The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa

Hi everyone,

Today we have the fourth installment from guest blogger Jason Trask for a mock (slow) draft he’s participating in with some fellow fantasy enthusiasts from Fantasy Baseball Cafe.  Here are Jason’s thoughts on rounds 10-12 of his draft (we’ll cover subsequent rounds in future posts).

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2012 Mock Draft #1:  Rounds 10-12

Round 10

The first six picks taken in Round 10 were 3B, C, 1B, SS, P, 2B. We’re not yet 150 picks into the draft, but this upcoming round felt like bizarro world when it was done. My strategy shifted toward positions of need, with an emphasis on finding players likely to perform above average at their position.

Best Pick

• Max Scherzer 10.5 He gets to play Tonto to Justin Verlander. He also pitches in a fairly weak division. BB totals went down, but H allowed went up. He’s still figuring out how to pitch, but absolutely has the tools to be a 18 game winner.

Worst Pick

• Kendry Morales 10.03 The 12^th 1B taken off the board was a little puzzling. Scott’s mentioned the glut of players that can fill 1B/OF/DH positions for the Angels, and Morales hasn’t taken a ML at bat since May of 2010. I’m sure the lack of low upside 1B options was the reason here.

My Pick

• Jesus Montero 10.02 I have my catcher spot filled for now. Of course within days, he goes from hitting in Yankee stadium to the Safeco Canyon. People have been throwing out the offensive potential comparisons to players like Mike Piazza, but I’ll hedge my bets here and hope he’s not Michael Barrett.

Notable Picks

• Mike Moustakas 10.01, Derek Jeter 10.04, David Ortiz 10.09

Round 11

My preparation for the 2012 Fantasy Baseball season actually started just around Thanksgiving. I was asked by the wife if I wanted anything for Christmas and I figured why not ask for Ron Shandler’s 2012 Forecaster. My wife pawned the request off to my mother. (I love my wife) Christmas day approached, and as I opened it something caught me by surprise. Joey Votto was on the cover…My mother bought me a brand new copy of the 2011 Forecaster. Apparently, Adam Dunn and Dan Uggla should continue their remarkable consistency despite their new surroundings.

Best Pick

• Nick Markakis 12.10 Unlikely to be ready for Spring Training due to an abdominal issue. He is a lock for a .285 BA, he’ll only hit 15-20 HR, but his R/RBI totals have fluctuated wildly. The Orioles have been waiting for him to break out for years, and he’s the most veteran 28 year old that no one cares about.

Worst Pick

• Aaron Hill 11.05 Had a dream season in ’09 that no one possibly saw coming. He’ll be hitting in front of J. Upton, but getting on base is just as much of an issue here as it is for teammate Chris Young. My thoughts about Young were stated before, too bad Hill reaches base at an ever lower rate.

My Pick

• Cameron Maybin 11.13 A #10 overall pick in one of the greatest drafts in MLB history. He’s the same age as Justin Upton, Andrew McCutchen, Jay Bruce, and Colby Rasmus. He was drafted ahead of all of them except Upton. If he didn’t play in San Diego he’d get much more attention. I think he’ll get it this year.

Notable Picks

• Ike Davis 11.01, Ryan Madson 11.03, Cory Luebke 11.09, Chris Carpenter 11.14

Round 12

Some questions were answered here in this round.

Where will Yu go?

Does anyone need a Belt to compliment their outfit?

Is it too early to go for the Gold(schmidt)?

Has anyone taken an Astro yet?

What a better way to celebrate three Angels being drafted by also drafting a player who shares his name with a serial killer?

(Answers can be found below)

Best Pick

• Yu Darvish 12.09 Yu bet this caught some attention. We’re now just outside the Top 150 and he hasn’t signed yet with Texas. He’s going to get run support and also favorable matchups against Seattle and Oakland. He’s also going to have the advantage of hitters seeing him for the first time. If you don’t think that matters, you didn’t see the Rangers get shut down by an unknown Matt Moore in the LDS last year.

Worst Pick

• Mark Trumbo 12.11 Huh? He became the Angels’ 1B by default last year as Kendrys Morales couldn’t recover from the horrific leg injury. This pick makes sense if the Angels were to move him to 3B, or platoon him with Bobby Abreu. I’m still having a hard time seeing him as anything other than trade bait in Spring Training.

My Pick

• Paul Goldschmidt 12.02 Yup, I might have drafted the 2012 version of Mark Trumbo earlier in the round. I used this pick to fill my CI spot and I’m willing to take the risk here.  He also had the faith of Kirk Gibson on a division winning club. I’m not going to doubt Kirk Gibson.

Notable Picks

• Peter Bourjos 12.01, Jordan Walden 12.05, Brandon Belt 12.07, Dexter Fowler 12.14
• No, still no Astros.

If you’re interested on seeing the entire draft, check out the Google doc

Follow Jason on Twitter: @JTrask25

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More to come as Jason’s mock draft progresses,

The Sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa website

The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Blog

Twitter:  @fantasy_sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Facebook fan page

Hi everyone,

Today we have the third installment from guest blogger Jason Trask for a mock (slow) draft he’s participating in with some fellow fantasy enthusiasts from Fantasy Baseball Cafe.  Here are Jason’s thoughts on rounds 7-9 of his draft (we’ll cover subsequent rounds in future posts).

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2012 Mock Draft #1:  Rounds 7-9

Round 7

We’ve made it through the first turn, where the core of your team is created. I’m of the opinion that if any of your top 6 picks make you nervous, here is where you can try to get security before attacking roster needs. Strengthening your CI, MI or OF can give that security without having to scramble and look for a marginal replacement later.

Best Pick

• Howie Kendrick 7.02 Eligible all over the place, and just signed a new contract extension.  Think about this, how would you like to spend the next 4 years hitting in front of Albert Pujols? Howie should finally be able to have that “breakout” that we’ve been anticipating for about 3 years.

Worst Pick

• Jonathan Papelbon 7.14 With only one SP taken, and no 3B taken as of yet at this slot, I was mildly surprised to see Papelbon go here. Wainwright was taken with the next pick at 8.01, but considering what was still on the board, it was risky.

My Pick

• Matt Latos 7.13 I wanted to get a 2^nd SP to complement CC here and Latos will go to the NL Central where some lineups are proverbial K factories. 200 K should come easy for the 24 year old, and with a young, surging Reds team 18+ W is reachable.

Notable Picks

• Jon Lester 7.03, Drew Stubbs 7.04, CJ Wilson 7.05, Joe Mauer 7.07

Round 8

We’re solidly through the first few tiers of SP at this point, and you can certainly see with the picks what strategy is being used. This round is a perfect example of why a January Mock can be “mocked” for what happens going forward.

Best Pick

• Adam Wainwright 8.01 I think this is a great pick. It was such a good pick, that I would have taken him next. Those who drafted Wainwright at this time last year had to get him 4 or 5 rounds earlier. He’s proven that he can do it, and the recipients of Tommy John surgery are proving to be less risky than even 5 years ago.

Worst Pick

• Matt Moore 8.09 He’s thrown less than 20 total innings in the big leagues. The Tampa Bay Rays have developed a tremendous track record of young pitching arms, but this seems a bit silly. I will repeat the first sentence. He’s thrown less than 20 total innings in the big leagues.

