Matt Holliday was traded today to the St. Louis Cardinals for prospects Brett Wallace, Clayton Mortensen, and Shane Peterson. Holliday now goes back to the National League, back to a team with a chance to win, and he is now hitting right behind Albert Pujols. All of these factors lead me to believe that Holliday will have a great end of the season. Now, you can't expect his numbers back from his days with Colorado, but I definitely think he will be better than he was in Oakland. St. Louis isn't Coors Field, but it is better for hitters than Oakland is. If you have been holding Holliday all year long, today is a day for a small celebration. Holliday had his own celebration by having a four hit night against the Phillies.
Even though he faltered in the eighth inning, Joba Chamberlain pitched well and Phil Coke bailed him out. Joba lasted seven innings and threw just over 100 pitches, allowing just one run and striking out six. This is the second consecutive start that Chamberlain has gotten into the seventh inning, after three straight of not being able to complete six. I hate to be a buzzkill, but I have to report what I hear. On NY sports talk radio today all the chatter was about the return of the Joba Rules and how many innings the Yankees were going to let him throw. It seems the limit is somewhere near 150 innings. Well, with his seven tonight, that brings Joba to 102 for the season. You don't need a math degree to figure out that he won't be starting for the rest of the season. So, is does he go back to the bullpen? Do they just shut him down? It is very unlikely they stop him from pitching. I would think he has seven or eight starts left in him and then he's back to the pen. But if the Yankees are scratching for a playoff spot and he keeps pitching like this, perhaps they will let him continue to start, but from what I heard today that is highly unlikely. With Mariano as the closer and Hughes seemingly entrenched in the eighth inning, I'm not sure what kind of role Chamberlain would have in that Yankee pen.
Carlos Guillen played in a game for the first time for the Tigers since May 4th, and he did pretty good. Guillen was DHing for Detroit in both games of a doubleheader on Friday, and he collected three hits combined in the games, including a home run. He had an injury riddled 2008 season that saw his statistics go in the toilet, but the guy can still hit. Unfortunately, he likely won't get regular playing time right away, so if you do make a move to pick him up, don't be surprised if he gets some regular days off the first few weeks. I wouldn't expect too much from Guillen for the rest of this year, but maybe over the last four to five weeks of the season when he is feeling better he might have a hot streak in him.
Aramis Ramirez had four hits, including his second home run since the All-Star Break, maybe he will be OK. I have been very leery of Aramis since he came back from the Disabled List since I read quotes from him that he didn't expect to hit for much power for the rest of the year due to his shoulder injury. Today he goes out and hits two doubles and a homer. Given his career history I suppose you have to figure that he will be ok and play him every day. I only own him in one league, and of course he was on my bench today. He won't be tomorrow.
Congratulations to Padres' rookie Mat Latos for collecting his first career victory in the major leagues in just his second start. Latos allowed just two runs over 5.2 innings and struck out five. Latos is the Padres best pitching prospect who made the big jump from AA all the way to the majors. He is only 21 years old, so even though he has a ton of talent, my guess is that the rest of 2009 will be full of ups and downs for Latos. In keeper leagues and deeper seasonal leagues he is worth the risk, but if you are in a 12 team league I would think there are safer options out there. At worst he will help you with strikeouts, the rest of the categories are a crap shoot right now.
This may be a little late, but for those of you who don't pay attention to the box scores every night, it appears that J.P. Howell has taken over as the Rays closer. He collected his 11th save of the year tonight, and his fifth this month. The Rays are back to their winning ways, so if he is available and you need saves, I would certainly jump on that bandwagon for as long as it lasts. He allowed just three earned runs in June and July combined, and they all came in one outing. He also has 58 Ks in just 47 innings.
Manny Parra screwed everyone who started him today. After allowing just one run in his first two starts after coming back from the minors, Parra gave up four runs over five innings against the Braves who don't exactly have Murderer's Row for a batting order. While he should be better than he was to start the season, it appears that the inconsistency that has been the trademark of his career will continue.
Am I wrong on Martin Prado? While he seems to be one of the most added players in fantasy over the last month, I am still resisting that temptation. Prado had two hits on Friday, including a three run home run. He initially got fantasy attention because of his multi-position eligibility, but he has hit great in July. He has only gone hitless in two games the entire month of July so far, and he has 11 RBI this month. He never showed much power or much speed in his five years in the minors, so I'm not sure where this production is coming from. I can't say it is a bad idea to pick him up while he is hot, but just make sure you aren't giving up anyone that is too good, and don't be shocked if this nice run drops off.
