Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse

The Housies: Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball Awards Ceremony

R.J. White — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB New Studs, MLB Sleepers, MLB Value Machine

Major League Baseball announced the winners of its prestigious awards this week; now, FanHouse is following suit. We voted on winners in five categories (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Draft Day Bargain, Draft Day Bust), the results of which are revealed below. Remember, this awards show deals strictly in fantasy baseball. I'll also throw in a few awards I'm personally doling out for performances that made the 2009 season what it was.

Fantasy Rookie of the Year

The Candidates

Andrew Bailey, RP, Oakland. The AL Rookie of the Year winner is the only member of our nominees that doesn't hail from the National League. In the preseason, it was undecided whether Joey Devine or Brad Ziegler would close for the A's. Somehow it ended up on Bailey's shoulders, and all he did was notch 26 saves while posting a 1.84 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 91 Ks.

Chris Coghlan, 2B/OF, Florida. The National League Rookie of the year emerged as the new Placido Polanco for his roto teams, hitting .321 in 500-plus at-bats while adding a little bit of power (nine HRs) and speed (eight SBs). Eighty-four runs on that sad-sack team is certainly nothing to sneeze at either.

Tommy Hanson, SP, Atlanta. One of the most touted pitching prospects to come around in ages, Hanson was the rare case of the hype matching the kid. Called up after 11 terrific Triple-A starts, Hanson dominated the competition, earning a 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 11-4 record in 21 starts with Atlanta. His 116/46 K/BB ratio gives further proof that the talent is real.

J.A. Happ, SP, Philadelphia. Shuffling back-and-forth between starter and reliever, the then-26-year-old Happ compiled a 12-4 record for the NL champion Phillies, amassing a sparkling 2.93 ERA for the season, adding a 1.23 WHIP and 119 Ks in his 166 innings of work. The three complete games (two shutouts) are wonderful for a team that had bullpen problems.

Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates. Pittsburgh had Nate McLouth patrolling the outfield, someone whom fans and fantasy players alike loved. After a McLouth trade, we found someone that could fill the role just as well. The youngster ended 2009 with 12 HRs and 22 SBs in 433 ABs, hitting .286 in the process.

And the Housie for Fantasy Rookie of the Year goes to ... Tommy Hanson. In a unanimous decision, Hanson's emergence as possibly the game's best young pitcher was enough to take the Housie home. Bailey finished second in the voting, Happ third, and McCutchen a distant fourth. Coghlan received no votes.

Most Frustrating Player to Own in Fantasy Baseball

Manny Ramirez, OF, Los Angeles. One of your stars gets hurt, you put them on the DL and pick up another player. Manny Ramirez gets suspended, you have one of your best hitters stuck on the bench for 50 games. If you happen to play in a no-bench league, you suddenly have a black hole in one of your outfield spots, collecting zeroes day after day for two months. Hey, it's just another case of Manny being Manny.

Fantasy Draft Day Bust

The Candidates

Josh Hamilton, OF, Texas. One year after completing a widely-discussed comeback by hitting 32 HRs and amassing 130 RBIs, Hamilton went right into the tank in 2009. We knew to be cautious of his injury history, and that ended up looming over his head as he hit just .268 and 10 HRs in 336 ABs. Did I mention he was a fringe first-rounder in March?

Brad Lidge, RP, Philadelphia. Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Lidge played a key role in the 2008 Phillies run to the championship, perfect in his 41 save opportunities and lights out with a sub-2.00 ERA. Mr. Hyde came calling this year, as "Lights Out" Lidge became "Lit Up" Lidge, posting a putrid 7.21 ERA and 1.81 WHIP.

Russell Martin, C/3B, Los Angeles. Sure, Martin had the 3B distinction heading into the season, but 99 percent of his owners were felt much better off sticking him behind the plate for their fantasy team. After a few months, they didn't even want to play him there. Martin completely collapsed in 2009, hitting .250 with seven HRs and 11 SBs in 500-plus at-bats.

Grady Sizemore, OF, Cleveland. Roundly considered the best OF option in March drafts, Sizemore was a mid-first round pick in most leagues, which is understandable when a 20/30 season has become routine. Limited by injury, Sizemore's already mediocre average went in the tank as he hit .248 with 18 HRs and just 13 SBs this year.

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago. Topping at least 28 HRs and 18 SBs for the last seven years (even 2008's injury-shortened campaign), Soriano, like Sizemore, was money in the bank to those who drafted him. Unfortunately, those same people needed a bailout as Soriano hit .241 with 20 HRs and nine SBs, even though he had more ABs than in 2008.

Geovany Soto, C, Chicago. Things just never go right for the Cubs, do they? Hailed as fantasy baseball's next great young catcher and coming off a .283-average, 23-HR year, Soto was drafted as high as the fourth or fifth round by some. A .218 average and 11 HRs assured that no one would be making that same mistake again in 2010.

And the Housie for Fantasy Draft Day Bust goes to ... Josh Hamilton. Ten homers and a .268 average from a first-rounder was the death knoll for many a team this year. Sizemore came in second, while my lone first-place vote for Martin gave him third. Hey, I owned both Martin and Hamilton, and the catcher was tougher to replace. The other three candidates picked up a third-place vote each.

The Look at the Peripherals Pitcher of the Year

Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP, Boston. Look, the guy gave more walks than the ASPCA in 2008. I know you were entranced by an 18-3 record and a sub-3.00 ERA, but 94 walks? That didn't raise a bit of a red flag? Thanks to injury, Dice-BB was only able to manage 12 starts, where he went 4-6 with a 5.76 ERA and a 1.87 WHIP. Once 2008's absurdly-low 6.9 hits-per-nine innings rate came back up, Matsuzaka's goose was cooked.

Fantasy Cy Young of the Year

The Candidates

Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis. When he's on his game, he's a top-five pitcher, but injury after injury has led many owners to consider Carpenter undraftable. Those guys were kicking themselves this year, as he once again proved to be one of the best in the business, turning in a 2.24 ERA and 1.01 WHIP while posting a 17-4 record and a 144/38 K/BB ratio.

Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City. Toiling away in obscurity by pitching for the Royals, Greinke did enough to win the AL Cy Young award this year. Think about that, and consider the years CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander had pitching for playoff teams. Greinke beat 'em all with a 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 242 Ks and a 16-8 record for one of baseball's worst teams.

Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle. King Felix has arrived, pitching up to his remarkable talent over the course of a full season for the first time in his young career. The Mariners ace posted a 19-5 record for a non-contender striking out 217 in 238.2 innings while throwing up a 2.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.

Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco. What would a top pitcher list be without the 2008 and 2009 NL Cy Young award winner? While the Giants made a surprising push at the playoffs, Lincecum was completely dominant yet again, striking out 261 batters in 225.1 innings, winning 15 games and turning in a 2.48 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

Javier Vazquez, SP, Atlanta. Acquired from Chicago, Vazquez became the next in a long line of elite Braves pitchers acquired from other teams. Escaping the hitter-friendly Cell, Vazquez obliterated the NL, with a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 219.1 innings, picking up 238 Ks (while walking just 44 batters) and earning a 15-10 record along the way.

And the Housie for Fantasy Cy Young of the Year goes to ... Tim Lincecum. I know the above numbers look very similar, but was there every any question? Lincecum was the first pitcher off the board in many leagues, and he came through time and time again. Greinke scored a close second-place finish, while Hernandez (two third-place votes) edged out the other two competitors for third.

Injury that Ended Up Not Being a Problem

Chase Utley, 2B, Philadelphia. Remember back in March when we didn't know what to make of Utley's injury? We though for sure he'd miss the first few weeks of the season, and then figured he's take a little time rounding into top form. That dropped him into the second round of many drafts (like A-Rod, who actually did miss the first part of the season). Utley started on Opening Day and delivered 31 HRs, 23 SBs, and a .282 average. So much for that.

Fantasy Draft Day Bargain

The Candidates

Chris Carpenter, SP, St. Louis. We talked about Carpenter's amazing season above, one that fit right in with his amazing stretch between 2004 and 2006. After pitching just 15.1 innings for St. Louis last year, Carpenter was nothing more than a late-round gamble. Anyone that snatched him out of free agency likely finished near the top of the league.

Zack Greinke, SP, Kansas City. He came just shy of winning this year's Fantasy Cy Young award, but Greinke has another shot here. His 2008 campaign, which featured a 3.47 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 183 Ks likely made him a mid-round pick in most leagues, and he turned into one of baseball's few elite pitchers. His early-season run was absurd.

Aaron Hill, 2B, Toronto. A very nice 2007 (19 HRs, .291 average) had Hill on our radars in 2008, but a concussion injury sidelined him most of the year, as he hit just two HRs in 205 at-bats. If you pegged him as a rebound in 2009, congratulations, you were rewarded with 36 HRs and 108 RBIs as well as a .286 average and a few SBs.

Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B, Arizona. Think Ryan Howard, if Howard played a position more scarce of talent and had some faster wheels. Despite breaking his own record for strikeouts in 2009, Reynolds hit 44 homers and stole 24 bases while posting a not-terrible .260 average. I drafted him late as a A-Rod fill-in for the first part the season and obviously stuck with him.

Justin Upton, OF, Arizona. While we sat around and waited for his brother to display the power worthy of B.J.'s high draft slot, Justin came through with a very nice five-category season, hitting .300 while posting 26 HRs and 20 SBs. His run and RBI totals were in the mid-80s, and his 2010 price tag should easily exceed his brother's.

Jayson Werth, OF, Philadelphia. Werth owners likely drafted him as a fourth OF, hoping for some speed mixed in with a little power (he went 24/20 in 2008). Matching the 20 steals, Werth's power bat took off in 2009, and he carried several hot power streaks to a 36-homer total. With nearly 100 runs and 100 RBIs, he was a four-category stud (.268 average).

And the House for Fantasy Draft Day Bargain goes to ... Mark Reynolds. Even with the terrible average, Reynolds did wonders at a position that proved difficult to unearth talent. Greinke came up just short yet again, while Carpenter earned third place in the voting. Hill took fourth. Upton and Werth didn't receive a vote.

Least Productive, Most Anticipated

Matt Wieters, C, Baltimore. The Wieters hype in pre-season 2009 was palpable. People were spending mid-round picks on a guy they knew would spend a couple months on their bench. The Wieters-mania continued throughout the season, as people asked nearly every day when he'd be called up. Dominance was a forgone conclusion. In June, he finally arrived -- and hit just nine HRs in 354 ABs while posting a .288 average. Savior, he was not.

Fantasy Most Valuable Player

The Candidates

Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco. Our Fantasy Cy Young and the back-to-back NL Cy Young is our first candidate. If you didn't have him in a head-to-head league, you rued facing him. If you did have him, and were somehow able to get one of the breakthrough pitchers listed above, you probably went on to win pitching every week.

Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota. Like Utley, Mauer was faced with an injury heading into the season and required a bit of a gamble by the team that drafted him. That gamble paid off in spades. Mauer discovered his power stroke, hitting 28 homers (over double his previous high) while still posting a huge .365 average. 190 combined runs and RBIs were also golden.

Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis. Baseball's most feared hitter, Pujols was in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 fantasy drafts. You can't put a price on consistent excellence, Prince Albert may have outdone himself this year, combining his high RBI total from 2006 with his steals from 2005 to post a .327/124/47/135/16 line. Long live the Prince.

Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida. Also in the mix for No. 1 overall last year, Ramirez saw a dip in his HR, SB, and run totals. That was supported by a huge rise in average (from .301 to .342) and an equally great rise in RBIs (from 67 to 106). This season didn't quite live up to 2007's, but Hanley owners have nothing to complain about.

Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B, Arizona. Our Fantasy Draft Day Bargain, Reynolds was best served with a few high-average players to pump up that low .260. Do that, and you had the making of a killer lineup. One of 2010's early dilemmas will be regarding how to rank Reynolds for next season. Is this repeatable?

And the Housie for Fantasy Most Valuable Player goes to ... Albert Pujols. Of course. Pujols earned unanimous distinction as fantasy's MVP this year. Mauer's catcher-eligible explosion ranked second with our panel, while Ramirez came in third. Reynolds earned fourth, while Lincecum was right behind him.

And there you have it. If you made it to this point, thanks for sticking with us. I hope you enjoyed yourselves! Keep checking in with FanHouse periodically, as we'll keep you abreast of matters of fantasy baseball importance throughout the offseason.

The Housies: Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball Awards Ceremony originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hideki Matsui, Others From World Series to be Overrated in 2010 Fantasy Baseball

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:55:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Value Machine, Draft Advice

World Series MVP Hideki Matsui was an absolute monster (Godzilla?) in the 2009 Fall Classic. In 13 at-bats, he pounded eight hits -- including a double and three home runs -- eight RBI and three runs scored. His OPS for the series was an obscene 2.027.

As he was accepting the MVP trophy, there were many items swirling around in my head (there always are, it's a burden, I tell ya!). He's a free agent, the Yankees likely can't justify bringing back both him and Johnny Damon if they want to shore up their starting pitching, etc. There were several more ... and then I arrived at this one: man, he's really gonna be overrated in fantasy baseball drafts next season.

You see, most fantasy baseball fans -- the ones who aren't losers -- are real baseball fans first. This means they watch the World Series and it obviously has a subconscious effect on them. Year after year, players are overvalued in fantasy drafts following a big postseason (think Josh Beckett in '04, Cole Hamels this past season, Adam Wainwright in '07, Jacoby Ellsbury in '08, etc.). Sure, these are all good players, but they were being drafted far above their ceilings because we were excited about their small sample of good work in the World Series. Several times it's a young player who is just not ready to enter stud-hood yet (see the four I listed above and realize regular season breakouts came a year or two later) and sometimes it's an older player who has seen better days (see Matsui).
Just remember, you can't carry over the 2009 postseason into 2010 regular season fantasy stats.

