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The Closer Report – Week 13

Posted by Todd Lammi on July 1st, 2010

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball closer report for week 13. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

At the end of this week it will be officially the halfway point of the season, or roughly 81 games. If you are looking for saves the second half of the season, now is the time to start targeting some players that might have more value based on trades or players losing their job.

American League:

1. Kerry Wood (CLE) – Wood was much better in June with a 3.48 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. With Cleveland out of contention, Wood becomes an ideal candidate for teams looking for bullpen help. Chris Perez would take over as closer if Wood is moved.

2. David Aardsma (SEA) – If the Mariners decide to blow up the team, Aardsma becomes a likely candidate to be moved. He has already blown as many saves as he did all of last season and Brandon League has shown he can be a more than capable replacement for this season and next.

3. Jonathan Papelbon (BOS) – perhaps a long shot to be moved, but with all of the recent injuries the Boston Red Sox have suffered, it is not beyond the realm of possibility, depending on how the team fares over the next few weeks as it currently holds a slim lead in the wild card race. A spike in home runs allowed has boosted his ERA to 3.82 and closer-in-waiting Daniel Bard is ready to step in.

National League:

1. Matt Capps (WAS) – with the Washington Nationals falling slowly out of the race, it becomes more likely that Capps will be dealt with closer of the future Drew Storen or even Tyler Clippard taking over. His batting average against of .297 makes it more than likely he ends up as a set up man on a new team than as a team’s main closer.

2. Chad Qualls / Aaron Heilman (AZ) – Arizona would be happy to move one or both of these players as neither figures in the teams long term plans. Recent addition Sam Demel from Oakland could see saves the second half and has acquitted himself well in 5 1/3 major league innings so far.

3. Octavio Dotel (PIT) – like Capps above, Dotel will likely see new work as a set up man if he is traded. He has picked up four straight saves since his last blown save on June 13th. Evan Meek is ready to take over as closer and is a good option going forward in keeper / dynasty leagues.

Team	Closer	Handcuff
BAL	Alfredo Simon	David Hernandez, Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS	Jonathan Papelbon	Daniel Bard
CHW	Bobby Jenks	Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE	Kerry Wood	Chris Perez
DET	Jose Valverde	Eddie Bonine
KC	Joakim Soria	Kyle Farnsworth
LAA	Brian Fuentes	Fernando Rodney
MIN	Jon Rauch	Matt Guerrier
NYY	Mariano Rivera	Joba Chamberlain
OAK	Andrew Bailey	Brad Ziegler
SEA	David Aardsma	Brandon League
TB	Rafael Soriano	Grant Balfour
TEX	Neftali Feliz	Frank Francisco
TOR	Kevin Gregg	Jason Frasor
AZ	Aaron Heilman	Chad Qualls
ATL	Billy Wagner	Takashi Saito
CHI	Carlos Marmol	Andrew Cashner
CIN	Francisco Cordero	Arthur Rhodes
COL	Huston Street	Manny Corpas
FLA	Leo Nunez	Clay Hensley
HOU	Matt Lindstrom	Brandon Lyon
LAD	Jonathan Broxton	Ramon Tronosco
MIL	John Axford	Trevor Hoffman
NYM	Francisco Rodriguez	Pedro Feliciano
PHI	Brad Lidge	Jose Contreras
PIT	Octavio Dotel	Evan Meek
STL	Ryan Franklin	Jason Motte
SD	Heath Bell	Luke Gregerson
SF	Brian Wilson	Sergio Romo
WAS	Matt Capps	Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 13

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 25th, 2010

Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 13. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.

Two-start pitchers week 13: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.

American League:

Start them:

Fausto Carmona (CLE) ~ TOR (Morrow), OAK (Braden)
Jeremy Bonderman (DET) ~ @MIN (Liriano), SEA (Lee)
Francisco Liriano (MIN) ~ DET (Bonderman), TB (Davis)
Cliff Lee (SEA) ~ @NYY (Hughes), @DET (Bonderman)
James Shields (TB) ~ @BOS (Lackey), @MIN (Blackburn)
Ricky Romero (TOR) ~ @CLE (Westbrook), @NYY (Pettitte)

Roll the Dice:

Brian Matusz (BAL) ~ OAK (Braden), @BOS (Lester)
Joel Pineiro (LAA) ~ TEX (Feldman), KC (Lerew)
Dallas Braden (OAK) ~ @BAL (Matusz), @CLE (Carmona)
Brandon Morrow (TOR) ~ @CLE (Carmona), @NYY (Hughes)

Matusz had been on a good roll until his last in which he allowed six runs in 6 1/3 innings. In his previous four starts to that outing, he had allowed seven runs in 26 1/3 innings with 20 strikeouts. He has faced both Boston and
Oakland twice already this season, with a 3.86 ERA versus Boston and a 7.15 ERA against Oakland. Pineiro has ripped off four straight wins, posting a 2.08 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. He has yet to face Texas this season and allowed six runs in eight innings against Kansas City earlier in the year. Morrow has been one of the hotter pitchers in baseball since mid-May, with a 1.85 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 40 innings. He has shaved a full two runs off of his ERA during that time.

Sit Them:

Mark Buehrle (CHW) ~ @KC (Lerew), @TEX (Nippert)
Jake Westbrook (CLE) ~ TOR (Romero), OAK (Gonzalez)
Anthony Lerew (KC) ~ CWS (Buehrle), @LAA (Pineiro)
Nick Blackburn (MIN) ~ DET (Galarraga), TB (Shields)
Scott Feldman (TEX) ~ @LAA (Pineiro), CWS (Floyd)

Buehrle has been better in his last three starts with a 1.80 ERA and a surprising 17 strikeouts in 20 innings. He has been hammered in two starts against Texas with a 7.30 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP and allowed five runs in six innings in his lone start against Kansas City this season. After winning all five of his starts in his May, Blackburn has lost four of his five starts in June, while seeing his ERA rise almost a full two runs. In two of his starts this month, he failed to register any strikeouts. Feldman becomes a two-start pitcher in week 13 with Texas bypassing the fifth-starter spot. Feldman has pitched better in two of his last three starts, chalking up two wins and 19 strikeouts in 19 innings so he could be someone you roll the dice on depending on the makeup of your staff.

National League:

Start them:

Dan Haren (AZ) ~ @STL (Carpenter), LAD (Ely)
Tim Hudson (ATL) ~ WAS (Atilano), FLA (Nolasco)
Ubaldo Jimenez (COL) ~ @SD (Correia), SF (Zito)
Yovani Gallardo (MIL) ~ HOU (Rodriguez), @STL (Wainwright)
Barry Zito (SF) ~ LAD (Ely), @COL (Jimenez)
Matt Cain (SF) ~ LAD (Haeger), @COL (Hammel)
Chris Carpenter (STL) ~ ARI (Haren), MIL (Parra)
Adam Wainwright (STL) ~ ARI (Willis), MIL (Gallardo)
Stephen Strasburg (WAS) ~ @ATL (Lowe), NYM (Takahashi)

Roll the Dice:

Bronson Arroyo (CIN) ~ PHI (Kendrick), @CHC (Wells)
Johnny Cueto (CIN) ~ PHI (Blanton), @CHC (Lilly)
Jason Hammel (COL) ~ @SD (LeBlanc), SF (Cain)
Ricky Nolasco (FLA) ~ NYM (Dickey), @ATL (Hudson)
John Ely (LAD) ~ @SF (Zito), @ARI (Haren)
Manny Parra (MIL) ~ HOU (Norris), @STL (Carpenter)
R.A. Dickey (NYM) ~ @FLA (Nolasco), @WAS (Atilano)
Hisanori Takahashi (NYM) ~ @FLA (Robertson), @WAS (Strasburg)
Paul Maholm (PIT) ~ @CHC (Wells), PHI (Kendrick)
Kevin Correia (SD) ~ COL (Jimenez), HOU (Norris)
Wade LeBlanc (SD) ~ COL (Hammel), HOU (Rodriguez)

LeBlanc has been solid in his last five starts with a 2.37 ERA while picking up two wins. He allowed two runs in six innings against Colorado earlier this season and has yet to battle Houston this year. From an ERA standpoint, Parra has been decent and will rack up some strikeouts. If your team can afford to carry his 1.57 WHIP for two starts, then he is worth starting, although he will have a tough second start in St. Louis against Carpenter. Dickey has helped solidify a New York Mets rotation that was in shambles, winning six consecutive starts while allowing only two home runs in 46 1/3 innings so far this season. Maholm had been rolling until he ran into the Texas offense in his last start. Prior to that, he had a 3.00 ERA in his last seven starts, while giving up two runs or less in five of the. Hammel has not lost since May 21st, picking up four wins thanks to a 1.39 ERA that included three straight scoreless starts.

