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Prospect Report: Mining the Farm for your fantasy teams

By RoJoPal on May 22, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged al-only, dynasty league, jurickson profar, keeper leagues, kevin gausman, michael wacha, miguel sano, nl-only, porspects.

So the wait is finally over for one of the top prospects to get called up. Jurickson Profar made his Rangers debut on Monday against Oakland, as he went 0 – 2 with 2 RBI. The bad news here is the Rangers don’t plan to start Profar every day, which is why this is likely just a rental while Kinsler nurses his bruised ribs. Although he’s not up to stay yet he’s worth it to add at a thin 2B position, even if it’s just as trade fodder in re-draft leagues. If you’re in a keeper or dynasty league he’s likely been gone for awhile now.

Big city living:

Jake Odorizzi SP – Odorizzi takes David Price’s rotation spot, as Price is on the DL with a strained triceps in his pitching arm. Jake (the Bulldog) had a rough start to the game on Monday giving up 3 earned in the first two innings, before settling in and finishing 5 innings with 1 BB 6 K a 5.40 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. His next start comes against the Yankees on Sunday. Fantasy Status: AL-only and spot starts for now, let’s see how he does on Sunday then reevaluate.

Kevin Gausman SP – Looks like the O’s aren’t waiting for Super Two, and are going to call up Gausman to start Thursday in Toronto. He’s pitched well in Double-A, and after the hemming and hawing Duquette did about not promoting him this soon he went and did it anyway. With the Orioles team ERA of 4.28 (which is 23^rd among the Majors) the thought is Gausman can’t hurt, but could he be the savior? If he does well Thursday, it’s likely he’ll be up for good. Fantasy Status: He’s not Dylan Bundy, but he’s damn good. Grab him if you can afford to, or if he’s still available.

Panning for gold:

Kyle Gibson SP – There was some speculation that the Twins may call up the on Friday. Gardenhire had said he may, just to go ahead and say “J/K guys” a day later. He’s pitching well of late in Triple- A, throwing 2 complete game shutouts in his last 3 starts. The mere mention of him getting promoted means at least it’s viable he’ll make an appearance this season. Fantasy Status: AL-only owners take notice. You too keeper leaguers.

Michael Wacha SP – Wacha has posted a 2.05 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 through 52 2/3 innings in Triple-A to open the season. Meaning so far he’s pitching better than expected. The injury bug has setup home base in the Cardinals rotation over the past few years, and the Orkin man can’t find him. With injuries to Westbrook and Garcia, the cards have opted to go with Gast, Seth Maness, and Tyler Lyons over Wacha for now. Fantasy Status: He has moved quick, NL-only owners pay attention. Keeper/dynasty owners start stashing.

Tony Cingrani SP – Got sent packing as the Reds made room for the rehabbed Cueto. This probably isn’t the last we’ll see of Cingrani this season; hopefully he can work on his secondary stuff while back in the minors. It would be nice to think he’ll come back to the rotation when the time arrives, but it’s also probable that they’ll bring him back to help the pen. Fantasy Status: Droppable in all but deep keepers/dynasty and deep NL-only

Wil Myers OF – The Rays as per usual are not in any hurry to call a star prospect up. This may be a case much of Super Two (that’s the one where you throw root vegetables at enemies right?) status issues, although his average is down on the year (.250) and just .211 against righties on the season. He could stay in the minors even after Super Two passes, unless they need him or he turns it around. Fantasy Status: Don’t dig in if you’re in a re-draft, but keeper/dynasty owners should maintain protocol. Or find a desperate trade partner.

Super Two

Untapped resources:

Miguel Sano 3B – He won’t be up until next year at the earliest, but he’s making it hard for the Twins front office to not rush him through the minors. So far in High-A he’s hitting .354 with 37 R, 11 HR, 34 RBI, and 5 SB. With basically Trevor Plouffe (now on the 7day DL) the only thing in his way at a starting gig, it’s going to be interesting to see how far he’ll get this season. Fantasy Status: ETA 2014 dynasty owners.

Gregory Polanco OF – The Pirates prospect has been playing well down in High-A, batting .303 with 20 R, 5 HR, 22 RBI, and 17 SB on the season. He’s still at least a year away, and we’ve all been burnt by a Pirates prospect in the past (I’m looking at you Pedro!) but it’s someone to keep an eye on. Fantasy Status: ETA 2014 (déjà vu)

Born and raised in Massachusetts, Robert now resides in Philadelphia, PA. Has been playing fantasy football since 2003, and is a former high school football coach. Always a student of the game, he uses knowledge of coaching for fantasy wins. He’s always available for advice on twitter at @RoJoPal.

Fantasy Baseball: Daily Notes for Wednesday, May 22nd

By Trader X on May 22, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball.

Mike Trout had himself a hell of a night last night…it’s just too bad you don’t get bonus points in fantasy when your player hits for the cycle…

Welcome to our Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes! Just like last year, I’ll be combing over box scores and scouring local beat writers’ reports each morning to help ensure you have all the information you need in order to make the right decisions for your fantasy baseball lineup. So make sure you check back at this very spot for Hot/Cold Streaks, Injury News, Closer Updates, Daily Stats, and more so that you can stay one step ahead of the rest of your league!

If you’re looking for full daily gaming lineups, sign up as a FantasyTrade411 Member for exclusive access!

