MLB FanHouse

The Rockies Might Be Panicking (Or: Troy Tulowitzki on the Bench Already?)

Will Brinson — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:50:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Rockies, NL West, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

The Colorado Rockies are currently second in their division, so one would think that they're reasonably pleased, considering some members of the team are starting slow. Of course, the caveat to being second in the NL West is that, at 9-10, they're staring six games up at an Arizona Diamondbacks team that does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Still, it was a bit surprising to see Clint Hurdle make the decision to bench Troy Tulowitzki this early in the season. Tulowitzki is hitting a pretty abysmal .165 on the season, without any home runs and a 2+ K/BB ratio. So, the benching isn't entirely unwarranted. Still, Tulo did sign a monster contract in the off season and even though he is a very good hitter, his is primarily beneficial to the Rockies because of his elite defense. But there he was, Tuesday night, on the bench, and apparently he was cool with it.

'It's not a work day, I am being benched,' Tulowitzki told The Denver Post. 'It's up to me to get better.'

Clint Barmes, the team's hottest hitter this season, is starting at shortstop with Jeff Baker getting the nod at second base.

[...]'This is not the worst thing that's going to happen to him,' said Hurdle, explaining that it's fine line between trying to ignite a player and serving the best interests of a 25-man roster. 'It's not a slap in the face. Players know when they aren't playing well.'

Certainly, Clint. One could even argue that his torrid second half last year actually created nearly impossible to meet expectations for this season. Like, to the point where everyone forgot that his 2007 first half was offensively respectable at best, in comparison with what people are looking for now. And, you'll never believe this either, but his BABIP is right at .200. Yup, there's some bad luck at play here as well. Which makes benching him reek even more of desperation. And desperation is a stinky cologne, Clint.

Bonus Fantasy Spin: Tulo is a great buy low at this point, as long as you're not expecting 30 homers on the year. Barmes on the other hand, well, if he's got SS and 2B eligibility, he's going to have some value and is worth a pickup while he's playing in deeper mixed leagues.

The Rockies Might Be Panicking (Or: Troy Tulowitzki on the Bench Already?) originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Quick Pitch: Putz and Bedard Back

Will Brinson — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:15:00 EST

Filed under: Seattle, Mariners, AL West, Injury Report, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

The Seattle Mariners are lucky that they are only one game out of the A.L. West division lead, and a game above .500, given that both J.J. Putz and Erik Bedard have already seen stints on the disabled list, only a month into the 2008 season.

Fantasy owners are probably not so fortunate, given the early round status of both pitchers. However, there is good news on the horizon, as both players should be active and pitching by Sunday.

Putz was actually activated Tuesday afternoon in time for the M's game against the Baltimore Orioles, which they won, with his help no less. Putz picked up the save and reportedly hit 97 mph on the gun, needing four batters to record the save after giving up a double to Aubrey Huff to open up the inning. Two strikeouts later, the soul patch was in full effect. Or something like that. Get Putz active in all leagues.

Bedard probably won't return until this weekend, according to the Seattle Times:

Bedard will indeed start Saturday. He threw a 45-pitch bullpen session today that went very well, apparently. McLaren said, however, they want him to throw another bullpen session on Thursday before his Saturday start against Oakland. This gives them a chance to restructure the rotation a bit. Washburn will pitch Thursday against Baltimore, and Batista Friday against Oakland. That splits up the two left-handers, Washburn and Bedard.

Given that information, particularly the team's need to have him throw one more bullpen session before he returns, I would probably hold off on starting him in roto leagues. In H2H format, I would start him depending on my cat needs: if it's an extra win or some strikeouts you're looking for, I think he's a good bet to get both. But if you're trying to protect the ratios, it's probably best to avoid starting him if you can afford to; the A's aren't the most potent offensive team, in theory, but you can expect Bedard to be on a reasonably limited pitch count.

Oh yeah, and if for any reason either one of these guys is owned in your league, you obviously pound immediately.

Fantasy Quick Pitch: Putz and Bedard Back originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Value Machine: Fantasy First Week

Will Brinson — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Value Machine

We're five full days deep in baseball and there's been a lot of action. In order to make the proper roster moves and know what to look for when you begin trade negotiations, it helps to understand the perceived value shifts that happen each week. So that's when we bust out the complex algorithms and determine who's up and who's down.

Ben Sheets -- Sheets looked great against the Cubs, engaging in a pitcher's duel against Carlos Zambrano, and even pitching post-rain delay; actually looking sharper. Sheets has a legitimate shot at the Cy Young and is a number one fantasy ace if he can avoid the injuries that have plagued him in the past.

Or, alternately: blahblahblahblah If he can stay healthy blahblahblahblah. I actually love Sheets but objectively he has to be considered a sell high, especially if he pieces together a few more of these starts. And considering Ned Yost seems unconcerned about his injury history.
Rich Harden -- See above.
Brian Bannister -- He absolutely shut down the Tigers. He won't overpower anyone but he's smart as hell and will get wins with nice ratios this season.

Alex Gordon -- Is 2007 already behind him? Looks like. Commence drooling. There's not much I wouldn't pay for him in a keeper league, by the way.
Johnny Cueto -- When you break out 10 strikeouts and go perfect through five plus in your MLB debut, people take notice. He's real, but perceived value/hype is higher than real value here, except for keeper leagues.
Zack Greinke -- Greinke is worthwhile again! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! The Royals are better than everyone thinks by the way, so he's a nice option.
Kosuke Fukudome -- The hype is off the chart (raises hand indicating guilt) but he's a nice fantasy option. Probably don't want to buy just yet though.
Nate McLouth -- Everyone apparently tagged him as a breakout. This information is just conveniently getting dropped after he hits .350 with a homer and four RBI in the first week. He's fast as hell too. A nice add.
Xavier Nady -- April's Fools. Sell.
Andre Ethier -- Common sense lands him in left and now he might land 1B eligibility too. Good lower end outfielder.
Carlos Gomez -- Speed and defense galore. Torri who?
Blake DeWitt -- Out of nowhere posts a big week for LAD. Nomar can probably kick it on the DL for a while now, although DeWitt probably isn't going to win you a fantasy title at third.
Jeremy Bonderman -- Bad first start and a bad second half in 2007 make him dirt cheap right now. You should buy low.
Matt Garza -- Not a "great" start against that Baltimore "team". He's still got a ton of upside though and people don't really recognize it. Buy.
Brett Myers -- He didn't exactly beat anyone down in his first start, but he's gonna have a big year anyway.
J.J. Putz -- Poor soul patch. Decent buy low if WebMD is right about the injury not being a long term thing.
Mike Hampton -- Shouldn't be shocking but doesn't make it any less disappointing. Drop him.
Homer Bailey -- If Edison Volquez pitches well, there ain't no room at the Inn.
Eric Gagne -- Best believe that Mr. Mitchell. Er, allegedly. Not a fan.
Brandon Lyon -- He's still closing, so selling isn't a bad idea at all.
Chad Cordero -- A phantom shoulder injury let Jon Rauch sneak into save situations. I'm lukewarm on phantom shoulder injuries. And anyone who closes for the Nats (not buying the hype just yet).

Value Machine: Fantasy First Week originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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