Tabloid Paige

Showing posts with label Waiver. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

DL watch Crawford out may need surgery

DL watch Crawford out may need surgery
from CBSSports.com
posted by Tabloid Paige

Crawford could be out for year

The St. Pete Times reports that Rays OF Carl Crawford has tendon subluxation in his wrist, a problem with the tendon being out of its normal groove. He is likely out at least 6-8 weeks and could require season-ending surgery.

While Crawford hasn't done much for Fantasy owners this season, they would surely rather have him in their lineup than be on the DL and trying to scramble to fill his spot with someone else especially in AL only leagues. When healthy, he's a must start in all leagues that reward stolen bases, but it doesn't look like he'll be doing that any time soon. Hold onto him in deeper mixed and AL formats for now, but don't be surprised if he's no use to you the rest of the way.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Waiver Wire, When Should I Pick Up ?

Two-week streaks
May 23, 2008
By Matthew Lutovsky

How do you know when it's "time" to pick up a player?
Truth is, there's no magic formula. Baseball is an inherently streaky game. You can't point to one good performance like in fantasy football. And, if the increased production is a result of increased playing time, you can't always count on that lasting.
So, when do you make the move? When does a hot streak officially make a player "add worthy" (not to be confused with the Elaine Benes-coined "sponge worthy")?
Unless a player is performing obscenely well, I usually set the bar at around two weeks. Yes, any random player can have a good two-week stretch and then disappear into fantasy oblivion, but 14 days is usually a good indicator of what a player has to offer, at least for the short term.
Of course, if you're grabbing a player off the waiver wire, you're usually looking for a quick fix. And that's often what these pickups provide. You're just trying to catch them while they're hot and ride it out. If you're lucky, you'll get production all season. But, far too often, you get a decent couple weeks before you send them back to the wire and look for a new "two-week wonder."
With that in mind, here's a look at 10 of the hottest players since May 7 who are likely available in your league.

Ramon Vazquez, 2B, SS, 3B,
Rangers. Vazquez is hitting .429 with a homer and 11 RBIs over the past two weeks. He bats near the bottom of the Rangers' order, so it's tough to count on him for a ton of runs and RBIs, but he's been consistent enough to earn everyday player status. And, with Hank Blalock coming back as a first baseman, he should continue to get regular playing time. His versatility makes him a valuable addition to any team, and it's always nice having a guy who plays his home games in Rangers Ballpark. Coming up, Vazquez will face the Indians and Rays on the road, then head back to Texas for a 10-game homestand. He's worth an add.
Dioner Navarro, C, Rays. He's not the flashiest of names, but there's no denying the .375-1-10 two-week stretch Navarro just posted. He's hitting .417 at home this year, and, wouldn't you know, Tampa has a 10-game homestand starting this weekend. Grab him if you're getting weak, inconsistent production from your backstop.

Randy Winn, OF,
Giants. Winn has been on a run-scoring tear lately, crossing the plate 13 times in the past two weeks. He also hit .344 with two homers, five RBIs and two steals in that span. Winn hits slightly better on the road, where his next six games will be. He figures to face some tough pitching in Arizona next week, but with Jake Peavy and Chris Young out for next weekend's home series with the Padres, Winn and the Giants should have some favorable matchups coming up.
Gerald Laird, C, Rangers. Laird has some of the same things going for him that aforementioned teammate Ramon Vazquez does. He's been hot lately (.324, one homer, 12 runs, five RBIs) and he plays his home games in a hitters park. However, he's competing for playing time with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, which means you never know when he might sit. And he actually hits better on the road (.301 compared to .255 at home), so he doesn't get the normal bump from Texas' home games.

Matt Joyce, OF,
Tigers. Joyce has hit .294 with five homers, eight runs and eight RBIs over the past two weeks. He still doesn't play every day, but if he keeps swinging the bat like that, he will -- especially if manager Jim Leyland realizes that only one at-bat against lefthanded pitching isn't enough proof that Joyce can't hit southpaws. Joyce will play in some tough hitters' parks coming up (six games in Detroit, six in Seattle and Oakland), so leave him on the wire for now, but keep tracking him.
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies. He was a sleeper heading into the draft, but owners who drafted him were left with nightmares early on. Jimenez seems to be figuring things out, though. Despite being 0-2 in his past three starts, Jimenez has posted a 2.61 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Throw in 17 Ks in 20.2 innings and you have a mixed-league starter, folks. Even sweeter? Two of those three starts were at Coors Field. However, tread carefully -- Jimenez's next two starts are at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia and at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Not only are those bad pitchers parks, but Jimenez has also struggled on the road in general this year (5.76 ERA, 1.82 WHIP). If he performs well in just one of those outings, pick him up.

