Milton Bradley, OF (TEX): Milton Bradley is batting .311 with six home runs, 21 RBIs and 20 runs. His impressive batting average is 10th in the majors, but when I was examining his numbers, something stood out to me: he's only had 122 at-bats. That's mostly because he walks quite a bit (25 times, tied for third in the AL). His .426 OBP is the second-best in the American League, and given that's he hitting for average and is frequently on base, Bradley has plenty of value. Bradley injured his shoulder on Monday, and although it is not expected to be serious, he is still expected to miss a game or two.

Brandon Boggs, OF (TEX): I've always got my eye on players in either Texas or Colorado because of the hitters' parks. Brandon Boggs has only played 14 games for Texas, but the Rangers seem confident in the rookie's services. In 50 at-bats, he has two home runs, four runs and eight RBIs. His .300 average is solid, but he isn't worth a ton of consideration unless you are in an AL-only league. Keep an eye on him, though.

Clint Barmes, 2B, SS (COL): Clint Barmes is a player I would be adding right now if I need infield help. Troy Tulowitzki is out for a while, and Barmes has been a solid hitter so far this season. Anyone can use a .333 average with 12 RBIs and 10 runs. He also has a bit of power (two home runs) and a bit of speed (two stolen bases). His numbers are even better in May. He's 12-for-28 (.429) this month with a .500 OBP. He has the qualifications to be a starter in almost all leagues.

Jeremy Hermida, OF (FLA): Jeremy Hermida is hitting second for the Florida Marlins, and at the rate they've been scoring runs, Hermida has become pretty valuable. He has 20 runs in only 123 at-bats, which is a positive sign. Most of the leaders in this category have anywhere between 10 and 30 more at-bats than him. He also has 19 RBIs and a .309 average. He finished with 18 home runs last year, which is decent, but he doesn't steal bases. For a waiver wire guy, he's a good option, but the lack of power and speed sours me on him in shallower leagues.

Brad Wilkerson, OF (TOR): Just because Brad Wilkerson changed teams doesn't mean he has value. I'm not sure why he's even come up in fantasy baseball conversations unless he runs a league of his own. The Seattle Mariners didn't want Wilkerson, and they need bats desperately. He's never hit better than .268 in a full season, and he's batting .091 as a member of the Blue Jays. He did have 20 home runs last year but also had a .234 average. Look elsewhere for help.

Frank Thomas, DH (OAK): The Toronto Blue Jays are looking for bats, and the two guys that they dissed earlier this season -- Reed Johnson and Frank Thomas -- are key hitters on their new teams. Sounds like J.P. Ricciardi's era is coming to a close. But back to fantasy. Thomas has been very good since his early-season slump. How does a .303 average with seven RBIs in 10 games in May sound? Thomas hit .250, then .183 in April and May last year but still finished with a .277 average, 26 home runs and 95 RBIs. If you need power, the Big Hurt is your answer.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 6:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

After the Orioles lost five consecutive games on the road, it looked like the team might have trouble making it back to the .500 mark this season. However, the O’s went into Kansas City and won three straight before losing the series finale on Sunday. They are currently 19-19 and in third place in the American League East.

Starting tonight, they’ll face the division-leading Boston Red Sox for two games at Camden Yards. While the Red Sox have been nearly unbeatable at home (14-5), they’ve been pretty vulnerable away from Fenway Park (10-12). The Orioles will need to take advantage of Boston’s early road struggles during this series.

It could be very difficult.

The Red Sox will send right-hander Josh Beckett to the mound tonight. He’s 4-2 with a 3.70 ERA in six starts this season. Against the Orioles in his career, Beckett is 4-1 with a 2.95 ERA. Tomorrow, left-hander Jon Lester (2-2, 4.06 ERA) will get the start for the Red Sox. Lester is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles.

The Red Sox will be wrapping up a 10-game road trip with the two games in Baltimore. They won three out of four games against the Detroit Tigers before losing three out of four to the Minnesota Twins, including their last two.

