Troy Tulowitzki is likely headed to the DL because of a groin issue. This is exactly why I cautioned everyone to think long and hard about whether or not they really wanted to take Tulo in the first round of drafts this year.
Oh Matt Kemp. As we often see, players push themselves to return to action only to suffer an aggravation of a previous injury (take the case of Doug Fister who injured his side yet again and now might be looking at a lengthy stay on the DL to make sure he is finally healthy). In his first game back after a stint on the disabled list because of a hamstring issue, Kemp re-injured his leg in the same spot, had to be pulled from the game, is a near lock to return to the DL, and whispers are floating around that he could miss a month of time this go round. An MRI will be taken Thursday to paint a better picture of what is going on in the back of his leg, but it certainly seems like gloom and doom time with Kemp. This just goes to show you, yet again, that just cause any player has a great month doesn’t guarantee you anything in the fantasy game. Baseball is a loooooong season, and people who give up to quickly, or who count their eggs before they are hatched, are often left holding nan incomplete picture that either fosters victory or defeat artificially.
Neftali Feliz is out with an issue in the UCL of his throwing arm. The team is hopeful that Feliz won’t be out of action for an extended period of time (no surgery is recommended at this time) though it could be the second half before we see him on the bump again in game action. To cover themselves the Rangers went out and signed Roy Oswalt to bolster their rotation (to hear my thoughts on that move see Around the Horn: May 30, 2012). Now comes word that the Rangers likely plan is for Feliz to return as a bullpen arm in the second half, not as a starting pitcher. Who could have foreseen that? Why of course I did when I mentioned the possibility more than a wee ago in Around the Horn: May 23, 2012.
The Mariners seem likely to call up Stephen Pryor Friday to take the roster spot of Steve Delabar. Pryor is a righty that thrown hard while tossing a passable slider. He’s used those pitches, plus a middling change up, to great effect this year dominating hitters at the Double-A level (1.13 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 13.50 K/9 in 16 innings) before doing the same thing at Triple-A (0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 11.25 K/9 in 12 innings). AL-only leaguers should take notice. Still, we’re a long ways from Pryor working the ninth inning, so don’t go crazy if you’re in a mixed league even though the Mariners are currently searching for answers in the games last frame. Speaking of that, what’s the deal with Brandon League? The truth of the matter is that he just hasn’t been any good this year. Operating more than a batter below his career K/9 rate at 5.48, League has seen his walk rate explode as he has added two batters to his career rate at 5.06 per nine. That’s nearly a 1:1 ratio folks. He’s also seen his ground ball rate evaporate. The owner of a massive 60 percent GB-rate for his career, League is currently generating just 46 percent of batted balls into the turf. Given that he’s never, not once in a career that began in 2004, had a number below 55.7 percent there clearly is a lot going wrong here with League right now.
Manny Ramirez has finished serving his 50-game suspension and is eligible to return to the big leagues whenever the Athletics deem him ready to go. Unfortunately for Manny, that time isn’t at hand yet. In nine games in Triple-A Manny has hit just .250 without a single base hit. Reports suggest that he is having trouble getting around on 91-92 mph fastballs as his bat looks a wee bit slow. Given his immense track record of success I’m not going to doubt that he will be able to figure something out to compensate for diminished bat speed, but this is yet another reminder that Manny may be best served as being waiver-wire fodder in mixed leagues until he proves he can be a viable middle of the order bat again. After all, the guy did turn 40 years old yesterday.
It looks like David Robertson will be spending at least two more weeks on the DL. Out with an oblique issue the team wants to make sure their dart throwing righty will avoid any setbacks when he returns. “Robertson, I would shoot for not earlier than mid-June,” GM Brian Cashman said. Ugh if you are a Robertson owner. More time on the shelf will only allow Soriano to strengthen his hold on the closers role with the Yankees. He’s converted all six of his save chances this year and currently owns a 1.96 ERA. At the same time he’s also walked nine batters in 18.1 innings and has been saddled with a 1.53 WHIP through 19 appearances, so there might still be a sliver of hope that Robertson will be able to reclaim his 9th inning gig.
Justin Smoak is finally hitting – an odd statement to read. I know it makes no sense given that he has hit .225 in his career and just .220 this season, but look deeper by focusing on his recent work. Over his last 17 games he has hit .299 and he’s powered five balls into the seats leading to 15 RBI and eight runs scored over his last 10 games. Wow is right. Could he perhaps be starting to live up to expectations after struggling to even be a big league average hitter? It’s way too early to make that claim, but this is wonderful news, his recent production I mean, especially for many of you who are in shallow leagues that might be able to find him on the waiver-wire.
Troy Tulowitzki is likely headed to the DL because of a groin issue. This is exactly why I cautioned everyone to think long and hard about whether or not they really wanted to take Tulo in the first round of drafts this year. I’m not disputing the talent, but the guy is an injury waiting to happen. Troy has appeared in fewer than 125 games in two of the past four seasons, and he appears pretty darn likely to at least fail to record 150 games played for the fourth time in five years. Immense talent, but if it’s not on the field his value is obviously diminished to the point that spending a first round draft pick on him is a risk that I’m likely not going to take moving forward.
