Archive for the ‘News & Notes’ Category

2012 FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide Now on Sale

Posted by Todd Lammi on February 3rd, 2012

The 2012 FBT Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide is now on sale for $9.99. The guide comes in an Excel file and contains fantasy baseball projections for 300+ hitters and 175+ pitchers.

Projections are in the standard 5 x 5 fantasy baseball categories for hitters and pitchers. The guide will be updated every week until the start of Opening Day so you will always have on hand the most current projections and player listings as you prepare for baseball draft or auction.

The files also contain league designations so you can easily sort for AL or NL only players and all player’s ages as of opening day.

Instead of spending money on outdated magazines written by fantasy owners with no experience of winning fantasy baseball leagues, order the 2012 FBT Draft Guide today so you can start dominating the competition in your fantasy baseball league.

Buy Now

 

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Tigers Sign Prince Fielder to Nine-Year Contract

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 24th, 2012

The Detroit Tigers made a move to fill a hole in their lineup created by the season-ending injury to designated hitter Victor Martinez by signing first basemen Prince Fielder to a nine-year contract worth a reported $214 million contract. This gives the Tigers two 40+ home run, 100+ RBI sluggers in the middle of the batting order with Fielder joining Miguel Cabrera.

From a fantasy standpoint, there should be little change to the value of Fielder with the move to the American League. The big winner in the signing is Cabrera who will now see time at third base, first base and designated hitter. While it might take Cabrera a few weeks to gain third base eligibility once the season starts, it puts him in discussion now for being the number one overall pick in fantasy drafts.

The only real question with Cabrera now shifting to third base, is where is Fielder going to hit in the lineup. Cabrera has been entrenched at cleanup so Fielder would fit nicely into the third spot in the order and provide a nice lefty-right split between the three and four hitters in the order.

It also helps Austin Jackson keep his value if he hits first in the order again as he was looking at a drop in runs scored with the loss of Martinez from the order. Now with Fielder in a run-producing spot in the lineup, Jackson’s value goes back to where it was pre-Martinez’s injury.

 

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Red Sox Trade Marco Scutaro to Rockies

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 21st, 2012

The Boston Red Sox were looking to slash salary and the Colorado Rockies were looking for a proven second basemen so the two teams filled each others needs Saturday when the Red Sox dealt shortstop Marco Scutaro to the Rockies for right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen.

Boston has depth at that position with Mike Aviles and Nick Punto expected to split time at the position until prospect Jose Iglesias is ready to take over on a permanent basis. Punto has value as a $1 end game pick in AL-only auctions if you need to get 10-15 stolen bases from an infield spot. Aviles figures to see time against left-handed pitching after hitting .318 against southpaws in 85 at bats in 2011.

For the Rockies, this solves their dilemma at second base and also give Scutaro a slight bump in value with the move to Coors Field, plus he is expected to hit second in the Colorado lineup which should give him a boost in runs scored as well.

Losers in the trade from a fantasy perspective are Jonathan Herrera, D.J. LeMahieu  and Eric Young Jr. who were all looking to get time at second base this season and now all three are guaranteed of a reserve role.

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Oakland Acquires Seth Smith From Colorado

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 17th, 2012

The Oakland Athletics continued to demolish their pitching staff by trading starting pitchers Guillermo Moscoso and Josh Outman to the Colorado Rockies for outfielder Seth Smith. Smith gives Oakland a solid outfielder and a legitimate cleanup hitter for a team lacking in offense. Smith has hit .296 in his career at Coors Field and batted .257 on the road so expect his average to be headed down with the move to American League. His batting average is also going to be at risk if he becomes a full-time player given his struggles against left-handed pitching in his career with a .202 career average against southpaws.

There is no change in fantasy value for the Colorado outfield since Smith figured to be the odd man out with the signing of Michael Cuddyer. The deal of Smith does free up a few more at bats for Tyler Colvin, Eric Young Jr. or Charlie Blackmon in a reserve outfield role. Moscoso figures to be the fourth starter for the Rockies, but his value takes a hit with the move to Coors Field leaving him as a NL-only play. Outman figures to be nothing more than insurance at Triple-A in case an injury strikes at the major league level.