Here are some players bound to be overrated heading into 2010 fantasy drafts, based upon their World Series performance.

Hideki Matsui - You saw his numbers above, but here are a few more. He's a 35-year-old who can't really play adequate defense anymore. He's a free agent who made $13 million this past year. He's hit more than 30 home runs just once (2004) and he hasn't driven home 100 since 2007. He hit .274 in the 2009 regular season. Just remember, he's not a big-time run producer in fantasy. You can find outfielders like him quite easily in the middle rounds. Plus, he could have a change of scenery with heightened expectations (which would also bring a lesser supporting cast).

Johnny Damon - Similar situation to Matsui. Damon's getting up there in age (today is his 36th birthday) and he's a free agent. An early season power surge skewed his regular season line and his World Series stat-line (.364-.440-.455) will surely make him near and dear the hearts of many fantasy owners. Just don't overdo it.

Derek Jeter - He's usually overrated on name recognition alone, but this past season he ended up having a rejuvenation. Still, he's not a great source of power or speed (anymore). He'll hit for high average and score runs. If you are looking for much more, you'll be disappointed.

Carlos Ruiz - He's an average offensive catcher. That's not going to all of a sudden change at age 31 just because he had an OPS of over 1.200 in the NLCS and World Series. Do not enter 2010 with him as your fantasy catcher.

Raul Ibanez - He's gonna be overrated based upon his first half of the regular season, but closing with a .942 OPS in the World Series will only compound matters.

Cliff Lee - I don't know if you heard, but Lee was pretty good this postseason (understatement alert!). With all the superlatives being hurled around by everyone from Joe Buck to the most casual of fans, I'm honestly thinking he'll be the first pitcher taken in some fantasy drafts. Man, would that be a big mistake. He was inconsistent for all of 2009, ending 14-13 with a 3.22 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. For those talking about him being different for the Phillies, consider his ERA was actually worse for the Phils than it was for the Indians. I like him as a fantasy pitcher for next season, but not in the top 10 -- and that's where he'll be drafted in almost every single league.

Hideki Matsui, Others From World Series to be Overrated in 2010 Fantasy Baseball originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Cliff Lee Back on Track

Matt Snyder — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

There was reason for concern with Cliff Lee. After storming out of the proverbial gates upon his entrance to the so-called Senior Circuit, he stumbled. Lee's first five outings yielded a 5-0 record with a 0.68 ERA and a 39:6 K:BB in 40 innings. His next three? Ugly. He got a win (going 1-2), but his ERA in 15 innings was 9.60, after allowing 29 hits, 16 earned runs and 4 home runs.

Tuesday night, Lee re-announced his presence with authority.

More Fantasy Baseball: Need Big Help in Stolen Bases?

Sure, Lee was facing the Nats, but they have some good hitters. In fact, they roughed him up in his last start. This time around, he was in control. The lanky lefty hurled a shutty -- his 2nd of the year to go with his 6 complete games. He struck out 9 and allowed one baserunner per inning.

This is all he needed. He's back. You should have already been starting him in all leagues, but now you can do so with confidence.

Bits From the Box Scores:
- Yovani Gallardo may be cooked for the season. After being skipped due to concerns over his increasingly large workload this season, he got lit up by the Cubs ... to the tune of 7 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. His arm didn't get a rest, either, because he threw 107 pitches (after walking 5). He hasn't worked more than 6 innings since August 9 and his ERA has risen an entire run since June 5.

- Yesterday, I said 2009 was a lost cause for Edwin Encarnacion. Maybe I spoke too soon? He's hitting .333 with a 1.030 OPS and 2 home runs in his past five games. Still, it would have to be a deep league for me to consider him just yet.

- Big day for Pat Burrell, unfortunately he can't do enough right now to salvage the disappointing season. He's like a microcosm for the Rays.

- Jarrod Washburn's knee may be his undoing for the rest of 2009. He skipped his first September start in order to get it healthy. He came back with a decent out, though he only worked 5 innings. Tuesday night, Washburn didn't make it more than 1 inning, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks and 4 earned runs in his only inning. I'd look elsewhere is most all fantasy leagues.

- Well looky who decided to join the party late? Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first start in three months, and he was sharp. Six shutout innings with 5 strikeouts and just 3 hits. He did walk 3, but we expect that from Dice. Take the bad with the good, as he won his 2nd game of the season.

- Seriously, what more can we say about Rajai Davis? Please add him immediately. I'm begging you. We've been hyping him for the past three weeks (if not more) in Rush and he's still owned in less than half the fantasy leagues out there. Since June 6 -- hardly a small sample -- Davis is hitting .338 with 31 stolen bases. Unless you need power, there aren't many guys who have been more valuable during that time.

- I just can't say enough about Tommy Hanson. Tim Lincecum wasn't near this good his rookie campaign. Of course, we'll see if Hanson can match Tiny Tim's sophomore effort in 2010.

- Gotta give props to Paul Janish for a 3 double night, but he's still not ownable in the overwhelming majority of fantasy leagues.

- Sean West put together a strong effort against the Cardinals. He struck out a career-high 9, while only allowing 1 earned run in 6 innings. It's been an up-and-down year for the 23-year-old rookie, but he's got lots of promise. Keep an eye on him in 2010.

- Mark Reynolds has dipped his power a bit, but you can't complain about his 42nd home run -- which he hit last night.

- Ubaldo Jimenez has been sufficiently praised by me for the past couple months. He hadn't had a bad outing in two months, so I guess he was due. He stunk it up against the surging Giants -- 2 2/3 innings, 6 hits, 6 earned runs. Still, I'd run him back out there again next time his turn comes up. He's too good for this to mean anything more than an off-night.

- Ian Snell's last six starts? 4-1, 3.27. The problem is he has 18 walks and 16 strikeouts in 33 innings, but he's showing an ability to keep guys from scoring. This is a good omen the 27 year-old can get things going for next season.

The Afflicted: Andy Pettitte missed a start with shoulder fatigue. He suffered through the same malady last season in the second half and was awful. Lance Berkman is banged up (back, hip) and will be out for the next few games.

He's Back: Jake Peavy appears set to start for the White Sox this coming Saturday. If you held him all this time, you have to start him.

Lineup Lock Time: We're saddled with a 1:10 PM ET kickoff today, so hopefully your lineups are set.

Roto Rush: Cliff Lee Back on Track originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Battle of the Ages (You Know, Old and New)

R.J. White — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

On Thursday in Philadelphia, one of the game's best pitchers from years past squared off against arguably the game's best pitcher of today. Who would win the battle of old versus new? It turns out fantasy owners were the big winners.

Tim Lincecum struck out 11 batters, which isn't even close to a season high for the kid, and walked one over seven innings while allowing two runs, but all that got him was a loss.

Pedro Martinez, making his fifth start with the Phillies, moved to 3-0 on the strength of a nine-strikeout, no-walk performance. He threw 62 of his 87 pitches for strikes and looked completely dominant after a first-inning homer by Eugenio Velez.

Pedro hasn't walked more than one batter in an appearance this year, leaving his K/BB ratio at a stratospheric 23/3. We might expect that sort of K/BB ratio from a reliever like Neftali Feliz, but not from a starting pitcher. Cliff Lee's impact on the Phillies has been evident, but if Pedro can continue to dominate? You'd have a playoff 1-2-3 of Cole Hamels, Lee and Pedro. Once the Phillies' bats wake up, they'll be well on their way to a repeat title.

Also noteworthy from the Giants-Phillies contest: Brad Lidge recorded a scoreless save! That makes three in a row for Lights Out Lidge, meaning another blown save is just around the corner. Jayson Werth connected for his 30th HR. His owners have no room to complain, but why has Werth stopped running? His last stolen base attempt came on August 2nd, and it was unsuccessful.

Bits From the Box Scores:
o. The Yankees' plate discipline was on display against the Blue Jays, as they recorded eight walks (six against starter Ricky Romero) in yesterday's game. Six came from the two-through-five hitters, leaving a lot of ducks on the pond for Jorge Posada, who finished the game 4 for 5 with a homer and 4 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez also homered and extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

o. Don't look now, but the Rockies may have traded for Carlos Pena to play in the middle infield. Well, you explain Clint Barmes' numbers. The Colorado second baseman homered for the 22nd time this year (he had 30 homers in about 1,350 at-bats coming into 2009), but the power has come at a steep price to fantasy owners. After hitting .314 in June, Barmes has managed a .192 average in July, a .191 average in August, and a .182 average thus far in September.

o. Jon Garland made his first start away from the Diamondbacks, and he faced off against his former team. He obviously scouted them well, throwing seven innings of two-run ball while striking out six for the win. Garland has been fantastic sine July, with a 56/16 K/BB ratio in 85.1 innings. Manny Ramirez hit his third homer of the past week, and fantasy bust Stephen Drew also homered in the game.

o. Speaking of a guy that's been very good, Ricky Nolasco recorded another quality start, this one against the Braves, while striking out seven and walking one. He earned the win, moving him to 10-8 on the season. Many owners will be scared off by the bloated ERA (currently 5.27) in next year's draft, but you'll look past that to see his 154 strikeouts and 38 walks in 152 innings.

o. Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 57th and 58th bases in Thursday's game against the Rays, while B.J. Upton recorded his 37th save. Upton, hitting ninth on Thursday, has only had one good month this year. Here are his averages per month: .177, .218, .324, .233, .216, .222. With little-to-no power, he's been one of the biggest busts of the season. His sprained ankle is really a blessing in disguise for anyone still running him out there every day.

o. John Smoltz was in the middle of another very good start, but a two-run sixth-inning homer by Casey McGehee contributed to Smoltz's four-run line against the Brewers. He still struck out six while walking none in six innings. For Milwaukee, Trevor Hoffman picked up his 30th save, marking the 14th time in 15 years that the future Hall-of-Famer has recorded 30 saves or more.

The Afflicted: Josh Hamilton has a pinched nerve in his back, and the Rangers are calling him day-to-day. Expect him out for the remainder of the week, if not a little longer. Carlos Beltran experienced no issues in a Single-A rehab game, and he could be back next week. Check your wire -- he could provide enough of a stat push in September to help win your league. Dexter Fowler begins a rehab assignment today, and the speedster should be back early next week.

Locking Your Lineup: Games don't kick off till 7:05 ET tonight, so take your time.

Roto Rush: Battle of the Ages (You Know, Old and New) originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Carlos Pena's Power Surge

Matt Snyder — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

When you select Carlos Pena in fantasy baseball, you know you aren't getting batting average help. Still, his career-low .223 mark this year was well below expectations, and up until August 5, the power numbers weren't nearly high enough to console disappointed Pena owners.

Well, that has all changed. Since that date, Pena has slugged 11 home runs and driven home 22. His average has been respectable (.286) and his OPS is ridiculous (1.307). On the season, Pena now has a six home run lead on the rest of the AL with 37. He's also third in RBI (91).

Partying Like It's April: Zack Greinke took the AL by storm at the beginning of the season. He didn't allow an earned run until his fifth start, his ERA didn't rise above 1.00 until May 31, and his ERA didn't rise above 2.00 until July 8. Greinke struck out double-digit hitters in three of his first six starts, but had only done so once since then. Other than a 7-shutout-inning gem August 14, he had been bad in August. Well, Tuesday night, we saw that he still had it. How about 8 innings, 6 base-runners, 2 earned runs and 15 strikeouts? Yeah, that works. Don't ever take him out of your lineup, for fear you'll miss out on an outing like this. He's capable of it at the drop of a hat.

Bits From the Box Scores
- Carlos Zambrano has always been an enigma. He may not be completely healthy, but he's had outings like he did Tuesday night when fully healthy. When you own him on your fantasy team, you know the inherent risks involved. Stick with him, as long as he's OK, because he has enough talent to help your team down the stretch.

- If we can conveniently eliminate the month of April, Josh Willingham has been quite the stud. After obliterating the Cubs Tuesday night with a 4-hit, 5-run, 2-homer, 6-RBI spot, he's got an OPS of .986 on the season. Since April ended, Willingham is hitting .320 with 25 doubles, 20 home runs, 54 RBI, 59 runs and a 1.039 OPS. In 284 at-bats. He actually snapped a 1-for-19 slump Tuesday night, but we've seen enough from him to leave him active in pretty much all leagues as a power hitter with solid average abilities.

- Josh Hamilton is hitting .393 with a .965 OPS and 14 RBI since August 3. Remember, numbers tend to normalize in studs who got off to a bad start. Just ask Jimmy Rollins.

- On the other hand, Brad Lidge's nightmare season doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon. After blowing a save to the Pirates, the bloodbath of a 2009 stat line looks like this: 0-6, 7.33 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 11 home runs allowed (a career high). His rate stats are pathetic. Counting only full seasons, he's never allowed more hits or walks per inning. This is the first time he's ever struck out less than 10 batters per nine innings and it's also the first time his K/BB has dipped blow 2.3 (it is 1.71 now and his career mark is 3.0). I'd take him out of every fantasy lineup. Saves are too easy to find to allow him to continue to decimate your ERA and WHIP.

- Man, it's too bad the Pirates made that Nate McLouth trade to clear room for Andrew McCutchen, huh?

- Joba Chamberlain has an 8.55 ERA and a 2.10 WHIP in August. He's only averaged five innings per start as well, meaning his high strikeout rate has only yielded 17 punch-outs in four outings. He's not worth starting in mixed leagues until he shows signs of turning it around.

- Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 55th base Tuesday night. The 25-year-old speedster is hitting .298. If he can work on his plate discipline (only .343 OBP), he can hit atop a potent Red Sox offense in the future.

