez has finally learned how to locate his pitches instead of simply "throw," he may be able to maintain a similar level of success all season.

Shopping at the five-and-dime:

Carlos Guillen 2B/OF, Tigers (Yahoo: 6 percent owned, ESPN: 4.3 percent)

Guillen wasn't worthy of attention as an outfielder anymore, but with his new second base eligibility, he should be safe to use in most formats once again, especially in those that require a MI slot. Granted, he is coming off a disappointing year, but his current .288/.351/.462 batting line is nearly identical to his career triple-slash of .287/.358/.447. The 34-year-old will continue to be a bit of an injury risk and he loses some value by hitting lower in the order, but he should do enough to be a poor man's Placido Polanco. By the way, Polanco is owned in 83 percent of Yahoo! leagues and 100 percent of ESPN.com leagues.

Jason Hammel SP, Rockies (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 2.2 percent)

Hammel was punished to the tune of a 9.16 ERA over his first four starts before going on the disabled list with a strained right groin at the end of April. It was disappointing for someone who was called a sleeper in many circles this spring. Fortunately, he's been a new man since his return, going 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 29/6 K/BB ratio over his last five starts. The success hasn't exactly come out of nowhere. Though Hammel posted a 4.33 ERA last season, he actually pitched to an xFIP of 3.81, better than that of CC Sabathia, Ted Lilly and Clayton Kershaw, just to name a few. Oh, and this season? His xFIP sits at 3.74. Invest.

Felipe Paulino SP, Astros (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 3.5 percent)

I've championed this guy since the winter, so it's nice to see things finally starting to come together for the hard-throwing right-hander. Paulino has allowed two runs or less in five straight starts, improving his ERA from 5.72 to 3.82. Equally impressive, he has logged eight innings in each of his last three starts. Of course, Paulino was famously unlucky with the gopher ball in '09, but he has been fortunate enough to allow just two home runs in 67 2/3 innings so far this season. The 26-year-old still struggles with his command at times and it would be foolish to expect many wins on a pretty bad Astros team, but he should remain a nice source for strikeouts moving forward.



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AL ONLY

Michael Brantley OF, Indians (Yahoo: 7 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

I'm going to guess he's already gone if you are in a competitive league, so let this serve as a reminder that it's only a matter of when before Brantley is brought back to the majors. The 23-year-old earned a spot on the Opening Day roster, but batted just .156/.229/.188 in 32 at-bats before being sent to the minors in late April. Since then, he has batted .310/.389/.367 in 158 at-bats with Triple-A Columbus, including a five-hit game on Tuesday. With Grady Sizemore out for the year and the team currently sitting in last place in the AL Central, it's safe to say that the club with skew decidedly younger in the weeks to come.

Mike Carp 1B, Mariners (Yahoo: 0 percent owned, ESPN: 0 percent)

Casey Kotchman has been awful since the start of May, so the Mariners called up Carp this week with the intention of giving him regular playing time at first base. Carp, who turns 24 later this month, was acquired from the Mets in the J.J. Putz trade two winters ago. He batted .315/.415/.463 in 54 at-bats as a September callup last season and owns a .272/.368/.443 triple-slash in parts of seven minor league seasons. Carp possesses moderate power and is especially productive against right-handed pitching (867 OPS in minors). He's no sure thing, but is worth a claim as the M's try to find the right mix offensively.

Jake Arrieta SP, Orioles (Yahoo: 1 percent owned, ESPN: N/A)

There's perhaps no better way to tame the anticipation of a pitcher's major league debut than to see the Yankees on the schedule. That's especially true if you are a member of the Orioles. So while Arrieta doesn't come recommended for his debut on Thursday, that shouldn't distract too much from his 1.85 ERA over 12 games (11 starts) with Triple-A Norfolk this season. Armed with an impressive fastball-slider combo, the 24-year-old right-hander has posted a 2.89 ERA over four minor league seasons, averaging 8.9 K/9. His command can be spotty at times, but the O's still believe he can be a middle-of-the-rotation type for years to come.

