Up and Running!

MLB Front Office succesfully launched the full website today! You can check it out at http://www.mlbfrontoffice.com. This means the end of my posting here. However, if you want to continue recieving fantasy advice to your email, you can recieve a once a week newsletter by signing up using the link on the articles page of the website. As always, let me know what you think!

Thanks for all of your support,

Brad Stewart

New Site Launch

MLB Front Office will be re-launching next Saturday. You'll be able to find it at mlbfrontoffice.com. We currently have a staff of 7 writers including myself. It should provide much more content and many more opinions. Overall, I'm very excited for it and you should be to! Make sure to spread the word and visit on Saturday!

MLB FRONT OFFICE IS EXPANDING!

As some of you may have guessed, the big news this offseason is that MLB Front Office will be expanding to a full blown website. The website will be operating with 6 writers all working to bring you the best fantasy advice on the web. Some additional features will be: A message board, a weekly top 50 ranking, the much anticipated draft guide (in partnership with FBE) and much much more. The website will be launching shortly after the World Series ends and will be operating the whole year without break! This is HUGE news for us. Only with your support can we continue to grow. I'll keep you posted as the launch comes closer.

MLB Front Office Draft Guide

Don't forget, MLB Front Office will be partnering with Fantasy Baseball Express to provide the best damn Fantasy Draft Guide EVER! Honestly, it's going to be HUGE! Best of all it's going to be free. Along with the release of the draft guide, MLB Front Office will be making a huge announcement. If you'd like to hear more as it happens, sign up for our mailing list. You won't regret it.

Something Huge is Coming

Something huge is coming to MLB Front Office! Unfortunately, in order to make this possible, MLB Front Office will be closing down shop for the rest of the 2007 season. Please keep checking for updates on the HUGE NEWS! We will be back up for the offseason! Thanks for understanding. I appreciate your understanding and hope you will continue to check MLB Front Office for updates even though fantasy news will be few and far between for the next couple weeks.

Thanks,

Brad Stewart

Mark Teixeira to Braves

Well, the trade deadline is upon us and the first big deal has been made! The Rangers shipped off Mark Teixeira and lefty reliever Ron Mahay for Braves young studs Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Elvis Andrus. Two pitching prospects went to the Rangers as well. One is said to be Neftali Feliz and the other one is probably Matt Harrison.

Although the biggest news from a baseball standpoint is Mark Teixeira; from a fantasy standpoint, the biggest impact comes in the form of Saltalamacchia. Salty should immediatly become the starter in Texas and should provide great value from the catcher position for the rest of this year and years to come. Salty could become a top 5 catcher on most lists next year.

In other news, a Dye to the Red Sox trade seems very likely now. The White Sox would apparently recieve Wily Mo Pena and one of Manny Delcarmen or Justin Masterson.

Trade Market Recap

As the trade deadline approaches, many names will be tossed around in rampid speculation. The simple fact is that while hundreds of names will probably be mentioned, less than 10 will exchange teams and maybe one of them will be a marquee name. Here are some things to keep in mind about the market over the next couple of weeks:

The Bats:

Mark Teixeira has been placed at a 50/50 or possibly greater chance of being traded. By my estimations that means there's maybe a 25 % chance he is dealt before the trade deadline. Something at the winter meetings seems a little more likely. Teams with known interest include the Yankees, Braves and Red Sox with the Red Sox probably leading the way. The Rangers have asked the Yankees for one of Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain and probably won't deal Teixeira for less. Hughes and Chamberlain are both untouchable. To make matters more difficult, Teixeira is a free agent after 2008 and initial reports expect agent Scott Boras to ask for something between 20 and 30 million a year.

Adam Dunn is available and a number of teams would like to acquire his services. One of the more suprising candidates is the Washington Nationals. The Nationals apparently would like to sign Dunn long term and make him the center of their rebuilding quest. This begs the question, why don't the Reds keep Dunn and rebuild around him? Never the less, expect Dunn to move at some point.

Jermaine Dye is available as well. A couple of teams are interested in him despite his dissapointing season. As you probably know, Dye is a free agent after this year and thus he would probably be only a one year rental. The Cubs have interest and have tools to trade, I assume Dye would be pleased at not having to move.

Other Bats that are available include Willy Mo Pena (who has been connected to a couple of teams including the Pirates), Jack Wilson (Blue Jays rumor was shot down), and Troy Glaus.

The Arms:

Dontrelle Willis is not available, contrary to popular belief. On the other hand, Jon Garland may be available after all. A trade between the Braves and White Sox swapping Garland and Edgar Renteria fell through, but Garland is still available. Jose Contreras is also available and if pushed, Javier Vazquez may be a possibility. The chances of any of these starters being dealt is small, however they are available and the cream of the crop. Joe Blanton and Noah Lowry could probably also be had, although their respective teams would probably rather keep them if possible. Scott Olsen could be dealt as well but, with recent legal problems I'd be surprised to see him move. The Diamondbacks are activly shopping Livan Hernandez but the draft picks might be worth more than whatever they could get for him. Joe Kennedy has drawn interest from a number of clubs, rumored to include the Brewers, Phillies and Dodgers. Ian Snell may be the best overall pitcher available but also the least likely to move. The Pirates would need to get a great bat for him.

The relief market is going to steal most of the headlines. Octavio Dotel seems almost certain to move. If so, Joakim Soria will probably step into the closer role again. Zack Greinke would have a shot as well. Greinke has also been mentioned in trade rumors, namely in a connection with the Cubs that turned out to be (apparently) false. I'd be very surprised to see Greinke go anywhere. The Yankees and Rockies are locked in trade conversations over Kyle Farnsworth. The sticking point is money. Eric Gagne is still a possibility to be dealt as well but, the Rangers may opt to simply resign him instead. Chad Qualls, Dan Wheeler, Soloman Torres, Jon Rauch, Chad Cordero and Scott Proctor are definately available as well.

Take it all with a grain of salt but, thats where we stand right now.

Bronx Bombers No Longer Bombing

It'd be an understatement to say that the Yankees are on a hot streak. Along with the Cubs, the Yankees are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. Now only 7.5 games behind the struggling Red Sox, the Yankees have benefited from all around solid play from the whole team. With that said, the Yankees are looking as if they could become serious playoff contenders. Despite the new "develop the minors" strategy in New York, the Yankees will probably be buyers at the trade deadline. In fact, they have already begun by trading Double A reliever Jeff Kennard to aquire backup catcher Jose Molina. The Yankees have been after Molina for a while now. History tells us that despite rampid speculation, the chances that a star player will change hands at the deadline is thin. Never the less, here is a look at the names the Yankees have been connected to:

Ty Wigginton

Why it Works: Cashman is interested versatile players who can play multiple positions. Wigginton is also right handed, which is a plus for the largely left handed Yankees.

Who would go the other way: Scott Proctor. The Yankees should be willing to trade Scott Proctor because Joba Chamberlain is probably ready to make the jump to the majors from Double-A. The Devil Rays could use a AL East tested reliever, maybe even more so then they could use a starter.

Mark Teixeira

Why it won't work: As mentioned previously, big names rarely move at the deadline. In addition, the Rangers will be looking for no less than Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain and the Yankees won't move them.

Who would go the other way: If the teams could work something out, it wouldn't be for Hughes or Chamberlain. The Rangers would be welcome to almost any other pitching prospect in the Yankees system.

Octavio Dotel

Why it won't work: Dayton Moore is still asking for too much and the Yankees aren't interested in Dotel as a closer, therefore, another team will be willing to give more.

Mark Loretta

Why it would work: The Yankees are looking for a super-sub type utility player and that is exactly what Loretta is. The Yankees inquired on him back in December. The Astros should be willing to part with the soon to be 36 year old because the team needs to start rebuilding.

Who would go the other way: Most likely a minor league pitching prospect other than Hughes or Chamberlain. However, that's pure speculation; I haven't heard any names attatched to this rumor.

Wilson Betemit

Why it would work: The Yankees love Betemit, it wouldn't be the first time they've inquired on him -- or the second, or third for that matter. You get the point. Again, Betemit is a super-sub type player. He would fill that role this year and provide insurance incase Alex Rodriguez leaves after the season ends.

Who would go the other way: The Dodgers are looking for late inning relief help but, apparently, Proctor isn't good enough for them. Possibly Proctor and a minor leaguer could get it done.

Dan Johnson

Why it would work: The As would love to unload Johnson to make room for top prospect Daric Barton at first base. They are clearly in a selling mode, which has already started with the trade of Jason Kendall to the cubs.

Who would go the other way: Scott Proctor. The Yankees are certainly willing to move him, he's been attatched to almost every rumor. The As could use Proctor as a starter in '08.



In related news, the Yankees have been refusing to start selling. They clearly think they have a shot. They told the Mariners that Andy Pettitte wasn't available when the Mariners inquired. The Diamondbacks also inquired about Bobby Abreu but have seen backed off.

Keep an eye on all of the names I mentioned. Any players changing leagues at the deadline can have a big effect in AL or NL leagues.

Poll

I have added a Poll on the right hand sidebar. Please voice your opinion! It is greatly appreciated and will make MLBFO a better place! Please feel free to leave any comments in the comments section or via email. I always appreciate hearing from my readers!

Carpenter to have Tommy John

Cardinals ace, Chris Carpenter, is scheduled to have Tommy John surgery sometime next week, the Cardinals announced. Carpenter will miss the rest of this season and probably half of next season. Those who held onto Carpenter hoping for a return can now drop him. Drop Carpenter all the way down your list for next year as well. Think Pedro Martinez from this year.

By the way, It's good to be back!

Friday Cubs Game Notes

Whenever I get a chance to go to a game. I always post some notes from the game. This time I had tickets to the Cubs vs. Padres game. I sat right next to the Cubs dugout. Cubs' team president John McDonough sat right in front of me.

- I truely believe that there is a link between Alfonso Soriano hitting well and Felix Pie being in the lineup. They have great chemistry and it's very apparent.

- Michael Barrett was back behind home plate and it seemed to me he did a fine job calling the game for Ted Lilly who went 8 innings.

- After Alfonso Soriano homered, he trotted up the line backwards for a couple of steps. I would imagine a fine is coming for that.

- Mike Fontenot looked good. He seems like a very similar player to Ryan Theriot.

- As you may have heard Matt Murton was sent to Triple-A.