How in the world is Rickie Weeks hitting .156 through 173 at-bats. I’m shocked that is even possible. I’m not a huge Weeks backer mind you, I think he is continually over-drafted based on potential when the results rarely match expectations (less than 480 at-bats ever season but one in his career), but this is flipping ridiculous. It certainly hasn’t helped that he just isn’t making any contact as his 30.8 percent K-rate dwarfs his previous career worst of 24.4 percent. Oddly though, he’s walking at the second best rate of his career at 14.9 percent leaving him with a 0.48 BB/K mark that is smack dab on his career 0.47 mark. His GB/FB ratio is also the same at 1.24 (career 1.27), leaving us to look at that old BABIP column, and boy is it a doozy. The owner of a career mark of .304 that includes 3-straight years of at least .310, Weeks’ currently is sporting a .210 mark. Come on now. He’s never finished lower than .277 in a season, so one would have to figure that, barring something unpredictable, that he’s bound to start legging out some hits in pretty short order here.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87 from 5-8 PM EDT, Monday through Friday. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
I got blasted by a few people on Twitter today for my thoughts on Sean Marshall (you can find the link to my Twitter account below). What did I say? I said that Marshall has pitched at an “elite” level this year. I then got a few of those ‘Ray you’re an idiot he has a 4.80 ERA and 1.67 WHIP this year.’ I stood my ground. Why? Because facts are facts. I know we’re only talking 15 innings here, but the fact of the matter is that Marshall has pitched at an elite level despite what the ERA and WHIP say. You want proof? Here you go.
Marshall has a 13.20 K/9 mark, the 13th best in baseball amongst pitchers with at least 15 innings.
Marshall has a 1.80 BB/9 mark.
Marshall has a 7.33 K/BB ratio. A mark like this gets you to the HOF by the way.
For the year Marshall is BETTER than Aroldis Chapman in BB/9, K/BB, GB-rate and GB/FB ratio. Better. He’s also just two tenths behind Chapman in my favorite xFIP.
I’m not saying that Marshall hasn’t made some mistakes, but the fact of the matter is that his skills are elite even if few people seem to recognize the fact.
STRUGGLING HITTERS
Willie Bloomquist is batting .275 but… OK, I jest. For once, he actually isn’t struggling, he’s doing well. Moreover, he’s been killing it the past week as he’s boosted his average up from .214 just 10 days ago. Willie has at least two hits in six of seven games an in three of those contests he has three hits.
Todd Helton has gotten old before our eyes. Hitting a mere .220 on the year, Helton has but a mere RBI in his last nine games. A career .321 hitter, Helton currently has an OBP of .307, just .113 points below his career level. Helton will certainly rebound though with this start dreams of him matching even lats years muted totals (.302-14-69-59) appear unlikely to be answered.
Derek Jeter is struggling, of course that’s if you can struggle while hitting .348. Jeter has hit .303 in May with hits in “only” 11 of 12 games for the Yankees.
Howie Kendrick is hitting .256 for the Angels. I don’t feel like I even need to give a real breakdown to suggest that the number will increase in what should be one of the most obvious statements of the day. A career .290 hitter, only once has Kendrick hit under .285 in a season and that was when he he hit .279 in 2010. Even with his limited average he’s still on pace to go 15/10 with 68 runs scored so he’s been a passable play at second even while struggling.
Jhonny Peralta powered 21 balls into the seats while racking up 86 RBI last season as one of the best power bats among shortstops. This season through 134 at-bats he has two homers and 12 RBI. As disappointing is the fact that his average has fallen from .299 last year down to .246 this year. However, gotta be honest here, Peralta is way more likely to hit .246 this year than .299 given that he owns a career mark of .267 and that he’s only hit .280 twice in his career. As for the homer dip, I’m a bit more concerned there. First, his ground ball rate is at a three year high at 42 percent, though his career mark is 44 percent so there isn’t anything crazy about his current number. Second, and of bigger concern, is the fact that his fly ball rate is 27 percent. Logic tells you that number will rise as the season progresses given that he’s been over 43 percent the last two years and because he owns a 36.0 percent mark for his career. I’d say the sample size is to blame here, though I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that he did have one year, 2009, in which he finished the year with a 30.6 percent fly ball rate. Third, his HR/F rate is 11 percent for his career but he’s currently sitting at 7.1 percent. Still, the last time he posted a mark that equaled his career rate was 2008, and in two of the past three years he ended the year with a mark in below eight percent. Add that all up and there would appear to be a very real concern about Peralta reach the 21-86 marks he first up there for the Tigers in his first full season for the club.
