David Price had a pretty good month of August. With his win on Saturday, he was 4-2 since July 31st and only allowed more than three earned runs once in those six starts. So after it looked like he was going to be a total waste for the entire year, Price is at least showing some signs for next year. Price would still be a great keeper depending on your situation (how many keepers, etc.). The kid has a ton of talent and has shown enough in 2009 that I have high hopes for him again next year.
Andrew McCutchen only had one hit on Saturday, but his rookie season has been very impressive. He hit his 20th double of the year to go with his 10 home runs and 15 SBs. He is still hitting in the .290s and has driven in over 40 runs. Not bad considering he came to the majors on June 4th. McCutchen is one of the best keepers of the season, and looks like he is going to be a productive major league player for years to come.
Jake Fox also came to the majors at the beginning of June for the first time, but in half of the at bats that McCutchen has had, he has impressive numbers as well. Fox connected on his 10th homer of the season, unfortunately he doesn't have a set place in the field that the Cubs can play him. However, the way their season is going they might as well start playing him as their playoff hopes are fading. Given the uncertainty of Fox's position, I'm not sure he makes a great keeper, but if he has a regular place to play he could easily hit 30 home runs in a season.
Julio Borbon has only been with the team for about 20 days, but he has already stolen 10 bases for the Rangers. Unfortunately he hasn't been playing every day, but if you are some one in desperate need for some steals, Borbon looks like the kind of guy that can help you even if he plays four days a week.
Clay Buchholz has been better of late, and pitched his best game of the season on Saturday. He pitched into the ninth inning allowed one run and struck out nine. That is now four of the last five starts he has allowed two runs or less, but this is the first time that he has shown this strikeout potential in the major leagues. It is the deepest he has pitched since his no hitter, and the two walks were also very good. Buchholz will definitely be in the rotation for the rest of the season, and I'm 99% sure he will be there next year. The kid is the goods and should be even better next year.
Colby Rasmus has lost playing time since the Cardinals acquired Matt Holliday, but he is still having a great rookie year, and is making the most of the time he is getting. Rasmus has hit his third homer in the last ten games that he played, and had a chance at being rookie of the year before the trade. He likely won't be much help for the rest of this year, but his true coming out party should come in 2010.
Justin Upton hasn't been off the DL for long, but he has picked up right where he left off. He had his third multi-hit game since coming back, and hit his first homer in the four games he has been back for. That is now 21 dingers in his 107 games, and should be counted on for 30+ next season. Justin Upton is another one of the best keepers in the major leagues, regardless of the situation.
Cincinnati's rookie Drew Stubbs has stolen a base in two straight games, which is good considering that is pretty much the only reason that he has any value in fantasy. He has seven hits in the last five games, but he is striking out too much, which signals that perhaps he isn't ready to hit major league pitching. Next year could be a different story, but he isn't the kind of guy you should keep.
David Wright is ready to come off the DL and should be activated Tuesday, September 1st when he is eligible. He says he wants to play as much as possible, but the Mets will monitor him plenty over the first couple of weeks. He is likely to get some days off at first, but I would be surprised if Wright was rested too much.
The MRI on Alfonso Soriano's knee came back negative, but Soriano said that the pain in his knee had worsened. The test did show tenonitis in the knee, and at the least he is going to miss the next three games. Soriano will be evaluated on Sunday to see what the next course of action will be. Sit Soriano until at least Wednesday, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was longer.
You can email me any questions or comments at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com, especially questions on lineups or keepers. I guarantee a response within 18 hours.
After a slow day for closers, today was a much more active with lots of big-time action. I'll start with Brian Fuentes, who tied Mariano Rivera for the league lead with 36 saves. He got the save defeating the hot Detroit Tigers 4-2. Fuentes threw a perfect inning for the save, but he did exhibit some wildness before closing out the game. He has had a roller coaster month so far with six saves and two blown saves.
David Aardsma finally joined the 30-something club tonight. He got his 30th save striking out two on two hits for the 5-3 win. Aardsma is also near the top with six saves this month, but like most closers he's hit some rough patches in August. He is currently on pace for 37 saves and over 80 strikeouts.
Chad Qualls came in the eighth with runners on, and promptly gave up a 3-run blast to Bengie Molina. This is a terrible turn of events for a closer on the ropes and on waivers. It was his fifth blown save of the season against 23 saves. I haven't liked Qualls all season and I can say without a doubt that he will not be a closer next year. Brian Medders recorded the wrap around save for the Giants.
J.P. Howell blew his seventh save of the season in horrible fashion walking three and giving up a home run. He ended up with the lost after giving up two runs. Howell has a fantastic K-rate, but his lack of consistency is killing his owners. Howell has only saved 68% of his chances, which is worse they the Master of blown saves Brad Lidge who currently has saved 73%.
Leo Nunez is still the closer in Florida, so hopefully you listened to me and kept him. He looked very sharp tonight, striking out two and giving up a hit. Nunez will be the closer the rest of the season and has been outstanding since getting the job.
Other Appearances: Kerry Wood (16)- Not sure why the Indians are still closing with Wood, but he did get his 16th.
Ryan Franklin (34) - Franklin pitched a Franklin Save. 1 hit and in .2 innings.
Francisco Cordero (27) - recorded #27 with two strikeouts. He is on pace for 31 with four so far this month.
Jonathan Broxton - Pitched a clean inning in a 6-1 Dodger win.
Trevor Hoffman - Pitched one perfect inning in a non-save situation.
There wasn't allot of action for closers tonight, but still some appearances worth noting.
Jaokim Soria gave up a three run bomb to youngster Luis Valbuena to blow his third save of the season. He entered the eighth inning of a 5-4 game and gave up three runs before recording his second out. Soria has been a major disappointment this season and that pain continues for his owners. So far he has only 20 saves and in the month of August he's only recorded two. To make matters worse, his last two appearances have resulted in losses.
On the bright-side, David Aardsma recorded his 29th save of the season in another near perfect inning of work. He now sits with the top closers in the league with 29 saves, 66 Ks, a 2.38 ERA, and a somewhat reasonable 1.25 WHIP. If the WHIP was about .20 lower, Aardsma would be amongst the top four closers. He has been a rare find for free agent hunters and turned into the type of player that wins fantasy championships. Brandon Morrow's failure was David Aardsma greatest moment.
Joe "The Save Man" Nathan got his 32nd save in a wacky night, 2-1 over the Orioles. Nathan was a bit wild walking two batters and needed 29 pitched to record the three outs. The part that makes this night wacky is he didn't give up a hit and struck out the side in the process. Nathan's you know what simply doesn't stink. Even when he blew a save on Friday, he still came through with a win, and that is magic to some. Tonight he walks two in a one run game and gets the save untouched. August has been a tough month for Nathan with only three saves, but he continues to be one of the best closers in the game.
Brad Lidge has been pitching well lately. Tonight he didn't record a save, but he did pitch a perfect inning for the Phillies. He needed 15 pitches to end the game and threw 10 for strikes. Not bad for Lidge.
Terry Francona wasn't taking any chances after another wild game tonight. He brought Papelbon into a 12-8 game to close it out and that he did. Paps struck out two and walked one in a quick ninth inning of work.
Other Appearances:
Fernando Rodney (27) - Rodney looked outstanding tonight. He pitched 1.1 perfect innings and struck out two for the save.
Kerry Wood - Pitched an inning with a four run lead. Gave up a hit and a walk. Huston Street - Pitched one inning with a strikeout in the 14 inning affair.
Brian Wilson - Pitched 2.2 innings in the 14 inning game. He gave up four hits and a walk, while striking out 3.
Billy Butler continues to hit, and I can tell you now that I will be pushing him big time in next year's rankings. Butler's average is still around .300, but he has driven in eight more runs in the past ten games, and now has 65 on the season. He has a serious shot at 80 this year, and should be over 90 in 2010.
