Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Cueto

Did you really expect Johnny Cueto of the Reds to come into the bigs and tear things up like his first start? Come on, really, think about it. This kid who was born in 1986 is not coming into the majors and striking out 10 every time he hits the mound.

After hearing all the hype after his first start owners have seen nothing but disastrous starts with 20ER's in his past 5 while adding 3 losses. Fantasy owners, make sure to keep an unbias pair of glasses on when ever you are evaluating rookies. Look at his numbers in the minors and NEVER assume he will do those things in the majors. If you are an owner who put Cueto as your 2nd or 3rd pitcher you are in a little trouble. This kid is worth a 4th or 5th spot in your rotation but at the moment he's actually worth a bench spot until he shows some improvement.

Owners who grabbed him off the waiver wire should be respected for finding a kid like this but don't fall in love with prospects, that usually leads you to a result other than a championship.

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Boof Bonser

Boof Bonser of the Twins is 2-4 but after looking at his 2008 stats he could easily be 5-1. He's allowed 3 or less ER's in 5 outings and was provided a total of 8 supporting runs by his team during those outings. Bonser isn't a team changing pitcher but can provide some healthy innings and decent stats to lower your ERA and WHIP so he's worth a spot as your 4-5th starter.







































































































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Fuentes

Brian Fuentes recorded his second save of the season against the San Francisco Giants last night. Corpas owners who didn't grab Fuentes should be kicking themselves. Saves in any fantasy league is absolutely cutthroat. Expect Fuentes to continue as the closer unless he has problems, like his 2 week stretch in 2007 which cost him his closer role.

Fantasy Advice...saves and SB's are always the hardest to find in all fantasy leagues so make sure to draft SB's and saves plus watch the wire for injuries and the performance of current closers. Adding someone like Fuentes to your team from the waiver wire can make or break a fantasy championship.

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Yankee DL + Smoltz

After J. Posada fell to the DL news has just hit my ears with A-Rod hitting the 15Day-DL too. For owners who drafted him with their first overall pick, basically everyone did, you shouldn't be worried just yet. Just put him in the DL spot or on the bench. You can't do a thing about this injury. Just ride it out.

John Smoltz of the Braves is on the 15Day-DL as well. The discomfort in his shoulder was severe enough to land him on the DL. Owners should be worried and should have sold him while he was sizzling hot to start the season. The only thing you can do now is sit on the bench or DL. Most owners will not give you full value for Smoltz since his age isn't on the junior side.

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Sherrill

George Sherrill, closer for the Orioles, notched his 10th save of the season and has cemented himself as a top closer with respect to value in 2008. With the Orioles starting out strong with 15 wins I don't believe Sherrill will continue to provide such top-tier fantasy value for the entire season. After watching a few innings of his work I do see some promising stuff. This kid can toss and will give you saves. Remember, even on a last place team there will be 60-70 wins. Plus, with a bad team comes wins that are by 1-2 runs which allows for plenty of save opportunities.

Shop Sherrill around and see what kind of high profile bat or starter you can grab. If you can get another owner to completely believe in Sherrill you might be in line for a nice return. If you can't find someone, it's not the worst thing in this world to have a closer who will give you 30+ saves.

Sell Sherrill at a high value.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Consider these guys...

Here are a few players who hit my radar in the past week. Included are their 7-day stats.


Eugenio Velez 2B Giants - .296AVG, 4R, 3RBI, 3SB
Matt Diaz LF Braves - .391AVG, 4R, 1HR, 3RBI, 1SB
Emil Brown OF A's - .304AVG, 5R, 1HR, 8RBI

Paul Maholm SP Pirates - 2-0, 15IP, 8K's, 1.20ERA, 0.73WHIP
John Lannan SP Nationals - 2-0, 14IP, 7K's, 0.00ERA, 1.14WHIP
Armando Galarraga SP Tigers - 1-0, 11.1IP, 7K's, 0.79ERA, 1.06WHIP

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Monday, April 28, 2008

Posada

J. Posada of the Yankees is still suffering from shoulder soreness and will most likely hit the DL sometime soon. At the present time, Posada is waiting for a second opinion to see if he needs something more serious, like surgery. Owners who have Posada should be a little pissed since he does fit into the top 5 catchers in the bigs. You can't really replace Posada and his stats but you can grab a hot catcher off the wire. I have been touting Kurt Suzuki since the beginning of the year. This A's catcher seems to be legit so far, albeit he has cooled off a bit in the past week.

Here are a few other options at the catchers spot.
- Paul Bako - Reds
- Chris Coste - Phillies
- Greg Zaun - Blue Jays
- Yadier Molina - Cardinals
- Ramon Hernandez - Orioles

Don't go out and trade for another catcher just yet. This is a position, in my opinion, where if you didn't have the chance to draft the top 5 catchers you just go and live on the waiver wire searching for hot hitting catchers. At this point, you just sit back and hope Posada comes back sooner rather than later.

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Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer of the Arizona Diamondbacks was called up from AAA Tucsan.

OWNERS - This is a guy you want with your 1st waiver priority. With 144K's in 113.2IP he's just another J. Broxton. Grab him before someone else does.

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Smoltz

John Smoltz of the Braves has lost his past two starts after starting out 3-0. In his latest loss he allowed 4ER's in 4 innings. But what hurts owners the most is the fact he has some discomfort in his right shoulder. This wouldn't be a big concern since Smoltz is a veteran who knows his body but he has already started this season on the DL with discomfort in the same shoulder.

As I mentioned in an earlier post I recommended you to trade Smoltz while he was hot and high in value. Now, owners can't do much because of the news with his shoulder. Just have to wait until more news comes out concerning the discomfort.

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

Longest name in baseball...

Jarrod Saltalamacchia of the Rangers is back with the big team after being recalled from AAA Oklahoma. Since he is a catcher he is worth the pick-up but for owners who already have a decent catcher this isn't big news. He's not going to change your team and give you the boost you need to win unless you have a terrible catcher...ie. Rod Barajas.

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Chad Cordero

Chad Cordero of the Nationals has pitched in 5 games so far and has collected ZERO saves. Owners should not be worried because he is coming back from injury and the team is working him back slowly.

BUT, you might be able to grab him from another team if the owner is a little worried about his health and his zero saves so far this season. Try to make him an offer to see if you can grab Cordero for a below market level price for this guy. Buy low and reap the benefits.

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Matt Stairs

Matt Stairs of the Blue Jays is getting plenty of at-bats because of the departure of Frank Thomas. So far, Stairs is swinging a hot bat.

In 20 games so far he has hit safely in 16 of them with 4 multi hit games.

2008 season stats .328, 3HR's, 6RBI's, and 7K's.

Everyone who owns Stairs should sell high on this guy. He's not going to provide you with 400+ at-bats and give you the numbers you want. At this point in his career he will give the Blue Jays more help than your fantasy team. He should be a platoon player where he pinch hits or takes a few games a week in the field. Sell high and reap the benefits with a proven everyday player.

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Saturday Night Notes

Erik Bedard of the Mariners returned from the DL to record his second win of the season. He threw 95 pitches through 6.2 innings while striking out 4 batters and giving up zero runs. This was a nice start for owners after making a stint on the DL. Owners should keep putting Bedard into lineups without thinking twice. Just hope he stays healthy.

Chris Young of the Diamondbacks is still swatting homers but with a batting average of .232 it isn't helping owners but with 6HR's so far, it's a nice trade-off. Make sure to grab someone who hits for average to balance out the average category.

Eric Gagne threw a perfect 9th inning while recording 3K's to earn his 7th save of the season.

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Saturday, April 26, 2008

Saito

Takashi Saito of the Dodgers blew his second save of the season against the Rockies and coincidentally it was for Kuroda. Kuroda would have two more wins to his record if Saito, his fellow countryman from Japan, was able to hold a 9th inning lead.

Owners, don't be too worried right now but Saito seems like he has some holes in his pitching after two amazing seasons in 2006 and 2007 with 24 and 39 saves respectively. As always, J. Broxton who is the Dodgers set-up man is the closer in waiting so everyone should have him on their rosters, just in case there is a change of closers.

