Never a good thing for a frontline fantasy starter, Noah Lowry only made it through 3 innings pitched last night before his forearm tightened up. He is questionable for his next start.
I would be very surprised if the Giants allowed Lowry to head right out there for his next start. Forearm tightness is often a sign that the ligaments in the throwing elbow are beginning to weaken a bit. Many a pitcher has gone down with "forearm tightness" only to find that the ligaments were damaged and needed Tommy John Surgery. I'm not saying this is the case with Lowry, but this is a time when it is better to be cautious than it is to just throw the kid right back out there.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Soriano Pulls Up Lame
Following a single, Soriano attempted to sprint from 1st to 3rd; however, while rounding 2nd base he pulled up lame and was clearly in pain. Word is he has a strained quadriceps and will be out for 2-4 weeks.
Bad, bad news for the Cubbies given their recent run. And even worse news for Fantasy Owners trying to ride Soriano during the stretch run. Obviously, bench Soriano in all leagues for the next few weeks, but even upon his return, do not expect much base stealing from him given this injury. If your league's trading deadline has not passed, this might be a good time to scout the rosters and see if you can pick up someone else's solid reserve OF to fill in as best he can in the meanwhile.
Bad, bad news for the Cubbies given their recent run. And even worse news for Fantasy Owners trying to ride Soriano during the stretch run. Obviously, bench Soriano in all leagues for the next few weeks, but even upon his return, do not expect much base stealing from him given this injury. If your league's trading deadline has not passed, this might be a good time to scout the rosters and see if you can pick up someone else's solid reserve OF to fill in as best he can in the meanwhile.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Saltalamacchia Starts at Catcher
That heavy wind you felt around 1:30 p.m. today was due to the collective exhaling of all keeper league owners of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Salty strapped on the gear and played his first game behind the plate for the Rangers, assuring owners around the world that he would continue to gain catcher eligibility in the future.
Good move by the Rangers as he is a far more valuable commodity (::cough:: to fantasy owners ::cough::) while behind the plate. Even if he only starts once every 5 games behind the plate, that still equates to 32 games caught per season, which is more than enough to gain eligibility in any league.
Feel safe to acquire / keep Salty from here on out, despite his hitting woes of late. The Rangers have no intentions of ever letting this power-switch hitting talent ever see the minors again.
Good move by the Rangers as he is a far more valuable commodity (::cough:: to fantasy owners ::cough::) while behind the plate. Even if he only starts once every 5 games behind the plate, that still equates to 32 games caught per season, which is more than enough to gain eligibility in any league.
Feel safe to acquire / keep Salty from here on out, despite his hitting woes of late. The Rangers have no intentions of ever letting this power-switch hitting talent ever see the minors again.
Robinson Cano Making Up for Early Season Woes
Robinson Cano is without question the hottest hitter in baseball right now. Cano has two-or-more hits in 15 of his last 20 games, raising his average to .311. In addition, he now has 20 RBI's in his last 21 games!
As of July 15th, Cano's numbers;
Since July 15th, Cano's numbers have risen to;
Those are increases of (in just 20 games, mind you!);
Also, keep in mind that this is not the beginning of the season, where a couple of at bats can be the difference between a .100 and a .400 batting average. Cano is already at 421 at bats on the year, thus making this all the more impressive.
If you don't have Cano on your team, then you had no shot at getting him via trade because his stock is simply too high right now. In keeper leagues, this kid is a gem being only 24 years old and still growing as a hitter. In yearly leagues, move him up your draft board a few rounds next season, as he is quickly becoming the "Rod Carew-like" hitter many pegged him to be. 25 to 30 homeruns a year is in his near future.