My Pick

• Dee Gordon 8.02 Skinny Swag* will have the SS job for LA. I also fully expect him to hit in front of Matt Kemp in that lineup, if not leadoff. The AVG might not be better than .260 but his potential for elite SB could make him the MI version of Michael Bourn.

*Sorry about the Twit-speak, but it’s pretty funny to see how real and child-like these ball players can be. Of course, Gordon’s the guy who was given the “rock a bye” treatment by Ron Barajas in the dugout once.

Notable Picks

• Newest Yankee Michael Pineda 8.03, Brandon Beachy 8.06, Ubaldo Jimenez 8.10, Jordan Zimmerman 8.14

Round 9

This is where I started to worry a little about “insuring” my roster with solid picks in positions of need. Still had no Catcher, and only 2 OF and SP up to this point. With 24 picks between Round 8 and Round 9, I felt like I couldn’t take many risks with my picks.

Best Pick

• Andre Ethier 9.06 I drafted him early last year, kept the faith for a few months and then just mostly felt bad for him after the All Star Break. His AVG was the same, but his SLG dropped almost 80 points from the norm. Knee surgery in September confirmed a lot of suspicions and as a result he’s a great buy low candidate for 2012.

Worst Pick

• Chris Young 9.10 I’m fully aware of the value of 20 HR/20 SB guys, but I’m also very aware that his highest AVG in the last 5 years is .257. It doesn’t help that he’s struck out over 130 times in each of those seasons. If you’re going to be at the top of a ML lineup, you need to get on base more than 32% of the time.

My Pick

• Ricky Romero 9.13 I had a choice to take a SP/C/OF here and went with the best of what was on the board. He’s 27, and has had his ERA go down and IP and K’s go up. Here’s a great stat from the 2012 season. In 225 IP, he posted an ERA of under 3.00 while giving up 26 HR. He’s learned how to miss bats in the AL East and will be a solid #3 SP.

Notable Picks

• Mariano Rivera 9.01, Josh Johnson 9.02, Ichiro Suzuki 9.12*, Dustin Ackley 9.14

*The Houston Astros are now the only team remaining with not only no hitters taken, but no pitchers taken either. This should be fairly common in most draft this year. Sorry Astros fans.

If you’re interested on seeing the entire draft, check out the Google doc

Follow Jason on Twitter: @JTrask25

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More to come as Jason’s mock draft progresses,

The Sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa website

The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Blog

Twitter:  @fantasy_sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Facebook fan page

Hi everyone,

Today we have the second installment from guest blogger Jason Trask for a mock (slow) draft he’s participating in with some fellow fantasy enthusiasts from Fantasy Baseball Cafe.  Here are Jason’s thoughts on rounds 4-6 of his draft (we’ll cover subsequent rounds in future posts).

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2012 Mock Draft #1:  Rounds 4-6

Round 4

Most of the top-tier players are gone going into Round 4, yet with no C or RP had been taken yet. Round 4 brought many surprises as many younger unproven players started to get picked.

Best Pick

• Alex Rodriguez 4.05 Taken right after Youkilis, the 3B tier became depleted after this point. No longer a Top 5 pick, but still able to produce solid 2^nd Round numbers from a very shallow 3B field.

Worst Pick

• Elvis Andrus 4.08 Back to back SSs taken at this spot, and probably a few rounds too early for someone that hits in the bottom of a potent Texas lineup. Unless he can get his BA to .285 or .290 levels, it didn’t make sense to grab an OF here.

My Pick

• Dan Uggla 4.02 Is he a .230 hitter? I doubt it. He had some poor luck last year and needed a 31-game hitting streak just to get his BA over .220. Hard to ignore that he once again delivered 30+ HR, and at 2B, I’ll take it every time.

Notable Picks

• Eric Hosmer 4.07
• Brett Lawrie 4.12
• Chase Utley 4.14

Round 5

Round 4 raised a few eyebrows as some fairly unproven youngsters were taken. As another drafter said, “Welcome to early mocks, where everyone wants to be the one to predict a breakout season.”. I haven’t yet filled either 1B/3B spot to this point and I was hoping there would be a run on SP/C/OFs here.

Best Pick

• Aramis Ramirez 5.01 3B officially becomes a scrap heap once this pick is made. I’m surprised that unproven Lawrie went before Aramis, but grabbing the last real power-hitting 3B is a great pick.

Worst Pick

• James Shields 5.12 The first SP taken in awhile, and I think it may have been a bit of a reach. As good as Shields was in ’11, it’ll be tough to repeat. There were others I would have taken here at SP, I just don’t see Shields as a clear #1 SP.

My Pick

• Paul Konerko 5.13 Sticking with offense, and needing a 1B I grabbed Konerko here who’s showing no signs of slowing down. Robin Ventura’s hinting at using him more at DH to keep him healthy throughout the season, and I’m very happy with this pick.

Notable Picks

• Mike Napoli 5.02
• Michael Bourn 5.05
• Michael Morse 5.06
• Stephen Strasburg 5.07
• Desmond Jennings 5.08
• Jason Heyward 5.14 (youth movement indeed)

Round 6

The first 4 rounds certainly dictated this round as players were now taken to fill positional needs. The top catchers went in Round 5, and a few bounceback candidates started to appear in Round 6. Round highlights will be provided going forward.

Best Pick

• Ryan Howard 6.01 Great pick if healthy. All reports have been positive, but there’s no way of knowing if he’ll be ready for opening day.

Worst Pick

• Craig Kimbrel 6.06 First RP taken. Kimbrel was about a reliable as you could get, but my gut says it’s too early to think RP.

My Pick

• Michael Young 6.02 I was able to get my 3B here, and love that he’s still the heart and soul of the Texas lineup. He’ll bring the BA and R, but probably won’t wow anyone with power numbers.

Notable picks

• Alex Gordon 6.03
• Mark Reynolds 6.10
• Buster Posey 6.11
• Lance Berkman 6.13

If you’re interested on seeing the entire draft, check out the Google doc

Follow Jason on Twitter: @JTrask25

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More to come as Jason’s mock draft progresses,

The Sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa website

The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Blog

Twitter:  @fantasy_sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Facebook fan page

Hi everyone,

Today we have a guest blogger - Jason Trask.  Jason hails from Red Sox country, he’s the General Manager of the South Shore Baseball Club by day and an avid fantasy baseball league participant by night (sometimes very late at night).  He also has a beautiful 3-yr-old named Bailey, who will no doubt enjoy rooting for the Sox’ new closer this season.

Jason is currently participating in a slow mock draft with some fellow fantasy enthusiasts from Fantasy Baseball Cafe - here are his thoughts on the first three rounds of his draft (we’ll cover subsequent rounds in future posts).  Take it away, Jason!

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2012 Mock Draft #1

This is where it starts, the most wonderful time of year indeed. The reset buttons are hit and everyone brings their hopes and dreams of fantasy baseball glory to the forefront. Draft strategies are tested and mocked. Keepers are debated. Thousands of productive hours of work, sleep and family attention are lost. Now is when unproven talent can create debates rivaling the virtues of potential Republican Party candidates. The first signal flare of the 2012 Election season was launched with the Iowa Caucus. The first signal flare of the 2012 Fantasy Baseball season starts with mock drafting.  

My New Years’ Resolution? I don’t want this to be the launching pad that features me on A&E’s Intervention: Fantasy Baseball.

