CLOSER NEWS AND FACTS:
Heath Bell has pitched three days in a row. He will not pitch April 29 against the Brewers if the Padres need a closer. Both Luke Gregerson and Mike Adams have pitched two days in a row, so I expect Adams to get the call.
Jonathan Papelbon has four saves since Friday April 23.
SAVES:
Matt Capps (10) - Capps secured his league leading tenth save beating the Cubs again 3-2. He did it with complete ease, needing only 10 pitches and grabbing one strikeout. He ERA dropped to 0.68.
David Aardsma (8) - Pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. Aardsma WHIP is now at 0.81. It's his second save in as many days and he will get the day off tomorrow with the Mariners being idle.
Jonathan Papelbon (7) - After getting a one day rest, Papelbon came back with his seventh save. He finished off the Blue Jays on 13 pitches, striking out one. Again it was Varitek behind the plate helping Paps close out the 2-0 win.
Neftali Feliz (3) - Another rough outing for Feliz, but he got the save. He gave up two runs on three hits. Right now his confidence is shattered. Three appearances in a row with two runs being allowed. He definitely could use some time off.
Heath Bell (6) - Bell is on fire. He scored his second save in as many days and finished off a great Padre comeback. He struckout two batters and gave up a hit. With 36 pitches over the last two days, expect Mike Adams to close tomorrow's game if a closer is needed.
BLOWN SAVES:
Ryan Madson (BS2, 1-0) - Madson blew his second save of the season. He gave up a couple of hits to start the ending, but worked out of anymore damage and losing the game. His walk was an intentional walk. Overall two hits, a walk, and a run. The good news, he got the win.
Trevor Hoffman (BS4) - Gave up a solo home run to Ryan Doumit. Hoffman cannot continue to close for the Brewers. Hawkins should get the job on the next chance.
Octavio Dotel (BS2) - This guy is junk. Gave up a run on two hits and two walks. Granted he struck out two, he's junk.
Brian Wilson (BS1) - Wilson gave up his first runs of the season and blew his first save in the process. Wilson entered the game with one out in the ninth inning and a runner on first. He then loaded the bases and gave up a two out, bases clearing double to Jason Werth. He got charged for two of the runs and the blown save.
APPEARANCES:
Leo Nunez - Pitched a perfect inning in a losing cause against the Padres. Nunez's save drough is now one save in ten days.
Brian Fuentes (1-0) - Fuentes entered a tie game and pitched a decent inning. Gave up two hits on 17 pitches, but got the win.
Chris Perez - Didn't record an out. Gave up a bunt single (suicide squeeze) that ended the game.
Francisco Rodriguez - Struck out the side getting some work in against the Dodgers. Looking sharp.
Francisco Cordero - Pitched .2 innings and gave up a run on two hits and a walk. While he did record a strikeout, he needed 15 pitches to get two outs and no save.
Franklin Morales (0-2) - Morales was asked to go two innings and pay for it. He gave up a run (solo home run to Kelly Johnson) on two hits and two walks. Morales has been terrible lately. I have a feeling that Huston Street is rushing to get back.
Listen to Todd "The True Guru" Farino breakdown all the closer activity three times a week on Blog Talk Radio. Every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 11pm PST. www.blogtalkradio.com/the-closer-report or download the podcast on ITunes!
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
The Texas Rangers will demote 1B Chris Davis to Triple-A Oklahoma City and recall prospect Justin Smoak. Smoak is expected to start at first base.
This is a must pick up if he is available. There is no guarantee that he will become a star day one, but he is the type of prospect he can strike gold and end up being a Fantasy All-Star in 2010.
The switch-hitter batted .300 with 2 home runs with 50 at bats thus far in 2010.
Two young pitchers could be making their debut in the next week. One is a highly touted prospect, the other has been lights out in the minors.
First is Jhoulys Chacin for the Rockies. Colorado had not one, but two starters go down. Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel are both going to miss some action. To fill in, Chacin will be called upon to make some starts. Still unknown who will step up for the other spot.
What do we get with Chacin? He has a very nice fastball in the mid 90's, and good secondary pitches. So far in the minors, he has a 1.69 ERA in 21 innings with 21 Ks. The bad news is that he has 11 walks in that stretch. All in all, he is a typical prospect - talented and raw. The Rockies can score some runs, so even if Chacin struggles some, he is still a good bet for some wins.
