Without question, first base is the deepest position for everyday players. The top seven or eight first basemen will likely be drafted in the first two rounds of your 12-team league.
Some players on our list played 10-19 games at first base in 2010, which means the player may or may not qualify as a first baseman in your league. For example, Yahoo! leagues require a player to appear in at least ten games at that position in the previous year. For ESPN leagues, the requirement is 20-plus games.
Based on lower eligibility requirements, first base is even deeper for participants in Yahoo! leagues than those participating in ESPN leagues.
Here are the top 20 fantasy first basemen for 2011:
1. Albert Pujols, Cardinals: Through ten seasons, Pujols has had career lows of .312 batting average (2010), 32 home runs (2007) and 103 runs batted in (2007). While that is the worst-case scenario, a typical (average) season for the career .331 hitter is 41 home runs and 123 runs batted in.
2. Joey Votto, Reds: While first base is loaded with talent, Votto finished no lower than top-five in all five standard rotisserie categories. The reigning N.L. MVP set career-highs in runs scored (106), home runs (37), runs batted in (113), steals (17) and batting average (.324) as well.
3. Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox: During his five years as a Padre, Gonzalez hit .267 and 57 home runs (one per 24.7 at bats) with 201 runs batted in at home. On the road, however, Gonzalez hit .307 and 104 home runs (one per 15.1 at bats) with 300 runs batted in. The change of scenery can only do Gonzalez some good despite finishing 2010 with an average of .298, 31 home runs and 101 runs batted in.
4. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: Over the past three seasons, only two first basemen have hit over .300 with 100 home runs and 350 runs batted in: Cabrera and Pujols. If it weren't for his alcohol problems highlighted by his run-in with the law in February, Cabrera would have been ranked ahead of all first basemen not named Albert Pujols.
5. Mark Teixeira, Yankees: Teixeira, who hit a career-low .256 in 2010, hit .280-plus every season and over .300 three times from 2004 to 2009. With seven consecutive seasons of 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs, you know what you'll get in the power department from Teixeira. But will Teixeira hit .256, .280 or .300?
6. Prince Fielder, Brewers: Last year, Fielder set a four-year low in home runs (32) and runs batted in (83) while hitting a career-worse .261. The year before, Fielder set career highs in runs batted in (141) and average (.299) while posting the second-highest homer total (46) of his career. Splitting the difference would be 39 home runs, 112 runs batted in and a .280 average. Sounds good to me.
7. Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox: Over the past five seasons, Youkilis has not played more than 147 games in any year. Provided he stays healthy for a full season, Youkilis could/should put up around or more than 100 runs, 100 runs batted in, 30 homers while hitting .300. His bigger value will come once he gains eligibility at the much more talent-scarce position of third base.
8. Ryan Howard, Phillies: Over the past five years, no player has more home runs (229) or runs batted in (680) than Howard. In addition, Howard leads the majors in strikeouts (922) during that span.
9. Adam Dunn, White Sox: From 2004 to 2010, Dunn has hit 38-plus home runs and driven in 100-plus runs six times (the 'off' season of 2006 was 92 RBIs). Trading in a half-season of games in Washington for U.S. Cellular Field can't hurt Dunn's power production and it wouldn't surprise me to see Dunn lead baseball in home runs. However, will he hit .260-plus for a third straight season?
10. Justin Morneau, Twins: Although he hasn't played a regular-season game since suffering a concussion in July, a full season from a healthy Morneau would make him a huge bargain at this spot. Morneau played exactly one-half of a season (81 games) last year and hit .345 with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. Before last season, Morneau drove in 100-plus runs for four straight years and hit 30-plus homers in three of those seasons.
11. Buster Posey, Giants: As one of the top three catchers in our fantasy rankings, however, you will more likely use Posey as your team's catcher despite his eligibility at first base. Manager Bruce Bochy has stated that Posey will get full days off when he's not catching, which means a season of around 135 games. That said, Posey should hit around .300 and 20 home runs in 2011.
12. Billy Butler, Royals: If there's one thing you can bank on from Butler, it's his strong batting average. Whether we see a power surge from Butler remains to be seen, but he's only 24 years old and has hit the most doubles (96) in baseball over the past two years combined. If only he could turn a few of those doubles into homers ...
13. Pablo Sandoval, Giants: With 11 games logged at first base in 2010, Sandoval may be eligible at first base in your league. He disappointed in the follow-up performance to his breakout season of 2009 (.330 average, 25 homers, 90 runs batted in). Sandoval, who is only 24 years old, could be primed for a bounce-back season after losing weight in the off-season and shortening his swing.
