Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Tigers go to bat for automaker

General Motors might not have the resources to back Major League Baseball teams, but the Detroit Tigers are doing their best to back GM.
This season, fans will see the General Motors name on the fountain along with logos for Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC. Underneath GM's name, a sign reads: "The Detroit Tigers support our automakers."
Intersting gesture. The Tigers probably didn't have anyone to fill the ad space around the ballpark anyway. It would be interesting to hear some comments from the the team and GM on this arrangement. Free advertising is likely unprecedented at the ballpark, except for special interests like fundraisers and grassroots benefits.
aq

Can't catch a break

Update - 1:20 p.m. 4/8/09: Redmond might be headed for the DL. His status will be updated sometime today.

4/7/09: As expected, Twins backup catcher Mike Redmond missed Tuesday night's game with a pulled groin. Third stringer Jose Morales started in a 6-5 come-from-behind walk-off Twins win. Morales struck out in all three of his at bats.

Fantasy Impact:
Redmond and Morales are fairly productive for catchers. Redmond owns a career .292 average while Morales hit over .300 his last two seasons in Triple-A. Neither of them, however, has been tested on a full-time basis at the MLB level. Avoid Minnesota catchers until Mauer can return. His unknown status leaves us to believe it will be a while.

White Sox rotation question marks

Jose Contreras gets set to return as the White Sox fourth starter on Friday after rupturing his achilles ankle midway through last season. Bartolo Colon will be the White Sox fifth starter.
Contreras and Colon combined to shut out Arizona at Chase Field on Saturday afternoon, marking the final exhibition contest for the White Sox. Colon fanned six and gave up three hits over five innings, while Contreras started and allowed one hit in four innings.

Saturday's contest had a little bit more of a Major League atmosphere in comparison to Cactus League contests, where the tandem had been roughed up as recently as last Monday against the Angels. But their combined performance gave the White Sox confidence that this tandem would be productive as long as they were healthy.

"They've got to work, but I believe they're going to be healthy all year long," said Guillen, who doesn't plan to skip any starters, even if an off-day gives him the chance.

"Bartolo and Jose's last outing, I think they turned it up a notch. That was very encouraging," White Sox general manager Ken Williams said. "They are still in what would amount to their fourth week of Spring Training, so there are going to be a couple of starts where they are going to have to grow and get their pitch counts up and you may see Ozzie go out there a little earlier than normal. They are going to grow into a major force on this team. They are not the average four or five guys in a rotation."
That's true, most teams have much different-looking back-end-of-the-rotation guys. Often those slots get filled by younger guys trying to break into a rotation. The Sox went the other way, hoping veterans can round out the staff behind Mark Buehrle and two youngsters in Gavid Floyd and John Danks. It's an odd pairing at the back end, and if it works the Sox will look like geniuses.

Fantasy Impact: We're leaving these two on the waiver wire for now, but if one of them gets hot, he's likely gone before you can grab him. If you must indulge, Colon's the bigger injury risk at this point in his career. Pick up Contreras.

Peter who?

An interesting piece from Rick Maese in the Baltimore Sun regarding owner Peter Angelos's role with the team. The Orioles owner seems to be very aloof, to a major fault. Orioles star outfielder Nick Markakis barely has a relationship with the man.
Markakis had never met the Orioles owner before this week. In fact, neither had most players in the clubhouse.

"I'd never even seen a picture of him," reliever George Sherrill said.

The Orioles' exciting Opening Day win over the New York Yankees on Monday was packed with drama and at least a couple of onfield shockers. But there were two things that surprised me most, both revelations from the postgame clubhouse:

1. To players, Angelos has been little more than a signature on a paycheck.

2. They wish he was much more.

This is going to sound like heresy in some corners of the Orioles kingdom, but could it be possible Angelos plays too small a role in his empire?

No one's suggesting we revisit the days when important baseball decisions were made by people who learned the game from the backs of baseball cards. But there has been a push to get Angelos more involved with the players. One game into the season, in fact, it's already a successful movement.
That's beyond weird. This can't help team morale.

Fontenot starting vs. lefties

The Cubs started second baseman Mike Fontenot against Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez despite the presence of switch-hitting second baseman Aaron Miles on the bench.
We'll give him an opportunity here early in the season and see how he does," manager Lou Piniella said. "I like the idea of having some left-handed hitting against left-handed pitching. … I think it makes the pitcher work both sides of the plate. Maybe as the season goes on, we'll have a little more left-handed hitting from time to time against certain left-handers."
Fantasy Impact: This doesn't mean Fontenot will always be the lefty bat in the Cubs order against lefties, but it's a nice vote of confidence from Piniella in his pint-sized second baseman. Fontenot went 0-4 on the night in a 3-2, 10-inning Astros win. Expect him to continue to get the bulk of the time at second base, but against dynamic southpaws, he'll likely sit.

Cubs lose Soto for a few days

The Cubs may be without starting catcher Geovany Soto for a few days. He felt pain in his throwing shoulder while gunning down Kaz Matsui on a steal attempt in the third inning of the Astros 3-2 win over the Cubs Tuesday night.
"I kind of over-exposed my shoulder a little bit," Soto said. "There was a little discomfort in my shoulder. I felt some weakness in it, and I felt I didn't have a shot if somebody else [tried to steal]. I need to keep up my exercises, and we'll see how it is in a couple days."

Soto said he had the same problem in Spring Training and doesn't expect to miss much time.

"You never know," he said when asked how long he'd be sidelined. "I just have to stay on top of my exercises, and I'll be all right in a couple days. As long as I stay in good shape and do my exercises, it won't happen again all year."
Fantasy Impact: Koyie Hill is Soto's backup this year. He beat out Paul Bako for maybe one start each week to spell Soto. That means he's a true backup catcher unexpected to pay dividends in fantasy baseball. Hill did hit 17 homers at Triple-A Iowa last year, which is very impressive considering the accident that nearly ended his baseball career.

Ryan blows save; Downs up for Jays?

Toronto closer B.J. Ryan blew his first save opportunity of the season, coughing up a home run to the Tiger's Brandon Inge in the ninth. Fortunately for Ryan, the Blue Jays rallied for a run in the bottom of the inning to earn their closer a win.

Fantasy Impact: Cue Scott Downs? Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston says Downs is waiting in the wing if Ryan falters. He got that much closer tonight.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Franklin named "Closer For a Day"

Had the Cardinals entered a save situation Tuesday night, Tony La Russa would have turned to Ryan Franklin for his closer, not Jason Motte. Motte, the Cardinals rookie closer, blew his first opportunity at a save on Monday, giving up 4 runs in the ninth. La Russa said Franklin would go Tuesday because Motte threw 29 pitches in the loss.
So before the second game of a four-game series Tuesday, manager Tony La Russa planned to give the hard-throwing right-hander a day off.

Ryan Franklin, who had 17 saves last year while the Cardinals struggled to find a replacement for Jason Isringhausen, was the likely choice to close Tuesday.
Fantasy Impact: The high pitch count certainly has merit, and Franklin never got a chance to close with the Cardinals whipping the Pirates, 9-3. Motte should be back in the closer role on Wednesday. If he's not, then something's up.

Phat Albert

Albert Pujols is bouncing back nicely from offseason elbow surgery. He's 5-7 on the season after belting a home run and going 2-3 for the Cardinals in a 9-3 win over Pittsburgh.

Fantasy Impact: Hanley Ramirez is the most valuable player in fantasy baseball heading into this year, but nobody is better in a one-off at bat than Pujols. He hit .357 with an elbow that needed surgery last season. That's insane.

No Molson

Rogers Centre had it's liquor license revoked after unruly behavior during the Blue Jays' opening night. That meant no alcohol sales for tonight's game against Detroit.
The clubhouses were cleared of booze, too, after the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario suspended the liquor license at Rogers Centre for three dates because of past infractions.

The panel cited five broken rules at baseball and football games and concerts dating to the Canadian Football League championship game in 2007. The stadium will also be dry on April 21 when Toronto plays Texas, and for a CFL game on Aug. 1.

The hype surrounding Chris Dickerson

Dusty Baker isn't going to bat left-handed-hitting Chris Dickerson against tough lefty pitchers. That's why Dickerson sat in the season opening loss to Johan Santana and the Mets. Dickerson is still one of Baker's favorites, however, and the Reds manager expects big numbers.
“I don’t think he knows exactly what he can do yet,” Baker said. “I know exactly what he’s capable of doing. In my mind he’s capable of 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases. … If you look at talent, that’s why I told him what I told him. He has the talent, in my mind, to have been here before now.”