Alexei Ramirez has been one of the most consistent options at shortstop the past four years ending each year with a batting line of at least .269-15-68-65-7. Nothing stands out there I know, but remember, those are his worst totals the last four years meaning that every season Alexei has been either in, or right on the cusp, of being a top-10 shortstop. So why in the world has he been so bad this year hitting .200 with one homer, 17 RBI, 11 runs and three steals? Well, as awful as he has been he’s still on pace for about 65 RBI and 11 thefts, so he’s not off the pace in those two categories. The average drop though is befuddling. The last two years Ramirez had a line drive rate of 19 percent. Given that his batting average is down 70 points you’d figure that he’s just not hitting the ball hard, right? The truth of the matter though is that he is hitting it as solidly as ever with a 19.1 percent line drive rate. He’s also hit a few more balls on the ground which should, in theory, help him a wee bit in the batting average category. Given those facts I look at his BABIP as a major culprit here. Ramirez has posted a mark between .288 and .300 each of his four years, once again flashing his trademark consistency. However, that mark has fallen down to .234 this year. I’m preaching patience there as I think things will even out though that is not a statement from me that you shouldn’t sit him on your bench until some of those batted balls start falling for hits.
Ichiro Suzuki hit .272 last year so his current mark of .283 is a wee improvement, but well below his standard of greatness (.325 for his career). With 22 runs on the year he’s on pace to fall just short of the 80 runs he totaled last year (his current pace equates to about 77). The thing that somewhat saved Ichiro last year were the 40 steals. Unfortunately he’s currently swiped six bases which leaves him on pace to steal about 21 bags this season which would be the first time that he failed to steal more than 26 bases in a season (the 26 thefts in 2009 is the only time in his career that he has stolen fewer than 30 bases). I guess it’s time to face facts with Ichiro as we’ve got nearly 900 at-bats from him at his current level of blahness. The production that made him a fantasy star isn’t coming back, an unless he picks up the stolen base pace he’s going to limp home with number that would look in place on the back of a ball card of a fella like Denard Span.
Ray Flowers can be heard daily on Sirius/XM Radio on The Fantasy Drive on Sirius 210 and XM 87 from 5-8 PM EDT, Monday through Friday. Ray’s baseball analysis can be found at BaseballGuys.com and his minute to minute musings can be located at the BaseballGuys’ Twitter account.
We all know that closers have a ton of value on draft day. After all, they are the only way that we can fill the saves category. But what about those relievers that don’t work the 9th inning – what is their value?
THE PROBLEM
There is a problem with relievers. The issue is how we evaluate players. Here’s a simple example to show what I mean.
In 2011 Kevin Gregg earned more fantasy value than Darren Oliver despite the fact that he was roundly out pitched by Oliver. Compare their efforts.
How in the world was Gregg more valuable in 2011? You already know the answer; it’s because he racked up 22 saves to to two for Oliver.
So what can be done? Some leagues have attempted to level the playing field by adding holds. That’s a solid idea. It adds extra value to middle relievers and gets those bullpen arms on a more level playing field. However, when you add a sixth pitching category you then have to add a sixth hitting category to balance out the pitching and hitting. So why not do this – count SOLDS. Simply, Solds is saves+holds. Adding Solds will leave you with five categories and not six for pitching so you don’t have to worry about adding anything on the offensive side of the ledger. It would also result in middle relievers value skyrocketing. No longer would we be so concerned about what role a reliever holds as we are about the skills he brings to the part. I know that I’m not a fan of rostering a guy like Gregg who I know will kill my ratios, but if I need the saves, what choice do I have? If you count Solds instead of saves, then you have the option to pass on a junker like Gregg.
I don’t assume that I will be able to change anyone’s mind with this column, and it’s likely too late to implement such a change in the fabric of the fantasy game for the 2012 season, so instead I’ll focus on pointing out just how valuable selecting the right middle relievers can be to building an elite pitching staff.
BUILDING VALUE
Let’s take a look at some ADP numbers from MockDraftCentral.
Heath Bell has an ADP of 128 at the moment, insides the top-10 for relievers. He’s certainly a solid relief arm, one that is likely to rack up the saves in Florida, but is he going to help your team in ratio categories more so than a Brandon League (187 ADP) or Rafael Betancourt (203)? That’s debatable. Let’s take a look at each man’s ERA, WHIP and K/9 marks from 2011.
Obviously what people are doing is buying the saves that Bell will bring, and they are banking, because of his past performance, that he is more likely to be a 35+ save guy in 2012 than either of the other two arms. Clearly League and Bentancourt might be the equal of Bell in terms of skill – trust me, if you dig deeper than ERA/WHIP/K/9 that statement will play itself out – but people are buying the saves. However, is that the best way to build value in a pitching staff?
Let me spend a moment to explain something that many people seem to overlook.
On draft day 2011 you spent $32 of your $260 budget to roster Roy Halladay. If there is any starting pitcher that you can feel pretty darn secure about posting a top-10 season, it’s Halladay, so there was no reason to worry about adding him to your roster last year. However, this is only half the point. The other side of the coin is this – even if Halladay excels as he did last year, how much profit is he going to earn for you? If he has a great season, one that produces $38 in value, he has only turned a profit of +$6. Now, what if you drafted Yovani Gallardo for $13? Let’s say he had a strong season, which he did, and turns in numbers that lead to $22 in value. Gallardo is a +$9 in this scenario which means two things: (A) Gallardo produced more profit than Halladay and (B) you spent less money on Gallardo at the draft table which left you more money to spend to strengthen other positions.