14. Paul Konerko, White Sox: It's unlikely that Konerko will duplicate his 2010 numbers (.312 average, 39 home runs and 111 runs batted in). Then again, only five other players hit .300-30-100 or better last season. Three of those other five were first basemen: Pujols, Cabrera and Votto.
15. Kendry Morales, Angels: Morales, who will begin the 2011 season on the disabled list, hasn't played a game since May 29th. In his only full season or close to it (152 games), Morales hit .306 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in.
16. Carlos Lee, Astros: Ending a four-year streak of hitting .300-plus, Lee posted a career-low batting average (.246) while hitting only 24 home runs (lowest total since 2001) with 89 runs batted in (lowest since 2002). Considering Lee also had his lowest BABIP (.238) of his career in 2010, an improvement over last season seems reasonable.
17. Aubrey Huff, Giants: Last year, Huff hit .290 with 26 home runs and 86 runs batted in. Huff, who is a career .283 hitter, should hit relatively close to .290 again although I would be surprised to see him exceed his home run total from 2010.
18. Carlos Pena, Cubs: The good news? Pena will go yard in one out of every 13.4 (or so) at bats, which was his average during his four years in Tampa. The bad news? He got a hit in less than every five at bats last season. (Take small consolation in the fact that only Aaron Hill had a lower BABIP in all of baseball than Pena last year.) The moderate news? He was tied for 11th in baseball in walks (87) last year so his on-base percentage isn't horrible if that helps you.
19. Adam Lind, Blue Jays: After a breakout season in 2009 (.305 average, 35 homers, 114 runs batted in), Lind disappointed fantasy owners in 2010 (.237-23-72). Not only did he hit .174 and .156 last May and June, respectively, but he hit only one home run in 90 at bats during June. Perhaps his better second-half performance and solid spring (hitting .341 through 16 games) bodes well for Lind.
20. Adam LaRoche, Nationals: LaRoche is a career .295 hitter that hits a homer every 18.3 at bats. In the second half, that is. LaRoche is notorious for his poor first-half performances (career .252 hitter and homer every 24.8 at bats before the All-Star break) and his (relative) strong performances (noted earlier) after the break.
As we noted above, first base is exceptionally deep. Players outside our top 20, such as Gaby Sanchez (Florida), Ike Davis (Mets), Mitch Moreland (Texas) and Brandon Belt (San Francisco) as a few examples, of players with upside that are viable fantasy options.
Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Fantasy Baseball: 2011 Catcher Rankings
Year in and year out, catcher has often been a talent-scarce position when it comes to fantasy baseball.
In 2011, that's not necessarily the case.
In my opinion, the top four fantasy catchers are head and shoulders above the rest of the competition, but there are plenty of options as you go deeper into the draft that can help (or, at least, won't hurt) your team.
Here are the top 15 catchers for 2011:
1. Joe Mauer, Twins: Although Mauer is the top option at catcher in fantasy baseball, the power he exhibited two seasons ago (28 home runs) was nearly wiped out by the team's move to Target Field. Mauer, the 2009 American League MVP, hit only nine home runs -- even worse, only one in 239 at bats at home -- in 2010. That said, Mauer has won 60 percent of the A.L. Batting Titles over the past five seasons.
In our opinion, who should be the No. 2 fantasy catcher is less clear-cut, which led us to set up this poll question and this discussion thread so let your voice be heard.
2. Victor Martinez, Tigers: Martinez, who was in Boston last year, led all catchers in runs batted in (79) while hitting over .300 (.302, to be precise) in 2010. Now that V-Mart is with Detroit, he is expected to see lots of, um, action as the team's designated hitter, which should boost his number of plate appearances.
3. Buster Posey, Giants: Posey, last year's NL Rookie of the Year, hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 runs batted in. Last season, Posey played 30 games at first base, but manager Bruce Bochy says that Posey will get a "complete day off" when he's not catching in 2011.
4. Brian McCann, Braves: During the span of the past three seasons, McCann leads all catchers in runs batted in (258) and is second in home runs (65) to Mike Napoli. That's the good news. The bad news is his batting average has slid in back-to-back seasons (.301 to .281 to .269).
5. Geovany Soto, Cubs: In the past three seasons, Soto has hit .280-plus twice with a sub-.220 season in between. During that span, Soto has averaged only 116 games per season and has hit one home run per 22.5 at bats. If he stays healthy and gets close to 500 at bats (as he did in 2008), a realistic line for Soto is .275-60-20-75.
6. Carlos Santana, Indians: A top ten prospect by Baseball America in 2010, Santana was called up in June and hit .345 with four homers and 15 runs batted in over 18 games that month. After June and before getting hurt, however, Santana hit only .207 with two home runs and seven runs batted in over 28 games. The sky's the limit for Santana, but there may be some bumps along the way for the young catcher.
7. Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks: Montero missed roughly half the season in 2010 and hit only .222 (35 for 158) from August to October. In the previous season (2009), however, Montero hit .294 with 16 home runs in 128 games.
8. Matt Wieters, Orioles: In many instances, folks overreact to the hype. While Wieters has generally disappointed since being called up, he's still under 25 years old. There is time for him to develop into an elite fantasy catcher and he might actually be somewhat under the radar heading into 2011.
9. Mike Napoli, Rangers: Over the past three seasons, no catcher has hit more home runs (66) than Napoli, who lands in Texas (via Toronto) this off-season. After a couple of seasons with a respectable batting average (.270-plus), Napoli regressed last year to .238 (his lowest average since his rookie season). Although he hit over .300 versus lefties (.305), he hit only .208 against right-handers.
10. Kurt Suzuki, Athletics: Last season, Suzuki hit a career-low .242 although he ranked fourth amongst catchers in runs batted in (71). This off-season, the A's made a few free-agent acquisitions that should help take some pressure off Suzuki and help him bounce back. The question is how much? If it's to 2009 levels (.274 average with 15 home runs and 88 RBI), he's a huge bargain at where he's being drafted.
11. Jorge Posada, Yankees: The addition of Russell Martin will help Posada, who has played only 282 games over the past three seasons, keep from wearing down in 2011 as he's expected to mostly be the team's designated hitter. I expect his batting average to bounce back closer to his career average (.275) and excluding the 2008 season when he played only 51 games, Posada has hit 18-plus homers every year since 2000.
12. Yadier Molina, Cardinals: It's not too often that you get (nor do you look for) stolen bases from your catcher, but Molina has 17 of them over the past two seasons. Molina's batting average declined to .262 last year, but his cumulative batting average over the past three seasons is .286. Molina is a guy that likely won't hurt your roster while giving you something that you would least expect from this position.
13. Chris Iannetta, Rockies: Iannetta is the anti-Mauer. He's not going to win a batting title anytime soon, but he's close to a lock to provide you with 20-plus homers from the catcher position with the full-time job, which he now has. In 154 games over the past two seasons combined, Iannetta has hit only .216 but he also hit 25 home runs (in 477 at bats). That's one home run per every 19 at bats.
14. J.P. Arencibia, Blue Jays: Arencibia is another guy that will likely hurt you in batting average but help you in the power categories. Between Triple-A and a few games with the Jays last year, Arencibia hit a total of 34 home runs in 496 at bats.
15. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies: Ruiz is the Adam LaRoche of the catcher position. In other words, his splits before and after the All-Star break tell a completely different story. Over the past three years, Ruiz has hit only .237 before the break, but he has hit .285 after the break. The contrast wasn't as great in 2010 (.283 and .316 splits, respectively).
Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.
In 2011, that's not necessarily the case.
In my opinion, the top four fantasy catchers are head and shoulders above the rest of the competition, but there are plenty of options as you go deeper into the draft that can help (or, at least, won't hurt) your team.
Here are the top 15 catchers for 2011:
1. Joe Mauer, Twins: Although Mauer is the top option at catcher in fantasy baseball, the power he exhibited two seasons ago (28 home runs) was nearly wiped out by the team's move to Target Field. Mauer, the 2009 American League MVP, hit only nine home runs -- even worse, only one in 239 at bats at home -- in 2010. That said, Mauer has won 60 percent of the A.L. Batting Titles over the past five seasons.
In our opinion, who should be the No. 2 fantasy catcher is less clear-cut, which led us to set up this poll question and this discussion thread so let your voice be heard.
2. Victor Martinez, Tigers: Martinez, who was in Boston last year, led all catchers in runs batted in (79) while hitting over .300 (.302, to be precise) in 2010. Now that V-Mart is with Detroit, he is expected to see lots of, um, action as the team's designated hitter, which should boost his number of plate appearances.
3. Buster Posey, Giants: Posey, last year's NL Rookie of the Year, hit .305 with 18 home runs and 67 runs batted in. Last season, Posey played 30 games at first base, but manager Bruce Bochy says that Posey will get a "complete day off" when he's not catching in 2011.
4. Brian McCann, Braves: During the span of the past three seasons, McCann leads all catchers in runs batted in (258) and is second in home runs (65) to Mike Napoli. That's the good news. The bad news is his batting average has slid in back-to-back seasons (.301 to .281 to .269).
5. Geovany Soto, Cubs: In the past three seasons, Soto has hit .280-plus twice with a sub-.220 season in between. During that span, Soto has averaged only 116 games per season and has hit one home run per 22.5 at bats. If he stays healthy and gets close to 500 at bats (as he did in 2008), a realistic line for Soto is .275-60-20-75.