This is a 14 team 5×5 mixed snake draft with 23 active roster spots and 7 bench players.  I picked 13^th in the odd-numbered rounds and 2^nd in the even-numbered rounds.

Round 1

The first pick off the board was Albert Pujols. I can envision a park effect of going from hitting regularly against the Cubs, Pirates, Reds and Brewers (all hitters’ parks) to the spacious Oakland Coliseum and the two headed monster of King Felix and Michael Pineda in Seattle. Aside from that, there’s no one else I’d take in this position. Hanley being taken at the turn with 1.14 opened a few eyes, but with upcoming CI eligibility it could be a steal.

Best Picks

• Evan Longoria 1.12 I had hoped Longoria would fall to me with the next pick, but this is a solid pick for a deep league at a fairly thin position. Longoria battled some injury issues and suffered from some bad luck before turning it on in the second half.

Worst Picks

• Justin Upton 1.08 It’s hard to call this a “Worst” pick, when I had my eye on him at the end of the round. I think he went about 4 or 5 picks too soon. He made a sizable jump in production across the board, but I am not a fan of his supporting cast.

My Pick

• Jacoby Ellsbury 1.13 Longoria was taken with the prior pick so Ellsbury became my plan B. I do not expect him to match his HR totals, but he’s basically a lock for 200+ RBI/R and 30+ SB. I feel confident that I can make up the difference in HR in later rounds.

Round 2

No pitchers were taken in Round 1, so I expected a few of the SP horses to be grabbed here. Halladay and Kershaw went back to back with Verlander landing at 2.11. No Ryan Braun in Round 2, with Holliday/McCutchen ending the round after recent first rounders Jose Reyes and David Wright fell to the middle of round 2.

Best Pick

• Roy Halladay 2.07 There’s never a bad place to draft Doc. I was tempted to grab him early in Round 2. The last time we saw him he was outdueled by Chris Carpenter in the NLDS. Halladay’s the type that will be motivated for a monster year as a result.

Worst Pick

• Mike Stanton 2.09 A round early here for Stanton for me.  He has the upside, but needs to improve in BA and R. He’ll be a hot commodity in drafts going forward, but I still feel this is about 8 or 10 picks too early.

 My Pick

• Josh Hamilton 2.02 What Ellsbury can give in SB, Hamilton can reciprocate in HR. I almost went with Pedroia with this pick (he went next), but couldn’t turn away a chance to land another Top 5 OF here. I think last year was Hamilton’s floor and didn’t see much risk here after the turn.

Round 3

The SP trinity of VerKerDay all went in Round 2. 1B and OF led with 16 of the first 28 picks. Still no C or RP drafted, but SPs should be going quickly in the next couple of rounds.

Best Pick

• Carl Crawford 3.12 A regular Top 20 pick taken at the end of Round 3 could be one of the best picks of the draft. Another year in Boston should give him some comfort, but I worry about his SB totals. I don’t expect much more than 15 HR, but his other counting stats should revert back to norm.

Worst Pick

• Starlin Castro 3.07 Taken as the 4^th SS off the board in a deep draft, but aside from a high BA there’s not much else there to count on. He’s young, he’s got talent, but I worry about his ability to produce HR and RBI totals.

My Pick

• CC Sabathia 3.13 SPs were flying off the board at this point (Felix, Cliff Lee, Lincecum and Grienke) so I felt comfortable taking CC as an anchor here. A boring pick, but I’ll expect 18+ W, 200+K, and a reasonable WHIP and ERA to go with it.

If you’re interested on seeing the entire draft, check out the Google doc

Follow Jason on Twitter: @JTrask25

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More to come as Jason’s mock draft progresses,

The Sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa website

The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Blog

Twitter:  @fantasy_sherpa

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The Angels’ recent signing of former Cardinals’ first baseman Albert Pujols has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully so.  However, largely overlooked in the euphoria in Southern California attributable to the Pujols and C.J. Wilson signings are the unresolved roster issues that the Angels will have to deal with in the upcoming months.  The decisions the Angels make will impact the 2012 fantasy values of at least half a dozen players (though none of them are named Pujols).

Ignoring about the DH spot for a moment, the Angels’ roster decisions can basically be broken into two groups:  first basemen and outfielders.  Pujols will obviously get the majority of starts at first base, even allowing for the 15 games or so I estimate he’ll serve as the DH.  That leaves last year’s first baseman, Mark Trumbo, and 2010’s first baseman (at least for the first couple of months), Kendrys Morales, in limbo (not that Morales’ leg would allow him to do the limbo, or any other dance).  Morales may not even be ready for the start of the 2012 season, and no team in its right mind would trade for him before he demonstrates he can run enough to at least serve as a DH.  Trumbo has supposedly been asked to learn to play third base.  However, he’s never played third base in either the majors or minors, and plans to have him learn the position in winter ball had to be scuttled when Trumbo suffered a late-season stress fracture in his foot.  Trumbo does have limited experience playing the outfield, so that’s also a possibility, albeit a remote one.

That’s because the Angels have even more of a logjam in their outfield, if that’s possible.  Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells, Peter Bourjos, Mike Trout, and even Bobby Abreu are in the mix for the three outfield spots.  Throw Trumbo into the mix too if you wish.  At age 33, with three years left on his contract at $21 Mil per year, and coming off a season in which he hit just .218, Vernon Wells is probably as close to untradeable as any player in the game.  Unless the Angels choose to pay another team to take him off their hands (unlikely) or eat his contract (even more unlikely), you can almost certainly pencil him in for another season in left field.  Bourjos is a future star in center field (even if he eventually moves to a corner spot to make room for Trout), and that’s where he figures to spend most of the 2012 season.  Hunter has one season left on his contract at $18 Mil, and Abreu has one season left on his contract at $9 Mil.  Since the Angels can still stash Trout in the minors, that’s what they’ll likely choose to do unless trades and/or injuries dictate otherwise.

Here’s my guess as to what will happen:  Morales will still not be ready for game action when the season starts, so Abreu (a left-handed hitter) and Trumbo (a right-handed hitter) will start the season platooning at DH.  Barring a trade or injury, Wells, Bourjos, and Hunter will be the regular outfielders, with Trout more likely to start the season in the minors than as a fourth outfielder in Anaheim.

The dominoes will start to fall if/when Morales is ready to return and/or Trout’s performance at Triple-A dictates that he be promoted for good.  At that point the Angels will need to deal someone - Trumbo (inexpensive), Abreu (expiring contract), and Hunter (expiring contract) are the players most likely to go in exchange for an upgrade at shortstop and/or third base.  Morales, if he proves to be healthy, will settle in as the DH, and whoever doesn’t get dealt among Trumbo, Abreu, and Hunter will stick around as a fourth outfielder and/or part-time DH.

What does this mean for the players’ 2012 fantasy values?  Wells is likely to rebound somewhat (even at age 33) from his sub-par 2011, which was due primarily to a horrendous BABIP (.214 vs. a career mark of .282).  He makes for a good late-round flier in a mixed league draft, and a third or fourth outfielder in an AL-only league.  Both Bourjos’ stolen base and power totals should continue to increase, so he is a great speculative pick in any format.  I would avoid Abreu in mixed leagues unless you’re desperate towards the end of a draft or auction - his power numbers fell off the table last season, and based on some of his other stats (strikeout rate, infield fly ball rate, etc.), I don’t see his power returning.  Hunter’s power is still there, but his speed is gone, and a spike in his infield fly ball rate last season caused his average to dip.  I’d avoid both Abreu and Hunter in AL-only leagues in which you lose a player if he’s traded to the NL - both are better cast as DHs than outfielders at this point in their respective careers, but there are only 14 DH jobs to go around, and most of them are already spoken for.