5 Good Nights, 5 Bad Nights

It’s a fact of life that every baseball player goes through hot and cold streaks. It’s important not to let those streaks influence a player’s fantasy baseball value too much, but it is important to be aware of how a player is doing within a short period of time (a seven-day sorter is always a good tool to use). A player’s short-term numbers can be the difference between winning and losing in daily games, and it can also make a huge difference in year-long leagues. For instance, if you can keep finding the second basemen on hot streaks and dropping them for another streaking second basemen once they get cold, you can piece together a very useful middle infielder-by-committee for your roto team. So before we get to today’s games, let’s take a spin through last night’s box scores to identify who had a good night and who had a bad night on Tuesday, May 21st.

5 Good Nights

Mike Trout: 4-5, 2 R, HR, 5 RBI, 1 steal
Chris Dickerson: 3-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI
Daniel Descalso: 3-3, 3 R, HR, 5 RBI
Jerome Williams: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 Ks, W
Dan Straily: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 Ks, W

Honorable Mention: Elliot Johnson, Travis Snider, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Paredes, Darwin Barney, Brian McCann, Max Scherzer, Adam Wainwright, Matt Cain, Miguel Gonzalez, Mike Leake, Stephen Strasburg, Yu Darvish, Jonathon Niese, Bud Norris, Alex Cobb, Tyler Cloyd, Jose Quintana, Felix Doubront, Matt Garza, Jose Fernandez

5 Bad Nights

Zack Greinke: 4.0 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, K
Aaron Harang: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 4 Ks
Edinson Volquez: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, BB, 5 Ks
Dexter Fowler: 0-5
Anthony Rizzo: 0-5

Dishonorable Mention: Jamey Carroll, Derrick Robinson, Charlie Blackmon, Aaron Hicks, Didi Gregorius, Andrelton Simmons, Jose Altuve, Glen Perkins, Jason Grilli, Rafael Soriano

Daily Grab Bag

Check back here for daily updates on injuries, closer battles, player news, and anything else that might affect your fantasy baseball team.

Andrew McCutchen hasn’t played since Saturday with a knee injury, but it sounds as if his injury isn’t serious and won’t require a trip to the DL so his owners can plan for a return to the lineup shortly.
Ryan Howard also hasn’t played since Saturday with a knee injury, but it’s starting to sound like he may require a trip to the DL. Be prepared.
Kevin Gausman is expected to be been called up by the Baltimore Orioles and will likely start tomorrow against the Toronto Blue Jays.

3 Up, 3 Down, and Throwing Darts

Starting and sitting the right pitchers on a day-to-day basis is often the lynchpin of winning any fantasy baseball league – roto, head-to-head, daily, and otherwise. In order to give you some help picking your pitchers for today, I’ve gone through all of the stats that I could (pitchers’ career numbers vs. certain hitters and lineups, home/road splits, lefty/righty splits, etc) and have made nine recommendations. I’m not going to proclaim that I’ll get these 100% correct all season, but anyone that does should be sitting on an island that they own in the Pacific – not writing fantasy baseball articles. The goal here is to play the odds the entire season and slowly build your “win” percentage closer to 100% than to 50%.

Here are today’s recommendations with, 3 Up (three pitchers you shouldn’t think of sitting), 3 Down (three pitchers with some warning flags for today), and Throwing Darts (three pitchers that I’ll be taking a flier on):

3 Up

Justin Verlander at Cleveland Indians

Gio Gonzalez at San Francisco Giants

Cliff Lee at Miami Marlins

3 Down

Jarrod Parker at Texas Rangers

Trevor Cahill at Colorado Rockies

Jeremy Hellickson at Toronto Blue Jays

Throwing Darts

Hector Santiago vs. Boston Red Sox

Francisco Liriano vs. Chicago Cubs

Jorge De La Rosa vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Swings and Misses

A hitter’s career numbers against a pitcher don’t always tell the whole story, but it can be informative if used correctly. I’m of the opinion that some information is better than none, and while there are other pieces to the puzzle of setting your daily lineup (splits, weather, etc.), I think a hitter’s career numbers against a pitcher can be very indicative of future success or failure. Some guys just own certain pitchers, and vice versa. As such, I’ve gone through today’s matchups and picked the best (and worst) matchups I could find. Anything less than 10-12 career at-bats is a relatively small sample-size (so take those with a grain of salt), but sometimes that’s all that is available.

Swings

Evan Longoria is 6-for-18 (.333) with one home run in his career against today’s starter, Mark Buehrle.
Vernon Wells is 5-for-14 (.357) with two home runs in his career against today’s starter, Jason Hammel.
Robinson Cano is 10-for-26 (.385) with one home run in his career against today’s starter, Jason Hammel.

Misses

Nelson Cruz is hitless in nine career at-bats against today’s starter, Jarrod Parker.
Nate McClouth is 2-for-20 (.100) in his career against today’s starter, Hiroki Kuroda.
Adrubal Cabrera is 8-for-47 (.170) in his career against today’s starter, Justin Verlander.

If you have any questions, comments, complaints, or have a suggestion on a feature you’d like to see covered in these daily reports, please contact me @FantasyTrade411 or email me at FantasyTrade411@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to respond.

The Secret Stash: Hitting Edition

By Seth Klein on May 22, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged disabled list, DL, fantasy baseball, hitters, injury, stash, waivers.