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Friday, April 25, 2008

Fuentes/Corpas

Another closer is in hot waters and in this case might even be moved out of the closer position altogether. Manny Corpas of the Rockies is throwing some batting practice during games and isn't closing out games with saves but rather giving their opponents one last chance for victory. In his last 4 save opportunities, he's blown 3 of them.

This is where former Rockies closer Brian Fuentes comes in. He is the closer in waiting and the waiting is over. After losing his closer job last year, Fuentes has come out strong this year posting a stat line of 0-1, 1SV, 12IP, 8H, 3ER, 10K's, with a 2.25ERA.

Owners, go out and grab Fuentes in your league ASAP. He will not be available for long.

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Jason times 2

Jason Bay of the Pirates started out slowly but is now finding his swing. In the past week he has accumulated a .300+AVG, with 2HR's, and a SB. Owners who panicked should take this as a learning experience, never ever let the first few weeks of the season cloud your judgment on players who have a history of putting together productive numbers over the course of a MLB season. Owners who found a way to grab him from someone or even off waivers should be laughing to the bank.

Jason Giambi of the Yankees is finding some comfort while trotting the bases. In the past 10 games he's added 4HR's, 11H's, and has even given the Yanks and owners a SB. For AL-only leagues, you should have him in your lineup. For mixed leagues, if you have a bench spot or a player who is struggling right now, take the plunge and grab Giambi and ride his hot bat. Giambi is still capable of giving you HR's and RBI's, just don't expect any of his MVP numbers while in Oakland, those days are well behind him.

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Liriano is out...

Francisco Liriano of the Twins is officially a member of the Twins' AAA Rochester team.

After coming back from Tommy John Surgery, he has been anything but impressive. Posting a terrible stat line of 0-3, 15H, 13ER, 13BB's, 7K's, 11.32ERA, all in 10.1 innings pitched.

Owners, did you really expect him to come back and throw smoke and go back to his 2006 form where he had 144K's in 121IP?? Be realistic. Owners should keep him on their bench, his upside is great and if he can gain some confidence in AAA you can expect some decent numbers when he is called up.

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Shef

Gary Sheffield of the Tigers may file some retirement papers due to his surgically repaired shoulders. Sheffield is still complaining of pain his shoulders and can't even cross arms without feeling some pain. So far, doctors have found no structural damage but after a few cortisone shots Sheffield and owners are hoping he can come back and provide his typical numbers.

Last year, Sheffield started out slowly but returned to normal form and helped many owners to a fantasy championship. This year is different, with another year of health problems Sheffield may find himself retiring sooner rather than later.

Owners...you should take this step by step. I know his trade value is low but if you can unload him in a package deal or if you want to keep him, either is fine. Coming into the season, you should have realized that he was a high risk high reward type of guy.

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Big Hurt

The Big Hurt, Frank Thomas, has landed himself a job with his former employer the Oakland A's.

Fantasy Impact. Now that Thomas is here, he will take the majority of DH time and Emil Brown and Jack Cust will platoon. Owners of Brown and Cust should see a decrease in playing time unless they are producing.

Frank Thomas is looking for another 2006 season where he was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year by batting .270, 39HR, and 114RBI's. Look for Thomas to produce again, not at that level though. He is valuable in AL-Only leagues as well as mixed. Expect him to hit 20+HR's.

Guess my prediction of him going to the Rays was way off.

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Hot Players

Here are a few players that caught my eye in the past 7 or so days. Remember, these guys are hot right now but don't expect most of them to continue to torch pitchers/hitters for the rest of the season. But at the same time, make sure to take note of these players just in case they do have a career year which will help you win a fantasy championship.

R. Cedeno - SS - Cubs - .429AVG, 6R, 1HR, 10RBI's
C. Blake - 1B/3B/OF - Indians - .421AVG, 4R, 2HR, 10RBI's
F. Lewis - OF - Giants - .333AVG, 6R, 1HR, 5RBI, 2SB

J. Lannan - SP - Nationals - 13IP, 1W, 15K's, 0.69ERA, 0.85WHIP
C. Silva - SP - Mariners - 13IP, 1W, 5K, 2.08ERA, 1.08WHIP

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Hinske

Eric Hinske of the Rays continues to hit. Take a look at and older post about him, click here.

Just added another 3 hits last night (2B, 3B, HR) and almost hit for the cycle. He should be on your fantasy team, plain and simple.

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Lackey

John Lackey, the ace of the Angels rotation, is scheduled to return to the mound early May. Owners should continue to keep him in their DL spot or stash him on their bench. If there is a deal out there that comes along, don't be afraid to trade him away. He had some impressive 2007 numbers but if the deal can help you for this season, by all means, trade him.

2007 stats. 19-9, 224IP, 3.01ERA, 179K's.

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Ellsbury

J. Ellsbury of the Red Sox is tearing it up right now in the Majors. With a hot start to the season Ellsbury is finding a comfortable spot in the daily lineup and if his hot start continues you'll find his name on all fantasy rosters.

Right now, you should take a look at your waiver wire and see if he's available and grab him ASAP. In his past 10 games he has 13hits, 8SB's, 13BB's, and only gone down to strikes 5 times.

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Big Ben

Ben Sheets of the Brewers has some soreness in his tricep which caused him to leave his last start. The bigger news here is he's been pushed back from his next scheduled start and is now on track to pitch next Tuesday.

Owners should be worried because Sheets is injury prone and finds a place on the DL every year. So far, owners have been blessed with his 2008 start (3-0, 28IP, 14H, 3ER, 1HR, 4BB, 24K, and a 0.96ERA). If you drafted him and had no back-up plan in case he did go to the DL you are in a little trouble. Well, not just yet but with his history this tricep injury might get more serious.

The only thing you can really do is wait this out. You won't get fair/full value if you try to trade him. Kind of reminds you of Rich Harden and Chipper Jones.

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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Adam Lind

Adam Lind of the Blue Jays will get a chance to prove himself on the Major League stage after the release of the Big Hurt. This news is really only for AL-only leagues so if you are in an AL-only league, please make sure to keep your eye out for this player.

He has the ability to go deep with his 11HR's in 290AB's in the 2007 season.

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Smoltz

J. Smoltz of the Braves is cruising to start the 2008 season. In his first three starts of the season Smoltz has the following numbers; 3-0, 16IP, 10H, 1ER, 6BB, 21K, and a 0.56ERA.

Absolutely smoking numbers for a 40 year old, who is about to turn 41 in May. There are some things to note about Smoltz. He's throwing 5 to 6 innings per game which isn't ideal for owners but this veteran chooses when to go deep into games. What does that mean? Well, if the Braves are leading by a few runs and it doesn't seem like Smoltz is going to be needed, Smoltz moves on and allows the bullpen to finish the game. With Smoltz it isn't about throwing a CG every time he goes out but rather giving the Braves a chance to win. Smoltz is the epitome of a smart, witty, veteran.

Advice...owners should really consider if they need Smoltz in their lineup. He definitely will benefit you but if Smoltz is your 2-3 starter you might want to trade Smoltz, when his value is at his highest, and grab a top-tier closer or a premium bat. This is a great time for you to shop him around. There is no way Smoltz will continue at this pace so if you have a chance go out and grab some high value help in other categories. As long as you are okay in the pitching categories.

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Utley

Actually, I should be introducing this post with Mr. Chase Utley of the Phillies. While most players in the league are delighted to have a 5 game hitting streak Mr. Utley has taken it to the next level. This all-star/fantasy stud is redefining what a top tier fantasy player is made of. In the past 5 games, Mr. Utley has hit 6HR's!!! In fact, he does have a 5 game hitting streak but instead of the basic single/double/triple he's hit a HR in 5 consecutive games. Absolutely incredible!!

I usually don't post things about players of Mr. Utley's calibre unless it has to do with injury or lack of performance but with such greatness I had to make room for this story.

Owners...nothing to say but enjoy watching an elite player add to your stat lines.

