Walden Books A Closer Spot
Jordan Walden is replacing Fernando Rodney as the closer for the Angels. The Angels decided to drop a guy with two first names for a guy with two last names. Makes sense – you start a game with a guy with two first names, you close a game with a guy with two last names. (No bullpen backup plan for you, Jeff Francis!) (Oh, and don’t forget Charles (Jeff) Nelson Reilly in middle relief.) Walden should be owned in every league that counts things like saves. Seems like a Neftali-type situation. Walden has to lose the job back to Rodney. Fernando can’t win it back by just being good (as remote as that even seems). By June, Walden can be a Donkeycorn and never look back. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Kendrys Morales – Took BP. Where? To court for the oil spill? *rereading news report* Oh! Batting practice. That’s a good sign. If someone lost patience with Kendrys, I’d buy him for sixty cents on the dollar. No more though, he could be a setback away from missing another month.
Hank Conger – Homered in his first start of the season. Here’s what Stephen said about Conger, “He has above average bat speed and contact. His plate-discipline is stellar but his defense is still marginal at best. I don’t see the Angels giving him much of a chance catching.” And that’s me quoting Stephen! Conger’s in a tough spot for playing time; Scioscia loves Mathis like a fat kid loves cake.
Sean Rodriguez – 1-for-3 with his first homer. This comes after Maddon announced Felipe Lopez would see time at 3rd while Longoria’s out. Sean-Rod pissed off the baseball gods in another life because he just can’t get guaranteed playing time no matter where he is. Oh, and on a real baseball note, the Rays don’t look good. That is all.
Madison Bumgarner – 3 IP, 3 ER vs. the Padres. When the only hitter you need to pitch around is Nick Hundley, you kinda should beat the team… Or at least get out of the fourth inning.
Aaron Harang – 6 IP, 1 ER, 8 baserunners, 6 Ks. Before the game, Tony Gwynn announced the arrival of a brand new Hodgepadre. Then Tony ate a hot fudge sundae while watching a videotape of his old at-bats. Pretty unsexy name, but the Harangutan is worth starting at home in every league until he no longer is.
Mike Leake – 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 baserunners, 4 Ks. Before you run out and pick him up, this was against the team Ed Wade’s Toupee put together that is currently 0-4.
Mike Stanton – Pinch hit yesterday, but is supposedly not starting until Friday with his hamstring strain. The real sad emoticon in this whole thing is he had leg issues in the spring so hopefully this won’t be an ongoing issue the whole year.
Gaby Sanchez - 2-for-5, hitting .444 on the year. I wouldn’t defrost Ted Williams head just yet, but he’s hitting well.
Anibal Sanchez – 5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 10 baserunners, 7 Ks. It’s not Dirty Sanchez, it’s not Filthy Sanchez, it’s Unsanitary Sanchez.
Ryan Zimmerman – 1-for-2 with his first homer and he’s hitting .364. Member when you wouldn’t draft him because he wasn’t playing in Spring Training? Oh, you.
Mike Morse – 1-for-4 with 3 Ks, now hitting .154. I’d say he’s not hitting righties, but he’s not hitting lefties either.
Brandon McCarthy – 8 IP, 2 ER, 8 baserunners, 2 Ks vs. the 1927 Blue Jays. What I’m thinking with McCarthy is Beane, as played by Brad Pitt, hasn’t had much luck in the last few years, so McCarthy is gonna pan out. I think that’s confirmation bias, but I don’t feel like going to Wikipedia to look it up. Either way, that’s a marginal ‘keep your eye on him, but don’t pick him up yet.’ (Sorry, you now have to read the rest of this with one eye.)
Conor Jackson – 2-for-4 as he hit 3rd. He’s like totally recovered from Valley Fever, as if. BTW, he’s a backup outfielder as of right now. Yes, a team is very good when they have a backup outfielder batting third. /sarcasm
Brian Fuentes – Out with a blister. The A’s manager hopes Fuentes can go Wednesday. Fantasy managers that own Fuentes aren’t sure what to hope for.
Alex Gordon – 3-for-5 with his first homer (in possibly 4 years, or maybe it just feels that way). After he hit the home run, fireworks went off… In my heart. He’s batting third and hitting; ask questions later, just pick him up.
