Jeff Francoeur hit his third home run as a Met, and he continues to be the offensive force the Mets have so badly needed all year long. He has 13 RBI since coming over from Atlanta and MIGHT be worth a spot on your roster. I would feel much more comfortable if he was either a fourth outfielder or some bench insurance, but in larger leagues he could be in your lineup. I really don't see this continuing, but he should be an integral parts of the Mets offense while their stars are hurt. In fact, he could be even better when the Mets' hitters are healthy, as he would be surrounded by better hitters.
When Julio Lugo was traded to the Cardinals, I wasn't sure that he would get enough playing time to warrant fantasy consideration. Since coming over, Lugo has nine hits in four games and has started each day. If you are in dire need of middle infield help, I would give him a chance. He had some pretty decent steal numbers in Boston when he was healthy.
Ryan Garko has been traded to the San Francisco Giants for a low level minor leaguer. He had finally started to get hot and the Indians were playing him in the outfield to get his bat into the lineup, but now he should have no problem playing everyday. The Giants have tried lots of guys at first, but Garko should see the lion's share of starts there. NL-only leagues or teams in need of some pop could possibly try Garko.
Kelly Shoppach could be the number one beneficiary of this trade. With Garko out of the mix, that could have the Tribe moving Victor Martinez to first base more often, which would get Shoppach in the game more. He hit 21 home runs in limited at bats last year when Martinez was injured, so he could be a nice addition down the stretch. He only hit .261 over that time, so you have to be patient with his batting average. Shoppach started tonight, keep an eye out to see how much he plays in the next couple days.
Alex Gordon has started to hit a little bit. Gordon had two hits on Monday and now has hit safely in five straight games, and he has driven in two runs over that span. I wouldn't run out and grab him right now, but the guy was an elite prospect, so if he starts to hit some more, he could be worth adding. Definitely monitor Gordon in the near future.
Michael Saunders was called up a couple of days ago by the Seattle Mariners and has been installed as the everyday left fielder. He was ranked as the second best prospect in the Mariners organization by Baseball America coming into the season, and in 64 games at AAA he was hitting .310 with 13 HRs and 32 RBI. He will also bring you a decent amount of speed and could steal 15-20 bases in a full season. In his first two games for Seattle he is 2/8 with an RBI. He seems to be flying under the radar so far, but keep an eye on him over the next couple of days to see if he can help you.
Jonny Gomes hit two home runs on Monday, and now has five in the last seven days. So, is he someone you can expect to continue to do this? In a short answer, no. Gomes has shown power in small bursts throughout his career, but he has never been a consistent enough hitter to either stay in a lineup or even in the major leagues. This is short lived, don't buy into it.
Homer Bailey pitched fairly well, but I urge you to temper your excitement. Just remember that it was against the Padres. Second, his last two starts were nightmares, so he hasn't been anything near consistent. Unless you are in an NL-only, or a 16 team league, I would just leave Bailey in free agency, it is likely where he belongs.
Nyjer Morgan reached the 30 steal plateau this season. He has been a great surprise, as his batting average is above .300 as well. He doesn't drive in many runs, but he is at least a two category guy, and if he is helping you in steals he isn't someone I would sell high on, I think he will get close to 45 for the year.
I will be joining Steve Gardner at usatoday.com for the third installment of the Fantasy Roundtable on Tuesday 7/29 at 12pm EST. This one will focus on the trade dealine, but any topic in fantasy can be discussed. It will be featuring a more user friendly chat format, and should be smoother than our previous attempts. You can join us here, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the chat.
Ervin Santana didn't pitch well, but he was able to collect a win and put up some pretty good strikeout numbers. Santana allowed five runs over six innings, walked just one and struck out seven. This is his second consecutive start that he allowed only one run, so perhaps this is finally the time that Santana pitches like everyone expected him to during draft time back in March. I do not own Santana in any of my ten leagues, but I can't say I feel 100% confidence in him. It is growing by the day, and I'm not saying to not start him, but I still have a little reservation that he might still have some rough days in front of him.
