Fantasy Baseball Advice

Sitting On The DL Of The Bay

March 30, 2011 By: Grey Category: Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes 187 Comments →

Jason Bay has a strained intercostal, which is the highway that runs along Florida’s coast.  Specifically, by Palm Beach where people are old and this strained whatever-the-shizz-is happens.  If you were counting on a bounce back from J-Bay, you might want to count to yourself so you don’t annoy your cubicle neighbor.  (Neighboricle?  Who might’ve also been the person who lived next to that nice black lady in The Matrix.)  These injuries tend to linger — see Braun, Ryan for further reading — and Bay already had Metco and age to deal with.  I’m not optimistic about him being at full strength until May and even then I have my doubts about how much we’re gonna see from him.  Rudy and I are betting Scott Hairston sees time in our deep leagues, but Duda could, as well.  Though I wouldn’t Camptown Race to pick him up.  Anyway, here’s what else is going on in fantasy baseball:

Edwin Encarnacion – Will start at 3rd base with Bautista moving to the outfield.  Encarnacion is a Latin 28, and I have little faith in him hitting over .260 but he could hit 25 homers with everyday ABs.  The only problem he seems to ever have is staying healthy.  The way randoms come out of the woodwork to hit bombs in Toronto every year, I wouldn’t be surprised if this year it’s Edwin’s turn.  Not saying he’s going to hit 50 homers like some schmohawk, but if he hit 30 homers in 500 ABs it wouldn’t surprise me.

Brian Wilson – Will miss a week.  O, Sergio Romo, will see saves in his stead, man.  For those who found us Googling “O + Steadman” — you’re at the totally wrong site and your spelling is off.

Juan Rivera – Hotel and Casino gets hurt a little with Bautista moving to right field.  Rivera should see time at DH, but I imagine Lind, Snider or Arencibia could also see some time at DH.  Frankly, that team has 7 of one player, then 2 of another player (Pods, Rajai).

Ian Stewart – Sounds like Stewart will open the season on DL.  Or if Sean Connery is reading this, “Ee-yan Shtewart is hurting.  Wigginshton is the man now, dog.”

Mark Trumbo – The Sciosciapath said Trumbo won’t be an everyday player.  I’d still own him in most leagues if you have room on your bench.  It’s worth a few day flyer to see if he hits his way into the everyday lineup.  By next Monday, you drop him if he’s not doing anything.  No harm, no foul.

Stephen Drew – Had an MRI for abdominal pain, might land on the DL.  Did you know Grey can’t have an MRI because he has metal plates in his head from one of the few amusing anecdotes that didn’t make it into the (e)book?  Did you also know Grey likes to talk about himself in third person?

Mike Napoli – I might put a moratorium on Napoli questions.  He isn’t going to start every day this year.  He hasn’t started the last three years and he has 20 homers in each season.  That’s why there’s the Ron Popeil School of Catcher Management.  You set him and you forget him.

J.A. Happ – Out with an oblique injury.  Vague!  You shouldn’t have owned him anyway so maybe that pressure is why he got hurt.  You better send him a Get Well card.

Jarrod Dyson – Backup/bench option for the Royals that could have value because of his speed — SAGNOF! — if the Royals are hit by injuries.  See, Dyson is specially engineered for speed.  Most runners move only one leg at a time when they run but Jarrod Dyson moves both in a centrifugal motion that reduces friction and removes all the dirt from the infield.

Brad Lidge – Out with a partially torn rotator cuff.  He’s saying back by June, wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see him until August.  Madson is a Cuddle Boy, and Charlie Manuel don’t like no Cuddle Boys, so he’s saying Contreras will close.  I really don’t think it’s going to be this clear cut.  Madson will get some saves, but for now Contreras is the main pick up.

Drew Storen – Has all but lost the Nats closer job, but, since Sean Burnett is the favorite for saves, I wouldn’t drop Storen.

Ronny Paulino – May hit the DL with stomach issues.  Hey, now the Yanks and Mets both have colon problems.

