PECOTA Season Projections

PECOTA Season Projections
by Matt Sisson on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 4:40 pm EST

Baseball Prospectus has released it’s yearly AL and NL projections. Topping out the American League East is the Boston Red Sox followed by the New York Yankees. BP projects the Sox to win 98 games with the Yankees finishing just one game back with a 97-65 record. The Cleveland Indians are projected winners in the Central with the Twins finishing second. Oakland takes the West with the Angels finishing in second with just 79 wins.

The American League East remains at the top of the AL rankings with the Red Sox leading all of baseball with 98 wins and second to the Chicago Cubs by just 1 run with 864. The projected second place New York Yankees will boast an impressive 97 wins, more than any other AL or NL division leader. Tampa is also projected to win 92 games, which is 8 better than the division leader in the AL West and Central.

The Cubs are projected to be the best National League team with 95 wins while the Mets top the East with 93 wins and the Diamondbacks lead the west with 90 wins. As i previously mentioned, the Cubs are projected to lead all of baseball with 865 runs scored, which is better than any team in the NL by a large margin. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are both projected to win 88 games in ‘09 and one should secure the wild card in what would be a projected one game playoff.

It looks to be a long season in the NL Central as the Pittsburgh Pirates are projected to be the worst team in baseball with 97 losses, just beating out the Houston Astros who are projected to lose 96 games. The Seattle Mariners bottom out in the American League with 92.

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Pirates set to sign Maholm, Hinske

Top pitcher gets 3-year pact, plus option that keeps rights through 2012
Friday, January 30, 2009


By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates are expected to turn a double play of signings today, with pitcher Paul Maholm on a three-year contract extension and free-agent outfielder Eric Hinske on a one-year contract, each having agreed to terms yesterday.

The bigger deal, in many ways, will be the first.

Maholm and the team early yesterday morning agreed to a term that guarantees his salary through all three of his arbitration-eligible years and comes with a club option for a fourth year, 2012, that would have been his first after becoming eligible for free agency. Salary figures were not available, but the total guaranteed money is estimated to be in the range of $13 million-$14 million.

All that was needed for completion of the contract was for Maholm to pass a physical, something of a formality considering he was examined just two weeks ago at minicamp in Bradenton, Fla. He flew to Pittsburgh yesterday.

Maholm, 26, was the Pirates' first-round draft pick in 2003 and is fresh off his finest season in the majors, going 9-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 31 starts. His 3.11 ERA from May 31 until season's end was ninth lowest in the National League.

Maholm's agent, Bo McKinnis, and the team began discussing a multiyear contract in early December, but that appeared in jeopardy later that month when Pirates president Frank Coonelly publicly stated that only catcher Ryan Doumit was likely to get such an extension this offseason. Multiyear talks never stopped, though, largely because Maholm was supportive, and they picked up momentum two weeks ago.

No one from either side would elaborate yesterday.

By reaching agreement, Maholm and the team will avoid their arbitration hearing, which had been set for Feb. 10. The sides last week exchanged salary figures toward that hearing, Maholm filing for $3.8 million, the team $2.65 million.

The Pirates' only remaining player with a hearing is outfielder Nate McLouth, set for Feb. 17. The sides continue to talk toward a one-year deal, their multiyear negotiations having fizzled in December.

Other than Maholm and Doumit, the players who have received multiyear extensions since new management took over in late 2007 are second baseman Freddy Sanchez, starter Ian Snell and closer Matt Capps. In every case but Capps, the Pirates secured the rights to at least one year of the players' free agency through club options.

All that was known about Hinske's contract yesterday was that it covered one guaranteed year. The salary is expected to be in the range of $1.5 million, which would be nearly double the $800,000 he made last season with the Tampa Bay Rays. There also could be $1 million or more in performance-based bonuses, likely for plate appearances.

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Wright to play at Classic

Wright to play at Classic
By Anthony DiComo MLB.com

NEW YORK -- One mark of the Mets during general manager Omar Minaya's tenure has been a noticeable international flavor. For the better part of this decade now, the Mets have been led by stars from Puerto Rico, the Domincan Republic and beyond.
Yet when the 2009 World Baseball Classic begins this March, one of the most popular Mets, David Wright, will be representing the United States.

Wright will play third base for Team USA, a Mets official confirmed on Monday, giving the Mets even more exposure on a world stage.

Wright could be the lone Mets player on Team USA, but certainly not in the tournament. Outfielder Carlos Beltran, first baseman Carlos Delgado and reliever Pedro Feliciano have all said that they would like to play for Puerto Rico, pitchers Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez have said likewise about the Venezuelan team, and shortstop Jose Reyes has said that he would like to play for the Domincan Republic.

Those players, along with reliever Duaner Sanchez and catcher Brian Schneider, are the current Mets who played in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.

Wright, 26, hit .302 with 33 home runs and 124 RBIs for the Mets last season, and has been the team's most productive hitter over the past four seasons. He did not participate in the 2006 Classic.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez started at the position for Team USA that year, though he has committed to play for the Domincan Republic this time around. The other third baseman on the 2006 roster, Chipper Jones of the Braves, has also confirmed that he will play this season.

Other confirmed American players include Red Sox second baseman -- and reigning American League MVP -- Dustin Pedroia, Braves catcher Brian McCann, Angels pitcher John Lackey and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

Team USA made it to the second round of play in the inaugural Classic, before losing in a pool that included South Korea and eventual champion Japan. This year, the Americans will play their opening-round matches in Toronto, within a pool that includes Canada, Italy and Venezuela.

The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico will play in San Juan, P.R., along with Panama and the Netherlands.

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Baseball Today

Latest News
AP News

Former major league pitcher Dock Ellis dies at 63

Dock Ellis, who infamously claimed he pitched a no-hitter for Pittsburgh under the influence of LSD and later fiercely spoke out against drug and alcohol addiction, died Friday. He was 63....


It's official: Furcal finalizes deal with Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shortstop Rafael Furcal finalized his three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. Furcal agreed to terms of a contract worth at least $30 million with the Dodgers two days earlier, prompting the Atlanta Braves to claim the 31-year-old switch hitter reneged on a deal with them....


AP News Break: CC Sabathia gets $9M signing bonus

NEW YORK (AP) -- CC Sabathia will receive $9.5 million from the New York Yankees before he throws his first official pitch in pinstripes....


Epstein, Francona silent on pursuit of Teixeira
BOSTON (AP) Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was back at the airport Friday as part of the team's announcement of a new partnership - not with Mark Teixeira....


Schuerholz: Furcal's agents' actions 'despicable'

ATLANTA (AP) -- Braves president John Schuerholz has vowed to never again do business with Rafael Furcal's agents, whom Schuerholz accused in a newspaper interview of conducting "despicable" dealings with the team. Schuerholz and Braves general manager Frank Wren were quoted as saying the Wasserman Media Group negotiated dishonestly by taking the team's signed terms of agreement sheet for Furcal to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who then reached a preliminary agreement Wednesday to re-sign the shortstop....

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Braves: Furcal Contract expected

12/16/08 5:24 AM EST
MLB.Com

Rafael Furcal

The Braves appear to be on the cusp of bringing back shortstop Rafael Furcal, one of the most productive players in the team's recent history, according to a report by Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

A Major League source told Fox Sports that Furcal has decided to return to his first franchise, with a contract agreement expected to be announced Tuesday, conditional on Furcal passing a physical. The deal is believed to be for three years with a vesting option for a fourth.

Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, told FOXSports.com on Monday night before the report broke, "[The Braves] are in deep. He's seriously considering it."
The Oakland A's have been the front-runner to acquire the shortstop's services, offering what is believed to be the only four-year deal that Furcal received. However, Furcal is said to prefer returning to either one of the two franchises for which he's played: the Braves or the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Furcal played six seasons for the Braves, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and making the All-Star team in 2003, when he finished third in the National League in runs scored with 130. He then signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Dodgers. Furcal was limited by back issues in 2008, but did hit .357 with 16 RBIs in 36 games.

The Braves already have a potential All-Star caliber shortstop in Yunel Escobar. The strong-armed Furcal could conceivably move to second base, or the Braves could use Escobar as trade bait. Escobar had previously been mentioned in trade talks for San Diego ace Jake Peavy. The Padres recently broke off talks with the Cubs for Peavy, but didn't rule out revisiting talks with other teams.

Manny Ramirez
If not Mark Teixeira, why not Manny Ramirez?
It's a question that has come up frequently as the Angels continue to wrestle with the possibility that they will surrender Teixeira to an East Coast team, with the Red Sox, Orioles, Nationals and Yankees all in the hunt for the switch-hitting first baseman.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia, while attending the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, said he didn't understand why people assumed he couldn't get along with Ramirez, adding, "He'd be a fit on our club."

And on Monday with AM 830 KLAA, the Angels' flagship radio station, Scioscia expanded on that viewpoint.

"I don't know know how some of these things get started," Scioscia said. "Our staff has been together for 10 years here. Really, we've had maybe one well-documented thing with Jose Guillen, and that's it. I don't think we demand anything from our players that any other organization, any other manager, doesn't demand from their players."

Guillen was dismissed from the team over his demeanor late in the 2004 season after producing 27 homers and 104 RBIs in 148 games. He was dealt that winter to Montreal for Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis.

"Manny Ramirez is a guy, as long as he's practicing the game hard, playing it hard and producing, and is understanding of the team concept -- which from everything I've heard from guys he's played with, he is -- he's a guy who works very, very hard at what he does," Scioscia said. "He'd be a fit on a lot of clubs, including our own.

"I don't think it's anything like that is going to keep Manny from being considered to play for our club. It's certainly length of contract, resources, things like that -- that would affect any other player."

With Teixeira drawing heightened interest -- and the Angels making an eight-year offer that was beyond their initial projections -- Ramirez has been pushed into the background.

Ramirez, who produced a sensational second half for the Dodgers, figures to cost about half as much as Teixeira in length of terms and dollars. Ramirez, at 36, is eight years older than Teixeira.

There was radio speculation by host Dan Patrick on Monday that a potential Teixeira deal with Boston could go as high as $200 million over eight years.

Scott Boras, representing both Teixeira and Ramirez, made a case that Teixeira is worthy of a 10-year deal while Ramirez warrants a six-year pact.

Asked if he'd be for it if things could be worked out with Ramirez, Scioscia said, "Absolutely. Talent like Manny's is real. He's a winner. Whether it happens or not remains to be seen. But we would not rule him out.