Ladies can’t resist a good “stash”

It’s almost June, and that means that we’re nearing the end of the first two months of the baseball season. Finding quality free agents on the waiver wire is becoming increasingly more difficult and the guys who had their heads up their butts in the first couple of weeks are no longer falling prey to “buy low” trade offers. Since these options have been exhausted by many owners in competitive leagues, one of the tried-and-true ways to bolster your roster is to stash away injured players. Anyone that has a “DL” tag next to their name may not come up as often on owners’ fantasy radars, and tucking these guys away for safe keeping can be a very sneaky way to win your league.

The most common way for fantasy owners to search for free agents is to look under recent stats (last week, last 14 days, etc.), and when a player hasn’t played within that time frame or hasn’t even suited up the entire season, they won’t come up under most searches. Keeping tabs on guys that are recovering from surgeries or are in rehab stints can give you a leg up on the competition. Below is a list of players who are currently on the disabled list that I feel my warrant an add. They are accompanied by a number scale (1-10), 10 meaning “stop what you’re doing and pick him up now”, and 1 meaning that you might want to take a wait-and-see approach. All the suggested players are under 75% owned in both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues.

Mark Teixeira, 1B (Yankees): The Yankees have had numerous injuries this year, and yet still have the 2nd best record in the AL. Curtis Granderson returned to the lineup last week and now it looks like Teixeira may be the next of the fallen to come back to the Bronx. The power-hitting first baseman partially tore a tendon sheath in his wrist back in April and opted to rehab it instead of undergoing surgery. The fact that he could aggravate the injury at any moment and that he is also known for having notoriously slow starts (.239 average in April) makes him somewhat of a risk. That being said, the power potential he provides (33 HR/106 RBI average in the last 4 years) makes him a must add in all formats. He’s shooting to make it back on the field in early June. (Rating: 10)

Corey Hart, 1B/OF (Brewers): Prior to the season Hart underwent knee surgery. He was expected to come off the DL when first eligible on May 30, but that’s looking like it may get delayed a little. He has recently started running, which he called “awkward”, but since that seems to be one of the last steps in his rehab before playing live games, an early to mid-June time frame looks pretty optimistic for his return to Beer City. He has quietly become one of the more consistent home run hitter out there, posting 30, 26 and 31 homers over the last three seasons. His addition to a potent Brewers lineup will only add more offensive statistics to their totals. After playing the second half of 2012 at first base, he now owns 1B/OF dual eligibility, which is also a very nice commodity for fantasy owners. (Rating: 10)

Aaron Hill, 2B (Diamondbacks): After a career year in 2012, a year in which he hit for the cycle not once, but TWICE, Hill was off to another good start in 2013. Unfortunately, that was derailed by a pitch from the Pirates James McDonald that broke a bone in his left hand. He was initially supposed to miss 4-6 weeks, but the injury is not healing as quickly as expected. Even with the less than positive news of a delayed return to the desert, he’s still a great add with the dearth of talent at 2B this year. (Rating: 9)

Adam Eaton, OF (Diamondbacks): Coming into the year, Eaton was listed among the top young players in the game and was expected to man centerfield for the Snakes on Opening Day. A sprained left elbow has prevented him from playing so far, but he is nearing the end of a rehab assignment and could be back in the bigs by the end of this week. He’s batted .340 and stolen 98 bases in 319 minor league games, which can be very useful to owners looking for a player with a good OBP and speed. (Rating: 8)

Gordon Beckham, 2B (White Sox): Beckham has been raking in his rehab games and is scheduled to come off the DL this weekend. It’s great news for fantasy owners, as the White Sox will square off against the measly Marlins. In a year where middle infield help can be hard to find, Beckham could be a sly pickup. The former University of Georgia product is still only 26-years old and has shown to have some nice pop, hitting 16 HRs last season and 14 in his rookie year. That power potential could prove to be very valuable down the line. (Rating: 5)

Alex Rodriguez, 3B (Yankees): He’s already started running, and while he’s not due back until July, he can still provide pop if you can afford to stash him. I wouldn’t drop an everyday player for him, but 12-16 HRs isn’t an unreasonable expectation from A-Rod once he returns. (Rating: 4)

Logan Morrison, 1B/OF (Marlins): While the average may never be there, LoMo can provide some nice power. In 2011 he smashed 23 HRs and the hitting-deficient Marlins will try to get him in their lineup every day. Even though he won’t play any outfield this year, his eligibility there and at 1B is a nice asset to have. Now he’s just gotta maintain his health and stay out of Twitter jail! (Rating: 4)

Cameron Maybin, OF (Padres): A perennial “breakout” candidate, Maybin has always possessed the tangibles to be a star, but injuries and constant shortcomings have tarnished some of his appeal. He is still recovering from a wrist injury, which is something that can easily flare up again, but when he returns he will provide steals and runs. In his best season (2011), he batted .264 with 9 HRs, 40 RBIs and 40 SBs, so the potential is there. (Rating: 3)

Others hitters on the disabled list to keep an eye on: Derek Jeter, Josh Reddick, Justin Maxwell, Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Ludwick, Jayson Werth, Rajai Davis

By Seth Klein (@SethDaSportsMan)