As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don’t miss the “Fantasy Baseball Tonight” podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can’t miss if you plan on winning your league.
Jed Lowrie was in the Red Sox lineup for the first time since April 11th, and he made the most of his return. He might have only had one hit, but it was for his first home run of the year. He is an interesting fantasy player because he doesn't hit for a lot of power and he doesn't steal a whole lot of bases. However, Lowrie will hit around .300 and he drives in a good number of runs. Last year when he came to the majors he had 46 RBI in just 81 games. If he is available, I would try to make a place for him on your roster. He has eligibility at a couple different positions and depending on the size of your league should be a nice help to your squad, even if it is just in an insurance role.
Scott Kazmir didn't get the win, but he did allow just one run over six innings, and now has three good starts of his four since coming back from the Disabled List. Even though he walked four guys in six innings, this outing will likely calm down the fear of Kazmir's owners who were sweating after he allowed seven runs in his last start. He isn't an elite pitcher, but he is definitely worthy of being your third pitcher. Kaz should be good more often than not, and you should start him in confidence against any opponent.
For all of you Johan Santana owners who are worried about your pitcher because of either his recent performances or the injury situation in New York, hopefully today rested your mind. Please remember two things. Some of his teams in Minnesota that he pitched on weren't that great. Second, Johan's career second half numbers are disgusting. After the All-Star Break for his career, Santana is 58-17 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. He also has 734 strikeouts in only 714 innings. Does that make you feel better?
Same thing with the Nolan Reimold owners. I know that a lot of you were very happy with the rookie when he was called up, but he went in a decent sized slump just before the All-Star Break. Good news is he now has two straight multi-hit games since the break has ended. He will likely be somewhat inconsistent for the rest of the season, but I still think he will have a solid season and hit 17-18 home runs.
Alex Rodriguez continues to mash the baseball and is again an elite fantasy player even without the great batting average or his usual 20 stolen bases. A-Rod bombed out his 18th dinger of the year, and now has 51 RBI, despite missing the first month of the season. I don't care that he is hitting in the .250s and he only has three homers, look for Alex to hit at least 25 taters this season, and if he gets hot, perhaps challenge 40.
Can someone please teach Mike Hampton the correct way to transition the baseball from his bare hand to his glove? Hampton looked like he was going to pound the ball into his glove in frustration after allowing a base hit, but there was just one problem. He missed his glove and the ball nearly rolled to the dugout allowing Matt Kemp to score. UGH! Not a good night to be a Houston fan.
Jered Weaver had his sixth straight start that he allowed three earned runs or more, and his amazing start is starting to become more of a distant memory than a part of the norm. He is still getting a good number of strikeouts, and is a basic lock to exceed his career high in wins, but Weaver has been disappointing his owners lately. Given the season he had last year, I can't say that I am supremely confident that this is a small bump in the road and won't continue. I still think Weaver has a good chance to win at least 15 games, but seeing that he had 10 wins at the break, is that really a very good thing?
Charlie Morton had his best start since coming to Pittsburgh from Atlanta in the Nate McLouth trade. Morton threw seven shutout innings, allowed just three hits and struck out six. Now, before you get too excited, his minor league ERA was over 4.00 for his career, and in 15 starts for the Braves last season his ERA was over 6.00. He is not a guy that I would trust unless you are in a 20 team league and you have been dealt a hand that includes a lot of injuries. Stay away from Morton at this point.
Franklin Gutierrez has been a popular pickup lately because he has been so hot, but please don't expect this hitting to continue. He showed some promise in the lower levels of the minor leagues in the earlier in the decade, but since then the projections for his future have dropped. He is already very close to his career highs for homers and RBI and he will likely surpass them, but he will not continue to produce at this clip. Sell high if you can, if not, ride him while he is hot but don't expect it to continue.
Randy Wells actually collected a win on Saturday, but it was the second consecutive start that he allowed four earned runs. He improved to 5-4, but only struck out one batter and raised his ERA to an even 3.00. For those of you who have been reading this column for a while, you know I don't have a ton of confidence in Wells going forward. I think that he will have his share of decent starts, but I think these last few where he has allowed four runs are the start of a trend. Look for that ERA to continue to climb for the rest of July and August.