Dickerson, drafted by the Reds in the 16th round of the 2003 draft, reached the majors for the first time last August. He took the roster spot vacated after the Reds traded Adam Dunn to Arizona, then hit .304 in 102 at-bats.
Fantasy Impact: How often does a part-time player hit 20 homers? It's been done before. Plenty of platoons have produced good fantasy numbers. It's the reason guys like Matt Stairs are even on the radar in most years. Do not, however, allow Dusty Baker to sway your fantasy decision-making. Dickerson only batted .260 in Triple-A last year and struck out over 100 times in 349 at bats. That's not quite Mark Reynolds territory, but it's not that far off, really. He's a decent talent who turns 27 this week. He's due for some breakout moments, but we'll expect something more modest than what Baker is looking for. Maybe 15 homers and 20 steals with another .260 average.

Debating what's good defense

The Tampa Bay Rays rose to the top of the American League in 2008 in part because of their outstanding defense. Matthew Leach of MLB.com takes a look at MLB teams recent infatuation with analyzing defense, and the statistical information involved.
When it comes to assessing and predicting pitchers, we're getting closer too. The predictive value of strikeouts is clear and well-known. The once revolutionary notion of defense-independent pitching statistics has taken some hold.

But defense remains, in many quarters, a mystery. Fielding percentage is clearly outmoded, but even the numbers that seemed so compelling a few years ago -- such as zone rating and range factor -- have been exposed as limited. Defense is the frontier, and it's not just observers who are trying to figure it out. Teams are. "I think people are putting more resources into it," said Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak. "There's a very healthy debate on how you actually capture it." ">MLB.com's Matthew Leach takes a look at defensive analysis in 2009, which more teams are actively addressing

2009 Fantasy Baseball Utility Player Forecast

Updated 4/7/09 -- A list of the top players with probable multiple-position availability for the 2009 season. They are graded out with either an A-grade of excellent value, a B-grade of good value or a C-grade of passing value. Positions are also graded individually.

A-grade players should be starters on every team, and should provide the highest of impacts at most of their positions. Players that earn a B-grade should provide value at or above the value of the better players at their positions. C-grade players will get you by, but you're better off owning a player entrenched at any of their positions who will likely provide better numbers.

($ players are sleepers whose stats can vary wildly due to a lack of time in the majors, injury issues or significantly different roles with new teams)

A
Miguel Cabrera, 1B(A+)/3B(A+) - DET
Kevin Youkilis, 1B(A-)/3B(A) - BOS
($)Alexei Ramirez, 2B(A-)/SS(A)/OF(B-) - CHW

B
Adam Dunn, 1B(B+)/OF(B+) - WAS
Garrett Atkins, 1B(B)/3B(B+) - COL
Victor Martinez, C(B+)/1B (B-) - CLE
($)Chad Tracy, 1B(B)/3B (B+) - ARZ
($)Chris Davis, 1B(B)/3B(B) - TEX
($)Jorge Cantu, 1B(B-)/3B(B) - FLA
Russell Martin, C(A)/3B(C+)
Chone Figgins, 2B(B+)/3B(B)
Aubrey Huff, 1B(B)/3B(B+)
($)Mike Aviles, 2B(B)/SS(B+)
($)Pablo Sandoval, C(A-)/1B(B-)/3B(B-) - SF
Mark DeRosa, 2B(B+)/3B(B-)/OF(C) - CLE
Carlos Guillen, 1B(B-)/3B(B) - DET
($)Chase Headley, 3B(B-)/OF(C+) - SD
Mark Teahen, 1B(C)/2B(B)/3B(C+)/OF(C-) - KC
($)Ian Stewart, 2B(B-)/3B(B-)/OF(C+) - COL
Jose Lopez, 2B(B)/1B(C) - SEA
Casey Blake, 1B(C+)/3B(B-) - LAD
($)Hank Blalock, 1B(C+)/3B(B-) - TEX
($)Felipe Lopez, 2B(B-)/3B(C+)/SS(B)/OF(C-) - ARZ

C
($)Conor Jackson, 1B(C)/OF(C) - ARZ
Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B(C+)/SS(C+) - CLE
Ty Wigginton, 3B(C)/OF(C-) - BAL
Marco Scutaro, 2B(C)/3B(C-)/SS(C+) - OAK
Clint Barmes, 2B(C+)/3B(C-)/SS(C+) - COL
($)Jed Lowrie, SS(C+)/3B(C-) - BOS
Skip Schumaker, 2B(C)/OF(C-) - STL

Rockies second base platoon

The Colorado Rockies appear headed for a second base platoon until either Clint Barmes or Ian Stewart emerges as the every day starter. Stewart got the nod over Barmes on opening day.
"Obviously that's what (Hurdle) thought was the best lineup to win. I would like to be in there, but that's just the competitor that I am," Barmes said. "I understand that this is about what's best for the team. Nothing will change my attitude. I will be a professional."

Barmes was the first example of Hurdle's plan to play his best lineup every day, no matter the setting. The choice of Stewart surprised some players, but none spoke out publicly.

Hurdle had math on his side: Stewart's numbers against starter Brandon Webb (2-for-6) were better than Barmes' (6-for-26).

"We have laid it all out. If it's about their ego, it's the wrong thing," Hurdle said. "If they have any questions, they can come in and we will talk about it. You want every one of your players to want to play."
Fantasy Impact: Stewart batted .293 and slugged .524 with a high on base percentage in the minors. He's got a ton more upside than Barmes, who still produces acceptable fantasy numbers for his position. Ideally, you want to own Stewart, but you might be waiting for every day at bats. The good news is the Rockies might eventually try him in the outfield this season.

Double double

Felipe Lopez and Tony Clark each hit home runs from both sides of the plate on opening day, the first time that's ever been done by two players on the same team.

Houston has no problem (economically speaking)

Despite the recession, Houston fans came out in record numbers for opening day willing to spend.

No quivering for Qualls owners

The Diamondbacks bullpen looks very strong out of the gate with Tony Pena and Chad Qualls mowing down the Rockies bats in the eigth and ninth innings. Pena struck out two of the four batters he faced while Chad Qualls pitched a perfect ninth.
"Over my whole career, I've never had the chance to be the guy," Qualls said. "In Houston, with (Brad) Lidge, I kind of filled in here and there. But I never got, 'OK, you're the closer.' And that's my goal, to go out and prove to everyone that I can close."
Fantasy Impact: Qualls leaves little to be desired. He's a pitcher who's never posted an ERA above 3.76, with a career mark at 3.27. His WHIP climbed above 1.3 in 2007, which is the worst of his career. Overall his career WHIP of 1.202 is very solid. Qualls strikes out just under a batter per inning, and he's an experienced MLB pitcher, meaning he's poised to become a solid closer.

Izturis is good, for a day

CC Sabathia got rocked in Baltimore in his first start as a Yankee, giving up six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. He didn't strike out a single Orioles batter. But what was most shocking in the 10-5 Baltimore beat-down of New York was Cesar Izturis belting his first, and perhaps his only home run of the season.

Fantasy Impact: Here's hoping you started Izturis. He might not hit another one this season. Izturis owned 12 home runs in 3,165 previous MLB at bats. In 2008 he homered once, the first time he went deep since 2006.

Motte can't mop up the Pirates

Cardinals closer Jason Motte blows his first save opportunity of 2009, giving up four runs in the ninth as the Cardinals fall to Pittsburgh, 6-4.

Fantasy Impact: Motte did have the Pirates down to their last strike before the wheels fell off. Then he proceeded to give up four runs for a 36.00 ERA. If this keeps up, Ryan Franklin is the heir apparent to the job in St. Louis.

In good hands with Hanley

Fantasy owners will love Hanley Ramirez's production in the heart of the Marlins order this year. After notching just 59, 81 and 67 RBI in his first three seasons in the big leagues, Ramirez tallied five on opening day, thanks to a grand slam home run.

Fantasy Impact: He's the best offensive player in baseball, and his value at shortstop is that much more. Emilio Bonifacio and Cameron Maybin might do more of the running in Florida, but Ramirez is capable of turning in elite numbers in every offensive category in 2009.

Welcome back, Chad Tracy

Chad Tracy, one of Spitting Seeds' sleepers for 2009, made a huge impact on opening day. Hitting fourth in the Diamondbacks lineup, the third baseman smacked him first home run of the year, going 3-4 with two runs and two RBI. He was actually outdone by teammates Felipe Lopez and Tony Clark, who each hit two homers.