Seth is a writer for FantasyTrade411.com, specializing in fantasy baseball, basketball and football. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, but has been a die-hard New York Giants, Knicks and Yankees fan since birth. He has been playing fantasy sports since 1999 and has since developed a real knack for daily streaming and “working the wire”, which can be attributed to his keen analysis of in-season trends. He is also a writer BucketsOverBroadway.com, a New York Knicks website, and you can find him gracing the airwaves on @ThaSPORTSKRIB, a weekly show dedicated to sports. Seth attended the University of Arizona, where he majored in “tardiness”, and is now a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist. Feel free to send all your fantasy sports questions to Seth on Twitter: @SethDaSportsMan

Fantasy Baseball Expert Challenge

By Trader X on May 22, 2013
This entry is filed under Daily Gaming Recommendations, Fantasy Baseball, Sports Investing and tagged daily fantasy sports, daily gaming, draftday, fantasy baseball, mlb.

Can you beat me and Dr. Roto in the Expert Challenge?

We had a blast battling the other Experts in a daily fantasy baseball bracket over at DraftDay (which Dr. Roto won), but wanted to give more followers a chance to play us in this new daily game format. To do so, we’re offering a new Expert Challenge where six of you can take on me and Dr. Roto by winning your way through the qualifying brackets this Friday (5/24) and next Friday (5/31).

To add a little incentive, our friends at DraftDay are offering some prizes for the qualifier brackets AND the expert bracket:

Qualifier Brackets: 1st $18.00, 2nd $11.00, 3rd $7.00, 4th $4.00

Expert Bracket: 1st $30, 2nd $20

(So if you win first in a qualifier, you win $18 plus a free shot at $30 first place the expert bracket!)

Sound good? Our Qualifier games start Friday where the top 3 in the game will advance to the expert challenge to take on Dr. Roto and I with free money being awarded to the final 2 standing. We’ll also be hosting one more qualifier next Friday (5/31) and then the Expert Bracket will begin Monday, June 3. Qualifier games only cost $2.20 to play, so come put your money where your mouth is and try to take down me and Dr. Roto!

Oh…and one more thing! If you make your first deposit using promo code 411, you’ll also get a 100% deposit bonus (up to $200)! This means if you deposit $100, you’ll get an additional $100 in bonus cash that is released in your account as you play games on DraftDay.

We’ll post the link to the second qualifier once it’s ready, but here’s the link to this Friday’s Qualifier:

Game 1 Qualifier: This Friday, $2.20 to play. Top 3 will get a free seat in the 8-man bracket (payouts: 1st $18.00, 2nd $11.00, 3rd $7.00, 4th $4.00)

See you in the Expert Bracket!

Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes for Tuesday, May 21st

By Trader X on May 21, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged batting matchups, closer updates, daily fantasy sports, daily gaming, daily notes, fantasy baseball, Injuries, mlb, news, notes, patrick corbin, prospects, streaming pitchers.

I was a dumbass and sat Corbin last night because he was at Coors…big mistake

5 Good Nights, 5 Bad Nights

Yan Gomes: 3-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
Brandon Belt: 4-5, 4 R, HR, RBI
Travis Hafner: 2-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, 1 steal
Patrick Corbin: 9.0 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 10 Ks, W
Clayton Kershaw: 9.0 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 Ks, W

Honorable Mention: Miguel Tejada, Marlon Byrd, Adam Dunn, Dan Uggla, Edwin Encarnacion, Ryan Raburn, Angel Pagan, Matt Dominguez, Seth Smith, Dominic Brown, Julio Teheran, R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon, Alex Sanabia, Jason Marquis, Freddy Garcia, Cole Hamels, Dylan Axelrod, Ryan Vogelsong

5 Bad Nights

Casey Janssen: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, K
Scott Kazmir: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 Ks
Kevin Correia: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, BB
Manny Machado: 0-5,
Michael Saunders: 0-5

Dishonorable Mention: Cesar Izturis, Derek Norris, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jeremy Guthrie, Jim Johnson, Chris Perez, Jon Garland, Josh Lindblom, Shaun Marcum, Jon Lester, Hisashi Iwakuma

Daily Grab Bag

Check back here for daily updates on injuries, closer battles, player news, and anything else that might affect your fantasy baseball team.

Ryan Vogelsong broke his hand last night after getting hit by a pitch and will likely miss at least 6-8 weeks.
With Steve Cishek struggling, Mike Redmond has said that the Marlins will use “everyone” at closer. This could get muddled with Chad Qualls, A.J. Ramos, Mike Dunn, and Ryan Webb all getting a look. If I had to grab one, I’d take a flier on the guy with the best stuff — Ramos.
Jim Johnson has now blown three straight saves and while Buck Showalter said he’s not ready to take the keys away from Johnson just yet, it might be good business to go pick up Darren O’Day if he’s available.
Matt Garza (arm) has been activated from the disable list and will start against the Pirates tonight.
Twins prospect, Kyle Gibson, is likely to be called up on Friday to start against the Tigers.
Corey Hart (knee) ran and took full batting practice yesterday and could start a rehab assignment in the next week or two.
John Danks (elbow) and Gordon Beckham (hand) are both on-track to rejoin the White Sox by the end of the month.

