It’s not exactly news that Derek Jeter returned from the disabled list only to hop right back on to it recently. Jeter appeared in just a single game, going 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run.

After recovering from the left ankle injury that sidelined him in the playoffs last year, he’s now dealing with a right thigh issue. The injuries are unrelated but worrisome nonetheless. After all, despite the ankle injury, Jeter was still the 15th shortstop off the board based on average draft position, going around pick 170. He also remains 40% owned.

But should there be any expectation for The Captain when he eventually does return? He’ll surely be back, with a couple months to go and then a minimum $8M player option for 2014 that could be larger based on certain incentives.
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Staten Island, New York — There are always players that force you to watch.

When Cale Coshow takes the mound, there’s a lot going on, and it’s a study in “working it out.”

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The trade deadline is upon us, and guys are on the move. Yesterday, it was Matt Garza heading to the Rangers. Today, it sounds like it could be Alfonso Soriano moving back to the Bronx.

Daily fantasy, like any other fantasy format, requires us to keep a careful eye on the guys moving from one situation to another. Unlike in most formats, though, we don’t have to play guessing games or acquire a player hoping that his situation will change. All we have to do is read, analyze, and react in daily leagues. So what do we want to keep in mind when a player changes their situation?

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Fantasy owners across the internet were likely cursing at their monitors as they cut loose Ryan Braun this afternoon. Owners in re-draft leagues made the cut already; those in keeper leagues may have a tougher choice on their hands.

But Braun is an interesting case in ottoneu leagues and potentially becomes and intriguing trade target for owners selling this year and building towards 2014.

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The first big trade before the deadline next week is official. Matt Garza is headed to the land of cowboys and barbecue in exchange for Mike Olt, Justin Grimm, C.J. Edwards and one to two players to be named later. Garza will be leaving the windy city and entering the sweltering heat smack in the middle of summer. Let’s figure out how the park and league switch could affect his fantasy performance

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Rather than link to something regarding the Royal baby, here is a video of the Queen (not actually the Queen, but close enough) taken from a classic movie.

On today’s agenda:
1. Mike Olt’s new home
2. A mostly new outfield in Miami
3. Paul Maholm to the disabled list
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Apologies for interrupting your Ryan Braun coverage but here is tonight’s Bullpen Report.

• In the midst of one of the worst outings of the season, Jason Grilli had to exit tonight’s game with his pitching arm in pain. Grilli certainly looked uncomfortable and left the game without even throwing a warm up/test pitch. We don’t know of any specifics as to the severity of the injury at the moment, but for the sake of all Pirates fans and Grilli owners, let’s hope it’s nothing major. Fellow all-star Mark Melancon should fill in if Grilli were to miss time. With a 0.97/1.75/2.20 ERA/FIP/xFIP line, Melancon should make for a solid option and should be picked up immediately in most, if not all, leagues.

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We’re done! We’re finally done!

With the pitchers we come to the end of another exhausting week of ranking pitchers.

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I love the commenters on this site. I write elsewhere, and the audience is more interactive here than anywhere else I’ve seen. And it’s not just that they’re involved; it’s that their they’re smart. I’ve gotten several ideas for posts from commenters, and they frequently point out things that I miss. But I think they may have one thing wrong. Or at least there may be something upon which they’re placing too much weight.

When picking pitchers, the first thing I look at is the quality of the pitcher’s opponent against pitchers of the same handedness. Well, I take that back. The first thing I look at is whether the pitcher is any good or not. But I don’t usually have to look that up. After those initial hurdles are cleared, I look at conditions. I’m looking for cooler temperatures and winds blowing in (with a few exceptions). All of these factors generally go toward run prevention.

But commenters often point out a pitcher’s strikeout ability and/or the strikeout percentage of the opposing team. They note the importance of strikeouts on Draftstreet. I myself used to look at the opposing team’s K% as one of the more important factors, but I seemed to have more success when I placed most of my attention on run prevention. But was I right to favor run prevention over strikeout potential? Or are the commenters right? Is strikeout percentage the most important factor? Read the rest of this entry »

We’re about 60% of the way through the regular season, the Major League trading deadline is coming in a week and a half and if your league has its own deadline, it’s also likely coming at some point over the next month. For me personally, trading is one of the most frustrating activities in fantasy baseball. Whether your potential trading partner’s player valuations are idiotic or his response for declining your offer that you genuinely believe helps both teams is illogical, I don’t really enjoy the whole process. It feels more like work to me than something fun. But, sometimes we simply need to make a trade, whether to fill a hole using our depth or to plug a categorical weakness by utilizing a strength.

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