Finally, I wouldn’t use anything more than a speculative pick on Trumbo or Morales - it’s highly unlikely either will be a significant fantasy contributor in 2012.

Until next time,

The Sherpa

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With all the rumors flying around a week before the July 31st trade deadline (most of which will prove to be unfounded), predicting who will wind up where is particularly challenging.  Fantasy owners also need to be mindful of the potential impacts of these trades, not only on the players involved, but also on the other players affected for both teams in the deal.

The following is a list of players whose fantasy value is likely to increase or decrease significantly by July 31st:

1. Lucas Duda, 1B/OF, NYM (Increase) - Carlos Beltran is almost certain to be traded, and that should open up significant at-bats for this budding power-hitter.  He’ll play right field most days and occasionally spell David Murphy at first base.
2.  Kyle Blanks, 1B/OF, SD (Increase)- Ryan Ludwick is another outfielder rumored to be on the move to a team in search of some outfield power.  Trading Ludwick would open up left field for Blanks, which would in turn open up first base for teammate Jose Guzman.
3. Ryan Ludwick, OF, SD (Increase) - Speaking of Ludwick, his fantasy value would almost certainly increase if he were traded anywhere other than Cleveland.
4. Josh Willingham, OF, Oak (Increase) - ditto for Willingham, who must be counting down the days until he is traded from Oakland to a pennant contender (again, unless it’s Cleveland).
5. Mike Adams/Luke Gregerson, RP, SD (Increase) - Heath Bell is another player on the almost-certain-to-be-traded list - Adams is the likely successor as the Padres’ closer, unless the team decides to move him too.  If that happens, Gregerson is the most likely candidate to close.
6. Edward Mujica, RP, Fla (Increase) - Manager Jack McKeon has already stated that Mujica is his likely closer if Leo Nunez is traded.  The likelihood of Nunez being traded is anyone’s guess, but with so many contenders looking for bullpen help, I’d place the probability of that happening at ~75%.
7. Rich Harden, SP, Oak (Increase) - Sure, any team that trades for him knows that it’s assuming a sizable risk, but he’s the most talented starting pitcher thought to be available (sorry, Hideki Kuroda and Wandy Rodriguez).  Boston, which isn’t sure when Clay Buchholz is returning or what it will get from him when he does, is a likely destination, with Cincinnati, Cleveland, and to a lesser extent Arizona, also possibilities.
8. Yonder Alonso, 1B/OF, Cin (Increase) - He’s likely to be included in any deal the Reds make to shore up their rotation.  He’s a first baseman by trade but has been playing the outfield this season at Triple-A since he’s blocked by Joey Votto in Cincinnati.
9. Ian Desmond, SS, Was (Increase) - An Ian Desmond (and others) for B.J. Upton trade makes too much sense not too happen - both players could use a fresh start.  While Upton’s batting average likely wouldn’t rise after changing teams, Desmond’s would - he’s a much better hitter than he’s shown this season.  If anything, he’s been too patient at the plate, resulting in his getting behind in the count and expanding his strike zone.
10. Alex Presley, OF, Pit (Decrease) - If a rumored deal for Ludwick or Willingham takes place, Presley will most likely be the odd man out in spite of his play since his recent recall.  If given the choice between Jose Tabata and Presley as his third outfielder, manager Clint Hurdle will likely opt for Tabata.
11. Garrett Jones, 1B/OF, Pit (Decrease) - He’s in a similar situation to Presley, but Jones could still move to first base if the Pirates decide to cut ties with the disappointing Lyle Overbay.
12. Nate Schierholtz, OF, SF (Decrease) - Like Presley, he’s played well recently, but that won’t stop the offensively-challenged Giants from seeking an upgrade (read: Carlos Beltran).
13. J.J. Putz, Closer, Ari (Decrease) - If the Diamondbacks think they have a legitimate shot to catch the Giants in the NL West, it’s unlikely they’ll rely on David Hernandez and the injury-prone Putz to close out games for them.  An intradivision trade for Heath Bell is unlikely, but a trade with the Marlins for Leo Nunez would make a lot of sense.
14. Heath Bell, Closer, SD (Decrease) - Almost any team that trades for Bell would use him as a closer, but one that might not is Texas, which already has Neftali Feliz, even if he hasn’t been as dominant this season as last.
15. Hiroki Kuroda, SP, LAD (Decrease) - It’s easy to conclude that if Kuroda moved to a better team, his win total would go up.  However, wins are largely arbitrary, and almost any team he’d be traded to would have a less-spacious park than the Dodgers.
16. Roger Bernadina/Laynce Nix, OF, Was (Decrease) - If the rumored trade for B.J. Upton goes through, Bernadina will be bumped, and will probably split time with Nix in left field.

I’ve omitted Carlos Beltran, Wandy Rodriguez, and B.J. Upton from this list, even though they’re good candidates to be traded, because I don’t believe that a change of scenery will significantly affect their fantasy values.

The Sherpa

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With the season reaching the halfway point I figured it would be fun to take a look back to see who have been the most valuable fantasy baseball performers so far.  Justin Verlander and Matt Kemp have been two players grabbing a lot of headlines this season with their play, so it should come as little to no surprise that they rank first and second in the standard 5×5 mixed league format through yesterday’s games.  Here are the lists of the top ten hitters and pitchers through the games of Saturday, July 2nd (Total Sherpa Points based on a max of 5.00, which would be a player’s score if he led the league in all five hitting or pitching categories):

Top 10 Hitters

1. Matt Kemp (3.81) - 293 AB, .331 AVG, 22 HR, 63 RBI, 22 SB, 52 R
2. Adrian Gonzalez (3.42) - 327 AB, .352 AVG, 16 HR, 71 RBI, 1 SB, 56 R
3. Ryan Braun (3.42) - 299 AB, .321 AVG, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 19 SB, 57 R
4. Jose Reyes (3.38) - 344 AB, .352 AVG, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 30 SB, 65 R
5. Jose Bautista (3.24) - 261 AB, .326 AVG, 24 HR, 52 RBI, 5 SB, 61 R
6. Curtis Granderson (3.14) - 294 AB, .276 AVG, 21 HR, 56 RBI, 14 SB, 70 R
7. Miguel Cabrera (2.99) - 280 AB, .332 AVG, 17 HR, 56 RBI, 1 SB, 60 R
8. Prince Fielder (2.86) - 285 AB, .302 AVG, 21 HR, 69 RBI, 0 SB, 49 R
9. Paul Konerko (2.84) - 293 AB, .321 AVG, 21 HR, 61 RBI, 1 SB, 39 R
10. Jacoby Ellsbury (2.83) - 323 AB, .300 AVG, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 25 SB, 55 R

Granderson, Konerko, and (to a lesser extent) Ellsbury are the biggest surprises on this list - before the season you would have expected to see some combination of Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Gonzalez, Joey Votto, Troy Tulowitzki, and David Wright taking up three of the spots in a season-to-date top ten list.  It will be interesting to see how much Jose Reyes’ latest injury affects both his fantasy value and his real-life trade value.

