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0When in doubt, I like to keep hitters over pitchers, but sometimes pitchers come with such a cheap price tag, you have to take a gander, goose. Ubaldo Jimenez should fit that bill, duck. Gotta look for the sale, man (fish). (Okay, I’ll stop now.) With Jimenez’s average ADP this preseason and his egregious April, I imagine if you own Ubaldo, he’s cheaper than most guys on your team. If you throw out Ubaldo’s April when he gave up 16 earned runs in 19 innings, he has an ERA near-3 on the season. His K-rate has stayed about the same over his career (just south of 8 K/9), but the impressive thing this season is the way he’s been able to cut his walks. Coming into this season, he had around a 4.50 BB/9. That was troubling. This year, however, he has a 3.41 BB/9 while maintaining his Ks. To go along with his Ks and lack of walks is his ability to get opposing hitters to become Sparky Anklebiters, hitting the ball into the dirt. As we know keeping the ball down, striking out guys and not walking (as) many, is a recipe for… Boeuf Bourguignon? No, random italicized voice. A successful pitcher. Even one that calls Coors home. Anyway, here’s some more fantasy baseball keepers for 2010:
Nelson Cruz – In 2010, he’s a lineup switch or an injury to someone else away from being a top 20 hitter. He has the power (30+) and speed (20+) combo to do it, the only thing missing is the Ribbies and Runs — Ma, I’m sick! Cause you ate at that damn Ribbies and Runs Joint!
Jayson Werth – Another guy with 30 HR power and speed. Maybe it’s the landing strip on his face — does he bikini wax his chin? — But I wasn’t a fan of Werth coming into this year. I was wrong — Or, in this case, wreng.
Would love it if these guys actually fly somewhat under the radar to qualify as bargains next year. Had Werth from the get go this year. Mucho pleased.
@Simply Fred: I definitely get–if you got ‘em, keep ‘em.
The end of this season is going to cause me much agony in creating a keeper list for next year. Assuming Manny stays with the Dodgers and Holliday with the Cards, I can keep 4 of the following in my 5×5 NL league:
Billingsley
Manny
Gallardo
Wandy
Javy Vazquez
Ian Stewart
Holliday
Please help. Stewart does qualify at 2nd, but I have Utley there, so it’s not as big a deal for me.
Gotta pick one last starter for the week:
Huff @OAK (B. Anderson)
Smoltz vs. CHC (Lilly)
Hammel @ARI (Scherzer)
Thanks.
@Simply Fred: they’re not gonna be under the radar, CRUZ for sure won’t be he’ll be early 3rd round to probably late to early 2nd round material in any 12 teamer….
I play H2H so he concerns me. SWOONS up and down. Carries you one week crushes you the next. I probably won’t pay for him. I’d much rather find the next CRUZ, like i always do….
too bad i didn’t listen and “find” mark reynolds this year….
where do you guys see reynolds going? a little before cruz ? say early 2nd and cruz from mid 2nd to anywhere into the 3rd possibly???
And today (once I fired your sorry ass), it’s one scoreless.
You’re an asshole, Villanueva.
Gallardo might be shut down. Official word will come Friday. Either way, he’s been ineffective. I dropped him in favor of some random streamer… in this case, Padilla vs. SF………………..
………. who will be dropped for Arroyo on Sat.
just fyi!
@TYY: I know. Not under the radar. Cruz has been up and down, so I thought maybe he might not go quite as high as you project. I won’t be going after him at that altitude.
@TYY: So, I am curious about your strategy for finding the next Cruz. I had him from the start. He seemed to stand out with his outstanding late season last year and strong minor numbers. In looking forward to next year, a player like R. Davis is older and now showing his stuff. However, I discount him for not having been more successful so far (where I didn’t discount Cruz–not sure why). Will you be looking at a R. Davis-type who is doing strong in September, or someone like Jason Howard (if he makes the team out of spring training)? Not necessarily asking you to limit to these players, as much as your philosophy for finding the next Cruz.
@TYY: Players like Coghlan, G. Jones, McCutchen, C. Gomez seem pretty easy picks for next year (not exactly under the radar).
if the premise of this article is “look for the sale” , then cruz and werth don’t belong on the same page as ubaldo . both will be highly valued , going into next year’s draft , if not over-valued .
i’m looking forward to alexei ramirez “falling” to me .
a strong ankle and a quick start is what i’m hoping to see from him .
@big o: pretty sure the article is about keepers of . . . werth
@big o: Didn’t mean to confuse the issue. The article is clearly about keepers. I am not currently in a keepers league. So, I was trying to get info on looking for bargains. We often change subjects from the topic of the article.
@Scott: Manny, Holliday, Javy, Bills…
@Commish Cauda (formerly Mike): Smoltz
@and1mcgee: Thanks for the heads up!
@big o: Wouldn’t say it’s about “looking for a sale,” as much as just about guys that should be looked at for next year. Keepers who will keep their value, if you will. It’s a fair point about Werth and Cruz though. But you’d be surprised at how many leagues are shallow and people ask me about Werth or Cruz.