Pitching matchups

Tuesday 5/13: Jeremy Guthrie (1-3, 4.32) vs. Josh Beckett (4-2, 3.70)
Wednesday 5/14: Daniel Cabrera (3-1, 3.54) vs. Jon Lester (2-2, 4.06)

Who you should play from the Red Sox

Kevin Youkilis, 1B – It’s no surprise that outfielder Manny Ramirez is hitting home runs this season, but where did Youkilis get this power? With eight home runs already in 2008, Youkilis is on pace to exceed his career high of 16, which he set last season. He’s hitting .322 with 30 RBIs and 27 runs scored, so there’s no reason he shouldn’t be in your starting lineup. In his career against the Orioles, Youkilis is hitting .299 with four home runs and 23 RBIs in 47 games. He’s 4-for-13 lifetime against Cabrera.

Who you should bench from the Red Sox

Jason Varitek, C – He’s still a pretty decent option at catcher for your fantasy team, but Varitek shouldn’t be starting against the Orioles if you have a better option. He has a .238 career batting average against the Orioles. Varitek won’t hit above .260 this season and he hasn’t homered since April 15, so there’s not much value in playing him every day.

Who you should play from the Orioles

Nick Markakis, RF – In case you haven’t noticed any of the 9,000 advertisements on the subject, the first 10,000 fans 15-and-over will receive a free jersey T-shirt with Markakis’ number at tonight’s game. Do you think that will motivate the 24-year-old outfielder to lead the Orioles to victory over the Red Sox? If it’s any indication of what to expect tonight, Adam Jones was 1-for-2 with a home run and two walks on his T-shirt night in April. However, the Orioles lost that game, 11-3, to the Toronto Blue Jays. OK, so maybe T-shirt nights aren’t good omens.

Who you should bench from the Orioles

Brian Roberts, 2B – I mentioned before the series in Kansas City that Roberts’ struggles should be noted. Well, the struggles only got worse during that four-game series. He was 2-for-11 in the series before leaving Saturday’s game with a bruised foot. He didn’t play Sunday, but Roberts should play tonight. Still, I’d like to have him healthy before putting him back in my lineup. He’ll turn it around eventually, but it’s probably good to have another solid second baseman at this point.

Posted by Dean Jones, Jr. at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Mark Hendrickson, SP (FLA): I laughed when I saw that Mark Hendrickson was the Opening Day starter for the Florida Marlins. And I probably wasn't the only one. Hendrickson is having the last laugh now since he's 5-1 so far this season. Add to that an ERA of 3.19 and a WHIP of 1.17 and it is time to start owning this guy. He hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in his last six starts and posted an ERA of 2.56 in April. In roto leagues, why not ride this guy until he says not to?

Jonathan Sanchez, SP (SF): I wrote about Jonathan Sanchez recently, advising others to pick him up, so you might be surprised to see me writing about him again after an awful outing this week. Sanchez was throttled to the tune of seven earned runs to the light-hitting Pittsburgh Pirates in 4 1/3 innings and has since been dropped in a lot of leagues. I would add him and use him in spot starts. Take a look at these splits:

Home: 1-0, 24.2, IP, 6 ER, 2.19 ERA 27:10 K:BB, 1.14 WHIP
Away: 1-2, 13.1 IP, 14 ER, 9.45 ERA, 17:9 K:BB, 1.80 WHIP

Add him, start him at home and sit him on the road.

Brett Myers, SP (PHI): I've seen a lot of people getting nervous about Brett Myers. His velocity is down and he was knocked around again on Thursday. He allowed six earned runs in five innings of work against the Diamondbacks. I own him and I'm not overly concerned. Most of his struggles have been on the road, so his stuff is still fine. My guess is he'll straighten out before long. For now, I'd do the same as with Sanchez, start him at home and bench him on the road.

Home: 2-0, 27 IP, 3.00 ERA, 25:6 K:BB, 1.00 WHIP
Away: 2-3, 22 IP, 9.90 ERA, 17:9 K:BB, 1.86 WHIP

Santiago Casilla, RP (OAK): Now it's time to do something that I rarely do: talk about a relief pitcher who isn't a closer. Santiago Casilla has been lights out for the Oakland Athletics this year -- literally. He hasn't allowed a single run -- earned or unearned -- in 17.1 innings pitched and hasn't even allowed a hit in his last five innings of work. He has a 17:3 K:BB ratio and notched a save in his most recent outing. There is the possibility that Huston Street might get dealt later this season, which would increase his value, but you still might want to consider him in deep leagues. He'll chip in across the board and none of his numbers will hurt you.