Oakland signed Bartolo Colon to a one-year contract to fill in the gaps in their rotation making him a candidate to start on Opening Day, but there is little upside for his win total with a weak offense behind him and an unsettled bullpen. The Colon signing means that recently acquired starting pitchers Tom Milone or Brad Peacock could begin the season in the minor leagues.

 

 

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Yankees Shore Up Rotation By Trading For Pineda, Signing Kuroda

Posted by Todd Lammi on January 13th, 2012

Some talking heads were saying just this week how the the New York Yankees had been so quiet this offseason until tonight when general manager Brian Cashman shook up the baseball world with a blockbuster trade that netted him right-handed starting pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for catcher Jesus Montero and right-handed pitcher Hector Noesi.

Pineda went 9-10 in his rookie season with a 3.74 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 171 innings and will slot nicely in behind CC Sabathia as the number two starter in the Yankees rotation. Campos pitched in Short-Season Class A at age 19 and went 5-5 with a 2.32 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings.

The Yankees made another move to bolster their rotation by signing free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year, $10 million contract. The 36-year-old Kuroda will slot into the number three spot in the Yankees rotation making a mediocre rotation before tonight suddenly very strong and deep with Ivan Nova as the fourth starter and Freddy Garcia, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes battling it out for the 5th starter role. Kuroda collected 13 wins in 2011 while posting a 3.07 ERA with 161 strikeouts in 202 innings.

For a Mariners team that was punchless the last couple of seasons, Montero becomes the top power bat in their lineup at the age of 22. Montero hit .328 in 61 at bats with Yankees last season with four home runs and 12 RBI. Noesi pitched 56 1/3 innings in the bullpen for New York in 2011, posting a 4.47 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings. He is currently pitching in the Dominican Winter League where he has pitched 46 2/3 inning as a starter with a 2.70 ERA and 27 strikeouts.

This was an old school baseball trade and it will be interesting to see how it plays out over the next couple of seasons. For now, I think the Yankees are big winners in the deal since they get Pineda who they can control for several years and they can easily find a designated hitter to fill the role of Montero, say a Johnny Damon or Vladimir Guerrero . From Seattle’s perspective, if Montero was a defensive stalwart at catcher in addition to the bat he brings to the table, I can see how that helps but if he is strictly going to be a designated hitter for his career, I think they came up a little short in the deal. The Mariners I am sure are counting on some of their young pitching prospects like Danny Hultzen or James Paxton to be ready this season to help offset the loss of Pineda in the rotation.

 

 

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Oakland Trades Andrew Bailey to Boston for 3 Players

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 28th, 2011

The Oakland Athletics continued to remake their pitching staff as they rebuild with an eye on the future by dealing closer Andrew Bailey to the Boston Red Sox along with outfielder Ryan Sweeney for outfielder Josh Reddick, minor league catcher Miles Head and pitcher Raul Alcantara. The deal fills a hole in the Red Sox bullpen that Bailey will fill in the 9th inning. Recently acquired closer Mark Melancon will now move to a set up role in the 8th inning, making him a worthwhile handcuff to Bailey given Bailey’s injury history and the fact he has yet to post a 30 save season in his major league career. The left-handed hitting Sweeney is the lead candidate to start in right field in Boston, likely as part of a platoon role but he has little fantasy value even in AL-0nly formats with two home runs in his last 567 at bats.

Reddick will start in right field for the Oakland A’s and should hit close to the middle of the order given the lack of offensive talent in the lineup. Reddick has a .248 batting average in 375 major league at bats with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. Reddick turns 25 in February and will post a low average with some power which gives him value in AL-only leagues. Since he was expected to start for the Red Sox before being traded, there is really no change to his fantasy value except for less runs and RBI playing in a weaker lineup.

For fantasy baseball purposes, the biggest ramifications is in the Oakland bullpen which will now have a new closer in 2012. Veteran Brian Fuentes is still under contact for the A’s and posted 12 saves in 2011 filling in for Bailey and will see opportunities in the closer role unless he is dealt as part of the off-season purging. Grant Balfour will also see some chances to close after posting two consecutive seasons of a sub 2.50 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He has averaged closed to a strikeout per inning and his batting average against dropped for a third consecutive season.

