Fantasy Notes to Consider

George Sherrill of the Orioles has blown a save and earned a loss in his past two appearances. After a strong start to the season, 22SV's with a 2.73ERA, Sherrill is slowly falling apart by showing some weaknesses. Owners who have Sherrill, me included, should really consider if he is worthy of a spot on your roster. I AM NOT telling you to drop him but maybe try and package him in a deal to help in other areas. The reason I am starting to think about shipping him out and not the struggling Billy Wagner is because Wagner has proven he can last throughout an entire season while recovering from little bumps. Sherrill on the other hand has not completed a full season as a closer and has never completed more than 45 innings, which he is closing on very quickly (he has 31 innings so far). Go to your standings and see if the last place owner in saves has something you are in need of and start some trade negotiations.

Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers only lasted 4 innings in his latest outing but looking on the bright side he only allowed 2H's, 2BB's, while striking out 2 in a 0ER outing. For owners who used a first waiver priority on this kid, don't panic just yet. Even though he isn't providing the huge K's you expected, he is still giving you a nice K rate 7.87/9IP, just keep putting him out there and when the confidence really kicks in and he starts to dominate it'll all be worth it.

Yanks vs. Orioles

What a slug fest it was between the Yankees and the Orioles. With 9HR's and eight different players sending one over the fence many fantasy owners were pleased to see this offensive explosion from both teams.

**Orioles won in the 11th inning by scoring 2 runs.

Nice Pitchers

Dana Eveland of the A's just finished a complete game and allowed 1ER over 3H's. So far this season Eveland has impressed and with his line of 4-3, 62IP, 24BB, 44ER, and a 2.90ERA he should be on all rosters.

D. Cabrera of the Orioles with a line of 5-1, 3.48ERA, 41K's, and 24BB's is a great pick-up right now if he hasn't already been picked up in your league, go and grab him.

C. Billingsley of the Dodgers seems to have found his groove this season by going 4-5, 29BB's, 60K's, and a 3.76ERA. Owners, grab him ASAP.

B. Colon of the Red Sox is finally back on the mound. His first start of the season was impressive going 5 innings, 2ER's, 2BB's, and 4K's which earned him a win. If you are in need of help with your pitching stats, go out and take a chance with Colon. Even if he produces a 4.50ERA he will still add some wins with that powerhouse Red Sox lineup.

S. Ponson of the Rangers just pitched a complete game 6 hitter and only allowed 1ER. After all the problems he's had over the past 2-3 years, Ponson seems to have found a groove in 2008. Again, just like Colon, if you are in need of some help in your pitching stats, take a chance on Ponson. He's doing very well right now.

Jackson and Guthrie

Edwin Jackson of the Rays has thrown 20.1 innings in his past three starts and has given up 1 EARNED RUN, very impressive. Too bad for owners he was given a no decision in all three games. Over the past three games, he has given up 17H's, 0HR's, 6BB's, while striking out 15. He has also dropped his ERA from 4.98 to 3.29 over that span. For owners in need of a hot starter, look no further than Edwin Jackson of the Rays.



Jeremy Guthrie of the Orioles has made a name for himself so far in 2008. In 10 starts he has given up 3 or more ER's only twice (4 and 5ER's) and has pitched 6 full innings in 7 of his 10 outings. So far, Guthrie has a deceiving 2-4 record with 63IP, 39K's, 20BB's, and a 3.86ERA. Just like Jackson, Guthrie deserves a spot on all rosters.

D. Cabrera

Mr. Cabrera of the Orioles just won his 3rd straight game last night against the mighty Red Sox. So far this season, Cabrera has shown his ability to keep his team in the ballgame and it has produce some nice stats. With a 3.58ERA and 40K's in 67.1 innings and a 4-1 record this pitcher should be on all fantasy rosters. If you see him on the waiver wire, go out and grab him ASAP.

Daniel Cabrera

Daniel Cabrera of the Orioles is throwing some sweet juice lately. Looking at his last outing against the Angels, which resulted in a loss, the box score tells a different story. Cabrera is turning into a worthy addition to all rosters with a 7.1 inning, 3ER, and 6K performance against the Angels. Taking a deeper look into his season game log you will notice he's thrown at least 6 innings in his past 6 games and has K'ed 25 batters during that span.

Owners, make sure to keep this guy on your radar and even pick him up if you have a spot open on your bench. This guy might put the Orioles rotation on his back and carry them for the rest of the year. But be warned, he is capable of throwing 3 innings while allowing 8ER's once in a while. The risk you take is balanced out, a little, by his high strikeout potential.

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.