Oakland Athletics
Fantasy MVP Possibly Done for Season
Ian Kinsler has hit the DL with a sports hernia and there is serious talk about season-ending surgery. Actually, it seems more like a foregone conclusion that he is done for the year. If you are like me, and are counting on Kinsler to lead your fantasy team to a championship, you are certainly crying the blues right now.
Kinsler has been the undisputed fantasy MVP for this season. I am in a points league, and at the moment, he has scored the most points of any other hitter. Some may argue that Carlos Quentin, Josh Hamilton, or Nate McLouth should be considered the MVP because of their draft position. These guys are all outfielders, where as Kinsler plays at the thin 2B position. Considering his position and where he was drafted, Kinsler has been the most valuable.
This is a disaster for my team, as I am currently in 2nd place, hot on the heels of first place, but also with 2 other teams close behind me. It is a money league, and if I drop to 4th I am out any money.
It is a really big deal for one of the top fantasy studs to go down for the rest of the season. The scramble for a 2B to fill the void is frightening if you don’t have another good guy on your bench. I had to go with Freddy Sanchez, because there is no bench in my league and each team carries 2 second basemen.
You may not be in the same precarious boat as me: your pickings may not be as slim. Here are a few guys you should check out to replace your fantasy leader.
Alexei Ramirez: This rookie has been on fire since getting the starting gig. He has plenty of pop, is hitting over .300, and even steals some bases. He is probably the top guy that may be available in your league, currently available in about 20 percent of all leagues.
Ian Stewart: It depends upon your league eligibility rules, but Stewart did play 8 games earlier in the year at 2B and may be eligible. He has tons of pop and potential and is hitting well right now.
Rickie Weeks: He is day-to-day right now, but is expected to begin playing again this week. Many have soured on him and he is currently available in about 25 percent of leagues. He is streaky and risky, but you may not have much of a choice.
Mark Ellis: You will have to endure a low average (.233 at the moment), but he hits some dingers and steals some bases.
Alexi Casilla: He is scheduled to come of the DL on Wednesday and should get his starting job back. He hits for a good average (over .300 on the year), but doesn’t do much else.
If you can’t get any of these guys, you can also grab Sanchez, or if Ty Wigginton is eligible as a 2B in your league you should grab him right now.
I am still devastated by this loss. It was unexpected and was the last player on my team I could afford to lose because of having to start 2 second basemen.
Please get better and don’t have the surgery Kinsler. The fantasy world is counting on you. Oh yeah, your teammates might be counting on you too.
Is it possible the Red Sox are Finished?
Many thought the Red Sox may be the best team in the baseball going into the season, but they are now in jeopardy of not even making the playoffs. Their star of the past 8 years has moved out to the West coast and out of their hair. Some may say that losing Manny means the end of the Red Sox. The Red Sox may be through, but it has nothing to do with Manny.
The A.L. is incredibly competitive this year, more so than any year in recent history I believe. When the 10th best team in the league (Oakland) is still in the race for a wild card spot, there is some serious competition.
The Red Sox may be finished, but it has nothing to do with Manny. Actually, I think the Red Sox will be better with Bay in the lineup. Bay is younger, has more speed, doesn’t have the Manny mood swings, and is actually have a better statistical year than Manny. Manny is not the Manny of a few years ago. He is not a .320 hitter with 45 home runs and 130 RBI. Manny, if he had decided to actually play, would have finished the season with probably 30 home runs, 100 RBI, and a .300 average. Bay will end with about those same statistics, and with the move to the righty-friendly Fenway, he will probably end up with 35+ home runs. And by the way, Bay can play a defense, which is something Manny did only on special occasions.
The reason the Red Sox may be done is that they don’t have the best team in the A.L. and they may not even have one of the top 4 teams in the A.L. The Rays are not slowing down, the Yankees and White Sox made moves to improve, Detroit is getting hot, and the Twins are still in the mix if they can get Liriano out of the minors.
I am not trying to say that the Red Sox will not make the playoffs. I am simply saying that one month ago I would have said the Red Sox would almost certainly make it to the playoffs, and now I would not make such a statement. Out of the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Twins, White Sox, Tigers, and Angels, 3 of these teams have to go home before the playoffs start. Can anyone really be that confident that the Red Sox will make the cut?
Did the Phillies Make a Mistake?
He’s not C.C. Sabathia or Rich Harden, but Joe Blanton is another A.L. pitcher coming to a N.L. contender with the hopes of putting them over the top. The Phillies move has been a bit more controversial than that of the Brewers and Cubs. Blanton has been pretty solid over the last few years and is a real innings eater, but he has been barely average this year with the A’s with an ERA of almost 5.00 and a record of 5-12.
Blanton doesn’t have the “stuff” of a big league ace and doesn’t have an out pitch. He also is not really that much of a ground ball pitcher, which will hurt him more in Philly than it did in Oakland.
So the Phillies traded some minor leaguers who are considered to be some of their top prospects for an average pitcher that could have a big problem with the short porch in Philly. This is why many think the Phillies made a mistake.