Our next new starter is Jake Arrieta, maybe. The Orioles need a 5th starter. The question is who will they pick. Their best option is either Brad Bergesen or Arrieta. Bergesen has a little more experience, but has struggled for much of it. His minor league starts this year haven't been too impressive either (his last one on Sunday was decent). Arrieta on the other hand has been fantastic. 25 innings, 1 earned run. In his last start, he struck out 11. The start before that, he struck out 7. On numbers alone, Arrieta is the man to start, but we'll see.
Chacin is definitely going to get some starts and it's possible he can be decent right out of the gate. Deep leagues or NL only leagues should check him out. Arrieta is a little more difficult to predict. He may not even be called up and even if he is, it's for the Orioles who are not that good. But, if his talent translates, he could be very good.
CLOSER NEWS AND FACTS:
Alfred Simon is the new Orioles closer and recorded his first save of his carer tonight against the Yankees.
Trevor Hoffman already has three blown saves and has given up runs in 5/8 appearances.
Did you know that Matt Capps nickname is "The Capper".
SAVES:
Matt Capps (9) - Capps looked great again. He handled the Cubs with ease, giving up only a single to Geovany Soto and struck out Tyler Colvin to end the game. His ERA is all the way down to 0.73.
David Aardsma (7) - Dominated the Royals. He did give up a hit to David DeJesus, but he got doubled up on the next batter and ended the 3-2 win on 14 pitches. A great comeback save for Aardsma after blowing a big save over the weekend.
Ramon Ramirez (1) - With Bard and Papelbon both overused and unavailable, Ramirez got the call and got the 2-1 versus Toronto.
Jason Motte (1) - Got the save for the resting Ryan Franklin. He pitched 1.2 innings and walked two batters, but no hits. Motte has been looking much lately. His ERA is down to 2.08 and his WHIP is steady, but high at 1.38
Alfred Simon (1) - Got his first chance to save for the Orioles and had to do it against the Yankees. He got roughed up at first giving up a hit and a walk, but after striking out Jeter he then got screwed by his shortstop for a run scoring error. Overall, he gave up 1ER on two hits and a walk. He had one strikeout on route to earning his first career save.
Jon Rauch (7) - Worked hard for the save, but in end the looked good. Two strikeouts and a hit for the 2-0 win. Despite some struggles, his season ERA looks good at 1.80.
Frank Francisco (1) - He closed out the game today with Neftali Feliz not available after pitching the last two days. I also think that Feliz needed some time off after crashing two saves in the past week. Francisco looked sharp, neededing only 10 pitches for a perfect save.
Heath Bell (5) - Bell worked hard for his fifth save of the season. He needed 20 pitches to end the game and opened the inning with two singles. Uggla almost ended the game with a three run dinger, but it stayed in the park. He then struck out Baker in a key at bat and the save was secure.
Rafeal Soriano (5) - Earned his fifth save of the season and needed only 13 pitches to finish off the A's. He did record a strikeout, but his K/9 is still terribly low for his standards.
BLOWN SAVES:
Trevor Hoffman (BS3) - Hoffman was absolutely hammered for five runs on four hits and two of those were big flys. Hoffman's days have to be numbered. If you own him or need a closer, get LaTroy Hawkins added ASAP! APPEARANCES:
Francisco Cordero - Finished a 6-2 game with two strikeouts and a hit. Watching Cordero tonight, he was looking sharp and hitting the radar gun at 95. He is definitely looking stronger with eash season.
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
CLOSER FACTS:
Jonathan Broxton still has only one save in one attempt for the LA Dodgers.
Jonathan Papelbon has pitched 5 out of the last 7 days. He accrued a win and three saves in that span.
Jose Valverde fists pumps with his right hand.
As of April 26, five closers still have a 0.00 ERA. Mariano Rivera, Andrew Bailey, Jonathan Broxton, Brian Wilson, and Leo Nunez.
Mike Gonzalez is expected back closing for the Orioles around mid-May.
SAVES:
Jose Valverde (6) - The always eccentric Valverde disposed of the of Rangers on ten pitches and gave his required fist pump when the game was over. It was a perfect save with no strikeouts, but two groundballs and a lineout.