Jack Cust OF, Athletics (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.6 percent)

I find it pretty interesting that Cust is still available in so many leagues when we all know what he is capable of. It's like folks are worried that Eric Chavez will come back and cut into his playing time or something. Fact is, despite the team's best efforts to get rid of him at the end of spring training, this lineup needs his bat. So far, Cust is batting .286/.367/.400 with two homers and eight RBI in 70 at-bats since being called up from Triple-A Sacramento last month. I don't expect his batting average to stick (.241 career batting average), but he should provide plenty of pop. He's especially valuable in leagues that use on-base percentage.

NL ONLY

Jose Tabata OF, Pirates (Yahoo: 4 percent owned, ESPN: 1.1 percent)

Tabata was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base in his major league debut against the Nationals on Wednesday night. He did leave the game after tweaking his right hamstring during his final at-bat, though the injury isn't expected to keep him out for long. The 21-year-old outfielder has yet to develop the power once expected of him as a prospect in the Yankees organization, but he has shown a penchant for getting on base (.365 on-base percentage in minors) and swiped 25 bases in 31 attempts through the first 53 games with Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He should find a home near the top of the Pirates' lineup.

Brad Lincoln SP, Pirates (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 1.9 percent)

It probably didn't help that Stephen Strasburg was an impossibly difficult act to follow, but Lincoln gave up five runs over six innings in his major league debut against the Nationals on Wednesday night. The 25-year-old right-hander sat mostly in the 92-94 mph range with his heater and showcased a sharp curveball. The No. 4 overall selection from 2006 has largely fallen off the radar since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2007, but he has pitched to a 3.89 ERA over 23 starts at the Triple-A level. We're not talking about a star here, so don't look for him to win you any leagues, but he projects to be a middle-of-the-rotation arm.

Madison Bumgarner SP, Giants (Yahoo: 3 percent owned, ESPN: 0.3 percent)

Bumgarner made the news for the wrong reasons this week, but the young left-hander has actually enjoyed quite the resurgence of late, finding the long-lost velocity on his fastball after some mechanical tweaks. The 2007 first-round pick is 6-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 1.38 WHIP through his first 12 starts with Triple-A Fresno and though those numbers aren't nearly as impressive as his showings in Single-A and Double-A, Giants manager Bruce Bochy recently said that Bumgarner was "real close" to earning a promotion to the major leagues. With Todd Wellemeyer on thin ice, you'd have to think an opportunity isn't far off.

Edinson Volquez SP, Reds (Yahoo: 5 percent owned, ESPN: N/A)

Volquez is scheduled to make his first minor league rehab start with Single-A Lynchburg on Saturday. It will be his first game since undergoing Tommy John surgery last August. Luckily for Volquez, he was able to serve his 50-game suspension while he was on the disabled list, so he'll be able to return to the big leagues as soon as he is physically able. Right now, it appears late July is a realistic target. It's tricky to compare Volquez to somebody else, but remember the boost that Tim Hudson provided for the Braves and fantasy teams alike down the stretch last season. It's not a bad idea to stash him away if you have the proper room.

 

[HacheMan]

Another Setback for Ellsbury
Jacoby Ellsbury will be shut down for at least the next several weeks after a second opinion on his injured ribs revealed a new set of fractures Thursday. According to Dr. Lewis Yocum the new fractures were likely suffered during the three games between Ellsbury's original injury in mid-April and return to the disabled list in late May, which is remarkable given that he's played a grand total of just nine games all season.

There's no timetable for Ellsbury's return, but he clearly won't be back this month and now seems unlikely to play again before the All-Star break in mid-July. Assuming that Mike Cameron can stay healthy in center field Boston figures to keep platooning Jeremy Hermida with either Bill Hall or Darnell McDonald in left field, although if Ellsbury suffers another setback it wouldn't be surprising to see the Red Sox shopping for a bigger bat.

While the Red Sox hope this doesn't end up as a lost season for Ellsbury, here are some other notes from around baseball ...

