The 26th Man - American League

There is absolutely no reason to doubt that every team in baseball will make use of it's minor league system this season. Below you'll find the hitting and pitching prospects that not only would have a huge impact, but are also nearly ready for action in the major leagues. These are the guys you need to be ready to grab when they hit the free agent lists.

All statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs.com

AMERICAN LEAGUE

The Baltimore Orioles - Matt Wieters
The Orioles are just killing time (and maybe saving a few bucks) by keeping catcher Matt Wieters in the minor leagues. Not only is he ready for the major leagues by most estimations but he would also be the kind of impact bat the Orioles tried so desperately to sign over the winter. The Orioles have a decent lineup already and what they really need is pitching but they won't rush their arms to the majors. Wieters however can help the Orioles win by bludgeoning their opponents to death.

Honorable Mention: Chris Tillman

Season	Team	AB	H	HR	R	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG
2008	Orioles (A+)	229	79	15	48	40	44	47	1	2	0.345
2008	Orioles (AA)	208	76	12	41	51	38	29	1	0	0.365
2009	Bill James	416	127	21	60	74	67	56	2	1	0.305

The Boston Red Sox - Lars Anderson
Although a lot of analysts might predict that Clay Buchholz would be the first call-up, I believe they would be wrong. The Red Sox are loaded with pitching and John Smoltz should come off the disabled list in June making the starting rotation even deeper. But Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew, David Ortiz, and Rocco Baldelli are all established injury risks and major cogs in Boston's offense. Should one of them go down Lars Anderson's ability to hit for average and power (think Joey Votto at best, James Loney at worst) should come in very handy.

Honorable Mention: Josh Reddick

Season	Team	AB	H	HR	R	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG
2007	Red Sox (A)	458	132	10	69	69	71	112	2	4	0.288
2007	Red Sox (A+)	35	12	1	13	9	11	9	0	0	0.343
2008	Red Sox (A+)	306	97	13	58	50	46	64	0	0	0.317
2008	Red Sox (AA)	133	42	5	27	30	29	43	1	0	0.316
2009	CHONE	461	107	7	57	56	51	142	2	1	0.232
2009	Oliver	458	121	13			54	114			0.265
2009	ZiPS	557	139	15	65	74	56	150	3	3	0.25

The New York Yankees - Mark Melancon
The Yankees don't have many problems that cannot be cured by the throwing of millions of dollars, but they have failed to build a bullpen that provides anyone with much faith that Joba Chamberlain will remain in the rotation. Mark Melancon could be exactly the number two guy in the bullpen the Yankees need. This of course assumes that the bullpen is more of a problem than the rotation, which judging by the first week of games is a rather large assumption.

Honorable Mention: Phil Hughes

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2006	Yankees (A-)	9.39	2.35	4	0	0.294	1.43	0.398	36.40%	1.9
2008	Yankees (A+)	7.11	2.13	3.33	0.71	0.267	1.26	0.318	79.50%	3.48
2008	Yankees (AA)	8.52	2.17	3.92	0.54	0.186	0.89	0.238	75.40%	2.82
2008	Yankees (AAA)	9.9	1.8	5.5	0.45	0.163	0.75	0.225	61.60%	2.4
2009	CHONE	6.75	3.38	2	1.35	0.271	1.43	0.303	72.60%	4.78
2009	ZiPS	6.12	2.83	2.17	1.41	0.287	1.45	0.313		4.75

The Tampa Bay Rays - David Price
He came thisclose to making the team out of spring training but the Rays who are loaded with pitching chose to give him a few weeks at AAA before he comes to the majors for good. The funny thing is I can see the Rays having an offensive need far before they have a pitching one but they don't really have that hitting prospect of both the impact and ready variety. If they truly have an offensive need the Rays are most likely to trade some of their pitching for it.

Honorable Mention: Reid Brignac

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2008	Rays (A+)	9.61	1.82	5.29	0	0.223	1.01	0.315	80.00%	1.67
2008	Rays (AA)	8.68	2.53	3.44	1.11	0.207	1.02	0.249	93.90%	3.92
2008	Rays (AAA)	8.5	4.5	1.89	0	0.302	1.72	0.395	67.70%	2.81
2008	Rays	7.71	2.57	3	0.64	0.186	0.93	0.225	79.40%	3.42
2008	Rays	12.71	6.35	2	1.59	0.111	1.06	0.111	87.00%	4.72
2009	CHONE	6.72	3.87	1.74	1.14	0.271	1.48	0.308	71.00%	4.72
2009	Marcel	6.92	3.23	2.14	0.92	0.252	1.31	0.292	71.70%	4.16
2009	ZiPS	6.3	3.15	2	1.18	0.258	1.33	0.286		4.49

The Toronto Blue Jays - Brett Cecil/Brad Mills
Adding Travis Snider and Adam Lind to the lineup on a regular basis should be a giant boost to the Blue Jays offense. Their pitching staff has taken quite a few hits due to injuries and free agent defections. This is why I see the Jays calling on their pair of lefty starters before anyone else. Why cheat and list them both? Because I'm fairly confident they'll need both really soon. Cecil probably has the edge if I have to pick just one. These guys are not aces but they are solid rotation starters who should be solid contributors to fantasy squads for a long time.