Ryan Franklin (7) - Wow. Another save with hits, no strikeouts, and even better NO RUNS. Mr. Lucky continues his run of pitching to contact, but keeping the ERA down.
Brain Fuentes (3) - Just dominated the Cleveland Indian batters, but then again who hasn't? He was lucky enough to go through a bunch of lefties. He opened the inning with a called strike three, but Hafner reached on an error. He came back and struck out another lefty Branyan and then walk Kearns. He finished the game by striking out the side, but needed 27 pitches to close the game. Expect to see someone else close tomorrow, possibly Rodney.
Bruce Chen (1) - Chen came in and got the 3-1 save for the Royals over the Mariners. He was giving the overworked Soria a day off, so no worries if you own Soria. It was also a lefty/lefty matchup and he faced one batter.
Jonathan Papelbon - (6) - Paps looked much sharper tonight with Jason Varitek behind the plate. He struck out Travis Snider with a perfectly placed high fastball. He then he got Lewis on a groundball and Hill on a popup. He looked outstanding and in command. Could his problem be Victor Martinez?
Chad Qualls (5) - Got his fifth save of the season, but not without giving up a couple of hits and a RBI to Carlos Ian Stewart. He did end up striking out the side, but you can't ignore his 9.00 ERA and 2.11 WHIP. A funny fact, his ERA coming into the game was 9.00 and he gave up a run in an inning, which is a 9.00 ERA, so no movement.
APPEARANCES:
Carlos Marmol (1-0) Marmol still can't get saves, but he got his first win of the season. He pitched the tenth inning against the Nationals and gave up a lone hit with no strikeouts.
Octavio Dotel - Don't tell me he's getting hammered again. Just part of another Brewer/Pirate massacre. He gave up four runs on three hits and a walk. The big blast was a Alcides Escobar 2-run home run. Not a good night for any Pirate pitcher.
Neftali Feliz - Second game in a row that the young Texas closer has got rocked. He gave up two runs on three hits. Basically he threw two poorly placed fastballs that were hammered from home runs. His ERA has ballooned to 4.66 and his WHIP has jumped to 1.24. He also took the loss and his record stands at 1-1.
Heath Bell - Got some work in a 10-1 loss and looked great. He struck out the side on 15 pitches.
Kevin Gregg - Came into the ninth inning of a wild 13-12 game and looked outstanding against the three Red Sox hitters he faces. He got two soft groundballs and a strikeout. Though I admit the called strike three on JD Drew was a ball.
Listen to Todd "The True Guru" Farino breakdown all the closer activity three times a week on Blog Talk Radio. Every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday at 11pm PST. www.blogtalkradio.com/the-closer-report or download the podcast on ITunes!
CLOSER NEWS:
N/A
SAVES:
Brian Wilson (3) Wilson finally recorded a save. It was his first save since April 6, and he went out there with a vengeance. Besides a simple single, Wilson struck out the side for his third save of the season. His ERA remains at 0.00.
Jonathan Papelbon (4) - Paps had another tough outing. He did get the save, but in the process looked wild walking two batters and giving up a hit. To put a positive spin on the save, he did intentionally walk Wiggington and he struck out Lugo to end the game. That is how expereinced closers do it.
Francisco Rodriguez (2) - Recorded his second save in as many days. He is still lacking his trademark sharpness that we haven't sen in awhile. He needed 22 pitches to close he game and gave up a hit and a walk, while striking out two. His WHIP rose to 1.27, but his ERA lowered to an impressive 1.04.
Kevin Gregg (5) - Gregg was needed for 1.1 innings, but got a clean save. He looked great giving up a hit and striking out two.
Matt Lindstrom (5) - Another 12 pitch save for Lindstrom. No hits and a strikeout. Lindstrom has clearly found his closer niche.
Briean Fuentes (2) - Fuentes was back in the closer role and frankly it was a shocker. When I saw Fernando Rodney coming into the eighth inning I was thinking someone got screwed. I did assume that since the Yankee lineup is loaded with lefties and switch hitters that maybe Scioscia went with his lefty. Thames did pitch hit for Johnson and Fuentes turned Teixeira around. Will see what he does next.