* Jake Arrieta won his his MLB debut Thursday despite a tough first matchup against the Yankees, striking out six and pitching around some shaky control to allow three runs in six innings. David Hernandez closed out Arrieta's first victory by picking up his first save just hours after new manager Juan Samuel officially handed him ninth-inning duties until Alfredo Simon returns from the disabled list next week.

Hernandez struggled mightily in the rotation, going 5-15 with a 5.49 ERA in 27 starts, but racked up tons of strikeouts in the minors and has the raw stuff to potentially thrive as a late-inning reliever. Hernandez's average fastball as a starter was 93.0 miles per hour, so focusing on short outings should get him into the mid-90s and it wouldn't be surprising to see Samuel give him some save chances even after Simon returns.

* Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes reports the Indians will call up 24-year-old catcher Carlos Santana before Friday's game. Acquired from the Dodgers in the mid-2008 trade for Casey Blake, he's emerged as arguably the best of the MLB-ready prospects not already called up this month. A switch-hitter with power and patience, Santana has hit .307/.440/.568 with 12 homers and more walks than strikeouts in 56 games at Triple-A.

* Jon Niese threw seven innings of one-run ball Saturday in his first start since returning from a hamstring injury and was even better Thursday, hurling a one-hit shutout against the Padres. Niese struck out six and walked none, retiring 21 straight batters after Chris Denorfia's leadoff double in the third inning. He had a few clunkers leading up to the DL stint, but pitched very well in April and has been fantastic since returning.

* Earlier this week the Angels were said to be holding out at least some hope of Kendry Morales playing again this season, but he finally underwent surgery Thursday to repair the broken ankle suffering while celebrating a walk-off homer and afterward indications were that he's all but certain to miss the rest of the year. Now that the White Sox are admitted sellers, it'll be interesting to see if the Angels are again linked to Paul Konerko.

AL Quick Hits: Alex Rodriguez left Thursday's game with a groin injury ... Daniel Bard blew a save Thursday in his final game filling in for closer Jonathan Papelbon ... John Danks allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings Thursday, out-dueling Max Scherzer ... Billy Butler got his first day off Thursday and Wilson Betemit homered twice in his place ... Brian Roberts will get a third epidural in his injured back Friday, meaning he isn't close to returning ... Magglio Ordonez (oblique) will be examined by doctors after missing his second straight game Thursday ... Brett Cecil held the Rangers to one run in 6.2 innings Thursday, improving to 7-2 with a 3.22 ERA ... Erik Bedard (shoulder) threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Thursday ... Kurt Suzuki will miss at least three games on bereavement leave ... J.J. Hardy's wrist injury landed him on the disabled list Thursday for the second time in a month, with the Twins recalling Trevor Plouffe ... Trevor Cahill held the Angels to one run in eight innings Thursday for his fourth straight win ... Brandon Wood's struggles have now carried over to Triple-A.

NL Quick Hits: Josh Johnson shut out the Phillies for eight innings Thursday, out-dueling Roy Halladay in a 2-0 game ... Livan Hernandez's deal with the devil continued Thursday, as he tossed six innings of two-run ball ... Dontrelle Willis was a mess Thursday with six walks, two wild pitches, and more balls than strikes in four innings ... Mike Leake had the worst start of his career Thursday, allowing five runs on 11 hits in 4.1 innings ... Ryan Doumit (concussion) returned to the lineup Thursday and started at first base for the first time since 2007 ... Released by the Brewers earlier this week, Jeff Suppan has already found a new home back in St. Louis ... Matt Lindstrom was unavailable Thursday, so Brandon Lyon notched his first save ... Tommy Hanson lasted just 5.1 innings Thursday, but struck out 10 and threw a career-high 121 pitches ... Chad Qualls allowed four runs Thursday after coming into a tie game in the ninth inning ... Luke Gregerson struck out all three batters he faced Thursday, giving him a 0.43 WHIP and 39/2 K/BB ratio in 32.1 innings ... Catching prospect Angel Salome requested a move to the outfield and the Brewers reluctantly agreed.