Honorable Mention: J.P. Arencibia

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2007	Blue Jays (A-)	10.15	1.99	5.09	0.18	0.204	0.95	0.294	82.30%	2.05
2008	Blue Jays (A+)	9.58	1.74	5.5	0.87	0.171	0.77	0.216	90.90%	2.91
2008	Blue Jays (AA)	10.08	2.67	3.78	0.46	0.232	1.15	0.32	79.20%	2.71
2008	Blue Jays (AAA)	9.1	4.7	1.94	0.29	0.245	1.43	0.327	63.40%	3.17
2009	CHONE	7.07	4.18	1.69	1.18	0.264	1.48	0.302	71.90%	4.8
2009	ZiPS	6.5	3.6	1.81	1	0.26	1.39	0.295		4.33

The Chicago White Sox - Gordon Beckham
The White Sox already need him. There is no way they can continue with Dewayne Wise and Chris Getz as the leadoff hitters. Gordon Beckham is not a classic leadoff hitter but he'll do until the White Sox can develop or trade for one. Beckham is a natural shortstop but showed this spring that he could easily transition to second base, and I can only imagine a switch to the outfield would be even simpler for such a gifted athlete.

Honorable Mention: Dayan Viciedo

Season	Team	BB%	K%	BB/K	OBP	OPS	ISO	BABIP	wOBA
2008	White Sox (A)	7.90%	12.10%	0.71	0.365	0.865	0.19	0.313	0.379

The Cleveland Indians - David Huff
I happen to believe that Cliff Lee will have a fine season for the Indians. However Fausto Carmona is on my likely to flop list. Their rotation is the biggest weakness on a team loaded offensively and in the bullpen. David Huff projects as a solid rotation starter by most accounts but I see a lot of Brandon Webb in him. He induces lots of groundballs and strikes out enough batters to make him a fantasy favorite. Matt LaPorta is probably ready to be a big bat in the lineup but the Indians are not desperate for his bat just yet. They'll need Huff very soon.

Honorable Mention: Matt LaPorta

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2006	Indians (A-)	9.39	8.22	1.14	0	0.294	2.09	0.398	70.60%	4.24
2007	Indians (A+)	6.94	2.26	3.07	0.6	0.253	1.21	0.302	74.20%	3.33
2008	Indians (AA)	8.5	1.92	4.43	0.69	0.192	0.88	0.24	80.80%	2.99
2008	Indians (AAA)	9.04	1.67	5.4	0.89	0.23	1.03	0.291	73.50%	3.15
2009	CHONE	6.92	2.97	2.33	1.29	0.264	1.34	0.297	73.00%	4.54
2009	ZiPS	6	2.32	2.58	1.35	0.282	1.37	0.308		4.53

The Detroit Tigers - Cale Iorg
There is just no way that Adam Everett can survive an entire season as the Tigers shortstop. He has zero for a bat and his glove while good is not so good that the Tigers will tolerate a hole in the lineup longer than it takes Cale Iorg to make an impact at AA Erie. Iorg has been compared to a young Nomar Garciaparra (ironically they used to compare Adam Everett to Nomar as well - "they" sure screwed up that one) but probably will not be as good as Nomar was at his best. That's my opinion, GM Dave Dombrowski believes he'll be an All-Star for the Tigers which doesn't necessarily contradict my idea, does it? The Tigers will be desperate for pitching by May but their system does not have anyone ready to make an impact who is not already in the majors.

Honorable Mention: Wilkin Ramirez

Season	Team	AB	H	HR	R	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG
2007	Tigers (R)	11	2	0	1	0	1	6	0	0	0.182
2007	Tigers (A+)	18	5	0	0	5	1	5	0	0	0.278
2008	Tigers (A+)	383	96	10	61	47	35	111	22	11	0.251
2009	CHONE	400	79	6	43	39	23	153	12	5	0.198
2009	ZiPS	409	80	10	44	35	22	148	16	13	0.196

The Kansas City Royals - Daniel Cortes
The Royals actually have solid players at most positions. Their rotation is not stellar but is very solid. The bullpen includes a collection of solid veteran arms with a a variety of pitching styles. Daniel Cortes is the prospect that is easiest to see on the Royals in 2009 even if he isn't their best prospect. He has the stuff to be a dominate reliever right now. The Royals still see him as a starter which is why he remains in the minors. I'm calling it 50/50 whether Cortes will get the call as a starter or reliever.