Chad Qualls (3) - Qualls had a hefty three run lead to work with and he didn't even need it. Why? He only needed one out. It was 7-3 going into the ninth and after Heilman gave up a run, Qualls entered the game with two outs and a runner on second. He dispatched of Polanco on five pitches.
BLOWN SAVES:
Neftali Feliz (1-0 BS1) - Feliz got rocked tonight and badly. Well, maybe not that badly, but he gave up three hits, including a wacky shallow double to Johnny Damon. He couldn't close the deal on Magglio Ordonez who with two outs got the big hit to tie the game at 4-4 and blow the game for Feliz. He did manage to get the win, so it wasn't all bad.
APPEARANCES:
Carlos Marmol - Pitched 1.1 innings for some odd reason in a blowout. Still, he struck out three out of the four batters he retured.
Jim Johnson - Gave up a hit in 1/3 of an inning against the Red Sox.
Rafeal Soriano - Got some work in against the Blue Jays. Struck out two in an inning of work. His WHIP has gone down to 1.14 and his ERA is loking much better at 2.57.
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
Mike Leake, Cincinnati Reds, SP
Hey, wait a minute, did we just waste the last few weeks anticipating the future exploits of Aroldis 'The Cuban Missile' Chapman? Was this not the left-hander who could tame wild beasts, alter the weather and defeat third world illiteracy with the magnificence of his 100 mph fast ball? Then, abruptly, just after most of us all learned how to spell his first name, it was like Janet Reno sent her SWAT team to apprehend the 22 year old Cuban defector in the middle of the night, loaded him on a bus and sent him down to Triple-A Louisville. Not to fret, because the Reds have probably made much worse decisions than choosing former Arizona State wunderkind Mike Leake to fill their number five rotation spot. Leake is a two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year, who really hit his stride in 2009, when he finished with a sparkling 1.71 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 142 innings. Although he doesn't make headlines with his 90 MPH fastball, it's his advanced control, plus changeup and the way he persuades hitters to constantly hit harmless groundballs which makes him an interesting prospect. Leake was especially stingy with walks over at Arizona State, granting just 1.68 free passes per 9 innings over his three-year amateur career. Certainly, if he can generate even half the success that he enjoyed at the collegiate level, he will make a worthwhile fantasy acquisition in the early weeks of the season. Available in 50% of all CBSSportsline leagues.
Ian Desmond , Washington Nationals, SS The polls are in, and while Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, both Congressional Chaplains, the Obama family dog, Senator Blabby Blowhard from the great state of South Morontopia and even the guy who dry cleans John Roberts judicial black robe have all fallen into the teens on their approval ratings, the Washington Nationals have somehow escaped the wrath of the electorate, at least temporarily. So what's the justification for this blind optimism? Well, it can't be Washington's pitching staff as their best pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, was sent down to double-A before the season where he will work on destroying the confidence of minor league hitters for the next couple months. One possible reason for the early season enthusiasm is the arrival of rookie shortstop Ian Desmond. Drafted at the age of eighteen back in 2004, Desmond has always shown a penchant for stealing bases, but really didn't show much else for his first few years. In 2008, he started showing a bit of power hitting 12 HRs at the AA level, and then earned a promotion in 2009 to triple AAA, where he hit .354 over 55 games. He won the starting SS spot for the Nationals with a great spring, so it's his job to lose and he makes a solid fantasy pickup in the early going. Available in 55% of all CBSSportsline leagues. Austin Jackson , Detroit Tigers, OF Heralded as one of the top prospects in the NY Yankees farm system for the past couple years, Austin Jackson was essentially exchanged for Curtis Granderson in a trade between the Yankees and Tigers this offseason. Actually, to be fair, the trade was more confusing than that, as it also involved sending Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson to the Arizona Diamondbacks, some pork belly futures contracts, and an attempted return of Staten Island to the Lenape Indians. (They respectfully declined, and who could blame them). Time will tell if this trade works out, but amazingly enough, this might be the most frugal roster move the Yankees have made since they traded for Roger Maris in 1959. (Granderson is scheduled to make only $5.5 million this year, or about 10 million less than the typical retail price the Yankees typically pay for shiny new players.) As for Austin Jackson, he doesn't have Granderson's 30 HR power, but he is a smooth defensive player who could very well hit .280 with 10-15 HRs and 20 plus stolen bases. He's off to a good start this season and the Detroit Tigers seem committed to him for the immediate future so Jackson makes a good pickup to round out your fantasy outfield in mixed leagues. Available in 47% of all CBSSportsline leagues. Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B/3B/OF It's hard to get too excited about the rookie whose primary job on the St. Louis Cardinals is possibly backing up Albert Pujols at firstbase. That's kindof like expecting Carrot Top to fill in for Conan O'Brien, or winning the thankless and lonely job as the George Clooney stand-in who specializes in only scenes that call for the actor to get hit in the face with a barstool. So why is Allen Craig an interesting waiver prospect? Well, for one thing, he is probably funnier than Carrot Top, just by default. More importantly though, his minor league numbers suggest a player who might be ready to start launching the ball over the walls at Busch Stadium if given the chance anytime soon. Over the past three seasons as he progressed through the Cardinals minor league affiliates, Craig has demonstrated consistent power, blasting 24 HRs in 2007, 22 in 2008 and then 26 homeruns in 2009. All three seasons, his average exceeded .300, including his .322 BA at AAA Memphis last year. Although Craig is not known for his defensive skills, he does play 3rd base in addition to 1st base, and should also see time at the corner outfield spots. Available in 98% of all CBSSportsline leagues. Other Players To Consider: Dallas Braden,Oakland A's,SP Available in 42% of all CBSSportsline leagues.
Drew Stubbs,Cincinnati Reds,OF Available in 44% of all CBSSportsline leagues.
Gaby Sanchez,Florida Marlins,1B Available in 77% of all CBSSportsline leagues.
Carlos Gomez,Milwaukee Brewers,OF Available in 62% of all CBSSportsline leagues.
Jaime Garcia,St.Louis Cardinals,SP Available in 69% of all CBSSportsline leagues.
Just a quick email tonight, I will review the week during the Sunday night game.
Pitch & Ditch 4/11/10
No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)
Verlander Burnett Shields J. Santana Halladay Lincecum
Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)
Buehrle Buchholz Saunders Braden Oswalt Jackson Wolf Feldman Haeger G. Smith Garland
Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)
Westbrook Millwood Blackburn Meche Snell Leake
If you feel Lucky: (A Gamble)
A. Sanchez Marcum
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
Hey everyone, Saturday starts will be the 1st time this season that we will see pitchers there 2nd time around and we all hope our Big ace will turn things around. On Sunday night i will go over my 'If you feel lucky' picks and see how i did. Most of these pitchers are on the wavier wire or on your bench. Also on Sunday i will go over 2 start pitchers that you may want to pick up if you are in a weekly league.
***** YOU WILL BE SEEING MY PITCH & DITCH BLOG ON THE PT's PODCAST SECTION OF THE WEB********
Pitch & Ditch 4/10/10
No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)
Sabathia (8.44 ERA and playing a Hot Tampa team looks like a slow start for CC this year.) King Felix( Going to Texas will be through but I do feel SEA bats will wake up.) Beckett (9.64 ERA and playing KC should be able to cut that ERA in half.) Greinke ( Bad Match he will have to do it all to get the Win.) Gallardo ( He just got paid $$$$$) Carpenter J. Johnson Haren ( Always a fast starter but trade him after the All Star break.)
Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)
Baker ( I thought he was overrated this preseason.) Weaver ( Angels offense doesn't look go yet but Weaver is becoming an Ace.) Harang( Will give you the K's but just can't win games.) Sheets(3.60 ERA in his 1st start I want to see more but you have to start him.) Moyer Kawakami
Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)
Garcia (He still pitches?) Harrison D. Hernandez Eveland Bonderman Talbot O. Perez Paulino ( Was one of my deep deep sleepers K's will be there but nothing else.) Padilla ( Was one of my 'if you feel lucky' his 1st start this time I am not rolling the dice.) McCutchen Hammel Gorzelanny
IF you Feel Lucky: (A Gamble)
W.Daive (The Rays look like the real deal this year and NYY bats are still sleeping. We all know what Lenny Melnick would say "A Rookie is a rookie" But I am picking him up and taking a chance.)