- Mark DeRosa looked very comfortable at third base and he made a catch I'm sure Aramis Ramirez wouldn't have even tried to get.

Also, I have been filling in for the NL West writer over at Big Dawg Baseball and will write the NL West article again next week. After my NL West article next thursday I will be gone for three weeks. A writer will be filling in for me at Big Dawg Baseball but there won't be any posts here. Please be patient and if you want to be notified when I return just enter your email address in the bar on the right hand side.

Trouble in the Bay

Theres a bit of an issue brewing in Tampa Bay. You guessed it, it is surrounding Elijah Dukes. Dukes recent slump has some people wondering if Dukes will be sent to AAA. Well, first things fist, he isn't going anywhere until Baldelli comes off the DL and proves he is out of the slump he's been in almost the whole season. If that happens, the question becomes, is it worth keeping Dukes in the DH role even if his bat is below the Mendoza Line? Well, there may be more to it: Yahoo! reports that even if they want to send Dukes to AAA, they may not because, the Durham Bulls (the Devil Rays AAA affiliate) has told the Devil Rays they don't want him back.

Its hard to sell low but I imagine that Dukes will be playing for a different team before the end of the 2008 season. A team is going to be willing to take on the off the field problems, just maybe not the Devil Rays -- or the Durham Bulls for that matter.

Twins Revolving Rotation

Although it has not been officially decided, the Twins have a decision to make and Scott Baker may not be happy with the result. Due to Monday's off day, the Twins have 5 starters for the next four days. Carlos Silva and Johan Santana will remain on 5 days rest meaning either Baker or Bonser would get skipped on Monday and the other would pitch on tuesday before Silva and then Santana on Wednesday and Thursday. The logical person to skip is Baker who has an ERA of 9.00 over the last 14 innings (his last 3 starts). Even if he is skipped, he wouldn't necessarily lose his spot in the rotation but Matt Garza is pitching well in AAA. He has 66 strikeouts in 68 innings and a 3.44 ERA. If Baker loses his job, Garza could be valuable in AL only leagues right away.

Ranking the Draft

The first day of the draft is complete and before the second half begins, I thought I would stop in and rank the first round of the draft. So below are the tiers of the value of players for FANTASY VALUE. Not how they will do in real life but rather, how big of an impact they will have fantasy wise.

Tier 1
David Price - LHP TB

Tier 2
Josh Vitters - 3B CHC
Mathew Wieters - C BAL
Jarrod Parker - RHP ARI
Phillipe Aumont - RHP SEA
Jason Heyward - OF ATL
Rick Porcello - RHP DET

Tier 3
Mike Moustakas - 3B KC
Madison Bumgarner - LHP SF
Beau Mills - 1B/DH CLE
Ben Revere - OF MIN
Wendell Fairley - OF SF
Andrew Brackman - RHP NYY

Tier 4
Daniel Moskos - LHP PIT
Ross Detwiler - LHP WAS
Matt LaPorta - 1B MIL
Casey Weathers - RHP COL
Matt Dominguez - 3B FLA
Devin Mesaraco - C CIN
Kevin Ahrens - 3B TOR
Blake Beavan - RHP TEX
J.P. Arencibia - C/1B TOR
Tim Alderson - RHP SF
Mike Main - RHP/OF TEX
James Simmons - RHP OAK

Tier 5
Joe Savery - LHP PHI
Chris Withrow - RHP LAD
Aaron Poreda - LHP CWS

Tier 6
Peter Kozma - SS STL
Nick Schmidt - LHP SD

Price is Right for D-Rays

Okay, I know its cliche and I said I wouldn't but I couldn't resist it. We all know David Price is going to be great. Here's the scouting report on him:

Price was drafted with Tampa Bays 1st round draft pick (first overall). He is a LHP out of Vanderbilt. His fastball consistantly sits between 90 and 92 MPH touching 95 MPH at times. He has three plus pitches and will be put on the fast track to the major leagues. Along with great skills he has a great mentality, on and off the field. Coaches have said that when Price is not available to pitch he voluntarily became the teams bat boy. He projects with a very high ceiling and he shouldn't be a huge problem to sign. He could be in the majors by the end of 2008.

So, where does Price fit in with the current prospects in the majors already? The following list includes only players with NO major league experience.

1. JUSTIN UPTON, of, Diamondbacks
2. YOVANI GALLARDO, rhp, Brewers
3. EVAN LONGORIA, 3b, Devil Rays
4. JAY BRUCE, of, Reds
5. CAMERON MAYBIN, of, Tigers
6. DAVID PRICE, LHP, TB
7. ANDREW McCUTCHEN, of, Pirates
8. REID BRIGNAC, ss, Devil Rays

Keep in mind that by the end of the season a couple of these players will have played in the majors. It is almost a sure thing that Upton and Gallardo will have. Take it with a grain of salt because it is bound to change as things play out this season.

1st Round Quick Hits

The first round of the Rule-4 first year players' draft is complete. Over the course of the next couple of days you're going to read a lot of articles, most will begin with the play on words "Price is right for Devil Rays". Everyone knows David Price is going to be a stud. What about the rest of the round? Here are a couple of quick hits:

- The two best values in the draft could come in the last four picks of the first round. First, the Tigers nabbed Rick Porcello who is a top 5 talent but slipped due to signability issues. He is a Boras client. Then, the Yankees nabbed Andrew Brackman who is a top 10 talent who slipped due to injury concerns. He may be forced to have Tommy John surgery but that is almost always successful.

- The 2nd to last pick of the draft, Wendell Fairley, could also be a great fantasy value. The Giants probably landed their future leadoff man in Fairley but to fantasy owners he represents much more. One of his top comparables is said to be Carl Crawford, a player who is much more valuable in fantasy than in real life.

- Two first rounders should be on the fast track for their teams closer job: Daniel Moskos, PIT; Casey Weathers, COL

- The other best future fantasy options: Josh Vitters, 3B, CHC; Mathew Wieters, C, BAL; Jarrod Parker, RHP, ARI; Phillippe Aumont, RHP, SEA; Jason Heyward, OF, ATL.

There will be complete analysis of the entire draft in the Huge Novemeber Draft Guide. So get pumped for that! There will also be more analysis over the course of the summer.

Thursday's Rule-4 Draft

The Rule-4 first year players draft is underway and MLB Front Office will be here providing coverage for it. I will recap the first round at its finish. If you have any questions on specific players, feel free to email me. I will be checking my email throughout the draft.

After the conclusion of the first round I will provide you with my first impressions on all of the players including scouting notes, the speed they will asend to the majors, their upside, and other relevant notes.

Check back throughout the summer for more information on these players.

Thursday Notes

A couple of fantasy relevant notes for you:

- Joakim Soria was activated from the DL but will not be the closer as of the moment. He's probably not worth holding on to.

- Joe Mauer will be activated for tomorrows game so get him back in your lineup.

- Both J.D. Drew and Scott Rolen will return to the lineup today.

- Santiago Casilla recorded a save for Oakland in their win over Boston. After being called up, it was assumed he would rise quickly towards the 8th or 9th inning role but, both Embree and Calero had pitched three straight nights and were probably unavailable to pitch. He's worth keeping an eye on but don't go crazy trying to add him.

- Michael Barrett didn't catch for Zambrano last night after their fight during his previous start. Barrett doesn't usually catch for him but they tried it out when Blanco went on the DL. When Zambrano is starting put in your backup catcher if you have one.

Why the Cubs Should Trade Zambrano

Although I find it hard to believe the Cubs would trade Zambrano if they were in contention, if they are more than 10 games back at the trade deadline, there are a couple of very convincing reasons why Zambrano should be gone.

I did some quick number crunching and it appears with Zambrano's contract off the books for the '08 season the Cubs payroll will be at about 105 million. That is a lot higher than this year considering it was right at 100 million with Zambrano's contract. Considering that the Payroll will continue to increase over the next couple of years because of the backloaded contracts the Cubs signed, I find it hard to believe that the Cubs will go above 115 million for this season. Considering the outfield next year will probably be rid of Jones's 5 million that is calculated into the 105 figure (along with a 5 million dollar allowance for a new catcher or to resign Barrett with) that leaves the Cubs with about 15 million to play with. I see two choices here.

The first choice is to resign Zambrano and risk that he will give the Cubs another mediocre season for 15 million a la Kerry Wood. This is both risky and an inefficient use of money. Granted, if Zambrano pitched to form this year, the offense could probably carry the team from there. Next year, however, I am not sure Marquis and Lilly will be fooling batters as much. Lilly because batters will have seen his stuff for a year and Marquis because well, he's Marquis.

The second choice is to trade Zambrano at the deadline for a pitching prospect who could step in as a number 2 or number 3 next year. The Cubs rotation would certainly be fairly weak, looking something like: 1) Lilly 2) Hill 3) Young Pitcher 4) Marquis 5) Marshall. However, that would leave 15 million to add another impact bat. 15 million isn't enough to add A-Rod if he opts out of his contract but there are other options that could be explored. If the new owner of the Cubs is willing to dish out the money, there is always the A-Rod possibility but honestly, I think the chances of that are less than five percent.

The positions that are set in stone: 1B: D. Lee, 3B: A. Ramirez, LF: A. Soriano, CF: F. Pie. In addition, Murton or Jones will probably remain intact in right field. Floyd is gone. That leaves the middle infield as somewhat of a question mark. Izturis's option will not be exersized and DeRosa is probably going to be starting at 2B (although I would rather see him in a super-utility role). SS is the only real opening and Theriot could fill it if we spent the money on a starter. If Soriano could play 2B that would solve our problems and we could go after a big time free agent outfielder but he can't. Only on extremely dire circumstances should Soriano ever be allowed in the infield with a glove. Getting A-Rod would solve these problems but the Cubs are about 10 million short and no one even knows if he'll opt out.

After that long winded article, I see a couple of possible solutions. First, they could resign Zambrano and go into next year with essentially the same roster as they will end this year with (assuming a Jones trade and Pie in center full time at the end of the year). Next, they could somehow muster up enough money for A-Rod. Like I said, don't really see that happening. Finally, they could go out and mix everything up. They could trade both Jones and Murton for relief pitching help this winter (God knows they need it) and end up with someone like Eric Byrnes in right field. Could they afford Byrnes and Zambrano? Maybe. Would it be terrible to save a little money for another year (they're going to need it) and just sign a Byrnes type player? No. But it might not make the fans happy.

The question becomes...can this team win?