Fantasy Impact: In some leagues, it's just nine more starts for Tracy at third to become eligible at the position. He's fully recovered from knee surgery, so we're expecting big things. Lopez is an intriguing sleeper with multiple-position eligibility. He hit 23 homers to go along with a .291 average in 2005, but he's streaky at times, and by streaky we mean slump-prone. Clark will fill in for Tracy at times or when Tracy is in for Mark Reynolds at third. Hey, if both guys mash homers like this, Reynolds might be sitting more and more.

Bonafide Bonifacio

We told you about Emilio Bonifacio and his abilities as a burner at the top of the Florida Marlins lineup. Monday he turned in a Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes-like opening day, going 4-5 with 4 runs scored, 2 RBI, 3 steals and the first inside-the-park home run since 1968. His Marlins beat the Nationals, 12-6. Not a bad day.

Fantasy Impact: First, the good news. Bonifacio is a special talent. His speed is stunning. If you see the home run replay, he was alread around 2nd base when Nationals center fielder Lasting Milledge got to the ball hit over his head near the warning track. That's blazing speed.

The bad news? Bonifacio is only 23, and he's never been tested over a full season in the majors. His homers might only come by the way of the inside-the-park variety, and his career minor league OBP is just .340. He leaves much to be desired, unless he continues to get on and run like he did against the Nats.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Hoffman's slow return

Trevor Hoffman will not be available on Saturday, the first day he's eligible to come off the disabled list. His oblique strain is causing the Brewers to bring him along slowly, allowing Carlos Villanueva a chance to close games to start the year.
"Will he be ready on the 11th? Probably not," manager Ken Macha said Sunday before the Brewers worked out at AT&T Park. "Let's wait until he gets on the mound and then we'll start looking at what the possibilities are."

Macha said Hoffman would throw off a flat surface at a longer distance during a workout Monday.

"If he comes through that, Roger said they may be able to give you a plan for what's going to happen," he said, referring to trainer Roger Caplinger. "It's going to be awhile."

In Hoffman's absence, Macha plans to give right-hander Carlos Villanueva first crack at closing games. Villanueva has not previously filled that role in the majors.
Fantasy Impact: Villanueva is a decent saves option for week one of the sesaon. When Hoffman returns, however, the job is his. Milwaukee owns a bullpen filled with pitchers with a handful of saves each, so if Villanueva falters you can pounce on another arm.

Anderson to start opener for Detroit

The Tigers will have three new faces in the lineup when they open the season in Toronto. Newly acquired Josh Anderson gets the nod in left field, bringing instant electricity to the base paths. His start, however, should not be considered a revelation that he'll become the day-to-day left fielder.
Tonight, leftfielder Carlos Guillen will be the DH. Guillen has had leg problems in past seasons, and manager Jim Leyland doesn't want to overtax his legs on Toronto's artificial turf.

But Leyland also wants the speedy Anderson in the game. Speed can become precious in a low-scoring game, which is what right-handed starters Roy Halladay and Justin Verlander could produce tonight. Leyland picked the speed of Anderson for tonight's lineup over the power of Marcus Thames and Jeff Larish.

"Turf, speed, defense," Leyland said of putting Anderson in left. "He might chop one (off the turf for a hit). He might score a run."

It could be the kind of game, said Leyland, where the difference can be "beating out a force play or going first-to-third." That's Anderson's game.

"Marcus or Larish might hit a homer off Halladay, but that's kind of unlikely," Leyland said.
Fantasy Imapct: A start on opening day doesn't mean much for Anderson's fantasy impact as of right now. He's a part time player, but with so many part-time types on the Tigers, he's bound to see his at bats limited. Streaky production like his does not play well in fantasy, unless you can get away with only using Anderson for steals.

Snowed Out

Chicagoans woke up to snow on the ground Monday morning. Therefore, no baseball between the White Sox and Royals on opening day. They'll play the opener Tuesday.

Rangers Frankly infatuated with Frank Frank

The Texas Rangers love 29-year-old closer Frank Francisco, whom they believe has lights-out stuff that's capable of dominating MLB hitters. He was once a fastball-only type whose repertoire is evolving.
Francisco, however, is no longer a one-dimensional pitcher. He spent much of last season working hard to make his splitter and curveball major league quality.

Now he's done it.

He can throw either pitch for a strike, which means hitters can't wait for his 96 mph fastball. He can get a called third strike with his splitter. Or throw the curveball early to get ahead in the count before finishing batters with the fastball.

"He throws so hard that he doesn't need to throw many breaking balls," catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "It's just a change-of-pace pitch for him."
Fantasy Impact: It's Francisco's job to lose, but Texas has pitchers with more experience in the role than him. Francisco is entrenched to start the year, but if he falters, the hook can come quicker than in other organizations.

Minute Maid anniversary

It's the 10th anniversary of Minute Maid Park in Houston. Hard to believe the ballpark's only been around for a decade. The Astros' park seems to have been there for 15 years.

Braves to honor Maddux

The Braves will retire Greg Maddux's No. 31 jersey on July 17th in a ceremony at Turner Field.

Platoons in Arizona?

Chad Tracy will start in place of Mark Reynolds at third base, and Eric Byrnes will get the nod over Justin Upton for the Diamondbacks in their opener against Colorado. Bob Melvin says it's a move to get the D'Backs best lineup on the field on a game-by-game basis.
"The only message we're sending is we're trying to run the best lineup out there on a particular day," he said. "They know that. We've addressed it. There's no hidden messages for anybody. It's about winning, and everybody's on board with that."

Melvin wanted Clark in the lineup because he is a switch-hitter, and Colorado Rockies right-hander Aaron Cook has never handled left-handed hitters as well as right-handers.

Tracy also has played better than Reynolds defensively in spring training, a factor that could come into play more with Brandon Webb, an extreme ground-ball pitcher, on the mound.

As for right field, Byrnes is 7 for 23 (.304) and Upton 1 for 9 (.111) in their careers vs. Cook. Byrnes also looked much better than Upton at the plate in spring training.
Fantasy Impcact: OK, but that sounds like a potential platoon situation at both positions. Arizona has four outfielders capable of starting with Connor Jackson, Chris Young, Upton and Byrnes. They've also got Tracy capable of playing both first and third. If this keeps up, Reynolds and Upton's fatnasy value falters from starters to part-time players. Tracy's value improves as a potential full-timer at two positions. The article does explain that Reynolds and Upton are expected to be in the lineup on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Scherzer starts season on DL

Max Scherzer's stint on the disabled list to start the season doesn't sound like a major concern.
"Basically he needs to strengthen his shoulder," D-backs director of player development A.J. Hinch said. "We're going to give him a break. It's kind of a good time to give him a break and a blow and the ability to do that."
But this isn't the first time his shoulder has slowed his progress. In 2008, Scherzer missed time in the summer, hitting the DL with shoulder fatigue.

In 2007, Scherzer's shoulder, which first caused some concern at Missouri, led, in part, to decreased draft value.
Scherzer fell to the Diamondbacks at No. 11 because he battled shoulder tendinitis in his final season at Missouri ... and because of the specter of a prolonged negotiation with agent Scott Boras
.Fantasy Impact: That's at least three shoulder reports in four seasons. Scherzer was good enough to be one of the top 3 picks the year he was drafted, so if he gets into form he's deadly. But that's what they say about Rich Harden, another shoulder struggler who continues to miss chunks of time with his bad wing. Scherzer is starting to sound like an injury-prone ace. Get him in later rounds, but don't over pay, and don't expect anything more than a No. 3 or 4 fantasy starter. He'll likely throw less than 150 innings in the D'backs No.5 slot in the rotation.

Who is Ricky Romero?

Toronto's makeshift starting rotation includes up-and-comer Ricky Romero, who's generally an unknown in fantasy circles. At one time, however, Romero was a high-end prospect.
But subsequent inconsistency and arm trouble plagued him through 2006 and 2007, and his comeback in 2008 was slower than the club might have hoped for. He struggled to a 4.96 ERA in 21 starts at Double-A New Hampshire, but when he moved up to Triple-A Syracuse, he had a 3.38 ERA in seven starts down the stretch, giving cause for optimism.
It looks as though his former struggles were very apparent in Blue Jays camp and nearly cost Romero a shot to even make the roster, let alone the rotation.
After an early spring outing that saw him walk six batters in less than two innings, the club prepared to send him to minor-league camp. But pitching coach Brad Arnsberg intervened and adjusted Romero's technique, and Romero pitched well enough in three subsequent starts to break camp with the big club.

