Posts Tagged ‘Brett Wallace’

2010 Buy / Sell – Week 21

Posted by Todd Lammi on August 25th, 2010

With only six weeks left in the fantasy baseball season and most trade deadlines past, now is the time to focus on getting players that may be trending hot and looking to drop those players that are turning ice cold as the season winds down. Here is a look at some hitters to buy or sell in week 21.

Buy:

Will Rhymes – all Rhymes has done when he has gotten the chance is hit in Detroit, to the tune of a .318 batting average after Wednesday’s game. Should be able to score some runs hitting second in the order and can help a team batting average down the stretch. Has multi-hit games in six of his last eight starts.

Ryan Raburn – Rhymes teammate in Detroit, Rayburn is a good source of power at middle infield or in the outfield. Is currently hitting .321 in August with six home runs and 16 RBI in 78 at bats.

Coco Crisp - despite his injury tag which is warranted, he has been one of the top players in the American League over the last three weeks. He has a lot to play for with a $5.75 million club option looming for 2011. Crisp is hitting .350 in August with three home runs, 11 RBI and 9 stolen bases, giving him 19 stolen bases the last two months.

Chris Denorfia – despite the over crowded situation in the San Diego outfield, Denorfia has maintained a good stat pace in August, hitting .339 with three home runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases.

Jamey Carroll – another middle infielder that has decent value as long as Rafael Furcal is out for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Caroll is hitting .350 in his last 60 at bats with seven runs scored and four stolen bases.

Sell:

Jack Cust - he was hitting home runs for awhile but has dropped off lately with 22 strikeouts in his last 48 at bats with a .188 batting average. The damage his batting average can still do to your team at this point of the season is not worth the trade off for the power.

Brennan Boesch – on the whole his numbers don’t look too bad when you first see them, but a closer look reveals second half numbers of a .156 batting average with only two home runs and 12 RBI in 135 at bats.

Jeff Mathis – with prospect Hank Conger a possible September call up combined with the performance of Mathis of late, .079 batting average with 15 strikeouts in 38 at bats means you should be looking for another catcher if you own him.

Brett Wallace – it looks like Wallace is going to have little impact down the stretch, rotating at firs base in Houston and still adjusting to major league pitching. Wallace is hitting .188 in 55 at bats with a whopping 22 strikeouts and no home runs.

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Waiver Wire – Week 19

Posted by Tony Mancini on August 5th, 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 for upcoming week 19.

American League:

OF – Shelley Duncan:   With Austin Kearns being dealt to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline and Travis Hafner on the disabled list with a shoulder ailment, Duncan has been seeing regular playing time.  He has hit safely in six of his last eight games and has 6 home runs with 20 RBI on the season.

RP – Mike Gonzalez:  Gonzalez has only given up one run in his last nine innings of work with the Orioles.  Gonzalez was brought in prior to the season to be the teams’ closer before suffering injuries.  He will reclaim closer duties shortly as Alfredo Simon has not looked solid in that role.

1B – Kila Ka’aihue:  He has been a top prospects for the Kansas City Royals for a number of years now.  With Jose Guillen designated for assignment this afternoon, he is finally going to be given some playing time.  A great source of power as he hit 24 home runs in AAA this season.

OF – Felix Pie:  Pie is getting a chance to play regularly in Baltimore since coming off the DL and has hits in his last four games.  He’s a great 4th or 5th outfielder especially if he is able to show off his speed.  Everyone is currently playing for a job for next year with Buck Showalter in town.

National League:

RP – Aaron Heilman:  Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson has stated Heilman will see a majority of save opportunities now that Chad Qualls was traded.

SS – Paul Janish:  With Orlando Cabrera on the disabled list, Janish is playing everyday at shortstop until the O-Dog is back.  Janish is a lite hitter but not a player who is going to hurt you statistically if you need a replacement.

1B – Mike Sweeney:  The Phillies quietly picked up Sweeney in a trade from Seattle yesterday.  Ross Gload is still in the mix and Sweeney just came off the DL himself with back spasms but the Phillies are on record as saying that Sweeney will be given the majority of the playing time at first base until Ryan Howard returns from the DL with an ankle injury.

SP – Mike Minor:  Atlanta is going to call up the 2009 first round pick with Kris Medlen now done for the year with the likelihood that he will need Tommy John surgery.  Minor has a 3.41 ERA, 1.15 WHIP with 144 strikeouts over 118 minor league innings.  I would prefer to see how he does in his first start or two before making him a part of your regular fantasy baseball rotation.