This was my first inclination as well, but the more I think about it, the more I can see where the Phillies are coming from. The Phillies are in first place and have a ton of good young hitters. They can afford to trade away some of their minor league hitting talent. The Phillies need starting pitching.
The Phillies have one of the best bullpens in the majors, but after Cole Hamels the starting pitching is pretty pathetic. Jamie Moyer is what he has always been, solid. He will be 46 years old in November, but as of right now he is sporting an ERA under 4.00 and has 9 wins. Adam Eaton is terrible and Kyle Kendrick is serviceable at best. Brett Myers is the major cause of the Phillies pitching woes. He was supposed to be a stud #2 behind Hamels, but he has been worse than Eaton.
Blanton will eat up innings and will be better than Eaton. If the Phillies keep hitting, an average pitching staff will be enough to get the Phillies into the playoffs. However, unless Myers comes back and pitches like he is expected to, the Phillies will not stand a chance in the playoffs against the pitching of the Cubs and Brewers. The Phillies can’t be scorned too much; they did make a move and improved the team. I personally think they should have waited for Burnett, but he has been inconsistent this year as well.
I think the A’s got the better of the deal in the long run, but the Phillies had to do something to make their staff better. It may work out for them and it may not, but they really didn’t give up anything they desperately needed. In professional sports, when you are in a position to win a championship, you mortgage the farm to get that championship.
My thinking is that the Phillies didn’t make a mistake, but they probably didn’t do enough to put themselves in the World Series.
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.
Fantasy Free Agent Pickups—Pitchers
If you are looking for some help with your pitching, the free agent list of pitchers right now is looking pretty good. There are plenty of gems still out there for those of you who are sick of Roy Oswalt giving up 5 runs every game or if you lacking in the saves category.
Here are four starters and two closers that have a good chance of being available in your league that can help you out.
Jonathan O. Sanchez: You may want to jump on this guy’s bandwagon pretty soon. He has four straight quality starts and 71 K’s in 68 innings. He has lowered his ERA to 4.08 and is available in about 1/3 of all leagues. He is 4-3 with the lowly Giants.
Jeremy Guthrie: You would think a guy with a 3.58 ERA and 1.23 WHIP who has given up more than 3 runs in a game only twice this season would have a better record than 2-6. His record is what is scaring most people away as he is available in about half of the Yahoo and CBSsportsline leagues. He is a good stopgap option because he pitches well consistently.
Jesse Litsch: This young guy is making the Blue Jays rotation one of the best in baseball. Litsch is going fast, but is still available in about 25 percent of leagues. His 3.18 ERA and 1.15 WHIP are almost as impressive as his 2 walks given up in his last 46 innings. Pick him up now if you can!
Justin Duchscherer: Justin has been a middle reliever and back up closer most of his career. He has always been effective, but since joining the A’s starting rotation he is flat out getting it done. He has a 2.27 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 8 starts. He has 4 wins in those 8 starts and 35 K’s in 47 innings. He is available in about 35 percent of leagues.
Jon Rauch: Who knows when Chad Cordero is going to come back, but for now Rauch is closing the door on opponents. He has 12 saves in 14 chances, a 2.20 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. He has 5 straight appearances without giving up a run, hit, or walk. He is also available in about 1/3 of all leagues.
Brian Fuentes: Fuentes is a bit of a risk, but he is the closer in Colorado, and if they get on a roll, he could rack up some saves quickly. He has only 7 on the season, but his 2.66 ERA and 1.23 WHIP show he is pitching well. There is talk of him going to the Yankees as an 8th inning man, but for now he is a source of saves and is only 60 percent owned in CBSsportsline and Yahoo leagues.
There are plenty of other guys not mentioned on this list available in what is looking like an upside down year in baseball. A few more guys to consider are Greg Smith, Darrell Rasner and John Danks.
Fantasy Free Agent Pickups—Hitters
The fantasy draft is what you wait all off-season for. You get your little draft board out and come up with the new season’s draft strategy; you know who is going to be the steals of the draft and who will be a bums. While the draft is important, and a good draft is necessary to have a good season, the waiver wire and free agent pickups are what put your team over the top.
The season is young, but there have already been a ton of injuries to big time stars such as A-Rod, David Ortiz, Jimmy Rollins to name only a few. There are also plenty of guys that have underperformed and need to cut. Because of this you have to be ready to pluck someone from the free agent list. The number of teams and size of your lineup will determine how deep you need to go in search of a replacement for an injured player, or a guy who is just not getting it done.
Here is a list of a few guys that are available in most leagues and can help take the sting out of a draft strategy gone wrong or the loss of David Ortiz.
Juan Pierre, OF: With Andrew Jones gone, he is starting and stealing bases. He can steal 60 bases and score 100 runs while hitting .290. According to both CBSsportsline and Yahoo, he is still available in 30 percent of their leagues.
