Fantasy Baseball 2009

AL Player Spotlight - July 5th, 2009

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:16:24 -0700

Victor Martinez (C—Indians)—Cheer up Victor Martinez owners. You knew that at some point he was going to have to slow down. You didn’t think he was going to bat .350 the whole season, did you? A huge bonus compared to last year is that Martinez has already belted 7 times his home run output for all of last year. And while he is currently battling a tough slump, he still has been having any outstanding year. But it’s been a chilly past couple of weeks as Martinez has been pretty cold. Over the last 12 games he has batted just .095 but has been able to push a couple of home runs over the wall. You have to give Martinez credit for doing so well before this recent slump as he still has a solid line of .308/.393/.523. And for a power hitter, he has an excellent EYE of 1.02 which has certainly helped keep his average high. His BHIP is now at .321, very close to his career average of .317, so chances are his slump won’t continue too much longer. Keep him active as he is sure to turn things around and even though the hits aren’t coming in droves right now, he still works out ways to get on base and create runs with a very good RC27 of 7.9. Josh Hamilton (OF—Rangers)—Rangers fans were hoping for a different kind of fireworks display on July 4th with the return of Josh Hamilton. But Hamilton did not return from the DL as expected on Saturday and has been put off for an extra day. So far this season, Hamilton hasn’t lived up to the hype and has been a disappointment to fantasy owners. His line of .240/.296/.456 does not measure up to his career averages or even close to last year’s accomplishments. However, if fantasy owners were expecting Hamilton to go on a tear like last year, I would temper my expectations. Hamilton had a very high BHIP last year of .333. His current BHIP is nestled at .264, so we can definitely expect improvement (especially if healthy). Personally, I think that Hamilton was playing over his head last year. The home runs will still be there as he is close to his last year’s average of 4.4%, but with a CT% of 67% and a career EYE of 0.47, I would expect a drop in BA and RBI. Still, he is a great ball player and worthy of a must start. Just monitor whether or not he is able to make it into the Ranger lineup on Sunday because otherwise he may be a risky start for the upcoming week. Anthony Swarzak (SP—Twins)—Yes, once again we see the pattern of a player with a poor performance, mysteriously winding up on the DL the next day. The Twins are the latest team to take advantage (or abuse?) the DL and placed Kevin Slowey on the list and recalled Anthony Swarzak to take his spot in the rotation. The last we saw Swarzak, he had pitched the game of his career and was unceremoniously shipped to Triple A after the start. Yes, the cold hand of reality gave Swarzak a good slap in the face that day. But he is back for a return shot. The rookie had a couple of rough outing but has also balanced them out with some solid performances. His numbers have been respectable in his few outings while not outstanding. He has managed to put together a 3.90 ERA and a solid LOB% of 76.9%. He has also kept opposing hitter to a .252 batting average. Being a contact pitcher with a CT% of 87%, the strikeouts won’t be impressive but he does seem to do some nice damage control with an average of just a home run per 9 innings. I wouldn’t run out and buy Swarzak right now, but we have seen what he is capable of in some of his outings. He has been solid in Triple A Rochester with a 2.25 ERA. Keep a watch on him and with the proper match ups, he may be worth taking a shot on here and there while Slowey is coming back from his “injury”. Jason Bay (OF—Red Sox)—It’s a good thing that David Ortiz’s bat is coming around, because Jason bay has taken a little vacation these past week from carrying the bulk of the Red Sox offense all season long. Over the past 8 games going into Saturday, Bay has been hitting .088, with 1 RBI and striking out at a clip of 47% of the time. That’s not so good. With this recent slump his BA has dipped down to .262 but still maintains the league lead in RBI with 70. What’s really encouraging is that Bay has a BHIP of .292 which is about 30 points below his career average. We should see Bay’s BA climb closer to the 280’s and 290’s which means he could contain to build on his RBI total. One of the factors that have lead to his high RBI total is that 51% of his base hits have gone for extra bases. With an RC/27 of 7.1, I’m expecting a slight improvement upon that with his BHIP average improving. Bay contains to be a premier player this year and with all of the offense that surrounds him, he will continue to reap the benefits. I expect this current slump to be short and he should continue a very solid and productive 2009. Hank Blalock (3B—Rangers)—Hank Blalock has had a bit of a hot and cold kind of year. But I’m sensing that he might be heating up again, so I am putting fantasy owners on alert. Over the past week, Blalock is batting .300, which is good, but he has hit 4 home runs in the past 6 games with 7 RBI. Blalock is on pace for 35 home runs this year and while his OBP is pretty dismal at .293 and has a poor EYE of 0.29, the slugging is at a nice, robust .547 with an OPS of .840. You are obviously going to take a hit in strike outs, as Blalock strikeouts 18% of the time, but his XBH% is an impressive 12.8% so when he is hitting the ball, he has been able to make an impact. But with a BHIP of .232, I think there is much more to come from Blalock as he is more then 60 points below his career BHIP. I’d go after Blalock now as I think he is at the start of an upswing and there could be some strong, offensive numbers ahead.

Prospect Central '09 Week 13

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:00:23 -0700

Alcides Escobar - Shortstop, Milwaukee Brewers Alcides Escobar, Baseball America's Top Brewers prospect will be playing SS for the World Team in the Futures game coming up in St Louis on July 12th. The 6-1, 175 Venezuela native was signed as a 17 year old in 2003 by Epy Guerrero who has only added to his distinguished track record with this one. Escobar is a pure shortstop who not only makes the plays, he does it fluidly, gliding to balls then unleashing a strong and accurate arm. He will be a regular on Web Gems when he reaches the majors, which shouldn't be long. Escobar could do so on his defense alone and it looked for a while like he may have to. But his development as a hitter the last two seasons has been significant. Last year saw him mature physically and that resulted in 8 HRs in AA, more than double the HRs he had hit in his previous 900+ pro ABs, including 226 ABs in AA the previous season. It also resulted in an 80 point leap in his SLG% over his 2007 AA tour to .434 which is quite acceptable for a player with his defensive and speed skills. Speed? ... How's 50 SBs over three levels in 2007, and 34 last year in AA, not to mention 27 in AAA this year in 320 ABs. Escobar's contact skills are good. he's fanned less than 17% of the time throughout his minor league run, but zone recognition has been a bit of a problem. His sub-6 BB rates have suppressed his OBP which is keeping him from being the leadoff candidate everyone would like him to be. Escobar's AVG has been good at his last two stops, but his .328 in AA last year had the tailwind of a .375 BHIP% and this year his .297 is being floated by a .349 BHIP%. He needs to start thinking more like a leadoff hitter and use his contact skills and speed to get on base, supplementing that with more walks than he takes now. J.J. Hardy blocks Escobar's path in Milwaukee for the moment but the Brewers are going to be faced with a decision here soon. Escobar is ready to go and the Brewers need to figure out how to play both players or deal one. From a fantasy standpoint, Escobar will steal a lot of bases out of the SS slot which is tremendously valuable. Should he become selective enough to hit at the top of the order he'll score runs, he won't sink your team's average, and he's going to chip in a dong every once in a while. You can't ask for a lot more than that. Long Term Fantasy Grade - A

