Brad Peacock

Scott Evans

Two-Startapalooza — Week 4

| Fantasy Baseball Two Start Pitchers | 98 Comments

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Welcome back, two-start hoarders. The awful weather this April has made things a bit more challenging, as two-starters keep getting bumped from one week to the next. The coming week has a seven-game slate for most clubs, and obviously we’re hoping for fewer postponed contests, but keep in mind that Tuesday’s two-starters could easily slide into the two-start slot for week 5.

As always, probable pitchers are subject to change. For a look at all fantasy baseball streamers, click that link.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Da Bruce Rondon Gone, Da Bruce Rondon

| 2013 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 266 Comments

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And the Tigerettes sang, “He was talked up as closer, but now he’s sent down… Da Bruce Rondon gone, Da Bruce Rondon… Somebody told me he made Leyland frown… Da Bruce Rondon gone, da Bruce Rondon… Yeah, he sucked in spring… Yes, his stats would sting… But now my team’s saves are boned… Da Bruce Rondon gone, Da Bruce Rondon…” As Randy Jackson would say, we got ourselves a pitchy competition, dawg! *sips from Pepsi cup, looks at Mariah for approval, fixes silver chain, sucks in gut under sweater that he’s wearing with no undershirt which makes it look really itchy, laughs at some Nicki Minaj nonsense, says to Seacrest, “I don’t know, we’ll have to see what America thinks” and smiles* So, Bruce Rondon was sent down and now the Tigers closer job is Hollywood Week. Auditions are down to Al Al’etc, Santa K, New Mexiclosero, Al Al, Coke Is It, Coke Is So 80′s Octavio Dotel Is It, Alquin Cokel, Octaquin BenCokel and Philquin Alburcoke. And that’s only four guys! Hang tight, guys and four girl readers, it’s a closerousel. Lots of possible outcomes here. All four guys could do well in a committee and Leyland utilizes it the whole year. Two guys do well and we get a portmanteau closer, let’s call it a SAGNOFtaur. Three guys could do well, let’s call that, The Three StoogeNOF. Another possibility: as we know from the past with Leyland’s ‘Set it and Forget It’ lineup card management, he likes to stick with one thing. So one guy takes the job by mid-April and holds it for the majority of the year. This is the best possibility for all involved. I think that’s also what happens. Leyland’s got cigarettes to smoke, he doesn’t have time to be walking to the mound to change pitchers! So who from Octavio Dotel, Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit and Phil Coke does he go with? As the prude brothel’s sign announces, therein lies the rub. Al Al’etc is a monster for Ks, he’s my first option because he could provide solid value while the job is being decided. Then, I like Dotel. He reduced his walks last year and kept his Ks. He also has some closer experience. Next up: Joaquin Benoit. He was very successful last year in middle relief, but he can’t go on back-to-back days or stay healthy. Finally, Phil Coke. I wouldn’t grab him outside of AL-Only leagues. Big strike against him: he’s a lefty. In his favor: he closed games in the playoffs last year. It’s a shituation of epicloser proportions. Oh, and I wouldn’t grab more than one guy. I’d take a gamble on one guy, form a prayer rectangular and hope it works out. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday for fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

MLB Has Major Beef With RB’s PED Use

| 2013 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes | 602 Comments

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Here’s a scenario: You are the burger flipper manager at your local burger flipping place. Someone comes to you and says Ryan Braun, your best burger flipping employee, is injecting his meat with HGH. That’s why they’re tasting so good, yells one of your other employees. You don’t want to believe Ryan is doing this. His burgers are soooooooo delicious. All of your customers love them. Kowtowing to your other employees and the media, you decide to taste test his burgers. Sadly, they do taste test positive for HGH. You have no solution other than to suspend him. This is gonna hurt business. When, by sheer luck, it turns out your taste testers sampled his burgers after they were delivered to their house from FedEx and the soooooooo delicious burger wasn’t tasted in the restaurant. Ryan’s attorneys rejoice. Ryan says, “I told you my burgers were clean” and you shrug. You’re just glad your best burger flipper can keep making you those soooooooo delicious burgers. Then…THEN someone comes along and says they found a note scribbled in the dumpster that says Ryan is ordering HGH to inject into his soooooooo delicious burgers. You look at that note and say, “Okay, we’ll keep an eye on things,” and go back to serving those soooooooo delicious burgers that everyone likes. Well, damn me and my deliciously Horsey sauce argument about chain of custody and Biogenesis as a ‘consultant.’ There’s no way Ryan Braun is being suspended for this Biogenesis nonsense. It’s ridiculous. Can we move on? Anyway, here’s what else I saw in spring training for 2013 fantasy baseball:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Tom Jacks

