Yesterday, I went over some fantasy baseball hitters to grab. Today, we look at some below the radar pitchers. (Of course, it depends on your league size on whether these schmohawks are above or below the radar. As that cliché goes, your trash is someone else’s wife.) If I were you, this would probably be a very helpful post for me. Why, Grey? Please explain. Okay, general reader of this site, I don’t draft pitching high in any league. My first pitcher off the board in one ‘pert league was Aaron Harang. Nuts, you say? Nuts indeed. And this was a fifteen team league, so you can imagine the slim pickings on waivers. Well, currently I’m at a 13 in ERA, 11 in WHIP and a 14 in saves. Wins have been a pain at 5.5 and I’m at 7 in Ks. (Honestly, I’ve seen that the least read posts on this site have been about the leagues Rudy and I are in, so I won’t bore you much longer, just bear with me.) So you’re thinking Harang first? Hmm… You must’ve had some kick-ass 2nd and 3rd and 4th pitchers off the board. 2nd pitcher was Rich Hill, 3rd Wainwright, 4th Edinson Volquez, then Chuck James and that’s it. Seriously, I should be in last place with that pitching staff. But I’ve ridden hard and put away wet Jorge Campillo, Jeremy Guthrie, Mark Buerhle and an array of spot starters. Then very recently I traded for Big Z to try and close the Ks and Wins a bit. So, as you see, pitching can be had in deep leagues, you just need to know where to look. Anyway, here’s some fantasy baseball pitchers to Buy and Sell:
BUY
Jorge Campillo – Probably gone by this time, but I told you to get Campillo in May. If your trigger finger is like Don Knotts in The Shakiest Gun in the West, this is not my fault. (BTW, In the same post, I told you to stay away from VMart. Zapow!)
Jeremy Guthrie – Again, he’s probably gone by now, but I told you to get him when Rich Hill and Gallardo collapsed on May 4th.
Braden Looper – Bad July, but he’s been consistently good one month then bad for one month for the whole year. ERAs respectively from April — 3.86, 6.37, 2.92, 4.82 and so far 2.57 in August. Does this make any logical sense? Yours is not to reason why, yours is to start Looper and hope he drives in Pujols.
Gil Meche – When you look at his numbers in November, you’ll think about how his season wasn’t that great. Well, this would be true, but he can be good for two months in the middle of a lame season. He’s in the middle of those two months.
Ricky Nolasco – 13 K game the other day probably snatched him off of waivers in every league, but in case it didn’t, here’s Nolasco. Now who are you gonna call? Maroone!
Matt Garza – Has this every other start thing going where he’s good in one start then poor in the next. If he stays true to it, you can make it work for you. Stay true, Garza, stay true… And I’ll start you… There’s a country ditty for ya’ll.
SELL
Paul Maholm – This guy is showing up on a lot of people’s “I’m a ‘pert and I’m telling to get this guy” list. Phooey to them. It’s effin’ Paul Maholm, people! Unless I’m looking at him in an NL-Only league, I’m yawnstipated.
Jamie Moyer – He threw a pitch last week that just made it to the catcher.
Armando Galarraga – On my tombstone it will say, “I told you I was ill. And don’t pickup Armando Galarraga.”
Oliver Perez – Here’s the thing with Ollie Perez, he can absolutely wreck havoc on your ratios. Bah!
Jeff Karstens – Ha! Seriously. Ha! Here’s a rule of thumb for you, for those that like thumb rules: Pirates pitchers should not be picked up until they have shown they can pitch well for an entire year.
Nick Blackburn – His K rate is abysmal for the last month or so. I could list more reasons, but trust me, that’s reason enough to look away.
Aaron Cook – I told you I would warn you when I got out. Consider yourself warned, boyz!
Dave Bush – This is one Bush I will not have a hand in.
“This is one Bush I will not have a hand in”
Funniest line I have ever read on this website.
@RT: Thanks, man. I’ll take that as “This site is already arfin’ awesome then it just blew my mind” rather than “This site has been kinda boring then they got one good one in.”
@Grey: I lose: Ortiz, Kazmir, Edwin E
I gain: Carlos Lee, Billingsley, Longoria
Exactly!
It was so understated, it was insanely funny. One of those “snicker for no good reason” kind of lines…. like two days later when it pops back into your head.
@Zebo:
Hell yeah.