"You don't take anything for granted and you try and just stay as humble as possible when you're out there," Romero said.

Fantasy Impact: No reason not to monitor Romero in deeper leagues, or you could even give him a flier if you like resurrection projects. We'll take a pass until he puts it together over a handful of starts.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Soria gets sorted

Royals closer Joakim Soria made good in his last spring training outing, firing a perfect ninth inning in a 5-4 win over Texas. That's a lot better than his last two appearances when he gave up 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings. The Royals attributed his problems to illness, lack of normalcy due to pitching in the World Baseball Classic and a minor groin issue.

Fantasy Impact: Soria is one of the handful of elite closers in the game. His numbers are off the charts, and if the Royals approach a .500 record in 2009, he'll draw comparisons to Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon, Joe Nathan and Brad Lidge.

Wilson works for SF

Pitching for the first time in 10 days after a finger infection, Giants closer Brian Wilson tossed a shutout inning on Friday night. Wilson took Saturday off. He's expected to pitch Sunday in the Giants final tune up, making him available for opening day on Monday.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Settling into New Yankee and Citi

The new New York stadiums are on display with game action for the first time tonight with the Yankees hosting the Cubs and the Mets facing off against the Red Sox. First impression? Citi Field looks better on TV. The Mets park has a lighter backdrop behind home plate and feels more inviting. Also, the sight lines seem better at Citi Field with the home plate camera on a more traditional angle looking out at the field. New Yankee Stadium's home plate camera is extremely low, leaving the screen in view seemingly any time the ball is in play, including on home run balls.

It's weird to see such dark walls at Yankee Stadium. I miss the lighter blue padding, which gave the old park a more homey feel.

Sheff and the Mets

The Mets sign Gary Sheffield and plan to use him as an outfielder. That means Sheffield will certainly take playing time away from Daniel Murphy, Ryan Church and Fernando Tatis.
"He's more than welcome," Church said. "He's a great player and he's just another piece for us.

"I can't control what they do," the right fielder added in regards to potential at-bats he'd surrender to Sheffield, who played exclusively at DH last year in Detroit. "I just have to always be ready to play every day."

Murphy, who Manuel penciled in as the starting left fielder coming out of spring training, added: "We're here to win a World Series. If the organization and Omar (Minaya) think he's going to help, let's go get him."

Both Manuel and Minaya indicated that Sheffield is more likely to play right field than left and said the righty slugger can balance the Mets' lineup, which has been dominated by lefthanded hitters in recent seasons.
Sheffield brings 499 career home runs to the Mets. He'll get every chance to prove he can still hack it at the MLB level. It's a good move for New York, which has a rather unimpressive outfield situation for a contender.

Fantasy Impact: For Sheffield owners, this is about as good as it could get. Your injury-prone bopper will get a bunch of at bats, and he'll be part of an above average lineup. For Daniel Murphy and Ryan Church owners, this drops both players into a full-time platoon.

Who is Walter Silva?

He's a Padres rookie starter who on April 8th will make his debut as a 31-year-old rookie out of the Mexican League. I went digging to see if there's any kind of scouting report on Silva, and the best I can do at this time is some info the Padres offered to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
A converted outfielder, Silva has pitched professionally in Mexico since 2002. Last summer, he was 7-8 with a 4.21 ERA in 21 starts for Monterrey. But over the past three seasons, Silva was 24-18 with a 3.89 ERA in 56 starts. And last winter, Silva was 5-4 for Mazatlan with a 3.23 ERA and was 1-1 in two Caribbean starts with a 2.25 ERA.

Black scouted Silva during the Caribbean Series in Mexicali.

“I liked his arm action and delivery. It looks like he has the ability to move the ball. I like his slider.”
Fantasy Impact: Silva's stats underwhelm, especially considering they come from the Mexican League. Can he provide the Padres much of anything? The good news is he's pitching in a pitcher's park, last I checked. Petco is the best place to break into MLB as a pitcher. He also keeps the ball down, which improves his chances to have a decent ERA. He won't win much as a Padre, but the intangibles are OK. I'd burn a flier on him if you need a risk-reward type at this time.

Ichiro disabled

Ichiro hit the disabled list today due to a bleeding ulcer. His medical situation sounds like it's in check now, but the ulcer coupled with general fatigue have landed him on the 15-day disabled list.
The move was retroactive to March 31, meaning Suzuki won't be eligible to come off the disabled list until April 15.

"He said he's tired. He's got some fatigue," manager Don Wakamatsu said Thursday morning in Arizona.

Suzuki didn't arrive at Mariners spring training until March 26, after leading Japan to a second consecutive WBC title. The high pressure of playing in the WBC combined with the expectations from his home country made the championship hugely satisfying.

"The expectation from the people of Japan was uncomparable this time. So to become champions in that situation is something that has a lot of meaning for me and what kind of emotions and expectations the Japanese players played upon is something you guys here can't imagine," Suzuki said through a translator when he arrived in Arizona. "That's how much was riding on this. Although three years ago was very fulfilling ... it's uncomparable how much more fulfilling it was this time."
Fantasy Impact: Ichiro will be back. Ulcers are generally minor in nature, and Ichiro is scheduled to come off the DL by April 15th. If you need a speedy alternative, the Yankees Brett Gardner, the Marlins Cameron Maybin and the Marlins Emilio Bonifacio are all burners with a chance to steal you some bases while Ichiro is out.

Penny money in latest tune-up

Battling back from shoulder fatigue in 2008, Red Sox pitcher Brad Penny threw five innings on Thursday -- topping out in the mid-90s on the gun. He appears ready for his first start of the regular season.
Beset by ominous signs concerning his health at the outset of spring training, Penny completed a full recovery yesterday. He passed the final test in the Red Sox' last game in Florida, the five hits and three runs he surrendered to the Minnesota Twins less important than the 94- and 95-mile-per-hour heaters his right shoulder consistently unleashed. Barring a change in the rotation owing to weather, Penny will make his regular-season Red Sox debut April 12, the first day Boston will need a fifth starter.

"I felt like I could throw my 80th pitch as hard as I threw my first," he said. "No pain. Velocity was there. I think today was probably the best overall stuff I've had this spring."

Which means it was the best stuff he's had since virtually as long as he can remember. Penny started on Opening Day last season, an honor bestowed to only 30 men. He pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings for the Dodgers, but he never felt right last year, not even in his first start. "I probably topped out at 89 Opening Day," Penny said.
Fantasy Impact: I'm a huge fan of Penny when he's healthy, and so are the Red Sox. Winning the 5th starting spot in the Boston rotation means Penny edges out Clay Buchholz, who had thrown as well as anyone for Boston this spring. Buchholz will take his 2.52 spring ERA back to Triple-A.

Shaping up with infomercials

How do big leaguers get themselves in shape for baseball? Infomercial products. That's Matt Diaz's approach, anyway.

Yankees: ticket masters

The Yankees do have a spending conscience! Or at least Hal Steinbrenner does. He says some New Yankee Stadium tickets are overpriced.
“I think if anybody in any business had known where this economy was going to go, they would have done things differently,” Steinbrenner said Thursday. “Look, there’s no doubt small amounts of our tickets might be overpriced.

“You know, we’re continuing to look into that. But the bottom line is, the vast majority of them, it seems like they’re right on because we’ve sold 35,000 full season equivalents, and a lot of the tickets have, you know, sold quite well. And, well, despite what’s out there all the time … there’s thousands and thousands of very affordable seating. And, you know, the public is excited, as excited as we are, I think.”
Well, of course, just small amounts of tickets. You have to pay for Tex and CC somehow.

Reynolds' rap

The Arizona Diamondbacks will give Mark Reynolds every opportunity to hold down third base full-time in 2009, including holding off on defensive replacements late in games.
"We'll see where it goes," Melvin said, "but he still has the ability to be a very good defensive player. We've seen it. We saw it when he first came up. Confidence-wise, he's gone into periods where he's made quite a few errors, and he'll go into periods where he won't.

"It all has to do with confidence. It's the same thing with Justin (Upton). It just comes with experience, where you get more confident, you get more resilient, tougher so that when you make an error you don't let it snowball and that's what both those guys need to do."

Reynolds' seven errors this spring lead the Diamondbacks and his 15 strikeouts ranked second on the club.
Fantasy Impact: Reynolds struck out 204 times last year in 539 at bats, a new Major League record. If he gets some extra at bats in the games he's routinely been replaced, he could set a new record for himself. In points leagues the strikeouts will outweight the possibility of Reynolds ripping a few more homers with the extra at bats. In 5x5 leagues he earns a touch more value.

