Talking Fantasy

The world of fantasy baseball roto-style, is just as addicting as fantasy football for most people, they just don't admit it.  Draft orders are being set, studying stats for pitchers and position players are being looked at and preparing for the long baseball season of trades and waiver wire pickups are upon us. 

The great debate is always about who to take number one.  If you are one of the lucky ones to have received the number one pick, who would you choose?

Some would say that the Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols is a no-brainer.  His .327 AVG, 47 HR and 135 RBI basically help you keep the offensive numbers in check.  Having Pujols will help the average stay consistent, HR's will be average (5 or 6 ranking at worst) and the RBI's will just keep on coming.  Some say that Ryan Howard can give you these numbers but his .250 AVG will kill you and he won't have the same runs scored and RBI totals.

Bottom Line: Take him number one

Others:
Marlins SS Hanley Ramirez: .342 AVG, 24 HR, 106 RBI, 27 SB; helps with average and stolen bases, his power his impressive and will help with runs scored.  Overall, a great player and a great number 2 or 3 pick.

Giants P Tim Lincecum: 15-7, 2.48 ERA, 261 strikeouts; if you feel that pitching has hurt you in the past, take Lincecum.  He helps keep the ERA total down if the other pitchers on the roster have a bad day.  Roy Halladay may have more wins in 2010, but Lincecum will supply you with solid starts almost every time out and give you 100 more strikeouts as well.

Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez: .286 AVG, 30 HR, 100 RBI, 14 SB; this in only 124 games in 2009.  He is projected to hit .300 with 45 HR and 135 RBI.  He could go number one as third baseman with power are hard to find.  The Yankees score runs, and A-Rod will be heavily involved.

Phillies 2B Chase Utley: .282 AVG, 31 HR, 93 RBI, 112 runs scored, 23 SB; basically can do it all.  Is still the best-run producing second baseman, but the Blue Jays Aaron Hill will give him a run for the money.  I'm leaning to Utley as a top 5 pick in 2010, but for the last time.  This might be similar to Jimmy Rollins of last season when his numbers dropped from the year before.  Utley is good, take him, but if your in a keeper league, trade him later for value.

Soriano feeling better; looks to have good / healthy season

The question in Cubs camp this season has been all about the knee of Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano.  Coming off surgery in September to repair his knee, Soriano is looking better then expected, and is saying the knee is feeling around 80% at this time.  While no hardcore running drills have taken place as of yet, he feels he will be ready for running full strength very soon.

Last season, Soriano struggled big time at the plate, batting .241 and hitting 20 home runs with 55 RBI.  His OBP was .303 overall, but .295 batting lead off, one of the lowest in the league for a lead off hitter, maybe in the last 5 years!

In his career, Soriano has played 1322 games with 290 home runs and 760 RBI.  He has 257 career stolen bases, but only 9 of those in the 2009 season.  That total was due to the lingering knee issues, but is it also a sign that the 30 / 30 chances have all but past him by.

A look at the projected lineup for the upcoming season is looking as if Chicago is an early powerhouse in the NL Central.  Free agent signing, OF Xavier Nady, will see time in the outfield, but will be looked at as a main piece of the puzzle throughout the season as a pinch hitter and leader.

1. LF Alfonso Soriano: looks to get back on track in 2010
2. SS Ryan Theriot: hopes the arbitration process didn't upset the team too much
3. CF Marlon Byrd: playing CF; hopes to prove his Ranger numbers were for real
4. 1B Derrek Lee: great season last year; expecting 40 home run season
5. 3B Aramis Ramirez: when healthy is a big boost to lineup
6. C Geovany Soto: not a great 2nd season in the majors; anything possible for this 3rd season
7. RF Kosuke Fukudome: really fell apart in the 2nd half of season
8. 2B Mike Fontenot: if he hits .236 again Jeff Baker will take over at second
9. pitchers spot

Look for the Cubs to led the league in runs, and be in the top of the league in home runs and wins.

GM turns broadcaster

According to reports by WEEI.com out of Boston, former general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays J.P. Ricciardi will be joining ESPN Baseball tonight along with Aaron Boone, who announced is retirement, and maybe Nomar Garciaparra as well. 

While no official announcement was made, sources told WEEI sportsradio that a deal was in place for both Boone and Ricciardi.