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Oakland Trades Gio Gonzalez to Washington for Four Players

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 22nd, 2011

The Oakland Athletics continued to disassemble their pitching rotation by trading left-handed starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals for starting pitchers Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, A.J. Cole and catcher Derek Norris. The Nationals paid a heavy price to get Gonzalez who they will control through 2015. It also gives the team a solid third starting pitcher to go with Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman. Gonzalez figures to get a boost in his fantasy baseball ranking with a move to the National League which should help him in all categories. He should be able to push his ERA close to the 3.00 mark and his strikeout rate per nine innings should be over 9.0.

For Oakland, the trades of Trevor Cahill and Gonzalez now leaves the Athletics with a top starting pitcher of Guillermo Moscoso, though Peacock and Milone should both be good candidates to break spring training in the A’s rotation. The left-handed Milone had five starts at the end of the season with the Nationals, posting a 3.81 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. For his minor league career, Milone had a 3.05 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP and 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

Right-handed starting pitcher Brad Peacock saw 12 innings of work with the Nationals last September and had a breakout season across two levels in the minor leagues with a 2.01 ERA in AA and a 3.19 ERA in Triple-A after his promotion. In 146 2/3 innings, Peacock struck out 176 batters with a 16-3 record. From a fantasy ranking, I prefer Peacock over Malone with his ability to miss bats and rack up strikeouts.

Norris figures to spend 2012 at Triple-A after hitting .210 at AA Harrisburg with 20 home runs and 46 RBI. It was the second consecutive season of a batting average drop for Norris who has already shown the type of plate discipline that the A’s management team likes with 344 walks and 421 strikeouts in his minor league career to date.

Cole was a 4th round selection in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft and completed the season at High-A in 2011. He had a 4.04 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP while striking out 108 in 89 innings. In most organizations he would likely be 2-3 years away but given the lack of solid starters in the A’s rotation it is conceivable he could see time in 2013.

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Cincinnati Reds Acquire Latos From Padres

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 19th, 2011

The Cincinnati Reds made a big move to upgrade the front of their rotation by acquiring starting pitcher Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres for first basemen Yonder Alonso, starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, minor league relief pitcher Brad Boxberger and minor league catcher Yasmani Grandal. The Reds picked up a proven starter for extra pieces that the team could afford to move because of the depth it had built up.

Alonso was blocked by Joey Votto in Cincinnati and now is the favorite to start the year at first base in San Diego. Alonso becomes a nice late round sleeper pick in mixed league formats now that he finally has a full-time job. Alonso should be in the .280 range with 17-20 home runs on the season in 2012. The move causes a ripple effect in San Diego as first base prospect Anthony Rizzo now could be on the trade block with the arrival of Alonso.

For Volquez, there is not going to be much change in his value with the move to PETCO Park unless he is able to fix his control issues. Since his breakout season in 2008, Volquez has posted a walk rate of 5.8, 5.0 and 5.4 per nine innings over the last three seasons.

Boxberger gives the Padres a possible closer candidate in the wake of losing Heath Bell via free agency. Boxberger tallied 11 saves across two minor league levels in 2011 while striking out 93 hitters in 62 innings. Grandal will likely start the season at AA or AAA for the Padres. He played at two minor league levels in 2011 and for his minor league career of 402 at bats, he has a .303 batting average with 14 home runs and 69 RBI.

For the Padres, they need Volquez to pitch closer to his 2008 level and they need to be able to flip Rizzo for another solid piece in order for them to break even or come out ahead on this trade. For the Reds, they were dealing from a position of strength with the depth of their farm system and they upgraded their major league staff so for now, I think the Reds got the better end of the deal.

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Boston Red Sox Acquire Melancon for Lowrie and Weiland

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 15th, 2011

The Boston Red Sox made the first move to shore up their bullpen by acquiring closer Mark Melancon from the Houston Astros for shortstop Jed Lowrie and starting pitcher Kyle Weiland. With Jonathan Papelbon lost via free agency and setup man Daniel Bard potentially moving into the rotation, the Red Sox need alternatives for saves in the bullpen.