"The King of the Solo HR" Garrett Jones struck again, but this time it was of the three run variety and he now 14 homers in 43 games, and now APPEARS to be someone that you will be able to count on for fairly consistent production for the rest of the season. However, as a prospect who is 28 years old and just getting his first real taste of the majors, Jones won't be someone that I will be counting on for repeating his performance from 2009.
Matt LaPorta has been back with the Tribe for a few days now, and so far it has been a little better than his first stint with the big club. He only has two hits in the two days, but he has also driven in three runs, and is hitting seventh in the lineup. I wouldn't expect to get consistent performance from him for the rest of this season, but if he can find a comfort zone, perhaps he will be able to have a strong 2010.
Mike Pelfrey is just impossible to figure out. Raise your hand if you thought he had a chance of being effective against the Phillies tonight. No one? Me either. Well, he allowed just two runs over six innnings and struck out five against the division winner, while he just got tattooed against the lowly Diamondbacks just a two starts earlier.
Adam LaRoche is kind of known as a second half player, but he is absolutely scorching since his return to the Braves. LaRoche homered for the fourth time in five games and now has a nice even 20 on the year. For his career he actually has three more home runs after the All-Star Break in 130 less games, and he actually hits 50 points higher. If you need a guy to give you a little power boost down the stretch, maybe LaRoche is your guy. Just be sure you pick up Adam and not Andy.
Anibal Sanchez returned from his latest major arm/shoulder/elbow injury and pitched quite well again for the Marlins. In his first start since the beginning of June, Sanchez lasted six innings, allowed just one run and struck out seven. Sanchez has a ton of talent, and could be the kind of pitcher that could make an impact down the stretch if he is able to stay healthy. Unfortunately, the kid has been unable to do that yet in his short career. If he is available and you are in any need of pitching, I would give Sanchez a try, but don't be surprised if he is back on the DL before too long.
Johnathan Sanchez threw five shutout innings of two hit ball, and struck out eight. He loses some points for walking four guys over that stretch, but that is still a WHIP of just 1.20, so it is another quality outing for Sanchez. Since his no hitter, he has allowed three runs or less in five of his seven starts, and has struck out at least five in every outing. If he is out there in your league, make sure he isn't after you read this article, and I would choose him over Anibel if you are considering both.
Clayton Richard is now 3-0 in his short stint with the Padres. In his five starts since coming over from the White Sox in the Jake Peavy trade, Richard has only allowed more than three runs once, but hasn't been getting many strikeouts. He shutout the Cardinals over six innings and struck out six on Friday, but it was the first time he struck out more than five. I would also consider him for late in the season pitching, but he would be farther down the line. As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours.
There were plenty of saves to go around tonight in MLB. I haven't seen more than seven saves in one day in over an month, so tonight was special. Not only were there plenty of saves, but most of the big guns came out to play.
Joe Nathan starts off the list. Nathan recorded his 31st save of the season and pitched a perfect inning while doing it. He also struck out two, which got him to over 60 for the season, but this has still been a tough month for him. Tonight was only his second save in August after an incredible nine save month in July. Nathan still has the best WHIP amongst closers at 0.79 and his ERA is at a microscopic 1.54. Bet on him that he will nail down many more saves.
Huston Street hasn't been perfect lately, but he is still nailing down saves for the Rockies. He also recorded his 31st save of the season, but not as easy as Nathan did. Street gave up a solo home run to Josh Bard before settling down and saving the 5-4 win. It was Street's third save in four days, but his other numbers have suffered. Over those three saves he's given up four hits, two earned runs, and only two strikeouts. It isn't much better for the overall month. He was the one of the hottest closers coming out of July (with Nathan), but August has been a different story. He has only four saves, while giving up six runs and striking out five in 5.2 innings. His WHIP for the month is 1.76 on nine hits and a walk. In all of July he gave up only two hits. In August his ERA has raised from 2.44 to 3.24, but his WHIP remains low at 1.00. What does all this mean? Street is regressing a bit as I expected, however he is still one of the top closers out there and he's on target to finish with 41-42 saves.
Jose Valverde continues his march towards 30 saves with his 17th tonight over the Marlins 6-3. He was extremely wild tonight, walking two on 38 pitches. In the end, he got out of it untouched and with two strikeouts. This is Jose Valverde. He bends, but does not break. His injury was terrible for his owners because he is a much better closer then his numbers show. If he wasn't hurt this year, I'd personally guarantee 40+ saves, but atlas I can only promise 30. So far so good for Valverde.
Brian Wilson joined the 30-something club tonight. He closed out a big 1-0 win over Cincinnati tonight, a team that allot of closers are locking down easy saves against. It's been a rough month for Wilson, but he has settled down lately saving two in as many days.
After a couple of rough outing and all-around tough month, David Aardsma got his 28th save of the season tonight. He got it on 22 hard fought pitches, striking out two. After two straight rough appearances Aardsma came back for a big save. You can tell that he has been clearly tired and has been over pitching lately. Hopefully he can get some rest. He only have three saves and his ERA has jumped up over a half-point this month. Still with a 2.13 ERA and 65 strikeouts you have to love Aardsma.
Jonathan Broxton has had absolutely horrid month, but today his defense failed him. After a very smart Pujols walk, Russell Martin launched an errant snap throw to first base that allowed Pujols to get to third base. Broxton then got the next three batters out, but not before Matt Holiday's sacrifice fly. It was his fourth blown save of the month and eight overall. Ryan Franklin got the wrap around perfect inning save. Baseball genius will write books about this guy someday and the Indian Gods will speak his native name; Dances with effortless saves.
Other Appearances: Mariano Rivera (36) - He is unstoppable and so are the Yankees. Got the perfect save again tonight.
J.P. Howell (14) - Quietly recorded his 14th save in a perfect inning of work.
Matt Capps (22) - The 22 saves look nice, but Capps has yet save two games in a row without giving up runs since June 11 & 14. The Sabermetric formula for that stat Xz * (4X + (xy - yx)) = He's terrible x2.
Bobbie Jenks (26) - His comeback tour continued today with a save over the helpless Royals. Since he nearly lost his closer job he has four saves in a row with a loss in between. He faced two batters today and struck out both.
Mike MacDougal - Pitched an inning and gave up a hit in a non-save situation.
The trade deadline in your fantasy league has probably come and passed. Now is the time for you, as a responsible and knowledgeable fantasy owner, to really hunker down and finish strong. While some owners have switched over to auto-pilot, you're going to analyze your team like your life depends on it.
Although most of the top prospects have already been called up, there's always a handful of September call ups who are worth taking a look at. If you're looking to improve in batting average and stolen bases, keep an eye on Eric Young Jr., who is tearing up AAA. Young is batting over .300 and has over 50 stolen bases, averaging around one stolen base every other game. Another player to keep an eye on is Buster Posey, catcher from the Giants system. Posey has some pop in his bat and has good plate discipline. If you're hurting in the catcher department, Posey could hold some value if he gets the call. Other players to watch for include Matt Laporta from the Indians system, and Brett Wallace, acquired by the Athletics in the Holliday deal. Even if these guys don't get called up come September, they're certainly worth keeping an eye on for next season.
In roto leagues, you're going to need to take a close look at the standings and figure out what categories you can improve on given the minimal amount of time left in the season. If you are unable to pick up any of the impact September call ups, you're going to have to make do with what you have. For instance, if your team ERA stands at 3.89, and three teams ahead of you are in striking distance at 3.88, 3.83 and 3.79, it's time to pay extra attention to which pitchers you start or bench. You may want to factor in the match ups, as well as what ballpark they are pitching in. It might be a smart idea to sit a pitcher that you'd normally start, such as an away game against the Phillies, against a tough offense in a hitter's ballpark. If you have a safe lead in ERA or WHIP, but need to make up ground in the win column, you'll need to start guys you might not normally start. All of this of course revolves around your standings by category and your innings pitched limit or starts limit. If you're approaching your limit, you're going to want to be very selective with the pitchers you start. If you have a safe lead, and it looks like improving on a category is going to be nearly impossible, you may want to consider limiting your starts as the end of the season nears. Maybe you have a safe lead in HR and RBI, but could improve in stolen bases. It may be time to pull Michael Bourn, or a speed specialist off the bench and sit one of your sluggers who contributes nothing to the stolen base category.