Transition that same line of thought to the bullpen. Are you so sure that spending $13 on Brian Wilson is a better investment than spending $6 on Rafael Betancourt? Of course will be your response since Wilson is more of a “lock” to register a huge save total. I wouldn’t argue with you there, but don’t forget, you’d have an extra $7 to spend. What if in addition to Bentancourt you also added Sergio Santos for $7. You’ve spent the same total of $13 dollars for each team, but doesn’t team #2, with two options, have at least a break even chance of producing as many saves as will Wilson? Better yet, those two arms will help your pitching staff in a more appreciable way. Let’s assume the following.
Let’s posit a team with 1,250 innings pitched before adding our relievers. Let’s say that team had a 3.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 1,000 strikeouts. What effect would adding Wilson or Bentancourt have had to this hypothetical club in 2011?
Team Wilson: 3.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 7.27 K/9 in 1,305 IP
Team Betancourt: 3.47 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 7.36 K/9 in 1,312.1 IP
Remember, Team Betancourt, who had the extra $7 to spend, could have also added an arm like Santos to the party and further increased the advantage for their team over Team Wilson. In fact, Santos + Bentancourt would have netted you 38 saves last season, two more than Brian Wilson’s total for the Giants.
Let’s take one more example to illustrate just how valuable middle reliever arms can be to your clubs. In this example we’ll construct two teams like we just did. However, this time we’ll pit middle relievers against a superstar on the hill.
If we looks back to draft day 2011 you could have the three relievers for $5 (or less), in a mixed league. We set the cost of Halladay at $32 dollars above, so clearly you would have had a financial windfall that would have enabled you to have a whole lot of extra money laying around to bolster the rest of your club if you added the three relievers over Halladay. You already know which team produced a better return on investment, it was the bullpen arms of course, but are you aware just how well the trio of arms stacks up to the mighty Halladay in terms of raw production?
Team Halladay: 19-6, 2.35 ERA, 220 Ks, 1.04 WHIP in 233.2 IP
Team Reliever: 10-9, 2.48 ERA, 237 Ks, 0.91 WHIP with 13 saves in 203 IP.
A huge advantage for Halladay in the win column, but the relievers have 13 saves to help make up that difference. Plus, the relievers actually bettered the might Halladay in Ks and WHIP, more than enough to offset the slight “loss” in the ERA column.
Obviously I’m cherry picking here by choosing three of the better relievers in baseball last year. But the point is still valid – if you know how to evaluate pitchers, and be smart about controlling your budget on draft day, you can roster a pitching staff that can compete with the bigger spenders in the league. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a couple of horses on your staff, but you can have a lot of success with a staff filled with a bunch of #3 arms if you augment them with a judicious smattering of quality middle relief arms.
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.
Brandon League -Recorded his 22nd save of the season on 7/03 striking out two batters in the outing.
American League
Baltimore Orioles
(CL) Kevin Gregg (R)–Recorded his 15th save of the season on 7/03 striking out one batter in a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Koji Uehara (R)–Picked up his 10th hold of the season on 7/03 striking out two batters in the outing.
(MR) Mike Gonzalez (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 7/02 throwing just two pitches in the outing.
(MR) Jim Johnson (R)– Picked up the win on 7/03 after pitching two innings of relief giving up one run on three hits.
(MR) Jason Berken (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/01 striking out both batters he faced.
DL–None
Boston Red Sox
(CL) Jonathan Papelbon (R)–Recorded his 17th save of the season on 7/03 giving up just one hit while striking out three batters.
(SU) Daniel Bard (R)–Picked up his 17th hold of the season on 7/02 after pitching 0.1 innings of relief.
(MR) Bobby Jenks (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/02 striking out one batter.
(MR) Alfredo Aceves (R)–Recorded his 5th hold of the season on 6/26 after pitching a scoreless seventh inning throwing just 11 pitches.
(MR) Franklin Morales (L)–Picked up his 1st hold of the season on 7/01 throwing just one pitch in the outing.
DL–Rich Hill
Chicago White Sox
(CL) Sergio Santos (R)–Picked up his 18th save of the season on 7/01 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning striking out two batters for the third consecutive day.
(SU) Matt Thornton (L)–Recorded his 3rd save of the season on 7/02 after pitching two scoreless innings because Sergio Santos was unavailable.
(MR) Jesse Crain (R)–Picked up his 12th hold of the season on 7/01 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Chris Sale (L)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 6/30 walking one batter while striking out two batters.
(MR) Brian Bruney (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings on 7/03 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
DL–Tony Pena
Cleveland Indians
(CL) Chris Perez (R)–Was placed on the bereavement list on 7/01 and will miss a few games but will regain his role once he returns.
