Sure there are playoffs going on in some sports here, but across the pond the football season is in peak form. Chelsea hasn’t officially locked up the Premier League just yet and the UEFA Champions League semi-finals are happening next week. It’s a glorious time.
On today’s agenda:
1. Masahiro Tanaka to miss at least a month
2. Hurry up and grab Dexter Fowler
3. Keep an eye on Yangervis Solarte
4. Streaming Pitching Options
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• Miguel Castro is out and Brett Cecil is back in as closer for Toronto. This isn’t necessarily the alignment that the Blue Jays will stick with all season but Gibbons said he will “try” Cecil as closer, with Loup-Osuna in 7th-8th. Miguel Castro will be moved to other innings and theoretically could regain the role at a later date. The fact Castro is staying in the majors might signal a somewhat legitimate commitment to him in Toronto. He and Osuna have their young warts but are very talented arms. Brett Cecil might go as far as his velocity takes him, as its been a bit of a roller coaster this year, but he was above 90 mph tonight as he recorded his first save of the year. If he’s healthy and maintains velocity like he had tonight, Cecil could hold the role but he’ll have plenty of power arms behind his back. Another road block in Cecil’s saves future could be Aaron Sanchez. If he gets demoted to the bullpen, he’s likely their best pitcher there but the Jays should continue to trot him out there every five days for a few more turns before making a change.
Episode 222
The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!
In this episode, Paul Sporer and Eno Sarris discuss news related to recent injuries, call-ups, big performers, and of course bullpen shakeups.
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I have been a pretty big A.J. Pollock fan for some time now. I made a bold move that could be conceived as an overpay for Pollock in a dynasty league (Ryan Braun for Pollock and Odor – with prospects moving on both sides), which I believe shows how much of an advocate I am for Pollock – and Odor for that matter.
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Episode 17 – Sideways Real Quick
The latest episode of “Field of Streams” is live!
In this episode, Dylan Higgins and Brad Johnson discuss Brad’s lawnmower buddies, some peculiar game times, using batted-ball splits, some cheap right-handed options, waiting for Mike Zunino to turn things around, pondering Ubaldo Jimenez again, and avoiding common stacks.
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Agenda
If there’s a common thread between guests of the deep league wire, it’s that they typically don’t enter the fantasy picture because they were anyone’s ideal choice for playing time — they get their opportunities because others go down with injuries or are simply too awful to deserve major league starting jobs. This week’s candidates prove no exception, though both have the potential to contribute in NL-only leagues. As a reminder, I use CBS for the ownership percentages.
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Is there a more perplexing pitcher this year than Alex Wood has been so far? His pitches are all there, in the same quantities, at the same velocities, and with the same shapes… and the results — when it comes to balls and strikes at least — are nowhere to be found. Even my favorite pitch type peripherals are all out of whack.
How does a pitcher with the same stuff fail so miserably?
Yesterday, I took the first look of the 2015 season at starting pitcher’s xK%. I began with the potential surgers, those pitchers whose expected strikeout rates were most above their actual marks. Today will be the opposite side of the coin. These pitchers have posted strikeout rates significantly above what their mix of strike percentage, swinging, called and foul strike rates suggest. They could be in for strikeout rate collapses if they don’t improve those peripherals.
Today’s Roto Riteup was made with a secret formula, one even more secret than the Krabby Patty formula.
On today’s agenda:
1. Adam Wainwright and Brandon McCarthy’s season ending injuries
2. Take another look at Nori Aoki
3. Francisco Lindor Watch
4. Streaming Pitching Options
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