Mixed:

C – J.P. Arencibia:  Toronto placed John Buck on the DL with a hand laceration.  Arencibia is going to get a chance to play over the next two weeks and has unreal power for a catcher hitting 31 home runs in the minor leagues this year.

RP – Chris Perez:  Perez is now the closer for the Indians with Kerry Wood now in Pinstripes.  I like him the best out of the other closers listed earlier.

1B – Brett Wallace:  Wallace has been traded twice in as many seasons and is not the regular first baseman for the Astros.  Wallace was hitting .301 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI for Toronto’s AAA team in Las Vegas.

3B - Chris Johnson:  Johnson has been given the majority of the playing for the Houston Astros at third base since the All-Star break, while Pedro Feliz has only played in three games since the break.  Johnson has responded well and currently has five home runs and 28 RBI with a .349 batting average.

OF – Peter Bourjos:  Speed, speed and more speed.  Did I mention he is fast? Definitely a guy to target as the new center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels.

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2010 MLB Trade Deadline – Rising / Falling

Posted by Todd Lammi on July 30th, 2010

With the 2010 MLB trade deadline now over, here is a look at which players are now rising or falling in terms of fantasy baseball value as a result of the moves.

Rising:

Brett Wallace - the trade of Wallace to Houston coupled with the expected trade of Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees should give Wallace value for the remainder of the season at first base. Wallace was hitting .301 in Triple-A with 18 home runs and 61 RBI in 385 at bats.

Daniel Hudson - while most scouts view him as a number four or five starter with decent stuff but no real one dominant pitch, the move to the National League can only help his numbers and strikeout rate going forward.

Adam Kennedy – not a sexy name for fantasy purposes, but the trade of Christian Guzman to Texas gives Kennedy a full-time grip on second base going forward. With 12 stolen bases on the season, he is a good target for the remainder of the year in your fantasy baseball team is looking for steals.

Thomas Diamond – Diamond gets first shot to replace Ted Lilly in the Chicago Cubs rotation. He was 5-4 with a 3.16 ERA in Triple-A with 104 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings. It has been a slow climb up the minor league ladder for Diamond who was a first round pick back in 2004. Control problems had him repeating the same level for almost three years with much of 2009 spend in relief. He moved back to the starting rotation this season and his control is better than in years past but it is still not what you would like to see from a pitcher coming to the major leagues, with 46 walks on the season.

Chris Perez – the trade of Kerry Wood to the New York Yankees puts Perez pack into the closer role in Cleveland where he should remain for the rest of the season.

Chris Snyder – Snyder takes over as catcher in Pittsburgh after being traded from Arizona. It looks like Ryan Doumit will rotate between first base and the outfield when he returns from the disabled list.

John Jay – the three-team trade that sent Ryan Ludwick to San Diego moves Jay into a full-time role in the outfield. Jay holds a .301 career average in the minor leagues, with a season high of 12 home runs in 2008 and 20 stolen bases in 2009.

Falling:

Jon Rauch – Rauch looks to be the odd man out in the closer role in Minnesota with the addition of Matt Capps. Rauch has a 3.05 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP with a .283 batting average against and a 84% save percentage on the season. He has struggled in July with a 5.40 ERA and a 2.28 WHIP putting him second in line for saves in the Twins bullpen.

Everth Cabrera – the trade of Miguel Tejada puts Cabrera on the bench from time to time with Tejada at shortstop and Jerry Hairston Jr. moving over to second base with David Eckstein out of action. He could see time against left-handed pitching with Tejada moving to third and Chase Headley sitting since he owns a .194 average against southpaws.

Scott Podsednik – the trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers gives him playing time for now with Manny Ramirez on the disabled list, but in two weeks when Manny returns, Podsednik likely falls into a fourth outfielder role filling in as situations arise.

Jorge Cantu – the trade to the Texas Rangers will cut into Cantu’s value as it looks like he will serve as a platoon role at first base with Mitch Moreland for the time being against left-handed pitching.

Edwin Jackson – the trade to the American League will likely raise his ERA and WHIP ratio unless he is flipped back to the National League in a trade tomorrow.