"We have discussions obviously on character and makeup. We would not rule Manny out. When he's motivated -- and he showed that in the last part of the season -- this guy is one of the best talents in the game."

The Angels have firsthand knowledge of what Ramirez can do on the big October stage. He helped knock them out in the American League Division Series in 2004 and '07 with his lethal bat.

In the six games of those two series sweeps, Ramirez was 8-for-21 (.381) with three homers and 11 RBIs.

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K-Rod boast Mets 2009 winning season

NEW YORK Francisco Rodriguez has a message for the Philadelphia Phillies and the rest of the NL East.

Despite back-to-back September collapses, Francisco Rodriguez is confident the Mets will win the NL East in 2009. Here's how the division stacked up
"Of course, we're going to try to win the division. Of course, we're going to be the front-runner. Of course, we're going to be the team to beat," he said Saturday.

Four days after agreeing to a $37 million, three-year contract, K-Rod was confident the Mets will put consecutive September collapses behind them and overtake the World Series champion Phillies in ruling the NL East.

"I don't want there to be a controversy or the other ballclubs in that division to take it personally or take it in a bad way," he said. "If they ask me, 'Oh, which ballclub is going to win the National League East?' It's going to be the Mets. Easy question."

In 2007 and 2008, the Mets treated their fans much the same way Lucy dealt with Charlie Brown trying to kick a football: They promised everything would be different this time only to yank the ball away at the end. September leads evaporated, and they were eliminated on the last day of the regular season.

On Thursday, Phillies ace Cole Hamels took a shot at the Mets.

"For the past two years they've been choke artists," he said on WFAN radio.

Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins began the verbal sparring before the 2007 season when he said the Phillies were the team to beat in the division -- even though the Mets came within one win of reaching the World Series the previous year.

"Everybody knows what happened, unfortunately. They didn't get the job done. Unfortunately, you know, it happens," Rodriguez said Saturday from Venezuela during a conference call. "We cannot be living with the past. We've just have to get that behind us and get focused."

In a span of four days, the Mets reached a $37 million, three-year deal with K-Rod, acquired J.J. Putz from Seattle and exiled three of the guilty, trading Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis. The Mets want to forget a season in which they blew 29 of 72 save chances.

Rodriguez saved a major league record 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels last season and says he's ready for a changed atmosphere at Citi Field. He was animated with the Angels, and is looking forward to the energy of the Mets' fans. He wants to earn their respect.

"New York's atmosphere is totally different. The fans are really passionate," he said. "A lot of players like to be on that stage. I'm the kind of guy that likes to be on the big stage."

He's not used to charged-up fans at home.

"In Anaheim, they're more calm," he said. "They're really relaxed when they're watching the game."

Already a three-time All-Star, Rodriguez turns 27 next month. He claimed his drop in velocity last season was caused by his development of a changeup. He tried to throw all his pitches at the same arm speed.

K-Rod thinks his velocity will be back up next year.

"People, they're looking at velocity and not worried about what I've done," he said. "To me it's not a concern. It's not something that I really worry about right now."

He joins fellow Venezuelan Johan Santana on the Mets, and can sense the excitement when "walking the street, going to the mall, doing groceries."

At a dinner with the Mets last Sunday night, he spoke with Santana, who had called team executive Tony Bernazard.

"They told me all the best things of New York and some of the bad things, too," he said. "Like I say, he gave me a little advice."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Angels made an eight-year offer to first baseman Mark Teixeira during winter meetings in Las Vegas.

Team spokesman Tim Mead said Friday that no financial details are being revealed about the offer to the free agent, who is being sought by numerous teams.

Boston, Washington and Baltimore all have expressed interest in the 28-year-old Maryland native, who also met with the New York Yankees ahead of the winter meetings.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Updated: December 13, 2008, 6:03 PM ET

Kerry Wood Signs Two-Year Deal With IndiansCLEVELAND -- Kerry Wood wasn't concerned the Cleveland Indians would find a red flag in his massive medical records.

He was certain the elbow X-rays, MRI exam results on his shoulder and confidential documents would meet approval, clearing him to sign his first free-agent contract.

"With what I've gone through and what I've come back from, there was no doubt in my mind," Wood said. "I was just worried they would need a dolly or two to get it over to them.

"You play for 10 years and a lot can happen."

Wood would know.

The former Cubs right-hander, who has revived his injury-riddled career as a reliever, finalized a $20.5 million, two-year deal on Saturday with the Indians, whose high expectations in 2008 crashed in a succession of early-season blown saves by an underachieving and unpredictable bullpen.

In 10 years, Wood, who saved 34 games in his first season finishing for Chicago, has gone from rising star to a question mark, from the front of the rotation to the back of the bullpen, and now from one league to the other.

The closer is starting over.

The 31-year-old gets $10 million next year and $10.5 million in 2010. An $11 million option kicks in if Wood has 55 games finished in either of the next two years.

Cleveland's investment is being viewed by some as risky. After all, Wood has been on the disabled list 12 times. But his only visit last season was for a blister on his right index finger, and the Indians are confident they're making a sound move after scouting Wood and giving him a physical.


Kerry Wood RP Chicago Cubs

"Not only did he hold up for the season, but he was able to pitch three days in a row multiple times," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said. "He was dominant as he as ever been in his career."

After pitching in 22 games as a setup man in 2007, Wood went to spring training and won the closer's job -- vacated when the Cubs made Ryan Dempster a starter -- over Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry. He went 5-4 with a 3.26 ERA and made the All-Star team.

But he fell out of Chicago's plans this winter, when the Cubs acquired reliever Kevin Gregg from Florida as a setup man and moved Marmol to closer. Wood has no resentment toward the team that gave him his pro start by drafting the 6-foot-5 Texan in 1995.

"I understand it," Wood said. "That's part of the game and it's time to move on."

Moving into the closer's role seemed to suit the hard-throwing Wood, who can still pump his fastball into the mid-90s. He now has a nasty curve to go with it. He said the adjustment to closing took him only three weeks, a transition made easier because of his background as a power pitcher.

"I could come in and let it go," he said from his home in Arizona . "The thing I impressed myself with was the walks and command. My command was a lot better coming in for a short time."

Wood's statistics back that up. He struck out 84 batters and walked just 18 in 66 1/3 innings over 65 appearances.

More importantly, Wood felt as if his arm had been reborn.

"I've talked to relievers who said they felt better the morning after they throw," Wood said. "I could never understand that, as a starter. Because it would take me every bit of four days to be able to go again. After making the transition and coming out of the bullpen, I saw there's a lot of validity to it. The more I threw, the better I felt and the better I did."

Wood also relished the opportunity to take the mound several days in a row instead of just once per week.

"I enjoy coming to the park every day with a chance to get in the game," he said.

The Indians went into the offseason with a closer as their top priority. The market was deep and included Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes and Trevor Hoffman, the career saves leader.

In Wood, though, Cleveland saw more than a big arm. The Indians coveted Wood because of his experience and a presence that can be felt in the middle of the diamond and clubhouse.

"Kerry was our No. 1 choice," Shapiro said. "I'm not sure there was anyone available who we would want to pitch the ninth inning for us. He fits our culture perfectly. We get the best of both worlds with Kerry."

The Indians haven't had a right-handed closer with stuff similar to Wood's since Jose Mesa in the 1990s.

"We've had some guys who have been unconventional, but still effective," Shapiro said. "What Kerry does is give us that prototypical closer, as well as the temperament that Joe Borowski and Bob Wickman brought."

Wood is not the same pitcher who struck out 20 Houston Astros in his fifth major league start in 1998, but the Indians don't need him to do anything more than get the last three outs.

Cleveland's courtship of Wood was helped by the club's recent opening of a new year-round training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. The Indians' new spring home is not far from Wood's in Scottsdale.

But what mattered most to Wood was the Indians, more than the other teams he and his agent talked to recently, made it clear that they wanted him.

"They came at me hard from Day 1," he said. "That was something I looked at. I looked at the records of the teams, and they had one of the best records in the second half. The talent is there. It's a great city, a great town, solid fans and a beautiful stadium."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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Players Mov'in the News

Thursday Dec. 11, 2009 8:00am

Mets acquire Putz in 3 team, 12 player deal

Mets acquired RHP J.J. Putz, OF Jeremy Reed and RHP Sean Green; Mariners acquired OF Franklin Gutierrez, RHP Aaron Heilman, 1B Mike Carp, OF Endy Chavez, LHP Jason Vargas, OF Ezequiel Carrera and RHP Maikel Cleto; Indians acquired RHP Joe Smith and 2B Luis Valbuena.

The Mets will be praised for this, and they might even deserve it. However, Putz never did recover his best stuff after last season's elbow problems, and it's an open question of how he got his best stuff in the first place. In 2006 and 2007, he was about as dominant as any reliever in the game, amassing a ridiculous 186/26 K/BB ratio in 150 innings. However, he never showed that kind of potential in previous seasons and he didn't ever look like the same guy last season, even if he did finish with 56 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings. Odds are that the Mets are getting a very good setup man. However, he'll probably never again be the pitcher he was in 2006 and 2007 and he'll be quite expensive to keep beyond next season. He's due $5.5 million in 2009 and $9.1 million if his option for 2010 is picked up.

Oliver Perez SP Mets

Mets GM Omar Minaya put the chances of re-signing Oliver Perez at "50/50."

The Mets probably won't be in on Derek Lowe or A.J. Burnett, leaving Perez as the top free agent starter they could possibly sign. It's believed he's asking for $70 million over five years, and agent Scott Boras has indicated the Mets won't get a discount.
Source: Newsday


Brad Penny SP Dodgers

The Rockies have reportedly decided against making an offer to free agent Brad Penny.

The Penny market remains quiet, and there's been no indication that he's received offers as of yet. The Red Sox and Giants are believed to have some interest.
Source: Rockies.mlb.com

Juan Morillo RP Rockies

According to MLB.com, Juan Morillo could be the other player in a proposed Willy Taveras-Tim Redding deal between the Rockies and Nationals.

Morillo is considered expendable in part because he's out of options. The hard-throwing right-hander had another disappointing season in 2008 and didn't pitch in the majors outside of a brief callup in July.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Eric Byrnes OF Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks and Red Sox are reportedly discussing a trade of Eric Byrnes and Julio Lugo.