Melancon converted 20 of 25 saves opportunities in 2011 while posting a 2.78 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Currently he would figure to close for the Red Sox in 2012, but the team is still pursuing other trade options and Bard could still end up as closer if the transition to the rotation does not go as planned. If I had to make a bet, I would predict that Melancon will not lead the Red Sox in saves in 2012.

For the Astros, Lowrie figures to move into the starting shortstop role and should be able to hit 15-20 home runs given 500 at bats over the course of a full season. His batting average is going to be the question until he can solve right-handed pitching, as he has hit just .214 in his career against them with eight home runs in 529 at bats. Compare that to the damage he has done against southpaws in 279 at bats where he has batted .326 with 11 long balls.

Weiland struggled in his first major league action in 2011, posting a 7.66 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. A relief pitcher in college at Notre Dame, Weiland has moved up the ladder each season since he was a third round pick in 2008. He has a career 3.51 ERA in the minor leagues, but lik emost younger pitchers, he still needs work on his control with 3.4 walks per nine innings. Weiland will likely start the season in Triple-A unless the team moves Brett Myers or Wandy Rodriguez in a trade.

If Brandon Lyon is healthy, he will likely have first shot at closing with Melancon out of the picture. Lyon was 20-for-22 in save chances in 2010 and has converted 78 of 107 save opportunities in his career.

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Milwaukee Brewers sign Aramis Ramirez, trade Casey McGehee

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 12th, 2011

The Milwaukee Brewers found a big bat to add to their lineup on Monday by signing free agent third basemen Aramis Ramirez to a three-year $36 million contract. With Ryan Braun possibly out for the first 50 games of the season, Ramirez will have a chance to drive in the majority of runs hitting third or fourth in the lineup.

Speaking of Ryan Braun, if he is out the first 50 games of the season, what does that mean for his fantasy value? If we cut 1/3 of his stats from last season, he doesn’t fall as much as you might think by missing that much time. For the final 2011 fantasy baseball rankings, Braun would have ended up ranked 17th in the outfield, just after Mike Stanton which bumps him down a few rounds in fantasy baseball drafts, but not to the middle of the draft like some fantasy owners might have been hoping for.

The signing of Ramirez made last season’s starting third basemen Casey McGehee expendable so the Brew Crew traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for relief pitcher Jose Veras. Even with the signing of Ramirez it looked like McGehee might get a shot at first base to replace Prince Fielder, but with the trade it looks like Mat Gamel will head to spring training as the favorite to start at first base which gives Gamel some sleeper value in 2012.

McGehee gives the Pirates several options in the infield as he can serve as security at third base if Pedro Alvarez falters again or he could serve as a platoon partner with Garrett Jones at first base.

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2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – Day 5 News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 9th, 2011

The big news of day five of the major league baseball winter meetings was a trade between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland Athletics with the Diamondbacks acquiring starting pitcher Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow and Oakland picking up starting pitcher Jarrod Parker, outfielder Collin Cowgill and relief pitcher Ryan Cook.

Parker has been the D-Backs number one prospect for the last couple of seasons, but his path to the major leagues was sidetracked in 2009 when he underwent Tommy John surgery. He has a 3.49 career minor league ERA in 346 innings with 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He should be able to earn a spot in the Athletics rotation but has value in AL-only leagues at this point until he can get another season removed from the Tommy John surgery.

With all spots open in the Oakland outfield, Cowgill should see a full season of at bats. Cowgill had 92 at bats in Arizona last season, hitting .239 with a home run and four stolen bases. He hit .299 in his minor league career and had a 82% success rate on stolen bases going 72-for-88. He doesn’t offer a lot of power with a high of 16 home runs in the minor leagues, but he will have solid value in AL-only formats.

For the Diamondbacks, Cahill becomes a solid number three starter after Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson and he is under control through 2015 with club options in 2016 and 2017 at $13 and $13.5 million. He should see an increase in his strikeout rate with the move to the National League which gives him a little more value in fantasy baseball mixed-league formats.

