Cleveland Indians

Cliff Lee—WTF

Where did Cliff Lee come from? The guy has won 10 straight and has a 21-2 record for a team that is under .500. His ERA is a Greg Maddux-like (back in the day) 2.28, which is amazing when you don’t get to face pitchers every 9^th batter.

Lee has had one good year. In 2005, he was 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA, and he had a decent 2006 but was simply awful last year. Last year, he was sent down to the minors and then moved to the bullpen when he was recalled. He had to fight for a rotation spot in spring training and, at age 30, looked like he might be done as a reliable starter. Now he is the best pitcher in baseball this season. In fact, he is having the best pitching season since Randy Johnson in 2002.

Lee is not a strikeout guy like Johnson; he has impeccable control having walked only 28 batters in 201 innings. Earlier in the season I was thinking that Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in the A.L., but I have since changed my tune. Lee has been lights out. I still can’t get over the fact that he has only 2 losses while pitching for a team that has 73 losses so far this season.

This is one that we can’t blame on steroids. Lee is not firing the ball any harder than a couple of years ago, and he is still a skinny guy. His head appears to be the same size it was a couple of years ago. Lee did have some health issues last year, so maybe he is just healthy. I guess this guy finally got it all together at the age of 30.

However, he did it; Lee gets my vote for the Cy Young. Halladay’s 18 wins and complete games are impressive, but Lee has far surpassed Halladay. Also, I don’t care if K-Rod gets 65 saves; Lee is the Cy Young award winner.  

All-Star Break Awards—American League

Just as I did for the N.L., here are the All-Star break awards for the A.L. There is no shortage of guys having good seasons in the A.L., just as there is no shortage of disappointments.

 

AL Player of the First Half

(1) Ian Kinsler

(2) Josh Hamilton

(3) Grady Sizemore

AL Cy Young

(1) Cliff Lee

(2) Roy Halladay

(3) Justin Duchscherer/Mariano Rivera/Francisco Rodriquez

AL Rookie of the First Half

(1) Evan Longoria

(2) Jacoby Ellsbury

(3) Greg Smith

Most Disappointing Player

(1) Travis Hafner

(2) Melky Cabrera

(3) Miguel Cabrera

Most Disappointing Pitcher

(1) Gil Meche

(2) A.J. Burnett

(3) Francisco Liriano

Most Disappointing Team

(1) Seattle

(2) Detroit

(3) New York

Most Surprising Player

(1) Ian Kinsler

(2) Joe Saunders

(3) Justin Duchscherer

Most Surprising Team

(1) Tampa Bay

(2) Oakland

Most Shocking Moment

(1) Asdrubal Cabrera’s Unassisted Triple Play

(2) Jon Lester’s No-Hitter

 

There were some tough choices of course, especially for the Cy Young. Rivera has been just sick, K-Rod is getting saves at a record pace, Cliff Lee and Justin “something or other” have been shutting down teams all season, and Roy Halladay means a vacation day for the Blue Jays bullpen.

Kinsler is, in my opinion, the clear winner of the first half POY. Just look at his ridiculous stats and know that he is the spark plug for the team. Hamilton has also been on a tear with 95 RBI’s in 96 games. I sort of feel bad about putting Liriano on the most disappointing list because he is trying to come back from a serious injury, but I drafted him on my fantasy team, and I am disappointed. He is looking better in the minors though and could have a huge second half.

Everyone is talking about the Rays, as they should be, and I hope they hang on to at least a wild card berth. Everyone was in love with the Jon Lester story after he pitched the no-hitter. That is a sentimental favorite, but I picked the Cabrera un-assisted triple play as the most shocking moment because it has only happened 14 times in history.

The rest of the season starts back up tomorrow and all of the above will go out the window. Some of the first half stars will turn into scrubs and maybe a few of the scrubs will turn into stars. Either way, I love baseball season and am ready for the real games to get going again.

Comeback Seasons in the Making

If you took a chance on in your fantasy draft on a veteran with recent struggles, it may be paying off handsomely. There are a slew of veterans who, because of injury, bad karma or bad attitude, had a rough 2007 but are getting it done in 2008.

Some of these guys you figure will keep it going, others may not, and others may end up on the DL for long stretches. Take a look at this list of former All-Stars who are having a great start to 2008.