Seas Lvl  AB XBH  HR  SB  AVG   BB%     K%  OBP  SLG 
2006 A+  347  12   2  28 .259   5.2   15.9 .299 .308 
2007 A+  268  11   0  18 .325   2.5   13.1 .345 .377 
2007 AA  226  10   1   4 .283   4.6   15.9 .314 .354 
2008 AA  546  37   8  34 .328   5.4   15.0 .363 .434 
2009 AAA 320  28   3  27 .297   5.9   16.3 .345 .419

Nick Weglarz - Outfielder Cleveland Indians Progress has been slow for Canadian slugger Nick Weglarz, the Tribe's 3rd round pick in 2005. Injuries have been the major culprit as Nick missed almost all of 2006 with a broken hamate bone but followed that with a strong season in A-ball in 2007. Not yet 22, Nick has plenty of time to catch up. His 6-3, 245 build shows incredible power potential and he already lifts the ball with backspin, a trait that sometimes takes some time to come in with sluggers. What separates him from other large slugger types however is his plate discipline and pitch recognition. So far pitchers cannot get him to chase breaking pitches and he became even more selective with his jump to High-A last season, as he cut his K rate nearly 9% to a very acceptable 20.8%. This year, with another jump to AA Nick's AVG has dropped despite a neutral .277 BHIP% but keep in mind his .272 AVG in High-A was produced with a favorable .321 BHIP%. The thing to focus on is that he upped his already healthy BB rate despite the jump, and he's maintained most of his K rate gains. He's also started to ramp up his SLG% again with 12 HRs and 28 XBH in just 241 ABs. Nick has mechanical hurdles to jump in his swing as the O's would like to see him take a more direct route to the ball and quiet his swing. Given his zone command and pitch recognition skills he should produce a higher average than he does. His sheer size is a bit of an issue too and there's a question whether he can maintain enough mobility to handle left field. Nick projects as a prototypical slugger, who can produce seasons of 20 homers or more with a .260-.265 average, but his plate discipline and his promise of physical maturity suggests a higher ceiling. This is one to keep an eye on as we head towards September. Long Term Fantasy Grade - A-

Seas Lvl  AB XBH  HR  SB  AVG   BB%     K%  OBP  SLG 
2007 A   434  51  23   1 .279  15.9   29.3 .399 .502 
2008 A+  375  35  10   9 .272  15.9   20.8 .396 .432 
2009 AA  241  28  12   2 .249  16.3   23.2 .378 .473

This is a sample of Insiderbaseball.com's Prospect Central which profiles, in depth, 120+ prospect each season. Get all this great info, plus exclusive daily news and analysis throughout the season delivered right to your inbox by becoming a member today!

NL Player Report - July 5, 2009

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:19:06 -0700

Fernando Martinez: Martinez is day-to-day with a sore knee. The 20-year-old is suffering from horrible luck, a .143 BHIP%, which is contributing to his poor numbers, 1/8/.176 in 91 AB. However, he is also not generating much power or plate patience, 5% BB%. Despite all of the Mets’ injuries, they would be better off letting him develop further in Triple-A, where he most likely will go once Carlos Beltran returns. Raul Ibanez: There is still no timetable for Ibanez’s rehab assignment from his groin injury which puts a return right after the All-Star break in doubt. Prior to going on the DL, Ibanez was clearly enjoying moving from a pitcher’s park in Seattle, 23 home runs in 635 AB, to a bandbox in Philly, 22 home runs in 250 AB. Some of the 43 doubles that Ibanez hit last year are now clearing the fences, just 16 this year. However with a 42% GB%, a 42% FB%, and a 25.3% HR/FB, expect more of the fly balls to stay in the park upon his return, thus slowing down the rate of home runs. Ross Ohlendorf: With mediocre skills, 4.9 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, and a 43% GB%, Ohlendorf is getting decent results, 7-6 with a 4.41 ERA, which makes him serviceable in NL-only leagues. However, be careful, if his .263% BHIP% begins to normalize, he doesn’t have the skills to weather that kind of a storm. It is ok to use him today in NL-only leagues for his start in Florida. Joe Blanton: Despite showing by far the best dominance of his career, 2006/2007/2008/2009 K/9’s of 5.0/5.5/5.1/8.1, and decent control, 2.9 BB/9, Blanton is not putting up good numbers, 5-5 with a 5.08 ERA in 15 starts. An inflated .309 BHIP% can take part of the blame, but the real problem has been gopheritis, 18 home runs allowed in 88.2 innings. To cure that, Blanton will have to get back to his ground ball inducing ways, 2007/2008/2009 GB%’s of 47%/44%/39%, as his home park is not very forgiving with fly balls, FB%’s of 33%/35%/40%. He pitches at home today, but isn’t a bad play against a powerless Mets’ offense. Mike Burns: The soon-to-be 31-year-old Burns will get his third start of the season today against the Cubs in Wrigley. So far the results have been good, 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA in 16.1 innings. Although the sample size is small, if he continues with these skills, 5.0 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, and a 51% FB%, he would be a disaster waiting to happen. Let someone else take that risk in NL-only leagues. There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning, members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here: www.fantistics.com/baseball00/. Not a member? Join today: www.fantistics.com/join/join.php3

