Owning a player in the dreaded time share is a situation all astute fantasy owners try to avoid finding themselves in. Each week I’ll take a look at a few position battles that could affect your fantasy team and then I and my Magic 8 Ball which moonlights as a crystal ball on weekends, will try to predict the best course of action if you own these players or are considering adding or trading for one of them. This week we’ll start with some position battles in the Western Conference. Next week I’ll look at some crucial position battles in the Eastern Conference. Back and forth we’ll go each week like a ping pong ball, or something like that. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Coming off a monster break out fantasy season last year, big things were expected from Wesley Matthews in 2011/12. Unfortunately for his owners, things haven’t gone quite as planned. Through 31 games, the 6’5, three point specialist out of Marquette is averaging 33 mpg/12.6 ppg/3.3 rpg/1.8 apg with 1.6 3pm and 1.4 spg on .413 FG. While the threes and steals are certainly respectable, it doesn’t tell the whole story. In 11 February games, Mathews minutes have increased to 34.2 per game yet his scoring averaged dipped to 11.4 and 1.3 threes per. The lack of production combined with the red hot play of Nicolas Batum has forced Coach Nate McMillan to recently make a change in the starting 5. This past weekend, Batum found himself in at the two guard while Wesley found his way to the pine. Over his last 5, Batum has averaged a sizzling 38.6 mpg/.519 FG/.846 FT/20.6 ppg/5.8 rpg/1.6 apg/1.6 bpg/1 spg/2.0 3pm. Folks, those are top 20 fantasy type numbers. It remains to be seen if Batum, at 6’8, can defend smaller, quicker shooting guards but for now this position battle is clearly favoring him. Matthews isn’t droppable in standard sized leagues but you can lose him in shallow leagues for a hot free agent if you haven’t already.
This is a position battle that I never thought would be worth writing about but the extremely poor play of Raymond Felton coupled with the hot shooting hand of Jamal Crawford has made minutes for Felton and his fantasy owners a possible issue going forward. Over his last 5, Felton has averaged 29.6 minutes per, down from his season average of 32.8. Meanwhile, recently Crawford has gotten run at the point late in the 4th quarter of games and Felton has stated he doesn’t feel he has Coach McMillan’s confidence. Stylistically, you couldn’t have two different point guards here. Felton is a ball distributor while Crawford has never met a shot he didn’t like, as his 13.1 attempts in just 26 minutes of burn would attest. In the long run, Felton is the better fit for this offense so those of you sitting with him should not drop him or trade him for a bag of peanuts and a bottle of pop. Does anyone say pop anymore? Anyway, Felton’s value is low at the moment and the rule of thumb in fantasy is don’t deal your players when their value is at its lowest. Conversely, Crawford is a fine sell high candidate if you can get solid value in return, ie. a starter playing 30+ minutes per for him.
John Salmons has been flat out terrible all season. In 29 games, he’s averaging just 7.1 ppg/3.2 rpg/0.8 3pm/1 spg. Clearly, these numbers aren’t getting it done for fantasy owners if you have any intention of winning your league or finishing in the money. I assume you do. Enter Isaiah Thomas who has thrived this year in mostly garbage time minutes. The real position battle is for minutes and not necessarily the small forward position. Heck, Thomas is just 5’9 so he’s certainly not playing the three spot. However, Tyreke Evans is capable of sliding over to small forward to make room for Thomas in the back court and on Friday night, that’s just what happened. Then on Sunday, Thomas exploded for 23 points, 8 boards, 11 assists and 3 threes in 43 starters’ minutes. On Monday, Coach Keith Smart intimated that Thomas may stick in the starting 5 for the foreseeable future. While his defense may yet be his downfall from fantasy glory, Thomas is a must add in all standard leagues at the moment. As for Salmons, well, you can lose him if you haven’t already.
By now, it’s clear Randy Foye is the starter and Mo Williams has continued to come off the bench and work with the second unit. The question is will one of these players start to trump the other in terms of minutes. Through January, Williams averaged 27.4 mpg. In 11 February games, Mo is averaging 30.8 minutes per. Despite the bump in minutes, he’s been slumping this month on just .363 FG. I think that makes him a decent little buy low candidate if his owner is frustrated with him. As for Randy Foye, over his last 5, he’s averaging 32 mpg/10.4 ppg/3.4 rpg/3.4 apg/1.6 3pm/1 spg. Numbers that certainly aren’t eye popping but the minutes stand out to me. The Clips will continue to give both players around 30ish minutes of burn per so don’t be shy to make a move for Foye if you’re in need of a smattering of points, useful board and assist totals, 1.5 threes and a steal per. It’s all good in LAC for both of these players.