Remember, as the end of the season approaches, you're going to want to disregard the name on the back of the jersey, and adjust your lineup based on team needs. Sometimes no stats is better than bad stats. In head to head leagues, I'd advise you to begin each matchup by starting a balanced lineup, giving yourself a chance to win each category. If it's a daily league like many, you need to treat each weekly matchup like a mini roto league. As the week comes to an end, you may be able to steal a couple categories by starting a player who only offers speed, or even benching most of your pitchers if you have a safe lead in majority of the categories. There's nothing worse than leading all week, and then losing the category because you started a stud who ended up having a bad game, when in hindsight you would have won the category if you just played it safe. There's nothing wrong with playing it safe. Sports teams do it every day, running out the clock or playing conservatively to ensure a victory. In the end, playing your best players doesn't always address your needs, and it takes a skilled fantasy owner to realize this.
After having one of the worse outings of his career, Frank Francisco has rebounded for two straight saves. Tonight he recorded his 18th save of the season, defeating the Twins 8-5. He looked strong for the second night in a row, striking out two on only ten pitches. I'd still be concerned about Francisco, but at this point you have to ride him out.
Ryan Franklin closed out the Dodgers tonight and only needed two outs. Franklin was perfect again and only needed two pitches to end the game. Franklin joined the 30-something club with save number 30 and is still pitching out of his mind.
I can't say the same for Kevin Gregg. Gregg blew his sixth save of the season and his third of the month by giving up four runs in the ninth inning. The big blast was Kyle Blanks three run home run which ended the game. Gregg has been terrible in the month of August. His ERA has ballooned from 3.83 to 4.47 and his WHIP has shot up to 1.30. In the game, Heath Bell pitched a near perfect ninth for the win. He struck out two in the 19-pitch effort.
Brian Fuentes got a BS save today. I guess the rule applies that if the tying run is on deck it's a save, but this is ridiculous. Fuentes entered a 8-5 game with two outs and a runner on third. He got Brian Roberts to pop out on three pitches and recorded his 34th save of the season. Fuentes rebounded nicely after his blown save last night against the same team.
Other Appearances: Andrew Bailey (18) - Continues to be one of the hottest pitchers in the league. Pitched a perfect inning against the Yankees on ten pitches. His season ERA is down to 2.01.
Bobbie Jenks (25) - Jenks pitched one of his best outings of the season tonight. In defeating the Royals 8-7, Jenks only needed eight pitches for the save and seven were strikes.
Jonathan Broxton - Pitched a quite inning against the Cardinals, striking out two.
Matt Capps - Pitched a perfect innings in a non-save situation.
Tommy Hanson continues to be everything that we hoped many young pitchers would be, but so few actually turn out to be. Hanson ran his record to 8-2 with a win over the Diamonbacks, and he allowed just two runs over six innings and struck out seven. Even more impressive is he didn't walk a batter. Through 13 starts his ERA now sits at 3.05 and his WHIP at a respectable 1.28. I don't think I need to tell you that he is one of the better young pitchers in baseball, and has to have become one of the more sought after keepers for those of you who are in that kind of league. He's beaten the Yankees and the Red Sox in his first season so feel good starting him against anyone. Since his first rocky start, Hanson has only allowed more than three runs twice since he was called up to the majors.
Max Scherzer, on the other hand, has been everything that most young pitchers turn out to be. He doesn't go deep into games, he walks too many guys, yet he strikes a bunch of hitters out. His defense abandoned him more tonight, as only three of the nine runs he allowed were earned. Scherzer pulled his usual outing, five runs with seven strikeouts. The good news was he only walked one, but the Braves were too much for him. Scherzer has been a tough guy to own this season, he has been very hit or miss. The good ones are very good, but the bad ones have been close to scary sometimes. Scherzer is still a guy that I have a great deal of confidence in for 2010 and going forward.
Nate McLouth and his injured hamstring have landed on the 15 day DL. McLouth came out of the game on Saturday after reaggravating the injury and will be out for two weeks. I don't foresee this lasting longer than the 15 days, so just stash him until he is able to return.
Nelson Cruz is to begin a rehab assignment today and is on track to return to the Rangers on Wednesday. There should be further news confirming this before putting him back in your lineup, I will try to pass that along if I can.
What in the world has gotten into Vladimir Guerrero lately? After having just four home runs all season long, Vlad has tacked on SIX through the first 17 days of August, 13 really if you count he didn't play the first few days. He was always one of the best outfielders in all of fantasy, so is this a Vlad resurgence? Well, I wouldn't count on it. If he was dropped in your league during his injury/inconsistency/can't hit a lick phase, I would scoop him up and play the hot hand, but the days of Vlad the Impaler are over. I think he is a 15-17 homer guy at best, and that is 2009, and going forward.
Garrett Jones, or as I like to call him, The Master of the Solo Home Run, hit his 13th roundtripper of the year on Monday in just his 40th major league game. Even more suprising is this one was a two run shot. I gave Jones this nickname because the guy has 13 home runs and just 22 RBI. This is an incredible pace, and I don't think I mean that in a good way. Thirteen jacks in 40 games is great, but I would like to see more ribbies. The career minor leaguer still has his batting average near .300, and the power while not unexpected, is a nice addition which I thought would have tailed off a while ago.
Aubrey Huff was traded from Baltimore to Detroit for a minor leaguer. I don't see this as having a major effect on his fantasy value. Whether it is some games at first, some at third, a few in the outfield, and probably some DH, I think Huff should play if not everyday, most everyday. His value might take a slight bump because of the better lineup that he will now be in.
Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals have agreed to a record $15 million deal over four years. Now it is the waiting game to see if the contract includes the fact that he MUST be brought into the majors this season. We will see exactly what this kid is made of and if he is the NEXT BIG THING or not. This would have been a PR nightmare for the Nats so it was good to see them get this done.
David Wright spoke to the media (why I'm not sure, do we need post-concussion press conferences?) and said that he was basically not feeling any real after effects from the concussion he suffered when he was hit in the head by a pitch by Matt Cain and he wants to play again this season. I don't see any point in the Mets throwing their franchise player back in there, but Wright is a competitor and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see him back sooner rather than later. As long as he is cleared by doctors, expect Wright to play again this year so if you own him in seasonal leagues I would most certainly not drop him.
Ervin Santana won his second consecutive start and he is now looking like he should be worth picking up if he is available in your league. He has been awful for most of the year, but he has won three straight decisions, and COULD be on track to being close to what he was last year. He allowed three earned runs over six innings and struck out five. There is no doubt that Santana has been a bitter disappointment all season long, but when a guy was 16-7 with over 200 strikeouts the year before, you pounce on him when he hits a hot streak.
I suggested to more than one person to give Francisco Liriano one more start before cutting him loose since he was so good the last time he took the mound. Well, that was the one more start, feel free to give him the boot. Hey Francisco! Don't let the door hit you where the Lord split you! He was monumentally awful on Monday allowing seven runs over just two innings, walking two and striking out just one. You can hold him if you want, but I think it is finally time to show him the door.
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Scott Kazmir can't figure out if he wants to be good, or if he is just going to drag your team down. It was back to pretty good again on Saturday as he allowed three runs over 6.1 innings and struck out seven. OK, it isn't great, but considering he gave up seven runs over just 4.1 innings against the Mariners his last time out, that was a Cy Young performance. He has become nearly impossible to predict, and all you can do is put him in your lineup every time out. You are going to get burned every second or third start, but you don't want to miss one of his good ones. If he is one of your keepers, chances are your league keeps too many guys.
