THT Fantasy Focus

Posted by Matt Hagen at 2:36am (4) Comments

Friday, May 22, 2009

Roster Doctor - 5/22/09

Welcome to THT Fantasy's Roster Doctor. If you'd like your team to be analyzed by one of our fantasy baseball experts, please send your full roster to this address. Also be sure to include your league's player pool (mixed, AL-only, NL-only), number of teams, scoring format (roto, head-to-head, points, etc.), categories, whether or not it's a keeper league, and any other pertinent information. If your roster is selected it will be analyzed in a future Roster Doctor column.

The streak of traditional rosters continues...

Player Pool: Mixed
No. of Teams: 12
Categories: Traditional 5x5
Scoring Type: Head-to-Head
Roster:

C - Pablo Sandoval
1B - Ryan Howard
2B - Chase Utley
SS - Jimmy Rollins
3B - Jorge Cantu
OF- Matt Kemp
OF - Alex Rios
OF - Jacoby Ellsbury
Util - Joey Votto
BN - Corey Hart
BN - Jhonny Peralta
BN - Alexei Ramirez

SP - Dan Haren
SP - Adam Wainwright
RP - Chad Qualls
RP - Ryan Franklin
P - Fernando Rodney
P - Scott Downs
P - Josh Johnson
BN - Jered Weaver
BN - Wandy Rodriguez
DL - John Lackey

First off, this person told me that she picked Ellsbury off the waiver wire—great addition! Let that serve as a lesson to all of you impatient people out there who are thinking about using your priority on a mediocre player now because you do not foresee any great names getting called up in the near future that are not already owned. Most of the time great waiver pickups come from drops by other teams, particularly after the first month of the season. Someone like Ellsbury might not be dropped in your league, but a valuable player like David Ortiz or BJ Upton might be.

A noticeable aspect of this team is its Phillies infield minus Pedro Feliz at third. Normally I would think that was intentional—i.e. the owner is a Phillies fan—but the owner noted in their submission (info like this is helpful) that they recently traded Jay Bruce and Jair Jurrjens for Rollins and Josh Johnson. This trade is a good example a smart owner making use of a surplus in one position (outfield) to bolster a lacking one (shortstop) where you previously had Peralta starting.

One of the bigger disappointments so far this year, Peralta, is struggling and I think it was a good idea to find a suitable replacement for him. And kudos to not buying high on the replacement; instead Rollins was a nice buy-low at this point since he figures to start raising his production level imminently (four for six last night). Johnson won't keep up the sub-three ERA ratio much longer but with his ability to strikeout batters out, limit free passes, and induce ground balls, he should post an ERA in the mid-3s the rest of the way, which is of course valuable. Nice trade.

With the shortstop hole plugged, the rest of your lineup is strong and filled with players myself and many other people would love to own like Kemp, Votto, Utley, and even Cantu. I am not saying Rios, Howard, and the others are bad players, but if at some point in the future you are looking to upgrade your hitters, those would be the guys I would like to upgrade. Howard is in that list for the flexibility he offers if included in a trade since you could get anyone in return for him, because Votto could slide from utility to first base. And his name does supersede his numbers somewhat.

Your pitching is excellent, both starters and relievers. There is no reason to mess with your corral of dominant starters and it is apparent you have been active on the waiver wire by the grouping of recently anointed closers you own. Not much else to say about your pitching except just make sure you strategically bench pitchers towards the end of the week if you've got enough victories locked up.

I know you would like to keep Alexei because he could break out of his slump and provide value either in a trade or starting for you, but if a player with some potential hits the wire soon, I would not let Alexei prevent me from adding him. His roster spot is one I would consider pretty expendable right now if the right player comes along. I say this especially in a league where Ellsbury was magically dropped. Good luck the rest of the season!

Posted by Paul Singman at 1:17am (1) Comments

Waiver Wire

American League by Rob McQuown

Rich Hill | Baltimore | SP
YTD: 9.5 K/9, 3.0 K/BB, 3.18 ERA
True Talent: 8.3 K/9, 2.0 K/BB, 4.34 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 6.0 IP, 0.4 wins, 6 K, 4.26 ERA
The bar is set pretty low in Baltimore to get a try-out. Take Rich Hill, who walked nine batters in 16 minor-league innings this season ... after walking 44 men in 47.2 IP last year. That Hill was able, in his first start, to limit his unintentional walks to one was unexpected. He still has the amazing curveball, which leads to the glowing “True Talent” prediction, but—especially in that division—expect few Ws, and lots of BBs.