- Andy Marte was once an uber-hyped prospect. He's now just 25, but he's been all but forgotten in most circles. All he did in the minors this year was hit .327 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI in 300 at-bats. He got the call to Cleveland late in July, and struggled for a bit. Now, though, he's in the midst of a six-game hitting streak, in which he's hitting .429 with six RBI. Tuesday night, he hit his first major league bomb since July 26, 2008. Keep an eye on how he does the rest of the year, because he could have a breakout 2010.

- Bronson Arroyo got jobbed out of a win by the bullpen. Despite his 1-2 record this month, he's having a very solid August. In five starts, he's worked 38 innings and allowed just 8 earned runs (1.89 ERA). His WHIP in the month is 0.97. Take a look in deep leagues if you need a late push.

- Mat Latos is back to dealing after a two-game bump in the road. His ERA had skyrocketed from 2.43 to 4.82 in just two starts. Tuesday night, he threw 7 scoreless frames against the Braves, allowing 2 hits, 0 walks and striking out 4. Remember, though, he's in the red as far as the workload the Padres wanted him to have this year. It wouldn't surprise me to see him shut down soon, as they are going nowhere in 2009.

- Wandy Rodriguez and Adam Wainwright had an old school pitcher's duel, lowering their respective ERAs to 2.82 and 2.50 on the season. Both are similar in that the last few seasons have been progressively better and everything came together this year.

- Not to be outdone, Matt Cain and Dan Haren staged a bloody (not really) battle. Their ERAs are 2.39 and 2.73 and have also been progressively growing.

- Michael Aubrey has replaced Aubrey Huff in Baltimore with a bit of name continuity. He's also outdoing his production thus far. Aubrey is 5-for-12 (.417) with 2 doubles and 3 RBI. He's a former first-rounder who just never developed into a stud in the minors. This early success is likely the product of a small sample size. Avoid him for now.

- Are we going to fall in love with Delmon Young again next spring? The former No. 1 overall pick is still only 23. He's had hits in 14 of 19 games in August, including five multi-hit games. On the season, he has just 8 home runs and 42 RBI, but his totals this month in those categories are 5 and 15.

- Could I nominate Troy Tulowitzki for second-half fantasy MVP?

The Afflicted: If the Mets and Reds combined their players who have visited the disabled list this season, it would be one of the best teams in the league. Seriously. Johan Santana and J.J. Putz are now out for the season. The Reds aren't getting near the national attention of the Mets in the injury department, but we've tried to do our part here at FanHouse.

Lineup Lock Time: 2:10 PM ET.

Roto Rush: Carlos Pena's Power Surge originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Cliff Lee the 2009 CC

Matt Snyder — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

For the second consecutive year, the Indians have given a playoff contender a huge boost. For the second consecutive year, they traded the previous season's AL Cy Young award winner. And for the second consecutive year, he's absolutely dealing in the National League.

Through five starts, Cliff Lee is 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 2 complete games and 39 strikeouts (with only 6 walks) in 40 innings. Sound familiar?

Last season, CC Sabathia joined the Brewers and started similarly on fire. After five starts, he was 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 3 complete games and 34 strikeouts (with 10 walks) in 39 2/3 innings.

If the similarities are any indication, Lee is going to continue giving the Phillies quite the ride. Sabathia went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA for the Brewers. He threw 7 complete games and 3 shutouts in 17 starts. That's just insanity. And Lee has started his NL career better than CC did.

The main difference between the two situations -- as it applies to just the current season -- is that the Phillies were already going to the playoffs. The Brewers needed Sabathia to ensure they made it and he had to virtually carry them to make it happen. The Phillies landed Lee as a piece that could push them over the top. Again.

As far as fantasy baseball goes, Lee is once again an ace. He wasn't for the 2009 Indians, but he is for the 2009 Phillies.

Bits From the Box Scores
- Yovani Gallardo is laboring his way through the season, his first as a full-time starter. He's taking on a big workload and still finding ways to battle. Through 26 starts, he's 12-10 with a 3.51 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. Just as we expected, his striking out his fair share (179 in 164 1/3 innings). When looking at starting pitching next season, remember Gallardo was only 23 this year and coming off ACL surgery. He's going to be a good one.

- Ryan Spillborghs stole the spotlight Monday night with his walk-off grand slam, but we cannot dismiss the job done by both starting pitchers. Both Barry Zito and Jason Marquis were brilliant, and it really illustrated what an unexpected boost they have each given their respective teams this year.

- Randy Ruiz has had quite the journey. He's played 1,088 minor league games in 11 years. Last year, he had a cup of coffee with the Twins, but he still qualifies as a rookie. A 31-year-old rookie. Thus far, he's making his mark with the Toronto Blue Jays -- his 11th organization. In 12 starts, the designated hitter has only gone hitless once. He's hitting .348 with a 1.030 OPS. The 4 home runs in 46 at-bats isn't too shabby either.

- Here comes the inevitable Pat Burrell hot streak. In his last seven games, Burrell is 11-26 (.423) with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. We've seen this before -- at least once per season -- and he should be active in all leagues right now.

- Jose Contreras has disgusted his manager, Ozzie Guillen, to the point that he's been summarily dismissed from the rotation. This coming after a 2 2/3 inning start where he allowed 7 runs. Of course, only 1 of them was earned and his last time out he worked 7 solid frames. Regardless, release him in all leagues -- not that he should have really been owned in many anyway.

- Joakim Soria continues to disappoint owners. He still doesn't have half as many saves as he did last year. His ERA has jumped from 1.60 to 2.97. He's allowing hits and home runs at a higher clip than last season as well. Sure, the Royals are an awful team, but Soria saved 42 of their 75 wins last year. He's now blown the same amount of saves as last season. So, once again, this is why you wait on closers on draft/auction day.

- Big night for Travis Hafner. His OPS is up to .858 on the season. Should he stay healthy the rest of the way, there could be hope yet for his post-30-years-old career.

- Jered Weaver had been pretty bad since his ERA crept all the way down to 2.08 after a June 14 shutout. Between that and last time out, his ERA was 7.07 in 11 starts. He then threw a shutty last time out, which may have been a tease. I say that because Monday night he reverted to his bad self. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 8 hits, 2 walks and 5 earned runs while only striking out 2. We better be very cautious with him from here on out.

- Fernando Rodney should have quelled concerns over his possibly losing closing duties for the Tigers. The big man has worked three straight scoreless saves now, and his Monday night outing was 1 1/3 perfect innings -- including 2 strikeouts. He'll hold the job the rest of the way.

- Ian Snell has now won two straight. In those outings, he's tossed 11 2/3 innings. He's allowed 8 hits and 2 earned runs (1.54 ERA) in that stretch. The strikeout-to-walk is an issue -- 5 walks and 4 Ks -- but everything else is pointing in the right direction. We know he has talent. If he can work his confidence up a bit in Seattle, he'll be a good late-round value next season.

The Afflicted: Johan Santana has been scratched from his scheduled Tuesday start with elbow discomfort. Rut roh. That is definitely something you never want to hear for a pitcher. Sit him in daily leagues and monitor his progress. Ichiro is dealing with a calf issue. He's out until Wednesday at the earliest. This is a bit of a concern because his speed is such a huge part of his game. Jeff Francoeur has a torn ligament in his thumb. He was actually hitting pretty well for the Mets, so keep your eyes on him.

Lineup Lock Time: 7:05 PM ET

C'mon Back: Joe Saunders will return to the hill Wednesday against the Tigers. His upside in the start compared to the chances he hurts you doesn't make this an enticing start. Give him a look or two before grabbing and using him.

Roto Rush: Cliff Lee the 2009 CC originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Six Hits for Adrian Gonzalez

Matt Snyder — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:05:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Mired in the middle of a quite reprehensible offense, Adrian Gonzalez had been struggling at the plate for quite a while. Sure, he was still hitting home runs and drawing walks, but his batting average from May 1 to August 9 was an atrocious .228 in 298 at-bats. He hadn't had a multiple hit game since July 29 and hadn't had more than two hits in a game since June 18.

Tuesday night, Gonzalez went 6-6, giving him more hits in one night than the rest of August combined.

It's not easy to raise your batting average 11 points in one night on August 11, unless you are a part-time player or have missed significant time with injury, but that's what Gonzalez did.

The problem is you can't expect anything of the sort to continue. There's simply not enough supporting cast for opposing pitchers to allow him anything decent to hit. He's an elite power hitter and his supporting cast is either incredibly inexperienced or just plain sucks. The 6-hit night was a nice reprieve, but it was far from a harbinger of a future hit parade.

For the rest of the year, you can count on some more homers, but, mostly, his positive outcomes are going to be bases on balls (he already has a career-high 89, and his previous high was 74).

Bits From the Box Scores:
- Tommy Hanson throttled the Nationals, which wouldn't have meant much earlier this season. Tuesday night, though, the 22-year-old phenom broke the Nats' league-best 9-game winning streak. He's 7-2 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. The strikeouts will come more consistently as he continues to flourish in his rookie season.

- Nyjer Morgan is running wild in Washington. He was 18 of 28 in stolen base attempts for the Pirates in 106 times on base. In Washington? How about 20 of 26 in 60 times on base. Unless you have a hefty cushion in steals and/or desperately need power, there's no reason to leave Morgan on the waiver wire.

- A just-for-fun oddity: The Marlins and Astros combined for 27 hits Tuesday night, zero of which were home runs.

- Milton Bradley is really starting to swing it. Since July 17, he's hitting .364 with a .488 on-base percentage. During his current 6-game hitting streak, he's hitting .478 with a .556 OBP, and he's hitting everything on the screws. In fact, he nearly ended the game Tuesday night in extra innings, flying out against the center-field wall with the wind blowing in from dead-center. He even stole a base.

- Another blown save for Brad Lidge, and this time it really hurt. He seemed to be getting things figured out. He hadn't blown a save since June 6, which was before his disabled list stint. Granted, he was allowing hits, runs, and couldn't throw a strike -- but he was getting the job done when it mattered. A few more outings like Tuesday night, and the Phillies should seriously consider what Brett Myers can bring to the closer's role once he returns from injury (thus, it can't hurt to stash Myers in really deep leagues where you need save help).

- How about Justin Lehr? He's now made two starts in August, against the Cubs and Cardinals, respectively. He's hurled 15 innings and allowed only 1 earned run (0.60 ERA). You won't get strikeouts from him, but it looks like he needs to be taken seriously as a stream teamer.

- Aaron Laffey's only 24, and he's getting a chance to show his improvement since last year as a starter. Thus far, he's passing the test. As a starter this season, he's now 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA. His last two starts have been 14 2/3 shutout innings with only 16 baserunners (1.09 WHIP). Definitely take a look in large leagues.

- Jim Johnson is a perfect example of why you don't waste high draft picks on saves or trade for them midseason. They always come into the league (like David Aardsma, Leo Nunez, Andrew Bailey, C.J. Wilson, J.P. Howell, Mike MacDougal, LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Downs and many others have already shown). Starting July 29, Johnson has pitched five times, garnering 3 saves and sporting a 1.50 ERA. He's struck out 6 batters in 6 innings in that time. The bottom line is that if you need saves, they are always out there.

- When Kevin Youkilis got tossed for his part in the brawl with Rick Porcello, Mike Lowell stepped right in and became the hero -- hitting 2 bombs and driving home 3 runs. Still, let's be aware he's not going to be playing close to everyday from here on out and he had only a single home run in his past 104 plate appearances before Tuesday night.

- Alex Avila is off to a nice little start to his big-league career. The Tigers 22-year-old rookie catcher has started three games. He's accumulated 2 hits in each game, including 4 doubles and a home run. So, he's hitting .545 with a ridiculous 1.765 OPS. Cue up the small-sample-size police: He was only hitting .264 with an .814 OPS in Double-A before being recalled. Ignore for now.

- Andrew McCutchen just keeps finding ways to impress the masses. He hadn't had a multi-steals game yet this season, so he went out Tuesday night and swiped 3 bags. He'll be a superstar in no time.

- Rough debut as a major league starter for Jhoulys Chacin, as the talented, young fireballer lasted only 2 2/3 innings against the Pirates. His issue was control, as he walked 6. He's only 21 and the sky is the limit down the road, but we'll need to see much better results before trusting him in fantasy this season.

- Max Scherzer had a nice outing. I guess we can expect a few bad ones before another good one again, huh?

- Bobby Jenks seems to be feeling OK after returning from his bout with kidney stones. He worked his second consecutive scoreless outing, this time picking up his first save since the dreaded stones. Proceed with him in your starting lineup with confidence.

- As Jeff Fletcher writes, Manny Ramirez is really locked in right now. Here comes an extended hot streak.

- Finally, Ervin Santana, where you been all my life? He had a pathetic 8.31 ERA in his previous four games, but Tuesday night looks like a turning point. Shutting out the Rays -- facing two more than the minimum and needing only 97 pitches to complete the thing -- is a sure sign he's finally healthy and ready to be a big-time contributor down the stretch for the Angels. I'd grab him if you can.

Coming Back: It appears Ian Kinsler will be ready to rejoin the Texas Rangers Friday. If you don't know he's a must-start second baseman in all formats, why are you here?

The Afflicted: Miguel Cabrera had to leave the game Tuesday night with a bruised hand after getting hit with a pitch, which could have caused the brawl that claimed Youkilis and Rick Porcello. A rhetorical question, so answer however you wish: Why are the Red Sox seemingly always involved in HBP wars? Can it just be a coincidence?

Lineup Lock Time: The Yanks and Jays gets things started for us on hump day at 1:05 PM ET.