The Tampa Bay Rays locked up left-handed starting pitcher Matt Moore with a five-year deal at $14 million with club options in 2017 – 2019. Despite the Rays rotation currently filled with five capable starters, expect someone to be traded by spring training with Moore stepping in. The only downside to his fantasy baseball value in 2012 is the fact that the team will likely limit his innings at some point of the season.

 

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2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – Day 4 News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 8th, 2011

The Los Angeles Angels stole the thunder on Thursday at the major league baseball winter meetings by landing free agent first basement Albert Pujols with a 10-year $254 million contract. Outside of all of the hoopla surrounding the second highest contract in major league baseball history being awarded or the fact that the team gave a 10-year contract to a player that turns 32 in January, the most pressing question is what this means from a fantasy baseball perspective.

The latest news was that Kendrys Morales was coming along from his second ankle surgery and was expected to be ready to start the season on time. At just 28 years of age, when healthy he was expected to be one of the building blocks for the Angels offense. Now with Pujols in the fold, Morales or Pujols figures to spend time at designated hitter. There are a few issues with that scenario however. One is that Bobby Abreu is penciled in as the designated hitter since the Angels outfield is already full and two, we haven’t even talked about Mark Trumbo yet who hit 29 home runs in his rookie season. Trumbo has played first base and outfield in the minor leagues so unless the team can convert him into a third basemen, he looks like trade bait for now if Morales is healthy.

Next year the Angels shed the contracts of Hunter and Abreu when they become free agents so they will have holes in 2012, though top prospect Mike Trout will take one of those spots. For fantasy league owners in keeper leagues that own Trout and were expecting value from him in 2012, that doesn’t look like that is going to happen unless a series of cataclysmic events occur.

The Angels also added left-handed starting pitcher C.J. Wilson with a five-year $77.5 million contract. The move helps to bolster a solid rotation that already features Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Ervin Santana as well as it takes away one of the top pitchers from their division rival, the Texas Rangers.

New general manager Theo Epstein of the Chicago Cubs has found a replacement for free agent Aramis Ramirez by acquiring third basemen Ian Stewart and relief pitcher Casey Weathers from the Colorado Rockies for outfielder Tyler Colvin and infielder D.J. LeMahieu. The recent signing of David DeJesus made Colvin expendable for the Cubs in the outfield. Stewart, a career .236 hitter, is hoping that a fresh start will help to get his career back on track. While his power numbers were not much different on the road compared to at home in Coors Field, the one noticeable difference was his splits in strikeout rates. In his career, Stewart fanned 27.7% of the time at home and 35.8% of the time on the road which does not bode well for any type of success in the batting average department unless he can rework his swing.

On the Rockies side, getting Colvin opens the doors for the team to move Seth Smith in a trade to bolster another part of the roster. With Eric Young Jr. and Ryan Spillborghs already in reserve, Colvin has little value unless Smith or Dexter Fowler is moved in a deal. At third base, Colorado has Chris Nelson, Jordan Pacheco and top prospect Nolan Arenado that will compete to replace Stewart.

The Milwaukee Brewers signed shortstop Alex Gonzalez to a one-year contract. He doesn’t present much of an upgrade at the plate; low average with a little bit of pop, but he is better defensively and has more range than Yuniesky Betancourt showed last season.

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2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – Day 3 News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 7th, 2011

The Miami Marlins continue to the big spenders so far of the winter meetings as they snagged starting free agent pitcher Mark Buehrle, signing him to a four-year $58 million contract. The move reunites him with his old manager from the Chicago White Sox Ozzie Guillen. The left-handed Buehrle who turns 33 in March will be pitching in the National League for the first time in his career which may make him relevant in fantasy baseball circles a while longer as he ages. It should also help boost his strikeout rate slightly which should push his totals closer to the 120-130 range per year instead of around 100 where he had been in the American League.

The San Diego Padres found a new closer to replace departed free agent Heath Bell, picking up Huston Street from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later. The move gives the Padres a proven reliable closer and if the team is out of the playoff race come July, they can always flip him to a team that is in contention.

For the Rockies, it gives them a chance to shed some payroll, plus they already have a solution to close games in Rafael Betancourt who finished the year as the Colorado Closer in 2010.