@Grey: (RE: trading for Soto) No I don’t really need the extra HRs. And I have V-Mart coming back (maybe he’ll hit 20 and make up for a crappy year!).
@Zebo: That’s a great trade for you. Git r done!
@Denys: Ok, then hold tight.
Did we give up on Jonathan Sanchez?
How do you like trade proposed to me involving Hanley, Grey?
I deal Aviles, Quentin, CC
FOR Han-Ram, Bruce and Lilly
I think i may be able to get Cliff Lee instead of Lilly. Thoughts?
@Denys: I’ve given up on him anyway.
I would like to pick up Guthrie and am trying to figure out who is most expendable:
Sherrill, Fuentes or Broxton?
I also have Rivera so have never had any trouble with saves– I think I’m basically holding on to 4 closers to annoy other people in my league.
LOOPER? Phew! Jim Edmonds hit two hr off Looper today. Jim MF Edmonds.
Nice title anyway. Very appropriate.
@royce!: I’d try and get him without dropping a closer, but i’d say Sherrill out of the three.
@Denys: Guess it depends on the league size but, yeah, I think we gave up a bit. Filthy’s been downright ugly.
@Joe: I like it and I think Lee’s a better option. I know, I just told someone to get Lee! Ugh, but he’s having one of those seasons that just doesn’t make statistical sense.
@royce!: I can’t tell you to drop a closer. Not in my blood, sorry. How deep is this league? Why don’t you trade a closer? Do you have extra hitters?
@IowaCubs: Looper’s still looked good.
@Grey: Where’s the Edmonds love? I just picked him up in another league just to spite you. WHY am I spiting you? Not sure.
@Grey: 10 team h2h, I’m going to try to work on a trade.
Quick trade question, I couldn’t move Harden for Braun so I am going back to my Cubby fan and want to offer Harden and Alexei Ramirez for McLouth and Atkins.
Solid trade to solidify my outfield?
Right now I have Grandy, Ankiel, Sparkakis, and Pence
@IowaCubs: Cause he sucks. Other than that? No reason.
@royce!: Cool.
@BSA: That’s a good trade for you.
@IowaCubs: Spite to get out of the basement and give credit to Jim and your man love.
@Grey: But just to give you an idea of how little closers are appreciated in this league, Brian Wilson, Street, Percival, Mike Gonzalez, Putz and all the other Brain Freezers below Putz on your Closer Look post are free agents.
Which also makes me think I should pick up Wilson.
Oh, this might help: we count Holds, which I have only tried to pursue twice and it backfired miserably. Thanks, Qualls!
And would “Brain Freezers Below Putz” be a better band name or album title? I’m leaning toward the latter, as it would be less artistically constricting. Now I just need to come up with a band name.
@royce!: Oh, I see. It’s one of those Cuddle Boy leagues. In that case, drop Sherrill if you want. And don’t play with holds next year, they’re silly.
@royce!: That would be the album title. The band of course is called, “The Sherrills.”
Guthrie, Campillo & Nolasco are on my waivers. I’m going to drop R. Perez for one of them. Which do you think? I’m leaning towards Guthrie since he will be playing Cleveland next. Campillo has Cubs next, no good. Nolasco has STL next which could work…
Also, I’m waiting till tomorrow to do this pickup as they all start tonight. Have too see how they do then i’ll probably ask you the same question tomorrow.
@Grey: Absolutely! I can’t wait to see Rodney, Guardado and Kobayashi belting out “Every Night (I Pray)” by the Chantels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NllGzPOpu4I&feature=related
Or Lou Christie’s “Lightning Strikes Again” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl_nJBRMGZM
(I highly recommend watching this video).
The possibilities are limitless here.
@Nick: Ok, buddy. Then let’s see how they do. I think Nolasco’s going to pitch the best out of the three, but we’ll see.
All you newly-minted Bonifacio owners – you starting him against CC today?
@royce!: Wow, that’s some tight animation. “Yo, fellas, what’s our budget on this project?” “$50.” “Man, let’s go to Sizzler!” All, “Yeah!
@Steve: You just put him in there for every game for a week and see what happens. Unless, of course, your other options are more exciting.
@Grey: Well, Alexei Ramirez does keep getting caught stealing…
@Grey: His strikeouts are so intriguing. But it’s like he’ll either strike a dude out or the hitter gets a double or more. He needs another year to get it together. But I’ll be targeting him late next year.