Lineup:
1. Soriano - I hate him hear but I'm going to have to live with it
2. DeRosa
3. Lee
4. Ramirez
5. Byrnes
6. Barrett
7. Theriot
8. Pie
9. Pitcher

Rotation:
1. Lilly
2. Hill
3. (Someone like Mike Pelfrey or Nick Adenhart)
4. Marquis
5. Marshall

I'd say it's one good pitcher short. Which brings us back to Zambrano. All the speculation in the world isn't going to make this an easy offseason for the front office of the Cubs. It's gonna get interesting in Wrigleyville.

Monday Game Notes

Despite the fact that Roger Clemens start was pushed back to next Saturday, I still ventured over to the White Sox vs. Yankees game. A couple of quick notes:

- It was interesting to see Jermaine Dye and Bobby Abreu playing RF in the same stadium due to the trade speculation. I was sitting two rows behind where they were playing. At one point Abreu was resting along the wall and I almost got up to ask him if he liked playing at U.S. Cellular but I decided against it.

- I can tell you one thing. DeSalvo is not the answer. He was called up from Triple-A to start and was essentially KOed in the second inning. They did not waste any time shipping him back to Triple-A, it happened only about an hour after the game.

- I know I keep saying it but watch out for Paul Konerko. It wasn't that he hit a homerun or that he was 3 for 4 but rather it was when he rounded third after the homerun and slapped hands with the third base coach. The expression on their faces told me he was back. Sounds strange, but there was something about it.

- Jon Garland pitched well but there wasn't anything about the outing that jumped off the page at me.

- Just as a side note, there were two people sitting behind me talking about an A-Rod to the Sox trade and I'd like to point out that a trade to the Dodgers makes much more sense. The trade they were discussing was A-Rod for Buehrle and Crede. Not in a million years.

Bailey Might Start Saturday

Top Reds prospect Homer Bailey may be called up to start next saturday, MLB.com is reporting. The Reds haven't officially announced it and there are still a couple of other options but Bailey stands alone as the best option. Bobby Livingston was recently sent down to the minors after giving the Reds 1 good start but he can't be called back up because it would be within 10 days of his demotion. If Bailey is called up he is worth starting and if he is still a free agent he is worth adding now but if he is on your bench and you are in a weekly lineup change league, leave him on the bench this week because of the uncertainty.

Twins Get a Clue

It only took them six plus weeks but they finally got a clue. The Minnesota Twins will be calling up Kevin Slowey to start on Friday in place of Ramon Ortiz. If you recall back to before the season started, I was livid that they weren't giving the young guys a shot -- most notably Matt Garza who I still have stashed in my minors in the Official MLB Front Office Dynasty League. And If you've been reading my weekly article over at Big Dawg Baseball (This weeks article is up now as it is every tuesday -- I cover the AL Central), you will know that I originally predicted Kevin Slowey to be the first called up. Instead, they called up Baker but now both of them are up anyway. If either stumbles, Garza will get the next call. Slowey's stats are impressive in AAA and we're talking VERY impressive, Phil Hughes IMPRESSIVE! Now, this kid isn't Phil Hughes but he's still worth an add in almost all types of leagues.

On another note, I live near Chicago and thus will be lucky enough to go to the White Sox game on Monday. I hate the White Sox so, why am I lucky? It will be Roger Clemens first start of the season. I'll be there in person and you'll reap the benefits. I should have an article up on Monday or Teusday about my first hand impression.

Double E

Edwin Encarnacion was recalled to the majors after Josh Hamilton was placed on the DL. Encarnacion will likely start at 3B with Freel moving to center field. It is unclear what will happen when Hamilton returns but Encarnacion is clearly too good for AAA. He hit .413 with three home runs, two doubles and seven RBIs in 11 games in AAA. His numbers in the majors were on the other side of the spectrum and his performance in the majors during the next 15 days will likely be a big factor in whether he stays up for good. I stress: do not look at Encarnacion as a AAAA player even though he is being treated as one. Encarnacion has the talent to play in the majors, the Reds just need to give him a little time. I still expect Encarnacion to be a fantasy factor this season.

Hank Blalock

There aren't very many reason's people have to remove a rib, it seems like Blalocks may be a more legit baseball reason. None the less, Blalock will most likely be placed on the 60 day DL. A roster move wasn't initially announced to fill his spot. Leave Blalock alone in leagues. Drop him, or try to trade him before the news gets out ;).

Brett Myers

What comes to mind when you hear the name Brett Myers? Probably not: Best Closer in Baseball. But I would like to argue that infact, he could be. In 14.2 innings of relief work he has given up one run. What makes me love this guy, however, is not the stats. After watching him pitch in relief, I found it hard not to love the guy. A starter turned closer, Myers has the ability to go two innings to get the save and the management knows it. In the 14.2 innings of work, Myers has 23 strikeouts. He has always had a great K/9 rate. But more than his stats, I just have a feeling about this guy. As a fantasy expert, I know I am not supposed to admit this but I have just fell in love with the guy. I watched him completely fool the cubs hitters -- striking out 5 in 2 inning. As a Cubs fan I wanted the Cubs to mount a comeback but as a fan of baseball, I wanted to see Myers dominate. You heard it here 1st: Myers is the best closer in baseball. He may get overlooked in next years drafts because of his terrible starts as a starter. A bad ERA as a starter is hard to overcome pitching only 1 or 2 innings a night. Add Myers before the rest of baseball catches on. The job is his for good.

Big Dawg Baseball

As I mentioned last week, I have begun to write for Big Dawg Baseball. There are 8 writers on staff, one writer for each division plus an injury advisor and the site owner (Chris McDonnell), who does most of the other stuff. Each week, the division writers release an article outlining what you need to know from the division. The articles are very indepth and break it down to include everything you need to know in an easy to find format. Every Tuesday the AL articles are released and every Thursday the NL articles are released. I am covering the AL Central, thus my first article over there was released today. It's only $14.95 for the season and it is well worth the money. The site has everything you need to know in an easily navigated format. Check out my article over at Big Dawg Baseball and let me know what you think.

Sunday Quick Hits

Here's whats happening in baseball today:

- Justin Morneau returned to the lineup the day after breaking his nose. I advised yesterday to sit him but it looks like he's going to play through it.

- Mike Pelfrey was demoted to AAA after struggling at the major league level thus far. The Mets recalled star prospect outfielder Carlos Gomez but he should go back down once Orlando Hernandez comes off the DL soon.

- Rockies disgruntled and struggling pitcher Kim was swapped for equally as bad relief pitcher Julio of the Marlins.

- Sidney Ponson was released by the Twins leaving the 5th starter spot to one of the young players. They spot won't be needed until next saturday so keep your ears open. Early favorite is Kevin Slowey.

Howard Hits the DL

In a quite expected move, Ryan Howard was officially placed on the 15 Day DL. He should have already been out of your lineup but if you were holding out hope you definately need to pick up someone to fill his shoes for the time being. His DL stint is retroactive to last Wednesday's pinch hit grand slam so he is eligible to come off the DL Thursday the 24th -- If he's ready by then. He should be, but you never know.

Tough Break For Morneau

Defending AL MVP was lost today due to a broken nose. The Twins lost the game too. His status is Day To Day. He Broke it when third baseman Nick Punto caught a line drive hit by Brandon Inge and threw to Morneau to try for the double play. But the ball one-hopped Morneau and bounced off his nose. His nose was treated by the trainer to stop the bleeding and then had a doctor set it back in place. Take him out of your lineup for now.

Elite Pitchers Making Headlines

A couple of elite pitchers have been making headlines this year. Here's an update about whats going on:

- Roger Clemens will make a tune-up start next week. It will probably take him 3-4 tuneup starts before he's ready which puts him on track to get to the majors in the first week of June.

- Roy Halladay had to have emergency surgery and will be out 4-6 weeks. The surgery was not baseball related.

- Some good news out of Toronto, BJ Ryan's back is okay! Everything else...not so okay.

- Jake Peavy is still dominating teams. Taking down the Cardinals in another 10 K outing yesterday.

- Carlos Zambrano continues to struggle. Debate and speculation over his contract is all over the media. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

Let me know if you like the bullet point format. And feel free to Email Me questions, comments etc.

Big Dawg Baseball

Big Dawg Baseball recently found themselves one man short of a full staff and asked me if I would be interested in doing writing for the rest of the year. Of course, I was honored to be asked and I will now be covering the AL East for them every tuesday for the rest of the season. It is behind a subscriber wall but there is a bunch of great information bye some really great writers and it is defintaley worth it.

Anyway, be sure to check out my article every tuesday.

Denver Post

Robert Sanchez, a staff writer for the denver post, also runs a fantasy baseball blog for denverpost.com. The other week Robert emailed me and asked me if I would write a guest article for his blog. Of course, I obliged, and my article is now up. You can find a direct link to it here. It analyzes some of the oddities through the season thus far and takes a look at a team that would be winning most normal leagues. The catch? All the players were usually undrafted.

Check it out.

BJ to get TJ

Could it get any worse for the Blue Jays? They are currently in last place in the AL East, 9.5 games behind 1st place Boston and almost as far out of the wild card race. Behind Halladay and Burnett, their rotation consists of Ohka, McGowan and Marcum. Who? Yeah thats what I thought. Oh yeah and now, Jeremy Accardo is their closer. Frasor is still the Closer on the teams official depth chart but we all know how that experiment went. Why is Accardo the closer? Not only is BJ Ryan on the DL, but he is going to have Tommy John Surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Time to look towards next year Toronto.

Taking a look at the Reds

UPDATE: Bailey will not be called up to replace Milton for this start but he still may be worth adding. He is a top prospect and will be up sooner rather than later.

One major move and one possible move thrust the Reds to the front of my mind today. The first priority is that one of my breakout picks for the year has just been demoted. Edwin Encarnacion could make a great buy low canidate for a lot of teams and I think the Reds acted hasitly in demoting him. If someone in your NL only or deep mixed league drops him, you would be wise to grab and stash him. I think he could still have a fantasy impact later in the year.

In other news, the Reds still have not announced who will start in Eric Milton's place on Sunday. Speculation is swirling that it may be the beginning of the Homer Bailey era in Cinci. That would make the top 3 pitching prospects all debuting in the first 6 weeks of the season: Bailey, Lincecum, and Hughes. If Bailey is unowned in your league you need to add him.