Diabetes in the Mariners' bullpen

By now, most people know that Mariners pitcher Bradon Morrow switched from starter to reliever to help him better manage his diabetes. Well, it turns out that Morrow's condition helped fellow reliever Mark Lowe realize he, too, was suffering from diabetes.
The Mariners may soon become baseball experts in the disease that affects about one in 12 Americans. Fellow reliever Mark Lowe was diagnosed as well.

After attempting last season to manage his blood sugar with diet and oral meds, Lowe was re-diagnosed as a Type I (juvenile onset) diabetic instead of a Type II (adult onset) and recently began insulin shots.

"I know it did affect me last year," Lowe, who began his major league career with a franchise-record 17 2/3 scoreless innings over 13 games, told the News Tribune. "I would come in some days and be dragging. Some days in the middle of the day I would hit a wall. Some days it was so high that my vision was blurry."

With proper training and medical monitoring, there is little reason to think that Lowe and Morrow won't continue to be productive relief pitchers, although Armstrong mentioned that diabetics "can be a little slower to come back from some injuries and inflammation, which is why (Morrow) is suited to pitch in shorter stints than longer ones where the chance of injury is a little greater."
Lowe is likely to set up Morrow this season in Seattle. Morrow's move to the bullpen denies the Mariners myriad closer candidates of actually landing the job. He's a bonafide star in the making in that role.

Wilson throws bullpen session - pitches Friday?

Concerns that San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson might miss the season were quelled Thursday before the Giants exhibition with Oakland. His infected finger is not affecting his ability to pitch.
The Giants closer tested his ailing finger during a bullpen session before the game Thursday and earned a thumbs-up from his manager.

"He's good to go,'' Bruce Bochy said.

Wilson dismissed published speculation that an infected middle finger jeopardized his status for opening day. Wilson said he planned to make his scheduled appearance tonight against the A's and then pitch again Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"It wasn't a factor and it hasn't been a factor,'' Wilson said of his finger. "They're just being cautious."
The only concern here is if Wilson doesn't pitch on Friday night.

Fantasy Impact: If Wilson is healthy, there's no apparent competition he needs to fend off in the Giants bullpen. Pitchers like Bob Howry and Merkin Valdez have a nice makeup, but they've owned a closer role. If we believe everything is OK, Wilson should be fine by Monday, if not, the Giants will likely go closer by committee without a definite alternative.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Watching Lincecum and Cahill more closely

Watching Tim Lincecum and Trevor Cahill throw tonight, I found myself looking for problems with their mechanics. Lincecum is considered a poster boy for arm injuries due to his unconventional approach to pitching. Cahill, who's had rotator cuff issues in his very young career, is criticized for his velocity issues.

Searching for content on Lincecum and Cahill, I stumbled upon chrisoleary.com, which dissected both pitchers' motions to home plate. What I discovered is Lincecum is actually quite OK with most of his delivery, although he does lift his pitching arm late which causes a timing problem and potential elbow/shoulder issues for the future. Cahill has his problems as well, as I found on another site. Those issues include opening his shoulders too early, which puts some undue stress on his shoulder, but I think his biggest problem is a lack of following through. He ends up very upright, which leads to some throwing across his body and potential velocity issues.

Manatee swallows Piartes

If there was any hope for the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates this year, it may have been vanquished with today's result. No, Pittsburgh did not suffer a devastating injury before the start of the season. No, the Pirates didn't get bashed badly by a Grapefruit League opponent. No, this is much more embarrassing than that. Today, the Pittsburgh Pirates' split squad lost to Manatee Community College, 6-4. Good luck with the National League Central.

6:15 p.m. Update: Manatee is not your typical community college. They've won a ton of accolades.

D'backs, not greenbacks

It's a three-peat in the desert. The Arizona Diamondbacks sell the lowest-priced tickets for the third year running. The average ticket at Chase Field went down from $15.96 to $14.31.

We got next

John Shea with The San Francisco Chronicle digs up a little blurb on something I've been thinking about for the past week or so: which MLB team has the best chance of becoming this year's Tampa Bay Rays? Along with the obvious Cincinnati Reds pick, Shea also goes with the Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles. I like his KC pick best.
Royals: They're optimistic after an 18-6 September, their best month since July 1994. They improved their win total three straight years. Starter Kyle Davies, 25, was 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA in the final month, closer Joakim Soria, 24, earned 42 saves (more than anyone in the AL except Francisco Rodriguez) with a 1.60 ERA and third baseman Alex Gordon, 25, and DH-first baseman Billy Butler, 22, may be ready to break out.
I'm in complete agreement with that assessment, but I think the key for the Royals will be a healthy and productive Gil Meche.

I do not, however, agree with his Orioles pick. Baltimore not only has no shot at the postseason, they also have no chance to finish higher than fourth in the AL East.

Street closer

Houston Street earned the Rockies closer job over Manny Corpas. This news is proof that spring stats don't mean a thing. Street produced a 5.23 ERA in 10.1 IP, including a pair of home runs allowed. Corpas gave up one earned run in nine innings and no homers.

Then again, maybe the Rockies saw Corpas lose his closer job twice to Brian Fuentes in 2009 and headed him off at the pass, giving Street the role before Corpas could eventually lose it. Or a loss in velocity for Coraps might explain it
Don’t get me wrong: Street has pitched well since his first couple of disastrous outings in Cactus League action; he hasn’t done anything not to deserve the job. He’s a talented player, and I thought he was ticketed for big-time success after he was selected from the University of Texas.

I don’t believe it’ll be big time anymore, though. He’s inconsistent and doesn’t show the same flare he did early in his career.
Corpas deserves a closer role

Corpas deserves closer role

The main concern with Corpas is a 2 mph drop in the velocity of his sinker, easily his bread and butter. The right-hander is working through a hiccup in his mechanics and has already shown signs of improvement, though.

Given where Corpas was last season and how hard he has worked to get to this point, some minor setbacks along the way aren’t a surprise. Future? He’s the better man for the post. I believe the Rox have made the correct decision for the short term, but will it breed long-term success? I’m not so sure.
On that matter, we'll guess that the Rockies believe they have little to lose at the start of the season in terms of pushing the more accomplished closer into the role. Street's done the job better for longer, and if everyone starts with the same record, you might as well give yourself the safest chance at winning. Corpas will get his when it's time.

Tweaked Twins land on DL

Catcher Joe Mauer and pitchers Scott Baker and Boof Bonser all ended up on the Twins disabled list to start the season. While Mauer's still dealing with his lower back soreness and hasn't played or practiced all spring, the pitchers' problems sound much more serious.
Baker, who was scheduled to start on Opening Day against the Seattle Mariners, has soreness in his pitching shoulder and was placed on the DL retroactive to March 28. Francisco Liriano is expected to start in place of the righthander on Monday. Bonser is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder."
Minnesota is looking less and less the favorite to win the AL Central, which should have a razor-thin margin for error with several above-average ball clubs.

Fantasy Impact: Mauer's situation is fairly fluid, and he's fallen down the list of a ton of draft boards. He'll continue to slide outside of the top five catchers now that he's going to miss the start of the season and likely needs some rehab at bats in the minors.

Baker's shoulder soreness is not a good thing, and the mid-level fantasy starter falls into limbo. Bonser had relatively zero fantasy appeal, anyway.

Sheff talk cooking in Cincinnati

Sounds like the Reds are getting in on the Gary Sheffield sweepstakes, with Dusty Baker considering him for Cincinnati's left field job.
"I'm sure he has some offers," Baker said. "I asked Walt for permission to make the call. I made the call, then Walt talked to [Reds president and CEO Bob] Castelllini. I talked to Jim Leyland [Wednesday] night, just to see, because he hadn't played the outfield in a long time."

His ability to play the outfield was a bone of contention between the Tigers and Sheffield, with the team feeling he was only capable of DHing and Sheffield believing he had plenty left in the tank to play defense. The Tigers released Sheffield and his $14 million salary because of what they perceived to be his lack of flexibility.

"When I heard that word, versatility, I'm [thinking], 'I'm probably the most athletic guy on the team,'" Sheffield said at the time of his release. "But at the same time, that's their opinion and I have to respect that.

"I know I can play the outfield, so I'm not putting myself in that box. I know what I can do. I know I can throw better than most people. I still can run, and I still can hit. So that's all I can say."
Chris Dickerson is currently in consideration for left field, and the addition of Sheffield would only take away from Dickerson's opportunities.