The Pittsburgh Pirates made two small minor deals signing free agents Nate McLouth to fill a fourth-outfielder role, signing him to a one-year $1.75 million contract and adding starting pitcher Erik Bedard to a one-year $4.5 million contract. The Bedard signing is the most interesting for NL-only owners as he can be an end of a draft or auction play despite his injury risks.

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2011 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings – News and Notes

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 6th, 2011

The 2011 Major League Baseball winter meetings kicked off in Dallas, TX with several teams jumping into trade action. The San Francisco Giants sent outfielder Andres Torres and relief pitcher Ramon Ramirez to the New York Mets for Angel Pagan. Pagan becomes the second new addition to the outfield for the Giants joining Melky Cabrera who was acquired earlier in a trade this winter. With Torres and Ramirez both arbitration eligible, this gives the Giants a little extra room in their budget to possibly and go out and get a shortstop like Jimmy Rollins.

For the Mets, it was a busy day of bullpen activity for the team as they also signed free agent closer Frank Francisco to a two-year $12 million contract and signed setup man Jon Rauch for one year and $3.5 million. Both pitchers were with Toronto last season and could potentially close for the Mets in 2012.

Earlier in the day, the Chicago White Sox traded closer Sergio Santos to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league pitcher Nestor Molina. The 22-year-old Molina moved into the rotation full-time in 2011 and had good success across two levels, going a combined 12-3 with a 2.21 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings. With only five starts at the Double-A level, he will likely start there in 2011.

The Colorado Rockies acquired starting pitcher Kevin Slowey from the Minnesota Twins for a player to be name later. Slowey has battled injury problems the last couple of seasons and is nothing more than a reserve pick in NL-only formats until he shows he is back to full strength.

The Los Angeles Dodgers filled out the back end of their rotation by signing Aaron Harang to a two-year $12 contract. The move from PETCO Park to LA should not have too much of an effect on his home numbers, but keep in mind he had a 3.05 ERA and 1.21 WHIP at home compared to 4.70 and 1.65 on the road at the fantasy draft table.

 

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Miami Marlins Sign Closer Heath Bell

Posted by Todd Lammi on December 2nd, 2011

The Miami Marlins made their first splash in free agency by signing free agent closer Heath Bell to a three-year contract for $27 million. With Juan Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez) on the restricted list, this was a good move by the Marlins to lock up a solid closer.

There is no change in Bell for his fantasy baseball value but the big winner in the deal for now is Luke Gregerson in San Diego who for now is the closer for the Padres. Gregerson has a career 3.10 ERA and 1.12 WHIP and has struck out more than a batter per inning in his three seasons in San Diego.

While major league baseball trade rumors have the Padres interested in ckloser Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A’s, the deal would not make sense for a rebuilding Padres team to surrender prospects in order to obtain him.

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Colorado Rockies Trade Chris Iannetta, Sign Ramon Hernandez

Posted by Todd Lammi on November 30th, 2011

The Colorado Rockies made two moves that would make a veteran fantasy baseball owner smile had this been done in a fantasy league as they essentially swapped catchers while picking up a young starting pitcher. In their first move, the Rockies traded catcher Chris Iannetta to the Los Angeles Angels for starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood. The team then signed free agent catcher Ramon Hernandez to a two-year contract for $6.4 million.

For the Angels, they get to try fix the mistake they made a year ago when they lost an offensive catcher by dealing Mike Napoli while the Rockies can buy another year of minor league grooming for catcher Wilin Rosario if they want to and they can let Chatwood develop for a year or two in the minor leagues.

From a fantasy perspective, this is bad news for Iannetta owners as he hit .172 away from Coors Field last season, so while he may hit 10-15 home runs, he is going to crush your team’s batting average. Ramon Hernandez gets a little bump up with the move to Coors Field, but given his age and injury history, he is still just an NL-only play at this point of his career.

Chatwood was rushed to the major leagues at the age of 21 and really needs another couple of years to develop in the minor leagues and to work on his control. His walk rate is 4.9 per nine innings for his career in the minor leagues and until he gets that under control, he is going to have a hard time making it back to the big leagues.