Matt Palmer | Los Angeles | SP
YTD: 5.1 K/9, 1.4 K/BB, 4.26 ERA
True Talent: 6.1 K/9, 1.4 K/BB, 5.11 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 6.0 IP, 0.3 wins, 4 K, 4.68 ERA
“The past does not equal the future.” Sounds like something a motivational speaker like Jim Palmer might say. And Matt Palmer seems to be listening to the (unrelated) Hall of Famer, seeing as how Matt has a 5-0 record despite being 30 years old with an undistinguished minor-league resume. We're happy for Matt Palmer, but expect his poor K/BB to take its toll, and for him to get pushed out of the rotation over the next few weeks.

Ramon Santiago | Detroit | SS/2B
YTD: .345/.377/.603
True Talent: .258/.321/.378
Next Week Forecast: 0.2 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 0.2 SB, .262 BA
The last time Ramon Santiago played full time was 2007, as a 27-year-old at Triple-A Toledo, where he hit .263/.309/.362. Thus, we were skeptical when he posted a gaudy .282/.411/.460 line in 2008 as a reserve. Although we're even more skeptical about his .436 BABIP-aided line this year, Santiago does have a fine defensive reputation, and his recent hitting has upgraded him to “safe filler.” And Adam Everett misses a lot of time with injuries.

Kelly Shoppach | Cleveland | CA
YTD: .227/.370/.394
True Talent: .247/.331/.452
Next Week Forecast: 0.5 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 0.0 SB, .238 BA
Kelly Shoppach was overdrafted in many settings after his fluky-good 2008 season. The truth, though, is that he IS a valuable player, probably superior to a dozen starters at his position. His defense won't help a fantasy team, but if he keeps out-hitting Garko and some of the various OF/1B options like LaPorta, then Shoppach should keep logging at least half-time play. His career-long tendency is to maul LHP, and he's a must-play against them in daily-move formats.

Clete Thomas | Detroit | OF
YTD: .306/.382/.408
True Talent: .244/.313/.363
Next Week Forecast: 0.4 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 0.9 SB, .247 BA
What in the name of Barry Bonds is Jim Leyland thinking? Most baseball fans outside Michigan would have about as much chance of knowing that Clete Thomas is the Tigers' No. 3 hitter as they would of winning the lottery! Leyland batted Neifi Perez No. 2 during their World Series run, so he has been known to do strange things. Expect this experiment to go only slightly better than did Piniella batting Alex Sanchez No. 3 in 2005.

Dontrelle Willis | Detroit | SP
YTD: 4.1 K/9, 1.3 K/BB, 3.27 ERA
True Talent: 5.3 K/9, 1.2 K/BB, 5.38 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 5.1 IP, 0.3 Wins, 3 K, 5.67 ERA
The shame is that the "True Talent" line may be pretty close on Willis's ERA, though many people want the popular Willis to rebound (including the Tigers, and their accountant). Willis might have reined in his control somewhat but at a cost to his Ks, so expect more hits. He's a great example of just how fickle pitchers can be. (He was taken 17th overall in a Baseball America “Dream Draft” in 2006.)

C.J. Wilson | Texas | RP
YTD: 5.5 K/9, 1.1 K/BB, 3.86 ERA, 2 Saves
True Talent: 7.3 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 4.20 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 0.8 saves, 4.24 ERA
What's not to like? Well, Wilson is a lefty closer (already a disadvantage). In 62 IP since 2007, he has allowed 5+ BB/9, more hits than innings, and nine home runs. And he pitches in one of the best hitter's parks in baseball, for a team that won't furnish as many close games as do other teams. That True Talent prediction looks almost tolerable, but even if Francisco's return wasn't imminent, C.J. Wilson would still be among the worst 2-3 closers in MLB.