As of July 15th, Cano's numbers;
| Avg. .273 | OBP .313 | Slug .430 | OPS .743 |
Since July 15th, Cano's numbers have risen to;
| Avg. .311 | OBP .352 | Slug .494 | OPS .846 |
Those are increases of (in just 20 games, mind you!);
| Avg. +.038 | OBP +.039 | Slug +.064 | OPS +.103 |
If you don't have Cano on your team, then you had no shot at getting him via trade because his stock is simply too high right now. In keeper leagues, this kid is a gem being only 24 years old and still growing as a hitter. In yearly leagues, move him up your draft board a few rounds next season, as he is quickly becoming the "Rod Carew-like" hitter many pegged him to be. 25 to 30 homeruns a year is in his near future.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Strahan to the 'Skins?
Yahoo! Sports Rumors is reporting that Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder would like to acquire Giants defensive end Michael Strahan.
While Snyder is typically one to get what he wants when he wants (well, except for wins, playoff appearances and Super Bowls), I highly doubt the Giants would deal Strahan to a team within their division. My feeling is that the Giants would rather see Strahan retire than to trade him, if just simply out of principle.
While Snyder is typically one to get what he wants when he wants (well, except for wins, playoff appearances and Super Bowls), I highly doubt the Giants would deal Strahan to a team within their division. My feeling is that the Giants would rather see Strahan retire than to trade him, if just simply out of principle.
Marlings SP Josh Johnson Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Marlins young star SP Josh Johnson underwent Tommy John surgery on Friday, thus putting his career on hold. The surgery will keep him out not only the rest of this season, but all of 2008. In fact, Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez made mention that he is basically hoping Johnson is ready for Spring Training 2009.
Not good news for fantasy owners. Yearly leagues can cut him this season and write him off until draft day 2009. We might be seeing the next Kerry Wood-like career beginning, as Johnson has had a tough time staying healthy during his career to this point. If he isn't going to cost you anything, hold onto him in keeper leagues, but if you need to create a roster spot, let this kid go at this point.
Not good news for fantasy owners. Yearly leagues can cut him this season and write him off until draft day 2009. We might be seeing the next Kerry Wood-like career beginning, as Johnson has had a tough time staying healthy during his career to this point. If he isn't going to cost you anything, hold onto him in keeper leagues, but if you need to create a roster spot, let this kid go at this point.
Question of the Day: Gordon or Butler?
Sometime around the weeks leading up to the April 1st Opening Day of the 2007 MLB season, if I posed this question to anyone, I would have been laughed at and banned from ever participating in baseball conversations, let alone fantasy leagues.
However, now that we have the benefit of hindsight, this question is as legit as it gets. Who would you rather have for now and for the future; Billy Butler or Alex Gordon? Well, the easiest way to determine this is to look at the stats;
Alex Gordon's stats through Friday's games;
Billy Butler's stats through Friday's games;
Now, let's first keep this in perspective. The fact that we can have this conversation alone bodes well for the future of the Kansas City Royals. Regardless of who the better prospect is, the Royals have a very bright future. Going back to the beginning of the season, Baseball America ranked Alex Gordon as the 2nd best prospect in the entire minor leagues, while Butler was ranked a "lowly" 25th on the annual rankings. So, did BBA get it wrong? Not necessarily.
While Gordon has looked lost at times at the plate, he is a very good defensive player at a position that is not exactly loaded with offensive fire power. It certainly isn't the weakest position around, but when comparing a 3B to an OF (or perhaps even just a DH in Butler's case), the 3B certainly gets a few more points for the positional need. Couple that with the fact that Gordon already has more stolen bases this season than Butler will ever have in his entire career, so he is surely the more "complete" player.
But, Billy Butler has accumulated offensive numbers that either compare or surpass Gordon's in 43% of the at bats. That is production that is tough to argue with! Unfortunately for fantasy baseball enthusiasts, BBA takes into consideration factors, or "tools", that are completely irrelevant to a fantasy squad. Sure, Gordon has a good arm and plays excellent defense -- but, who cares? A fantasy team does not score points based on those factors, thus BBA rankings are not necessarily the most legit ranking system to use when analyzing fantasy baseball prospects.
If the trends continue they way they have been so far this season, then Butler is the guy who will help your team more over the long-haul. Do keep in mind that Butler is playing this well at 21-years old while Gordon is 23. That doesn't sound like much, but in the end it might give light to the fact that Butler's ceiling is higher as batters tend not to hit their prime until they are 27-years old.