6. Carlos Santana, Indians: A top ten prospect by Baseball America in 2010, Santana was called up in June and hit .345 with four homers and 15 runs batted in over 18 games that month. After June and before getting hurt, however, Santana hit only .207 with two home runs and seven runs batted in over 28 games. The sky's the limit for Santana, but there may be some bumps along the way for the young catcher.
7. Miguel Montero, Diamondbacks: Montero missed roughly half the season in 2010 and hit only .222 (35 for 158) from August to October. In the previous season (2009), however, Montero hit .294 with 16 home runs in 128 games.
8. Matt Wieters, Orioles: In many instances, folks overreact to the hype. While Wieters has generally disappointed since being called up, he's still under 25 years old. There is time for him to develop into an elite fantasy catcher and he might actually be somewhat under the radar heading into 2011.
9. Mike Napoli, Rangers: Over the past three seasons, no catcher has hit more home runs (66) than Napoli, who lands in Texas (via Toronto) this off-season. After a couple of seasons with a respectable batting average (.270-plus), Napoli regressed last year to .238 (his lowest average since his rookie season). Although he hit over .300 versus lefties (.305), he hit only .208 against right-handers.
10. Kurt Suzuki, Athletics: Last season, Suzuki hit a career-low .242 although he ranked fourth amongst catchers in runs batted in (71). This off-season, the A's made a few free-agent acquisitions that should help take some pressure off Suzuki and help him bounce back. The question is how much? If it's to 2009 levels (.274 average with 15 home runs and 88 RBI), he's a huge bargain at where he's being drafted.
11. Jorge Posada, Yankees: The addition of Russell Martin will help Posada, who has played only 282 games over the past three seasons, keep from wearing down in 2011 as he's expected to mostly be the team's designated hitter. I expect his batting average to bounce back closer to his career average (.275) and excluding the 2008 season when he played only 51 games, Posada has hit 18-plus homers every year since 2000.
12. Yadier Molina, Cardinals: It's not too often that you get (nor do you look for) stolen bases from your catcher, but Molina has 17 of them over the past two seasons. Molina's batting average declined to .262 last year, but his cumulative batting average over the past three seasons is .286. Molina is a guy that likely won't hurt your roster while giving you something that you would least expect from this position.
13. Chris Iannetta, Rockies: Iannetta is the anti-Mauer. He's not going to win a batting title anytime soon, but he's close to a lock to provide you with 20-plus homers from the catcher position with the full-time job, which he now has. In 154 games over the past two seasons combined, Iannetta has hit only .216 but he also hit 25 home runs (in 477 at bats). That's one home run per every 19 at bats.
14. J.P. Arencibia, Blue Jays: Arencibia is another guy that will likely hurt you in batting average but help you in the power categories. Between Triple-A and a few games with the Jays last year, Arencibia hit a total of 34 home runs in 496 at bats.
15. Carlos Ruiz, Phillies: Ruiz is the Adam LaRoche of the catcher position. In other words, his splits before and after the All-Star break tell a completely different story. Over the past three years, Ruiz has hit only .237 before the break, but he has hit .285 after the break. The contrast wasn't as great in 2010 (.283 and .316 splits, respectively).
Feel free to send fantasy baseball questions to me via Twitter at @EDSBaseball or post them in our fantasy baseball forum.
Rangers name Neftali Feliz as its closer for 2011
Although he was scheduled to start against the Padres today, Rangers pitcher Neftali Feliz will instead come out of the bullpen.
Despite pitching well enough this spring to earn a spot in the rotation, manager Ron Washington believes Feliz will be of greater value to the team as its closer.
"That's exactly what I told him," Washington said, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "Right now, for our organization, we're better off with him in the bullpen. We haven't closed the door on him being a starter. We're just not ready yet."
The Rangers starting rotation will be C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland.
Feliz, who was named the A.L. Rookie of the Year, finished with 40 saves last year.
Despite pitching well enough this spring to earn a spot in the rotation, manager Ron Washington believes Feliz will be of greater value to the team as its closer.
"That's exactly what I told him," Washington said, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "Right now, for our organization, we're better off with him in the bullpen. We haven't closed the door on him being a starter. We're just not ready yet."
The Rangers starting rotation will be C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Matt Harrison, Tommy Hunter and Derek Holland.
Feliz, who was named the A.L. Rookie of the Year, finished with 40 saves last year.
As expected, Chase Utley likely to begin season on DL
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is dealing with an assortment of issues with his right knee: patellar tendinitis, chondromalacia and bone inflammation.
As most had expected, the team's general manager has confirmed that Utley will most likely begin the season on the disabled list (DL).