Fantasy Impact: If Sheffield lands in Cincinnati, his fantasy value climbs thanks to the launching-pad nature of Great American Ballpark. Dickerson's value would wane from a guy who looked destined to play at least 100 games to potentially fewer than 80.

125 years of Slugger

If major leaguers' bats look like they have a big smudge on them on your high def TV, that's because Louisville Slugger is commemorating its 125th year of baseball bats with a special logo on their bat barrels.

Glaus out at least two months

Troy Glaus will miss at least two months of the season following a setback in his rehabilitation after shoulder surgery.
Glaus originally was expected to miss just a few weeks of the season. But the Cardinals said yesterday he will be reevaluated around June 1.

"It's just not responding as quickly as we'd hoped," Glaus said in Jupiter, Fla. "It obviously didn't go as smoothly or uneventfully as we had hoped."

David Freese is the top candidate to start at third with Glaus out.

General manager John Mozeliak told the Associated Press that Glaus might have pushed too hard in his rehab schedule. He said Glaus's progress will be assessed in a few weeks.

"Sometimes being overly optimistic can hurt you," Mozeliak said.
Fantasy owners must take this news with caution. If an April return was overly optimistic, could a five-week delay be "overly optimistic" as well? Leave Glaus on the waiver wire for now, or stash him if you have the DL space. He's not going to contribue productively until the second half of the season.

Fantasy Impact: David Freese is considered a middle-range prospect by CBSsports.com. He did hit 26 homers in Triple-A last season, but the 25-year-old was never on the radar as a major contributor at the big-league level. The Cardinals have had success with journeyman types like Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker. Those two players were drafted, however, and Freese was not. Only take a flier on Freese if you're desperate.

Rangers go retro keeping Benson, Jones

Andruw Jones made the Texas Rangers roster, and in even more surprising news Kris Benson made the Rangers rotation. How? Why? This is the Texas Rangers, after all. Benson always showed flashes of being a good pitcher. Jones, in a rapid decline the past few years, was still one of the best centerfielders ever to play the game. Texas must hope there's something left in that strikeout-prone bat of his.

Fantasy Impact: Benson is a better fantasy addition at this time, because Jones is not going to get guaranteed at bats. Benson never posted bad numbers in his career, but he hasn't pitched since an 11-12, 4.82 ERA performance back in 2006 with Baltimore. Jones will fight for time at DH with Hank Blalock. Blalock will get the bulk of at bats against righty pitching.

Karstens = Pirates 5th starter

Jeff Karstens wins the Pirates No. 5 starter spot. This move received little attention as Karstens hasn't exactly put together a special big league career over his three seasons. In deeper leagues, however, especially points leagues, Karstens can be a decent contributor. In nine starts last season, he posted a 4.03 ERA. Karstens won't win much in Pittsburgh, and he doesn't strike anyone out, but he has respectable peripherals. You could do much worse.

Check out Karstens' career minor league numbers:

640 IP, 533 K, 3.52 ERA, 1.26 WHIP

That's very solid. Strike outs are often a tell-tale as to how a minor league pitcher will do in the big leagues. With 7.5 K/9, Karstens is on the edge of the spectrum in terms of meeting the standard, but he brough his strikeout rate up in both 2006 and 2007. He keeps his walks down, and yielded a hit per inning in the minors.

New strike zone evaluator in MLB

Baseball is using a new strike zone evaluator in replace of QuesTec that is already available in every major league park. QuesTec was only available in about a third of MLB stadiums.
The new system, called Zone Evaluation, relies on pitch-tracking data already collected by cameras in all 30 parks and distributed through applications on MLB.com and iTunes. Zone Evaluation software will rate umpire performance more quickly and accurately than QuesTec, according to Mike Port, baseball’s vice president for umpiring.

“It’s an upgrade from where we were,” Port said in a telephone interview. “The umpires, they don’t want to miss a pitch any more than a batter wants to strike out. Where the Z.E. system will give us a lot of help is more data to help identify any trends: ‘The last three plate jobs, you missed seven pitches that were down and in. Here’s how one of the supervisors can help you adjust your head angle or your stance to have a better chance of getting those pitches.’”
A former catcher, I remember umpires typically setting up inside, where they had a better look at pitches on the inside corner of the plate. They'd have to guess more on the outside corner due to the angle they incurred by setting up inside. Umpires who guessed more in favor of strikes on the outside corner could be "set up" with the right kind of framing. If this new system forces umps into a uniform approach on calling balls and strikes, baseball will be better off.

I've always wondered why baseball doesn't use a monitoring system that creates a strike zone field that is hooked up to the scoreboard. Let the fans see what's going on in real time. Take strike zone calls away from umpires. Why not get it right every time rather than leave calling balls and strikes to human error?

Selig slammed in steroid series

The NY Daily News attempts to "save baseball" with a series of reports/ideas on fixing the game's ongoing steroid problem. My favorite, of course, is part one: replacing the commish.
Bud Selig has been in charge of baseball for 17 years, longer than anyone since Kenesaw Mountain Landis cleaned up the Black Sox scandal and held a death grip on the commissioner's office. Selig's reign is different, a failed regime, and one that should have come to a close when 2003 put its scandalous stamp on him. At the very least, 2009 must be Selig's swan song. As long as he heads the sport, it will never get a fresh start, a second chance.

During Selig's endless rule, the sport has suffered its worst, extended disasters in history. His first calamity struck early - Selig could not rescue the 1994 season during a 232-day strike, and was unable to extract a hard salary cap from the players' union. There was no World Series champion crowned that year, an inexcusable breach of contract with millions of loyal fans. The club payroll inequities spawned from that year's folly exist to this day, further proof that the owners and the commissioner's office botched those negotiations.
And then the writer gets into bashing Selig over the steroid infestation, which is priceless. Selig makes over $18-million a year to blow the game to pieces.

The report also asks for the departure of players union chief Donald Fehr, which Spitting Seeds also endorses, but the best way to kill the snake it to chop off the head. Start there, first.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Porcello to start in Detroit rotation

Tigers Rookie Rick Porcello not only made the team today, he's also in Detroit's rotation, according to team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski.
“I think he’s one of our best starting pitchers,” Dombrowski said. “He has quality stuff. We’ve seen it. He throws strikes. He’s a confident, mature individual beyond his years.

“He has continued development in his breaking ball. He’ll continue to work hard at it. He’s got a good changeup. He’s very mature. He’s very talented. He does the little things well, fields his position well. He’s a competitor. He holds runners well.

“I think he’s ready. I think he’ll do well. If he has some tough times — every pitcher does — I think he’s mature enough to handle it. Is he a 100% finished guy? No. But he’ll keep working on what he needs to work on. And he has a pitch that can help get him out of jams — a very, very nasty sinker.”
Fantasy Impact: Porcello's never pitched above A-ball, and he's just 20 years old. His numbers, however, don't lie. The lanky right-hander walked just 33 batters in 125 innings last season, and limited opponents to a 1.19 WHIP. He's a classic sinker-baller, so don't expect tons of strike outs. Do expect good numbers in all other categories, especially before teams get a book on him.

Rodney kind of wins Detroit closer job

Francisco Rodney wins the Tigers closer job over newly acquired Brandon Lyon. Jim Leyland's endorsement doesn't exactly sound binding.
"If we have a one-run lead in Toronto for the first game," Leyland said, "Fernando Rodney will come in. Is he going to come in every time? I've not really named him the closer, but he gets the first game. There might be somebody else involved at one point."
Both Rodney and Lyon struggled last season. Neither is going to be a safe bet to retain the role.

Fantasy Impact: So, Rodney goes first. With Leyland's comments it sounds like this 50-50 fight is now more 60-40 or 65-35 Rodney. Lean toward him if you absolutely need saves, but back him up with Lyon if you can. Better yet, stay away from both of them.

Bonifacio wins Marlins third base job; McPherson cut

Emilio Bonifacio not only won the third base job in Florida, he's the Marlins only option after they released fellow third baseman Dallas McPherson.
On Monday, the Marlins sent rookie first baseman Gaby Sanchez to the minors, leaving Emilio Bonifacio, acquired from Washington in the offseason, as the team's starting third baseman and Jorge Cantu as the first baseman.