@Denys: His division makes him more interesting than another similar pitcher, but his team’s putridity drops him a notch, which I guess leaves him about neutral. Either way, he’ll be a hot sleeper next year which will drive up his price and cause disappointment.
@Grey: Never before the 13th round. That’s the rule. Just like picking up a fat chick – never before the 13th beer.
@Denys: I love custardy girls. More custard the better. I get them drunk on butter and ice cream then I go chunky dunking. Yee-haw!
@Grey: I used to leave a smear of butter from the stairs to my dormroom’s door (thankfully I had the corner one right by the hallway door) back in freshman year. Worked every time.
Or sometimes I’d leave a blueberry muffin sitting on the window. One would eventually wander in to inspect.
@Denys: Oh, the muffin for muff trick. Nice. I would just wear a meat helmet to clubs.
@Grey: @Denys:
HaHa, I got back just it time.
You guys are sick.
We did the fattest chick contest Junior year, my roommate got 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
@Grey: Just like today’s round-up title I’d tell them to grab some balls. Had to be careful so they don’t mistake them for something edible though.
@BigFatHippo: Watching my team go 0 for 8 so far tonight. Not much else to do but relive the grand ole days…
Ohh yeah I guess there’s these here Olympics on. But until they get to the female gymnastics I could really care less.
Who wants to be me watching the games when you have Wolf and Cueto throwing? Was tempted to bench ‘em both.
Yeah I’m o for 8 in the RCL too.
But then again, when am I not o for 8 in the RCL. My guys are batting .243 ferchrissakes.
@Denys:
No fat chicks on the Olympic gym team.
Hippo I feel very bad for Utley, he doesn’t deserve to be on such a sucky team!
@BigFatHippo:@Denys: Wait, there’s no fat chicks in the Olympics, are there?
I’m watching Nolasco look good, good, good, good, good, really bad, good, good, good, good, really bad.
@Grey: Shot-put & weightlifting
But I think all that’s on today is Volleyball and shooting.
@BSA:
Yeah, I feel bad letting him be on your team. I shoulda made you take Kaz instead of Bills, also.
How you think Halladay feels?
@Denys: “Volleyball and shooting.”
It’s like a Baltimore City BBQ!
@BigFatHippo: He feels like he always does, A Jay stuck pitching his brains out on a sucky team that will never go anywhere in the AL East.
My trade deadline is tomorrow, and I’ve been trying to deal Sheets, because of his second half woes and he will likely start twice against the Cubs in the 2 week period of my leagues finals (against whom he has suffered).
Due to his not so sparkling recent past, it has been tough. But now I’ve finally got someone interested. Of his players, I’m looking at Granderson, Ibanez, and Pence, in order of priority. Would any of these be a mistake?
@Denys:
Ha
Like the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Wouldn’t want to work on the floor above that office.
@royce!: Granderson, then punt.
God damn it. Now it’s 0 for 11… that’s it. i’m watching the opening ceremonies. they have moving blocks!
Any talk of Scherzer starting ML games starting 9/1/08?
@Denys: @Grey:
Out of all those guys I stacked my team with, I have 1 RBI so far.
Kaz Matsui’s homer. Go figger.
Cueto almost made it out of trouble in the fifth. Bourn of all got the single and an RBI to tighten things up. What have his pitch counts been? We’ll see if he hits. At least his ERA came down but he struggled through 9Ks.
@SaltyBiscuits: Should be right around that time, maybe a little before.
@BigFatHippo: Kaz has been hot lately, huh?
@BSA: 9 Ks were nice, everything else is George Foster ugly.
Love the outfield and utility tonight 0 for 11.
@BigFatHippo: I’m 0 for 13 now. But Hanley got a walk (my league counts OBP)… Hooray…
@Grey: A couple of my pitchers have me torn, good K numbers but struggling for WHIP and Wins.
As to Kaz, glad Hippo passed him on to me in the RCL.
@Grey:
Just wish Kaz would start running wild, like a crackhead on COPS!
@Denys:
I’m 1 for 16 in the RCL, shut up Summerdog. I hear you snickering.
