Category: Fantasy Baseball (Page 44 of 48)

Roger Clemens announced he will return to the Yankees during the seventh inning stretch of New York’s game against the Mariners at Yankee Stadium Sunday. Apparently he’s due to receive an annual salary of $28 million and will have the same perks as he did in Houston as far as not traveling for road games.

This is hardly a surprise to anyone who follows baseball. Did anyone really believe Clemens was going to say no to Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte or George Steinbrenner’s checkbook? The Yankees are in dire need of starting pitching, so one has to wonder how high they would have gone as far as a salary to get him. Steinbrenner wasn’t going to take no for answer and it is amazing Clemens is going to get the same deal as far as not traveling. Talk about having teams by the balls.

Many outside Giants fans – and maybe fantasy baseball owners – haven’t heard of right-handed pitcher Tim Lincecum. After tonight, however, maybe more baseball fans will remember the name.

The 22-year-old Lincecum will make his major league debut tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. He was 4-0 with a phenomenal 0.29 ERA and limited hitters to a .119 average in 31 innings at Triple A Fresno. He was the tenth overall selection in last June’s draft after leading college baseball in strikeouts. Perhaps the most amazing feature about Lincecum is his outstanding velocity despite his 5’11”, 160-pound frame and Japanese-type pitching motion.

Interested in rookie phenoms like Francisco Liriano or Dice-K? Then you might want to check out Lincecum tonight, because he might surprise.

Update: Lincecum got beat up and was overall schooled by the Phils’ Cole Hamels…the phenom of Philadelphia if you will. Lincecum got taken deep twice (including a two-run blast by Ryan Howard) in the Phillies 8-5 victory.

MLB.com is reporting the Boston Red Sox have annoucned that Jonathan Papelbon will take over the closing duties for the team again this year. With Papelbon moving back to the bullpen, the fifth spot in the rotation now falls to journeyman Julian Tavarez.

Papelbon dominated as a closer last year, posting a 4-2 record with a 0.92 ERA. But due to health concerns, the Red Sox medical staff advised the coaching staff and management that Papelbon be made a starter again (he was drafted as a starter in ’03). It’s unclear at this point if the medical staff gave the organization clearance to move him back to the bullpen, but this sure fills a once huge need for Boston.

The move also squashes an earlier rumor that the Red Sox were interested in Giants’ closer Armando Benitez.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have reportedly dealt OF/3B Aubrey Huff to the Astros for a couple of minor leaguers. Huff had been struggling for the Rays this season until recently, hitting a combined .176 in April and May before turning it around to the tune of .359 in June and .389 thus far in July.

It’s a good move for the Astros, who are desperate to give some offensive support to Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Roy Oswalt. The NL Central is still very much up for grabs and Huff, a notorious second-half player, gives Houston another weapon.

Fantasy leaguers who own Huff will love that he’s now in one of the best hitter’s parks in baseball, but the bigger fantasy question here is: Will the Rays now call up stud prospect Delmon Young? Bat-flipping incident aside, Young is the best hitting prospect in the minors and many are hoping this opens the door for his promotion. (Especially me: I just picked Young up in my keeper league.)

…Ken Griffey Jr. must be on the DL. Hooo boy. Come on, fantasy owners, you knew this day was coming. Did you take another outfielder in the next round? Smart move.

And on that note, I present to you: Gigi’s list of Players Who Will Never Be Gashouse Gorillas: (yes, that’s where the nickname Gigi comes from, if you were curious, G.G.)
Ken Griffey Jr.
Josh Beckett
AJ Burnett
Nomar Garciaparra
Kerry Wood
Mark Prior (okay, I took him this year, but in the 23rd round, which is a steal even if he only starts five games)
JD Drew
Chipper Jones
Jim Edmonds
Armando Benitez
Magglio Ordonez
Frank Thomas
Ben Sheets

Who are your must-avoid fantasy players? And let’s try to keep the list to the perennially injured, not players like Cristian Guzman, who have no fantasy value.