"We haven't seen him on the field yet and we're a week away," Ruben Amaro Jr said, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. "It's likely he's not going to be making our club, at least not right now."
Even worse, it continues to appear as though his recovery will be on the longer side.
"Nothing new," Amaro said [of Utley's improvement]. "I think he feels better. We'll see. It's kind of a long-term process. It's not going to happen overnight."
Utley, who missed 47 games last season, is only two seasons removed from a 30-20 season in 2009.
And during the five-year span of 2005 to 2009, Utley had 100-plus runs and 100-plus runs batted in four times. (The two exceptions were 93 runs scored in 2005 and 93 RBIs in 2009.)
In ESPN fantasy baseball leagues, Utley has an average draft pick (ADP) of 63.9, which has dropped 10.6 spots over the past seven days.
As most had expected, the team's general manager has confirmed that Utley will most likely begin the season on the disabled list (DL).
"We haven't seen him on the field yet and we're a week away," Ruben Amaro Jr said, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. "It's likely he's not going to be making our club, at least not right now."
Even worse, it continues to appear as though his recovery will be on the longer side.
"Nothing new," Amaro said [of Utley's improvement]. "I think he feels better. We'll see. It's kind of a long-term process. It's not going to happen overnight."
Utley, who missed 47 games last season, is only two seasons removed from a 30-20 season in 2009.
And during the five-year span of 2005 to 2009, Utley had 100-plus runs and 100-plus runs batted in four times. (The two exceptions were 93 runs scored in 2005 and 93 RBIs in 2009.)
In ESPN fantasy baseball leagues, Utley has an average draft pick (ADP) of 63.9, which has dropped 10.6 spots over the past seven days.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Brian Wilson out with strained oblique
San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson has been shut down until at least Monday with a strained left oblique, according to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News.
Wilson, who will be reevaluated on Monday, said he expects to be ready for the season opener, which is less than two weeks away.
"I feel a lot better than I did Thursday and I'll feel a lot better tomorrow and Monday and we'll take it from there," Wilson said. "I wouldn't imagine the team is worried about me. They know the situation ... they know I'll be ready."
According to live draft results in ESPN fantasy leagues, Wilson is the first closer off the boards with an average draft position of 64.2.
As pointed out by Pavlovic, Giants manager Bruce Bochy listed Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo as the top candidates for save opportunities if Wilson isn't ready for Opening Day.
Wilson, who will be reevaluated on Monday, said he expects to be ready for the season opener, which is less than two weeks away.
"I feel a lot better than I did Thursday and I'll feel a lot better tomorrow and Monday and we'll take it from there," Wilson said. "I wouldn't imagine the team is worried about me. They know the situation ... they know I'll be ready."
According to live draft results in ESPN fantasy leagues, Wilson is the first closer off the boards with an average draft position of 64.2.
As pointed out by Pavlovic, Giants manager Bruce Bochy listed Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo as the top candidates for save opportunities if Wilson isn't ready for Opening Day.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Opening Day status in jeopardy for Kendry Morales?
The Major League Baseball season opens up two weeks from tomorrow for 12 teams including the Los Angeles Angels.
Who's on first for the Angels when the season opens remains to be seen.
Kendry Morales, who suffered a broken lower leg last May, was unable to run curves on the outfield grass on Tuesday as initially scheduled. However, manager Mike Scioscia refused to describe it as a setback.
"It's not a setback; there are just some plateaus guys hit," Scioscia said, per Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. "You can't force things. He's going to keep working, keep moving forward."
Until Morales is able to run the bases, he won't appear in spring games. And if Morales doesn't appear in games by this weekend, it's likely that he will begin the season on the disabled list (DL) with Mark Trumbo at first base.
Who's on first for the Angels when the season opens remains to be seen.
Kendry Morales, who suffered a broken lower leg last May, was unable to run curves on the outfield grass on Tuesday as initially scheduled. However, manager Mike Scioscia refused to describe it as a setback.
"It's not a setback; there are just some plateaus guys hit," Scioscia said, per Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. "You can't force things. He's going to keep working, keep moving forward."
Until Morales is able to run the bases, he won't appear in spring games. And if Morales doesn't appear in games by this weekend, it's likely that he will begin the season on the disabled list (DL) with Mark Trumbo at first base.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A's closer Andrew Bailey to visit Dr. Andrews
Oakland A's closer Andrew Bailey left yesterday's game with discomfort in his right elbow and forearm and he'll pay a visit to Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday.
"Anytime you see someone leave the game with tightness, it's concerning," [A's manager Bob] Geren said, "but we'll reserve judgment until after he gets checked out."
That said, it's typically not good when a player makes a visit to Dr. Andrews.