Battles To Watch: AL West

| 2013 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 10 Comments

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Gird your loins – we’re currently navigating positions battles in each division. Today I’m talking about the AL West, which gains the Astros this year, if anyone considers them something you gain. Every other team in the division should stand to benefit from the move. Maybe I’ve already beat them into the ground, especially with my review of worst pitching staffs in 2012, but they really could have a season for the ages (of a fallen empire). Across the state, the Rangers should continue to be a powerhouse, despite Ron Washington’s “leadership.” Meanwhile, the Angels look like the terminator, although, once their non-Trout core ages a little more, maybe they’ll be merely human. Today’s empires, tomorrow’s ashes – am I right? I don’t want to say anything bad about the Mariners other than this sentence implying that I have something bad to say about them. Ah yes, and I’m required by the union of baseball writers to have a token mention of the A’s. There you go. Anyway, here’s some of the position battles to watch in the AL West:

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Scott Evans

2013 Minor League Preview: Oakland Athletics

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 2 Comments

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Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America
2012 (26) | 2011 (28) | 2010 (12) | 2009 (3) | 2008 (27)

2012 Affiliate Records
MLB:  [94-68] AL West
AAA:  [86-58] Pacific Coast League — Sacramento
AA:  [64-74] Texas League — Midland
A+:  [56-84] California League — Stockton
A:  [67-72] Midwest League — Burlington (Beloit beginning 2013)
A(ss):  [33-43] New York-Penn League — Vermont

Arizona Fall League Players — Phoenix Desert Dogs
Gary Daley (RHP); Brett Hunter (RHP); James Simmons (RHP); Max Stassi (C); Grant Green (OF)

Graduated Prospects of Note
Jarrod Parker (RHP); A.J.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Scott Evans

Reviewing the Top 25 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for 2012

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 30 Comments

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This is always painful, but it’s also necessary.  What follows is a look back at my preseason prospect rankings — a self audit, if you will.  To be clear, this isn’t a re-ranking or anything, but it should suffice to remind all of you that I am mostly stupid.  Please keep in mind that these guys are very early in their careers, and there is plenty of time for each to either figure it out, or get figured out.  Anyway, let’s cut to it:

1.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Turbulence Ahead For Those Flying Into LaHair

| Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 810 Comments

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Right now on our Fantasy Baseball Player Rater the top outfielders are Hamilton, Kemp, Beltran, CarGo, Braun, Bruce, Jones, Grandy and then Bryan LaHair.  Now, I’m not saying LaHair doesn’t belong in that company– No, that’s exactly what I’m saying.  For 1st basemen, he’s currently above Prince Fielder, Votto and Miggy.  I know, you think of yourself as a brilliant NASA-level scientist who has been working on a pencil made of Doritos crumbs.  Your Dorito pencil will come to fruition; the sour cream and chive eraser is a great addition, but you didn’t plan on LaHair doing anywhere near this good.  If you own LaHair, you stepped in LaCrap.  Right now, a guy who people weren’t sure could make it in the major leagues is hitting .384 with 8 homers in 28 games.  The power isn’t totally bonkers.  He’s on pace for around 40 homers.  25 homers seems doable, maybe even 30.  The batting average is Jimmy Stewart’s rabbit, Harvey.  It’s Keyser Söze.  It’s your imaginary friend that you agreed to marry if you get to 40 years old and you’re both still single.  Right now, he has a .510 BABIP.  The only way he sustains that is if LaHair has some Zapped telekinesis power.  He wouldn’t even be able to sustain it if he hired Willie Aames to run on the field to distract the fielders.  (Willie charges $15/hour for this service if you want him for your softball games.)  His current K-rate (29.1) would have been third worst last year (or third best if you’re a masochist).

