MLB FanHouse

I Love It When You Call Me Big Papi

Matt Snyder — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

One fantasy baseball question becoming increasingly more prevalent these days is very succinct: Is David Ortiz done? The problem? It's a tough question to answer. What do we actually mean by "done?" Is he ever going to be the guy who hit 54 home runs or the one who drove home 148 runs again? No. Not a chance.

Let's not get crazy and go overboard, though. Big Papi is still a useful fantasy player, and he took a big step in the right direction on Patriot's Day. A double and a triple (yes, you read that correctly) upped his average to .196, and he drove home his 5th and 6th men of the season.

He wasn't healthy last season, and it's entirely possible he's finding it difficult to get himself back into game shape early this season. I still have faith that he's a 30-100 guy in that lineup, and that he'll get that average up close to .300.

Stick with him, and if someone in your league wants to trade him, why turn them down? That wouldn't be cordial, and you know us fantasy players are all about the manners.

Bits From the Boxscores:
- Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are both really starting to swing the bats well for the Red Sox, which means the middle of the order guys (like Papi) will start reaping the rewards of the two speedy table-setters touching home plate.

- How much longer can Clint Hurdle justify not playing Ian Stewart every day? In Hurdle's defense, Stewart has started the past three games -- so it's possible he's done sitting the phenom. Stewart's certainly getting his money's worth, even when not consistent. Monday night was a pedestrian 1-for-4 game, but his hit was a home run -- his third of the season in only 24 at-bats. You'll find him playing the majority of the games from here on out, and he's going to be eligible at 3B, 2B and OF. This is a guy worth watching in every format, if you hadn't already been doing so.

- After another solid game, Nate McLouth has four home runs and 13 RBI. It's pretty safe to say that last season wasn't a fluke.

- Chad Qualls pitched a perfect ninth inning and only need 7 pitches for his third save. He's blown one save, but been stellar in his other three chances. Once the Diamondbacks start hitting more consistently, he'll start moving up the save chart. I firmly believe Qualls can be a top-10 closer this season.

- Cameron Maybin is still scuffling at the plate, as his average drops to .194. With the Marlins playing as good as anyone in baseball (arguably better), you start to get worried about a possible return to the minors. For now, stick with him because of the immense potential. Just keep your eyes on playing time. The Marlins can't afford to stick with him through thick and thin if they are in the middle of a heated pennant race.

- So much for Francisco Cordero's poor spring. He now has five saves -- only the Padres' Heath Bell has more -- and a 1.50 ERA in this young campaign for the 7-5 Cincinnati Reds. I think someone told you this before, but spring stats for established veterans don't mean squat.

- It was nice to see Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee both hit the ball out of the ballpark. Maybe they'll both get back on track soon.

- Great debut for the 22 year-old Jordan Zimmermann -- outdueling Derek Lowe for the win. He only needed 72 pitches to get through six innings against the Braves, striking out three and walking only one. Wins will probably be tough to come by moving forward, but with the Nationals going absolutely nowhere, they'll stick with this kid all season. He's worth a look in deep NL-Only leagues, big keeper leagues, and all dynasty leagues (should have already been owned). Tons of potential here, and you can see the formidable 1-2 punch of Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg making the Nationals relevant a few years from now.

The Afflicted: Brian McCann is having vision issues, which is a scary thing for this sport. You want to see that little white sphere as clearly as possible when it's humming past your body at upwards of 95 miles per hour. I'm very concerned, especially considering the high price you had to pay for the heavy-hitting backstop. Ryan Doumit sat Monday night with a wrist issue, and he's likely to miss a few more games.

Don't look now, but Alex Rodriguez is reportedly picking up the pace on his baseball activities. His return is on the horizon.

Down on the Farm: The Angels shouldn't be able to keep Brandon Wood down in the minors for long, not if they want to find a way to improve their anemic offense (only the A's have scored less runs in the American League). The 24-year-old Wood is absolutely raking right now. In 30 plate appearances, Wood already has four home runs and eight RBI. He's hitting .346 with a .433 on-base percentage and a .923 slugging percentage. It's true he didn't adapt well to the transition in the past, but we can always hold out hope his first 190 plate appearances in the majors were a learning experience. He's still awfully young. When Wood does get the call, look for the Angels to use Chone Figgins both at second and in the outfield a bit, where Figgins, Gary Matthews and Howie Kendrick would all lose at-bats.

