Fantasy Baseball Prospect News Report

 

 

Minor League Sensation Bruce Likely To Get THe Call

The 2007 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year, Jay Bruce is likely to be called up any day now. Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker said OF Jay Bruce will be recalled soon. He has batted .301, hit 56 home runs and stole 40 bases with 126 at bats in the minors. He is batting .305 with 5 HR's and 7 SB's in 2008 AAA. Bruce is considered one of the best hitting prospect in baseball. If he hasn't been held onto all season, get him now.

 

Dodger Prospect Kershaw Chance To Come Up?

One of the top prospects in minor league baseball, Clayton Kershaw is patiently waiting to be called up to pitch in Los Angeles. His chance may be soon as Esteban Loaiza (shoulder) has gone down with an injury. Manager Joe Torre didn't exactly rule out the possibility, the LA Times reports. "You'll have to wait and see." -Torre. Kershaw has a 1.11 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 32.1 innings in AA Jacksonville this year.

 

Rookie Eveland Pitches Strong Again

After an injury scare and a bad outing, Oakland rookie pitcher, Dana Eveland tossed 7 innings of shutout ball, striking out 4. He did not get the win, but it is a positive sign when a young pitcher rebounds after a bad outing. Overall he is 3-2 with a 3.05 ERA.

 

Diamondbacks Call-Up Pitching Prospect

At just 23, rookie pitcher, Max Scherzer has made a quick rise to the big leagues. The D'Backs #1 pick of 2006 draft (11th overall) has cruised through the minors striking out 169 batters in 129.2 innings. He may be a year or 2 away from being a fantasy star, but he should provide you with a strikeouts, even if he doesn't post wins.

 

Mariners Call-Up Pair of Rookies

The Seattle Mariners have called up outfielder Wladimir Balentien and catcher/DH Jeff Clement. Both will be inserted in the starting line-up and be given a chance to keep starting jobs. Balentien batted .291 with 24 home runs and 15 stolen bases in AAA Tacoma. Clement batted .274 with 20 home runs in 2007 and was batting .397 with 5 home runs in 2008. Both are considered sluggers who strike out a lot.

 

 

Giant's OF Lewis Roster Worthy

San Francisco outfielder Fred Lewis isn't getting much attention from fantasy owners namely because there is not a whole lot of offense going on in the Bay. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old Lewis is starting to put together some nice fantasy numbers. He is batting .329 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs and 2 stolen bases.

 

 

 

Clete Stealing Time in Detroit

Tiger outfielder Clete Thomas isn't starting everyday, but the lack of Tiger O has manager Jim Leyland tweaking the lineup and the speedy Thomas has been put in both centerfield and left field and usually leading off. Not a bad gig if the Tigers ever start hitting. He batted .280 with 18 stolen bases, 5 triples and 6 home runs for AA Erie in 2007. He has stolen as many as 39 bases. He is batting .271 with 1 triple and 2 stolen bases with his 48 at bats in 2008 for the Tigers. Did I mention his name is "Clete". - Sent back to Minors - Watch for future call-up

 

Royals To Start Prospect Hochevar

Kansas City Royals have called up Luke Hochevar their 24-year-old top pitching prospect to pitch Sunday at Oakland. SP John Bale went on the 15-day DL with left shoulder fatigue. Hochevar went 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in Triple-A Omaha.

 

Rookie 1B Votto Catching Fire

Cincinnati Reds' rookie first basemen, Joey Votto, hit his third home run of the season against the Brewers. It was his second consecutive day hitting a home run. He is batting .326 with three home runs for the season. Believe it or not, this big-time talent is still available in some fantasy baseball leagues.

 

Rookie Bowker Hits 2nd HR in 2nd Start

San Francisco Giant rookie outfielder John Bowker went 2 for 3 with 4 RBI's including a two-run-shot, his second homer in two starts. The injury to Dave Roberts has opened the door and Bowker is taking advantage. In 2007 for AA Connecticut he batted .307 with 22 home runs. It is very early, but if you have someone to cut you may want to roll the dice on this guy.

