Category: MLB (Page 255 of 448)

      2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Relief Pitchers

      March 13, 2009 /

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      There are two general schools of thought when it comes to selecting relief pitchers. Some owners zero in on a stud and are willing to select one in the first couple rounds, while others don’t mind cruising the wavier wire on a regular basis during the season after they waited to address the position late in their draft.

      Neither approach is bad, although each has its drawbacks. K-Rod racked up 62 saves last season, but switching clubs and leagues this year leads to some uncertainty, plus outside of saves, his ERA and WHIP numbers have been on the decline for years. If you’re the type that burns a high draft pick on a top reliever and a guy like K-Rod fizzles, you obviously would have cost yourself an opportunity to select a position player that could have given you great value at that spot.

      Conversely, if you wait until the later rounds of your draft to address your stopper(s), then you run the risk of playing Russian Roulette with the position throughout the regular season, possibly costing you wins/points in not only saves, but strikeouts, ERA and WHIP as well.

      If we could offer some advice, we recommend finding a happy medium between those that make finding a reliever one of their top priorities, and those who avoid it like the dentist. Find that next wave of relievers after names like Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon and Mariano Rivera come off the board. Chances are you’ll get a nice combination of saves, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP without burning a high draft pick on one of the studs.

      Below are some closers that won’t cost you a top draft pick, but also ones that shouldn’t come up short in the production department.

      Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs
      Marmol is an incredibly intriguing, yet risky closer prospect. He has all the tools and talent to must 40-plus saves, but he is inexperienced and has some control issues. Still, the closer role is all his after Kerry Wood signed with the Indians in the offseason and if Marmol can take the next step forward in his development, he could be in store for a big season.

      Bobby Jenks, Chicago White Sox
      Jenks might scare some owners away this year after having back issues last year. But if he earned 30 saves at less than ideal health and after losing some zip on his fastball, then he’s capable of producing 35-plus saves this season now that he’s healthy again. If he ever matures, he could be one of the better closers in the league.

      Kerry Wood, Cleveland Indians
      Wood might be the most intriguing closer in fantasy this year after saving 34 games last season for the Cubs. He joins the Indians this year and if the Tribe bounces back, he has the potential to top the 40 mark in saves. He obviously has to stay healthy, however, and must avoid tiring like he did in the second half last season. (He went from having a 2.43 ERA and 0.86 WHIP to 4.57 and 1.45 in the second half.)

      Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Dodgers
      Don’t be scared – Broxton is a stud in the making. The 24-year old has 40-plus save potential and should once again sniff 90 strikeouts, all while keeping his ERA south of 2.80. He has trouble staying consistent at times, but Broxton’s 11.4 strikeouts per 9 innings is nothing to scoff at.

      Brian Fuentes, Los Angeles Angels
      If the Angels give Fuentes as many opportunities for saves as they did K-Rod last year, then the former Rockie could be one of the best bargains in your draft this season. He saved 30 games last year and managed to keep his ERA (2.73) and WHIP (1.10) low. You might be able to put Fuentes down for 35 saves this season, with comparable ERA and WHIP numbers from 2008.

      Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
      Wilson’s 4.62 ERA and 1.44 WHIP were nasty last year, but his 41 saves make him an awfully intriguing pick. Now that he has a full season under his belt, he should be able to lower his ERA dramatically, although he must be more consistent and cut down on the walks. Even though he pitches for a poor team, the Giants will give Wilson plenty of opportunities for saves as they have the penchant for playing in a ton of tight ballgames.

      Below is our official ranking of relief pitchers.