If I'm drafting today, I have Butler slightly higher on my list than Gordon, but points have to be given to Gordon based on his position.
However, now that we have the benefit of hindsight, this question is as legit as it gets. Who would you rather have for now and for the future; Billy Butler or Alex Gordon? Well, the easiest way to determine this is to look at the stats;
Alex Gordon's stats through Friday's games;
| AB | HR | AVG | RBI | R | SB |
| 366 | 8 | .243 | 37 | 44 | 10 |
Billy Butler's stats through Friday's games;
| AB | HR | AVG | RBI | R | SB |
| 159 | 4 | .296 | 30 | 16 | 0 |
Now, let's first keep this in perspective. The fact that we can have this conversation alone bodes well for the future of the Kansas City Royals. Regardless of who the better prospect is, the Royals have a very bright future. Going back to the beginning of the season, Baseball America ranked Alex Gordon as the 2nd best prospect in the entire minor leagues, while Butler was ranked a "lowly" 25th on the annual rankings. So, did BBA get it wrong? Not necessarily.
While Gordon has looked lost at times at the plate, he is a very good defensive player at a position that is not exactly loaded with offensive fire power. It certainly isn't the weakest position around, but when comparing a 3B to an OF (or perhaps even just a DH in Butler's case), the 3B certainly gets a few more points for the positional need. Couple that with the fact that Gordon already has more stolen bases this season than Butler will ever have in his entire career, so he is surely the more "complete" player.
But, Billy Butler has accumulated offensive numbers that either compare or surpass Gordon's in 43% of the at bats. That is production that is tough to argue with! Unfortunately for fantasy baseball enthusiasts, BBA takes into consideration factors, or "tools", that are completely irrelevant to a fantasy squad. Sure, Gordon has a good arm and plays excellent defense -- but, who cares? A fantasy team does not score points based on those factors, thus BBA rankings are not necessarily the most legit ranking system to use when analyzing fantasy baseball prospects.
If the trends continue they way they have been so far this season, then Butler is the guy who will help your team more over the long-haul. Do keep in mind that Butler is playing this well at 21-years old while Gordon is 23. That doesn't sound like much, but in the end it might give light to the fact that Butler's ceiling is higher as batters tend not to hit their prime until they are 27-years old.
If I'm drafting today, I have Butler slightly higher on my list than Gordon, but points have to be given to Gordon based on his position.
Parker Held Out of Practice for 4th Day in a Row
Steelers star RB Willie Parker was held out of practice for the 4th consecutive day on Saturday, due to swelling in his knee. The Steelers say it is merely precautionary and that Parker will be back at full strength very soon.
This might be something to keep your eye on, as many experts have looked at Parker with curious eyes as to whether he is big enough to handle a full-time workload. Last year was his first season doing such, so this knee swelling might be a sign of things to come. I've never been one that wanted to put my fantasy eggs in the Willie Parker basket and this news does nothing to make me want to change that belief. Keep your eyes and ears open on this one.
This might be something to keep your eye on, as many experts have looked at Parker with curious eyes as to whether he is big enough to handle a full-time workload. Last year was his first season doing such, so this knee swelling might be a sign of things to come. I've never been one that wanted to put my fantasy eggs in the Willie Parker basket and this news does nothing to make me want to change that belief. Keep your eyes and ears open on this one.
Kyle Davies Rocky in First Start With Royals
Kyle Davies got off to a rough career in the American League today by giving up 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks in just 3 innings to the New York Yankees. The Yankees actually had multiple opportunities to tag Davies for even more runs; however failed to do so.
Well Mr. Davies, you ain't in Atlanta anymore. I would actually argue that Davies' fantasy stock increases somewhat on the Royals then when he was with Atlanta, simply due to the fact that he will be given every chance to start and learn from his mistakes. While those mistakes may come to bite you in your fantasy ass if you choose to lean on him too hard, he remains a talented pitcher that has many years to go before you need to worry about him not figuring things out. He's a good long-term prospect for keeper leagues and simply ran into an offensive juggernaut today in the Yankees. You can't blame the kid for not being on his "A-game" today at Yankee Stadium.