Assuming Jarrett Jack returns to full health, Greivis Vasquez will start to cut into Marco Belinelli’s minutes at the two guard spot. Who’s the better player to own going forward? In my mind, it has to be Greivis. He’ll not only get run at the two but he’ll spell Jack at point guard making it possible for him to still see around 30 minutes of burn a night. Eric Gordon is basically goooone so both Vasquez and Belinelli are worth grabbing. I’d grab Vasquez in standard leagues everywhere if he was dropped by his owner who figured he’d lose minutes and Belinelli in deep leagues if you’re in need of the 3 ball.
The rookie Markieff Morris has been coming on of late having scored In double digits in 4 of his last 5 while averaging 23 mpg/12.6 ppg/5.4 rpg/1.2 apg/1.6 bpg/1.8 spg/1.4 3pm over that time. His season percentages (.405 FG/.686 FT) are a cause for concern but otherwise he has a fantasy friendly game. Meanwhile, fortunately for his owners, the veteran Channing Frye has also played well during that time, averaging 26 mpg/11.2 ppg/6 rpg/1.8 apg/1.2 bpg/1.4 spg/1.4 3pm. Morris should continue to cut into Fryefecta’s minutes at the power forward spot but Channing has proven in the past that he doesn’t need 30+ minutes of run to produce what you drafted him for, ie. A smattering of points, around 1.5 threes and close to a block and steal per. I’d continue to run Frye out there in standard leagues even with as little as 25 minutes of burn per while Markieff should be added in all 14+ team leagues and monitored in standard leagues or grabbed if you have room. His upside is real niiiice.
Hector Roman is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and is the founder of www.hecmanhoops.com, a fantasy basketball blog providing advice, strategy and insight to help you win your fantasy hoops league. If you would like to contact Hector, you can email him at hecman@hecmanhoops.com and/or follow him on Twitter @hecmanhoops
This week we provide fantasy owners with a select few players who should either be picked up or traded for before they are inevitably dealt by the NBA’s March 15th trade deadline. Once these players suit up for their new respective teams, there fantasy value will rise and they could turn into studs for the second half of the season.
Stephen Jackson (SG/SF, MIL)- Jackson has undoubtedly been a bust during the first portion of the NBA season. In 26 games thus far this season, he’s averaging just 10.5 PPG (lowest since the 02-03 season), 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG on a whopping 35.7 shooting percentage from the field.
Jackson is destined to be traded away from the Milwaukee Bucks shortly, and this could only be a good sign for fantasy owners. The sharp-shooter is an all-around player who can shoot the ball, pass it, rebound, steal and knock down treys. His fantasy production has been superb over the last 10 years and he should be able to turn things around during the second half of the season if traded to a team where he can start.
With how horrible Captain Jack has been playing, you should be able to steal him for a low value player.
Chris Kaman (C, NOH)- During the 2009-10′ NBA season, Kaman played in 76 games, averaging a career-high 18.5 PPG along with 9.2 RPG and 1.2 BPG on 49.0 percent shooting from the field. This season Kaman has recently began to pick up the pace for the lowly New Orleans Hornets.
Speculation has it that Kaman will be traded before the deadline, which could be great for the 7-footers fantasy value. Determining where he will land, his minutes per game should go up, as well as his overall fantasy production.
Kaman is a risky player due to his injury history, but when fully healthy, he can compete with the best centers in the league. He can provide your team with consistent points, rebounds and blocks each and every night.
If your in need of a center, you should be able to buy Chris Kaman for a cheap price, but do it now before it’s too late!
Ramon Sessions (PG, CLE)- Sessions has been one of those players that aggravate fantasy owners each and every season. When he gets his opportunity to start, he shines and posts incredible fantasy numbers. The problem with Sessions is that he never gets the chance to consistently start and play starters minutes.
But all of that can change very soon. If Sessions is dealt to a team in need of a starting point-guard, he will immediately become a major fantasy factor for your team. Sessions is terrific at distributing the rock and is known for racking up the assists when he gets the starting gig.