Other news:

Texas is close to a decision on a new middle infielder and it may be Felipe Lopez after all

Jarrod Washburn wants to return to Seattle; may be willing to give them a huge discount

Rod Barajas made the contract with the the Mets official today

Who's left and what do we know

Oh yes, the free agent class of 2010, of the 200 plus free agents this off-season, 39 still remain on the open market.  The number is down from the past week, but what might they be waiting for? 

We know the Carlos Delgado has undergone another hip surgery and will be out of action for the next 4 months.

We know that John Smoltz will wait until mid-June to decide his future, pick a contender, and probably pitch in the playoffs.

We know that Pedro Martinez will go the same route he went last year, and sign a $1M contract and be successful.  Boston hopes that team is the one he picks.

We know Garett Anderson has 1 more year left in him, but an American League team will have to call.  His days in the outfield are over, and being the DH or late inning pinch hitter will be his new duty.

We know Scott Eyre has said he will only pitch for the Phillies, it's just that the Phillies haven't called back.

We know Jarrod Washburn had an offer from the Twins for $5M guaranteed, but he feels that his numbers from Seattle last season are worth $10M a-year status.  His trade to the Tigers killed his chances of becoming a popular free agent, although, he claims a knee injury cause the bad numbers in Detroit.

We know Nomar Garciaparra wants to play for a contender, but injuries have cause him to become a pinch hitter at best.  Would have to accept a minor-league deal at this point, so, he might retire, which is becoming a trend for most of the players talked about so far, as saying good-bye to the game seems to be an easy way out at this point

We know Hank Blalock had 25 home runs last season with Texas, but was expecting a 3-year / $25M deal, after making $6.2M last year.  Will have to face the fact that he can't hit lefties, hit .221 against them last season and over the last 3 seasons has only 12 home runs off left-handers compared to 35 vs right-handers.

We know that Jermaine Dye had an offer from the Cubs for $3M plus, but Xavier Nady took that money, and the rest is history.  Braves and Indians were said to have interest, but Dye, like Washburn, still believes he was a top free agent and is looking for $9M a year.  With Damon signing for $8M, Dye is worth $5M to teams, but no one has the money in the budget for that now.

We know, or at least believe, that Braden Looper is the best pitcher left and Felipe Lopez is the best infielder left.  These 2 should have jobs, but Looper is looking for $6M a year and Lopez thought he was a future hall-of-famer until super-agent Scott Boras probably told him to look in a mirror, Lopez fired Boras last week, and still, no offers.

Others available:
Rocco Baldelli
Paul Byrd
Tomo Ohka
Joe Crede
Brett Tomko
Chad Bradford
Jason Isringhausen
Greg Norton
Chad Fox
Jonny Gomes
Joe Beimel
Alan Embree
Kiko Calero
Aaron Boone
Darin Erstad
Mike Hampton
Eric Milton
Jason Schmidt
David Weathers
Gary Sheffield
Paul Bako
Chan Ho Park
Rich Aurilia
Livan Hernandez
Dmitri Young

Damon picks Tigers over White Sox, others

The Johnny Damon rumors can finally come to an end, as the Tigers have signed the veteran outfielder to a 1-year deal for almost $8M guaranteed.  The Rays, White Sox, Braves and Blue Jays had been linked to Damon over the last few months, with rumors of a proposed 2-year / $14M contract offer by the Tigers, as well, the Yankees were said to have offered a similar 2-year deal for almost $16M.  We might never find out the truth behind the real contract offers, but we know the Tigers had interest, and they won the sweepstakes.

Damon, a great clubhouse presence, will most likely lead-off and play left for the club.  The departure of Curtis Granderson, via the trade to the Yankees, seemed to create a void in the lead-off role, but now with Damon, the Tigers have a proven hitter a top the lineup. Damon also has a full no-trade clause in the deal, according to reports by SI.com.