It doesn’t seem like Morrow will be dependable down the stretch… time to jump the bandwagon?
@GTS: Yeah, I’d lose him. No time to wait for him to come around.
grey who are some pitchers u like for the rest of the year that are probably available in 12 team mixed leagues? Oswalt is done so i wanna pick up another pitcher
Need a couple spot starters for my playoffs this weekend. Please rank Maholm vs SD, Penny vs LAD, Hunter vs LAA, Anderson vs Cle, Bailey vs FLA, Padilla vs SF, Duensing vs DET. Thanks!
@Grey:
Werth has been good to me this year.
Every week or so I would look to move him and then he would go on a monster tear like he could see my thoughts (really weird). Kendry Morales did the same to me but his streaks were a bit longer.
@Martin: I need you to give me some possibilities. The other day I went other some starters for this week, that might help.
@steamer: Maholm, Penny, Padilla, Duensing…
@BSA: Yeah, he’s pretty streaky.
@Grey:
victorino had to leave tonight’s game cuz he was too streaky ??
Hey Wade Davis, Josh Beckett called. He wants his pitching line back.
@Grey: I’m thinking Kendry needs to listen to the Grey that says drop him. Markakis and he are killing my average but at least Sparkakis has stolen a couple of bases lately.
@BSA:
wanted to ask you your thoughts on the sawx , vis-a-vis the catching position , for next year .
do you see vmart catching 130 games ?
how’s this “captain” issue going to unfold ??
hey grey I forgot to ask you if I should start Wade Davis
And the team renovation continues. My summer All-Stars have wilted since the calendar turned to September. Dumped Chipper and Oswalt yesterday and now E-Jax is gone 1 day too late. BJ Upton, I’m looking at you.
@big o:
I think the big “C” will stay on Tek’s chest yet I see VMart catching 3/5 of the staff (Lester, Buch, ?) while Tek catches Beckett, DiceK).
I think Wake is done after one more start this season.
**16-team H2H-POINTS League**
Looks like I’m going to lose Harden for next week…my championship. Lowe is my replacement, but if he isn’t ready to go, which guy do I pick up and plug in?
Blackburn @CHI (Floyd), @KC (Greinke)
Correia @ARI (Sherzer)
Davis vs. BOS (Lester)
Huff vs. DET (Porcello)
Wade LeBlanc @PIT (McCutchen), @ARI (Haren)
Dave Bush vs. CHC (Wells)
Sean West vs. NYM (Maine)
Pray for Lowe to play, right?
@Simply Fred: i drafted cruz this year, i think in the 12th round of my 12 teamer? I just basically read razzball (plug) haha, and tons of other sites, just see what people say, what catches my attention the most, look at stats and take as many guys similar to cruz (high upside) in the later rounds…
My plan next year, dont trade with ANYONE, if i had my original team i drafted i’d have won my H2H league by even more, still trying to win the whole thing but reg season wise….
For some reason I’m trying to win the playoff for 5th and 6th in my H2H league. Have grabbed Smoltz, Deunsing and Hudson for tomorrow.
Best two out of three? Or one out of three?
I know you’ve answered pretty much the same question in previous comments, but if you had to go with one for tomorrow…Smoltz, Padilla, Duensing, or Hochevar.
thanks, dood.
@Commish Cauda (formerly Mike):
That’s Kyle Davies vs. BOS (Lester)
@TYY: Thanks for sharing. I plan to tackle roto next year. Have perused the RCL leagues and it doesn’t appear that there was much trading. Not ready for prime time H2H. Grey’s mantra of waiting for starting pitching and SAGNOF for saves and steals appears to be a winning approach. Will scour the waves for the upside players. Thanks, again.
@Simply Fred: RCL is where it’s at, yo.
Everyone’s reading the same info though…
@Nathan: Hehe
@knighttown: That’s September for you.
@Commish Cauda (formerly Mike): West, or LeBlanc, but he’s riskier.
@Steve: I’d go with Duensing, Smoltz, Hudson… In that order. But they’re all risky.
@whigs: Duensing, Padilla, Smoltz…
@Steve: Yeah, I hope to keep my expectations in check. The points league that I do is once-per-week lineups so that fits in with sitting the grandkids. I will be late on waiver wire moves, which is important to success I know. Looking forward to the new adventure. Thanks for the encouragement!
well , mortensen pulled it off …. only 5 innings … with 91 pitches , prolly could have tried to pitch the 6th .
still , he out-pitched masterson and made me small points .
his walk rate needs to improve .
go A ‘s .
h2h semifinal, I’m tied in W, but winning in ERA & WHIP. Yay or nay to starting Sanchez vs LA and/or Shields vs TOR tomorrow?
@big o: Looks like the Curse-of-Grey’s-SP-vs-A’s continues…
@cake_eater: I’d start Sanchez.
@peter: The A’s haunt me.
@Grey: We go on stats around here, right?
You’d think the As would show us a bit more love.
@Steve: I’d say.
There’s actually a new post. Boo-ya, East Coast Time!
@Grey: the A`s and the giants have nailed me all year