Justin Duchscherer, SP (OAK): Sticking with the A's, Justin Duchscherer is back from a strained biceps and has pitched pretty well so far in his return. In 17 innings, Duchscherer has given up five earned runs (2.64 ERA) while posting a 12:3 K:BB ratio and a WHIP of 1.12. The A's are winning and so is he. He's won both of his last starts and becomes a player you might want to pick up. Across the board, he doesn't really hurt you in any category.

Scott Downs, RP (TOR): Saves are hard to come by, which is why Scott Downs garners some attention here. He's picked up a couple of saves in two of his last four outings, but realistically, he's picking up scraps off the table. The Blue Jays don't want to overwork B.J. Ryan right now, which is why Downs is seeing some closing opportunities. But the fact that Ryan hasn't allowed a single run this season doesn't bode well for Downs long term. And even if an injury occurred, Jeremy Accardo would probably take over the full-time closing duties like he did last year. Downs is a reach.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

If the Orioles want to regain the positive momentum that carried them through the first month of the season, they’ll need to convert more scoring opportunities and cut down on base-running mistakes.

Daniel Cabrera will get the start tonight against the Kansas City Royals. The 26-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six career starts against Kansas City. Cabrera has lasted at least six innings in six of his seven starts this season. The Orioles will be looking for another solid outing from the 6-foot-9 starter tonight.

The Royals lost the first two games of their three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels before winning the series finale, 9-4. Kansas City enters the four-game series against the Orioles in fourth place in the AL Central with a 15-18 record.

Although the Orioles haven’t been lighting up the scoreboard, the Royals have been even worse in 2008. The Royals are currently ranked last in the American League in runs scored (119). They have only scored six or more runs in six of their 33 games. Only three of those games resulted in wins.

By comparison, the Orioles are 9-0 when scoring six or more runs. Neither team has scored 10 or more runs in a game this season.

Pitching matchups

Thursday 5/8: Daniel Cabrera (2-1, 4.06) vs. Luke Hochevar (2-1, 4.86)
Friday 5/9: Steve Trachsel (1-4, 7.43) vs. Gil Meche (2-4, 5.98)
Saturday 5/10: Garrett Olson (1-0, 2.08) vs. Brett Tomko (1-3, 4.98)
Sunday 5/11: Brian Burres (3-3, 3.19) vs. Brian Bannister (3-4, 4.46)

Who you should play from the Royals

Alex Gordon, 3B – With a team that is ranked last in the league in runs, it’s hard to find a valuable fantasy player. Gordon is the team’s best fantasy prospect at this point in the season. He is hitting .280 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. He also has two stolen bases and 18 runs scored. It should be noted that Gordon was only 1-for-17 against the Orioles last season, so keep that in mind when planning out your roster this weekend.

Who you should bench from the Royals

Jose Guillen, OF – Guillen has hit three home runs and contributed 15 RBIs, but he’s really hurting fantasy owners with his .185 batting average. He was 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored against the Angels yesterday. This could potentially be the spark that he needs to bring his batting average closer to normal, but for now he should be riding your bench if you have better outfielders.

Who you should play from the Orioles

Daniel Cabrera, RHP – Has he turned the corner? It’s still too early to tell, but I have enough confidence to start him against Kansas City. If he’s available in your league, pick him up and start him tonight. The Orioles have lost five straight games and they need someone to step up and put an end to the losing streak. As I stated above, Cabrera has never lost to the Royals and their offense is struggling worse than the Orioles right now. As long as the Orioles can score a few runs, he should get another win tonight.

Who you should bench from the Orioles

Brian Roberts, 2B – Roberts is 4-for-23 in the last six games. He’s still one of the best second basemen in fantasy baseball. However, I noted him in this category because he’s not hitting as well as normal. Also, Roberts has scored only one run in May and hasn’t had a stolen base since April 28. Keep him in your lineup, but find the proper mix of players to complement him on your team.

Posted by Dean Jones, Jr. at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

I'm starting a new weekly article here, and the basis is very simple: I'm going to let you inside my head with my fantasy team.

I'm currently participating in a 12-team mixed league with 11 members of Hardcore Country.

The scoring system is 5x5 roto with one DL spot. Each week I'll list my rosters, the moves I made and a brief update on what I'm thinking with some of the players.

