Today I’ll look at a mix of recent American League starting pitcher call-ups and neglected rookies who have yet to get any real RotoGraphs write-up love. Some of these names may still be available in your AL-Only league and several are most certainly in your mixed league. Let’s see if any of them have any chance of providing value over the rest of the way.
We haven’t been reporting all the Charlie Morton news that’s fit to print. Our last update on “mini Roy Halladay” came in mid-June and was for a Deep League Waiver Wire piece. He’s advanced a little in our estimation since. Is it time to pick up Charlie Morton in all leagues?
A couple of weeks ago, I did a pretty terrible job of recommending pitching streamers for each day over the remainder of the fantasy week. The results of the five starters were not pretty. Together, they pitched a total of just 26.1 innings, earning 1 win and posting a gruesome 6.49 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. But hey, they did record 29 strikeouts! I am rarely a fan of the streaming strategy to begin with, but given your league context and standings situation, there are times in which it might be advisable. If you deem that this is the case, then here’s your guide.
Right-hander Marco Estrada was a popular sleeper for 2013, and I certainly championed that cause. After all, he was coming off a season in which he compiled a 3.35 FIP with more than a strikeout per inning and an ADP (average draft position) between 225-250. He represented solid value and legitimate upside in the later rounds.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. The 30-year-old hurler struggled with the long ball and owned a 5.32 ERA when he landed on the disabled list with a hamstring injury in early June. His peripheral numbers remained solid, but his home run rate of 1.82 HR/9 ranked among the worst in the league in the first half. It undermined any chance he had to post a respectable earned run average.
Most owners understandably dropped Estrada, especially when his hamstring injury lingered longer than expected and he missed 58 games in June and July. Since returning, though, the right-hander is reminding fantasy owners why analysts included him in so many sleeper lists prior to the season. It may be time to swipe him off the waiver wire, as he’s only owned in 14.1% of ESPN leagues.
It has been quite the Major League debut for Astros starting pitcher Jarred Cosart. Through 8 starts, he has allowed just 9 earned runs over 51 innings for a minuscule 1.59 ERA. The 23-year-old rookie is no doubt making waves as one of the better young pitchers in the game. And while that may well be true, it certainly isn’t because of how he has performed thus far.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in a great position to end their 20-year playoff drought. The club showed a willingness to go all-in Tuesday, acquiring both Marlon Byrd and John Buck. There’s also some talk that team could also make a play for Twins first baseman Justin Morneau. The focus on offense shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the team has been led by strong pitching all year. Overall, Pirates pitchers rank fifth with a 3.49 FIP. Aside from Gerrit Cole, the team hasn’t seen major contributions from their young prospects yet. Instead, the team has seen huge payoffs from the most unlikely sources.
September is almost upon us, which is when my job gets infinitely easier. Luckily, a trade and poor performance from an incumbent has given these interesting lads an opportunity. Hopefully the opportunity is used to perform well and earn some Only league value.
With the Phillies in need of a starter in wake of Saturday’s 18 inning affair against the Diamondbacks, the team turned to Roy Halladay. The former Cy Young Award winner was supposed to start in Double-A on Sunday in a more traditional rehab appearance, but the Phillies were desperate and moved up Halladay’s timetable by a week or two.
Ryan Vogelsong and Roy Halladay have returned to the big leagues. Both have had decent results so far, and ones that can’t completely be explained away by matchups. On the other hand, the underlying realities of their arsenals right now combine to make a powerful argument against trusting either veteran with a crucial late-season start for your fantasy team.
Owners of Alex Wood in long term leagues will have some type of dilemma on their hands entering next year. There are so many types of keeper leagues that it is difficult to write specifically toward any type of league set up, but generally I notice keeper leagues allow free agent pick ups to be kept in round (x).
Read the rest of this entry »