Category: MLB (Page 132 of 448)

      2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Relief Pitchers

      March 12, 2010 /

      All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

      When it comes to drafting relief pitchers, keep in mind that the only thing you care about is saves. Sure, drafting a closer like Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon or Jonathan Broxton will also net you value in other categories such as ERA and/or WHIP, but if saves are your main objective than why overpay?

      Chances are, you’ll have the opportunity to draft a starter or decent bat (at least one that will contribute to your team on a regular basis) in the same rounds that Rivera, Papelbon and Broxton are selected in. If you’re head over heels for those guys and want a sure thing, then don’t let us stop you from drafting them. But in the end, we think you’ll get more value in passing on those top closers and targeting the guys that we have listed below. Just remember to nab another pitcher that will get you saves later in your draft or else you will regret not taking Rivera/Papelbon/Broxton when you had the chance.

      Heath Bell, Padres
      Bell pitches for a team that will be in a lot of close games and that plays in a spacious park. What’s not to like? The Padres also don’t have a quality set-up man to pitch in front of Bell, so owners can draft him in confidence knowing that San Diego will have to use him in later innings if they want wins.

      Joakim Soria, Royals
      Be careful with Soria, because he’s being overvalued on draft day. He’s a great closer, but he battled shoulder issues last season and he plays on a team that won’t offer him a ton of save opportunities. Draft him with confidence, but don’t reach for him.

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      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Should Jose Reyes be avoided on draft day?

      March 11, 2010 /

      Jose Reyes’ thyroid condition may have just become public enemy No. 1 for fantasy owners.

      The Mets said that it would be approximately two to eight weeks (quite a large window, we know) before Reyes resumes baseball activity after he was ordered to rest until his thyroid condition normalizes. GM Omar Minaya isn’t optimistic about his shortstop being ready for the start of the season and even when he does return, chances are that Reyes will have plenty of rust to shake off after missing virtually the entire 2009 season and all of spring training this year.

      The problem fantasy owners face is that Reyes is one of 5-6 shortstops that are worth grabbing before the talent level at the position falls off a cliff. Hanley Ramirez is in a category all to his own, while Reyes, Troy Tulowitzki, Jimmy Rollins, Derek Jeter and Ben Zobrist comprise the rest of the top 6 shortstops. Fail to draft one of those players and risk dealing with the inconsistencies of Stephen Drew, Alexei Ramirez or Yunel Esobar.

      So what is a fantasy owner to do? Well for starters, monitor Reyes’ situation leading up to your draft. If the reports are positive and it looks like he’ll be back to full strength in May, then don’t pass on him if he represents good value in your draft. There were tons of owners that avoided Joe Mauer last year because of his lingering back problems and he turned out to be a fantasy superstar. Reyes might not be overly productive in the first half of the season, but if you can grab a fill-in like Marco Scutaro or J.J. Hardy late in your draft to keep your SS position afloat until the All-Star Break, Reyes could be huge in the second half.

      Conversely, if Reyes suffers a setback over the next week or so, then it might be wise to avoid him altogether and target one of the other top 5 available shortstops. Every year Jeter falls in drafts because of his age and every year he produces. Nabbing him instead of taking a risk on Reyes earlier in your draft might pay off in the end.

      But overall, doing your homework and staying on top of latest reports will allow you to make a sound decision on Reyes come draft day.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Starting Pitchers

      March 10, 2010 /

      All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

      Sometimes it’s difficult to evaluate what kind of production a player will have when he changes teams over the offseason. This is especially true when it comes to starting pitching, because not only can an unfamiliar ballpark play a role in how a starter fairs, but also what kind of offensive production he can expect from his new lineup and whether or not he’ll have a good spot in the rotation.

      Below are eight starting pitchers that either changed teams at the tale end of the 2009 season or will be playing for a completely different club in 2010. We’ve outlined some factors that the pitchers will be facing in their new situation and try to project how they’ll fair in 2010. Some players (like Roy Halladay for example) can be counted on to be great no matter what team they wind up on. But what about guys like Jake Peavy (who will now have to pitch in the AL for a full season for the first time in his career) or Max Scherzer (a strikeout pitcher that is moving to a tougher AL after playing the past couple seasons in Arizona)?

      Let’s take a look.

      Roy Halladay, Phillies
      You’re going to draft Halladay for the same reasons the Phillies parted with multiple players (including Cliff Lee and a couple of key prospects) in order to acquire him from the Blue Jays last winter: he’s outstanding. Halladay finished with 47 complete games last season and 14 shutouts, while also ranking 11th in innings pitched. Now that he’s playing in the NL on a team with a potent offense, he should have no problem winning 17-plus games and notching another 200 strikeouts. The only knock against Halladay’s new home is that the Phillies play in a hitter-friendly ballpark. But we’re thinking the veteran pitcher will adjust fine to his new digs.

      Cliff Lee, Mariners
      Lee felt he was shafted when the Phillies unloaded him in order to acquire Halladay last winter, but he should love his new surroundings. He’s walked fewer than two batters per nine innings in each of the past two seasons and will now have the luxury of having a solid defensive outfield at his back. He’s used to pitching in the AL from his days in Cleveland, so the league change won’t hurt him one bit. Lee is a top-notch fantasy starter.

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      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Joe Nathan to have Tommy John surgery?

      March 9, 2010 /

      According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Joe Christensen, Twins’ closer Joe Nathan has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will decide whether or not to have Tommy John surgery within the next two weeks.

      If Nathan opts to go with the surgery, he would miss the entire 2010 season and leave the Twins without a closer. Nathan says that he will do whatever he can to give himself the “best chance to go out there and help” the Twins, but also realizes that he has to decide soon whether or not to have surgery because the club needs to figure out its closer situation.

      Jon Rauch was added to Minnesota’s bullpen in August, so he may be asked to close for the Twins at the start of the season, or at least until the club finds a more suitable option. Matt Guerrier is also a candidate after pitching extremely well (2.36 ERA, 33 holds, 0.97 WHIP) in 2009.

      Hopefully Nathan won’t need surgery but at this point, it’s probably wise to count him out for the 2010 season. Fantasy owners should take note.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      2010 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Outfielders

      March 9, 2010 /

      All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

      What’s great about the outfield position in fantasy baseball is that it’s like Wal Mart: you can get whatever you need and you’ll always be greeted with a friendly smile and a hello.

      All right, so you won’t be greeted with a smile when you select outfielders in your draft. In fact, that doesn’t even make any sense so just forget we wrote it. The point we’re trying to make is that whatever you wind up needing for your team on draft day, you can usually find it in the outfield section. Need speed? The outfield has you covered. Need power? It has that too.

      Below are a group of players that fit into certain categories based on need. You know that a guy like Ryan Braun is going to get you production across the board, same with Matt Kemp, Matt Holliday, Grady Sizemore and Carl Crawford. But the guys we’ve outlined below are players you can target in the middle to late rounds that will give you a boost in certain areas. You’re not going to get production in every category if you draft these players, but hopefully you’ll be satisfied in the specific categories we’ve highlighted.

      Power Boosters:

      Adam Lind, Blue Jays
      Perhaps the most encouraging thing for fantasy owners about Lind’s breakout 2009 campaign, was that he was consistent throughout the entire season and hit right-handed pitching as well as he hit lefties. After hitting 35 home runs and driving in 114 RBI last season, we think Lind will be more apt to match those numbers (or even improve on them) this season than he will be to crash and burn.

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      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

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