 

A's Eveland Excellent Again

Oakland A's starting pitcher Dana Eveland pitched a strong 6.1 shutout innings striking out 6 Thursday night against the Blu Jays. he did not get the win. The 25-year-old lefty went 7 innings striking out 7 winning his first outing of the season last week.

 

Rookie Parra Looks Sharp In Start

Milwaukee Brewer pitcher Manny Parra tossed 5.1 innings, gave up 2 runs, struck out 7 and nailed his first career win. The 25-year-old lefty may be put back into the bullpen when Yovani Gallardo returns, but if he continues to pitch well, he will be a full-time starter soon.

 

Rookie Cueto tosses 10-K, One-Hitter

22-year-old Johnny Cueto threw a one-hitter, struck out 10 and walked just none in his debut. It is just one game, but he is one to keep an eye on. He went 29-15 with a 3.28 ERA with and had 358 strikeouts in 348.1 innings in his minor league career.

 

Gómez May Fill Your Need For Speed

Minnesota Twin starting center fielder, Carlos Gómez is off to a speedy start stealing a league-lead 4 bases. Gomez was one of the prospects acquired in the Johan Santana trade with the Mets and did see action in 2007 batting .232 with 2 home runs and 12 stolen bases with 125 at bats. He is batting .375 thus far in 2008.

 

Mariners' López Looking Viable at 2B

Seattle Mariner's starting second basemen, José López is off to a very good start batting .333 with 2 home runs and 1 stolen base. The 24-year-old has been on the fantasy radar since 2006 when he batted .282 with 10 home runs and 8 triples, but has been no more than a fantasy back-up thus far.

 

2008 Spring Training Report

 

Notable Statistics

Houston's OF, Hunter Pence, is batting .385 with 3 HR's 2 Triples, 6 Doubles & 2 SB's.

Seattle's OF, Mike Morse, is batting .542 with 2 HR's & 6 Doubles.

Atlanta 3B, Yunel Escobar, is batting .402 with 2 HR's.

LA OF, Andre Ethier, is batting .345 with 5 HR's & 2 SB's.

Arizona Catcher, Chris Snyder, is batting .353 with 5 HR's.

LA OF, Matt Kemp, is batting .327 with 3 HR's, 2 Triples, 3 Doubles & 4 SB's.

 

Rookie Headley Making A Strong Case For Starting

San Diego Padre Outfielder, Chase Headley is fighting for the starting spot in Left Field and is making a heck of a case for it by going 12 of 29 (.414), hitting 3 home runs and a knocking in league-leading 12 RBI's. He batted .330 with 20 home runs in 2007 in AA San Antonio.

 

Bourn Looking Good As Part Of New "Speedy" Astros

Houston Astro outfielder, Michael Bourn, was brought in to help add a dimension of speed to the powerful Astro line-up and he has done just that in Spring Training by swiping 6 bases. In addition, he is batting .361. Bourn stole 18 bases for the Philles in '07 with just 119 at bats plus pinch-running duty.

 

Hamilton Swinging A Hot Bat

Newly acquired Texas Ranger outfielder Josh Hamilton is batting .607 with 2 home runs, 2 triples and a Spring Training lead league 12 RBI's. A positive sign for a player who is a risk in this years draft. Your condidence in drafting him should be moving up.

 

Braun, Pujols, Tulowitzki & Pearce Lead With 3 HR's

Controversial draft picks Ryan Braun and Albert Pujols each have smacked 3 home runs leading all hitters in Spring Training along with upcoming shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and Pittsburgh rookie first basemen Steve Pearce. Braun has been highly debated in whether he belongs in the top 10 after only 1 season and Pujols because of his injuries. It is only Spring Training, but these are the trends you look for with young or injured players.

 

Giants' Velez Tearing It Up On The Base Pads

San Francisco rookie shortstop Eugenio Velez has stolen 6 bases thus far in Spring Training. The rookie got the late-season call-up in 2007 and batted .273 with 4 stolen bases and 2 triples with just 11 at bats. The downside for Velez is the Giants have the veteran Combo of Omar Vizquel and Ray Durham in the middle infield. Velez is very unlikely to knock one of them out of their starting positions, thus injury will be the only way he takes those spots. Currently, Vizquel is recovering from a knee injury and is expected to return by opening day. Second year infielder Kevin Frandsen will likely get the shot at third base. If he keeps playing well, he should fine somewhere to play by mid season.