Transactions:

1. Added: Mark Hendrickson, SP (TB)

He doesn't look like a long-term solution but Hendrickson's numbers look somewhat passable. He's 5-1 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Hard to ignore those numbers.

1. Dropped: John Lannan, SP (WAS)

I was somewhat high on Lannan but when you hash out his season, without the 11 K performance against the New York Mets on April 17th, his K:BB ratio is 13:16. Plus he got blown up to the tune of 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K in 3.0 IP against the Pirates this week.

2. Added: Joe Borowski, RP (CLE):

Borowski is getting closer to returning -- he is supposed to have a bullpen session on Thursday and get back to closing once he returns. Rafael Betancourt hasn't grabbed the reigns while Borowski has been out, and saves are hard to come by in this league.

2. Dropped: Chad Cordero, RP (WAS):

I want to hold on to him but with Jorge Posada reserving my DL spot, I don't have enough room to carry him for four-to-six weeks in a roto league. I'll watch him closely and pick him up later.

3. Added: Randy Wolf, SP (SD)

Randy Wolf has 37 strikeouts, which is good for 13th in the NL. But almost everyone in front of him has (roughly) an extra 10 innings pitched. The 3.57 ERA is decent and his WHIP is a respectable 1.13 -- this guy should not be on the waiver wire. I love the fact that he's pitching in Petco Park, which is a renowned pitcher's ballpark. I think he can keep this up all year long.

3. Dropped: Mark Hendrickson, SP (TB)

Hendrickson's stay was short-lived. He's had a nice start, but I just have very little faith it will continue. Wolf has the pedigree.

4. Added: Johnny Cueto, SP (CIN)

Like many people, I read that the Cincinnati Reds called up Cueto's coach from the Dominican to help work his mechanics. Cueto had been struggling in his recent, starts and I got to examining his stats. He's giving up a lot of home runs (7) but outside of a few bad pitches, he's not really being knocked around. His 1.12 WHIP and his 41:7 K:BB ratio show that he can be downright dominant. He put up 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 8 K, 2 BB in his most recent start but he nearly gave up a couple more home runs that just barely stayed in the park. He's a very valuable fantasy pitcher if he can settle down a bit.

4. Dropped: Jeff Clement, UTIL (SEA)

The idea of adding Clement was based around his potential catcher eligibility and that he's supposed to be a good hitter. He's hitting .150 with one run in seven games since being called up. Au revoir.

5. Added: Chris Iannetta, C (COL)

You have to add Chris Iannetta in pretty much every league at this point. Catcher is such a thin position, and he's knocking the cover off the ball. While platooning with Yorvit Torrealba, he's hit .362 with 3 HR, 10 RBI and 8 RBIs. With Torrealba batting .235, that platoon might not last long. Iannetta also played a game at third base as the Rockies shuffled their infield with Troy Tulowitzki out.

5. Dropped: Fred Lewis, OF (SF)

I like Fred Lewis as I indicated in my last blog entry, but the bottom line is that I needed to drop someone to get Iannetta and I'm not ready to drop Travis Hafner yet. Lewis has had a good start to the season but considering he's a rookie, we don't know that this will continue.

Regrets:

Brad Hawpe, OF (COL): Brad Hawpe was sitting on my waiver wire and for some stupid reason, I didn't add him. I wrote about him last week, and even though I encouraged others to go get him, I opted for Fred Lewis instead. Hawpe will be a 30-100 guy this year, and I'll regret that for a while.

C - Chris Iannetta (COL)
1B - Albert Pujols (STL)
2B - Dustin Pedroia (BOS)
3B - Alex Gordon (KC)
SS - Rafael Furcal (LAD)
OF - Curtis Granderson (DET)
OF - Carl Crawford (TB)
OF - Mike Cameron (MIL)
UTIL - Conor Jackson (ARI)
BN - Travis Hafner (CLE)

SP - Erik Bedard (SEA)
SP - Randy Wolf (SD)
RP - Francisco Cordero (CIN)
RP - Eric Gagne (MIL)
P - Jose Valverde (HOU)
P - Dan Haren (ARZ)
P - Ervin Santana (LAA)
BN - Brett Myers (PHI)
BN - Joe Borowski (CLE)
BN - Matt Cain (SF)
BN - Johnny Cueto (CIN)

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The Orioles began their road trip on a positive note with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. After a good start to the series, the team dropped the last two games by three runs total. The Orioles will now play the Oakland Athletics for three games before concluding the road trip with four games in Kansas City against the Royals.