Top 10 Catchers 2007

October 28, 2007 By: Grey Category: Catchers No Comments →

1. Jorge Posada
.338/91/20/90/2
At 36, easily his best year since 2003. If you saw this year coming, kudos to you. Maybe you should start your own blog called, “I Lied About Knowing How Well Posada Was Going To Do This Year.” Sixty points above his career average spells one thing: F-L-U-K-E. But if you had Posada, you got tremendous value from someone you thought you might have to replace at some point. This would’ve been my thinking right after the draft, “Maybe I’ll drop Posada and take a chance on Iannetta.” Then after Posada started well, “I guess I can give Posada a month.” Then when he continued to produce, “Well, I’ll hold onto him for a little bit longer. Worse case scenario is I’ll pick up Torrealba.” Chances are you never picked up Torrealba. BTW, as you’ll see, the top catcher this year has the distinction of being nothing more than the cream of the crap.

2. Victor Martinez
.301/78/25/114/0
(See Top Ten 1st Basemen, or don’t. I’ll be fine.)

3. Russell Martin
.293/87/19/87/21
A true throwback to the bygone days of Benito Santiago and vintage Kendall. (I guarantee no one will ever Google “vintage Kendall” so I did. Results are for an old bottle of crappy wine.) Martin faded a bit as the season wore on with only 5 steals post All-Star break. No matter, you got very good value from Martin for where you had to draft him. But if you’re drafting a catcher needing 20+ steals, you’re drafting incorrectly. More than likely Martin’s steals were icing.

4. Brian McCann
.270/51/18/92/0
Guys and doll faces, this is your number #4 catcher (#2 in NL-only). What a crappy position. Isn’t it clear why everyone says ad infinitum not to draft a catcher too high? Position scarcity-schmarcity. You’re better off waiting to the late rounds. As for McCann, he had a couple of play-through-it injuries this year, which drained him of his power during the middle of the year. But catchers are always dinged up, so it’s hardly an excuse.

5. Bengie Molina
.276/38/19/81/0
The number #5 catcher in all of baseball didn’t break 40 runs. This is pathetic. I’ve got an idea. How about steroids are allowed for anyone who is going to play 120 games or more at catcher? It’s such a tough position, they obviously need a little help. It could also add a bit of strategy with the management of a club deciding who they want to put on steroids, “Let’s roll the dice and let Jason Bay catch this year.” Also, it could extend more careers than the DH. I can see it now, “Batting fourth and catching, Barry Bonds.”

6. Joe Mauer
.293/62/7/60/7
Wow, what a year! Aren’t you glad you drafted him with your third round pick? Write this down above your computer, “Don’t draft a catcher before the 12th round.”(Add an exclamation point if you need to shout at yourself to listen.) The scary thing is, you know Mauer has no power. These numbers are more or less what you should be expecting. Maybe 20 points higher in average, but big whoop.

7. Kenji Johjima
.287/52/14/61/0
Do you think Kenji gets more press back home because he plays with Ichiro Suzuki? Or do you think he only gets press of an afterthought nature? Such as this being the coverage in The Japanese Rising Moon paper, “The great Ichiro Suzuki ground out to evil Howie Kendrick in two trips to bat, then he sacrifice himself for team and take fastball off elbow pad. In related news, Kenji Johjima hit home run.”

8. Jason Varitek
.255/57/17/68/1
In the Year of Crappy Catchers, I’m kinda surprised Varitek didn’t finish a bit higher on this list. His average was the killer here. His post All-Star break average was .225. Yeah, that sucks.

9. Ivan Rodriquez
.281/50/11/63/2
Has there ever been anyone skinnier whose nickname implies a fatty? Obviously people started calling him Pudge before steroids testing, but now whenever someone calls him Pudge tell me you don’t find it a little baffling. Sit someone in front of the TV who has never seen Rodriguez and tell them he’s called Pudge. Immediately they wonder if it’s meant sarcastically. Now, I think it might be. Anyway, his numbers are neither here nor there. He ain’t winning leagues for you, that is fo’ sho.

10. Ronny Paulino
.263/56/11/55/2
The only top ten list Paulino should be on is, “Top Ten Players the Average Fan Does Not Know.” Actually, I could have probably put a dozen other names next to Paulino’s stats and no one would’ve known the difference. And if you’re telling me you would have known had I, say, put Pierzynski’s name there, you should go join the “I Knew How Well Posada Was Going To Do” liar’s blog.

As for the rest of the catchers, more crap.