Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes

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CarBel Gets His Cookie Puss Back In The Lineup

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 55 Comments

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Well, lookie lookie!  If it’s not Carlos Beltran really back from over a year layoff after leaving the lineup initially with what was described as a day-to-day issue.  Those sure are long days, New York Mets?  They’re like Alaska in the summer days.  Beltran returned briefly last year in September, but he’s claiming that he wasn’t 100% at that point.  He is now.  How far you can throw Beltran is how much you should believe him.  As I mentioned in the top 100 for the 2nd half when I gave him the projections of 35/12/45/.270/4, “He comes with injury risk, might not be ready to hit major league pitching and who knows if he’ll be able to steal any bases…”  And that’s me quoting me!  We’re just as likely to see Beltran reinjure himself, come out of the closet and take Claire Danes to the People’s Choice Awards as a friend.  (On a sidenote, in a meeting I went to yesterday, I held a People’s Choice Award for about 12 seconds.  I knew I was in trouble when I picked it up and said, “I’d like to thank the 16 million Guatemalans who I paid a nickel each to vote for me.  This is as much yours as it is mine, but you’re still not invited to come visit it,” and was met with silence.)  About two weeks ago, I told you to sell Beltran.  Nothing’s changed on that front.  You do what you do, I’ll do what I do and we’ll run parallel and wave to each other.  Hey!  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Jose Reyes – Manuel said Reyes won’t return until he’s 100% pain free.  As someone who has struggled with oblique soreness… Oh, who am I kidding, I don’t even know where it is.  I’m not sure why they don’t just DL Reyes so I can at least do the same in my fantasy leagues.  Doesn’t anyone care about fantasy?!  C’mon, I’m juggling Bartlett and Hardy in my SS spot!  I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see Reyes for another week to ten days.  <–optimistic

Matt Wieters – To the DL.  I have a suggestion for a new Matt Wieters Fact.  A Houston Astros fan swung a bat at a Brad Ausmus piñata and Matt Wieters fell out.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

ATL Trades Bonzo For Gonzo

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 58 Comments

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The Blue Kays and the Atlanta Braves switched shortstops, assuming Yunel Escobar and Alex Gonzalez make it through customs.  No, sir, I don’t have an OBP to declare.  This move is commonly called One Team’s Garbage Is Another Team’s ‘At Least We Don’t Have That Other Garbage Anymore’ trade.  I’ve noticed team fans don’t really look to see what they’re getting as much as what they’re losing.  If they lose a piece that’s done nothing, the fans are giggle-a-plenty.  If they’re losing a fan favorite or a productive piece, they’re angry.  We saw this play out with the M’s losing Silva for Bradley.  People talk about addition by subtraction.  I suppose, but I wouldn’t want either of these schmohawks.  Alex Gonzalez is disguised as a .260 hitter with 17 homers during his career year.  If he were to hit .220 with 8 homers the rest of the way, it wouldn’t shock me.   The piece going to the Blue Kays is marginally better.  At least his OBP is above .300.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Non-Walker: Texas Ranger

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 183 Comments

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After hours of rumors about a trade to the Yankees, Cliff Lee was traded to the Rangers.  Going the other way, Justin Smoak and some prospects.  We’ll get to Smoak in a bit.  You know who I really feel sorry for in this whole Cliff Lee ordeal.  The poor, poor New York Yankees.  Now they have to make due with CC, Vazquez, Hughes, Pettitte, Tex, Posada, Jeter, Swisher, Gardner, Cano and A-Rod.  Here’s hoping they can acquire Werth for the first man off the bench position.  Or Oswalt for middle relief.  My pet crocodile is crying for them.  Cliff Lee threw a 2.52 ERA in Citizens Flank last year with 40 Ks and 5 BBs.  Is The Flank that much better than Arlington?  No, it’s not.  He’s still in the AL West, at least, and not the AL East.  His first start vs.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
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All Brays To The Big Donkey