Over the past two seasons, Bailey, who had surgery near the end of last season by Dr. Andrews, has a cumulative 1.70 ERA and 51 saves.
As Jane Lee of MLB.com points out, if Bailey isn't ready at the beginning of the season, it's likely that Brian Fuentes would close until Bailey can. Fuentes led all of baseball with 48 saves in 2009.
[Update: Bailey has a forearm strain and no ligament/joint damage, per ESPN's Buster Olney.]
"Anytime you see someone leave the game with tightness, it's concerning," [A's manager Bob] Geren said, "but we'll reserve judgment until after he gets checked out."
That said, it's typically not good when a player makes a visit to Dr. Andrews.
Over the past two seasons, Bailey, who had surgery near the end of last season by Dr. Andrews, has a cumulative 1.70 ERA and 51 saves.
As Jane Lee of MLB.com points out, if Bailey isn't ready at the beginning of the season, it's likely that Brian Fuentes would close until Bailey can. Fuentes led all of baseball with 48 saves in 2009.
[Update: Bailey has a forearm strain and no ligament/joint damage, per ESPN's Buster Olney.]
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Wandy Rodriguez to miss Tuesday start with shoulder tendinitis
Per Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle, Astros starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez has been scratched from his start on Tuesday due to a mild case of shoulder tendinitis.
It's not known when he will next pitch.
And as Levine points out, starting on April 2nd could become jeopardized if he doesn't heal quickly or if his rehab is thrown off schedule.
Last year, Rodriguez finished with a record of 11-12, 3.60 ERA and 178 strikeouts.
It's not known when he will next pitch.
And as Levine points out, starting on April 2nd could become jeopardized if he doesn't heal quickly or if his rehab is thrown off schedule.
Last year, Rodriguez finished with a record of 11-12, 3.60 ERA and 178 strikeouts.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Andrew McCutchen left Friday's game with a sore wrist
Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen left yesterday's game against the Rays with a sore wrist.
James McDonald, the team's No. 3 starter, left the game with pain in his side within an inning of McCutchen.
Per Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, manager Clint Hurdle won't speculate on either injury, saying "We don't know. I don't talk about injuries. Normally, information doesn't get accurate until later on. I'm not a doctor."
Based on average draft position (ADP) from Mock Draft Central, McCutchen is the 12th outfielder and 42nd player off the boards in fantasy baseball drafts this year.
Last year, McCutchen hit 16 home runs and stole 33 bases while scoring 94 runs and hitting .286.
James McDonald, the team's No. 3 starter, left the game with pain in his side within an inning of McCutchen.
Per Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, manager Clint Hurdle won't speculate on either injury, saying "We don't know. I don't talk about injuries. Normally, information doesn't get accurate until later on. I'm not a doctor."
Based on average draft position (ADP) from Mock Draft Central, McCutchen is the 12th outfielder and 42nd player off the boards in fantasy baseball drafts this year.
Last year, McCutchen hit 16 home runs and stole 33 bases while scoring 94 runs and hitting .286.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Zack Greinke to start season on DL
After an MRI revealed a hairline fracture in one of his ribs and a bruise in another, Brewers pitcher Zack Greinke is expected to miss the next two to four weeks and start the season on the disabled list.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tweeted that Greinke will miss the first three starts of the season.
Greinke, who has made a couple of spring training appearances, suffered the injury a couple of weeks ago while playing basketball.
"I've been doing this for a couple of years now and people always said, 'You're going to get hurt.' It finally caught up to me, playing basketball," Greinke said, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. I was going up for a rebound and fell on the side. I was hoping it was just bruised. I had a lot of fun doing it but it wasn't worth it."
Greinke won the 2009 AL Cy Young award, but he finished with a record of 10-14, an ERA of 4.17 and 181 strikeouts last year. His ERA the All-Star break (4.72) was a full run higher than what it was before the break (3.71). Despite posting an ERA of 2.16 and striking out 242 batters in 2009, Greinke won only 16 games that year due to a lack of run support.
With the transition to the National League and to a team that should provide greater run support than he received in Kansas City, Greinke should bounce back in 2011 when he returns from injury.
According to Mock Draft Central, Greinke is currently the seventh pitcher and 46th player off the board in fantasy baseball drafts. If folks overreact to the injury news, however, it's possible that Greinke could become a bit of a bargain.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tweeted that Greinke will miss the first three starts of the season.
Greinke, who has made a couple of spring training appearances, suffered the injury a couple of weeks ago while playing basketball.
"I've been doing this for a couple of years now and people always said, 'You're going to get hurt.' It finally caught up to me, playing basketball," Greinke said, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. I was going up for a rebound and fell on the side. I was hoping it was just bruised. I had a lot of fun doing it but it wasn't worth it."