And we wonder why the Rangers don't win...

Why do we wonder why the Rangers don't win? When you make moves like trading John Danks and another stud to the White Sox for Brandon McCarthy, you don't deserve to win. But that isn't even what I'm complaining about this time. Eric Gagne was activated from the DL and of course, he's going back to the closers role. If it ain't broken don't fix it! You know Gagne is going to get hurt again and Otsuka probably doesn't enjoy being toyed with like this. Let Otsuka close, and let Gagne be the setup man -- in between vacations to the DL.

Fantasy Impact: I doubt anybody dropped Gagne when he went on the DL but clearly, he needs to be on your roster if somebody did. And, don't go about dropping Otsuka, you'll regret it when Gagne makes his next trip to the DL -- in probably a week or so.

Zumaya, Igawa, Clemens and More

A couple of thoughts about the happenings of baseball recently:

- Zumaya will miss 12 weeks as he is scheduled to have surgery for a finger injury. Anybody hoping Zumaya would become the closer at some point this year needs to temper their expectations. Zumaya will probably remain in the setup role for the rest of the year but if there are DL spots and you have room he is worth hanging onto because he can contribute with an IP and strikeouts 3 out 4 nights once he is healthy.

- Kei Igawa was sent to class A Tampa after struggling in the majors. Igawa was merely a PR signing to keep up with the Red Sox in Japan but that is one expensive PR signing. Class A seems a little bit harsh, doesn't it? Igawa didn't have any fantasy value to begin with but if you were still holding out hope for him, it's time to drop him.

- More details have surfaced about the Roger Clemens signing. It appears Clemens should be ready to start in the majors by mid-june at the absolute latest. Additionally, Clemens contract includes a similar clause as his contract last year that states that he doesn't have to travel with the team if he is not scheduled to pitch.

- A couple of players have been suspended recently. Scott Proctor, Joe Torre, Matt Capps, and Juan Salas. The Proctor and Capps suspensions were minimal. Joe Torre obviously has no fantasy implications. Salas was suspended for 50 games for violating the MLB's drug policy. But he isn't really fantasy worthy either.

- Brian Lawrence signed with the New York Mets. He is expected to make some minor league rehab starts and then get a shot at the major league rotation. He doesn't really have any fantasy value either.

Soriano Gets In The Game at 2B

What? Alfonso Soriano back at 2nd base? Fantasy Owners don't get too excited. He only got work there because all the other 2nd baseman (Theriot shifted to short when Izturis was pinch hit for) were out of the game after needing offensive help in the bottom of the 9th. Well, the Cubs tied the game and needed a 2nd baseman for extras so in comes Soriano. I wouldn't expect Soriano to get eligibility in any leagues unless you only need to have played their once to get eligibility in which case Soriano's stock just skyrocketed.

Also, if you haven't noticed the huge banner already -- you're just blind -- IT'S GOING TO BE HUGE. I claim to revolutionize fantasy baseball and this is going to be able to uphold that promise. Me and the Fantasy Man are teaming up to provide you hours of reading material -- more than you will ever find anywhere else and it will be out in november!

Clemens shocks baseball

Roger Clemens shocked baseball with an ingame announcement today that he would return to play for the Yankees. It seems that the Yankees have figured out how to fix up that rotation but will it be enough?

Fantasy-wise it is unclear still how long it will be before he is pitching for the big league club but he is a must add in all leagues.

Cards Ace Carpenter Out 3 Months

The woes continue for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals ace, Chris Carpenter, will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week after suffering a setback in his recovering. Carpenter has been out since his first start, on opening day, with the injury. St. Louis is currently last in the NL Central. Additionally, highly touted prospect Anthony Reyes has been struggling.

If you were waiting for Carpenter to come back and rejuvinate your pitching staff, it is time to look elsewhere. Even after he comes back it will likely take him a couple of starts to get back to his old self. If you drafted Carpenter with your second or third round pick you are going to need to get a little lucky to compete this year. Braden Looper continues to pitch very well as the team's #2 pitcher and Kip Wells is pitching well as the #1 but Reyes has struggled.

This may open the door for a trade to bolster the Cardinals staff. Could struggling Mariners pitcher Jeff Weaver make a return to the Cardinals? If he does, he may be worth a chance. What about White Sox starter Mark Buehrle? If he is not traded to the Cardinals mid season he will likely sign with them in the offseason. The White Sox don't look good this year and they should probably cut their losses and trade him instead of losing him for nothing.

Top 25 Updated

If you look on the sidebar you will notice that the top 25 has been updated to reflect the beginning of the season. Some of the biggest movers included Soriano, Berkman and Lee falling and Sizemore, Rollins, Peavy, Halladay and Hernandez rising. A couple new people joined the top 25: Peavy, Halladay, Hernandez, Aramis Ramirez, Wells and a couple fell out of favor: Jeter, Wright, Teixeira, Carpenter and Suzuki.

Oh and in case you haven't already guessed, this is the first time in two years someone not named Pujols has graced my #1 spot.

A look ahead at 2008 Free Agency

I thought it would be interesting to try and figure out where the possible 2008 free agents will sign. So below are my predictions as of now. Feel free to rip them to shreds because these are just my opinions and even at the beginning of free agency this task is nearly impossible.

* List as of 4-26-07
** ’08 age in ()

Catchers

Jorge Posada (36) – Resigns with Yankees
Ivan Rodriguez (36) ($13MM club option for '08) – Option is used
Paul Lo Duca (36) – Boston Red Sox
Michael Barrett (31) – Resigns with Cubs
Jason Kendall (34) – New York Mets

First basemen

Adam Dunn (28) ($13MM club option for '08) – Option is used

Second basemen

Jeff Kent (40) ($9MM club option vests with 550 PAs this year) – Option vested
Marcus Giles (30) ($4MM club option for '08) – For only 4 million you have to use the option
Luis Castillo (32) – San Fransisco Giants
Tadahito Iguchi (33) – Traded before he hits FA

Shortstops

Omar Vizquel (41) - Retires
David Eckstein (33) – Minnesota Twins
Juan Uribe (29) - $5MM club option for '08 – Traded before he hits FA
Cesar Izturis (28) - $5.45MM club option for '08 – San Fransisco Giants

Third basemen

Alex Rodriguez (32) – Stays with Yankees
Mike Lowell (34) - Angels
Mike Lamb (32) - Resigns
Pedro Feliz (33) - Resigns

Left fielders

Eric Byrnes (32) – Baltimore Orioles
Adam Dunn (28) ($13MM club option for '08) – Option is used
Geoff Jenkins (33) ($9MM club option for '08) – Brewers but not with the option
Luis Gonzalez (40) - Retires
Barry Bonds (43) - Retires
Brad Wilkerson (31) – Washington Nationals

Center fielders

Ichiro Suzuki (34) – Texas Rangers
Andruw Jones (31) – Los Angeles Angels
Torii Hunter (32) – Seattle Mariners
Eric Byrnes (32) – Baltimore Orioles
Corey Patterson (28) – Philadelphia Phillies
Milton Bradley (30) - Resigns
Aaron Rowand (30) – Chicago White Sox
Mike Cameron (35) – Minnesota Twins
Kenny Lofton (41) – Retires

Right fielders

Jermaine Dye (34) – San Fransisco Giants
Bobby Abreu (34) ($16MM club option for '08) – Tough Call but I say they use the option
Ichiro Suzuki (34) – Texas Rangers
Milton Bradley (30) - Resigns
Geoff Jenkins (33) ($9MM club option for '08) – Brewers but not with option
Trot Nixon (34) – Resigns
Jose Guillen (32) ($9MM club option for '08) – Option is used
Shawn Green (35) ($10MM club option for '08) – Resigns but not with option
Eric Hinske (30) - Resigns

DHs

Shea Hillenbrand (32) - Resigns
Mike Piazza (39) - Retires
Barry Bonds (43) - Retires
Mike Sweeney (34) - Athletics

Starting pitchers

Carlos Zambrano (27) - Resigns
Curt Schilling (41) - Resigns
Jason Jennings (29) - Resigns
Freddy Garcia (32) - Resigns
Kenny Rogers (43) - Retires
Mark Buehrle (29) - Cardinals
Jon Lieber (38) – Traded prior to hitting FA
Bartolo Colon (35) – Texas Rangers
Joe Kennedy (29) - Athletics
Tomo Ohka (32) - Resigns
John Thomson (34) - Resigns
Kip Wells (31) - Resigns
Wade Miller (31) - Resigns
Livan Hernandez (33) - Resigns
Randy Wolf (31) ($9MM club option for '08) – Option is used
Paul Byrd (37) ($8MM club option for '08) – Resigns but not with option
Jeff Weaver (31) - Cardinals
Tom Glavine (42) ($9MM player option for '08) – Option is used
Kris Benson (33) ($7.5MM club option for '08) - Resigns
Jaret Wright (32) - Royals
David Wells (45) - Retires
Eric Milton (32) – Resigns
Kyle Lohse (29) - Resigns
Matt Clement (33) – Forced to retire due to injury
Rodrigo Lopez (32) - Resigns
Josh Fogg (31) – Resigns
Byung-Hyun Kim (29) – Traded prior to FA
Odalis Perez (31) ($9MM club option for '08) - Resigns
Brett Tomko (35) ($4.5MM mutual option for '08) – Option is used

Closers

Mariano Rivera (38) - Resigns
Jason Isringhausen (35) ($8MM club option for '08) – Option is used
Bob Wickman (39) - Retires
Francisco Cordero (33) - Resigns
Armando Benitez (35) - Resigns
Eric Gagne (32) - Resigns
Todd Jones (40) - Retires
Jorge Julio (29) - Phillies

Middle relievers

Scott Linebrink (31) - Resigns
Kerry Wood (31) – Resigns

Don’t get mad at me, I did this really fast. Have fun reading and debating. If you have any questions email me: stew0610@ameritech.net

Saltalamaccia Debuts

Top Braves prosect Saltalamaccia debuted today because McCann had a bruised thumb and his back up was sent to the DL but could it be more than that? With both Saltalamaccia and McCann at catcher, if both stay on the team one of the two will have to move to 1B. However, to get the best value out of the two it would probably be wise to trade Salty. The probable reason that the Braves decided to call up Salty is to display his major league ready skills to possible suitors. How soon could he be traded? By my estimations, as soon as McCann is fully healthy if Salty has been playing well he could be shipped out. Stay tuned for more trade rumors on him for the next couple of weeks.