 

Pujols Lingering Injuries Worrying Fantasy Managers

As draft days rapidly approaches Albert Pujols' strained ligament in his throwing elbow, lingering hamstring troubles and other injuries have fantasy baseball mangers very concerned about when to draft fantasy stud Albert Pujols. There are rumors that he may need season-ending Tommy John surgery, even though nothing of the such has been reported by the Cardinals. There is no truth to these rumors. If he was going to have surgery of any kind, it would have happened at the end of last season, not in the beginning of Spring Training. By the way, the nagging injuries that he played with last season only cost Pujols just four games, though it did seem to hurt his stats. 32 home runs and 103 RBI's is Pujols-low, but not bad. Pujols has shrugged off the injuries, but it is clear that they are effecting his game. Manager Tony La Russa has said he will get extra days off in Spring Training. Not exactly the end of the world. Bottom line is Pujols had an All Star year with the injuries in 2007. You can expect at least the same in 2008 which makes him a top 20 player. You can reasonably hope that he returns to his top form and he is then a top 5 player. He carries a bit of a risk, but Pujols is still worth a late first-round pick.

 

Off Season Report

 

Trades and Free Agent Signings

Baltimore Orioles - Acquired outfielder Adam Jones and pitchers George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio and Tony Butler from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitcher Erik Bedard.

 

Chicago White Sox - Acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for pitcher Jon Garland. Acquired outfielder Nick Swisher from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Fautino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney. Acquired outfielder Carlos Quentin to the Arizona Diamondbacks for first baseman Chris Carter.

 

Detroit Tigers - Acquired shortstop Edgar Renteria from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitcher Jair Jurrjens and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez. Traded infielder Omar Infante to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Jacque Jones. Acquired pitcher Dontrelle Willis and third baseman Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins for outfielder Cameron Maybin, catcher Mike Rabelo and pitchers Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De La Cruz and Dallas Trahern; traded infielder Chris Shelton to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Freddy Guzman.

 

Los Angeles Angels - Agreed to terms on a five-year contract with outfielder Torii Hunter.

 

Minnesota Twins - Acquired outfielders Delmon Young and Jason Pridie and shortstop Brendan Harris from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitchers Matt Garza and Eduardo Morlan and shortstop Jason Bartlett.

 

Tampa Bay Rays - Agreed to terms with pitcher Troy Percival on a two-year contract.

 

Texas Rangers - Acquired outfielder Josh Hamilton from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitchers Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera. Signed pitcher Eddie Guardado to a one-year contract.

 

Toronto Blue Jays - Acquired third baseman Scott Rolen from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for third baseman Troy Glaus.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks - Acquired pitchers Dan Haren and Connor Robertson from the Oakland Athletics for pitchers Brett Anderson, Dana Eveland and Greg Smith, outfielders Aaron Cunningham and Carlos Gonzalez and infielder Chris Carter. Traded pitcher Jose Valverde to the Houston Astros for infielder Chris Burke and pitchers Juan Gutierrez and Chad Qualls; traded infielder Alberto Callaspo to the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Billy Buckner.

 

Chicago Cubs - Signed Japanese All Star outfielder Kosuke Fukudome to a four-year contract.

 

Cincinnati Reds - Agreed to terms with pitcher Francisco Cordero on a four-year contract.

 

Houston Astros - Traded outfielder Luke Scott, pitchers Troy Patton, Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate and third baseman Mike Costanzo to the Baltimore Orioles for shortstop Miguel Tejada. Signed second baseman Kaz Matsui to a three-year contract. Signed infielder Ty Wigginton to a one-year contract.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers - Signed outfielder Andruw Jones to a two-year contract. Signed Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a three-year contract.

 

Milwaukee Brewers - Signed pitcher Eric Gagne to a one-year contract.

 

N.Y. Mets - Acquired pitcher Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins for outfielder Carlos Gomez, and pitcher Deolis Guerra, Philip Humber and Kevin Mulvey. Signed outfielder Brady Clark to a minor league contract.