Octavio Dotel / Kerry Wood - Dotel and Wood were both traded to teams where they go from being a closer to a set up man.

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The Minor League Report – Week 9

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 2nd, 2010

Hopefully if you have been reading previous articles, you have been rostering select minor league players to your reserve spots on your fantasy baseball team in preparation of June when we should start seeing more call ups from the minor leagues.  While you should know almost all of the names on the list below, in case you have been busy this summer, here is a look at the next wave of players that should be coming up.

1) Stephen Strasburg (WAS) – not much to say about him as he as lived up to the hype. Is expected to get his first major league start on June 8th. It looks like the Washington Nationals are going to limit him to around 100 innings or so in the minor leagues. The only number that is potentially impacted is his win total. For example, if he were to theoretically throw 11 complete games, then he hits the mark and is done in August. If he say averages 6 innings per start, then he would get roughly 16 starts the rest of the way which would give him a chance for five additional wins. His minor league numbers to date show a 1.43 ERA with a .79 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings with a .157 batting average against.

2) Carlos Santana (CLE) – There has been very little chatter out of Cleveland as to when Santana may be recalled but with only Lou Marson in front of him, it should be any day now. Santana is hitting .316 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI in 51 games. He has also walked 42 times and struck out 34 which is pretty incredible for a switch-hitting 24-year-old. On top of that, he has also stolen six bases without being caught.

3) Mike Stanton (FLO) – it seems like every day there is news on when Stanton is coming to the major leagues. While the power is legit, there are still questions I have with a strikeout rate of 28% in Double-A. Jumping Triple-A to the majors gives me concern for his batting average, but not his power numbers. He is not going to steal any bases so home runs and RBI is what he is bringing to the table. Stanton is currently hitting .300 with 20 home runs and 50 RBI in 49 games.

4) Aroldis Chapman (CIN) – Chapman has run off three solid starts in a row after struggling in mid-May. He now sports a 3.42 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP with 60 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. His control and pitch counts are what is keeping him in the minor leagues and with the Cincinnati Reds rotation pitching decent and the team winning there is no need to rush him despite the talent he possesses. I think with another few starts like his last three in succession though would make it easier for the team to promote him with some momentum.

5) Madison Bumgarner (SF) – it looked like Bumgarner was getting close to a call up but the San Francisco Giants have stuck with Todd Wellemeyer as the 5th starter and he has come up with two solid starts in a row. Bumgarner is pitching tonight in Triple-A and has run off 25 1/3 scoreless innings. His season numbers stand at a 2.04 ERA with a 1.10 WHIP and 40 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. With Brian Sabean taking forever to promote Buster Posey and his love of veteran players, Bumgarner might be down on the farm a little longer than he should be.

6) Jake Arrieta (BAL) – there are many holes in the Baltimore rotation so he could be called up at any point this season. He has a 1.91 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP to go along with 60 strikeouts in 66 innings. He has improved his control in his last three starts with two walks per start so he is getting closer to getting the call up. He has also held opposing hitters to a .183 batting average so far this season.

7) Brett Wallace (TOR) – with Lyle Overbay starting to hit a little bit and the Blue Jays banging out home runs every night, there has not been much of a swell of support for Wallace despite his performance in Triple-A. Wallace is hitting .282 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI  in 209 at bats. He still needs a little bit of work on his plate discipline, but he could be called up at anytime and up some decent numbers for your team.

8) Desmond Jennings (TB) – Jennings may have been higher on the list had he not suffered through several injuries to start the season. As it is, with Tampa Bay rolling and the versatility of so many players on the major league team, it is easier to give him more at bats in Triple-A and let him get in a groove which he has yet to find so far this season. Jennings is hitting .248 with 12 stolen bases in 101 at bats.

9) Dan Hudson (CHW) – every time it seems like Freddy Garcia is on the verge of getting bounced from the rotation, he goes out and throws a gem, leaving Hudson to work more in Triple-A. Outside of a bad April, Hudson has turned it around with a solid May, going 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, including 44 strikeouts in 37 innings.

10) Tanner Scheppers (TEX) – not sure how much of a fantasy impact he will have as a set up pitcher, but with all of the volatility we have seen this season at the closer position, you can never go wrong with a power arm in the bullpen. Scheppers has pitched in relief at two levels this year and has a 1.00 ERA and 0.81 WHIP with 42 strikeouts in 27 innings. He could serve a set up role for the Texas Rangers the second half of the season.