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John Maine

J. Maine of the Mets received a loss last night against the Cubs even though he had a solid performance. His stat line of 6IP, 5H, 2ER, 2BB, and 6K's couldn't earn him the win though. It seems Maine has been a victim of hitters going cold when he gets on the mound. Just look at his past 3 starts, which includes last night.

1-1, 18.2IP, 15H, 5ER 3HR, 11BB, 11K, and a 2.41ERA.

Those are some nice numbers coming from any starter. Okay, lower the BB's but no one is perfect. Having him as a 3-4 starter on your team would be great. Just hope the Mets can add some runs and Maine might seem so nice Wins in the near future.

Owners, you should be happy Maine has come out and pitched well after a poor first start where he allowed 4ER in 4IP. This is a nice pitcher to acquire in a trade just in case someone isn't sold on his start and capabilities for the rest of the season.

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Monday, April 21, 2008

Yovani of the Brewers

Great start after coming back from the DL. Yovani Gallardo's first game stat line.

7IP, 4H, 1ER, 3BB, and 4K's.

Owners should have him in their lineup ASAP. But don't expect ace calibre numbers. He is still young and owners should understand the ups and downs with young highly touted prospects. If he is your 3-4 starter, you are in good shape.

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J-Roll

Ouch, another high profile player has landed himself on the DL. First it was Bedard then Soriano now it's Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies. Rollins will be spending the next few weeks healing after spraining his left ankle. Owners...this is a huge blow for now but when he returns you should be fine. But with all injuries just hope it doesn't come back and linger. It could affect his SB totals. This is a first rounder so you can't do a thing but wait until he returns.

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Martin and Doumit

R. Martin of the Dodgers is coming back strong after a slow start to the season. In the past week, Martin has batted .300 with 5R, 2HR, and 2RBI. For all those owners who panicked and traded or dropped him should be kicking themselves. Owners, this was the best fantasy catcher in baseball...you don't go jumping overboard with 2 weeks of poor play. Owners who received Martin in a trade for low value, start counting the days because a championship is on its way.

R. Doumit of the Pirates is a catcher you should keep an eye out for. He's batting .320 and has added 4HR's in the past 10 games. Owners who weren't able to grab any of the top five catchers...this is a great guy to grab now to enjoy his hot streak. In 2007, Doumit had 252AB's and hit 9 HR's. If he can stay healthy he can be a productive catcher in all fantasy formats.

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The Big Hurt

The Toronto Blue Jays and Frank Thomas have officially departed ways after the Jays demoted Thomas to the bench after struggling to start the year. I see Thomas being signed by another team in the AL and to be more specific, I see the Tampa Bay Rays picking him up as a DH. Remember all those rumours about Barry Bonds landing in Tampa, well...now the Rays can add a veteran player into their clubhouse while avoiding the legal baggage Bonds would bring. Thomas would make a decent fit in the Rays lineup and with his proven work ethic he'll be a welcome addition to help the young and upcoming Rays.

For fantasy owners this doesn't make a large impact unless you are in an AL-only league. The person who gains the most from this departure is Matt Stairs. He will start seeing more plate appearance as the DH.

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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Melky

Melky Cabrera of the Yankees is quietly putting together a nice season. With 3HR, 7RBI's, 3SB's, and a .296AVG he's bringing in 5 tool potential...a fantasy owners dream! Owners who were able to grab him during the draft should wreak the benefits throughout the 2008 season. Enjoy him and if you can, try and trade for him and see if his low name profile can get you a decent trade without having to give up an arm and a leg. Hitting in a dangerous Yankees lineup should give him plenty of runs, rbi's, sb's, and the nice short right field fence in New York will give him more than enough chances at 25+HR's.

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Beltre

With the fat contract signed and after a few seasons of not living up to expectations, Adrian Beltre of the Mariners is slowly putting together a nice 2008 season. So far Beltre has 3HR's and 2SB's. This is a great sign for Beltre owners who drafted him in the 12-16 rounds. Beltre is even hitting in the 4th spot and with Ichiro ahead of him, it should give him plenty of RBI chances.

Owners, watch out and keep track of Beltre because of his injured hand. So far, everything looks fine but with a 162 game schedule minor injuries might slowly become bigger problems. Beltre is a great addition to spice up and add extra value in a deal to grab a premium hitter or pitcher in the near future. Watch his value shoot high and try to sell at the peak.

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Manny being Manny

Manny Ramirez is tearing up the young 2008 season and is showing why is he's a top fantasy outfielder. Even with his age he's still a productive hitter and owners who were able to draft him in the late 4th round will benefit with huge numbers.

Manny just collected his 6th HR of the young year and what surprises me is he's usually a slow starter. If this is a sign of a huge year Manny owners will be smiling to a championship come September.

Owners...keep trotting him out there.

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Ervin Santana

Ervin Santana of the Angels isn't the only Santana out there throwing smoke to start the season. Ervin just picked up his third win of the season throwing 8 innings of 3 hit ball while allowing 1ER. This is very sweet for owners because most owners drafted him super late in all drafts. Again, it proves my point, drafting pitchers high in a draft is pointless. There are tons of pitchers out there that will provide you solid numbers while allowing you to grab them in the mid-teen rounds.

Ervin Santana is even throwing well on the road this year with 2 wins so far.

Owners, keep tossing Ervin into your lineups and hope he's finally turned the corner and learned how to pitch effectively on the road. So far, his 2008 stats shows the upside this pitcher has.

27IP, 20H, 8ER, 2HR, 6BB, 22K, and a 2.67ERA

IMPRESSIVE INDEED...

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Saturday, April 19, 2008

Drafting Pitchers Late

One of my draft strategies is to draft hitters early and wait on pitchers. Look at the struggles of CC Sabathia early in this season. It isn't worth having a pitcher drafted in the first 4 rounds pitching like a glorified pitching coach. Another reason I always take pitchers late in drafts is their tendency to get injured. Pitchers put an enormous amount of strain on their arms when throwing at such high velocities. Erik Bedard of the Mariners is injured and like Sabathia was a high pick in most drafts. Those are two prime examples of high draft picks that have resulted in nothing more than stat draining players eating up roster spots.

Looking on the bright side, here are two pitchers who were drafted in the early to mid teens. Look at the value they have given owners.

Tim Lincecum - 23IP, 23H, 4ER, 0HR, 9BB, 27K's, and a 1.57ERA

Oliver Perez - 21.2IP, 20H, 6ER, 1HR, 12BB, 21K's, and a 2.49ERA

I drafted both players in the 10th and the 15th round respectively. I do have to admit to drafting Bedard early but I felt like I had to because people in the draft were snatching up premium pitchers during the 4th-7th rounds so I ended up drafting Bedard in the 6th round, which is a nice place to draft a high premium pitcher. I do try and find one pitcher in my drafts who is a true ace calibre starter. It sucks he is on the DL though.

My point is...draft pitchers later who have upside because if they don't pan out there are PLENTY of up and coming pitchers who will be available on the waiver wire. Also, pitchers are streaky and if you can closely watch pitchers throughout the season you see some pitchers have 2-3 great starts in a row but throw batting practice throughout the rest of their seasons. DRAFT HITTERS EARLY, worry about pitchers later.

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Friday, April 18, 2008

Daisuke

D. Matsuzaka moved to 4-0 with a victory over the Rangers. He didn't go deep into the game due to a 101 pitch count after 5.1 innings but still managed a win. Daisuke has proven to be a big part of any fantasy team and should continue bringing in good stats for the rest of the season. If you are looking to fill in some holes in your offense or try to solidify your save category, go right out and trade Daisuke right now. His name and his hot start should draw some nice returns.

Owners...remember, never become attached to any players on your team. Everyone in fantasy is tradeable just as long as the return is a right fit for you.

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Jon Rauch

J. Rauch of the Nationals just pitched a scoreless 9th and picked up the Save against the Marlins. As I said before, Rauch is needed on ALL rosters. If you are in need of saves, take a look at the wire. You'll most likely be late since this isn't a real rumour.

