Shaun Marcum, who decided to shit fantasy owners’ houses when he returned from his injury, was sent to the minors to work on his mechanics. Will return in September when rosters expand, but at this point you don’t want him deciding your fantasy championship. Drop him, unless your league is Cousteau deep. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
Johnny Cueto – Removed after three innings with some soreness in his right triceps. Might be the last we see of Cueto this year. (Actually it should be the last we see of him.) This could bode well for next year, since it won’t allow Dusty to abuse his arm any further.
John Maine – Might get shutdown for the rest of the season. Even if he doesn’t, he shouldn’t be started in any leagues shallower than 15-team right now. As I told you, when he was pitching “decently” against the Nats and Pirates, all the walks will catch up to him and are a sign that things ain’t right. Well, they’re not right, he has a bone spur in his shoulder.
Alex Gordon – Headed to the DL with a torn quadriceps. Before he took his first swing in the big leagues, there were George Brett comparisons. There still are, but they’ve changed slightly. Now, “I saw Brett take a crap that could hit better than Gordon.”
Ricky Nolasco – 7 1/3 innings and 10 Ks. Been incredible for almost two months. I told you I liked him on July 2nd. If you didn’t grab him, you blame yourself. He’s still a too-many-innings concern.
Jack Hannahan – 2 HRs. He only needs twenty-three homers in September to have a respectable season. As they say in Scuba classes, don’t hold your breath.
CC Sabathia – 6 IP, 1 ER, but loss the win when Torres blew it. This is why I throw nine innings and 140 pitches every start!
Salomon Torres – Blown save, but Torres actually has been fine, just a bad break for CC and his owners.
Mike Cameron – 5-for-5 with a HR and a steal. I’ve been telling people to pickup Mike Cameron for a while now. If you don’t, that’s your bad.
Chris Dickerson – 2 HRs in last two games. I beat Dickerson into the ground when he was first called up. Again, there’s no reason why he should be on waivers in any league.
Robinson Cano – 4-for-5, HR. Batting about .310 since the All-Star break. One of these years, you would think, he has to put together a good season from April until October. I would think, at least.
Rocco Baldelli – 2 HRs in the last three games and batting .400 in last seven. I’m not saying drop anyone worthwhile for him, but this could be the start of something, especially if he starts at DH and if he runs the bases in a bubble.
Dan Wheeler – Blown save, but for those that missed it, it should’ve been a save, Riggans blew it. This denied Sonnanstine the club record for wins with 14, which is currently held by Roland Arrojo. Ah, yes, the storied history of the Tampa Bay Rays. (BTW, recently overheard in Tampa, “When does spring training start? I miss baseball. Go Yankees!”)
Jo-Jo Reyes – Got pounded by the Cards yesterday. I like what he’s done in the minors and I still like him going forward, but if he doesn’t excel against the Nats in his next start… Well, he shouldn’t be on anyone’s team.
Carlos Beltran – 2 HRs, bringing his total to 19. Every year he somehow puts up a solid season, while simultaneously yawnstipating you.
Luis Ayala – Has only given up one hit in five innings with the Mets, which included a save and a win. Meanwhile, Heilman, Feliciano and others have continued to resemble a wart on the genital region of the Mets.
***Nelson Cruz alert!***
Nellie just called up by the Rangers… He’ll miss the PCL playoffs and the Iowa Cubs thank the Rangers for it.
Pick him up in deep leagues, but don’t be stupid and drop Michael Phelps for him.
@IowaCubs: Awesome! Thanks for the heads up.
***BTW, he will be playing most days according to the Rangers.
Kevin Gregg or Broxton for the next month or so? I’ve got Broxton but someone just dropped Gregg and I feel I might be keeping “Big Bad John…Broxton” out of home team loyalty (a process that I believe has made the guy from KC in my league struggle, to say the least).
@royce!: Broxton’s just as strong a closer and could get as many or more saves than Gregg. The KC guy probably did all right in saves this year though.
@Grey: He did, indeed he did. Kinda punted every offensive category, though. He’s shed most of em now, though, so its a brand new day!
@royce!: Probably held onto Bannister a bit too long too, huh?
I’m usually all for playing my studs everyday, but Jimmy Rollins and his horrible slump is getting frustrating. Should I keep rolling him out there or pick up someone to put in for now? Some SS available are Lowrie, Yunel Escobar, Edgar Renteria, Ryan Theriot, and Orlando Cabrera…
@Grey: Yep, as well as Bannister, Butler, and Gathright. Razztabulous!
Any thoughts on Pablo Sandoval? Specifically, do you think he’s worth starting over Ianetta if he gets regular ABs?
I meant Butler and Gathright as well. Not Bannister as well as Bannister. You’d be a Razzball genius if you could clone Bannister.
