• Heath Bell is in a big pile of doo-doo after pitching poorly for his third straight outing. Due to his pedigree and new fancy contract, Bell is going to have to do a little more than that to lose his job finishing games in Miami. The Marlins have Steve Cishek and Edward Mujica waiting in the wings if they should choose to make a change.
Today’s Roto Riteup features an inordinate amount of hispanic names.
• Scott Baker is done for the 2012 season after being forced (at gunpoint) to have surgery on his throwing elbow. Baker has never been the most durable starter in the world, but he has been somewhat of an undervalued fantasy asset for the past couple of years. It looks like Liam Hendricks will be getting a chance to stick in the big leagues as a starter, but don’t run out and snag him off the waiver wire. Hendricks’ minor league numbers were pretty good below Triple-A, and the right-hander posted a FIP and SIERA around 4.00 in four starts last season.
• Buster Posey has shingles. In other news, Buster Posey is cursed and will never be allowed to be happy. Posey should be back in a day or two, so don’t be overly concerned about this specific injury. You should be worried about hunting down and killing the witch who cursed him, though.
• It’s early, but Edinson Volquez is doing exactly what fantasy owners should have been hoping for. Volquez is the major league strikeout leader through Tuesday’s action, but his BB/9 is above 5.00 for the fourth season in a row. Volquez isn’t going to be able to keep up a K/9 above 11.0, but he could have one between nine and ten. If he can keep the walks under control, especially on the road, Volquez could once again post an ERA under 4.00.
For those of you who play daily fantasy games like FanGraphs: The Game, or just like to stream players, here are a couple matchups you may be able to exploit.
A Pitcher for Today: None
You could make an argument for Jeff Karstens again the Dodgers or Chris Capuano, who is facing off against him, but I don’t want to put my eggs in their basket.
A Pitcher for Tomorrow: Luke Hochevar (KC) vs CLE
Hochevar is going to be very good this year. Just you watch.
A Hitter for Today: Adam LaRoche (WAS) vs CIN (Bronson Arroyo)
Arroyo likes to give up big time dingers.
Today’s Roto Riteup features an inordinate amount of hispanic names.
• Chipper Jones is no longer on the DL, as the Atlanta Braves have activated the third baseman. The switch-hitter came back just in time for the home opener of his farewell tour. Juan Francisco and Martin Prado have been filling in while he’s been away, but both of their roles will change now. Prado will now be playing left field everyday, and Francisco will become a powerful pinch-hitter until Chipper inevitably hits the DL once again.
FanGraphs: The Game has been available for public consumption for almost two weeks now, so it’s about time some strategies were explored. Chime in with your own strategic ideas in the comments.
Today’s Roto Riteup is what it is: amazing.
• Hector Santiago received the first save opportunity for the Chicago White Sox, and manager Robin Ventura has stated he’ll start the year as the team’s primary closer. Santiago, 24, posted good strikeout numbers in the low minors, but struggled a tad in Double-A last season. The left-hander does possess a low-to-mid-90’s fastball and the ever intriguing screwball, so he won’t be blowing games due to a lack of “stuff.” Saves are always a hot commodity, so there’s a good chance he’s already been nabbed in your league. If so, don’t be afraid to grab Addison Reed in the hopes that Santiago fails.
Did you know baseball started yesterday? Because I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t until a certain RotoGraphs editor sent me a profanity laced email for not including player recommendations in yesterday’s Roto Riteup. Today’s edition does have recommendations, though, so that’s pretty awesome.
– Josh Johnson may have had shoulder problems last year, but he was easily in the 90s during last night’s start against the St. Louis Cardinals. He struggled a bit with his location, though, and the Cardinals took advantage. Johnson is a top-5 pitcher when healthy, and at the price he went for this year, owners could end up with big time value.
Pitching, pitching, pitching! That’s the focus of today’s Roto Riteup.
– We talked a little bit about the closer situation in Boston earlier this week, but now things have gotten more complicated. Andrew Bailey is going to have surgery on his thumb, and there’s a good chance he now misses half the season or more. Whoever is name his replacement will have solid value throughout the season, whether it be Mark Melancon or Alfredo Aceves.
Today’s Roto Riteup mysteriously focuses on the Braves and Rockies.
– The Braves have finally decided that Tyler Pastornicky is their shortstop, at least for the 2012. Pastornicky is what some would call a “contact machine,” but he doesn’t have much in the way of power production. Pastornicky has put up decent SB numbers in the minors, but don’t expect him to swipe more than, say, 20 bags while hitting in the eighth hole.
Today’s Roto Riteup isn’t nearly exciting as your Monday is going to be. Monday’s are the best.
– It looks as if Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey is going to start the year on the disabled list. Owners of Bailey should have been expecting a DL stint at some point, but starting the year on the bench can be a little less psychologically damaging. With Daniel Bard sliding into Boston’s rotation, one would assume setup man Mark Melancon would finish games in Bailey’s absence. However, there is growing speculation and reports that the Red Sox would hand to job over to Alfredo Aceves, the loser of the three man fight for Boston’s final rotation spot. You should probably pick up whoever gets the nod, especially with Bailey’s injury history.
Today’s Roto Riteup will not include suggestions for who to pick today in The Game, since the day’s game will have already started by the time this goes live. When games don’t start at ungodly hours, you should expect to see suggestions for the current day’s games.
Since fantasy owners watch games with a certain slant, here are some notes on things you may want to look for during the first few games of the year.
– One thing to take note of over the first week or two of the season is Jemile Weeks’ approach at the dish. The speedy second baseman walked a good deal in the minors, but he tended to opt to put the ball in play during his stint with the A’s last season. Last season the switch-hitter averaged 3.85 pitches per plate appearance and swung 42.7% of the time, so use those numbers as a sort of benchmark going forward. If he decides to walk in the majors, his OBP could make him supremely valuable.