Ricky Nolasco, SP,
Marlins. Horrendous -- that's the best way to describe Nolasco's first five starts this year. But he's come around lately, going 2-0 with a 2.04 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 17 Ks in his past three outings. He even beat Brandon Webb heads-up on Wednesday night. Nolasco will be challenged in each of his next two starts -- at the Mets and at Philadelphia -- but he's actually pitched better on the road than at home this year. It wouldn't be a bad idea to pick him up (after all, a decent K-rate is hard to find), but I'd sit him against Philadelphia. Nolasco is considerably worse against lefthanders (.291 batting average against and seven homers allowed compared to .222 and zero homers vs. righties), and the Phillies can trot out Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Geoff Jenkins against him.

Jason Bergmann, SP,
Nationals. Bergmann was sent down after three horrible appearances to start the year, but he's been lights out since getting called up. In his two starts since the promotion, he went a combined 14 innings and gave up eight hits, five walks and no runs against the Mets and Phillies, respectively. He struck out 14 batters and earned one win. Bergmann has had success in the past, so it's not farfetched to think he can keep pitching well. He'll get Milwaukee at home, then pitch at Arizona. You might want to make him throw another good game before you add him, but he's definitely someone to watch.

Manny Parra, SP,
Brewers. Like the rest of the pitchers on this list, Parra got off to a rough start this year, but he's bounced back nicely. Over his past three games, he's compiled a 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 14 Ks in 17.1 innings. He's finally starting to look like the top-prospect he's been billed as. Two concerns -- he pitches considerably better at home, and he's still not going very deep into games. Those concerns could cause problems in his next two starts -- at Washington and against Houston, a team that's seen the 11th most pitches in the majors this season.
Octavio Dotel, RP, White Sox. Dotel has had one hiccup in the past two weeks -- a three-walk, two-run, zero-plus IP affair against the Giants last Sunday. But, if you take that away, he's compiled a 1.08 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 14 Ks in 8.1 innings over the rest of that span. That kind of strikeout production is tough to beat. Plus, Dotel would likely take over as Chicago's closer if anything happens to Bobby Jenks. He's worth an add if you like carrying a middle reliever.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Players to watch