@cruisinkc: I could see starting Lowrie, Yunel or Theriot, in that order, over Rollins for right now if you don’t need the steals.
@royce!: If he gets regular at-bats, I’d start him over Iannetta
Rollins has been crap. In watching him last night he looks like he could care less and when Feliz hit the walk-off last night I didn’t even see the reigning MVP out on the field celebrating with his team. I’ve got a real problem at the moment with both he and Tulo on my roster. Neither is doing anything and I dont’ know who to start. How can Rollins be this bad, this long, and he doesn’t seem to care at all.
I dropped Yunel for Tulo since Yunel isn’t much more than a decent BA. With FA names like Lowrie, Bartlett, or Aybar out there, I’m not that excited about replacing Tulo.
@Frank Rizzo: I don’t have Rollins on any teams because I felt he was overrated coming into the season, but he has been a disappointment either way. Yunel’s been hot recently (.400 last 7 games).
Dave Bush, Yusmeiro Petit or neither the rest of the year (Wins & WHIP primary concern)? Petit has much better CMD (5.15 v. 2.79) but his .203 BABIP is worrisome. #’s point to Pe(Tit) but Im more of a Bush man. Seriously though, thoughts on both? Thanks.
@ShootyBabbit: Bush will be less risky from a WHIP standpoint and they should have similar wins, with Bush having a bit of an edge there, as well.
Is Frank Francisco the closer now in Texas?
@cruisinkc: Yup, that would make it Francisco’s job to lose. Thanks for the heads up.
@cruisinkc:that ringing in my ear must be the Rangers’ bullpen flatlining.
@Aconstipatedmonkey: @cruisinkc: This does seem like the Rangers throwing in the towel which would make me think it’s even less likely that Kinsler returns.
Re: Frank Francisco. How defensive is too defensive for a “saves” vulture? I’m already starting three (Ryan, Wheeler, Rodney) while benching Putz and stashing Baltimore’s Jim Johnson in a SP slot. Is it insane to drop a usable piece (Aviles, Dickerson, Rivera) or an upside (Nelson Cruz) for a RP who may only play on light schedule days just to keep him out of the competition’s hands? Important to note that I’m just ahead (in saves) of the #1 overall (I’m second) and #3&4 are tied in saves a half dozen ahead of me, so saves could be our fantasy Normandy.
@knighttown: You should drop Rivera for him.
I’ve got all my RP slots filled with Ryan, Gonzalez, Jensen Lewis, Rodney and Chris Perez, and Hanrahan filling in as SP when i don’t have two starters going. Am i bothering with Francisco in a tight race for saves?
And should i pick up Dickerson or Cruz for Bruce, Davis or Kouz? Also have Parra and Maine as SP, but i’m -40 in IP. Any suggestions on usable starters the rest of the way that may be out there, the WW seems pretty bare!
Thanks for all your help, i’ve moved into a 2.5 point lead in my money league!
OK Grey, here’s a list of the “best” SP’s out there at the moment—
Yusmeiro Petit
Aaron Harang (just cleared waivers after my dropping him on the day of his Colorado start)
Wandy Rodriguez
Braden Looper
Sean Marshall
Glen Perkins
Chris Volstad
Edwin Jackson
Anibal Sanchez
Colin Balester
Which of them would you drop Maine or Parra for, or both??
@Joe: re: Frank F. — In a tight race, every save matters.
re: Cruz — You might catch lightning in a bottle with him. But I think you already have your hands filled with those three.
re: starters — Harang, Looper, Petit, Wandy, Anibal. I’d lose Maine.
Guardado got traded for a hamburger??? The awesomeness of this trade is rivaled only by the fact that I learned Jay Bruce is my birth father. And I am 27.
@yak: Ha!
Please put these in order according to value the rest of the way:
SP-Lester, Lowe, Guthrie, Kershaw
RP-Lyon, Broxton, Wheeler (stupid catcher yesterday!), Lewis, Gonz
I tied saves in my H2H last week and I had Brox and Wheels both blow saves on sunday. As Putty would say, “Brutal”.
@SoS: Not sure if you mean combining RP and SP, but I’ll just rank them separately since that’s how you listed them.
SP — Guthrie, Lester, Lowe, Kershaw (but Kershaw gets the Nats next so for the next start, I want him.)
RP — Broxton, Lewis, Lyon, Gonz, Wheeler
@Grey: Yeah sorry, you got it right Grey. Did you list Wheeler last because he’s most likely to lose his job?
Anyone in Tampa to give some insight on Longoria’s wrist?
@SoS: When Percival came back last time, I held Wheeler cause I like him, but yeah, that’s why I listed him last. Percy’s supposed to return soon.
@Denys: Last I heard, still set to return early next week.
FWIW: Riske blew CC’s win, Torres blew Shouse’s win. (On second thought, it’s not worth anything at all, and I regret taking the time to type this)
@Grey: Damn nagging wrist injuries….