3 Up, 3 Down, and Throwing Darts

Adam Wainwright at San Diego Padres

Stephen Strasburg at San Francisco Giants

Yu Darvish vs. Oakland A’s

3 Down

Phil Hughes at Baltimore Orioles

Ian Kennedy at Colorado Rockies

Dan Straily at Texas Rangers

Throwing Darts

Jose Fernandez vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Matt Garza at Pittsburgh Pirates

Bud Norris vs. Kansas City Royals

Swings and Misses

Nate McClouth is 7-for-9 (.778) in his career against today’s starter, Phil Hughes.
Albert Pujols is 23-for-74 (.311) with five home runs in his career against today’s starter, Aaron Harang.
Brian McCann is 18-for-39 (.462) with two home runs in his career against today’s starter, Mike Pelfrey.

Misses

Carlos Santana is 3-for-23 (.130) in his career against today’s starter, Max Scherzer.
Alfonso Soriano is 6-for-44 (.136) in his career against today’s starter, Wandy Rodriguez.
Josh Willingham is 1-for-20 (.050) in his career against today’s starter, Tim Hudson.

Fantasy Baseball: Daily Notes for Monday, May 20th

By Trader X on May 20, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged daily notes, fantasy, fantasy baseball, mlb.

It’s Miggy’s world…we’re all just living in it

5 Good Nights, 5 Bad Nights

Miguel Cabrera: 4-4, 4 R, 3 HR, 5 RBI
Everth Cabrera: 2-6, 2R, 2 RBI, 3 steals
Will Venable: 2-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, 1 steal
Justin Masterson: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 Ks, W
Ricky Nolasco: 8.0 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 11 Ks, W

Honorable Mention: Adam Jones, David Murphy, Michael Brantley, Prince Fielder, Ryan Zimmerman, Dustin Pedroia, Erick Aybar, Yonder Alonso, Jason Vargas, Homer Bailey, Matt Moore, Lucas Harrell, Jeff Locke, Jonathan Pettibone, Juan Nicasio, John Lackey, Matt Magill

5 Bad Nights

Dan Haren: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks
Doug Fister: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, BB, 3 Ks
Felix Hernandez: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 8 Ks
Victor Martinez: 0-5
Mike Moustakas: 0-5

Dishonorable Mention: Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman, Barry Zito, Derek Holland, Kyle Lohse, Jake Peavy, Dillon Gee

Daily Grab Bag

Check back here for daily updates on injuries, closer battles, player news, and anything else that might affect your fantasy baseball team.

Ian Kinsler was placed on the 15-day DL with bruised ribs and Jurickson Profar was called up to take Kinsler’s place while he is out. It’s not clear if Profar will be sent back down to Triple-A once Kinsler is healthy, but it’s worth taking a flier on the Rangers’ top prospect just in case.
Johnny Cueto (oblique) has been activated from the DL and will start against the Mets today.
After Steve Cishek was unable to close the door on the Diamondbacks, Mike Dunn was summoned to record the one-out save for the Marlins. If Cishek continues to falter, Dunn, A.J. Ramos, and Ryan Webb may get a look at some save opportunities.
With Grant Balfour having pitched the previous two days, Ryan Cook picked up a save for the A’s yesterday. Cook may get a few saves like this going forward, but there is no closer controversy here.
Ryan Howard sat out yesterday’s game and will have a precautionary MRI done today to make sure there’s nothing major going on with his sore knee. Howard will rejoin the Phillies today, but it doesn’t look like he’s very likely to suit up tonight.

3 Up, 3 Down, and Throwing Darts

Clayton Kershaw at Milwaukee Brewers

Shelby Miller at San Diego Padres

Cole Hamels at Miami Marlins

3 Down

Bartolo Colon at Texas Rangers

Patrick Corbin at Colorado Rockies

Shaun Marcum vs. Cincinnati Reds

Throwing Darts

Julio Teheran vs. Minnesota Twins

Ryan Vogelsong vs. Washington Nationals

Josh Lindblom vs. Oakland A’s

Swings and Misses

Travis Hafner is 15-for-33 (.455) with four home runs in his career against today’s starter, Freddy Garcia.
Adrian Beltre is 19-for-60 (.317) with five home runs in his career against today’s starter, Bartolo Colon.
Paul Konerko is 10-for-23 (.435) with three home runs in his career against today’s starter, Jon Lester.

Misses

Brandon Phillips is hitless in 12 career at-bats against today’s starter, Shaun Marcum.
Robinson Cano is 2-for-15 (.133) in his career against today’s starter, Freddy Garcia.
Nelson Cruz is 1-for-12 (.083) in his career against today’s starter, Bartolo Colon.

Trading Matt Adams

By Trader X on May 19, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged cardinals, matt adams, st. louis.

What should the St. Louis Cardinals do with Matt Adams?

Written by @HeHaithMe

What do you do with a 24 year old power hitting first baseman, who through the first two months of the season is hitting .421 with a HR every 12 AB’s and driving in a run every 3.8 AB? In AAA last year, the same guy hit 18 HR and drove in 50 runs in 67 games. 2011? 32 HR and 101 RBI in 115 games at AA. If you’re the St. Louis Cardinals, you trade him…and you trade him now.