Top 10 Pitchers

1. Justin Verlander (3.93) - 135.2 IP, 11 W, 0 SV, 2.32 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 130 K
2. Jared Weaver (3.42) - 123.1 IP, 9 W, 0 SV, 1.97 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 106 K
3. Roy Halladay (3.33) - 127.1 IP, 10 W, 0 SV, 2.40 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 123 K
4. James Shields (3.27) - 128.2 IP, 8 W, 0 SV, 2.45 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 127 K
5. Cole Hamels (3.15) - 116.0 IP, 9 W, 0 SV, 2.41 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 110 K
6. Cliff Lee (2.97) - 122.0 IP, 9 W, 0 SV, 2.66 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 119 K
7. Clayton Kershaw (2.84) - 116.2 IP, 8 W, 0 SV, 2.93 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 128 K
8. CC Sabathia (2.67) - 129.2 IP, 11 W, 0 SV, 3.05 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 106 K
9. Dan Haren (2.65) - 116.2 IP, 8 W, 0 SV, 2.85 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 98 K
10. David Price (2.52) - 118.0 IP, 8 W, 0 SV, 3.43 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 116 K

Can’t say that any of the names on the pitchers’ list are a surprise except for James Shields.  Most people thought he would bounce back from a 2010 season that wasn’t as bad as his fantasy stats would indicate, but I don’t think anyone (or at least not anyone I know) predicted he would be a top ten pitcher at this point, much less a top five pitcher.  And fear not, Phillie fans - even without Roy Oswalt, your team still has plenty of pitching left to run away with the NL East and beat any team in either league in a playoff series.

Hope you’re enjoying your 4th of July holiday weekend!

The Sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa website

The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Blog

Twitter:  @fantasy_sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Facebook fan page

Hi everyone,

Week 6-7 notable items:  a team throws a 1-hitter and loses.  Carlos Beltran hits three home runs in a game one day, then comes down with conjunctivitis (aka pink-eye) and misses a game the next day.  Jose Bautista continues to prove that last season was not a fluke, Andrew McCutchen allows Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle to show who’s in charge, and Bartolo Colon becomes the center of a debate on something (stem cells) unrelated to his weight.  Jorge Posada missed a game with a bruised ego.  Mets’ owner Fred Wilpon trashes three of his team’s best players in a magazine interview, and Edinson Volquez trashes his teammates, earning himself a ticket from Cincinnati to Indianapolis.

Thoughts from Weeks 6-7

• Hurt Locker -Those hitting the DL the last couple of weeks included Grady Sizemore, Marlon Byrd, Vicente Padilla, Aroldis Chapman, John Lackey, Adam Lind, David Wright, Travis Hafner, Shane Victorino, Josh Johnson, Pedro Alvarez, Juan Uribe, Mark Teahen, Alex White, Jesse Litsch, Tyson Ross, Brandon McCarthy, Brian Roberts, Derrek Lee, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Rafael Soriano, Orlando Hudson, Ike Davis, Brandon Beachy, Julio Borbon, Hong-Chih Kuo, and Chris “The Pitcher” Young (out for the season).  Whew, I’m out of breath just from typing that list.
• Welcome to The Show! - Among those making their MLB debuts the last couple of weeks were Alan Dirks, Mike Wilson, Charlie Furbush, Ryan Adams, Ezequiel Carrera, Danny Duke, and Eric Thames.
• Welcome Back! - Franklin Gutierrez, Domonic Brown, Noland Reimold, Vance Worley, Dallas McPherson, Brandon Snyder, Fernando Martinez, Greg Gentry, Carlos Peguero, Justin Turner, Endy Chavez, Manny Burriss, and Doug Davis are among those who have returned to the majors after serving time in the minors.  Chase Utley, Roy Oswalt, Rafael Furcal, Andres Torres, Logan Morrison, Delmon Young, Carlos Ruiz, Zach Greinke, Ty Wigginton, Joey Devine, J.J. Hardy, and Jose Arredondo are among those who have returned from DL stints.
• Thanks for playing - better luck next time! - Among those who have been sent back to the minors within the last two weeks are Jeremy Jeffress, Jarrod Dyson, Armando “Almost Perfect” Galarraga, Juan Francisco, Tyler Colvin, Ramiro Pena, Chris Valaika, Ian Stewart, Ivan DeJesus, Mike Leake.  Scott Olson, Ryan Langerhans, Russell Branyan, and Milton Bradley are all looking for work, courtesy of their former teams.
• Closer roulette - Fernando Salas has wrested the St. Louis closing job away from Eduardo Sanchez, at least for the time being.  Jason Motte and Ryan Franklin are still long-shot candidates to close at some point this season too.  In Los Angeles Vicente Padilla’s absence creates an opportunity for Matt Guerrier, Kenley Jansen, and perhaps even Mike MacDougal (isn’t he a fossil by now?).  Brandon League looks like he’s on the ropes in Seattle, but with Jamey Wright, and possibly Jeff Gray, as alternatives, it looks like League will keep his job (good thing he doesn’t pitch in St. Louis).  In Toronto Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco are both treating the closer’s job like a hot potato, potentially creating an opportunity for Jason Frasor (or even Octavio Dotel) to step in.  Meanwhile in Baltimore Kevin Gregg somehow holds on to the 9th-inning duties even though his WHIP is higher than some closers’ ERA.  Koji Uehara, and possibly even Alberto “(Alleged) Killer” Simon will eventually get a shot at Gregg’s job.
• Role play - With recent injuries to outfielders Jason Heyward and Nate McLouth the Atlanta outfield is a mess.  Expect Eric Hinske, Joe Mather, and Jordan Schafer to split at-bats while the aforementioned duo are out.  Laynce Nix is making a strong case to take the Nationals’ left-field job away from Mike Morse.  Also in our nation’s capitol Wilson Ramos and Roger Bernadina are gaining the upper hand on Ivan Rodriguez and Rick Ankiel, respectively, for playing time.  With both David Wright and Ike Davis out for the Mets Daniel Murphy has slid over to first base, Justin Turner is getting most of the starts at second, and a cast of thousands is rotating through third base.  Sticking with the “Amazins” Ronny Paulino is doing his best to win the starting catching job from Josh Thole.  With Jorge Posada’s recent meltdown in the Bronx you have to wonder if the Yankees are mulling the possibility of bringing up Jesus Montero, especially if the team continues its recent slide.  In Seattle the recent return of Franklin Gutierrez means that Michael Saunders, Mike Wilson, and Carlos Peguero are essentially competing for one outfield spot.  With Magglio Ordonez out in Detroit Brennan Boesch should see regular playing time, but also keep an eye on Don Kelly, Casper Wells, and rookie Andy Dirks.  In Baltimore J.J. Hardy’s return and Ryan Adams’ call-up suggest that Robert Andino will find playing time hard to come by.  Mark Teahen’s absence in Chicago may give Dallas McPherson a few at-bats, but if you think that this two-outcome player is going to morph into the consistent hitter people were expecting him to be five years ago, you’ll be sadly mistaken.