Roto Rush: Six Hits for Adrian Gonzalez originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maybe Tom Gorzelanny Just Needed Change of Scenery?

Matt Snyder — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

In 2005, Tom Gorzelanny pitched in the majors for the first time. He was just 22. Two years later, he went 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA -- logging more than 200 innings in 32 starts for the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates. He did allow too many hits, but he was only 25 years old, so it appeared he would settle in as an anchor for the ever-rebuilding Pirates.

Instead, he had a disastrous past two seasons and had been relegated to the minors. Last week, Gorzelanny was traded to the Cubs, and Tuesday night he passed his Cubs debut with flying colors.

The left-hander took a shutout into the eighth inning. He ended with 7 1/3 innings pitched, just 3 hits, 1 walk and 1 earned run allowed, while striking out 6. He hit his spots with seeming ease, and weaved through the Reds' lineup beautifully. Before we move on, let's give a virtual chest-bump to R.J. White for calling the outing in Stream Team. Good work, man.

Anyway, yes, it was the Reds. There isn't a nice way of putting this. They suck. They have lost 14 of their last 15 games, including 8 straight. We also have to remember that when Ted Lilly returns to the Cubs, Gorzelanny loses his rotation spot.

That being said, Gorzelanny looked very sharp and had been dealing in Triple-A before the trade. He had a 2.48 ERA in 15 starts for Indianapolis, punching out nearly a batter per inning. Also, it's not exactly like the Cubs' rotation has been a legion of Ironmen. Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly and Rich Harden have all made trips to the disabled list this season. Anytime that happens from here on out, or if a spot start is needed, Gorz will get the shot.

He recently turned 27, so it's entirely possible the change of scenery -- from a perennial loser to a two-time defending division champ who is currently tied for first place -- in addition to getting things all figured out on the mound happened simultaneously. He's worth a look in deeper NL-Only leagues for now.

Bits from the Box Scores:
- Johnny Cueto just hasn't been the same since the release of the All-Star rosters. Maybe he felt so slighted he mentally fell apart? Obviously, that's not the case, but it's just uncanny what he's been since then. He's made six starts since that Sunday, and he's 0-5 with a 9.85 ERA. He's walked 13, but the worst part is how much he's getting knocked around. In the 28 1/3 innings he's pitched in those six starts, he's given up 49 hits and 7 jacks. That's just awful. Sit him until he shows any ability to turn it around. You just can't continue taking those lumps in ERA and WHIP.

- Cody Ross is only owned in about a third of the fantasy leagues out there. He's a very cheap source of power. If you only need bombs, he can provide them. He now has 18 on the season, including 4 in the past week. He hit 22 last year in only 461 at-bats, so this display isn't fluky.

- Want some cheap saves in large leagues? Mike MacDougal now has 9. Hey, the Nats win every once in a while. When they do, it's usually close and you know Mac will be well rested each chance he gets.

- Garrett Atkins suffered through an abysmal season through the middle of June. Since then, though, he's picked up the pace. He's hitting .329 with an .875 OPS since June 14.

- Ryan Roberts is off to a hot start in August for Arizona. He's 9-19 (.474) and hit 2 homers Tuesday night -- giving him 4 in the past 10 games. He's going to play everyday now that Felipe Lopez has been traded. With a decent power-speed combo, he's worth a look in deep NL Only leagues.

- A word to the wise: When Albert Pujols enters a game 1 for his last 13, he's about to destroy the baseball with no regard for anything else. He now has 5 grand slams and leads baseball in home runs, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, total bases ... hell, he's even stolen 10 bases. What an absolute monster. And to think, the Cardinals drafted him in the 13th round.

- Jonathan Sanchez seems to be a good spot start at this point. Since he was put back in the rotation, he's only had one bad outing, and that was in the thin air of Colorado against the surging Rockies. In that time (5 starts and 32 2/3 innings), he's struck out 39 guys and only allowed 10 earned runs (2.75 ERA). He's likely to be inconsistent, but if you see some easy starts on the horizon, take a look. For example, I'd avoid Monday against the Dodgers, but he looks like he'll get the ball in Citi Field against the Mets' banged up offense after that. I'd use him then.

- Apparently Orlando Cabrera likes hitting for the Twins much more than for the A's. Sure, it's an incredibly small sample, but he's hitting .385 in three games for the Twins and only had a paltry OPS of .683 for Oakland. Of course, hitting in front of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau is a bit nicer than anywhere in the worst offense in the AL. Thus, the change of scenery means he'll put up better post-trade numbers.

- Solid debut for Brian Matusz -- a single earned run in 5 innings, while striking out 5. You'd like to see him work deeper into games, but that will come. The 22-year-old had dominated the minors (11-2, 1.91 ERA, 121 K in 113 IP) and he's got a very promising future. Take a look in the biggest of leagues as a possible stream guy, but expect some lumps along the way a la Clayton Kershaw.

- Jarrod Washburn got his Detroit career off to a pretty terrible start. The Orioles lit him up for 6 earned runs in just 5 1/3 innings. Those who have followed Washburn's last several seasons can't be too surprised. You don't just go from ERAs of 4.67, 4.32 and 4.69 to 2.64 at age 34. A regression was coming and the Tigers paid for it -- fortunately they didn't give up much.

- Bobby Abreu is such an underrated fantasy commodity. The only thing he doesn't do is hit tons of home runs, but you can find bombs. Otherwise, he's hitting .322 with 76 RBI, 22 steals and 63 runs. And he's 35. If you team him with Cody Ross's bombs, you have quite the inexpensive fantasy duo.

- It would appear Gordon Beckham doesn't want to wait long with his label as a future star. After overcoming a slow start, he's already jacked up his OPS to .879 (25 percent better than the league average). He's already driven 7 runs home in three August games. We're getting awfully close to saying he should be starting in every fantasy format. And he's only had 211 career plate appearances.

- Jason Bartlett just won't slow down. As we wait for the dip everyone expects, he just keeps chugging along, as he's 5-8 in the past two games. He's already set career highs in home runs and RBI. Stolen bases, doubles and triples aren't far away, and he's going to shatter all his rate-stat career highs. Once it gets this late in the season, you just sit back and enjoy the career year -- even if you believe it's an outlier.

- It's starting to look like you can count on strikeouts from Luke Hochevar on a relatively consistent basis. In his last five starts, he's struck out 39 hitters in 30 1/3 innings. Along the way, he's compiled a 6-4 record for the Royals. If you can handle the hit in ERA and the slight one in WHIP, take the Ks and possible Ws.

- Is Russell Martin finally coming around? He's still in the midst of the worst offensive season in his career, but he's working his way back slowly and surely. Since the beginning of July, he's hitting .330 with a .407 on-base percentage. Power has been an issue this season, but he did hit 2 of his 3 total homers in July and already has 2 doubles in August. There might be hope to salvage this campaign yet.

- Yovani Gallardo got knocked around big-time by the Dodgers for easily his worst outing of the year. He was coming off a string of three good starts in a row and still struck out 7, though, so stick with him. He'll have the occasional blip on the radar (he is still only 23 and coming off a torn ACL).

- Think Adam LaRoche is happy he's back in Atlanta? He's a streaky second-half hitter anyway, and he's already off to a 8-13 (.615) start for the Braves.

- Gio Gonzalez had his best outing of the year Tuesday night, and it was the third straight time he kept his team in the game. He tied his season high for innings pitched (6 2/3) and has struck out 21 in his last three starts (18 2/3 innings). He's only 23, has a good arm, and pitches in a spacious park. If you don't care about wins (his offensive support will be minimal), he's worth a look in AL-Only leagues.

The Afflicted: Ryan Zimmerman missed Tuesday night's game with a sore shoulder, stemming from a hit-by-pitch on Monday night. He's considered day-to-day and is a tough player. He'll be back in no time. Cubs closer Kevin Gregg is being held out due to a tired arm. He'll likely be available Wednesday, though. Dallas Braden has a rash and may not start Wednesday night.

Lineup Lock Time: The Cards and Mets hook up at 12:10 PM ET. Hope you are prepared.

Maybe Tom Gorzelanny Just Needed Change of Scenery? originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush: Mat Latos Adjusting to Bigs

Matt Snyder — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

A few weeks ago we discussed the possibility of the Padres promoting 21-year-old phenom Mat Latos. Well, he now has four major league starts under his belt, and, needless to say, he's doing just fine. After a solid outing Monday night, Latos is 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA and a sparkling 0.89 WHIP. He's struck out 16 while only walking 6 in 23 2/3 innings. He's also pitching in one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball.

So, he should be owned in all fantasy leagues, right?

Um, not so fast. His total workload on the season is up to 96 innings, and he only threw 56 last season. The Padres previously stated they didn't want to push him to more than double last season's total. If they are really going to stick to that, he's only going to be allowed to throw 16 more innings. Now, I doubt they go hard-and-fast with it, but there's no way they push him to three times last year's workload.

The Padres are planning for the future, so Latos only has a few more starts left in 2009. Enjoy them while you can in larger leagues, but don't expect to ride him to a championship in seasonal leagues. Not yet, at least.

In keeper leagues? Snatch him up now and hold onto him for dear life. You've got a potential 6-foot-6 version of Tim Lincecum here.

Bits From the Box Scores:
- Another start, another stellar outing for Randy Wells. He's now 8-4 with a 2.73 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 102 1/3 innings. What won't show up in the box score is the number of times he's given the Cubs a much needed quality start (his 12th out of 16 outings) and alleviated pressure on the bullpen. He did so again Monday night against the Reds. The bullpen was coming off three horrific games in Florida, and Wells worked into the eighth inning. Not related to fantasy: Andrew McCutchen, Casey McGehee and Colby Rasmus are having good seasons, but no one deserves Rookie of the Year more than Wells at this point. Pitchers rarely win the award, though, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out if things continue at this pace.

- Aaron Harang has been a shell of his former self since the beginning of 2008. Considering he's only 31, though, he shouldn't be done. Monday night, his line could be a little deceiving. He made one mistake following a hit-by-pitch and a single. He ended up running out of gas in the eighth inning, but, in between, he was dealing against the Cubs. He even struck out a season-high 10. Keep an eye on him, as it was a step in the right direction.

- Ryan Doumit has struggled -- outside of two games where he hit 3 homers and drove home 5 -- since returning from injury. He was 3-5 Monday night, though, and he's a very good hitter. Things will turn around and any night with three hits is a sign said turnover is on the horizon. Be ready.

- Tyler Clippard is an intriguing option in huge leagues. He's got a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings, and he's struck out 29 hitters. His WHIP is a minuscule 0.96. The Nationals have been using him only out of the bullpen this season, but he's throwing the ball very well and he's only 24-years-old. Coming into the season, his only eight appearances in the bigs were starts. There's a good chance he works his way into the rotation down the stretch, as the Nats look to the future. He'd be a very cheap buy in any league -- though you shouldn't count on wins from Washington, obviously.

- Gerardo Parra is 6 for his last 13 with 2 doubles, 4 RBI, 1 steal and 2 runs in that stretch. The 22-year-old has gone through some ups and downs during his rookie season, but he's got a solid overall stat-line and he's going to continue to play. Take note in really deep NL-Only leagues.

- Angel Pagan is making good use of his playing time in center while Carlos Beltran takes his sweet old time coming back from injury. He's hitting .297 with a .809 OPS and has stolen 8 bases (has only been caught one time). He's a solid, short-term source of speed in NL-Only leagues until Beltran returns.

- Mike Hampton had a good outing, but the Giants aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut. He had a 10.42 ERA in his previous four starts, and he's an injury-prone 36-year-old. I'll pass.

- Ryan Garko went two-for-two Monday night, but he's still only batting .222 for the Giants. He should enjoy an uptick in production soon, as he's hitting in an easier division and in a better hitter's park.

- Good thing all the short-sighted baseball fans whined about the Nate McLouth trade and how bad it was for the Pirates. Since the deal, McLouth is hitting .259/.341/.428 (AVG/OBP/SLG). Andrew McCutchen replaced him in Pittsburgh. McCutchen's line? .296/.352/.498. McCutchen's also five years younger and plays much better defense. What do you wanna bet most of their deals this season turn out that way? I'll never understand why people want them to cling to every player in hopes of winning 75-80 games instead of trying to build a contender.

- Zack Grienke is now 2-6 with a 3.84 ERA since the beginning of June. His strikeouts and control are still present, though, so it's likely his downturn is just a result of his playing for a team with such a horrible offense. I mean, 3.84 is a pretty damn respectable ERA these days. Stick with him. As a matter of fact, think about trading for him if you don't own him.

- Yes, it was only against the hapless Royals offense, but Scott Kazmir had a somewhat encouraging outing. It was his second straight quality start and win. You'd still like to see the strikeouts rise, but he's taking baby-steps back to being the pitcher we know he can be. He's worth watching in all leagues due to his strikeout and win potential.

- Ugly outing for Justin Verlander with him allowing 5 earned runs to the Orioles, but he still managed to strike out 8 hitters. Even when he's not on, he helps. That's the sign of a fantasy ace.

- Nick Markakis is now in his fourth full season. He's a great player in real life, but it's becoming more and more apparent he's having problems developing the type of power that can make him an elite fantasy outfielder. His isolated power is down this season, and he's hit only 71 career home runs in 2,144 at-bats. That's roughly a home run every 28 at-bats. Team that with a .297 average and only 3 steals this year, and it's pretty apparent he's grown overrated in fantasy.

- Neftali Feliz is only a middle reliever at this point, but keep your eyes on him. He made his major league debut Monday night and did not disappoint. He threw 2 innings, facing the minimum and striking out 4. Later in the game, C.J. Wilson blew a save. Frank Francisco has had trouble staying healthy. Thus, look for Feliz as the future closer in large dynasty leagues. He's only 21 and he throws 102 miles per hour.

