So, here we are again. You could say it’s been a long time. Or, you could be like me, and say it hasn’t been long enough. This series obviously is not one that touches on hot button issues. There are no Mike Trout or Matt Harvey sightings. Simply put, this series is more a labor of love than anything. I get tired of reading pieces that are supposed to be on deep leagues, and they spend time talking about Lucas Duda. NOT DEEP ENOUGH. And while I moan and groan about discussing the likes of Luke Montz or Chris Rusin, I want to make sure that someone does. Because, first of all, Luke Montz and Chris Rusin deserve to be known by somebody… anybody. Not just their mothers. And second of all, well, simply put, you deep leaguers understand what’s going on here. And if you don’t understand, imagine if your starting lineup consists of names like Nick Punto and Brendan Ryan and Joe Thatcher… then you will know what it is like to be us. And you will wonder why we do what we do. Which, to be perfectly honest, is what we wonder about too. So, with all the time off from this series, I’m sure there is plenty to talk about. [Looks at player list] UGHHHHH.
Doug Bernier hasn’t appeared in the majors since playing two games with the Rockies back in 2008. If that’s your highlight this year, ouch bro. However, the reason this 33-year-old second baseman is getting the call this year is for hitting .295 in 92 Triple-A games. Looking over his numbers, he seems like a player who knows the plate and has some gap power. If he finds a number of starts, something may happen. That thing which may happen, well, I have no clue if that should happen on your team. But in deep formats, if you are getting at-bats, you are in need, somewhere.
At first glace, I thought I was reading about cheese. Second glace, I wished I was eating cheese. So, third glance, I noticed that Chris Colabello hit two homeruns this past week. The 29-year-old cheese rookie has been recalled four times, but it looks like he’ll be getting more playing time this go around. Despite only hitting .188 in 18 games so far, Colabello has hit safely in four of his last six games, hitting .316 with the aforementioned 2 homeruns in that span. I don’t think his Minor League K% will translate well to the Major Leagues, but the power is legit. As a ceiling, I could see something along the lines of Casper Wells when he was somewhat relevant, so while this story might end up a better baseball one than fantasy, he might still be worth a look if you need a bat.
Yes, I know that Todd Redmond‘s last start was against the Astros, which might explain the 10 strikeouts and just 1 ER in six innings. But there might be a little something-something here. While his 3.81 ERA is more encouraging than his 4.95 FIP, I do like seeing a 9.53 K/9 and 2.86 BB/9. The HR/9 of 1.91 is a bit high, so there is a little risk here for a flyball pitcher who doesn’t throw higher than the low-90’s. But that fastball plays due to something. Arm slot, arm action, I haven’t been able to get a handle on it, but he gets swing and misses, despite the fastball not being that fast and not moving that much. Whatever he’s doing, it’s working right now, so if you need some K’s, I’m buying.
Last seen with the Minnesota Twins back in 2011, Rene Rivera has been the Padres secondary backstop to Nick Hundley since Yasmani Grandal went down. I can’t really say he’ll help you, like, at all. But I guess I should note that he’s hit .400 in the two weeks, albeit, in limited playing time. That’s really all there is to say about him.
So, you’re really going to talk about Chris Rusin? That wasn’t just an empty threat? Yup. While the 2009 4th round pick has put up a lackluster showing in Triple-A, you should note that those starts are from the notoriously offensive friendly PCL league. While he can get into the low-90’s with his fastball, it usually sits in the high-80’s. What Rusin lacks in quality, he offers in quantity, with a curve, cutter, and changeup, and commanding all three quite well. So far in three starts, he has a 2.93 ERA, but his 4.35 FIP is more likely going forward. I see him as a future LOOGY, but as long as the Cubs give him starts, he’s worth a look as a potential back-end starter that will show glimpses, but can provide average numbers across the board.
Jaywrong is a 30-year old Korish writer who finds solace using Makers Mark as a vehicle to impress women, and also has an affinity for making Jennifer Lawrence GIFs. You can follow him @jaywrong, read his blog Desultory Thoughts of a Longfellow, or, you can find his GIFs at his tumblr, named Siuijeonseo.