Strategy Corner

• Calling all offers -  Many fantasy team owners looking to make a trade will put out a blanket statement to the league to the effect of “I’m looking to acquire a power-hitter, and I’m willing to trade Koyie Hill or Mitch Maier to get him - make me an offer.”  While the “hit me up” approach can save an owner time and potentially result in multiple offers, generally you’re not going to get the best value in return if you leave it to others to initiate trade talks.  It takes time that many of you understandably feel you don’t have, but reviewing the rosters of fellow league owners for potential trade candidates can actually save you a lot of time (i.e. - you won’t waste time fending off silly trade offers).  Many negotiators always advise students to “let the other side make the first offer”, and that’s sound advice for many things in life, but not necessarily in fantasy baseball.  Making the initial offer to a busy fellow owner may have the advantage of determining the benchmark for any counteroffers.  At the risk of stating the obvious, never succumb to pressure in the form of “You’re always afraid to pull the trigger - no wonder you never improve your team!” - walking away from an offer you’re not happy with is always a sound strategy.

• To waive or not to waive - Every year without fail a number of star players get off to slow starts.  We’re not talking mere slumps here, we’re talking “Are they done?  How could I have spent a high pick on that turkey?” bad.  Examples this year include Carl Crawford and Chris Carpenter (maybe it’s the initials?).  It’s tempting in these situations to “cut the loser” and pick up a player who’s off to a better start (e.g. - Sam Fuld, Dillon Gee).  Yet doingso is almost always the wrong decision.  Unless you truly have a better option, or, as in the case of a struggling pitcher, you suspect he’s hurt, your “best alternative” is hardly ever a better player than the slumping star.  Remember that in another week when the top minor league players start arriving.

• Anticipation - Speaking of impending minor league call-ups, the unofficial “Super Two” deadline is right around the corner.  It’s the first of several dates during the season when a batch of “fresh meat” is likely to hit your league’s waiver wire (unless you’re in a keeper league, in which case these highly-touted prospects may have been scooped up months, if not years ago).  The July 31st trading deadline is another important date, as is late August (the deadline for MLB playoff rosters to be set).  Some factors to consider in figuring out whether to make room on your roster for these potential stars:
  • Is your league a redraft league or a dynasty league?  It obviously makes much more sense to take chances in the latter format.
  • Does your league use rotisserie or head-to-head style scoring?  Even highly-touted rookies almost inevitably struggle early on in their MLB careers (e.g. - Jerry Sands) - those struggles carry a much smaller penalty in a head-to-head format.
  • Do you have bench spots in your league?  If so, great - go ahead and take a chance.  However, if you don’t, be careful of falling into the “anybody’s better than the player I have now” trap, because that’s usually not the case.
  • Do you have to start players the week you pick them up?  If so, and you’re involved in a close race in your league, think long and hard about doing this.  Rookies rarely play every day, so make sure you can tolerate a string of zeros in your team’s box score.
  • Does your league allow daily lineup changes?  If it does, go ahead and take a chance - if you find out on a given day that your rookie isn’t playing, then simply swap him out of your starting lineup (assuming you have a bench).  If not, ask yourself how much competition that player has from other players currently on his team’s roster.  Anticipated June 1 call-ups to keep an eye on next week include Brett Lawrie, Mike Moustakas, and Lonnie Chisenhall - for some reason it appears that most of this year’s rookie impact bats are likely to be in the American League.

Wrapping up

• 2011 marks the second season that I’m writing a weekly entry for Fantasy Windup, Steve Gardner’s fantasy baseball blog on USAToday.com.  Each week I highlight 9 players who should be on your radar screen if you need to make a roster adjustment for the following week.  My entry will generally be posted late Sunday afternoon or early Sunday evening.

• If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in future posts, please send in a note with your suggestion(s)!

• Baseball season ends in September, not in May!  If you’re not already a subscriber to the Sherpa’s In-season Updates, you owe it to yourself to sign up today!  Use this state-of-the-art tool to guide your roster moves, set your lineup, and help you evaluate trade proposals.  The Sherpa has finally found a way to put his Harvard math degree and 17 years of experience as an actuary to good use!  We currently have 815 players in the database and will be adding more as the season progresses.  The remainder-of-season forecasts are updated daily for every player and reflect just about any move an MLB team can make (minor league call-ups, DL moves, batting order changes, closer changes, role changes, trades, suspensions, and other roster moves).  You can even customize these forecasts to reflect your league’s scoring categories!  Sign up today, and let the Sherpa guide you to victory!

Have a great week!

The Sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa website

The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Blog

Twitter:  @fantasy_sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Facebook fan page

Hi everyone,

We’re back after an unexcused absence last week.  What’s been going on since our last newsletter a couple of weeks ago?  Francisco Liriano and Justin Verlander threw no-hitters; Anibal Sanchez just missed his second of the year, and Jaime Garcia also had a near miss.  Sanchez and Garcia are just two of many young pitchers showing their impressive stuff early this season; that group also includes Justin Masterson, Zach Britton, Bud Norris, and Brandon Beachy.  With so many pitchers pitching so well it’s remarkable Andre Ethier managed a 30-game hitting streak.

Thoughts from Weeks 4 & 5

• Hurt locker - Those who’ve hit the DL in the past two weeks include Nelson Cruz, Pablo Sandoval, Roy Oswalt, David Freese, Delmon Young, Jonathan Broxton, Carlos Ruiz, Brandon Lyon, Ty Wigginton, Nyjer Morgan, and Eric Chavez.  Joe Mauer, Ryan Zimmerman, and Kendry Morales are all expected to be sidelined longer than originally anticipated.
• Welcome to The Show! - Eric Hosmer is by far the biggest name to make his MLB debut recently; that group also includes Alex White, Julio Teheran, Ben Revere, Rene Tomasoni, and Brandon Guyer.
• Welcome back!  - Neftali Feliz, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Hill, Clint Barmes, Ian Stewart, Maicer Izturis, Hong-Chih Kuo, Jay Gibbons, Allen Craig, Ronny Paulino, and Michael Wuertz have all returned from DL stints of varying lengths.  Scott Sizemore, Dillon Gee, Russell Mitchell, and Craig Gentry have all returned to the majors from the minor leagues.
• Thanks for playing - better luck next time!  - Julio Teheran and Brandon Guyer deserve special mention here - they were both called up for a day before being shipped back to the minors.  Kila Ka’aihue, Will Rhymes, Taylor Teagarden, Mike Nickeas, A.J. Ellis, and Felipe Lopez can now be found starring (hopefully) at a minor league park near you.  The Mariners have designated both Milton Bradley and Ryan Langerhans for assignment.  I guess they feel they can lose just as easily with younger, cheaper players as they can with older, more expensive players.
• Closer roulette - Neftali Feliz has returned to reclaim the closer’s role in Texas.  Mark Melancon has taken over for the injured Brandon Lyon in Houston, and Vicente Padilla (?!?) has taken over for the injured Jonathan Broxton in Los Angeles.  Fernando Salas is the latest flavor of the month for Tony La Russa and the Cardinals - perhaps that’s explained by TLR’s vision (or lack thereof).  Kyle Farnsworth in Tampa, Sergio Santos in Chicago, Brian Fuentes in Oakland, Matt Capps in Minnesota, and Ryan Madson in Philadelphia have all solidified their grips on their respective teams’ closer roles.
• Role play - Conor Jackson and Ryan Sweeney are seeing more time at the expense of Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham, and Daric Barton in Oakland.  Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto have returned to the Reds’ rotation; Sam LeCure and Mike Leake have taken up residence in Cincinnati’s bullpen - Travis Wood has survived the changes and remains in the rotation (for now).  With Nelson Cruz on the DL in Texas Mitch Moreland shifts to the outfield, opening up at-bats at first base for Chris Davis.  Given that Davis is a switch-hitter and the Rangers just sent Taylor Teagarden down to the minors again, Mike Napoli won’t pose much of a threat to Davis if the latter hits well.  Brandon Wood has been playing almost every day in Pittsburgh, filling in for the injured Pedro Alvarez at third and the ineffectual Ronny Cedeno at shortstop.  David Freese will miss several months for the Cardinals, but Allen Craig won’t necessarily get much playing time at third - look for some combination of Daniel Descalso, Nick Punto, and perhaps even Tyler Greene in Freese’s absence.  Daniel Murphy has maintained his playing time edge over Justin Turner at second base for the Mets, while Jason Pridie continues to be the primary beneficiary of Angel Pagan’s continued absence.  Robert Andino’s run as the Orioles’ regular shortstop (more or less) will come to an end when J.J. Hardy returns from the DL this week.  Wilson Ramos continues to take more and more of the playing time at catcher away from Ivan Rodriguez for the Nats.  Finally, Raul Ibanez shows signs of shaking his slump for the Phillies, but expect John Mayberry to get more at-bats going forward.  Ibanez’ continued struggles almost guarantee that Ben Francisco will see at least semi-regular at-bats even after Domonic Brown returns from his rehab assignment in the minors.