This makes a lot more sense for Boston than the Tigers talks, though they'd have to have some idea that Byrnes is willing to be a fourth outfielder in order to make the deal. Byrnes is owed $22 million over the next two years, while Lugo is due $18 million. If acquired, Lugo would take over as the Diamondbacks' second baseman.
Source: ESPN.com



Kyle Farnsworth RP Tigers

A source told ESPN's Steve Phillips that Farnsworth has agreed to a two-year, $9.25 million deal with the Royals.

We'd just love to see a sensible explanation of what makes Farnsworth worth $4.6 million per season in a multiyear deal in a world in which Bob Howry gets $2.75 million for one season. Farnsworth has finished with ERAs of 4.36, 4.80 and 4.48 ERA the last three years and hasn't thrown 70 innings in a season since 2005. His back issues often seem to have him day-to-day and prevent him from pitching on back-to-back days. Also, there was no hint that the Royals had any competition for his services. Like with Jose Guillen a year ago, Dayton Moore was probably bidding against himself.
Source: ESPN.com


Mark Teahen OF Royals

Royals manager Trey Hillman admitted Wednesday that he doesn't currently have Mark Teahen in his projected lineup.

Hillman seemed to like the same lineup we had written out when the Coco Crisp deal went down last month: CF Crisp, SS Mike Aviles, LF David DeJesus, RF Jose Guillen, 1B Mike Jacobs, DH Billy Butler, 3B Alex Gordon, C Miguel Olivo and 2B Alberto Callaspo. The extreme lack of OBP in the fourth and fifth slots is a major problem, but those were probably two of Hillman's easiest calls.
Source: Kansas City Star


Jack Wilson SS Pirates

Royals GM Dayton Moore denied that his team had any interest in trading for Jack Wilson.

The Royals would like to create payroll space for Rafael Furcal, but they're not going to make the effort to bring in an expensive, less-talented shortstop. There are no serious suitors for Wilson at the moment. The Twins and Dodgers could reconsider him at some later date, but they clearly have higher priorities.
Source: Kansas City Star

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Players mov'in the News

Matt Wieters-C-Orioles Dec. 9

Orioles manager Dave Trembley said he is "looking forward to seeing" Matt Wieters in the majors next season if the team completes a Ramon Hernandez trade.

"I think everybody is," Trembley added. If the backstop vacancy opens up with Hernandez moving elsewhere, Wieters is definitely going to be given a shot. The Orioles might, however, sign a capable veteran that could ease Matt's transition.
Source: Baltimore Sun



George Sherrill-R-Orioles Dec. 9

Orioles manager Dave Trembley suggested Monday that George Sherrill and Chris Ray could share closing duties next season.

"I don't think there will be competition,'' Trembley said. "I think I'm going to be afforded the luxury of having two guys that have done it... I don't think it's inconceivable that we could somehow share that role." It's way too early to buy much into that comment, but it does show that the Orioles have faith in Chris Ray being healthy to start the season. He is coming off Tommy John surgery. We'd still consider Sherrill the frontrunner to take the job full time.
Source: Baltimore Sun



Kris Benson-S-Phillies Dec. 9

Free agent Kris Benson said the Blue Jays, Indians and Dodgers have expressed interest in him.

Benson spent 2008 working his way back from rotator cuff surgery and went 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in the Phillies' minor league system. He believes he's fully recovered now, so there's the chance he could turn into an adequate fifth starter.
Source: MASN Sports

Francisco Rodriguez-R-Angels Dec.

SI.com's Jon Heyman expects the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez to agree to a three-year deal worth about $37 million.

K-Rod certainly would have had more earnings potential if he had elected for a one-year deal with the chance to go back on the market next winter. However, the difference between $12 million per year and $15 million per year has a lot more to do with status than any real world consequences. At least this deal is still bigger than the three-year, $34 million contract he turned down from the Angels a year ago.
Source: SI.com


Alex Rios-OF-Blue Jays Dec. 9

When asked, Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi wouldn't rule out dealing Alex Rios.

There was considerable momentum behind a Rios-for-Tim Lincecum deal last winter, though the Giants did end up passing. Rios later signed a seven-year, $70 million deal with Toronto. "I think we'd be open to talk abut anybody, but if you trade a guy like Rios, how do you replace him, too?" Ricciardi said. "We're not actively shopping Rios. Last year it made sense because we knew [A.J.] Burnett may leave and Lincecum would have stepped right in. But I don't know if there's that type of deal out there that would make sense." Almost certainly not. Rios was a lot more attractive before landing the big contract and turning in a disappointing season.
Source: National Post


Mark Teixeira-1B-Angels Dec. 9

A front-office official for a team on the outside looking in at the Mark Teixeira chase said he expects the first baseman to sign with Boston.

"I think he’ll sign with the Red Sox," the official said. "They want him. They have a good relationship with (agent Scott) Boras, and in the end, they have the dollars to make it happen." While the Yankees, Orioles and Nationals all met with Teixeira in D.C. last week, his supposed strongest suitors -- the Red Sox and Angels -- have yet to sit down for a face-to-face. It's unclear whether any team has made an actual offer.
Source: Yahoo! Sports


Ramon Vazquez-3B-Rangers Dec. 9

Free agent Ramon Vazquez is telling people that the one-year offer he received from Arizona was way too low and that he already has a two-year offer from another team.

The Diamondbacks may be offering more playing time, but since Vazquez is 32 and hasn't made all that much money in his career -- his $810,000 salary in 2008 was his highest to date -- he may figure he's best off taking the high contact on the table. We could see the Yankees, White Sox or Phillies signing him for a utility role.
Source: Arizona Republic

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Maddux to announce his retirement

Greg Maddux SP Maddux to announce his retirement

Greg Maddux has thrown his last pitch. The four-time Cy Young winner will announce his retirement Monday at the baseball winter meetings in Las Vegas, his hometown, according to his agent, Scott Boras. Maddux, who turns 43 in April, ranks eighth on the career wins list with 355. He went 8-13 with a 4.22 ERA last season with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. The last-place Padres traded Maddux to the Dodgers on Aug. 19 for two minor leaguers to be named or cash. He went 2-4 in seven starts for Los Angeles. His last regular-season game for the NL West champions was a gem - he beat the Giants 2-1 at AT&T Park on Sept. 27, giving up one run and two hits in six innings. Maddux then made three relief appearances in the playoffs for the Dodgers - he had an 0.00 ERA over four innings - and then filed for free agency amid speculation he would retire. Maddux finished one win ahead of Roger Clemens on the career victory list. Overall, "Mad Dog" was 355-227 with a 3.16 ERA, and is considered a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible after five years. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Braves sign free agent David Ross

The Atlanta Braves added catching depth by signing free agent David Ross to a two-year deal on Friday. Ross, a 31-year-old Georgia native, likely will replace Corky Miller as the primary backup to starter Brian McCann. Ross is a career .222 hitter. He hit .231 in 52 games with Cincinnati last season before he was released Aug. 18. He signed with Boston and appeared in eight games late in the season. He hit only .203 with 17 homers for the Reds in 2007, when he set a career high with 311 at-bats. His best season was 2006, when he hit .255 with 21 homers and 55 RBIs. Ross has hit 41 homers the last three seasons, the 11th-highest total among major league catchers. The Braves signed Ross one day after trading their top catching prospect, Tyler Flowers, and three other players to the White Sox for starting pitcher Javier Vazquez and left-handed reliever Boone Logan. (Houston Chronicle)

Greene, Khalil SS StL

A welcome fresh season for the shortstop now includes a fresh team as well. The Cardinals acquired their new starting shortstop from San Diego in a three-player swap this week. Greene hit .213 with a meager .260 on-base percentage last season, but the production was as uncharacteristic as the punch. In his four previous seasons as the Padres' starter, Greene averaged 18 home runs and 72 RBIs a season. (St Louis Post-Dispatch)

Burnett, A.J. SP
Braves talking five-year deal with Burnett.

The Braves are ready to offer A.J. Burnett a five-year deal worth $75 million. The Braves started with a four-year, $60 million deal that included a vesting option for a fifth year but are willing to guarantee the fifth season. "He would have to take that because of the length," an industry source with knowledge of the Braves' plans said. "Even if somebody else gave him $18 million a year for four years that's still less [$72 million]." Burnett has indicated he wants a no-trade clause. However, the Braves historically don't do no-trades. "He shouldn't worry about that because his contract is his no-trade; that's a lot of money," the source said. (New York Post)

Teixeira, Mark 1B
Nats are serious about Teixeira.

The Nationals, who are looking for fans as well as wins, are expected to make a bid to try to blow the field away for Mark Teixeira, the almost hometown kid from an hour away in Severna Park, Md. A Nationals person said their priority is to find a left-handed slugger, and there's no better one than Teixeira. They probably also wouldn't mind tweaking Orioles owner Peter Angelos, who hasn't exactly made friends with his neighbor and has coveted Teixiera since he starred in high school about three miles from Camden Yards. Still, most folks still see the incumbent Angels as the slight favorite to keep him, with the Red Sox also a major factor and the winning bid expected to hit or exceed $160 million over eight years. Owner Arte Moreno and manager Mike Scioscia are said to love Teixeira (though some of their baseball people might actually prefer a run at CC), and the guess is that Moreno will outbid the Red Sox, Yankees and other East Coast suitors. (SI.com)

Peavy, Jake SP SD
Cubs have the money for Peavy.

The Cubs' payroll could climb by perhaps 10 percent or more from the final 2008 figure of about $130 million, a greater increase than initial reports this offseason -- and the kind of increase that could allow general manager Jim Hendry to fit both the left-handed bat the team seeks and the Cy Young pitcher the San Diego Padres are trying hard to sell. Two Cubs sources told the Sun-Times this week that the Cubs still are interested in Padres right-hander Jake Peavy, including one saying he expects Hendry to acquire the former Cy Young winner. If the Atlanta Braves, who appeared to be Peavy's strongest pursuer last month, close the deal they're seeking for free-agent pitcher A.J. Burnett, (Chicago Sun Times)

Ramirez, Manny LF
Manny forced to play the waiting game.

