(1) Rangers pick up Jorge Cantu.
(2) Padres bring in Miguel Tejada.
(3) Phillies officially get Roy Oswalt.
(4) Brett Wallace on the move – yet again.
(5) Kerry Wood likely back on Friday. Sorry Chris Perez owners.
(6) Andrew Bailey likely to DL. Michael Wuertz and Craig Breslow to fore?
By Ray Flowers
I wanted to do a video today but I couldn’t. Did my camera break or did I suffer a rash-like outbreak on my face? The answer is no. I couldn’t do a video today because I can’t talk. I had a tooth worked on at the dentist, complete with Novocain shots, and I’m doing my best right now just to avoid drooling all over myself. OK, it isn’t that bad, but why not try and drum up some sympathy in case a lady or two is reading this, right?
Its gone underreported, but Andrew Bailey of the Athletics has converted 26-straight save chances. As if that wasn’t great enough, he’s also gone 20.2 innings without allowing a run. For those that though the second year hurler would fail either because of concerns with his knee or because they didn’t buy his work last season, seems like those questions have been answered – Bailey will be fine.
Milton Bradley is behaving badly? I’m stupefied as to how that has happened.
Brandon Morrow is one of those late round gambles that was well worth taking this season and, as expected, the results have been mixed. Morrow has a wonderfully impressive 42 strikeouts in just 33.1 innings leading to a whopping 11.34 K/9 mark – a level of titans. On the other hand, his ERA is 5.40 and his WHIP is over 1.50 so it’s not like he has even been passable in the ratio categories. Morrow has the talent to flat out dominate hitters, but he also has bouts with his control that can make him look like a right-handed version of Oliver Perez. Give the youngster time, I still think he can be special, but it’s likely to be a bumpy road.
Andy Pettitte moved to 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.21 WHIP through six outings in a spectacular start to the season for the 15 year vet. Alas, those good feelings have come to a screeching halt given the news that he was removed from the game after just 77 pitches because of some concern with his elbow. An MRI showed “mild inflammation” and the club will take is slow with the veteran. No word yet on if he will need a DL stint, but the team has reported that they will treat the issue conservatively which means he will almost certainly miss at least a start or two.
Jimmy Rollins (calf) will head out to the Phillies extended spring training complex on Monday to see if he can get his body right for a projected mid May return. Keep an eye on how he is moving as a lot of his value is obviously predicated on his legs.
Denard Span stunk it up in April, at least from a batting average perspective as he hit .211. Well, seems like the calendar flipping to May has changed everything for the leadoff hitters as he has gone nuts hitting .500 in May through 22 at-bats. Make no mistake Span is a heck of a hitter and one that it might behoove you to still try to purchase at a discounted rate if his owner isn’t paying attention.
Drew Stubbs isn’t going in the right direction. He had another 0-for on Wednesday to drop his average down to .174 on the season. Stubbs also struck out three times giving him 30 punchouts in 92 at-bats (32.6 percent K-rate). What’s wrong with him? Can I be truthful with you all? He isn’t as good as you thought he was if you looked only at his 42 game cup of coffee last year. Stubbs isn’t a 30/30 option, heck he probably isn’t even a 15/30 option, and this season he is proving that. Still, in 267 career at-bats, roughly half a season, he has 10 homers, 43 runs scored and 17 steals, so don’t panic simply on the basis of his slow start this season. He isn’t this bad, and he wasn’t that good, but if the middle ground seems him double those stated totals, at least in the runs scored and steals categories, he will have had a strong season for the Reds.D
By Ray Flowers
Which baseball players are in the news as we head toward the weekend? Glad you asked.
(1) Mike Wuertz re-signs with A’s. (2) Jermaine Dye turns down Cubs. (3) Orlando Hudson still negotiating with the Nationals – still. (4) Orlando Cabrera likely to sign with Reds or Rockies. (5) Justin Verlander talking 5-years with Tigers. (6) Eric Byrnes signs with Mariners. (7) Dustin McGowan’s shoulder doing well. (8) Johnny Damon still homeless.