One month ago, the question was where Cantu would play. After first baseman Mike Jacobs was traded to Kansas City, the options were Cantu at first base and McPherson at third, or whether it would be Sanchez at first and McPherson at third. The prevailing thought was that the team's defense would improve from 2008, a stated goal of team officials, under either scenario. Now they have turned to Bonifacio, a natural second baseman who is still learning to play third and has struggled at times this spring.
Yes, but he can run. With Sanchez and McPherson out of the way, Florida is making a commitment to the corner combo of Bonifacio and Cantu. The Marlins would love to have the speed-burning threesome of Cameron Maybin, Bonifacio and Hanley Ramirez to terrorize opponents at the top of the order.

Fantasy Impact: Bonifacio can fly. Just search his name on Youtube and you'll see. He's stolen 61 bases in a minor league season, and he's likely to get a slot near the top of the batting order. If he can hold down third base, expect a light-hitting burner who can get you 40-plus steals and score 75 runs.

Devine's elbow intervention

Joey Devine's elbow woes will shelve him for the start of the 2009 season. The most dominant pitcher in the A's bullpen will need a doctor visit to explore the severity of the issue. Until then, he'll wait for the news on the disabled list.
"I spent the entire off-season rehabbing it, and then it came back as soon as I got to game-ready (during) the first part of spring training, and that tells me there is something there," Devine said Tuesday before the A's 7-2 exhibition victory over the Kansas City Royals.Coupled with the elbow injury that has sidelined ace Justin Duchscherer, the A's open the season with a revamped offense but lacking two integral members of the pitching staff.
This means Brad Ziegler is Oakland's closer for the start of the season, and as long as Devine is a health risk, Ziegler will remain in that role.

Fantasy Impact: Owners who drafted Devine may want to look for a fallback option. If you can't afford to stash Devine on your roster or DL him, releasing him might be the best option. Saves will come available over the course of the year as Ziegler owners will tell you.

As for Ziegler inheriting the closer role, he's suited for the position. He did a good job last year for the A's and set the new MLB record for scoreless innings from his debut wirth 39. The knock on Ziegler is he doesn't strike people out, but he also didn't lose a single game he pitched while tossing nearly 60 innings as a 28-year-old rookie.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Burriss wins 2b job

Emmanuel Burriss has beaten out Kevin Fransden for the Giants second base job. Fransden didn't even make the team as a backup, getting optioned to the minors.
Fantasy Impact: Not too much of a surprise here. Burriss can become a sleeper prospect, but he can still lose starting time to Ray Durham and/or Eugenio Velez. He's worth a flier in deeper leagues at this time.

Valentine time for Team USA?

Jack Curry of the New York Times wants Team USA to consider hiring Bobby Valentine as their next skipper. Why? Because Valentine predicted Japan would win the 2009 World Baseball Classic title among his other obvious credentials.
The next Classic is not until 2013, but if Valentine is available, he should be strongly considered as a candidate to manage the United States team. Valentine has managed in both countries and was the first American manager to win a title in the Japanese Leagues with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2005. If Valentine were free and the job were offered, he indicated he would take it.

After finishing fourth this season and eighth in the first Classic in 2009, the United States could use an infusion of energy in four years. Valentine would be a good start. He said Japan’s precise, disciplined style was perfectly suited for a three-week tournament, something the Americans should have noticed by now.

“If you rely on a home run in a short series, you’re destined for doom,” Valentine said. “I know teams have won with the home run. But you’ve got to play the game of baseball. Whatever style it is, if you make fewer mistakes, I think you’re increasing your chances of winning a short series.”
Valentine makes sense as Team USA's manager, but it will take more pitchers for the USA to compete. A manager that knows both teams inside and out is one thing, but you have to play the best to beat what's currently better than you.

Franks passes

Former Giants manager Herman Franks passed away Monday at the age of 95. He never won the pennant in San Francisco, but landed four second-place finishes.
Known away from the game as a man who enjoyed cigars and card games and made wise investments, Mr. Franks was hired to replace Alvin Dark after the 1964 season and nearly guided the Giants to pennants in 1965 and 1966. Both times, the Giants lost tight races to the Dodgers.

Chipping in until 2012

As the aging Gary Sheffield is on the outs in Detroid, the aging Chipper Jones is in Atlanta at least until 2012.
A six-time All-Star, Jones was the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1999. His .310 lifetime batting average ranks second among switch hitters, trailing only Frankie Frisch's .316. He has 408 home runs, trailing only Mickey Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504) in homers by a switch hitter.

He is the only switch hitter with at least 300 homers and a .300 career batting average.
It's all about production, and Jones still offers a dangerous stick in the middle of any batting order. The fact he's only played 137, 109, 110, 134 and 128 games the past five seasons is a concern, but enough of one to pass on one of the top bats in baseball. Jones is a sure-fire Hall of Famer who is coming up on 1500 R, 1500 RBI and has the ability to hit 500 homers for his career. His record is clean, and he's one of the great third basemen all-time.

Fantasy Impact: Jones is a fringe fifth-round pick who is guaranteed to deliver while he's healthy. He suffered an oblique injury this spring playing in the World Baseball Classic, but that seems to be minor in nature. Draft him early on, but find him a capable backup if you can.

Dominican Crackdown

MLB.com plugs ESPN.com for an article on Domincan MLB prospects getting detained because of the crackdown on misinformation coming out of the Dominican Republic. You follow? This is only the beginning.

Sheffield cut by Tigers

The Tigers released Gary Sheffield. This is a big surprise to those covering the Tigers.
Sheffield said he was told by manager Jim Leyland and president/general manager Dave Dombrowski that the team wanted to go with a more versatile lineup. The Tigers did not envision Sheffield playing any position other than designated hitter.

The Tigers will owe Sheffield his guaranteed $14 million salary for this year. If he clears waivers, he'll be free to sign with any team he chooses.

Sheffield, who has 499 career home runs and is on the verge of becoming just the 25th player in history to record 500, said that he was surprised by the move and that he didn't consider it a possibility.

"I never really thought about it, to be honest with you," Sheffield said.

Sheffield spent the last two seasons with the Tigers, batting a combined .247 with 44 home runs and 132 RBIs in 247 games, primarily as a designated hitter. He played in just 114 games last season, missing time because of a sore right shoulder and a strained oblique.
With numbers like those over the past couple of seasons the Tigers must've seen the end of the road coming for their slugger. At $14M this year, that's a ton of money for a guy who struggles to stay healthy. It's not exactly a shock that in this money-saving time in sports a team might cut an aging veteran. The question becomes: who brings in Sheffield after he clears waivers? Nobody but the Yankees can afford to price tag, and New York already owns the ailing Hideki Matsui. There's no way you take on two injury-risk types, especially when you're trying to win a title.

Fantasy Impact: Sheffield is better left for the waiver wire in a fantasy league right now. Let him go and watch to see if he lands with another MLB team. His addition to any lineup will likely steal time from a part-time player or a young up-and-comer, so Sheffield could theoretically hurt the owner than drafts him twice by diminishing his own player and that of another. Stay away for now.

A note on Sheffield's legacy: While some consider him a sure-fire Hall of Famer, and Sheffield's numbers look great on paper, the steroid era and his connection to Barry Bounds should surely diminish Sheffield's chances.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

In Correa Giants grab high-end prospect

Most intriguing in the Ronnie Paulino deal from Philadelphia to Florida via San Francisco ia the player San Francisco is acquiring. Hector Correa has major upside.
Correa was named the No. 3 prospect in the New York-Penn League in 2007, earning all-star honors with the short-season Class A Jamestown club, going 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 11 starts.
Correa's biggest problem is he's perhaps too hittable. The youngster strikes out more than a batter per inning, but he's given up more than 20 more hits than strikeouts in his minor league career.

Phils land lefty

In the Ronnie Paulino trade, Philadelphia landed lefty Jake Taschner. He's a fill-in for JC Romero while Romero serves his 50-game suspension.
Taschner was 3-2 with a 4.88 ERA in 67 games last season. He gives the Phillies another left-hander in the bullpen to go with Scott Eyre. J.C. Romero was suspended the first 50 games for using a banned substance.
Taschner, however, is no Romero. He's unlikely to see many - if any - save opportunities in Philly.