Manny Parra had his second consecutive solid start since returning from the minor leagues, and now looks like he belongs on fantasy rosters again. Parra allowed only one run over six innings and struck out six against the Reds who aren't an anemic offense. I can't say that I have supreme confidence in Parra going forward, but he has at least proven that he made some sort of adjustment in his time in AAA, and hopefully will stay on the right track. He is a bit of a risk, but it is a good risk at this point.
The demise of Zack Greinke has been horribly over publicized and is just not factual, and tonight he put another chapter in his fantastic season. He might not have gotten the win, but Greinke was rock solid against the Rays. He allowed just one run over seven innings and struck out seven. For all of you who have been worried about Greinke, he has allowed more than three earned runs in a start just twice all year long, and still has more strikeouts than innings pitched. Wins are a bit more of a problem since the Royals have gone in the tank, but he is still an elite pitcher and one of the better keepers as far as pitchers are concerned.
As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don't miss the "Fantasy Baseball Tonight" podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can't miss if you plan on winning your league.
David Price owners must have a range of emotions today. First, if you decided to sit him, you have to be more than a little annoyed. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't pitch him today given some of his recent performances. However, even if you did sit him, you have to be very excited that not only did he pitch well and win the game, but he outdueled Cy Young favorite Roy Halladay. Price allowed just one run, walked just one, and struck out seven in six great innings. I wrote in the USA Today Sports Weekly this week that even though Price has struggled, that there would be a turnaround. This kid is way too talented to have pitched the way he has pitched. Trust me, keep pitching him he will start to reward you for it.
Manny Parra came back from the minors today and pitched FAR past anyone's expectations. Parra threw seven shutout innings, walked just one and struck out seven. I have already fielded multiple emails about Parra and what to expect going forward. Here's what I have been saying. If there is someone on your team who has been struggling, Parra is certainly worth adding on the chance that he has fixed his issues. Parra had a very inconsistent rookie season, but has shown flashes of his potential. Don't pick him up and expect this kind of outing every time he toes the rubber, but this is possible from time to time, so he is likely worth a risk if you aren't giving up an established guy.
Ryan Ludwick hit his second home run in the past three days, and has raised his batting average 15 points in the last eight days. Is he finally rounding back into form? Is he finally healthy from his injury earlier in the year? I still like Ludwick and believe that he will at least challenge 30 home runs again, if he doesn't surpass it. I believe that he will have a very good second half and will get his average over .270 as well.
Edwin Encanacion hit his first home run since coming off the DL, but I just don't have much faith in him. He strikes out a lot, he didn't hit for a very good average either last season. He showed some power in the minors, but I don't believe that you will see him top 25 homers very many times in his career. I see Edwin as a guy who will hit .270, with 18-20 homers, and 70-75 RBI. Not a horrible player, but don't expect him to repeat last year's numbers any time soon.
Have Russell Martin and Rafael Furcal started to get it going? Furcal has 13 hits in the last six days, including three doubles and a triple. He has only driven in one run and stolen one base over that time, but this is a baby step, and perhaps he will start contributing in the other categories as well. Heck, at least he is showing a pulse. Martin hasn't been doing quite that well, but he is improving. He has multiple hits in four of his last six games. He still isn't hitting for power or running, but at least the hits are coming. Perhaps he too will get his butt in gear.
Tommy Hanson avoided taking his first loss, but it was not his finest performance. He allowed four runs over five innings, walked two and struck out two. The Rockies have a pretty potent lineup, and you can't expect Hanson to be completely lights out every time he goes out. If this was a bad start, I'll take it every now and then.
Dexter Fowler is starting to steal bases again and a pretty good rate. He did get caught once tonight, but he also did swipe one bag, giving him five in the last ten days. He now has 18 on the year, and appears to have a real shot at 30. If you need some speed and guys like Nyjer Morgan and Michael Bourn aren't available, grab Fowler, he should give you a chance to win the steals category, or at least stay competitive.
As always, your comments and questions are welcome at fightingchancefantasy@gmail.com. I guarantee a response within 18 hours. Also, don't miss the "Fantasy Baseball Tonight" podcast four nights a week from Monday-Thursday. The Big Show on Wednesday is co-hosted by Todd Farino of fantasybaseballsearch.com, RC Rizza of junkyardjake.com and myself, Ryan Hallam at fightingchancefantasy.com. To hear the show go to www.blogtalkradio.com/the_true_guru. You can also hear me weekly on the Tuesday Night show. Join me with Jeff Mans every Tuesday night at 10pm EST for all the the info and craziness we can pack into one hour. A can't miss if you plan on winning your league.