If Sessions is available in your fantasy league, he should be picked up now. If you’re looking to trade for him, you should be able to deal away a low value player in return for his services.
Pick up of the week
Isaiah Thomas (PG, SAC)- Thomas has finally received his chance to show the league what he’s all about. In 43 minutes last night, Thomas dropped 23 points, along with 11 assists and 8 rebounds (all career-highs), in addition to 3 trey balls.
The rookie has been given the starting nod from head coach Keith Smart and should be able to post solid overall numbers from here on out. With starters minutes on a daily basis, Thomas will quickly become a hot commodity in the fantasy basketball world and will definitely turn some heads within the next few weeks.
Pick up Thomas now before it’s too late, he could be the reason you win your fantasy league down the road!
Brandon Ribak, CEO/Co-Founder of www.FanSkills.com, provides you with weekly advice, strategy and tips on how to win your fantasy basketball league. If you have any fantasy questions or would like to contact Brandon, please reach him at brandonribak@gmail.com.
Jeremy Lin had 28 points and a career-high 14 assists, Steve Novak made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the New York Knicks ended the Dallas Mavericks’ six-game winning streak with a 104-97 victory Sunday.
J.R. Smith scored 15 points in his Knicks debut and Novak had all of his 14 in the final period as New York won for the eighth time in nine games.
In a game of wild momentum swings, the Knicks reeled off 17 straight points in the first quarter, fell behind by 12 in the third, then pulled it out to beat the Mavericks for only the third time in the last 20 meetings.
Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 34 points for the Mavericks, who had been playing championship-level defense but became the latest team who couldn’t stop Lin.
Playing for the seventh straight game without the injured Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks got a huge lift from Smith, just signed Friday after returning from China. Coach Mike D’Antoni had previously said he wouldn’t play Sunday since he hadn’t practiced yet, but when swingman Bill Walker also had to sit out with an injury, D’Antoni needed someone at that position, and Smith hit three of the Knicks’ 12 3-pointers.
Lin had nine turnovers, tied for the most in the NBA this season, Friday in an 89-85 loss to New Orleans that stopped a seven-game winning streak. He has committed six or more in six straight games, but D’Antoni said Saturday he wanted Lin to keep taking risks.
They paid off Sunday, when Lin got the Knicks back into a game that had seemed to be getting away in the third quarter, before shooters all around him got hot in the fourth.
Novak made four 3-pointers in about 4 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter, then Lin buried one to give the Knicks a 90-81 lead with 6:51 remaining. The Mavs got it back down to two on Jason Terry‘s 3-pointer with 3:26 left, but Lin answered with a 3, and the Mavs couldn’t get closer then three again.
Tyson Chandler capped it off with a dunk and had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks in his first game against the team he helped win last season’s championship. The Mavs made little attempt to keep him, opting instead for future salary flexibility over his defensive presence.
But there had been little slippage, as the Mavs came in holding opponents to an NBA-low 41.4 percent shooting from the field. They were limiting teams to 39.2 percent during the winning streak, but the Knicks carved them up for 54 percent in the first quarter as Lin ran the offense flawlessly.
Long before Linsanity, Lin actually started his NBA career with the Mavs’ summer league team in 2010. But owner Mark Cuban said Lin preferred to play closer to home, and he signed with the Warriors, who cut him, as did Houston, in December before the Knicks picked him up off waivers.
“It wasn’t luck because there were how many other teams that could have signed Jeremy and the Knicks were the ones who went out and got him,” Cuban said. “So they saw something and they were smart enough to go out and get him.”
Friday’s loss may have ended the Knicks’ winning streak, but certainly not the buzz around Lin. “Saturday Night Live” opened with a spoof of Linsanity and Sunday’s crowd included Kevin Costner, Eva Longoria, Spike Lee – wearing Lin’s No. 4 Harvard jersey – and another famous Harvard product, Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg. Lin’s high school coach from Palo Alto (Calif.) High School also made the trip.
Smith checked in to a loud ovation with 5:43 left in the first quarter, just before Terry’s 3-pointer gave the Mavs an 18-13 lead. He made a 3-pointer on his first shot and drilled two more during a 17-0 run that made it 30-18 on Lin’s 3-pointer with 1:42 remaining in the period. Lin’s floater with 1.4 seconds left made it 32-20, giving him 10 points in the period.