 

[HacheMan]

Mixing it up

It's that time of year. Clubs across both circuits make the full leap into interleague play this week, so adjust your rosters accordingly to account for changes in DH playing time and so forth. Every team in baseball also gets a day off this week, so you'll find a somewhat reduced list of two-time starting pitchers. There are still plenty of usable options, however, so dig in and prepare yourself.

Going Twice...



American League

Strong Plays

Clay Buchholz: ARI (Kennedy), LAD (Billingsley)
CC Sabathia: PHI (Halladay), NYM (Santana)
Dallas Braden: @CHC (Zambrano), @STL (Garcia)
David Price: @ATL (Kawakami), @FLA (Johnson)
C.J. Wilson: @FLA (Johnson), @HOU (Paulino)
Shaun Marcum: @SD (Latos), SF (Sanchez)

Decent Plays

Freddy Garcia: @PIT, @WAS (Lannan)
Justin Masterson: NYM (Santana), @PIT
Rick Porcello: WAS (Lannan), ARI (Kennedy)
Joe Saunders: MIL (Wolf), @CHC (Zambrano)
Carl Pavano: COL (Cook), @PHI (Pavano)

At Your Own Risk

Chris Tillman: @SF (Sanchez), @SD (Latos)
Kyle Davies: HOU (Paulino), @ATL (Kawakami)
Ian Snell: @STL (Wainwright), CIN (Harang)

National League

Strong Plays

Ian Kennedy: @BOS (Buchholz), @DET (Porcello)
Josh Johnson: TEX (Wilson), TB (Price)
Clayton Kershaw: @CIN (Harang), @BOS (Buchholz)
Johan Santana: @CLE (Masterson), @NYY (Sabathia)
Roy Halladay: @NYY (Sabathia), MIN (Pavano)
Mat Latos: TOR (Marcum), BAL (Tillman)
Jonathan Sanchez: BAL (Tillman), @TOR (Marcum)
Adam Wainwright: SEA (Snell), OAK (Braden)

Decent Plays

Kenshin Kawakami: TB (Price), KC (Davies)
Aaron Harang: LAD (Kershaw), @SEA (Snell)
Aaron Cook: @MIN (Pavano), MIL (Cook)
Felipe Paulino: @KC (Davies), TEX (Wilson)
Randy Wolf: @LAA (Saunders), @COL (Cook)

At Your Own Risk

Carlos Zambrano: OAK (Braden), LAA (Saunders)
John Lannan: @DET (Porcello), CWS (Garcia)


Streamer City



The following pitchers are generally available in over 50 percent of fantasy leagues and have favorable match-ups this week:

American League

Wednesday, 6/16: Trevor Cahill @ CHC
Cahill has been on a roll lately and should only benefit from facing an NL lineup with no DH.

Thursday, 6/17: Luke Hochevar vs. HOU
Hochevar has looked sharp lately, pitching deep into games and ramping up his strikeout production. That includes a 10 K performance against Detroit last week.

Friday, 6/18: Fausto Carmona @ PIT
Carmona has been throwing quite well this year and should have no trouble dismantling the pitiful Pirates.

National League

Thursday, 6/17: Randy Wells vs. OAK
There's nothing impressive about Wells' record or ERA, but his 3.54 FIP suggests he's been pitching better than those figures suggest. He's worth grabbing this home start against the A's.

Friday, 6/18: Wade LeBlanc vs. BAL
LeBlanc, owner of a 3.21 ERA, welcomes one of the American League's worst teams to spacious Petco Field.

