Matt Bush’s story is a story of seconds and inches. A couple of seconds, a couple of inches different and it would have been a very different story.

On June 7th, 2004, Bush was drafted first overall in the MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He signed a contract with a $3.15 million signing bonus, the second largest bonus ever given by the Padres. The world was seemingly at his fingertips, but there was trouble in paradise. Matt Bush is an alcoholic.

Read the rest of this entry »

In the beginning of March I wrote an article on American League outfield prospects that could make an impact on fantasy teams this season. We have already seen a surprising amount of early season call ups and with Memorial Day fast approaching, I thought it would be relevant to update the progress of these players. Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s Roto Riteup has an NFL Draft theme…

On the agenda:

1. News from Rehab
2. Various News and Notes
3. Streaming Pitcher Options

News from Rehab

Yu Darvish pitched well in his first in his first rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco. Darvish pitched two scoreless innings striking out two and only walking one. Reports were that he hit 97 mph and threw a nasty breaking pitch. He is currently on track to return before June.

Henderson Alvarez threw four shutout innings for High-A Stockton. He allowed only one walk and one hit during the outing. He is expected to pitch at Triple-A Nashville on Thursday and could return to the Athletics before June.

Shin-Soo Choo is progressing and hopes to begin a rehab assignment sometime in the next two weeks. Currently he is on track to return in mid-May, which would force the Rangers to make a roster decision on what will be a crowded outfield.

Pirates GM Neal Huntington said on Sunday that Jung-ho Kang will play two out of every three games once activated from the disabled list. Kang has started playing in back-to-back games in his rehab assignment, but considering Pittsburgh’s depth in the infield they do not need to overdo it with his return.

Various News and Notes

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Tim Lincecum will hold a showcase for interested teams on Friday in Scottsdale, Arizona. Reportedly, at least 20 teams have expressed some level of interest and it is an #EvenYear, so you never know…

Michael Foltynewicz will be recalled to start monday night for Atlanta. Folty, who was considered a top 100 prospect last season, has pitched well in Triple-A Gwinnett. While his long term future may be in the bullpen, the Braves are willing to give him a shot to show that he belongs in the rotation.

Angel Pagan left Sunday’s game with a mild hamstring strain. While the injury does not appear to be serious, with Joe Panik already day-to-day with groin injury, the Giants could be forced to make a roster move to have some depth on the bench. Mac Williamson would most likely be the first up from Triple-A Sacramento.

Streaming Pitcher Options

If you enjoy streaming pitchers or play DFS, tune into the Roto Riteup for recommendations each and every day.

A pitcher for today: Jon Gray @ SD (James Shields)

Jon Gray throws hard and hopefully his secondary stuff plays up better away from home. I’ll take a shot in a two-start week away from home and in pitcher’s parks. High Risk/High Reward!

A pitcher for tomorrow: Nicholas Tropeano @ MIL (Junior Guerra)

He is not in a great park, but gets to pitch against an awful team in the Brewers and the pitcher hitting.

Here we go again! It is time for the monthly update to the AL Outfield tiers. These tiers reflect my rest of season rankings. Just a warning: I am not extremely reactionary in the first month of the season. So, if you think I should have Colby Rasmus in the first or second tier, don’t be offended if I don’t respond to your comment with much more than a “come on bro!” Of course you can see my preseason tiers here:

AL Tiered Outfielder Rankings: Preseason Read the rest of this entry »

A few weeks ago, my wife had reached her breaking point. She had spent years living in not so silent frustration and had finally had enough. So one night, after we had put our daughter to bed, she sat me down and we had the talk I had been dreading for as long as I could remember. Read the rest of this entry »

I survived the late night seagull attack in San Francisco last night. I appreciate everyone’s thought and prayers. Read the rest of this entry »

This week fantasy owners and prospect hounds threw FAAB and caution to the wind as prospects Nomar Mazara, Mallex Smith, and Max Kepler arrived to the Show much earlier than expected. Mazara, who is widely considered to be the one of the best prospects in baseball, has wasted no time impressing those who took a late flyer on him near the end of draft or were able to snag him off waiver wires. On the other hand, Smith has not yet delivered much in terms of fantasy production, but it has only been eight plate appearances. However, the quietest arrival so far has been Max Kepler. Read the rest of this entry »

It is the first full weekend of baseball! Watch out for rain delays and managers pulling pitchers during a no-hitter. Read the rest of this entry »

Drafts are over and the season is officially here. We are looking at the teams we drafted with pride, believing that this will be our year. We have forgotten about those poor souls that were left behind. Yes, I am talking about the undrafted players. The guys that sit on our waiver wires untouched, hoping for a chance to enter our lineups. They are praying that an owner may sign them to a deal. Read the rest of this entry »

Here we go! It is time for the first installment of America’s favorite game: AL Outfielder Tiers! This is my first attempt at doing this, so while I don’t expect any sympathy, please don’t crush my hopes and spirit if I forget a name. Remember, ranks and tiers tend to be subjective and we are in this together for the next six to seven months. Read the rest of this entry »