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January 30th, 2008 |
Here are some key dates to remember:
Feb. 14: Voluntary reporting date for pitchers, catchers and injured players.
Feb. 19: Voluntary reporting date for all other players.
Feb. 26: Mandatory reporting date.
March 30: Opening Day, active rosters reduced to 25 players.
There you have it folks, it’s pretty ridiculous how close the approaching 2008 campaign really is. I highly suggest if you’re serious about Fantasy Baseball to start devising strategies and paying close attention to the happenings and injury reports that are filtering out of big league cities. Like I mentioned in the “Hitters on the Move” piece a while back, the flat beers and stale popcorn are just around the corner. As a matter of fact, I’m sure the kegs from last season are still sitting in the storage closets of major league parks as we speak.
Francisco Cordero (CL) – Cincinnati Reds
Cordero signed a lucrative four-year, $46 million contract with a club option for 2012 to be the Reds’ ninth-inning savior in 2008 and beyond, which will push former closer David Weathers back to the setup role. Last season, Cordero posted a 0-4 record with 44 saves, 86 strikeouts, a 2.98 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 63 1/3 innings. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound veteran has now recorded two seasons with 40-plus saves and 85-plus strikeouts over his nine-year career. He has positioned himself as one of the elite closers in all of MLB and should be considered one of the top-five closers on draft day. Keep in mind that batters hit just .218 against him in 2007, which marked the second consecutive season that hitters hit less than .220 against the 32-year-old finisher. Cordero isn’t the best there is, but he is one of the fiercest and most deadly, he is a welcome addition to any fantasy roster.
Eric Gagne (RP) – Milwaukee Brewers
Raise your hand if you’re glad to see this guy sign anywhere other than here. To me, his performance in Boston combined with his inclusion in the Mitchell Report is the elixir that should spell the end of a player’s career. But no, leave it to the Brewers to sign the hefty right-hander to a one-year, $10 million contract. The final outcome of the Gagne experience in Boston resulted in a 2-2 record with 22 strikeouts, a 6.75 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP in 18 2/3 innings. For the season, between Boston and the Texas Rangers combined, Gagne went 4-2 with 16 saves (all saves were with Texas), 51 strikeouts, a 3.81 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in 52 innings. In Milwaukee, Gagne is currently the favorite for saves in a Spring Training competition that includes relief pitchers Derrick Turnbow, Salomon Torres and David Riske. There is no doubt that Gagne is worth a draft pick if he becomes the Brewers’ closer, but to expect a squeaky clean job every night is not something that you should count on.
Jon Garland (SP) – Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem
In Garland’s eight seasons under the Chicago skyline, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound right-hander posted a record of 92-81 with 761 strikeouts, a 4.41 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP in 1,428 2/3 innings. Now, he brings his shaky repertoire to tinsel town in a contract year. With the benefits of being the fourth starter in a pitcher friendly environment, you can expect the lanky hurler to try his best to rekindle the magic that saw him pitch 432 1/3 innings and go 36-17 with 227 strikeouts, a 4.00 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in 2005 and 2006 combined. However, when drafting Garland, keep in mind that he is 2-4 with 16 strikeouts, 17 walks, a 4.94 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP in 47 1/3 Angel Stadium innings. With numbers like that tugging at his coat tails as he settles in his new home, Garland should be considered a late-round option until he proves otherwise.
Matt Garza (SP) – Tampa Bay Rays
The former 25th overall selection by the Minnesota Twins in 2005 was the centerpiece of the deal that made former Tampa Bay outfielder Delmon Young the heir apparent to newly anointed Angels outfielder Torii Hunter. In 2007, Garza posted a 5-7 record with 67 strikeouts, a 3.69 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP in 83 innings. Garza flashed his much heralded talent in 2007 when he burst onto the scene sporting a 1-2 record with 24 strikeouts, a 1.37 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 26 1/3 July innings, unfortunately he floundered a bit in August and September. Garza gives the Rays some legitimate versatility behind stud starting pitchers Scott Kazmir and James Shields. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander sports a mid-90 mph fastball with some nasty off-speed stuff that has been know to buckle hitters. As the 24-year-old Fresno State alum enters what will be his first full season in the bigs, he appears to be a hit or miss type player that must be grabbed in all formats. He should be considered a late-round sleeper with the ability to provide owners with a nice line from time to time.
Dan Haren (SP) – Arizona Diamondbacks
Haren’s three years in Oakland proved his value as an elite starter is natural and real. Over his three seasons under the California sun, Haren posted a combined record of 43-34 with 531 strikeouts, a 3.64 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in 662 2/3 innings. Now, Haren will pitch for a team that has a far better offense than the Athletics and a staff that also includes 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb. Another fact to consider when perusing through the top-10 starters on draft day is that last season, Haren set career highs in wins (15), strikeouts (192) and ERA (3.07). In addition, he limited opposing hitters to a paltry .247 average, logged 34 starts for the third straight campaign and recorded 215-plus innings for the third consecutive year as well. As he enters his prime at the age of 27, you can expect his durability and talent to create a steady string of consistently dominant outings.
