The Fantasy Man

NL King - Don't Expect Help from AL

2013-05-17T12:07:00.002-04:00

I thought I would write an article for NL only leagues and explore possibilities of real good to big AL players coming over to the NL via trade during this season. I am here to tell you it's not looking good and I wouldn't count on any help from the AL. Here is the possibilities I can see.

Minnesota:
The Twins are in a rebuild mode even though they are just 1 game under .500 at this point and time. The Twins won't have a lot to dangle but Justin Morneau is a free agent after the season and the Twins hope he is having a big injury free year come late July so they can get a prospect or two for him. Morneau staying healthy is a big IF. Morneau is having a strange year for him as he is hitting .306 so far but only has 2HR's. Granted that a tough park to hit in and the weather in Minnesota so far this season has been rough.

Seattle:
Mike Morse is a free agent for the M's after the season. Morse hit his 10th HR of the season at Yankee stadium last night. The M's would have to be out of the wild card race and feel like they have no chance to resign Morse as the M's need a bat like his in their lineup.

Toronto:
The Blue Jays were picked by many to win the AL East and be one of the big teams in baseball. As of this morning the Blue Jays are 17-24 and are 8 games behind the 1st place Yankees however the Blue Jays have won 4 in a row. The Blue Jays need to start playing well because they have work to do just to get back to .500. If the Blue Jays do not get it together and are not in the race come July with the amount of dollars the Blue Jays invested they might look to move some salary. Josh Johnson who is extremely talented but is just an injury waiting to happen at all times is a free agent after the season. Johnson is currently dealing with a triceps injury and is probably will stay on the DL until at least the end of May. I have read some speculation by various big baseball insiders also that if things go south for the Jays maybe they would move RA Dickey come July. Again I don't expect this to happen as the bottom has to really fall out for the Jays to consider these moves.

White Sox:
They nearly won the division last year and they got off to a bit of a slow start with an 18-21 record but have won their last 3 in a row. It's a tough division as by most accounts Detroit is considered one of the top teams in the AL if not the best, Kansas City & Cleveland are very competitive and have a good chance to be above .500 as well. Again if things go south for the Sox then they could look to move Paul Konerko who is a free agent after the season but keep in mind he is a 10-5 man so he has a no trade clause & has been in Chicago since 1999 so I don't know if he would agree to a trade. Then there is Jake Peavy who is off to an excellent start this season BUT Peavy who has dealt with a ton of injuries in his career is making 14.5 Million this year & next so other than the Dodgers who would be willing to take on that money?

Of course there is always the expected that can happen but as you can see not looking good of a big AL player coming to the NL. Okay I am taking the weekend off from writing, so everyone have a good weekend.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Checking in on Prospects

2013-05-16T10:50:00.001-04:00

Back in March I wrote an article profiling on a bunch of prospects who were in position to make the opening day rosters and then prospects to expect a call-up to see at least a good amount of time during the season. To review J.Gyorko, S.Miller, W.Peralta, T.Rosenthal. H.Ryu & J.Teheran all made the opening day roster. A.Eaton was slated to make the opening day roster but a late Spring Training injury shelved him and he is still working his way back.

Nolan Arenado got called up a couple of weeks ago and is off to a solid start and will be Rockies everyday 3B the rest of the way. Didi Gregorius got called up in mid April and has been very impressive not just in the field but with the bat. Gregorius might make GM Kevin Towers look like a genius. Finally Tony Cingrani also got called up in mid April due to an injury to Johnny Cueto and has been impressive but he might be sent down to AAA next week with Cueto coming back and the Reds leaning to staying with status quo in terms of their rotation. I would not be surprised to see Cingrani come back to the Reds in the short term due to another injury or lack of performance by someone. So that leaves the rest of the list and I thought I would do an update to show how their season is going and when & if we can expect them to come up to the show. This list is in alphabetical order.

Gerrit Cole - Pitt - SP - (AAA) 3-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.18 Ratio, 31K in 42 1/3 IP.
One of the top prospects in baseball (Ranked 7th overall in Baseball America Top 100 in Feb) and is off to a very good start in AAA. As long as Cole keeps progressing and given the Pirates rotation I expect Cole to be in the majors no later than the all-star break.

Travis D'Arnaud - NY - C (AAA) 1HR, 8RBI, 12R, 0SB, .250 Avg - only played in 12 games.
D'Arnaud in another freak injury is sidelined with a foot injury. I expect him back in Vegas sometime in July and that could work out well with the Mets trading John Buck late July and have D'Arnaud take over then, provided he does not get injured again.

JR Graham - Atl - SP (AA) 1-3, 4.04 ERA, 1.37 Ratio, 28K in 35 2/3 IP.
Won't be apart of the Braves until summer of 2014.

Billi Hamilton - Cinn - OF (AAA) - 2HR, 12RBI, 21R, 21SB, .284 Avg
He is learning a new position in CF and because of that and given the Reds roster I wouldn't expect Hamilton to be part of the Reds until as a September call-up. Hamilton needs to work on his game playing CF and cutting down the K's (27 in 36 games).

Casey Kelly - SD - SP - Had Tommy John surgery in early April so he is out for this season and most likely won't see him in the majors until July of next year. Good news is Kelly is only 23.

Darin Ruf - Phil - OF - (AAA) 5HR, 22RBI, 21R, 1SB, .290 Avg
Seems to me this guy deserves a chance to play to see what he has with the big club. If Phillies are not part of the wild card contention for the 2nd half he will definitely be given a chance to show if he belongs.

Tyler Skaggs - Arz - SP - (AAA) 2-5, 6.21 ERA, 1.51 Ratio, 39K in 37 2/3 IP
Skaggs is off to a very rough start in AAA and right now with the way Patrick Corbin is producing there isn't an opening to consider. Keep in mind Skaggs is just 21 so he might stay in the minors all year.

Oscar Taveras - Stl - OF (AAA) 4HR, 20RBI, 17R, 5SB, .317 Avg.
Was ranked by Baseball America as the 3rd best prospect in MLB in February on their top 100 list. Cards are hoping he will be a huge part of their future but given Cards roster he will need a injury to happen to see significant time this year in St.Louis.

Zack Wheeler - NY - SP (AAA) 2-1, 3.74 ERA, 1.34 Ratio, 47K in 43 1/3 IP.
Another huge prospect (#11 on BA Top 100) but has just been okay in AAA. Mets envision him and Harvey being future aces so they will not rush him. I would not expect to see Wheeler until he starts dominating in AAA so I am thinking sometime in July.

Kolten Wong - Stl - 2B (AAA) 1HR, 13RBI, 22R, 5SB, .309 Avg
Could be Cards future 2B and projects as a nice player could get an opportunity in the near future given certain circumstances with the big club.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Segura What Did I Miss?

2013-05-15T08:31:00.000-04:00

Okay what did I miss with Jean Segura ? I mean I read a lot of the preview magazines, read as many articles on-line on the upcoming season and they all said the same thing about the Brewers Starting Shortstop Jean Segura. Projects to be a nice fantasy player with speed, decent to good average and not a lot of pop and will start the season hitting towards the bottom of the lineup. Nowhere did it make comparisons to a young Alex Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners or no one said Segura has sleeper breakout potential.

Going into last season Segura was considered a very good prospect as he was ranked 55th on Baseball America Top 100 for 2012. Segura had a good year in AA last year before getting traded to the Brewers in the Zack Greinke deal where he went 7HR, 44RBI, 57R, 37SB, .304 Avg. Segura finished the season with the Brewers last year and in 148AB's had 0HR, 14RBI, 19R, 7SB, .264 Avg. This year so far Segura is not just showing great stolen base potential but he is creaming the ball as Segura has 16 extra base hits and as of this morning his stat line is 7HR, 18RBI, 21R, 13SB, .359 Avg. Segura due to early season injuries got a chance to hit towards the top of the lineup and is running with the better placement in the lineup. Keep in the mind in the minors Segura never hit more than 10HR's in a season & in 102 Games last year in AA Segura had 25 extra base hits. In 36 games so far this year at the major league level like I said he has 16. What the heck happened here? No one saw this coming anywhere. The Brewers are so convinced that Segura is the real deal that they are talking long term contract with him even though he is not arbitration eligible until 2016. This is another example of how now every season in fantasy baseball they are so many unexplained situations with players both in a positive manner and a negative one. If you were lucky enough to draft Segura good for you.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - NL Trade Bait to Watch

2013-05-14T08:54:00.000-04:00

Something to keep in mind if you are in NL only leagues and either have these players on your own roster or maybe looking at acquiring them to add to your team in the short term. I am going to break down each team that I think will either definitely be sellers or could be sellers this year.

Could Be Sellers:
Brewers:
Brewers are team that tries to stay as competitive as possible even though they are a mid market team. They did lose Fielder & Greinke although they tried to keep them both & this spring they signed Kyle Lohse to a 3 year deal. However the Brewers have holes on their team and if there young starters do not come through they could use more depth in the rotation and their bullpen is a disaster. So if they are out of contention come late July for a wild card spot they will be sellers.

Corey Hart - Hart is only 31 so he has a few good years left in him but he is a free agent after the season. Hart should come off the DL in late May - early June and there is a good chance he winds up resigning with the Brewers. But if the Brewers feel they can't resign him and they are out of contention for a wild card spot come late July he will be moved.

Padres:
I don't expect the Padres to be in contention but given their team I do not see a lot of choices other than Chase Headley and Houston Street.