Lotos ( He has the stuff to be a future ace but doesn't have the head. Yes he has a through match up and at Coors but he could put things together at anytime and have a great game.0
Wellemyer ( Looked good in spring and won the 5th spot in the rotation plus he have the hottest hitter in baseball in Edgar Renteria)
A lot of Ditching day but Still some gems out there.
Pitch & Ditch: 4/9/10
No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)
Vazquez (Not pitching against a NL line anymore, let see how he does.)
Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)
Danks Liriano ( Everyone sleeper this all off season. Now it time to show what you got.) De La Rosa ( Set to have a great game.) J. Sanchez ( K machine) Hudson (Pitching for contact so don't look for the strikeouts) Happ (I Don't think he will be the as good as last year but this game he will) Porcello (Low K's but gets the job done everyone else) Wakefield Bailey (This has to be his year or he will be out of CIN.) Volstad ( I Picked him up in one of my leagues. Looked good this spring) Kuroda
Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)
Huff Morrow Davies Gonzalez Palmer Vargas Silva ( Believe it or not, No Silva love from me.) L. Hernandez ( If you need innings he is your man but hurting everywhere else) Pelfrey Norris (Can be a great source for K's but not today) Lohse Bush R. Lopez Morton Richard ( I do like him just a really bad match up)
If you feel Lucky: (A gamble)
Price (Bad Match up but has upside) Lewis (Tim McLeod has been pumping this guy all off season.)
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
Hello everyone, OK 1st Thursday of the season a light schedule and getting into more of everyone soft ace's and 3rd and 4th starters on peoples teams. We are early in the season so no stats to work with , so most of my decisions I am making are gut feelings and pass years stats. I feel where I am going to make it or break it with Pitch or Ditch this year will be with my "If you feel lucky " pitchers. In daily leagues with daily pick ups you know to pitch your ace's and not to pick up guys like Fister or Stammen but if you can take a gamble and work your wavier wire you can fine some cheap stats and maybe a gem if you are real lucky. I will try to get this article out the night before to give everyone time to pick up any of the pitchers you should Pitch the next day. If you have any questions about about a pitcher or a match up post a comment and i will try to help. Good luck and have fun.
Pitch and Ditch 4/8/10
No Brainer : (Your staff ace or Top Pitcher)
Floyd B. Anderson T. Hanson ( Another of The True Guru Studs) Billingsley
Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)
Niemann Slowey ( I think I am still looking at 2008 stat. He has great control but does he have it back?) Pineiro ( No Dave Duncan and back in in the AL. Should be able to have a few good starts before batters figure him out) Kendrick ( I believe he will pitch his way into keeping this rotation spot.) Arroyo R. Wells
Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)
Fister Bannister Willis ( I guy you can't hate but leave him on the wavier wire for someone else to grab.) Matusz (Too young and Tampa Bay has a great line up.) Masterson (We only know his name because he pitched for Boston.) C.J. Wilson ( 1st Time in years as a starter so don't know what he can do yet.) Penny ( I need to see what Dave Duncan can do with him.) Maholm Niese Stammen
If you feel Lucky: (A gamble)
Romero ( I don't think he will have great stats with TEX line up & ball park but maybe he can sneak out a win with C.J. Wilson starting.) Robertson ( Back in the NL and like Pineiro should be able to get some good starts before batters figure him out)
Jason Swist PrimeTime21
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
I love the first week of the season. It is great when my sleeper tators two knocks the first day so I can let everyone know how smart I was. I really like it when that top 30 player I put on my DTM (Dead To Me) list gets lit up in his first start. VALIDATION! Of course it all means nothing, the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint.
With that being said let's look at a few of the opening day hitting stars and see if there is any legitimacy to the early numbers. Here are the Dirty Dozen
Albert Pujois Like you didn't see that coming. Great American Smallpark, Aaron Harang pitching, and no new contract. El Hombre was dialed in.
Garrett Jones Touted as the next, OK only, big thing to come out of the Three Rivers crowd, those of you who played the hunch were rewarded with two dingers. I think that is not a fluke.
Casey Kotchman Four RBIs already, can you say trade bait. Hey, he cost you a buck or a late round flyer pick. Roll with him for a few weeks.