Ben Zobrist | Tampa Bay | SS/OF
YTD: .276/.376/.621
True Talent: .256/.338/.433
Next Week Forecast: 0.3 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 0.2 SB, .259 BA
Like Matt Palmer, Ben Zobrist has been old for his leagues. Unlike Palmer, though, Zobrist did some fantastic work in the minors, including a .428 composite OBP. Zobrist has long been considered a man without a position: not good enough "D" to patrol up-the-middle, not enough bat to man the corners. However, a .505 slugging in 227 PA last year, and his hot start this year, are starting to dispel the latter notion.

National League by Michael Street

Dave Bush | MIL | SP
YTD: 6.5 K/9, 3.5 K/BB, 3.74 ERA
True Talent: 6.2 K/9, 2.8 K/BB, 4.23 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 6.1 IP, 0.4 Wins, 4 K, 4.15 ERA
With a career 1.3 HR/9, Bush must keep his walks down to succeed, and he has done so during the Crew’s recent surge. His 2009 1.9 BB/9 is right in line with his career 2.0 BB/9, and True Talent says that he is pitching only slightly above expectations. Bush won’t shut anyone out—he has given up 2+ runs in 7 of 8 starts—but he’ll give Wins and a few Ks without completely embarrassing you.

Mat Gamel | MIL | 3B
YTD: .333/.429/1.000
True Talent: N/A
Next Week Forecast: N/A
Interleague play gives Gamel near-term DH value, but his long-term outlook is hazier. As the Brewers’ top hitting prospect, he'll get his swings for as long as he’s up, but his path is currently blocked. Recent Milwaukee moves (like the signing of Frank Catalanotto and acquisition of Jody Gerut) hint that a trade is in the works that would clear a spot for him, so grab him for the near term. Keeper-league owners should already have him on their rosters.

Kris Medlen | ATL | SP
YTD: 9.0 K/9, 0.6 K/BB, 15.00 ERA
True Talent: N/A
Next Week Forecast: N/A
Atlanta wants to look at Medlen (5-0, 1.21 ERA at Triple-A, with 44 K and 10 BB in 27.1 IP) while they wait for Glavine to return. Medlen strikes out guys, but not consistently, and major-league hitters won’t flail at his slider the way that Triple-A hitters do. Medlen struggled in his first start, suddenly losing control after a strong first two innings; that tells you all that you need to know about this low-ceiling gamble.

Ross Ohlendorf | PIT | SP
YTD: 4.3 K/9, 1.9 K/BB, 4.31 ERA
True Talent: 6.3 K/9, 2.1 K/BB, 4.68 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 6.0 IP, 0.4 Wins, 4 K, 4.38 ERA
Ohlendorf’s peripherals look decent, and his current performance suggests that he could be a buy-low opportunity. However, he has two problems: lefties (.978 OPS Against, vs. .671 OPS against RH), and away parks (6.02 ERA and 1.60 WHIP, vs. 3.78 ERA and 1.29 WHIP at PNC). If you can afford to roster Ohlendorf in order to start him at home against RH-heavy line-ups, you might reap some benefits ... but if your roster is that deep, you're probably not looking for waiver-wire help.

Nyjer Morgan | PIT | OF
YTD: .301/.381/.370
True Talent: .277/.337/.352
Next Week Forecast: 0.1 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1.4 SB, .274 BA
Morgan’s 10 SB are already a career high, but more are on the way. He sits on some waiver wires because of a strained hammy that had him out for a few games, but he looks fine, and the OBP that he has racked up demonstrates his improved batting eye (0.65 BB/K this year, vs. 0.31 in 2008), which should lead to even more SB. Just keep that True Talent projection in mind—he’s no .300 hitter.

Gerardo Parra | ARI | OF
YTD: .321/.387/.571
True Talent: .264/.315/.385
Next Week Forecast: 0.3 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 0.8 SB, .264 BA
Parra won’t hit like this all year, but his early trends were alluring. In his first 14 PA, he had zero Ks, with two triples and a HR. He has scuffled since, with 5 Ks in his last 17 PA to go along with four hits, all singles. In Arizona, Parra will get time to prove himself, and that SB projection makes him worth a look in many leagues, especially since we think that he'll beat his True Talent BA.