It appears Manny Ramirez is going to have to be patient. The Dodgers, the team that badly needs him, isn't anxious to spend yet. And at 36, even after his superhuman saving of the Dodgers' season, he appears to be a fallback option for a couple big spenders, including the Angels and his hometown Yankees (he's from Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, just across the East River from the Bronx), who can't be counted out here, either. While Ramirez doesn't crave to go home like Sabathia, he does admire the dollar, and has said -- and shown -- he's ready to go the highest bidder, whomever that may be. (SI.com)

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MLB Heads Up News

The Rays don't expect B.J. Upton to be ready to play in time for the first spring training games following November shoulder surgery.

Upton probably wouldn't have been on the team anyway, but there's no chance of him participating in the WBC now. The Rays do expect him to be at full strength for the beginning of the regular season.
Source: Tampa Tribune


Mark Worrell-R-Cardinals Dec. 4 - 2:27 pm et

The Padres will get Mark Worrell and a player to be named from the Cardinals for Khalil Greene, according to MLB.com.

Worrell deserves a chance to make it as a middle reliever or setup man and will probably have some success at Petco. Still, unless the second player is better than he is, this will go down as quite a deal for the Cardinals.
Source: Hot Stove Blog


Edgar Renteria-SS-Giants Dec. 4 - 1:50 pm et

Giants signed shortstop Edgar Renteria, who had been with the Tigers, to a two-year, $18.5 million contract.

Renteria will probably resume hitting back in the National League -- he finished at .332/.390/.470 for the Braves in 2007 -- but whether he'll be an adequate shortstop remains to be seen. He's clearly lost some range the last couple of years, and he absolutely has to get into better shape if he hopes to stick around long enough to reach 3,000 hits (he's at 2,070 through his age-32 season). Frankly, we'd like him better at third base at this point of his career. The Giants, though, figure to drop out of the Rafael Furcal chase and keep Renteria at short. That makes Emmanuel Burriss part of the competition at second base with Kevin Frandsen and Eugenio Velez.

Mike Lincoln-R-RedsDec. 4 - 1:42 pm et

The Reds have re-signed free agent Mike Lincoln to a two-year, $4 million contract, according to the Denver Post.

Bob Howry gets $2.75 million for one year and Lincoln gets two?
The 33-year-old Lincoln was an adequate reliever for the Reds in his comeback season, finishing with a 4.48 ERA in 70 1/3 innings. Of course, it was his first major league action since 2004. Just once in his career has he thrown at least 50 innings and posted an ERA under 4.00. There's simply no reason to be giving such a pitcher a two-year guarantee.
Source: Denver Post


Randy Johnson-S-Athletics Dec. 4 - 1:29 pm et

The A's are targeting free agent Randy Johnson to be their fifth starter, sources told FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Oakland is used to dealing with injury-prone pitchers and does need the depth after trading both Rich Harden and Joe Blanton. Johnson, though, may prefer to stay in the NL.
Source: FOXSports.com


Andy Pettitte-S-Yankees Dec. 4 - 1:27 pm et

Free agent Andy Pettitte remains focused on the Yankees, but is holding out for a better off than the one the team has on the table.

The Yanks are believed to be offering $10 million, which is down from $16 million last year. "I mean, to tell you the truth, like I’ve told you all a hundred times, I’ve made it loud and clear where I’d like to play at," Pettitte said. "I’m just basically sitting here letting my agents do their job really." $13 million would be a reasonable compromise.
Source: New York Times

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Latest MLB News

Sources told FOX 26 Sports that the Astros have agreed to terms with Mike Hampton, pending a physical.

There was nothing to indicate this was close to happening, but it hardly comes as a surprise. The Astros were known to have interest in the left-hander, and it was assumed that Hampton wanted to get closer to his family in Arizona. Hampton pitched for the Astros from 1994-99 and won 22 games in his final season with the club. Dec. 1 - 4:05 pm et
Source: FOX 26 Houston

Yanks decline to offer arbitration to Abreu

The Yankees have declined to offer arbitration to Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Ivan Rodriguez, Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Chad Moeller.

We imagine the Red Sox and Rays are plenty pleased to see that the Yankees won't be getting any extra draft picks next year. Having Abreu back for about $16 million wouldn't have been such a bad thing for the Yankees, and odds are that he would have left and brought back two picks. Now the Yankees are facing the possibility of not having their regular first-round pick or any supplemental first-round picks. They will have the 29th pick in the draft after not signing their first-round pick from 2008. Dec. 1 - 5:46 pm et
Source: SI.com

Sources told FOX 26 Sports that the Astros have agreed to terms with Mike Hampton, pending a physical.

There was nothing to indicate this was close to happening, but it hardly comes as a surprise. The Astros were known to have interest in the left-hander, and it was assumed that Hampton wanted to get closer to his family in Arizona. Hampton pitched for the Astros from 1994-99 and won 22 games in his final season with the club. Dec. 1 - 4:05 pm et
Source: FOX 26 Houston

Yanks decline to offer arbitration to Abreu

The Yankees have declined to offer arbitration to Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Ivan Rodriguez, Sidney Ponson, Carl Pavano and Chad Moeller.

We imagine the Red Sox and Rays are plenty pleased to see that the Yankees won't be getting any extra draft picks next year. Having Abreu back for about $16 million wouldn't have been such a bad thing for the Yankees, and odds are that he would have left and brought back two picks. Now the Yankees are facing the possibility of not having their regular first-round pick or any supplemental first-round picks. They will have the 29th pick in the draft after not signing their first-round pick from 2008. Dec. 1 - 5:46 pm et
Source: SI.com

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Players Future

August 28, 2008
Future Shock
by Kevin Goldstein

It really was the statement heard 'round the world, as from the time of its release until the end of the day, my phone has been burning in non-stop discussions with teams, agents, players, and other members of the media all looking to talk about the Pedro Alvarez situation. The statement issued by the Pirates is very strong in tone, and tells us quite a bit in only 575 words. We all know that Pittsburgh team president Frank Coonelly has a close relationship with the commissioner's office, and the document almost sounds as if it came straight from New York. Let's take a word by word look at it, and talk about what is actually known, what is merely rumored, and what may eventually happen.

At the Pirates' request, the Office of the Commissioner today placed Pedro Alvarez on Major League Baseball's Restricted List. The Pirates were forced to request that Pedro be placed on the Restricted List because we were informed by his agent, Scott Boras, that Pedro will not sign the contract to which he agreed on August 15. Boras further informed us that Pedro will not report to the Club unless we renegotiate his contract and agree to pay him more than the $6 million signing bonus to which he agreed

The first sentence simply describes a legal maneuver meant to protect the Pirates' best interests. It's important to note here that Pedro Alvarez has not signed a contract. That's not unique. As we get to the final hours of the deadline, teams are in one place, agents in another, and players are often in a third. All a team has to do is to notify the Commissioner's Office that the terms to a deal have been reached. This is an important point that we'll get back to later on, when we attempt to figure out what Scott Boras is trying to achieve. Having Alvarez put on the restricted list is the way that the Pirates make a claim to their control of the player; it prevents anyone else from talking to him, and also gives them a legal leg to stand on should the Alvarez camp try going the independent-ball route. This is also the first of several mentions that Boras wants to renegotiate the deal, and it's one of the main sticking points here. If one follows the letter of the rule, Alvarez has either signed and is a Pirate, or he hasn't signed and the deadline has passed, which now forces him to wait a year to re-enter the draft. But that's not what Boras is looking for—he's looking for a renegotiation, and believe it or not, these aren't totally uncharted waters.

The Major League Rules provide that a player who refuses to sign a Uniform Player Contract to which he has agreed and report to the signing Club shall, upon a report of the signing Club, be placed on the Restricted List until he signs a contract reflecting the terms to which he has agreed. Such a player may not sign a contract with or play for any other Club. While demanding that we renegotiate his contract and pay Pedro more than the $6 million signing bonus to which Pedro agreed, Mr. Boras has contended that the contract we reached with Pedro was consummated after the August 15 deadline. This claim was not raised on the evening of the 15th when we informed Mr. Boras that Major League Baseball had confirmed that the contract was submitted in a timely fashion. Mr. Boras asserted this claim several days later, after all of the draft signings had become publicized

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Fantasy Baseball News

Bay, Red Sox Blast Yankees - 08/28/2008
BY Aaron Gleeman

Johnson's four-hit gem leads Fish over Braves

Rangers' Hamilton out with abcessed tooth

Hamilton scratched from Rangers' lineup

Official: Red Sox acquire Kotsay from Braves

Report: Red Sox close to acquiring Kotsay

MLB to begin instant replay Thursday

Report: Drew headed to disabled list

As expected, the Red Sox made the trade for Mark Kotsay official Wednesday by sending 20-year-old outfield prospect Luis Sumoza to the Braves. My analysis of the deal from Boston's point of view can be found in yesterday's column, so let's focus briefly on Sumoza. A corner outfielder who didn't do much in his first two pro seasons, he's hit .301/.366/.549 in 51 games at low Single-A this year. While far from a top prospect, he's intriguing enough to be a nice haul for Kotsay.

* Meanwhile, Boston's blockbuster deal last month continues to pay off for the Red Sox, as Jason Bay drove in four runs Wednesday versus the Yankees and is now hitting .347/.387/.558 with four homers and 24 RBIs in 23 post-trade games. Of course, Manny Ramirez has been even better for the Dodgers, batting .380/.473/.620 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 24 games. In fact, only the Pirates have failed to get good value from the trade thus far.

Andy LaRoche was the centerpiece of the trade for Pittsburgh, but he's in a brutal 0-for-27 slump and has hit .119 in 21 games overall. Craig Hansen was demoted to the minors Wednesday after going 0-2 with an! 8.10 ER A in nine outings with the Pirates and 21-year-old pitching prospect Bryan Morris has been shut down for the remainder of the year at Single-A with biceps soreness. Only Brandon Moss has had any kind of success, and even he missed time with an ankle injury.

* Josh Johnson continues to look stronger and stronger in his return from Tommy John surgery, tossing his first career complete game Wednesday night while holding the Braves to one run on four hits. Johnson is now 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA and 48-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 57.2 innings spread over nine starts since coming off the disabled list, and as discussed previously in this space has actually increased both his fastball and slider velocity since going under the knife.

* Remember the criticism Aubrey Huff took following an offseason appearance on the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show? Huff said some negative things about Baltimore and interacted with a naked woman, which got him in all kinds of heat with fans and the local media. Oddly enough, that seems to have been forgotten now that he's having the best season of his career. Perhaps hanging out with BTLS, Spice Boy, Brent Hatley, and Melissa Midwest isn't so bad after all.