Sit Them:

Randy Wells (CHC) ~ PIT (Maholm), CIN (Arroyo)
Wandy Rodriguez (HOU) ~ @MIL (Gallardo), @SD (LeBlanc)
Bud Norris (HOU) ~ @MIL (Parra), @SD (Correia)
Kyle Kendrick (PHI) ~ @CIN (Arroyo), @PIT (Maholm)
Joe Blanton (PHI) ~ @CIN (Leake), @PIT (Karstens)
Jeff Karstens (PIT) ~ @CHC (Lilly), PHI (Blanton)
Luis Atilano (WAS) ~ @ATL (Hudson), NYM (Dickey)

Wells has given up five or more runs in three of his last five starts and has not won since April 30th. Rodriguez has been too inconsistent this season, always following a win with two or three consecutive losses. Since he just
won on June 24th, the pattern would seem to be he will get shelled next week. Norris is just coming off of a stint on the disabled list and should be kept on reserve until he has several good starts in a row.

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 13

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 24th, 2010

Here is a look at some potential players to target in your fantasy baseball league that might be out there on the waiver wire in week 13.

American League only:

3B – Jarrett Hoffpauir has taken over as the starting third basemen in Toronto with the demotion of Edwin Encarnacion. Hoffpauir was hitting .328 in 235 at bats with 9 home runs and 43 RBI to go with three stolen bases. His plate discipline means he should be able to carry over a decent batting average in the majors, after walking 21 times and striking out in only 15 at bats in Triple-A.

SP – Erik Bedard – if Bedard is still on the waiver wire, it looks like he is close to returning to action in the major leagues with a tentative start the week of July 5th. He has had one rehab start so far, going 2 2/3 innings, with four hits allowed and three strikeouts in the Rookie Arizona League.

C – Wilson Ramos – if you are looking for a catcher in a dynasty league, Ramos is a decent option since he is most likely to be the center piece of any trade involving the Minnesota Twins with Joe Mauer signed to a long term contract. He has had a rough year at Triple-A, hitting .218 in 188 at bats with four home runs and 18 RBI, compared to hitting .317 in 2009 with 7 home runs and 35 RBI in 224 at bats in Double-A.

National League only:

SP – Edison Volquez – much like Bedard in the American League, Volquez should be returning to the major leagues around the same time for the Cincinnati Reds. Volquez has worked 13 innings on rehab with one run allowed on six hits with eight strikeouts.

C – Jason Castro – one of the minor league call ups by the Houston Astros last weekend, Castro has started each of the Astros games this week and collected his first home run off of Matt Cain today. Castro hit .265 in Triple-A with four home runs and 26 RBI in 211 at bats.

3B – Chris Johnson – Johnson was promoted along with Castro and will see the majority of starts at 3B going forward for the Astros. He has hit sixth in the line up in both of his starts but was out of the line up on Thursday. Johnson hit .329 in 149 at bats in Triple-A with eight home runs and 33 RBI.

SP - Josh Banks – with Felipe Paulino headed to the disabled list for the Houston Astros, Banks will have a chance to start this Saturday against Texas. Banks was 8-5 with a 2.97 ERA in 97 innings with 24 walks and 34 strikeouts. Only if you are in a deep 15-20 team NL only league would you want to take a chance on him.

The Closer Report – Week 12

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 22nd, 2010

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball closer report for week 12. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

It took only one blown save from David Hernandez and Alfredo Simon was back in the closer role for Baltimore. Simon picked up a save on Saturday against San Diego despite allowing a run in his inning of work.

New Arizona closer Aaron Heilman allowed two run in a non-save appearance on Thursday before picking up a save on Saturday, despite allowing a run. His past struggles in save situations makes him a questionable closer going forward, but given how many chances Chad Qualls got before being removed from the role, Heilman should be given a little bit of leeway if he blows a save or two.

Another blown save and another vote of confidence from the manager for Los Angeles Angels closer Brian Fuentes. If you own Fuentes, hopefully you have been preparing yourself in case he loses his job which could come with the next blown save. With a 6.23 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, eventually the numbers just speak for themselves. Fernando Rodney has allowed runs in two of his last three appearances, but would likely get first crack at the job if Fuentes is removed.

Huston Street was activated from the disabled list by the Colorado Rockies and will work his way back into the closer role. He was less than stellar in his rehab in Triple-A as I wrote about in the lineup planner.

If you are in a keeper league, now is the time to start looking toward next year if you have not already started planning on how to rebuild your team. Here is a look at some of the top options to become closers in 2011 that are not currently serving in that role now.

1. Daniel Bard – 2.21 ERA and .90 WHIP make it easier for the Boston Red Sox to consider trading Jonathan Papelbon.

2. Evan Meek – .68 ERA and .83 WHIP will have him closing sometime this season in Pittsburgh once Octavio Dotel is moved.

3. Drew Storen – closer of the future for the Washington Nationals who likely get a shot at the job in spring training next season.

4. Takashi Saito – a free agent next season, he could very well re-sign with Atlanta with Billy Wagner scheduled to retire. He has less value in true dynasty leagues since he turned 40 this year.

5. Jason Motte – he might have to wait another year for Ryan Franklin to retire before he closes, but he has been much better this season, with a 2.17 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.

6. Joe Nathan – he might not be ready for the start of 2011, but at just 36-years-old to be in November, he is far from washed up. He is still under contract for $11.25 million in 2011 with a club option for 2012.

Team	Closer	Handcuff
BAL	Alfredo Simon	David Hernandez, Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS	Jonathan Papelbon	Daniel Bard
CHW	Bobby Jenks	Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE	Kerry Wood	Chris Perez
DET	Jose Valverde	Joel Zumaya
KC	Joakim Soria	Kyle Farnsworth
LAA	Brian Fuentes	Fernando Rodney
MIN	Jon Rauch	Matt Guerrier
NYY	Mariano Rivera	Joba Chamberlain
OAK	Andrew Bailey	Brad Ziegler
SEA	David Aardsma	Brandon League
TB	Rafael Soriano	Grant Balfour
TEX	Neftali Feliz	Frank Francisco
TOR	Kevin Gregg	Jason Frasor
AZ	Aaron Heilman	Chad Qualls
ATL	Billy Wagner	Takashi Saito
CHI	Carlos Marmol	Andrew Cashner
CIN	Francisco Cordero	Arthur Rhodes
COL	Manny Corpas	Huston Street
FLA	Leo Nunez	Clay Hensley
HOU	Matt Lindstrom	Brandon Lyon
LAD	Jonathan Broxton	Ramon Tronosco
MIL	John Axford	Trevor Hoffman
NYM	Francisco Rodriguez	Pedro Feliciano
PHI	Brad Lidge	Jose Contreras
PIT	Octavio Dotel	Evan Meek
STL	Ryan Franklin	Jason Motte
SD	Heath Bell	Luke Gregerson
SF	Brian Wilson	Sergio Romo
WAS	Matt Capps	Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 12

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 20th, 2010

Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the diamond to help you set your fantasy baseball lineup for week 12.

American League:

The Toronto Blue Jays sent down Edwin Encarnacion to Triple-A, which pushes recent call up Jarrett Hoffpauir or DeWayne Wise into the starting line up. It is interesting the Blue Jays were quick to demote Encarnacion, but they left Lyle Overbay in the majors all season when he was struggling and hitting under .200 for a good portion of the year. Hoffpauir was hitting .328 in Triple-A with nine home runs and 43 RBI in 235 at bats with three stolen bases.

Nelson Cruz is expected to come off the disabled list on Tuesday for the Texas Rangers and resume his starting spot in the outfield which will push David Murphy back to the bench.

Detroit starting pitcher Rick Porcello was sent to Triple-A and the Tigers will hope a short stint in the minor leagues will help him like it seems to have for Max Scherzer.

