Fantasy Baseball News Blog

Rent-A-Vet: Willy Aybar

2009-09-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

With Carlos Pena to miss the rest of the season with 2 broken fingers (thanks to C.C Sabathia).

Willy Aybar will take over frist base duties for a still potent Rays lineup.

Aybar has had a pretty good year with part time at bats. he has produced a 252 BA with 10 HRs 32 RBI and a 338 OBP.

He won't dominate by any means but he could definetly provide some RBI's and Power in the last few weeks of the season.

The Bay State Scout

Chris Davis Recalled From the Minors

2009-08-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

Texas 1B Chris Davis went 2-4 with a walk, a run scored, and 0 strikeouts in his first MLB action since being recalled from the minors. Davis, a pre-season break out candidate, struggled mightily during the season and was sent to the minors in early July to rediscover his hitting stroke. While playing for AAA Oklahoma City, Davis did just that hitting .329/.418/.521 with 6 HR and a 39:25 K:BB ratio in 166 AB's. Davis (34% owned in Yahoo Leagues) will see regular at bats at 1B, as he takes over for the struggling Hank Blalock (hitting just .180/.207/.334 in August). Of course, strikeouts are the biggest problem when it comes to Davis. If he can limit the K's, he could be a nice source of power down the stretch, and is worth adding.

AL-Only Expert League Update

2009-08-25T00:12:00.000-07:00

Current standings for 2009 The Fantasy Sports Invitational Challenge:
*5x5 Roto Scoring

1 Roto Central 100.0
2 Rotohelp 98.5
3 ProFantasy Baseball 83.0
4 Fantasy Baseball Sherpa 68.0
5 Razzball 66.0
5 Fantasy Sports Commissioner
Training Institute 66.0
7 Fanball 62.0
8 Fantasy Baseball Dugout 58.0
9 Fantasy Sports R Us 54.0
10 The Fantasy Man 50.0
11 Sporting News 44.5
12 Advanced Fantasy Baseball 30.0

Smoltz Not Done

2009-08-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Scout Hoffman http://www.profantasybaseball.com/

In a display of how much of a superior offensive league the American is versus the National, John Smoltz left his 8.32 ERA in Boston and headed to greener pastures in St. Louis. After being pummeled by stiff AL competition in eight starts, Smoltz pitched five solid innings against the Padres last weekend. He struck out nine hitters, walked none and allowed three hits and no runs.

Smoltz has a K/BB ratio of 42/9, so he clearly still has the stuff and the control to compete at a Major League level. He was being hit pretty hard while with the Red Sox and had an absurdly high BABIP of near .400, so that has nowhere to go but down. Back in the National League where he spent most of his 21 year career, he could put together five or six strong starts to help you during the final roto run or your head to head playoffs.

Dancing in SoCal: Charlie Haeger

2009-08-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Nothing dances like a knuckleball. Tim Wakefield in Boston has had a long effective career with this pitch. Now there is a young knuckleballer in Southern California that is making the pitch known on the left coast.

Charlie Haeger has now had two good starts with the Dodgers. His first start was against St. Louis, where he gave up 5 hits in 7 innings, 3 runs, and 2 Ks - decent numbers against a good team. His 2nd start, against the Cubs, he pitched 7 innings again, 3 hits, and 7 Ks - a great start, albeit against a struggling Cubs team.

Will Haeger carry the knuckleball torch from Wakefield and have a nice long career? Not sure, but he's off to a good start.

The Dodgers have picked up Padilla from the Rangers, presumably as their fifth starter. Padilla wasn't having a great year, so Haeger may just be pitching himself into the rotation.

Charlie Haeger is only worth looking at in deep leagues and NL only leagues. He pitches in a pitcher friendly park with a good offense behind him. If he puts together another good start or two, his value will rise quickly.

-Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

RENT-A-VET: Mark Ellis

2009-08-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Its getting close and now your fighting for every point to win your league. This is the time when those players on a hot streak can be really important to grab. This week Grab Mark Ellis quickly.

Since Ellis has come back from the DL he has been scorching. Over his last 6 games Ellis is hitting 556 with 9 RBI and that's not counting today's game where he went 2-3 with a walk-off HR and 2 RBI.

2ND Base is still a very thin position and he can help you well he is hot. Get him now before he cools off.

The Bay State Scout

Mashing in San Diego: Will Venable

2009-08-14T08:01:00.000-07:00

Adrian Gonzolez is the man in San Diego, however, Will Venable is on a tear and deserves a little of the lime light. This 26 year old outfielder has been putting on a show over the last couple of weeks.