Honorable Mention: Mitch Maier

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2006	Royals (A)	7.71	4.37	1.76	1.8	0.288	1.63	0.324	65.70%	5.8
2006	White Sox (A)	8.02	3.18	2.53	0.5	0.264	1.37	0.332	63.40%	3.34
2007	Royals (A+)	8.78	3.29	2.67	0.51	0.227	1.2	0.295	72.30%	3.28
2008	Royals (AA)	8.41	4.24	1.98	1	0.238	1.35	0.29	77.80%	4.4
2009	CHONE	6.73	5.5	1.22	1.57	0.294	1.79	0.325	68.60%	5.92
2009	ZiPS	5.27	4.76	1.11	1.59	0.288	1.67	0.302		5.84

The Minnesota Twins - Kevin Mulvey
The Twins are pretty solid from 1-25 but it is pretty easy to predict they'll need another arm at some point during the season. Kevin Mulvey is a likely candidate to be the first callup due to his versatility (starting or relieving) and his minor league experience.

Honorable Mention: Anthony Swarzak

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2006	Mets (R)	4.5	0	1	0	0.151	0.5	0.177	100.00%	2.2
2006	Mets (AA)	6.75	3.38	2	0.68	0.21	1.13	0.246	80.90%	3.8
2007	Mets (AA)	6.53	2.55	2.56	0.24	0.253	1.24	0.307	63.90%	3.08
2007	Mets (AAA)	4.5	0	3	0	0.106	0.33	0.126	100.00%	2.2
2008	Twins (AAA)	7.36	2.92	2.52	0.97	0.267	1.35	0.315	68.60%	4.06
2009	CHONE	5.95	3.44	1.73	1.25	0.283	1.5	0.311	70.50%	4.9
2009	ZiPS	4.81	3.35	1.43	1.2	0.285	1.5	0.302		4.91

The Los Angeles Angels - Brandon Wood
In almost any other organization, Brandon Wood would be an established major leaguer by now. His power is definitely real. He isn't likely to hit better than .250-.260 but that kind of average with 30 homers from the shortstop position is very acceptable. Any injury in the infield will bring Wood to the majors.

Honorable Mention:

Season	Team	AB	H	HR	R	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG
2006	Angels (AA)	453	125	25	74	83	54	149	19	3	0.276
2007	Angels (AAA)	437	119	23	73	77	45	120	10	1	0.272
2007	Angels	33	5	1	2	3	0	12	0	0	0.152
2008	Angels (AAA)	395	117	31	82	84	45	104	6	5	0.296
2008	Angels	150	30	5	12	13	4	43	4	0	0.2
2009	Bill James	257	65	13	36	39	20	71	6	2	0.253
2009	CHONE	491	114	21	68	69	42	164	9	3	0.232
2009	Marcel	260	62	8	30	30	17	61	5	1	0.238
2009	Oliver	551	134	27			43	158			0.243
2009	ZiPS	532	122	21	62	77	38	148	9	3	0.229

The Oakland Athletics - Aaron Cunningham
The Athletics have tons of options for a call-up but with Billy Beane's aggressive promoting and signing style this season I think he'll reach for the best available when he dips into his minor league system (as opposed to a more known but mediocre option). Aaron Cunningham looks a lot like Matt Holliday. He has good but not great tools and decent plate discipline for such a young player.

Honorable Mention: Adrian Cardenas

Season	Team	AB	H	HR	R	RBI	BB	SO	CS	AVG
2006	White Sox (A)	341	104	11	58	41	34	72	10	0.305
2007	White Sox (A+)	252	74	8	51	37	34	39	8	0.294
2007	Diamondbacks (A+)	123	44	3	25	20	5	23	3	0.358
2007	Diamondbacks (AA)	118	34	5	25	20	12	27	3	0.288
2008	Athletics (AA)	347	110	12	65	52	38	92	4	0.317
2008	Athletics (AAA)	76	29	5	21	14	11	16	1	0.382
2008	Athletics	80	20	1	7	14	6	24	0	0.25
2009	Bill James	256	74	8	42	37	24	64	4	0.289
2009	CHONE	473	120	11	71	55	39	129	7	0.254
2009	Marcel	219	60	6	28	33	21	47	1	0.274
2009	Oliver	436	121	15			35	99		0.278
2009	ZiPS	532	132	17	72	69	42	110	9	0.248