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Corey Patterson

C. Patterson of the Reds is finding a nice comfy place on the bench because of his poor performance on the field. Even with an early jump on his power, 4HR's, his other stats are killing him, especially since he's a lead-off guy. With a .255AVG and .244OBP, the Reds and coach Dusty Baker need to consider bringing up their highly touted prospect Jay Bruce. Currently, Bruce is starting AAA with a sweet stroke (.333AVG, .345OBP, 3HR, 9RBI, and 3SB all in 54 AB's). If you have a chance to pick him up in your league please go right ahead.

Yes, Dusty Baker is in love with veterans but with Patterson hitting like this and Bruce showing AAA is not a challenge for him the club might decide to bring Bruce up. If you have a bench spot please go right ahead and put him there, if he comes up he will give you power and speed.

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Milton Bradley

M. Bradley of the Rangers is hitting .362 to start the season after suffering a weird injury last year while being wrestled to the ground by his first base coach. Bradley is a nice pickup in deeper leagues and even in some vanilla 12-team leagues. He'll provide a nice boost to your AVG but the problem with Bradley is he's injury prone. Picking him up and riding out his hot streak is something owners should consider.

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Hinske

Eric Hinske (1B/OF) of the Rays is starting the season with a sweet stroke reminiscent of his rookie of the year award from 2002. He's hitting .342 with 4HR's and 7RBI's. Hinske should be picked up in deeper leagues which utilize a Corner or a deep bench.

With the young and highly touted Rays 2008 lineup, Everyone in this lineup has a chance to produce some nice numbers.

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Cordero/Rauch

Chad Cordero of the Nationals is throwing 82mph fastballs and owners should be worried. As of right now there is no injury to report but with a dip in velocity there might be a problem, just hope it's just a dead arm issue.

Make sure to keep J.Rauch on your team because with such a deep drop in velocity you never know what might happen with the closer job.

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Thursday, April 17, 2008

CC Sabathia

Ouch, another terrible outing by Indians ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia. The start to this season is nothing owners ever expected in their craziest of dreams. This time around, the heavy bats of the Tigers gave Sabathia another 9 ER's.

Owners shouldn't outright panic but should be worried. This is a contract year for Sabathia and we all know contract years can lead to major swings in stats, look at Adrian Beltre of 2004 and Andruw Jones of 2007. Just hope Sabathia turns things around and becomes a 2004 Beltre because if he continues and struggles like Jones in 2007, owners will have wasted a high draft pick.

My advice is to wait him out. Bench him for his next start and watch what's happening from the sideline. He throws a gem, throw him back into your lineup for his next start. If he throws batting practice and allows another 9ER's, worry about it then. But on the bright side, his velocity is there but he just can't find his location. Just hope injuries aren't causing this terrible start.

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R. Martin

R. Martin of the Dodgers is finding his swing again. He's hit safely in the past two games, which includes a homer. Owners of Martin who panicked by dropping him or trading him for lower than true value should be kicking themselves in their asses. Martin is the top fantasy catcher and starting a season cold doesn't justify a drop/trade, unless the trade brings in fair market value in return.

Owners, he's back!

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Soriano

A. Soriano of the Cubs is on the 15Day-DL with a strained right calf. This is a big blow for owners due to the fact Soriano was drafted in the second round in most leagues. There is nothing you can do except try and find someone on the waiver wire to replace him.

My advice is to grab Merton of the Cubs, if there isn't anything better on the waiver wire. Merton is hitting well in the minors and hopefully will find his swing in the majors.

Sucks to be a Soriano owner...I am one of them.

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

DL Time

E. Bedard of the Mariners is officially on the 15Day-DL, retroactive to April 9th. So far Bedard has been reported as saying he's not even sure when he'll be back on the mound. This is a big blow for owners who drafted him early in drafts but with a player of this calibre, you have no choice but to keep him on your bench or hopefully in a DL spot, if it is free. Again, this proves the point on why you should never draft pitching early in a draft. Pitchers will always come up during the season.

J. Borowski of the Indians is on the 15Day-DL with a strained tricep. Borowski was suffering from low velocity on his pitches and here is the reason why. Owners who read my previous post should have picked up Kobayashi and now I will also include the name of R. Betancourt for the job. Both are candidates for the closer position. I believe Kobayashi will get the nod because he is pitching well and has proven, in Japan, he can close out games an grab a save.

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Big Unit

The Big Unit, Randy Johnson, a starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks is back on the mound intimidating batters again. Well, not in the same sense like he did to John Kruk in the all-star game. But he can still be effective.

The Big Unit lasted 5 innings allowing 3 hits with no ER's while managing to strikeout 7 batters. Even at his age, owners should have him in their lineup because he still has the nice strikeout rate. His days of winning 20 games and striking 300 guys is behind him but he is still going to give you 170+ K's if he stays healthy. Go out and grab him off the wire if he's still available.

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Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Saito/Broxton

The rock solid closer, Takashi Saito of the Dodgers, blew a save by allowing 3ER's against the Pirates. As with every year, Saito has a strong and almost comparable set-up man waiting for Saito to falter. J. Broxton is throwing smoke this season, 12K's in 6.1 innings, and is ready to take the closer role permanently.

Owners of Saito should grab Broxton, if they haven't already, just in case there is a change in closers. At this point in time, one blown save amounts to nothing especially with the record and history Saito has over the past 3 years. Even if there is no change in closers Broxton is a great pitcher to have on your team to lower your ERA/WHIP and provide a nice boost in K's. Owners, shouldn't panic but adding Broxton is something you should do but with Broxton's stats, he'll most likely be on someone else's roster.

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Indians Closer Situation

Joe Borowski of the Indians and his great way of ending games might be closing for a AAA team in the near future. Okay, he won't be sent to the minors but he'll be pitching in the 6th/7th/8th, while closer in waiting, Masa Kobayashi, takes over his job.

Borowski blew another save last night, allowing 3ER's against the Red Sox. Owners who drafted Borowski drafted him knowing he was going to have a high ERA and plenty of save opportunities. His time might be coming to a close (no pun intended).

ADVICE - Owners should go out and grab Kobayashi off the waiver wire ASAP!! It is imperative you go out and grab the next closer for the Indians just in case there is a change of scenery for Borowski.

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Take note

F. Liriano of the Twins is back in the majors and pitched, ummm, not so effectively. 4.2IP, 6H, 4ER, 5BB, and 4K's. Don't expect him to be pitching 8 innings with 10K's right away. Be patient and hopefully he gets back to his old self from two year ago.

E. Bedard was scratched from his latest start, AGAIN, with inflammation in his left hip. This is not good news and even worse news for owners who drafted him or kept (which I did) him, so please be patient and wait until more news comes out on Bedard. Just shows everyone how volatile pitchers can be and why drafting them early just doesn't work out.

J. Reyes of the Mets has a mild strain, that was seen through an MRI. So far, there is no news on him hitting the DL but for owners this is not good news. Reyes is drafted in the first round because he can single handedly take the SB category for any owner. With a leg injury this thing called running might not be in the cards for him. Owners, relax and hope this injury doesn't linger through the season.

B. Bannister of the Royals threw a CG 3 hitter and well he should be on your team.

C. Cordero and J. Rauch of the Nationals seem to be sharing save duties for now. Keep both on your team until a single closer is finally declared. What I just said isn't official but it is good idea to have both...for now.

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BJ Ryan

BJ Ryan of the Blue Jays is officially back from Tommy John Surgery and collected his first save of the season. Owners of Ryan should take some caution with this and maintain Accardo as a back-up just in case something happens with Ryan. Also, since the Blue Jays want to take care of Ryan's arm you will find the Jays holding Ryan back from back-to-back days of pitching. Ryan is coming back early from surgery and you never know how this will pan out in the future especially since he has an erratic pitching style that puts more than usual amount of pressure on the arm.

Owning both Accardo and Ryan should be a good hedge.

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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Dontrelle Willis

Dontrelle Willis of the Tigers was placed on the 15Day-DL with a hyperextended knee. Willis has always been a workhorse by pitching 197+ innings in the past 4 years but since his amazing 2005 season where he went 22-10 he's hasn't come close to repeating.