 

Philadelphia Phillies - Acquired pitcher Brad Lidge and infielder Eric Bruntlett from the Houston Astros for pitcher Geoff Geary, outfielder Michael Bourne and third baseman Mike Costanzo. Signed third baseman Pedro Feliz to a two-year contract.

 

San Francisco Giants - Signed outfielder Aaron Rowand to a five-year contract.

 

Fantasy Baseball Prospect News Report

8/23 - 9/12

 

Reds' Rookie Smashes Home Run in Debut

Rookie first basemen, Joey Votto won the International League MVP where the 23-year-old lefty batted .294 with 22 homers and 92 RBI. He was just called up and slammed a home run in his first start. manager Pete Mackanin said he will see some playing time. A late season call-up is always a risk because of the lack of starts, but if he plays well there will be a spot somewhere day-to-day.

 

Red Sox Rookie Dominating

First he goes 6 innings giving 3 earned runs and striking out 5, not bad...Oh yeah, it was a no-hitter. Then the Boston Red Sox rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz tosses a complete game 9-K shutout. The 23-year-old righty struckout 171 batters in just 125 innings in the minors before his call-up.

 

2006 prospect Hermida Playing Well

After failing to live up to the hype in '06, Florida Marlin outfielder, Jeremy Hermida, is batting .360 with 5 home runs and 18 RBI's over the last 30 days.

 

Reds' Encarnación Hot

Cincinnati Reds third basemen, Edwin Encarnación, is batting .350 with 4 home runs and 17 RBI's with his last 100 at bats. Overall he is batting .282 with 11 home runs.

 

8/11- 8/22

 

Filling the Need for Speed

San Francisco Giant outfielder, Rajai Davis, has stolen 11 out of 14 bases while batting .325 with just 77 at bats. That is a pace of about 80-90 stolen bases. the 26-year-old rookie doesn't have any power, but can help you if you are in need of stolen bases.

 

Red's 3B/SS Still a Solid Option

Cincinnati rookie, Jeff Keppinger, is not officially starting anywhere, but has seen most of his action at shortstop and third base and should qualify for both. He doesn't have stats that jump out at you, but with a dry spell at the shortstop position for depth, Keppinger provides an decent coition with an upside. With 83 at-bats, he is batting .49 with 2 home runs. Good news, he doesn't strike out. Just 3 all year.

 

8/01- 8/10

 

Litsch Seeing Success as a Starter

Toronto Blue Jays rookie pitcher Jesse Litsch, has won 3 of his first 5 starts and pitched well in all but one. He gave up four runs against the Mariners in the Blue Jays 4-2 loss July 20th. Other than that he hasn't given up more than 1 earned run in any game. Overall he is 4-4 with a 3.47 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 49.1 innings.

 

Mariners' AAA Prospect Waiting for Call

Adam Jones, who is batting .309 with 24 home runs for AAA Tacoma, is patiently waiting to been called up by the Seattle Mariners. The 22-year-old center fielder did get the late season call-up in '06 and batted .216 with 1 home run and 3 stolen bases. Mariners manager John McLaren is satisfied with his current starting outfielders, but there is clearly room for another bat, especially with veteran Jose Vidro starting at DH. It is likely the Mariners would want Jones for the late season run. If you have an open slot, he is a nice gamble.

* Has been called up

 

 

7/22- 7/31

 

Tex Trade Should Help Saltalamacchia

Catcher/First Basemen, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, has been traded from the Braves to the Rangers where he could start at first base but still qualify as a catcher. The Scout prospect of a month ago has been okay so far, but his stock should rise if he plays everyday, not to mention his moving to a hitters park.

 

Philly Rookie Tosses Shut Out

Philadelphia reliever, J.D. Durbin, has been moved into the starting rotation and has pitched 2 gems including a complete game shut out. Overall he is 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA. He has a low K-ratio, but the 25-year-old is looking pretty good thus far.

 

Lester Sharp in His Return

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher, Jon Lester, made an amazing return from cancer and tossed 6 solid innings giving up 2 earned runs and striking out 6. Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA as a rookie in 2006. He is available in most leagues and makes a solid pick-up to fill a third or fourth pitching slot.

