Baseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper ...
Ten rules and ideas to try for a successful fantasy auction. If you like this article, consider signing up for our Premium Site where you can get more just like it, including Mike Podhorzer's 42-0 projections.
Last week we spotlighted some of the more noteworthy position battles this spring, and this week we’re going to take a look at a few more that will be worth keeping an eye on especially as late-round draftees/flyers.
Baseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper hou...
Keeper leagues challenge every manager to prepare for the present and the future at the same time. Whereas it is important to draft a team that will win you a fantasy championship; a proper balance of performance and potential needs to be addressed. When that balance is overlooked a manager might find himself drafting for next season before this season begins. Whether you fall into this category or have other reasons why you need to draft for the future, it is important to develop a proper draft strategy.
Baseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper housing a MLB team for the very best and most helpful articlesBaseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper housing a MLB team for the very best and most helpful articles
Ten rules and ideas to try for a successful fantasy auction. If you like this article, consider signing up for our Premium Site where you can get more just like it, including Mike Podhorzer's 42-0 projections.
Last week we spotlighted some of the more noteworthy position battles this spring, and this week we’re going to take a look at a few more that will be worth keeping an eye on especially as late-round draftees/flyers.
Baseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper housing a MLB team for the very best and most helpful articlesBaseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper housing a MLB team for the very best and most helpful articles
Here are the latest developments from Spring Training.
The news keeps getting worse and worse for Jose Reyes and his traveling media circus this week. After seeing a specialist and having blood testing done, it has been confirmed that Reyes is out 'indefinitely' (as per the club's latest update) with a thyroid problem. Apparently the treatment for Reyes' condition involves changing his diet and resting, and he won't be able to resume baseball activities until he's reached some sort of normal hormonal balance in his blood levels.
Regardless, a stint on the DL to start the season seems like the sound of inevitability for Mr. Reyes, and a timetable of 'indefinitely' is probably the worst news the Mets or Reyes' fantasy owners could hope for. A May return seems likely for the prolific and mercurial SS, but after last year's constant delays in injury recovery, it's hard to stomach taking Reyes in the top 100 of any draft at this point. Perhaps Reyes' teammate Johan Santana summed it up best: he called the loss of Reyes for the first month of the season "Not a kick in the stomach," but instead a kick to "the coconut." Ouch.
Aging slugger Lance Berkman will miss 2-4 weeks (and possibly the 'Stros opener on April 5th) with soreness in his knee that will require surgery to remove 'debris' that resulted from a bad bruise. Being no medical expert myself (and not having recently stayed at a Holiday Inn Express) I won't claim to know much about the scope procedure Berkman will have in the next few days; that being said, it's hard not to be concerned about an aging first basemen who dealt with several minor injuries throughout the course of last year. As he is 34 years old, don't expect him to make it back sooner than the later end of his timetable as the Astros will want to be very careful to protect his health and make sure he's fully recovered before they put him out in the field again.
Prior to the announcement, he looked like a good draft day bargain as the 13th 1B being taken off the board in ESPN leagues (with an ADP near the 87th pick) and now it's hard to say how much confidence to place in him. He can rebound from a minor procedure nicely and that if his draft stock continues to fall more he may remain a bargain; otherwise, he's likely to provide about even value if you take him at that spot. My advice? Don't reach for him, but don't pass him up if he's the best hitter left on the board or you haven't drafted a 1B by that point in the draft. Berkman likely still has some gas left in the tank and won't hurt you anywhere like 1B taken after him: Carlos Pena is going roughly six picks behind the Big Puma as of this writing, and then there's a steep dropoff to less consistent, higher players like Michael Cuddyer and Chris Davis in the 130s and 140s.
As a random aside, while we're on the topic of first base: everyone is high on Kansas City Royal Billy Butler. He has already shown the ability to hit for average at the big league level and even though the power doesn't seem to be there yet, he's demonstrated a healthy upward trend in his HR/FB% over the past two seasons so there's no reason to believe 25 HR (or 30 if you're really optimistic) isn't possible. No, he's not on a very good team or in a great lineup, nor is he protected by any other prolific hitters like a Pujols, Fielder, or Howard type, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a player going into only his second full year in the majors with as much demonstrated talent or upside at 1B. If he's around in the late 70s or early 80s (i.e. near his ESPN ADP) and you still need a first baseman, just take him. Plus, there are plenty of indicators that he could improve upon his strong season last year, unlike other younger players at the position like Kendry Morales (whose numbers seem inflated by an artificially high BABIP and a ridiculous second half) or strikeout king Chris Davis.