      1. Jonathan Papelbon, BOS
      2. Joe Nathan, MIN
      3. Mariano Rivera, NYY
      4. Brad Lidge, PHI
      5. Joakim Soria, KC
      6. Jose Valverde, HOU
      7. Francisco Rodriguez, NYM
      8. B.J. Ryan, TOR
      9. Carlos Marmol, CHC
      10. Bobby Jenks, CWS
      11. Jonathan Broxton, LAD
      12. Kerry Wood, CLE
      13. Francisco Codero, CIN
      14. Brian Fuentes, LAA
      15. Matt Capps, PIT
      16. Brian Wilson, SF
      17. Heath Bell, SD
      18. Trevor Hoffman, MIL
      19. Frank Francisco, TEX
      20. Matt Lindstrom, FLA
      21. Mike Gonzalez, ATL
      22. George Sherrill, OAK
      23. Chad Qualls, ARI
      24. Huston Street, COL
      25. Joey Devine, OAK
      26. Troy Percival, TB
      27. Joel Hanrahan, WAS
      28. Justin Duchscherer, OAK
      29. Brad Ziegler, OAK
      30. Brandon Lyon, DET
      31. Jose Arredondo, LAA
      32. Brandon Morrow, SEA
      33. Manny Corpas, COL
      34. Chris Ray, BAL
      35. Chris Perez, STL
      36. J.J. Putz, NYM
      37. Fernando Rodney, DET
      38. Manny Parra, MIL
      39. Dan Wheeler, TB
      40. Miguel Batista, SEA
      41. Kevin Gregg, CHC
      42. Takashi Saito, BOS
      43. Grant Balfour, TB
      44. Hong-Chih Kuo, LAD
      45. Rafael Betancourt, CLE

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Couch Potato Alert: 3/13

      March 13, 2009 /

      Last night, you got a taste of madness…March Madness, as Connecticut/Syracuse played a 6-OT historic Big East quarterfinal game that seemed like it would never end. The player’s performances in this contest sum up why we love this time of the year in college basketball. You watch teams that will fight tooth and nail just to compete for another day. Neither team will receive a special trophy for last night’s game. No, Syracuse gets the opportunity to play West Virginia in a semifinal matchup this evening. Enjoy your hoop du jour.

      All times ET…

      NBA
      Friday, 7:30 PM: Indiana Pacers @Atlanta Hawks (NBA TV)
      Saturday, 9 PM: Los Angeles Clippers @ Denver Nuggets (NBA TV)
      Sunday, 3:30 PM: Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Lakers (ABC)
      Sunday, 9 PM: Phoenix Suns @ Golden State Warriors (NBA TV)

      NHL
      Saturday, 3 PM: Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins (CBC)
      Sunday, 12:30 PM: Philadelphia Flyers@ New York Rangers (NBC)

      College Basketball
      Friday, 7 PM: #13 Villanova vs. #5 Louisville (ESPN)
      Friday, 7 PM: Maryland vs. #9 Wake Forest (ESPN2)
      Friday, 9 PM: #23 Arizona State vs. #20 Washington (Fox Sports Net)
      Friday, 9:30 PM: Boston College vs. #8 Duke (ESPN2)
      Friday, 9:30 PM: #7 West Virginia vs. #20 Syracuse (ESPN)
      Friday, 11:30 PM: USC vs. #14 UCLA (Fox Sports Net)
      Saturday, 1:30 PM & 4 PM: ACC Semifinals (ESPN)
      Saturday, 1 PM & 3:15 PM: SEC Semifinals (ESPN2)
      Saturday, 1:40 PM & 4 PM: Big-10 Semifinals (CBS)
      Saturday, 6 PM: Pac-10 Final (CBS)
      Saturday, 6 PM: Big 12 Final (ESPN)
      Saturday, 9 PM: Big East Final (ESPN)
      Sunday, 1 PM: ACC Final (ESPN)
      Sunday, 1 PM: SEC Final (CBS)
      Sunday, 3:30 PM: Big-10 Final (CBS)
      Sunday, 6 PM: NCAA Tournament Selection Show (CBS)

      World Baseball Classic
      Saturday, 8 PM: Puerto Rico vs. United States from Miami, FL. (MLB Network)

      College Basketball, Couch Potato Alert, March Madness, MLB, NBA, NHL, Television

      Twins, Giants interested in Pudge Rodriguez

      March 13, 2009 /

      The Twins and Giants have emerged as potential candidates for free agent Pudge Rodriguez.

      The new possibilities, Minnesota and San Francisco, were identified by a source with a National League team in the bidding.

      The Twins’ interest may depend on the health of star catcher Joe Mauer, who’s had a back issue early in camp. The Giants have Bengie Molina to catch, and he’s even penciled in as their cleanup hitter, but Pudge could get games at first base and third base in San Francisco, which is planning to employ youngsters Travis Ishikawa and Pablo Sandoval at those positions, respectively.

      The Marlins play only 15 minutes from Rodriguez’s home, but they also like their young catcher, John Baker. The Astros’ catchers are struggling this spring, but they haven’t been very aggressive so far in their pursuit of Pudge, who’s played superbly for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, hitting .545 with two home runs.