(SU) Tony Sipp (L)–Picked up his 16th hold of the season on 7/02 despite giving up one run on two hits in 0.1 innings of work.
(MR) Vinnie Pestano (R)–Recorded his 1st save of the season on 7/02 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out three batters in the ninth inning.
(MR) Rafael Perez (L)–Picked up his 7th hold of the season on 7/02 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Joe Smith (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/03 throwing just 15 pitches in the outing.
DL–None
Detroit Tigers
(CL) Jose Valverde (R)– Recorded 20th his save of the season on 7/03 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Joaquin Benoit (R)–Picked up his 10th hold of the season on 7/03 giving up two hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Ryan Perry (R)–Pitched 2.2 innings of relief on 7/02 giving up one run on two hits while striking out three batters.
(MR) David Purcey (L)–Pitched two innings of relief on 7/02 surrendering three runs on five hits.
(MR) Lester Oliveros (L)–Pitched two inning of relief on 7/02 giving up just one hit in the outing.
DL–Brad Thomas, Joel Zumaya, Al Alburquerque
Kansas City Royals
(CL) Joakim Soria (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/01 giving up one run on two hits.
(SU) Aaron Crow (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/02 giving up just one hit in the outing.
(MR) Tim Collins (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/03 walking just one batter in the outing.
(MR) Nate Adcock (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 7/01 surrendering three runs on two hits and three walks.
(MR) Blake Wood (R)–Picked up the win on 7/03 despite surrendering three runs on one hit and two walks.
DL–None
Los Angeles Angels
(CL) Jordan Walden (R)–Recorded his 19th save of the season on 7/03 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Scott Downs (L)–Picked up his 13th hold of the season on 7/03 after facing just one batter forcing a ground-out on one pitch thrown.
(MR) Hisanori Takahashi (L)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 7/02 in a non-save situation giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Trevor Bell (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 7/01 giving up one hit and one walk.
(MR) Rich Thompson (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/01 striking out two batter sin the outing.
DL–Francisco Rodriguez, Fernando Rodney
Minnesota Twins
(CL) Matt Capps (R)–Picked up a hold on 7/03 after being replaced in the ninth inning by Glenn Perkins after only recording one out while giving up two hits.
(SU) Alex Burnett (R)–Picked up his 4th hold of the season on 6/28 after pitching 1.1 innings of relief.
(MR) Phil Dumatrait (L)–Picked up the win on 7/03 after pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
(MR) Joe Nathan (R)–Picked up his 5th hold of the season on 7/03 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning striking out one batter.
(MR) Glen Perkins (L)–Recorded his 1st save of the season on 7/03 after pitching 0.2 innings striking out the only two batters he faced after Matt Capps could not get the job done.
DL–None
New York Yankees
(CL) Mariano Rivera (R)–Was charged with a blown-save on 7/03 after surrendering one run on two hits and one walk.
(SU) David Robertson (R)–Recorded 18th hold of the season on 7/02 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning striking out two batters.
(MR) Boone Logan (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 7/03 striking out the only batter that he faced.
(MR) Luis Ayala (R)–Took the loss on 7/03 after pitching 0.1 innings of relief.
(MR) Cory Wade (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 7/02 giving up just two hits in the outing.
DL–Joba Chamberlain, Rafael Soriano, Damaso Marte, Pedro Feliciano, Amauri Sanit
Oakland Athletics
(CL) Andrew Bailey (R)–Pitched in an non-save situation on 7/03 throwing just nine pitches in the outing.
(MR) Brian Fuentes (L)–Picked up his 3rd hold of the season on 7/01 despite giving up two run on one hit and one walk in just 0.1 innings of work.
(MR) Brad Ziegler (R)–Picked up his 3rd hold of the season on 7/01 giving up one hit while striking out two batters.
(MR) Michael Wuertz (R)–Failed to record an out on 7/03 after giving up one run on one hit and two walks.
(MR) Craig Breslow (L)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 7/02 giving up one hit in the outing.
DL–Grant Balfour
Seattle Mariners
(CL) Brandon League (R)–Recorded his 22nd save of the season on 7/03 striking out two batters in the outing.
(SU) Jamey Wright (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 6/28 on a non-save situation.
(MR) Aaron Laffey (L)– Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 6/28 giving up two hits and one walk.
(MR) David Pauley (R)–Picked up his 6th hold of the season on 7/03 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) Chris Ray (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 6/29 striking out the only batter he faced.
DL–David Aardsma
Tampa Bay Rays
(CL) Kyle Farnsworth (R)–Recorded his 17th save of the season on 7/03 after pitching 1.2 innings of relief.
(SU) Joel Peralta (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/02 giving up one hit while striking out two batters.
(MR) Juan Cruz (R)–Picked up his 3rd hold of the season on 7/02 after pitching one inning of relief.
(MR) J.P. Howell (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 7/02 throwing five pitches in the outing.
(MR) Adam Russell (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 7/01 throwing just three pitches.