But hey, at least he entered into the record books! Kyle Davies will forever be known as the answer to, "What pitcher gave up Alex Rodriguez's 500th career homerun?" There ya go, Kyle! There is a positive side to everything!
Well Mr. Davies, you ain't in Atlanta anymore. I would actually argue that Davies' fantasy stock increases somewhat on the Royals then when he was with Atlanta, simply due to the fact that he will be given every chance to start and learn from his mistakes. While those mistakes may come to bite you in your fantasy ass if you choose to lean on him too hard, he remains a talented pitcher that has many years to go before you need to worry about him not figuring things out. He's a good long-term prospect for keeper leagues and simply ran into an offensive juggernaut today in the Yankees. You can't blame the kid for not being on his "A-game" today at Yankee Stadium.
But hey, at least he entered into the record books! Kyle Davies will forever be known as the answer to, "What pitcher gave up Alex Rodriguez's 500th career homerun?" There ya go, Kyle! There is a positive side to everything!
Salty Seriously Struggling
In his transition to the American League and his new team, the Texas Rangers, Jarrod Saltalamacchia has been struggling enormously. Through the 7th inning of Saturday afternoon's game, Salty has been humbled to the tune of 1 hit in his first 16 at bats as an American Leaguer.
Couple the slump with the fact that Salty has yet to strap on the catcher's gear, and his value is beginning to plummet. The promising prospect played 25 games behind the plate with the Braves, so his ability to be used as a catcher in 2008 should be safe in most every fantasy league. However, unless the Rangers make it a point to move Gerald Laird in the offseason, there might come a time where you wish to sell of Salty on a high note within the next year.
Saltalamacchia remains an elite talent and in now way should you give up on him now; however, I simply caution you of what may lie ahead. The kid is simply making an adjustment right now, and is certainly seeing more power pitching than he ever had seen in the National League East. He will figure things out in due time.
Couple the slump with the fact that Salty has yet to strap on the catcher's gear, and his value is beginning to plummet. The promising prospect played 25 games behind the plate with the Braves, so his ability to be used as a catcher in 2008 should be safe in most every fantasy league. However, unless the Rangers make it a point to move Gerald Laird in the offseason, there might come a time where you wish to sell of Salty on a high note within the next year.
Saltalamacchia remains an elite talent and in now way should you give up on him now; however, I simply caution you of what may lie ahead. The kid is simply making an adjustment right now, and is certainly seeing more power pitching than he ever had seen in the National League East. He will figure things out in due time.
Hughes Smacked Around in Return
Well, so much for that 8 1/3 of no-hit ball, huh? Phil Hughes, making his return to the Yankees rotation, showed signs of brilliance here and there. However, at the end of the day, he gave up a 6-2 lead to the Royals, lasting only 4 1/3 innings while giving up 7 hits, 6 earned runs and striking out 5.
All in all, the outing had massive highs (striking out the side in the 2nd inning) and some horrible lows (4 runs given up in the top of the 5th), but for his first start back since May 1st, we can't complain too much. Hughes remains an immense talent and now might be a good time to swoop in and attempt to acquire him, especially in keeper leagues.
All in all, the outing had massive highs (striking out the side in the 2nd inning) and some horrible lows (4 runs given up in the top of the 5th), but for his first start back since May 1st, we can't complain too much. Hughes remains an immense talent and now might be a good time to swoop in and attempt to acquire him, especially in keeper leagues.
Vladdy Guerrero Turns It On
Vladimir Guerrero had his second two-homerun night in as many nights, both against the Oakland Athletics. As was the case in both nights, the first homerun was a pitch that 99% of major leaguers wouldn't even attempt to swing at, let alone hit for a homerun. The second in each night was a pure mistake pitch by the pitcher.