 

Jason Bay: In 2007, fantasy owners saw Bay, a second round fantasy pick, drop his batting average 40 points, and lose 14 home runs, 25 RBI’s and 23 runs from the season before. Not only that, but his 21 steals in 2005 dropped to 4 in 2007. Bay is making up for that this year. His batting average is up, and he is on pace for 40 home runs and 125 runs scored.

Miguel Tejada: A change in scenery and some lineup protection in the name of Lance Berkman seems to be just what the doctor ordered for Tejada. Tejada’s 2007 wasn’t that bad (.296, 18, 81, 72), but it was not what you have come to expect from the former MVP. This year he is hitting .329, and though he is on pace for only 17 home runs, he is in line to score 124 runs and produce 108 RBI’s.

Rafael Furcal: Some injuries slowed Furcal in 2007; even when he was on the field though, he did not look like his old self. Furcal is now on the DL, but is ready to come back soon. He began the season on fire and currently has a .366 batting average and 5 home runs in only 134 at bats. That tells you that his 20 homer potential is back. Furcal lost so much fantasy respect after last year, that I was able to draft him in my fantasy league with the 150^th pick.

Cliff Lee: I’m not even sure if it is the real Cliff Lee on the mound in Cleveland this year. He was excellent in 2005 with an 18-5 record and serviceable in 2006, but he was putrid in 2007. Can this guy really be the best pitcher in baseball? He even had a stint in the minors and finished 2007 as a middle reliever. You probably didn’t draft him in your fantasy league, so he may have been the biggest prize in your free agent pool.

Brad Lidge: His ERA is under 1.00 and his WHIP is 1.00. Lidge has 12 saves and is once again dominating with 26 K’s in 22 innings. Lidge began getting his stuff back last year, finishing the season with a 3.36 ERA and 19 saves. It was his 2006 that was awful as he compiled 32 saves but had an ERA over 5.00.

Troy Percival: Percival, who’ll turn 39 at the end of the season, is once again a very dependable closer on a winning team. His outings were ugly in 2006 with Detroit, and though he pitched well for St. Louis in 2007, it was limited middle relief duties. In 2008, he is once again relevant in the fantasy world. Of course, he did just land on the DL with hamstring issues.

Ervin Santana: Santana was never your fantasy ace, but he was a decent fantasy pitcher in 2005 and a good one in 2006. This year he is 7-2, which matches his win total from 2007. He is dominant at home and is pitching better on the road than in 2007. His wins and ERA are nice, but that WHIP of 0.99 is really helping your fantasy team.

Jose Contreras: Contreras was 10-17 with an ERA over 5.00 last year, and many thought the Julio Franco of pitchers was ready for the retirement bin. He has been excellent this season going 5-3 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. There is a good chance Contreras was not drafted either, but I bet he is on a roster in your league now.

 

There are a few others to mention as well. Mariano Rivera, after a relatively sub par season for him, is back to his old dominant ways. Kerry Wood seems to be coming around to his role as a slam the door closer. Mike Mussina is pitching much better than last year. Scott Rolen is looking pretty good in Toronto, but the DL is always looming over his head.

I don’t see all of these guys continuing to perform the way they have started the season. Several of these guys are bound to hit the DL and others, such as Cliff Lee, are just simply on fire and will cool down.

My prediction is that Tejada, Bay and Furcal continue their hitting with the contingency that Furcal must avoid the injury bug. As for the pitchers, Santana and Lidge should keep right on trucking, Percival is risky for several reasons, Contreras will slow down and be decent and Lee will slow down and be very good.

This just serves as a reminder to keep on eye on the veterans that slipped in fantasy status the year before. Many times they are your draft and free agent steals.

Heroes and Bums—Week 8/Pitchers

Heroes 

5. Roy Halladay: 9 Inn, CG, QS, W, 1.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP

Halladay threw his league leading 5^th complete game. My guess is that no one else will finish the season with that many. He is amazing, and many other weeks his performance may put him at number 1 on this list.

4. Dana Eveland: 9 Inn, CG, QS, W, 1.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP

The only reason he is ahead of Halladay on this list is because we are in uncharted territory with Eveland. If he is available in your fantasy league, pick him up. There must be something in the water in Oakland.

3. Jose Contreras: 14 Inn, 14 KO’s, 2 QS, W, 1.93 ERA, 0.50 WHIP

The Julio Franco of pitchers, Contreras is having an excellent comeback season after last year’s atrocity. He is probably worth a pickup in your league if he is available.