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Total Games



American League

6: BAL, BOS, CWS, CLE, DET, KC, LAA, MIN, NYY, SEA, TB, TEX TOR

National League

6: ARI, ATL, CHC, CIN, COL, FLA, HOU, LAD, MIL, NYM, PHI, PIT, SD, SF, STL, WAS


Lefty/Righty Breakdown



American League

BAL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
BOS: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
CWS: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
CLE: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
DET: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
KC: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
LAA: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
MIN: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
NYY: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
OAK: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
SEA: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
TB: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
TEX: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
TOR: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP

National League

ARI: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
ATL: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
CHC: 2 vs. RHP, 4 vs. LHP
CIN: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
COL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
FLA: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
HOU: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
LAD: 6 vs. RHP, 0 vs. LHP
MIL: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
NYM: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
PHI: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
PIT: 4 vs. RHP, 2 vs. LHP
SD: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
SF: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP
STL: 3 vs. RHP, 3 vs. LHP
WAS: 5 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP

 

[HacheMan]

Don't Ride the D Train
Another double feature this week -- Week That Was by Glenn Colton and Potential Trade Candidates by Bobby Colton (plus, of course the wisdom that Schultz says).


Dontrelle Willis: Dontrelle Willis looked like, well Dontrelle Willis this week, issuing 6 BB in a loss to Atlanta. Let me put this simply – the D Train is a road to ruin. Yes, lefties who move from the AL to the NL often meet success. However, those lefties did not spend a good chunk of their career in the NL before and they throw strikes. Thursday, Willis threw less than half of his pitches for strikes. Over the last three years, his best WHIP was 1.60. You get the point. Pass.


Jonathon Niese: Jon Niese was great Thursday in his return to action. Niese hurled a complete game shutout, giving up just one hit, no walks and registering 6 K's. In his last 8 starts, Niese has given up 2 or fewer runs six times and 1 or fewer runs five times. If he can just stay healthy, he can become something special. Call up the Niese owner in your league and talk about the artificially bloated 1.4+ WHIP and grab Niese. With a 3.61 ERA and a 45/19 K/BB, the real indicators show great things to come. If you need more proof, just consider that he is a lefty pitching in the NL in a serious pitcher's park. Buy!


Luke Hochevar: Luke Hochevar got burned by interleague play yesterday when he the Royals decided to pinch hit for him after only 4 innings. No, he was not great last night as he had given up 4 runs in those 4 innings, however, he had struck out 3, walked none and had tossed only 68 pitches. Throw this odd outing out as it is indicative of nothing. At the age of 26, this former number one is finally showing signs of why he was a number one. In his last 5 starts, Hochevar sports a 31/6 K/BB ratio and a 3.00 ERA. The only downside here is that the Royals are, well, not good. So, even if he pitches to Cy Young caliber, the wins will be hard to come by. (see Greinke, Zach 2009).


Carlos Santana: Carlos Santana made his major league debut for the Tribe last night. The bad news – he took the collar, going 0-3. The good news, he gunned down speedster Njyer Morgan on a steal attempt. (Note – you care about defense because it will keep him in the lineup). Look for Santana to catch about 5 days a week for the rest of the year. What should you expect stat wise? Well, he has hit at every level: .322 and .352 in two single A stops in 08, .290 at AA in 09 and now .316 in AAA in 2010. The Indians are not good and will probably sell off what little offensive talent they have in the next six weeks. However, Santana will be one of the better AL offensive catchers from here on. Buy.


R.A. Dickey: R.A. Dickey continues defying all odds. Last night the knuckler tossed seven solid innings to beat the O's. Shockingly, R.A. has a 2.78 ERA over his first five starts. Ok, this one is super simple – SELL HIGH! Frankly, I really should not have to even demonstrate why, but I will. Only once in 8 big league seasons has Dickey posted a WHIP under a whopping 1.50 (and that was 1.489) or an ERA under 5.00 (and that was 4.63). Add in the fact that in 08-09, Dickey's K/BB ratio was a hideously ugly 100/81. So far this is a good story, but it is sure to have a bad ending. Sell.


Nate McLouth: Slumping Nate McLouth landed on the DL this week with what is being termed "concussion symptoms." This is bad news for those counting on Nate, but good news for one of my personal favorites, Melky Cabrera. Look for the Melkman to play CF practically everyday and to provide solid value to those in NL leagues. Melky's overall numbers are deflated by a horrific April average of .195. However, since the calendar turned to May, Melky has posted a .290 average. Ok, I can hear it now – Melky is not a big power hitter and does not steal a ton of bases. Both statements are true. However, he is a clutch hitter and precisely the non-flashy solid type that can help both real and fantasy teams win. (see, Yankees, New York 2009). Melky is just 25, yet he has 4 full big league seasons under his belt. If the Braves leave him alone and let him play everyday, he will reward them (and you too if you go get him).