The Cardinals have arguably baseball’s best hitting prospect at AAA, Oscar Taveras, who is hitting .322 with 4 HR, 19 RBI, and 4 SB through 30 games. They have Matt Carpenter (who can play 1B, 2B, 3B or OF) who’s hitting .302 with 3 HR, 14 RBI, and 33 runs through 40 games. They have a solid, yet unspectacular option at 2B behind Carpenter in Daniel Descalso. Their current outfield consists of Matt Holliday, Carlos Beltran, Jon Jay, and occasionally Allen Craig (on days they want to squeeze Adams into the lineup). Bottom line: There is just no place for Matt Adams to play and there are a lot of teams that could use him.

If you’re the Seattle Mariners, you have some nice players in Saunders/Ackley/Seager/Montero and a gaping whole at 1B where Justin Smoak resides. After teasing people with a strong spring, the 26 year old Smoak is hitting .253 with 2 HR and a whopping 7 RBI in 39 games. Matt Adams has more HR and RBI than Smoak in ONE QUARTER of the AB’s.

The Mariners have two things the Cardinals could desperately use: A strong left-handed starter (now that Jaime Garcia is hurt, again and Jake Westbrook HAS to regress) in Iwakuma and a strong SS prospect at AAA in Nick Franklin. Seattle’s top two prospects are SP’s (one’s a lefty) and they have another SS prospect in Brad Miller at AA (who the Cardinals might take instead of Franklin). Look at as far as you want down their organization, they have nothing that compares to what Matt Adams could give them.

The White Sox have to be nearing the realization that Paul Konerko may very well be done at the age of 37 and Adam Dunn struggles to stay above the Mendoza line. If you’re White Sox GM Rick Hahn, doesn’t Adams look at hell of a lot better in the cleanup spot than a guy who can’t hit .200? You said in the spring you were excited about your team’s depth, how about using some of it to keep your team in the playoff hunt? They have nobody above the rookie league who could fill the Dunn/Konerko role.

Jose Quintana (currently the ChiSox 3^rd starter) and 2B/SS prospect Carlos Sanchez would make a lot of sense for the Cardinals. Quintana is only 24 and has earned his stripes as a solid starter who would only improve in the NL and with a catcher like Yadier Molina. Sanchez has struggled in 50 games at AAA (hitting around.250) but he’s proven he can hit and steal bases at the lower levels. What’s more, Sanchez is not yet 21.

Matt Adams would be a beast in Coors Field. Todd Helton is turns 40 in August and is hitting .240. Pacheco should play 3B. A deal for Jhoulys Chacin and SS prospect Trevor Story would make sense for the Cardinals. They get a 25 year old starter who has proven he can pitch and a 20 year old SS who has power and is elite defensively. A with a Rockies lineup of Fowler/Cargo/Tulo/Adams/Pacheco, who cares who’s pitching for you? When the Rockies put an emphasis on developing young arms, it will be the first time.

The Cardinals have a chance to win their 12^th World Series this year, but they’re going to need more depth at SP. Matt Adams is too good a hitter to waste sitting on the Cardinals’ bench. Trade him while he’s 24. His value to another team is never going to be higher than it is now.

Written by @HeHaithMe

Fantasy Baseball: Week 8 Waiver Wire Wonders and Streaming Saviors

By Seth Klein on May 19, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged fantasy baseball, home runs, streamers, waiver-wire, waivers. | 2 Comments

You’re not cool unless you pick up “RAUUUUUUL” …

This column is featured every Sunday, and is dedicated to helping fantasy baseball owners find the diamonds in the rough among the waiver wires. I will also recap the week that was for my previous week’s starting pitching “streamers”. All suggested “Waiver Wire Wonders” are never more than 60% owned in both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues and all “Streaming Saviors” are never more than 75% owned in both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues.

WAIVER WIRE WONDERS

Eric Chavez, 3B (Diamondbacks): Chavez was once a player to be reckoned with for opposing pitchers. From 2000-2006 he averaged 28 HRs and 94 RBIs per season, but injuries struck, and from 2007 until last season he played in only 35 games per year. After tallying only 160 at bats in an injury-shortened season with the Yankees in 2011, they decided to bring him back in 2012 on a 1-year, $900,000 deal. It was a smart move by GM Brian Cashman, as Chavez ended up filling in a lot at third base while Alex Rodriguez was injured. He finished the year with 16 HRs and 37 RBIs in 278 ABs. Those numbers were good enough that Arizona brought him on this year for $3 million. After starting a little slow out of the gate (.241 BA in April), he’s really hit the floor running in May, where he’s boasting a .436 average (17 for 39), to go along with a home run and 9 RBIs. He almost never plays against left-handed pitchers, and while the D-Backs face two of them this week, matchups IN Colorado and against San Diego are too hard to ignore. He’s someone that you may drop in a couple weeks, but get him now while he’s hot. (7.3% owned on ESPN; 8% owned on Yahoo!)

Jon Jay, OF (Cardinals): Being in the Cardinals lineup almost guarantees a player decent stats. St. Louis has been in the Top 5 in team batting average the past two years, and this year is no exception to the rule. With a cumulative .266 BA, guys are getting on, which means runs and RBIs aplenty for the Cards bats. Early on, manager Mike Matheny had been using Jay in the leadoff spot, but that didn’t go too well. In 79 ABs batting first, he compiled a forgettable .215 BA, with 2 HRs, 8 RBIs and 14 Ks. This was obviously not a good fit, and he’s since been flip-flopping between the 6th (18 ABs) and 7th (27 ABs) spots as well as some time batting 2nd (12 ABs). In those combined 57 ABs he’s hitting an outstanding .351 and has 13 RBIs. He will score more runs from the leadoff spot, but I think fantasy owners will be happy sacrificing runs for a better batting average and more power production. After swiping 19 bases last season, having only one stolen base this year has to be a little disappointing, but he’s played in 40 of the Cards 42 games and doesn’t have any competition for playing time, so pick him up if you need an outfielder. (50.6% owned on ESPN; 21% owned on Yahoo!)