Chase Headley - Headley is looking like the player he was last year and at least publicly the Padres are saying they want to Headley to be a Padre for life. Headley and his agent have said they will not talk contract during the season. I think the Padres will take the stance with Headley like the Marlins with Stanton just a touch different. The Padres will wait until the off-season and make a big push to sign Headley who at that point will be 1 year away from free agency. If the Padres feel they cannot sign Headley they will trade him at the next Winter Meetings. Again every team can be a part of the discussion and every team will have a lot of roster flexibility at that point. However if someone wows the Padres come July for Headley they will most certainly take a very hard look at that, but it would have to be a major package otherwise I believe they will wait until the off-season.

Houston Street - He is signed through next season 2014 but when your a bad team a closer is way down the list. The Padres also have Luke Gregerson who could take over as closer. They will not give Street away but if a team comes up with a good package that might be to hard to the Friars to resist.

Phillies:
The Phillies could make a run to at least stay in contention for one of the wild card spots and if that is the case they won't even think about selling. However if the bottom starts to fall out then the Phillies might realize it's time to regroup. Last week although he has been terrible it seems they have lost Roy Halladay for at least a considerable amount of time. Here are their candidates.

Cliff Lee - They would probably love to move him and he is still a front line guy BUT at age 34 between this season and the next 2 years (signed through 2015) Lee is owed 87.5 million. That's nearly 30 million a year that's going to be almost impossible to move. Lee also has a limited 9 team no trade clause.

Jimmy Rollins - Still effective and signed through at least next season 2014 and has a vesting option for 2015 that could kick in for 11 million dollars if Rollins stays healthy. However Rollins has a no trade clause because he is a 10-5 man so he isn't going anywhere without his permission. Rollins is from Oakland so maybe he be willing to go to a California team.

Carlos Ruiz - He is a free agent after the season (34 years old) but honestly not a huge rebuild chip for Phillies.

Chase Utley - He is also a free agent after the season and is 34 years old. Utley is off to a very good start but between his no trade clause (10-5 man as well) and his beat up body going to be tough to move Utley and get a good return for him.

Michael Young - A free agent after the season I believe he also has a no trade clause and there is only so much the Phils would get for him.

Rockies:
Right now the Rockies are above .500 and like the Brewers as long as they are in contention for at least a wild card spot they will not be sellers. But honestly with their starting rotation I have a hard time seeing them staying in contention for even a wild card spot. But you never know.

Rafael Betancourt - He has been excellent as the Rockies closer since last year but he is 37 and will most certainly be a free agent after the season (4.25 million mutual option). Given his salary a lot of teams will be interested in Betancourt to bolster their bullpen and the Rocks should get a nice prospect or two for him.

Michael Cuddyer - A real good bat and he could really help someone especially an AL team where he could DH. However Cuddyer is a guy who has a lot of bumps and bruises on him, he is 34 and he is signed through next season at 11 million dollars per year. The Rockies have plenty of bats on the main roster and in fact they just called up Charlie Blackmon who is a good looking young player if he can stay healthy and they still have Tyler Colvin in AAA and all he did last year was hit .290 and have 18HR & 70+RBI in a little over 400AB's.

Jorge De La Rosa - Off to a fantastic start and as long as he De La Rosa is having a very good season and stays healthy the Rocks should be able to get a couple of good prospects for him come July.

Will be Sellers:
Cubs:
Theo Epstein knew when taking the team over he was at the start of a rebuilding program.

Matt Garza - In the final year of his deal and when healthy he is a front line starting pitcher. Should be off the DL and back in the Cubs rotation sometime next week. Cubs are hoping that Garza pitches like the front end guy he is and stays healthy for the next 2 months and trade him for the best deal they can get come late July. If that pans out their will be a lot of suitors.

Carlos Marmol - In the final year of his deal and making 9.6 million this season. Cubs will have to hope for a hot streak between now and the trade deadline, be willing to pay part of his contract to be able to get a raw low level prospect.

Alfonso Soriano - Soriano is making 18 million both this year & next and the Cubs want to move to him to open a spot for their younger players. Soriano does have a no trade clause but would move it for certain teams. The Cubs will have to hope that Soriano has a power year like last season, find an AL team desperate for a bat, be willing to eat a significant portion of the contract and expect back at best a couple of low level raw prospects.

Marlins:
The Marlins are in business to sell players.

Rickey Nolasco - Off to a nice start to the season and is a free agent after this year. The Marlins will definitely move him and that might do it way sooner that the end of July and take advantage when Nolasco is pitching well and strike when the iron is hot.

Giancarlo Stanton - Currently on the DL and unless some team blows away the Marlins with a huge package I don't believe the Marlins will look to trade Stanton until the off-season. Stanton is only making $537,000 and does not become arbitration eligible until after the season. Also in the off-season you can get every team involved and have every team have a lot more flexibility in terms of what they can give up. I believe Stanton owners are safe for the 2013 season in terms of Stanton not getting traded.

Mets:
Still have a lot of work to do as they do not have enough quality players.

John Buck - Do not be fooled Travis D'Arnaud as long as he stops getting these freak injuries is the Mets catcher of the future and that future should start in August. Buck is off to a ridiculous start but come late July the Mets will hope Buck is continuing to have a career year and be able to trade him for a good young player or two.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - NY Islanders in Review & Going Forward

2013-05-12T14:51:00.000-04:00

As all of you know this is a forum where we talk about Fantasy Baseball for NL Leagues. If you follow me on twitter you realize I am a very passionate New York Islanders fan. I am going to use today's article to write about the Islanders. This is a one time only deal for this season. Tomorrow morning there will be a new NL King article up talking about the possible trade candidates in the NL during this season. For those of you who read my articles and are a New York Islander Fan I hope you enjoy this.

Season In Review:
Going into this shortened 48 game season the Hockey News picked the New York Islanders to finish dead last in the Eastern Conference. In fact most publications or websites who made such proclamations had the Islanders finishing no better than 3rd worst in the Eastern Conference and probably heading to the draft with another top 5 or top 6 pick. The Isles the first 60% of the season were very competitive but had trouble putting together wins. Every time the Isles got close to .500 then would slip to 3 games under or so. Losing 3rd period leads was a big problem early in the season. It wasn't like the Islanders were getting blown out in fact I believe in the 48 game season the Isles were something like in 41 or 42 of their regular season games they headed into the 3rd period either tied or ahead. So the Isles were in pretty much in every game to say the least. But then from mid March on everything came together for this young team as the finished on an incredible run and made the playoffs for the 1st time since 2007. They of course drew the Penguins in the first round and they were an incredible underdog. After getting embarrassed and blown out in Game 1 the Islanders showed their talent, their resilience, their toughness both physically and mentally and played a great series. However they came up short by losing last night in Game 6 in OT after some bad luck on the tying goal by Paul Martin late in the 3rd deflecting off Frans Nielsen stick. While if you had asked any Islander before the season this is how this season would play out would you sign up for that, I would say 99% would not only sign up for it but be thrilled. I know I would've, however having said that last nights loss was a hit to the solar plexus and while I am extremely disappointed and this will stay with me for a couple of weeks I am extremely proud of the team and know really good days are ahead.

Going Forward:
Okay I am going to break down the big factors for the Isles going forward starting with this off-season.

Rick DiPietro:
It was clear early on this season that DiPietro could not compete at the NHL level. The Isles sent down DiPietro to Bridgeport to try and find his game. DiPietro in 18 games went 9-9 with a 2.93 GAA & .893 Save Percentage. While not horrible this is minor league hockey. He is a great kid and he does everything he can to be the best he can be but DiPietro due to a gigantic list of injuries is done. With the last lockout every team is given up to 2 Amnesty Buyouts to use between the beginning of this past season until the end of next season before July 1st. From a pure financial perspective I can not see how the New York Islanders and specifically owner Charles Wang does not buy out DiPietro. If the Isles do not use the Amnesty on DiPietro he is owed 36 million dollars over the next 8 years (4.5 Million per year) and of course it counts against the cap. If the Islanders use their Amnesty Buyout on DiPietro they owe him 24 million dollars over the next 15 years (1.6 Million per year) and it does not count against the cap. Cap situations aside from a pure financial perspective you have to use the buyout. An athlete that is finished that you can pay either 36 million over 8 years or 24 million over15 years what would you do?

Forwards:
The Isles have an excellent core of young forwards lead of course by Taveras (22), Bailey (23), Cizikas (22), Grabner (25), Martin (24), Okposo (25). The veterans of the Isles forwards are all still under 30 in C.McDonald (28), Moulson & Nielsen (29). The Isles have locked up long term Taveras, Grabner, Martin, Okposo & Nielsen. Josh Bailey is an RFA and everything really came together for him in the 2nd half of the season. Remember he missed the beginning of the season due to an injury from playing in the lockout. I believe it would make a lot of sense for Snow to lock up Bailey in a long term deal that works well for both the club and the player just like he did with Grabner, Okposo & Nielsen. I expect Brock Nelson (21), Anders Lee (22) & David Ullstrom (24) to be a part of the Isles 3rd and 4th lines giving them incredible depth. UFA forwards for the Isles are Reasoner, Aucoin, Boulton and these were stop gap guys until the young forwards were truly ready so I doubt they will be back. That leaves Brad Boyes (31) and while he was a really good player for the Isles and a great pickup by Snow to replace Parenteau (Boyes signed 1 year deal for 1 million) the Isles have two top notch kid forwards ready to break through in Nino Niedereiter and Ryan Strome. Even if one of these guys are used in a trade I don't see the room for Boyes.