Huff went 3-for-4 with a homer in Wednesday night's victory over the White Sox and is now hitting .307/.366/.566 with 28 homers, 71 total extra-base hits, 84 runs, and 94 RBIs in 129 games. He ranks among the AL's top 10! in homers, runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and OPS after pos! ting a m odest .280/.337/.442 mark with just 15 homers and 72 RBIs in 151 games last season. In his last 81 games-exactly half a season-Huff has hit .344 with 23 homers and 70 RBIs.

* David Purcey was talked up in this space as a worthwhile pickup in AL-only leagues when the Blue Jays called him up from Triple-A, which looked pretty silly after he went 2-4 with a 6.55 ERA through his first seven big-league starts. However, Purcey finally showed some of his potential in a losing effort Wednesday, tossing eight innings of one-run ball against the Rays while racking up 11 strikeouts versus zero walks.

His overall numbers remain ugly, but with a strong 176-to-50 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 179 innings between Double-A and Triple-A over the past two years Purcey strikes me as an underrated long-term bet. The former first-round pick is still relatively young at 26 and has above average stuff for a left-hander, working with a low-90s fastball and mid-80s slider. He could have some value down the stretch in AL-only leagues and makes a nice stash-away candidate for keeper leaguers.

* Manager Jerry Manuel laid out his plans for the Mets outfield Tuesday, saying that Ryan Church will play every day in right field while Fernando Tatis, Daniel Murphy, and Nick Evans split time in left field. Manuel indicated that Murphy will get most of the starts against right-handers, with Tatis and Evans sharing time against left-handers, but that could change if Murphy comes back down to e! arth a bit. It's tough to keep Tatis out of the lineup when h! e's hit .300/.365/.494 in 78 games.

AL Quick Hits:
Evan Longoria's fractured wrist hasn't healed enough for him to swing a bat yet, suggesting that he may not be ready to return next week .
Josh Hamilton was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with an abscessed tooth and may need a root canal .
Dustin Pedroia's first career grand slam Wednesday put an exclamation point on the Red Sox's blowout win over the Yankees . With Victor Martinez (elbow) on the verge of returning, Kelly Shoppach went 3-for-5 with a homer Wednesday to lead the Indians to their 10th straight win .
Troy Percival (knee) threw a bullpen session Tuesday and remains on track to come off the disabled list when eligible Saturday .
George Sherrill (shoulder) played catch Tuesday and said afterward that he's hoping to return next week .
It took 14 tries, but Ryan Feierabend finally turned in his first Quality Start in a no-decision Wednesday . David Murphy (knee) said Wednesday that he's hoping to return once rosters expand next week .
Ivan Rodriguez has just one RBI through 18 games with the Yankees after going hitless Wednesday and the team fell to 5-9 when he starts.

NL Quick Hits:
Carlos Delgado hit just .229/.306/.396 through June 25, but after going deep twice Wednesday he's batting .310 with 19 homers and 58 RBIs in 56 games since .
Mike Hampton lost Wednesday, but tossed eight innings of three-run ball for his fourth Quality Start in five tries this month .
Ryan Zimmerman homered Wednesday for the first time in 31 games since coming off the shelf . Manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday that Colby Rasmus won't be called up next month because "he hasn't earned it" while being injured for much of the season . Khalil Greene will have the cast removed from his fractured hand Friday, but remains unlikely to play again this season .
Zach Duke lost Wednesday, but allowed just two runs and completed eight innings for the first time in 47 starts dating back to September of 2006 .
Andrew Miller (knee) is expected to come off the disabled list when rosters expand next week, but may do so as a reliever . Hitting .278/.374/.465 with 13 homers and 20steals at Double-A, 21-year-old outfield prospect Cameron Maybin has been sidelined for the past week after being bit on the face by a spider.

Read more...

Fantasy Baseball fantasy player news

CBSSports.com
Fantasy Baseball

Ellsbury steals two bases Tuesday Boston rookie Jacoby Ellsbury stole two bases against the Orioles on Tuesday to raise his AL-leading total to 40. Ellsbury went 2-for-6 with two runs scored. Although he's been an overall disappointment in his rookie season, he did look good batting leadoff on Tuesday. Continue to start him in deeper mixed Fantasy leagues because of his ability to steal bases.

Kuroda's great run ends Tuesday Dodgers SP Hiroki Kuroda, who had allowed one earned run in at least seven innings in each of his last three starts, struggled by comparison Tuesday against the Rockies. He allowed four runs on six hits in six innings, walking one and striking out three. He suffered the loss. Kuroda still posted an impressive WHIP during Tuesday's game, so you can't really call it a bad start. He clearly looks like a serviceable Fantasy SP in mixed leagues, but his lack of strikeouts makes him a No. 5 or 6 option. His next start is scheduled for Sunday at Philadelphia.

Slowey strikes out a career-high 12 There are no 96 mph heaters from Twins SP Kevin Slowey. No bat-breaking sliders or splitters that feel like bowling balls to opposing hitters. It's all about pitching smarts and location for the 24-year-old right-hander, who struck out a career-high 12 batters against the Athletics on Tuesday, winning for the fourth time in five starts. He allowed two runs -- one earned -- on five hits, walking none. "I'd love to throw it 96 or 97, but I definitely don't. I don't have a slider like Joe Nathan," Slowey said. "But the Twins are huge proponents of location over velocityand I'm always making a big point of that. If you keep the ball low, 92 looks a lot harder than 97 at the belt." Slowey has a 2.14 ERA over that five-start stretch and has adecent strikeout rate despite his lack of overpowering stuff. He looks worthy of owning in all mixed leagues right now, so take a flier on him if he remains unowned in yours. His next start is scheduled for Sunday at the Angels.

Polanco out until at least weekend Tigers 2B Placido Polanco was scratched from the starting lineup about an hour before the first pitch with a sore right knee. He was replaced by Ramon Santiago. Manager JimmyLeyland said after the game Polanco will not play Wednesday. This is too bad, because Polanco was hot and hitting with more power because he has stopped choking up on the bat. Consider him a viable option in any Fantasy league once he is healthy again, but track his progress through the weekendbefore considering him for Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 25-31).

Braun out of Brewers lineup Tuesday The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Brewers OF Ryan Braun, who left Monday's game against the Astros when his back problem resurfaced, is not in the lineup tonight against Houston. "I think I could play today," said Braun. "It's just one of those nagging injuries that's probably notgoing to go away completely while I'm playing. I'll have to deal with it. I hope it goes away completely. But, realistically, the way this game is, it probably won't." Braun played in only two games in Fantasy Week 20 (Aug. 11-17), and he's off to a bad start in Fantasy Week 21 (Aug.18-24). When healthy, Braun is a must-start OF/3B, and a lotof people left him in their lineup this period as he's starting in 91 percent of leagues. Keep an eye on his statusover the next few days before making plans for Fantasy Week 22 (Aug. 25-31).

Torres doesn't take mound Tuesday Brewers closer Salomon Torres (groin) was not needed during Tuesday's game against the Astros. He has missed the last three games since injuring his groin Saturday. We're not exactly sure how serious this injury is for Torres, so we'll have to wait and see if it keeps him off the field for any significant period of time. When healthy, Torres is a solid low-end No. 1 Fantasy closer in mixed formats. * Wood gets work in Tuesday for Cubs Cubs closer Kerry Wood got some work in Tuesday in a win over the Reds. It was a non-save situation and Wood struck out two and allowed one hit in an inning of work. Wood looks ready to resume his role of closer, making him a must-start Fantasy option on a competitive Cubs squad. Get him back active.

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Two Start Pitchers and schedules

from Eric Ferguson/sportingnews.com
Week Ahead
August 17, 2008
FAVORABLE SCHEDULES

Cubs hitters: With the Reds and Nats coming to town to visit the league's best offense, the scoreboard operators are going to get a workout.
Rangers hitters : It's a little-known fact Rangers Ballpark is actually a hitters paradise. OK, that's not true. It's a well-known fact. The Rangers get a week at home to add to their league-leading OPS and runs totals.
Diamondbacks pitchers: What do you get when two of the league's most strikeout-prone teams face off against one of the league's most strikeout-heavy pitching staffs? More strikeouts.

UNFAVORABLE SCHEDULES

Reds pitchers: They're nothing to brag about no matter what, but they're especially blech when they have to travel to Wrigley and Coors Field to face the league's top two home offenses.
Orioles pitchers: The O's rank 28th in home ERA, and they've got the Yankees and Red Sox coming to town. Pass.
A's hitters: They face four lefties this week. I'll give you one guess who ranks last in OPS against lefties. Yep, the Ballplayers Formerly Known as the Mack Men.

TWO-START PITCHERS

AL: Nick Blackburn, Mark Buehrle, Justin Duchscherer, Sean Gallagher, Jon Garland, Jeremy Guthrie, Felix Hernandez, Luke Hochevar, Jon Lester, Luis Mendoza*, David Purcey, Darrell Rasner, Anthony Reyes, Kenny Rogers, Ervin Santana, Kevin Slowey, Andy Sonnanstine, Jarrod Wasburn.

NL: Josh Banks, Jason Bergmann, Joe Blanton, Jorge Campillo, Kevin Correia, Doug Davis, Josh Fogg, Jeff Francis*, Rich Harden*, Paul Maholm, John Maine, Charlie Morton, Ricky Nolasco, Oliver Perez, CC Sabathia, Eric Stults*, Randy Wolf, Barry Zito.

* = Two-start status is in question.