According to reports, the Marlins are set to call Gaby Sanchez to the major leagues. Sanchez is a 1B, which could have some implications on the rest of the Marlins infield. It would make sense for them to move Jorge Cantu over to third, and sit Emilio Bonifacio, but we will see if that how it shakes out. Bonifacio had been showing some signs of life, but hasn't been anything near what he was that first week of the season. Sanchez is a pretty good prospect, but not one of the elite. He was ranked by Baseball America as #8 in the Florida organization. He kind of reminds me of a James Loney type with a bit more power, and not as much average. In 58 games he has 9 HRs and 37 RBI while hitting .277. That average is the lowest of his minor league career, but he got off to a real bad start. Last year at AA he hit.314 with 17 HRs and 92 RBI. He also stole 17 bases, but I wouldn't expect him to bring you consistent speed. He isn't someone that I would run out and grab unless you had someone go on the DL or if you had a player that you were looking to dump. And I suppose at this time of year if you are in a keeper league and look like you don't have a chance to compete, you can stick him on your roster and hope that maybe he does more than is expected.
The Red Sox have placed Tim Wakefield who has a lower back strain. They have recalled Clay Buchholz and he will start Wednesday against Texas. This is likely another short term promotion, but Buchholz could be worth even a short term addition.
Rich Harden is also on the road to redemption as he had his second straight good start. After hurling six shutout innings his last time up, Harden gave up just one run over seven innings and struck out six. For months we have been wondering what the heck has been wrong with Harden because he is always very good when he is healthy except for the last eight or ten weeks. Hopefully for Harden owners and Cubs fans, this is Rich turning the corner, because they will need him at his best to challenge for the playoffs, both MLB and fantasy baseball.
John Lannan continues to pitch under the radar and is quietly having a pretty good team. I think he is available in probably half of the leagues that I am in. However, he threw a complete game shutout against the Mets on Tuesday, although he only struck out one. If Lannan pitched for a team that ever scored runs, he would be owned in most leagues. However, he is on the Nats and that will limit his wins. He only strikes out a guy about every other inning which also keeps him in free agency. If you are in a league with more than 12 teams, an NL only league, or have a pitcher go on the shelf, I would certainly consider Lannan. I know the Mets' offense is anemic right now, but his ERA for the season is just 3.38, that is pretty impressive.
Magglio Ordonez hit a grand slam tonight, and it was his second home run this month. However, don't get excited thinking this is the turnaround for him. Ordonez isn't even close to playing every day, and he is still hitting only .260. If you own Magglio, I would definitely drop him, and I wouldn't pick him up unless you are in a 30 or 40 team league.
Brett Cecil allowed no earned runs for the second consecutive outing, but he wasn't around for the decision. Cecil is looking more like the guy who started the season, more than the guy who pitched just before and just after he was placed on the Disabled List. If he is available in your league, I would give him a chance if you have any need for starting pitching at all. I know I've said this before, but Cecil came into the year ranked as the #3 prospect for the Blue Jays, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Don't forget about the Fantasy Football Search draft kit and Season Pass that you can purchase on Fantasy Football Search. Jeff Mans, Todd Farino, RC Rizza, and myself put together perhaps the greatest draft kit on the net. Check it out! It is only $10 and it is a must have if you wish to be successful this fantasy football season.
Mark DeRosa had a two home run game tonight for the Cardinals, his first two since being traded, and hopefully this is a sign of him breaking out of the funk he has been in. DeRosa had 21 home runs last season, and 13 for the Indians before the trade, so you have to figure that he is going to start to hit. He got off to a rough start with a few games with no hits and then the injury. Get DeRosa into your lineup, it appears he will be ok now.
Jeff Niemann has allowed three runs or less in now six straight starts after Tuesday, and he is now 9-4. Unfortunately, he doesn't get a lot of strikeouts, but his ERA is only 3.61. I still am liking Niemann for any of you looking for an extra arm. He won't win a league for you, but he will stabilize your pitching staff if you have a hole.
Miguel Montero homered again as he tries to keep a hold on the catching job in Arizona even when Chris Snyder comes back. Montero homered fourth time in the last seven games, and has driven in eight runs over that time. Snyder is supposed to be back around the end of July, so it will remain to be seen what the playing time situation will be once Snyder is back. For now, if you need a hot catcher, they don't get hotter than Montero.
Homer Bailey was absolutely awful again tonight. He gave up nine runs (six earned) over just 2.2 innings, walked two, and didn't strike anyone out. This was his second consecutive horrendous start, and he now has more walks than strikeouts. He has had a couple of decent starts too, but I would not touch him at this point. Jeff Mans will likely get on my case for flip flopping if he reads this, but you all know from the get go that I am not a Bailey fan.
John Danks is expected to miss his next start due to a blister on his finger. The White Sox don't expect him to miss more than one start because of this, but if you own him keep your eye out for more news. Until then, don't look for Danks to start tomorrow.