@Eephus: Thanks for the clarification. That’s my bad.
Does anyone know if Yahoo will count stats from today’s BAL/CWS postponed game? The site doesn’t seem to be following it at all, and the general Yahoo Sports site isn’t either. If Sparkakis ends this I’m gonna want those stats!
@royce!: I believe stats are backdated to when the game originally took place for H2H, but either way they are added.
@Grey:
OK Grey, I’ve drinking your Kool-Aid once again and dropped Rivera for Frank son of Frank (assuming that’s what -isco means in Spanish, like Mac in Scottish or -ov in Russian). Now, to avoid going crazy with Sonofabenched saves how the heck do I decide between which 3 relievers to throw out there on a given night? BJ Ryan, Francisco, Putz, Wheeler, Rodney and Johnson are my choices but Johnson has SP eligibility so I’ll plug him in. Do you go by better chance of a win like Wheeler vs. KC? Close matchup so better chance that a win will be save eligible like, say, Putz vs. Oak?
@knighttown: I think hijo means son. Wheeler will probably be gone as a closer by next week so that should take care of that, I would bench Putz every night cause the Mariners aren’t going to win many and I would bench Rodney until he stops giving up runs by the boatload.
Is anyone else going through an entire team slump right now? My #1 fantasy hitter of the past 7 days (TSN rankings) at #20 is Mike Aviles. No one else is in the Top 100 including “studs” like Utley (158), Dunn (161), A-Rod (346), BJ Upton (360), Fielder (636), Howard (700) and Rollins at 763 due to his sparking .080 batting average. I was crowding first and comfortably in second but now have 3 teams within 2 points of me and am contemplating doing something stupid like dropping an undroppable. Talk me off the ledge!!
@knighttown: It’s a crappy time for your boys to get cold, but you gotta chillax and weather the storm for another week. Hopefully by September some of your guys will get hot. The good news is they are all in pennant races so they’re going to be trying their hardest and not being benched because they are in the playoffs or out of the race altogether.
Dickerson, Bradley, Cameron for Util spot?
@SaltyBiscuits: Bradley, but that must be a pretty shallow league with those choices or people are no longer paying attention.
Whih two of Marcum,Slowey,or Francisco when I drop Maine and Eddie “=Hamburger” Guardado?
Should add that Guardado hasn’t been in my active line-up in weeks, just stashing him to maintain a lead(among the contenders, that is) in saves. I am 6 points back of first and am ranked dead last in wins, e.r.a. and whip, with plenty of time to “win the whole effing thing”.
@yak: Francisco and Slowey.
BTW, I was re-reading the post and typed Marcum when I meant Nolasco.
@yak: Oh, Nolasco before either of them then. So Nolasco, Francisco then Slowey.
So last week I picked up Guthrie off free agency because the top teams in my league are going for two start pitchers. For week 23 I dropped him and picked up Josh Johnson. Should I undo this move? Looks like both have been solid.
Drop any of the following for two start pitchers in week 23?
So last week I picked up Guthrie off free agency because the top teams in my league are going for two start pitchers. For week 23 I dropped him and picked up Josh Johnson. Should I undo this move? Looks like both have been solid.
Drop any of the following for two start pitchers in week 23? Ah forget it, I read through them and the only one starts are Liriano, Myers, Shields, and Harang while the two starts that jump out on FA are: Reineke, Baek, Lannan, Kendrick, and Redding.
@BSA: I want Guthrie instead of Johnson.
Those two starts aren’t pretty.
Call post #48 an oops or PE!
I have Bills and Myers tonight, interesting matchup. Bills is struggling while it looks like Myers is getting contact mixed in with Ks.
@BSA:
Ha, is there an echo in here?
Punt man.
How bout Billingsley tonight huh, uuugghhhhh.
Yeah after I clicked it I scratched my head and wondered. I may be a total ass and risk the move on Sunday night so my H2H match doesn’t pick him up. As it stands I have six ps to his ten. He’ll throw one closer to my two.
@BigFatHippo: Uuggh! is right! He’s making it look like he and Harang switched bodies – in and out of trouble all night but only giving up the three runs.
Hippo punt what?
@BSA:
Punt Reineke, Baek, Lannan, Kendrick and Redding.
Bills threw too many pitches through 5, not likin it at all.
Speaking of echos, you ever heard a New York echo?
“Hello…………..”
“Shut the F#*^k Up……………….!!!!!”
@BigFatHippo: Ha!
@Grey:
Thank you thank you, I’ll be here all night.
Don’t forget to tip your bartenders and waitresses………………..
@BigFatHippo: Wait, you said tips were included.
@BigFatHippo: How ya like this team going tonight – Bills and Myers pitching with Broxton, Utley and Rollins.
Look at rollins going for the cycle!