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MLB top 10 teams

August 15, 2008
Prospectus Hit List
Streaks and Strings
by Jay Jaffe

Top 10

1
Red Sox 71-51 5-2 .614 Zink Stink: More than four years after The New Yorker heralded him as the knuckleball's Next Big Thing, Charlie Zink finally makes his major league debut, but it doesn't go well. Starting in place of injured Tim Wakefield and staked to a 10-run first-inning lead via two David Ortiz three-run jacks, Zink gets pounded (4.1 11 8 8 1 1) and is ultimately chased from a wild 19-17 slugfest which ends with the Sox on top. He's sent back to Pawtucket while the Red Sox try to patch their rotation with Paul Byrd. They'd do well to restore Justin Masterson to the front five, particularly as he's been limited to janitorial duty since moving to the bullpen; his .564 Support Neutral Winning Percentage dwarfs any of the team's other fifth-starter options.
2
Cubs 74-47 5-1 .611 A 6-1 burst helps the Cubs absorb the momentum of the Brewers' latest run, and there's nary a dull moment here. Skipper Lou Piniella gets hot under his collar over Alfonso Soriano's hot-dogging and creates a stir by suggesting that Kosuke Fukudome needs to improve his performance. Mired in a 2-for-29 slump, the right fielder promptly snaps out of it by collecting four hits in a doubleheader, but his .240/.338/.360 performance since May 2 still isn't much to write Chunichi about.
3
Rays 73-47 5-1 .589 The Rays set a franchise record with their 71st win, but it's a painful week as they lose both Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford to the DL. Longoria leads both the Rays and all rookie hitters in VORP, and has a wrist fracture that will sideline him until September, while Crawford, who's having an off season (.273/.319/.400), has a torn tendon in his finger that could end his 2008. The return of Rocco Baldelli may help cover for the latter, but this offense, which is 10th in the league in scoring but third in EqA, needs another big bat more than ever.

4
White Sox 68-52 5-2 .564 With four straight homers by Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, and Juan Uribe, the White Sox tie a major league record and extend their major league lead in the long-ball department; they have eight more than the Phillies and 23 more than the Rangers, who rank second in the AL. Alas, the Sox lack the power to accelerate the healing of the wounded, so they'll be without Jose Contreras the rest of the way after he tore his Achilles tendon. That's a tough loss, because despite having the rotation's highest ERA by a hair, Contreras is third on the team in SNLVAR and Support Neutral Winning Percentage.
5
Angels 75-44 4-1 .559 West Coasting: It's a breezy week for the Angels, who sweep the Yankees at home and open up a whopping 15½-game lead in the AL West. They're now 11.9 games above their third-order projection, a figure that's tied for fourth all-time and less than one win off the 2004 Yankees' all-time mark of 12.7, all of which should add some suspense as the team coasts to its fourth division title in five years. The Halos are 23-13 in one-run games and an even more impressive 21-5 in two-run games, records that speak well of a bullpen that's second in the league in WXRL.
6
Brewers 70-52 6-1 .556 An eight-game winning streak helps last week's dugout drama blow over as the Brewers assert their hold on the NL Wild Card. Coming up big is CC Sabathia, who shuts out the Nationals (9 5 0 0 1 9) and runs his line to 7-1, 1.55 ERA since being traded from Cleveland; his 6.1 SNLVAR tops the majors. Back spasms keep Ryan Braun from joining the party, but Gabe Kapler's 13th-inning home run eases the pain a bit; the supersub is hitting .304/.337/.490 from off of the bench.
7
Mets 65-56 5-2 .550 Is Manuel's Cap Too Tight? With the pressure of Billy Wagner's absence clearly impeding the flow of oxygen to his brain after a bullpen meltdown, Jerry Manuel threatens to move a starter—either Oliver Perez or John Maine—into the temporarily vacant closer role. This from the skipper of a team that's consulted the Bureau of Missing Persons to locate the likes of Nelson Figueroa, Brandon Knight, and Brian Stokes to patch their rotation. Manuel would do well not to tempt fate with Perez riding a 1.71 ERA and 55/18 K/BB over his last eight starts and Maine having tossed five innings of shutout ball in his return from the DL, albeit against a Nationals lineup that's about as threatening as your niece's tea party nephew's tee-ball team.
8
Yankees 64-57 1-5 .540 Farnsworth's Revenge: The Yankees deal themselves a crippling blow by going 3-7 on "the worst road trip since the Joad family went to California." They've now lost 12 of 18, a span during which their Playoff Odds have shrunk from 34.8 to 4.6 percent. Ian Kennedy flops in his return to the battered rotation and winds up back in Scranton, but the bigger trouble is the bullpen, which is torched for an 8.78 ERA on the trip, including a 10-run meltdown in Anaheim that drops them to seventh in the league in WXRL.
9
Phillies 64-57 2-5 .534 Phlop: A four-game sweep by the Dodgers knocks the Phillies out of first place in the NL East for the first time since July 29. The rotation's best efforts (3.52 ERA this month) are going to waste between an offense that has picked the wrong time to cool down (3.3 runs per game on .206/.312/.371 hitting) and a bullpen that's showing signs of wear (4.46 ERA), with Brad Lidge resting his shoulder, Tom Gordon nearing a point of reckoning on his elbow and the remaining unit frittering away leads. Not good.
10
Cardinals 68-56 4-3 .529 Red Alert: The Cardinals' playoff aspirations take a hit in the standings and the training room as they lose ground to torrid Chicago and Milwaukee clubs and are forced to scratch Chris Carpenter from at least one start due to a strain at the back of his shoulder. The 2005 Cy Young winner has compiled a 1.88 ERA in three abbreviated starts since his return from Tommy John surgery, but the rest of the rotation has failed to back him up; they've yielded a 4.94 ERA since the All-Star break while surrendering 1.8 HR/9, and the team is now just 15-13 in the second half.

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Players going on and coming off the DL

Players going on and coming off the DL
orginial post by sportingnews.com
Mon 08/11/2008

NL Pitchers:
Chris Carpenter - SP, St. Louis Cardinals Aug. 11, 1:36 a.m.

Chris Carpenter indicated after Sunday's game that he's aiming to throw on the side Tuesday and make his next start.
Fantasy Source spin: Carpenter allowed two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings before leaving his start against the Cubs with a triceps strain.
Next start: 8/10: @CHC

Aaron Harang - SP, Cincinnati Reds Aug. 10, 5:07 p.m.

Aaron Harang got knocked around in his return from the disabled list on Sunday, allowing eight earned runs over just four innings.
Fantasy Source spin: The Reds will be blamed for rushing Harang back after this drubbing. Edinson Volquez was ready to go on five days of rest and Harang had just one rehab start under his belt. Whatever. The fact is, he looked horrible. The eight earned runs he allowed set a career high as he fell to 3-12 on the season. He'll bring a 5.17 ERA into his next start against the Cardinals.

Brad Lidge - RP, Philadelphia Phillies Aug. 10, 3:36 p.m.

Brad Lidge admitted Sunday that his throwing shoulder has been feeling sluggish.
Fantasy Source spin: Lidge won't be available for Sunday's game. He apparently developed a mechanical flaw over the past few weeks which is causing some irregular fatigue. "You want to make sure you can nip it in the bud and get through it and come back really strong," he said. He should be ready to go on Monday.
Source: Phillies.mlb.com

Scott Olsen - SP, Florida Marlins Aug. 10, 2:12 p.m.

Scott Olsen rolled his ankle trying to cover first base on Saturday, but fully expects to make his next scheduled start.
Fantasy Source spin: Olsen is probably dealing with a swollen ankle this morning, but it should be fine by Thursday when he's slated to go against the Cardinals. "In talking with the training staff, they seem to think he's going to be OK," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We'll know more the closer we get to that date."
Source: Marlins.mlb.com
Next start: 8/14: STL

Tom Glavine - SP, Atlanta Braves Aug. 10, 9:59 a.m.

Tom Glavine allowed four runs -- three earned -- over five innings Saturday for Double-A Mississippi.
Fantasy Source spin: Though it didn't go all that well, it was Glavine's final rehab start and he felt confident with the results. "I felt good, and just like my last time out, I felt better about my mechanics as the game went on," he said. He is scheduled to start Thursday against the Cubs.
Source: Braves.mlb.com

Scott Proctor - RP, Los Angeles Dodgers Aug. 10, 9:43 a.m.

Scott Proctor is expected to resume throwing on Monday.
Fantasy Source spin: Proctor was shut down last Saturday when he complained of discomfort after a rough two-thirds of an inning for Single-A Inland Empire. He's a couple of weeks from returning to the Dodgers.
Source: Los Angeles Times

Billy Wagner - RP, New York Mets Aug. 10, 9:19 a.m.

Billy Wagner played long-toss and threw several pitches on flat ground Saturday.
Fantasy Source spin: It was the first time Wagner had touched a baseball since he landed on the disabled list with a forearm strain last week. Wagner said he felt "all right." He is hoping to return when eligible on August 18.
Source: New York Daily News

NL Hitters:
Ryan Church - OF, New York Mets Aug. 10, 9:15 a.m.

According to the New York Daily News, Ryan Church "boomed shots over the outfield wall" during an impressive batting practice session on Saturday.
Fantasy Source spin: Church is on his way to Florida to begin a minor league rehab assignment with Port St. Lucie. He is hoping to return during the Mets' next home stand on August 19.
Source: New York Daily News

Orlando Hudson - 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks Aug. 10, 12:31 a.m.

Orlando Hudson could miss the rest of the year with a dislocated left wrist suffered Saturday against the Braves.
Fantasy Source spin: It'd be a major blow to Arizona's hopes. "(It's) not great, dislocation, fracture of a bone in his wrist, and we're not 100 percent sure whether he has to have surgery," manager Bob Melvin said. "Probably a pretty good chance, but we will know in the morning. If he has the surgery, he's out for the rest of the year, and if he doesn't, there's still a chance he could be out for the rest of the year." The Diamondbacks figure to make Augie Ojeda their primary second baseman, with Chris Burke backing him up. They could also attempt to trade for someone who has cleared waivers. Brian Roberts and Mark Ellis probably wouldn't, but lesser options like Tadahito Iguchi, Ronnie Belliard and Mark Loretta could be available.

Jerry Hairston Jr. - SS, Cincinnati Reds Aug. 10, 10:25 a.m.

Jerry Hairston Jr. was held out of Saturday's lineup as he's still bothered by a hamstring injury.
Fantasy Source spin: "He's better today," Dusty Baker said after Saturday's game. "We just deal with it. We're not quite there. We're hoping he'll be ready in Pittsburgh."
Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

Carlos Lee - OF, Houston Astros Aug. 10, 12:56 p.m.

Astros placed outfielder Carlos Lee on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left pinkie finger.
Fantasy Source spin: Even if he misses the rest of the year, which is rather likely, Lee has already turned in a fourth straight 100-RBI season. It looked like he was going to smash his career high of 119 established last year.

Ryan Braun - OF, Milwaukee Brewers Aug. 10, 11:13 a.m.

Ryan Braun is out of Sunday's lineup after exiting Saturday's game with lower back tightness.
Fantasy Source spin: The severity of Braun's injury is still unknown. For now, he's considered day-to-day. Gabe Kapler replaced him in the left field.