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.
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.
Ervin Santana had his best outing since June 5th. On Thursday, Santana threw eight great innings, allowed just one run and struck out four. His ERA for the season is still at 6.70, but I know many of you still have hope given the stats that he put up in 2008. He should improve on his first half, but I don't expect him to pitch in the second half like he did last year. With two wins on July 16th, he could get up to eight wins.
Cliff Lee teased his owners again tonight. Lee went the distance, allowed just one run, didn't walk a batter and struck out six. He really has been pitching better than his 5-9 record would indicate. His ERA is a more than respectable 3.31, even if his WHIP is a little higher than you would like at 1.36. His strikeouts are right about where they usually are (99 in 136 innings), so it is the fact that his team stinks that explains his record. If he gets hot, he could win 12 or 13 games, so if you have Lee, keep throwing him out there every five days.
Rich Harden had the kind of outing that we had become accustomed to him having in his career on Thursday. Harden threw six shutout innings, allowed just three hits and struck out seven. His record is now back to .500, but his other stats are just pedestrian. I don't think that I would seek out a trade for Harden because I just don't know what to expect going forward. My head tells me he has to improve, but my eyes tell me he has been little more than average this season.
Derrek Lee is really starting to make me nuts now. I always like to write about how over rated he is, but lately he has been on an incredible hot streak that apparently took no break during the All-Star festivities. Lee came out of the break with three hits and his 18th homer of the year. Barring injury he has a shot at 30 home runs, a total he hasn't hit since 2005. I would still look to sell high on Lee for a guy like Joey Votto, but if you want to hold on to him he looks fairly strong.
Homer Bailey was more like the Bailey that I expected. I felt like a prostitute having to say that he might be worth a roster spot a couple weeks ago, but now he is back to normal. Bailey gave up seven runs over 5.1 innings, walked four and struck out three. He isn't going to be consistent, I had a quick brain fart there. Stay away from Bailey, he just won't pan out. I know he was a top prospect, but they just all don't pan out.
Edwin Encarnacion has done better than I anticipated coming back from the DL, but I am still not a big fan. He has had one hit or more in every game but two since July 3rd, and tonight he had three hits including his second home run this month. He has driven in seven runs this month, but they all came in two games. As a bench guy to have in case of injury I like Edwin, but I would not want him in my everyday lineup.
Chad Gaudin continues to get great strikeout numbers, but being on the Padres, that limits his fantasy value. Against the Rockies on Thursday, Gaudin allowed just one earned run, and struck out eight over five innings. He is strictly a one category pitcher. His ERA is nearly 5.00, his WHIP is over 1.40 and he only has four wins, but he has 93 strikeouts in 87 innings. If you need Ks, grab Gaudin, but beware he will hurt your other pitching categories.
Jaime Moyer was awesome tonight, but don't fall into that trap. Sure, his record looks good at 9-6, but his ERA is over 5.50 and his WHIP is over 1.40. Add that together with very few strikeouts and the fact that he plays in a hitters' park, and I would not own Jaime Moyer. Unless you are in a 16-20 team league or an NL-only league, there MUST be better options.
The neverending rain here in New York threatened another softball game on Thursday, but we were able to get an official game in between the rain, thunder, and lightning. We led off the game with five runs in the first inning, which I had an RBI double right down the third base line. A nice liner that got past the third baseman. I walked the second time up, before popping out to fairly deep right as I continue to experiment with hitting to the opposite field. All in all, 1-2 with a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. I also tagged up on a pop fly to the first baseman. It was a lazy fly that kind of had him spun around and I was pretty sure he wouldn't expect me to run. It would have been a very close play if the throw was good and the 3B was able to field the ball. Luckily he tried to catch me more than the ball and I was able to get my foot on the bag before he could corral the ball. We had a rain out game on Sunday which I will recap on Friday.
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.
Wandy Rodriguez continues to pitch quite impressively at home, as he threw a complete game shutout on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out 11. Wandy is a guy that I have learned to have more faith in this season, especially at Minute Maid (which is surprising considering some of its dimensions). He is a guy that I have on a few of my teams, generally as my fifth starter. Even if your staff is good, he is worth picking up for a good, home matchup from time to time. When he's on, Rodriguez can deal.