AL Player Spotlight - July 4, 2009

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:51:05 -0700

Daisuke Matsuzaka (SP – Red Sox) Dice-K left yesterday for Florida where he will commence a conditioning program. The Sox are essentially treating this as a do-over, and have likened it to Spring Training, which Dice-K missed due to the WBC. There has been no definitive time-table set for his return to the big leagues, but I would speculate that it will be at least a month from now. Based on his peripherals (8.74 K/9, 4.63 BB/9, Dice-K actually has been very comparable to last season (8.27 K/9, 4.63 BB/9). The difference has been a massive reversal of luck (.267 BABIP, 80.6% strand rate, 6.1% HR/FB last year; .441 BABIP, 68.9% strand rate, 15.1% HR/FB this year). The real Dice-K is clearly somewhere in between his last two seasons, and I would use his rookie year as a decent gauge for what to expect in the 2nd half of ‘09 (4.40 ERA, 1.32 WHIP). The next month presents a very desirable buying period on Dice-K. Delmon Young (OF – Twins) It may be hard to fathom after his extremely disappointing ’08 season, but Delmon Young has regressed even further in ’09. Delmon has actually been so bad that it hurts my brain just thinking about it (.256 / .281 / .318). Astonishingly, he has actually been quite lucky this season with a .361 BABIP that is overstated by roughly 70 points. If not for good fortune, he would most likely be the worst regular in major league baseball this year. His K rate has jumped up by 13% this year, while his BB rate has declined by 3%, which has left him with a nauseating .09 EYE. His extra base hit rate is a mere 3.9%, and he has continued to pound the ball into the ground with remarkable frequency (53.7% GB). There are absolutely no positive signs to take away from Delmon’s season this year; but if you insist, it would have to be that he is still just 24 years old. A.J. Burnett (SP – Yankees) A.J. Burnett defeated his former team on Friday, and has thrown together four straight impressive starts. Don’t be fooled by the recent hot stretch. All of Burnett’s indicators (K/9, BB/9, GB%) have fallen when compared to his last few seasons. He has been able to scrape by in large part to his 77.9% strand rate. This will normalize in time, and his current BB/9 of 4.50 will come back to bite him. In fact, even in his last four highly successful starts, his BB/9 has been 4.00 in those games. His obvious injury concerns not withstanding, Burnett is still a player that I would be selling. After coming off of these last four starts, there is no better time than right now to start shopping him. Grady Sizemore (OF – Indians) Grady Sizemore has unequivocally been a colossal disappointment for fantasy owners this year. However, with injury concerns aside, he should have a monster 2nd half. Grady’s EYE (.49) has noticeably fallen this season, but it does not concern me since his contact rate (81.2%) has remained the same. The main culprit in Grady’s down season has been a brutal BABIP of .250. He sports a career BABIP of .318, and his LD rate this season directly aligns with his career averages. There are no truly concerning statistics that would indicate a decline in skills, but it cannot be forgotten that he has an elbow issue that is likely to require surgery following the season. If Grady can stay healthy in the 2nd half, acquiring him right now could be just the type of move to catapult a team to a fantasy title. Travis Hafner (DH – Indians) Travis Hafner smacked his 9th homer of the season last night, along with drawing two walks. Hafner has quieted his critics so far this year, and actually looks pretty darn good right now. His EYE (.88) has returned to where it was before last season’s disaster. His extra base hit rate is a very impressive 14.5%. And finally, his contact rate is a career best 80.2%. I was willing to believe that the decline in his level of play was more a function of injuries, rather than a true diminishment of skills, and I am feeling pretty confident about that now. Even though his position eligibility hinders his fantasy value, Hafner looks like he could still be a valuable contributor in any league.

NL Player Spotlight - July 4, 2009

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:44:37 -0700

Felipe Paulino (SP-HOU) – Paulino returned from a groin injury to post a very impressive 7-3-1-1-0-9 against the Tigers in his last start, seemingly securing the No. 5 rotation spot. Flash forward to Friday and now we’re not so sure. Facing the juggernaut Giants’ offense, Paulino lasted just two innings, allowing a whopping eight runs on nine hits, including homers to Pablo Sandoval and Travis Ishikawa. Paulino now sports a devilish 6.66 ERA, though a 49:19 K:BB in 52 2/3 innings indicates that Paulino still has some skills, but the 10 home runs have been his undoing. Cross your fingers that the Astros coaching staff can work on that aspect of his game and stash him away in deeper NL-only leagues. Chris Iannetta (C-COL) – Iannetta had a nice night Friday, going 2-for-2 with a sacrifice fly in a 5-0 win over Arizona. Iannetta is batting .239/.365/.490 on the season with 10 homers and a 0.68 EYE. I haven’t studied this too closely, but it’s certainly possible that slow catchers can consistently have a sub-.300 BABIP, but Iannetta’s .243 mark seems to predict an uptick in BA. Iannetta’s ISO is supported by a nice uptick in his FB% from 40.7% to 52.2%, so the 20-25 HR power looks real. Expect the AVG to creep into the .250s or perhaps .260s as the season progresses, particularly as Iannetta continues to work his way back from a hamstring injury. Brandon Moss (OF-PIT) – Moss got the start Friday for the second consecutive game at the expense of Delwyn Young and he took advantage (sort) of by homering off Chris Volstad in the first innings, though Moss did go hitless in his final four at-bats. For some reason the Pirates had two guys (Jack Wilson and Moss) with subpar (.307 and .314) OBPs and two guys with .350+ marks (Andy LaRoche and Ramon Vazquez) batting six and seven. I digress however. Moss is apparently getting a look as the Pirates look to add some pop to their lineup, and with a .315/.397/.405 batting line, Young is apparently too much of a base-clogger to play every day in Pittsburgh. Moss now has a whopping two homers in 208 at-bats this season, but that’s apparently enough to hit third in Pittsburgh. Grab him in NL-only leagues…I guess. Andrew McCutchen (OF-PIT) – Now a fixture in the leadoff spot, McCutchen was 2-for-5 with a double and his fifth stolen base Friday against the Marlins. He’s now batting a solid .293/.341/.455 in 123 at-bats, and though he’s homered just once, McCutchen also has seven doubles and five triples. His 5.6% BB% needs some work and he’s hitting a few too many ground balls (though with his speed, that’s not quite as much of a negative), but the talent is obvious. The Pirates have a decent handful of solid young hitters (Andy LaRoche, Pedro Alvarez, …), but until they add some young pitching, losing seasons will continue. It just won’t be McCutchen’s fault, as eventually this is going to be a 15-20 HR, 40 SB type talent. Jorge De La Rosa (SP-COL) – The good Jorge showed up for the second consecutive start on Friday, as De La Rosa won his third consecutive start, spinning sight shutout innings to beat the Diamondbacks. De La Rosa walked four and struck out six on the night. De La Rosa is now 5-1 in his last six starts after opening 0-6, with such inconsistency a hallmark of his career to date. If you watch De La Rosa, you can tell when it’s going to be a good night – he’s locating his slider and change. There’s a little concern with his .342 BABIP and 63.2% LOB%, but perhaps at some point, the 28 year-old’s consistency will get there. There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning. Members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here. Not a member? Join today.