Hey Athletics! How 'bout you stop pitching to this guy? When Vladdy gets hot, he gets HOT! Hopefully you made the move to buy him low in the past few weeks when he had gone 39 days without a homer, because if not, it is too late. Look for him to go on a massive tear from here on out to post typical Vladdy-like numbers.
Hey Athletics! How 'bout you stop pitching to this guy? When Vladdy gets hot, he gets HOT! Hopefully you made the move to buy him low in the past few weeks when he had gone 39 days without a homer, because if not, it is too late. Look for him to go on a massive tear from here on out to post typical Vladdy-like numbers.
Huge Morning for Arod, Hughes & Yankees!
UPDATE: Hughes' streak of no-hit ball just came to an end at 8 1/3 innings. Of course, it was stretched out over the course of almost 3 months due to his injury; however, you have to give it up to the kid. He's mature and he's going to be the "make or break" player for the Yankees as to whether they make the playoffs. Perhaps the reason the Yankees didn't make a blockbuster deal at the deadline was because Hughes and Joba Chamberlain were their "acquisitions".
..............
The Yankees received a massive shot in the arm in the first inning of today's game vs. Kansas City. Today marked the return of super-prospect Philip Hughes, looking dominant in his first inning of work since May 1st when he pitched 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball against the Rangers.
That was then followed up in by Arod finally nailing his 500th career homerun by way of a 3-run jack in the first inning off of newly acquired Royals' starting pitcher Kyle Davies. This homerun should not only loosen Arod up from here on out, but the team as well.
Robinson Cano continued his torrid power hitting streak with a triple in the bottom of the 1st to cap off a 4-run opening frame. Then Hughes came back in the top-half of the second to strike out the side. All in all, through 1 1/2 innings, the Yankees have received a major confidence boost.
While Arod never should have been inactive on your squad despite his recent struggles, look for him to go on a tear now that he got over this hump.
If Hughes was available for some reason, get him now! Otherwise, he is one of those guys that it is worth selling the farm for to acquire. He will be a rock-solid foundation to your fantasy staff for the next decade-plus.
..............
The Yankees received a massive shot in the arm in the first inning of today's game vs. Kansas City. Today marked the return of super-prospect Philip Hughes, looking dominant in his first inning of work since May 1st when he pitched 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball against the Rangers.
That was then followed up in by Arod finally nailing his 500th career homerun by way of a 3-run jack in the first inning off of newly acquired Royals' starting pitcher Kyle Davies. This homerun should not only loosen Arod up from here on out, but the team as well.
Robinson Cano continued his torrid power hitting streak with a triple in the bottom of the 1st to cap off a 4-run opening frame. Then Hughes came back in the top-half of the second to strike out the side. All in all, through 1 1/2 innings, the Yankees have received a major confidence boost.
While Arod never should have been inactive on your squad despite his recent struggles, look for him to go on a tear now that he got over this hump.
If Hughes was available for some reason, get him now! Otherwise, he is one of those guys that it is worth selling the farm for to acquire. He will be a rock-solid foundation to your fantasy staff for the next decade-plus.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Drew Stanton Out for Season
According to ESPN's Len Pasquarelli the Detroit Lions rookie quarterback, Drew Stanton, is out for the season. Stanton recently had arthroscopic knee surgery that will make his services unavailable until the 2008 pre-season. The surgery came after the rookie had swelling in his knee Sunday evening.
On an odd note, the Detroit Lions had originally stated following Stanton's surgery that he would be back and ready to go on the field in just 2-4 weeks. Something between that original stated timeline and today caused Lions officials to alter that statement, now saying they will be shutting him down for the year.
Is it just me or is the difference between "2-4 weeks" and "entire season" quite a large one? Something is a little fishy here, and I'm assuming the Lions officials simply botched this one. I love William C. Ford, the Lions owner -- I had the privilage of speaking to him on a daily basis about intimate Lions matters for two years -- but, he has surrounded himself by many incompetent people and this is just another event that gives light to that. I have no doubt we will hear more about this mysterious injury in the coming days.