The Seattle Mariners - Greg Halman
The Mariners have no need to rush anyone through their system. They have made it clear to their fanbase (if not outright admitting it) that this is a rebuilding year (they like to call it a transition year) and losing a lot of games may be a part of that. Greg Halman is a player that almost demands that he be advanced through the system quickly. He also has the most star qualities of anyone to come through the Mariner system since Alex Rodriguez. Halman will be an annual 30/30 threat that has been compared to Andre Dawson. I happen to think Grady Sizemore is a good comparison.

Honorable Mention: Michael Saunders

Season	Team	AB	H	HR	R	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG
2006	Mariners (A-)	116	30	5	19	15	3	32	10	4	0.259
2007	Mariners (A-)	238	73	16	37	37	21	85	16	8	0.307
2007	Mariners (A)	187	34	4	26	15	8	77	15	7	0.182
2008	Mariners (A+)	257	69	19	52	53	16	76	23	1	0.268
2008	Mariners (AA)	235	65	10	43	30	16	66	8	6	0.277
2009	CHONE	452	90	10	59	45	21	172	16	7	0.199
2009	Oliver	499	119	23			24	157			0.238
2009	ZiPS	480	108	19	55	64	20	138	30	12	0.225

The Texas Rangers - Derek Holland
The Rangers have a loaded minor league system. They could probably call up a player to fill-in at any position and that player would warrent consideration by fantasy owners. Derek Holland is a potential ace pitcher. The Rangers need nothing more desperately.

Honorable Mention: Neftali Feliz / Justin Smoak

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2007	Rangers (A-)	11.15	2.82	3.95	0.94	0.232	1.16	0.321	68.70%	3.29
2008	Rangers (A)	8.74	2.79	3.14	0.19	0.226	1.13	0.302	74.10%	2.53
2008	Rangers (A+)	10.74	1.45	7.4	0.29	0.186	0.81	0.274	56.90%	1.81
2008	Rangers (AA)	10.04	2.08	4.83	0	0.16	0.77	0.24	80.00%	1.66
2009	CHONE	6.79	4.11	1.65	1.74	0.278	1.54	0.302	71.00%	5.6
2009	ZiPS	5.19	3.38	1.54	0.87	0.267	1.4	0.294		4.35

The Top Ten UnSexy Baseball Players

I hope at this point I don't need to explain that by unsexy I do not refer to the players' doability...Anyway

There is a group of players in every league that always comes undervalued. In a lot of my leagues it is the unsexy ones. The over 30, never a superstar but always productive crowd. These players are always relatively easy to acquire and in fact they are probably offered to you often in trade for your most sexy players ( the guys you would need a ton before you parted with). The irony is that these are often players that were once considered very sexy.

1. Randy Winn
2. Mike Cameron
3. Jose Guillen
4. David DeJesus
5. Kevin Kouzmanoff
6. Jermaine Dye
7. Mark Buehrle
8. Jim Thome
9. Kevin Gregg
10. Casey Blake
    

Is that a boring list or what?

Blog Rally to Save the Boston Globe!

We have all read recently about the threat of possible closure faced by the Boston Globe. A number of Boston-based bloggers who care about the continued existence of the Globe have banded together in conducting a blog rally. We are simultaneously posting this paragraph to solicit your ideas of steps the Globe could take to improve its financial picture:

We view the Globe as an important community resource, and we think that lots of people in the region agree and might have creative ideas that might help in this situation. So, here's your chance. Please don't write with nasty comments and sarcasm: Use this forum for thoughtful and interesting steps you would recommend to the management that would improve readership, enhance the Globe's community presence, and make money. Who knows, someone here might come up with an idea that will work, or at least help. Thank you.

(P.S. If you have a blog, please feel free to reprint this item and post it. Likewise, if you have a Twitter or Facebook account, please add this url as an update or to your status bar to help us reach more people.)

The Ten Best Opening Day Events

Opening Day is always special for baseball fans. As fantasy owners it can be even more special because we finally have some statistics from the players we've spent all winter scouting and acquiring. Here are the ten best events for fantasy owners from Opening Day.