      The Twins make sense because Mauer’s health is a concern. But the Giants’ interest in Pudge for anything more than a backup catcher would be asinine. He’s never played third base and has limited experience at first. He obviously can still hit (he went 4 for 4 with two dingers the other night while playing for Puerto Rico in the WBC), but it doesn’t make any sense for the Giants to sign another crusty old vet to take at bats away from Pablo Sandoval, Travis Ishikawa and John Bowker at the corners. They already have one of those in Rich Aurillia.

      MLB, Rumors & Gossip

      2009 Fantasy Baseball Preview: Starting Pitchers

      March 12, 2009 /

      All 2009 Fantasy Articles | 2009 Position Rankings

      Admit it, you passed on Tim Lincecum last year. You took one look at his 2007 record (7-5), his ball boy-type frame (he only stands 5’11” and is 170-pounds soaking wet) and the fact that he played on a team with one of the worst offenses in baseball and you said, “no thanks.”

      But there was one owner (the smart one) in your league that bought into the hype, took a shot and reaped the benefits of Lincecum earning the NL Cy Young Award while going 18-5 with a major league-leading 265 strikeouts and 2.62 ERA.

      Don’t feel bad; you weren’t the only fantasy owner last year that just couldn’t pull the trigger on Lincecum. Truth be told, he was a bit of a risk last season given his inexperience and the fact that the Giants weren’t expected to give him much run support. And assuming you’ve played a fair share of fantasy baseball, you’ve probably been burned once or twice in the past by taking a risk on that perfect young sleeper that everyone is gaga for in spring training, yet fizzles once the season starts.

      But Lincecum proved last year that you could find diamonds in the rough that can wind up anchoring your pitching staff for the entire season. You have to be willing to take a risk, however, and select one of those potential gems a round or two before they are projected to go.

      Below we’ve put together a group of young pitchers that might not become the next Tim Lincecum, but ones that could certainly turn out to be tremendous values once the top 15 arms come off the board. We’re talking about pitchers who haven’t seen their 28th birthday yet (most haven’t even seen their 25th birthday yet), but ones that could post 15-plus wins, 150-plus strikeouts and an ERA south of 3.80.

      Joba Chamberlain, New York Yankees
      Don’t think for a second that you’ll be pulling a fast one on everybody if you take Chamberlain as your second pitcher – everyone already knows about Joba’s potential. But he has struggled thus far in spring training, which means he could drop into your lap as other owners flock to safer pitching choices. Chamberlain has the potential to win 15-plus games, sniff 200 strikeouts and close in on a 3.20 ERA, but he obviously has to cash in on his immense physical talent. If he continues to struggle in spring training, you might land him later than you projected and if you do, he could wind up being the best pitcher on your roster by season’s end.

      Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee Brewers
      Gallardo will scare away plenty of potential owners after only making five starts in 2008, but he has the talent to post 185-plus strikeouts and produce 15-plus wins. If he stays healthy, he should also keep his ERA south of 3.50 and although you’ll land him in the middle rounds, he could project to being a top 25 pitcher. Remember, he had knee issues last year – nothing arm related. The future ace should once again be healthy and he’s definitely worth taking a shot on.

      Jon Danks, Chicago White Sox
      Danks turned down an opportunity to play in the World Baseball Classic, which should only help the youngster’s fantasy value. Not unlike Matt Cain, Danks needs better run support in order to cash in on his talent, but he has the potential to total 160-plus strikeouts and 15-plus wins. He might not keep his ERA around 3.30 like he did last year, but it won’t go north of 3.90 either. Again, as long as he doesn’t get stiffed in the run support department again this year (which is hard to project), there’s no telling how good this 23-year old stud can be.

      Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays
      Garza only fanned 128 batters in 184 innings last year, but he was a strikeout machine in the minors so hopefully that will eventually transfer to the big leagues. If the Rays don’t take a step back after reaching the Series last year, Garza could notch 14-plus wins and 140-plus strikeouts, all while keeping his ERA south of 3.60. Of all the pitchers we’ve listed, he certainly doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but Garza would be a major value as a No. 2 or No. 3 on your staff.

      Scott Baker, Minnesota Twins
      Ready to take a shot on a potential stud? Baker is an ace in the making and while he competes in a tough AL Central Division, he could amass 12 to 15 wins and total upwards of 170 strikeouts this season. He probably won’t keep his ERA lower than 3.80, but Baker has increased his K/9 rate every year he’s been in the big leagues and posted an all time low WHIP last season of 1.18.