NL Daily Notes - July 3rd, 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:31:02 -0700

Scott Hairston: Hairston continues to be an underrated commodity in fantasy. Hairston’s owned in an astoundingly low 9% of ESPN leagues despite posting a .914 OPS while on pace for a 20-20 season. Hairston’s bounced around quite a bit at the major league level, plays in the obscurity of San Diego’s horrid offense, and has generated just 24 Runs and 28 RBI’s; so there are some reasons to explain low ownership, but under 10% is rather absurd. The Run and RBI production will continue to be limited and the average will come down some (.362 BABIP), but the power-speed combination is real and Hairston (a minor league career .320-.400-.568) has enough skill to maintain the batting average. He really should be owned in all formats and is being rather radically overlooked right now. Rafael Soriano: I keep reading across the fantasy industry analysts referring to Mike Gonzalez as the closer and I’m not really sure why? In June, 10 of Rafael Soriano’s 13 appearances were in the 9th inning or later, while just 7 of Mike Gonzalez’s 15 appearances were in the 9th inning or later. It’s apparent the role is still split for the most part, but the trend of Gonzalez picking up more save opportunities than Soriano is a dated trend that fantasy analysts and owners need to recognize. The job is still shared but Soriano is the clear lead here both based on recent opportunity and skill. Cole Hamels: Wednesday’s awful outing should provide a nice little buying opportunity for Hamels pursuers. Hamels K, BB, and HR Rates are all in line with previous years’ production as is his velocity, but more than anything some horrendous luck is destroying Hamels season. A .374 BABIP against and .360 BHIP% against are the primary detractors from his performance and both are due for an inordinate amount of regression. Given the injury concerns Hamels had earlier in the season and the extremely heightened hit rate, recent struggles, and ugly season long totals; Hamels should be an excellent trade target for savvy owners. Aramis Ramirez: It’s welcome back Ramirez day here at Fantistics! While a bigger name Ramirez will be making his return to the big leagues tonight, Aramis Ramirez will be down on the farm in Peoria playing his first rehab game since dislocating his shoulder early in the season. Ramirez is planning on playing through the weekend and then returning at the start of next week. Upon return it will likely take some time to return to form and the power will likely be a question mark throughout the season as the injury occurred to Ramirez’s front shoulder, but the Cubs and fantasy owners will be happy to have him back. For owners who may have been able to fill his void through astute waiver wire maneuvering (Mark Reynolds, Pablo Sandoval, etc), I’d actually consider dealing Ramirez upon return. When healthy, Ramirez is an elite (Top 5 1B), but the effects of this shoulder injury on his power production the rest of the way are unknown and if you have a capable replacement on hand, I’d imagine his value will be at a peak upon his return when owners associate his name with draft day (or early season) production in excitement of his return and shrug off the downside of lingering shoulder effects. Ryan Church: I’ve always been a fan of Ryan Church, though he may fall into the “better in real life” than fantasy category, but being that he’s sort of the “last man standing” in the Mets OF, Church deserves some attention in all formats. Church’s main issues throughout his career have been playing time related (either through poor management see Nationals, Washington, or injury) and with everyone hurting on the Mets roster, Church is pretty much guaranteed everyday playing time. He hit .307/.361/.453 in June while scoring 14 Runs and swiping 3 bags. Citi Field is going to limit the HR production (just 2 all season), but the Mets added emphasis on small ball should allow him more SB opportunities. He’s scorching hot right now going 10-18 in his last 4 games, but he’s more than just a short-term hitch and ditch player. As long as Church’s playing time is stable he can produce at a pro-rated .280-70-15-70-15 line.

AL Player Report - July 3, 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:20:45 -0700

Vicente Padilla: Padilla’s next start has been pushed back to Tuesday because of some minor soreness in his shoulder. With below average skills, 4.9 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, and a 50% GB%, Padilla has been mediocre, 6-4 with a 4.75 ERA. However if his .278 BHIP% begins to normalize or his FB% reverts to last year’s level, 2008/2009 FB%’s of 31%/38%, things will go from mediocre to ugly very quickly. Jose Molina: Molina, who has been out since May 8th with a torn left quad, is set to begin a rehab assignment and is about 10 to 14 days away from rejoining the Yankees. Molina is like Jesus Alou, who didn’t have Felipe’s power or Matty’s speed, as he does not have Bengie’s power and contact skills or Yadier’s plate patience and contact skills, 4 home runs in his last 312 AB with a 2008 BB% of 4% and Ct% of 80%. He is clearly in the majors for his defense and should not be on a fantasy roster. Brian Tallet: Tallet brings his 5-5 record and 4.47 ERA into a road start against the Yankees today. His 6.8 K/9 is acceptable, but his 4.3 BB/9 and 44% FB% makes him a poor choice for home starts or in any other cozy ballpark like Yankee Stadium. Tim Wakefield: Hard to believe but the soon-to-be 43 year-old Wakefield, at 10-3, is on pace for a 20+ win season. However his skills are below average, 4.8 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, and a 38% GB%, and he is experiencing good fortune, 68% strand rate, a .280 BHIP%, and a ridiculous 4% HR/FB%. If any of those begin to normalize it could get real ugly for Wakefield. Despite the negatives, he is a good play at home today against a weak and depleted Seattle lineup. Lucas French: French will make his first career start on the road against the Twins today. He was putting up good numbers in Triple-A this year, 2.98 ERA in 81.2 innings, backed up by good skills, 7.9 K/9 and a 2.2 BB/9. At this point, those in AL-only leagues should monitor the 23-year-old, but wait a couple of starts to see if he is worth activating. There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning, members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here: www.fantistics.com/baseball00/. Not a member? Join today :www.fantistics.com/join/join.php3

AL Player Spotlight- July 2, 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:34:14 -0700

Alexei Ramirez- CHA- Injury- Ramirez will be out of today’s game, but it has nothing to do with the beaning he took on Monday. He is apparently fully recovered from that, going 3-for-4 with a run and RBI. Ramirez injured the middle finger on his throwing hand fielding a grounder. It is hoped that it is just some residual soreness. Magglio Ordonez- DET- Cold- Ordonez is not experiencing significant drops in either his BHIPx, his walk ratio or his strikeout ratios. The only thing that seems to be bothering him is an inability to hit the ball as far as he used to. Not only are his homers down, only 3 so far in 246 ABs, but he only has 9 doubles, when he hit 32 in 561 ABs last year and 54 in 595 ABs in 2007. At 35 years old, Ordonez may be hitting a wall. Gil Meche- KC-Caution- Meche threw 121 pitches last night. He has hit 120 or more twice before this season. In the following two starts he lasted a total of 7-2/3 IP and gave up 14 runs. In each of the previous two years he hit that pitch count level only once and didn’t show any ill effects following. However, only doing it once may have been a factor there. Be very cautious as Meche heads into his next start. George Sherrill- BAL- Cold- A night after picking up the save in the Orioles’ wild comeback against the Red Sox, Sherrill blew one, allowing Boston to tie the game in the 9th inning. He threw 15 of his 29 pitches for balls, walking 3 and giving up 2 hits. Sherrill seems to have some problems with control when he is called on to work after throwing more than 20 pitches. Earlier this season he had a string of 5 appearances where he walked a batter. During this string Sherrill also threw more than 20 pitches each time out, as well as the outing leading into it. Keep a watch on Sherrill’s pitch counts if you have daily transactions. If you see him start running high counts and losing control, you might want to give him a rest, even if Baltimore manager Dave Trembley doesn’t. Ricky Romero- TOR- Hot- Romero threw 8 shutout innings against the Rays, allowing just 4 hits, walking 4 and striking out 7. It was his 6th consecutive quality start. It was also the second time in 3 starts Romero passed the 110-pitch mark. He showed no ill effects from the last extended outing, as he threw 7 shutout innings after it. Still, Romero is not yet 25 years old, so high pitch counts present a risk. Keep a watch on his usage patterns.