In other big news in fantasy baseball, Billy Butler was called up by the Royals and named an every day starter. He doesn't play great defense but his bat is certainly major league ready. He's certainly worth a shot in most leagues and certainly in AL only leagues. I'd put him about on par with Hunter Pence at this point.

Thats all for now. As always, I'll take your questions via email: stew0610@ameritech.net

Buy it or Sell it: Hot/Slow Starts

Hot Starts:

Rich Hill - I buy this one. The guys a stud in the making and one of the best left handed pitchers in the NL. Expect a slight regression in his numbers but a 3.3 ERA to end the year is probably not out of the question and anything less than 3.7 would be a dissapointment at this point.

Alex Rodriguez - Have to buy this one as well. No, he's not going to hit 100 home runs like he's on pace to do but he can top 50 and 55 or 60 isn't out of the question.

Mark DeRosa - Sell. This guy still shouldn't be on fantasy rosters and the Cubs should never have signed him.

Eric Byrnes - Buy. 30/30 not out of the question. 25/25 is definately attainable again. Could be one of the best draft day bargains.

Slow Starts:

Carlos Zambrano - Sell this. He always starts the season slow and he is always an ace in the end. Don't worry about Big Z.

Anthony Reyes - Sell this one as well. I think an ERA around 4 is a reasonable expectation and anything less than 4.5 will be a dissapointment. He'll figure it out at some point.

Alfonso Soriano - Sell it also. The move to LF should help his bat a little bit. He no longer will have to worry as much about defense.

Phillies - Buy. Okay, so we over exaggerated the Mets problems a tad bit but Pelfrey has looked horrible. The Phillies studs are going to wake up (Utley and Howard I'm talking to you) but the relief pitching is terrible and they need to make a trade. Moving their best SP not named Hamels to the pen is not the answer.

Mike Pelfrey - Buy. Don't get me wrong, he's going to be good in the long run but this is just not his year. He needs another year to mature but they just don't have that time to give him.

Chris B. Young and Carlos Quentin - Sell. These youngsters are going to start hitting its just a matter of time.

Want my opinion on another player? Send me an email.

Yikes!

It's been a while since my last post -- don't worry I'm not dead. I feel the need to explain myself a little bit. This blogs purpose is to provide fantasy advice. I don't think that it is really necessary for me to post every day with all of the call ups etc. I know everyone gets that news from MLB.com, ESPN.com, or Yahoo! anyway. That being said, the offseason is going to be a much more busy time for posting and you can expect my posts to be significantly less often during the season. As always, feel free to send me questions and I will happily answer them.

(FYI if Phil Hughes is still on the wire in your league you need to add him -- he is starting on thursday)

That's all I've got to say, hopefully I'll come up with something good sometime soon. As always, you can find my weekly column every thursday at sportsblurb.com.

3 up/3 down: SP

3 Up:

Felix Hernandez - I already wrote about him but there really isn't much to say besides this kid is the next big thing. Scratch that -- he is the big thing NOW. Him and Santana will be competing for AL Cy Young at the end of the year. When he keeps the ball low he is unhittable.

Daisuke Matsuzaka - So far the biggest import of the year looks like a great deal. I'm a little bit worried about fatigue from this guy down the stretch because he has logged so many innings in his career but he certainly looks like he is here to stay. He could be the best yet -- and no, I'm not forgetting about Ichiro and Matsui.

Zack Greinke - This kid WAS the next big thing before he went a little crazy. He's back in the majors and seems to have his head back on straight. His fastball has gained a little speed because of a leg strength program he is on and he certainly looks like he could dominate hitters all season.

3 Down:

Chris Carpenter - If I hear the words Tommy John I'm going to cry. No seriously, this time it's his elbow. He shouldn't miss much time but if this thing lingers fantasy owners who drafted them are going to be in trouble. He was the concesus number 2 starter in most fantasy drafts.

Carlos Zambrano - I wouldn't get too worried yet but in 3 starts he's given up 14 ER, thats 2nd in the MLB. Look for Z to rebound but if this keeps up he could be out of the running for Cy Young before the All-Star Break.

Brett Myers - The only pitcher to have more ER than Zambrano? Brett Myers. He does have 19 SO in his 3 starts so atleast he is helping fantasy owners in that way. Like Big Z, look for Myers to rebound.

Felix Hernandez Lights Out

Felix Hernandez vs. Dice-K. My oh my. Wasn't Dice-K getting all the hype. It was crazy. You know what was even more crazy? Felix Hernandez. I'm not going to go into details here about the game but this guy is for real. When he keeps the ball low, he is nearly unhittable. If there is one guy in all of the majors that could contend for AL Cy Young with Santana its Hernandez. I know that it is still early but this kid is the real deal. I will soon be releasing an updated version of my top 250 I hope. I can guarantee one thing, this kid is going to be on his way up the board. I had him ranked 62 in my preseason rankings. You should expect to see him after the Oswalt/Zambrano/Peavy/Halladay group but before last years NL Cy Young Brandon Webb. Just off the top of my head right now, that would put him in the top 50.

Lidge out as closer

Brad Lidge was given the chance to close and he lost it. Dan Wheeler will take over the 9th inning duties and should be a solid closer. Think about the level of Tom Gordon. I'm sure Wheeler is gone in your leagues already because he was being drafted in most leagues but if your playing with a bunch of idiots...be sure you pick him up!

In other news, Jose Valverde has looked good in Arizona and Bob Howry has been giving the Cubs no reason to consider moving Dempster out of the job in Chicago.

I'll try to get that closer list updated soon and put a link to it on the sidebar. My goal is to keep it updated through out the season.

2 Start Starters

Here are a couple of 2 start starters for the upcoming week...

AL

Rich Harden
AJ Burnett
Boof Bonser
Josh Beckett
Jeremy Sowers
Ervin Santana
Jon Garland
Brandon McCarthy
Carl Pavano
Jake Westbrook
Jose Contreras
Nate Robertson

NL

Matt Cain
Chris Young
John Maine
Jason Schmidt
Tim Hudson
Ian Snell
Anibal Sanchez
Cole Hamels
Ted Lilly
Braden Looper
Doug Davis

If you have these guys on your team they are probably worth starting in weekly lineups because they are starting twice, if you are in a daily lineup change league then make sure you stay on top of your lineup. Active Managers are Winning Managers!

Q & A

Have questions about who to play? Have questions about fantasy in general? Send 'em to my email: stew0610@ameritech.net. I'm always happy to answer any questions you have and you might just see your question on the blog!

Jorge Julio -- Bust?

Jorge Julio has been nasty in Florida -- and not the way the Marlins wanted him to be. He has looked absolutely terrible. As noted in previous posts, there are many options for Florida to pitch in the 9th. Owens and Gregg are the too front runners with Owens looking like the better choice of the two right now. Tankersley and Lindstrom could fill in if neither Owens or Gregg jumps on the opportunity. Petit hasn't done anything in Arizona yet but it certainly looks like the Diamondbacks made out like bandits on the deal. Julio will still provide some veteran support in the bullpen and could get another shot in the 9th if he is solid in a setup role and the other options struggle as well.

10 Things I Think I Think Based on the 1st Week

10. I think I think I'm not worried about Carpenter, he'll be okay. On the other hand, if I was a Cardinal's fan, I'd be worried about that bullpen.
9. I think I think Brad Lidge will be on a short leash but both him and Wheeler struggled so maybe it won't be that short.
8. I think I think that although K-Rod blew a save it might be the only one all season.
7. I think I think that Michael Barrett finally got his first hit but I don't worry about slumps...until they reach 100 AB its hard to tell much.
6. I think I think the Cubs starters have all looked good besides Zambrano whos contract talks are currently on hold. I don't think its related but who knows.
5. I think I think Mark Derosa is on fire although its only been a couple days with 2 home runs.
4. I think I think thats enough about the Cubs but I am a Cubs fan so its not my fault.
3. I think I think that the Dodgers, Reds and Twins should all bring up their young pitchers but hey what do I know?
2. I think I think that Grady Sizemore is the next big thing but theres no way he can keep up the pace hes currently at.
1. I think I think that Santana will have some competition for AL Cy Young although he will win in the end. Dice-K, Halladay, and Hernandez all should be great.

Mark Buehrle Booboo

Mark Buehrle left the game early today and if he is out for an extended period of time there are a couple of interesting options for the White Sox.

- Gavin Floyd came over from Philly in the Freddy Garcia trade and was considered the leading canidate for the #5 spot until John Danks won it.

- Charlie Haeger is an intruiging option. He has a nasty pitch although projection systems don't expect very much from him.

- My very very outside super sleeper canidate is David Aardsma. He just pitched 2 innings and had 5 Ks. He came over from the Cubs in the Cotts deal and I think the White Sox definately got the better end of the deal there.

None of these guys are really gonna be much help in mixed leagues but in AL only leagues they could be decent replacements if you had buehrle or are in need of SP.

Breakout Bound?

Players who had a .200 plus slugging percentage differential from their career norms could be in line for a break out season. This method last year predicted many breakouts such as Adrian Gonzalez. Over at Baseball Prospectus, they have an article about a couple of players who did the same feat and could be in line to break out. It's an interesting read and could help with your fantasy team. Check it out.

Bonds Chase Begins

Barry Bonds smacked one out of the park today. Actually, about 5 minutes ago...Now Thats Good Content! The 42 year old will break Aaron's record unless he has a career ending injury...#735 went to deep center. He needs 21 to pass Aaron and as many people don't want him to do it, I'm sorry HE WILL! In the future however, I truly believe that people will see it as two different records: The Pre-Steroid Era record and the Steroid Era record. When Bonds breaks the record it will be a huge deal but it won't be long lived...A-Rod isn't far behind him and then Pujols will probably break it after that so don't fret...Bonds won't have it for long.

MLB signs deal to keep "Extra Innings" on Cable TV

My cell phone just alerted me that the MLB has signed a 7 year deal to keep the Extra Innings package on Cable TV. It's not exactly fantasy news but it is certainly news worthy and many people should be happy with this. You have no idea how many emails I got complaining about this. Anyway, thats all I got.