In other news around baseball on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodges signed infielder Adam Kennedy to a one-year contract for $800,000. Kennedy basically replaces Jamey Caroll in 2012 as he can play multiple positions around the infield.

Texas Rangers first basemen Mitch Moreland is expected to undergo wrist surgery which will sideline him two to three months. The wrist which bothered him the second half of the season helped to contribute to his drop in the power department as he hit just five home runs in 199 at bats. Wrist injuries tend to impact power the first year after surgery so I would watch his progress closely in spring training to see how he is performing.

The Chicago Cubs signed outfielder David DeJesus to a two-year contract $10 million that will make him the starting right fielder. Not much change to his value from a fantasy perspective as he has been injured the last two seasons, has little power and stopped stealing bases three years ago.

 

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2011 Dominican Winter League Updates

Posted by Todd Lammi on November 28th, 2011

Through 30+ games of action in the Dominican Winter League, here is a snapshot of some of the top players and how they are performing as well as their potential impact in fantasy baseball leagues in 2012.

Aguilas Cibaenas:

Wilin Roasrio (COL) – Rosario has flashed power in 113 at bats with six home runs and 28 runs batted in. He is going to need to cut down on his strikeouts however if he expects to have a chance to with the Colorado Rockies catching job with 35 strikeouts and only seven walks.

Brian Bogusevic (HOU) – a sleeper pick in NL-only formats in 2012 as he will see the majority of at bats as a left-handed platoon outfielder for the Houston Astros. He is hitting .301 in 103 at bats with four home runs and four stolen bases.

Estrellas de Oriente:

Brandon Allen (OAK) – the Oakland Athletics have a hole at first base and they are waiting for one of the candidates to take hold of the job but I am not sure Allen is going to be able to hit well enough to do that. He is struggling in winter ball with a .143 batting average and 17 strikeouts in 49 at bats. He still has power (two home runs, six RBI), but is not making enough contact to be a full-time starter yet.

Gigantes del Cibao:

Jimmy Paredes (HOU) – Paredes is hitting .289 with a home run and 15 RBI in 90 at bats this winter. He still has some work to do on his plate discipline with 23 strikeouts in 90 at bats and only six walks. On the plus side, he does have four stolen bases and could steal 10-15 bags in full-time action with the Astros this season.

Leones del Escogido:

Brandon Belt (SF) – Belt is hitting .300 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 100 at bats to go with four stolen bases. He has also drawn 16 walks while striking out 19 times. The Giants really need more punch in their lineup so I expect Belt to have a good shot to claim left field over Andres Torres.

Brett Wallace (HOU) – with Carlos Lee locked in at first base in Houston for another season, there is no room for Wallace in the lineup even if he was hitting at some point. Wallace is hitting just .173 in 52 at bats with two home runs and nine RBI.

Tigres del Licey:

Juan Francisco (CIN) – he is hitting .331 in 124 at bats with three home runs and 17 RBI. With Scott Rolen under contract for another season, he is going to have to wait for an injury or hope for a trade to see significant playing time in 2012.

Jerry Sands (LAD) – batting .250 in 72 at bats with two home runs and 12 RBI and 20 strikeouts. With Juan Rivera back in the fold and Tony Gwynn Jr. in the outfield, there is no room in the Dodgers outfield for Sands at the moment.

Toros del Este:

Matt Hague (PIT) – hitting .282 with two home runs and 15 RBI in 110 at bats. He is old for a prospect at 26, but has hit .302 for his career in the minor leagues with a combined 27 home runs over the last two seasons. Despite the fact that Pedro Alvarez and Josh Harrison are ahead of him on the Pirates depth chart, he is a name to keep in mind in NL-only leagues for the reserve part of the draft or auction.

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2011 Caribbean Winter League Updates

Posted by Todd Lammi on November 22nd, 2011

With many of the professional winter baseball leagues halfway through their season, here is a look at some of the top names in the 2011 Caribbean Winter Leagues and how they are performing through 30+ games.

Bravos de Margarita:

Collin Cowgill (ARI) – the outfielder is hitting just .212 through 104 at bats with no home runs and a stolen base. He could push Gerardo Parra for playing time in the outfield for the Diamondbacks in 2012.