In his first start this season, Garrett Olson earned the victory after allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. It will be interesting to see if Olson can duplicate that performance against the Athletics tonight. Last season, Olson was 1-3 with a 7.79 ERA in seven starts, so another solid showing would help to erase those memories and build his confidence.

Like the Orioles, the Athletics are surprising a lot of experts who didn’t expect them to be very competitive during the 2008 season. During the offseason, they traded Nick Swisher to the Chicago White Sox, Mark Kotsay to the Atlanta Braves and Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In exchange, they received a bunch of prospects and appeared to be in a rebuilding mode entering the season.

However, they’re currently 19-14 and one game behind the Angels in the AL West. Over the weekend, the Athletics dropped the first two games to the Texas Rangers before winning yesterday’s series finale, 3-1. Former Oriole Jack Cust hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to give the Athletics the victory.

Pitching matchups

Monday 5/5: Garrett Olson (1-0, 2.70) vs. Dana Eveland (3-2, 3.67)
Tuesday 5/6: Brian Burres (3-2, 2.87) vs. Justin Duchscherer (2-1, 2.40)
Wednesday 5/7: Jeremy Guthrie (1-3, 4.06) vs. Joe Blanton (2-5, 3.88)

Who you should play from the Athletics

Emil Brown, OF – Brown has proven to be a nice addition to my fantasy team in an extremely deep league – 20 teams with 25 players on each team. Brown is hitting .271 with three home runs, 26 RBIs and 19 runs scored in 118 at-bats this season. In 14 career games against the Orioles, Brown has two home runs and seven RBIs.

Who you should bench from the Athletics

Jack Cust, LF/DH – Cust has been on fire lately. He’s 8-for-14 with three home runs, four RBIs and five runs scored in the first four games of May. Nonetheless, he shouldn’t be active in your fantasy lineup while the Orioles are in town. The Orioles will be sending two left-handed starters (Olson and Burres) to the mound during the series and Cust only has a .215 career batting average against lefties. Although he’s hitting well recently, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Athletics give Cust an off day during this series.

Who you should play from the Orioles

Melvin Mora, 3B – A lot of people might be in search of a third baseman since Alex Rodriguez is on the disabled list. In the three games in Los Angeles, Mora was 6-for-11 with one home run and three RBIs. While he shouldn’t be counted on for consistent production, Mora provides fantasy owners with a nice alternative option when he is hitting like he did against the Angels. Pick him up if he’s available in your league.

Who you should bench from the Orioles

Adam Jones, CF – Jones was 0-for-11 during the three-game series against the Angels. There are probably some owners out there, particularly in keeper leagues, who are wondering when they should insert him into their starting lineup. He’s been very inconsistent so far this season. There have been games in which he has looked completely clueless at the plate, but then he’ll have three hits the following day. Don’t get rid of him, but keep him on your bench until he shows that he is capable of consistent production in the major leagues.

Posted by Dean Jones, Jr. at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Jeff Clement, DH (SEA): Jeff Clement is one of the Seattle Mariners' top prospects, and he was called up Wednesday to give the batting lineup a spark. Designated hitter Jose Vidro has struggled, and so has catcher Kenji Johjima. Clement was hitting .397 with five home runs and 20 RBIs for Triple-A Tacoma and has three hits in 13 at-bats since being called up. Clement is a catcher but he's not yet catcher-eligible in most leagues. He should be a productive hitter in the big leagues, but he only has value once he becomes catcher-eligible. If he does, he should immediately become one of the better options out there -- especially for those who just placed Jorge Posada on the disabled list.

Mike Cameron, OF (MIL): People have slept on Mike Cameron, who served a 25-game suspension to start the season, but he's back and is a must-own in anything bigger than an eight-team league. He had 21 HR, 78 RBIs, 88 R and 18 SB last year while playing for the punch-less San Diego Padres in Petco Park. Not only is he in a much better hitter's environment now, but he's also at the top of the order. He's at No. 2 in the lineup -- a run-producing role -- where he should see plenty of quality pitches as pitchers hope to avoid facing Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder behind him. Cameron's average (.242 in '07, .268 in '06) leaves something to be desired, but it might get better this year because of the aforementioned reason. Here's what he's done since he's returned: 6 GP, .269 AVG (7-for-26), 3 HR, 7 RBIs, 6 R. That's what I'm talking about.