DL–None
Texas Rangers
(CL) Neftali Feliz (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief in a non-save situation giving up one run on two hits and one walk.
(SU) Darren Oliver (L)–Failed to record an out in his last appearance on 7/03 after giving up one run on one hit.
(MR) Arthur Rhodes (L)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 7/02 in a non-save situation giving up two hits in the outing.
(MR) Mark Lowe (R)–Took the loss on 7/03 after giving up two runs while walking one batter.
(MR) Darren O’Day (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 7/02 in his first game back from injury giving up two runs on three hits while striking out two batters.
DL– None
Toronto Blue Jays
(CL) Frank Francisco (R)–Took the blow-save and loss on 7/01 after giving up two runs on three hits and one walk.
(SU) Jon Rauch (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings on relief on 7/02 surrendering one run on two this and one walk.
(MR) Shawn Camp (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 7/02 throwing just six pitches in the outing.
(MR) Octavio Dotel (R)–Picked up the win on 7/03 after pitching 1.2 innings of relief striking out two batters in the outing.
(MR) Jason Frasor (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/01 giving up one run on one hit.
DL–None
National League
Arizona Diamondbacks
(CL) David Hernandez (R)–Recorded his 3rd save of the season on 7/02 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
(SU) Aaron Heilman (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/01 giving up two hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Alberto Castillo (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/01 giving up one hit and one walk.
(MR) Sam Demel (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 7/01 giving up one run and one walk.
(MR) Micah Owings (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 7/03 striking out two batters in the outing.
DL–Juan Gutierrez, J.J. Putz
Atlanta Braves
(CL) Craig Kimbrel (R)–Recorded his 24rd save of the season on 7/02 striking out two batters in the outing.
(SU) Jonny Venters (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 6/29 surrendering two runs on two hits while striking out two batters.
(MR) Eric O’Flaherty (L)–Picked up his 16th hold of the season on 7/02 giving up two hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Scott Linebrink (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 7/03 in a non-save situation giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) George Sherrill (L)–Pitched a scoreless sixth inning on 7/03 giving up one hit while striking out two batters.
DL–Peter Moylan, Kris Medlan
Chicago Cubs
(CL) Carlos Marmol (R)–Recorded his 17th save of the season on 7/03 striking out two batters in the outing.
(SU) Sean Marshall (L)–Picked up his hold of the season on 7/03 after pitching 0.1 innings of relief.
(MR) John Grabow (L)–Picked up the win on 6/30 despite giving up one run on one hit and three walks.
(MR) Jeff Samardzija (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/01 throwing just seven pitches in the outing.
(MR) Kerry Wood (R)–Picked up his hold of the season on 7/03 despite giving up one run on two hits and one walk.
DL–Andrew Cashner
Cincinnati Reds
(CL) Francisco Cordero (R)–Recorded his 17th save of the season on 7/03 giving up just one hit in the outing.
(SU) Nick Masset (R)–Picked up his 8th hold of the season on 7/03 despite giving up one run on two hits.
(MR) Bill Bray (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/02 striking out two batters in the outing.
(MR) Logan Ondrusek (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 7/02 in a non-save situation striking out one batter.
(MR) Aroldis Chapman (L)–Picked up his 5th hold of the season on 7/03 striking out two batters in an scoreless eighth inning.
DL–Matt Maloney
Colorado Rockies
(CL) Huston Street (R)–Recorded his 24th save of the season on 7/02 after throwing just one pitch in 0.1 innings of work.
(SU) Matt Reynolds (L)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/02 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Matt Belisle (R)–Had a terrible outing on 7/03 surrendering six runs on seven hits in 0.2 innings of work.
(MR) Rafael Betancourt (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/02 giving up one run on two hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Matt Lindstrom (R)–Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on 7/02 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
DL–Matt Daley
Florida Marlins
(CL) Leo Nunez (R)–Recorded his 23rd save of the season on 7/03 despite giving up one run on two hits in the outing.
(SU) Mike Dunn (L)–Picked up the win on 7.03 after pitching 1.1 innings of relief striking out one batter.
(MR) Steve Cishek (R)–Picked up the win on 7/02 despite giving up two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out four batters.
(MR) Randy Choate (L)–Picked up his 11th hold of the season on 7/03 after throwing just one pitch in the eighth inning.
(MR) Burke Badenhop (R)–Failed to record an out in his last appearance on 7/03 walking the only batter that he faced on five pitches.
DL–Clay Hensley, Ryan Webb
Houston Astros
(CL) Mark Melancon (R)–Took the loss on 7/03 after surrendering one run on one hit and three walks.
(SU) Wilton Lopez (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/03 throwing just two pitches in the outing.
(MR) Enerio Del Rosario (R)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 7/01 surrendering four walks on 36 pitches thrown.
(MR) Aneury Rodriguez (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/02 surrendering one run on two hits while striking out two batters.
(MR) Sergio Escalona (L)–Pitched 1.1 innings of relief on 7/03 giving up one hit while walking two batters.