In mixed leagues he isn't worth keeping on your roster unless you have a DL spot open or if you have a HUGE bench. The 2005 season gave him name value but overall he hurts fantasy teams more than he helps. Since he is on the DL you won't get full value for him so get what you can. The only upside is he's on the Tigers and the lineup they have should score plenty of runs so he might be on the right end of wins but seems to always give you a high ERA. Also, his K rate has declined since his 2005 season.

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Saturday, April 12, 2008

Position Limits

In most fantasy leagues you have 162 games for each position you have. If you think about it, most players will not play the entire 162 game season. Every once in a while people will get a day off just to rest or deal with personal issues.

This is where Monday and Thursday guys come into play. On Monday and Thursdays, the schedule is fairly light so most teams are traveling or just have a day off. On these days (actually the day before) take a look at the players who are playing on Mon and Thurs so you can pick them up and place them into your lineup to gain a few stats.

For my teams, I usually have 1 or 2 guys on my roster that I keep rotating in and out from the waiver wire. These guys are primarily used for Mon/Thurs acquisitions and also to pick up starting pitchers who are in a favorable match-up.

Over a 6 month season adding 2RBIs, 2HRs, and 2SB can add up throughout the season. This production every week or close to it will put you over the top for some stats. Remember, you can win a category by 1RBI and you can lose a category by 1RBI, by putting in players for Mon/Thurs and using the position games limit you increase your chance at winning in your league.

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OBP and SB dudes

I was just taking a glance over some stats and I noticed a few things my friend was talking about the day before. My friend was talking about how AVG is so important and how it was one of his main items to look at when finding new guys and SB guys. Well, in fact all owners should take time away from AVG and move to On-Base Percentage (OBP).

If you are truly looking for someone who steals bases who cares if he is batting .250 if he has a OBP of .450. Remember, a guy on your roster can only steal if he reaches base, it doesn't matter how he gets on base just as long as he gets there. Remember in little league everyone touted "a walk is as good as a hit" well here is a prime example. People who are base stealers need to be on base. Higher OBP means more chances for them to add to your SB category.

Avg is first, OBP is (second).

Alex Rios - .306 (.457) with 4SB's
W. Taveras - .242 (.324) with 4SB's
L. Berkman - .289 (.341) with 3SB's

Make sure to look at OBP when evaluating guys who steal.

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Longoria

Highly touted Evan Longoria a 3B for the Rays was called up to the big team. All the owners who drafted Longoria and for some who took him a few rounds too early should be extremely happy with this turn of events. Even though Longoria wasn't hitting well in the minors to start the year, .200AVG, he was still called up.

Owners should put him into your lineups ASAP. This kid can hit just as long as he starts to get comfortable in his new surroundings in Tampa.

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The Masters...


A little break from fantasy baseball. As many of us know The Masters is the first Major of the season and as some say, is the ONLY major in a golf season. If you have a chance, take some time away from fantasy baseball and stats to watch some golf.

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Mr. Wang

C. Wang of the Yankees has been dangling pitches from side to side of the plate baffling hitters all year. In his latest outing, Wang pitched a complete game 2 hit 1 one performance against the defending champions, the Red Sox. With Wang winning 19 games in the past two seasons with a combined 13 losses he seems to be bound for a great season.

Owners should be extremely happy with Wang and his Wins.

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Ugly and Great

Oswalt is 0-3 this season for the Astros. In his latest disappointment, he pitched 4IP, 9H, 8ER, 6K's with 4HR. Owners should be disappointed with this performance and his overall performance throughout the 2008 season. But, it's great its happening now then during the crunch time in September. Just keep him in your lineup and just hope he turns the corner because he is one of the better pitchers in the league. He isn't as good as he was a few years back with his elite fantasy value but he is still better then majority of the pitchers out there. Stick with him for a few more starts.

L. Hernandez of the Twins is a work horse and is 3-0 to start the season. This pitcher won't give owners the contribution needed to attack all the categories but he does provide a healthy option for innings. He has pitched at least 200 innings dating back to 2000. Owners should have him on your team and ride out his hot streak and if you are looking for a solid 3-4 pitcher, he's a good option.

CC Sabathia of the Indians seems to be starting slow for 2008 and it seems to have continued in his last outing with a poor outing (9ER's in 3.1IP)...OUCH!!! Owners, just hope it's early season jitters. He's an elite pitcher so keep trotting him out there.

T. Hudson of the Braves had a nice outing. 8IP with 0ER's.

Canadian J. Francis of the Rockies is starting slowly and is worrying fantasy owners. With 7ERs in 5 innings isn't going to cut it. Owners expected a nice season from the southpaw but so far hasn't delivered much except smiles for opposing hitters. Owners, bench him until he come back with a strong performance.

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Closers

H. Street of the A's had a 4 out save with 1K. Owners, just hope he has turned the corner from a poor start to the season. Street has value and should be kept in your line up.

Brad Lidge of the Phillies recorded save and finished a nicely pitched game from teammate B. Myers. Remember when Lidge was on the DL and how crap Gordon was pitching? Well, no more Gordon and hopefully more of Lidge. Owners...Lidge is a good closer but seems to have periods of inconsistency. Keep him in your lineup though.

B. Wagner of the Mets recorded his first save of the season by pitching a perfect 9th. Owners should be happy with Wagner and there isn't much to say about him except he is one of the elite closers in the bigs.

Moylan of the Braves recorded the save and might be the newly crowned closer after Soriano was placed on the DL. As I said in a previous post, make sure to pick up Moylan and Boyer top hedge your risk.

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Friday, April 11, 2008

Juan

Juan Pierre of the Dodgers was drafted for one reason and that was for steals. This year under new head coach Joe Torre, he doesn't seem like owners are going to be happy with his production. Pierre is sitting behind Jones, Ethier, and Kemp.

Look at his stolen base totals for the past few years.
2001 - 46
2002 - 47
2003 - 65
2004 - 45
2005 - 57
2006 - 58
2007 - 64
2008 - 0

In fantasy baseball Pierre has one thing that owners want and that's steals. For him to get steals he has to at least get into the batters box.

ADVICE - Keep him on your bench or at least try and trade him. He won't get you top value but all depends on what people in your league want to give up for his services. Going back on keeping him, it would make sense to keep him for a bit and see how the young players pan out and especially the slumping Andruw Jones (.129AVG).

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Fantasy Advice

If there is a pitcher on the waiver wire and they are going to start against the Giants, pick him up and pitch him!!!! Giants are absolutely disgusting right now and will continue to be like this for the entire season.

PITCH AGAINST THE GIANTS!!!

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Nomo

Not much of a fantasy helper but take it for what it is. Hideo Nomo of the Royals is back. He pitched 3 innings in relief against the Yanks and was tagged for 2HR's from A-rod and Posada.

Just news but fantasy owners have no need to think about this guy.

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Beltran

Carlos Beltran of the Mets was caught stealing yesterday and you might be wondering why I'm telling you this. He had surgery in both knees and this is a great sign because he's RUNNING. the more he runs the more productive is and the more we can call him a 5-tool guy. So far, he hasn't hit and bombs over the fence but that should come soon enough. He's hitting .300 with 6BB's so far this season.

Owners should just keep trotting him out there.

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CJ Wilson

This closer from the Rangers deserves his own post. In a double-header he recorded both saves! Owners should love this, having a guy grab two saves in one day and only having to use one roster spot. Sweet.

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DL Stints

R. Soriano, the closer for the Braves, has found himself a spot on the DL and this is not a good sign especially with his history of injuries. Owners need to go out and grab some alternatives from the Braves, look to Boyer and Moylan.

M. Lowell of the Red Sox had a great 2007 season but after signing a nice contract with the Red Sox is finding a spot in the trainers table with a thumb injury. This won't help his cause at the plate. Owners who drafted him should be hurting and also expect Lowell to come down to earth after batting .324, which was the only year in his career he has ever hit over .300.