In Venable's last 13 games, he has at least 1 RBI in 10 of them (this includes a game that he went 0/1 as a pinch hitter) - that is some nice consistency. In that stretch, he is hitting .325, with 19 RBI's, 5 HR, 9 Runs, and 1 SB. This guy is on fire!

He is owned in less then 10% of leagues. Most of that ownership came within the last week. He should be a decent play for deep leagues - at least until he comes back down to earth. Other formats need to evaluate how their OF is doing (example - now is not the time to keep dead weight - B.J. Upton was just dropped in my AL only league).

-Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rios On the Move

2009-08-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

The true story behind how Alex Rios became a member of the White Sox may take some time to clear up, but regardless of how it happened he is done in Toronto. Placed on waivers at the end of last week by the Blue Jays, Rios was subsequently claimed by the White Sox. Most baseball insiders believed that this was an attempt to block him from being claimed by another team and that the Sox had no real interest in Rios and his hefty contract. The Blue Jays decided to let Rios walk away and got no compensation other than no longer having to pay the underachieving outfielder. Of course this is a fantasy website, so we are not here to discuss contracts and waivers, we want to know fantasy impact. Rios is full of upside, scouts have been saying for years that he could be a 25/25 guy or maybe even a 30/30 guy if he can put all his tools together. Maybe a change of scenery will be just what he needs. Rios has been hitting in the 6-hole in a decent offensive lineup in a middle of the road hitters ballpark. I could see him slotted in several different places in the White Sox lineup. He will most likely be playing center and taking over for Scott Podsednik, so it is only natural to think that he will take over the leadoff spot in the batting order. He has spent a good amount of time batting leadoff and has the speed and contact skills to hit there. Of course Podsednik has been a catalyst for the White Sox offense and certainly will never be used as a defensive replacement so he is hardly the ideal fourth outfielder. He could hit down in the order, 6th or 7th, but that would mean the Sox would be sitting Jermaine Dye, there best offensive player, or Carlos Quentin who is starting to heat up after missing most of the year with a foot injury. DH is an option for one of the current Sox outfielders, but that would leave Jim Thome with no place to go. As long as he gets everyday at bats, expect his numbers to get a slight bump. He is moving into a pennant race in a weaker division and gets to play his home games in a hitters park. Rios' departure leaves a hole in the Toronto outfiled that will likely be filled by youngster Travis Snider. Snider spent the beginning of the year with the big club but was sent down after struggling for the first month or so. He has hit the ball well in the minors most of the year and is probably available on the waiver wire for those in deep or AL-Only leagues.

Out with the Older, In with the Old

2009-08-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

The Phillies have decided what to do with Pedro - he will be a starter. However, to make room, they have sent Jaime Moyer to the bullpen. Yes, in with the old and out with the older.

This is a little surprising as Pedro did some relief work at the WBC, and Moyer is not crazy about coming out of the pen. In any event, it's done. Pedro will start Wednesday against the Cubs.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating - Phillies pitchers are worth more then other pitchers due to the great offense. In addition, Pedro is not just some pitcher, he's Pedro! He has shown that he still has a little in the tank. He probably won't go real deep in games, but should rack up some wins and average to above average strikeouts.

Moyer's value takes a huge nose dive in most formats. Pedro makes an intriguing flier in NL only and deeper formats. He might even help you make a little late season and playoff run.

-Scout Monkey

Hot, Hot, Hot: Rajai Davis

2009-08-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

In the last 2 weeks, you would have a hard time finding a better player then Rajai Davis, CF of the Oakland A's. Rollins? Nope. Pujols? Uh-uh. Texeira? Negative. For the last two weeks, you would be better off with Davis (obviously for the season you would take the other guys).

In the last two weeks, 28 year old Davis is hitting .400, 9 runs, 14 RBIs, 5 walks, 7 SB. You won't get power with Davis, he has 0 homeruns, but the rest of what he'll give you is nice.

He will probably end up being a rental for you, but ride this wave. He is owned in less then 10% of leagues (although that number is starting to go up).