Johnny Cueto has officially entered the "suck zone". After leaving his previous start after two innings with a hip flexor, Cueto gutted it out to make his next start. Well, he probably should have gone on the DL. Cueto got absolutely rocked. Cueto didn't get out of the third inning, but he gave up seven runs and lost his tenth game of the year. It has gotten to the point where you really can't start him anymore. Hell you can barely even keep him on your team. In seasonal leagues I think it is time to let him go. Keeper leagues, it is still probably time to let him go. What in the world happened to this guy?
Brian Matusz had his second consecutive rough start after a solid debut start, but he did show some signs of life. Matusz allowed four runs over 5.2 innings, but he did strikeout seven. The kid still has a world of talent, so if you are in a keeper league, you likely just have to live with the rough patches. In seasonal leagues you might want to give him one more start because of the strikeouts, but he's giving up too many hits, runs, and walking too many guys. See what happens next time out.
Some question marks arose again after Gavin Floyd got roughed up his last time out. But he silenced any murmurs of an upcoming slump with another solid outing. Floyd allowed just one run over seven innings and struck out eight. I'm not saying that he is going to be unstoppable for the rest of the year, but I believe that he is worth a start any time he takes the mound.
Brad Lidge blew his eighth save of the year, and his second in the last five days. To add to the disgrace, Lidge also committed two errors during his stint. Not much more to say on this one. He has been a complete trainwreck and there's no reason to think that every second or third save chance he is going to implode.
Joey Votto looks like he may have broken out of his slump with a three RBI game on Saturday. He had just one RBI in the last ten games, so hopefully this is the start of a strong finish for Votto. He has been striking out more than usual, and he hasn't been getting as many hits. His average is still over .310 so it isn't like he's having a bad season. Everyone knows how much I like Votto, so he better finish strong so I don't look like a moron.
Johnathan Broxton blew another save on Saturday, and that was his third since July 29th. I'm not sure if it is his toe injury that is lingering or he is just out of gas. I would guess that it is his toe is still not right and he is just trying to tough through it. Broxton is still getting a ton of strikeouts, and is among the best closers out there. Just keep him in your lineups and hope that he gets it right.
There were a rash of people getting hit in the head on Saturday, but the least of it was Ian Kinsler. He was beaned in the fourth inning, but was able to finish the game. Don't be surprised if he doesn't play tomorrow, but it appears he avoided serious injury.
As if the Mets' season couldn't get any worse, David Wright was hit in the head by a Matt Cain fastball and had to be takent to the hospital. He does have a concussion but the tests came back clean. He is expected to stay in the hospital over night, meaning it is almost a certainty that he won't be playing tomorrow. In fact if you are in a weekly league, there is a very good chance that you should sit him for the upcoming week. I have him in one league that scores from Sunday to Saturday and I have decided to sit him for next week.
Hideki Kuroda was hit in the head with a line drive for the second time in his career. He crumpled to the ground and had to be carted off the field. He did give a sign that he could move his extremities, but I think there is a very strong chance that he is going to miss at least one start. I will report on more news as I find it out, but I wouldn't start him next week if you have weekly transactions.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was placed on the 15 day DL due to recurring numbness in his hand. There is no timetable for his return yet, but talented youngster Taylor Teagarden will be the everyday catcher now for the Rangers. He has struggled so far, but is supposed to have an incredibly high ceiling. If you need to take a chance on a catcher, perhaps Teagarden is worth a shot.
Don’t forget to send me an email about the football email list. Much like in baseball if I find breaking news I will shoot out a quick email to you so you can hopefully make a move before your competition. Put football mailing list in the subject line to fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com.
Also for those of you getting ready for your football draft don’t miss the best deal on the internet. The Fantasy Football Search War Room and Draft Kit. This will not only have all the information that you need to make all the best choices during your draft, but will also help you all year long with maintaining your team to win the championship. For just $10 you get all the best info from myself, Jeff Mans, Todd Farino, RC Rizza and others. Go to www.fantasyfootballsearch.com to get your draft kit today!
As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don’t miss the “Fantasy Baseball Tonight” podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can’t miss if you plan on winning your league.
Frank Francisco had a terrible outing tonight. it came directly after his first save since July 10, and calling it terrible was an understatement. Francisco could hardly retire a batter as the Red Sox hammered him for six runs on seven hits over his 2/3 of an inning. It was easily his worse outing of the season and his third blown save. After Francisco went on the DL back in July, he fell off my radar with his arm injury. I was concerned at his ability to return to form this season, and when asked about Francisco on podcasts I advised trading him. Don't get me wrong, Francisco will be alright the rest of the year, but expecting the kind of numbers he put up in the first half isn't going to happen and that has come to fruition so far. Hopefully you traded him along time ago. If you haven't, you can't now so just hold on for the roller coaster ride designed and operated by Franky.
Papelbon was called into the game to close it out in a non-save situation and looked great, striking out two and giving up a lone hit.
Leo Nunez rebounded from his blown save to nail his 13th save of the season, but it wasn't without some fireworks. He entered the game with two runners on and one out. Thankfully he had a four run lead because he after striking out Dexter Fowler he gave up a three run bomb to Chris Iannetta. Nunez threw 11 pitches and only one was a bad. Overall it was a good performance for Nunez.
Mike MacDougal continues to defy all odds on his comeback tour with his 12th save of the season. Tonight he pitched another perfect and efficient inning over Cincinnati. MacDougal recorded his sixth save of the month and is among the leaders in saves for the month of August. His ERA is also at an impressive 2.37, so the question is how long will it last?
Lidge recorded his 22nd save of the season by defeating the Braves 3-2. Over course it had its Lidge fireworks as he put a couple of runners on before closing out the game. The sad news in this game was Rafael Soriano, who took the loss giving up a solo home run to Ryan Howard in the ninth inning. The silver lining in the cloud for Soriano, he did strikeout the side. Soriano has had a terrible month so far. He has only two saves and he has given up runs in three appearances and they have lead to a blown save and tonight a loss. His ERA has also ballooned from 1.84 to 2.55. This has always been the problem with Soriano besides his inconsistent health. He goes through big droughts and this current drought could have been brought on by an undisclosed injury. Keep an eye on Soriano and consider picking up Gonzalez to protect your bullpen.
Bobbie Jenks continues to prove to Ozzie Guillen that the closer job is his for keeps. After pitching poorly for so long, Jenks has opened up for two saves in the past four days. Tonight he gave up a couple of hits, but settled down and got Garciaparra to ground out, ending the game. It was his 24th save of the season.
Other Appearances: Francisco Rodriguez (26) - Pitched a perfect inning for his second save in three days. Not a bad comeback for KROD. Let's hope it continues.
Mariano Rivera (34) - Rivera is on an insane pace. His 34th save was actually his 30th in a row since his last blown save all the way back in April! Currently he has five saves in August and his WHIP is down to a poultry 0.92. Who says its not worth drafting a closer early?
Jason Frasor (6) - Frasor closed out the Rays tonight. He gave up a hit and struck out one batter. His season WHIP is at an amazing 0.97, but the save opportunities will be few and far between.
Chad Qualls (22) - Got the save tonight. Gave up a hit and a walk and needed a whopping 22 pitches to end the game. Not very efficient.
Andrew Bailey - Pitched a perfect inning in a non-save situation, while striking out one. Bailey continues to sizzle in the month of August.
Today was a happy day for Frank Francisco owners. He recorded his first save since July 10 and his 16th overall this season. He needed quite a few pitches (21) to get the job done, but the result was great for Francisco since he finally got his closer job back. The only action in the inning was a hit and a strikeout. Francisco was a bit wild, but you can chalk that up to rust and nerves. He should be fine the rest of the way, assuming he stays healthy.