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Starters Review

E. Jackson of the Rays had a great start and is adding to a nice start to this season. His season stats so far...14IP, 7H, 1ER, 6BB, 10K, with a 0.64ERA. Go out and grab this pitcher for your roster before someone else in your league does. Always ride out hot streaks with pitchers and make sure to kick them to the waiver wire when they fall.

K. Millwood of the Rangers has come into the 2008 season with a strong stats (21IP, 19H, 3ER, 9BB, 11K, and a 1.29ERA) but is getting killed by his teammates with 2 losses. Advice...this is a nice start and like Jackson, pick him up and ride out his hot streak.

S. Marcum of the Blue Jays had an amazing 2007 and now is tearing up 2008 with a stat line of 14IP, 9H, 4ER, 2BB, 16K, and a 2.57ERA. With Halladay, Burnett, Mcgowan, and Marcum...the blue Jays have a crazy rotation when they are all kicking. Marcum should be in all rotations as your 3 starter.

D. Eveland the lefty from the A's is throwing something, something sweet. Stat line of 13.1IP, 9H, 1ER, 4BB, 13K, and an ERA of 0.69. Go out and grab this pitcher for his next start. Ride the hot streak.

K. Correira of the Giants is pitching well but with a team like the Giants behind him don't expect too many wins. He should be considered for your team only on a start to start basis.

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Harden

Mr. Harden of the A's is on the 15Day-DL. I can't say much to comfort Harden owners but there is nothing you can do about it now. He's injured and you won't get any value for him.

You are officially stuck with Harden, you can't drop him and you won't get full value for him. This is what you get for drafting Harden. He's either injured or dominating opponents.

Just keep him on the bench and better hope he's going to be healthy after the 15day DL stint.


My thoughts...I think it's time for Harden to move into the bullpen and come in for long relief or become a dominating closer.

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Thursday, April 10, 2008

Garza

Officially on the DL. Owners, DROP him.

Note: I'm speaking of Matt Garza.

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Patterson

Just a quick note. Owners who draft Corey Patterson of the Reds draft him for SPEED. But early in this season he's been putting the ball into play, into play for the relievers in the bullpen. So far, Patterson has collected 4HR's. He's always been touted as a guy who could hit for power and take 25+ bags. Owners should be extremely happy with the power but hopefully his speed will get some attention soon. As an owner myself, I'm not complaining one bit over the HR's.

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Pooooooooeeeeeyyyyyy

Mr. Albert Pujols had 2HR's on Wed night. Is this a start of a HR binge?!?! Owners surely hope so. Albert was draft in the late first round and even slipped into the early part of the second round. Owners who ended up with Albert in the second round might be in for a HUGE and MASSIVE return. Just hope his elbow stays strong.

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Nice Starts

My man Dustin McGowan of the Blue Jays had a beautiful start. Wish he went a little deeper but it's only the second week of the season. Love the stats though. 5.1IP, 7H, 2ER, 3BB, 7K's and that where his value lies...look at that K ratio.

Zach Greinke of the Royals just showed us why he's touted as being a solid number 2 pitcher in any rotation and maybe number 1. Stat line = 8IP, 6H, 0ER, 2BB, 2K. Wish he had more K's.

Ryan Dempster of the Cubs, a converted closer, had a nice outing. 7IP, 1H, 2BB, 5K. Impressive!

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Closer

Accardo of the Blue Jays blew a save allowing 4ER's with 0.1IP. Ouch. Owners, don't worry. He's fine for now. A blown save here and there is no biggey.

Street of the A's had a nice save and no ER's, yay (sarcasm)!

Wood of the Cubs...Blown save. Short and I mean short leash!

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Loooooooper

Braden Looper of the Cards had a decent game and also is having a nice start.

Season so far...11.2IP, 10H, 4ER, 2BB, 7K, with a 3.09ERA

Not too shabby. But don't go out and grab him to put on your team. This is a pitcher where you pick up for favourable match ups and then drop again. He's not a life save but if you are in need of some pitching. Go ahead and grab him to ride his hot streak.

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Mr. Speed

Dave Roberts of the Padres found himself a spot on the 15-day DL with a sore left knee. Having sore knees just isn't something a speedster like Roberts needs. Owners should drop him and let him ride on the waiver wire. He's not valuable unless he's running. DL=no running.

Drop and find someone else...Joey Gathright, Michael Bourn, or Carlos Gomez.

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C. Young (D-backs)

Power but seems to have the Adam Dunn disease, K's like there's no tomorrow.

Owners, grab someone who can offset this guy average wise. HR's and RBI's are always nice to have.

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Poooosaaada

Jorge Posada a catcher for the Yanks is ailing from a sore right shoulder. This is not a good sign since catchers need to throw the ball!! Prime example was Joey Gathright going off for 3 SB's against him. News out of the Bronx is he's going to rest and maybe just maybe do on the DL.

Since owners drafted him fairly high this is a big blow if he isn't able to provide you with the top catcher stats. As of right now, owners should take a deep breath and relax...just hope it all blows over.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Suzuki

This catcher from the A's is still hitting. At this point he should be on your fantasy roster if you don't have the top 5 catchers. If you belong to one of those deep leagues where you play 2 catchers take a look for him on the wire, I'm 99% sure he won't be there but you might be lucky.

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pena

carlos pena of the Rays is still pounding balls out of the park at a nice pace. He's at 3HR so far and is picking up where he left off last season.

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Gagne

Blew another save. With 10 blown saves in his ENTIRE career, he already has 3 this year. Not looking so bright for him. He's on one of my teams and he's on a short leash.

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Blue Jays

Speaking of the Blue Jays, newly signed Alex Rios and also 2nd baseman Aaron Hill are holding strong so far this season.

Hill who had a breakout year in 2007 is starting where he left off with a scorching .444AVG to start the season. Owners who are in deep need of a 2B should consider, wait should ADD him to your roster ASAP. Hill should give owners, 15-20HR's and an average to help out.

Mr. Rios on the other hand made the Jays sign him to a long term contract with his play on the field. In 2008, he's hit .348 with 3SB's. Hasn't hit a bomb just yet but with an average like that he's seeing the ball just fine and hitting at the friendly field, Rogers Centre, it's inevitable he starts cranking them out.

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Wells

Vernon Wells of the Blue Jays is starting out strong. This is a great sign for the Blue Jays who have him locked up in a long term deal.

3HR, 8RBI, .308AVG.

Wells owners should be happy he is starting strong after a lack luster 2007 season.

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Detroit what?!?!

Something simple to say...0-7?!?! ouch!

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Jeter

Mr. Clutch is out with a quad injury and will be watching games from the bench for the next 3 games. Owners should be worried only if he doesn't come back after 3 games. Also, watch his SB attempts. If he isn't even attempting to run then his quad is hurting him.

Owners who drafted him expected him to play 155-162 games a year. This is not a great sign since leg injuries seem to linger throughout the season.

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Own post

Johnny Cueto deserves his own post. This pitcher from the Reds has his second outing and well lets just say he was nuts! In a good way! 6.1IP, 5H, 2ER, 0BB, 8K, and 1HR.

This kid can just flat out pitch.


EVERYONE MUST PICK HIM UP NOW!!!

Try and grab him and use him now and then trade him if you are not in a keeper league. Remember, pitchers who come from the minors usually don't pitch more then 160 innings in a season. Don't expect the Reds to over pitch this guy to death, oh wait, Dusty Baker is known to kills young pitchers (mark prior and kerry wood). Grab him and use him, then trade when his value is sky high.

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quick look @ pitchers

Lincecum of the Giants had his first real start and was strong like usual but was left with a no decision (like usual). 6IP, 7H, 1ER, 1BB, and 7K's (nice).

Harden of the A's was bumped from his start and is scheduled to pitch on Saturday. This is terrible news for Harden owners. This guy dominates the Red Sox in his first two outings and now is left with wondering if he'll be on the DL. Injury doesn't sound bad but any injury with Harden is not good. Keep an eye on this guy. He has a sore upper back.