In a H2H league, the player in 4th offered me Sheets/Kazmir, Berkman, and Pierre/Pence for Tex, C. Guillen, and Burnett. I can’t say I really like either of those pitchers on his end because of matchups and histories. Do other people feel hesitant about these 2 pitchers? If I can get him to put in Peavy instead, is Peavy and Berkman for Burnett and Teixeira worth it? I hate giving up the established players that are hot because you never know how long that’ll last. I’m only interested in values during September, so maybe my guys cool off by then and his get hot?
Hippo that wasn’t snickering, that thunder you heard rolling through the night sky was me bellowing from CT.
RCL-6 for 15, wonder who gave me 3 tonight. The same person knocking on the door with another R.
Rogers at 100+ pitches, how does Leyland roll out the bullpen tonight?
@BSA:
Was that you? I thought I farted, I mean, the dog farted. Yeah, that’s it.
re: Leland, you ain’t gotta smoke em all at once dude. But I don’t blame him, gonna have a Malboro red in his honor.
@drizzle21:
I would think Sheets = Burnett and Berkman = Tex so don’t give away C Guile if you need him at SS. Really SS and MI are the only place Guillen has value.
Hey All!
Could use some advice!
Maholm or Josh Johnson
@BigFatHippo: 1 for 17 son! there’s not enough beer in the fridge to drown this out….
@SaltyBiscuits:
Johnson at least has upside and could get some wins although his WHIP has never been good. Maholm is what he is, a loser on a losing team.
@Denys:
Buy 30 packs, they last longer. I’m 2 for 19, both by Rollins, who I acquired for Utley from BSA.
@BSA: Yeah, but you know who threw a gem, right? Guthrie.
@BigFatHippo: I hear that.*
*What does that refer to? Um, everything?
@drizzle21: That’s not a trade you should be making. They’re trouble separately. Together, oy!
@SaltyBiscuits: Punt.
@Denys:
Incidentally, that wasn’t a straight up deal, lest you think I’m stupid.
I got Vlad and Nathan, he got Bills, C Guile and Kaz Mat. Hasn’t helped either of us.
Update: 1 for 19 feel it!
@BigFatHippo: I still love Bills more than life itself. But if you’re not in a keeper league it makes sense to get a bit of saves and a hitter that will catch up to his career avg. Good enough trade.
***Not sure how many of youse are watching the Mets game, but if they advertise one more time I’m buying whatever Guiseppe Franco is selling. Full head of hair or not. This guy bought enough commercials for a day-night doubleheader and push em into a three inning slot. Maybe he got a deal on rain delay commercials.
Grey, I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one. I like Paul Maholm the rest of the way.
@Grey: Franco who “doesn’t own anything about it” and the product he is repping, Procede, is kind of an inside joke between Mets fans. They play the ad probably 213 times per game and it has burned itself into my memory. metsblog.com went so far as to interview Giuseppe.
Ziggy Ziegler got the save tonight for Oakland.
@BigFatHippo: I was just coming here to write about it!
Ladies and Gentlemen men – your future Oakland reliever turned staff ace!
C Guile left with back spasms BTW. Anybody know anything about it?
@Denys:
What are their plans for him, was he a starter in the minors? I’d look it up but I’m too lazy.
Check out Pittsburgh v. Philly!
@BigFatHippo: YEOP! Starter turned closer. Only went reliever after he changed to the submariner delivery. I bet now that he’s feeling comfy with it they turn him back into a starter.
Tell you what if I’m a struggling SP – I want in on the A’s organization. They’re doing something right. Must be the water!
@Chase: People are welcome to disagree. I wouldn’t go near Maholm. I wouldn’t draft him, I wouldn’t pick him off waivers, I wouldn’t trade for him. Maybe next year. Not enough upside to go chasing waterfalls.
@SaltyBiscuits: Ha! That’s awesome. Link please of interview. I wanna read it.
@BigFatHippo: It was a two inning save. Street sucks. He prolly broke a nail. Ziegler is good for ratios though, so he’s not the worst flier to take.
@BSA:
Why is it that whenever Philly gets a great start out of a pitcher they-can’t-hit-shit.
Hamels has suffered from that his whole career. Moyer can go out and get shelled and they’ll win 12 to 8.
@BigFatHippo: Phillies been slumping pretty bad.
BTW, here’s a ten team line for me tonight (this is the league where I’m beating Rudy by 20 points):
* 1/31
* 1
* 0
* 0
* 0
* .032
That one is a Braun run.
Now I’m going to stick my head in the oven.