Quick Tip

I haven't posted much recently but the season has gotten underway. I have a quick little tip for all of you: Don't Worry! If your players aren't performing as you would like, don't panic. Don't drop your guys and add someone until you've given them a fair chance. A great example of this is Chris Carpenter. Carpenter had a less than good first start but that doesn't mean he is going to struggle. On the same note, just because a player has one good game doesn't mean they are going to break out. Give the guy a chance to prove some consistancy before you add him.

That's all I have for you for now. I'll update you as players impress or dissapoint. Just because the season has started doesn't mean you stop doing research! That is one philosophy I talk about in my article over at sportsblurb (out tomorrow). If you haven't gotten the Xtra Innings package to read that article I suggest you do. There is some other great content over there including an article by The Fantasy Man.

Dustin Hermanson: This ain't 2005 no more

Dustin Hermanson was asked by the Cincinatti Reds to go down to AAA. He said he wouldn't pitch for AAA and he was released. Hermanson was thought to be the leading canidate for the 9th inning job but a lousy spring forced the Reds to either demote him or release him. The simple truth was he wasn't pitching well enough to make the team despite his 2005 season when he helped the White Sox win the World Series as the closer. Last season was almost completely lost to injury and he still hasn't returned to anywhere near the 2005 form. It is likely he will sit out the season and may announce his retirement. It didn't seem like there were many teams vying for his services before and if he is unwilling to pitch in the minors I don't see anything happening. Perhaps Cleveland might have some interest in him? Whatever the case may be, if you picked up Hermanson...drop him.

Additionally, avoid the Reds closer job at all costs. It looks like its going to be another messy closer by situation.

Blockbuster deal going down in Chicago

Jim Hendry is at it again. With no regard for the salary or the team needs, he again struck a deal. It had been rumored that the Mets would have interest in Zambrano if he hit the open market but with the deadline to resign Zambrano coming to a close, instead they nabbed him before he hit the open market. In return for Zambrano the Cubs will recieve OF prospect Lastings Milledge, Starting Pitcher Mike Pelfrey and a Minor Leaguer to be named later. The deal is contingent on the Mets reaching a long term deal with Zambrano in the 48 hour time frame the Cubs have allowed. Upon hearing that Zambrano would not sign a long term deal with the Cubs, the offers for Zambrano went way down and this was the one that the Cubs deemed to be the best. The other interested parties are rumored to have included the New York Yankees, the Detroit Tigers (who recently lost Kenny Rogers), the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the surprisingly the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox names surfaced as well. Pelfrey will join the Cubs rotation as the #4 starter. Ted Lilly will start opening day. Milledge will start the season in AAA unless the Cubs can swing Jones before tomorrow -- which is unlikely. The Minor Leaguer to be named later is expected to be Single A pitcher Kevin Tomasiewicz. Hendry and Minaya both declined comment because the trade is not official yet.

Remember you heard it at MLB Front Office First! Bringing you all of your April Fools day news.

MIA in LA

Chone Figgins and Jered Weaver will both start the season on the DL. Make sure you pick up a replacement before todays game. Neither should be out for more than the 15 days but make sure you pick up someone to fill their spot in the lineup. Neither of their replacements on the Angels are really fantasy worthy although Macier Izturis was decent last year.

Can Cantu?

Jorge Cantu, pushed out of a starting job at 2nd by BJ Upton was sent to the minor leagues. He immediately asked to be traded. He really isn't a minor league player and isn't too far removed from that 28 HR season back in 2005. He is still only 25 and has a lot of potential despite a very dissapointing season last year (he was battling a foot injury all last year). Most managers will probably drop him so if he does get traded make sure you jump right on him and pick him up. Tampa Bay would be smart to trade him for a pitcher of some sort.

Tampa Bay Surprise

In two surprise moves, both Elijah Dukes and BJ Upton will be starting on opening day. They could both provide late round value in fantasy leagues and are both certainly worth a mid-round pick in Dynasty and very large Keeper leagues. Dukes will be starting in center and Upton will be starting at second. If Upton can gain eligibility at 2nd, he could be money in that position. Think Ian Kinsler, Josh Barfield grouping with the potential be even higher. As for Dukes, he pushed Rocco Baldelli out of the outfield but don't worry, Baldelli will be the DH and will get plenty of time in the outfield.

Josh Towers

A sleeper I mentioned earlier was Josh Towers and today he won the 5th spot in the Blue Jays rotation. In deep AL only leagues he is worth picking up. He could be good for an ERA around 5-5.5 and a decent amount of wins. He's not much of a fantasy machine but it wasn't too long ago he was posting very decent numbers as a decent pitching prospect. He is worth a shot to return to that though in deep AL only leagues. Give Towers a chance.

Gearing up for the season

The season is quickly approaching and my content has been...going down?!? I appologize but I have been very busy preparing myself for the season and haven't had a lot of time to post.

A couple of relevant notes:

- Roto Hog opened the market today. If you are playing Roto Hog, there has been a lot of fluctuation already so you should check it out.

- If you haven't bought Xtra Innings on Sports Blurb yet you should do so...otherwise you won't be able to read my weekly Head 2 Head article over there!

- Be sure to check out the Fantasy Man F.E.E.D over at Fantasy Baseball Express

- Subscribe to get MLB Front Office every night via email on the right hand side bar!

- Kenny Rogers had surgery and will be out for a long time. If you have him, drop him.

- Seth McClung was sent to the minor leagues, he was thought to be the front runner for saves in Tampa -- I guess not.

- Eric Gagne will start the season on the DL. Otsuka owners rejoice!

Thats all for now. Feel free to email me any and all fantasy or baseball related questions you have!

Quick Notes

A couple of quick notes:

- Mark Prior was sent to the minors today by the Cubs so he can attempt to regain the form that had him pitching in the playoffs in 2003. He apparently wasn't happy about it but then again who would be? He's worth giving a shot when he comes back up.

- Matt Garza was beat out for the last spot in the rotation by Carlos Silva. Silva has no fantasy value, however Garza will get that spot sometime this season and he has sleeper value then

- My Statistical Oddities Part 2 is up on Roto Hog. Check that out and tell them how much you like me! Joke.

- My weekly article on Sports Blurb will be up tomorrow. Make sure you buy the Xtra Innings package so you can read that. Its worth the money, trust me!

- For those of you in REALLY deep leagues, Tony Pena Jr. is the starting SS in KC beating out Angel Berroa who was demoted to the minors. Again, unless you're in a 20+ person league you shouldn't care about that. AL only leagues shouldn't really even care unless your 14-16 person leagues.

- Jorge Julio is closing for the Marlins as I'm sure you've all heard. If no one has picked him up yet in your league, Jump on That!

- Wade Miller officially won the 5th spot in the Cubs rotation. In 16 or 20 person mixed leagues he may be worth a look. He's also worth a look in NL only.

Calling All New Yorkers

When I see stories that talk about New York sports Hero's I feel compelled to spread the word. The Boogey Blog this week has a great story about one of the best man that ever played in a Yankee uniform, Bernie Williams. Williams hasn't shown up to Spring Training this year, but that hasn't discouraged the Yankee Nation. Boogey Blog details in their story how they Yankees should really send Williams off into the sunset.

Ok -- So I really have no connection to NY Sports but I thought this was a cool idea anyway. Go ahead and check it out.

AL Only Sleepers

I recently got an email from a reader about AL Only Saves. He Asked:

Hey Brad,Love the tiered tankings.Do you have a feel for deep AL prospects / sleepers?

Here are a couple of guys I recomended to him:

Thanks. Not sure how deep your league is but a couple guys to take a look at:


Alexi Casilla - Twins 2B/SS of the future, in a full season he could steal 50. Think Castillo in his prime.
Gavin Floyd - White Sox starter doesn't have the best stuff and may eventually find himself in the pen but he should make the rotation this year.
John Danks - The Brandon McCarthy trade is going to look great for the White Sox.
Brandon McCarthy - 4.50 ERA is expectable.
Gustavo Chacin - Starter was gold a couple of seasons ago -- was injured last year but should bounce back.
Josh Towers - Think one year farther down the line than Chacin and one heck of a bad season but they are paying him a lot to play in the minors and if he can make it back into some teams rotation he could be a decent last round AL only pick.

Obviously there are always the guys like:

Phil Hughes - Stud Yankees SP, Best SP in the minors and should be up by years end
Alex Gordon - Stud 3B
Mark Teahan - Moved to OF for Gordon but still has OF elig.
Delmon Young - Future STAR. He's the kind of guy you imagine 50/50 things about. Ok not really but you get the point.
Akinori Iwamura - Talked of working on speed. Should get lots of playing time for D-Rays

Hope this helps.

Matt Garza, SP, MIN

In a shocking twist, Carlos Silva allowed 11 hits and 9 earned runs in 3 1/3 inning on Saturday. Carlos Silva is certainly not fantasy worthy but someone else whos is is impacted significantly from it. Matt Garza could replace Silva in the rotation even after all of the Fantasy Players had lowered him a bit because he was going to be starting in AAA. Garza has a 1.00 ERA in nine innings out of the pen this spring. He is a valuable late round pick and has a lot more value than Silva. Silva was scheduled to start the Twins second game of the season but Garza would likely bump everyone else up and pitch the 5th.

Sports Blurb

Well, my Sports Blurb article was put up on Thursday as promised however it is behind their Xtra Innings subscriber wall so you will have to pay a small fee to read it. There is a lot of great content behind the wall so its well worth it. Don't worry, everything else I do here will still be free! Just one article every week will be for cost a one time payment and its not even to me! What a bumer.

Anyway, I have been sick recently and that is why I have had very little new content posted and that will continue until I feel better which will hopefully be tomorrow or monday. Thanks for understanding.

Papelbon to the Pen

In the biggest fantasy news of the spring, the Red Sox announced today that Jonathan Papelbon would be the closer again this year. He was being drafted as a starter in about every fantasy league so for those of you who tried to grab a potential Red Sox closer like Timlin or Pineiro, throw them back on the wire. If you haven't drafted yet, Papelbon is probably worth a look around the Wagner/Rivera area. If he can stay healthy he can certainly have value like Nathan and K-Rod but he has a very high chance of injury.

Baseball: Statistical Oddities Part 2

Part 2 of my look into statistics in baseball is finally here! If you missed Part 1 you should definately give it a look before you read Part 2. Part 1 focused on hitting and Part 2 focuses on pitching. The article will also be appearing on Lenny Melnick Fantasy Baseball and Roto Hog.

As always, I appreciate any comments, questions, critisism etc. that you have and would love to hear from you! You can shoot me an email or post a comment using the link below.