Randy Winn, OF: Winn is not very fancy, but he will be a solid replacement until one of your injured stars returns. He hits for a decent average, steals a few bases and will score a few runs for you.
Andre Either, OF: He is starting now as well and is a .300 hitter with 20 home run pop. A good young player to take a chance on that is available in about 50 percent of leagues.
Blake Dewitt, 3B: Another Dodger, Dewitt is the reason Andy LaRoche is still in the minors and no one is missing Nomar. He has a good eye for a young player and I don’t see him giving up that corner spot this season. He is a .300 hitter with enough pop for 15-20 home runs.
Ryan Spilborghs, OF: He is an excellent hitter who only gets the chance to play when there is an injury. Right now, Holliday and Hawpe are on the DL and Spilborghs is again tearing things up. He will go back to the bench once these guys come back, but for now grab him.
Brian Giles, OF: If you fantasy league rewards on-base percentage, or is a points league that considers walks and strikeouts, Giles is a steal. He no longer has the pop he used to have, but he is again hitting near .300 and his BB/K ratio is one of the best in the league.
Mark Ellis, 2B: His batting average is a little rough, but he too has an excellent BB/K ratio and has good pop for a second baseman. According to CBSsportsline, Ellis is available in almost 60 percent of leagues. As of this point in the season, he is a better option than Jeff Kent, Aaron Hill, Robinson Cano and Placido Polanco.
Chris Snyder, C: He is a better option that Pudge, Varitek, Johjima and Hernandez, and at this point in the season he is more productive than Victor Martinez. His 29 RBI’s are 4th among catchers and he has brought his average up to .268.
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 5th 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 2nd 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 3rd 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
Fantasy News and Notes
There is plenty of news in major league baseball this week as with any other week. There are a few stars expected back in action, which should bode well for your fantasy teams as well as your favorite teams.
- A-Rod: He made it back on Tuesday and promptly went yard, he then went yard again on Wednesday.
- Chone Figgins: He returned to the starting lineup on Wednesday and reached base twice. It is probably a safe bet that he will miss some more time to injury later in the season. He is very familiar with the DL.
- Hank Blalock: He has finished his rehab assignment and is ready for the move to first base when he returns on Friday.
- Mark Ellis: Ellis has not officially gone on the DL, but he hasn’t played since May 11 missing 8 games. He is hoping to play on Friday after taking some ground balls and running the bases on Wednesday.
- Rafael Furcal: Furcal is expected back as early as Friday, but certainly sometime over the weekend. He is not expected to be sent down for any rehab games.
In other news, after all the in-fighting and media second guessing, it appears that Joba Chamberlain will be making his appearance in the starting rotation fairly soon. Chamberlain pitched 2 innings in a relief appearance against the Orioles on Wednesday. Afterward, Manager Joe Girardi confirmed the suspicion that he was being stretched out for a rotation spot. It’s hard to say when he will get his first start, but it should come within the next couple of weeks.
Chris Young took a line drive off the nose from Albert Pujols on Wednesday, and it is still unsure of how much damage is done or whether or not Young will go on the DL. Young and the rest of the Padres have had a rough start to the season and this does not make things any better.
Eric Gagne has been shut down indefinitely with a stiff shoulder. If you still have him on one of your fantasy teams, you have either a deep league or you haven’t been paying attention to how bad he sucks. He is not worth a spot on most rosters and who knows how long he will be out.
What’s With All the Injuries?
The stars in major league baseball are dropping like flies. How is it that these finely tuned athletes who are in the prime of their lives and careers can get hurt so easily? They round first base and trot into second with a stand up double and suddenly they are grabbing their hamstrings.
On my fantasy team alone, I have had to put on the DL Jimmy Rollins, Rafael Furcal, Rich Harden (no surprise), Michael Cuddyer, Hank Blalock and Josh Willingham. There are also guys like A-Rod, Mark Ellis, Vernon Wells, Nick Johnson and Troy Tulowitzki who are hurting or on the DL. I’m not even going to get into the pitchers that get hurt each and every week.
This didn’t happen in such numbers in the old days, so why is it happening now. It is a crazy phenomenon, and I wonder if it has something to do with how these guys workout. Not that I am saying they should go back to the days of not lifting, but these guys are doing something wrong.
Take the hamstrings for instance; one of the most common reasons for pulling a hammy is because you have a muscle imbalance between your hamstrings and your quads. Maybe these guys are bulking up the quads and not working as intensely on the hamstrings. This is just an example to think about.
I assume these players have the best trainers working with them, but something is not right. I am not so sure you can blame steroids on this; many of the guys getting hurt are not guys you would consider to have been or still are taking them in one form or another. Then again, Rafael Palmeiro sort of blew that theory out of the water. I suppose I am being naïve about the steroids; it is probably the most logical answer.
All I really care about at this point is not losing anymore of my star players on my fantasy team. I have money riding on this, and the last thing I need is for Lance Berkman to tweak a hammy on a home run trot. Someone needs to toughen up these guys!
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