Carlos Gomez, OF (MIN): With Curtis Granderson and Carl Crawford as my two everyday outfielders in my 12-team mixed league, I was auditioning Carlos Gomez and Mike Cameron for my last gig. I went with Cameron, based on his pedigree, but Gomez has been a valuable player this season. He started hot, then slumped, then was benched for a game, and now he's back on fire. Maybe the Minnesota Twins rode him too hard to start the season, but with days off in the recent weeks (some because of injury), Gomez has hit .450 (9-for-20) with 2 RBIs, 8 R and 4 SB over his last six games. In fact, his 13 SBs are tied for the league lead. As a rookie, you have to wonder if he will wear down as the season progresses, but he will clearly be a solid option for steals and runs.

Fred Lewis, OF (SF): Right Said Fred Lewis has a lot of similarities with Carlos Gomez in the sense that he's a rookie and he provides a lot of speed (runs and stolen bases), but he's useful for other reasons. For starters, he provides a much better average. He's hitting .320 with an on-base percentage of roughly .400. He only has five stolen bases so far, but he has more home runs (3), RBIs (8) and runs (19) than Gomez in four fewer at-bats. Again, he's a rookie, which may mean he's susceptible to second-half fading, but he projects to finish with 95 R, 25 SB and 15 HR with a batting average around .300 -- that's outstanding for a guy who's owned in roughly 35 percent of leagues.

Brad Hawpe, OF (COL): I've seen Brad Hawpe on the waiver wire in a number of fantasy leagues, and I'm having trouble passing up on the value of adding a guy for free when he was drafted between rounds 7-9 in most 12-team leagues. Granted, he's had a rough start to the season, but so has the whole Colorado Rockies squad. He's warming up, and if you can either low-ball another owner or pick him up for free, I would. Hawpe has .300/30/100 potential, and these types of guys don't grow on trees. Since April 24, he's raised his averaged from .232 to .260. The power is not quite there (only one home run, five RBIs in that span), but I'm confident it will come along with the rest of the order.

Travis Hafner, DH (CLE): To be quite honest with you, I'm done with Travis Hafner. There is so much value on the waiver wire in my league that I consider this guy dead weight on my team. Whether he was part of the steroids fad and is now off it, or whether he is just straight up struggling, something is wrong with him, and it looks like it is beyond reparation. For three years between 2004-2006, Hafner hit no less than .305 while averaging 34 home runs and 474 at-bats per season. In 2006, he hits 42 jacks in 454 at-bats but surprisingly fell off the face of the earth last year. In 545 at-bats last season -- nearly 100 more than in 2006 -- Hafner had 18 fewer home runs and 17 fewer RBIs. His batting average plummeted to .266, and his slugging percentage dropped from .659 to .451. This year, his struggles have become even worse. Saying the word "struggles" implies that his slump is the aberration and his 2006 form is just waiting to re-emerge. But after experiencing his worst month in nearly six years, I believe that this is who he is now. The only good news is his 17 RBIs, which put him on pace for nearly 100 again this season, but who can deal with a .209 batting average? Even the Cleveland Indians are considering getting Kelly Shoppach more time in the lineup if Pronk continues down this road. I offered Hafner for Kenji Johjima straight up because I have more faith in Johjima than Hafner. If you can move him for someone else who has had a slow start, good luck. Otherwise, you might be cutting the dead weight soon.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

The next ten games will say a lot about how the rest of the season will play out for the Orioles. After dropping the last two games at home, the team heads to Los Angeles for a three-game series that begins tonight against the Angels.

Following the three games in Los Angeles, they’ll head to Oakland for three games against the Athletics and then to Kansas City for four games against the Royals before returning to Baltimore on May 13.

The Orioles are currently two games above .500 (15-13) overall and two games below .500 on the road (5-7). If they can bounce back and have a winning road trip, then the Orioles might be able to hang around the top of the AL East a little bit longer. Anything less than a .500 road trip could spell disaster for a team with a lot of young players that has been playing above expectations so far this season.