Chris Volstad is impossible to figure out. Volstad had lost six of his last seven decisions, and then all of a sudden (when I benched him!) he goes out and throws a shutout. In his last outing, he only lasted three innings against the PIRATES! Why would I have started him, or anyone for that matter, against the Giants who have been hitting. I still really like Volstad, and he is one of the better young pitchers in Florida, but he is going to have his moments that will make you want to touch that drop button.
Jorge De La Rosa won his fourth straight start, allowing three runs over 6.1 innings and struck out five. He has been an incredibly streaky guy. He started the season by losing his first six decisions. Since then he has gone 6-1. Which guy is the real one? Your guess is as good as mine. If nothing else he will get you a pretty good number of strikeouts, so even when he is bad he will help you in one category. However, even with this win his ERA sits at 5.03 and his WHIP is 1.43, mostly because of too many walks.
Chad Gaudin is another pitcher that you can look at if you really need strikeouts. He is on a roll lately, but this one won't last. Tonight Gaudin allowed just one run over 6.2 innings and struck out seven. That now makes it four of his last five starts that he allowed three runs or less. He mostly pitched out of the bullpen (ineffectively) last season, and wasn't a good starter for the A's back in 2007. Put that together with the fact that he pitches for the Padres and that makes him a guy that you can't put too much stock in. You can expect strikeouts, but not much else.
David Hernandez is one of the good young arms that the Orioles have coming through their farm system. He might be the worst of the group, but that doesn't mean he won't be good. Hernandez had a good minor league career, with a record of 15-6 record, and ERA under 3.00 and 245 Ks in 198 innings. So far in his last three starts in the majors, Hernandez has looked pretty good. The strikeouts haven't been there, but he allowed just two runs over six innings against the Mariners. He has also been walking too many guys, but his control should improve as he gets more comfortable and could be a guy who has a solid second half.
Homer Bailey was good again, even though he wasn't in line for a win. Bailey allowed just two runs over six innings and struck out six. The best part of the start was that Bailey didn't walk anyone. His control has been by far the biggest problem, and if he can continue to pitch like this, perhaps he will finally start to live up to all of the hype that was given to him when he was in the minors.
Scott Kazmir had his first bad start since coming back from the Disabled List, and BOY was it bad. Kazmir allowed seven runs over 6.1 innings, but kept his control walking only two and striking out four. Feel free to start Kazmir like you would have before his injury. He was good most of the time, but was prone to this kind of outing once in a while.
I know I promised I would never talk about him again, but I feel it is worth mentioning that Oliver Perez was back for the Mets, and was his usual self. It was like Oliver never left. He only allowed two runs over five innings against a great Dodgers' team and actually collected the win. However, like I said, the same old Oliver showed up. Perez walked seven guys over his five innings and threw 108 pitches in that span. He is worth a look if you are desperate, but don't put too much stock in this one outing, he has always pitched good against good teams.
Martin Prado continues to hit for the Braves, accumulating another two knocks and drove in his 16th run of the year. He had 17 hits over the last eight games, and has been on fire since being named the starter at second. I would consider using him as a short-term replacement for a middle infield spot, but I still don't have faith that he will keep this up for the rest of the year. He never showed much power or speed in the minors, so I think this is just a hot streak, and in a month we won't be talking about Prado anymore.
Andruw Jones had three homers on Wednesday, giving him 14 on the season. I don't think that this is a guy that you want to focus on. He does have seven homers in his past ten games, but even with that production, Jones is still not playing every day. This is a good story that he was able to find his talent again in Texas, but I still don't believe Jones to be fantasy worthy unless you are in an AL-only league.
Ervin Santana was bad again, and now the question comes "what should you do with him?" I would say this; While I don't have him in any league, I have to admit that it would be difficult for me to keep him on my roster considering the way he has been pitching. However, what are your options in free agency? If there is a solid pitcher out there that probably shouldn't have been dropped, then go ahead and drop him. If you are thinking of picking up Oliver Perez or Chad Gaudin or someone like that, I would hold on to Santana. The leash he would be on couldn't get any shorter though.
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.
Depending on how my celebration of the Fourth of July holiday goes, there may not be an article tomorrow. I wish you all a happy, safe holiday.
Manny Ramirez returned to the lineup for the Dodgers on Friday, and went 0/3 with a walk. Obviously if you didn't have him in tonight, get him back in your lineups tomorrow. Just a question. Why does everyone still love Manny while guys like Clemens, McGwire, and Bonds are ostracized from the society of baseball? I'm not defending those other guys, but why has Manny come back to such fanfare when we have a positive test on him, while the others are just a mountain of circumstanial evidence?