- Scott Hairston isn't adjusting well to the AL. He's hitting only .237 with a .676 OPS. Of course, he was performing far above his career numbers in San Diego anyway. He's just not a good fantasy option in any format.

The Afflicted: Nelson Cruz left the game with an apparent leg injury. Details are sketchy now, so pay attention to the newswire.

Signed: Daniel Cabrera has inked a deal with the Diamondbacks. Fool me once ... yada yada yada ... fool me a billion times ... complete idiocy. Just please ignore him in all formats. He sucks.

Lineup Lock Time: Sit back ... we don't have a first pitch until 7:05 PM ET tonight.

Roto Rush: Mat Latos Adjusting to Bigs originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Fallout: V-Mart Heads to Boston

R.J. White — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Boston was finally able to come to terms with Cleveland on a deal and secure Victor Martinez, a player they've wanted to bring into the fold for a while. In the deal, the Indians will be receiving three pitchers: Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Brian Price. For a team whose main concern was to trim payroll, this is an excellent group of arms to add to the organization. This move will definitely impact the fantasy world, and we'll attempt to sift through the aftermath now.

For starters, Martinez's value seemingly goes up playing with Boston, but he's been an absolute mess in July, where he's hit .175 with one homer in 80 at-bats. Martinez isn't assured consistent playing time in Boston. The team can play him at 1B and Kevin Youkilis at 3B, if Mike Lowell suffers a setback or needs time off. They can play him at catcher against righties and save Jason Varitek for tough lefties. If David Ortiz needs rest, Martinez could also play some DH. Given the Sox's obvious infatuation with V-Mart, expect him in the lineup more often than not.

In Cleveland, Kelly Shoppach will start to see more playing time behind the plate. He only has 41 ABs in July, but he's been doing a better job getting on base this month than he has all season. He makes for a solid pickup in deep leagues, especially since the low averages has caused him to be jettisoned by many owners.

Masterson has been used both as a starter and more frequently as a reliever by the Red Sox. While the Indians might be hesitant to throw him into the rotation right away, he makes for a candidate for next year's rotation. Neither of the other two arms will make a fantasy impact in the near future.

In a subsequent move, the Red Sox traded Adam LaRoche back to the Braves for Casey Kotchman. In a full-time role in Atlanta, LaRoche could be primed for another big second half. Kotchman will either come off the bench in Boston or be sent to Triple-A.

Fantasy Fallout: V-Mart Heads to Boston originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roto Rush, Deal Edition: Cliff Lee, Jarrod Washburn, George Sherrill and More

Tom Herrera — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Kids Are Alright, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Apologies for the lack of R.R. yesterday, but we're hitting you with a special extended trade edition today to make up for it. There's been a lot of activity over the past few days, especially with top pitching commodities like Cliff Lee, Jarrod Washburn and George Sherrill. We've also seen a pair of Pittsburgh starters head outta town and two prized minor-league prospects change locations. Time to break it all down from a fantasy perspective.

More Trade Analysis: Fantasy Impact of V-Mart to Boston Deal

Trade Winds:
o. Washburn (8-6, 2.64 ERA) has been one the biggest steals of the fantasy season, but he owes some credit to the outstanding outfield defense that's backed him in Seattle. Now that he's heading to Detroit, I expect his ERA to rise a bit; did we really believe Washburn would keep an ERA under 3.00 all year, anyway? His run average sits at 4.65 if you look at Expected Fielding Independent Pitching, an experimental statistic you can read up on over at The Hardball Times. Despite the predicted regression, he'll still be a valuable part of fantasy rotations.

o. Cliff Lee couldn't have asked for a better matchup in his first game for Philadelphia. He'll face the Giants on the road Friday night and should get his National League career off to a strong start. Lee has really been sharp over his last five outings, with a 2.37 ERA and 26:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over that span. Usually, I'm a very big fan of American League pitchers shifting over to the NL (see Javier Vazquez), but I don't think Lee's value changes all that much in this case. He will have to make his home starts at a hitter's park now, with a short timeframe to make any adjustments. That said, if you're bidding in NL-only leagues and need the pitching, I'd break the bank. There's a slim chance any minor-league call-up will help you as much as Lee this late in the game. No more Tommy Hansons around the corner.

The other two players affected in this swap are outfielder Ben Francisco and pitcher Carlos Carrasco. The Phillies will use Francisco off the bench once Shane Victorino is healthy, so his shot at a 20-20 season likely goes out the window. Francisco, who hit 10 homers and swiped 13 bases for Cleveland, is batting .324 over his last 23 games. Carrasco has struck out an International League-leading 112 and could take a spin in the Indians' rotation in late August. At age 22, he still has a lot of learning to do, but is well worth monitoring in AL-only leagues.

o. George Sherrill loses most of his usefulness in the Dodgers-Orioles swap, while Baltimore reliever Jim Johnson is actually the biggest winner. Unless your league favors middle relievers or counts holds, Sherrill the specialist won't do much for you. It's been a stealthy 20 saves for the lefty, but now we'll see Johnson get his shot to close games for the Orioles. The 26-year-old has been roughed up over his last 10 appearances to the tune of a 5.91 ERA, so it'll be interesting to see whether he can keep the gig on lockdown. Johnson is worth snagging in all mixed leagues and will draw a fairly high bid in AL-only. If he falters in the role, Danys Baez could be next in line to pick up saves.

o. The Tom Gorzelanny to Chicago deal is semi-intriguing, if only because the Gorz was pitching so well for Triple-A Indianapolis. Even though he's struggled in the bigs, don't forget he's only two years removed from a strong 14-win season. There's hope left for the 27-year-old lefty, but we'll have to wait a while to see what he can do for the Cubs.

o. Freddy Sanchez hasn't been all that exciting for fantasy purposes, so seeing him get dealt to the Giants generated a "meh." The real player to watch closely is Tim Alderson, all of 6-foot-6 and 20 years old. The pitching prospect formerly with San Francisco's Double-A club was 7-2 with a 3.65 ERA in 18 starts. He could have a very bright future ahead of him, even if he sticks in Pittsburgh long-term.

o. First baseman Ryan Garko was also traded to San Francisco, but with only 11 homers and 39 RBI at a power position, he wasn't starting in most mixed leagues. The real boon will be for NL-only owners who can pick up a solid hitting boost. With no other decent corner bats heading to the NL, he'll come at a strong price.

The Afflicted: As if we couldn't have already surmised, Brandon Webb's season is likely over, and his Diamondbacks career could be, too. I really believed Webb could make it back to the mound at some point, but after yet another setback on his ailing right shoulder, it's a season to forget for fantasy owners. In other injury news, the Orioles put waiver-wire gem Brad Bergesen on the DL with a bruised leg and activated Chris Ray. Those who are losing Bergesen may want to jump on the Tommy Hunter bandwagon if replacements look meager. Over his six starts in the bigs this year, the Rangers youngster has posted a 2.00 ERA and held opposing batters to a .226 average. Blue Jays left-hander Marc Rzepczynski (3.25 ERA, and pronounced zep-chin-ski for your information) is also a good option.

Down on the Farm: Let's stick with the pitching theme. Jarrod Parker, already being heralded as the next great D'backs starter, got roughed up over four innings of work but struck out five and walked one. His ERA stands at 3.68 and he remains on target for a rotation appearance sometime in 2010. Red Sox prospect Michael Bowden has been mentioned in various trade rumors, but he just keeps doing his thing in Triple-A. After seven innings of one-run ball with six punch-outs, his ERA dropped to 2.96.

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Roto Rush, Deal Edition: Cliff Lee, Jarrod Washburn, George Sherrill and More originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Slam Willingham

R.J. White — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Nationals outfielder Josh Willingham accomplished a feat that had been done just twice in National League history before yesterday, smacking two grand slams in the same game. Check this out -- the first National Leaguer to do this was Tony Cloninger, a pitcher, and the second was Fernando Tatis, who you may remember hit both his grand salamis in the same inning. By comparison, Willingham's slams look mundane. Ten American League players have also hit two grand slams in the same game, with the trick last being accomplished in 2003 by Bill Mueller.

What will the slams mean for Willingham's value? He's owned in far too few leagues, especially considering he's been a top-ten outfielder over the past month, even before last night's outburst. While the power is first and foremost at attention, Willingham does a great deal of help to a team's batting average as well. He's even thrown in a couple steals for good measure. His splits indicate that you'll be able to plug him into your lineup regardless of the situation.

Bits From the Box Scores
o. Speaking of Tatis, he delivered a pinch-hit grand slam for the Mets to break an eighth-inning tie. Unfortunately, he didn't get another bases-loaded opportunity later in the inning. Earlier in the game, Troy Tulowitzki hit his 19th homer. After two ugly months at the beginning of the season, Tulowitzki has raised his average to .260 while homering 14 times in June and July.

o. The grand slams just kept on coming. Carlos Zambrano and Wandy Rodriguez locked into a pitcher's duel, with each giving up one solo homer in seven innings of work. Carlos Lee and Derrek Lee provided the juice early, but we had zeroes on the board from the fifth inning on. Alfonso Soriano approached the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 13th and cleared them with a walk-off grand slam. Soriano has been excellent in July, so congrats if you bought low.

o. Billy Butler always profiled as a high average hitter; last night, he showed why. The Kansas City first baseman posted a 5-for-5 day, lining pitch after pitch to left and right field and throwing in an infield single for good measure. This pushed Butler's average up to .295 for the season. Alex Gordon now has a five-game hitting streak after going 2-for-4 in the same game.

o. Tim Lincecum: 9 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 15 K. Wow. Not even Garrett Jones could touch Lincecum last night, and that's sayin' something. Coming in with the exact opposite line was Felix Hernandez, who was rocked for seven earned runs in 5.2 innings. Nothiing you can do about that one but shrug your shoulders and keep starting King Felix.

o. It's about time to start taking Texas pitcher Tommy Hunter seriously. The rookie has started four games in July, winning three games while allowing just three earned runs in 24.1 innings. More impressive is that all three wins have come at home in the Texas heat. I wouldn't necessarily recommend Hunter for your fantasy team; then again, I'd say the same about Joel Pineiro, and he continues to shiine.

o. The Yankees completely had their way with the Rays pitching last night, scoring five runs off Tampa Bay starter James Shields and six runs off the Rays bullpen. All the Yankees starters had at least one hit in the game, while Nick Swisher contributed two longballs. Swisher's been massively disappointing since a huge April, and this looks like a blip on the radar. Carl Crawford stole his 48th base for the Rays, while New York's A.J. Burnett picked up a win with a great performance.

o. Another HR from Mark Reynolds puts him at 27 for the season. He's also in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak. Yeah, Mark Reyonlds. Who knew? Ryan Howard homers for the Phillies, while Jamie Moyer gives the Stream Team another successful start, going 6.2 innings and allowing no runs in the win.

o. Chris Carpenter benefited from four double plays against the Dodgers on the way to his ninth win. Carpenter also reached the requisite innings requirement to qualify for the ERA title, and his 2.19 ERA is good for second in the National League behind Dan Haren. On offense, Mark DeRosa homered for the second consecutive game. With DeRosa and Julio Lugo hitting in front of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday, the St. Louis offense is suddenly one you want your pitchers to avoid.

o. It was Opposite Day in San Diego. Slugger Kyle Blanks stole a base for the first time in his career, while speedster Everth Cabrera juiced his first home run. Both players make interesting pickups, but not for the abilities they flashed last night -- Blanks hit three HRs last week, while Cabrera has 11 steals in 155 plate appearances this season.

o. Kendry Morales has quitely become a force in Los Angeles. Two HRs against Cleveland last night put him at 20 for the season. With seven homers in July, Morales could easily top 30 HRs this season; combine that with the .290-plus average, and Morales has been quite a steal in 2009. Since you still don't hear much about him, he might make a fine value pick in 2010.

Trade Winds: The Giants picked up 28-year-old Ryan Garko in an attempt to bolster their offense. Expect to see him in the lineup on most days, and with solid average and power, he's a fine pickup for those in NL-only leagues. While it looks like Roy Halladay might stay put, it's becoming more and more likely that Cliff Lee and Bronson Arroyo are on the move. Lee could be staying in the AL, and AL-only owners want nothing to do with Arroyo in the hitter's league.

The Afflicted: Kevin Slowey is finally biting the bullet and having surgery on his right wrist, making him droppable in all non-keeper leagues. Juan Rivera returned to the lineup last night and was part of a three-homer second inning for the Angels. Tim Hudson had a good four-inning outing in Triple-A, but he's still likely two weeks away at the very least. Jose Lopez and Russell Branyan are day-to-day for the Mariners. Cardinals OF Colby Rasmus missed another game and with the offense clicking, the team needn't rush back the youngster.

Lineup Lock Time: Take your time today -- the lineups don't lock until 7:05 ET.

Grand Slam Willingham originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rich Harden Leads Cubs to NL Central Top Spot

Knox Bardeen — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:03:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Always Be Closing, MLB Injury Report, MLB Value Machine

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Sure, he gave up a home run to Joey Votto on Sunday, but that's about all the Cincinnati Reds got facing the Cubs' Rich Harden.

For Harden this was his third consecutive start where he showed the potential of being a front-line ace. He struck out eight in only six innings and that home run was the only hit and only run he allowed the Reds in route to earning his seventh win.

Over his last three starts Harden has struck out 21 while walking only two batters in 19 innings. His ERA over this time is 0.47 and he has two wins to show for great pitching.

This is the first time in 2009 Harden has put together this kind of run. He's been able, on a number of occasions, to put two good starts together, but never three as he seems to get shelled every time he's about to take that next step towards becoming the solid number one guy the Cubs desperately need him to be.