 

New Padre Bradley Hot

A nice Rent-A-Vet (Veteran likely available in Free Agency who can fill a hole for a short time) has popped up in San Diego. Outfielder, Milton Bradley, is batting .356 with 3 home runs and 2 stolen bases since joining the Padres.

 

7/09- 7/21

 

AAA Sensation, Gallardo Looking Good

Milwaukee Brewer recent call-up, Yovani Gallardo, was amazing in the Pacific Coast League, going 8-3 with a 2.90 ERA & dominating 110 K's in 73 innings. The Mexican born 21-year-old pitcher has been working out of the bullpen and occasionally starting and is 1-1 with a 2.83 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 34.2 innings overall.

 

Another Indian Rookie Looking Good

24-year-old rookie outfielder, Franklin Gutiérrez is batting .321 with 5 HRs & 5 SB's with 81 at bats. With rookie Ben Francisco fighting for time with him, neither are guaranteed to start, but both are looking good.

 

Reds' Arroyo Looking Sharp

Veteran starting pitcher, Bronson Arroyo has been awful for most of 2007, but the Cincinnati Reds 2006 All-Star has pitched 5 consecutive quality outings, including Tuesday night when he tossed 7 shutout innings with 9 K's. He is available in many leagues.

 

Fantasy Baseball Prospect News Report

7/01- 7/08

 

Indians' Francisco off to Hot Start

Cleveland Indians rookie outfielder, Ben Francisco is batting .417 with 3 home runs with his first 24 at bats since being called up from Buffalo. He batted .329 with 6 home runs and 15 stolen bases. He is more of a speed guy, so his 3 home runs seems to more of a fluke, but his is a top prospect overall.

 

Fields Doing Well for Injured Crede

Chicago White Sox third basemen, Josh Fields is batting .260 with 5 home runs with100 at bats. Over the last week he is 10 of 31 with 3 home runs. His still a back-up fantasy 3B at best.

 

Rangers Lowe Wins Four Straight

Texas Ranger starting pitcher, Kameron Lowe has pitched five consecutive strong outings going 4-0 in those games. The 6-7 25-year-old has only giving in 6 earned runs while striking out 16 in the 29.2 innings pitched in those games. Overall he is 5-6 with 5.36 ERA.

 

 

Fantasy Baseball Prospect News Report

6/22 - 6/30

 

Dodgers Rookie Loney Making Most of Call-Up

The highly-touted AAA Las Vegas 51, James Loney has been hot since being brought up. He is batting .448 with 2 home runs. Currently he is not starting and is not a sure-thing to stay up, but if he plays well the Dodgers will find him a spot. With veterans like Kent and Garciapara around, someone is bound to go down.

 

Philles Rookie Pitches Another Solid One

22-year-old rookie starting pitcher, Kyle Kendrick has made three starts in the big leagues, each with similar, solid results. He pitched 6 innings and gave up 4 earned runs in Philadelphia's 11-4 win over the Reds. Overall he is 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA and 8 strikeouts in 18 innings. He might help you out in large leagues, otherwise he is just one to watch for now.

 

Rockies Tulowitzki Finally Breaks Out

Another preseason favorite by many, Troy Tulowitzki has been on fire as of late and just may prove to be a worthy fantasy shortstop. He smashed 3 home runs while batting .350 last week. Overall all he is batting .274 with 6 home runs, 3 triples and 3 stolen bases.

 

Harris Slugs 6th in 4 Weeks

Tampa Bay Devil Ray's rookie shortstop, Brendan Harris is batted .296 with 6 home runs with his last 98 at bats. Overall Harris is batting .291 with 8 home runs.

 

Lopez Continues to be Consistent

Seattle Mariner second basemen, Jose Lopez, is batting .288 with 7 home runs. He is batting .324 with his last 111 at bats. He is still only 23 and has a good upside.

 

Is Gomes Back?

Remember 21 home runs, .281 with 311 at bats in 2005? Then the .211, 21 home runs semi-bust of 2006? Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder, Jonny Gomes, has 3 home runs in the last 2 games and is batting .279 with 5 home runs with 68 at bats since being called back up.