Jeff Samardzija threw six solid innings his last time out for the Iowa Cubs -- meaning he sports now a 1.80 ERA in his two starts. Should the Chicago Cubs continue to get nothing from Neal Cotts (their only left-hander in the bullpen), it's entirely possible Samardzija is recalled as a starter and Sean Marshall is moved to the bullpen to serve as their lefty.

Lineup Lock Time: Take the work day off! We don't have a first pitch until 7:05 PM ET, when more than half the games get going.

Rush to the Wire For: Wood. The Angels really need the offense at this point, and he's finally got enough seasoning to stick at the big league level.

Tuesday's Ace in the Hole (and this time we're serious): After horribly missing Monday, we need a bounce-back to legitimacy. So here we go: Aaron Laffey has thrown more innings against the Royals than any other team in his young career. He's put together a 2.73 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 29 2/3 innings against them. David DeJesus, Billy Butler and Mark Teahen are a combined 4-32 with 1 extra base hit against him. Mike Aviles and Mike Jacobs have never faced him (which means advantage Laffey). I love this matchup for him.

Final, Unrelated Rant: This is just to fill the time since there weren't many games to cover Monday night.

I probably shouldn't let it bother me so much, but it really grinds my gears when people spew incorrect information over the national airwaves. It's just that when people are paid a decent chunk of money to be educated on a specific topic -- and have plenty of time to prepare -- I really wish they would do their homework. Two ESPN instances caught my eye in the past two days.

1. On Sunday Night Baseball's little ditty in place of the washed away game, they had each broadcaster discuss the two teams who would have played. Steve Phillips mentioned how Aramis Ramirez was off to a slow start. I'll grant that he said something about the previous day's walk-off jack and that "hopefully that's a sign of things to come." Still, look at Ramirez's baseball-reference page. Compare how things are shaping up this season to years past.

2. Monday, during First Take -- which I only turned on because FanHouse's Dan Graziano was in the house, otherwise I would never, ever subject myself to this person -- Jemele Hill said the Marlins had a great April in both of their previous championship seasons, so this one was no different. Now, I remembered that in 2003 they actually fired their manager early in the year and replaced him with Jack McKeon. So I went back and looked. The Marlins were 14-15 in 2003 when they turned the calendar to May.

I just don't think it's too much to ask to actually have a factual basis for an opinion, that's all. If you really think Ramirez being on pace for a career best OPS is a slow-start, tell me why. If you really think 14-15 is a hot start, tell me why. If you can't do so, be better at your job.

On that note, it's probably best to call it a day. Good luck in all your fantasy leagues, and we'll see you tomorrow.

Got specific fantasy baseball questions and/or comments? Hit us up, and we'll help.

I Love It When You Call Me Big Papi originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Glen Perkins? Ricky Romero?

Matt Snyder — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Baseball

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Cole Hamels, Brandon Webb, Tim Lincecum and CC Sabathia owners eat your heart out. Relative unknowns -- and likely undrafted in nearly all mixed fantasy leagues -- Ricky Romero and Glen Perkins are straight dealing right now. And after three outings each, it's time to start wondering if the quick starts are not flukey.

Romero, the 24 year-old rookie who came over from the Mexican League (you know, the place where Jake Taylor couldn't cut it), made the Oakland A's look stupid Sunday. They shouldn't feel bad, though, because Romero's now had three straight quality starts. He's 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. In 21 innings, Romero has struck out 13 and walked only 4. The one start where he came away with a no decision happened to be against Glen Perkins.

Perkins isn't an out-of-nowhere case like Romero, as he went 12-4 last season. Still, the 4.41 ERA suggested a lot of lady luck in that beastly record. No more, as Perkins currently sports a 1.50 ERA for the season -- though he's only got a 1-1 record to show for it. Due to his incredible command thus far, Perkins has a ridiculous 0.88 WHIP. The 26 year-old has steadily developed each of the past few seasons, and he's coming off a solid spring. With the mind-boggling efficiency he's bringing -- he threw only 84 pitches in 8 innings Sunday -- you have to love his chances of continuing the surge. The only downside is he's struck out a measly 10 batters in his 24 innings. Still, you can certainly use the help in ERA and WHIP, and he looks as good as anyone right now in the old Greg Maddux pitching-to-contact school of throwing.