by Jeff Erickson

Let's talk about 10 players (five pitchers, five hitters) who aren't owned in too many leagues and might not currently have a fantasy-viable role but could offer some value down the road. They are players are on the margins, but in deeper leagues, getting a few of these guys to pan out can make all the difference in the world. Many of these players are from either non-major-media markets, or on losing teams, but as you'll see, some of them don't fit that description. The "percent owned" figure that you'll see is for all CBS Sports leagues.
Jason Bergmann (5%): Bergmann's cover is blown following Thursday's superb effort against the Mets, but he has the skills to be a pretty successful pitcher. He got off to a terrible start in April and became the scapegoat for the Nats' early-season slide. Part of his ugly stat line includes a four-run, two-inning relief outing where he was used on just two days' rest after a start, and in his second start of the season, he had thrown four shutout innings before allowing one big inning. There's a pretty good chance that he's much better than he's shown. He's not someone you can use for all of his starts, but he could provide a profit if you spot him right. Just be aware that his next start comes against the Phillies--you'll probably want to wait until after that start to activate him.
Gregor Blanco (1%): That Blanco is owned in so few leagues is a surprise, at least to me. At worst, he's increasingly on the good side of the Braves' left field platoon, and has started four of the last five games there. Blanco isn't going to hit for power, but he will hit for decent average and draw a walk or two, and then once he gets on, he can steal a few bags. Moreover, he could have some job security; Matt Diaz has traditionally been slotted into a platoon role, and his early play as the everyday left fielder did little to dissuade manager Bobby Cox that he's anything more than a platoon outfielder. Meanwhile, Brandon Jones is doing little to distinguish himself at Triple-A Richmond (.271/.348/.386) and Jordan Schafer is still serving his 50-game suspension for using HGH. Blanco might not be an elite prospect, but he's a bit of a post-hype prospect who's cashing in on his newfound opportunity.
Jared Burton (2%): You'll see more relievers on this list, but that's because there's so much turnover in the set-up and closing roles, and there's usually more good talent available on the waiver wire. It's just a matter of finding the one you like. Burton's overall numbers don't look that special (4.58 ERA, 1.528 WHIP), but a quick look at his strikeout rate (23 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings) and his track record from the second half last year suggests his talent. Francisco Cordero is firmly ensconced as the closer, and though he's walking a lot of batters, there's little chance of him losing the job without an injury. However, Burton is shaping up to be the top replacement option in the Reds' bullpen, ahead of David Weathers.
Freddie Bynum (4%): The four percent of owners that rostered Bynum probably did so in the last week, after Orioles manager Dave Trembley named him the starting shortstop. Bynum is the classic "better-in-roto-than-real-life" player. Last year he walked just twice in 96 at-bats with the O's, and has never been much of an on-base guy. But going along with those two walks were eight steals, and in many leagues, Bynum already qualifies at shortstop. Check your league's requirements, but he's going to get an extended run at the position. The O's have really nobody else anywhere close in their farm system or at the big league level who's a credible offensive option at the position. If you're in dire need of stolen bases, Bynum could be your guy.
Ronny Cedeno (5%): Cedeno isn't getting regular playing time now that Alfonso Soriano is back, but there's still some value here. If you look at Cedeno's minor league numbers, his walk and contact rates have been pretty good. So while a lot of his .350 batting average right now is fueled by a .417 BABIP, there's also some legit growth. Playing time will be a continuing issue, but view Cedeno as a potential starter elsewhere, if the Cubs continue to dangle him as a bargaining chip, as they were rumored to have done with Brian Roberts earlier.
Chase Headley (13%): Though the Padres have started the overhauling process by parting ways with Jim Edmonds, they haven't gone into complete rebuilding mode just yet. When they do, calling up Headley will be their first order of business. They recently announced that they're in no hurry to call him up, because they wanted to avoid him having to feel like he's a "savior" for his next start. How would calling him up in June instead of May change things? That doesn't pass the smell test. A more likely explanation is that they want to keep his service time down so that he doesn't become arbitration-eligible a year early as a "super two" player. Remember, he had a small cup of coffee with the big league club last year, so his callup has to come later than other prospects in his boat. Expect to see him in June. When he does arrive, Headley should be able to hit for average, though Petco will depress his power some; don't expect more than 10-15 homers. Many leagues will allow for minor league speculative pickups, so if you have a spot where you can stash Headley away, pick him up now while the cost is cheap.
Jensen Lewis (2%): Most bullpen speculators are going after Masahide Kobayashi right now, and with good reason after he picked up the save when Rafael Betancourt couldn't finish the job on Thursday. But don't forget about Jensen Lewis, either. His velocity was down initially this season, but has since returned to normal levels. Lewis has also been pitching well, throwing 7 1/3 scoreless innings after Thursday's game. He's not the first or even second option to pick up saves now or in the future--Joe Borowski is due back soon--but he can provide high-leverage innings at a dirt cheap acquisition cost, which can be pretty valuable in 4x4 leagues.
Ross Ohlendorf (1%): Kei Igawa flopped in his one start and was sent back down, Philip Hughes is out for a while, and Ian Kennedy's first start in his return from his one-start minor league demotion didn't go well. Darrell Rasner is holding down the fourth starter's job, but he's hardly someone we can consider "safe" for remaining in that rotation. Ohlendorf has been pitching reasonably well in relief for the Yankees this year after making their post-season roster in 2007, striking out 22 batters in 23 1/3 innings. Ohlendorf came over to the Yankees in the Randy Johnson deal and spent an early part of last year on the DL, but finished the season on a high note. He doesn't have the upside of Hughes or Kennedy, but he is learning how to get major leaguers out in his current bullpen stint, and there's some hope that he could eventually fill that rotation slot.
Glen Perkins (4%): The Twins called up Perkins as a short-term fill-in for the injured Scott Baker, but there's a reasonable hope that he can hold down a spot in their rotation, or at least stick as a long reliever once Baker comes back. Look at some of his current competition. Livan Hernandez is doing an excellent job as an innings-eater right now, mostly on the basis of cutting his walk rate in half from last year. However, I can't shake the feeling that he's this year's version of Ramon Ortiz, turning in a good six weeks before turning back into a pumpkin. If Hernandez doesn't flop, both Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey are candidates to lose their respective slots. Blackburn is Minnesota's answer to Brian Bannister, succeeding despite an ultra-low strikeout rate and a G/F that isn't extraordinary. The odds are that he won't be able to keep a sub-4.00 ERA while putting that many balls in play. Slowey has problems with the longball; he's already given up four homers in 14 innings, after allowing 16 in 66 2/3 innings at the major league level last year. In many ways, his development corresponds with Baker's in his first two years in the majors. Meanwhile, Perkins lost most of 2007 with a shoulder injury, and initially his command suffered this year in the minors. That's not that unusual for pitchers returning from arm injuries, and Perkins might not yet be past that. But he has more upside than Blackburn and possibly Slowey, and the fact that he's a lefty can't hurt. Temper your short-term expectations, but he's a pitcher who could be a positive force over the second half of the season.
Cody Ross (2%): I've always had a soft spot for Ross. He overcame a major knee injury suffered at the start of his major league career, he's a Three True Outcomes hitter, and he's one of those rare throw-lefty, bat-righty guys like Rickey Henderson. He's on the wrong side of a platoon with Alfredo Amezaga in center field, but he's starting to get some starts against righties and responding by hitting for power. Don't look for him to repeat last year's .335/.411/.653 line, but Ross is capable of hitting 15-20 homers with the proper amount of playing time. Amezaga is overexposed as an everyday player in center, and Ross gives them the potential to get more production from a position that they've struggled to fill for years. The big risk with Ross is that he could get buried whenever the Marlins decide to call up Cameron Maybin, but Maybin is struggling right now at Double-A Carolina (.236/.371/.400 with 55 strikeouts in 140 at-bats).