Phil Hughes had a rough outing. 3IP, 6H, 3ER, 4BB, 2K. For the Yanks to do anything this year, they need him to step up and pitch better than this. Owners should keep him and monitor his starts closely. I would pitch him against favourable match-ups for the time being.

Daisuke had another dominating outing. The only thing I want to say is his 4BB. He needs to lower his BB but I'm only being picky right now. Owners should be happy with his stuff.

Bedard of the Mariners pitched in his return from a sore hip (something he woke up with...sounds like an 80 year old). Only thing to note is 2HR's allowed. He's giving up the long ball and that's not a good sign.

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Big Bengie

Bengie Molina of the Giants is batting clean-up, yes you read that right CLEAN-UP. This just shows how terrible a lineup the Giants have walking into the batters box but for fantasy players, you should take note.

The catching position sucks and since Molina is a catcher and batting 4th you might find some value. Here is my reasoning. Every team, no matter how bad they are, will score around 700-750 runs. So, that's 700-750 RBI's/RUNS. Since Molina is batting 4th, he should see some nice opportunities to drive in some runners.

At this point in time, fantasy owners should only be picking him up for monday/thursday match-ups to use the allocated games for the catching position. But if he continues to swat HR's, 2 so far this season, he would be a decent, not great, fit in someones fantasy team.

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Jay

Jay Bruce of the Reds is working down in the minors right now and might never see the majors this year because of Corey Patterson. Patterson has provided some pop with 3HR's and has produced 1 SB so far this season. Patterson has always been touted as a player who can have a 25HR 35+SB's in a season but has never put everything together, except for 2004.

If Patterson stays healthy, owners who drafted him or picked him off the wire should expect him to swipe 30+ bags this year. Unless Bruce is absolutely tearing up the minors he won't be seeing major league pitching anytime soon. Owners of Bruce should keep him ONLY if you have room on your bench. Bench spots aren't just for sitting players, you need to make sure to use this spot wisely.

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Mr. Jones

After an absolutely disgusting contract year, Andrew Jones was signed by the Dodgers and so far he hasn't done much other then walk to the batters box and walk back to the dugout.

With 3 hits in 26 at-bats (.115 AVG) along with the big fat ZERO HR's Andrew Jones is finding himself on benches and the trading block in almost all fantasy leagues. Owners should really try and trade him and get some sort of value or if you have room, bench him until he finds his stroke and rips a few homers.

This was one player I stayed away from in drafts this year because of his age and sharp decline in numbers even during a contract year.

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High Hopes

Going into this season I had very high hopes for Matt Garza of the Rays and Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers. Looking at their stats so far this season show my high hopes were just high hopes.

Garza - 2GS, 8IP, 12H, 8ER, 5BB, 5K, and 2HR
Billingsley - 4.1IP, 8H, 5ER, 4BB, 3K, and 1HR

Upside doesn't always turn out to be top stats.

PS. High hopes was for them being your 4 starter.

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Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Howieeeeeeeeeeeee

Howie Kendrick of the Angels suffered another hand injury. Kendrick seems to be plagued by hand injuries. Last year, he had to miss 56 games due to a fracture in his hand. Just hope he doesn't have to go on the DL and that the injury heals quickly. This kid is a potential batting champ and is showing this by batting .429 this season!!!

Owners should have a little worry in there minds but should try and stay calm. Just wait until more info is released about his hand. Hand injuries and hitting just don't go together.

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My Man Jeter

One of the staples to all my fantasy teams, Derek Jeter of the Yankees, left the game with a quad injury. He initially injured it on Sunday but decided to play yesterday. Well he's hurt and knowing Jeter, he'll play through the pain. Owners shouldn't worry just yet. Until he's on the DL he'll still put up the typical Jeter season, .310AVG, 200H, 10-12HR, 15-20SB.

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nice starts

W. Rodriguez of the Astros had a great start going 7.1IP, 3H, 0ER, and 6K's. Owners should have this pitcher as their 4-5 starter. Use Rodriguez as a hot streak pitcher. In my mind, this pitcher is only good as I said, a 4-5 starter, or use him in favourable match ups.

T. Wellemeyer of the Cardinals pitched this stat line 7IP, 5H, 2ER, 1BB, 7K. People in leagues should use him only in favourable match ups or as I said for Rodriguez, use him for his hot streak. He's allowed 3ER in 12IP so far this season. Too bad for the Cards not having Carpenter on the DL.

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Closers

Brad Lidge owners should be happy because he's back!! Lidge of the Phillies recorded his first save of the season but didn't do it without having some intense moments. Lidge walked 2 and let up a run, unearned though. Lidge had some nice numbers last year in the second half of the season. His job is safe as the Phillies closer unless he unravels.

G Sherrill of the Orioles recorded 4 saves for his entire tenure with the Mariners, 128.1IP but just recorded his 4th save on Monday. So far Sherrill is doing just fine in the closer role. People who drafted him late should be laughing at others because you just found a nice bargain. Owners shouldn't be count on Sherrill to do this for the entire season since he doesn't have the history of closing games.

F. Rodriguez of the Angels is suffering from a sore right ankle, the one he uses to push off when pitching. The word coming from the Angels is the injury isn't hampering his performance but it doesn't seem like it. Looking at his numbers and owners should be worried. The latest from Angels website is F-Rod will most likely go on the DL. Look to Scot Shields to take save opportunities, this is a must pickup for all owners of F-Rod.

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Monday, April 7, 2008

P.S.

We will never speak of Zito ever again unless he does a complete 180 and actually begins to pitch like a real pitcher and not some idiot who just throws a ball.

Pathetic!!!

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Suzuki - 7 Game Hit Streak

Are you thinking of Ichiro? Well, there's another Suzuki in the majors and he currently has hit successfully in all 7 games for the A's. Kurt Suzuki, a CATCHER, has his safely in every game the A's have played. We all know the catcher position is so shallow so as posted earlier, people who are hurting in the C position, please go out and grab Suzuki and ride his hot streak. He'll help with AVG and maybe provide some RBI's, but don't expect huge numbers like V-mart or R Martin.

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Hitters

Rick Ankiel of the Cardinals is stroking the stick and mashing balls with 3HR's in the first week, this OF will produce 25-30HR's but will hurt you in the K department.

Stephen Drew of the Diamondbacks has 2HR in the first week but only had 12HR all last year. Don't expect 30+HR's but do count on 15-20. Owners having him at SS should be content with him for now.

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Standings

Take a quick look at the standings and take a picture!! Did you ever expect to see the Red Sox and the Yankees to hold the bottom two spots and the Orioles to hold the top spot in the AL East?!?!?! Or the Royals to hold the top spot too?

What about the high priced Tigers not even having a win? Strange things happen but of course it's only the first week and if any of these big teams pull off 5-8 wins in a row, things will change very quickly.

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Notable Pitchers

Broxton of the Dodgers is still bringing the heat. He will give you a nice boost in K's, WHIP, ERA, and the occasional win and on the rare occasion a save. Too bad Saito is still pitching extremely well. But never keep Broxton far from your roster. Saito is old and well, closers can change in a week.

Trevor Hoffman of the Padres had 1ER in his last appearance which gave him his 2 loss of the season. Like I said, owners shouldn't worry just yet but this is not a good sign.

Lyon of the Diamondbacks blew a save but ended up with the W. If he continues to blow saves in the next two weeks, start looking Pena, he should take the saves if Lyon is incapable of holding a 9th inning lead.

Fuentes of the Rockies held the closers role last year until he lost it due to poor performance. But this year he's tearing things up with a stat line of 3IP, 2K, 0ERA, and a 1.33WHIP. I would grab Fuentes and stash him away since Corpas just blew a save.

Wang of the Yankees just had a second great outing of the year with a stat line of 6IP, 4H, 0ER, and an amazing/uncharacteristically striking out 6 batters!! Through his major league career Wang hasn't been high in the K department so don't expect this to continue. But this is a great pitcher for wins since he pitches for the stacked lineup of the Yankees.