Cody Ross | FLA | OF
YTD: .248/.301/.447
True Talent: .254/.315/.460
Next Week Forecast: 0.9 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 0.2 SB, .252 BA
After starting the season 2-for-23, Ross went 9 for his next 20, and then slid back to 14-for-78 before going 7-for-12 last week with two HR and three 2B. That’s typical Ross, whose overall numbers are still right in line with his projected ratios. If you can hang with his cold streaks and be sure to play him against LHP (career .950 OPS against LHP, vs. .728 OPS against RHP), Ross can deliver some low-BA pop.

Skip Schumaker | STL | 2B/OF
YTD: .299/.348/.425
True Talent: .295/.349/.402
Next Week Forecast: 0.2 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 0.2 SB, .287 BA
St. Louis skipper Tony LaRussa has been sticking with Schumaker at second base, where Schumaker's stat line plays very well—you won't find many .750 OPS qualifying 2Bs on the wire. Note how well True Talent matches his current numbers. Schumaker is steady and unspectacular, but he will give a low-power BA boost while scoring runs as the Cards’ lead-off hitter. As long as he keeps starting for them, he should be starting for you.

True Talent and Next Week Forecasts courtesy of Heater Magazine.

Posted by THT Staff at 1:20am (8) Comments

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Confessions of a fantasy baseball addict: Bailing

With Memorial Day here, bail season has officially opened. No matter how true the assertion that 75 percent of the season remains, everyone treats this time of the season as the one to stop making fair offers to teams in the bottom third of the standings. Whether those four teams think so or not, forces are aligned to make their bailing a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Because the top teams know bailing is near, the teams at the bottom cannot make trades to deal from their strengths to address their weaknesses because those top teams sense the fire sale on the horizon and don’t want to be stuck making an even swap when just a little more patience will yield two or three times as much in a bail trade.

A week passes, and the worst teams find themselves frustrated at their inability to complete a trade. On top of this frustration, there was the previous two months of angst and doubt about their floundering squad. So where does that leave a bottom team? Entertaining the idea of bailing despite the fact that two thirds of the season remains.

Once the first bail trade is executed, the chances for the other teams to compete just became harder as they are less likely to overcome a team who just juiced himself on a three-for-one deal: an out-of-time Ryan Howard, Michael Bourn and Brad Lidge for a super cheap Colby Rasmus, Garret Mock and Travis Ishikawa. As a result, those teams begin prodding the other bottom feeders for their own three-for-one bail trade.

That first bail trade is key. Once consummated, the teams competing against the lucky bail recipient now want their own bail trades. How can the other bottom teams improve after one of their own just broke their cartel and cut the best deal it could? They can’t. So another team bails. Two of the top teams are now juicing. And so on.

Within a couple of weeks of Memorial Day, the hopes of teams waiting for their players to regress to their mean in a positive fashion while seeing those above them in the standings regress the other way have been dashed with just a third of the season completed. The juiced teams have locked in those gains and have set themselves up to continue the status quo.

What can the few teams that are competing do against the juiced ones? Hope their league rules are set-up to allow teams that finish just out of the money to get first dibs on minor leaguers recalled during the season or selected in the 2010 drafts.

What if your league does a worst-to-first free agent pick-up and the Washington Nationals bring Steven Strasburg to the majors this season? Well, the teams the bailed first and won the race to the bottom squeeze those unjuiced middle teams. They are not in position to grab Strasburg this year but can’t compete against the bail recipients this season on free agent priority.

The view is glum for those fantasy teams who find themselves in the bottom tier of their leagues, but a final four months of mediocrity looms thanks to all that bail season wrought. Except for me. My place in the cellar is only temporary.

Last Week: I wrote about keeping an eye on some players who have been worthless so far, but stand to gain their pre-season expected value with a “fortuitous” turn of events. None of the players are yet to get that “Pierre Opportunity.” If I were bailing, I’d try to get those players are the roster filler portions of the deal.

Posted by Eric Hinz at 3:26am (4) Comments

A tale of two pitchers

We are 1/4th of the way through the season, and I thought I would take a look at two pitchers a number of people are unsure about, namely Ted Lilly and Brett Myers.