NL Player Spotlight - July 2nd, 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:03:28 -0700

David Wright (3B--Mets)--Is David Wright having a terrific season? I guess it depends on who you ask. I will say it’s a very unique season. Yes, his BA is in the .340 area, which is wonderful, but where has all the power gone? Where are the runs driven in? And why all of the strikeouts? One explanation, we presume, would be the Mets new ballpark, CitiField. A ballpark where home runs die on the warning track and line drives are tracked down in the cavernous gaps. Through the end of June, CitiField has had 11% less run production than your average ballpark. So with this in mind, it would be assumed that Wright has changed his approach at the plate from hitting the ball with power, to hitting line drives. But there are a couple of worrisome trends. First, of Wright's 5 home runs, only 2 has been hit on the road. If Wright is indeed changing his approach at CitiField, why is he changing it on the road? We should be seeing more home runs than 2. Second, and a little more concerning, is that Wright currently has a BHIP of .450. .450. That is so huge, I had to write it twice. And while balls hit in play is a relatively new statistic, no player in baseball history has had a high of a BHIP this far into the season as Wright. It's on par with well...like...hitting 70+ home runs in a season. Now, I'm not suggesting any comparison to the legitimacy of Wright with any players that hit 70+ home runs in a season, but Wright's BHIP can't possibly stay that high. Something's gotta give. Once Wright's BHIP starts to deflate, so will his BA. And what are we left with: a good hitting ballplayer, who isn't hitting with any power, not driving in runs and is on his way to 166 strikeouts or more. So does that mean you should sit Wright on your bench? Of course not. But just be prepared that Wright may hit a really rough patch ahead. Hopefully, by then he will have rediscovered his home run stroke. Jimmy Rollins (SS--Phillies)--Nothing like a little rest and relaxation to get you head cleared; to take a little time off and get back to work with a fresh attitude and a brand new approach, right? So it has been for Jimmy Rollins who went on a little vacation from the grind of the daily lineup as prescribed by manager Charlie Manual. The intent was that when he got back into the lineup, he would start to hit which he has been unable to do all year. Well, after his first game back, Rollins may need a longer vacation (and maybe a trip) because he went 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. And on Wednesday he went another 0-3. Sigh! His BA dropped to .205 and he is currently riding 0-27 slump. This season Rollins looks nothing like the former MVP of 2007 and quite frankly seemed to have had a comparatively off year n 2008. Never really on base percentage guy, Rollins has a career OBP of .329. But now Rollins is mired with a.250 OBP this season. The stat that jumps out at you is that his LD% is at 16.4% which is about 5% lower than his career average. Also, very suggestive is that Rollins seems to be trying to do his best Ryan Howard imitation as his FB% is up 5% over his career average which would indicate that Rollins is getting under the ball and not driving it. At this point in the season for fantasy owners that reached for Rollins as a top tier shortstop, I would expect improvement but don’t expect the 2007 Rollins to make an appearance anytime soon. If all goes well, perhaps Rollins can muster up enough offense to put together a season that looks closer to 2008. If you have other shortstop option, play them; otherwise fantasy owners will just have to ride this out or try to work out a trade based Rollins’ potential value. Brandon Webb (SP--Diamondbacks)--Early on Wednesday, if you were listening close enough, you made have heard a collective sigh drift over the Arizona desert. That collective sigh might have extended to fantasy owners of Brandon Webb. Or maybe not. The good news is that Webb does not expect to undergo surgery and all of the fantasy owners that have been holding on to Webb, just aching to have an opportunity to use him in 2009, may get their wish. The bad news is that it might not be until September. Webb is an elite pitcher when healthy and certainly is a must start option in all league formats as he is provides low ERA, WHIP, nice control, high strikeouts and collects wins. Everything you want from a pitcher. But here's the conundrum: what does the fantasy owner do with Webb from now until September? Normally, I’m looking and writing about statistically trends to look at the hot/cold players that may be of value for the fantasy team. But let’s talk fantasy strategy for a change. Because with Webb, here is where you earn you're fantasy manager stripes and where your season could be won or lost based upon such an important decision. If you are lagging behind in your league and you need to do something drastic to pull yourself up out of the doldrums, now might be the perfect opportunity to deal Webb to that owner who smells victory is within his grasp. In return you get at least two solid, contributing players who can give your league leader a run for his money. If you are leading your league, do you consider trading Webb for a couple of players who will solidify your lineup and push you over the edge and leave the rest of the competition completely in the dust? Or do you hold onto Webb for the final push? As good as Webb is, you don't know how he will respond coming off the DL and if the Diamondbacks are not contending, chances are they are not going to push Webb to do too much this season and may want to hold him back. My gut feeling is that you should try to deal him to that greedy owner and extract some quality talent in exchange. Sell Webb high now, especially with this fresh news of him returning for the end of the season. Happy shopping! Jair Jurrjens (SP—Braves)—When looking at the Braves pitching staff, Javier Vazquez is putting together a terrific year, but the pitcher on that staff that seems to warrant more attention than he has gotten is Jair Jurrjens. He would make my All-Star team. On Wednesday, Jurrjens pitched 7 innings of 1 hit ball, allowing 1 ER and recording 6K. He lowered his ERA down to 2.73 and in case anybody hasn’t noticed, Jurrjens has not had at any point in the season, an ERA that has reached above 3.00. In fact, there has only been one game that Jurrjens allowed 4 ER which has been the most in a game this season. His BHIP stands at .294, so it’s not like the low ERA is a fluke. But where he has been most effective is that when he gives up hits, he has avoided given up extra base hits and the long ball. In fact, his XBH% is a 6.6% and he only allows 1 home run every 2 games. Consequently he has a very good LOB% of over 76%. At 23, Jurrjens is becoming a terrific, quality pitcher that was more then likely a sleeper on draft day. If you were lucky enough to pick him up, then you obviously know that he continues to be a must start in all fantasy formats. Adam Wainwright (SP—Cardinals)—If I would have told you that Adam Wainwright on Wednesday was going to pitch 9 innings, strikeout 12 (a career high) and allow 1 ER, you probably would have bet a New York steak that he would have come away with the win. Well, you would have had to cough up some money to pay for that steak because you would have been wrong. While he didn’t get the win, he also didn’t get the loss as Wainwright was locked up in a pitcher’s deal with Matt Cain and the Giants. Wainwright has been one of the more consistent pitchers in the league and has been a nice surprise as he has really come into his own this season. One of the things I love most about Wainwright, more than the 3.32 ERA and the way he throws first pitch strikes 61% of the time, or strands runners on base at a rate of 76.7%. The thing I am most impressed with in regards to Wainwright is that he gives you innings. He has put together 15 consecutive starts where he has pitched 6 innings or more. That says a lot about his ability to keep his team in games and give fantasy owners opportunities to collect wins. He continues to be a must start in all fantasy formats.