Ben Sheets of the Brewers had an incredible outing with a 5 hit complete game shutout with 8K's. Sheets is a must own for all fantasy owners but just like Harden of the A's he's prone to injury. Owners, just hope this is the season where he stays healthy.

Erik Bedard of the Mariners is expected to pitch on Tuesday after skipping his start over the weekend with a sore hip.

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Zito

Cut this sorry piece of overpaid ass. Barry Zito of the Giants should not be on ANY fantasy roster unless it's a 15+ team mixed league or a 12 team NL-only. This pitcher is terrible. To think about it, he shouldn't be on any roster in any format. This pitcher will destroy your 2008 season. Since he has a brand name, you might be able to grab some prospect in a trade. If you can, DO IT IMMEDIATELY!!!

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Saturday, April 5, 2008

Alfonsoooooo

Alfonso Soriano of he Cubs was moved to the leadoff in the line up. This is great news for owners who are looking for Soriano to add more SB's to your stats.

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Corey

Corey Patterson of the Reds has started out pretty well with power, 2HR. The reason all owners draft Patterson is for his speed. So far he has 1SB in 1 attempt. Owners, don't be worried yet. Patterson will run if he's healthy and if he gets on base. Which leads me to him getting on base. Patterson at times has trouble reaching base but when he does, he's chalking up a SB for your fantasy team.

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Catcher

AJ Pierzynski of the White Sox is starting his season with a bang with 2HR, 7RBI, and a .529AVG in 4 games. Owners seeking a catcher should jump on this wagon for the time being. Of course, AJ will not keep this up for the entire season.

Note - Owners who do not have a top 5 catcher. Should just pick up the hottest hitting catcher and ride the streak. I had to do this in a few seasons ago and it worked great. Just takes a little more effort.

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Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy of the Yankess had a disastrous opening game against the up and coming Rays, throwing a 2.1IP, 4H, 6ER, 4BB, and 2K. Owners should only have him on their teams if you have a large bench. There are better players out there to have on your team than Kennedy.

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Accardo

Jeremy Accardo of the Blue Jays converted his second save of the season against the Red Sox. Owners should have Accardo on their team since BJ Ryan is on the DL.

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Marcum

Shaun Marcum of the Blue Jays had a great game against the defending world series champions, the Red Sox. Marcum had a strong 7IP with one mistake, a HR to JD Drew. His line of 7
IP, 3H, 3ER, 1BB, 8K, and 1HR shows how good he can be. Owners who are in need of a 3-4 starter on their teams should pick him up.

Note - The Blue Jays have a great rotation. Halladay, Burnett, McGowan, Marcum.

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Cordero

Cordero of the Nationals was placed on the 15-Day DL on Friday with shoulder tendinitis. According to reports, he is not experiencing any pain when throwing after a cortisone shot. Owners shouldn't worry and just keep him on your bench or in the DL spot. Go out and grab Jon Rauch for the time being.

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Japanese Sensation

The new $36 Million man, Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers, had his first taste of regular season major league players and he did not disappoint. Kuroda mixed fastballs, sliders, and splitters to baffle a hot hitting Padres lineup. This is not a surprise especially with his impressive numbers in the Nippon League. His stat line of 7IP, 3H, 1ER, 0BB, 4K, with 1HR is absolutely amazing. Owners should be happy he started well and this will do wonders for Kuroda's confidence. I still don't have a final answer on this pitcher until he pitches 3-5 starts.

One thing to note...it seems all pitchers who come from Japan have success, to a certain degree, in their first year of play. Do you remember someone named Hideo Nomo.

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Friday, April 4, 2008

Injuries

Gary Sheffield of the Tigers is hurt. This 39 year old tore a tendon in his finger. More information will be presented when the swelling goes down. This is not a good thing for Sheffield owners. Anything to do with your hands as a power hitter will destroy your swing. For now, just keep him on your bench until further information is released.

V-Mart of the Indians took a pinch hit and this is a good sign for fantasy owners. He should be back in the lineup soon and for owners who drafted him early this is great news.

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Mr. Rios

A quick note, Alex Rios of the Blue Jays has stolen 2 bags. If he keeps this up, look for a 25+ steals this year from this RF. With 25+ HR, 100RBI potential, this OF is a nice addition to anyones roster.

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Great Starts

Johnny Cueto (Reds) had a great major league debut against the Diamondbacks throwing a gem (7IP, 1H, 1ER, and 10K's). An impressive start for this rookie and fantasy owners should take notice. Owners who have room should pick Cueto up and make him your 4-5 starter.

Phil Hughes (Yankees) pitched well with a line of 6IP, 4H, 2ER, 1BB, 4K against the Blue Jays.

Dustin McGowan (Blue Jays) pitched well with a line of 6IP, 4H, 2ER, 4BB, 4K against the Yankees.

Both McGowan and Hughes deserve spots on ALL fantasy rosters (3-4 starter). These two bright stars will be opening day starters for their respective clubs in the near future, there is no doubt about it.

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Thursday, April 3, 2008

Scutaro

Marco Scutaro of the Blue Jays has taken some lessons from Jose Reyes by stealing everytime he gets on base. In Scutaro's first two games he has attempted 3 steals (2 for 3).

Owners and watchers, don't take this to be a sign of him stealing 30+. Since 2002 he has attempted 19 total stolen bases with 14 successful steals. Marco isn't worth a pickup yet...but since Scott Rolen is on the DL he is the full time 3B. Keep him on your radar but he isn't worth owning at this moment in time.

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Burnett

AJ Burnett of the Blue Jays posted a tremendous performance, in the cold, at Yankee Stadium, throwing 6IP, 5H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K, and 1HR. 2008 is a player option year for Burnett and he holds the cards with respect to a HUGE pay day if he throws a complete year and stays healthy. The one big negative with Burnett is his tendency to be injured. He is still young and has tremendous upside. Owners who drafted him late may be holding a huge return come September.

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Blown Saves

Trevor Hoffman of the Padres blew a save (0.2IP, 4ER) but I do expect him to bounce back. With his reputation in the ninth, owners shouldn't panic.

Brandon Lyon of the Diamondbacks blew a save (3ER, 1HR 0IP) and unlike Hoffman, this should be looked at cautiously. Owners should keep him in the lineup but if he continues you might need to look for another closer on the Diamondbacks.

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DL

JJ Putz of the Mariners was placed on the 15-Day DL. As posted previously, the Mariners will be closer by committee. Look to Mark Lowe to be the main guy but since it is a committee he will not see all the opportunities especially since he's had 2 surgeries to his elbow in the past 19 months.

Pedro Martinez of the Mets was placed on the DL and well he'll be gone at least a month. Fantasy owners, just drop him. His body is aging and well he's not going to bring you much value right now. If happen to have a DL spot or a huge bench dropping him might not be the greatest choice but honestly, I wouldn't even keep him on my deep bench.

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RICH HARDEN!!!

What a way to start this year. In his second game Rich Harden pitched 5IP, 4BB, 6K, and 0ER!!!

Fantasy owners, just hope he stays healthy.

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Jon Lester

After a poor start in Tokyo, Japan, Jon Lester of the Red Sox came back in his second start to baffle Oakland hitters with a 6.2IP, 3H, 3BB, 3KK, 0ER performance. This is a great sign for this young pitcher and fantasy owners because he is still young and being able to come back after a poor performance and pitch well. But I guess this is nothing since he overcame cancer last year.

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Wang

C. Wang of the Yankees opened the new and final year at Yankee Stadium with a stellar 7 inning win. As always, Wang is not a big fantasy player but does not mean he is not valuable. He's a big innings eater and seems to provide the big W year in and year out. Happy to see his poor 2007 post-season and 2008 spring numbers are behind him...hopefully.

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Putz

Blown save by Mariners closer JJ Putz. Nothing to jump over at the moment but as always with closers, keep an eye out on this situation.

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Gomez

A nice little stat jumped out at me. Carlos Gomez, a player in the Santana deal, stole 2 bases in the opener for the Twins. Gomez is going to steal and steal and steal but the only thing you have to worry about is him getting on base. But adding him to your fantasy roster is dependent on how quick your team is on the base paths.

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