1. Emilio Bonifacio hits an inside-the-park homerun and steals three bases.
2. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia had two hits and three RBI, including a homerun.
3. Aside from the ten hits allowed (including a homerun) Cliff Lee looks to be in mid-season form.
4. Felipe Lopez and Tony Clark both became the first players ever to hit Opening Day homeruns from both sides of the plate.
5. Daniel Murphy hit a homerun, while the Mets bullpen backed up Johan Santana.
6. The best player in baseball went 2-for-3 with a grand slam and five RBI. (That's Hanley Ramirez NOT Alex Rodriguez, who has probably been less than the best for a few years now).
7. Damn, if Seth Smith doesn't look like the new Matt Holliday with a homerun and a stolen base.
8. I am positive that the Ryan Franklin owners were happy to see Jason Motte blow his first save opportunity.
9. Matt Kemp gave us another sign that his power is immense and 30 homeruns are coming this season, by hitting a shot out of the deepest part of Petco Park.
10. The Toronto Blue Jays fans got a nice look at the future when Adam Lind and Travis Snider both hit Opening Day homers.

Honorable Mention: Ken Griffey Jr. homered; Nick Johnson is still healthy; Carlos Zambrano looks healthy; Jeremy Hermida continued his hot hitting; The Baltimore Orioles may not be the pushovers the other members of the AL East are hoping.

American League 25-Man Roster Surprises

Part One of the Opening Day roster surprises can be found here.

The Baltimore Orioles

Alfredo Simon is in the rotation after having a fantastic spring training.

The Boston Red Sox

George Kottaras chosen over Josh Bard to back up Jason Varitek. Chris Carter is the extra corner outfielder rather than Brad Wilkerson.

The New York Yankees

Rookie Ramiro Pena beat out Angel Berroa for the extra infielder job. Jonathan Albaladejo is chosen over several more experienced veterans for the last bullpen spot.

The Tampa Bay Rays

Jeff Niemann makes the rotation after all, thanks to the last minute trade of Jason Hammel to the Colorado Rockies and the demotion of David Price to the minors.

The Toronto Blue Jays

Rookie Ricky Romero and Scott Richmond are the numbers four and five starters.
The Chicago White Sox

DeWayne Wise and Chris Getz have not only won the starting center field and second baseman jobs, but are also batting first and second in the lineup. A lot of weight put on two relatively inexperienced players on a team expected to win.

The Cleveland Indians

That the Indians would rather play three players at their second best position rather than two at their best position and one at the position he is best suited for -- Mark DeRosa 2B, Asdrubal Cabrera SS, and Jhonny Peralta 3B -- and sticking with DeRosa at 3B, Peralta at SS, and Asdrubal at 2B.

The Detroit Tigers

The release of Gary Sheffield was mildly surprising but rookies Rick Porcello in the rotation and Ryan Perry in the bullpen have to be the greater qualifiers.

The Kansas City Royals

Mark Teahen looks like the starting second baseman -- his third position change as a Royal.

The Minnesota Twins

Manager Ron Gardenhire did not find a way to squeeze Michael Cuddyear into his starting lineup. But you have to like the potential of a Carlos Gomez, Denard Span, Delmon Young outfield. Left-hander Brian Duensing in the bullpen rather than Jose Mijares.

The Los Angeles Angels

If we ignore all the pitchers in the rotation because of injured veterans, the demotion of shortstop/third baseman Brandon Wood who probably deserved a chance in the majors.

The Oakland Athletics

Billy beane acquiring three major league veterans (Matt Holiday, Orlando Cabrera, and Jason Giambi) was pretty surprising, but not as much as throwing top prospects Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson directly into the rotation.

The Seattle Mariners

Shawn Kelley made the team and will pitch middle relief.

The Texas Rangers

Kris Benson has returned to the major leagues and is in the Rangers rotation.

Top MLB 25-man Roster Surprises (National League)

Every season there are players that seem to come out of nowhere to surprise fantasy owners with their quality performances. We all wish we had drafted the Carlos Quentins of the world. One way to get a jump on the other owners in your league is to become more aware of the surprise additions (or even just the slightly unexpected in some cases) to the 25-man rosters.

Below you'll find the interesting roster developments on the Nationals League rosters. A bit later today, I'll post the American League version. And still later tonight my Waiver Wire column should be posted to CrucialTaunt.com. My article this week will feature write-ups on a lot of the more obscure additions.

The Atlanta Braves

Jordan Schafer is the starting center fielder.
The Florida Marlins

Emilio Bonifacio is the starting third baseman.

The New York Mets

Gary Sheffield was a late addition to the team and could see a significant amount of time in right field.

The Philadelphia Phillies

Chan Ho Park is in the Philadelphia rotation. Shane Victorino is betting seventh because manager Charlie Manuel doesn't believe he is quite ready for the season.

The Washington Nationals

Austin Kearns is starting ahead of Elijah Dukes.