Prospect Spreadsheet Updates - July 2, 2009

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:55:16 -0700

American League 18 Jesus Montero NYY C A- .304/.377/.478 in 69 AA AB. Doesn't turn 20 until November. Can he stick at C though? 19 Eric Hosmer KC 1B A- ,896 OPS in May but dropped to .590 in June. 13.7 BB% is a positive, 72.6% CT% not so much. 26 Chris Carter OAK 1B B+ Power heating up along with the weather. HR totals by month: 1, 5, and 7 in June. 39 Jemile Weeks OAK 2B B .403/.495/.714 in a spectacular June. Already 7 HR in 97 AB. Hip inj delayed start of season. 42 Josh Reddick BOS OF B .240 with 3 HR and 16:9 K:BB in 18 games in June. 23 HR and 14 SB a year ago. 29 David Hernandez BAL SP B Back in the bigs and should stick around for awhile, at least until Koji Uehara returns. 30 Jeremy Hellickson TAM SP B Last update was that he was throwing off a mound earlier this month. Look for a return in July. 39 Martin Perez TEX SP B Working out of the bullpen lately, something hopefully just to limit his innings. 48 Dan Hudson CHW SP B 8 K's in each of first two AA starts and a 10.8 K/9 on the year for this fast riser. 49 Casey Kelly BOS SP B 1 ER in last 19 IP in High-A and overall, a 1.50 ERA in 84 innings. Nice pro debut. National League 2 Buster Posey SF C A Decent June - .385/.529/.631 with 8:18 K:BB and 10 XBH (3 HR). AA or AAA soon. 3 Jason Heyward ATL OF A A relatively quiet year, but an .899 OPS for his age in High-A is pretty special. Tip of the iceberg. 5 Pedro Alvarez PIT 3B A Mini hot streak = promotion to AA. Just 3-for-25 there, but 2 HR. 7 Cameron Maybin FLA OF A .417 in last 10 games and .331 overall in AAA. Problem is, there's no room w/ Coughlan in LF. 9 Andrew McCutcheon PIT OF A- .284/.333/.440, so he's cooled off a little, but he's here to stay and will drop off list next week. 34 Kris Medlen ATL SP B Should be back starting at some point, but for now, he's just waiting for an injury. 38 Antonio Bastardo PHI SP B Shoulder issues and a 6.75 ERA after an encouraging first couple big league starts. 44 Julio Teheran ATL SP B 3 ER and 8:1 K:BB in 8.1 innings in the Appy League. Tremendous upside. 47 Scott Elbert LAD SP B Finally coming (back) together after shoulder issues. 6-1-0-0-1-7 in AAA debut. 50 Travis Wood CIN SP B 1.36 ERA in 16 starts is deserving of a bump in the rankings, but 5'11" ht. limits upside. Each week we provide over 60 updates to our top 100 prospects (50 hitters and 50 pitchers) as well as our team-by-team top 5s in Prospect Central. Link: http://www.fantistics.com/baseball00/M-Prospect.htm. Not a member? Join today link:www.fantistics.com/join/join.php3

AL Player Spotlight - July 1, 2009

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:28:54 -0700

1. Jason Bay (OF - Red Sox) - Nobody is happier to see June end than Jason Bay. He ended the month hitting just .230 with a .301 OBP and 4 HR. Over the last week, Bay has just 2 hits in 25 AB with 9 K's, 1 BB, no RBI, and no HR. For the season, Bay already has 71 K's and 47 BB's for an EYE of .66. He's striking out a ton and barely making contact recently, but has shown through the first two months that the power is back with 14 HR before June began. While he's one of the coldest players in the league right now, you have to assume the breakout is coming soon. 2. Alex Rodriguez (3B - Yankees) - While A-Rod hasn't exactly been tearing the cover off the ball since returning from the DL (.233 average in 159 AB), he does have 12 HR for an average HR/AB rate 13.3. His OBP is .399 driven by 40 walks on just 29 K's. Overall, his FPI is hovering around the 0.70 mark, which is fairly incredible given the huge variance between OBP and average. A foolish owner may look to the extended "slump" and low average and undervalue A-Rod's fantasy value. But there's no mistaking A-Rod's recent resurgence (perhaps the rest last week did more good than we originally thought). 3. Placido Polanco (2B - Tigers) - Polanco's power has come out of nowhere in the month of June with 4 of his 5 HR season total hit since June 18th. In general, Polanco is way off his normal career rates. He's mostly known for average, either breaking or flirting with the .300 mark for most of his career in St. Louis, Philly, and Detroit. But this season, Polanco is hitting just .256 with a .201 BHIP, 0.692 OPS, and a 0.47 FPI. Just comparing those rates to last year's performance, Polanco is -51 points off 2008's average and -0.75 in OPS. The recent power surge might be a good sign that he's putting it all together. I would expect an big average bump for Polanco in July. 4. Mark Teahen (1B, 3B, OF - Royals) - Mark Teahen's ownership is still only around 50%, but he's been on-fire over the last week and warrants consideration as a free agent pickup. His season stats are solid: .289 avg, .340 OBP, 0.62 FPI, HR/AB of 30.0, .796 OPS. His batting eye could use some improvement at .38, especially with the low power rate, but he has been consistently hitting 3 HR per month which could have him flirting with the 20-HR mark by year-end. He's also currently sitting on 3-games played at 2B, which could give him eligibility at a 4th position in the near-term. 5. Gio Gonzalez (SP - A's) - A's prospect Gio Gonzalez had his best start of the season, going 5.0 IP against the Tigers while giving up 3 ER, 7 hits, 2 BB with 5 K's. I lost track of how many times Gio has been called-up from the minors this season (its at least three), but he has yet to live-up to the hype that was surrounding him when his name hit the radars about 18 months ago. His numbers in Triple-A this season have been fantastic though and you have to wonder if it will translate to the big leagues with just a little more experience under his belt. Through 12 starts in the minors in 2009, Gio is posting a 2.51 ERA with 71 K's in 61 IP. He's not worth the claim just yet, but definitely keep the 23-year-old on your watch list. His next start will come on Sunday against the Red Sox. There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning. Members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here. Not a member? Join today.