But Lin went to the bench to start the second quarter and the Knicks’ momentum went right with him. Dallas ran off the first seven points before D’Antoni called time and put Lin back in. The Knicks shot only 32 percent in the quarter but held on to take a 48-45 halftime lead.
Nowitzki had 11 points, including a four-point play, during an 18-7 surge out of halftime, and the Mavs would go up by 12 when his free throws made it 70-58 with 4:17 left in the third quarter. The Knicks closed the period with a 14-5 burst behind eight points from Lin, whose steal and dunk with 12.5 seconds left narrowed it to 75-72.
Notes: Baron Davis was in uniform but didn’t play. He expects to make his season debut this week. … Cuban, on the decision not to re-sign Chandler: “We wouldn’t have been champions without Tyson. He’s a phenomenal player, he’s got incredible heart, he’s amazing in the locker room and that’s why we went out and got him. But the CBA changed everything and you have to adjust how you build and grow and maintain a team and try to win championship. So we did what we felt we had to do, not because we wanted to do it.”
If you mistakenly undervalued the all-important category of rebounding this season you probably find yourself in somewhat of a bind right now.
With pretty decent all-around production from a plethora of fantasy performers in many other strong categories this year, consistent rebounding numbers have been, surprisingly, one of the stats that seem to be harder to come by.
Now, obviously if you were smart enough to snatch up Kevin Love or Dwight Howard chances are you’re doing alright.
But for those ladies and gentlemen who snatched up say Andrew Bogut, Zach Randolph or even Al Horford as their primary glass eaters only to them go down for significant time early in the season; you’re most likely scrambling right now trying to replace their consistently strong rebounding numbers.
Not to worry. Luckily for you the waiver wire is your friend and so are we.
Although we can’t promise you the timely consistency of a Randolph or Horford on the boards, based on a few hidden rebounding gems out there hopefully we can at least help you strategically shore up this weak link in your roster before it’s too late.
In his last 12 games the 6-10 Turkish-born combo forward is averaging an impressive 9.9 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per contest. During that 12-game span he’s sprinkled in performances of 19, 11, 14 and 12 rebounds while hauling down 16 big caroms against the Magic this past Saturday night. His minutes are on the rise as he brings the hustle and passion Head Coach Scott Skiles demands of his players.
It’s reported that Gooden is suffering through a sprained right wrist and with Bogut won’t be back for some time, so a wise move would be to pick up Ilyasova while you still have the chance.
Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves C – Darko missed six games returning from quad and ankle injuries to post a mere block, zero points and 3 fouls in 4 minutes of action Monday night in Orlando.
On the other end of the spectrum Nikola Pekovic, the man who has filled in brilliantly at center for the Wolves in Milicic’s absence, tallied 16 points and hauled down 13 rebounds to go along with a block and a steal in 33 minutes. And he did all that against the most physically dominant big man in the league in Dwight Howard.
So it was a surprise to no one when Head Coach Rick Adelman chose to run with Pekovic, again, over Milicic the next time out against the Bobcats.
His response?
Oh just 21 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks in a 102-90 win over lowly Charlotte.
That makes 3 straight double-doubles for Pekovic and, more importantly, a nice stranglehold on the starting center position in Minny.
Pekovic has registered 7 such double-doubles in his last 12 outings. In those 12 contests he is averaging 10.1 rebounds. Over his last 3 he is averaging 19.3 points, 12.3 boards and 1.7 blocks per game on a deft 65% shooting from the field.
Now it’s your turn to respond accordingly by snatching him up with the quickness.
Gustavo Ayon, New Orleans Hornets PF – Gustavo Ayon is a 26-year old rookie power forward from Mexico. The last couple seasons he has played in one of the more widely recognized and competitive International Leagues in the World.
But now due to injuries to starting center Emeka Okafor, reported to be out until after the All-Star break to rest his knee, coupled with power forward Carl Landry’s injury, Ayon, is getting a quick crash course in NBA basketball as a member of the New Orleans Hornets.
And to his credit, the 6-10, 250-pound active forward is doing a pretty serviceable job thus far.
Getting extended minutes by necessity, Ayon is averaging a respectable 8.0 rebounds in his last five games while adding 1.2 blocks, 1.4 steals and 7.4 points on 53.3% shooting from the floor.