You can cry SSS (small sample size) all you want, but at some point there's something to be said for riding the hot hand. Romero and Perkins qualify in all formats until they tell you otherwise.

Bits From the Boxscores:
- After a nightmarish beginning to his Indians career, Mark DeRosa had caught fire for a bit. In a seven game stretch prior to Sunday he had 3 home runs, 15 RBI, and was hitting .353. He reverted to Week 1 form on Sunday, though, as he took the 0-5. Still, that's a truckload of RBI for a guy who has scuffled in his league change. Get him active across the board.

- Chien-Ming Wang is unusable in every format right now (outside of Suckball leagues, where he's obviously a must-own) until he can get out of the second freaking inning. I know it's a long season, but this is flat out embarrassing. Hopefully those who owned him in roto leagues can repair the damage he has done. Erasing 29 baserunners and 23 earned runs in only 6 innings of work isn't easy. Maybe those owners also have Perkins and Romero?

- Now that is the Jon Lester you drafted. The young lefty really needed to restore our preseason confidence in him, and he do so with ease Sunday. In 7 innings, we were treated to 9 punchouts and nary an earned run. You can all breathe a sigh of relief and rest assured that he's back.

- Matt Holliday is now hitting .267 with a bagel in both home runs and steals. On the other hand, at least he has scored 1 run! To be fair, Holliday does have 9 RBI, but did you pay for him to help you only in RBI? Don't say you weren't warned. You drafted/bought Mark Grace at a Carlos Beltran price.

- For those who aren't keeping track, that is now 7 2/3 innings for Scott Downs. He's allowed just two baserunners and no runs. He has struck out 12 and walked none. Meanwhile, B.J. Ryan did convert his second save of the season Sunday. Still, do you really love Ryan to hold down this job over Downs all season, especially if the Jays stay in the race? As things currently stand, Downs is a big help in three roto categories, while a vulture win candidate. You could do much worse.

- Carlos Quentin has 7 home runs. I guess the wrist is okay, huh? That reminds me, this is perfect evidence that Derrek Lee didn't lose his power due to a broken wrist three freaking years ago.

- Matt Garza had a bad outing. It happens. Worrisome, though? The 5 walks. Keep him active but watch that control.

- Rick Porcello made adjustments on the fly like he was a seasoned veteran Sunday, and the kid is only 20. In dynasty leagues he should already be owned, but keep your eyes peeled in all other formats. Another quality start like Sunday's and it might be time to pounce.

- Forgotten as part of the Rockies' bloodied corpse Sunday was Chris Iannetta's home run. He's only hitting a paltry .083 right now, but they'll stick with him. You should, too. He's far too talented a hitter to be mired in this slump for long.

- Randy Johnson needed only 73 pitches to get through 7 spotless innings against the Diamondbacks. He garnered the win against his former team -- meaning he's now beaten every franchise in baseball. He struck out 7 and allowed only 1 hit. There's still some gas in that tank.

- On the other side of that diamond, Max Scherzer is just too wild at this point to be a beneficial fantasy starter in most formats. Sunday he only allowed 1 earned run in 5 innings, but he needed 104 pitches to get through those 5 frames. He walked 4. If he wasn't facing such a futile offense, the damage would have been much worse. He's got the talent, but we need to see more command.

- So much for Zach Duke. He followed up last Monday's shutout with a clunker Sunday at home against the Braves. The lefty allowed 12 hits and 6 earned runs in 6 innings. He only struck out 2, so he pretty much killed you in all categories. This is an illustration as to why we just can't consistently trust Duke. He may flash brilliance every once in a while, but it's too unpredictable to trust him in mixed formats.

- Jeff Francoeur continues to show his growth as a hitter. Seriously, if you look at his box score and see: 5-2-2-3, what do you actually see? I thought I saw 2 home runs and 3 strikeouts. I was wrong. Instead, he didn't strike out at all, and had a double and a single. He's becoming a more complete hitter, and that trumps the disappointment in his not hitting a home run during the blowout. You could probably still trade for Frenchy on the cheap, so it's worth exploring. I mean, he's only 26.

- A dude named Josh Geer shut the Phillies down for 7 innings, coughing up only a Chase Utley homer. Hey, he pitches in Petco Park now and the Padres have some kind of early season magic going. Deep NL-Only leaguers might as well give the kid a look.

- Chan Ho Park is not worth using. Period.