As far as the fantasy factor, there was no telling whether or not the Lions would have opted for Stanton at some point this season. Chances are, if Jon Kitna didn't make good on his "10-wins" prediction (keep smoking whatever that is, Jon), Stanton would have seen the playing field for atleast the last 4 games of the season. Now, Kitna is obviously a safe bet all year while Stanton is simply left as an iffy-keeper in deeper leagues. Kitna's stock goes up due to job security while Stanton's plummets as this puts him a full year behind the curve.
On an odd note, the Detroit Lions had originally stated following Stanton's surgery that he would be back and ready to go on the field in just 2-4 weeks. Something between that original stated timeline and today caused Lions officials to alter that statement, now saying they will be shutting him down for the year.
Is it just me or is the difference between "2-4 weeks" and "entire season" quite a large one? Something is a little fishy here, and I'm assuming the Lions officials simply botched this one. I love William C. Ford, the Lions owner -- I had the privilage of speaking to him on a daily basis about intimate Lions matters for two years -- but, he has surrounded himself by many incompetent people and this is just another event that gives light to that. I have no doubt we will hear more about this mysterious injury in the coming days.
As far as the fantasy factor, there was no telling whether or not the Lions would have opted for Stanton at some point this season. Chances are, if Jon Kitna didn't make good on his "10-wins" prediction (keep smoking whatever that is, Jon), Stanton would have seen the playing field for atleast the last 4 games of the season. Now, Kitna is obviously a safe bet all year while Stanton is simply left as an iffy-keeper in deeper leagues. Kitna's stock goes up due to job security while Stanton's plummets as this puts him a full year behind the curve.
Neifi Perez Get Slapped With 80-Game Suspension
In the only time that you will ever see Neifi Perez's name mentioned on a fantasy sports site (well, because he is one of the most irrelevant players in baseball), the Tigers' bench-sitting SS was slapped with an 80-game suspension today by MLB.
This was the second time in less than one month that Perez was caught taking illegal stimulants, which leads to the question of why Neifi Perez would even need stimulants...and, if he was taking stimulants, he should release his dealer's name to the press so that no other athlete in the world will ever purchase their product, which obviously is horrendous in quality.
Hey Neifi! Did you forget who you are? Your are freaking Neifi Perez! You sit on the bench! What the hell are stimulants going to do for you when you don't even get to swing a bat?!? This is the equivalent of David Eckstein injecting 'Roids into his ass. I mean, c'mon. I can understand Bonds, Sosa and McGwire 'roiding up, because it would actually help them! That is the point of cheating, right? To get an advantage? Unless Neifi was overdosing on Viagra and Ciales, the man got ripped off on whatever stimulants he was buying. A .172 batting average with 1 homer and 6 rbi's doesn't exactly sounds like they were doing a whole hell of a lot, now do they?
He might just end up being the most insignificant player in baseball history to ever get banned for stimulants. But, this does make you wonder...if Neifi Perez of all people is taking stimulants, don't you think many others are too?
This was the second time in less than one month that Perez was caught taking illegal stimulants, which leads to the question of why Neifi Perez would even need stimulants...and, if he was taking stimulants, he should release his dealer's name to the press so that no other athlete in the world will ever purchase their product, which obviously is horrendous in quality.
Hey Neifi! Did you forget who you are? Your are freaking Neifi Perez! You sit on the bench! What the hell are stimulants going to do for you when you don't even get to swing a bat?!? This is the equivalent of David Eckstein injecting 'Roids into his ass. I mean, c'mon. I can understand Bonds, Sosa and McGwire 'roiding up, because it would actually help them! That is the point of cheating, right? To get an advantage? Unless Neifi was overdosing on Viagra and Ciales, the man got ripped off on whatever stimulants he was buying. A .172 batting average with 1 homer and 6 rbi's doesn't exactly sounds like they were doing a whole hell of a lot, now do they?
He might just end up being the most insignificant player in baseball history to ever get banned for stimulants. But, this does make you wonder...if Neifi Perez of all people is taking stimulants, don't you think many others are too?
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