Fernando Rodney got his 24th save of the season with a perfect inning over the Red Sox 2-0. Rodney was roughed up in his last two appearances for three runs on four hits, but today he was perfect. I still believe that Rodney is one of the better late season closers to have on your roster. If there is any chance to get him, do it. His value isn't that high, so it is possible.
Trevor Hoffman looked sharp for the second night in a row and recorded his 26th save of the season in a wild game. The Brewers won 12-9 and Hoffman pitched a perfect inning for the save. Hoffman has been outstanding as of late. He has only given up one run in the past month and his ERA is down to 1.80. Believe it or not, he's still a solid closer and to think the Padres could have kept him and had Bell.
Joakim Soria finally got off the snide with his first save since August 2 and only his second save of the month. Soria recorded a big two inning save in a hard fought game against the Twins and needed a whopping 35 pitches to close it out. Overall, the stat line was a walk and two strikeouts for the struggling closer. This clearly is not Soria's year, and frankly if you have him you have to trade him. He should be alright going forward, but the rest of the year he could have limited save opportunities. Don't expect him to pitch tomorrow.
Other Appearances: Matt Capps - Capps got hammered getting "work" today. He entered a blowout and made it even more of a blow out. He gave up 3 runs on four hits. Capps has been one of the biggest disappointments in 2009 amongst all closers. If you own him at this point, feel ashamed and just deal with him. His value is pretty much in the tank.
Billy Butler continues to rake and has certainly become a guy that you can feel comfortable starting on a daily basis. He would be more valuable as a corner infielder or utility guy instead of a starting 1B, but if he is out there, you should try to pick him up. Butler had two hits including his 37th double of the year. In the last ten games, Butler has 17 hits, two home runs and 11 RBI. I think next year will be Butler's breakout party, but he is certainly fantasy relevant for the rest of 2009. He has 13 homers so far, and next year many of these doubles will start going over the fence.
Scott Feldman ran his record to 12-4 today with another impressive win over the Cleveland Indians. He had not been as consistent since the All-Star break as he was in the first half, but good none the less. He allowed just one run over six innings and struck out six. This is more strikeouts than he generally gets, as he has gotten about one per every two innings so far this year. Feldman is a guy that I would pitch and ditch with, and not someone that I would keep on my roster full time, even with the impressive win-loss record.
Clay Buchholz had a better start for Boston after struggling since being called up from the minors. Buchholz only allowed one earned run over seven innings and struck out three. This is his second straight start where he was pretty good, but the walks have really done him in. He was more effective today as he only walked three. He is still a little raw to count on every time he takes the mound, but Buchholz has a ton of talent and should be a major fantasy contributor some time in the future. When that is going to be I'm not sure, but it could be literally any time.
Kevin Kouzmanoff is on a ridiculous hot streak lately. Kouz had five hits on Thursday, and now has 11 hits over the last three games. He also has five RBI over that span. For the season he is batting just .264, but that is up 15 points since the beginning of August. It would be a stretch to think that he can get up to the 23 home runs he hit last season, but he should make a good run at 20. If you are in need of a hitter to try to spark some life into your lineup, Kouzmanoff might be your guy, but just know that he is an inconsistent player and could go cold again soon enough.
Mike Rivera had two home runs tonight as a catcher for Milwaukee, but don't get fooled into thinking that this might be the start of something. He's 32 years old, he's never been given any kind of real chance to play and has never shown any reason to think he will ever start hitting. It was just a good night for a below average player.
Ryan Dempster is not a guy that I trust for the rest of the season. He took his sixth loss of the season as he gave up six runs over seven innings. He is still getting good strike outs, as he had eight more tonight. I would trust him over some of the usual suspects on the waiver wire (Zito, Oliver Perez, Doug Davis) but I would rather take my chances with a young player than throw Dempster out there.
Johnny Gomes is another guy that had a great game that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. He is not an everyday player, and is one of the more streaky players around. He had a two homer game near the end of July, but hasn't done anything much in between these two games. Even if you are desperate, I still wouldn't pick up Gomes.
When you figure out when to start and when to sit Bronson Arroyo, please let me know. Somehow Arroyo threw his second shutout of the season against the Nationals, but his ERA is still near 5.00. Arroyo is not someone that I would keep on my roster, but for those of you streaming pitchers, he is a pretty decent option against bad teams. He does have 11 wins, but he is just so hard to predict. If he got more strikeouts, he would be someone that I would use more often.
Adrian Beltre is back on the DL after being hit by a ground ball. Where you ask? Let's just say that he wasn't wearing a cup. There are three things to say about this. One: OOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Two: He is so tough he finished the game. Three: He likely will need surgery. How much must that have hurt? I've been hit/kicked in the junk plenty of times in my life, and many times I felt like I might pass out. But never has it ever needed surgery. Man, that must have been painful. It is all but certain that he is done for the season with the bleeding testicle. I am also fairly sure that this is the first time that I have written testicle in any of these articles.
Don’t forget to send me an email about the football email list. Much like in baseball if I find breaking news I will shoot out a quick email to you so you can hopefully make a move before your competition. Put football mailing list in the subject line to fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com.
Also for those of you getting ready for your football draft don’t miss the best deal on the internet. The Fantasy Football Search War Room and Draft Kit. This will not only have all the information that you need to make all the best choices during your draft, but will also help you all year long with maintaining your team to win the championship. For just $10 you get all the best info from myself, Jeff Mans, Todd Farino, RC Rizza and others. Go to www.fantasyfootballsearch.com to get your draft kit today!
As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don’t miss the “Fantasy Baseball Tonight” podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can’t miss if you plan on winning your league.
There wasn't allot of action for closers tonight and maybe that was for the better. It has been a tough week so far for MLB closers. ERAs and WHIPs have been rising all over the league and it continued tonight, at least with KROD.
Francisco Rodriguez recorded his first save in 10 days and only his third save in over a month by beating the Diamondbacks 6-4. He gave up a run on two hits and struck out two in a gutsy performance. Rodriguez looked far better then he has anytime over the past two weeks and in reality the run he gave up shouldn't have scored. Gerald Parra got an infield hit and then with two outs got to second base on "fielder's indifference". Why not just try and throw the runner out? Does it matter if you throw the ball into center field and he gets to third? It shouldn't, you already don't care he is getting to second base, so third base matters? Anyhow, that move cost KROD the run after he gave up a two out single. Overall, it was a good performance for Francisco Rodriguez.
Andrew Bailey continues his torrid pave with his 17th save of the season. He threw a nine pitch perfect inning against the Orioles. Bailey didn't get any strikeouts tonight, but he has 72 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. That is 13 K/9 for you statistical guys. He has had a save slow down in August with only three saves, but he has 12 saves in a row and a strikingly low WHIP 0.97 and a comfortable 2.11 ERA.
Heath Bell continues to make up for a sorrowful July. After only getting three saves in July, Bell scored his 4th save in August and his 29th overall save. He needed only eight pitches to dispose of the Brewers. Bell has looked much better lately, but even better the Padres are hot and hitting the ball extremely well. That translates into allot of saves for Bell. He very well could finish this month with 8-10 saves.
You have to love Ryan Franklin. He pulled off another Ryan Franklin save giving up only a walk, but no strikeouts. He has been doing this all year and continues to get the job done and get it done quickly. It was his 28th save of the season and his fourth save in six days.
Other Appearances: Trevor Hoffman - Pitched a perfect inning and struck out two. Brian Wilson - Got the win in extra innings and did it in a big way. Wilson pitched 1.1 inning and struck out four batters. (psst, he faced only four batters for the novices). His wildness was still there. He needed 30 pitches for the outing and only 20 pitches landed for strikes. Don't expect Wilson to pitch tomorrow. Bobbie Jenks - Pitched two innings in a 14th inning game. Gave up only a hit and a walk. Joe Nathan - Got some work in today and struck out the side on 16 pitches.