- Jeff Suppan had a good outing Sunday against the Mets. That's a positive sign, but it doesn't mean you should be rushing to the wire to pick him up. He's not worth the headaches.

The Afflicted: Brandon Webb threw off flat ground and reported he's ready for a bullpen session. Patience is a virtue, my friends, but I'm still worried about this entire season. Both Adam Jones and B.J. Upton left their respective games Sunday with leg injuries. Neither seems serious, but it's worth watching with those young speedsters. Jay Bruce has been out, but will likely be ready to go Tuesday in a big early season series for the Reds (at Chicago). Stephen Drew is making like his brother right now, as a bum hammy is hampering him. Jeff Keppinger is dealing with a bad back.

Lineup Lock Time: It's freaking Patriot Day. Translation: I hope you are reading this early in the morning or else remembered to set your lineup last night. That's because the Red Sox host the Orioles Monday, and the first pitch is set for 11:05 AM ET. Get those lineups set.

Playing the Splits: Derek Lowe's numbers against most of the Nationals' hitters are very solid. Plus, the Nats suck, so he's an easy two-starter this week. Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff have both had great success against Jamie Moyer, and Citizen's Bank Park isn't exactly pitcher-friendly. Gonzalez actually has 3 homers in 15 at-bats against Moyer, so don't be surprised to see him tack on a fourth Monday night. Carlos Lee owns Bronson Arroyo, so Monday is the perfect time for the slugger to break out of his early season swoon. Actually, most of the Astros have hit Arroyo well over the course of their careers, so avoiding the mulleted righty would be advisable. Conor Jackson and Chris Young both show favorable power numbers against Jason Marquis, while Chad Tracy has never figured him out.

Monday's Ace in the Hole: Andrew Miller. The Marlins are firing on all cylinders right now, and the Pirates offense is ripe for the picking. Look for the lanky lefty to go about 6 innings, allowing 2-3 earned runs and striking out 5-6. This will be enough to accrue the W.

Roto Rush: Glen Perkins? Ricky Romero? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brandon Webb Heads to the DL

Will Brinson — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Diamondbacks, Fantasy Baseball, MLB Injuries

Brandon Webb's had plenty of virtual ink dedicated to his stiff shoulder over the last week, and while that won't let up anytime soon, there will be a slight reprieve: Webb is headed to the 15-day disabled list.

The Diamondbacks announced the move on Sunday afternoon and it is retroactive to last Tuesday and, frankly, it makes a lot of sense (especially after he was scratched from his next start already).

"I feel like we're making progress on it, but we just need a little more time to make sure it's totally good," Webb told reporters.

"There's no concern," he said. "The MRIs are all good. I mean, if there's no structural damage, there's nothing to worry about."

And while that might sound like a typical and understated "everything's fine," Webb has a very good point, and one that we touched on yesterday. His injury is muscular and not structural and that makes a tremendous difference in his recovery.

It also means that the Diamondbacks are doing the logical thing and making sure that Webb is completely healthy before bringing him back to pitch; the season is, as the cliché goes, quite long and there no reason to do anything other than make sure that Webb is 100 percent ready to go when he steps on the mound again.

Fantasy Spin: Now is a perfect time to pounce on Webb -- following a horrible start and the DL trip, Webb's owner has to be nervous that his/her ace could be shut down at any moment, or have to deal with the type of injury that gets dragged out for the entire season before a decision is actually made. It appears that this is a totally different case and that once Webb gets healthy, he'll be back to ace status. That makes him an ideal buy low at this point.

Brandon Webb Heads to the DL originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Is That You, Chris Carpenter?

Tom Herrera — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:55:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy Baseball

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your crammed subway car, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday morning.

There were a bunch of eye-opening performances scattered throughout Thursday's games, but none bigger than the seven one-hit innings hurled by Chris Carpenter. The 33-year-old hadn't won a game for the Cardinals since the 2006 World Series, yet there he was, striking out seven Pirates and needing just 92 pitches to get through his day of work. Is Carpenter already back to fantasy ace status, or was this just the stinkin' Bucs making him look good?

Yes and no. Carpenter worked around 92 mph on his fastball, had good sink on his curveball and was very efficient on the hill. He showed exactly why fantasy owners were cranking up the hype machine over spring training. But let's not go nuts here. Would I rather have him than Randy Johnson? Surely. Would I rather have him than CC Sabathia? Get real. Actually, if you've got Carpenter, now is the perfect time to package him with someone else off to a hot start that might be on your bench (i.e. Jorge Cantu) to see if you can pull a star from the high-strung type in your league.