Brad Lidge (CL) – Philadelphia Phillies
Lidge appears to be fully recovered from the surgery he had last October to repair cartilage damage in his right knee. Supposedly, the injury was responsible for the 5.16 ERA and 1.32 WHIP that Lidge logged in August and September combined. However, in leagues that have multiple positions allotted for relief pitchers, Lidge will be valuable if he stays out of the trainer’s room. I know Lidge’s eight blown saves in 2007 and 2006 season where he went 1-5 with six blown saves, a 5.28 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP will probably weigh heavily on your draft day conduct. But with a fresh start and a solid 2007 campaign that saw him go 5-3 with 19 saves, 88 strikeouts, 30 walks, a 3.36 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 67 innings in place to build on, a healthy Lidge should pose a serious threat to opposing teams and owners alike. Lidge will be ready for Opening Day and is considered an injury-risk, high-reward sleeper in 2008.
Troy Percival (CL) – Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays inherit a closer that has eight seasons with 30 or more saves while touching on 40 or more in two of those campaigns. In addition, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound veteran maintains a career .186 batting average hit off of him by the opposition and sports a ludicrous career WHIP of 1.09. Percival’s 2007 comeback season with the Cardinals saw him record 34 appearances and his first career start. He finished the year going 3-0 with 36 strikeouts, a 1.80 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP in 40 innings. If the ferocious right-hander stays healthy and avoids the forearm injuries of past campaigns, the once elite closer who has recorded 324 career saves could make the Rays fairly competitive as he is a near lock to record a save in every opportunity he is presented.
Johan Santana (SP) – New York Mets (Still pending contract agreement)
The addition of Santana to the Mets’ staff gives them instant credibility in the NL East after they choked like no other team has in the regular season. Notice I said regular season, because the choke job by their cross-town rivals in the 2004 ALCS was the worst in sports history. Santana’s 2007 campaign was statistically his worst performance of his eight-year career. He won 15 games, but additionally lost 13, which was six more than his prior worst of seven losses in 2005. In addition, Santana recorded his highest ERA (3.33), his highest WHIP (1.07) and his lowest strikeout total (235) over his last four years of utter dominance. Listen, I know I’m getting ridiculous, but when you’re trying to piece together a blurb on a guy that has no faults, you have to reach a bit. With the Mets, Santana becomes the clear-cut No. 1 pitcher in all of fantasy. Other than an unforeseen injury to the soon-to-be 29-year-old stud, there is no excuse for him not to win 20-plus games with 250 strikeouts, a 2.35 ERA and a WHIP around 1.00. He is the best and he just got better.
Jose Valverde (CL) – Houston Astros
The fierce 6-foot-4, 254-pound Valverde brings his filthy arsenal to an Astros team that was desperate for an impact closer after the implosion and eventual trade that sent Lidge to the Philadelphia Phillies. With the Diamondbacks in 2007, Valverde notched a 1-4 record with a league-leading 47 saves, 78 strikeouts, 26 walks, a 2.66 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in 64 1/3 innings. Valverde should do just fine in Houston with a team that is more than capable of being ahead in the ninth-inning. He should be one of the top-five closers taken on draft day and will continue to rack up saves and maintain the career .203 batting average that he has limited his unfortunate opponents to.
Dontrelle Willis (SP) – Detroit Tigers
The 2003 National League Rookie of the Year is coming off the worst season of his five-year MLB career. In 2007, the 6-foot-4, 239-pound left-hander posted a miserable 10-15 record with 146 strikeouts, a 5.17 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP in 205 1/3 innings. Although Willis started off the season with a 5-1 record in April, the 2000 eighth-round pick of the Chicago Cubs faltered horribly in June, July and August going a combined 1-11 with 66 strikeouts, a 5.34 ERA and a hideous 1.71 WHIP in 96 grueling innings. However, in one career start at Comerica Park, Willis earned a win in a seven-hit complete game while netting eight strikeouts and registering no walks. Going into 2008, one would think that a fresh start on a team backed by a lethal lineup should help Willis’ numbers and confidence, but investing a pick on the streaky southpaw is a risky endeavor that should only be tested by a handful of daring owners. Still, he should be considered a top-35 starting pitcher, just not by me.
Other Notable Pitchers on the Move:
Matt Clement (SP) – St. Louis Cardinals
Octavio Dotel (RP) – Chicago White Sox
Tom Glavine (SP) – Atlanta Braves
Eddie Guardado (RP) – Texas Rangers
LaTroy Hawkins (RP) – New York Yankees
Jason Jennings (SP) – Texas Rangers
Jair Jurrjens (SP) – Atlanta Braves
Hiroki Kuroda (SP) – Los Angeles Dodgers
Jon Lieber (SP) – Chicago Cubs
Scott Linebrink (RP) – Chicago White Sox
Andrew Miller (SP) – Florida Marlins
Mark Prior (SP) – San Diego Padres
David Riske (RP) – Milwaukee Brewers
Carlos Silva (SP) – Seattle Mariners
Salomon Torres (RP) – Milwaukee Brewers
Josh Towers (SP) – Colorado Rockies
Edinson Volquez (SP) – Cincinnati Reds
Randy Wolf (SP) – San Diego Padres
Rob McCarthy has played fantasy sports since the days of tediously transferring his daily points from the Boston Herald to a tattered notepad every morning. He has been featured on Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports and currently scribes for KFFL.com. In addition, Rob is an avid fan of all Boston sports.
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2 Responses to “Fantasy Phenom Lineup Card: Hurlers Donning New Laundry”
Leave a Comment
January 30th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I found your site on google blog search and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Just added your RSS feed to my feed reader. Look forward to reading more from you.
- Randy Nichols.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Randy,
The rankings will be out soon, I had to take a break from the world of fantasy to take my jabs and knee shots to Arlen Specter’s ridiculous concept of a job. Thank you for the support.