The Chicago Cubs

Kevin Gregg being named the closer over Carlos Marmol shocked a lot of fantasy owners.

The Cincinnati Reds

Darnell McDonald winning a bench role at the expense of Jonny Gomes.

The Houston Astros

Geoff Blum is still considered the starter at third base, despite the acquisition of Jeff Keppinger.

The Milwaukee Brewers

Infielder Casey McGehee and outfielder Brad Nelson making the team as bench players when Tony Gwynn was waived and assigned to AAA.

The Pittsburgh Pirates

Nyjer Morgan is still the starter in left field.

The St. Louis Cardinals

Chris Duncan pushes Colby Rasmus to the bench as a fourth outfielder. Joe Mather and Chris Perez optioned to the minors.

The Arizona Cardinals

Minor League veteran Ryan Roberts makes the team.

The Colorado Rockies

Top prospect Dexter Fowler makes the team but will sit on the bench behind Ryan Spilborghs and Seth Smith...for now.

The Los Angeles Dodgers

James McDonald won the fifth starter job, despite the Dodgers early claim they would break him in via the bullpen.

The San Diego Padres

Everth Cabrera (a Rule V pick) makes the team by impressing GM Kevin Towers. Shawn Hill wins a rotation spot without much of an audition.

San Francisco Giants

Fred Lewis is batting third in the order. Pablo Sandoval will be the reserve catcher, a situation that could impact his playing time in a negative way.

New Yankee Stadium - Park Factors

From MLB.com

...The baseball bounces a little bit harder off the walls here, Damon insisted. And sure enough, his point was proven on the first pitch of Saturday's game, as Alfonso Soriano scorched a line drive off the wall, only to be held to a single as Damon came up with the perfect play...

..."Sometimes I'll hit line drives that might be doubles in other stadiums that will sneak over that right-field wall," Teixeira said. "A lot of the balls that were hit the last few days would have gone out any day in any park, but I think this is going to be a good hitter's park."

...the deep drives came as no surprise to Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who accurately predicted the phenomenon before Saturday's game. "I looked at this thing [Friday] night," Piniella said. "It doesn't seem like the ball goes too well to center field. At least now, it doesn't look like the ball travels too well to left-center. I think, basically, there's a wind tunnel out to right field. It really, really, really shoots the ball out that way." Piniella said that the Yankees would have to wait for the weather to warm up in May or June to get a true indication of how the park will play. But his suggestion for the Indians and Athletics, the stadium's next two visitors, would be to pitch to the middle part of the ballpark...

...There is also more space in foul territory behind first and third bases, giving infielders more of an opportunity to help pitchers and snag outs. Had the Yankees been playing here in 2004, Jeter might have avoided bloodshed on that dive against the Red Sox...

A Bunch of Stuff to Read While I Draft...

Jason Grey of ESPN is probably my favorite fantasy baseball analyst. In this article he gives lots of Draft Day Auction advice. Pretty standard stuff but good reading anyway. I always slot my auction dollars in a similar fashion though I probably go more extreme to the hitting side than most will dare.

My buddy Brian Joura writes about his own Daniel Murphy obsession. I know I have one. I recently traded a $26 Brandon Phillips for a $6 Daniel Murphy(w/Seth McClung) in my primary NL-only league. I wish someone would wager with me...

A lot of owners are avoiding Texas Ranger starters as they used to avoid Colorado Rockies pitchers. Because of the great hitter's park where they play their home games. I have a hunch those owners will begin making exceptions with the great crop of arms coming up and the tremendous investment in pitching minds like Mike Maddux and Nolan Ryan to guide them. Though expecting Kris Benson to become an ownable pitcher is not dissimilar to expecting Mike Tyson to win a humanitarian award.

I went into winter with the assumption that Elijah Dukes would be a regular in the outfield for the Washington Nationals. Despite signing Adam Dunn, everything I read suggested that remained the case, until now...

My favorite Top Prospects List...

Gary Sheffield is a New York Met (and my boy Daniel Murphy still has a full time job!) and could reach 500 homers in New York. I knew the Mets couldn't start the season without an aging injury risk on the roster!

Adam Ronis - A Knight of the Roundtable

Adam Ronis of News Day is the host of the Fantasy Baseball Roundtable this week. He asked the assembled Knights if there were players that we would not draft no matter how far they slipped in the draft or auction. You can read the entry at the link below:

Fantasy Baseball Roundtable Hosted By Adam Ronis

Moving Up: Marcus Thames

With Gary Sheffield's release last week Marcus Thames received a huge boost in fantasy value. He should receive close to regular at-bats by taking most of the designated hitter at-bats as well as playing some left field when Carlos Guillen is unable to play or just needs a break. But how good is Marcus Thames?