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2010 Toronto Blue Jays Team Preview

Posted by Todd Lammi on March 16th, 2010

This is the fourth part our series of 2010 fantasy baseball team previews looking at the American League East. The team previews will include the projected batting order, projected rotation, rookies that could make an impact in 2010 as well as each players current ADP for a 15 team mixed fantasy baseball league.

2010 Toronto Blue Jays Projected Batting Order:

1.  RF Jose Bautista (ADP ND)
2.  2B Aaron Hill (ADP 49)
3.  LF Adam Lind (ADP 53)
4.  CF Vernon Wells (ADP 176)
5.  1B Lyle Overbay (ADP 445)
6.  3B Edwin Encarnacion (ADP 228)
7.  C John Buck (ADP 417)
8.  SS Alex Gonzalez (ADP 468)
9.  DH Travis Snider (ADP 206)

2010 Toronto Blue Jays Projected Rotation & Bullpen:

1.  Shaun Marcum (ADP 267)
2.  Ricky Romero (ADP 301)
3.  Marc Rzepcynski (ADP 369)
4.  Brandon Morrow (ADP 386)
5.  Brett Cecil / Dustin McGowan (ADP ND / ND)

Closer – Kevin Gregg / Jason Frasor (ADP 246 / 242)
Handcuff – Scott Downs

2010 Toronto Blue Jays Prospects with potential impact this year:

1.  Brett Wallace – 1B
2.  Kyle Drabek – SP


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Minor League Report – week 12

Posted by Todd Lammi on June 28th, 2009

by Todd Lammi

After reviewing the top pitchers in the week 11 minor league report, here is a look at some of the top hitters in the top two minor league levels that will be participating in the Futures Game in St. Louis on July 12. In case you might be wondering why one of your favorite minor league players is not in the game, each major league team has to have at least one player on the roster and no team can have more than two.

Catcher – Jason Castro (Astros) – Castro was the 10th overall pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. He was promoted to Double-A a little more than two weeks ago, and is hitting .288  in 59 at bats. His overall numbers are .305, with eight home runs, 48 RBI and one stolen base. Fantasy baseball owners might be gun shy of Castro because the failures of the Astros previous rookie catcher J.R. Towles. Baseball America had Castro as the Astros number one prospect coming into this season and he has held his own so far in 2009. It will be interesting to see five years from now how he stacks up against the catcher that went earlier in the draft, Buster Posey, who is in the San Francisco Giants farm system.

Catcher – Tyler Flowers (White Sox) – Flowers has been in Double-A the entire season so far, and is hitting .278 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI. He threw out 28% of runners trying to steal in 2008, made 12 errors and allowed 11 passed balls. With A.J. Pierzynski signed through 2010, if Flowers continues to progress, he should be ready to take over as starting catcher in 2011.

First Base – Chris Carter (Athletics) – With the lack of offense at the major league level, it is a little surprising to see Carter still in Double-A. Carter is currently hitting .299 with 13 home runs, 59 RBI and eight stolen bases on the season. He has upped his power numbers each month, hitting one home run in April, five in May and seven in June. Carter, 22, was part of the big bounty the Oakland Athletics received from the Arizona Diamondbacks when they traded Dan Haren.

Second Base – Scott Sizemore (Tigers) – Sizemore was promoted to Triple-A two weeks ago. He is currently hitting .250 in 52 at bats. For the season, he is batting .296 with 10 home runs, 36 RBI and eight stolen bases. He was  a fifth round pick back in 2006 out of Virginia Commonwealth University and was ranked seventh by Baseball America coming into the 2009 season. He started off his minor league career as a shortstop before moving to second base in 2007.

Second Base – Eric O. Young (Rockies) – Young has been at Triple-A the entire season with an eye on a starting job in 2010. Much like his father and former Rockies player Eric Young,  his one plus attribute is his speed. Young is hitting .286 through 70 games with three home runs, 21 RBI and 44 stolen bases against eight times caught stealing.

Third Base – Pedro Alvarez (Pirates) – Alvarez was promoted to Double-A one week ago and has started off slowly, hitting .125 with 10 strikeouts in 25 at bats. In High Class A, he showed an ability to drive in runs despite a high strikeout rate. In 243 at bats, he hit .247 with 14 home runs, 55 RBI and 70 strikeouts. The talk of him being the first person from the 2008 draft class to make it to the major leagues seems like a stretch with his current plate discipline.