Jorge Posada was out of the lineup for the second straight game after sustaining a bruised thumb on Wednesday. It doesn't appear that this will be anything that will keep him out of the lineup for much longer. It is even possible that he will return on Saturday.
Carlos Quentin will begin his rehab assignment on Saturday as he hopes to return from the Disabled List before the All-Star Break. He will start out slowly and won't even play the entire game right away. But it appears that Quentin will be back soon, which is good for those of us who have been stashing him for quite a while now.
Ryan Doumit played his first rehab game on Friday, and is likely that he will be back with the Pirates in a week or so. He will play three games in rookie ball before advancing to AAA for four or five games. Doumit caught five innings tonight and was 0-2 with a walk. He was dropped in many leagues, if he's out there and you have any issue at the catcher position I would pick him up to give him a chance. I know a broken wrist is a tough injury to come back from, but there are so few good catchers that he is worth the risk.
Edwin Encarnacion returned for the Reds tonight and hit a long impressive double nearly off the wall against Ryan Franklin. In his rookie year, Encarnacion did hit 26 homers, but that fell to 16 in 2008. He is not a guy that I have ever had a lot of confidence in, but like Doumit there aren't a ton of good options at third base and if you need any help that is the only way that I would consider him.
Raul Ibanez is feeling better but his groin is still not 100% so he hasn't started his rehab assignment just yet. It is looking now that he won't be back until after the All-Star Break, although he likely will begin his rehab assignment sometime in the next three to five days.
Alex Rodriguez homered for the third time in four games, and the fifth time in the last eight contests. He has raised his average nearly 30 points in the last seven games, and for all of you who were thinking of selling him cheap, this is the kind of streak that he is capable of. Despite all the drama and distraction, A-Rod is one of the best hitters in all of baseball, and will hit 40 home runs again in 2009.
Rodrigo Lopez had his first start in the major leagues since 2007, and he certainly made the most of it. Lopez allowed just two runs over 6.1 innings and struck out four. He did have a couple of good years early in his career, but he had elbow trouble that seriously derailed his progress. Lopez didn't have a start for nearly two years for a reason. Don't fall into the trap of grabbing a guy after one decent start. Let someone else make that mistake.
Shin-Soo Choo was a triple short of a cycle tonight, and that included two home runs. Choo is quickly becoming one of the more productive draft picks of the year. He is now hitting .301, has hit 12 homers, stolen 13 bases, and has driven in 53 runs with his seven RBI game on Friday. While I think that he will continue to produce at a similar rate, if you can trade him away for a proven power hitting run producer I would certainly do it. Choo is a good player, but I would try to shop him around to see if someone will bite on something they shouldn't.
Homer Bailey had a much better start his second time out, but I still urge you to stay away from him unless there is a sense of desperation with your pitching staff. Bailey allowed just two runs over 7.1 innings and struck out five. The best part was that he only walked two, after allowing seven free passes last time out. He has had a handful of decent starts in his career, so I am not putting too much stock in this one. Unfortunately for him, the bullpen imploded so he doesn't even get a win to show for his great effort.
Frank Francisco bounced back from his blown save on Thursday and converted an easy one tonight. Francisco collected save number 13 against Tampa Bay without giving up a hit and striking out one. I still believe that he will be an elite closer in the second half, much like he was up until his shoulder woes started. If for some crazy reason he was dropped, pick him up immediately.
Ervin Santana is really starting to frustrate his owners now. Including Friday, four of his last six starts have been awful. He gave up the booty again tonight, allowing four earned runs over only four innings, walked three and struck out five. His ERA on the season is now a whopping 7.43 and his WHIP is a terrible 1.90. Now the big question is what should you do with Santana. Unfortunately, I truly believe that this is a case by case kind of decision. If you have someone in your free agent pool that can be considered a quality pitcher, I would likely let Santana go. If you are just picking up another average retread, hold on to Santana and hope that he turns things around. He has more talent than Kenshin Kawakami, Ross Ohlendorff, and Carl Pavano.
Mailing List
I'm not going to stop bringing up the mailing list until I get a day where I don't get a request to join it. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, when I find news earlier in the day I will send an email to you about whatever it might be. If you were on the mailing list you would have found out about the callups of Matt Wieters, Fernando Martinez, Nolan Reimold and others. The trade of Nate McLouth, and injuries to Jose Reyes, etc. This mailing list is your way to get a step up on your competition. Anyone who is on the list, please leave a comment below on whether you think that you have benefitted from the list. Send an email to either fantasybaseballtonight@gmail.com or fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com and put Mailing List in the subject line.