Alcides Escobar – 1-for-5. Whoopie-doo, I know. But he stole his 2nd base. Last year, it took him until May 29th to steal his 2nd base. Oh, it’s on.
Yovani Gallardo – 9 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 2 Ks. Rudy picked him to win the Cy Young. In the preseason, I ranked him 10th overall for all starters. If you’re reading this, you probably own him. Yay us!
Carlos Gomez – Benched for Nyjer. And that’s how quickly a major league manager can realize a player sucks at baseball. Oh, well.
James McDonald - 4 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 8 baserunners, 4 Ks. I gotta be honest, my heart wasn’t fully into this guy as a potential late round bargain. Pirates pitchers are arghuably the worst in baseball from 1 through 5. In most competitive leagues, I’d hold McDonald for another start, but start making other plans.
Kyle McClellan – 6 IP, 2 ER, 7 baserunners, 7 Ks. I’m eating whatever Dave Duncan is cooking.
Cole Hamels – 2 2/3 IP, 6 ER, 9 baserunners, 3 Ks. Drop him! I keed. He had a 5.28 ERA last April and still ended the year with a 3.06. As they say in Vegas about the shoe, you gotta deal with it.
Chris Young – 5 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 9 baserunners, 7 Ks. Was so cute the way the giraffes at the Bronx Zoo all gathered around the TV to watch this start. I liked Young when he pitched for the Padres, and Metco isn’t that bad, but his fastball has been trending down for four years and he works up in the zone. 9 baserunners in 5 and a third like yesterday isn’t great. You can pick him up, I wouldn’t. I.e., You do what you do and I’ll do what I do and we’ll be fine.
Josh Tomlin – 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 baserunners, 3 Ks. I believe Josh Tomlin was a child actor on an 80′s sitcom. I wouldn’t pick him up, Willis.
Josh Beckett – 5 IP, 3 ER, 9 baserunners, 4 Ks. Sticking with the newly established Josh theme, I don’t love Beckett to bounce back from last year.
Barry Enright – 6 IP, 4 ER, 10 baserunners, 3 Ks. Uncle Barry was babysitting the baby bears and they went wild. BTW, Barry Enright vs. Andrew Cashner sounds like a match-up in the Greater Westchester County Dental Tennis league.
Andrew Cashner – 5 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 3 baserunners, 2 Ks. Pitched beautifully until he left the game with tightness in his shoulder. Accidentists happen.
Tyler Colvin – 1-for-3 with his 1st homer of the year. It’s about time! Oh, wait, it’s less than a week into the season. Eh, you probably dropped him already.
Jhoulys Chacin – 7 IP, 0 ER, 7 baserunners, 4 Ks. Another pitcher I told everyone and their pedophile uncle to draft. Hope you had the peanuts to start him in Coors.
Chris Iannetta – 1-for-3 with his first homer and he’s hitting .444 on the year. I saw someone ask the other day in the comments if they should drop him. Didn’t you just draft him?
Michael Pineda – 6 IP, 3 ER, 6 baserunners, 4 Ks. Not bad vs. Texas. But, hey, listen, he’s a rookie, it’s not going to be all peaches and cream in the champagne room every start out.
Willie Bloomquist – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs and a steal. Justice has been served!
Juan Miranda – 1-for-3. Kirk Gibson announced Miranda would get the majority of the starts to see what they have in him. Finally, a manager that makes a smart decision. Miranda’s worth a flyer in leagues 14+ to see if he can not only stick but make good on some of his promise.
Justin Upton – 1-for-4, I wish Justin and B.J. had a brother named Wes. Wesssssupppppton!
Mark Teixeira – His fourth homer. He attributed his newfound early season success to not sleeping since last October. This message was sponsored by Red Bull.
Alexi Ogando – 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 baserunners, 4 Ks. A… O… A’ight! He left with a blister. Probably because he was throwing heat. He won’t be in the rotation for long, but you have my permission to grab him while he is.
Aaron Hill – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs. I think I heard mumblings in the forums or the comments or somewhere that Aaron Hill is already a bust. Um, they’ve only played four games and he’s hitting cleanup for the 1927 Blue Jays. Chillax.
Jose Bautista – Out because of a personal matter. I’m guessing he’s in Russia killing people for Ben.