Shortstop Erick Aybar of the Los Angeles Angels will be re-examined on Tuesday and could still be facing a trip to the disabled list. With him out, Kevin Frandsen and Brandon Wood will see additional at bats in week 12.

Daisuke Matsuzaka is expected to return from the disabled list and get the start on Thursday against Colorado.

National League:

Humberto Quintero of the Houston Astros left Sunday’s game after being hit in the head when catching and could be out of action next week. Rookie Jason Castro was called up from Triple-A and could see some starts next week.

The Astros also called up third basemen Chris Johnson from Triple-A where he was hitting .329 with eight home runs and 33 RBI in 149 at bats. His promotion poses a threat to playing time for Pedro Feliz who is hitting only .221 on the season.

Colorado closer Huston Street could be back from the disabled list on Tuesday, but he will likely serve only as a set up man to Manny Corpas initially so there is no rush to get him active in your line up. Street has a 10.29 ERA on rehab in Triple-A with 11 hits and eight runs allowed in seven innings.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will likely use Charlie Haeger or Claudio Vargas to fill in the rotation next week in place of Carlos Monasterios who was placed on the disabled list.

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 12

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 19th, 2010

Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 12. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.

Two-start pitchers week 12: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.

American League:

Start them:

Jon Lester (BOS) ~ @COL (Chacin), @SF (Lincecum)
John Danks (CHW) ~ ATL (Hanson), CHC (Dempster)
Justin Verlander (DET) ~ @NYM (Niese), @ATL (Hanson)
Ervin Santana (LAA) ~ LAD (Kershaw), COL (Chacin)
A.J. Burnett (NYY) ~ @ARI (Lopez), @LAD (Kershaw)
Gio Gonzalez (OAK) ~ CIN (Leake), PIT (Duke)
Jason Vargas (SEA) ~ CHC (Dempster), @MIL (Bush)
Tommy Hunter (TEX) ~ PIT (Duke), HOU (Oswalt)
Brett Cecil (TOR) ~ STL (Garcia), PHI (Moyer)

Roll the Dice:

Scott Baker (MIN) ~ @MIL (Bush), @NYM (Niese)
Wade Davis (TB) ~ SD (Latos), ARI (Lopez)

Baker maybe got things turned around with his seven innings of shutout ball last week against Colorado when he recorded 12 strikeouts. His numbers have not been that far off from 2009 except for a few more hits and walks. It has been a disappointing 2010 for Davis who has failed to capitalize on his 2009 end of the year success. With Jeremy Hellickson ready in Triple-A, this two-start week may tell the tale of where Davis is pitching the second half of the season. What has been most discouraging for owners has been the sharp drop in his strikeout rate from last year, falling by almost 2.5 whiffs per game. With all that said however, at home against a light hitting San Diego team and a second home start gives me hope he can pull out two good starts.

Sit Them:

Jeremy Guthrie (BAL) ~ FLA (Sanchez), WAS (Hernandez)
Mitch Talbot (CLE) ~ @PHI (Moyer), @CIN (Leake)
Bruce Chen (KC) ~ @WAS (Hernandez), STL (Garcia)

Guthrie has lost four in a row, allowing four runs in three of his last four starts. If you are in a deep league, he could be worth the two starts next week. Chen fared much better as a reliever and although he has won two of his last three starts, he has a 5.29 ERA in those appearances and a 1.53 WHIP.

National League:

Start them:

Tommy Hanson (ATL) ~ @CWS (Danks), DET (Verlander)
Ryan Dempster (CHC) ~ @SEA (Vargas), @CWS (Danks)
Mike Leake (CIN) ~ @OAK (Gonzalez), CLE (Talbot)
Anibal Sanchez (FLA) ~ @BAL (Guthrie), SD (Latos)
Roy Oswalt (HOU) ~ SF (Lincecum), @TEX (Hunter)
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) ~ @LAA (Santana), NYY (Burnett)
Mat Latos (SD) ~ @TB (Davis), @FLA (Sanchez)
Tim Lincecum (SF) ~ @HOU (Oswalt), BOS (Lester)
Jaime Garcia (STL) ~ @TOR (Cecil), @KC (Chen)

Roll the Dice:

Jon Niese (NYM) ~ DET (Verlander), MIN (Baker)
Livan Hernandez (WAS) ~ KC (Chen), @BAL (Guthrie)
Jamie Moyer (PHI) ~ CLE (Talbot), @TOR (Cecil)

Niese has won three in a row, allowing four runs in 23 innings in those starts with 15 strikeouts. Hernandez was a dud in his last start, allowing eight runs in 6 2/3 innings against Detroit. Previous to that, he had allowed three runs or less in every start this season except for a four run start against San Francisco on 5/25. Moyer has earned a decision in every start so far this season. Take the chance that the Philadelphia offense is going to get him the win as much as his pitching will.

Sit Them:

Jhoulys Chacin (COL) ~ BOS (Lester), @LAA (Santana)
Rodrigo Lopez (AZ) ~ NYY (Burnett), @TB (Davis)
Dave Bush (MIL) ~ MIN (Baker), SEA (Vargas)
Zach Duke (PIT) ~ @TEX (Hunter), @OAK (Gonzalez)

Bush has pitched reasonably well in his last four starts with a 2.96 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings. In his last start against Minnesota back on 5/21, he allowed seven runs in 1/3 of an innings. I looked for any type of positive news on Duke and could not really find any. He has lost four straight starts, allowing a whopping 38 hits in 22 innings in those games. Lopez always gives the Diamondbacks innings, the problem is the negative stats have a much bigger impact to your fantasy baseball team because he stays in the game so long. Lopez has not won since 5/15 and was pounded in his lone interleague start against Boston last week, allowing six runs in seven innings. Chacin’s ERA has been steadily on the rise over the last month and he has dropped four straight decisions.

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 12

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 18th, 2010

Here is a look at some potential players to target in your fantasy baseball league that might be out there on the waiver wire in week 12.

American League only:

OF – Conor Jackson should give a boost to the Oakland A’s offense after being traded from Arizona earlier this week. Jackson slots in nicely as the number three hitter and should be able to put up a decent amount of RBI the rest of the season.

SP – Felix Doubront got the start for the Boston Red Sox on Friday and went five innings, allowing three earned runs with two strikeouts. Between 12 starts at Double-A and Triple-A, Doubront was 6-1 with a 2.11 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings while allowing zero home runs. He may get one more start before Daisuke Matsuzaka returns from the disabled list.

3B – Dayan Viciedo got called up by the Chicago White Sox. I wrote about him earlier this week in the minor league report. He did not play on Friday as veteran Omar Vizquel started at third base. Since Chicago has not thrown in the towel officially yet on the season, I am not sure how much time he is going to see, especially with some holes still in his swing.

OF – Daniel Nava is getting time in the Boston outfield thanks to a lot of injuries. Nava is hitting .381 in 21 at bats with a home run and six RBI. He could definitely give a boost to your teams batting average with a career minor league batting average of .342.

National League only:

3B – Pedro Alvarez was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates this week moved into the starting line up hitting sixth. He should offer some power and RBI with a low batting average the rest of the way.

2B – The injury to shortstop Troy Tulowitzki opens a hole at second base for Jonathan Herrera. This would have been a spot for Eric Young Jr. were he also not injured. Herrera was hitting .286 with a home run and 11 RBI in 168 at bats in Triple-A with two steals. The Colorado Rockies also recalled shortstop Chris Nelson from Triple-A. Nelson, the ninth overall pick back in the 2004 draft, was hitting .311 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 132 at bats. Both he and Herrera could see time in the infield with Clint Barmes swinging back and forth between shortstop and second base.

C – Jonathan Lucroy has taken over the starting catcher role from George Kottaras in Milwaukee. Lucroy is hitting .314 in 35 at bats with stolen bases on the year. Between two levels in the minor leagues this season, he hit .311 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 122 at bats.

OF – Gerardo Parra figures to be the winner in the outfield in Arizona with Conor Jackson getting traded this week. His numbers have not been that great with sporadic playing time this season, but there is no reason he cannot post similar numbers to what he did last year the rest of the way in 2010.

RP – I wrote about Sam Demel earlier this week in the closer report. He could be in the mix for saves at some point this season for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

12 /15 mixed league:

OF – Tyler Colvin seems on the cusp of turning into a full-time player and with the numbers he has put up in limited at bats, there is no reason the Chicago Cubs should not throw him out there every day and let him see what he can do.

