Put on the reverse lights to three weeks ago when Huston Street experienced tightness in his shoulder while playing catch. Was shutdown for three weeks. Yesterday, Street went to play catch and felt the same tightness. He’ll now miss the start of the season. Street’s resilience is akin to the elasticity on your favorite pair of boxers from the mid-90s. “Hey, my shoulder will be just fine in three weeks! Give me the ball, Mr.
Please, blog, may I have some more?John Smoltz
In this corner — BJ Upton. In that corner — expectations. Should be TKO with BJ clobbering expectations. Not sure what happened on the way to September, but he hasn’t been right all season. Maybe he’s hiding an injury. But that was last season’s excuse. This season he was supposed to make good on his cortisone-induced playoffs show that had every classy waitress in Tampa standing at attention from their chest. Well, didn’t happen. I still think there’s time and I’m excited about him next year (again!). But until then, he’s now dealing with an ankle sprain. I’m sure he comes back. But at what? 87.7 percent? You need 100% from this schmohawk. Oh, and at 100%, he’s given you 2 homers and 8 steals with a near-.220 average since July 1st. If there’s better options, I’d consider looking elsewhere. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Franklin Morales – Huston Street made it to September without an injury. Mazel tov, my friends in Brooklyn. It was a deed no one thought Street capable of in March. Now he’s suffering from an arm issue. Rafael Betancourt’s the righty, Franklin Morales is the lefty. When in doubt, I go with the righty. But the Rockies obviously got word that Betancourt is a Cuddle Boy, so they’re calling Morales the closer.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Before we get into today’s Buy/Sell, I want to clear something up. Last week someone commented that my Buy/Sell post only had Buy guys in it for very deep leagues. This is sorta true. With only a little over a month left of the season, just about every league’s trade deadline has past. So I could tell you to buy Manny Ramirez, but how are you going to do that? I do believe in the last month of the season, there’s something else you should be doing. Or actually not doing. You should no longer be waiting around for production. Jermaine Dye‘s put up fine stats this year. You guys going to get a room in October and talk about his great May? If Rajai Davis is on your waivers and you need steals and don’t need power, forget Dye’s previous production and go for the here and now. You’re up against the clock, fantasy baseballers (<–my Mom’s term). You only have so much time to make this shizz happen. If it’s going to happen. This is more or less for one year leagues. In keepers, you need to be prudent about who you can drop. Oh, and bee-tee-dubya, Jermaine Dye was dropped to fifth in the order and has one homer in the past month while batting .187. Cut the umbilical, doode. You guys are done. Anyway, here’s some more players to buy or sell for this week in fantasy baseball:
BUY
Jack Cust – Wait, I know a better title for this post, “How To Bore The Crap Out Of Your Readers With Boring Ass Names?” Random italicized voice, you seem like you have a bit of a chip on your shoulders. No, not at all.