Good thing I sat Karstens in the RCL, don’t know why I kept him so I just dropped him for De La Rosa @ San Fran.
Not sure that’s such a smart move either but since I mentioned it I’ll start him as we don’t want any help from you or I’ll get yelled at.
@Grey:
That’s always a lie, they’re never included, unless she’s fat and ugly.
@BSA:
I wish, he hasn’t done anything since you traded him to me.
Anyone in the RCL lower than 8th should give a NY echo if there is a complaint. I’m just trying to get away from Iowa, heard he got the clap.
I just picked up Nelson Cruz although I think it may have been simply a defensive move. I mean, I can’t bench any of the following for him, right?:
Granderson, Hamilton, Kemp, Victorino, Alexis Rios.
@BSA:
Ha and Ha
@royce!: Not yet, but he just homered.
Another grand slam for Alexei! He just moved up in my draft for next year.
@BSA: He looks a lot like a young Alfonso Soriano.
@BigFatHippo: Rollins’ll come around now. I just picked him up last week in another league. You’re welcome.
By the way, how many can be in last place at once in the RCL?
As to Cruz, worth dropping Atkins or C.Davis for?
@Grey:
No shit, who should I drop for him in a keeper?
Freddy Sanchez, Ian Stewart, Lowrie?
Don’t really need him but he’d be a nice trade chip, Sanchez right?
@BSA: I’d hold there.
@BigFatHippo: I’d drop Sanchez.
@Grey:
Just did.
I may keep him next year if he closes out the year on fire. Imagine that offense if Cruz is the real deal.
Go Big Pelf!
@SaltyBiscuits: Ha, was waiting for you to chime in on Pelfrey.
My outfield options are Sparkakis, Grandy, McLouth, Ankiel. Cruz worth one of those spots? Nonkeeper-H2H
Cruz — 3 for 3 with a HR so far.
@Grey: I honestly think his ceiling is Halladay like production.
I predict a very strong campaign in 2009, and I will definitely reach too far when i draft him next year. But I will have him, he will win, and so will I.
Huzzah!
Did Alexei really just hit a grandslam? CBS scoring is whacky for that game but I thought he was like 3-4 with a double, didn’t know about the salami. Not that I am complaining! Young Soriano comparison is spot on.
@BSA:
Given the flu and the organizations public desire to rest him, I would say McLouth will see limited time and limited numbers down the stretch.
@SaltyBiscuits: Sorry, Alexei isn’t playing. The other team has both ARams. I misspoke.
@RT: Thanks, Seeing this cruz stuff brings back memories of Bruce’s fall from grace.
@BSA: No worries, nothing can deflate my Alexei mancrush right now. I’ll take 3-4 with a a double and 2 runs any day of the week and like it.
@BSA: Cruz could be good for a month like Bruce and Davis, but there’s only a month left so that’s good. I wouldn’t drop McLouth for him though, but I could see someone doing it and it paying off. If you need to take a risk, that’s one to take.
@Grey: Well that is why I am thinking Cruz for Davis. I see them equally risky, am I wrong?
Man, Myers finally appears to have figured it out. Nice string he has put together lately.
Before the Boogey-Man goes to sleep, he checks in his closet and under his bed for Jay Bruce!
Just like that Davis heard me and went yard.
As I go upstairs before I become the boogie man I will be sure to check under the bed. C’ya!
@BSA: Davis had 8 HRs in July then he was exposed. Cruz could have a big first month up before getting exposed, which means he doesn’t get exposed this year.
@Grey: Is Cruz going to steal a base or two?
@Steve: He’s got a bit of speed, sure.
@Grey: But has just come back from a strained quad, according to Rotoworld.
Might start him tomorrow instead of Burrell who, despite a 5-star rating in Yahoo’s ‘research’, is actually 1-23 lifetime against Pedro!
He’s been hot against pitchers ‘like’ Pedro, apparently.
@Steve: Yeah, apparently. Kinda like Yahoo news, “According to the Brewers lineup card, Braun wasn’t in the starting lineup.”
@Grey: Bit torn, actually, about benching a regular in what could be my last meaningful week of fantasy baseball this year.
Is Cruz worth a shot? Burrell has been ice-cold, lately.
I could slot him in for Hawpe too, but he’s sonavabenched me too often this year…
@Steve: Burrell always seems to hit the Mets well, no matter who, except Pedro it turns out. But his 1 hit was a homer. Whereas Hawpe is facing someone he could hit hard. While Cruz’s is trying to prove himself against a tough pitcher. I’d go with the guys that got you there. Cruz is a strong play, but not at the expense of Hawpe and Burrell. All that could change if it turns out Hawpe was actually injured and that’s why he was sitting tonight against a righty. I think he was just sitting because he’s been slumping and Cain has been tough for him.
******BTW, take followups to the newest post.