Todd Helton - 1B, Colorado Rockies Aug. 10, 5:52 p.m.

Rockies transferred Todd Helton to the 60-day disabled list on Sunday.
Fantasy Source spin: Helton has been out since July 3 and had a setback two weeks ago when his back began acting up during a round of soft-toss. There's a chance he won't see the field again this season.

AL Pitchers:
Bartolo Colon - SP, Boston Red Sox Aug. 10, 5:56 p.m.

Bartolo Colon pitched three shutout innings Sunday in a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket.
Fantasy Source spin: Colon allowed three hits, but didn't walk a batter and struck out three. 27 of his 34 pitches went for strikes. He'll have to build up his pitch count with several more rehab starts, but today's results are definitely encouraging.


Jose Contreras - SP, Chicago White Sox Aug. 10, 12:51 p.m.

White Sox placed RHP Jose Contreras on the 15-day disabled list with a rupturned Achilles' tendon.
Fantasy Source spin: Contreras is scheduled for season-ending surgery, and it's very much an unknown whether he'll be back to contribute in the last year of his contract in 2009. The White Sox figure to seek a veteran to replace him.
Next start: 8/14: KC

Tim Wakefield - SP, Boston Red Sox Aug. 10, 12:28 p.m.

Tim Wakefield will go on the disabled list before Sunday's game because of stiffness in his right shoulder.
Fantasy Source spin: Wakefield was scheduled to pitch next on Tuesday. His replacement should be announced soon.
Next start: 8/15: TOR

Todd Jones - RP, Detroit Tigers Aug. 10, 10:29 a.m.

Todd Jones (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session on Monday.
Fantasy Source spin: Jones is hoping to be activated Friday, the first day he's eligible. "We'll play it by ear and see what he looks like (Monday)," manager Jim Leyland said.
Source: Detroit News

AL Hitters:
Rocco Baldelli - OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays Aug. 10, 7:33 p.m.

Rocco Baldelli had an RBI single in four at-bats Sunday in his season debut against the Mariners.
Fantasy Source spin: Baldelli was put right into the cleanup spot in his first major league game since May 2007. He came out of the rout after playing six innings in right field.

Shawn Riggans - C, Tampa Bay Devil Rays Aug. 10, 7:32 p.m.

Shawn Riggans returned to action on Sunday and hit a three-run homer against the Mariners.
Fantasy Source spin: Riggans was hurt when he was hit in the chest a week ago. The homer today was his fifth of the year. He has 20 RBIs in just 95 at-bats this season.

Brandon Boggs - OF, Texas Rangers Aug. 10, 6:23 p.m.

Forced to enter Sunday's game after Milton Bradley left, Brandon Boggs went 0-for-2 with two walks.
Fantasy Source spin: Boggs was supposed to get another day off because of a sore shoulder, but he was able to DH. It's throwing that's more of a problem for him right now. He remains day-to-day.

Scott Rolen - 3B, Toronto Blue Jays Aug. 10, 6:16 p.m.

The Blue Jays said after Sunday's game that they're placing Scott Rolen on the DL and bringing back Kevin Mench.
Fantasy Source spin: Rolen will rest his troublesome shoulder for two or three weeks before rejoining Toronto's lineup. Joe Inglett figures to get most of the playing time at third base. Marco Scutaro could also see some starts there.

Torii Hunter - OF, Los Angeles Angels Aug. 10, 5:47 p.m.

Torii Hunter was relegated to DH duty on Sunday after tweaking his right ankle in the eighth inning of Saturday's game.
Fantasy Source spin: "I woke up this morning and it was fine," Hunter said. "I'm feeling good, but I figure if I go out there and run on it and something happens, I could be out for weeks but I promise you there's no pain." Gary Matthews Jr. is playing center field.
Source: Angels.mlb.com

Jed Lowrie - SS, Boston Red Sox Aug. 10, 5:18 p.m.

Jed Lowrie was able to enter Sunday's game as a pinch-hitter for Alex Cora and went 0-for-2.
Fantasy Source spin: Lowrie didn't start because of a bruised foot, but he's expected to be fine.

Willie Bloomquist - OF, Seattle Mariners Aug. 10, 4:49 p.m.

Mariners placed infielder Willie Bloomquist on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring.
Fantasy Source spin: Bloomquist's season could be over after he was injured last night. The free-agent-to-be was hitting .279/.377/.285 with 14 steals in 165 at-bats. Despite the extreme lack of power, it qualifies as a career-best season for a guy who entered with a .313 career OBP.

Scott Rolen - 3B, Toronto Blue Jays Aug. 10, 4:13 p.m.

Scott Rolen was a late scratch from Sunday's lineup because of continued soreness in his left shoulder.
Fantasy Source spin: Marco Scutaro took over at third base. Rolen has missed five of 11 games and could be headed for a stint on the DL if the shoulder keeps bothering him.

Milton Bradley - DH, Texas Rangers Aug. 10, 4:03 p.m.

The Rangers said Milton Bradley left Sunday's game with a stomach virus, not because of his strained quad.
Fantasy Source spin: Maybe he did. However, the Rangers also said Hank Blalock had an upset stomach one day before they put him on the DL with a sore shoulder. We'll see how this one turns out.
Source: Dallas Morning News

Jeff Mathis - C, Los Angeles Angels Aug. 10, 3:01 p.m.

Jeff Mathis was held out of Sunday's starting lineup because of an irritated right eye.
Fantasy Source spin: Mike Napoli is starting a second straight game with Mathis sidelined.
Source: Orange County Register

Jed Lowrie - SS, Boston Red Sox Aug. 10, 2:56 p.m.

Jed Lowrie didn't start Sunday after fouling a pitch off his left foot on Saturday.
Fantasy Source spin: Lowrie is likely to be back on Monday. Alex Cora started at shortstop Sunday.
Source: Boston.com

Milton Bradley - DH, Texas Rangers Aug. 10, 2:55 p.m.

Milton Bradley lasted just two at-bats before coming out of Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Fantasy Source spin: Bradley struck out in the first, walked in the second and then was removed when he was due up in the fourth. It looks like the Rangers made a mistake in letting him rush his return from a strained quad.

Juan Castro - SS, Baltimore Orioles Aug. 10, 2:49 p.m.

Juan Castro was held out of the lineup Sunday after leaving Saturday night's game in the seventh inning with a mild groin strain.
Fantasy Source spin: Manager Dave Trembley said Castro should "be OK to play tomorrow." Alex Cintron got the start at short.
Source: Orioles.mlb.com

Carl Crawford - OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays Aug. 10, 2:09 p.m.

Rays placed outfielder Carl Crawford on the 15-day disabled list with a right hand injury.
Fantasy Source spin: Crawford said he felt a pop in his hand during his final at-bat of Saturday's game. If he has ligament damage, then he could miss at least a month and possibly the rest of the season. Right now, he's optimistic that he'll be back when his 15 days are up. Gabe Gross will be a regular outfielder for now. Rocco Baldelli was activated in Crawford's place and will also see considerable playing time.

Rocco Baldelli - OF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays Aug. 10, 2:07 p.m.

Rays activated outfielder Rocco Baldelli from the 15-day disabled list.
Fantasy Source spin: With Carl Crawford out, Baldelli figures to get as much playing time as he can handle for at least the next two weeks. That makes him worth using in AL-only leagues.

Marcus Thames - OF, Detroit Tigers Aug. 10, 1:16 p.m.

Marcus Thames was scratched from Sunday's lineup with a sore right shoulder.
Fantasy Source spin: Brandon Inge was inserted as the third baseman, with Ryan Raburn moving to left. Thames is day-to-day.
Source: Booth Newspapers

Carlos Guillen - 3B, Detroit Tigers Aug. 10, 1:14 p.m.

Carlos Guillen is expected back in the starting lineup for Monday's game.
Fantasy Source spin: Guillen is out of the lineup for a second straight game on Sunday because of back spasms.
Source: Booth Newspapers

Milton Bradley - DH, Texas Rangers Aug. 10, 1:14 p.m.

Milton Bradley is back in the starting lineup for the first time this month on Sunday.
Fantasy Source spin: Bradley wasn't expected back from his strained quad until Tuesday, but he said he was ready to DH today.

Kevin Youkilis - 1B, Boston Red Sox Aug. 10, 12:33 p.m.

Kevin Youkilis was a late scratch from Sunday's lineup because of soreness in his left shoulder.
Fantasy Source spin: Sean Casey replaced him in the field. J.D. Drew will bat cleanup. Consider Youkilis day-to-day.

Vernon Wells - OF, Toronto Blue Jays Aug. 10, 12:04 p.m.

Blue Jays activated outfielder Vernon Wells from the 15-day disabled list.
Fantasy Source spin: Wells has been out since July 10 with a strained left hamstring. He had a .287/.329/.449 line with nine home runs and 42 RBI before getting hurt.

Joey Gathright - OF, Kansas City Royals Aug. 10, 10:34 a.m.

Joey Gathright (shoulder) went 0-for-5 Saturday in a rehab game for Triple-A Nashville.
Fantasy Source spin: It was Gathright's first rehab game. He'll play a few more before the Royals make a roster move.
Source: Kansas City Star

Hank Blalock - 3B, Texas Rangers Aug. 10, 9:56 a.m.

Hank Blalock (shoulder) played catch Saturday for the first time since landing on the disabled list July 28.
Fantasy Source spin: Blalock will take ground balls Tuesday in front of manager Ron Washington and others. If that goes well, he'll begin a rehab assignment soon after.
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Brandon Boggs - OF, Texas Rangers Aug. 10, 9:53 a.m.

Brandon Boggs (shoulder) was held out of the lineup Saturday because manager Ron Washington didn't want him to make throws from the outfield.
Fantasy Source spin: Boggs was apparently injured last week on a slide into second base. Consider him day-to-day.
Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Milton Bradley - DH, Texas Rangers Aug. 10, 9:51 a.m.

Milton Bradley (quadriceps) took batting practice Saturday and could return to the lineup on Tuesday.
Fantasy Source spin: Bradley has now been dealing with this injury for two weeks. He'll likely DH for the rest of the season once he returns.

Asdrubal Cabrera - 2B, Cleveland Indians Aug. 10, 5:45 a.m.

Asdrubal Cabrera returned to action on Saturday.