Defense:
This is where I want Snow to go out and make a big trade. I want a strong defenseman added to this group who is very defense minded, a leader and a physically player and someone who is in his prime age (late 20's). Snow has plenty of inventory to get a trade down it's just finding the right guy. I would be shocked if Mark Streit is not back. He is the captain of the team he has endured tough years here before this season and now the team is in position for big days ahead. Plus I hear he loves Long Island like most current and past players. Remember Streit has been here for the last 5 years. He wants a 3 year deal and the Isles and his agent have agreed on the years they are just a little bit off on the money from what I read. I expect common ground to be found well before free agency. In fact most of the NHL world both the other teams and NHL insiders expect this to happen. The Isles have resigned Visnovsky for the next 2 years and then they have a young core of Hamonic (also a RFA I can see Snow locking him up to a LT deal), Brain Strait & Andrew McDonald. They also have Matt Carkner signed for 2 more seasons and they have Thomas Hickey who is only 24. Radek Martinek is a free agent and will have to find work elsewhere. The Isles have talented defense prospects coming but the only one's who I think will be ready next year is Matt Donovan and Scott Mayfield.

Goaltending:
This is probably the most interesting area for Garth Snow. Does Snow believe between Kevin Poulin, Anders Nilsson & Mikko Koshinen are the Isles set in goal for years to come? Even if Snow really likes that trio but is not sure, he can sign a stop gap safety net goalie such as resigning Nabakov and having the youngsters split time with him and see where that goes or Snow can go the Free Agent market route or the trade route. Mike Smith of Phoenix is a UFA and with the ownership problems that team has it's doubtful they can afford him. Ray Emery of the Hawks is also a UFA and with their cap structure I can't see the Hawks being able to bring him back. A big name that will be very available in the trade market is Buffalo's Ryan Miller. Miller (32) is signed for 1 more year (6.25 Mil) and then becomes a UFA. Buffalo has made no secret they are in a full rebuild mode and both Ryan Miller & Thomas Vanek (also a UFA in 1 years time) have said they want no part of rebuild. So both will be shopped hard leading into the draft. Now in Miller's case you will have to trade a package of young players & picks and then sign him to a nice extension probably at least 3 years at 6+ plus million. I also hear that the Ducks who after signing their 2 big forwards preventing them from becoming UFA's this summer will move one of their two goalie's this off-season in either Hiller (31 and is a UFA after next season) & Fasta (30). Both had great regular seasons splitting time although Hiller has been the guy in the playoffs. These are some of the options.

Cap Space:
Isles have a ton of cap space and that's before using their Amnesty Buyout on DiPietro. In UFA's the Isles have a little over 16 million in cap space between Reasoner, Boyes, Aucoin, Boulton, M.Streit, Martinek, Tim Thomas and Nabokov. I believe Mark Streit will be back close to 5 million a year for 3 years and maybe Nabokov but he might have to come back at a lesser rate than his 2.75 million number this season on a 1 year deal. Everyone else I expect to be gone.

Prospects:
Hockey Futures which is the place to go to read about NHL Prospects and and the upcoming draft within the last couple of weeks just redid their 30 team prospect rankings and the Islanders were ranked with the 5th best system. The highlight guy I did not mention was last years 1st round pick and 5th pick overall defenseman Griffin Reinhardt. Reinhardt is projected to be an all around top D-Man. However while not impossible for him to make the team next season I expect Reinhardt to get one more season in juniors before coming to the Islanders. Also the Isles while making the playoffs do have a nice 1st round draft pick with the 15th overall selection in the 1st round. This is a very deep draft so they will add another really good prospect to their staple and while the Isles do not have a 2nd round pick (Anaheim for Visnovsky) the Isles have their own pick in rounds 3 - 7 & Montreal's 4th round pick. In addition to the guys I mentioned above keep an eye out on the following prospects as well:

Forwards: Kabanov, Sundstrom
Defense: De Haan, Kichton, Pelech, Pokka, Reinhart

Final Analysis:
Islander fans really good days are ahead. The building situation is finally settled, the current young core team is really coming together, the Isles have a very deep strong farm system, they are in great position with the cap, they have most of their core players already locked up and I believe given all of this and this past seasons team success the Isles will be able to attract top free agents as well. Keep in mind Snow has gone after a number of the top free agents in recent years and in many cases offering more money but those players said no for a lot of reasons and went elsewhere. It's going to be harder to say no now. Great days are ahead my friends.

Follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Calmo Calmo

2013-05-10T10:16:00.000-04:00

I am throwing a little Italian in for today for my international readers. But today is a quick article on remaining calm even if your team is off to a bad start. In Italian calmo means even tempered and settled and that's what a successful Fantasy Baseball Owner needs to be. Look my team has gone off to a very bad start due to poor performances, injuries and bad luck so I feel all of your pain out there in that same boat. But I have looked at my team and on paper it's a solid team and you have to remember it's only May 10th. Some of you who are negative Nancy's might say Chris it's no longer April but I would reply it's a marathon not a sprint.

Two years ago I had a very strong team on paper in my estimation one of the top 2 teams after the draft. However due to a number of circumstances mostly poor performances heading into Memorial Day Weekend I found myself in 10th place in a 12 team league well behind the money position teams. In fact one owner who reads my articles asked me if I was looking to rebuild. My team started to come around and do what it was suppose to do. So despite a terrible first 2 months, while I did not win my league that season I did finish in 2nd place in a 12 team league. Now the reason I am bringing this up is to illustrate when you have a good team you must ride out the tough stretches by showing incredible patience.

Look if you have a deficiency in a particular area then yes you should be investigating trade scenarios. However if you are doing poorly in certain categories due to guys off to poor starts or unfathomable starts YOU MUST STAY THE COURSE !!!!

There are teams towards the top of your leagues just waiting for a team towards the bottom to make a panic move and take advantage of you. They look at as easy prey. Don't fall into that trap. Don't say to yourself "I hate my team I am going to change the roster". Change for the sake of change rarely works. Changes that analyzed and make sense work. For instance I have Miguel Montero who is off to a terrible start and is hitting .200. Montero is a hitter who hits between .280 and .285 every year so patience my friends.

Remember Calmo Calmo Calmo, the Even Tempered Settled GM is a Successful GM. Nietzsche said that.

Okay guys you got an article every day this week. I am taking the weekend off. For all of your New York Islander fans out there do not give up hope. In 1993 last time Isles played Pens in the playoffs they lost Game 5 in Pittsburgh pretty handily and then came home to the Coliseum and won Game 6 in a high scoring close game (7-5) and then went to Pittsburgh for Game 7 and won in OT on David Volek's goal. BeLIeve.

Follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL KIng - Arizona Saves

2013-05-09T10:43:00.000-04:00

With what looks like season ending surgery headed for JJ Putz the Arizona bullpen in terms of who will get the saves is an interesting point and time in terms of going forward. In my pres-season article I talked about how I really liked Putz but I did warn everyone due to his age (35) and past problems with injuries that was a red flag with JJ. Once again this shows how you need to be lucky in Fantasy Baseball to avoid bad luck in order to have a successful squad. Lets break it down.

Heath Bell:
Kirk Gibson is going to go with Bell first in terms of the 9th inning duties. Bell has the experience of course however Bell is coming off a nightmare 2012 season with the Marlins where he lost the closing job after getting his big 3 year contract. Bell last year had a 5.09 ERA, 1.555 Ratio. Many fantasy experts last year pointed to warning signs for Bell as he left Petco how each year his fly ball ratio was up and his K's were down. This is important aspect going forward as Arizona the ball does fly and Bell has given up a couple of HR's already. In fact Bell while not off to a terrible start like last year hasn't been great either currently with a 4.40 ERA & 1.395 Ratio. Having said that Bell has converted his first 2 save opportunities although with some stress. Bell is not going to get a long leash in my opinion but having said that Heath Bell is smart enough to know that this is his last chance to get his closer job back for his career. So there will be an urgency on his part to be successful but having said that I don't think that's what hurt Bell last year. To me Bell since going to San Diego has been a gamer but a combination of his stuff, age (now 35) and probably his weight has had his performance fallen. But he does get the first crack for Kirk Gibson.

David Hernandez:
By far the guy with the best stuff in the Arizona bullpen is David Hernandez. Having said that does not mean he can handle the 9th inning mental aspect of closing games. That's another skill and I am not saying Hernandez can't do it but until he does it you never know. Look last year David Robertson albeit in a small sample by his own admission struggled with the 9th inning and Mitchell Boggs failed this year with that as well. While Hernandez is not off to a great start this year (4.02 ERA & 1.468 Ratio) he is electric. Hernandez has been a key cog in the D-Backs bullpen last 2 years and in 2011 when Putz went down for nearly a month with an injury Hernandez was exceptional picking up 11 saves. Last year Hernandez only had 4 saves but had a 2.50 ERA, 1.02 Ratio & 98K in 68 1/3 IP & the league just hit .190 against Hernandez. To me especially after Mitchell Boggs failing in St.Louis maybe the D-Backs are taking it slow with Hernandez to aleviate the stress and pressure of the situation. Again if Bell gets on a roll then Hernandez probably doesn't get the chance but I believe he will get the chance to close for the D-Backs in the not to distant future.

Matt Reynolds:
The 28 year old came over to the D-Backs from Colorado and the last 2 seasons in Colorado Reynolds was a middle of the road bullpen arm for the Rockies. However you cannot get off to a better start than Reynolds has this year as he has yet to give up a run and in 16 1/3 IP has only given up 7 hits with 1 BB and compiled 14K's. I can see Reynolds getting some save opportunities based on situations with him being a lefty and with other relievers not being available on a certain day (does have 2 saves already) but to me Hernandez would be the more likely long term guy.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Who Are These Guys ?

2013-05-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

Today I take a look at a number of players where I have to quote from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid "Who are these Guys?". I take a look at the fast starts from a number of surprising players.

Yuniesky Betancourt - Mil - 8HR, 24RBI, 14R, .276 Avg. Looked like his baseball career could be over but all of the Brewer injuries gave Betancourt maybe his last chance. Find it hard to believe this will continue.