PlacidoPolanco Love where he is playing, great lineup, guy can always hit but he is on a 972 RBI pace. Hack Wilson be damned. Hack holds the record for most RBIs in a season by the way. Seriously, he will give you great average and I think more pop than some people are giving him credit.
ChoneFiggins Man this is why you drafted him. He takes an Ofer at the plate but still gets two runs and two steals and is playing second base which from a fantasy perspective makes total sense. This is the guy to trade for and watch him stuff those two categories and give you some steals
David Wright Dinger on first day, I am still not buyer it. Sell high.
YunelEscobar Five RBI on opening day from a middle of the road shortstop. This kid is still young and the power stroke will come to fruition this year. Stay with him.
Carlos Gomez OK, this hacks me off. I was touting him heavy a year ago and he flops. A homer, a stolen base, and four hits. This kid is legit and the Brew Crew will play him. Grab him off the waiver wire and crow all season.
Colby Rasmus Two hits and a dinger and he is hitting between Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwig. Most importantly he is healthy and will play everyday. Expect more of the same from him this season.
Vernon Wells Opening day dinger and probably wasn't drafted in many leagues. Could this be the year, I let you take the risk.
Jason Heyward Are you serious, with the fantasy hype machine at a fever pitch, he goes yard in hs first at bat. If you have him you won't trade him for Matt Kemp now! Let the chest thumping begin.
Yadier Molina I know, hits a granny on opening day and most of us didn't even think he would start the season. This guy just keeps hitting better but see Pujois, it is Cincy and they do play in an American Legion Park.
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
We have a lot game on the board today but a lot of dead weight. Don't let bad pitchers or even your Deep Sleeps hurt your stats, lets wait and see on a few guys and just get your studs out there and let them do there thing. I did found a couple of gambles that could help you but they are Deep Sleepers that you do have to reach on. Good luck everyone.
Pitch and Ditch 4/7/10
No Brainer : (Your staff ace)
Lackey Peavy Garza (Will be Tampa's ace this year) Kershaw ( He Should of pitched in the opener) Cain Wainwright Nolasco Hamels
Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)
Harden ( Get what you can from him before he hits the DL) Pettitte Scherzer E. Santana ( Mike Siano from fantasy 411 TV show Pumped him up and I am right with him) Jurrjens Dempster Kennedy ( I am keeping a eye on him has upside)
Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)
Tallet Carmona ( I am not buying him at all) Pavano Guthrie Duchscherer ( Has Upside but I am want to see him stay healthy 1st) Ohlendorf ( I am Ditching but I do like him but I don't know what I like about him) Myers Marquis ( Not pitching in Coors anymore, who would think that would be bad.) Maine Cueto (Board line gamble but I just don't like the match up) Cook D. Davis
If you feel Luck: (A gamble)
Hochevar ( He is one of my sleepers this year) Rowland-Smith ( He has wide range of pitches and has a nice match up if you are gambling) Correia ( If you are looking for K's take a chance, ARI has some free swingers in there line up)
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
Gio Gonzalez - A's
Stats: 1-2 - 2.96 ERA - 25 K's - 24.1 IP.
Outlook: The big prospect didn't do much in 2009, but he did post 109 K's with 98.2 IP. He has the makings of a very good fantasy starting pitcher, but is still young and still pitches for the A's.
Francisco Liriano - Twins
Stats: 2-0 - 2.70 - 30 K's - 20 IP.
Outlook: He has been brilliant as a starter and talk still swirls about him closing. Either Liriano may be back to his stud-self and you may want to try and swing a trade for him before the season starts.
Chris Young - Padres
Stats: 2-2 - 3.32 - 21.2 K's - 22 IP.
Outlook: He is a forgotten pitcher by many, but could be a nice veteran fantasy starter. Plays in a pitchers park, gets K's and he looks healthy.
Dana Eveland - Blue Jays
Stats: 0-1 - 1.80 ERA - 21 K's - 25 IP.
Outlook: He struggled in 2009 after a solid rookie 2008 debut. He was one of the players acquired in the Dan Haren trade, so he has talent. He is one to keep an eye on in deep leagues or AL-only for now.
Fausto Carmona - Indians
Stats: 3-0 - 1.38 - 12 K's - 26 IP.