Major leaguers got their first taste of rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg the other day, and the force was strong with the consensus number one pitching prospect. With wicked upper-90s heat and a rather nasty breaking ball (or two, depending on who you talk to), Strasburg appears to have the stuff to be every bit as good as we've heard and he is undoubtedly a fun player to watch so far (video highlights of his two innings of work are available in the media section of MLB.com, in case you missed his debut). His strikeout of Miguel Cabrera was particularly nasty, and it will be great to see just how many great major league hitters he can mess with through the next few weeks as he continues to face off against other pros during Spring Training.
All accolades aside, though, we didn't see much of Strasburg's breaking ball (which he threw only twice) and there's little reason for the still-developing Nationals squad to start him in the majors and start his arbitration clock right away. Financial considerations and a lack of talent in the Nats' big-league squad will ultimately push Strasburg down to AAA to start the year, so don't let a strong Spring performance or vague intimations by Mike Rizzo and John Riggleman convince you to draft him earlier than you need to. Enjoy the preseason hype and expect a June call-up from the minors for the heralded righty.
The same goes for the Cincinnati Reds' Cuban import Aroldis Chapman, who flashed his brilliant, triple-digit fastball in his first few innings of work. Chapman is equally unlikely to break camp in the majors as Strasburg (and for the exact same reasons), but with so little to get excited about in the Reds' camp, it's hard not to get caught up in the hype. Given that we know less about Chapman as a player than Strasburg, it remains to be seen just how durable he is on a club managed by arm-destroyer Dusty Baker, who tellingly expressed his excitement to the Washington Post about how Chapman seemed ready for a heavy workload given the fact that pitch counts hardly exist in the Cuban league Chapman played in last year(!)
In case you haven't been paying attention to the Continuing Story of Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, Dusty Baker has an apparent hatred for young arms and a complete disregard for the medical evidence that a sudden spike in workload can prove disastrous for rookie pitchers. I'm less enthused about Chapman, even if his raw stuff is as impressive as Strasburg's. Also, how is it that we have a Cuban player signed to an inflated contract on a team called the "Reds" and no one has made any Communist jokes? Am I right? *Crickets*
Of course, the story is entirely different for the Atlanta Braves as they watch Jason Heyward continue to tear apart major league pitching and show off his impressive five-tool skill set. The more Heyward mashes, the more Frank Wren and Bobby Cox have said indicating a jump to the majors for the game's number one offensive prospect. I have no idea how to approach Jason Heyward going into drafts; in one league, I got him for $3 in a typical 12-team auction, and in a 10-team keeper league snake draft I saw him go right after the top 100. How do you even begin to put a value on a player with so much upside but so much to prove? If you're prepared to reach on him, make sure you fill your bench with a reliable OF or two who may be going later than necessary because of health concerns (Conor Jackson, anyone?) or diminished expectations despite past success (like a certain Brewers OF with a penchant for wearing sunglasses at night...).
With rookie fever out of the way, we should probably turn to the tragic case of top closer Joe Nathan, who tore his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and looks to be down and out for the year. Nathan has indicated that he will try to pitch through the injury, but given that most everyone who sustains this injury requires the dreaded Tommy John surgery to replace the ligament and the typical timetable for return from that procedure is almost 18 months, it looks nearly inevitable the 35 year old will have to go under the knife and may never be an MLB closer again in his career (if he has the drive and heals well enough to return at the midpoint of his age 36 season).
This is a huge blow for the Twins, but they still look competitive given their fairly deep bullpen. Jon Rauch will probably get first crack at closer duties now, followed by Matt Guerrier. And while manager Ron Gardenhire denied the possibility of Pat Neshek (who is 15 months out from his own TJ procedure last year) taking over as closer for the time being, Neshek simply has too much talent not to get a chance to take over later in the year if the first two guys struggle at all after the midpoint of the year. Keep your eyes peeled and bump Rauch up to back-tier closer status on your draft lists.
Finally, watch out for St. Louis CardinalsMatt Holliday and Albert Pujols. Both were recent scratches this week: the former sustained a ribcage injury, and the latter is dealing with a sore back. Right now, they seem to be okay and will likely not miss more than a few days, but these are two top-caliber offensive players and even the slightest amount of time missed can affect their stock value. It's hard not to be concerned with Pujols's slightly spotty injury history (remember the elbow scare a few years back?), but Holliday has been healthy for most his career. Continue to draft with confidence until you hear otherwise, but continue to check up on them and see what the buzz is in case either injury gets serious.
All news and references come from Rotoworld and MLB.com, and ADP info can be found at ESPN.com's Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. Stats are from Fangraphs.com
Fantasy Baseball Add/Drops for the Week of March 15th
Spring training is in full swing which means it's fantasy baseball draft time. Whether you have yet to draft or are already trying to fine tune your roster, here are some adds/drops to consider for this week.