Tonight was another crazy night for closers. Some looked good, others got cranked, hammered, and any other words you can use to describe giving up runs in an inning. First we will start with the lovable Leo Nunez. Nunez has been great as the Marlins closer, but tonight was not his night. He blew his third save of the season, but his first as the Marlins closer. He gave up the game tying run on three hits. He actually pitched well throwing mostly strikes (8/11 pitches), but his pitches were flat and were hit hard for a double and two shallow singles. Shake this one off. Nunez actually looked good and he should keep the job. Lindstrom was never brought in the game and that says something. Jose Valverde pitched part of the tenth and the eleventh innings. He totals were 1.2 innings, two hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Not the best performance for his WHIP, but overall OK.
Mariano Rivera scored his league leading 33rd save of the season in a 7-5 win over the Blue Jays. He didn't get away unscathed like we are use too. Rivera gave up a bomb to Edwin Encarnacion and stranded Jason McDonald on second base to end the game. Rivera still looked strong striking out two on 18 total pitches. The long ball shot his ERA over 2.01 for the first time this month. Seems like I'm giving that information allot these days.
Bobbie Jenks jumped out of the shadows and flashed all his owners with his 23rd save of the season. It was a clean inning with only one hit. Jenks has all but disappeared lately. This was his first save since July 20 and his first chance since July 25th. Since his two consecutive blown saves, manager Ozzie Guillen hasn't had much confidence in his closer and leaned on his starters and middle relief. This appearance was very positive for Jenks and should calm his owners that he is still the closer in Chicago.
In that game, David Aardsma got roughed up only as David Aardsma can. I'm talking multiple runs and long innings. David Aardsma has been awesome this year,giving up runs in only five of his 54 appearances. Add to that 63 strikeouts and 27 saves. Aardsma's worse enemy in 2009 is the big inning. Out of the five appearances where he's actually given up runs, four of those were two or more runs. When he blows a save he does it Aardsma style. I would shake this one off. Aardsma has been lights out brilliant this year and is a stud closer you should hold.
Francisco Cordero joined the chorus line of closers who gave up runs tonight. He got his 25th save of the season, but not without getting battered a bit. He gave up a run on two hits with one strikeout. Again, shake this off if you own Cordero in your league. Of course, I've been telling you to unload him for weeks, so shame on you if you do still own him.
Other Appearances: Jim Johnson (4) - Johnson recorded his fourth save of the season over the A's with a easy one hit save.
Chad Durbin (2) - Got a 12th inning save.
Brad Lidge - Brad Lidge put on The Brad Lidge Show tonight. He blew his seventh save of the season. He gave up a walk and after a sacrifice, couldn't save the game and gave up the big hit to Milton Bradley.
Kevin Gregg - He suffered a tough loss. He gave up a blast to Ben Francisco in the 12th inning. It was his fourth loss of the season.
Jonathan Papelbon - Pitched the ninth inning in a non-save situation. Just when we thought he was turning the corner back to his dominating self, he gets cranked, but it wasn't all bad. He gave up a double to Avila and after striking out the next two batters, gave up a home run to Curtis Granderson. He struck out the final batter for the side, and though he looked good, the two run home run hurt his over status. It looks as though his confidence is still intact, so should his owners.
Jonathan Broxton recorded his first save since July 30 by closing out the Giants 4-2. It wasn't a pretty save as he gave up a bomb to Bengie Molina and a single to Randy Winn. After that he calmed down and got two more ground balls to end the game. Regardless of the appearance being a WHIP and ERA killer, Broxton got the save and that is big for Broxton owners. The home run to Molina was a 2-0 soft fastball high in the zone and Molina was ready for it. I think Broxton was just trying to throw a strike and didn't think Molina would swing since they were down three runs. Let that go.
Brian Fuentes got a big save over the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. He pitched a perfect inning on 11 pitches and a strikeout. However, Fuentes was blessed because Abreu saved a game tying Ben Zobrist home run with a great catch to end the game. This was Fuentes' second save in a row and he is looking good again. If Fuentes is starting up another one of his hot save streaks, he could have 40 saves by the end of the month.
Huston Street wished he never pitched tonight just to get some work in. Street looked horrible giving up four runs on four hits and a walk. He was finally pulled after 19 pitches and only recorded one out. This performance raised his ERA above 3.00 for the first time since June 26 when his ERA was the same as it is now, 3.09.
Leo Nunez continues his hot streak in August with his 12th save of the season. It was his third save in four days. It was also his tenth straight save since taking the closer job for the Marlins and Nunez has yet to blow a save as closer. There are no signs of Matt Lindstrom getting the closer job back this season.
Other Appearances: Frasor (5) - Recorded his fifth save and a big save at that against a tough Yankee team. He struck out one and gave up a hit.
Ryan Franklin (27) - Franklin got another seemingly easy save over the drifting Reds 4-1. He gave up a hit and no strikeouts.
Jonathan Papelbon (28) - Papelbon was called on for a 4-out save and he came through big.
David Aardsma (27) - Nailed his 27th save with a near perfect inning. He recorded no strikeouts for only the 12th time this season out of 53 appearances.
Chad Qualls - Qualls got hammered tonight in a non-save situation. He gave up 2 runs on three hits. On the bright side, he did strike out the SIDE (no pun intended. Is that a pun?).
Alex Rios has been claimed by the Chicago White Sox, and the Blue Jays basically said, "hey, he's yours!" So, how does Rios' value change? I would say it definitely takes a hit unless there is an injury on the Sox. Carlos Quentin, Scott Podsednik and Jermaine Dye man the White Sox outfield, and Jim Thome is entrenched as the DH. So, who is the odd man out? Rios? Podsednik? I think right now the Sox are kind of surprised they got him for absolutely nothing and now must find a way to get playing time for all those guys. I'm not sure I would drop him, but I would certainly sit him on the bench until you find out how the playing time shakes out.
Pedro Martinez will be back in the majors on Wednesday against the Cubs. Jaime Moyer has been moved to the bullpen, which should have been done a while ago. Pedro's last two solid starts were against the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic and the minor league rehab starts. Not exactly anything that instills confidence in me. I wouldn't touch Pedro with a ten foot pole. The last time he was in the majors he got tattooed like a bunch of rebellious teenagers. Chicago is slumping right now, but I still wouldn't touch Martinez.
Chad Billingsley is going to be skipped from his Wednesday start and will hope to avoid the DL with his hamstring injury. Not too much else to say on this one, watch for further updates to see if he will be back next Monday.
Leo Nunez picked up another save tonight for the Marlins, but it was Matt Lindstrom who started the ninth inning. Manager Fredi Gonzalez has said that Lindstrom would get the job back "eventually, but he didn't know when". Well, Lindstrom crapped the bed in his first attempt back in the 9th, although it wasn't a save situation. He made it one for Nunez, and he had to clean up after him. Is this going to make it a longer time for Lindstrom to get his job back? WILL he get his job back? Nunez has been great in the closers role, so he deserves to keep getting the chances. I wish they would just tell us who is the closer, I have both Marlins relievers in FOUR leagues and they are taking up roster spots that I could use on others! C'mon Fish, make up your mind!!!
Johnny Cueto injured his hip running the bases tonight, and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. If he is going to miss any significant time, I would let him go, but if he is going to make his next start, I would continue to hold him on your roster. He was once 8-4, but is now 8-9. Cueto has talent, he has just been in an incredible slump.
Geovany Soto had his first hit since returning from his latest stint on the Disabled List and he made the most of it with his ninth home run of the year. Soto has been one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy this year, and his owners are praying that he will be back on track now and will finish the season strong. I'll believe it when I see it.
Outside of that one start where he allowed eleven runs (tough to forget, I know), Gio Gonzalez has pitched pretty well. He ran his record to 4-2 as he shut down the Orioles over six innings with just one walk and striking out five. That is now two straight starts that he hasn't allowed a run, and he has struck out 26 batters in his last four outings. I still don't quite trust him yet, but Gonzalez was a high ranking prospect, so this could be for real.