2. Justin Duchscherer: 8 Inn, QS, W, 0.00 ERA, 0.12 WHIP

Don’t try pronouncing his name, just add him to you fantasy team if you can. He took a no-hitter into the seventh and ended up going 8 innings and giving up only one hit in his only start. What is going on in Oakland?

1. Jon Lester: 14 Inn, No-Hitter, 12 KO’s, 1.93 ERA, 0.79 WHIP

Lester’s 2^nd start of the week took some of the air out of his balloon, but he has to be number 1 for the week after throwing a no-hitter. His is a feel-good story after overcoming cancer. Lester is no CY Young award winner, but he should be a valuable pitcher for years to come.

Others: Aaron Cook, Jered Weaver, Huston Street, Jesse Litsch, Sidney Ponson

 

Bums

5. Jarrod Washburn: 8.3 Inn, 11.88 ERA, 16 hits

What has happened to Washburn? He isn’t that old (only 33), but he has been horrible this year. Maybe he can turn it around, but he hasn’t been the same since he left the Angels.

4. Fausto Carmona: 2 Inn, 6 ER, 3 BBI, 1 KO

He has been good again this year, and maybe it isn’t fair for him to be on this list because of the injury. Regardless, the 2 innings he pitched were lousy.

3. Kason Gabbard: 2.7 Inn, 6 ER, 6 BBI

Gabbard started the season strong, but has tailed off pretty dramatically. It’s pretty bad when this year’s Indians run you out of a game before the 3^rd inning.

2. Eric Bedard: 4.3 Inn, 9 ER, 3 K, 1 BBI

Bedard is not having the season the Mariners dreamed of when they traded their minor league system for him. He had been pitching better of late until this last horrible start. He will probably turn things around; don’t cut him from your fantasy rosters just yet.

1. Steven Trachsel: 1.7 Inn, 9 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBI

Trachsel probably was not your fantasy team, unless you are in a really, really deep league, but I had to include him anyway. His start was just horrible. I am in a very competitive points league, and just to show you how bad his start was, in less than 2 innings his point value was a mind blowing negative 34 points. 

Others: Brain Bannister, Garrett Olson, Roy Oswalt, Zach Greinke

Heroes and Bums—Week 8/Hitters

Heroes 

5. Adrian Gonzalez: .333, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 5 Runs 

Walk-off home run on Sunday night off of Edison Volquez to end an 18 inning marathon against the Reds highlighted the week. 

4. Frank Thomas: .454 BA, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 5 Runs 

How did the Blue Jays, who have no power in their lineup, think it was a good idea to get rid of the Big Hurt? 

3. Jason Bay: .480 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 Runs, 1 SB 

Having a nice comeback season after a poor 2007, Bay is on pace for 39 home runs and 16 stolen bases. 

2. Magglio Ordonez: .478 BA. 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 Runs 

Magglio and Guillen are the only two Tigers who have been getting it done all season. He’s not going to match his career year of 2007, but his pace is not far off. 

1. Bengie Molina: .652 BA, 9 RBI, 5 Runs, 6 2B, 1 HR 

Molina’s week was sparked by going 6 for 7 during a double header on Sunday. Molina is one of the top 5 fantasy catcher’s including last year and this year. It’s a pity that his talents are wasted in San Francisco. 

Others: Adam Dunn, Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, Kevin Kouzmanoff

 Bums 

5. A.J. Pierzynski: 1-20, 5 KO, No RBI, No Runs, 1 SB 

After a hot start to the season, A.J. has certainly cooled off. He stills remains a useful fantasy catch, but you have to deal with his streaky hitting. 

4. Raul Ibanez: 1-21, 6 KO, 2 RBI, No Runs 

Ibanez is another guy who started off hot and has cooled a bit. He is one of the streakiest hitters in baseball, so you have to learn to deal with that. By the end of the season he will put up respectable numbers. 

3. Mike Jacobs: 3-19, 9 KO, No RBI, No Runs 

He seems ready to break out and then he goes into a deep slump. He is still on pace for 35+ home runs this season, but with a .250 average and a ton of strikeouts. 

2. Nick Markakis: 3-20, 10 KO, No RBI, No Runs 

Markakis is not living up to last year’s hype just yet. He has been pretty good this year and draws a ton of walks, but he needs to stop whiffing and start banging out some hits. 