Brian Roberts: According to reports, Brian Roberts received another epidural injection in an attempt to alleviate problems in his lower back. Bottom line here is that Roberts is not due to take the field any time soon (if at all) this season. The fantasy lesson to be learned is simple. Be careful of rosy spring training injury news. It was widely reported that Roberts was suffering from a herniated disc in his back. Anyone who has lived with that knows it is very painful and can recur at any time. In March, those who want to win at fantasy baseball must avoid spending big money injury risks like this. If you spent big on Roberts this spring, well, shame on you.


Jeremy Hermida: The outfield woes continue in Boston as the Red Sox placed Jeremy Hermida on the DL with what I call "the Ellsbury" -- fractured ribs. On any given night in Fenway, you will not see anything that reminds you of Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Yaz, Williams, etc. Rather, you will see a rag tag collection like Bill Hall, Darnell McDonald, Josh Reddick, etc. To put an exclamation point on this, when one is waiting desperately to get Mike Cameron and his .230 average back, things are just bad. Look for the Sox to make an OF move and make it soon.


J.J. Hardy: Bad news continued this week for J.J. Hardy as he found himself back on the DL with a sore left wrist. Admittedly, I was high on Hardy and thought all systems were go for a bounce back year from a power hitting, in his prime, MI. However, wrist and hand injuries are tough. Any time you see a player with such an injury, you will likely see a player who has trouble driving the ball and who changes his approach to compensate. End results – bad. Unfortunately, Hardy simply cannot be counted on this year. Nick Punto should see even more time. While Nick is hardly a star, he could net you 10-15 SB the rest of the way. If you need speed in a deep AL league, Punto could help.


Jake Arrieta: Jake Arrieta looked solid in his major league debut this week, holding the Yankees to three earned runs over 6 innings. The O's are already done for this year, so why not run Arrieta, Tillman, Matusz, et al. out there every time to get seasoned. Arrieta has been solid at every minor league stop, so there is no reason to doubt him long term. For this year, the 24 year old will pitch like one – some up, some down. Keeper leaguers must grab him. Those in other leagues should spot start him where appropriate. However, keep in mind that there is a very good chance he gets shut down in September.


And now, as promised another two for one special:

Potential Trade Candidates
by Bobby Colton

Now that we are near the midpoint of June, we have hit the point where teams can realistically analyze their situation and see if they can make the playoffs this year. Below, you can find this writer's opinion of who might be on the move this summer.

Austin Kearns: All of a sudden this Nats castoff has blocked the path of Matt LaPorta. For now the Indians seem content to stick with Kearns and Russell Branyan at LaPorta's two positions, but that will almost certainly change by July 31st. Interested Teams: Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Diego.


Russell Branyan: He had a slow start to the year dealing with injuries, but he has come back to his powerful ways, sporting seven jacks in 40 games. He won't hit 31 again this year, but he does offer some pop. Interested Teams: Toronto, Texas (because it's time to admit Justin Smoak just can't hit yet), Los Angeles Angels.


Jeff Keppinger: Keppinger is silently hitting very nicely for the Astros. While talk of moving Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman fill the ears of Astro fans, the underrated infielder could be the only man on the move this summer. Keppinger could fill needs at third, short, or second and has 3 years of team control left. Interested Teams: Tampa, Minnesota, Oakland, LAA, San Diego.


Lance Berkman: Off to a slow start, plus he's injury prone, yet he could net the 'Stros a whole lot of prospects. Interested Teams: Toronto, Texas, Los Angeles Angels.


Roy Oswalt: What's there to say, he's incredible. Interested Teams: Everyone should be.


Paul Konerko: Having a power surge at 34 and could net the ChiSox a nice slew of prospects. Interested Teams: Toronto, Texas, Los Angeles Angels.