Third Base – Brett Wallace (Cardinals) – Wallace was the 13th overall pick in the 2008 draft and has split this season between Double-A and Triple-A. He started off Triple-A slow, but has picked up his performance recently, hitting .395 in his last 10 games with two home runs. On the season, he is hitting .280 with nine home runs and 27 RBI. The recent addition of Mark DeRosa to the St. Louis Cardinals means Wallace will likely stay in Triple-A until rosters expand September 1 and then compete for the starting job in 2010.

Outfield – Chris Heisey (Reds) – He finally got promoted to Triple-A on Friday after destroying Double-A. Although he was old for the level at 24, he hit .347 with 13 home runs, 40 RBI and 13 steals. Heisey has gone from a 17th round unknown back in 2006 to an underrated prospect in the Reds organization coming into 2009 to now a potential starter in 2010.

Outfield – Desmond Jennings (Rays) – He looked to be on the fast track to Triple-A until he slowed down considerably in June. He still has solid numbers for the season, with a .325 average, six home runs, 35 RBI and 28 stolen bases. After hitting .349 in April and .368 in May, Jennings is hitting .255 in June with zero home runs and six RBI. Jennings was ranked #5 by Baseball America for 2009 in the Rays minor league system. He missed the first two months of the 2008 season with a back injury, then played 24 games before injuring his left shoulder and undergoing season-ending surgery.

Outfield – Mike Stanton (Marlins) – Stanton has gotten off to a slow start at Double-A after being promoted three weeks ago. His plate discipline has deteriorated slightly as expected with the move up a level. Stanton is hitting .234 with three home runs and nine RBI, with 24 strikeouts in 77 at bats at Double-A. Overall he is batting .276 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI between two levels.

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Fantasy Baseball Minor League Report – week 7

Posted by Todd Lammi on May 23rd, 2009

by Todd Lammi

The Baltimore Orioles have several good arms making their way up the minor league ladder. One of the lesser known names, David Hernandez may be ready to join the O’s rotation by September if he continues at his current pace. Hernandez, currently in AAA, struck out 14 in 7 1/3 innings in his last start and now has 60 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings on the season with a 2.91 ERA.

Brian Matusz (Orioles) in Advanced A, struck out nine in seven innings in his last start and has 60 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings with a 3.09 ERA.

Matt Wieters (Orioles) in AAA has homered four times in his last eight games, and now stands at .288 with five home runs and 24 RBI.

Third basemen Brett Wallace (Cardinals) has been promoted to Triple-A. He is currently hitting .312 with six home runs and 19 RBI on the season.

Tommy Hanson (Braves) continues to cruise through AAA, allowing one hit in six shutout innings in his last start with nine strikeouts. He has now fanned 73 in 53 2/3 innings with a 1.51 ERA and is holding opposing hitters to a .160 batting average.

Catcher J.P. Arencibia (Blue Jays) has flashed power in AAA, but still needs work on controlling the strike zone to improve his batting average. Arencibia is hitting .250 with seven home runs and 27 RBI, but just nine walks in 144 at bats, although that is an improvement over his AA numbers with seven walks in 262 at bats.

Junichi Tazawa (Red Sox) pitched six shutout innings in his last start in AA and is now 4-3 with a 2.74 ERA. In 49 1/3 innings, he has struck out 47 while allowing only three home runs.

Matt Latos (Padres) is off to a great start in AA after starting the season shelved with an injury. Latos currently sports a 0.36 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings, while limiting batters to a .120 average.

One player who has not been part of the Triple-A shuttle for the Oakland Athletics as the major league team continues to juggle its pitching rotation has been Vin Mazzaro. Mazzaro in AAA has a 2.66 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.  He has allowed two runs in his last 21 2/3 innings, including eight innings of shutout ball in his last start.

Carlos Torres (White Sox) is a little bit old for the AAA level at 26, but he is putting up numbers worthy of a look, with a 1.76 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 46 innings. He is holding opposing hitters to a .193 average and has yet to allow a home run this season.

With David Ortiz struggling in Boston, the Red Sox could use some more offense. Lars Anderson, the first baseman of the future, has been off to a slow start in AA, hitting .234 with five home runs and 23 RBI. He has struck out 35 times in 137 at bats.

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