Time to Stream...2 Start SP

Week 6 will be a rough one for fantasy owners who are looking for two-start options. If you need to find a SP off the waiver wire for the upcoming scoring period, make sure you don’t wait too long in competitive leagues, chances are the solid options sitting out there will be picked up in a hurry. So act quick because many I have listed comprise a great chance to pick you up a couple of wins this week.

Homer Bailey 5% Owned (@ MIL vs. Marcum & WAS vs. Jackson)

Jarrod Parker 21% Owned (TOR vs. Romero & DET vs. Verlander)

Carlos Zambrano 24% Owned (@ HOU vs. Happ & NYM vs. Niese)

Barry Zito 34% Owned (@ LAD vs. Lilly) & @ ARI vs. Saunders)

Philip Humber 25% Owned (@ CLE vs.Tomlin & KC vs. Sanchez)

Edinson Volquez 49 % Owned (COL vs. Chacin & @ PHI vs. Halladay)

J.A. Happ 4% Owned (MIA vs. Zambrano & @ PIT vs. Burnett)

John Danks 35% Owned (@ CLE vs. Tomlin & KC vs. Mendoza)

No Vaction For Cain in Arizona

By Corey R. Cunningham

Lorenzo Cain, the starting CF for the Kansas City Royals to start the 2012 season, has been sent to Arizona for rehab. Cain has been on the DL since April 12^th, 2012 with a strained left groin. Cain has been downgraded in condition, and now is being diagnosed with a torn hip flexor, and he is expected to miss another 4-8 weeks of baseball. That being said, Cain will miss 8-12 weeks of baseball, due to rehab assignments and the possibility of reinjuring himself.

Lorenzo had promising spring training and had a hot bat going into the start of the season. His bat cooled off almost instantly and carried only a .133 BA in 15 AB. I was dragged into the excitement of his playing ability during spring training, and I was picking him up in every league before the start of the season. Now he holds a DL slot in my league, and I am contemplating on just dropping him, as his injury has a major concern for me, and I doubt he is worth holding onto just in case another player goes on the DL.

Maybin?...Maybe Not

I, like many of you, thought on draft day that getting Cameron Maybin in the late teen rounds was a great steal. We had envisions of a .270 lead-off hitter with a little power and 40+ SB potential. Well, that was then and this is now. I recently dropped him in one league after picking up Luke Scott a couple of weeks back. I actually dropped Maybin yesterday and picked up Mujica just to block someone else from taking a flier on him. That’s how disappointed I am with Maybin. Now that we are more than 15% into the Fantasy season it’s time to make some tough decisions on our underperforming draft choices.

In Maybin’s case he is taking a few more walks which is good but that is about all the good I can say for him. His K rate is at 30% which will cost him time out of the lead-off spot sooner than later. Since he plays in the cavernous Petco Park I envisioned 30+ Doubles and even double digit Triples this year. But what I got was I leadoff hitter who can’t and I mean can’t hit lefties while striking out way too much. This year Maybin’s line is .094/.147/.188 against lefties with 1 RBI. The Padres have played 17 of the 25 games at home too. Like I mentioned earlier it’s that time of the season where tough decisions need to be made and you make those decisions from data analyzed and then draw conclusions from your analysis. When I see a player hitting .094 against lefties I see eventual loss of playing time and no stats for my fantasy squad. Do not get me wrong I think Maybin is a good young player but as far as fantasy goes he can go through those growing pains on someone else’s team in the near future.

Gamel Fallout

Now that may Gamel is out for the season with a torn ACL, the Brewers have options for 1B and there could be many Fantasy ramifications too. Since Milwaukee has no one in the minors ready for an every day job at 1B the quick solution will be Travis Ishikawa. I see Ishikawa getting about a 10 game look to see if he can produce. The 28 year old former Giant has just over 600 ABs in the big leagues. He has had only one real hard look at regular playing time. That was in 09’ when he had 300+ ABs and hit .261 with 9HR and 39 RBI. A career .261 hitter and .400 SLG he is not anyone who will light up your stat sheet on a daily basis. But if you need ABs day in and day out in deep leagues or NL only leagues he is worth a pick up. I will be using him in my 16 team league as long as Berkman is on the DL to fill in at CI.

The more interesting scenario that may happen by the end of May is that Corey Hart moves over to be the everyday 1B. If you remember back in Spring Training, before Hart hurt his knee, Milwaukee management was flirting with the idea of moving Hart to play some 1B. This was in anticipation of Gamel not hitting. Well as of now Gamel will not even be playing. I heard today that Hart has been taking some ground balls the last two nights. If Hart is moved, his value increases somewhat with the new multi-position eligibility.

So if Hart moves to 1B who plays RF? That would fall to former Japanese batting champ Norichika Aoki. The 30 year old only has 26 ABs so far this year but would be an everyday solution in RF. With his only completion being Nyjer Morgan for playing time Aoki gets the nod.

Watch the Brewers carefully over the next 10 games. If Ishikawa can’t hit, he is definitely gone. Then the Brewers will have to decide what to do at 1B. I feel Hart goes and Aoki gets starts for the remainder of the year in right. Advice: Pick up Ishikawa if you desperately need some ABs then grab Aoki the first time Hart gets the nod at 1B.

Middlebrooks Now in the Beantown Mix

ByCorey R. Cunningham

The name is Will Middlebrooks, yes Middlebrooks. For those of you who did not draft Middlebrooks in your minor league draft, you need to get on your leagues FA page and pick this player up. With veteran 3B Kevin Youkilis on the DL, Middlebrooks got the call yesterday.