The Closer Report – Week 11

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 15th, 2010

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball closer report for week 11. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

Alfredo Simon returned from the disabled list yesterday and will eventually move back into the closer role according to interim manager Juan Samuel. I am not sure that is an automatic given has Simon had skirted trouble in several outings despite a 1.54 WHIP ratio and his walk total will eventually lead to some blown saves. Combine that with David Hernandez now in a relief role which his stuff seems more suited too, plus the starting pitchers that Baltimore has coming up in the system that are better than him and I don’t think Simon is guaranteed to hold the job for the rest of the season.

It looks like Chad Qualls of the Arizona Diamondbacks has finally wore out manager A.J. Hinch with his inability to close out games. With a 8.46 ERA and a 2.19 WHIP, including allowing two or more runs in four of his last eight outings, Hinch will most likely turn to Aaron Heilman for saves. Heilman has a 2.83 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP ratio so far this season. His past history though does not bode well in terms of filling the closer role full-time with a career save percentage of just 29%. Recently acquired Triple-A closer Sam Demel from Oakland is a sleeper at some point to close. Demel currently has six saves in 28 2/3 innings with 28 strikeouts, to go along with a 1.26 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.

With the Pittsburgh Pirates making a flurry of transactions over the past few weeks, it would not be a surprise to see a change soon at closer where Octavio Dotel has allowed runs in three straight appearances. Dotel has a 5.70 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP in 23 2/3 innings with 33 strikeouts. Evan Meek is ready to assume the role as soon as Dotel is moved. Meek has greatly improved the one flaw in his game from the previous years, that being his lack of control. With a 0.74 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 36 2/3 innings this year, Meek has been one of the more dominant non-closers in baseball this year.

Team	Closer	Handcuff
BAL	David Hernandez	Alfredo Simon, Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS	Jonathan Papelbon	Daniel Bard
CHW	Bobby Jenks	Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE	Kerry Wood	Chris Perez
DET	Jose Valverde	Ryan Perry
KC	Joakim Soria	Kyle Farnsworth
LAA	Brian Fuentes	Fernando Rodney
MIN	Jon Rauch	Matt Guerrier
NYY	Mariano Rivera	Joba Chamberlain
OAK	Andrew Bailey	Brad Ziegler
SEA	David Aardsma	Brandon League
TB	Rafael Soriano	Grant Balfour
TEX	Neftali Feliz	Frank Francisco
TOR	Kevin Gregg	Jason Frasor
AZ	Aaron Heilman	Chad Qualls
ATL	Billy Wagner	Takashi Saito
CHI	Carlos Marmol	Andrew Cashner
CIN	Francisco Cordero	Arthur Rhodes
COL	Manny Corpas	Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street (DL)
FLA	Leo Nunez	Clay Hensley
HOU	Matt Lindstrom	Brandon Lyon
LAD	Jonathan Broxton	Ramon Tronosco
MIL	John Axford	Carlos Villanueva
NYM	Francisco Rodriguez	Pedro Feliciano
PHI	Brad Lidge	Jose Contreras
PIT	Octavio Dotel	Evan Meek
STL	Ryan Franklin	Jason Motte
SD	Heath Bell	Luke Gregerson
SF	Brian Wilson	Sergio Romo
WAS	Matt Capps	Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 11

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 13th, 2010

Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the diamond to help you set your fantasy baseball lineup for week 11.

American League:

Rich Harden of the Texas Rangers is headed to the disabled list and will be out of action for the next two weeks as will Dice-K of the Boston Red Sox with a forearm strain. Magglio Ordonez could find himself going on the DL soon after missing action this week with an oblique injury. Orlando Hudson is expected to come of the disabled list and be in the Minnesota Twins lineup on Tuesday after missing time with a sore hand.

Daniel Nava became the latest new Boston Red Sox outfielder this week, starting in right field and batting ninth in the order. It is quite a rise for Nava who was just playing in an Independent League back in 2007. His career minor league batting average is .342 so he can definitely swing the bat so he could see some time if he is over to carry that over against major league pitching.

National League:

Joe Martinez will get the start on Tuesday for the San Francisco Giants, against Baltimore filling in for Todd Wellemyer on the disabled list. Martinez was 5-2 with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 67 1/3 innings with 52 strikeouts. in Triple-A.

Jon Garland becomes a two-start pitcher in week 11 after the San Diego Padres decided to bump him up in the rotation and have him go on three days rest. He will face Toronto and Shaun Marcum and then Chris Tillman and Baltimore at the end of the week.

Catcher Miguel Montero was activate from the disabled list by the Arizona Diamondbacks and is safe to activate for your fantasy baseball lineup next week. Montero went 2-for-4 on Sunday hitting sixth in the line up with a run scored and a RBI.

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 11

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 12th, 2010

Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 11. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.

Two-start pitchers week 11: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.

American League:

Start them:

Clay Buchholz (BOS) ~ ARI (Kennedy), LAD (Billingsley)
CC Sabathia (NYY) ~ PHI (Halladay), NYM (Santana)
Trevor Cahill (OAK) ~ @CHC (Zambrano), @STL (Garcia)
David Price (TB) ~ @ATL (Kawakami), @FLA (Johnson)
C.J. Wilson (TEX) ~ @FLA (Johnson), @HOU (Paulino)
Shaun Marcum (TOR) ~ @SD (Latos), SF (Sanchez)

Cahill becomes a two-start starter with Dallas Braden pushed back to Thursday.

Roll the Dice:

Freddy Garcia (CHW) ~ @PIT (Lincoln), @WAS (Lannan)
Joe Saunders (LAA) ~ MIL (Wolf), @CHC (Zambrano)
Carl Pavano (MIN) ~ COL (Cook), @PHI (Halladay)

Pavano has put up pretty similar stats through 12 starts as he did after coming over to Minnesota last season. What is amazing about this season, besides the 1.17 WHIP is that he has gotten a decision in every single one of his starts so far this season, so if you are looking for wins for your team, that is a good thing, although he will have two tough tests against Colorado and at Philadelphia. Garcia has been on a good run, winning six of his last seven starts, allowing three runs or less all but one time.

Sit Them:

Chris Tillman (BAL) ~ @SF (Sanchez), @SD (Latos)
Justin Masterson (CLE) ~ NYM (Santana), @PIT (Lincoln)
Rick Porcello (DET) ~ WAS (Lannan), ARI (Kennedy)
Kyle Davies (KC) ~ HOU (Paulino), @ATL (Kawakami)
Luke French (SEA) ~ @STL (Wainwright), CIN (Harang)

Luke French became a two-start pitcher in week 11 when he replaced Ian Snell in the rotation. French was 6-2 in Triple-A with a 1.93 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings. Nothing has changed in my opinion regarding Tillman this time around in the majors. He has not shown the ability to strike out hitters on a consistent basis and his control takes a nosedive upon reaching the major leagues.

National League:

Start them:

Ian Kennedy (AZ) ~ @BOS (Buchholz), @DET (Porcello)
Josh Johnson (FLO) ~ TEX (Wilson), TB (Price)
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) ~ @CIN (Harang), @BOS (Buchholz)
Johan Santana (NYM) ~ @CLE (Masterson), @NYY (Sabathia)
Roy Halladay (PHI) ~ @NYY (Sabathia), MIN (Pavano)
Jon Garland (SD) ~ TOR (Marcum), BAL (Tillman)
Jonathan Sanchez (SF) ~ BAL (Tillman), @TOR (Marcum)
Adam Wainwright (STL) ~ SEA (French), OAK (Cahill)

Roll the Dice:

Kenshin Kawakami (ATL) ~ TB (Price), KC (Davies)
Aaron Harang (CIN) ~ LAD (Kershaw), @SEA (French)
Felipe Paulino (HOU) ~ @KC (Davies), TEX (Wilson)

Kawakami’s 0-8 record does not inspire much confidence, but has thrown better at home where he has two starts next week, with an ERA a full run lower. He has also allowed three runs or less in five of his last six starts. Harang is 3-0 in his last five starts and has allowed five runs in his last 19 innings of work. Paulino has been on a roll with a 1.75 ERA over his last five starts. After allowing 20 home runs in 97 2/3 innings last season, Paulino has allowed only two in 75 1/3 innings in 2010 so I would expect to see a small correction coming soon.