Finally, tomorrow will be my first weekly article on Sports Blurb. It's a good site and I will post up the link to that tomorrow. Also, don't forget to check out what the Fantasy Man has going on over at Fantasy Baseball Express. You should definately consider buying his Fantasy Man F.E.E.D. It's a lot of great information emailed straight to you for only 20$!

Speaking of which: You can now subscribe to recieve a nightly email from MLB Front Office with all of the articles from the previous day in it! It's easy to do and its FREE! Just enter your email in the bar on the right hand side.

Roto Hog, Myself and More!

If you haven't heard of Roto Hog yet WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!? It's sweeping the Fantasy Baseball World and well...YOU NEED TO JOIN. My referal code is: MLBFRONTOFFICE.

Anyway, no more shameless plugs. My article Statistical Oddities is the featured article up there right now. I posted this article on here a little while ago and it was also featured on LennyMelnickFantasyBaseball.com but if you missed it, you can see it on Roto Hog right now. In addition, I will be releasing part 2 of the article tomorrow. It will appear on here, LennyMelnickFantasyBaseball.com and Roto Hog as well. Although it may not appear on Roto Hog or Lenny's Site tomorrow, it will be up there soon.

In addition, I'd like to thank those of you who have signed up for the nightly MLB Front Office email and for those of you who haven't yet its not too late! Just enter your email in the space on the right hand side bar and your ready to start recieving the email.

Also this Thursday will be my 1st weekly article at sportsblurb.com. The article is about Head 2 Head leagues which is a vastly underrepresented type of play in the expert world. I'm here to change that! I will post the link to that once the article is up.

Thanks for listening to all of my plugs, even though I promised I wouldn't.

Tiered Rankings

Positional Rankings are a great way to compile your rankings to decide when scarcity in a position is running short. However, in order to fully utilize these rankings, you must break them up into tiers. Here you can find my tiered positional rankings.

How did I come up with these ranks?

I first took my top 250 players list and sorted by position. I then broke the positions up into groups based on their numerical value only. Group A was players 1-20 (aka rounds 1 and 2 in a ten team league), Group B was players 21-40 (rounds 3 and 4), Group C was players 41-60 (rounds 5 and 6), Group D was players 61-100 (rounds 7-10), Group E was players 101-150 (rounds 11-15), Group F was players 151-200 (rounds 16-20) and Group G was players 201-250 (rounds 21-25). After dividing players up by numerical value, I went through and made any minor adjustments I thought were necessary to finalize the groups.

Why is this valuable?

Not only is it helpful on draft day to spot when a position is running dry, but it is a helpful tool to analyze your own player rankings. If two players that are considered to be fairly equal value have vastly different status in the groups then you know you need to fix something. In this exercise, I was using the rankings that I completed long enough ago that there has been a lot of movement since then. In this case, I did not make any changes to my list because this is just to demonstrate how valuable grouping your players can be. The only thing I did was to remove Taylor Tankersley because it does not appear he is the front runner for the closers job (he appeared at # 229 in my original rankings). Rankings will also help you not reach for players too early.

What do the groupings show?

These groups confirm many of the things I have been stressing all season long. The first thing that jumped out at me was the catcher scarcity. The whole year I have been stressing to not take your catcher too early. As you will see, that is backed up by the groups. The next is my 2B theory. Utley is the only player in Tier A, there is no one in Tier B, 2 2B in Tier C and then everyone else follows. It just goes to show that if you don’t draft Utley, you might as well wait as long as possible to get your 2B. The next note-able point is that the SS groupings are exactly as I would expect them to be. They are front heavy and then tail off significantly after group B. If you don’t get a SS from group C or higher, you are going to struggle from the SS position. Again, my waiting on 3B strategy was re-confirmed. There are 5 3B in group A and B combined, 0 in group C and then 10 in groups D and E. On the pitching side, Santana is the only Tier A starter and no RP appears before Tier C with a lot of value at the end of the draft in both the SP and RP groups.

I strongly suggest that you take your own rankings and break them up into tiers. It will not only help you on draft day but it will help you become a much more knowledgeable fantasy player. Grouping players is something that experts have been doing for a long time but many regular fantasy players don’t do because they don’t recognize its importance. It takes less than an hour and can help you get much more value out of your draft.

Again, the Groupings can be found here and as always, please post any questions or comments or feel free to email them to me.

Could Joe DiMaggio Play Again?

There is an interesting article over at Yahoo! Sports. You'll have to read it to believe it. What if Joe DiMaggio was alive and well? Could he play SS? Would he play for UNLV and hope that he could somehow find a way into the Pros? Check it out.

Young Pitchers

Two young pitchers that many people were high on this year will not be starting the in the rotation. Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers will be starting the year in the bullpen and Matt Garza of the Twins will be starting the season (most likely) in AAA. Both of these pitchers will probably be starting by the end of the year and are still worth a very late round draft pick but lower your expectations for them slightly. Drop them down a round or two.

In focus: Lance Berkman

There is an interesting article about Lance Berkman over at Yahoo. The intent of the article seems to be to mix humor and facts to portray Berkman as very underrated; however, to me, it seems to portray Berkman as lazy and unmotivated. Take a look at it and tell me what you think.

Either way, he is a very valuable fantasy commodity, even if he doesn't provide many steals. A late 1st round or early second round selection is certainly warranted. Still, this article intrigued me and I wanted to see what everyone else thought.

MLB Front Office Via Email

As you will notice, you can now get all of the MLB Front Office articles emailed straight to you! Don't hesitate to sign up for this amazing service...ITS FREE! Just enter your email in the box on the right hand side of the page and your ready to start recieving great fantasy insights by Brad Stewart in your inbox!

Top 150 Prospects: 1-25

For the past couple days I have been unveiling my top 150 prospect list. Today. the rankings will conclude with players 1-25. Please note: that these rankings are for long term success, not immediate impact and only Players with NO major league experience qualified for this list. So players like Delmon Young and Matt Garza who still qualify as rookies will not make an appearance. Also, I may have missed a couple AB or IP in the majors in which case I appologize. As always if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me.

1. ALEX GORDON, 3b, Royals
2. PHILIP HUGHES, rhp, Yankees
3. HOMER BAILEY, rhp, Reds
4. BRANDON WOOD, ss, Angels
5. JAY BRUCE, of, Reds
6. CAMERON MAYBIN, of, Tigers
7. EVAN LONGORIA, 3b, Devil Rays
8. JUSTIN UPTON, of, Diamondbacks
9. YOVANI GALLARDO, rhp, Brewers
10. ANDREW McCUTCHEN, of, Pirates
11. TIM LINCECUM, rhp, Giants
12. REID BRIGNAC, ss, Devil Rays
13. RYAN BRAUN, 3b, Brewers
14. BILLY BUTLER, of, Royals
15. FERNANDO MARTINEZ, of, Mets
16. JOSE TABATA, of, Yankees
17. ANDY LaROCHE, 3b, Dodgers
18. ADAM MILLER, rhp, Indians
19. CARLOS GONZALEZ, of, Diamondbacks
20. SCOTT ELBERT, lhp, Dodgers
21. LUKE HOCHEVAR, rhp, Royals
22. CLAYTON KERSHAW, lhp, Dodgers
23. COLBY RASMUS, of, Cardinals
24. NICK ADENHART, rhp, Angels
25. JEFF NIEMANN, rhp, Devil Rays

Bill Hall Article

Over at Yahoo, there is a good article about Bill Hall. It doesn't have a whole lot of fantasy relevance but it has a nice personal touch on it. The article compares Hall to Michael Young. As some people may have forgotten, when Young was called up he was also a utility player. Actually, he came up as a 2B and when the Rangers traded A-Rod, they asked Young to move to SS to make room for Soriano, well Young has blossomed into a good SS and Soriano, well, he's in CF now. Anyway, Hall will be starting the season as the Brewers CF after playing almost all IF positions last year. He is still being drafted as a SS in Fantasy Leagues and hopefully he can play enough at SS this year to retain eligibility -- he's the 4th SS on the team now.

One noteable quote to leave you with before I send you to check out the article for yourself:

'"Everybody knew I could hit home runs eventually," [Hall] said. "I used to try. Last year I stopped trying and started letting it happen."'

Isn't that how it always happens?

Fantasy Baseball: Keys to Winning

These are the ten most important steps to winning your fantasy baseball league. So many times people think an excellent draft or an excellent trade alone can win you the league, THIS IS NOT THE CASE! The list is in order of importance, for the most part.

1. STAY ACTIVE. 5 minutes of fantasy a day keep last place far far away. You need to stay on top of who is starting and who has off days and you need to follow the free agent pool religously. The teams that win leagues are the teams that find that hidden gem before anyone else does.

2. The Draft. This is the starting point for the whole season. It is the single most important moment and if you don't prepare correctly you are doomed to finish in the bottom half.

3. Know your league. Know the scoring system and roster requirements like the back of your hand. Knowing the other owners favorite teams and tendencies is also a must. Know when you owners come online, eat, drink, sleep and have sex. (note: MLB Front Office does not promote having sex before you are married)

4. Trading. Don't get ripped off and know your stuff. You don't need to make amazing trades to win your league, just know your stuff and don't let other managers rip you off. Know the person you are trading with and who their favorite players are. Also, don't trade just to make a trade. Know what you want and don't trade unless you get it.

5. Sell high and buy low. After the first month if a star player is struggling ask the owner what he wants for him, it may be much less than you would think. On the other hand, if a player is performing much higher than usual, sell him high (Think Chris Shelton). Some perenial slow starters: Aramis Ramirez, Johan Santana.

6. Follow the minor leagues. If a player is about ready to come up, take a chance on him. He may become the next Jered Weaver. Some players to keep an eye on this season: Ryan Sweeney, Alex Gordon (if he doesn't start the year in the majors), Phil Hughes and Homer Bailey (although they may already be owned in your league).

7. Know players stats. If a player has a tendency to go through long slumps and come back better than before after it, bench the player but don't drop him. Know the players past, and not just the previous season.

8. If it ain't broken don't fix it. Too many times people get bored and try to change their team when its not needed. Don't fall prey to boredom, just flip on the TV, kick back and watch some sports center. Chances are there will be a nice segment on whether Pete Rose did or did not -- as there have been for the past 20 years!