He’s also seeing an average of 29.2 minutes per game, 34 minutes per game over his last two while putting in 10.5 rebounds, 12.5 points, 1.5 blocks and 2.0 steals.
Not bad production by any means. And with Okafor and Landry out expect consistent playing time from the Mexico-native at least in the short term.
Marreese Speights, Memphis Grizzlies PF – Unfortunately, you don’t always know what you’ll get with one Marreese Speights, but to his credit over has last five ball games he’s been pretty nice.
And if you play in a league where you’re stuck with a guy for the week, the averages in Speights’ case work out well even if he hits with a clunker in there.
To that point, Speights is averaging 12.0 points and 11.6 rebounds over his last five.
He dominated the lowly Nets this past Wednesday night racking up an impressive 20-point, 18-rebound, 2-block double-double much to the delight of savvy fantasy owners out there who already snatched him up.
Speights can be a bit risky to say the least, but with Zach Randolph tentatively scheduled to be out for at least another month or so; you can count on him for decent enough rebounding numbers to keep you in the run of things for the short term.
Trevor Booker, Washington Wizards PF – The Wizards have actually begun to play much better basketball since Randy Wittman took over the reigns. That may have to do with Wittman’s insistence on playing the guys who put forth maximum effort every night out.
Booker is one of those such guys. With Andray Blatche still out with a calf injury and Rashard Lewis returning rather slowly, Booker has provided a much-needed jolt of energy and athleticism at the power forward spot for the lowly Wizards.
Although a tad bit undersized by NBA standards at the position, the 6-8, 240-pound second year man out of Clemson is more than able to bang with the best of them down low.
To that point Booker is averaging 8.6 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 10.8 points in 32.2 minutes of action for Washington over their last five games.
Against the Miami Heat last Friday he posted an impressive 13-point, 15-rebound, 4-steal line in a 106-89 loss at home.
With the always-tenuous situation in D.C. it can be difficult to gage who gets minutes and who doesn’t for extended periods of time, however to Wittman’s credit he has stood by his desire to play those that truly warrant the time based on effort first.
Which is great news for Booker who never has any issue going all out on the court.
A Marlin is unhappy, a Red Sox outfielder is being undervalued, an Oriole outfielder has a lot of faith in himself, an a Ranger pitcher has an uncertain role.
HANLEY RAMIREZ UNHAPPY?
Last week in the On Deck Circle, I broke down what my expectations were for Hanley Ramirez with the bat. However, there is a growing worry that Hanley has little to no interest in playing third base, a necessity since the team brought in Jose Reyes to play shortstop, and that has got to be a concern for anyone who is planning on rostering Ramirez for 2012. Here is what manager Ozzie Guillen had to say earlier this week. Let’s just say that Ozzie didn’t make it sound like HanRam was happy. Now we get this from Hanley himself. Approached by The Miami Herald while hitting some golf balls, Ramirez was asked about how he felt about the move to the hot corner. His response was curt. “I don’t have nothing to say,” Ramirez said. Ramirez doesn’t have a choice but to play third base, but given his often me first attitude during his career, this situation is one to keep a rather close eye on because there is always a chance that it could lead to some major drama which could weigh down Mr. Ramirez.
CARL CRAWFORD UPDATE
Last year, his first in Boston, was a disaster for Carl Crawford as he was injured and simply blew chunks when he was on the field. Hopes were rising though that he would be able to rebound this season though the news that broke a few weeks back that he had wrist surgery to remove some cartilage started to dim hopes yet again. Bobby Valentine, the Red Sox manager, told reporters Wednesday that he thought Crawford may miss the first few weeks of the season as he heals. Ugh. This is terrible news for Crawford. However, I’m gonna turn that frown upside down. (1) Crawford’s draft day value will likely tumble as a result of this news and that could lead to him being an excellent target – i.e. a strong bargain. (2) Let’s not be too shortsighted here. Crawford is just one year removed from being a homer and three steals short of a season in which he hit .300 with 20 homer, 90 RBI, 110 runs and 50 steals. That was 2010 folks. At just 30 years old, I’m betting that the talent that led to that level of production didn’t simply evaporate when he moved to Boston. Crawford is an intriguing target on draft day.