Sit Them:

Carlos Zambrano (CHC) ~ OAK (Cahill), LAA (Saunders)
Aaron Cook (COL) ~ @MIN (Pavano), MIL (Wolf)
Randy Wolf (MIL) ~ @LAA (Saunders), @COL (Cook)
Brad Lincoln (PIT) ~ CHW (Garcia), CLE (Masterson)
John Lannan (WAS) ~ @DET (Porcello), CWS (Garcia)

Zambrano has only had two starts since moving back into the rotation and struggled in both, walking 8 in 9 1/3 innings with only five strikeouts. His batting average against on the year is also 50 points higher than it was in 2009. It has been a dismal year for Wolf with a jump in home runs allowed, a decrease in strikeouts per nine and an increase in walks. He has really been too inconsistent to start on a weekly basis and faces a tough road test in his second start at Colorado.

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 11

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 10th, 2010

Here is a look at some potential players to target in your fantasy baseball league that might be out there on the waiver wire in week 11.

American League only:

1B – Mike Carp – Carp was called up by the Seattle Mariners at the beginning of the week and has moved into the starting line up at first base as the Mariners look to add some juice to their offense. Carp was hitting .250 in Triple-A with 10 home runs and 31 RBI in 184 at bats before being recalled.

SS – Omar Vizquel – Vizquel has moved into the starting line up for the Chicago White Sox thanks to the injury to Mark Teahen. He should score a few runs and steal a couple of bases during his time as a full-time starter. He hit second Thursday night and delivered his first home run of the season.

SP – Jake Arrieta – I wrote about Arrieta earlier in the minor league report this week. His control issues make him a risky play in a mixed league format, especially starting against American League East teams, but in an AL format, his strikeouts give him some value going forward.

OF – Ryan Raburn – with Magglio Ordonez sidelined with an oblique injury, Raburn could see some additional at bats over the next week or two. His numbers have been less than stellar this season with a .179 batting average and no home runs in 78 at bats, but he does have some thump in his bat.

National League only:

OF – Roger Bernadina - Bernadina seems to have found a home in right field for the Washington Nationals. He does not have any standout skills, but he has been quietly consistent since moving into a starting role. If you project his stats out over 500+ at bats, his line reads 10 home runs, 80 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

12 /15 mixed league:

OF – Jose Tabata – with so few stolen base options available on the waiver wire at this time of the season, a player that gets called up from the minor leagues with speed immediately becomes a top target for free agent budgets. Hitting lead off in Pittsburgh, Tabata should be able to score a decent amount of runs and could steal 15-20 bases over the course of the remainder of the season.

OF – Mike Stanton – after tearing up Double-A pitching Stanton debuted in the Florida Marlins line up this week, hitting seventh and playing in right field. Definitely worth picking up if you need home runs and can support what is to be an expected lower batting average with his propensity for striking out.

The Closer Report – Week 10

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 8th, 2010

Here is a look at the fantasy baseball closer report for week 10. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

While Matt Capps has blown four of his last six save opportunities, he is still the closer in Washington. Fantasy baseball owners blew some of their FAAB budget this weekend on Tyler Clippard when news surfaced about a possible change in roles, but Capps picked up the save for Stephen Strasburg’s first major league win on Monday night. From a front office perspective, it is best to leave Capps in the closer role to try to maintain his trade value if the team falls out of the race. Manager Jim Riggleman has presented a united front so far in keeping the course with Capps, although another blown save or two could eventually force a change.

Alfredo Simon is supposed to return as the Baltimore closer when he returns from the disabled list sometime this week. Will Ohman has been blasted in three of his last four outing since taking over as closer, allowing seven runs in three innings.

David Aardsma has not been getting the job done for the Seattle Mariners lately, blowing two of his last three save opportunities and allowing three runs in each of those outings which leaves his ERA at 5.21. There has been no news about him possibly losing his role, but with the recent changes the Mariners have been making to their line up anything could be possible if he blows another game in the next week or two.

Brian Fuentes has faced a similar demon as has Aardsma with an inflated ERA thanks to five home runs in 14 2/3 innings. He has a 5.52 ERA and has converted 8 of 11 saves plus he received a vote of confidence from manager Mike Scioscia so he looks to be safe. Back up Fernando Rodney has converted five saves in six chances but a 1.46 WHIP thanks to 17 walks in 23 1/3 innings does not make him a much better option than Fuentes at this point.

Team	Closer	Handcuff
BAL	Alfredo Simon	Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS	Jonathan Papelbon	Daniel Bard
CHW	Bobby Jenks	Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE	Kerry Wood	Chris Perez
DET	Jose Valverde	Ryan Perry
KC	Joakim Soria	Kyle Farnsworth
LAA	Brian Fuentes	Fernando Rodney
MIN	Jon Rauch	Matt Guerrier
NYY	Mariano Rivera	Joba Chamberlain
OAK	Andrew Bailey	Brad Ziegler
SEA	David Aardsma	Brandon League
TB	Rafael Soriano	Grant Balfour
TEX	Neftali Feliz	Frank Francisco
TOR	Kevin Gregg	Jason Frasor
AZ	Chad Qualls	Aaron Heilman
ATL	Billy Wagner	Takashi Saito
CHI	Carlos Marmol	Andrew Cashner
CIN	Francisco Cordero	Arthur Rhodes
COL	Manny Corpas	Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street (DL)
FLA	Leo Nunez	Clay Hensley
HOU	Matt Lindstrom	Brandon Lyon
LAD	Jonathan Broxton	Ramon Tronosco
MIL	John Axford	Carlos Villanueva
NYM	Francisco Rodriguez	Pedro Feliciano
PHI	Brad Lidge	Jose Contreras
PIT	Octavio Dotel	Evan Meek
STL	Ryan Franklin	Jason Motte
SD	Heath Bell	Luke Gregerson
SF	Brian Wilson	Sergio Romo
WAS	Matt Capps	Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 10

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 6th, 2010

Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the diamond to help you set your fantasy baseball lineup for week 10.

American League:

The Detroit Tigers called up Danny Worth and sent down Adam Everett, so if you still have Worth reserved in an AL only format from earlier in the year, he should see time over Ramon Santiago at shortstop next week. Worth was hitting .287 in Triple-A with two home runs, 18 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

Orlando Hudson, out of action since May 30th is expected to go on the disabled list sometime in the next few days. Also at risk to go on the disabled list is shortstop J.J. Hardy who was out of action just a short time ago and is still experiencing pain in his wrist. It was not a pretty sight to see the Minnesota infield on Sunday with a combination of Brendan Harris at first base, Matt Tolbert at second base, Nick Punto at shortstop and Danny Valencia at third base, with all four hitters batting under .225.

Doug Fister is headed to the disabled list for the Seattle Mariners and will be replaced in the rotation by either recently recalled Luke French or by Ryan Rowland-Smith.

Minor league pitcher Jake Arrieta was scratched from his start on Saturday and could be headed to the major leagues in either a starter or relief role. If your league allows for daily transactions, I would watch the news on him closely this week as he could have in impact if he gets some starts. I wrote more about him in the minor league report earlier this week.

With Macier Izturis hobbled by a sore knee, Kevin Frandsen could see some additional at bats at third base this week for the Los Angeles Angels. Frandsen is hitting .452 in 31 at bats in a limited role so far in 2010.

National League:

The big news in the National League is the arrival of two rookies on Tuesday with Stephen Strasburg arriving for the Washington Nationals and Mike Stanton coming up for the Florida Marlins. Strasburg is a two-start starter in week 10 which makes him obviously a player to activate. Stanton should move right into the starting line up and hit seventh. Stanton is still a major risk to your fantasy baseball team’s batting average with his high strikeout rate, but if your team needs home runs and RBI, then I would have him active for this week.

Third basemen David Freese of the St. Louis Cardinals is likely out of action until next weekend in order to rest his ankle. He did get one at bat on Sunday in a pinch-hit appearance and could fill that role for half of next week.

Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves is expected to miss the first game or two and possibly more next week as he continues to battle an injured finger which means Omar Infante will see additional time in week 10.

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 10

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 4th, 2010

Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 10. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.

Two-start pitchers week 10: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.