Spring baseball games are here! What a great time to be a baseball fan – unless of course you drafted early and grabbed your favourite closer Joe Nathan in the 5th round! Maybe you have a Fielder sized man-crush on Brandon Webb or Jose Reyes? With both having delayed starts to the spring with no real timetable in sight for a return, whatchagonnado? I am not immune to the folly of the spring, having personally drafted the Big Puma in an NFBC league with no pickups - fingers are crossed that his cleaned out knee will be up and firing come opening day, but who knows? These are the stresses that befall the fantasy baseball manager before the season proper is even underway.
How should we deal with such stress? Should we go Miggy C and grab a cold one? Not a great idea as you know it’s so hard to stop at just one. Should we pull a Todd Helton and grab the artillery, go hunting and bag us some big game? (Note - this didn’t work out so well for Clint Barmes in 2005, so be wary.) Make a better choice – I like to relieve the stress of fantasy baseball planning by going fishing. Fishing for minor league sleepers that is! This week we are running the rule over the corner infield guys. All of you Chipper Jones and Nick Johnson fans should pay particular attention……
To recap how this works, we will take a look at “Shallow Hals” – A-grade talent that is not far from surfacing in the bigs, “Deep Sea Fishin’” – players that have talent but may not be ready to help your team just yet, and “Abyss Dwellers” – those players that have raw talent that are not on the radar right now, but given the right circumstance and opportunity could become fantasy relevant.
The Corner Infielders:
Shallow Hal:Justin Smoak (1B - Texas Rangers)
Just 23 years old, Smoak is a switch-hitter with a sweet swing and plenty of power.
Smoak had a solid start to 2009, hitting .328 in Double-A after only a handful of games in A-ball in 2008. To go with his strong average he showed good plate discipline with a BB/K rate of 1.11 while he popped 6 home runs in 183 at bats. Things went awry shortly after as he suffered a strained oblique, forcing him to miss most of June. On his return Smoak moved to Triple-A, but things didn’t go to plan as his power abandoned him as his strikeout rate rose from 19.1% to 22.8%.
Smoak still needs some seasoning in the minors as his numbers against lefties (.626 OPS Vs .950 OPS against righties) are not up to scratch as yet. When we see Smoak in the majors will depend on both his improvements against lefties and the form of incumbent First Baseman Chris Davis. When that time comes, expect Smoak to put up serious numbers in Texas for a long time.
Deep Sea Fishin’: Josh Bell (3B – Baltimore Orioles)
Originally a shortstop in high school, Bell was immediately converted to third base upon being drafted by the Dodgers in 2005. He found his way to Baltimore as part of the George Sherrill trade. Bell, a switch-hitter, has developing power to go with a patient demeanor in the batting box.
A walk rate of around 13% combined with an ISO of .201 with the Dodgers in 2009 (.281 in Baltimore following the trade) gives us an indication of why some scouts have talked up Bell in passing comparisons to Chipper Jones. Bell has already hit a pair of spring homers in 2010, so keep one eye on the ageing Miguel Tejada and one on Bell as the 2010 season progresses.
Abyss Dweller: Juan Francisco (3B – Cincinnati Reds)
Juan is not one of those guys to worry too much about in dynasty leagues, but as a potential “quick fix” for home runs in 2010, he might just be the man. You see, Juan swings it hard. In fact, he almost knocks himself in the back of the head when he swings, such is the momentum he gains with his cuts. The problem is he doesn’t always connect with the ball.
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, Francisco was the Reds Minor League Hitter of the Year in 2008. At 21 years old, he hit 23 Home Runs and 92 RBI while hitting .277 at A-ball Sarasota. He also has a little speed, though it would be fair to say that he hasn’t quite learned how to use it, as he gets caught on the base paths too often.
Over 1982 minor league plate appearances, Francisco has struck out 22.3% of the time, while walking in only 3.8%. Yes, as stated above, he is a hacker. But when he hits them……they stay hit. Francisco had a cup of coffee with Cincy in 2009 (21 at bats including 9 hits - one home run) so he may find his way back to the big club when a need arises. Of course, Scott Rolen would never get hurt would he? Francisco is a lot of fun to watch, and has the potential to be a home run monster if he turns up on the big club, so don’t be scared to watch!
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Until next time when we put up the “Gone Fishin’” sign, Boris is OUT!
Baseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper housing a MLB team for the very best and most helpful articlesBaseball Blasts are from Articles I have searched for that can can give you little more insight into Teams, Players, and MLB in general..LBB can be a very useful tool. Allow me to do the digging for you, as I have searched every newspaper housing a MLB team for the very best and most helpful articles