Raul Ibanez, OF/DH (Mariners): At 40-years old, Ibanez is one of the oldest everyday players in the league — but don’t tell him that! Over the past seven games he’s hitting .357 (10 for 28) and has smashed an incredible 6 home runs, including a 2-homer game vs. the Yankees in which he collected 6 RBIs and became the oldest player to hit a grand slam at Yankee Stadium. With age he has lost some of his bat speed, which has caused a rapid decline in his ability to hit lefties, and because of this he is used almost exclusively vs. right-handed starters. Although the Mariners are scheduled to face off vs. three lefties this week, don’t let that stop you from picking him up while he continues to tear the cover off the ball. (3.3% owned on ESPN; 6% owned on Yahoo!)

STREAMING SAVIORS (Week of May 6-May 12)

Brandon McCarthy, Diamondbacks (5/24 vs. San Diego): After hurling 17 consecutive scoreless innings in his last two starts, McCarthy really seems to be getting into a groove. A juicy matchup vs. the weak hitting Padres (24th in runs scored) is too good to pass up.
Julio Teheran, Braves (5/20 vs. Minnesota; 5/26 @NY Mets): Having finished spring training at the top of most pitching categories, Teheran was a big draft day sleeper. After getting crushed for 13 ER in his first three starts and subsequently falling off the radar, he has quietly righted the ship. In his last four outings he’s given up only 8 ER in 25.1 IP, including 3 quality starts, lowering his ERA from 7.31 to 4.57. He has a nice two-start week on the horizon vs. the Twins and Mets.
Wandy Rodriguez, Pirates (5/21 vs. Chicago Cubs; 5/26 @Milwaukee): I always say to never start a pitcher in his first game fresh off the DL, but you can also use that theory in reverse and start the pitcher opposing him. The Cubs will be sending Matt Garza to the hill, who hasn’t pitched in nearly a year, and Rodriguez looks to reap the benefits. Not convinced yet? This game will be played in Pittsburgh, where Rodriguez has a sparkling 1.35 ERA this year (compared to 6.11 on the road), and on top of that, current Cubs batters are a hitting a combined .224 against him in their careers.
Hector Santiago, White Sox (5/24 vs. Miami): Santiago has been quietly putting up very nice numbers as a starter (2.95 ERA) and needs another good outing to guarantee his spot in the rotation once John Danks returns from injury. This is a prime matchup vs. the dismal Marlins offense.
Jose Fernandez, Marlins (5/21 vs. Philadelphia): It’s not every day that I recommend streaming a Marlins pitcher, but this is a rare case in which he actually had a very good chance to win, or at least put up good numbers. Miami’s prized young arm has already thrown 13 shutout innings vs. Philly this year, which has led to one win and one no-decision. His counterpart will be rookie Tyler Cloyd, which means that he avoids facing off against Phils aces Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels.

There was no column last week, but here are the Streaming Savior results from Week 6 (May 6-May 12):

Jason Vargas, Angels: 5.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K and ND vs. Houston

Jeff Locke, Pirates: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K and ND vs. NY Mets

Andrew Cashner, Padres: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K and W vs. Miami

Kevin Slowey, Marlins: 4.2 IP, 11 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 0 K and L vs. LA Dodgers

Hector Santiago, White Sox: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K and ND vs. NY Mets

By Seth Klein (@SethDaSportsMan)

Simply Sabermetrics: Everyone Loves A Comeback

By Trader X on May 18, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged fantasy baseball, mlb, sabermetrics, sabr.

The numbers say that Brandon McCarthy can help your fantasy baseball team

By John Otano

In 1968, Boston Red Sox first baseman and outfielder Kenneth Harrelson hit 35 home runs, drove in 109 runs while finishing third in the American League MVP voting. Harrelson had hit 24 home runs in the past two seasons combined and his previous career-high had been 23 homers. He was named the Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year in 1968.

In 1968, the Sporting News understood how Harrelson had won their award. They just didn’t have the tools to understand why Harrelson had achieved that award.

Why are we talking about a player in 1968? Kenneth Harrelson is better known, now, as Hawk Harrelson. His home-run calls are a show within the show. He’s also cited the movie Moneyball as a leg of his argument against the use of sabermetrics in the game of baseball. He believes the “will to win” can’t be quantified.

In a way, Harrelson has a point. As effective as sabermetrics can be, it can’t completely predict the future performance of a player. It does, however, improve your chances of correctly evaluating the future performance of a player.

Evaluating players future performance is the name of the game, after all. In order to play fantasy baseball, there needs to be a basic understanding of sabermetrics. The question you need to ask yourself as a fantasy baseball player is, why should you view baseball played in 2013 through a 1968 lens?

This brings me to a baseball player who is active who embraces and uses sabermetrics to improve his game on the field, Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon McCarthy. He’s the anti-Hawk Harrelson and he also has some value for you on your fantasy baseball team.

