After swinging a deal for Aaron Hill on Wednesday, the Red Sox have beefed up their bullpen trading for Brad Ziegler. Ziegler was rocking a 2.82 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 18 saves with Arizona but he will likely be relegated to set up duty in Bean town. This is not to say his value is completely shot…yet. With Craig Kimbrel crying about his sore knee, Boston may be in need of an interim closer. Koji Uehara is the obvious first choice but his 4.96 ERA and 8 homers allowed in 32.2 IP make it seem like the choice ain’t so obvious. Still Koji’s 46/9 K/BB ratio makes me happy, and he notched the save Friday night (after surrendering a home run), so he’s the best bet for saves if Kimbrel misses any time. As for your new closer in the land of the rising sun? Tyler Clippard is the most likely candidate if you need saves or a buzz cut. He’s got a 3.06 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 32.1 IP, and saved 19 games for the Mets and A’s last year, but his career 57% save conversion rate certainly doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence. Daniel Hudson is the ideal saves candidate in Zona but has struggled mightily over the past month (12.96 ERA, 2.40 WHIP in 8.1 innings). Regardless, if you need a save and a haircut, I’d grab Clippard and Hudson in that order. And if you’re a Boston Red Sox team that desperately needs starting pitching, I’d recommend trading for a infielder and a relief pitcher.
Here’s what else I saw Friday night in fantasy baseball:
Will Harris – 0.1 IP, 4 hit, 4 ER. Just when you thought Harris and his 1.66 ERA and All Star status was safe to call the closer…WHAMMY! It wouldn’t be so concerning if Ken Giles and Luke Gregerson weren’t also pitching well. To be fair, Harris was trying to catch a Caterpie in the shallow infield and lost concentration. No Pokemon Go until after the you convert the save, Will!
Ryan Madson – 0.1 IP, 2 hits, 3 ER, BS (4). If only he could throw pitches as accurately as he can throw Pokeballs, we might not be speculating about save opps in Oakland!
Cris Carter – 2-for-4, 2 HR (22). Don’t be alarmed, but I’m pretty sure that’s a Squirtle in the right field bleachers, Cris! Quick hit baseballs at it!
Greg Garcia – 2-for-5, run. Garcia is about as boring as it gets but he led off last night and I felt like I should tell you guys. Now if you’ll excuse me, if I don’t catch Pidgey I’ll never get my Pidgeotto and I’ll never run the Red Team gym in my neighborhood. Wow, what a Pokemon heavy post this has been so far–obsessedmuch?
Evan Longoria – 4-for-5, HR (19). I feel like I haven’t mentioned this guy in a while, even though he’s slashing .287/.336/.527 with 19 dingers and 47 RBI. Probably the best season I can remember for Longo in some time. However, my memory is a kind of shot after Will Smith used his memory Neuralyzer on me at the last Scientology retreat. Also, drugs.
Aaron Hill – 2-for-4, 2 RBI. Who needs starting pitching when you can add an infielder slashing .287/.361/.422 with 8 homers to what’s already arguably the best line up in baseball? With Travis Shaw and Brock Holt both nursing injuries, Hill could see more playing time than originally anticipated. Where there’s a Hill there’s a way.
Bryce Brentz – 2-for-2, run, RBI. Another player who could see some increased playing time with the Sawx injuries, and his names Bryce so you know he must be good at hitting baseballs.
Jose Fernandez – 7.0 IP, 6 hits, 0 ER, 8 K, W. Me and JoFer are blood brothers. I probably should have warned him my blood may or may not be loaded with trace amounts of THC and opiates. Also HGH. JoFer doesn’t seem to mind.
Lonnie Chisenhall – 1-for-4, HR (6), 2 RBI. A BUY. How this guy’s not owned all over is baffling to me. I’m baffled, you guys! LC is hitting .357 with 4 homers and 15 RBI in the past two weeks. Are you waiting for him to win an NBA Championship?
Jason Kipnis – 3-for-4, 2 HR (14). Kipnis is on track to shatter his single-season home run record. Everything’s coming up Cleveland! Mike Napoli was 2-for-3 with a HR (18) and 3 RBI, and Carlos Santana hit his 20th jack. IKEA isn’t the only reason to visit Cleveland anymore! They also have the Rock & Roll History museum! And those steamers, mmmm!
Corey Kluber – 8.0 IP, 5 hits, ER, 8 K, W. Corey actually vacations in Cleveland in the offseason, despite living there most the year. You haven’t really Cleveland’d, until you Cleveland in January.