Domonic Brown - Phil - 6HR, 15RBI, 12R, .239 Avg. Sometimes it takes a little bit longer for young players.

John Buck - NY - 10HR, 29RBI, 16R, .245 Avg. Has been ridiculously good, however last 2 years he has hit .192 & .227 and the Mets have to play him an awful lot. I see the glass slipper coming off in the not to distant future.

Matt Carpentar - Stl - 3HR, 9RBI, 24R, .271 Avg. Run scoring machine and Carpentar is showing he deserves a chance to play every day.

Tony Cingrani - Cinn - 2W, 2.63 ERA, 0.83 Ratio, 33K in 24IP. This young phenom is showing he is ready for prime time.

Patrick Corbin - Arz - 4W, 1.80 ERA, 1.08 Ratio, 32K in 40 IP. Was up and down last year when he got a chance to start for the snakes but off to a terrific start this year.

Brandon Crawford - SF - 5HR, 15RBI, 18R. Has more HR's already than all of last year. I thought he was a negative player because the numbers he gives you get washed away due to his poor average but so far he is above the .250 mark and giving good numbers.

David DeJesus - Cubs - 4HR, 8RBI, 18R, 2SB, .275 Avg. DeJesus is the kind of guy who gets over looked even though he is a nice player. You also forget he had some nice years in KC not that long ago.

Chris Denorfia - SD - 2HR, 11RBI, 17R, 2SB, .288 Avg. Super utility player is showing he is just super.

Evan Gattis - Atl - 7HR, 19RBI, 11R, .250 Avg. Has gone from feel good story to dominant power catching bat so far.

Jason Grilli - Pitt - 13SV, 0.64 ERA, 0.79 Ratio, 23K in 14IP. Showing that he can handle closing out games. He won't keep up this pace but he will be fine as a save option.

Chris Johnson - Atl - .323 Avg. Considering his batting average his other numbers are small. But he is doing his part. Keep in mind Johnson is a guy who looks like a player for 2 months and then can't get a hit for the rest of the season. Ride the wave but I am skeptical.

Matt Harvey - NY - 4W, 1.28 ERA, 0.69 Ratio, 58K in 49 1/3 IP. Am I surprised Harvey is having a good season of of course not. Am I surprised he is pitching like Sandy Koufax that's a big yes.

Jim Henderson - Mil - 7SV, 1.29 ERA, 0.93 Ratio. Keep in mind came up last year as a 29 year old rookie. Ride the wave and hope it lasts all year but I think this is a short term shelf life.

Nick Hundley - SD - 3HR, 11RBI, 13R, .278 Avg. After a disastrous 2012 (hit .157) is bouncing back with a solid year. Hundley has to with Grandal waiting in the wings come June after serving his 50 game suspension.

Kyle Kenderick - Phil - 4W, 2.45 ERA, 1.09 Ratio, 35K in 47 2/3IP. Has been sensational but keep in mind he is the kind of pitcher who has to hit his spots who he will get hit hard.

AJ Pollack - Arz - 4HR, 14RBI, 17R, 5SB, .267 Avg. Was a shoe-in to be sent to AAA after the Spring but due to all the injuries getting the chance to play every day. I have to see more before I am sold and what happens when Eaton is ready?

Jean Segura - Mil - 4HR, 13RBI, 16R, 8SB, .339 Avg. Did I think he could be a good player this year yes but not a dominant one. Injuries early on to Milwaukee has given Segura to hit at the top of the lineup.

Luis Valbuena - Cubs - 5HR, 13RBI, 7R, .264 Avg. Valbuena is doing what Ian Stewart should be doing.

Carlos Villanueva - Cubs - 1W, 2.85 ERA, 0.93 Ratio, 33K in 41 IP. Could easily have 4 wins, always had talent but inconsistency has been his bugaboo. Now he is getting chance to start which is what he always wanted.

Jake Westbrook - Stl - 2W, 1.07 ERA, 1.39 Ratio, 18K in 33 2/3 IP. How do you have a 1.07 ERA with a 1.39 Whip? Westbrook will come back to earth soon because he has to be picture perfect to get outs.

Travis Wood - Cubs - 3W, 2.33 ERA, 0.93 Ratio, 34K in 46 1/3 IP. Had a nice rookie year in 2010 and since then has been bad and switched organizations.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Thinking about Closers

2013-05-07T11:09:00.000-04:00

I thought I would do an article on NL closers and looking at the past 10 years of the NL Closers and where we are at presently.

Godfathers of NL Closers:
It would be nice if there could be a group of NL Closers for a number of years you could bank on such as Trevor Hoffman & Billy Wagner. Hoffman was an elite closer from 1994 through 2009 (injured almost all of 03) & Wagner was elite from 1997 through 2010 (injured in 2000 & 2009). On top of huge save numbers you got huge numbers across the board and they were money in the bank. Oh the good old days.

Most Closers Only Last 3 Years, 4 at Best:
If you look at it there are a number of closers who had big years and looked like they would be a huge closer for the next number of years. But after about 3 - 4 years time due to performance or injury they do not last. Closers who fall into this category are Kerry Wood, Chad Cordero, Eric Gagne, Brad Lidge (although up and down over a number of years), Brian Fuentes, Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly Leo Nunez), Francisco Rodriguez (his prime years were gone when he came to the Mets), Ryan Franklin & Brian Wilson. I am sure these names are a blast from the past.

Closers who were better than you think:
In the NL over the last number of years the closers that while were not Wagner & Hoffman were the next rung down and were better than you think. These closers included Jose Valverde (before going to AL), Francisco Cordero & Jason Isringhausen.

Closers who were one hit wonders:
Closers in recent time who had huge seasons and looked like would be stud closers for years to come only to crash and burn and they include Carlos Marmol, John Axford, Todd Jones, Jonathan Broxton, and Drew Storen.

So where do we stand now:
Elite - Craig Kimbrel, Rafael Soriano (only signed with Nats through next season), Jonathan Papelbon (signed through 2015 season), Aroldis Chapman (signed through 2014). I would have put Jason Motte on this list but his recent Tommy John Injury ended that. I think as long as he holds up physically Sergio Romo could join this elite list for the next couple of years, if not then he is the next rung down.

Good Veterans but for how much longer:
Houston Street, JJ Putz (although early struggles are a concern), Jason Grilli. All signed just through next season 2014 and Putz & Grilli will be in late 30's.

Future Closers ?
Bobby Parnell (does he have the mental toughness to be a closer?), Kenley Jansen (will his health hold up no brainer stuff wise)

Stop Gaps:
Steve Cishek, Rafael Betancourt (age 37 and probably free agent to be), Brandon League (Kenley Jansen?) & Cardinals current situation. The Cubs & Brewers don't know what their long term plans are right now.

What I am telling you there are hardly any gurantees in terms of NL Closers and as much as I think Craig Kimbrel will be the next Trevor Hoffman or Billy Wagner remember what Eric Gagne did from 2002 - 2004. Gagne compiled 152 saves in 3 years with ERA's of 1.97, 1.20, 2.19, Ratio's of 0.86, 0.69, 0.91 & yearly K's of 114, 137, 114 only to really never to be heard from again. It's hard to believe but it's happened. In essence the closers are a mind field.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Struggling Starting Pitchers

2013-05-06T12:37:00.002-04:00

Okay today we take a look at the struggling starting pitchers in the NL at this point and time. Originally I was going to do a combo article of struggling starting pitchers and on closers an overall view but I don't want to short change either topic so each gets it's own article. Today is struggling starting pitchers.

NL East:
Gio Gonzalez - Wsh:
Gio is off to a slow start and it's easy to see why as Gonzalez has walked 20 hitters in his 1st 38 IP and given up 5 Home Runs already. Keep in mind Gio walked a total of 76 hitters in 199+ IP last year while only giving up 9 Home Runs last year. Gio will be fine as long as the walks come down.

Roy Halladay - Phil:
Other than a couple of starts Doc has been awful. He got destroyed yesterday by a Marlins team that did not have Stanton in the lineup. Halladay with his 8.65 ERA & 1.46 Ratio is now heading to the DL with shoulder issues. From what you read it seems Halladay was dealing with ailments last year which most likely effected his performance. This spring Halladay was taking about changing mechanics due to these ailments last year which was a warning sign. Halladay is 36 next week and with his contract not guranteed for next season (vested option) this could mean the beginning of the end of a guy who is considered the #1 pitcher in all of baseball going into last season.

NL Central:
Marco Estrada - Mil:
The K's are there, the problem is in just 38 2/3 IP has allowed 11HR's. That is not going to work.

Yovani Gallardo - Mil:
Has been his his usual inconsistent self and while I expect him to finish the year with good numbers thats why I consider Gallardo a tease and a very frustrating player to own.

Edwin Jackson - Chi:
I know for Roto purposes he is considered a depth starter but Jackson has been so bad it's ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous of the contract the Cubs gave him in the off-season (4 years 52 Mil).

James McDonald - Pitt:
Looks like McDonald is the pitcher who finished the season last year and not the won who was strong for the first 4 months. 20 walks in 29 2/3 IP is not going to work.

Wily Peralta - Mil:
He isn't fooling anyone 55 Baserunners in 33 IP.

NL West:
Josh Beckett - LA:
Lets face it after he got his last big contract from the Red Sox it does not seem like Beckett has really cared how he has performed.

Matt Cain - SF:
I know the usual reliable Matt Cain is off to a rocky start but he got the train back on track last night and I expect Cain to be fine.

Ian Kennedy - Arz:
Starting to remind of Gallardo but with not as good of stuff. I told everyone in the pre-season article I would worry about his maturity level.