Bits From the Box Scores
o. Your chance to jump aboard the VottoMobile will soon be over. After another homer and four RBI, first baseman Joey Votto now has two jacks and seven ribbies on the young season. I can already smell the smoke from the other 28+ bombs he's going to hit this year.

o. You want no part of Oliver Perez right now, even if you're aching for strikeouts. It's just not worth the gamble. His ERA sits at 16.62 with a 2.31 WHIP after his Great American Shellacking. Johan Santana is the only must-start pitcher on the Mets, followed by the occasional doses of John Maine and Mike Pelfrey.

o. In a duel of impressive rookie pitchers named Rick between Rick Porcello and Ricky Romero, it was Romero who came away with the tidy ERA and the win, but both are bound to give you a rocky ride this season. Porcello is the one you want long-term, but the lefty Romero may wind up with the more favorable spot starts this year.

o. That was homer No. 2 for young Adam Lind out of the five-hole against the Tigers. He'll surpass the 20-mark this season. Surprisingly, Lind is still out there in about 40 percent of leagues if you need a power injection in your outfield.

o. I don't care how nice their lines looked, you want no part of Glen Perkins or Jarrod Washburn in mixed leagues other than as spot-starters. Washburn will be quite useful in AL-only leagues though. That stellar defensive outfield combo of Chavez-Gutierrez-Ichiro (soon) certainly helps a fly-ball pitcher like Washburn.

o. Five runs and two swipes already on the season for Akinori Iwamura. You're gonna get zero pop out of the guy, but if you're needy for a middle infielder, I think he'll touch 90 runs and 15 steals. He's out there in about 70 percent of leagues.

o. Here's your latest on the Yanks' lineup shuffle. Nick Swisher started in right field, Xavier Nady took DH ... and Hideki Matsui presumably rubbed Aspercreme on Jorge Posada on the pine. Swisher smacked a homer and drove in five out of the 6-spot in the lineup. He's actually owned in 50 percent less leagues than Nady. Playing time is still iffy, but by the end of the season, Swisher is going to be the one you want.

o. Orioles reliever Chris Ray has given up four earned runs over his first 1 1/3 innings. Yes it's early, but if you're prospecting for saves, the Cardinals' Ryan Franklin is more worthy of a bench spot on your roster.

o. Keep a close eye on Pirates outfielder Nyjer Morgan as everyone else is out buying "I <3 Bonifacio" T-shirts (watch, they'll make them soon enough). He has a .316 average, four RBI, three runs and a steal through his first four games. We're talking about a leadoff hitter who has 40-steal speed and is available in pretty much every mixed league. Not even Captain Jolly Roger knows how long a player sticks in the Pirates lineup, so plug and play while it lasts.

o. Gotta love that Rangers lineup. Andruw Jones was the surprise cleanup hitter and went 3-for-5 for an offense that put 12 runs on the board against Cleveland. Grab him in all AL-only leagues he's still available in. Have patience with Chris Davis; he'll get his soon enough (just hacking too much right now).

o. The walks were scary (four), but the strikeouts (six) and hits allowed (two) were just dandy in Clayton Kershaw's first start against the Padres. I'd rather own Kershaw than Manny Parra, another young hurler who received some pre-draft fantasy hype, but who got roughed up for five runs by the punchless Giants. Both their WHIPs will likely hurt you a bit this season.

o. Somewhere, an AL-only leaguer is weeping because of you, Carl Pavano. All the Alyssa Milano posters in the world aren't going to cure the pain of an 81.00 ERA.

Run to the Wires For: The aforementioned Adam Lind. Nobody else is worth running for right now. And if you're looking for closers in waiting, keep Franklin and Chicago's Octavio Dotel on the radar.

Down on the Farm: Braves prospect Tommy Hanson struck out 10 over 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut. D'backs hurler Max Scherzer walked four and also hit a batter in his rehab start for Single-A Visalia (yikes). Scherzer will be activated soon and start Tuesday against the Cardinals, but keep him stashed until he works out the kinks.

Lineup Lock Time: Early game today is at 1:05PM EST - Texas at Detroit ... the rest of Friday's action is at 4:05 EST and later.