J.A. Happ – 5.2 IP, 6 hits, 0 ER, BB, 9 K, W. He’s got a 12-3 record with a 89/32 K/BB rate and after a rough June he seems to have righted the ship. Happ mad the Yankees look Happ-less and he made himself look like Toronto’s ace!
Josh Bell – 1-for-1, run. Grey told you to BUY this for some sweet rookie upside and Bell delivered with a pinch hit! Whoa! With a name like Bell he better be good at hitting dingers!
Luis Valbuena – 3-for-5, 2 run, HR (12), 4 RBI. Another BUY and he’s hotter than a Blake Lively summer bikini blockbuster, minus the shark bite. Luis is hitting .318 in the past week with 3 homers and 8 RBI. Pick him up before he sucks again!
Yonder Alonso – 2-for-4, HR (4). What light through Yonder’s home run breaks that window. For real, it was Old Man McMurphy’s window, and he is not happy. Old Man McMurphy hates broken windows!
Jonathan Villar – 2-for-5, SB (29). If you drafted any Milwaukee Brewers this year besides Villar you are likely disappointed and I feel your pain. I am always disappointed. It’s part of leading a miserable life.
Freddie Freeman – 2-for-4, HR (15). Freddie is slashing .285/.370/.509 with with 15 dingers, and when Freddie is slashing, you know you must be dreaming…or is it a nightmare!?
Chris Sale – 5.0 IP, 10 hits, 8 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Allowed 3 homers! Seriously you guys, no Pokemon Go until after the games! I know your incense only last 30 minutes but you’re killing my ERA! I chose you, but I have plenty of other PokePitchers I could battle with.
Matt Wisler – 5.0 IP, 8 hits, 6 ER, BB, 6 K, W. When you pitch for the Braves, give up 6 runs and still get away with the win. You might want to play the lottery this weekend, Matt.
Tim Anderson – 1-for-5, run, SB. Adam Eaton has been playing great but the ChiSox are insistent that Tim Anderson is the lead off batter. So what is taking you all so long to pick him up!? Grey told you to BUY, I will wait until after the ASB before reminding you again.
Eduardo Nunez – 2-for-5, run, RBI, 2 SB (22). Is it weird that my Most Valuable Fantasy players this year are probably Nunez and Jose Ramirez? What does that say about my fantasy team? If you guessed, “you are losing,” you’d be right.
Vincent Velasquez – 6.0 IP, 8 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W. I choose you, Vincent! And you did it all in Coors! Atta boy! Your 3.32 ERA and 1.27 WHIP are cool, but it’s the 96/26 K/BB rate that I really like. I feel like Philadelphia could have one of the best rotations in baseball in two years.
Trea Turner – Another BUY! Called up but didn’t play! But he’s really here, folks! How exciting!
Stephen Strasburg – 7.0 IP, 2 hits, ER, 3 BB, 9 K, 12-0. He’s got a 2.62 ERA with 132 Ks. Stephen and I are going on a Scientology cruise this weekend. He credits his stellar season and miraculous healing to finding the church, and he credits finding the church to me. To be clear, Stras, when I say “cruise,” it’s not in the traditional sense. Attendance is mandatory and yes we will be on a boat, the Sea Org, but there will be less relaxation and more manual labor. You’d be surprised at the release it brings, and its all for the greater good. Don’t forget your Quantum E-meter!
Noah Syndergaard – 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K. Left this one with “non-elbow related fatigue.” Hmm, well that doesn’t sound suspicious at all. Yeah he’s got bone spurs in his elbow, and that’s bad, but this wasn’t related to that. So yeah. No worries!
Melvin Upton, Jr. – 4-for-5, 3 runs, 2 HR (16), SB (20). Be the better Upton!
Yasmani Grandal – 5-for-5, 3 HR (12), 6 RBI. Hey, that might be more homers than you’ve gotten out of your catcher spot all year!
Andrew Cashner – 2.2 IP, 8 hits, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, Gave up 4 HR! When your starting pitcher is Cashed, tt might be time for the All Star break! Zing! I will see myself out.
Jake Arrieta – 6.0 IP, 9 hits, 6 ER, BB, 6 K. If I expected Jake not to be distracted by the Jigglypuff wandering around behind home plate, I was wrong. He very much was. And if you expected me not to make yet another Pokemon Go reference when it’s all people seem to be talking about or caring about over the past 72 hours, you were wrong. Luckily, we have plenty of time over the All Star break to catch ’em all! Red team go!
Questions? Problems? Complaints to management? Advice, small gifts or large bribes? Please leave it in the comments below, or you can get at me on twitter @dandemanco. Join us next Saturday for another Friday recap as fantasy baseball continues next week, all week long!