Wilmer Flores (NYM) – the shortstop is struggling to stay above the Mendoza line with a .200 average in 60 at bats with three RBI. At just 20-years-old, Flores is likely two years away from the major leagues for the Mets.

Cardenales de Lara:

Alex Liddi (SEA) – he could be in the mix for playing time at the hot corner in Seattle if the Mariners are able to move Chone Figgins. Liddi is going to need to improve his contact rate to get that chance, as he has 18 strikeouts in 44 with a .136 batting average in winter ball.

Navegantes del Magallanes:

Jose Altuve (HOU) – the diminutive second basemen has been on fire this winter, hitting .403 in 124 at bats with a home run, 13 RBI and four stolen bases. Will be one of the few bright spots on a woeful Astros offense this season.

Jerome Williams (LAA) – Williams has carried over his success from the Angels, posting a 5-0 record with a 1.00 ERA in 36 innings with 25 strikeouts. If the Angels sign a free agent like C.J. Wilson, Williams would battle for the 5th starter spot.

Tanner Scheppers (TEX) – the Rangers are looking for bullpen help and may have an arm from the minor leagues in hard-throwing relief pitcher Tanner Scheppers. From his work so far in the Caribbean, he still needs to work on his control as evidenced by his 13 walks in 13 innings.

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Texas Rangers Sign Joe Nathan, Move Neftali Feliz to Rotation

Posted by Todd Lammi on November 21st, 2011

The Texas Rangers inked closer Joe Nathan to a two-year contract Monday night for $14 million with a team option in the third year of the deal worth $9 million or a $500,000 buyout. Next year will be his second season removed from Tommy John surgery and the second half of the 2011 season showed improvement by Nathan as he posted a 3.91 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP with a .207 batting average against.

From a fantasy baseball perspective, the big news of this transaction by the Rangers was it means that former closer Neftali Feliz will be headed to the starting rotation. Feliz has never started a game in the major leagues after having 54 starts in the minor leagues across several different levels of play. Feliz split his 2009 season at Oklahoma City in Triple-A between the starting rotation and the bullpen. His strikeout numbers I would expect to go down as he is not going to be able to air out like he could in one inning of work as a closer, but I would still expect to see a strikeout rate of 7.5 – 8 per nine innings of work.

Of bigger worry for fantasy baseball owners of Feliz is his control issues which showed up again in 2011 with 4.3 walks per nine innings after he average 3.87 walks per nine in the minor leagues. Walk rates like that are going to lead to high pitch counts as a starting pitcher which in turns leads to less innings and less of a chance for wins. I would rank Feliz in the upper third of starting pitchers in mixed -league formats but his upside his limited until he can get his control of the strike zone back like he had it in his first two seasons in the major leagues.

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Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Ty Wigginton From Colorado Rockies

Posted by Todd Lammi on November 21st, 2011

The Philadelphia Phillies made a solid move to shore up their bench to and to give them protection in case first basemen Ryan Howard is not ready to start the season by picking up infielder Ty Wigginton from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Wigginton is the American League equivalent to David Murphy in Texas. He is a guy that starts off in a reserve role but still seems to end up getting 400 at bats by the time the season ends which makes him good value in an NL-only type format.

In addition to providing help at first base, Wiggington can also fill in at third base or in the outfield which gives a lot of flexibility to the Rockies bench and with the Rockies excepted to cover half of his salary in 2012, it also frees up some payroll for the Phillies to address other needs on the team. From a fantasy perspective, Ty qualifies at first base, third base and in the outfield and has hit 20+ home runs in four of his last six seasons and given the age of Placido Polanco and the health risk of Howard, there is no reason he should not see 350-400 at bats in 2012.

For the Colorado Rockies, they have several options at third base. The team could still bring back Ian Stewart at third base and they also have Jordan Pacheco and Chris Nelson in the mix as well. For fantasy league dynasty and keeper owners, the more sexy name to keep an eye on is top prospect Nolan Arenado who was named the MVP of the Arizona Fall League and could have an outside shot of claiming the job with a solid spring training.

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