Please, blog, may I have some more?When doctors said Aaron Harang is going to have a useless part of his body removed, everyone in the Reds clubhouse thought the same thing, “What is Willy Taveras doing in Harang’s body?” If Dusty were a doctor, he would left Harang’s appendix in a few more innings. The appendectomy will force Harang to the DL for the rest of the season. Too bad, the Reds just traded for Rolen and things were really starting to come together. Feel free to cut Harang. He’s done-zo. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Chris Dickerson – Headed to the DL with a whatever-you-don’t-care. What you do care about, the Reds might call up Chris Heisey. He’ll be talked about in the afternoon post where I break down the potential September call-ups.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Drew Stubbs will replace Willy T. (<–Sounds like characters from a blaxploitation film. And neither are African-American. Weird!) Stubbs might get the shaft vs. righties but he can be baadasssss for speed. Drew Stubbs was selected a few picks before Travis Snider in the first round of the 2006 draft. Not for his power… No, he won’t have much of that. Not for his Ks either, but he may have a lot of those. In Triple-A, he had 104 Ks in 107 games. In.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Alcides Escobar, SAGNOF! Do you need more? Um, he’s good at defense. Alcides Escobar stole 42 bases in 109 games in Triple-A this year. I dropped Trent Aussie Dog for Escobar in a league, because I need steals more than a flier on power. Have I mentioned Alcides Escobar steals bases? Lots. Of. Bases. You know who gets hurt here? J.J.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Jason Bay has been terrible. Like Don Mattingly’s wife in a mugshot terrible. In June, J-Bay hit .230 and 4 homers, but he was hitting the cover off the ball in June compared to July. In July, he’s hitting .203 with 1 homer. This month Garrett Jones has hit more homers during REM sleep. The optimist in me says Bay will hit 15 homers and .300 the rest of the way with ten steals. The pessimist in me thinks he’ll be benched in favor of Chris Duncan. The realist looks at all of his splits and sees a guy that has been consistent throughout his career, minus a season (2007) when he was battling knee problems. The surrealist in me thinks Bay will hit a line drive up the middle that will ricochet off the pitcher and shoot to the 1st baseman who will smack the ball into center, then the ball will slowly roll back towards the infield until God tilts the field and the ball rolls towards the 3rd baseman, but God tilts too far and the field freezes causing the ball to roll back towards the catcher. In all likelihood, Bay’s 2nd half should be somewhere in the realist realm (though it would be cool if the surrealist was spot-on). I think Bay can give you 10+ homers, .280 average and a handful of steals. Right now, I’m actively trying to acquire him in one league. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Erik Bedard – Back to the DL. In related news, George Sherrill was an All-Star in 2008, Adam Jones in 2009 and Chris Tillman is about to be called up.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Carlos Quentin returned to play yesterday after taking a two month sabbatical for a foot thingiemaboo-boo. So he DH’d right? Nuh-uh. Oh, Jim Thome? Nope, Ozzie Guillen in his infinitesimal wisdom DH’d Josh Fields in the nine hole. It’s almost like Ozzie’s daring Quentin to stay healthy. Why not give him a hot foot with an M-80? So what can we expect from Quentin for the rest of the season? Best case scenario, has him playing 5 games a week and hitting well (as he did in his rehab assignment). Maybe 15 homers, good RBIs and a .270 average. He’s not going to come without risk. At any point, I’m expecting word that he’ll be out for the year. How’s that for a ringing endorsement? So through one game, Quentin’s 1-for-4 and healthy. Now give us forty-five more games. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Gavin Floyd – 7 IP, 3 ER, 5 baserunners, 7 Ks. Now has an sub-2.50 ERA at home. No one tell him his home is a hitter’s park.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Yesterday, Shane Victorino went 4-for-5, 4 RBIs, 5 Runs scored and his 6th homer. For anyone who read the roundups last year, you’re probably wondering where my Victorino love went. Last year, Victorino was my ’09 Mark Reynolds. I saw good value in Victorino last year and pushed him on everyone. Unfortunately, he met expectations, performed well, his value skyrocketed and I don’t have him on any team this year. This will be the story next year when I rarely mention Reynolds. I won’t own him because he’ll be drafted too high in 2010. Alas, the story of the fantasy baseball ‘pert. Your loves are forever changing. One year Jeremy Guthrie, the next year Wandy Rodriguez. Behind the ‘stache lies a fickle man! But I still gots love for Victorino. My only concern is how low his steals are this year. Sitting — literally — on 13 steals. So run. You’re The Flying Hawaiian for a reason, not The Taro Masher, poi! Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Ryan Howard – The Phils scored 22 runs. Howard went 1-for-4, no Runs and one RBI. Ticker Tease!
Please, blog, may I have some more?It’s fitting that both the Nats and Pirates traded for a player with ‘Last’ in his name. Lastings Milledge was sent to the Pirates along with Joel Hanrahananan for Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett. Milledge and McCutchen can now share The Dread Pirate nickname. How much of a slap in the face is it when you’re banished for being a problem child when Elijah Dukes is your teammate? Is this a sign that the Nationals are no longer going to be the Home to Wayward 5-Tools Outfielders?
Please, blog, may I have some more?