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Hot Off The Waiver Wire

MLB Waiver Wire Wonders
by Tim Williams/AccuScore

Hot Off The Waiver Wire
posted by Tabloid Paige

The waiver wire can drive you nuts sometimes. You add a top prospect like Clayton Kershaw to your pitching staff to give you a boost, but in eight starts the highly touted rookie posts zero wins, a 4.42 ERA, and a 1.63 WHIP. Upon demotion to the minor leagues you cut Kershaw loose.

By the time Kershaw gets recalled, you are content with options like Manny Parra, who posted a 2.57 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in the 21 days Kershaw spent in the minors. When Kershaw returns you look at his horrible ratios from when you had him, and you look at Manny Parra’s success, and decide that you’ve got the better pitcher. So you decide to hold on to Parra and let Kershaw ride it out on the wire.

Your guess was right, as on June 22nd, Kershaw returns to pitch three innings, allowing ten hits, three walks, five earned runs, with just two strikeouts. However, from June 23rd until now, Kershaw has posted two wins in three starts, with an 0.47 ERA, and 0.89 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 19 innings. Parra, in the meantime, has zero wins, a 7.27 ERA, and a 1.73 WHIP, with the only benefit being 16 strikeouts in 17.1 innings.

Now I think Manny Parra is in a slump, and I won’t hold these three games against him, at least not as much as Prince Fielder would. That being said, I added Kershaw in a few of my leagues a few weeks before his first call up. I waited for him to show his top prospect status from May 25th until July 1st. When he was demoted to the minors, I was finally able to cut ties with him. And now he is showing what I was waiting for all along, only he’s doing it on other teams.

Although I guess it all comes full circle. I did not own Brett Myers at the start of the season, and after torturing his owners for months, following by a near month long demotion to the minors, Myers has returned to post a 2.50 ERA and an 0.94 WHIP in three starts. I now own Myers in just as many leagues as I dropped Kershaw in. So if you are regretting losing a guy like Kershaw or Myers due to their recent success, maybe you can redeem that mistake with one of this week’s Waiver Wire Wonders.

Batters

Lastings Milledge – Milledge has been on a tear recently, with a .407 average, four homers, and a stolen base in the last week. So far this season he has 11 homers, 14 stolen bases, and a .250 average. He has hit eight homers since the start of June, which is good considering he only had 23 at bats in July. At 23 years of age, he could finally be seeing his potential.

Mike Cameron – The thing that has been holding Cameron back has been the batting average. Cameron has 17 homers and 10 steals on the season, but a .237 average to go with those numbers. Cameron seems to be rebounding, with a .263 average in the last month, and a .279 average in the last two weeks. I don’t think he is anything better than a .250 hitter, but considering his other numbers, that will be enough.

Jason Kubel – He has 16 homers on the season, and four in the last month. The drawback to Kubel is that he only has a .268 average this season, making him this year’s version of Chris Duncan. Kubel is still a decent option for deeper mixed leagues, or if your team is in search of power.

Billy Butler – I consider him the Clayton Kershaw of offense. Butler is only 22 years old, and came in to this season with high expectations. After hitting .295 with one homer in April, he hit .233 with no homers in May, before being sent down in June. In the last month, Butler has hit .301 with five homers, showing that he may finally be living up to the early season hype.

Denard Span – Since being called up at the end of June, Span has a .330 average, two homers, three steals, and has been a great source of runs. Those are some pretty solid numbers in such a short…span? Sorry, I couldn’t resist. He will resume batting leadoff when Michael Cuddyer returns, which makes him a solid option if you need stolen bases and a boost in batting average.

Marlon Byrd – Byrd is batting behind Michael Young and Josh Hamilton in the Rangers lineup, which could give him a lot of chances for production. In the last two weeks he’s hit .362 with three homers and 11 RBIs, showing just what he’s capable of in that lineup.

Emilio Bonifacio – The Nationals traded Jon Rauch for Bonifacio straight up, and since getting the call to the majors, Emilio has hit .318 with three steals, eight runs, and six RBIs. He’s a great add in NL only leagues, and a solid option for your middle infield spot in deeper mixed leagues, especially if you need steals.

John Baker – The Marlins may finally have a catcher, with Baker hitting four homers with a .254 average over the last month. Baker’s production has bought him more playing time with Matt Treanor returning from the DL. He’s really only an option if you start two catchers, or in an NL only league.

Kelly Shoppach – Only two catchers have more homers than Shoppach, and that is Brian McCann and Geovany Soto. The difference is that Shoppach has about 150 fewer at bats than each of those guys. In the last 30 days, Shoppach has received a lot of playing time, posting a .328 average and five homers.

Pitchers

Clayton Kershaw – What else needs to be said? If you’ve got him, I’d ride it out and see what he can do.

Brett Myers – Myers has taken a different route than Kershaw. He was a reliever all of last season, and now has moved back to the rotation. I believe his problems stemmed from his habits as a closer. As a starter you need to mix your pitches up, while a closer relies on a fastball and an out pitch. Then there’s the issue of getting his arm stretched out. I think we will see a nice turnaround for Myers the rest of the season.

Gil Meche – Meche has been a decent pitcher this year, with a 4.17 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, 10 wins, and 115 strikeouts. Then he will go on amazing stretches like the last month, where he has posted four wins, 28 strikeouts, a 2.45 ERA, and a 1.09 WHIP. He’s only owned in a third of leagues, but that should be a lot more considering how good his numbers have been pitching for the Royals.

Kevin Slowey – Slowey has struggled in the last month, but I think he is a much better pitcher than his 5.63 ERA over that stretch indicates. Even during that bad run he has a 1.29 WHIP, and on the season he has a 1.10 WHIP. I like his strikeout totals, and I think his bad ERA is just a bit of bad luck.

Zach Miner – In his last four starts, Miner has a 2.31 ERA, and 1.16 WHIP, and a 3-1 record. The Tigers have been surging lately, and if Miner is going to pitch this well, then he becomes a great option in deeper leagues and AL only leagues.

Nick Blackburn – Blackburn is owned in less than a fifth of leagues, and the reason is that he doesn’t put up earth shattering numbers. When you look at what he has done so far (3.60 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, nine wins, 71 strikeouts in 140 innings) you have to wonder why he isn’t owned in as many leagues. My guess would be the low strikeout numbers, which makes Blackburn a great option if you don’t desperately need strikeouts.

Brian Moehler – In the last month Moehler has a 3.72 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and three wins. This season he has seven wins, a 4.01 ERA, and a 1.33 WHIP. He’s barely owned, but he’s a great NL only option, and a decent option if you stream pitchers.

Jeff Karstens – In his first two starts with the Pirates, Karstens has pitched 15 innings, allowing seven hits, five walks, and zero earned runs, with two wins. He took a perfect game in to the eighth inning in his last start before allowing a two out double to Chris Young. I don’t think he’s this good, but he’s unknown by NL hitters, which makes him a good option until other teams get a book on him

Anibal Sanchez, SP, Florida

Analysis: Sanchez is on the verge of resuming his major league career after having not pitched in the majors since May 2007 because of a torn rotator cuff. The Marlins were expected to evaluate Sanchez after his final rehab start Wednesday and decide whether or not he will return to the rotation Monday against the Mets. However, his game at Double-A Carolina was postponed and his return to the majors could also be delayed a few days. Sanchez is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his first four rehab starts. He also has struck out 18 in 21 innings. The right-hander looks a lot like the kid who threw a no-hitter in 2006 and posted a 10-3 record, 2.84 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Sanchez has topped out at 93 mph in his rehab outings. It's always tough to come back from a serious shoulder operation, but Sanchez has defied the odds thus far. He could be a second-half sleeper if he finds his pre-surgery form.
Hot Off The Waiver Wire

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Maine To DL Wagner Still Out. Kunz Who?

Maine To DL Wagner Still Out. Kunz Who?
Updated: August 4, 2008, 5:21 PM EST
Posted by Tabloid Paige

HOUSTON (AP) - Billy Wagner has a strained left forearm and will have his second MRI in two weeks on Tuesday, leaving the New York Mets without their closer and starter John Maine.
Maine was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a mild strain in his right rotator cuff. He left Monday's game in Florida after 4 1-3 innings because of pain in his shoulder.
Wagner said he felt pain in his forearm on Tuesday, when he earned his 27th save with a scoreless ninth in the Mets' 4-1 win over Florida. He blew a save chance on Saturday night and said his arm felt strong, but he struggled to locate his pitches.

The Mets didn't make a move with Wagner but the left-hander was unavailable for their game against Houston on Sunday. New York is off Monday before hosting San Diego in the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night.

"When you lose Billy Wagner, that's very critical for us," manager Jerry Manuel said.

The Mets purchased right-hander Eddie Kunz's contract from Double-A Binghamton to fill Maine's roster spot. Manuel said the 22-year-old Kunz might be his closer on Sunday.

Kunz was 1-4 with 27 saves in 44 games with Binghamton. He threw 17 scoreless innings over his last 16 appearances dating to June 20.

Wagner had an MRI on July 22 that showed muscle spasms around his shoulder joint. But he had tossed 10 consecutive scoreless innings over nine appearances before Saturday night.

"It got to the point where I couldn't locate the ball inside," Wagner said. "The pitches didn't have much finish on them."

The Mets were in third place in the NL East entering play Sunday, two games behind Philadelphia and a half-game behind Florida. Wagner was hoping to avoid the disabled list, but also didn't want to come back too soon.

"It's a situation where we're at this part of the season, where you have time to take some time off," Wagner said. "I don't want to hamper the team and continuously fight an uphill battle when we've got it close in the division. There's no use going out there and hurting the team by being something that you're not right now."

Maine's DL stint is retroactive to July 29 and Manuel tentatively plans to start him again at Washington on Aug. 13. Oliver Perez started Sunday's series finale in Houston on regular rest in Maine's spot.

Maine threw a light bullpen session on Sunday and said the shoulder felt fine. Manuel said the Mets are just being cautious.

"We know he could use that rest," Manuel said. "The more rest we give him, the better off he'll be."

Maine insisted the injury was nothing serious.

"There's no setback," Maine said. "It's just precautionary. I still feel it a little bit. But it's 100 times better than it was before."

Eddie Kunz Minor League Stats:
1-4 W-L: ERA 2.87: 43 Games: 26 SV: 47.0 IP: 38 Hits: 19 R: 15 ER: 23BB: 41 SO:

analysis:
He might be some help if your in desperate need he does have some upside.

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