Not only does Sunday's win put the Cubs on top in the National League Central division for the first time since April 21st, but Harden's daytime win at Wrigley Field is his first since August 24, 2008.

With Harden's new-found awesomeness the Cubs could be ready to sit on top of the division for the duration of the season.

Bits From the Box Scores
o. As I mentioned above Joey Votto clobbered his 15th home run of the season against Rich Harden on Sunday. This was his second game in a row with a dinger and he's hit three in the past five games.

o. Batting .333 in the month of July, Jimmy Rollins continued his torrid pace on Sunday belting his 10th home run of the season, his fourth in July. Those that bought low should be very, very happy with the move.

o. With Sunday's 1-for-2 performance, Matt Holliday has at least one hit and one RBI in every game he's played since joining the Cardinals.

o. The Padres seem very serious about keeping Kyle Blanks in the outfield. With Adrian Gonzalez getting a day off Sunday, Blanks still played right field. He also hit his third home run of the season. As the Padres inch closer and closer to dealing Gonzalez, the days of Blanks being an outfielder seem numbered.

o. His last start, prior to Sunday, was a complete game shutout. Today John Lannan only lasted eight innings and gave up an earned run. Mike MacDougal blew his first save of the season, so Lannan doesn't have a win to show for his hard work today. But you should take note of how well he's pitching. Just temper your excitement down one notch, his last two starts have been against the Mets and Padres.

o. Take away his June 2nd start where he gave up five earned runs and David Hernandez would have a 2.76 ERA instead of his already good 3.20 mark. He should complain too much. he did earn his third win of the season as the Orioles scored him some runs and the bullpen didn't destroy his efforts. If Hernandez didn't pitch in the murderous American League East, he'd be worth looking at in most formats. As it stands right now, he's only worth a flier in deep AL-Only leagues.

o. Completing his third consecutive quality start n a row on Sunday, Brett Cecil gave up four hits and an earned run in seven innings to beat the Tampa Bay Rays and earn his fourth win. In his last three starts Cecil is 2-0 with an 0.45 ERA. He also has 21 strikeouts in 20 innings of work.

o. Troy Tulowitzki has never reached double digit stolen bases in a single season. In fact he's only combined for 11 swipes in the three years he's been in the big leagues prior to 2009. But on Sunday, Tulowitzki stole his 13th bag. Take that with his 18 home runs and the Rockies shortstop could reach the 20/20 mark this season.

o. Justin Morneau hit two bombs on Sunday. He's good. He's really, really good!

o. Max Scherzer struck out eight in seven innings Sunday earning his first win since June 23rd.

The Afflicted: Kevin Millwood left Sunday's game after two innings and won't be sure whether he'll make his next start until Monday. He felt his left gluteus muscle tighten up. Yes, I said gluteus. It looks like Joel Zumaya will pitch again this season. Pedro Martinez only lasted 1 1/3 innings on Sunday in his minor league rehab start. Before you Phillie phanatics scream you should know that Martinez looked sharp. It was rain that cancelled his day. Erik Bedard will miss at least two starts and has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his left shoulder. LaTroy Hawkins has been filling in for injured teammates all season. Now it's his turn. He's been dealing with back pain all month and will have an MRI on Monday.

Don't Forget About: The David Letterman Show on Monday night. Mark Buehrle, DeWayne Wise and Josh Fields will read the Top 10 List tomorrow before their series opener in Minnesota. Monday night's Letterman will feature the three key players involved in orchestrating Major League Baseball's 18th perfect game this past week.

Rich Harden Leads Cubs to NL Central Top Spot originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tommy Hanson Just Getting Started

Matt Snyder — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Injury Report, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine, MLB Waiver Wire

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Many times when fantasy owners wait patiently on a potential star to be promoted to the majors, they have to deal with disappointment initially before the payoff finally comes. Take Adam Lind and Felix Hernandez as a few guys who didn't start to fulfill their potential until this year. Sometimes, though, you get a Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria or Tim Lincecum, who immediately start paying dividends. The latest? Braves' 22-year-old phenom hurler Tommy Hanson.

He'd been cruising along with solid outings -- 2.85 ERA in 7 starts, allowing 2 runs or less 5 times and sporting a 4-0 record -- but we had yet to see the big-time strikeout production he showed in the minors.

That all changed Monday night. Sure, he put up a quality start and garnered a win, pushing his record to a spotless 5-0. The difference was that this time he had 11 strikeouts. There's more where that came from as he perfects his craft on the big league level. Remember, Hanson struck out 163 hitters in 138 minor league innings in 2008. In 66 1/3 innings of Triple-A work this season, before his promotion, he punched out 90 hitters.

As with the overwhelming majority of talented pitchers learning to pitch at the big league level, there will be the occasional bump in the road, sure, but Hanson is talented enough to be a must-start in every league -- especially now that he's flashed us a glimpse of his strikeout potential.

Bits From the Box Scores:
- Jonathan Sanchez followed up his no-no with a quality start. More importantly, his strikeout-to-walk was 8:1. Immediately when he was removed from the game, the Braves' offense went nuts (8 runs in just 2 innings). Since being demoted to the bullpen (and this stat-line obviously includes his return to the rotation), Sanchez is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings. He's struck out 23 and walked only 1 in that stretch. I still wouldn't count on an extended stretch of success, but this is intriguing because it could increase his trade value as the Giants search for a bat. Remember, they have Madison Bumgarner waiting in the wings and can keep using Ryan Sadowski until he's ready. The only mitigating issue is the injury to Randy Johnson. Still, it's worth watching.

- I love Adam Jones, but in the past two months he's showing signs that he may not quite yet be ready for stardom. It's hard to blame him, I mean, he is only 23. Since May 22, Jones is hitting just .251 with a .653 OPS.

- Things are still going rough for John Smoltz. He was actually fine through five Monday night, but then the wheels came off. I know the Rangers are a solid offensive team, but I wouldn't be counting on tons of help from Smoltzie anymore. He's far past his prime. I'm ready to just see him a Hall of Famer from the Braves, not a pitcher for the Red Sox.

- Evan Longoria has had a rough July, but he did hit his third home run in the past seven games Monday night.

- Big night for the underrated Jason Kubel. He now has a .319 average, 16 home runs, 52 RBI and 40 runs. And he's only owned in just over half of the fantasy leagues out there.

- Matt Holliday watch is sure to kick into overdrive now. The trade deadline is in less than two weeks, and he's on a nice streak right now. He's hitting .333 with a 1.008 OPS in July, and he's now coming off a huge night in which he headed a ridiculous comeback with 2 bombs and 6 RBI.

- Jeff Francoeur went yard Monday night and he's now hitting .345 for the Mets. Perhaps he just needed a change of scenery?

- Rough outing for Ted Lilly, but there are a few mitigating circumstances. First of all, he was battling through an injured knee. Secondly, he was facing the Phillies overly potent offense -- and they are particularly scorching hot at present. I'd still trust Lilly moving forward, as long as he's healthy.

- If you were waiting on Raul Ibanez to slow down, you might have to wait a lot longer. This isn't just a hot streak anymore.

- Anyone noticing Garrett Jones yet? He's dabbling in obscurity presently, due to being on the Pirates, but he's about as hot as anyone. He's been with the Pirates for 15 games, and he already has 8 home runs. The 28-year-old has been in the minors since he was 18 and only had a 31 games stint with Minnesota in 2007 to show for it. He's always hit for power, but lacked the on-base percentage needed to play at the big league level. With the Pirates, though, he's improved greatly and is a good, cheap source of power in NL-Only leagues.

- Felipe Lopez likely made quite the impression on his new team. He led off for the Brewers, going 4-4 with a walk and a triple. His value takes an immediate spike, going to a much better lineup. He's likely going to yield some at-bats, but the Brewers don't have to platoon if they don't want to. He's a switch-hitter. Keep an eye on the situation, as Lopez has enough talent to really help in runs scored atop the Brewers lineup.

- Brian Moehler can't seem to get through seven full innings. He's done so only twice, and not at all since May 29. The thing is, though, he's really been consistent of late. Starting June 14, he's made 7 starts, 6 of them quality starts (the other only wasn't because he didn't work enough innings). In those starts, he sports a 5-1 record with a 2.79 ERA. It's hard to figure how the 37-year-old can keep this up, but we might as well ride him while he's hot in deep NL-Only leagues. His next start is against the injury-riddled Mets.

- Stephen Drew still hasn't put together a full season, but he's always excelled in the second half. He's hitting .326 with a 1.110 OPS since July 4. Monday night, he broke out the power stick, hitting his first home run since that July 4th beginning.

- Tim Stauffer is a great story, as told by the San Diego Union-Tribune. Monday night he made his second consecutive quality start in as many tries -- and hopefully you saw R.J. White hype him up in advance. Of course, Stauffer plays for the Padres, so he's 0-1. Still, he's got a 2.08 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and an 11:3 K:BB in just 13 innings. Pitching in spacious Petco Park, he's a quality option going forward -- as long as you don't need wins.

- Leo Nunez is filling in as the Marlins closer with Matt Lindstrom on the shelf, but he's actually throwing much better than Lindstrom did. His season totals are better than Lindstrom (except number of saves, but that's obviously tied to opportunity), and he's been even better as the closer. Since June 27, Nunez is 3-for-3 in save chances with a 1.08 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He's struck out 12 and walked only 3 in 8 1/3 innings during the same span. He's worth a look in leagues where you need save help and he's ready to boost your ERA, WHIP and K.

- Jason Schmidt returned to the hill after a long, long absence and he garnered a victory. There's a lot more that goes into things than just the win, though (don't tell that to old people, they'll blow a gasket). His velocity was way down from in his prime, meaning he'll have to reinvent himself as a pitcher. He probably has the innate ability to do so, but he's 36. Monday night, he walked 3, hit a batter and struck out only 2. He also gave up 5 hits in 5 innings. The signs aren't great for much beyond a few wins due to run support.

The Afflicted: Jonathan Papelbon has the flu. It might take him a few days to get back, but it won't linger.

Demoted: Andrew Miller has been sent down by the Marlins. It appears as though he's not getting things figured out this season, but he's still got long-term potential.

Lineup Lock Time: The Angels and Royals need to get an early start, since they are playing two tonight. Have those lineups set by 5:10 PM ET.

Tommy Hanson Just Getting Started originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Baseball Roundtable: Time to Deal for Jimmy Rollins?

Knox Bardeen — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:50:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Fantasy Felony, MLB Value Machine

One of the more popular discussions over the past few weeks has been what to do with Jimmy Rollins, whether you own him or not. We've spoken about him on a small scale in one of our recent Cram Sessions, but the topic deserves so much more.

I didn't want to trust just my opinion, so I asked the Fanhouse fantasy baseball crew to chime in on the following question:

Jimmy Rollins, a late first-or early second-round draft pick, is batting .229 with seven home runs and 16 stolen bases as we watch the All-Star Game tonight. However, over the past week he's batting .304 with five stolen bases. Most of us agree that Rollins is a superb buy- low candidate, but what would you give up right now to get him?

R.J. White: I'd definitely look to acquire Rollins, if his owner is willing to sell at a good price. But if he's in the camp that Rollins is going to have a massive second-half, he's likely going to want way too much for the guy. If I do feel I can get Rollins at a low price, I'll deal from whatever my position of strength is (and conversely, whatever the guy needs the most). Since I'm trading for a big stolen base threat, I assume I need the steals. I wouldn't mind dealing a top-ten closer if I'm killing the league in saves, or a power-only guy that's hurting my batting average if I have a ton of home runs on my team.

Knox Bardeen: I can see dealing a top closer as well. Especially one whose name might be on the trading block. With Heath Bell, Huston Street and George Sherrill all showing top closer skills in the first half, they make interesting options. All three of these guys have been mentioned in trade rumors at some point this season. If any one of them gets dealt to a team with an established closer, like the Yankees, it could mean set-up duties for the duration of 2009. That would kill their fantasy value.

Will Brinson: I like the top-end closer idea, and that's the type of thing that would work perfect in a situation where an owner has plenty of steals (but still had to deal with a shoddy Rollins all the way until now) and needs saves.

Matt Snyder: As with everything in fantasy, it always depends upon the needs of your own team. What we've seen from Rollins in the past, though, suggests you can get first round value in the second half of the season from him. I would have been too worried to give up this kind of value for him had he still been struggling, but he hit .405 with a 1.138 OPS and 5 steals in his last 11 games. He's ready for a huge second half.

Personally, I'd look to trade someone who has played like an early-rounder and doesn't necessarily have the track record. People like Mark Reynolds, Raul Ibanez, Aaron Hill and Adam Lind come to mind.

Will Brinson: Wow, yeah, Raul Ibanez is a pretty awesome litmus test here -- I can't conceive of any way that he keeps up what he did in the first half, and I also just don't see any way that Rollins doesn't turn it on strong after the break. But I also think that most owners would be hard pressed to give up Rollins for Ibanez (given what they had invested in Rollins, waiting out his suckiness and almost certainly knowing that Ibanez would cool) and would probably need something more enticing.

And to clarify, yes, if I own Raul Ibanez and someone offers me Jimmy Rollins for him, I'm pulling the trigger.

Knox Bardeen: Good names on your list, Snyder. And I was thinking along those same lines. But I'm not sure that any one of these guys would get it done. Do you? Could you possibly see yourself dealing two of them from your list for just Rollins?

Matt Snyder: Giving two of those guys is tough, but if you would have entered the season asking any owner if they'd rather have Lind and Hill OR Rollins, what would they say? I'm not in that position, but I think I'd pull the trigger in order to get Rollins, assuming I was OK in the power categories and in need of steals.