The Angels had won two straight before losing, 15-8, last night against the Athletics. At home, they are one game above .500 (8-7) in 2008. Last night, Williamsport native Nick Adenhart made his Major League debut, but it wasn’t a good one. He lasted only two innings, walked five and allowed five runs on three hits.

Pitching matchups

Friday 5/2: Jeremy Guthrie (0-3, 4.34) vs. Jered Weaver (2-3, 4.21)
Saturday 5/3: Daniel Cabrera (2-0, 4.14) vs. Jon Garland (3-3, 5.94)
Sunday 5/4: Steve Trachsel (1-3, 6.08) vs. Joe Saunders (5-0, 2.08)

Who you should play from the Angels

Casey Kotchman, 1B – In 21 career games against the Orioles, Kotchman is only hitting .172 with one home run and four RBIs. However, the career statistics should be ignored in this situation because Kotchman has been impressive so far this season. Kotchman is hitting .340 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 2008.

Who you should bench from the Angels

Jon Garland, RHP – Garland is 5-2 with a 4.50 ERA in nine career games against the Orioles. However, he has struggled with his command this season. In 36 1/3 innings, Garland has issued 12 walks and only struck out nine hitters. Throughout his career, Garland has never collected a lot of strikeouts, but this season’s total is exceptionally low. Since his ERA is 5.94, Garland’s value is minimal at this point. He needs to start striking out hitters or allowing fewer runs to acquire any fantasy value.

Who you should play from the Orioles

Aubrey Huff, DH – How many people thought Huff would be leading the team in home runs (five) and RBIs (19) after the first month of the season? He also ranks among the team leaders in doubles and runs scored. Pick Huff up and try to get him in your lineup if he’s available in your league. He’s going to be receiving consistent at-bats, so there is no reason why he can’t continue to contribute to your fantasy team.

Who you should bench from the Orioles

Luke Scott, LF – After hitting .389 in his first 16 games, Scott is only 4-for-34 with no home runs and no RBIs in his last 11 games. There’s still a chance that Scott will hit 20-25 home runs this season, but that chance gets slimmer with each passing day. Sit him out during this rough stretch, but don’t get rid of him. He’ll regain his value as soon as he breaks out of this recent slump.

Posted by Dean Jones, Jr. at 10:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

John Lannan, SP (WAS): I recently dropped Johnny Cueto and added John Lannan in my league, mostly because Lannan has been the Washington Nationals' best pitcher this year. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 19 innings pitched. He had an 11-strikeout outing against the New York Mets on April 17, which got him plenty of fantasy attention. He walks more hitters that I would like - at least three walks in four of his five outings and 14 in 30.2 IP - but he has been dependable and I'll ride him until he shows me otherwise.

John Danks, SP (CHW): It's hard not to like John Danks on your fantasy roster. He's a borderline waiver wire guy, but if you subtract his one bad outing this year, his stats are among the better pitchers in the league. If you scratch his porous outing against Minnesota on April 9 (his second start of the year), here are his cumulative numbers: 27.2, 3 ER, 18 K, 4 BB, 14 H, 1 HR. With stats like that, he has value in a lot of leagues.

Jair Jurrjens, SP (ATL): Although you wouldn't be able to pick Jair Jurrjens out of a lineup of guys with name tags, he's been a consistent pitcher this season. His shortest start lasted 5.1 innings, but that was his only start (out of five) that he didn't complete at least six full innings. He has a 25-13 strikeout-walk ratio, which indicates that he can probably continue this. The Atlanta Braves continue to unearth anonymous castaway pitchers who fill out their rotation year after year. With three wins, a respectable ERA of 3.45 and a 1.21 WHIP, Jurrjens is worth adding in deeper leagues.

Chad Gaudin, SP (OAK): The Oakland Athletics have been an April powerhouse and thus one of the surprises of the young season. Starting pitching has helped them to their share of the American League West lead and Chad Gaudin has been a part of it. After allowing five earned runs in his first start of the season, Gaudin has scattered five runs over his last four starts. He has 23 strikeouts versus only eight walks and a sparkling WHIP of 1.10. He pitched well in spurts last year, but most people still associate him with his days in Tampa Bay. He's a reliable fantasy pitcher now.