American League:

Start them:

Zack Greinke (KC) ~ @MIN (Slowey), @CIN (LeCure)
Jered Weaver (LAA) ~ @OAK (Open), @LAD (Kuroda)
Phil Hughes (NYY) ~ @BAL (Bergesen), HOU (Moehler)
Cliff Lee (SEA) ~ @TEX (Feldman), @SD (LeBlanc)
Felix Hernandez (SEA) ~ @TEX (Lewis), @SD (Richard)
Jeff Niemann (TB) ~ TOR (Marcum), FLA (Volstad)
Colby Lewis (TEX) ~ SEA (Hernandez), @MIL (Gallardo)
Shaun Marcum (TOR) ~ @TB (Niemann), @COL (Francis)

Roll the Dice:

Gavin Floyd (CHW) ~ DET (Galarraga), @CHC (Lilly)
Fausto Carmona (CLE) ~ BOS (Matsuzaka), WAS (Stammen)
Armando Galarraga (DET) ~ @CWS (Floyd), PIT (Karstens)
Kevin Slowey (MIN) ~ KC (Greinke), ATL (Medlen)
Ben Sheets (OAK) ~ LAA (Kazmir), @SF (Zito)

Floyd has been wildly inconsistent this season as opposing hitters are betting 60 points higher against him than in 2009. He had two good starts at the end of May before allowing six runs in 2 2/3 innings against Texas in his last start. Slowey has been on a roll and hasn’t loss in his last four starts, while allowing a total of seven runs during that time frame. He allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings against Kansas City back on April 25th. Sheets was a much different pitcher in May once the team determined he was tipping his pitches. Sheets has a 3.31 ERA over his last six starts with 36 strikeouts in 38 innings.

Sit Them:

Tim Wakefield (BOS) ~ @CLE (Huff), PHI (Kendrick)
Brad Bergesen (BAL) ~ NYY (Hughes), NYM (Pelfrey)
Daisuke Matsuzaka (BOS) ~ @CLE (Carmona), PHI (Hamels)
David Huff (CLE) ~ BOS (Wakefield), WAS (Strasburg)
Scott Kazmir (LAA) ~ @OAK (Sheets), @LAD (Ely)
Scott Feldman (TEX) ~ SEA (Lee), @MIL (Bush)

Wakefield has been bombed his last two starts, allowing 15 runs in 9 2/3 innings. He did throw nine shutout innings against the Phillies on May 23rd so if you feel lucky…I don’t think you can ever spot start Dice-K because he is just so inconsistent. Either you ride him in your line up all year long when healthy or leave him on the bench. If you try to pick the times when you decide to start him, you are going to guess wrong more often than not.

National League:

Start them:

Kris Medlen (ATL) ~ @ARI (Lopez), @MIN (Slowey)
Ted Lilly (CHC) ~ @MIL (Gallardo), CWS (Floyd)
Johnny Cueto (CIN) ~ SF (Zito), KC (Bannister)
Yovani Gallardo (MIL) ~ CHC (Lilly), TEX (Lewis)
Mike Pelfrey (NYM) ~ SD (Richard), @BAL (Bergesen)
Cole Hamels (PHI) ~ SD (LeBlanc), @BOS (Matsuzaka)
Clayton Richard (SD) ~ @NYM (Pelfrey), SEA (Hernandez)
Barry Zito (SF) ~ @CIN (Cueto), OAK (Sheets)
Matt Cain (SF) ~ @CIN (LeCure), OAK
Chris Carpenter (STL) ~ @LAD (Monasterios), @ARI (Lopez)
Stephen Strasburg (WAS) ~ PIT (Karstens), @CLE (Huff)

Roll the Dice:

Edwin Jackson (AZ) ~ ATL (Lowe), STL (Garcia)
Derek Lowe (ATL) ~ @ARI (Jackson), @MIN (Blackburn)
Jeff Francis (COL) ~ HOU (Moehler), TOR (Marcum)
Chris Volstad (FLA) ~ @PHI (Kendrick), @TB (Niemann)
Wade LeBlanc (SD) ~ @PHI (Hamels), SEA (Lee)

Lowe has won 4 of his last 5 starts since allowing seven runs against Philadelphia back on May 7th. In that stretch, he has allowed three runs or fewer in all of those starts. Volstad has lost four of his last five starts despite not surrendering more than three runs in any of them. His ERA of 3.43 in May was 2 1/2 runs lower then what is was in April. LeBlanc is on the fence for me with a road start against Philadelphia and a home start against Cliff Lee. He gave up eight runs in three innings when he faced Seattle almost three weeks ago.

Sit Them:

Rodrigo Lopez (AZ) ~ ATL (Lowe), STL (Carpenter)
Sam LeCure (CIN) ~ SF (Cain), KC (Greinke)
Jason Hammel (COL) ~ HOU (Rodriguez), TOR (Morrow)
Brian Moehler (HOU) ~ @COL (Francis), @NYY (Hughes)
Wandy Rodriguez (HOU) ~ @COL (Hammel), @NYY (Vazquez)
Kyle Kendrick (PHI) ~ FLA (Volstad), @BOS (Wakefield)
Zach Duke (PIT) ~ @WAS (Strasburg), @DET (Galarraga)

Lopez was much better in May than in April with a 4.17 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. With two home starts at Coors Field, I would steer clear of Hammel this week. Kendrick is a tough call, with two good decent starts in a row. He tossed six scoreless innings against the Marlins on 5/28 and allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings against Boston on 5/22. Wandy Rodriguez has two tough road starts, where his ERA is 1.70 higher than at home. His strikeout rate on the road also has taken a hit this year at 4.7 per nine vs. 8.7 at home.

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 10

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 3rd, 2010

Here is a look at some potential players to target in your fantasy baseball league that might be out there on the waiver wire in week 10.

American League only:

3B – Danny Valencia – Valencia was called up by the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday and will see time at third base. His stay could be a short one if the team is looking for a hitter with Michael Cuddyer out a few days on bereavement leave, or his stay could be longer if the Twins actually give him at bats and a chance to win the job from Nick Punto. Valencia was hitting .292 with no home runs and 24 RBI on 185 at bats with two stolen bases. His career minor league average is .299 and he hit 14 home runs between two levels last year so he is not a light hitter by any means, but for some reason the home runs have not been there this year.

SP – Tommy Hunter – Hunter is ready to return to the Texas Rangers and with Derek Holland going on the disabled list, there is a spot open for him in the rotation to make a couple of starts. Hunter has a 4.05 ERA in six starts in Triple-A this year with a 1.46 WHIP and 14 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings.

National League only:

SP – Carlos Monasterios - it has been quite a journey for Monasterios who just last season was repeating High-A in the minor leagues while pitching mostly in relief at the age of 23. He has already been with several organizations, starting with the New York Yankees before being traded to Philadelphia in the Bobby Abreu deal back in 2006. He was selected by the New York Mets in the Rule V Draft this past off season but then traded to the Dodgers where he seems to have found a home so far. He has been filling in for Vicente Padilla on the disabled list so there is no guarantee he will stay in the rotation, but for now the results make him worthy of a claim if he is still a free agent. Monasterios has a 1.87 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP through 33 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts.

OF - Xavier Nady – with rumors of Derrek Lee possibly being on the trade block in Chicago, the Cubs are going to need a first basemen if he is moved. The most likely scenario is that Nady or even someone like Alfonso Soriano is moved to first base. If Soriano is moved, that would open up additional at bats for Nady or Tyler Colvin.

12 /15 mixed league:

RP – John Axford – as long as Axford keeps getting the job done, it looks like he will remain in the closer role.He has picked up three saves and a win in his last four appearances and has a 2.79 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP. Trevor Hoffman was bombed in his last outing and Carlos Villanueva has allowed three runs in his last 2/3 of an inning so there is no else stepping forward in the bullpen.

3B – Mike Lowell – several weeks ago it looked like Lowell was going to get additional time with David Ortiz struggling in Boston. Since then Big Papi has been on fire and Lowell has been relegated to a bench role. With injuries and players under performing, teams are now starting to assess trade possibilities. There is a good chance that Lowell could be on the move somewhere in the next month and would turn into a full-time player.