Strategy Corner

• Mound presents - Clearly, if your team’s pitchers are the primary cause of your team’s disappointing performance so far this season, the answer must be . . . add more pitchers???  Yes, that’s right.  Assuming that you don’t have any absolute clunkers on  your staff (Joe Saunders and Kyle Davies come to mind), one possible course of strategy is to employ the “set ‘em and forget ‘em” approach with your hitters, then use all available bench spots on starting pitchers.  Then choose your starting pitchers each week based on who has the most favorable matchup(s).  Don’t be worried about starting a guy with “lousy peripherals” if he’s got a favorable matchup or two during the upcoming week, especially if you play in a head-to-head league.
• Minor developments - Most hard-core baseball fans were already familiar with Eric Hosmer, Ben Revere, and Julio Teheran well before they were called up, but how do you spot the next Jerry Sands (or any other player who takes the minor leagues by storm after not receiving a ton of hype in the preseason)?  My favorite source for minor league stats is the official site of minor league baseball - you can easily identify league leaders for the International and Pacific Coast Leagues (as well as the Mexican League, if you’re interested).
• Beyond BABIP - While we’re on the subject of great statistical sources, if you don’t already use Fangraphs, you should definitely become familiar with this site.  Suppose you’ve noticed that Hanley Ramirez has a batting average that’s hovering around the Mendoza Line and a correspondingly awful batting average on balls in play (BABIP).  Are pitchers pitching him differently?  Is he swinging at more balls outside of the strike zone?  Is he hitting fewer line drives and more ground balls?  Use Fangraphs to look at the underlying data and draw your own conclusions.  For example, if you had looked at Derek Jeter’s Fangraphs profile in the middle of last season, you would have seen clearly that his low BABIP was driven by a disturbing increase at the number of pitches outside of the strike zone he was swinging at, which made the resulting large increase in ground ball percentage much easier to understand.  Similar analyses can be performed for pitchers.

Wrapping up

• 2011 marks the second season that I’m writing a weekly entry for Fantasy Windup, Steve Gardner’s fantasy baseball blog on USAToday.com.  Each week I highlight 9 players who should be on your radar screen if you need to make a roster adjustment for the following week.  My entry will generally be posted late Sunday afternoon or early Sunday evening.

• If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in future posts, please send in a note with your suggestion(s)!

• Baseball season ends in September, not in May!  If you’re not already a subscriber to the Sherpa’s In-season Updates, you owe it to yourself to sign up today!  Use this state-of-the-art tool to guide your roster moves, set your lineup, and help you evaluate trade proposals.  The Sherpa has finally found a way to put his Harvard math degree and 17 years of experience as an actuary to good use!  We currently have 790 players in the database and will be adding more as the season progresses.  The remainder-of-season forecasts are updated daily for every player and reflect just about any move an MLB team can make (minor league call-ups, DL moves, batting order changes, closer changes, role changes, trades, suspensions, and other roster moves).  You can even customize these forecasts to reflect your league’s scoring categories!  Sign up today, and let the Sherpa guide you to victory!

Have a great week!

The Sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa website

The Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Blog

Twitter:  @fantasy_sherpa

Fantasy Baseball Sherpa’s Facebook fan page

Hi everyone,

Week 3 featured . . . the weather wreaking havoc with the schedule.  In between the raindrops Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa demonstrated that he’s a better meteorologist than Reds’ counterpart Dusty Baker.    Boston “finally” started winning, and things began to return to “normal” in Red Sox Nation.  Ryan Braun signed an ill-advised five-year contract extension, making him an even richer man.  The Marlins’ pitchers seemed to take a potential no-hitter late into games almost every night, but Hanley Van Winkle Ramirez has yet to awaken from his winter slumber.  Finally, Roy Halladay capped off a week of sterling pitching performances with your typical 14-strikeout game (yawn).

Thoughts from Week 3

• Hurt locker - Neftali Feliz, Victor Martinez, Logan Morrison, Angel Pagan, Dallas Braden, Aaron Hill, Scott Rolen, Nyjer Morgan, Jose Contreras, Jayson Nix, Juan Francisco, Skip Schumaker, and Allen Craig were among those who hit the DL this week.  Albert Pujols suffered a “minor hamstring strain” in Sunday night’s game, and is expected to miss several days, but he’ll apparently be able to avoid the DL.  Kendry Morales’ return date keeps getting pushed back further and further.

• Welcome to The Show! - Jerry Sands and Carlos Peguero were the most notable names among those who made their major league debuts this week.

• Welcome back! - Brandon Morrow and Jason Bay made their 2011 regular season debuts after returning from the DL.  Others returning after DL stints included Ubaldo Jimenez, Frank Francisco, Erick Aybar, Cody Ross, LaTroy Hawkins, Ryan Perry, and Nick Punto.  Chris Valaika, Jason Pridie, Mark Hamilton, Jeremy Hermida, and Jason Turner all returned to the big leagues after biding their time in the minors.  Special mention goes out to Brandon Wood, who was designated for assignment by the Angels, traded to the Pirates, and brought back up to the majors within the week.

• Thanks for playing; better luck next time! - Among those sent back to the minors this week were Ian Stewart, Brett Cecil, Jesus Flores, and George Kottaras.  But Brandon Belt’s demotion takes the cake (so to speak) - he was sent down on his 23rd birthday  (hey kid, we got you a birthday cake - sorry you aren’t here any more to enjoy it with us).  Honorable mention goes to Brad Emaus, whom the Mets selected last winter from Toronto during the Rule 5 draft; after being designated for assignment by the Mets Emaus was traded to the Rockies.  Unfortunately, Emaus’ story doesn’t end as happily as Brandon Wood’s (see previous bullet) - he was promptly sent down to the minors by the Rockies.