      Ricky Nolasco, Florida Marlins
      Nolasco had a breakout year in 2008, posting 15 wins, 186 strikeouts and a 3.52 ERA. Is there a chance he could take a step back this year? Of course, but you have to like taking a shot on a guy who you can select in the mid to late rounds that could potentially be a top 20 pitcher by the end of the year. Thirteen wins, 160 strikeouts and a 3.70 ERA would be a safe projection for Nolasco this season.

      Clayton KershawClayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
      Much like Joba Chamberlain, you’re not going to sneak Kershaw past anybody on draft day because by now, most owners are well aware of the 20-year old’s potential. But like Lincecum last year, don’t be the guy that passes on Kershaw because you’re worried about his lack of experience and the high risk that comes along with drafting him. Kershaw could easily post 170-plus strikeouts and 12-plus wins, although his ERA will probably near 4.00 and he did post 52 walks in 107.2 innings last year, which is high. Still, he’s worth a long look on draft day.

      Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants
      Don’t be fooled by his 8-14 record last year; if Cain got any run support, he could easily be as good as teammate Tim Lincecum. Cain posted a 3.76 ERA and compiled 177 strikeouts last year, but since the Giants’ offense clearly has a vendetta against him, his effort only amounted to eight wins. Trust us, he has the potential to amass 12 to 15 victories, even though it would appear that his ceiling is right around 10 wins. If he can get a little run support and cut down on the walks, he could turn out to be a top-25 pitcher that you can wait to select in the middle to late rounds. Another Giants’ starter to keep an eye on during your draft is Jonathan Sanchez.

      Jair Jurrjens, Atlanta Braves
      Some fantasy pundits are concerned about Jurrjens taking a big jump in pitches and innings last year compared to 2008. Those concerns are valid since he clearly wore down at the end of the season last year, but he decided not to pitch against The Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, which is good because he didn’t throw any extra pitches in March when needs to save his arm for the regular season. His strikeout numbers won’t blow you away (you’ll be lucky if he fans 140 batters this season), but he’ll keep his ERA around 3.70 and should post 11-plus wins, which is certainly decent output for a No. 3 pitcher.

      Below is our official ranking of starting pitchers.

      1. Johan Santana, NYM
      2. Tim Lincecum, SF
      3. CC Sabathia, NYY
      4. Roy Halladay, TOR
      5. Dan Haren, ARI
      6. Brandon Webb, ARI
      7. Cole Hamels, PHI
      8. Jake Peavy, SD
      9. John Lackey, LAA
      10. Roy Oswalt, HOU
      11. Josh Beckett, BOS
      12. Cliff Lee, CLE
      13. Chad Billingsley, LAD
      14. James Shields, TB
      15. Scott Kazmir, TB
      16. Ricky Nolasco, FLA
      17. Francisco Liriano, MIN
      18. Felix Hernandez, SEA
      19. Rich Harden, CHC
      20. Adam Wainwright, STL
      21. Daisuke Matsuzaka, BOS
      22. Ervin Santana, LAA
      23. Edinson Volquez, CIN
      24. A.J. Burnett, NYY
      25. Joba Chamberlain, NYY
      26. Carlos Zambrano, CHC
      27. Javier Vazquez, ATL
      28. Jon Lester, BOS
      29. Justin Verlander, DET
      30. Brett Myers, PHI
      31. Yovani Gallardo, MIL
      32. Zack Greinke, KC
      33. Matt Cain, SF
      34. Aaron Harang, CIN
      35. Ted Lilly, CHC
      36. Max Scherzer, ARI
      37. David Price, TB
      38. Chris Young, SD
      39. Josh Johnson, FLA
      40. Erik Bedard, SEA
      41. Ryan Dempster, CHC
      42. Matt Garza, TB
      43. Chien-Ming Wang, NYY
      44. John Danks, CHW
      45. Brandon Morrow, SEA
      46. Johnny Cueto, CIN
      47. Jered Weaver, LAA
      48. Kevin Slowey, MIN
      49. Derek Lowe, ATL
      50. Scott Baker, MIN
      51. Clayton Kershaw, LAD
      52. John Maine, NYM
      53. Jair Jurrjens, ATL
      54. Randy Johnson, SF
      55. Fuasto Carmona, CLE
      56. Gavin Floyd, CHW
      57. Ubaldo Jimenez, COL
      58. Jonathan Sanchez, SF
      59. Oliver Perez, NYM
      60. Justin Duchscherer, OAK
      61. Manny parra, MIL
      62. Andy Pettitte, NYY
      63. Joe Saunders, LAA
      64. Gil Meche, KC
      65. Chris Carpenter, STL
      66. Mike Pelfrey, NYM
      67. Hiroki Kuroda, LAD
      68. Wandy Rodriguez,
      69. Chris Voldstad, FLA
      70. Bronson Arroyo, CIN
      71. Kenshin Kawakami, ATL
      72. Armando Galarraga, DET
      73. Jeremy Guthrie, BAL
      74. John Smoltz, BOS
      75. Paul Maholm, PIT
      76. Aaron Cook, COL
      77. Joe Blanton, PHI
      78. Todd Wellemeyer, STL
      79. Rich Hill, BAL
      80. Jesse Litsch, TOR
      81. Andy Sonnanstine, TB
      82. Dave Bush, MIL
      83. Edwin Jackson, DET
      84. Jeremy Bonderman, DET
      85. Nick Blackburn, MIN
      86. Mark Buehrle, CHW
      87. Tommy Hanson, ATL
      88. Neftali Feliz, TEX
      89. Brad Penny, BOS
      90. Aaron Heilman, SEA
      91. Carlos Carrasco, PHI
      92. Shawn Hill, WAS
      93. Doug Davis, ARI
      94. Carl Pavano, CLE
      95. Tim Wakefield, BOS
      96. John Lannan, WAS
      97. Jon Garland, ARI
      98. Dontrelle Willis, DET
      99. Kyle Lohse, STL
      100. Jamie Moyer, PHI
      101. Sean Marshall, CHC
      102. Braden Looper, MIL
      103. Randy Wolf, LAD
      104. Anibal Sanchez, FLA
      105. David Purcey, TOR

      Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Football, General Sports, MLB

      Papelbon says Manny was a ‘cancer’

      March 12, 2009 /

      In an interview for the April edition of Esquire magazine, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon said that Manny Ramirez was a “cancer” in Boston.

      “… So Manny was tough for us. You have somebody like him, you know at any point in the ball game, he can dictate the outcome of the game,” Papelbon is quoted as saying in the interview with Esquire’s Chris Jones. “And for him not to be on the same page as the rest of the team was a killer, man! It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that’s exactly what was happening.
      “Once we saw that, we weren’t afraid to get rid of him. It’s like cancer. That’s what he was. Cancer. He had to go. It sucked, but that was the only scenario that was going to work. That was it for us. And after, you could feel it in the air in the clubhouse. We got Jason Bay — Johnny Ballgame, plays the game right, plays through broken knees, runs out every ground ball — and it was like a breath of fresh air, man! Awesome! No question.”

      Papelbon said the team got rid of Ramirez when they realized he was becoming a distraction for the team.

      “The beautiful thing about our team is, we don’t let anybody get above the team. He wasn’t on the same train as the rest of us,” Papelbon said in the article. “He was on a different train! And you saw what happened with that. We got rid of him, and we moved on without him. That comes from the manager, and it comes from guys like Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield and David Ortiz. Nobody is ever going to be allowed to do that. Even a guy like me, just heading into my fourth year in the big leagues — if David Ortiz gets a little, you know — I’ll tell him what’s up! I’m not afraid to do that. I’m not afraid to put him in his place, because I think everybody needs that. And if somebody does it to me, I understand that. I most certainly understand that. Varitek tells me all the time, ‘Just shut up. Do what you’re supposed to do.’”

      This shouldn’t surprise anyone – Papelbon is just saying what fans and the media already believed about Manny in the first place.

      But let me play devil’s advocate for a second. If you’re Papelbon, why even say anything? I thought one of the unwritten rules in baseball is that whatever happens in the clubhouse, stays in the clubhouse? I know some players allow a little insight from time to time, but Papelbon comes off sounding like a showoff in this instance. The situation is done with – Manny is in L.A., so why dig up past issues? Papelbon is preaching that the Red Sox got rid of a major distraction, yet he just became one himself by shedding light on a subject that has been dead since Boston traded Ramirez.

      Not that they will disagree with him, but I’d have to believe that some BoSox players will be less than thrilled to hear about Papelbon’s comments.

      MLB

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