Greinke won the 2009 AL Cy Young award, but he finished with a record of 10-14, an ERA of 4.17 and 181 strikeouts last year. His ERA the All-Star break (4.72) was a full run higher than what it was before the break (3.71). Despite posting an ERA of 2.16 and striking out 242 batters in 2009, Greinke won only 16 games that year due to a lack of run support.
With the transition to the National League and to a team that should provide greater run support than he received in Kansas City, Greinke should bounce back in 2011 when he returns from injury.
According to Mock Draft Central, Greinke is currently the seventh pitcher and 46th player off the board in fantasy baseball drafts. If folks overreact to the injury news, however, it's possible that Greinke could become a bit of a bargain.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Carlos Beltran moving to right field
Last year, Angel Pagan moved from center field when Carlos Beltran was ready to return from knee surgery.
This year, it's Beltran that will give up center field (to Pagan) in the hopes of prolonging his career.
"I want to play right," Beltran said, per Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger. "I think it’s best for the team. It’s going to be best for me also, best for my knee."
This weekend, Beltran will begin playing Grapefruit League games as a designated hitter.
Today Newsday's David Lennon tweeted that Beltran was "absolutely crushing the ball" during batting practice.
According to Mock Draft Central, Beltran is the 51st outfielder and 223rd player off the board, on average, in fantasy baseball drafts. Meanwhile, Pagan is the 58th outfielder and 241st player drafted on average.
This year, it's Beltran that will give up center field (to Pagan) in the hopes of prolonging his career.
"I want to play right," Beltran said, per Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger. "I think it’s best for the team. It’s going to be best for me also, best for my knee."
This weekend, Beltran will begin playing Grapefruit League games as a designated hitter.
Today Newsday's David Lennon tweeted that Beltran was "absolutely crushing the ball" during batting practice.
According to Mock Draft Central, Beltran is the 51st outfielder and 223rd player off the board, on average, in fantasy baseball drafts. Meanwhile, Pagan is the 58th outfielder and 241st player drafted on average.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Chase Utley "day-to-day" with patellar tendinitis
An MRI revealed that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has patellar tendinitis in his right knee, per David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News.
As one would expect, Utley is being held out of today's game against the Yankees and labels himself as "day-to-day."
The injury is not new for Utley, but he says the discomfort is lasting longer than usual.
"It comes and goes," Utley said. "Right now it's not going as fast as I wish that it would. But I think at this point it is better to be safe than sorry. I'd rather miss some games down here than miss some games during the season."
General manager Ruben Amaro echoes Utley's sentiment.
"I think he knows and understands this is about the long haul," Amaro said. "He's an intense guy and he wants to be out there playing and all that business, but I think he understands that this is all part of the process for him to be fine later on rather than have to deal with it long term."
Based on average draft position from Mock Draft Central, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is the only second baseman off the board before Utley in fantasy baseball drafts.
Utley, who missed 47 games last year, hit .275 with 16 home runs and 63 runs batted in. Before 2010, however, Utley hit 31 home runs and stole 23 bases in 2009 and had a 100-RBI streak of four years from 2005 through 2008.
As one would expect, Utley is being held out of today's game against the Yankees and labels himself as "day-to-day."
The injury is not new for Utley, but he says the discomfort is lasting longer than usual.
"It comes and goes," Utley said. "Right now it's not going as fast as I wish that it would. But I think at this point it is better to be safe than sorry. I'd rather miss some games down here than miss some games during the season."
General manager Ruben Amaro echoes Utley's sentiment.
"I think he knows and understands this is about the long haul," Amaro said. "He's an intense guy and he wants to be out there playing and all that business, but I think he understands that this is all part of the process for him to be fine later on rather than have to deal with it long term."
Based on average draft position from Mock Draft Central, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is the only second baseman off the board before Utley in fantasy baseball drafts.
Utley, who missed 47 games last year, hit .275 with 16 home runs and 63 runs batted in. Before 2010, however, Utley hit 31 home runs and stole 23 bases in 2009 and had a 100-RBI streak of four years from 2005 through 2008.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Blue Jays, Bautista agree to five-year extension
The Toronto Blue Jays and outfielder Jose Bautista have agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $64 million.
Bautista, who would have become a free agent after the 2011 season, is signed through 2015, but the Jays have a club option at $14 million for 2016.
“It came down to how far above [Braves second baseman Dan] Uggla we’d be,” [Blue Jays general manager Alex] Anthopoulos said, per The Toronto Star. “We felt Dan Uggla was a focal point, but it took time to work things out. The consistency of Uggla speaks for itself. The upside of Jose’s season is that Uggla never had a season like that.”