@Grey:
I feel better already, at least I got 2 runs. Does that oven sleep two?
BTW, already have Ziggy, I zigged when everyone else zugged, er zogged, er…………..
@Denys:
Maybe he’ll be the next Kent Tekulve.
Yawn – Pence Homers! What is it about his numbers this year – not horrible, not great, yet not exciting either.
Franky Cordero: Kazaam!
@BSA:
What the hell happened while Pork was away?
Did you see he’s in 2nd place? I wasn’t paying attention to those guys up there.
Hippo – dropping Lowrie?
@BSA:
Chipper started tonight, had to drop somebody and get him in the linup tomorrow.
Once Glaus gets done with the Cubs he’ll get hot again. 0 for frickin 6000 vs. the Cubs.
I dropped Kobayashi for Heilman tonight, but Ziegler and Lewis are also available.
Lewis has terrible peripherals, so I have no confidence that tonight was not random.
Ziegler’s peripherals are also unimpressive, but he does have that streak going. Not sure why Street was not in tonight since he last pitched on the 5th. Injury possibility given the poor performance last time out? I have not heard anything.
Huston Street was placed on waivers and claimed by several teams but no deal was reached, so he remains with Oakland. This was reported by Buster Olney on ESPN.
Looks like Ziggy’s the man, and the spiders from Mars.
@BigFatHippo: I just looked. He has risen right up there with only one move when he first stepped away. I don’t get it either. I took that trip to the bottom a couple of weeks ago and can’t budge now. I look at their teams and scratch my head and say, “WTF”.
@BigFatHippo: That is why I have to do some reading this winter to figure out rotisserie, because I am pretty much running blind on how to improve.
UTLEY SUCKS!!!!!! Nah, not really, but tonight – HE SUCKS!
@BigFatHippo: lol who?
@Denys:
Google Tekulve, you’ll find out. I’m a little older than you, hence the Ziggy Stardust reference. Google Bowie while you’re at it.
@BSA:
It’s really the same way as H to H but you gotta pay attention to the cats more, and play every day instead of week to week. That’s what I like about it the most.
@ Everybody
Would you do this deal?
I give Sizemore and Fast Willy for Holliday. Taveras riding my pine anyway.
The guy in 4th needs steals to take 10 pts in a 10 team league, he’ll take them away from the guy that’s directly behind me.
Power? I think Holliday = Sizemore from here on and he helps me with avg and obp.
See Summerdog, these are the things you have to look at in roto.
@BigFatHippo: Fuck Bowie.
But I Googled Tekulve. Actually I wikied him. 12 losses while giving up 0 runs. That’s a rough city mang.
Nite all! The Chinese are singing their greek song and serenading me to bed. The girls will be serenading, if thats what you call it, me awake at 6 AM (3 AM to you Grey). Hopefully BFH and Denys’s teams didn’t 0fer all night.
The torch is lit, the fireworks are firing, and I am signing off.
@Denys:
But the most telling stat is this, submarining righthander with 31 saves in 1979 for the Pirates “We are Family” team. Back when they didn’t care about saves.
Ziggy could pitch till he’s 40 with that delivery.
And don’t diss Bowie mang, Changes One is a rock and roll bible.
I been through rockabilly, blues, gospel, Kiss Army, disco, Motown, hairbands, hip hop, bubble gum rock, Casey Kasem’s top 40, heavy metal and alternative rock, anything but Country. And Western.
Bowie lives on.
@Grey: Here you are my good sir: http://www.metsblog.com/2008/08/07/video-interview-with-giuseppe-franco/
@SaltyBiscuits: That’s awesome, thanks.
@Grey: I’m in a mostly uncompetitive 10 team league and just traded two starters for a big hitter. Looking at the waiver wire, I see that there are many decent-to-good arms available: Maine, Myers, Garza, Nolasco, Slowey, Baker, Harang, and Josh Johnson. Yes, I know, other managers are asleep at the wheel, but which of these guys do you think is the best bet the rest of the way? I’m leaning toward Nolasco or Johnson, but I could be convinced to pick-up any of these guys.
@Shogun: I’d go Nolasco, Garza, Baker, Myers, punt.
@Grey: Are you saying you wouldn’t grab that Johnson?
Anyway, I was thinking Nolasco, Baker, Johnson, Slowey, Myers, Harang. But the Nolasco part is the important one. Thanks.