9. Follow your team, and everyone else's team. You have to know who you have to beat in order to beat them. Are they speed deprived? How many closers do they have? Could one trade put you over the top? What category do you have to improve in?

10. HAVE FUN. Fantasy Baseball isn't your job, its FOR FUN. If you aren't having fun you will have a higher tendency to miss out on something or someone important.

Mail Bag

I recently recieved a good question from Robert Codey and I thought I would post it here.

Question: Alright, drafting in the first year of a keeper league, keeping 5 for an unlimited time. The league has 10 teams, 5X5, Head to Head. I have the #2 pick in the draft. I'm thinking Arod is my best bet.

Arod is in, what amounts to, a contract year with his ability to opt out of his contract. I think we can expect a big year from him.

My other option, Soriano, just signed a big contract (5 years, I believe?). When I take that into consideration, along with the fact that he had a drop in production his first year in Texas, and I suspect he might have a drop in production his first year in Chicago as well....

I feel Arod is my best choice at #2.

I've contemplated taking Utley...he's had a good, consistent, three year arc to get to last year's numbers, so I don't think he's a flash in the pan. In a keeper league, he's the youngest of the three, and might produce just as good as those two, but at a much more depleted position (2B). I'm not aware of Utley's contract situation, but if I found out this was a contract year, that would put it over the top and convince me he was my #2.

I was just interested to hear your opinion on the matter, and your opinion of my opinion.

So what are your thoughts.

MLB Front Office Answer: Reyes has to be considered because of his age. In fact, I would probably take Reyes. He represents a young player with the potential to steal 80 bases, yep I said it. 80 bases! He also offers a good amount of power and a good average and he will get the runs because he plays for one of the best lineups. However, if you are dead set against taking reyes, I think you should also consider Howard.

Let me know how it turns out.

The Indians

Over at MLB Trade Rumors Tim Dierkes has a team round up for the Indians which is mostly all of their salary commitments. A couple of other notes he makes however are quite interesting. Most of you know that the Indians are one of my favorite teams this year and I think they can be a World Series Contender, as does Tim.

He notes:

- The Indians infield probably took a hit defensively but an improved season from Jhonny Peralta could balance that out.

- The Offense will be top 5 in the AL again and if Hafner can put together a full season they could be second to the Yankees.

- The Pitching can put together a top 5 rotation in the AL this year and is certainly top 7-10.

- The Bullpen is the biggest question going into the season with Joe Borowski as the closer.

- The team has a ton of depth and will have to leave some major league ready talent in AAA to start the year.

Credit Mark Shapiro for assembling such a good and young team for only 60MM.

Tim Kuda Sports Radio

Tim Kuda has a sports radio show that you should check out. It looks pretty good and Mike Greco from Fantasy Baseball Guy will be a guest on Tuesday the 20th of March. The show normally airs Tuedays, Thursday and Saturday at 10:30 pm central but you can listen to past shows any time on TimKuda.com or blogtalkradio.com/thetimkudashow. I may be a guest in the future and if that works out I'll let you know.

Comments

I like hearing what you guys have to say. Leave a comment on an article or shoot me an email. I really enjoy reading feedback. Feel free to rip me apart!...Or bow on your knees and praise me!

Boston's Tenth Man

I recieved an email today from the owner of Boston's Tenth Man. MLB Front Office is currently the best blog affiliate they have. WOOOHOOO! More of you have clicked on the banner on the right hand side than anybody from any other blog! Way to go guys! But lets not stop there, while your over there BUY SOMETHING! Obviously don't click on it just to click on it but if you are ever looking for a Jersey, they sell them at up to 60% off retail price. If you haven't checked out Boston's Tenth Man yet, you definately should.

Curt Schilling Blog

The next generation of fantasy experts is certainly in the blogging community. Many baseball players are blogging as well. The newest member to join the list of bloggers is Curt Schilling. You can find his blog here. He recently explained the situation between himself and the Red Sox and is worth taking a look at.

Sleeper Alert: Brian Stokes, RP, TB

Although the Tampa Bay closer situation is probably one to avoid all together, Tim Dierkes over at Roto Authority has an article up that mentions Stokes, Orvella, and Al Reyes as possible canidates. If you are in a very deep league or in an AL only league this is relevant, otherwise you should probably avoid it all together because nothing is a sure thing and there probably won't be many save situations in Tampa Bay to begin with.

Limited Content

Starting tomorrow, there will be limited content on the website. I will hopefully get the final 25 players on the prospect list but I will be out of town until Monday. I appologize for any inconvenience and I will make it up with extra content the following week.

Top 150 Prospects: 26-50

For the past two days I have been unveiling my top 150 prospect list. Today. the rankings will continue with players 26-50. Please note: that these rankings are for long term success, not immediate impact and only Players with NO major league experience qualified for this list. So players like Delmon Young and Matt Garza who still qualify as rookies will not make an appearance. Also, I may have missed a couple AB or IP in the majors in which case I appologize. As always if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me.


26. JACOBY ELLSBURY, of, Red Sox
27. JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA, c, Braves
28. HUNTER PENCE, of, Astros
29. FELIX PIE, of, Cubs
30. CHUCK LOFGREN, lhp, Indians
31. JOEY VOTTO, 1b, Reds
32. FRANKLIN MORALES, lhp, Rockies
33. DARIC BARTON1b, Athletics
34. CLAY BUCHHOLZ, rhp, Red Sox
35. TROY PATTON, lhp, Astros
36. DEXTER FOWLER, of, Rockies
37. CARLOS GOMEZ, of, Mets
38. CARLOS CARRASCO, rhp, Phillies
39. DONALD VEAL, lhp, Cubs
40. JEFF CLEMENT, c, Mariners
41. ERIC HURLEY, rhp, Rangers
42. JOHN DANKS, lhp, White Sox
43. IAN STEWART, 3b, Rockies
44. TRAVIS SNIDER, of, Blue Jays
45. TREVOR CROWE, of, Indians
46. JACOB McGEE, lhp, Devil Rays
47. BILL ROWELL, 3b, Orioles
48. BRANDON ERBE, rhp, Orioles
49. TRAVIS BUCK, of, Athletics
50. HUMBERTO SANCHEZ, rhp, Yankees

Buy it or Sell it: Spring Training

"Spring Training, it means baseball is right around the corner. It also means that players have lost weight, gained weight, added another pitch, corrected their vision and so on. The question is what to listen to and what not to listen to. There is a fine line between a player actually improving and the teams PR staff saying the player improved. If you looked on the Chicago Cubs website right now..."

The rest of the article is available here. As always, all questions and comments should be directed to my email or posted in the comments section. I get them either way! Enjoy!

Top 150 Prospects: 51-100

Yesterday I began unveiling my top 150 prospect rankings with rankings 101-150. Today. the rankings will continue with players 51-100. Please note: that these rankings are for long term success, not immediate impact and only Players with NO major league experience qualified for this list. So players like Delmon Young and Matt Garza who still qualify as rookies will not make an appearance. Also, I may have missed a couple AB or IP in the majors in which case I appologize. As always if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me.


51. CHRIS VOLSTAD, rhp, Marlins
52. KEVIN SLOWEY, rhp, Twins
53. MATT HARRISON, lhp, Braves
54. WILL INMAN, rhp, Brewers
55. ELVIS ANDRUS, ss, Braves
56. PHILIP HUMBER, rhp, Mets
57. BRAD LINCOLN, rhp, Pirates
58. ELIJAH DUKES, OF, Devil Rays
59. WADE DAVIS, rhp, Devil Rays
60. NOLAN REIMOLD, OF, Orioles
61. CESAR CARILLO, P, Padres
62. GIO GONZALEZ, P, White Sox
63. CHRIS PARMELEE, of/1b, Twins
64. NEIL WALKER, 3b, Pirates
65. HANK CONGER, C, Angels
66. ANTHONY SWARZAK, P, MIN
67. JAIME GARCIA, lhp, Cardinals
68. JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, rhp, Yankees
69. MICHAEL BOWDEN, rhp, Red Sox
70. KORY CASTO, 3B, Nationals
71. MICAH OWINGS, rhp, Diamondbacks
72. ERIC CAMPBELL, 3B, Braves
73. KURT SUZUKI, c, Athletics
74. THOMAS DIAMOND, P, Rangers
75. SEAN GALLAGHER, P, Cubs
76. SEAN RODRIGUEZ, SS, Angels
77. GREG REYNOLDS, rhp, Rockies
78. BRANDON MORROW, rhp, Mariners
79. GABY HERNANDEZ, P, Marlins
80. DREW STUBBS, of, Reds
81. TYLER CLIPPARD, P, Yankees
82. DEOLIS GUERRA, P, Mets
83. SCOTT LEWIS, P, Indians
84. GEORGE KOTTARAS, C, Red Sox
85. DANIEL BARD, rhp, Red Sox
86. WES BANKSTON, 1B/3B, Devil Rays
87. AARON THOMPSON, P, Marlins
88. BRENT LILLIBRIDGE, ss, Braves
89. JEREMY JEFFRESS, P, Brewers
90. GARRET OLSEN, P, Orioles
91. MARK ROGERS, P, Brewers
92. CHRIS MARRERO, OF, Nationals
93. SEAN WEST, lhp, Marlins
94. JOSE GARCIA, P, Marlins
95. JAVIER HERRERA, OF, Athletics
96. JONATHAN SANCHEZ, lhp, Giants
97. JONATHAN MELOAN, P, Dodgers
98. JIMMY BARTHMEIER, P, Astros
99. JESUS FLORES, C, Nationals
100. JOSE ARREDONDO, P, Angels

Mail Bag

Question: I have three open slots on my 10 team NL only keeper league. For those slots I have three players who I could keep at near their value in the open market (i.e. if I threw them back, I'd probably price them about what I can freeze them for.) So the question is: Is it better to have roster flexibility or cost certainity? Assume a league with smart owners who will be prepared. This means there are minimal hopes for "sleeper" candidates going undetected.


MLBFO Answer: In order to fully evaluate the question, I would need to know the specifics, however, on the surface the solution seems fairly simple. If you are sure that you could get these players back for around the price you have them at now or cheaper if you tossed them back, then by all means toss them back and see if you can get a better value in the open market. However, if you feel there is a chance that these players will go for significantly more than you currently hold them at or if you feel that under no circumstance could you improve your team by tossing them back, then hold onto them.

I hope this helps Kirk! If anyone else has a question please feel free to email it to me and I will get back ASAP!