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.
Scott Kazmir returned to the Rays' rotation, and I have to say he pitched much better than I anticipated. Kazmir was struggling badly before he was placed on the DL, but his pitching line was pretty sharp on Saturday. Kazmir was his usual self, only lasting five innings, but allowed just two runs, walked only one and struck out five. While I expect Kazmir to be better than he was to open the year, I figured he would struggle in his first couple times to the mound. Regardless of whether he was good or not today, Kazmir is the kind of pitcher that you start every time out, regardless of the matchup. To make room for Kazmir the Rays sent Andy Sonnanstine to the minors, which is great news for David Price owners. It certainly seems like he was another candidate to be sent down.
A.J. Burnett has had a very up and down season for the Yankees, but today was what they expected when they handed out that contract. Granted the Mets have a ton of injuries, but Burnett was masterful none the less. He threw seven shutout innings, allowed just one hit and struck out ten. I don't believe that this is Burnett turning the corner, I still think that he will be very inconsistent and will have his share of difficult outings. On a positive note, he has been perfectly healthy so far in 2009.
For those of you who listen to the Tuesday podcast of Fantasy Baseball Tonight, you know I have been waiting for the start by Homer Bailey. I said he would stink, Jeff said pick him up. Now, he only allowed three runs in five innings, but Bailey walked seven. I stand by my position. DO NOT pick this guy up. Not every high ranking prospect always pans out, and I stand firm by my belief that Bailey will not be a successful Major Leaguer.
John Lackey finally pitched like the John Lackey that we know, and he is a guy that I think will round into shape and will begin to pitch better more often than not in the future. Lackey didn't allow an earned run over seven innings and struck out nine. Lackey has had some injury troubles in the past couple seasons, but when he is in there, Lackey is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball. If you can get him kinda cheap I would think about making a move to trade for him, but if you have him, feel good that you should be getting more production from him in the future.
J.A. Happ had the performance of day though, making his fantasy owners Happ-y as he threw a complete game shutout against the Blue Jays. Happ allowed just five hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out four to raise his record to 5-0. He had a couple of rocky outings recently, so it was good to see him get back on track. To me Happ is the kind of guy that you can expect to give up three runs over six innings and strikeout four. That should be the average outing for him. Some will be better, some far worse, but overall he should be a useful pitcher to have.
Scott Podsednik continues to play for the White Sox, and he continues to produce. His four hit game on Saturday was his third straight contest with two hits or more, and all he needed was a triple for the cycle. I still don't have supreme confidence that he will be a reliable player all year long, but right now he is hot, and if you need batting average and stolen bases, Podsednik could be just the shot in the arm your team needs.
Nolan Reimold is perhaps my favorite rookie of the first half of the season. He hit his ninth homer of the year today, and continues to hover around the .300 mark. Reimold has been starting on every team that I own him on, and unless your outfield is unusually stacked, he should be starting for you as well.
I guess Pablo Sandoval wasn't happy about me saying that I didn't expect a ton of power out of him yesterday, because he went out on Saturday and hit two more homers. Sandoval is now up to 11 on the season to go with his .340 average. I was happy that I picked him for my guy in the 56 Game Hit Streak game on USA Today.com. He got my streak going again after it was broken by Curtis Granderson. Please join our group to see if you can do any better. Just follow the link above, and the private group is called Fantasy BBall 2nite and the password is fantasy.
Kyle Blanks drove in the first three runs of his major league career with a two double game against the Rangers. Blanks is one of the better power hitting prospects in the majors, but he has struggled to start his time with the Padres. Keeper league players will want to stash him on your bench, while seasonal players probably don't need to own him at this point.
Kazuo Matsui has hit in every game but two since returning from the Disabled List last week, and hit his first home run since the third game of the year. Matsui isn't the best option in the world, but if you have a need at second base or middle infield he could offer you a little help. He is traditionally a .280 hitter and has stolen 20+ bases in each of the last two seasons. He has a tough time staying healthy, but tends to be fairly productive when he plays.
Chris Davis hit his second homer in three days, and third in the last eight. He has also gotten his average above the Mendoza line, up to .212. Is this the start of the hot streak we all have been waiting for over the last three months? I am not ready to say that yet, heck I'm not even ready to take him off my bench yet. But he has my attention because of the power that he is capable of.