Will received the call to the big leagues that every minor league player dreams of. Middlebrooks got the nod from Manager Bobby Valentine yesterday to start at 3B for the Red Sox against the Oakland A’s. Middlebrooks batted 8^th for the Sox, and he did very well for his MLB debut. In his 1^st AB, he drew a walk and was very patient at the plate for a rookie, while on base, he stole second base as well. With his 2^nd AB, he had an infield single, and with his 3^rd AB, had a double down the right field line.

Middlebrooks is being considered as a 5 tool player, and while in AAA Pawtucket this year, he proved just that. In 24 games in Pawtucket, he has 93 AB, 18 R, 31 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 3 SB, .333 BA, .380 OBP, .677 SLG, and 1.057 OPS.

If you had Youkilis on your team, as I did, I picked up Middlebrooks right away as soon as I heard he had been called up. Nick Punto might receive a hand full of games at 3B with Youkilis on the DL; however, I believe Bobby V and Ben want to get the best view of Middlebrooks now. Youkilis is in the last year of his current contract, and perhaps his final year in Boston. It has been a long, long time since Boston has produced a pure power hitter, let along a 5 tool player.

Middlebrooks was called up, as prospect failure Lars Anderson has failed to produce during his pinch hitting duties in close game situations. Amazing how Oakland wanted Anderson last year for Rich Harden, and turn around this year, and wanted Reddick instead. If you have Lars Anderson on your minor league roster I would cut him and start preparing for your 2013 MILB Draft. No one should have Anderson on their current MLB roster. Middlebrooks most likely will not stay in Boston all year, just do to the fact of Youkilis coming off the DL and keeping his fresh bat in AAA where he can receive up to 500 AB’s in Pawtucket. Middlebrooks should see the starting gig next year in Bean town.

Drug Testing at its Finest...

By Corey R. Cunningham 

Mr. Tim Beckham, you have failed yet another drug test. After being the 1st draft pick of the 2008 draft, Tim Beckham was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays. Beckham will be suspended for 50 games, for yet his second drug violation.

 

Those of you who do not recall the 2008 draft class, there were better selections than the drug user of Tim Beckham. I realize not every draft pick is going to make an impact on the MLB club; however, drug violations are just unacceptable and have a zero tolerance in the game of baseball. The Rays gave him $6.15 million signing bonus, they passed on prospects at the time such as, Buster Posey, Pedro Alvarez, Eric Hosmer, Justin Smoak, and Brett Lawrie. The above named players are all currently on MLB rosters, except for the overall No. 1 pick in 2008.

 

This is will just diminish Beckham’s career, and I hope somewhere in the bonus he received he is obligated to return some of the cash. Perhaps drafted for position of choice at the time of SS, Beckham was considered 'gold' however; the other current MLB players in that particular draft class have all helped their MLB clubs in one way or another. Beckham is the 38th player to be suspended in 2012 for violation of the Minor League drug testing program.

 

Beckham has a career total of 1717 AB's, 452 H, 261 R, 99 2B, 14 3B, 24 HR, 208 RBI, 59 SB, 159 BB, 412 K, a .263 BA, .330 OBP, and a .379 SLG during his minor league stint. He spent 08' to 10' from rookie ball to High A Charlotte. In 2011 he spent most of the season at AA Montgomery, followed up by AAA Durham. He started 2012 at AAA Durham, where he has only played 13 games thus far.

 

If you have drafted Tim Beckham in your dynasty league minor draft, I suggest you just drop him. I doubt he contributes ever again, and the Tampa Bay Rays organization is known for putting out great prospects both offensively and defensively and I am sure they are less than pleased with Tim. There are plenty more SS prospects in the system, and too note keep your eye on the 2013 class coming around the corner.

 

The drug testing situation has been fantastic for Major League Baseball (except for the Ryan Braun part) and many minor leaguers try to 'beat the system'. Keep trying fellows, I don't think you nor will anyone else beat the system enough to improve your skills to earn a ticket into the big show. I feel many players try to make this game a lot harder than it should be taken as. This is a game of fundamentals. F-U-N... Yes just have fun, and enjoy what you are doing. I take a quote from Rube Baker in 'Major League 2', "Hey Willie, Willie, I can't believe you said that. I talked to a boy in the bleachers the other day that hales from down town; he told me the most grass he has ever seen in his whole life, is the patch we get to play on every day. We are in the gone darn Major League boys".

The Best Unknown MI in Fantasy

Is Alexi Casilla the hottest un-owned MI in fantasy baseball at the moment? Short answer is yes. He entered the season with no job security and at best as a part time utility player. When he got his chance at 2B full time he took advantage. Over the last 2 weeks he is hitting .342 with 5 SB. Look at your current MI, is he even close to those numbers? I know…mine either. He has both SS and 2B eligibility for flexibility and went 3-4 with a R an RBI to go along with 2SB on Monday. Though he will most likely continue hit in the bottom of the order for Minnesota, there is a chance he moves into the 2 hole in place of Jamey Carroll who is hitting just a shade over .200 so far.

On a team that lacks speed Casilla should be given free rein to run as often as he wants. When that happens he could garner you a 35 SB season with better than average R and AVG. Most of the Twins' sites are praising him for seeing more pitches, being patient at the plate and trying to draw a few more walks. Still only owned in 4% of leagues, he was the highest ranked 2B and SS over the last 14 days according to Yahoo for available players. In daily leagues and AL only leagues he is a solid play as long as he is healthy.