DL–Alberto Arias, Brandon Lyon
Los Angeles Dodgers
(CL) Javy Guerra (R)–Pitched a scoreless ninth inning on 7/01 in a non-save situation striking out one batter.
(SU) Hong-Chih Kuo (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/02 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter.
(MR) Mike MacDougal (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/01 giving up two hits.
(MR) Kenley Jansen (R)– Pitched a scoreless seventh inning on 7/02 without allowing a hit or a walk.
(MR) Matt Guerrier (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 6/28 throwing just 13 pitches in the inning.
DL– Jonathan Broxton, Vicente Padilla
Milwaukee Brewers
(CL) John Axford (R)–Recorded his 21st save of the season on 7/02 striking out two batters in the outing.
(SU) Kameron Loe (R)–Took the loss on 7/03 after giving up one earned run on three hits and one walk.
(MR) LaTroy Hawkins (R)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 7/01 giving up one hit on six pitches thrown.
(MR) Takashi Saito (R)– Picked up the win on 7/02 in his first game back from injury striking gout one batter in the appearance.
(MR) Tim Dillard (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 6/29 giving up one run on one hit.
DL– Brandon Kintzler
New York Mets
(CL) Francisco Rodriguez (R)–Picked up the win on 7/03 after pitching two scoreless innings of relief.
(SU) Jason Isringhausen (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/03 surrendering one run on two hits and one walk.
(MR) Pedro Beato(R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 7/03 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Bobby Parnell (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/01 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Tim Byrdak (L)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/02 giving up one run on one hit while striking out two batters.
DL–Taylor Buchholz
Philadelphia Phillies
(CL) Antonio Bastardo (L)–Picked up his 4th save of the season on 7/01 after pitching a scoreless ninth inning striking out one batter.
(SU) Michael Stutes (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/03 giving up one hit while striking out one batter.
(MR) Danys Baez (R)—Picked up the win on 7/01 after pitching a scoreless eighth inning.
(MR) David Herndon (R)–Took the loss on 6/30 after surrendering three runs on five hits in two innings of relief.
(MR) Juan Perez (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 6/24 throwing just five pitches in the outing.
DL–Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras, Ryan Madson
Pittsburgh Pirates
(CL) Joel Hanrahan (R)–Picked up his 24th save of the season on 7/02 giving up one run on two hits while striking out one batter.
(SU) Jose Veras (R)–Picked up the win on 7/02 giving up one hit and one walk in the outing.
(MR) Chris Resop (R)–Picked up his 11th hold of the season on 7/02 after 0.1 innings of work.
(MR) Daniel McCutchen (R)–Picked up his 4th hold of the season on 7/02 walking two batters while striking out one.
(MR) Daniel Moskos (L)–Pitched two innings of relief on 7/03 striking out two batters in the outing.
DL–Joe Beimel, Evan Meek
San Diego Padres
(CL) Heath Bell (R)– Picked up his 24th save of the season on 7/02 throwing just 10 pitches in a perfect ninth inning.
(SU) Mike Adams (R)–Picked up his 16th hold of the season on 7/02 striking out one batter in the outing.
(MR) Chad Qualls (R)–Picked up his 5th hold of the season on 7/02 after pitching a scoreless seventh inning.
(MR) Pat Neshek (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/01 striking out one batter.
(MR) Ernesto Frieri (R)–Pitched one inning of relief on 7/03 giving up one hit and one walk while striking out two batters.
DL–Joe Thatcher, Luke Gregerson
San Francisco Giants
(CL) Brian Wilson (R)–Picked up the win on 7/01 after pitching 0.2 innings of relief in the eighth inning despite be charged with a blown-save.
(SU) Ramon Ramirez (R)–Took the loss on 6/30 after surrendering four runs on three hits and one walk.
(MR) Sergio Romo (R)–Picked up his 14th hold of the season on 7/01 after pitching 0.1 innings of relief.
(MR) Javier Lopez (L)–Pitched 0.1 innings of relief on 7/03 throwing just three pitches in the outing.
(MR) Jeremy Affeldt (L)–Failed to record an out in his last appearance on 7/03 after forcing in a run on one walked batter.
DL–None
St. Louis Cardinals
(CL) Fernando Salas (R)–Recorded his 14th save of the season on 7/01 striking out one batter in the outing.
(SU) Trever Miller (L)–Failed to record an out in his last appearance on 7/02 giving up two hits on five pitches thrown.
(MR) Jason Motte (R)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/03 giving up three hits while striking out one batter.
(MR) Mitchell Boggs (R)–Pitched 1.2 innings of relief on 6/30 giving up one run on three hits.
(MR) Brian Tallet (L)–Pitched 0.2 innings of relief on 7/03 surrendering two run on two hits and one walk.
DL–Eduardo Sanchez
Washington Nationals
(CL) Drew Storen (R)–Recorded his 20th save of the season on 7/02 forcing three ground-outs and one hit on 12 pitches thrown.
(SU) Tyler Clippard (R)–Pitched a scoreless eighth inning on 7/01 throwing 12 pitches in the inning.