Armando Galarragga, SP (DET): Armando Galarragga has only had three starts, but you can make the case that he's been the Detroit Tigers' best pitcher this season. Galarragga took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his last start, but manager Jim Leyland is a bit concerned that when things go bad for Galarragga, they unravel quickly. Here's the conundrum: Galarragga has pitched well so far, which is better than most Tigers starters can say, so Leyland will either keep him up and hope that Galarragga learns to weather some adversity, or he will send him down for more seasoning. Galarragga is in the rotation because Dontrelle Willis is shelved with a knee injury. Ride him until he pitches his way out of the rotation.

Max Scherzer, P (ARZ): If Evan Longoria is the most hyped position player prospect this year, Max Scherzer is his pitching equal. All eyes were on Scherzer when he was called up on April 27, and it didn't take long for us to get our first Major League look: 4.1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 7 K. He pitched 4.1 innings of perfect baseball and will now make his first start this coming Monday. The upside is tremendous with this kid and he could find a spot in the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation down the stretch of the season. If you have a lousy veteran to drop, take a chance on his upside. The seven strikeouts in 4.1 IP is a tantalizing thought.

Posted by Dave Golokhov at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

After Opening Day, how many of you thought the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays would be playing for first place at any point during the 2008 season?

While it’s still only April, the Orioles and Rays are set to begin a three-game series tonight at Camden Yards. Coming into the series, the Rays have won six straight games. They defeated the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox three times each in the last week, so they’ve gained a little bit of respect recently.

After this series, the Rays don’t come back to Baltimore again until Sept. 22. Will those four games have any factor in determining the order in the AL East? OK, so they will still likely decide which team finishes at the bottom of the division, but don’t tell that to these two teams right now. They’re both playing above expectations and it’s refreshing to see some other teams playing competitive baseball.

Pitching matchups

Tuesday 4/29: Garrett Olson (season debut) vs. Jason Hammel (2-1, 4.32)
Wednesday 4/30: TBA vs. Andy Sonnanstine (3-1, 5.28)
Thursday 5/1: Brian Burres (3-1, 2.49) vs. Matt Garza (0-0, 7.62)

Who you should play from the Rays

Carl Crawford, LF – When the Orioles left Tampa Bay on April 13, Crawford was hitting .208 with no home runs, four RBIs and four stolen bases. He’s now hitting .300 with two home runs, 13 RBIs and eight stolen bases. Crawford is leading the American League in runs scored (23) and he also has two doubles and three triples this season. In other words, Crawford is finally playing the way he should be. The statistics will continue to pile up for fantasy owners who picked him for their teams.

Who you should bench from the Rays

Carlos Pena, 1B – Do you think I am crazy for suggesting that you sit a guy who already has four home runs and nine RBIs in five games against the Orioles this season? OK, maybe it is a foolish prediction, but he’s really struggling in 2008. Pena is hitting .200 so far this year and he only has two home runs and four RBIs against the rest of the American League. He doesn’t have any home runs or RBIs since he hit a game-tying shot in the eighth inning against reliever Jamie Walker on April 12.

Who you should play from the Orioles

Ramon Hernandez, C – His .189 batting average is a killer to any fantasy team – trust me, he’s killing mine – but his three home runs and 13 RBIs are extremely valuable at the catcher position. He’s tied for fourth among catchers in home runs and tied for third in RBIs. Every time he gets a big hit, I think there is hope that Hernandez will break out of his season-long slump. Well, maybe this time he’ll finally make me look like a genius. If you’ve got him on your team, it’s probably because there is no one else available. Keep starting him because he won’t hit below .200 for the entire season. At least I hope not.

(Side note: I believe the home run Hernandez hit last night won’t count in most formats until the game is completed and becomes official, but he’ll still get credit for it eventually. That’s why I included it in the totals above.)

Who you should bench from the Orioles

Nick Markakis, RF – Markakis is probably on the level of players that you don’t ever put on your bench – especially for those people who root for the Orioles on a daily basis. Still, it should be noted that he’s struggling lately. Markakis is only 6-for-31 in the nine games since he went 3-for-3 against the New York Yankees on April 18. While it’s not necessary to bench Markakis – he’s still hitting .292 with four home runs, 10 RBIs and 16 runs scored – fantasy owners should be aware of his current slump.

Posted by Dean Jones, Jr. at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)