Thames has shown the ability to hit 40 plus homers if given a full season of at-bats (550-600). Unfortunately, even if he receives those at-bats he isn't likely to hit better than .250-.260 and potentially worse than that. He does not walk much so his on-base percentage will be fairly low, though he may receive more walks due to the intimidation factor of an increasing homer total. This is not the player that will turn your team from a loser to dominate (if such a player even exists), but he can turn a good team to an even better one assuming that you are not also rostering Adam Dunn, Ryan Howard, Russell Branyan, and Mark Reynolds.

His stats courtesy of FanGraphs.com:

Season	Team	BB%	K%	BB/K	OBP	SLG	OPS	ISO	BABIP	wRC	wRAA	wOBA
Total Postseason	- - - - - -	7.7 % 4.5 %	28.0 % 28.6 %	0.30 0.17	.302 .273	.498 .333	.801 .606	.257 .095	.265 .333	183.6 1.5	9.5 -1.2	.338 .266
2002	Yankees	0.0 %	30.8 %	0.00	.231	.538	.769	.308	.250	1.5	-0.1	.321
2003	Rangers	9.9 %	24.7 %	0.44	.298	.274	.572	.068	.259	5.5	-4.8	.259
2004	Tigers	8.8 %	25.5 %	0.38	.326	.509	.835	.255	.283	26.2	3.4	.352
2005	Tigers	7.8 %	35.5 %	0.24	.263	.411	.674	.215	.226	10.4	-3.8	.287
2006	Tigers	9.6 %	26.4 %	0.40	.333	.549	.882	.293	.274	61.8	12.9	.370
2006	Tigers	4.5 %	28.6 %	0.17	.273	.333	.606	.095	.333	1.5	-1.2	.266
2007	Tigers (AAA)	0.0 %	12.5 %	0.00	.375	.750	1.125	.375	.333	1.9	1.0	.491
2007	Tigers	4.6 %	26.8 %	0.18	.278	.498	.776	.257	.263	34.0	-1.1	.327
2008	Tigers	7.1 %	30.1 %	0.25	.292	.516	.808	.275	.260	44.1	2.9	.339
2009	Bill James	8.3 %	25.1 %	0.36	.314	.512	.826	.261	.268	50.9	2.8	.352
2009	CHONE	8.2 %	27.7 %	0.32	.314	.506	.820	.257	.274	53.3	7.7	.352
2009	Marcel	7.6 %	26.8 %	0.31	.306	.490	.796	.244	.275	49.8	1.7	.337
2009	Oliver	7.7 %	25.4 %	0.33	.312	.514	.826	.261	.275	45.8	4.9	.348
2009	ZiPS	7.8 %	27.7 %	0.30	.309	.512	.821	.263	.274	43.1	5.7	.349

New England Rotisserie Baseball Association

NERBA, or the New England Rotisserie Baseball Association, had its draft on Tuesday night. Nerba, as we affectionately refer to the league, is entering season 22. The number of teams has varied over the years from 20 in the good ol' days to down to 14 in the worst years. But it has been pretty stable lately at 16 teams. It is obviously a mixed league and uses standard 5x5 categories. It is not a snake draft. The pick each team has varies in each round, which can create unique challenges when you end up with 32 selections between picks twice in a row. Most of these guys are 20-year veterans of fantasy and know their stuff pretty well.

This is one of many leagues where I usually avoid pitching until after the first 8-10 rounds. I varied from that strategy hugely by taking three pitchers in the first eight rounds. I tried to draft as many power/speed combos as possible but mostly I was just winging it.
The Really Rad Running Rebels (in this league I'm a different sort of running rebel every season)

C Kenji Johjima
C Jesus Flores

1B Mike Jacobs
3B Aubrey Huff
CI Todd Helton

2B Alexei Ramirez
SS Elvis Andrus
MI Placido Polanco

OF Matt Kemp
OF Shane Victorino
OF Torii Hunter
OF Daniel Murphy
OF Jordan Schafer

U Kendry Morales

SP Tim Lincecum
SP Javier Vazquez
SP Kevin Slowey
SP Manny Parra
SP Kenshim Kawakami

RP Trevor Hoffman
RP Brad Zeigler
RP Scott Downs
RP Jeremy Affeldt

Thoughts?