Brandon McCarthy - Arz:
Has been beyond awful. I thought as long as he can stay healthy and pitch 150 innings which is a big if for him McCarthy would be a good pitcher. But leaving the Oakland Coliseum and going into Arizona where the ball flies and switching leagues has not helped McCarthy. I wouldn't abandon ship but you have a right to be very concerned.

Clayton Richard - SD:
Had a nice year last year albeit with not a lot of K's but off to a horrible start and now on the DL with a stomach ailment. Ironic considering how many upset stomach's he has given his roto owners.

Ryan Vogelsong - SF:
The steady Eddie from the last 2 years has been kidnapped. I would think Vogelsong would turn it around to at least a certain degree but keep in mind 2 years ago the Giants got Vogelsong off the scrap heap.

Edison Volquez - SD:
This guy must be maddening to own with his inconsistencies.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Hitters Struggling

2013-05-02T10:10:00.001-04:00

Today's article I am going to look into a number of hitters per team that are off to some rough starts and give my thoughts. So as the late great one Jackie Gleason once said "And Away We Go."

Atlanta:
BJ Upton - Yes BJ is hitting .138 but if you read my preseason article on BJ Upton I talked about how I thought he would get off to a rough start due to putting pressure on himself regarding his big new contract and learning the pitchers of a new league for the most part. Again by seasons end I expect BJ to be what he is a 20/20 man with good numbers in R & RBI and a poor average.

Jason Heyward - Considering he is hitting .121 his numbers aren't that bad and he has been drawing walks. Comes off the DL soon and I expect Heyward to have a solid to strong year. Show patience here.

Miami:
Giancarlo Stanton - Probably got off to a rough first couple of weeks because still shell shocked what ownership did and was swinging at bad pitches. Started to get it going but just popped his hamstring which probably means he misses the month of May.

NY Mets:
Ike Davis - Considering he is hitting .169 his other numbers are good. His swing and balance at the plate seem all messed up. Davis hit .232 last year so I would be a bit concerned that Ike could be a strong power hitter but one with a poor average.

Philadelphia - None

Washington:
Adam LaRoche - Yes he is hitting .129 but for his whole career other than last year LaRoche is a guy who either has a red hot month or is ice cold. At the end of day most years he has his usual numbers. I didn't think he would repeat his 2012 career year but he will finish with solid power numbers.

Cubs:
Alfonso Soriano - His average is not bad (.263) but has very little numbers. Soriano is no kid at 37 and his body is very beat up. I think last season was the last year where he will put up strong power numbers.

Cincinnati - No one major

Milwaukee:
Rickie Weeks - Hitting .186 but his other numbers are strong. He is a low average hitter remember he hit .232 last year and he strikes out a lot.

Pittsburgh:
Pedro Alvarez - Again like Weeks hitting sub .200 and strikes out a ton but when he puts the ball in play can do damage. Will be a real good power guy but one with a poor average.

St.Louis:
David Feese - Off to a bad start and has been dealing with injuries (only negative about him to me is he is always dealing with some sort of ailment). As long as Freese is feeling okay physically he will be fine.

Arizona:
Miguel Montero - As long as he gets his usually 480 AB's he will put up his standard line of hitting stats which is pretty solid overall and excellent as a NL catcher.

Colorado - Seems like all the bats are producing

LA Dodgers:
Matt Kemp - Has yet to take off but don't worry he will. If their is a Matt Kemp owner frustrated and dangling him in trade talks then POUNCE !!!!

San Diego:
Cameron Maybin - Huge year for Maybin and so far it's been about poor performance and injury. I don't know if this tools player is going to translate into a good roto player. I am seriously doubting it.

San Francisco - Believe it or not their hitting has been fine

I will post an article over the weekend looking at the struggling pitchers both starters and closers.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Arenado Up !!!

2013-04-30T09:52:00.001-04:00

Sorry I did not get this article posted sooner. Things have been hectic. Over the weekend the Rockies promoted top 3B prospect Nolan Arenado and designated for assignment Chris Nelson. Nelson was under whelming in April (Nelson is a really a utility player) and Arenado continued his strong spring with a ridiculous April in AAA in Colorado Springs.

Arenado was the Rockies 2nd round pick in the 2009 draft. Prior to 2011 Arenado was already on the Baseball America top 100 Prospect list ranked at 80 and Arenado has been on BA top 100 the last 2 years as well ranked 42 in 2012 and 52 this year. Arenado was progressing very well and go into last season it seemed that a strong 2012 and Arenado could be the Rocks starting 3B come opening day in 2013. However Arenado had a very mediocre year last season in AA with 12HR-56RBI-55R-0SB-.285AVG-.337OBP in 134 games and 573 PA. Those numbers were not awful but that was not what the Rockies were expecting out of Arenado.

But keep in mind Arenado just turned 22 a couple of weeks ago so the Rocks felt Arenado needed another year of seasoning in the minors heading into Spring. Arenado came into Spring as the player the Rocks thought he was and had a very strong spring, so much so he was one of the last day cuts. I think the Rocks figured they had enough hitting and lets not rush him especially after his mediocre 2012. Also I am sure delaying Arenado's free agent 6 year clock came into play as well. So Arenado went down to AAA and tore it up for the month of April. In 75 Plate Appearances Arenado had 3HR-21RBI-14R-0SB-.364AVG-.392OBP-.667SLG-1.059OPS.

Arenado is off to a good start as he had a monster night last night at Dodger stadium going 3 for 6 with a HR, 2 RBI and 3 Runs scored. I highly advise picking up Arenado off of your leagues free agency / waiver wire if you can. I recommend being very aggressive in picking this kid up (I was in my league) as I believe Arenado has a strong chance to be a $20+ player this year in Auction leagues and I think he will be in the top of the voting for Rookie of the Year. Maybe Arenado won't be an impact bat his rookie year but I expect for him to be just a notch below that. I am very high on this kid as I have been tracking his progress the last 2 years. Buy on Arenado.

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NL King - Weekly Thoughts

2013-04-23T11:49:00.000-04:00

Okay a quick thought or two on each team as the season progresses. As I tweeted this morning today is April 23rd so we are still 8 days away from May. I know it's very frustrating to have your team get off to a bad start due to poor performances and or injuries. My own team is off to that kind of start. Remember it's a long 6 month race so be patient and keep looking at your leagues waiver wire / free agency to pick up guys who can help.

Atlanta - In my preseason article on BJ Upton I thought there was a strong chance BJ could get off to a slow start due to his new surroundings, new league and after signing the big contract. Upton's numbers will be there by season's end albeit with a sub .250 batting average.

Miami - I am very amazed by just how bad this team is. Mike Stanton has been dealing with a nagging injury situation so I believe he will wake up soon. But again if I was an opposing pitcher to the Marlins lineup why would I pitch to Stanton with the rest of his supporting cast?

New York - Matt Harvey / John Buck are some amazing stories. How long can this keep up?

Philly - Good to see Roy Halladay put up back to back good starts. He might not wind up being the #1 pitcher in the NL anymore by seasons end but I think there is a good chance his fantasy owners can at least get a quality numbers out of him.

Washington - They will hit their stride soon, I expect their bullpen to get rolling as well as Gio. Haren I expect to be at least decent as long as he is healthy.

Cubs - What is Anthony Rizzo going to do once he gets that batting average going? Yes he is hitting .191 but with 6HR's & 14RBI.

Cincinnati - I expect a hot streak to start any day for Votto & Bruce.

Milwaukee - Jim Henderson has calmed things down for that team. Let's see if he can keep it up.

Pittsburgh - Pedro Alvarez owners have to remember he is a very streaky hitter as well as being very feast or famine and he will be a low batting average guy.

St. Louis - Bullpen has been a mess except for Mujica who is now closing. I am surprised that Boggs struggled so much and it's not because of talent it's because of the mentality one has to have to be a closer.

Arizona - Ian Kennedy off to a slow start, as I wrote in my preseason article this is a key year for Kennedy to show us if he will be a prime time starter or a mediocre one.

Colorado - So many bats off to hot starts I wish I had one of them.

Dodgers - Matt Kemp owners relax he will catch fire very soon and he will pile up the numbers.

San Diego - As a Chase Headley owner glad to see he was able to come back a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Now if he can just perform like he did last year.

San Francisco - Hard to believe the starts of the season for Barry Zito & Matt Cain. Two different ends of the spectrum.

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Feel free to ask me fantasy baseball advice via twitter.

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Rendon Up & R.Zimmerman Down

2013-04-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Well it's not even May and Ryan Zimmerman is already dealing with a injury situation, which has caused the Nationals to call up top prospect Anthony Rendon. Zimmerman recently suffered a hamstring injury and went for an MRI yesterday. After seeing the results the Nats put Ryan Zimmerman on the DL and called up Rendon. A bad hamstring injury can keep someone sidelined for a while and the fact the Nats brought up Rendon says to me that this injury is going to a situation where it will be much later than sooner. The Nats have not given a time frame on Ryan Zimmerman.

Rendon (23 years old) is the 6th overall pick of the 2011 draft and the kid is an offensive force. Rendon's biggest problem so far in his young career ironically is staying healthy. In his first 14 games in AA Rendon has 2HR, 7RBI, 8R, 0SB, .292 AVG, .462 OBP. Rendon is the Nats top prospect and projects as a middle of the order hitter with all-star potential. Rendon last year only had 133 AB's between Rookie ball and AA due to a fractured left ankle injury in early April last season. Rendon came back in July but did not really get going until his Arizona Fall League where is was most impressive.

The talent is there and for the Nats to call him up I believe the Ryan Zimmerman injury is signifcant. If your hitting lineup needs depth picking up Anthony Rendon is a good pickup. He is a rookie so don't expect him to be a savior but he does have a lot of talent.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Didi & Tony

2013-04-17T13:20:00.001-04:00

Today I am doing a quick little article on Didi Gregerios of the Arizona D-Backs & Tony Cingrani of the Cincinnati Reds. Both started the season in AAA as top prospects for these organizations and both were mentioned in my March 9th Prospect article.