-Scout Monkey

This Bud's For You

2009-08-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

Scout Hoffman www.profantasybaseball.com Bud Norris has probably seen more than one artilce written about him with that title, and with his hot start to his career, this one may not be the last. Of course pitching in Texas with a last name of Norris there will probably be a few Chuck Norris references too. Norris was listed as the number two prospect in the Houston Astros system and was given his first Major League start when Roy Oswalt was skipped due to injury. He held the Cardinals hitless into the 6th inning and fanned five while earning his first victory. His next start he held the Brewers in check allowing only two runs through six innings. Through 16 innings Norris has 16 strikeouts and those numbers are in line with his career Minor League stats so look for those K's to continue over the last two months of the seasons. He has also allowed only eight hits and three runs, so from the surface there appears to be no downside. The real concern with Norris so far is the ten walks issued, and that can be expected with younger pitchers. As long as Norris has a rotation spot and can continue to improve his control, he is worth a pick-up in deep mixed and NL-Only leagues.

Holland Shines Again

2009-08-09T19:10:00.001-07:00

by Scout Hoffman www.profantasybaseball.com I have said before that I would never recommend a Texas Rangers pitcher. Especially a rookie pitcher in the sweltering heat of the Texas sun, but Derek Holland has turned in two great outings in his last three turns. On July 30th against the Mariners, Holland struck out 10 Mariners and allowed only two hits and one run in 8.2 innings. Today he fanned 8 in a three hitter versus the Angels. Unfortunately he sandwiched those two starts around a clunker at Oakland. The southpaw Holland was a 25th round pick in 2006 and has shot up through the Rangers system with an electric fastball that has topped out at 98 mph. He pairs that with a plus slider and improving change. As will all rookie pitchers there will be some bumps in the road, but Holland has shown he can be dominant. His overall numbers for 2009 are not that impressive, but the waiver wire is full of 'what have you done for me lately' guys and Holland could be a solid matchup play for the stretch run.

Player to be named later was traded again!

2009-08-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Twins made a waiver wire deal yesterday when they acquired Carl Pavano for a player to be named later. Now I know, who cares it is Carl (Freaking) Pavano, but Carl Pavano just might be able to help you down the stretch. Pavano has been extremely inconsistent this year and his ERA (5.37) and WHIP (1.38), Show how bad he has been at times. However, if you look a little deeper into his peripherals, he is not that bad. He is sporting a solid K\9 rate of 6.30 and a decent k\BB rate of 3.83, but the most telling stat is his FIP which is 4.26, more then a run below his current ERA. It is possible that Pavano will pitch better now, A. Being traded to a contender and B. A better defensive ball club. He is worth a stab and could get ya some wins and decent ratios from here on out.

The Bay State Scout

Out with the old...

2009-08-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox have release future hall of famer John Smoltz. In his place, they have called up Junichi Tazawa.

Tazawa was signed in the off season out of Japan - grabbed before he signed a multi year contract with a Japanese team. He's a 23 old right hander who has been handling the minors extremely well. In double A, he had 9 wins, 2 losses, and a great ERA of 2.57. In triple A, he hasn't won a game, but has lowered his ERA to 2.37.

He has 4 pitches, fastball (low 90's), slider, curve, and a splitter. He has shown good strike out ability with this repertoire.

Boston hasn't said what his role will be for this season. He has been a starter in the minors and Boston wants him as a starter for the long run. We'll find out soon.

As with any young pitcher, you have to tread carefully. Keeper leagues should be grabbing this guy sooner then later. Deep leagues may want to take a flyer. In shallow leagues, let Tazawa show what he can do at the major league level - and let his spot be finalized (Starter or Reliever).

-Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

A Yankee Not to Own

2009-08-07T03:38:00.000-07:00

The New York Yankees have one of the finest teams that money can buy. There may not be another team in baseball that has more fantasy relevant players. With that said, avoid the newest Yankee like the plague.

The Yanks have just completed a deal for San Diego pitcher Chad Gaudin. His role has not been clearly stated - he might be long relief (which is not too useful in most fantasy leagues), or he is going to take over for the struggling Mitre (this would be my guess).

With an offense like the Yankees have, why would I avoid one of their starting pitchers? Because Gaudin is going to kill your ERA. Simply put, pitching in perhaps the most friendly pitcher park in all of baseball (Petco Field), Gaudin has an ERA of 5.13 - bad, now he is going to what is proving to be one of the worst pitching parks in all of baseball (New Yankee Stadium). Nothing about this looks good. His poor ERA is just going to get worse, much worse.

There is talk of his upside, but until he shows it, let someone else take the gamble. I cannot think of any format where you would want to add this pitcher.

- Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

No Bull(pen): J.A. Happ

2009-08-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

J.A. Happ owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Happ will be staying in the rotation. With the addition of Pedro Martinez, it looked like Philly might move Happ back to the bullpen (and into fantasy obscurity). But today, the Phillies announced that Happ is staying right where he is. I guess this isn't a surprise with the way Happ has been pitching. How does 6 wins, 2 losses in 14 starts sound? Oh yea, ERA of 2.80. On top of that, he just pitched a complete game shutout. Don't forget, he pitches for the Phillies - an offensive juggernaut that can make any pitcher look a little better (not that Happ needs it). Still, something must change to accommodate Pedro. If not Happ, then what? Latest thoughts are a 6 man rotation, Pedro to the pen, perhaps even Moyer to the Pen. Whatever the case, Happ is safe. Happ is owned in less then half of fantasy leagues. He may not be a top tier pitcher yet, but he's up there. All formats need to consider him (except AL only of course). -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Strike Three Please

2009-08-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

If you need some strikeouts, there is probably no one available in your league who will get you more then Gio Gonzalez. If you throw out one very bad game against the Twins, Gio has struck out 29 batters in 23+ innings. More then a batter an inning is pretty good for someone on the free agent pile. In addition, he may help with your ERA too if he keeps up his recent good starts. If the guy is this good, why is he available? One, he plays for the Oakland A's. He won't get too many wins with that offense. Second, when he is bad, he is really bad. Against the Twins, he gave up 11 runs in 2.2 innings. Since that game however, he has pitched 3 solid games - against the Yankees, the Red Sox, and most recently against Texas. I guess no really good teams were available to pitch against (kidding of course, could you have a tougher stretch???). He is available in most leagues and should be considered in deep leagues and maybe in AL only leagues - if you need strike outs. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Yes Yusmeiro Petit

2009-08-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

7 innings of no hit ball. 3 Ks and 3 BBs (however, there was a very bad call that should have been strike 3 and ended up being ball 4 - so 4 Ks and 2 BB in my book). That is how Yusmeiro Petit (pronounced peh-teet) started his night against the Pirates. He finally gave up a single in the 8th. Now the Pirates are not exactly the best offensive team, especially with the fire sale they just went through. Still, you have a major league team that Petit shut down for 7 innings. It must be respected. His previous start was 6 shutout innings against the Phillies (yea, they are arguably the best offensive team). These are two big time displays by the Arizona pitcher. Petit is a 24 year old righthander that is showing he can pitch at the big league level. He must know how to pitch with a fastball that barely sniffs 90 on the radar gun. He pitches smart. Downside? He's a fly ball pitcher who can give up some long balls. But at 24 years old, he has room for improvement. He's hardly owned in any league, but should start being picked up in deeper leagues. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Rookie Feliz Sparkles in Debut

2009-08-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Texas Ranger rookie pitcher Neftali Feliz made his major league debut for the Rangers Monday night in a 3-2 loss to Oakland and promptly struck out the first four batters he faced with fastballs that ranged from 97 to 100 mph mixed with a 91 mph split finger fastball and a 83 mph curve.

The 21-year-old Feliz is the Rangers’ top pitching prospect who recently was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen in AAA Oklahoma City. Even though he is likely a future starter (if not a closer) the Rangers needed his help in the bullpen and considered him the equivalent of a trade deadline acquisition for their bullpen.

His fantasy value in 2009 is mixed because of his middle relief status. He should provide strong strikeout numbers as well as a potentially strong ERA and WHIP. In addition, he could chip in with the occasional save or win.

Sin City Scout

If Only We Listened: Randy Wells

2009-08-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Way back in early June Scout Hoffman told us about a rookie pitcher for the Cubs by the name of Randy Wells. If you payed attention and picked him up, you made a very wise move! Here we are, some 2 months after that article and what has Wells done? How about 8 wins in his last 9 starts? Wow! There is more... 2.85 ERA. Sparkling! His K/BB ratio is 3:1 - although he is not a strikeout artist (I would consider him average). Wins, a good ERA, decent Ks, low walks, what more do you want? His ownership in leagues is growing everyday, so unless you have top pitching on your fantasy team, go get Randy Wells now! -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Prospect Watch: Brian Matusz

2009-08-03T12:16:00.001-07:00

Baltimore pitching prospect Brian Matusz is expected to be called up to make his first major league start on Tuesday against Detroit. Matusz is starting in place of the injured Bradley Bergersen, who went on the D.L. on July 31st with a left leg contusion. Matusz, 22, was rated 25th on Baseball America's Top 100 prospects of 2009. The big lefty split time this season between single A and double A before being called up. While at AA Bowie, he dominated, posting a 7-0 record, 1.55 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 45:10 K:BB ratio in 45 1/3 innings. Long term, Matusz projects as a top of the rotation starter, but he has the potential to post solid ERA, WHIP and K totals right away. In most mixed leagues, Matusz is a player to watch, but a great debut will make him a hot commodity. If you have the roster space, Matusz's upside makes him worthy of a speculative add. If you're in a keeper league, and Matusz isn't owned, stop reading and go grab him immediately!