1. Justin Upton: 0-20, 14 KO, 1 RBI, 3 Runs 

Upton did draw 3 walks and score 3 runs, but 14 KO’s out of 20 at-bats is ridiculous. He is having a pretty strong rookie season, but you will have to live with these types of slumps. 

Other Bums: Edwin Encarnacion, Kevin Youkilis, Melvin Mora, Victor Martinez, Joe Crede

Look Who’s in First!!

You may have to do a double take when looking at the current MLB standings in the American League. Not only are the Tampa Bay “Not So Devilish” Rays out-pacing the Red Sox and the Yanks in the AL East, but they have the best record in the AL.

Of course, it is very early in the season, and to think they will hold off the Red Sox and the Yanks for the rest of the season is little on the crazy side, but the Rays are a good team. Actually, I am beginning to think they will end up with a better record than the Yankees. Let’s take a look.

The Rays have better pitching than the Yankees. Scott Kazmir and James Shields are legitimate stud pitchers. Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine are a better set of back-end starters than Andy Petite, Ian Kennedy and Darrell Rasner. The arms may fall off of Petite and Mussina at some point during the season and even if Phil Hughes comes back, he was horrible to start the season.

The Yankees have a good bullpen, but so do the Rays. The Yankees have an aging lineup that has a hard time staying healthy. The Rays have a young, talented lineup that can match that of the Yankees without all the fanfare and payroll implications.

The real question is not if Tampa is better than the Yankees; the real question is do the Rays have what it takes to make the playoffs in 2008. I think the Red Sox will win the AL East, but it doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to see the Rays in the playoffs.

Looking around the AL, there is no team out there that you can point to and say is noticeably better than Tampa Bay. Anaheim will come out of the West, but Seattle does not look like the team everyone thought they would be. The same can be said for Detroit in the Central. The Central looks like Cleveland may win the division and Detroit is going to have to get things together if they want to compete for the division or a wild card.

Tampa has the talent this year to make the playoffs, whether or not they actually do. Pay attention, because I don’t see a collapse. I see a nice playoff race between Cleveland, Detroit, the Yankees, Tampa, and possibly Seattle that may go down to the last day.

American League Predictions for 2008

More idiotic predictions are about to be made. I would say that the Royals are going to win the whole damn thing, but I am only so much under the influence and not yet ready to say something so stupid. These predictions are here only to serve the purpose of allowing me to look back on them at the end of the season to see just how little I know about baseball. 

Here we go! 

AL East Winner

Boston Red Sox: I suppose this is the easy pick. I think Manny will be back to his old form and they have enough pitching. I do not think they are the best team in the AL. They will edge out the Yankees again, but neither team will have an impressive record. 

AL Central Winner

Cleveland Indians: I think they have more consistent pitching than the Tigers and will probably finish the season with the best record in the AL. If Martinez and Hafner can stay healthy, they are an excellent hitting team. 

AL West Winner

Seattle Mariners: This will be a battle with the Angels, but I think Seattle has a veteran team that is solid at the plate and they have improved their pitching.  

AL Wild Card

LA Angels: This is a tough call. I think it will come down to the Angels, the Yanks, the Tigers, and the White Sox. The Angels are solid in all facets of the game, whereas the other teams have weaknesses. I don’t think there is nearly enough pitching in either Detroit or New York, regardless of the amount of offense those guys have, and I don’t think the White Sox have quite enough talent to beat out the Angels. 

AL Champion

Seattle Mariners: Without a clear number one team in the AL, I am going to go with the team that I think has the best balance and the best combination of young talent and strong veteran leadership. Seattle can beat you with power, with speed, with their starters, and with their bullpen.  

AL MVP

Alex Rodriguez: I know it’s not the most creative pick, but why be creative when you can be right. He will jack another 50 home runs, hit about .320 and probably lead the league in RBI’s

Others to consider: Grady Sizemore, Manny Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera 

AL Cy Young

Felix Hernandez: He didn’t have the greatest year in the world last season, but he is nasty. He already has a good start to the season, and I believe this is the year he puts it all together.

Others to consider: Fausto Carmona, Daisuke Matsuzaka, C.C. Sabathia, Zack Greinke (watch this guy) 

AL Rookie Of The Year

Evan Longoria: He is in the minors right now, but that will not be for too much longer. Ryan Braun started last year in the minors and look what he did.