Knox Bardeen: So far, we've touched on a few buy low options using hot performers who might be playing a bit over their heads. Is that the only way we'd offer up deals for Rollins? What about other high-round, dud-ish performers. In a one-year league would you consider giving up Grady Sizemore since we know of his injury woes in a deal for Rollins? What about Josh Hamilton or Alfonso Soriano if your team makeup had extra power but lacked speed and average?

Matt Snyder: In the scenario you mentioned, I'd deal any of the three for Rollins. He's at least shown signs of being totally healthy and breaking out of the funk.

If you would like us to talk about other trade ideas hit us up on Twitter:

Fantasy FanHouse | Knox Bardeen | Will Brinson | R.J. White

Instead of trading for Rollins, try a Fleaflicker mid-season fantasy baseball league

Fantasy Baseball Roundtable: Time to Deal for Jimmy Rollins? originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Fantasy All-Stars, All-Scars, All-Sleepers and All-Keepers

R.J. White — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright, MLB Sleepers, MLB Value Machine

Ah, the All-Star break. A time for fantasy owners to take three days off from the grind of a six-month baseball season. To most, it's a welcome reprieve. To myself and other baseball-obsessed individuals, it's the three most excruciating days of a season. By the time Thursday rolls around, I'd even be willing to watch the Mets play.

Since we have to find some way of passing the time till then, let's name some illustrious fantasy squads -- one comprised of the best players at each position, another comprised of players that scarred their teams' chances of postseason glory, the third comprised of the draft picks that brought us the most bang for our buck, and the last comprised of the best young talent around. The voting for these three teams opened on July 4th at 8:00 PM and closed promptly on July 4th at 8:01. Since I was the only one to submit a vote, these teams might be a little skewed to my point of view.

Midseason Fantasy Baseball: Play for Free at Fleaflicker.com

The Albert Pujols All-Stars

1B: Albert Pujols. Duh.
2B: Chase Utley. Remember when some injury concerns caused Utley to drop to the second round? Yeah, neither do I.
3B: Mark Reynolds. If you would have told me I'd get 24 HRs, 15 SBs and a .258 average from Reynolds this year, I would have taken it. He has that -- and two-plus months left in the season.
SS: Hanley Ramirez. Am I the only one that thinks Hanley would've traded this awesomeness to be the starting SS of the Red Sox?
C: Joe Mauer. Anyone that played the over on "Number of Joe Mauer homers in 2009" can already cash in their winning ticket. Mauer Power checks in at 15 HRs and counting.
OF: Carl Crawford. After eight HRs and 25 SBs last year (along with an un-Crawford like .273 average), this year's eight HRs and 44 SBs (along with a .310 average) put Crawford in the OF elite.
OF: Torii Hunter. A strained abductor will likely end Hunter's chances of staying on this list at season's end. Can't complain about the 17/13 HR/SB combo and .305 average he's given you.
OF: Ryan Braun. The HRs seem a tad light, don't they? He's still swiping a handful of bases and hitting for great average. Fear not, a power surge will come and he'll end the year with 35-plus dingers.
UT: Prince Fielder. Block Pujols' season for a second and consider how great a step forward the big man has taken. .315/.442/.614 and 22 HRs make him the close choice for our utility slot.
SP: Dan Haren. Some owners are dealing the ace based on fear of future volatility. I think he'll be winning leagues across the nation for shrewd owners.
SP: Tim Lincecum. Honestly, Lincecum could throw eight no-hitters this year with his stuff and it wouldn't shock anyone. The Giants have the young pitching in place to make a dynastic run -- if only they could find some bats.
SP: Zack Grienke. Any pitcher that can win ten games by the ASB playing with the Royals deserves all the credit in the world. Once upon a time, he made DL stints for unstable young talents all the rage.
SP: Felix Hernandez. Lights out since May 24, the former buzz-inducing young phenom (you know, before Lincecum took the crown) has been an excellent mid-round bargain.
RP: Joe Nathan. Nathan's line: 1.31 ERA, 43 Ks, 7 BBs, 23 saves. And he hasn't allowed a run in 21 consecutive outings, racking up 17 saves in that time. So, you know, the anti-Brad Lidge.

The Russell Martin All-Scars

1B: Chris Davis. In December, he was an intriguing 10th-round pick. By February, he was a popular eighth-round selection. By March, he was going in the fifth or sixth round. If the season started in May, he'd have been the No. 1 pick.
2B: Howie Kendrick. Even if the power numbers aren't there, at least you can be confident that Kendrick will bring a high .300-plus average to your squad. Oh, .239 you say? Are you sure that's not Kyle Kendrick?
3B: Garrett Atkins. I know, you drafted Davis and Atkins to play your corner infield spots and entered the season with unbridled enthusiasm. Atkins recently went 8-for-13 with a HR in a three-game stretch -- hope you sold high.
SS: Jimmy Rollins. Sorry, Jimmy. You know I love you, but it's going to take more than a hot two weeks in July to undo all the damage you've wrought to our teams.
C: Russell Martin. Hindsight is 20/20. Which Russell Martin never has a chance of being. Sorry, guys that still hold a connection to the 2007 Martin, it's time to let go.
OF: Josh Hamilton. I want to give Hamilton a pass due to his time on the DL. He'd make it easier if he hit some homers. 150 at-bats of suckitude is enough to put him on the All-Scars. I'll spare Vladimir Guerrero and Carlos Quentin though.
OF: Magglio Ordonez. Maggs was able to lose the ability to hit for average and power at the same time, not an easy task to accomplish. Now he's platooning with someone name Clete, who really sounds like a Nike spokesperson.
OF: Chris Young. Did you know that Chris Young the pitcher actually has a higher average than Chris Young the outfielder? OK, that's a lie, but it's sad I had to look that up to be sure -- wait, check that. The pitcher is batting 65 points higher. And he plays half his games in Petco.
UT: Rafael Furcal. 2009 has been a mirror opposite of 2008. No power and no speed while showing the uncanny ability to stay healthy and in fantasy lineups everywhere.
SP: Francisco Liriano. At this point, his owners are probably praying for another injury. Liriano has done a good job in the last six weeks of bringing the ERA down to the mid-fives. Not good enough, however.
SP: Ervin Santana. I'm convinced that Ervin has an identical twin that sells baked goods in some quiet Midwestern town, and that they switch lives every 12 months. Fine then, you explain it.
SP: Rich Harden. Remember the good ol' days when Harden would give us a handful of fantastic starts and disappear to the disabled list? I miss those days.
SP: Joba Chamberlain. He was supposed to be the Next Big Thing. I had him in Roy Oswalt territory heading into 2009. To me, he's probably the most disappointing of these names
RP: Carlos Marmol. This was the year Marmol was to inherit the Cubs' closer gig -- or so you thought. Flash forward to now, and Marmol's "breakout" three-save season (complete with horrible WHIP) has you once again cursing the overhyped mid-round closer.

The Justin Upton All-Sleepers

1B: Russell Branyan. You grabbed him thinking he'd supply you with some late-round pop and nothing more. Who knew he'd match Ryan Howard's first-half HR total, while hitting for a better average to boot?
2B: Aaron Hill. A concussion cut Hill's 2008 short. As a repayment, he's making as many AL pitchers' heads hurt as possible in 2009.
3B: Reynolds. Sell high. No, I'm serious -- stop reading and go get your buddy on the line. The guy that's in eighth place and needs a shakeup. It's OK, we can wait.
SS: Jason Bartlett and Ben Zobrist. I really wanted to include Reid Brignac in this list too, but three Tampa Bay shortstops would just be overkill.
C: Pablo Sandoval. We knew he was capable of a high average. Where did the 15 HRs and four SBs come from? Oh, and if Sandoval isn't a catcher in your league, we'll give you Brandon Inge.
OF: Justin Upton. 21-year-olds shouldn't be this good in the majors. If he keeps this up, he's joining Pujols and Lincecum in the soon-to-be-created all-universe league.
OF: Raul Ibanez. What were the Phillies thinking, signing this old dog to a four-year contract and letting Pat Burrell walk? Yeah, I never questioned it either.
OF: Jayson Werth. He's putting up Jason Bay numbers at a fraction of the cost. If the Phillies can add some good pitching at the deadline (like they did with Joe Blanton last year), they'll run away with the NL East.
UT: Adam Lind and Shin-Soo Choo. I couldn't decide between these two, so let's give them half-a-vote each. The two lefties exhibit different skill sets, but neither cost a high draft pick and both are top-ten outfielders at the break.
SP: Chris Carpenter. Sure, he missed a little time at the beginning of the season. He's been great since, with only one six-run game in June tarnishing his 2.47 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.
SP: Edwin Jackson. The Tampa Bay Rays traded Jackson to the Tigers for Matt Joyce, or as he's affectionately known as now, a bag of balls.
SP: Josh Johnson. How mad are you going to be when Johnson signs with the Yankees or Red Sox after his arbitration years run out? 14, maybe 15 on a ten-point scale?
SP: Jarrod Washburn. I couldn't tell you how he's doing it, but Washburn enters the break with a sub-3.00 ERA and an excellent 1.09 WHIP. Who does he think he is, Cliff Lee?
RP: Ryan Franklin. It's time to come off the ledge, Chris Perez owners. You thought you had a bargain, but it just wasn't in the Cards. See what I did there? Hey, where are you going?

The Matt Wieters 25-or-Under All-Keepers

1B: Fielder. A year younger (at least) than Miguel Cabrera, Fielder is an easy choice here. I'd still trade either for Pujols in a keeper league, but I'm just sayin'.
2B: Ian Stewart. The guy is 24 and looks like he's on his way to figuring it all out. The power has come, now will the average?
3B: Evan Longoria. The 23-year-old Tampa Bay third baseman has quickly become one of the top options at the hot corner. We hope he's the next A-Rod (unless you're a Tampa Bay fan).
SS: Ramirez. Hanley is still only 25, making him by far the No. 1 keeper league commodity in the majors.
C: Brian McCann. Be patient, my Matt Wieters-owning friends. I know the category is named after him, but the sweet-swinging McCann is only 25 and is far more proven than the Baltimore rookie.
OF: Braun. Remember when we were worried about Braun's long-term stock when the Brewers moved him off third? Turns out a 35-HR, 100-plus RBI bat plays anywhere. Who knew?
OF: J.Upton. At your live draft, the B.J. Upton owner laughed at your Justin Upton pick in the late rounds. "Sorry dude, but I got the only Upton that matters." Loser.
OF: Matt Kemp. Any other manager would waste Kemp's huge potential by hitting him in the top half of the order. That's why Joe Torre makes the big bucks, because he understands baseball better than you.
UT: Matt Wieters. C'mon, you know I couldn't put together a keeper list without the Baseball Jesus. I've already cleared a weekend in 2030 for his Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
SP: Lincecum. He'd be the first pitcher taken in any redraft, keeper, dynasty, NL-Only, roto, H2H, points, animated-pitchman, Fleaflicker, or any other league. (By the way, sign up for your post-ASB leagues here.)
SP: Chad Billingsley. Sure, he walks too many people, but that type of talent can't be forsaken. He could have a Hamels-like run en route to leading the Dodgers to a title this year.
SP: Yovani Gallardo. Racking up strikeouts quicker than a fantasy baseball writer at a Victoria's Secret fashion show, Gallardo mixes sheer awesomeness with the consistent ability to be unabashedly amazing.
SP: Tommy Hanson. Premature? You bet. But I had to get a man-crush in here somewhere. Tommy Boy will eventually lose the walks. I hope you've traded for him by that point.
RP: Joakim Soria. I'd take him over Jonathan Broxton if I had the choice. Soria has posted sub-1.00 WHIP seasons in 2007 and 2008, as well as a sub-1.00 WHIP season in the first half of 2009.

2009 Fantasy All-Stars, All-Scars, All-Sleepers and All-Keepers originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seven Fantasy Studs Chasing 30/30

Knox Bardeen — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Value Machine

Back before he was making us think of loyalty in the locker room and steroids, Jose Canseco made us think up the 40/40 club. The club didn't exist prior to 1988, there have only been three members inducted since, and Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle scoffed at the "new" club saying, "Hell, If I'd known 40-40 was going to be a big deal, I'd have done it every year!"

Today I want to talk about the junior varsity version of the 40/40 club. I want to examine a few hitters who could make it to the 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases plateau in 2009.

The major league season is about 43% complete now (give or take a few games for some teams), which means any hopeful 30/30 member needs to be somewhere near 13 home runs and stolen bases to be considered on pace.

Last season, only Hanley Ramirez and Grady Sizemore entered the 30/30 club. In 2009 we could see a lot more inductees.

Curtis Granderson, Tigers - Currently sitting at 17 home runs and 12 stolen bases, he's looking good for the 30/30 club. It's going to be close on stolen bases, but he's been ramping up his numbers each month. If he keeps that up, he'll make it.

Torii Hunter, Angels - Hunter has only hit 30 or more home runs once in his 13-year career, and he's never stolen more than 23 bases. In 2009 he's already sitting at 16 home runs and 12 stolen bases. At this pace he'll break out at age 34 and reach 30/30 status.

Ian Kinsler, Rangers - With 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases, Kinsler is on pace to reach 42 homers and 33 stolen bases. The obstacle he'll have to overcome (and it's one he's had trouble with in the past) is healthy. Kinsler needs to stay injury free in 2009 to make the 30/30 club a reality.

Nelson Cruz, Rangers - Cruz is making the most of his first full season of Major League Baseball. His 18 home runs put him well on pace to reach 30-plus. He's a little shy of 30 stolen base pace with his 11 swipes. But, there's still a chance.