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 87 Comments

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In the clubhouse after last night’s game, the Nats watched as ESPN reported Strasburg wasn’t pitching until Friday so there was nothing to talk about.  Nothing to say about Adam Dunn.  Nothing to say about that Zimmerman guy.  Josh Will-something… They couldn’t even remember his name.  The team stopped watching the highlights, upset they were nothing but Anthony Edwards to Strasburg’s Clooney.  Knowing something had to be done, Dunn left the clubhouse as he always had – by reaching up, removing the ceiling and climbing out.  Then he jumped on the back of a blue ox and circled the globe until time rewound to before the game.  Dunn then went out and hit his 18th, 19th and 20th homers while rocking a .280 average on the year.  Now after the game, ESPN reported Dunn hit 3 homers, specifying it came just two days prior to Strasburg’s next start.  Dunn shrugged, it was a start as he ripped the blue ox’s leg off and had dinner.  Hee-haw!  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Ian Desmond – 1-for-2 with his 2nd homer in as many games.  Now has 6 homers and 6 steals on the year.  Ever heard of the slow boat to China?  Yeah, Desmond’s on the slow boat to 12/12.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Staying Healthy Isn’t Peavy

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 267 Comments

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Jake Peavy was walking off the field before the trainers even got to him.  On a scale of bad signs, that’s around a 9.  That’s on a scale of 1 to 8.  The good news is it’s not his arm.  It’s his dorsi muscle.  Peavy’s a dolphin?  Put down your noisemakers, it’s not that good of news.  To paraphrase Ludacris, “Peavy back bad, Peavy not good… Peavy back don’t do stuff that yo’ back do… (Repeat chorus 17 times.)”  Daniel Hudson, rocking a 3.47 ERA in a hitters’ park in the minors, could get the call if Peavy needs a DL stint.  You know that guy you see when you search for Tim Hudson on the waiver wire?  That’s him!  He has more than a K/IP in the minors, though his control is iffy at times.  He’s worth a pick up in AL-Only or deep mixed keeper leagues.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Aaron Harang – Headed to the DL with back spasms.  Dusty said, “If he dies, he dies,” while wrapped in a Reds flag.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Bats On The Pelfrey

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 101 Comments

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Mike Pelfrey went from totally chic to totally geek in the matter of 4 starts.  Last night, he dropped a 4 2/3 IP, 7 ER bomb and now he’s staring at nickels.  Pardon the wavy lines as we jump in The Way Back Machine and see what I said in April, “His K-rate prior to 2010 was pretty poor.  Even this year, it’s only a little above his career mark.  His biggest adjustment so far seems to be his ability to avoid the homer ball and leave men on base.  He can be usable as a 4th fantasy starter, especially in Metco.”  And that’s me copying and pasting me!  Nothing’s really changed other than he’s no longer leaving men on base, his homers have gone up (literally) and his lack of Ks are catching up to him.  Hmm… Maybe some stuff has changed.  He had a 1.98 ERA at Metco prior to last night, so that’s still a nice matchup start, but Pelfrey is no longer a must own.  At 109 IP on the year and only 67 Ks, he’s a notch below Jon Garland in K-rate.  I just popped a zit in the mirror and spelled out, “You can probably do better than Pelfrey.”  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Jose Reyes – Supposed to return on Tuesday.  I really want to believe this, but the Met doctors are a joke.  Did they go to that med school Steve Guttenberg went in Bad Medicine?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

No More Hatey For LaPorta Prince

| Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 95 Comments

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Yesterday, Matt LaPorta homered in his third straight game.  Who needs LeBron when you got LaPorta?  BTW, I don’t like basketball because I think a 7 foot tall guy making a basket is as difficult as me throwing away something in a garbage can, but I suggest you check out the LeBron documentary.  Was really good.  Total puff piece, but I was on the edge of my feeling castle about to emote.  Hey, Joel Siegel, I’m carrying on the movie and mustache thing!  Maybe LaPorta’s just Pronk II:  Hasta LaPorta Baby.  Maybe the MLP package is finally on.  Maybe he does nothing starting tomorrow.  At your corner infidel, I’d take a flyer on LaPorta for the chance you get a cheap 15 homers.  If he maintains this pace for 3 months, he’ll have Cleveland fans almost forget they traded CC Pitching Factory for him.  Just like Lou Marson and Jason Donald’s play is making them forget about Cliff Lee.  Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:

Justin Masterson – 8 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 8 baserunners, 5 Ks.  He must’ve decided it was time to step it up since 3,463 Yahoo teams had dropped him.

Please, blog, may I have some more?