• Closer roulette - Things were relatively quiet on the closer front during the week, but then picked up unexpectedly over the weekend.  In St. Louis Mitchell Boggs seems to be adapting quickly to the closer’s role, as he finished the week with 3 saves.  Eduardo Sanchez appears to have moved ahead of Jason Motte for the time being in the pecking order, and thankfully Miguel Batista isn’t likely to pitch in a 9th inning anytime soon unless he’s performing mop-up duty.  Go ahead and discard Ryan Franklin - unlike Joe Nathan, Franklin has no realistic shot to regain the closer role in the foreseeable future.  The weekend injury bug bit first in Texas, where Neftali Feliz will be replaced by a committee that includes Darren Oliver, Arthur Rhodes, and perhaps even Darren O’Day.  Next, Jose Contreras was bitten by the bug - Ryan Madson inherits the closer job in South Philly with Antonio Bastardo available on days when Madson isn’t.  Madson has had a number of high profile meltdowns before as a closer, so Bastardo is a decent hedge.  Only time will tell whether Madson truly has “the right stuff”, or if he’s cut from the same cloth as Rafael Betancourt and LaTroy Hawkins (i.e. - great setup men who, for whatever reason, failed repeatedly when given the chance to close).  Drew Storen has solidified his hold on the Nationals’ 9th-inning duties.  Since the White Sox have lost 10 out of their last 11 it isn’t apparent whether Matt Thornton still has his job as the closer.  Even if he does, it appears to be just a matter of time before Chicago gives Sergio Santos a shot - he makes a good speculative pickup if he’s still available in your league.

• Role play - Daniel Murphy appears to be the chief beneficiary of Emaus’ departure, although Jason Turner may also be given a shot at regular at-bats.  Brett Gardner is slumping horribly against all types of pitching; expect Andruw Jones to gain more playing time while Gardner figures things out.  Curtis Granderson continues to build on the improvements he made during the second half of last season, but I’m a skeptic - he makes an excellent sell high candidate if you can find a taker.  Cody Ross will get most of the playing time that Brandon Belt left behind.  Ryan Raburn and Michael Cuddyer have both been receiving playing time at second base recently - Cuddyer’s almost certainly gone already in competitive leagues, but Raburn may still be available.  Jerry Sands was ostensibly brought up to clear up the Dodgers’ mess in left field, but if James Loney continues to struggle don’t be surprised if Sands settles in as the everyday first baseman.  The Reds brought up Chris Valaika, but it appears to be Nick Punto who will see the biggest increase in playing time with both Scott Rolen and Juan Francisco out.

Strategy corner

• Early season call-ups - a dilemma that fantasy owners often find themselves faced with early in the season is how to deal with call-ups (either real or anticipated) of big-time prospects.  Do you spend your money now on a Jerry Sands or save your money in hopes that a Julio Teheran, Jesus Montero, Desmond Jennings, or Mike Trout will be called up in early June after the Super 2 deadline has passed?  I’m definitely in the “bird in hand is worth two in the bush” school of thought.  First, there’s not guarantee the prospects who aren’t up yet are going to perform well enough to merit a call-up.  Second, even if they do, chances are that multiple people in  your league will also be hanging on to their FAAB money or waiver priority for the same player(s) you’re interested in waiting for.  Third, and most importantly, the earlier in the season you get someone on your roster, the more of a chance that player has to make a meaningful difference (hopefully in a good way) on your team’s results for the season.  If you’re in a league that uses weekly scoring periods (i.e. - no carryover impact from one week to the next), then it makes sense to spend your FAAB budget roughly evenly throughout the season because a player’s impact on your team’s results is proportional to how many weeks are left in the season when you pick him up.  However, if that isn’t the case (i.e. - you use a season-long scoring period), then the later in the season you pick up a player, the more difficult it becomes for him to make a meaningful difference in your average-based categories.

• Anticipating propsect call-ups - Last week I got lucky in one of my leagues and picked up Jerry Sands for $5 (annual FAAB budget is $100) the day before he was called up.  There were no other bids on Sands, so at first I was kicking myself for wasting $5 ($0 bids are allowed).  However, if that same player had been called up two days earlier, he undoubtedly would have gone for much more than $5 in our weekly FAAB bidding.  How do you know when a prospect is about to be called up, especially if it’s not late May/early June or late August/early September?  Take a close look at the team in question.  The Dodgers think of themselves as a playoff contender this season, so they felt motivated to make a move in an effort to get more production from their offense.  That goal outweighed whatever financial benefits they would have gained by calling Sands up after the Super 2 deadline.  Conversely, a similar situation has developed in Kansas City but is being handled differently.  Kila Ka’aihue has been a disaster, and “can’t miss” prospect Eric Hosmer has been denting scoreboards in Triple-A.  Still, the Royals know that in spite of their hot start this year that they don’t have realistic playoff expectations, so it makes little sense for them to “rush” Hosmer.  There are always exceptions - the Giants held off on calling up Buster Posey last year, and it almost cost them a playoff spot.  Several years ago the Devil Rays called up Evan Longoria in early May.  However, there were mitigating circumstances in both cases.    The Giants had a veteran catcher (Bengie Molina) whom they’d just spent pretty good money on in free agency - they eventually traded him to Texas.  The Rays were campaigning very publicly to get a new stadium built for their team, and they wanted to put the best possible players on the field to sway public opinion in their favor.  See?  Things are never as simple as they appear to be.

• DL spots  - If you’re in a league that allows roster moves 24/7 or daily, stop a minute the next time you want to dump a player from your current roster and pick up another one.  Instead of making the add and drop simultaneously, first drop the offending player, then pick up a desirable player who’s currently on the DL (assuming you currently have unused DL spots).  Once you’ve picked up the player on the DL, move him to your team’s DL.  If you still have DL spots remaining, repeat as necessary.  Once you’ve filled all your DL spots pick up the player you would have added if you’d done a straight add-drop initially.  If you’re doing this with multiple players two guidelines apply: (1) only pick up the DL’d player if you’d also pick him up if he were healthy and available.  No sense in wasting a DL spot on Trevor Crowe unless you’re in a 30-team AL-only league, and even then maybe not (2) stagger the expected return dates of your DL’d player if possible.  If you pick up only guys that are due back much later in the season (e.g. - Johan Santana), you just make it more likely you’ll have to drop one of those players the next time a player on your current active roster needs to go on the DL.

Wrapping up

• 2011 marks the second season that I’m writing a weekly entry for Fantasy Windup, Steve Gardner’s fantasy baseball blog on USAToday.com.  Each week I highlight 9 players who should be on your radar screen if you need to make a roster adjustment for the following week.  My entry will generally be posted late Sunday afternoon or early Sunday evening.

• If you have any topics you’d like me to cover in future posts, please send in a note with your suggestion(s)!

• Baseball season ends in September, not in April.  If you’re not already a subscriber to the Sherpa’s In-season Updates, you owe it to yourself to sign up today!  Use this state-of-the-art tool to guide your roster moves, set your lineup, and help you evaluate trade proposals.  The Sherpa has finally found a way to put his Harvard math degree and 17 years of experience as an actuary to good use!  We currently have 750 players in the database and will be adding more as the season progresses.  The remainder-of-season forecasts are updated daily for every player and reflect just about any move an MLB team can make (minor league call-ups, DL moves, batting order changes, closer changes, role changes, trades, suspensions, and other roster moves).  You can even customize these forecasts to reflect your league’s scoring categories!  Sign up today, and let the Sherpa guide you to victory!

Have a great week!

The Sherpa

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