Others to consider: Daric Barton, Brandon Wood, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Bucholtz

So it looks as if I have the Mariners playing the Cubs in the World Series. Neither of these teams has won the World Series since over 99 percent of the current population has been alive. That means I am predicting something historical.

 

World Series Champion: SEATTLE MARINERS

Fantasy Preview—Catchers

1.)    Victor Martinez: He hits cleanup, he drives in over 100 runs, he hits 20-25 home runs, he hits .300, and he gets to play more games than most catchers because the Indians rest him with the DH or a game her and there at 1B.  He is the clear number 1 because of his proven consistency.

2.)    Russell Martin: He stole 21 games last season and may do the same again this year.  You should get these steals while you can, because those types of years go quick in the career of a catcher.  Still, Martin is worthy beyond his steals.  He has the power to hit 20 home runs, he will hit around .300, and he came close to 100 runs and RBI’s last season.

3.)    Brian McCann: McCann had a strong season in 2007, but it was not as good as 2006.  His production over the past 2 ½ seasons makes him someone you can pretty well trust.  He will probably hit .280-.300, 20-25 home runs, and could possibly drive in 100 runs.

4.)    Joe Mauer: The injury bug hit Mauer last season and short circuited any chances of him repeating the year he had in 2006.  He should hit well over .300 in 2008 which is what he offers the most to his fantasy owners.  He will probably chip in 10 home runs and 60-70 runs and RBI’s. 

5.)    Jorge Posada: It would probably not be a good idea to expect the same numbers he put up in 2007 to show up again in 2008, especially the batting average.  He should still produce solid numbers for a catcher and many will take him ahead of Mauer because of the run production.  Not a bad pick if you don’t go for him too early.

6.)    Kenji Johjima: He has been pretty consistent in his two years in the league and all things point to the same production again in 2008.  He has the power to get you 15 home runs and should hit over .280.  Johjima is a good pick at a thin position.

7.)    Bengie Molina: He may be hitting clean up for the Giants, which means more opportunities to drive in runs.  It also means it is a sad state of affairs in the San Fran lineup.  You can probably expect the same numbers as last year, but with possibly more RBI’s.

8.)    Ramon Hernandez: Injuries have hurt him in 3 of the last 4 years.  Last year was his worst season, but he is supposedly healthy.  When healthy he can produce with the guys in the top 5.  Be careful of the injury risk, but if he is there in the later rounds, grab him.

9.)    Ivan Rodriguez: Pudge is no longer the hitter he was, and his numbers are dropping each year.  He will still give you some quality production at a thin position, mainly because of the Detroit lineup that will offer him plenty of pitches to hit.

10.)  Jason Varitek: He still has some pop in his bat, but he is not the player he was a couple of years ago.  Expect 15+ home runs and about 60-70 RBI’s.  Hopefully, he can pull his average up from the .250 range. 

11.)  Jarrod Saltalamacchia: “Salty” has plenty of power and, despite last year’s batting average; he has a minor league history of hitting over .300.  Other than Martinez, he is the only other catcher that has legitimate 30 homer potential, especially playing in
Texas.  He is a youngster, so he could blow up or flop.  Jarrod could also play some first base. 

12.)  Chris Snyder: Snyder has good power and has been hitting well in spring training.  There is talk of him moving into the clean-up spot in the Diamondbacks lineup.  He could be a nice draft day steal if he can continue his spring through the season.

13.)  Mike Napoli: If he gets the full-time at bats he could get you 20 homers.  His batting average may hurt you, but with the Angels he may have ample opportunities to drive in some runs with the long ball.

14.)  A.J. Pierzynski: Not much excitement with A.J., but he has been reliable and should continue to give you some decent fantasy numbers at an incredibly thin position.

15.)  Ryan Doumit: He may not play much catcher in 2008, but he played enough (28 games) in 2007 to hold catcher eligibility in most leagues.  He will probably play mostly outfield and possibly some first.  Most likely he will not be worthy of a fantasy spot at any of those positions, but as a catcher his 15-20 home runs and 60-80 RBI’s could serve your fantasy team well. 

Others to Consider: Carlos Ruiz, Ronny Paulino, John Buck, Johnny Estrada, J.R. Towles

Fantasy Preview—Closers

The closer position seems to be going through a changing of the guard.  It was only a few years ago when Rivera, Hoffman, Percival, Gagne, and Wagner were the elite.  Now only Wagner is still a top 5 closer.  The once un-hittable Rivera is still a very good closer, but he has lost some of his mystique. 