NL Player Spotlight - July 1, 2009

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:18:07 -0700

Craig Stammen (SP – Nationals) Despite early indications to the contrary, Craig Stammen will remain in the rotation upon the return of Scott Olsen, while Shairon Martis is sent down to Triple-A. I am a bit more bullish on Stammen than most others, but I still do believe that he is not much more than a desperate option for an NL-only team. Stammen’s 3.2 K/9 in Triple-A this season is startlingly offensive, but it is counter-balanced by a 1.8 BB/9 and a 2.03 ground out to air out ratio. The combination of these skills had resulted in a 1.80 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in Triple-A this season. In his 7 major league starts he has upped the K/9 to 4.58; the BB/9 has risen to 2.29; and, the GO/AO ratio has fallen to 1.53. While in the majors, he has been victimized by a 57% strand rate, which leaves his FIP (4.26) considerably lower than his ERA (5.49). He isn’t going to be missing many bats in the majors (87.5% contact rate), but I still do see some potential value at the back of an NL-only rotation due to his mix of throwing strikes and inducing ground balls. Fernando Nieve (SP – Mets) After being roughed up on Monday, Jerry Manuel confirmed that Fernando Nieve will remain in the rotation for his next start. Nieve is somewhat of an intriguing arm, as is shown by his 8.9 K/9 in the minors this season, but the bottom line remains that he has been massively lucky since joining the rotation. Even after the terrible outing on Monday, Nieve’s FIP (4.34) remains more than two full points higher than his ERA (2.25). This discrepancy is due to an 89.4% strand rate, a .271 BABIP, and a 6.1% HR/FB rate. Nieve is definitely worth owning in NL-only leagues, but I would be trying to move him very quickly right now based on his 5.25 K/9 and 3.75 BB/9 in the majors this year. Garrett Jones (OF/1B – Pirates) After trading Eric Hinske to the Yankees, Garrett Jones was called up by the Pirates to take his place on the roster. Jones is 28 years old and has just 77 major league at bats to his name. He is a power bat that has never been able to break through to the majors due to his below-average contact skills (.258 career minor league BA); although, he has shown signs of improvement in this area (BA of .280 / .279 / .307 in his last 3 seasons). He is having one of his best seasons at Triple-A this year with a .307 / .348 / .502 line, while also adding 12 HR and 14 SB. Jones doesn’t project as much long-term, and will be among many players competing for at bats in the outfield and at 1st base in Pittsburgh. I anticipate that Adam LaRoche will be the next Pirate shipped out of town, and at that point, Jones could emerge with some value in NL-only leagues. Sean Burnett (RP – Nationals) While it is always difficult as a fan to see your team trade away a former 1st round pick, I would argue that the Pirates actually sold high on Sean Burnett. After many injuries, Burnett’s future in this league is as a reliever, and probably as a very mediocre one. Despite some very ugly peripherals (6.40 K/9, 4.18 BB/9), he has managed to post a 3.06 ERA and 1.14 WHIP this season. The illusion of success has been created by a 78.2% strand rate and a ridiculous .218 BABIP. Burnett’s perceived value is clearly greater than his actual value due to his former prospect status and lucky season thus far in ’09. That being said, Burnett has landed in the exact right place for a mediocre middle reliever, since the Nationals entire bullpen is comprised of this type of arm. NL-only leaguers should be aware of Burnett, as he is just as likely as any other Nationals pitcher to start picking up some saves. Delwyn Young (OF – Pirates) All of the activity in the Pirates’ front office has opened up more playing time for Delwyn Young. Delwyn has a .330 / .405 / .427 line in the majors this season, but it has been greatly aided by luck (.432 BABIP). He was a consistent producer in the minors (.876 career OPS), who was labeled as a future 4th outfielder mostly due to being in the same system as Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. I still believe that Young has the skills to be a regular in this league, and at age 27, this could be his last legitimate shot. Young looks like a great pick-up in NL-only leagues if still available, as his competition for at bats is not very stiff at this point in time.

NL Player Spotlight- June 30, 2009

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:10:03 -0700

Dan Haren- ARI- Caution- At this point last season Haren had hit or exceeded the 110 pitch mark twice. So far this year he has done it 5 times. For a pitcher who has exhibited a noted second half fade in the past 3 seasons, this could compound the issues. Chris Carpenter- STL- Hot- Carpenter takes the mound tonight with 7 consecutive quality starts under his belt. Regression to the mean still hasn’t happened, as he still sports a BHIP of .189. Still if and when it does, the drop off should not be too horrible. His 9 walks in 65.2 IP just will not give opponents that many chances to do him in. Carpenter can afford to allow some more hits without too much damage happening. Ubaldo Jimenez- COL- Hot- Jimenez did not get a decision in the extra inning contest with the Dodgers, but that was matter of nonsupport. He certainly pitched well enough to win, throwing 7 IP and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. While the game was in pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium, Jimenez has performed almost as well at Coors Field as on the road, with a 3.79 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in Denver and a 3.71 ERA and 1.26 WHIP on the road. The home ERA and WHIP discrepancy is explained by an uncanny ability to keep the ball in the park. Jimenez has allowed only 1 homer in 40-1/3 IP in Coors. He will probably not be able to keep that pace up, so his number may suffer at home, but in 2007 he was able to tame Coors, so it is not unthinkable that he could maintain his current stats or at least something close to them. Adrian Gonzalez- SD- Cold- It has not been a June to remember for Gonzalez. He has hit just .228 with only 4 homers after having a monster May in power terms slugging 11 homers albeit with only a .250 average. The reason is that opponents have given him the Barry Bonds treatment and just refuse to pitch to him. Gonzalez’s 32 walks (while only striking out 13 times) in June have resulted in a .450 OBP despite the low batting average. If teams keep treating him this way, it will be a long remainder of the season, as Gonzalez will spend a lot of time trotting to first base on a walk instead of all the way around after a long ball. If they instead figure that with his average they can afford to face him, there will be the opportunity for hefty production. Adam Dunn- WAS- Cold- Dunn’s batting average has continued its trip south as regression to the mean continues to happen. A .229 batting average this month has brought him down to .257 for the season and there is still probably room for him to drop some more. Dunn’s .259 BHIPx is still higher than his norm. What is more disconcerting is that Dunn has only hit 3 homers in 83 June ABs. Still, his Batting EYE for the month is a decent .72, so the power drought is probably an anomaly. He could very easily go on a tear like the one that had him hitting 10 homers in May.

