Signings keep coming

John Smoltz is now a part of the big boys in Boston. After spending his entire career wearing a Braves uniform he is now going to, or most likely going to, finish his career as a Red Sox and maybe add another World Series ring to his collection. Even though he is going to be on the DL when the 2009 draft happens I would recommend you drafting him and placing him on your DL. Of course you can draft this guy later in drafts. He will always put up the numbers you want from a pitcher. He won't be a closer and depending on his health he could be the 5th starter behind a very strong starting rotation. Conclusion, have him on your 2009 team.

Rocco Baldelli will find himself wearing a new uniform as well after spending his entire career in Tampa Bay. Albeit a shorter career than Smoltz. Rocco will be a back-up to Ellsbury and Drew but will find plenty of at-bats against lefties and also days off from both players. Rocco has value in AL-Only leagues at the moment but if Rocco can get over his midocondria condition and find a way to hit like his rookie year he could easily take over for either Ellsbury or Drew. Plus, injuries always seem to haunt Drew making more playing time for Baldelli. AL-only guys, have Baldelli on your team. Mixed leaguers should wait.

Brad Penny finalized his contract with the Red Sox and will be in their rotation. If he can stay healthy this is a guy that can find himself very usefull to fantasy owners. With an offence like the Red Sox scoring plenty of runs expect Penny to produce plenty of wins. Penny is a guy you can grab very late in fantasy drafts and should be picked as an upside pick.

Koji Uehara is another Japanese player trying to make it big in the major leagues. After a very successful career in Japan Uehara will be making the jump at the young age of 33. This is not a guy you want to really pick for your team. In my honest opinion his numbers are great but at the age of 33 and also pitching in the toughest division in baseball and adding in a terrible offence he probably won't be getting a lot of wins.

Trevor Hoffman is staying put in the National League and will close out games for the Brewers. This is great news for fantasy owners becauase one, he is staying put in the NL where he knows the competition and two, he is still going to be a closer. As with every draft, this guy should be drafted. He is a mid-tier closer.

Jason Giambi will return to his old stomping grounds in Oakland. The A's have signed him and for fantasy owners nothing new. He should be draft but later in drafts because of his decline and lack of ability to produce a decent AVG. With the likes of Holliday in the lineup expect Giambi to produce his usual numbers, if he stays healthy.

DL Info...again

It seems like everyday there is an injury that causes fantasy owners headaches. Today, news has come out that Penny, Colon, Konerko, and maybe even Kiroda are linked to the DL.

Paul Konerko of the White Sox was placed on the DL for the first time in his entire career. He has a left oblique strain and will most likely be out for the duration of the 15 days that is allotted. The DL stint was retroactive to June 15 so he should be back within 2 weeks. Owners, this isn't a huge blow to your fantasy stats because Konerko is not producing his usual 30+HR pace. Hopefully, this DL stint will revive his body and his mind but in my eyes you are not going to be getting huige production from here on out. All of the critical stats are well below his career averages in AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS. All signs point to a player in decline. If you have a DL spot, place him there but don't expect him to come back and win the power categories for you.

Brad Penny of the Dodgers has tendinitis and will, as reported by the Dodgers, be out for the DL stint and no more. The organization is stating that all he needs is some rest and he will come back strong. His ERA, WHIP, and BAA are the highest in his career. All signs are pointing to an off-season but with a guy like Penny, his ability to get hot and carry the Dodgers and your fantasy team is very likely. He can easily pitch 9-12 quality starts that will boost your fantasy stats tremendously. Keep him on your team and make sure make note of his injury updates.

Bartolo Colon of the Red Sox was placed on the DL with back stiffness. He injured his back swining in an inter-leauge game. This hitting by pitchers is really killing the AL teams, first Wang and now Colon. I am not saying Colon is as important as Wang but an injury is an injury. Owners of Colon should cut ties with this pitcher if you are in need of a roster spot. Colon has value but not enough for you to keep him on your bench.

Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers is not on the DL but he has felt some discomfort in his shoulder. The Dodgers have sent him back to LA to get things checked out. Make sure to keep an eye out on his condition. Kuroda is not a fantasy roster impact player like Johan but he does give you some quality innings. He should be your 4-5 starter in your rotation. More info will be posted when it is available.