I have attempted to list the top 20 fantasy closers for 2008.  The number 1 spot on the list is a fairly new name, but he has proven himself over the last 3 years.  I think the top 3 guys are virtually the same and the only difference between them may be the amount of save chances they will have. 

I have moved Rivera down to 7^th on the list which may be crazy to some, but I think it has become apparent that he is not the closer he was before.  If Houston Street could stay healthy, he would be much higher on this list.  At the 20^th spot I threw in two names because of the injury situation in Toronto.  I think if we could be absolutely sure about B.J. Ryan, I would put him into the top 10.  Ryan may be able to go in the early season, but it is still a bit tenuous.  Accardo is a good replacement and drafting him as protection in a late round would not be a bad idea. 

1.)          J.J. Putz

2.)          Jonathan Papelbon

3.)          Joe Nathan

4.)          Francisco Rodriquez

5.)          Billy Wagner

6.)          Jose Valverde

7.)          Mariano Rivera

8.)          Takashi Saito

9.)          Bobby Jenks

10.)        Francisco Cordero

11.)        Rafael Soriano

12.)        Matt Capps

13.)       Houston Street

14.)        Manny Corpas

15.)        Trevor Hoffman

16.)        Jason Isringhausen

17.)        Joakim Soria

18.)        Brad Lidge

19.)       Chad Cordero

20.)        B.J. Ryan/Jeremy Accardo 

Others to Consider: Kevin Gregg, C.J. Wilson, Brandon Lyon, Joe Borowski, Troy Percival, Rafael Betancourt

Fantasy Preview—Starting Pitchers

Starting pitching is the most unpredictable aspect of fantasy baseball.  A stud can become a dud and visa versa in only one season, sometimes in only one half of a season.  Not to mention the injury bug that can strike down a pitcher for a whole season.  That is something I know all too well as last season I had the honor of drafting Chris Carpenter in the second round.  Regardless of this unpredictability, I will attempt to list what I think are the top 50 fantasy starting pitchers. 

Just some notes about the list.  I think Santana and Peavy have separated themselves as the top 2 guys.  I think Dan Haren has a chance to move up to possibly the number 3 guy.  I also think Chris Young could have a huge year.  I would have put Francisco Liriano higher, but he may not get back to his old form until the second half of the season.  I am not a believer in Pedro Martinez just yet, but I put him in the #50 slot because he could be valuable in short stretches of the season.  Be wary of Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, and Scott Kazmir; they have loads of talent but are too often injured. 

1.)           Johan Santana

2.)           Jake Peavy

3.)           Brandon Webb

4.)           Eric Bedard

5.)           C.C. Sabathia

6.)           Dan Haren

7.)           Josh Beckett

8.)           Chris Young

9.)           Justin Verlander

10.)        Roy Oswalt

11.)        Aaron Harang

12.)        John Smoltz

13.)        Roy Halladay

14.)        Cole Hamels

15.)        Fausto Carmona

16.)        Daisuke Matsuzaka

17.)        Felix Hernandez

18.)        A.J. Burnett

19.)       Chad Billingsley

20.)        Yovanni Gollardo

21.)        Javier Vazquez

22.)        James Shields

23.)        Carlos Zambrano

24.)        Rich Hill

25.)        Brett Myers

26.)        Tim Hudson

27.)        Matt Cain

28.)        Scott Kazmir

29.)        Tim Lincecum

30.)        Ian Snell

31.)        Francisco Liriano

32.)        Kelvim Escobar

33.)        John Maine

34.)        Ted Lilly

35.)        Brad Penny

36.)        Jeff Francis

37.)        Ben Sheets

38.)        Chien-Ming Wang

39.)        Dustin McGowan

40.)        Derek Lowe

41.)        Joe Blanton

42.)        Jered Weaver

43.)        Oliver Perez

44.)        Jeremy Guthrie 

45.)        Dontrelle Willis

46.)        Rich Harden

47.)        Ubaldo Jimenez

48.)        Shawn Hill

49.)        Micah Owings

50.)        Pedro Martinez 

Others to Consider: Tom Gorzelanny, Chuck James, Andrew Miller, Brian Bannister, Zack Greinke, Orlando Hernandez, Gil Meche, Mark Buehrle, Adam Wainwright, Greg Maddux, Wandy Rodriquez, Chris Capuano

keep looking »