ADAM JONES WANTS FIVE YEARS
Adam Jones and the Orioles avoided arbitration when they agreed to a one year deal worth $6.15 million. Jones is agreeable to signing an extension with the club, he is arbitration eligible for one more season before he becomes a free agent, but according to a report by Ken Rosenthal. Jones wants a deal worth at least five years. Is Jones worth that type of investment? Let’s investigate.
Jones is 26 years old so, at least theoretically, he hasn’t quite reached his optimal age (that’s usually something like 28-32). Conceivably then, Jones may have more to give than he has shown to this point of his career.
Jones has hit at least .277 in three straight season. Jones has hit at least 19 homers in three straight seasons. Jones has knocked in at least 69 runs in three straight seasons. Jones has scored at least 68 runs in three straight seasons. Jones has stolen at least seven bases in three straight seasons.
Admittedly none of those numbers is going to make anyone jump up and say “I just won the lottery in fantasy baseball” when they call out Jones name. But, consider the overall productivity and not just the marks in the individual categories. Over the last three years three outfielders have hit at least .277 with 19 homers, 69 RBI, 68 runs and seven steals.
Clearly his stability and solid work across the five main fantasy categories is pretty impressive given that he is just 26 years old. However…
Jones has never hit .285. Jones has never had 85 RBI. Jones has never scored 85 runs. Jones has never stolen 15 bases.
Clearly his consistency is still leading to production that is a step below where we would all like to see it. Moreover, they guy just hacks like his life depends on swinging the bat. It’s not that his K-rate is out of control, he whiffs once every five at-bats which is an acceptable rate in today’s game, but the guy just never, ever walks (in three of the last four years his BB-rate hasn’t even risen to 5.0 percent). Put the strikeouts and the walks together and we have a guy who has posted the following K/BB ratios the past four years: 0.21, 0.39, 0.19 and 0.26. What does that add up to? For his career Jones owns a 0.25 K/BB ratio which is literally half of the big league average in that mark. When you don’t show patience at the plate you are (a) prone to slumps and (b) much less likely to post consistently excellent marks at the plate. Could his aggression be holding him back from running off a series of seasons in the 25-90-90 range versus his current 20-70-70 efforts? It very well could be. Moreover, he really isn’t anything other than a slightly better than league average performer if you judge him solely by his slash line for his career.
Jones: .275/.319/.437 Lg. Avg: .264/.331/.417
Now maybe you can see why the Orioles might be reluctant to lock up Jones on a big money deal for five years.
No matter though in the fantasy game. You should feel comfortable drafting Jones as your second outfielder in deep mixed leagues because there is a very good chance that he will be able to at least match his production from last season (.280-25-83-68-12). At the same time, unless he somehow learns to change his approach at the plate he may not have too much more to give in terms of production – not that there is anything wrong with that (for you Seinfeld fans).
OGANDO STARTING OR RELIEVING?
Alexei Ogando pitched out of the bullpen in 2010 on his way to a dominating performance (1.30 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.42 K/9 over 41.2 innings). The team made what at the time looked like a risky move when they transitioned Ogando into the starting rotation over Neftali Feliz who was left in the bullpen (Feliz will get his chance to join the rotation this year). Ogando jumped out to an amazing start in 2011 as he hit the All-Star break with a 9-3 record, 2.92 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. However, he slowed tremendously in the second half, far from a surprise as he blew past his career-high in innings pitched by a significant margin. Ogando ended up going 4-5 with a 4.48 ERA an a 1.34 WHIP over his final 14 appearances causing some to worry if he would be better off returning to the bullpen. As a result of the uncertainty over what his role will be in 2011 and whether or not he will be the first half or second half performer of last season, Ogando’s ADP over at Mock draft Central is just slightly outside the top 210 overall. Perhaps we received some clarification today. Rangers’ manager Ron Washington told the press on Thursday that Ogando will enter Spring Training as a member of the starting rotation. Problem solved right? You can just go out and draft Ogando as a top-50 arm and be done with it. Well, not so fast. There is still a strong opinion amongst many in the know that Ogando may be stretched out in camp, but that he’s still destined for a bullpen role setting up Joe Nathan. Why? Here’s who the Rangers would likely go with if the season started today:
Now there is obviously a spot in the five hole for Ogando to step through, and perhaps he will grab that last rotation spot. But with Feliz moving into the rotation the Rangers just might be considering returning Ogando and his dominating arsenal to the pen.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