Rent-a-Vet: Cristian Guzman

2009-08-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Cristian Guzman, SS for the Nationals, is on a nice 9 game hitting streak. What makes this even more impressive is that in 7 of those 9 games, he has 2 or more hits. He has 10 RBIs, 11 runs, and 1 HR during this stretch. For the season he is hitting a very nice .305. Guzman will help you with average and runs, and that's about it. The 10 RBIs he just accumulated is a pace that is a little over his head. He has never been a big steals guy, and this season is no different, except maybe he is on pace for the lowest steals he has had in a single season. If you need a solid hitter, Guzman is worth a look, especially if you can catch the tail end of this wave he is on. He is owned in about 1/3 of leagues, so he is not a completely unknown or overlooked player, but for many of you, he should be available. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Need Stolen Bases? I Thought So.

2009-07-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

Stolen Bases are the hardest to accumulate of all the offensive fantasy categories. The reason for that is two-fold. Not only are there not many guys who steal a ton of bases, but of those guys not many of them give you much in the other four (or more) categories. It’s the reason Hanley Ramirez was this years consensus number one pick over Albert Pujols (that and position scarcity) and the reason people pick Carl Crawford in the top 20 every year. Steals are just simply hard to come by. Because they are hard to come by, they also tend to be an easy spot to make up ground. In all probability much of your league is fairly close in steals, with whoever owns Crawford and Ellsbury out to a solid lead.

What if you’re not in possession of one of those two guys? What if I told you that you can still pick up a guy who is going to steal you 15-20 more bases this season? Is that something you’d be interested in? Look no further than Nyjer Morgan. Morgan is one of only 6 players with more than 25 Steals this season. He’s also one of two of those 6 players who isn’t owned in 99% of all leagues already (Michael Bourn, 82%). Yea, but that’s the whole season so far, what has Nyjer done for me lately? He’s only got the highest batting average (.482) and the most stolen bases (8) in baseball since the all-star break. In fact, since coming over to the Nationals, Morgan has stolen 13 bases in just 22 games. Compare that with the 18 he stole in 71 games for Pittsburgh. Morgan is hitting the ball, he’s getting on base and most importantly for you; he’s running. Nyjer Morgan is still somewhat of a secret among fantasy owner, but that is getting less and less true with each passing day. Timing is everything in this game. It’s time you starting paying attention to Nyjer Morgan. Morgan is available in 36.5% of ESPN.com and 45% of Yahoo leagues. PCB Scout Questions? Comments? Random Nonsense? Email me: pcbscout(at)gmail.com

Prospect Watch: Rick VandenHurk

2009-07-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

Last night Rick VandenHurk, 24 year old, 6'5" righty for the Marlins, struck out 9 in 6 innings. Umm, who? Rick VandenHurk. He is a rookie pitcher that was called up in mid-July and has pitched very well in his 3 starts. In those starts, he is 1-0, 17 innings pitched, 2.65 ERA, 16 Ks, and 6 walks. Impressive. The Marlins are a solid, if not good, team. They haven't scored much for VandenHurk which accounts for him having only 1 win despite his low ERA. One would have to assume that he will get the run support he needs to pick up a few more wins (Hanley Ramirez alone should be enough!). A young pitcher on a solid team - worth a flyer if you are able to gamble a little. Shallow leagues should just watch him - maybe he will turn out to be an 'out of nowhere' kind a guy (no one truly knows who will be the next big thing). Deeper leagues have to pay attention to him as 3 good starts can't just be chalked up to a fluke (neither can 9 strikeouts in 6 innings). He is owned in less then 1% of leagues. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

Radar Watch: Tim Hudson

2009-07-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

Before getting injured, Tim Hudson was a stud pitcher. He had Tommy John surgery on July 22, 2008 and has been recovering well. Hudson is pitching in the minors and hasn't given up a run in his two games (6 innings total) so far. He could be a very nice addition for your stretch run! There is a little uncertainty to be aware of though. He still has to build stamina, which means he will not be called up for at least a few weeks (no timeline has been set by the Braves but it is getting close to a time when they will have to decide). Will he be a starter this year or go to the bullpen? Probably be a starter, but again, nothing has been set. A pitcher of Hudson's caliber that you can grab off of the free agent pile could be a nice late season present. -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)