Didi Gregorius got hurt mid to late Spring which meant he would start the year in the minors for sure. Because of that injury Gregorius missed the beginning of the season and only has played 7 games in AAA but Didi has come out flying hitting .387 with a .424 OBP. Last season between AA & AAA Gregorius had a stat line of 7HR-54RBI-70R-3SB-.265 Avg as part of the Cincinnati Reds farm system. Gregorius was part of the 3 way trade between the Reds, D-Backs and Indians in the off-season. With all the injuries the D-Backs have and after they lost Aaron Hill for the next 4-6 weeks Arizona pulled the trigger and called up Gregorius. Didi will play but for starters at least Kirk Gibson will use different lineups between moving Prado around the diamond, Pennington, Chavez etc. Gregorius is the D-Backs shortstop of the future no doubt. There is no doubt that Gregorius will be a difference maker at shortstop in terms of his glove according to all the scouts. The question the scouts have is will Gregorius be a very good hitter, an okay hitter or an 8th place hitter with a great glove. The scouts have many different opinions on Didi but when GM Kevin Towers landed him in the trade he compared him to a young Derek Jeter. Now in terms of fantasy for this year, if you can pick him up via your waiver wire or league free agency depending upon your league rules without going crazy (for instance many leagues have a free agent budget) then it cannot hurt as Gregorius could be a nice depth / complementary hitter for you. I would not expect Gregorius to come out and be a big roto player but hey if John Buck can why not Didi. So Didi can help for this year but keep in mind Aaron Hill is only out 4-6 weeks and eventually Arizona will start to get some of their hitters back.

In terms of Tony Cingrani he is part of the plans for the Reds future rotation with Bronson Arroyo being up there in age and a free agent after this season. With Johnny Cueto going to miss probably between 4-6 starts Cingrani is going to get a shot in the rotation to show if he is ready. If Cingrani pitches well when Cueto returns that could more likely mean Mike Leake becomes a long reliever and Cingrani stays in the rotation. Cingrani had a strong year last season in AA going 5-3 with a 2.12 ERA & 1.10 Ratio. He has only made 3 starts this year in AAA and one was cut short (2 innings after Cueto got hurt over the weekend) but Cingrani has been dominant in his limited time this year in AAA going 1-0 without giving up a earned run in 14 1/3 IP with a 0.35 Ratio and 26K's. The majors leagues is much different than AAA so don't expect Cingrani to be an ace this year and the Great American Ballpark is a great hitters park. But the Reds are a strong team in terms of their lineup and bullpen so I can see Cingrani giving good value to NL only roto owners. Very few top pitching prospects arrive on the scene and dominant but no reason Cingrani cannot be at least good. His 1st start in the show should be the end of the week.

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Early Surprises

2013-04-16T15:36:00.001-04:00

Here is a quick rundown of some early surprises / comments per team. Again it's only mid April so I don't think John Buck will continues his pace and vice versa for Jason Heyward. So everyone keep that in mind.

Atlanta - Paul Maholm somehow put Greg Maddux brain and his arm into his body. It was a great story that Evan Gattis made the Braves but really now he is going to hit like John Bench.

Miami - I knew they would be bad but this bad? Who knows what this means in terms of how the front office handles this in terms of trades and when.

NY Mets - Yes Matt Harvey is a talented young pitcher but this is a bit crazy. Again John Buck is doing his best Mike Piazza impression.

Phillies - Again if Chase Utley is healthy he can be a franchise fantasy player. I find it hard to believe his knees will hold up over the course of an entire season but you never know.

Washington - How bad the Nats bullpen has been and blowing games for starters such as Ross Detwiler. As a Detwiler owner I am not happy.

Cincinnati - Have a deep team should feed off each other. No big surprises here.

Cubs - Carlos Villanueva would be a bigger surprise if the Cubs bullpen hasn't blown his 2 great games and he was 2-0. As a Villanueva owner I am not happy.

Milwaukee - I think they will be a bad team and now they are dealing with big injuries. Horrible bullpen, bad defense, mediocre starting pitching at best. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Brew Crew move some people come this summer like Corey Hart or maybe even just blow the whole team up.

Pittsburgh - I know their hitting is a bit challenged outside of McCutchen but I didn't think it was this bad. Good to see Marte get off to a great start.

St Louis - I thought Boggs had enough experience in MLB to handle the 9th inning obviously having a mental challenge right now.

Arizona - Despite all the injuries playing well because they have a deep team. I am not surprised I picked them to win the division.

Colorado - I know he is a streaky player but I am surprised how good Dexter Fowler has been so far. If he keeps this up the Rockies won't be able to afford to keep him.

Dodgers - I am surprised how good Carl Crawford & Ryu have been right out of the blocks. Yes Matt Kemp has had an awful start he will be fine Kemp owners relax.

San Diego - Critical year on tools player Cameron Maybin, Padres should give him a long leash because they are going nowhere but one has to wonder.

SF Giants - Barry Zito really?

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NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Weekly Thoughts

2013-04-12T11:26:00.001-04:00

Okay here is the next weekly thoughts per team.

Atlanta - Jason Heyward will be a stud so Heyward owners show patience and my Mike Minor article is looking good.

Miami - Already whispers of Giancarlo Stanton trade rumors.

NY Mets - Matt Harvey just might emerge as a front line starter this year. I have heard comparisons to Justin Verlander.

Phillies -So far Chase Utley looks like the Utley in his prime but can his body hold up? Halladay owners have to be very concerned.

Washington - Jason Werth is showing when healthy he is a strong fantasy player.

Cubs - The Cubs can say what they want Carlos Marmol days of closing for the Cubs are over. They did sign Fujikawa to a 2 year 10 million dollar deal in the off-season which said it was only a matter of time before he become the closer. This is also the last year of Marmol's contract.

Reds - Todd Frazier since last June has finally been given a chance to play everyday and he has shown to be a very good power bat. Will have a bigger role and better spot in the lineup with Ludwick out the 1st half.

Milwaukee - Carlos Gomez off to a slow start and the Brew Crew needs him now. Was 2012 a 1 year wonder and now that he got a nice fat 3 year extension is the desire waning a bit?

Pittsburgh - Nice start from the talented Starling Marte. McCutchen needs help around him.

Cardinals - Boggs blow up the other day was a combination of a bloop double, infield single, an error and Mike Matheny strange strategy of intentionally walking 2 players. Boggs will be fine.

Arizona - Goldschmidt will become an elite fantasy player this year.

Colorado - Tulo is showing everyone as long as he is healthy he will put up huge numbers. Fowler will as well as long as he can stay healthy and consistent.

Dodgers - Nice to see a big start by Car Crawford hopefully his body holds up, remember he has not played a lot of baseball the last couple of years. Greinke fluke injury is an absolute killer to Greinke owners and once again shows how luck plays such a huge role on having a top team in fantasy baseball.

San Diego - Wow this is one weak lineup.

San Francisco - The Giants need Brandon Belt to be a good player. This is a make or break year for Belt.

Follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Don't Fall into April Panic

2013-04-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

Okay this is a service announcement to all Roto owners about making April trades. I am very leery about making April trades. Unless you walked out of your draft and said to yourself "self I am way short on steals or power or starting pitching etc" my advice is to let your team breathe in the month of April and see where you stand in your league come May 1st.

Certain players will get off to hot starts and certain players will be ice cold. But you have to remember the baseball regular season is a marathon. It's a 6 month season. There are a lot of players who are doing great the first 10 days of the season but a lot of these guys who are red hot now have had a history of being streaky or inconsistent players or injury prone etc.

My point being is making a trade is a very big move so if you left your draft and felt that your team had a number of strengths and balance to it and the categories that you needed to work on you are in striking distance then I say let's see how your team looks come May 1st. I would keep an eye on your leagues free agency / waiver wire sometimes picking up a small player this time of the year could wind up being a huge move. In my league this time last year the owner who winded up winning the league picked up Wade Miley off the free agency list for a minimum bid. Miley went on to have a huge year. That does happen so comb through your free agent / waiver wire lists and do everything you can to see if you can find these kind of small moves that can help your team both in big and small ways.

But most important don't panic yourself into making an April trade because I have seen it really bite people in the past. Having said that if someone approaches you with a trade in April, take a look at it, analyze it thoroughly and maybe you can take advantage of someones April panic.

You can follow me on Twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Week 1 Thoughts

2013-04-07T10:54:00.000-04:00

I will do an article once a week with some of my thoughts based on what I am seeing and reading.

- Justin Upton off to a big start which could mean an MVP like year. No longer has to worry about the trade rumors and playing with his brother seems to be a good thing. Juan Francisco & Chris Johnson will play everyday now with Freeman on the DL with an oblique. Oblique's are 3 weeks minimun, most of the time it's a month.

- I am not saying to push the Roy Halladay panic button yet but have to be concerned after his spring. Remember though Halladay is the ultimate competitor and may no longer be an ace but could still be a solid pitcher. But needs to put together some solid starts.

- Bryce Harper is going to have a monster season. I know I am being captain obvious here.

- I like Matt Harvey but the let's see how he performs after the league see's him more. Not going to face the Padres on a frigid night every time.

- How is Giancarlo Stanton going to put up numbers in that lineup?

- Reds have enough hitting that they can live with Heisey & Paul in left field for the 1st half. This is Heisey window to show he can be an everyday player.

- Mitchell Boggs has the stuff to be a closer just needs more experience. He has pitched well so far a HBP cost him a save this week.