The Closer Report – Week 9

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 1st, 2010

Here is a look at the closer report for week 9. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

John Axford has taken control of the closer spot in Milwaukee with Carlos Villanueva falling into a secondary role. Axford has converted both of his save chances this season and has 13 strikeouts in eight innings. Trevor Hoffman had been working his way back toward the role with three scoreless innings before giving up three runs and five base runners in an inning of work on Tuesday night against Florida.

Brad Lidge was activated from the disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies, but with the way that Jose Contreras is throwing, Lidge will serve in a set up role for the foreseeable future.

The Chicago Cubs recalled Andrew Cashner from Triple-A and will have him work out of the bullpen. Cashner started nine of 11 games in the minor leagues this season with a 2.05 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 57 innings. His power stuff should work well in one or two inning spurts, although he does not have much value unless Carlos Marmol would go down with an injury. Cashner is not a closer of the future, but with no one else stepping up besides Marmol, there would be a slight chance he could see some save opportunities if an injury were to strike.

Matt Thornton picked up a save last week when Bobby Jenks injured his calf in warm ups. No permanent change has been announced by Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen so I would assume Jenks will get the ball health permitting in the next save chance. Thornton still has quite a bit of value as a lefty to pick up a situational save, or even steal the job outright from Jenks based on performance. With the standings now starting to shape up and scouts looking at potential trade targets, there is a good chance that Jenks, Thornton or even both would get moved at some point this season.

Team	Closer	Handcuff
BAL	Will Ohman	Alfredo Simon, Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS	Jonathan Papelbon	Daniel Bard
CHW	Bobby Jenks	Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE	Kerry Wood	Chris Perez
DET	Jose Valverde	Ryan Perry
KC	Joakim Soria	Josh Rupe
LAA	Brian Fuentes	Fernando Rodney
MIN	Jon Rauch	Matt Guerrier
NYY	Mariano Rivera	Joba Chamberlain
OAK	Andrew Bailey	Brad Ziegler
SEA	David Aardsma	Brandon League
TB	Rafael Soriano	Grant Balfour
TEX	Neftali Feliz	Frank Francisco
TOR	Kevin Gregg	Jason Frasor
AZ	Chad Qualls	Aaron Heilman
ATL	Billy Wagner	Takashi Saito
CHI	Carlos Marmol	Andrew Cashner
CIN	Francisco Cordero	Arthur Rhodes
COL	Manny Corpas	Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street (DL)
FLA	Leo Nunez	Clay Hensley
HOU	Matt Lindstrom	Brandon Lyon
LAD	Jonathan Broxton	Ramon Tronosco
MIL	John Axford	Carlos Villanueva
NYM	Francisco Rodriguez	Pedro Feliciano
PHI	Jose Contreras	J.C. Romero, Brad Lidge
PIT	Octavio Dotel	Evan Meek
STL	Ryan Franklin	Jason Motte
SD	Heath Bell	Luke Gregerson
SF	Brian Wilson	Sergio Romo
WAS	Matt Capps	Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 9

Posted by Todd Lammi on May 30th, 2010

Here is a look at the latest news and notes from around the diamond to help you set your fantasy baseball lineup for week 9.

American League:

Max Scherzer returned to the major leagues after two starts in Triple-A and proceeded to strike out 14 of 17 hitters on Sunday, while working 5 2/3 shutout innings against the Oakland A’s. His next start will come against Kansas City next weekend so I would have him active in a mixed league format.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers is headed back to the 15-day disabled list again, meaning David Murphy will see more at bats over the next two weeks. Craig Gentry was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding roster move but he is nothing more than a backup outfielder.

Third basemen Mark Teahen of the Chicago White Sox possibly suffered a broken finger on Sunday and will have X-Rays on Monday, making it unlikely he will see action next week. Jayson Nix took over Sunday and hit a pinch-hit grand slam and should see additional starts in week nine.

With Kendry Morales likely lost for the remainder of the fantasy baseball season after getting injured Saturday in the winning celebration, Mike Napoli got the start at first base on Sunday. Robb Quinlan was recalled from the minor leagues and could see time there as well, although neither of those options is necessarily long term. With Lyle Overbay heating up the last few weeks and Brett Wallace ready in the minor leagues, Overbay could be a possible trade target for the Los Angeles Angels.

National League:

Buster Posey was called up by the San Francisco Giants and got starts at first base over the weekend. He should see five to six starts per week between first base and catcher so he should be active in all formats going forward.

Carlos Zambrano and Tom Gorzelanny are flip-flopping roles between the starting rotation and bullpen this week with Zambrano getting the start on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. With Randy Wells also struggling, I would still hold onto Gorzelanny for another week or two to see how that shakes out.

With Joey Votto missing another game this week due to a stiff neck, his status is questionable for next week. It seems a long period of time to miss for a stiff neck and with some of the personal issues he went through last season, hopefully there is nothing more to the situation that is not being reported at this time. Miguel Cairo has done a good job filling in for him this week and is a decent option in NL only leagues for next week.

Andre Ethier is expected to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, sending Xavier Paul back to the bench.

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 9

Posted by Todd Lammi on May 28th, 2010

Here is a complete look at the fantasy baseball two-start pitchers for week 9. Obviously the top tier pitchers are going to be left in your line up, but here is a look at some of the more border line pitchers for mixed league starts and who they face in those starts.

Two-start pitchers week 9: remember again that the list below is more focused on mixed leagues since in AL or NL only leagues in most cases you do not have the option to rotate too many starting pitchers with the smaller player pool. The pitchers below are listed in alphabetical order by team name per category.

American League:

Start them:

John Lackey (BOS) ~ OAK (Gonzalez), at BAL (Matusz)
Justin Verlander (DET) ~ at OAK (Cahill), at KC (Hochevar)
Jeremy Bonderman (DET) ~ CLE (Westbrook), at KC (Bannister)
Ervin Santana (LAA) ~ at KC (Hochevar), at SEA (Fister)
Francisco Liriano (MIN) ~ at SEA (Fister), at OAK (Cahill)
Andy Pettitte (NYY) ~ CLE (Talbot), at TOR (Morrow)
Doug Fister (SEA) ~ MIN (Liriano), LAA (Santana)
Matt Garza (TB) ~ at TOR (Marcum), at TEX (Harden)
Shaun Marcum (TOR) ~ TB (Garza), NYY (Vazquez)

Roll the Dice:

Mark Buehrle (CHW) ~ TEX (Harden), CLE (Westbrook)
Brian Bannister (KC) ~ LAA (Pineiro), DET (Bonderman)
Luke Hochevar (KC) ~ LAA (Santana), DET (Verlander)
Joel Pineiro (LAA) ~ at KC (Bannister), at SEA (Vargas)
Nick Blackburn (MIN) ~ at SEA (Vargas), at OAK (Gonzalez)
Gio Gonzalez (OAK) ~ at BOS (Lackey), MIN (Blackburn)
Trevor Cahill (OAK) ~ at DET (Verlander), MIN (Liriano)
Jason Vargas (SEA) ~ BAL (Blackburn), at TOR (Pineiro)

Bannister has run off three good starts, allowing eight runs in 18 1/3 innings. He has faced Detroit already twice this year, allowing three runs in 12 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Blackburn has run off five straight wins, but if you look at the numbers, there is nothing especially impressive to see, with a 4.28 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP and a .305 batting average against. Add to it only 17 strikeouts in 61 innings and it makes his win streak all the more amazing.This will be Buehrle’s 4th start of the year against Cleveland already. He has allowed three earned runs in 15 1/3 innings against them. In an earlier start against Texas, he allowed four runs in seven innings.As I mentioned in an article several weeks ago, Pineiro has been good in all of his starts against a team for the first time this season, except for St. Louis who knew him since he pitched there last season. He gets KC and SEA each for the first time this year. Hochevar gets two home starts where he has a 3.45 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP this season.

Sit Them:

Brian Matusz (BAL) ~ at NYY (Vazquez), BOS (Lackey)
Jake Westbrook (CLE) ~ at DET (Bonderman), at CHW (Buehrle)
Mitch Talbot (CLE) ~ at NYY (Pettitte), at CHW (Peavy)
Javier Vazquez (NYY) ~ BLA (Matusz), at TOR (Marcum)
Rich Harden (TEX) ~ at CHW (Buehrle), TB (Garza)

Matusz has a 7.50 ERA in May and has allowed 38 hits in 24 innings. Westbrook has faced Chicago three times this year already and got hit hard in two of those starts.