AL Player Spotlight

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:49:11 -0700

Scott Rolen - The 34 year old Rolen is having one of his best years (sans power, of course) ever in 2009, courtesy of a line drive rate that rivals the game's best. His .360 BABIP is actually quite a bit lower than you'd expect given that LD%, and his K rate and contact rate are both at career bests. Rolen has always been a solid player, and it seems to me like he's altered his game to compensate for the gradual decrease in power that his constant shoulder injuries have likely engendered. Other than the injury risk associated with him, I don't see a lot of reason to expect regression right now. Juan Rivera - Rivera is scorching right now, homering last night for the third time in six games and pushing his SLG for the month over .600. His BABIP remains about 20-30 points higher than you'd expect, so some AVG regression is likely, but a career-best contact rate is helping keep his numbers extremely strong. I do expect some slowdown from this pace, but he could easily maintain enough production to start in most formats. Kendry Morales - Morales continues to rake, cracking an XBH for the third straight game to give himself 37 for the year. His BABIP has regressed almost back to the "median luck point" (or whatever you want to call it), and while he's still fanning a ton it doesn't seem to be affecting his production all that much. The progress of Rivera and Morales has been critical to the Angels' success this year, and I really don't expect a ton of regression from either one. Kurt Suzuki - Suzuki doubled and walked yesterday in the A's 7-1 victory against the Tigers, giving him 20 doubles for the year here two weeks before the break. At age 25 and taking into consideration the typical later maturity of catchers, I do think that the 20 doubles are potentially indicative of some power later on. Suzuki is also suffering from a BABIP that is about 50 points lower than you'd expect, leading me to believe that he is potentially capable of something like a 300/350/475 line during his peak. I think he's fairly well underrated at present. Rick Porcello - Porcello had a rough outing last night, allowing eleven baserunners and five runs in 4 1/3 innings to fall to 8-5 for the year. His stats still portend a bit of regression, but the 57% GB rate will keep him on the positive side of things. I wonder if he has a bit of a Verlander step forward in terms of generating swings and misses in him, although his stuff isn't nearly at the same level as Verlander's. I'm not sure I see Porcello as an ace in the making, but more of a #2/#3 guy down the road.

NL Player Spotlight - June 29, 2009

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:02:29 -0700

Ryan Sadowski (SP-SF) – The Giants have an enviable top four in their rotation, but the No. 5 spot has been a black hole this year due in large part to Jonathan Sanchez. Sadowski will attempt to plug that hole until Madison Bumgarner is ready, and Sadowski got off to a nice start Sunday, spinning six shutout innings against the Brewers. He allowed just four hits while walking three and striking out two. With a 4.14 career minor league ERA to go with a 7.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9, Sadowski doesn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence that Sunday’s effort will be closer to the norm however. He’s also 26 years of age, so while anyone with a pulse is worthy of an NL-only flier, don’t rush out to get this guy. Nate Schierholtz (OF-SF) – Schierholtz’s playing time has never been consistent enough for the 25 year-old Reno, NV native to try and prove he belongs in the big leagues, but that may be changing. Getting his sixth start this week, Schierholtz was 4-for-5 with a homer on Sunday against the Brewers and is now batting .316/.339/.474 in 114 at-bats. The spread between his AVG and OBP is low due to Schierholtz’s not-so-good 20:4 K:BB, but then again, he carries with him a 0.33 minor league EYE, so this isn’t a surprise. Schierholtz’s playing time is coming primarily at the expense of Fred Lewis, and with Lewis in a 4-for-33 skid and Schierholtz 12-for-21 with two homers in his last five games, look for this arrangement to continue. He’s a nice NL-only play, though with that EYE and a .347 BABIP, predicting long-term success becomes difficult. Jason Kendall (C-MIL) – Kendall was 0-for-3 on Sunday, leaving him with a typically-low .223/.314/.265 line for the Brewers this season. He’s a “gamer” though, so teams keep giving him contracts to be their starting catcher despite his replacement-level talent these days. In addition to the .579 OPS, Kendall brings no homers and a 3-for-24 slump to the table. At some point, the Brewers are going to have to consider pulling the plug, and if that indeed happens, the guy to look to is Triple-A catcher Angel Salome. Salome is hitting a so-so .291/.338/.439 for Triple-A Nashville, but in his last eight games, Salome is 16-for-35 with seven XBH’s. He also hit a strong .360/.415/.559 in Double-A last year, so we know the bat is interesting. Salome is worth targeting for catcher-deficient teams with the only question being whether he can handle the position defensively in the big leagues. Chris Dickerson (OF-CIN) – At first glance, Sunday’s box score seemed to be flip-flopped inadvertently by ESPN, as Dickerson and his .383 OBP were in the nine-hole, with the first two hitters being Willy Taveras (.282 OBP) and Jerry Hairston Jr. (.307 OBP). Then I remembered who was managing the Reds these days, so let’s move on. Dickerson was 1-for-4 Sunday, leaving his line at .279/.383/.396 in 154 at-bats for the Reds. He has 12 XBH’s (two HR) and five stolen bases to go with a 0.63 EYE. The big problem for Dickerson has been the 41 strikeouts, a number that leaves him with a 73.3% CT%, and vulnerable to potentially losing playing tijme to Johnny Gomes, though a Dickerson/Bruce/Gomes outfield probably makes the most sense. Look for Dickerson to continue to play most every day. Ian Snell (SP-PIT) – As we reported a couple days ago, Snell was demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis this week thanks to a 5.36 ERA and 52:44 K:BB in 80 2/3 innings. Snell to his credit however, took the demotion in stride and pitched like Sandy Koufax in his first Triple-A start Sunday, allowing just two hits over seven innings while striking out an impressive 17 batters. This start alone won’t get him back to Pittsburgh, but it’s certainly a good start. Snell has 169 and 177 strikeout seasons to his credit (2006-2007), so his success in Triple-A isn’t a huge surprise. Look for him back in the Pittsburgh rotation within the next two weeks. Don’t completely write him off in NL-only leagues. There are over 100 player news blurbs posted in the member area each morning. Members can read the rest of today's player news by clicking here. Not a member? Join today.