Troy Tulowitzki had his best career game today as he hit for the cycle and drove in seven runs. Tulowitzki is putting those couple years of disappointment behind him, and is now ranking among the top few shortstops in baseball. I know this isn't breaking news, but just wanted to give credit where credit is due.
Jorge De La Rosa bounced back nicely from his last outing in which he gave up seven runs. De La Rosa pitched into the eighth inning, allowed just one run and struck out eleven. That is now six of his last seven starts in which he has allowed two runs or less, and he now has more strikeouts than innings pitched. If he is available in your league, please make sure he isn't much longer.
Don’t forget to send me an email about the football email list. Much like in baseball if I find breaking news I will shoot out a quick email to you so you can hopefully make a move before your competition. Put football mailing list in the subject line to fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com.
Also for those of you getting ready for your football draft don’t miss the best deal on the internet. The Fantasy Football Search War Room and Draft Kit. This will not only have all the information that you need to make all the best choices during your draft, but will also help you all year long with maintaining your team to win the championship. For just $10 you get all the best info from myself, Jeff Mans, Todd Farino, RC Rizza and others. Go to www.fantasyfootballsearch.com to get your draft kit today!
As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don’t miss the “Fantasy Baseball Tonight” podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can’t miss if you plan on winning your league.
We have officially started the stretch run of the 2009 fantasy baseball season. The next few weeks are absolutely critical in moving into or out of contention for your league's championship. As the loyal readers of The Hot 8 will attest to, I have been able to single out many difference makers that were available in free agency so far this season. As we begin to wind down that task has gotten increasingly more difficult, but one that I am excited to take on. The focus of The Hot 8 for the next 3-4 weeks will be guys who will make an immediate impact for your team. As always, I will be making sure to select players from all positions because I realize that each of us have different needs at this point in the season. So, in these remaining weeks you will find speed, power, middle infielders, catchers, starters, closers and everything in between. My mission is to help you guys get to the promised land and I vow not to let you down. Here is The Hot 8 for this week:
HE'S A KEEPER
1) Mat Latos (RHP - Starter) -- Padres -- Latos is a damn good pitcher. He is still very young and will be shut down sometime around the first week of September due to the Padres being out of contention and the fear of arm trouble. But, you'll be getting a few more possibly dominant starts by him and thus he is a must pick up at this point. His control has been decent since joining the big league rotation and he's been able to minimize damage with huge strikeouts. This guy has the raw stuff to overcome whatever odds are presented and can be a big addition to your rotation down the stretch.
NO LONGER IN THE SHADOW
2) Kelly Shoppach (Catcher) -- Indians -- With the departure of Victor Martinez, Shoppach is now the full time starting catcher for the Indians. Although, I have been arguing all season that he was the starting catcher all season long with as much time as Martinez spent at 1B. Shoppach has great power and is now a fixture in the middle of the order which will present more run scoring opportunities for him the rest of the way. With the awful options that are out there at the catcher position, I just cannot see any reason why 90% of fantasy teams aren't making a run at him right now? He is owned in just 12% of Yahoo leagues right now which is just crazy. It is time to put somebody in your catcher spot that is something more than just a non-average killer and start making up ground with a position that is thinner than Mischa Barton.
RED HOT UTILITY OPTIONS
3) Chris Coghlan (2B/OF) -- Marlins -- I first recommended Coghlan back in May just before he was brought up to the big league club. I liked his ability to get on base and his versatility at the time and he hasn't disappointed. Coghlan has had some up and downs as any young player trying to stay in the league does. But he's made some adjustments lately that has him as a red hot leadoff man for the Marlins. His .357 OBP is most impressive and leads to stolen bases and plenty of runs scored. He is a lock for playing time and is a great addition to your fantasy team if he is still available.
4) Eugenio Velez (2B/OF) -- Giants -- This guy has great speed and has been on fire since his call up last week. He is hitting a whopping .330/.359/.477 with 14 runs scored and 11 RBI's. He is getting time both in the outfield and at 2B for the Giants and will see plenty of time going forward. I like his chances of sticking with the team and making a big impact in their wild card run. I think you will get a big boost in the stolen base department too if he continues getting on base at this type of pace.
5) David Murphy (Outfield) -- Rangers -- Loyal readers know that I have been a big fan of Murphy all season long. After all, I drafted him in both of my expert leagues this season and have subsequently dropped and picked him back up several times. With Chris Davis in the minors and Nelson Cruz now hurting, Murphy will see more time in the Rangers lineup. The more he plays, the more he will perform. I have no doubts about whether or not Murphy has the talent to make an impact, it is all about playing time for him. He's set up for another good run of production starting right now so don't miss the boat again on Mr. Murphy.
JIM JOHNSON, WHO?
6) Kam Mickolio (RHP - Closer) -- Orioles -- This is the Orioles closer of the future and the future in Baltimore is rapidly approaching. Mickolio has already been brought up a couple of times this year and was very impressive in his last few appearances. This guy is a giant who is as intimidating to look at as he is to face in the batters box. Jim Johnson has limited value because in a week or two, Mickolio will be closing out games for the Orioles.
USEFUL VETERANS
7) Kelly Johnson (Second Base) -- Braves -- Johnson is once again healthy and is finally hitting like his previous self. The only problem is that Martin Prado has sewn up the starting 2B job for now with his scorching second half. Johnson will get plenty of at-bats going forward and will wind up moving Prado over to SS & 3B on occasion to rest the Braves other vets. Johnson has some nice power upside for a second baseman. I think he'll see enough time to be a useful piece for a contending fantasy team.
8) Jim Thome (Utility/DH) -- White Sox -- I don't usually recommend DH's or straight utility players like Thome. But he is as hot as can be right now, launching HR's all over the place. With the lack of power that is plaguing fantasy teams, Thome is absolute gold right now. With HR's come runs and RBI's too which makes is worth finding a spot in your starting lineup for the big slugger.
That is the Hot 8 for this week. What do you guys think? Post your comments below or email me at jeff@fantasybaseballsearch.com
As a change of pace, let's start with some injury news
Jake Peavy will make his first rehab start for the White Sox on Thursday, and will likely need three such starts before taking the mound for his new team. If he suffers no setbacks, that would put Peavy in the Windy City before the calendar changes to September. There is still many days between now and then, but for those of you who have been stashing him, this is incredible news.
Carlos Zambrano has had a rough last 24 hours. He was all set to make his start on Friday night, but was scratched late with what was called some muscle spasms. Well, today Big Z lands on the 15 day DL with a lower back "problem". Not sure exactly what that means, but it does mean he will miss another two starts. Even though I don't like this guy as a player, he is a bulldog and I would be absolutely shocked if he missed anymore than the mandatory time.
Bad news for those of you stashing Jordan Zimmerman.....the worst kind of news. The Nationals used the "A-word" when talking about his MRI, but it likely isn't the "a" word you are thinking of. The team is sending his MRI to be looked at by Dr. James Andrews. That's right, Dr. Kevorkian of fantasy pitchers. For those of you who are unfamiliar, he is the Tommy John doctor. Pitchers go in.....but they don't come out usually for 12-18 months. The team says that there were "concerning facts" on the MRI. If you are stashing him on your DL slot I would continue to do so for now. But don't be surprised if you receive some pretty bad news in the upcoming days.
Erik "DL" Bedard is going back to Dr. Yocum who performed his shoulder surgery last year to look at the latest fraying found in that shoulder. He is supposed to see this doctor on Wednesday, but I am here to tell you now that he is done for the season. I wouldn't drop him on my speculation, but I would be willing to put a nice (imaginary) wager on this one. I made a prediction last season around the All-Star Break that he wouldn't pitch five more times......He never came back. He is a free agent at the end of the year so he may want to return to earn another contract, but I wouldn't count on it.