Playing the Splits: Derek Jeter is hitting .377 in 77 at-bats against Sidney Ponson. Carlos Lee is batting .391 in 23 career at-bats vs. St. Louis starter Joel Pineiro. Miguel Tejada is hitting .353 in 34 at-bats against Pineiro. Kevin Kouzmanoff is batting .238 in 21 at-bats against Barry Zito. Torii Hunter is at .378 in 37 at-bats vs. Tim Wakefield.

Gut Feeling: Texas-Detroit will be the most fantasy-friendly game of the day. And Andy Pettitte will shut down the Royals.

Saturday's Ace in the Hole: Jonathan Sanchez, San Francisco at San Diego. He had a 16:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings against the Padres last year. If you're looking for a Saturday spot-starter, I think he's your upside bet. My second choice would be Kenshin Kawakami at home vs. the Nationals. Yusmeiro Petit against the Dodgers at home isn't too bad for those in deeper leagues.

Roto Rush: Is That You, Chris Carpenter? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brandon Webb Not Worried About Shoulder Stiffness

Matt Snyder — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: Diamondbacks, NL West, Fantasy Baseball, MLB Injuries

So, seriously, who was that masquerading as Brandon Webb yesterday? There was no sink on his patented sinker, his velocity was down and he gave up two home runs. Do you know when he gave up his second home run in 2008? May 3, when he was busy running his record to 7-0. Yes, we need to realize he's likely got about 34 more starts this season.

Still, there's a bit more concern with Webb than just a bad outing. The reason he looked more like Jason Marquis than Brandon Webb could have had something to do with a bum wing. Webb said he was experiencing shoulder stiffness.

"You try to keep [the shoulder] loose as best as you can," said Webb, who gave up six runs on six hits, including the two homers and two walks. "Sometimes you can do it. Sometimes you can't. I tried to get some extra pitches in before the [fourth] inning and I felt a little better toward the end of it."

Webb said he isn't concerned at the moment.

"No, no, I think it will be fine," he said.

Obviously, now is not the time to push the panic button. He's one of the best pitchers in the league. If he's right about his shoulder, he'll be fine. It's possible he just wasn't as stretched out for Opening Day as he needed to be. Diamondback fans can also take solace in the fact that the Snakes still came away with a W.

On the flip side, Opening Day is supposed to be about hope. When your ace -- a former Cy Young winner and perennial contender -- can't get through five innings and is taken deep back-to-back, well, that doesn't exactly breathe optimism into the new season.

Fantasy Spin: You can't dump him. You can't get back full value in a trade, either, so just sit on him if you own him. On the other hand, if you want to try and pry him from his current owner, go ahead and try it. You never know, you could catch someone in a panic after the first full day of games.

Brandon Webb Not Worried About Shoulder Stiffness originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chavez Says He's 'Definitely' Ready

Jeff Fletcher — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Athletics, Fantasy Baseball, MLB Injuries, FanHouse Exclusive

PHOENIX -- Although the Athletics have said for a while that they expected Eric Chavez to be ready to be in the lineup on opening day, on Monday morning Chavez himself said it.

"Without jinxing myself, definitely," Chavez told FanHouse when asked if he'd be ready for the April 6 opener against the Angels.

That's not a minor admission from Chavez, who normally refuses to look beyond his next at-bat or ground ball.

Don't count on Chavez to play every day, at least not at the beginning. The A's have planned to use Nomar Garciaparra and Bobby Crosby to play third, and they will probably play at least two or three games a week in place of Chavez in the early going.

The other question is how productive Chavez will be. The past two years he's been hurt, so you can just about wipe out those numbers. When he was healthy, he always hit 30 homers a year. I doubt he'll get to those numbers this year, even if he is healthy, but he should be good for 20 if his back doesn't go out.

Chavez Says He's 'Definitely' Ready originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Surgery For A's Ace

Jeff Fletcher — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:40:00 EST

Filed under: Athletics, Fantasy Baseball, MLB Injuries

PHOENIX -- Justin Duchscherer is going to have arthroscopic surgery on his balky right elbow, most likely knocking him out of action for at least the first month of the season.

The A's haven't yet worked out the details on when or where Duchscherer will have the surgery and they won't know exactly how long he'll be out until doctors get in there and see what needs to be done. Typically, a pitcher would miss at least six weeks with even the most mild arthroscopic cleanup on his elbow.

