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Roto-Wan

Author: Roto-Wan

Read some of Roto-Wan's 147 posts

Roto-Wan

SAGNOF: Rafael, Worst Ninja Turtle

August 10, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, SAGNOF | 8 Comments

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The rocky start to our baseball season continues. The Cardinals are fighting outbreaks. Cleveland is grounding pitchers for breaking protocols. Fernando Rodney is preparing to debut. Cats and dogs living together. Mass hysteria. Sorry, I went full Venkman for a second. Let me wipe the ectoplasm off. There. Now to the prognostication.

  • You can write Rafael Montero’s name in pen as the Rangers closer. He’s been the only one they’ve called to close out games since his return. Seems rash I know. Welcome to fantasy baseball in 2020. Raf may have been everyone’s least favorite TMNT but he may be the best reliever to pop in the SAGNOF scene all year if he stays healthy.
    • Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

Bullpen Report: A. Scrubb By Any Other Name

August 7, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Closers, Middle Relievers | 7 Comments

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Having fun chasing pitching yet? At least this short season won’t be boring. There has been no shortage of actionable bullpen moves. They’re not likely to slow down anytime soon. Get aggressive on middle relievers and closer spec plays.

  • Somethings not right with Ryan Pressly. He blew the save in his first opportunity for Houston without recording a shot. Andre Scrubb worked a clean inning and a third before that. Cy Sneed and Blake Taylor gave up a bunch of runs prior to that. We’ll see which way the wind blows next time the ninth comes up with a lead. Brad Peacock is probably worth a stash as he works his way back from arm soreness.
  • The Cardinals are going to need Kwang-hyun Kim in their rotation upon their restart from quarantine. That leaves the closer role open. Giovanny Gallegos should be ready to go at this point. Many fantasy managers have also made a bet Ryan Helsley will get opportunities.
  • Poor, cursed Nick Burdi has been placed on the season-ending 45-day IL with an elbow issue. At least he was able to earn his first career save before being struck down again. Richard Rodriguez should get the ninth until Keona Kela returns shortly.
  • Brad Hand has shown us the rumors of his demise were somewhat exaggerated. He’s notched two uneventful saves this week. I’d still expect Cleveland to try and rest him between appearances when they’re comfortable with James Karinchak handling the ninth.
  • The Angels are an unexpected dumpster fire in the backend of their bullpen. Hansel Robles has washed out as the closer. Ty Buttrey is filling in but has 1 K to 3 BBs in 6.1 innings. Kenyan Middleton is serving up gopher balls. Felix Pena is the only one treading water.
  • Jairo Diaz is cementing himself into the Rockies closer gig. His Ks and ratios don’t blow you away but the job security is nice.
    • Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

SAGNOF: Burning The Wick At All Ends

August 3, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, SAGNOF | 6 Comments

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I’ll give the 2020 baseball season credit for this: it’s going to make us feel like it was 26 weeks. Illness, injury, and outbreak have not been in short supply. FAAB periods have been wild. Here’s my corner of the internet to help keep you afloat in this sea of change.

  • Turns out Craig Kimbrell is shot after all. Rowan Wick is the assumed closer now, though Jeremy Jeffress has a recent save and will be called on for high leverage spots, as well. There’s more strikeout upside to Wick.
  • James Karinchak did, in fact, eat a save opp from Brad Hand last week. Karinchak is going to have to show he can consistently control his wipeout stuff. But if he does…
    • Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

Closer Report: Under The Boardwalk

July 31, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, SAGNOF | 18 Comments

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It’s been a busy few days for bullpen shuffling as I try to keep up from my vacation at the shore. Injuries are popping up. Ineffectiveness will also be tolerated far less. Each week of the season is roughly ten percent of it. You’re already running out of time to adjust. Since I’m not into contagious viruses I won’t be partaking in the usual boardwalk indulgences. Therefore, the tier themes will have to do.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

SAGNOF: Jersey Shore Edition

July 29, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, SAGNOF | 13 Comments

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Roto-Wan is at the Jersey Shore this week, home to the iconic reality show of the same name. Much like the cast of misguided Jerseyites our MLB season is already riddled with disease. I won’t depress you with talk of how this kind of travel and interaction is a slap in the face of a contagious virus. COVID will do that enough. I’m here to try and catch up on the widespread bullpen carnage of this very early season. Hopefully, you headed my advice and discounted closers in your drafts. Now’s the time to plug those holes. You’ve got plenty of options. Unlike the guys that settled for going home with Snookie.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

Bullpen Report: Boys Of Some Are (Healthy)

July 26, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Closers | 24 Comments

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Welcome to your first Bullpen Report of the season. How’d day one of your season go? You know, besides losing two top 30 players moments before lineup lock. Unfortunately, that’s more likely to be the norm than the exception. If you didn’t already (you donkey), build any flexibility into your fake teams that you can. On the pitching side that means having a reliever that can juice a category for you when a body is needed in a pinch.