Brandon McCarthy (ARI-SP) (Owned in 37 percent in Y!, 37 percent in CBS, 32.6 percent in ESPN)

On the surface, Brandon McCarthy looks like a completely passable waiver wire option right now. He’s 0-3 with a 5.63 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP in 48 innings so far this season. He’s still doing the little things right, despite the ugly results so far.

The most effective pitch in baseball is a strike and this Diamondbacks hurler is one of the best in the game at throwing strikes. McCarthy is currently sporting a 5.3 strikeout to walk ratio. Anything above a 3.0 strikeout to walk ratio is usually a good indicator that the pitcher is finding the strike zone with regularity. Which is a good thing since, you know, three strikes and you’re out.

There’s a direct correlation between a pitcher’s Cmd ratio (Strikeouts/Walks) and potential earned run average.

Taken from Ron Shandler’s 2013 Baseball Forecaster (you need to make the yearly investment), here’s some research done outlining the correlation over the past five seasons.

(From Ron Shandler’s 2013 Baseball Forecaster)

Besides throwing strikes, McCarthy is retaining his velocity, though, he won’t post incredible strikeout rates, he’s getting ground ball outs 43.2 percent of the time. Ground balls are good because they aren’t in the air and, you know, those can land in the seats.

Owned in less than 40 percent in all of the major fantasy baseball major platforms, Brandon McCarthy is still displaying the skills that make him a very useful starting pitcher in mixed leagues in 2013.

John Otano is a freelancer for Sports Illustrated and Web Production Assistant for MSG Varsity in New York. He was a reporter and editor for several Long Island Patch.com sites and wrote a fantasy baseball column for the Long Island Press. John can be followed on Twitter at @MisterOtano.

Fantasy Baseball: Daily Notes for Friday, May 17th

By Trader X on May 17, 2013
This entry is filed under Fantasy Baseball and tagged batting matchups, closers, daily fantasy sports, daily gaming, ews, fantasy baseball, Injuries, mlb, notes, prospects, streaming pitchers.

We have a Travis Snider sighting…

5 Good Nights, 5 Bad Nights

Travis Snider: 3-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, 1 steal
Daniel Murphy: 4-4, 2 R, RBI
Leonys Martin: 2-4, R, 2 steals
Stephen Straburg: 8.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 4 Ks, W
Mat Latos: 8.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 Ks

Honorable Mention: Brett Gardner, Jay Bruce, Geovany Soto, Mitch Moreland, Wilin Rosario, Will Middlebrooks, Brandon Crawford, Jose Fernandez, Jonathon Niese, Alex Cobb, Francisco Liriano

5 Bad Nights

Fernando Rodney: 0.2 IP, H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 Ks
Justin Verlander: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 3 Ks
Steve Cishek: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB
Jacoby Ellsbury: 0-5
Todd Frazier: 0-5

Dishonorable Mention: Jayson Nix, Michael Saunders, Ike Davis, Edinson Volquez, Jhoulys Chacin, Matt Cain

Daily Grab Bag

Check back here for daily updates on injuries, closer battles, player news, and anything else that might affect your fantasy baseball team.

While an MRI showed no serious damage, David Price was placed on the 15-day DL with a left triceps injury.
Alexi Ogando has been placed on the 15-day DL with biceps tendinitis.
Andrew Bailey (bicep) is expected to return to the Red Sox and assume closing duties on Monday.
Josh Beckett has been placed on the 15-day DL with a groin injury.
Matt Garza (arm) has looked strong in his rehab outings and may join the Cubs as soon as next week.

3 Up, 3 Down, and Throwing Darts

Matt Harvey at Chicago Cubs

Gio Gonzalez at San Diego Padres

Clay Buchholz at Minnesota Twins

3 Down

Tony Cingrani at Philadelphia Phillies

Rick Porcello at Texas Rangers

Mark Buehrle at New York Yankees

Throwing Darts

Jarrod Parker vs. Kansas City Royals

Jorge De La Rosa vs. San Francisco Giants

Jeanmar Gomez vs. Houston Astros

Swings and Misses

Vernon Wells is 24-for-50 (.480) with three home runs in his career against today’s starter, Mark Buehrle.
Robinson Cano is 8-for-20 (.400) with three home runs in his career against today’s starter, Mark Buehrle.
Carlos Gonzalez is 9-for-25 (.360) with three home runs in his career against today’s starter, Madison Bumgarner.
Joey Votto is 7-for-16 (.438) with one home run in his career against today’s starter, Cliff Lee.
J.P. Arencibia is 7-for-15 (.467) with one home run in his career against today’s starter, Hiroki Kuroda.
Adam Jones is 10-for-31 (.323) with three home runs in his career against today’s starter, Jeremy Hellickson.
Chris Davis is 8-for-18 (.444) with one home run in his career against today’s starter, Jeremy Hellickson.
Justin Morneau is 8-for-16 (.500) in his career against today’s starter, Clay Buchholz.

Misses

Josh Hamilton is 1-for-8 in his career against today’s starter, Chris Sale.
Daniel Murphy is 1-for-9 (.111) in his career against today’s starter, Edwin Jackson.
Coco Crisp is 3-for-17 (.176) in his career against today’s starter, James Shields.