Duchscherer, a two-time All-Star and the only pitcher in the A's rotation with any sort of successful track record, did not talk to reporters today, directing them to manager Bob Geren for comment.

"Anytime you lose a guy it's disappointing, especially a guy who was pegged as a possible No. 1 guy," Geren said.

Certainly news of Duchscherer's surgery comes as no surprise to A's fans. He has had a laundry list of problems throughout his career, most recently surgery on his hip last September. Things started badly for him this spring with the elbow problem. With the exception of one week in which Duchscherer had two encouraging bullpen sessions, he was never right. The last straw came Thursday, when he had to leave a minor-league outing in the first inning.

So what does this mean for the A's?

It probably means you can go ahead and take that flier on Trevor Cahill in your fantasy league. Cahill is one of the A's 21-year-old phenoms, along with Brett Anderson. It looked for a while like one of them (probably Anderson) would start the season in the rotation, but now that Duchscherer is out it looks like both could make it. All of this, of course, is before Cahill starts tonight against his hometown Padres and Jake Peavy. If he tanks that outing, things could change.

A's GM Billy Beane has insisted that the club is not going to be able to dig up another starting pitcher from outside the organization.

Surgery For A's Ace originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Spin: Lovin' Those Marlins Arms

Matt Snyder — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Marlins, NL East, Fantasy Baseball

As I scrolled through the latest average draft position report on Mock Draft Central, I started to realize how much I love the entire Marlins rotation to provide stellar value this season. I knew I liked them, but as the numbers currently stand, I love them.

Obviously, let's not get nuts and start taking them in the first round or anything, and there are some more valuable than others. The fact is, though, that each of the five possesses very solid value at this point in draft season.

Let's take a look at the value of each, in order of fantasy rank.

Ricky Nolasco
Still only 26, he hasn't reached his peak yet -- and last season was a breakout campaign. He went 15-8 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. He struck out 186 hitters in 212 1/3 innings. Let's go deeper, though. Unlike most young pitchers, who have a tendency to wear down as the season progresses, Nolasco became an absolute monster down the stretch.

In his last 21 starts, he went 10-4 with a 2.83 ERA and a stellar 0.93 WHIP. He struck out 146 hitters in 146 1/3 innings. The most staggering thing he did? He only walked 17 batters in this stretch. That's more than 8 1/2 strikeouts per every free pass. This wasn't a fluke, either. The last time he had a full slate in the minors he went 14-3 with a 2.89 ERA. Now he pitches half his games in the pitcher-friendly confines of Dolphin Stadium.

He's well on his way to becoming a lower-tier fantasy ace, the anchor to your staff. A.J. Burnett, Edinson Volquez, and Rich Harden are going in front of him. Go ahead. I'll take Nolasco.

By the way, the Cubs traded him for Juan Pierre. That almost makes me vomit. Actually, there shouldn't be an "almost" in that sentence. I'll be right back ...

Josh Johnson
He began to broach his immense potential as a 22-year-old in 2006, when he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. The following season, however, he went through surgery on his throwing arm and faced a long road back. When he returned midway through last season, we didn't quite know what to expect. After his finish, though, he clearly still has top-of-the-rotation type stuff.

The 6-foot-7 righty went 7-1 with a 3.61 ERA in his 14 starts to close out the season. During this stretch, you can bet he was still working out the kinks and getting himself back into the groove. For this year, he'll have had a full offseason and spring to work with. I expect the strikeouts to go up and walks to go down (it was 77/27 K/BB in 87 1/3 innings).

Do you really want Randy Johnson and Chris Young before him? Their ADP is earlier.

Chris Volstad
Another 6-foot-7 righty, Volstad broke into the league at 21 last July. In 14 starts, he went 6-4 with a sparkling 2.88 ERA. He only allowed three home runs, and he was very consistent. Only twice did he give up four runs and he never allowed more. He worked at least six innings in nine of his 14 starts. He's not a big strikeout guy, but his ability to consistently spin quality starts will give him the chance to pile up wins, while always giving significant help to your ERA.

The control could be a concern, but he's only 22. He'll improve as time passes.

