WAR SHEET
WAR SHEET |
While going through my own-run of the most popular plays in CDM baseball last week, I was once again reminded on just how unpredictable some aspects of fantasy baseball truly are. While many teams paid top dollar for the likes of Miriano Rivera or Trevor Hoffman, who would had thought that the likes of Eddie Guardado, Mike Williams, Eric Gagne, or even Hdecki Irabu would end up having as much value as anyone. But looking at the dollar values for April released by MLB.com, there are some values that no one could had imagined in the final week of March. The surprises begin immediately on the pitching side of the ball with Guardado leading the way with a $43 dollar value. Eddie was followed by Randy Johnson ($39), Kaz Sasaki ($36), and Rivera (also $36), no surprises there. But then comes the likes of Derek Lowe at $33, Eric Gagne at $32, Odalis Perez at $31, and Mike Williams also at $31. Perez and Lowe of course benefited mostly from one exceptional start. Guardado, Williams, and Gagne though are closers who have just simply taken advantage of opportunities. Williams and Guardado were speculative inexpensive selections from the start in CDM. Meanwhile Gagne was listed as a starting pitcher, not to mention that LA�s manager was swearing that he was going to go with a �bullpen by committee� until the final day of Spring Training. A 0.60 ERA and 0.60 ration to go along with 10-10 in save opps put an end to that very quickly. Still, many CDM players went with Kelvim Escobar as the cheap closer listed as a starter, just because he was already named the closer way back in the off-season. On the surface Kelvim�s ERA/ratio is not bad (3.50/1.33) but he only had six save opps in April, and blew two of those. Unless you played Kelvim back in Week 2, where he had two of the four saves, he has been nothing short of a disappointment. Then there is Irabu, who was a complete fantasy afterthought during Spring Training, and even into the first two weeks of the season. Why would anyone be interested in a journeyman whose best case scenario appeared to be as a spot-starter. But then both of the Rangers closers candidates failed, Jeff Zimmermann due to injury and of course John Rocker due to ineffectiveness. Out of desperation, Irabu moves into the breach and promptly saves six games in ten days. But then again, Dennis Eckersley was washed up once too. So that means there is now three listed starters solidly entrenched in closing gigs, with approximately half the top CDM teams now going with Gagne. So if you�re hurting for saves, going with at least one of the three listed starters is now a solid path. Then there is Jorge Julio in Baltimore, with a 1.15 ERA to go along with six saves. JJ appears to make for a good cheap save option to go along with Williams, Guardado, and even Mike DeJean. So there is no shortage of cheap closers this year.
The cheap starting pitcher pool is not nearly as fertile, with Kaz Ishii the best bet so far. But a better bet will be when the Cubs call up Mark Prior in the next couple of weeks. Do not be timid on that one, he will be a factor immediately. Roy Oswalt at 830 has also become another consensus play. Then there are the hitters � Vlad Guerrero was by far fantasy ball�s most valuable player in April, with a staggering $64 dollar value. Kenny Lofton comes in second with $54, followed by Torii Hunter ($52), Johnny Damon ($47), Alfonso Soriano ($44), and Cliff Floyd ($41). Big-time surprises include Shea Hillebrand ($32), Junior Sprivey ($30), Melvin Mora ($30), Randall Simon ($27), and Jay Gibbons ($25). Don�t be ashamed if you missed Gibbons on your highly touted prospect list, he was buried behind several OF prospects in the Blue Jays chain, and was picked up off the Rule V scrapheat last year. Now for someone who is actually touted, Austin Kearns has broken into the Cincinnati lineup with a .362 BA in 47 AB�s, to go along with 2 HR and 7 RBI. Even if Ken Griffey Jr. returns (far from a sure thing), it looks as though Kearns may still play plenty (spelling Encarncion, Dunn, Griffey, or Casey). Getting back to Junior Spivey, he may become a nice sneaky play in a limited second base pool who will help with salary (750) along with BA (.333), runs (24) and SB�s (5).
In case you need further proof of the value of cheap relievers right now, check out a rough draft of a second-season starting lineup (where the salary cap is $28 mil)�
� C � LoDuca, D. Miller
� 1B � Konerko, Ortiz
� 2B � Soriano, Giles
� 3B � Chavez, Burroughs
� SS � Arod, Nomar
� OF � Vlad, Berkman, Floyd, Drew, Hunter, Dunn, Ward, Patterson
� SP � Pedro, Unit, Schill, Ishii, Prior, Gagne
� RP � Guardado, Williams, Julio, DeJean
Total salary: 27.88 million
OTHER INTERESTING NOTES
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Believe it or not, there are even more disgusting streaks than the Brewers or D-Rays... |
Members of the walking wounded currently include Carl Everett (DL, strained calf, as believable as the fact that dinosaurs once ruled the earth), Corey Koskie (hammy), Shannon Stewart (DL � hammy), Joey Hamilton (hammy), Sean Casey (hammy), Rick Reed (elbow strain), Mike Piazza (elbow), Aramis Ramirez (full disclosure coming out on just how bad the ankle still is) and Todd Hundley (DL � bruised thumb/hitting like crap). On the other side of the ledger, Kevin Jarvis (flexor tendon) returned from the DL in spectacular fashion, striking out eight in 5 1/3 shutout innings. Others on the verge of returning from the DL include Juan Gonzalez (cleared to swing a bat/possible late May return), Chan Ho Park (should be activated this weekend), Bill Mueller (hit a homer in his first game back this week), Ken Griffey Jr (believe it when we see it), and Josh Beckett (appears he�ll start Monday in COL). Bud Smith returned for the Cards but promptly got pasted in an outing at Wrigley. Boston�s Frank Castillo and Trot Nixon have both been handed suspensions for an incident v. TB this past weekend (is it even worth the trouble starting stuff with that team), both players of course have appealed. Also a couple of one-time hot prospects, Peter Bergeron and Ben Petrick, got sent back to the minors. You can officially take the prospect status off of both.
THIS WEEKS SCHEDULE
This is the week to go with National Leaguers. Every NL team with the exception of St. Louis and Chicago, will be playing seven times. Kansas City and Minnesota will be the lone AL teams with seven games. It is also another huge week for teams playing at home. Colorado (FLA, ATL), Houston (PHL, PIT), along with MIL, STL, SD, LA, and SF will be at home in the NL while DET, TOR, NYY, CLE, BOS, and CWS will spend the week at home in the AL. On a more long-term note, the White Sox play 22 of their next 28 at home (and in the city of Chicago for 25 of 31) starting in Week 7. Potential two-time starters include Matt Morris, Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Curt Schilling, Tim Hudson, and Josh Beckett (eligible to come off the DL Monday). Both Schilling starts are at home, although D-Back management has reversed course on Schilling request that the roof always be closed during his starts due to fan backlash. But that will be a moot point in a month or so when the triple-digit heat strikes Phoenix. There is also a slight chance that Bart Colon could start twice.
CDM's free agent list for the week is as follows (recommended purchases in bold)...
C 40 HALL, TOBY TB 320000FINAL STATEMENT
Speaking of retractable roofs, I was stopped on the way back from the concession stand during yet another Brewers loss and was asked by a local TV station if I was disappointed in the Miller Park lid being closed on a sunny day where the outside temperature was actually above 50 degrees. PLEASE, that is the least of my worries. Give me something even remotely resembling a major league team and I�ll gladly sit through a frickin� blizzard to watch them