By Ray Flowers
With Game 163 on the docket tonight, playoff fever is in the air. But before we totally succumb to that level of trepidation and elation, I thought I would hit on a few of the storylines from the regular season that popped into my noggin’ today.
Andrew Bailey isn’t getting a lot of pub when it comes to the AL Rookie of the Year award, and you can thank the fact that he played half his games in front of about 11,000 people a night out in Oakland. If he pitched for the Yankees or the Red Sox he would be a household name. Bailey saved 26 games for an A’s team that won only 75 contests, and along the way he posted a 1.84 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a strong 9.83 K/9 mark. How many hurlers posted an ERA below 1.90 with a WHIP below 0.90 and racked up at least 25 saves this past season? The answer is one – one. Mariano Rivera had a 0.90 WHIP and Trevor Hoffman had a 0.91 WHIP. They were close, but no cigar.
Homer Bailey may have finally established himself at the major league level. Over his last seven starts he went 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 42 Ks over 43.3 innings pitched. He still hasn’t really solved those control issues (3.95 BB/9 in that time), but he may just have picked up enough about the art of pitching to get by with his above average stuff.
Chris Coghlan finished sixth in the NL batting race hitting .321 as a rookie for the Marlins. Not only was he a tremendous option for his overall work – he was actually flat out amazing over the second half of the season as he hit a Joe Mauer-like .372 over his final 72 games covering 304 ABs. Moreover, if we remove May when he was finding his legs in the bigs, Coghlan hit .338 over his 438 ABs. Not a bad rookie season Mr. CC.
Pablo Sandoval has got to be 30 pounds overweight, and I swear to my maker that he is off balance on literally about 50 percent of his swings, not to mention that he obviously went to the Vladimir Guerrero school of ‘if it’s in the air I’m going to swing at it.’ Despite all that, and the fact that he entered 2009 with only 145 big league at-bats, the Kung Fu Panda was second in the NL in the batting race (.330) while socking 25 homers, knocking in 90 runs and finishing seventh with a .943 OPS. I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m telling you this kid has a lot to learn about hitting. I don’t know if that means he will improve upon his current level of production, but he can certainly improve his technique and approach, and that has to be one scary thought for hurlers.
Vincente Padilla came over to the Dodgers after going 8-6 with a 4.92 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP with the Rangers. I, for one, though this was a desperate move. I still think it was, but the fact of the matter is that it has certainly paid dividends for the Dodgers who got some terrific work from the righty in his eight appearances (4-0, 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP). In his last start he lasted seven innings against the Rockies striking out a season best 10 batters, and as a result he will apparently start Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs for the Dodgers. It certainly would help the Dodgers outlook immensely if they were able to get the “real” Chad Billingsley in the playoffs after he struggled pretty heavily down the stretch with a 5.20 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP over his last 14 appearances (he did last 12 innings in his last two starts, but he went 0-1 with a 3.75 while walking nine batters). Don’t know about you, but I simply cannot count the Dodgers as a legitimate World Series contender if they are counting on Padilla to be their third starter in the playoffs.
Lastly, if you want some info about Game 163 pitting the Twins against the Tigers, give Around the Horn a read.
By Ray Flowers
The FSWA winner of the Best Baseball Series of 2011, BaseballGuys.com is the only source you will need for your fantasy baseball knowledge. OK, you might need other sources, but BaseballGuys.com should be on your daily list of must reads for the insights an analysis it provides on the world of baseball.
The co-host of The Drive on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87: M-F at 5-8 PM EDT), Ray has spent years squirreled away studying the inner workings of the fantasy game to the detriment of his personal life. Specializing in baseball, football and hockey, some consider him an expert in all three. Ray's work can also be found as feature writer for: Fantasy Alarm, Rotoinfo, Rotowire and Sports Illustrated.
You can contact Ray through e-mail at fantasyfandom@yahoo(dot)com or on Twitter.