Nate McLouth, Braves - Since coming to the Braves from Pittsburgh, McLouth's home run pace has slowed. He's sitting at 12 right now, so there's work still to be done. His ten stolen bases also means he'll need to start burning on the base paths a bit more to reach 30/30.

Jayson Werth, Phillies - Werth had a fantastic month of May where he hit six home runs and stole seven bases. In June he's keeping the home run pace up, but only has one stolen base. If he's going to reach 30/30 from his current 12/10, he needs to get busy.

Brandon Phillips, Reds - Phillips can't seem to get both his stolen bases and his home runs to come at the same time. In May he hit seven dingers but didn't steal a base. In June he has already stolen six bases, but he's only hit two home runs. At 11 home runs and 10 stolen bases currently, Phillips' chances are only minimal to make it into the 30/30 club.

Seven Fantasy Studs Chasing 30/30 originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Selling High on Sluggers Before Power Drop-Off Lessens Value

Knox Bardeen — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:47:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Value Machine

Trading baseball players on your fantasy team is somewhat similar to trading stock on the open exchange. If you feel that a player is going to perform better in the future you should try and buy low on that player and acquire him. If a players has peaked and should drop off, you want to sell him for the highest asking price that you can get.

Here's a list of four hitters who you may want to think about selling right now.

Adrian Gonzalez, Padres - After hitting nine home runs in April and 11 in May, Gonzalez has only parked two in June. In fact, he hasn't hit a home run since June 2nd when he capped off four straight days with a dinger. Since June 2nd Gonzalez has been walked 16 times and only has six base hits. That seems to be the new way to pitch to the Padres slugger, you walk him. Include also the fact that his HR/F ratio for 2009 is 30.1% and you get the makings of a home run decline for the rest of the season. With his HR/F ratio sure to normalize back down to the high teens (his three-year average) and his walk rate to continue on this pace, Gonzalez won't be as valuable in the second half as he's been thus far. Sell now.

Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks - Reynolds is going to strike out, and he's going to do it a lot. He's never hidden the fact that strikeouts and Mark Reynolds go together like peas and carrots. What's unusual about Reynolds this season is his speed on the base paths and his home run stroke. Sure, Reynolds hit 28 home runs last season. But right now he's on pace to hit 44. 28.1% of Reynolds' fly balls are going over the fence this season. That numbers is way out of line compared to the 18.2% he enjoyed last year and the 16.2% from 2007. You can expect his HR/F ratio to come back down to earth soon. And with it will come the decline in his home runs.

Ben Zobrist, Rays - Zobrist hit 12 home runs last year. That was his career high. Sure it only took him 198 at-bats to do so, but the fact that he already has 14 home runs in 174 at-bats this season leads to a big question. Where is this extra power coming from? The easy answer is his home run to fly ball ratio. His HR/F ratio for 2008 was 17.4%. This season is 25.0%. That's a huge uptick in fly balls sailing out of the park. You have to imagine that his HR/F ratio will normalize soon and zap some of these home runs away.

Justin Upton, Diamondbacks - No, I'm not purposely picking on the Diamondbacks. It just worked out this way. At 12 home runs, Upton is almost at his 2008 total of 15 home runs in only 224 at-bats. He's also enjoying a nice .308 batting average. A welcome enhancement from his .250 from 2008. But, both his batting average and home run pace should come back to earth soon. His HR/F ratio is 19.4%. That's much higher than his 15.3% from last season. Upton's hit rate is also high at 38.0%. When he batted .250 in 2008 his hit rate was 33.6%. You can imagine that his batting average is really going to suffer when that hit rate normalizes. His power will also drop off, just not to the extent of his batting average. I can see Upton finishing 2009 with 23 home runs and a .270 batting average. That's not bad, but he's worth more in trade value now. Do it.

Selling High on Sluggers Before Power Drop-Off Lessens Value originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Somebody Get the Mets a Medic ... Fast!

Tom Herrera — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:50:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Kids Are Alright, MLB Locking Your Lineup, MLB Value Machine

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

The Mets are beginning to look like the Patriots when it comes to injury information. Just a couple of weeks ago, I told you to be worried about Jose Reyes' bum leg when we found out he had a "calf strain." Thursday night, the team confirmed Reyes has a torn right hamstring tendon and this is believed to be something new. Excuse me for being cynical, but this is the latest in a long line of sketchy diagnoses. Let's take a look at what else New York bungled, shall we ...

¬ J.J. Putz will miss 8-10 weeks to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. Recall that Putz had gone weeks with decreased velocity on his fastball and poor location. Jerry Manuel pronounced him ready to pitch in mid-May after he first missed two games with the bone spur. Now he needs surgery. Got it. Plan on seeing a lot more of Bobby Parnell.

¬ Carlos Delgado was scratched in late April after he "aggravated his hip." He got a few games off to rest, was placed back in the lineup for a week ... then surprise, surprise, he was out of the lineup again and it took nearly a week before a decision was made to place Delgado on the disabled list. He then underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum and a bone spur, and the timetable has gone from "10 weeks" to Delgado saying "the plan is just get healthy first."

¬ In 2008, when Ryan Church suffered his second concussion in two months, there was initially no concrete update on his status and he even played again before hitting the DL. He was also allowed to fly across the country after he had the concussion. Church wound up missing a chunk of the season with post-concussion syndrome.

At some point, you have to hold the Mets' medical staff (and GM) accountable just as you would a manager when the team stinks. And if you own Reyes in a fantasy league, strongly consider an alternative for the next couple of months. There's a lack of trust issue at work here. Grab Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen ASAP if you need steals/runs and likely can't get them from the shortstop position. Unless you are totally comfortable with Elvis Andrus or Emmauel Burriss -- which I'm not -- it's time to try a different route with a power-hitting middle infielder like Ben Zobrist and be creative with your lineup.

Bits from the Box Scores
o. Speaking of McCutchen, not only was he the recipient of a shaving cream pie in his rookie debut, he collected two hits, scored three runs and stole a base. If the Pirates continues to pencil in McCutchen and Nyjer Morgan atop the lineup, they won't get a lot of pop, but they'll have the fastest tandem in baseball. I could see McCutchen stealing 20 more the rest of the season.

o. On the South side, Gordon Beckham made his rather forgettable debut for the White Sox. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout from the 8th spot in the order. Ozzie played Beckham at third base, which seems to be the most logical place for him to get at-bats, but we could see him at second and even shortstop depending on the game. Position versatility aside, I think McCutchen will end up proving more valuable this season.

o. Three-hundred wins is splendid, but unfortunately we don't count career statistics in fantasy. That's why you sell high on 45-year-old Randy Johnson while his name is in the news. Don't forget he obliterated team ERAs with seven earned runs on three earlier occasions.

o. Don't sleep while Jason Giambi is waking up. He hit his third homer in his last five games and can be scooped off most mixed-league waiver wires.

o. Wakey wakey for B.J. Upton, too. He has a homer, four RBI and two doubles so far in June. More power could be on the way.

o. Lou Piniella is giving Geovany Soto a "mental break" for the next few games. It's unclear how long he'll be out, but I'd consider this a temporary move. Buy low on Soto, and you've been kicking yourself for drafting him over Victor Martinez, all you can do is wait it out. You're not going to get fair return if you trade him now. Roll with someone like Florida catcher John Baker. For deeper leagues, Jason Jaramillo has seven RBI in his last four games.

o. If you're digging for saves, know that J.P. Howell is by far the best option in the Rays' pen. Howell picked up his second save by pitching a perfect ninth in a one-run game versus the Royals.

o. Toss out the first few starts and buy low on John Lackey. He tossed seven solid innings against the Blue Jays and has a 16:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio overall. Ervin Santana may have been brought back too soon, but I think Lackey's going to be fine.

o. Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz has nine homers and five steals over his last 15 games. I was wary about how much hype Cruz received preseason, but I'm on the bandwagon now that he's proven late 2008 was no fluke. I'd rather have him than Matt Kemp heading into the summer.

o. Welcome back to the majors, Chien-Ming Wang. You shall have no place on our fantasy teams.

o. Scott Baker, however, does have a spot. He fanned 10 in seven quality innings against the Tribe. His 49:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio is very appealing, but he'll have to continue to avoid the ERA-killing home runs. Grab him for your bench and see if he can make it a trend.

o. Kevin Youkilis keeps getting banged up in a variety of ways. He left Thursday's game in the fourth inning with a tight right calf. Nothing serious, though.

o. If you're a Chris Carpenter owner, enjoy this magical ride. There's no way you're trading him unless you're getting back another stud in return, regardless of injury fears.

Down on the Farm: The Rockies purchased the contract of outfielder Carlos Gonzalez from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Gonzalez was batting .339 with 10 homers and 59 RBI in the minors. The 23-year-old is more valuable in NL-only leagues, but he could be worth a pickup in mixed leagues as well depending on how many at-bats manager Jim Tracy gives him.

Don't Forget About: Ricky Nolasco. Many fantasy owners were so frustrated with Nolasco they jettisoned him to the waiver wire. He had two strong outings down in Triple-A New Orleans and will be recalled to start Sunday against the Giants. Keep him stashed to see if he can get his act together at the major-league level.

The Afflicted: Miguel Cabrera is day-to-day with a hamstring strain, but it appears to be a minor injury. Evan Longoria (hamstring) will likely return to the starting lineup Saturday. Jeremy Bonderman's successful rehab stint is over with Triple-A Toledo and he should return to the Detroit rotation next week. He's worth a flier in most AL-only leagues. The Cardinals are placing Kyle Lohse on the 15-day DL with a right forearm strain. Cleveland activated Travis Hafner from the 15-day DL and demoted Fausto Carmona to the Arizona Rookie League (!). Hafner is only worth playing in AL-only leagues until we can gauge how much he can start regularly. Milton Bradley will avoid the DL despite calf pain. What a relief! (sigh) Rich Harden (back) will make a five-inning rehab start for Triple-A Iowa on Sunday.

Lineup Lock Time: All nightcaps Friday, starting at 7:05 PM ET.

Weekend Aces in the Hole: Max Scherzer (2-4, 4.47 ERA) struck out 10 Padres when he pitched against them last week. Hiroki Kuroda (1-1, 2.53 ERA) faces the Phillies at home in his third start back from injury. Trevor Cahill (2-5, 4.33 ERA), who has a significantly better WHIP at home, plays the Orioles. Orioles southpaw Rich Hill (2-0, 4.15 ERA) gets the lefty-allergic Athletics (.209 vs. LHP) on Sunday. Also on Sunday, Tommy Hanson makes his rookie debut against Milwaukee. He's worth adding in deep mixed leagues, and if you're pitching-deprived, start him and see if he can make those Brew Crew bats whiff.

Somebody Get the Mets a Medic ... Fast! originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fantasy Spin on Nate McLouth Trade

Matt Snyder — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:10:00 EST

Filed under: MLB Value Machine

In case you haven't heard yet -- seriously, if you haven't, you need to read MLB FanHouse -- the Atlanta Braves have made a trade for center fielder Nate McLouth. McLouth emerged last season as a quality fantasy outfielder, hitting .276 with 26 home runs, 94 RBI, 113 runs, 23 stolen bases and a league-leading 46 doubles.

This season, he's down a bit in average and doubles, but chugging along elsewhere (.256-9-34-27-7-7). Obviously his move to a better situation -- and absence in the Pirates' new lineup -- sends reverberations throughout fantasy lineups across the roto world. Let us now check out what the move does to his value and to those also affected by the move.

McLouth

The Pirates offense hasn't been good, so taking McLouth out and putting him in a better situation has to help. Granted, the overall offensive numbers by the Braves aren't much better -- if at all -- than the Pirates this year, but McLouth wasn't surrounded by Chipper Jones and Brian McCann in Pittsburgh. We can expect a good-sized rise in batting average -- which was probably coming anyway, it's just more a sure thing now -- while the runs and RBI will get a small boost as well. Definitely hold onto him if you own him, and it's worth trying to inquire about a trade if you don't and need outfield help.

Andrew McCutchen

As a corresponding move, the Pirates promoted young prospect Andrew McCutchen from triple-A Indianapolis. It's a good bet they see what they have now with him, Brandon Moss and Nyjer Morgan in the outfield. Trading McLouth is pretty much a white flag for the 2009 season, so there's no reason to promote McCutchen and then have him ride pine.

We don't exactly know where he'll hit in the order, but the two-hole -- between Morgan and Freddy Sanchez -- would be a good fit.

McCutchen was hitting .303 with 4 homers, 20 RBI, 41 runs 10 doubles, a whopping 8 triples and 10 stolen bases in the minors. He's only 22, so there will likely be some growing pains. It's worth grabbing him in all keeper leagues, as the Pirates are stocking up a decent future lineup, but he's not worth picking up in anything but an NL-Only league (for steals) just yet.

Pirates' New Lineup

The big news here is what you saw above. We'll get to see McCutchen in action. Everything else is bad. Andy and Adam LaRoche will see less RBI chances, Morgan won't be scoring as many runs and Sanchez won't see near as many quality pitches to hit. Expect a downward trend in production for the entire lineup, though you likely weren't counting greatly on any offensive Pirates other than McLouth.

Braves' New Lineup

The Braves offense has been pretty lackluster this season, so adding McLouth to man center instead of Gregor Blanco or Jordan Schafer gives them an offensive jolt. The trickle down effect throughout the lineup will benefit everyone in the RBI, runs and batting average categories. The former two because McLouth gets on base better and drives in runs more often than who they were using in center. The latter because everyone sees better pitches with a better supporting cast, generally speaking. The bump is very slight, though, so don't go overpaying for a bunch of Braves. Just enjoy the extra production should you own one.

Fantasy Spin on Nate McLouth Trade originally appeared on Fantasy Baseball Fanhouse on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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