The Detroit Tigers Go Young

Not so much on this blog but in conversations with league mates and on message boards I've been saying that Gary Sheffield was toast and not worth drafting. That said, I was shocked when I heard that the Tigers had released him. Fourteen million is a lot to pay a player to perform for another team. I should have seen it coming when they acquired Josh Anderson (who I like a lot). I see Marcus Thames and Carlos Guillen getting the bulk of the designated hitter at-bats with Anderson frequently starting in the outfield for a boost to both the defense and the team speed.

I expect to see Anderson leading off for the Tigers more often than not. He does not walk much, but his very good contact skills and speed allow him to post acceptable on-base percentages. His speed should be very disruptive to the opposition. I see 30-40 steals for Anderson this season.

Anderson's stats courtesy of FanGraphs.com:

Season	Team	BB%	K%	BB/K	OBP	SLG	OPS	ISO	BABIP	wRC	wRAA	wOBA
Total	- - -	6.0 %	19.2 %	0.33	.364	.419	.782	.103	.379	30.8	4.0	.351
2006	Astros (AA)	4.6 %	13.0 %	0.37	.349	.385	.734	.077	.351	76.5	-1.2	.339
2007	Astros (AAA)	5.9 %	14.6 %	0.43	.325	.341	.666	.068	.317	58.4	-16.5	.311
2007	Astros	6.9 %	9.0 %	0.83	.413	.403	.816	.045	.393	11.3	2.0	.363
2008	Braves (AAA)	5.7 %	11.5 %	0.53	.358	.405	.763	.091	.349	75.5	11.0	.354
2008	Braves	5.6 %	24.3 %	0.24	.338	.426	.764	.132	.370	19.5	1.9	.344
2009	Bill James	5.1 %	13.8 %	0.39	.322	.362	.684	.079	.323	40.2	-11.3	.312
2009	CHONE	5.6 %	15.7 %	0.38	.332	.374	.706	.088	.334	67.9	-4.0	.319
2009	Marcel	7.7 %	19.4 %	0.43	.351	.423	.774	.130	.343	35.4	1.7	.339
2009	Oliver	4.7 %	15.8 %	0.31	.318	.363	.681	.085	.322	65.8	-16.6	.304
2009	ZiPS	5.0 %	13.6 %	0.38	.310	.337	.647	.070	.303	58.6	-14.8	.298

The Tigers also awarded Ryan Perry a spot in the major league bullpen. He will not be closing, at least not right away. Jim Leyland plans to give Fernando Rodney the first opportunity. Rodney has been a solid reliever but has failed when given closer responsibilities. Perry was drafted with the expectation that he could quickly reach the majors and contribute to the bullpen. The closer of the future label has been tossed around a lot. He's definitely going to be a target of mine this weekend if the price is right.

Perry is very young and has not spent much time in the minors. But he has fantastic stuff. You can see his college numbers here. For what is worth here are his MiLB stats thus far:

Season	Team	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	AVG	WHIP	BABIP	LOB%	FIP
2008	Tigers (R)	18.00	0.00	4.00	0.00	.000	0.00	.000	100.0 %	-0.80
2008	Tigers (A+)	9.26	5.40	1.71	0.00	.313	1.89	.418	73.9 %	3.20
2009	CHONE	4.85	5.88	0.82	1.73	.290	1.81	.296	68.3 %	6.63

Tigers Release Gary Sheffield

Porcello and Perry Earn Roster Spots

Porcello in Starting Rotation

...Go the Spoils

The latest (waiver) Wire column is up at Crucial Sports. This week's article dives into some of the spring training battles and tries to decide if the losers will retain any value. This was written just before the flurry of activity the last few days. More computer problems have limited my posting ability. This time it's my moden or router (maybe both). Anyway, You'll probably see a lot of stuff pop up on the site tonight and tomorrow in my ten minute hits of internet access. So, yes, lots of short to the point posts.

A sample from The (Waiver) Wire.

Seth Smith over the Top Prospects as Rockies Left Fielder

Because of their loaded outfield, the Rockies forced Seth Smith to spend an extra year at Triple-A Colorado Springs. Smith is a fine hitter. He makes excellent contact and draws walks, which bodes well for his batting average. The Rockies will be batting Smith second in the lineup to take advantage of his high on-base percentage. He is more of a doubles hitter than a homerun hitter but 15-20 homers playing in the thin air is very possible. Smith runs well, but has not been a big base stealer.

The Wire Option

Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez are likely to spend most of the season in the minors. Both players have tremendous tools and project as future major league regulars and could be stars. There is likely no need for them in 2009 with Matt Murton and infielders like Ian Stewart and Jeff Baker likely to appear in the outfield. Murton makes an excellent reserve because of his power potential. Murton definitely intrigued Rockies fans with his excellent spring performance.