Paulino to Florida via San Francisco


The Marlins acquired Ronnie Paulino from the Giants
after San Francisco received the Phillies' backup catcher in a trade earlier Friday.
Despite being traded twice in one day, Paulino lands with a Marlins team looking for a backup to John Baker. Paulino reportedly had been on the Marlins' radar since the Winter Meetings. Paulino, 27, hit .278 in 304 games with Pittsburgh from 2005-08 before Philadelphia obtained him in an offseason trade. Paulino, who's due to earn $423,500 this season, played in only 40 games for the Pirates last year due to a sprained right ankle, hitting .212 with two home runs and 18 RBIs. But he had his most productive year in 2007, hitting .263 with a career-high 11 homers and 55 RBIs, which matched a personal best. Paulino also owned a .282 lifetime average (11-for-39) against the Giants.
Fantasy Impact: Something tells us Paulino will be more than just a backup in Florida. His numbers are good enough to challenge for playing time. In fact, offensively he compares closely to Yadier Molina. Keep an eye on his playing time to see if he can compete with Baker.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Bonifacio the Burner

In a matter of several months from late last season into the offseason, Emilio Bonifacio went from the Diamondbacks to the Nationals to the Marlins in a pair of trades. Now he's emerging as a probable starter for the Marlins at third base.
Bonifacio is building a strong case to be on Florida's Opening Day roster.

If that comes to fruition, the Marlins will have the chance to place three burners in their lineup -- Bonifacio, Cameron Maybin and Hanley Ramirez.

Nothing in terms of the final roster is official yet, but Bonifacio is on a path to make an impact from the time the season opens on April 6 against his former team, Washington.

"I like him. I like him in that lineup, someplace," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He has made unbelievable improvement at third base, a position he didn't play [before]. He's been learning under the gun a little bit. He's done a terrific job learning that position.

"We know he can play the middle of the diamond, and we know he can play the outfield a little bit. We may run him out in the outfield and get a little more flexibility."
Fantasy Impact: Bonifacio might have been a minor option if he was coming off the bench, but now that he's going to get an opportunity to start, watch out! This is a player who stole 61 bases in the minors in a single season. He can fly, if he can get on base. While his OBP climbed to .361 in two minor league stints last year, his career OBP stood at .338 heading into last season. In the majors, Bonifacio managed to reach base at a .300 clip.

We're intrigued to see what he can do for the Marlins this year. He's hitting .266 with an OBP of .309 this spring. He has the potential to become a player with the upside of Chone Figgins or the unreliability of Michael Bourn.

Tejada receives probation

Miguel Tejada basically gets a slap on the wrist for lying under oath about his steroid use. A one-year probation penalty means he's available immediately to the Astros and your fantasy baseball team.
"I take full responsibility for not answering the question," Tejada told U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay.

Standing at a lectern facing Kay, Tejada spoke softly for less than a minute, the talented hands he normally uses to grip a bat or field ground balls stuffed in the pant pockets of his pinstriped, three-piece suit.

He apologized to Congress, to the court, to baseball fans — "especially the kids" — and added: "I learned a very important lesson."

Tejada is the first high-profile player convicted of a crime stemming from baseball's steroids era.

"What people are not entitled to do, your honor, is to provide untruthful or dishonest answers. No one has that right," Durham told the court. "Not the people who are well-known — and not the people who are unknown."

Tejada faced up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. But Kay followed the recommendation of prosecutors who said he deserved a lighter punishment, issuing a sentence of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine. Kay waived drug testing often required of other convicts on probation and said he wouldn't restrict the player's travel.

The plea deal is unlikely to affect Tejada's immigration status because green-card holders are not normally deportable unless the maximum possible sentence is more than one year in prison.
Fantasy Impact: It's safe to draft/acquire Tejada in all leagues. He hit 206 home runs from 2000 through 2006 but hasn't reached 20 homers since the steroid talk surfaced. Tejada has slipped to a middle-round draftee, and he still deserves attention thanks to playing his home games at Minute Maid Park.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Pitching In

A lot of pitching odds and ends this week as teams get their staffs together for opening day.

David Price
will not make Tampa's rotation, which is more of an effort to limit his innings than it is on Price's Major League readiness.

Fantasy Impact: Not quite a devastating blow, but certainly trouble for owners who took a risk and drafted Price high. He'll be up eventually, but that's what was said all last year when Price never surfaced in time for regular season help. Here's guessing he makes it into Tampa's rotation by June.

Anthony Reyes landed in the Cleveland Indians' rotation as the 4th starter while Scott Lewis is the team's 5th starter. Lewis beat out Aaron Laffey.

Fantasy Impact: Reyes owns a nice minor league pedigree, striking out nearly a batter an inning while limiting hits. His problem is giving up the long ball, but he's certainly worth a late-round flier for his upside. Lewis isn't a bad flier option himself, but he's less sexy than Reyes, who has more big league and postseason experience.

Rangers to be sold

Tom Hicks is lining up resources to sell the Texas Rangers.
Hicks, who also co-owns Liverpool F.C. with George Gillett, has hired Merrill Lynch to sell his Rangers stake, MLB.com said, citing two baseball sources. The minority shares may be sold in whole or in part.
The timing might be good for Rangers fans, who would love to see Hicks bail. Texas is building a talented young nucleus with players like Chris Davis and Elvis Andrus.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Fontenot Cubs starter at 2nd

Mike Fontenot has been named the Cubs starter at second base. He takes over for Mark DeRosa, who was traded to Cleveland in the offseason.
Fontenot is the projected sixth hitter, with Kosuke Fukudome in second and Milton Bradley fourth.

"I don't want to get caught with two left-handed hitters sixth and seventh or sixth and eighth at the tail end of the lineup," manager Lou Piniella said. "So 2-4-6 is a real nice way to break things up."

In his fifth year with the Cubs after being traded from Baltimore in the Sammy Sosa deal, Fontenot never has been penciled in as a starter.
Fantasy Impact: If you project Fontenot's at bats over a full 600 at bats, he looks pretty good. Fontenot appears capable of 20 HR power, and he's capable of scoring runs (.395 OBP in 243 at bats last season). In the article, however, Piniella says both Fontenot and Aaron Miles will get 350 at bats this season. Miles will slide around the infield as a utility man, but will still steal time from Fontenot against left-handed pitching. Fontenot is therefore a later round pick in most fantasy drafts. He's valuable as a second baseman with pop who might start 5 or 6 days a week.

Hamels elbow exam

Hours after this fairly rosy review of Phillies ace Cole Hamels' velocity issues this spring, this far-from-rosy story on an elbow examination comes out.
According to several media sources, including the Philadelphia Daily News, Hamels will fly back to Philadelphia to be looked at by team doctor Michael Ciccotti after having steady soreness in the elbow.

However, team general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. indicated it is not presently a serious issue, and the team is taking a cautious approach.
Much was made about the 227 1/3 innings Hamels pitched -- not including his postseason innings -- last season. There may be some merit to those concerns. The young ace will have to be watched for the rest of the spring.

Baseball cards and web cams

In its never-ending quest to remain relevant, Topps is designing new baseball cards that come to life online in order to attract new, young card collectors.
Consumers who buy the Topps 2009 Series 1 deck of baseball cards for $1.99 have an option to pull the "magic" card from the deck, sign onto ToppsTown.com with a code, download a browser plug in and pitch, bat or catch in games served up from the Web site. The cards, which sport members of major league baseball (MLB) franchises, also are available through the Topps Attax baseball card game.

The consumer's Web camera pointed at the two-dimensional card laying on someone's desk or in their hand projects the picture of Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria to the computer screen, for example, allowing the picture of the baseball player to come to life in 3D.

The augmented reality technology from Total Immersion lives on Topps's server. It recognizes the image of the player on the card. One player from each baseball team has been digitized.

"Topps hopes to stir new excitement about baseball cards, particularly kids who tells us they like collecting trading cards but no longer rely on them for information," said Steve Grimes, chief digital officer, The Topps Co. "So, we want to give them new uses for the cards, whether that's 3D animation or playing games or unlocking other experiences online."
It's an interesting idea, but my guess is enthusiasm wanes rather quickly. Offering online games based on the cards and the players' statistics might be a better way to maintain interest, but that's what video games are all about. Good luck, Topps.

Playoff money

Ever wonder what kind of monetary benefit follows teams into the postseason? The Biz of Baseball tackles that subject today. Not surprising to see who leads the list in terms of money winners over the past ten postseasons, but then money earned seems directly tied to number of games played more than anything.

South Koreans wide awake for Mexico

So much for the jet lag. After Japan shutout Cuba, 6-0, South Korea turns around and thumps Mexico, 8-2 in San Diego. Now the Asian Pool A winners, who played each other just six days ago in Tokyo, square off to determine the first qualifier out of Pool 1 for the final round of the World Baseball Classic.

Three solo home runs paced South Korea, which defeated Japan 1-0 and lost to Japan 14-2 in the first round.