Anibal Sanchez
I covered the reasons to like Sanchez in my Bang for Your Buck column. He's since moved up to 89th in starting pitchers' ADP -- thanks to me, of course -- but he's still coming in behind Taylor Buchholz, Clay Buchholz, Brad Penny, Todd Wellemeyer, Ben Sheets, Kyle Lohse, Phil Hughes (seriously?) and Paul Maholm. I'd take Sanchez over any of these guys for varying reasons.

Andrew Miller
The phenom from North Carolina has yet to hit it big, as most assumed he would while watching him dominate the 2006 College World Series. The Marlins even removed him from the rotation in September. Still, he hasn't even reached his 24th birthday. Is that really the time to give up on someone with such astronomical potential? He was downright dominant in Double-A in 2007, but other than that he's pretty much been taking his lumps in the bigs.

Assuming he's mentally tough enough to learn from his mistakes on the big stage -- if you can call baseball in Miami the "big stage" -- things will start clicking.

o. Control was a big issue last year. He needs to learn the ballpark in which he pitches is very conducive to helping pitchers, and the defense behind him is really solid. This isn't college, so you don't have to miss bats all the time.

o. He's giving up lots of hits, but not an overly large amount of home runs. His absurd .346 allowed BABIP didn't help matters on that front last season. That number should normalize to around .315 or so this season. When that happens, in addition to his increased command, his rate stats will start to come back down.

Miller's easily the least draftable player on here, but he's certainly draftable in deep NL-only leagues due to his vast upside. I'll project 12 wins, 135 strikeouts, a 4.25 ERA and 1.45 WHIP. He's not great yet, but those numbers can be used in really, really deep leagues.

Fantasy Spin: Lovin' Those Marlins Arms originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will 2009 Be a Bounce-Back Season for Jeff Francoeur?

Knox Bardeen — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, NL East, Fantasy Baseball

Jeff Francoeur burst onto the Atlanta baseball scene in 2005, a homegrown talent with huge upside potential. He showed some value in 70 games that season after being called up, but really exploded in 2006 with 29 home runs and 103 RBI. The next season was another growing year as he brought his batting average up to .293 and still hit 19 home runs and 105 RBI. His 2008 season should have been another growth -- almost breakout -- season. But, something different happened.

Francoeur really regressed in 2008. His batting average dropped to .239 and he only hit 11 home runs. An even worse blow came when Francoeur, for the first time since being promoted to the big leagues, was sent to the minors. He returned from Mississippi quickly as injuries forced the Braves to recall the right fielder, but he still floundered in Atlanta. The question remains why...

Francoeur has always been a free swinger. Since his first game in Atlanta, everyone knew that he was going to get his hacks in. He struck out 111 times in 599 at-bats last season, and his poor on-base percentage can be attributed to the fact that he's never had a walk rate above 6.1 percent.

Another issue for Francoeur, and it's gotten worse each season, is the fact that he swings at pitches outside of the strike zone. In 2006, Francoeur swung at pitches in the strike zone 85.6 percent of the time. That rate dropped to 76.1 percent in 2008. Even though he made strides to stop swinging at so many pitches, something that most thought would help him, he seemed to err in pitch selection. He stopped swinging at pitches in the strike zone while continuing to swing at the same amount of pitches outside of the strike zone (36.3 percent in 2008). That was a recipe for disaster.

This spring, however, things are looking different for the 25-year-old outfielder. Francoeur changed his swing in the offseason.

Francoeur changed things in the offseason, losing some bulk, getting in better baseball conditioning, and altering his swing during a three-day tutorial with a hitting coach in Texas. The basic differences: Less hand movement, and more "open" with the front shoulder, which Francoeur said allows him to see pitches better with both eyes.

And it's looking like it's beginning to pay huge dividends. In 40 Grapefruit League at-bats, Francoeur is batting .350 with two doubles and nine RBI. Most importantly, he's walked six times and only struck out once. Re-read that last statement. If you know anything about Jeff Francoeur, you'll be amazed at that statistic. As he gets used to his new batting stance, he's showing that he's able to make quick decisions and even change his mind in certain situations.

If the 2009 version of Jeff Francoeur resembles the spring version, fantasy GM's who take a gamble on him are going to be very happy. He's currently being selected in the 22nd round of fantasy drafts with an average draft position of 256.19. I'm starting to believe in Francoeur as each spring game passes. He's a superb value pick in the 22nd round and is starting to become a must-draft in mixed leagues.

Will 2009 Be a Bounce-Back Season for Jeff Francoeur? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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