(MR) Sean Burnett (L)–Took the loss on 7/02 after giving up two run on two hits in one inning of work.
(MR) Todd Coffey (R)–Pitched two innings of relief on 7/03 giving up three hits in the outing.
(MR) Henry Rodriguez (R)–Pitched 1.2 innings of relief on 7/03 giving up one hit and one walk in the outing.
DL–Doug Slaten, Chad Gaudin, Cole Kimbrall
2011 offers a new season, new players and new opportunities to right the ship in Seattle. Last October, the Mariners hired manager Eric Wedge. From 2003 to 2009, Wedge was with the Cleveland Indians and in 2007 was named MLB Manager of the Year in the American League.
Wedge faces a similar challenge in Seattle that he dealt with when he first took over for Cleveland. The Mariners will need to lean on strong starting pitching, just like Wedge’s Cleveland teams that relied on C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee. Seattle’s future depends upon the further development of their starting rotation.
Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez
As it has been for years, the face of the franchise remains in right field, Ichiro Suzuki. There are concerns about his declining 2010 production (mostly from the fantasy gurus) but how much of that was due to lack of a supporting cast? Yet, it’s hard to doubt a player that has done it year after year. Let’s not forget the Mariners are blessed with two superstars. The second being is pitching ace Felix Hernandez, the 2010 AL Cy Young winner. Hernandez turns 25 in April despite entering his seventh season in the big leagues. He will look to continue to be one of the game’s brightest talents.
In the offseason, designated hitter Jack Cust, middle infielder Brendan Ryan and catcher Miguel Olivo were added to a lineup that scored 513 runs last season, the fewest in MLB. All three will look to improve that figure for a team that finished with the second worst record last year, 61-101.
Ryan is now at shortstop, moving Jack Wilson to second base and sliding the versatile Chone Figgins over to third base to replace Jose Lopez. Wilson will need to have a good start to the season because of one of the top prospects in baseball, 2B Dustin Ackley, is waiting in the minors to get the call up. Ackley is a pure hitter who needs to continue working on his defense after playing first base in college. He will likely be called up sometime in June.
Last summer’s big acquisition was 1B Justin Smoak, a young hard-hitter from the Texas Rangers. There should be less pressure on him to immediately reach his potential on a new team, giving him more time to adjust to the majors. Speaking of pressure, CF Franklin Gutierrez could potentially begin the year on the disabled list due to a troubling stomach ailment that has plagued him for nearly a year. General manager Jack Zduriencik wanted to see him play this past weekend, but in his place, it appears Ryan Langerhans and Michael Saunders will split time.
Mariners CF Franklin Gutierrez may start the season on the disabled list.
Assuming Gutierrez makes a timely return to the starting lineup, a position battle to watch as the season opens is in left field between 33-year old veteran Milton Bradley and and the aforementioned Saunders. He did appear in 100 games last year but struggled to find his swing. Thus far in spring training, the coaching staff has tweaked his batting stance to steady his motion and improve consistency. That being said, Bradley remains the more reliable option between the two as the Opening Day starter.
The starting rotation includes two young players and a veteran who could prove to be the wild cards to the Mariners’ 2011 season: Justin Vargas, Michael Pineda and Erik Bedard. Despite a 9-12 record, Vargas was a pleasant surprise who with improved run support could have easily won more than a dozen games. Pineda enters this season as the No. 5 starter and as one of the top pitching prospects in MLB. At only 22 years old, Pineda is a power pitcher with a bright future as a potential second ace behind Felix Hernandez.
Let’s not forget Bedard, who is coming off multiple surgeries, had a full offseason of workouts. If spring training is any indicator, he has looked much improved, only allowing two earned runs in 16 innings. Doug Fister is the No. 3 starter and the 27-year old will look to improve upon a 2011 season in which he pitched 171 innings with a 4.11 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
The bullpen is spearheaded by closer David Aardsma who had 31 saves last year but who may not return from a hip injury until late April. Brandon League is likely to be the Opening Day closer. The remaining bullpen spots are to be determined in the waning days of spring training.
2011 could be another tough year as Seattle continues to break-in young prospects but the future is decidedly optimistic. The first priority, winning more games, isn’t a foregone conclusion but there is strong potential for a rapid improvement.
PROJECTED BATTING ORDER
1. Ichiro Suzuki
2. Chone Figgins
3. Milton Bradley
4. Jack Cust
5. Justin Smoak
6. Franklin Gutierrez
7. Miguel Olivo
8. Jack Wilson
9. Brendan Ryan
PROJECTED STARTING ROTATION
1. RHP Felix Hernandez
2. LHP Justin Vargas
3. RHP Doug Fister
4. LHP Erik Bedard
5. RHP Michael Pineda
PROJECTED BULLPEN
RHP David Aardsma (closer)
RHP Brandon League
RHP Josh Lueke
LHP Aaron Laffey
RHP Jose Flores
RHP David Pauley
LHP Nate Robertson