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Scott Evans

Minor Accomplishments: Week 3

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 80 Comments

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Well, it’s not how the Nationals envisioned the arrival, but Bryce Harper is here.  The promotion is based more on necessity than performance – Harper’s hitting just .250/.333/.375 in the early going at Triple-A Syracuse.  Looks like he’ll occupy the 7th spot in the Washington batting order while Ryan Zimmerman and Michael Morse are shelved on the DL.  It’s probably unrealistic to expect too much out of Harper just yet, but he’s the No.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Scott Evans

Minor Accomplishments: Week 2

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 59 Comments

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The Cubs reportedly have completed a deal with the Red Sox which will send Marlon Byrd and some cash to Boston for RHP Michael Bowden and a player to be named later.  Theo and Jed have been firm on their plan to be patient with prospects Brett Jackson and Anthony Rizzo, but in the aftermath of this deal, one has to speculate if their timetables will be altered.  At .242/.342/.484 through 73 PA, Jackson’s performance in the early going at Triple-A Iowa isn’t demanding a call-up, but he could immediately be used to fill the void in center.  On the other hand, Rizzo’s numbers (.367/.406/.733) are indicative of a guy who’s ready for the next level.  The Cubs could surely shift David DeJesus to center and move LaHair to a corner outfield post.  That’d make room for Rizzo at first.  Perhaps most likely, though, the Cubs go with Tony Campana as their everyday guy in center – at least until the weather warms in Chicago, at which point I think Rizzo will get the first look, provided he’s still mashing, of course.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

2012 Fantasy Baseball 12 Team, AL-Only Draft

| 2012 Fantasy Baseball, Our Leagues | 284 Comments

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Went over our NL-Only team already that was also hosted by Scott White of CBS.  To refresh your memory, it was the post that you didn’t read and skipped to the comments to ask questions.  No, not that one.  The other one… Yeah, that one!  If I had my druthers, and if I were using the word druthers correctly, I’d do an NL-Only league instead of an AL-Only league.  You think NL-Only was shallow?  NL-Only makes AL-Only look downright vapid, by comparison.  To give you an idea, the best starter available on waivers right now is Vicente Padilla.  That would be great if Ugly were a category.  The best 3rd baseman available is Jayson Nix.  I’m not sure if his mom, Jayne, would even draft him.  The top five best shortstops had 5 homers combined last year.  Democratically, divvying them up one each.  If you lose a player, you’re basically done.  With that said, I wrote this post right after I drafted the team and now we’re in first place (it’s still early; I know).  Anyway, here’s our 2012 fantasy baseball team with thoughts on different draft picks:

For sake of clarity:  12 teams, AL-Only, Roto, 5 x 5 — C, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, CI, MI, OF, OF, OF, OF, OF, Util, BN, BN, BN — P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL, DL

C – Jose Molina $3
C – Chris Iannetta $9
1B – Justin Morneau $7
2B – Alexi Casilla $9
3B – Evan Longoria $33
SS – Alexei Ramirez $21
MI – Brendan Ryan $7
CI – Mark Reynolds $19
OF – Nick Swisher $20
OF – Michael Brantley $13
OF – Eric Thames $8
OF – Nick Markakis $19
OF – Yoenis Cespedes $7 (guessing on $ amount, he wasn’t in CBS when we drafted)
U – Alberto Callaspo $4
Bench – Ryan Kalish $0 (free round)
Bench – Jarrod Dyson $0 (free round)
Bench – Jermaine Mitchell $0 (free round)

P – Justin Masterson $13
P – Brad Peacock $4
P – Aaron Crow $3
P – David Robertson $5
P – Jim Johnson $12
P – Ivan Nova  $8
P – Chris Sale $12
P – Jake Peavy $8
P – Brian Fuentes $6
Bench – Kevin Gregg $0 (free round)
Bench – Matt Lindstrom $0 (free round)
Bench – Tyson Ross $0 (free round)
Bench – Dylan Axelford $0 (free round)

ACCORDING TO EVERYONE, OUR PITCHING’S TERRIBLE

By everyone, I mean Rudy and myself too.  Our pitching staff has one ace… If the league only used Cleveland Indian players.  Yeah, not so good.  If Peavy surprises and Sale does what I think he’s capable of, then the staff won’t be the worst in the league.  Maybe only 11th worst.  Our saving grace is our hitting isn’t terrible… Only slightly bad.  (BTW, to give you an idea of how early it is in the season.  We’re in first place because of this pitching staff… HA!)

ACCORDING TO EVERYONE, OUR HITTING IS SLIGHTLY BAD

I don’t mind our outfield.  Though I think it says a lot when Nick Swisher is your most expensive outfielder.  I think, in fact, it says, “What the hell were you doing?”  Our 2nd highest get on the whole team was Alexei Ramirez.  Huh?  That’s egregious with a side of vomit.  We need about ten players to play over their head and then some luck on top of that.

Please, blog, may I have some more?