- Brewers look like they are in for a rough year now with Aramis Ramirez on the DL and Corey Hart still a bit away and Ryan Braun can't move his neck. That bullpen is awful and John Axford owners are lucky the Brewers really don't have that many options back there.

- McCutchen needs help from others.

- It didn't take long for Marmol to lose the closers job. Despite the poor performance by Fijikawa last night he is now the Cubs closer. Marmol is on the last year of his deal so the Cubs will move forward.

- Arizona has a very balanced team more people should be talking about them.

- Lincecum 7 walks in his first start not what Lincecum owners wanted to see.

- Clayton Kershaw with just a little run support might win 25 games this year.

- Rockies have so many issues and sending down Tyler Colvin who hit .290 with 18HR's last season is mighty confusing.

- Boy do the Padres need Chase Headley back in that lineup.

Follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Kyle Lohse What to Expect

2013-04-04T11:07:00.001-04:00

Since Kyle Lohse went through a very strange off-season I thought it would be a good idea to write an article on him and what to expect in terms of his stats for 2013. Lohse who turned 34 last October is coming off a career year where he went 16-3, 2.86 ERA, 1.09 Ratio, 143K in 211 IP. All those numbers were career highs for Lohse as he finished 7th in the Cy Young voting last season.

Quite a year to have heading into free agency but Lohse and his super agent Scott Boras due to a number of factors found themselves not getting that mega deal. Lohse watched players like Edwin Jackson & Annibal Sanchez cash in big time but like a game of musical chairs Lohse found himself without a chair. It wasn't until the end of Spring Training that Lohse signed a 3 year deal for 33 million dollars with the Brewers.

Now in terms of projecting this year can Lohse repeat his fantastic 2012 season? Well Lohse did have a real good season in 2011 as well ending up with 14 wins, 3.39 ERA, 1.17 Ratio, 111K in 188+ IP. But from 2004 through 2010 Lohse only had 1 season where he had double digit wins (15 in 2008 for Stl), an ERA below 4.00 (also in 2008 with a 3.78 ERA) and never a ratio below 1.30. Plus Lohse has always been a low strikeout guy. Lohse 12 year career numbers are with a 4.45 ERA & 1.37 Ratio.

So at the age of 33 with the help of the Cardinal organization and maybe Dave Duncan in 2011 did Kyle Lohse unlock something and turned himself into a front line pitcher? It appears that has happened, however there are number of things that has me considered about Kyle Lohse. for 2013. First he did not have a regular spring training. Yes he worked out and threw on his own but spring training is very important especially for the pitchers. Secondly he is leaving the Cardinal organization and St.Louis seems to get the most out of players like Kyle Lohse. These kind of players leave St.Louis for bigger dollars and are never close to being the same it seems to me. Thirdly that Brewer ballpark the ball flies out of there more so than a lot of other ballparks. Another reason is Kyle Lohse is not a pitcher who has killer stuff he will get you out by really hitting his spots. If Lohse is a bit off he can struggle and given he hardly had a spring training this concerns me. Finally when Lohse pitches well you have to worry about that Brewer bullpen coughing up wins for Lohse.

I am not saying Lohse can't be a decent pitcher but I see a lot of warning signs so I would not expect nowhere near the season Lohse put up last season. My expectation is Lohse will be a secondary depth starter this season given all the factors with the chance of having a down year.

Again feel free to send me NL advice questions via twitter. You can follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing.

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - Patience Patience Patience

2013-03-30T10:17:00.001-04:00

Okay the season is about to get under way and already from a few of my freinds I hear the angst over certain setbacks with their team. Everyone must remember the baseball season is a 6 month marathon season and it's about your stats after the final game is played. Very important lessen is to show patience during the season. Don't make rush moves be it a trade or even your free agent budget if you league follows that.

I myself have already had some setbacks with my team. I have Jason Motte who is starting the year on the DL (I do have Mitchell Boggs as well) and last night for some strange reason the Rockies sent down my guy Tyler Colvin to AAA to start the season. Colvin will be back much sooner than later and will get a good amount of AB's over the course of a 162 game season. All Colvin owners must remember that he was good to be a part time player for the 1st half of the season. In the second half Cuddyer could be traded and Todd Helton will be winding down on the last year of his massive contract so expect Colvin to play everyday then.

My point is to stay the course and exlude patience. Almost every week of the season you will be dealing with injuries and setbacks and players going through slumps. Remember it was the turtle that won the race. So for of all you already screaming at your team must advice is to relax. Also this shows that having a deeper team comes in handy when you are dealt a setback or two. Okay so keep the positive vibes going and unless your team has a glaring weakness, let your team breath for the month of April before even thinking about making any trades.

Feel free to send me advice questions on twitter and you can follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing.

NL King - C.Lizza

Breaking Down the NL King Draft

2013-03-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

I thought it would be an interesting exercise to break down my draft in an article and try to hit home some points in terms of one's draft auction style. So let's do it.

Background:
I am in an NL only very competitive 5 X 5 Keeper League. We have 11 teams and most of the owners in my league have been in this league for quite some time, as our league is entering it's 22nd season. Our keeper league we are allowed to keep up to 10 keepers.

My Keeper List:
My keeper list going into the draft was as follows:
C - Michael McKenry - Pitt - 1
1B - Tyler Colvin - Col - 1
2B - Danny Espinosa - Wsh - 16
OF - Norichika Aoki - Mil - 5
OF - Logan Morrison - Mia - 4
OF - Roger Bernadina - Wsh - 1
P - Clayton Kershaw - LA - 39
P - Johnny Cueto - Cinn - 20
P - Ross Detwiller - Wsh - 2
P - Jason Motte - Stl - 29

I felt going in I was off to an incredible start with my pitching. I had the #1 starter in the NL in Kershaw, had Johnny Cueto at a very good price coming off an ace year, I had a real good young starter on a top team in Detwiller at a ridiculous cheap price and I had one of the top NL closers in Motte granted at an expensive price. Closers in our league tend to go higher than other leagues and last year the closers went out of control so I decided to keep Motte. In terms of my hitting I didn't have any superstars but I had 6 hitters at $28 and had some real nice hitters in Colvin, Espinosa and especially Aoki. I also had roster flexibility heading into the draft as Colvin, Morrison & Espinosa qualified at multipe positions.

Draft Plan:
My plan was to spend heavy on hitting ( I had a total of $142 draft dollars). On my 4 pitcher keepers it cost me $90. My pitching plan was simple get 3 starters at cheap prices who while will not be studs can give me nice numbers in W's & K's and not hurt my ERA & Ratio. Then I was going to get two stud middle relievers hopefully at $1 each. I was targeting Mitchell Boggs because besides being a strong middle reliever if something happened to Motte I felt pretty certain Boggs was took over the closers role. Then I wanted as my second middle man David Hernandez who is a stud arm and puts up killer numbers in K's & Ratio.

In terms of my hitting I wanted to get 5 solid to big bats. I was targeting Joey Votto & Starlin Castro as my big bats, land Miguel Montero as my catcher, bring Ryan Ludwick back at a mid level price and get one more quality hitter. Wasn't going to be easy but could I pull all of this off?

Draft Night:
Our draft was last Friday night and it started out with the prices being somewhat reasonable but nobody had come up on my targeted lists be it hitter or pitcher. I participated in the bidding just to stay active but nothing happened until the end of the 1st round when Ian Desmond came up. Now I had Castro & Desmond ranked pretty close. I like Castro a bit better although given the teams they play for and their supporting cast you can easily make an argument that Desmond is the better player to get for 2013. However I have always been a Desmond fan and he came into his own last year despite missing 32 games had 25HR & 21SB & .292 Avg and good R & RBI. I won the bidding at $26 and the owner who had Desmond last year to my surprise decided not to use his topper rights (in our league each team gets 2 topper rights per draft) so I had Desmond at $26. Great start to land a power and speed guy at middle infield at market value I felt. But that mean Castro was out of the plan.

Then shortly after that Joey Votto came up, I felt that after his season last year where his knee injury killed his 2nd half that Votto would go a reasonable price, somewhere slightly below $35. That did not happen as Votto went $40 due to a 2 team bidding war so I passed. Chase Headley shortly came up after that and I know per my article the warning signs on Headley but that doesn't mean I did not like Headley. So when I could top Headley at 21 I did so. I had my 3B and another player who is a positive average with power and speed and at pretty good price. I think a number of players passed maybe as many as rounds worth and it just didn't happen for me until Matt Holliday came up. To me as long as Holiday plays 150 games he is money in the bank. I love those kind of players because there is so much uncertainity with most players. I felt that Holliday was similar to Votto but at 10% less numbers so when I won the bidding at $26 I was thrilled. That followed shortly there after of me landing my targeted catcher in Montero for $19. I also liked Lucroy ($17) & Rosario ($18) who I just missed out in the bidding. Few picks later Shin Chin Choo came up and I landed another positive average player with power and speed and I got Choo at $25.

Okay so I had added to my hitting Desmond, Headley, Holliday, Montero & Choo. While none of them were Ryan Braun or Andrew McCutchen they were all really strong players in their own rights. I wanted to add 5 quality to strong bats and I already did so at this stage of the draft. I had $25 left I needed to round out my hitting roster with my last 3 hitters (OF, Corner & Mid Infielder) and really focus on pitching now. But an interesting thing happened as I now knew my next couple of players had to be pitchers, however Rickie Weeks came up. I had Weeks last year and while his final numbers were good his average really hurt me. In addition I still view him as injury risk as he has had many injuries throughout his career. I did have topper rights and when the bidding stopped at $15 I had the opportunity to top Weeks at just $16. It was a really good deal, too good to pass up right? But I did pass it up as I only had $25 left and still needed 8 players 5 of which were pitchers so I passed. I had landed Weeks I would have been in $1 land for my last 7 players not a good place to be.