Last year, Bautista led the majors with 54 home runs and finished third in the American League in runs batted in with 124. Before 2010, Bautista never hit more than 16 home runs in a season (2006).
Bautista, who would have become a free agent after the 2011 season, is signed through 2015, but the Jays have a club option at $14 million for 2016.
“It came down to how far above [Braves second baseman Dan] Uggla we’d be,” [Blue Jays general manager Alex] Anthopoulos said, per The Toronto Star. “We felt Dan Uggla was a focal point, but it took time to work things out. The consistency of Uggla speaks for itself. The upside of Jose’s season is that Uggla never had a season like that.”
Last year, Bautista led the majors with 54 home runs and finished third in the American League in runs batted in with 124. Before 2010, Bautista never hit more than 16 home runs in a season (2006).
Miguel Cabrera busted for DUI
If you were about to be arrested for DUI, would you take a drink from your bottle of scotch in front of an officer?
Well, if you were Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, the answer to that question (allegedly) would be yes.
Late Wednesday night, Cabrera was arrested in Ft. Pierce (FL) and charged with DUI and two counts of resisting arrest without violence, per the Detroit Free-Press.
And not only did Cabrera take a swig of scotch in front of the officer, but he then proceeded to use the ever-so-popular line: “Do you know who I am?"
So, Cabrera, who had issues with alcohol in the past, apparently has issues with alcohol in the present as well.
Cabrera, who finished second in AL MVP voting, hit .328 and a career-high 38 home runs while driving in 126 runs last season.
According to Mock Draft Central, Cabrera is the third player, on average, off fantasy baseball draft boards behind Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez. There's a good chance that will soon change, especially with first base being such a deep position.
Well, if you were Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, the answer to that question (allegedly) would be yes.
Late Wednesday night, Cabrera was arrested in Ft. Pierce (FL) and charged with DUI and two counts of resisting arrest without violence, per the Detroit Free-Press.
And not only did Cabrera take a swig of scotch in front of the officer, but he then proceeded to use the ever-so-popular line: “Do you know who I am?"
So, Cabrera, who had issues with alcohol in the past, apparently has issues with alcohol in the present as well.
Cabrera, who finished second in AL MVP voting, hit .328 and a career-high 38 home runs while driving in 126 runs last season.
According to Mock Draft Central, Cabrera is the third player, on average, off fantasy baseball draft boards behind Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez. There's a good chance that will soon change, especially with first base being such a deep position.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
David Aardsma likely to miss first two weeks of season
Seattle Mariners closer David Aardsma will likely miss at least the first two weeks of the 2011 season, per Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald.
Aardsma, who had hip surgery in January, had 31 saves and five blown saves in 2010 with an ERA of 3.44.
However, he converted 15-of-16 save opportunities after the All-Star Break with an ERA of 0.84 during that span.
“Next week I’ll start the process of walking, and once I can put my full weight on my leg I can start throwing,” Aardsma said. “By that, I mean really throwing, not sitting on a chair. Then a couple of weeks after that, I can start letting it go. The big thing is putting all my weight on my leg.”
In addition, Aardsma says he's in good overall shape.
“I think I’m in better shape and stronger than I ever have been,” he said. “I can do the bike every day without resistance and I do pool work every day. Conditioning-wise, I’ve lost 10 pounds and I’m in great shape. I can do leg strengthening things but I can’t do push-off stuff. I can do hamstring curls, quad stuff, interior and exterior stuff, and I’m doing full upper-body workouts.”
With Aardsma (likely) out for the first two weeks (and maybe more) of the season, Brandon League will get closing duties and be a source of temporary saves in fantasy leagues.
Aardsma, who had hip surgery in January, had 31 saves and five blown saves in 2010 with an ERA of 3.44.
However, he converted 15-of-16 save opportunities after the All-Star Break with an ERA of 0.84 during that span.
“Next week I’ll start the process of walking, and once I can put my full weight on my leg I can start throwing,” Aardsma said. “By that, I mean really throwing, not sitting on a chair. Then a couple of weeks after that, I can start letting it go. The big thing is putting all my weight on my leg.”
In addition, Aardsma says he's in good overall shape.
“I think I’m in better shape and stronger than I ever have been,” he said. “I can do the bike every day without resistance and I do pool work every day. Conditioning-wise, I’ve lost 10 pounds and I’m in great shape. I can do leg strengthening things but I can’t do push-off stuff. I can do hamstring curls, quad stuff, interior and exterior stuff, and I’m doing full upper-body workouts.”
With Aardsma (likely) out for the first two weeks (and maybe more) of the season, Brandon League will get closing duties and be a source of temporary saves in fantasy leagues.
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