AJ Pierzynski: A welcome addition to any team in need of some catching help. Interested Teams: Boston, Texas, Detroit.


Jose Guillen: He's cooled down since a roaring April, but he's still got power for an AL team needing a bat who can't field. Interested Teams: Tampa, San Diego (if they'll play Matt Stairs in LF then Guillen is actually an upgrade).


Kelly Johnson: Kelly is having a memorable year, plus he's under team control next year. A team needing some talent at second could really use him. Interested Teams: Tampa, Detroit, New York Mets


Luke Scott: He can play first and left with a bit of pop. He can provide a contender with either a bench bat or a starting outfielder. He's also under team control for the next few years. Interested Teams: Tampa, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland


Chone Figgins: I'm sure Seattle would love to move their overpriced-now second baseman-speedster. I am hard pressed to believe any team would be willing to take on his contract in the midst of a miserable year. His name will pop up this offseason though.


Cliff Lee: See Oswalt. Only wrinkle is his impending free agency. Interested Teams: Yankees, Mets, Washington, St. Louis, Los Angeles Dodgers


Carlos Silva: Having a resurgent season, but he's a bit costly. He also could regress into the Silva we all know and, err, well, not love. Interested Teams: Mets, St. Louis, Los Angeles Dodgers.


Brett Meyers: He's enjoying a very productive season and is just another Astro who should pack his bags. Interested Teams: Mets, St. Louis, Los Angeles Dodgers.


Ted Lilly: Impending free agent with a good, veteran arm. He's a welcome addition to any team who would take him. Interested Teams: Yankees, Mets, St. Louis, Los Angeles Dodgers.


Brandon Lyon: He picked up his first save of the year this week and there's no reason why he can't save more for another club. Interested Teams: Minnesota, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco.


Jeremy Guthrie: Solid pitcher with some years of control left. Interested Teams: Mets, St. Louis, Los Angeles Dodgers.


Kevin Millwood: Veteran who'll benefit significantly from a move away from the AL East. Interested Teams: Mets, St. Louis, Los Angeles Dodgers.


Jake Westbrook: He's a decent option for a team starving for pitching. Interested Teams: Mets, St. Louis, Los Angeles Dodgers.


Kyle Farnsworth: Farnsworth didn't get to start like he wanted, but maybe by trying to be a starter he found a way to be an effective reliever. I can't imagine why the Royals wouldn't part with him. Interested Teams: Minnesota, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco


Aaron Heilman: It hurts me (and all Met fans) to say this, but Aaron has been throwing well this season. He could net the D-Backs a nice prospect for his services. Interested Teams: Minnesota, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco.


Will Ohman: He can't close, but he can pitch in a set-up capacity. Interested Teams: Minnesota, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco.


And last, but not least, Schultz says: "Unless your league is one in which minor leaguers have been fair game all season, this week shapes up to one of the most important in terms of the waiver wire and free agent pickups. If you're reading this column, you are already well aware that this week marked the debut of Stephen Strasburg, Mike Stanton, Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta. As far as prospects go, these, along with Buster Posey, are likely to be the cream of the crop for the 2010 season. This now begs the question: what are you to do with this abundance of young talent?

Your gut reaction is likely going to be something akin to emptying your free agent budget to grab any or all of the above in the hopes of getting the proverbial quick fix. After watching Strasburg strike out 14 in his first outing, you probably think this is wise. Before you go overboard, just keep in mind that major league baseball owners and managers don't care much about your fantasy team. The Nationals, Marlins, Indians and Orioles aren't going to do damage to their future just because you need help winning your roto-title. Any of these rookies are going to help you but be wary about placing all of your chickens in these baskets. The hen house may close before you feel you've reaped all you wish to sow."


Response: Bobby provides a ton of food for thought for those watching the waiver wire and waiting for talent to arrive in their AL or NL leagues. Nice work! Schultz follows suit with solid analysis of the rookie risk. (though I am not sure I get the reaping and sowing in chicken baskets, but I digress).