Then the pitchers are targeted who I felt might go cheap and give me nice value started to come up. First it was Carlos Villanueva, granted he is on the Cubs but felt he can give me decent numbers in the percentage categories with good K's and 10 or 11 wins and I nabbed him at $4. Right after that Matt Garza came up and while he is out the month of April and will be traded by the Cubs by July 31st when I was able to get Garza at $6 that was just to good of a deal to pass up. I had Garza in 2011 and while he didn't win a lot of games that year he was strong in ERA, Ratio & K's. Then shortly there after Rickey Nolasco came up and due to anti Marlin sentiment (can't blame anyone for that) I landed Nolasco for $3. So I got my 3 starters per my targeted list in Garza, Nolasco & Villanueva for just $13.

Now I was set for my end game as I had $12 for my last 5 spots which were 1 Outfielder, 1 Corner Infielder, 1 Middle Infielder & 2 Pitchers which were going to be middle relievers. Ryan Ludwick came up and I was able to top him but the skin of my teeth at $8 and add a 6th quality bat. That left 4 players for $4, which meant I could only get a player I brought up. I now was solely focused on the relievers. I brought up Mitchell Boggs when it was my turn and no one bid as they were waiting on other players and not focusing on middle relievers at that time. Given that Jason Motte is going to start the season on the DL that was a stroke of good luck and I got my #1 middle reliever per my draft plan. The same thing happened 11 picks later when it was my turn again and landed David Hernandez at $1 as my 2nd middle reliever and completely my pitching roster. I finished my last 2 hitters with Eric Chavez & Jerry Hairston Jr at $1 each.

In the reserves / taxi squad I landed Nolan Arenado (I can only keep him if he makes the opening day roster our league rules prohibits from drafting minor league players with rookie status), Aaron Harang, Jeremy Affeldt, Casey Kotchman and Jeff Karstens. I landed some starting pitching depth, another solid middle reliever on a good team, I have Morrison who will miss the first 2 to 4 weeks so Kotchman made sense and I took a chance on Arenado who I am still waiting to hear on as I write this.

So my final roster looks like this:
C - McKenry - Pitt - 1
C - Montero - Arz - 19
1B - Colvin - Col - 1
3B - Headley - SD - 21
Cnr - Chavez - Arz - 1
2B - Espinosa - Wsh - 16
SS - Desmond - Wsh - 26
Mid Inf - Hairston Jr - 1
OF - Bernadina - 1
OF - Aoki - 5
OF - Morrison - 4
OF - Choo - 25
OF - Holliday - 26
UP - Ludwick - 8
P - Kershaw - 39
P - Cueto - 20
P - Detwiller - 2
P - Motte - 29
P - Villanueva - 4
P - Garza - 6
P - Nolasco - 3
P - Boggs - 1
P - Hernandez - 1

Reserves / Taxi Squad:
3B - Arenado - 1
P - Harang - 1
P - Affeldt - 1
1B - Kotchman - 1
P - Karstens - 1

Final Analysis:
I was very happy how things went although does not assure one will have a top team. I didn't get my top 2 bats I was targeting but landed a number of strong bats and landed my pitching plan to a T at just $15. I was very intrigued by the Cubs reliever Fujikawa and wanted to figure out a way to get him during the draft but the way my draft and it wasn't meant to be so someone else got him at $9. But I feel I have a deep hitting lineup with power throughout and I feel half of hitting roster will be double digit steals as well as having a higher majority of hitters I expect to be positive average hitters. I have 2 stud starters, a strong young guy in Detwiller, 3 nice cheap starters, a strong closer in Motte (let's hope his injury is nothing serious) and 2 stud middle relievers.

After just missing out of the money last season and finishing for a tie for 5th place and literally being a few stats away from not only being in the money but finishing as high as 2nd place I am ready for a strong 2013. I feel I have a team that can challenge for the title but like every team I need to stay away as much as possible from the injury bug, stay away from guys have down years and catch a break or two. Looking at my team the open points I see is Headley & Morrison will be on the DL for most of April and Garza won't be ready until 1st week of May. Also while I know Garza will get traded by July 31st I hope he stays in the NL because in my league if you have a player traded to the AL you get no compensation other than that players salary gets added to your free agent budget. A big key for me is that come August 1st Chase Headley is a Padre or if he is traded that he is still in the NL. I tried to ride the wave of my draft where I felt the values and my draft plan meet each other. I believe that worked and tried to be flexible and aggressive throughout the draft. I hope by me breaking down the draft you got something out of it or at least got entertained.

Follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing

Please feel free to send me NL fantasy baseball advice questions via twitter.

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - 5 Key Questions NL West

2013-03-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

Okay we finish this three part series today with the NL West. Let's break it down.

Arizona Diamondbacks:
- Will Ian Kennedy bounce back and have an ace lite year like he did in 2011?
- Does Goldschmidt emerge as a true 5 category stud this year?
- Does Aaron Hill repeat his 2012 production?
- How long will Ross and Eaton be out for?
- Can Wade Miley do it again?

Colorado Rockies:
- Can any Rockies starting pitcher provide positive value?
- Does Cargo play 150+ games and put up huge fantasy year?
- Will Fowler still be a tease or put together a big season?
- Does Cuddyer get traded during the season?
- How long does Helton stay a starter if he struggles?

Los Angeles Dodgers:
- Will Carl Crawford stay healthy and what can we expect?
- How does Greinke do in year 1 of the mega contract?
- Will Ryu make a strong impact right away?
- If Jansen stays healthy how long before he takes the closer job away from League?
- What do the Dodgers do with Lilly, Harang & Capuano if everyone else is healthy?

San Diego Padres:
- Is Chase Headley a Padre on August 1st?
- Is Gyorko in contention for Rookie of the year?
- Is any Padre starting pitcher worth owning?
- How will the fences that are moved in play this year?
- Can Quentin play 120 games?

San Francisco Giants:
- Does Lincecum put up a huge year in his walk year or is he done?
- Does Belt show he is a core Giant for years to come this year?
- Can Sandoval play 140 games?
- Does Pence put up a monster year in his walk year?
- Does Pagan stay hungry after his big contract?

Follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - 5 Key Questions NL Cental

2013-03-26T10:43:00.002-04:00

Today we take a look at the 5 key Questions per team for the NL Central. Let's kick it off.

Chicago Cubs:
- Who is on Third and can they do anything?
- How long will Marmol, Garza & Soriano be Cubs this season?
- Will Samardzja take the next step and become a front line starter?
- Will Rizzo become an elite 1B?
- Will Castro have a break through season?

Cincinnati Reds:
- Will Johnny Cueto follow up his big 2012?
- Will Joey Votto put his knee injury from last year behind him and challenge for the MVP?
- In this loaded lineup will all these guys feed off each other?
- Will Choo be 20/20?
- Will Mesoraco show his promise?

Milwaukee Brewers:
- Will Lohse be in the rotation in mid April and will he be the force he was last year?
- Will Hart be back late April or mid May?
- Will it be the Axford of 2011 or 2012?
- Will Carlos Gomez & Norichika Aoki duplicate last season?
- What will the Brewers get out of Estrada, Fiers & Narveson?

Pittsburgh Pirates:
- Can McCutchen put up that 2012 monster year again?
- Can Starling Marte be a strong contributor?
- Can Pedro Alvarez cut down some K's and hit 40HR's?
- What will the Pirates get out of their starting pitching?
- Will Grilli have a hard time closing?

St. Louis Cardinals:
- How long will Motte & Freese be out for?
- Can Craig play 150 games and put up a monster season?
- When will Oscar Taveras be up this season?
- Will Wainwright go back to his ace form?
- Can Molina duplicate his career year or anywhere close to it?

Tomorrow we do the NL West.

Follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza

NL King - 5 Key NL East Questions

2013-03-25T08:26:00.001-04:00

Today we break down the key NL East 5 key questions by team. Let's get to it.

Atlanta Braves:
- How long will Brian McCann be out for and will he go back to his old form?
- Will Kris Medlan break through as an ace this year or was last August & September just a hot streak?
- Can Julio Teheran be a solid starter this year?
- Will the Upton brothers each put together a huge season?
- Is this the year Jason Heyward becomes an elite fantasy player?

Miami Marlins:
- Who else will the Marlins trade this season besides free agent to be Rickey Nolasco?
- Can Giancarlo Stanton put up big numbers with hardly a supporting cast?
- Is Justin Ruggiano the real deal or a flash in the pan?
- Will Christian Yelich be up with the Marlins by the summer?
- Can any of the players the Marlins got from Toronto make a fantasy impact this year?

New York Mets:
- Can any of the Mets outfielders have any fantasy value?
- When will D'Arnaud and Wheeler be up?
- Can Johan Santana make any sort of fantasy impact or is he done?
- Can Bobby Parnell be an effective closer?
- Can either Niese or Harvey take a big step this year?

Philadelphia Phillies:
- Can that older core bats put together a strong season?
- Will Doc Halladay rebound or is he past his prime?
- Will Ben Revere steal 50 bases?
- Can either Domonic Brown or John Mayberry Jr break though this year?
- If the Phillies have a bad 1st half will they look to rebuild?

Washington Naturals:
- Will Strasburg win the cy young?
- Will Harper be in contention for the MVP?
- Will Ryan Zimmerman stay healthy for a full season?
- Will Adam LaRoche repeat his best season ever from 2012?
- Will Dernard Span put up a big year as Nats leadoff man on this loaded team?

Tomorrow will do the NL Central.

Follow me on twitter @ TheNLKing

NL King - C.Lizza