  • The big free agent this week was Zack Britton with Aroldis Chapman hitting the COVID-IL. If you missed out on him I’d suggest considering Adam Ottavino. Britton is getting the first call but I wouldn’t be shocked if Ottavino gets a look if Boone feels the matchups favor him.
  • Kwang-Hyun Kim is being anointed the Cardinals closer. I’m holding my breath here. It’s hard to trust someone who’s never pitched an inning stateside to immediately walk into the closer role. To me, it feels more like they’re set on the injured Giovanny Gallegos and don’t want to disappoint Ryan Helsley with a demotion this early.
  • I’m targeting the options behind Kyle Crick as the Pittsburgh closer. Just a gut feel that Crick can’t hack it in the ninth. Richard Rodriguez and Nick Burdi get much more swing and miss with their stuff.
  • Yoshihisa Hirano is another COVID delayed player of the early year. That may give Matt Magill enough leash to take over the closer gig in Seattle. It was kind of his last year. He was kind of going to close this year. Now he can at least win or lose it on his own merit.
  • Let me remind you that Corey Knebel has nasty movement on his off-speed stuff. He’ll need to find his fastball velocity with reports of it in the low 90s thus far in summer camp. If he can get that up a few ticks he could immediately figure into the ninth for the BrewCrew.
    • Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

Closer Report: Sponsored By Camping World

July 11, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball | 11 Comments

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Let’s give the ole Closer Rankings a slight reshuffle. There is bound to be much more news coming as summer camps start to ramp up. I’ve pushed the “Don’t pay for saves” mantra plenty. I’m doubling down on that in this 60 game season. If a closer misses any time, COVID related or otherwise, that destroys their value. It’s an enormous risk to take on top of the already rather large risk of paying for a top closer. Give me cheap saves in a high variance window. Tiers are summer camp themed!

Sports Camp: The cool kids go here. It helps if you’re good at the actual sport but walking around with the equipment is all that’s required.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

SAGNOF Goes WAGNOF

July 3, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball | 4 Comments

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Oh hello, Razzball reader. How’s the view from your bunker? I have to say I chose an excellent shade of cement-gray, myself. My HAM radio tells me we’re expecting some baseball soon. Hope the hazmat suits they’re surely wearing don’t affect overall athleticism. Joking aside, this is an entirely different baseball landscape. The NL has added the DH. Extra innings will see a runner start on second base. Teams have admitted they aren’t really sure how they’ll get through nine innings of pitching. That opens up two interesting angles for us creative thinkers. Wins are going to be very random and shift to a large amount relievers. So you save chasers are going to be in a great position for win chasing. Get your WAGNOF on. Also, NL players that may not have seen as many at-bats obviously just got a boost. Not only the poor-fielding power hitters but their slick-fielding compliments that now get into the lineup more often. Let’s tackle it all.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

SAGNOF: Pitcher Edition

June 8, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, SAGNOF, Steals |

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I’ve only been loosely following the counterproposals MLB and the MLBPA are exchanging. Where are we at now, 200 to -38? How does a negative game take place? Only position players are allowed to pitch and only pitchers get to hit. You thought that was cute before, huh? It seems like the most likely season is 50 games, which would be wild. Stats like steals are going to be so very hard to manufacture. I’d suggest streaming rabbits against pitchers that can be run on from the jump, to be honest. Here are the worst pitchers when it came to stolen bases yielded per inning in 2019.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

SAGNOF: Catcher Edition

April 13, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, SAGNOF | 2 Comments

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With the likelihood of a shortened MLB season growing by the day streaming and targeting matchups will be more important in our 2020 fantasy world than ever before. One of the best places to take a stab at that is using catcher defense to try and mine some stolen bases. Two things factor into this: how often a catcher is run on and how often they throw runners out. Ideally, you’re getting a good matchup on both sides, like finding toilet paper at the grocery store that’s also not sandpaper texture, but I’d prefer volume to efficiency. Here are the 2019 stats and some of the likely hot spots.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Roto-Wan

Closer Report: Hels(ley) Yeah Baseball Is Back

March 5, 2020 | 2020 Fantasy Baseball, Closers | 11 Comments

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We know spring training is fully underway when a bunch of arms break. We’re sure to see more as soreness becomes less general and more devastating to our early drafts. The four-tier format is back for our closer report. This week, pandemic foodstuff themed tiers. I’d laugh but for fear that might cause me to cough resulting in those nearby turning mob justice on me. Let’s get to some news and notes on the reliever front first.

  • Emmanuel Clase – He of the hardest cutter in baseball is starting his Cleveland career off on a sour note. A back strain will likely sideline him for 8-12 weeks. This opens the door for fellow reliever wunderkind James Karinchak to solidify a leverage role. If you want a job relieving for Cleveland just have a hard to spell name, throw gas, and be in your early 20’s.
  • Jose Alvarado – Don’t look now but Alvarado looks sharp as ever. But Roto-Wan, Nick Anderson is *the* it closer of draft season?!? I have no issue with Anderson’s stuff, just his role. He factors into their ninth inning, no doubt. Let me ask you this, though. He saved some games for them last year since they’re a team that’s the most progressive in leverage roles, right? No? Ok, well he came over from Miami, who’s bullpen was a collection of molding leftovers. He racked up a bunch of saves there, surely? How about one save. Well, at least he’s a young prospect? Turns 30 in June. I don’t mean to rain on your Nick Anderson parade, and by “don’t” I mean I do, but he’s far from a lock. I’m betting on Alvarado seeing some of their saves as the lefty side of a committee in every league I draft that uses RPs.
  • Brandon Kintzler – Things are not off to a great start this spring for the presumptive Marlins closer. Like, walking four straight batters bad. I’d consider a spec play on Ryne Stanek early on.
  • Ryan Helsley – I’m not the Helsley guy but some people I respect (see: Matt Thompson, Nick Pollack) have made it a point to draft the young Cardinal in the late rounds. Their ninth inning is a mess to predict, as usual. Helsley also has an outside shot at the rotation it seems, depending on the health of their assumed starters.
  • Trevor Rosenthal – Rosie is the latest zombie reliever. He’s always been able to light up radar guns. He just has zero command at times, as in most of the time. The command seems to be there this spring, however. KC would love to add any talent it can to baseball’s most mediocre bullpen.
    • Please, blog, may I have some more?
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