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To understand Jake Lamb, I think it’s important to go back to the 1964 Summer Olympics when his father’s hero, Lambis Manthos, was competing for Greece in the 50 meter pistol shooting event.  Due to a clerical error, Lambis thought he was competing in the 50 centimeter pistol shooting event.  Lambis practiced shooting dinner plates from about 20 inches away.  At one point, he was able to shoot an olive off a branch from about two feet away.  Metaphorically, that meant war, and he knew it.  He was ready, which is why this story ended so sadly when he realized it was really a 50-meter event.  Lambis was extremely shortsighted and nearly took out a judge when tasked with shooting so far away.   Thankfully, tragedy was averted when he only shot into one of those mats high jumpers fall on.  At the end of the event, with Lambis in last place, the laughingstock of the competition, a young man by the name of Jake, was so moved with Lambis and his ability to hit close targets, he took his name as his last.  This was Jake Lamb Sr., and the legend that Jake Lamb has to live up to.  So, besides being a heartwarming story, what does this have to do with fantasy?  Not a ton, said the man with four letters at his disposal.  Lamb is currently slotted into the six or two hole on most days.  He hasn’t shown great ability with lefties, so he’ll likely need to be platooned, but I’d do just that in all leagues.  He has some power, some speed and shouldn’t kill you in average.  Not from 50 meters or centimeters.  Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:

BUY

Travis Shaw – He reminds me a bit of Brock Holt.  Not simply because they’re both on the Red Sox.  Dot dot dot.  Actually, that is the reason.  Shaw seems to be swept up in the hype of the Sons of Sam Horn.  Shaw is solid, but more than 15-homer power?  Niekro, please.

Chris Carter – Now here’s a guy with 40 homer power.  Or as Joe Morgan would say, “I don’t care what I’ve bought, how many coupons you get on one, what my rebate was or is.  Six-point or ten-point font.  If I’m holding it frontwards or backwards.  I just know a CVS receipt is long, and so is Chris Carter’s swing.”

Ben Paulsen – The Hitter-Tron calls your microwave on its own private line and makes hump-hump sounds, and it also loves to sample a little Rockie action.

Enrique Hernandez – I’d joke about his nickname being Kike, but I received a letter of complaint from the Anti-Defamation League.  My address on the envelope was in the top left hand corner so it was ‘returned’ where it was meant to go to save a stamp.

Jonathan Schoop – Why won’t you people pick him up?  Yes, you people!

Daniel CastroBraves, unlike the Padres, look like they’re willing to take a chance on prospects, which I love.  Castro?  I don’t love.  There’s nothing to even like outside of NL-Only leagues.

Trea Turner – I’d stash him in some deeper leagues, but here’s what I said the other day, “Word out of Washington is Turner may not come up until June, which is the same thing I said the day before on the podcast.  Don’t really understand why they would promote him prior to June.  Dusty needs to play a rookie that bad?  They need to lose his rights a year sooner?  Aren’t they already winning with Espinosa?  They need to win by seven runs rather than six?  I got questions, ya’ll!”  And that’s me quoting me!

Aledmys Diaz – I love how his name just rolls off my tongue, “A-LED-Mize Dye-AZZ.”  Or maybe it only rolls off my tongue like that.

Marcus Semien – Speaking of rolling off the tongue.  Oh, c’mon people!  Hehe, I said c’mon people.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia – There’s been no catcher that is hotter, and, if you also own Marc Rzepczynski, you can mic drop the alphabet.

Michael Saunders – He’s hitting leadoff (no?) and he’s not Justin (Morneau).  I made a forced rhyme!

Rajai Davis – The King of SAGNOF will bestow on you great gifts of fanciful SAGNOF.  Now go up that path to his castle and bring him your waiver claim.  Don’t be scared.  *Anthony Gose flies by on the back of a dragon*  Okay, be a little scared.

Oswaldo Arcia – I’m crazy for this guy, and, no, it’s not entirely because Rudy grabbed him in one league before me and I want Rudy to keep holding him, so I’m pretending to like him.

Matt Moore – I just gave you my Matt Moore fantasy.  It was written on a small piece of paper and stuffed into a Cracker Jack box.  What a prize!

Hector Santiago – Full disclosure, I almost made Hector Santiago my lede today, because there’s a lot to like about him — 8.7 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, velocity up two miles per hour, good ballpark, upped his ground ball rates.  Just about everything Santiago could be doing right, he is.  I didn’t make him the lede because he had no 1964 Olympic anecdotes.  Round peg, get out of my square hole!

Blake Snell – Will be called up to start on Saturday and could be up for good.  Or, in honor of Prince, 4 good.  Not Prince Fielder, that would be “Will work 4 food.”  Snell averages around a 12+ K/9.  Cut to Grey screaming at Cougs, “Quiet, woman!  I’m looking for Blake Snell on waivers!”  Snell’s owners could be in for some major roofies due to his walk rate — 4+ in Triple-A this year, 4+ in years pass in lower minors.  He could be a top 20 starter for fantasy if he can control his pitches.  Sadly, that if will have moments where it’s ginormous and other moments where it can fit into your murse.  Due to his upside, I added him everywhere.

Drew Pomeranz – It feels a little like this is coming out of nowhere for Pomeranz, but he has an under-4 ERA in 309 1/3 career innings.  Pomeranz isn’t a dog, that’s Pomeranzian.

Dan Straily – In deep leagues, I would just own Straily, but this call for mixed leagues is due to his next start on the Stream-o-Nator.   Fo’Straily.

Ryan Madson – He’s the closer for the A’s, and I’m not sure that will change at any point this year if he stays on the field.  Doolittle seems to always be a darling of the fantasy community, but he can’t stay healthy and hasn’t been anything great for a while.  Besides, the fantasy community thinks sweatpants are formal wear, so, ya know, grain of salt.

Caleb Cotham – I could’ve also listed Tony Cingrani here, and, I’ll be darned like an old lady’s yarn, I just did.

Kevin JepsenTwins are saying Perkins will be back when his DL stint is over and, the Twins are liars, being naive or just dopey.  Perkins is toast…and pancakes…and breakfast for the whole family.

SELL

Jordan Zimmermann – His march towards Orel Herhiser with his scoreless inning streak has captured the entire nation.  If the nation only lived inside of Jordan Zimmermann’s house, which is absurd unless Zimmermann is an alien king and there’s a giant invisible dome around the entire nation, which is less absurd.  So, yeah, Zimmermann has not been scored on yet this year.  Great, terrific, adjective!  Unfortch, his K/9 is actually down, his velocity is way down, his walk rate is up, he’s left 100% of men on base, he has the worst xFIP of his career.  The Regression Fairies are not only circling Zimmermann to borrow his copy of Bette Midler’s autobiography, they also are about to attack his ERA and WHIP.  I wouldn’t sell Zimmermann for a turkey pastrami sandwich on matzoh with extra mayo, but I would explore options.