National League:

Start them:

Tim Hudson (ATL) ~ PHI (Hamels), at LAD (Ely)
Tommy Hanson (ATL) ~ PHI (Blanton), at LAD (Billingsley)
Ubaldo Jimenez (COL) ~ at SF (Lincecum), at ARI (Lopez)
Ricky Nolasco (FLA) ~ MIL (Bush), at NYM (Pelfrey)
Roy Oswalt (HOU) ~ WAS (Atilano), CHC (Dempster)
Chad Billingsley (LAD) ~ ARI (Lopez), ATL (Hanson)
John Ely (LAD) ~ ARI (Haren), ATL (Hudson)
Mike Pelfrey (NYM) ~ at SD (LeBlanc), FLA (Nolasco)
Hisanori Takahashi (NYM) ~ at SD (Correia), FLA (Robertson)
Tim Lincecum (SF) ~ COL (Jimenez), at PIT (Ohlendorf)
Jaime Garcia (STL) ~ CIN (Arroyo), MIL (Bush)

Roll the Dice:

Carlos Zambrano (CHC) ~ at PIT (Ohlendorf), at HOU (Myers)
Bronson Arroyo (CIN) ~ at STL (Garcia), at WAS (Stammen)
Brett Myers (HOU) ~ WAS (Stammen), CHC (Zambrano)
Joe Blanton (PHI) ~ at ATL (Hanson), SD (Correia)
Kevin Correia (SD) ~ NYM (Takahashi), at PHI (Blanton)

Arroyo has picked up wins in 5 of his last 6 starts and has cut his ERA by a full run over his last four outings. Despite losing three of his past four starts, Correia has not pitched that badly. Tossed six shutout innings in his last start against St. Louis.

Sit Them:

Rodrigo Lopez (ARI) ~ at LAD (Billingsley), COL (Jimenez)
Nate Robertson (FLA) ~ MIL (Narveson), at NYM (Takahashi)
Dave Bush (MIL) ~ at FLA (Nolasco), at STL (Garcia)
Chris Narveson (MIL) ~ at FLA (Robertson), at STL (Wainwright)
Ross Ohlendorf (PIT) ~ CHC (Zambrano), SF (Lincecum)
Craig Stammen (WAS) ~ at HOU (Myers), CIN (Arroyo)
Luis Atilano (WAS) ~ at HOU (Oswalt), CIN (Leake)

Hopefully if you are in a mixed league you don’t have any of these pitchers on your team so you don’t even have to think about starting any of them.

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 9

Posted by Todd Lammi on May 27th, 2010

Here is a look at some potential players to target in your fantasy baseball league that might be out there on the waiver wire in week 9.

American League only:

SP – Chris Tillman – I wrote about Tillman in the minor league report earlier this week. To me he is strictly an AL only play until he proves he can pitch in the major leagues the second time around. Until he is able to string together four or five good starts in a row, he should remain benched in mixed league formats.

2B / SS – Maicer Izturis – takes over at third base for the Los Angeles Angels with Brandon Wood going on the disabled list and has a good chance to keep the job for the rest of the season in that role. He has always put up solid numbers in limited at bats, as he can hit for average and steal a few bases as well.

National League only:

SP – P.J. Walters - Walters worked five shutout innings in his start Thursday night while striking out four in his 2010 major league debut. With Brad Penny on the disabled list and Kyle Lohse now out of action for the next two months, Walters will get a a chance in the rotation over the next several weeks.

SP – Sam LeCure – LeCure makes his major league debut on Friday against the Houston Astros, replacing Homer Bailey in the rotation. LeCure had a 2.55 ERA in 9 starts in Triple-A with a 1.20 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 60 innings. His career minor league numbers stand at a 3.67 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP.

12 /15 mixed league:

SP – Hisanori Takahashi – I had Takahashi in the NL only section last week, but after two stellar starts against top offenses in the Yankees and the Phillies, it is time to start using him in mixes leagues. Averaging more than a strikeout an inning on the season, Takahashi currently has a 2.13 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP in 38 innings on the year.

RP – Will Ohman – it looks like Ohman will step into the role as the Baltimore closer with Alfredo Simon going on the disabled list and Mike Gonzalez still far away from returning to action after experiencing a setback in his rehab. Ohman has only three saves in 349 games in 10 chances so there is no guarantee of success for him, especially after serving as a lefty specialist.

RP – Frank Mata – if you don’t believe in Ohman, than Mata is a fall back option. Mata was recalled from Triple-A after serving as closer there, racking up eight saves in 19 1/3 innings with 14 strikeouts and a 1.86 ERA. At age 26, his numbers have not been too impressive in the minors, with career numbers of a 4.08 ERA and a 1.437 WHIP.

The Closer Report – Week 8

Posted by Todd Lammi on May 24th, 2010

Here is a look at the closer report for week 8. It contains all of the most recent closer news, plus the current closers and the current handcuffs.

It is a guessing game in Baltimore who will get the next save opportunity with Alfredo Simon day-to-day with a hamstring injury and Koji Uehara likely headed to the disabled list. Cla Meredith with one save this season and a 5.79 ERA and 1.43 WHIP or situational lefty Will Ohman (14 2/3 scoreless innings, 1.23 WHIP) are the leaders for save chances this week.

Charlie Manuel has shown he is not afraid to let multiple guys close in Philadelphia as both Jose Contreras and lefty J.C. Romero picked up saves last week based on matchups. Injured closer Brad Lidge is still at least two weeks away from returning so Contreras and Romero are still good plays until then.

John Axford picked up a save for Milwaukee on Sunday with interim closer Carlos Villanueva unavailable. Former closer Trevor Hoffman worked the eighth and did not allow a run. Villanueva is the guy to own for now with Hoffman eventually working his way back into that role if he has a few more clean outings.

If you are looking for a possible save candidate at the end of the season, keep an eye on Sergio Santos of the Chicago White Sox. If the team continues to play sub .500 baseball and trades away Jenks and or Thornton, Santos could see some saves late in the season. The former position player turned pitcher has been tough to hit this season, holding hitters to a .163 average and currently boasts a 0.55 ERA and a .98 WHIP.

Team	Closer	Handcuff
BAL	Alfredo Simon	Cla Meredith, Mike Gonzalez (DL)
BOS	Jonathan Papelbon	Daniel Bard
CHW	Bobby Jenks	Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz
CLE	Kerry Wood	Chris Perez
DET	Jose Valverde	Ryan Perry
KC	Joakim Soria	Josh Rupe
LAA	Brian Fuentes	Fernando Rodney
MIN	Jon Rauch	Matt Guerrier
NYY	Mariano Rivera	Joba Chamberlain
OAK	Andrew Bailey	Brad Ziegler
SEA	David Aardsma	Brandon League
TB	Rafael Soriano	Grant Balfour
TEX	Neftali Feliz	Frank Francisco
TOR	Kevin Gregg	Jason Frasor
AZ	Chad Qualls	Juan Gutierrez
ATL	Billy Wagner	Takashi Saito
CHI	Carlos Marmol	John Grabow
CIN	Francisco Cordero	Arthur Rhodes
COL	Manny Corpas	Rafael Betancourt, Huston Street (DL)
FLA	Leo Nunez	Burke Badenhop
HOU	Matt Lindstrom	Brandon Lyon
LAD	Jonathan Broxton	Ramon Tronosco
MIL	Carlos Villanueva	Trevor Hoffman, John Axford
NYM	Francisco Rodriguez	Pedro Feliciano
PHI	Jose Contreras	J.C. Romero, (Brad Lidge DL)
PIT	Octavio Dotel	Evan Meek
STL	Ryan Franklin	Jason Motte
SD	Heath Bell	Luke Gregerson
SF	Brian Wilson	Sergio Romo
WAS	Matt Capps	Tyler Clippard, Drew Storen

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The Closer Report – Week 13

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 13

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 13

The Closer Report – Week 12

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 12

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 12

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 12

The Closer Report – Week 11

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 11

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 11

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 11

The Closer Report – Week 10

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 10

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 10

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 10

The Closer Report – Week 9

2010 Lineup Planner – Week 9

2010 Two Start Pitchers – Week 9

2010 Waiver Wire – Week 9

The Closer Report – Week 8

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