Outlook: He has been a bum since winning 19 in 2007, but he looked sharp in Spring Training and is worth a shot if you need to fill in your last SP slot. FYI: He is not much of a K-pitcher.
Ian Kennedy - Diamondbacks
Stats: 3-1 - 2.88 ERA - 17 K's - 25 IP.
Outlook: The one-time Yankee prospect is looking good for the D'backs and will be in the rotation.
Wade LeBlanc - Padres
Stats: 4-0 - 1.96 ERA - 17 K's - 23 IP.
Outlook: He played well after his call-up in 2009 and has kept it up in Spring Training. Padre pitchers are worth picking up and taken a shot at to improve you ERA and WHIP if he can get into the rotation at some point in 2010.
Mat Latos - Padres
Stats: 3-0 - 1.59 ERA - 14 K's - 17 IP.
Outlook: Unlike LeBlanc, he is in the Padre starting rotation. He played solid as a rookie in 2009 and maintains a solid K/9-ratio and that is enough to make as a low-end fantasy starter.
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
I hope everyone was able to get Zach Duke in there line up yesterday and got a cheap win but he didn't help you much anywhere else . Out of my Ditch list yesterday only Marcum had a good game but didn't get the win any how, Frasor blew save and took the lost. Plus I wanted to see him pitch before I start thinking about starting him. Out of my No Brainer list Zambrano just had a awful game. He was a board line No Brainer but i was drinking the Kool-aid and decided to throw him in there.
Pitch & Ditch 4/6/10
No Brainer : (Your staff ace)
Burnett Lester (The True Guru Stud) Shields
Pitch: (Good pitchers or good match ups)
Zito W. Rodriguez (Board line No Brainer but don't want to call him a sure thing yet.) Wolf (Can the Brew Crew and Wolf Pack work together?) E. Jackson Saunders
Ditch: (Bad Pitchers or bad match ups or I would like to scout the pitcher more.)
Blackburn Millwood Braden G. Smith C. Young
If you feel Luck: (A gamble)
Snell ( I am willing to gamble)
Jason Swist PrimeTime21
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
Hey Everyone, I am going to do a quick Pitch and Ditch blog each day. I will break the pitchers down into 4 categories ( No brainers, Pitch, Ditch and If you feel lucky) .
4/5/10 Pitch & Ditch
No Brainers :
Halladay J. Johnson Lincecum Carpenter J.Santana Zambrano Jimenez Gallardo Haren F.Hernandez Verlander Greinke
Pitch:
Lowe Oswalt Baker Weaver Feldman Buehrle
Ditch:
Lannan Harang (Just Doesn't win) Garland Westbrook Marcum (I am going to wait and see on him) Sheets ( I am going to wait and see on him)
If you feel Lucky :
Duke (If you want to take a reach start him) Padilla ( Opening day starter, someone must see something in him)
Good luck everyone with there teams. Any feedback or ideas are welcome
Jason Swist PrimeTime21
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
As expected, Ron Gardenhire named a closer vefore the season started. We've known that Gardenhire was not a fan of the "committee" approach. He has always defined roles and wanted to go into the season with that established.
Rauch looked good once he came to the Twins last year going 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA. Rauch's biggest problem is consistency and his stuff. He will come out in the ninth throwing 91-92 MPH fastball and will mix in a slider and curveball. His weakest pitch is a changeup, which he only throws about 8% of the time and the velocity of 85 MPH isn't that much slower than his fastball.
Ruach will put guys on base and rely on double plays, striekouts and defense to bail him out. He does not have the stuff to get himself out of trouble.
Keep a tight eye on Matt Guerrier. He still figures to get into the mix for saves and if Rauch fails at all, expect Gardenhire to make changes quickly. Even Jose Mijares has a chance to get a save or two.
To get more from Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and Rhett Oldham. Listen to our weekly podcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/fantasy-baseball-tonight. Listen to us LIVE every Wednesday at 10pm EST for 90 minutes of pure fantasy baseball talk.
Matt Capps (10) - Capps secured his league leading tenth save beating the Cubs again 3-2. He did it with complete ease, needing only 10 pitches and grabbing one strikeout. He ERA dropped to 0.68.