Here is a projected lineup after the Damon signing

1. LF Johnny Damon
2. DH Carlos Guillen
3. RF Magglio Ordonez
4. 1B Miguel Cabrera
5. 3B Brandon Inge
6. C Gerald Laird
7. 2B Scott Sizemore (rookie)
8. SS Adam Everett
9. CF Austin Jackson (rookie)

Remember the Quick fact:

Johnny Damon has played in 2131 career games, most batting lead-off. Here is a look at his numbers batting from all positions in the lineup:

1. 1530 games, .289 AVG
2. 213 games, 284 AVG
3. 106 games, 299 AVG
4. 12 games, 290 AVG
5. 30 games, .203 AVG
6. 61 games, .322 AVG
7. 69 games, 255 AVG
8. 43 games, .310 AVG
9. 67 games, .285 AVG

Indians sign Russell Branyan

The Indians will welcome back a friendly face as Russell Branyan is back with the team.  Cleveland signed the 1B / DH to a 1-year deal for almost $2M guaranteed, with incentives included in the contract.  Branyan was seeking a longer term deal after hitting for a career high in home runs with 31 and 76 RBI, while playing in Seattle last season, but settled for the 1-year deal with spring training right around the corner.  Originally drafted by the Indians in the 7th round in 1994, Branyan made it to the big leagues in 1998 for 1 game and went on to play until the 2002 season for the club, when he was traded for Ben Broussard of the Reds.  Branyan always had the swing to hit the long-ball, it was his defense, or lack there of, that would keep him from landing a starting position. 

In 2001, Branyan had 20 home runs and 54 RBI for the Tribe, but in his 72 games at third base, he had 11 errors, most of them throwing errors that saw balls sail into the stands.  The potential was always there, and after playing for the Reds, Brewers, Rays, Padres, Phillies and Cardinals, the Indians have brought him back.

In his 882 career games, Branyan has hit 164 home runs with 396 RBI.  The average over that time has been .234 and he has 946 strikeouts in 2431 at-bats, almost a unheard amount of strikeouts over that number of at-bats.  Expect 20 home runs and a lot of strikeouts again in 2010.

Pitchers still looking for work

With camps opening as early as Friday this week, as many as 30 free agent starting pitchers are still looking for work.  With some general managers all for the idea of players like John Smoltz waiting until mid-June to sign, to keep them fresh, and available for the playoffs is one way to look at things, but why start this new tradition that Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens felt was a necessary way to go?  Pitchers need spring training to get ready for the long season, even though they don't feel they do, thats what spring is for.  The waiting game for other pitchers though, is by no means something they have thought long about during the off-season.  This is nothing like the NHL free agent period, where signings on July 1st are fast and furious.  MLB players that are unsigned after 3 months on the open market are at the nervous stage now, and must lower their demands or risk retirement.  Pitchers, who are usually in demand, are now looked at differently if they have had any injury trouble in their careers.  It is too much of a risk to take a chance with the money they still fell they deserve. 

Listed here are 2 sets of rotations, 1 for the all-free agent rotation, the other, the free-agent / all-injured rotation.

All-free-agent rotation
Jarrod Washburn: wants to return to Seattle; Mariners haven't called; injured while a Tiger
Pedro Martinez: Red Sox have called, according to reports
Brandon Backe: Had more then a few terrible games for Houston; worth the risk though as a 5th starter
Livan Hernandez: still hopes to land a starters role
John Smoltz: rumoured to be waiting till mid-June until he decides on who's a contender

All-free agent/all-injured rotation
Chien-Ming Wang: Yankees gave up; Nationals said to have offered $2M guaranteed
Noah Lowry: solid for Giants 2 years ago; keeps cancelling throwing sessions
Kris Benson: former 1st round pick just can't get healthy
Jason Jennings: 1 good season; solid if he finds right team; only 31 years old
Mike Hampton: was on road to success for Astros till setback

Lincecum signs

To the surprise of some, the Giants agree to terms with Tim Lincecum on a 2-year / $23M contract.  Lincecum, who was going to an arbitrator Friday, rejected a 3-year / $37M deal according to reports, giving him his final year before free agancy to hit an even bigger jackpot. I say some were surprised, since Lincecum and his agent were playing hardball throughout this entire process with the Giants.  A 1-year deal was what most thought would happen.  The Giants can now move on to business, as Lincecum and Brian Wilson are all signed.  Watch for the Giants to be a surprise this year!

Other news:

Rod Barajas and the Mets are not a match; Barajas will look to Arizona now for a contract

Johnny Damon is now linked to the White Sox; who today held a prees conference for Frank Thomas, who officially retired