Brian Roberts (who I just traded for) fouled a ball off his shin and left the game early on Saturday. He stayed in the game for two innings, but then left to take some precautionary x-rays which (thankfully) came back negative. I wouldn't be shocked to see him out of the lineup tomorrow, but if he stayed in for two innings and there were no breaks, I wouldn't expect him to miss much time. If I see an update I will pass it along.
Brett Cecil left the game early with a sore left knee that he suffered trying to field a bunt single. From what I have read, it didn't seem like it was it was a bad injury, but apparently the knee has been bothering him for a while. It doesn't seem like a DL scenario, but the next couple of days should clear up the extent of the injury.
Jed Lowrie landed on the 15 day-DL with an irritated forearm, and while Terry Francona didn't think it was anything serious, Lowrie will get it checked out further while he is not in the lineup. It sounds like this will be a two week thing, and he should be back.
The Rest of the Action
Chris Tillman made his best start since being called to the majors on Saturday. One of the Orioles top prospects lasted 6.2 innings, gave up two runs, walked three and struck out four. He has gone deeper into the game with each passing start, and hopefully he will continue to improve for the rest of the season. He is supposed to have an incredibly bright future and should be someone that you are targeting in keeper leagues.
Outside of the walks, Clay Buchholz had a fairly effective start against the Yankees. He lasted two runs over six innings, unfortunately he walked five and struck out only three. Buchholz is an incredibly talented pitching prospect on one of the better teams in baseball. However, so far he has struggled since being inserted into the rotation.
Frank Francisco has been declared the closer again for the Texas Rangers, as he will take his job back from C.J. Wilson. It has been a tough season of injuries and sickness for Francisco, but hopefully this will be the last time that I need to write about him for any reason except for closing games.
In more closer news, even though Matt Lindstrom has been activated from the DL, Leo Nunez continues to get the saves. On Saturday, Lindstrom pitched the eighth, while Nunez collected the save. Is Lindstrom going to get his job back? I still feel like he will eventually, but I am having some doubts.
Billy Butler is really starting to make some noise for the Royals. He had three more hits on Saturday, giving him five straight multi-hit games and he has driven in ten runs in the last five games. He still isn't quite hitting for the power that he was projected to, but he has been making strides each season. He hit 11 bombs last year, but is already at 13 this season. Butler will likely get to 80 RBIs or more, as he drove in his 57th run of the year today. He should be very good for the rest of the year, and I think next season will be Butler's coming out party.
Justin Masterson made his first start for the Indians, and while it didn't last long it was very productive. I warned you that it likely wouldn't be a deep outing because he had been used out of the bullpen for the Red Sox for the past couple months. He allowed just one run over four innings and struck out four. As he makes more starts, he should be able to go longer into games. He is a guy worth keeping an eye on for the rest of the season.
Brian Fuentes actually had a fairly boring save today. He came in with one out in the ninth and finished the game allowing just one hit. Fuentes had allowed one or more runs in three straight appearances, so it was good for his owners to see him get through one without giving up any scores.
Carl Pavano made his first start for the Minnesota Twins, and boy was it a gem. Pavano threw seven shutout innings, didn't walk anyone and struck out five. Now, while I think his performances might improve with the move, I urge you not to get sucked in by this latest start. Pavano has fooled us before with some great outings, only to be punched in the gut his next time out. This gives you another sense of hope. Is it the real deal, or another one that is soon to be followed by a kick in the pants......which side is up to you.
Wladimir Balentien is making the most of his second chance in the majors when he was traded to the Reds at the deadline. He has six hits in the last four days, and he has driven in four runs. Balentien was once supposed to be one of the better outfield prospects for the Mariners, but just never got it going in Seattle. He didn't show much power and struck out constantly. He showed great power in all levels of the minors, so there is some chance that he could turn into a pretty productive hitter in the National League, especially in the Reds park. I need to see more than a few good days before I am ready to make a move on him though.
Don’t forget to send me an email about the football email list. Much like in baseball if I find breaking news I will shoot out a quick email to you so you can hopefully make a move before your competition. Put football mailing list in the subject line to fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com.
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There was only a handful of saves today, but plenty of action on the baseball diamond for closers.
In the American League East showdown in New York the ace closers did their thing, which is stop the other team from scoring. Mariano Rivera pitched a sweet ninth inning with two strike outs and a hit. Papelbon matched him with 1.1 innings perfect innings and two strikeouts. Both closers should be available to pitch tomorrow and will likely be needed after depleting the bullpens.
Jose Valverde stayed hot gaining his 14th save of the season. He had a easy 14-pitch inning against the Brewers. Not much action for Valverde, but his control was spot on. He recorded one strikeout and a hit. Awhile back I wrote that Valverde could achieve 30 saves and at August 7th stands at 14. I still think that 30 is achievable, but either way he is a closer you should get your hands on. He is hot and his arm is relatively fresh.
Ryan Frankin scored his 25th save defeating the hapless Pirates 6-4. Argh mate! Franklin pitched his specialty, which is a perfect inning. For extra kicks, he threw in a strikeout. Franklin is still a closer I think should be sold. The fact that the Cardinals were desperately trying to trade for other closers should tell you something. Still, you can't argue with his results and this catchy non-Sabermetric stat. He has pitched perfect (meaning no hits or walks) in 24/42 appearances this season. In comparison, Mariano Rivera has 18 and Jonathan Papelbon 14.
The Washington Nationals won their sixth game in a row and Mike MacDougal is been on the saving end of most of them. Tonight, he saved his eleventh game of the season, but more remarkable his fifth save in August. He pitched 1.2 innings tonight and gave up two hits and walk, but no runs. MacDougal might have a solid ERA at 2.54, but his 1.52 WHIP is a major concern for his owners and his consistency. Right now he is pitching well enough and I think that is all we can ask out of Big Mac.
Leo Nunez nailed down his tenth save of the season over the Phillies 3-2 . He needed only five pitches to finish off the Phillies with a perfect inning of work. It was an incredible performance for Nunez, who many have suspected may lose his job to Lindstrom. Not me, I think its his job to lose and after another great performance like this the job is that more secure.
Brain Wilson had a terrible evening. First, he came in the eighth for a big save and gave up an RBI single to Lance Nix to blow the save. After escaping the eighth, he came back in for the ninth and all hell broke loose. After giving up a bunt single and a sacrifice, he then walked the next three batters. After Wilson was relieved, the Giants defense made two horrible errors allowing all three of his walks to score. His final numbers; one ER, two hits, and three walks. Terrible night for the stud closer.
Francisco Rodriguez looked even worse. He didn't record a single out when he entered the 2-1 game for the save and gave up five runs on two hits and three uncontrollable walks. This is consecutive horrible outings for KROD. Something is mentally wrong with him and we've seen it before back in California. Cleary he is not the same man as earlier in the season. This could continue for awhile, but thankfully he can't lose his job. The Mets have no one else!
Other Appearances: Jim Johnson (3) - The new Orioles closer got his third save of the season pitching a solid inning with no strikeouts. Expect a lack of strikeouts from Johnson and an excess of runs. Jonathan Broxton - His slump continues with his fourth blown save of the season. He gave up a run on a hit and a walk. J.P. Howell - Took the loss giving up a 2-run home run to Russ Langerhans in the 11th inning. Fernando Rodney - Why he keeps getting brought in for non-save situations I'll never know. He is terrible when a save isn't on the line Tonight he gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. He did strikeout two if that makes Rodney owners feel better. Francisco Cordero - Loaded the bases ina non-save situation, but got out of it unscathed. Rafael Soriano - pitched a perfect inning in the extra inning affair with the Dodgers. David Aardsma - Pitched great in a non-save situation. Struck out the side and walked one. Heath Bell - Got the win after KROD gave up five runs in the ninth inning.