Ted Lilly

As he has been the past several years, Ted Lilly is once again proving himself a valuable starting pitcher. With good health (200+ innings past two years), solid strikeout abilities (around a 7.75 K/9), and support from the high-octane Cubs offense (leading to 15 or more wins each of the last three seasons), Lilly has established himself as a solid, yet unspectacular starter. He's not your number one guy, but he works well as a number two or number three guy in any rotation, providing depth.

+------+-----------+-------+----+------+------+-----+----------+
| Year | Team      | IP    | W  | ERA  | WHIP |	K   | LIPS ERA |
+------+-----------+-------+----+------+------+-----+----------+
| 2006 | Blue Jays | 181.2 | 15	| 4.31 | 1.43 | 160 |     4.24 |
| 2007 | Cubs	   | 207   | 15	| 3.83 | 1.14 | 174 |     3.88 |
| 2008 | Cubs	   | 204.2 | 17	| 4.09 | 1.23 |	184 |     3.73 |
| 2009 | Cubs	   | 57.1  |  5	| 3.77 | 1.10 |  47 |     3.75 |
+------+-----------+-------+----+------+------+-----+----------+

Right now Lilly's ERA sits at a pretty 3.77, which I find surprising considering the ten home runs he has allowed already. Let me repeat that: 10 home runs! That means he is on pace for about 40 home runs allowed, which although is not single season record breaking, is top five in the league. Interestingly enough, the name of the record holder for most home runs allowed in the NL in a single season is a name every fantasy baseballer should be familiar with: Jose Lima.

+------+-----------+------+------+--------+--------+-------+------+
| Year | Team      | K/9  | BB/9 | OF FB% | HR/FB% | BABIP | LOB% |
+------+-----------+------+------+--------+--------+-------+------+
| 2006 | Blue Jays | 7.93 | 4.01 |   33.7 |   14.1 | 0.300 | 73.8 |
| 2007 | Cubs	   | 7.57 | 2.39 |   43.3 |   10.9 | 0.272 | 74.1 |
| 2008 | Cubs	   | 8.09 | 2.81 |   38.6 |   13.9 | 0.283 | 76.0 |
| 2009 | Cubs	   | 7.38 | 2.20 |   46.9 |   13.3 | 0.254 | 77.6 |
+------+-----------+-------+-----+--------+--------+-------+------+

Contrary to what you might be thinking, Lilly has not been giving up more home runs per fly ball; his HR/FB percentage sits at about 13 percent, which is in line with his career average. Instead he has been allowing flyballs at a ridiculous 47 percent rate, well above last year's 39 percent. Whenever a notorious fly ball pitcher sees a substantial increase in their fly balls allowed, concern should arise.

Loose pants are a necessity with those mechanics. (Icon/SMI)

Unfortunately, I have no way of telling if the increased fly ball rate will be sustained or if it is a fluke. Most likely Lilly's fly ball rate will regress towards his career average, which will lead to fewer home runs allowed. This will have a positive impact on his ERA.

Working out the math, it comes to about one-and-a-half less home runs allowed. I believe the home run is worth on average about 1.4 runs, so saving the theoretical 1.5 home runs will save Lilly 2.1 earned runs, which is close enough to two. The two saved runs equate to 30 points coming off his ERA.

On the negative side, there is only one major sign that points towards Lilly's ERA rising. Right now he is the lucky owner of a .254 BABIP, one that is surely to regress upwards into the .280's. He would have allowed six more hits if his BABIP were at .285, and on average his ERA would then rise half a point to 4.30.

Lilly is striking out slightly less batters than usual, but he also is walking less as well. Perhaps this is the sign of a maturing pitcher, or maybe it is simply random variation a quarter of the way through the season. Whatever the case, assuming these indicative stats regress to the mean the net result of these forces is a slightly increased ERA—by 20 points— to around the 4.00 mark.

Lilly is still a safe pitcher to own, and probably one of the safest in the major leagues considering his relative low cost.

Brett Myers

+------+-----------+-------+----+------+------+-----+----------+
| Year | Team      | IP    | W  | ERA  | WHIP |	K   | LIPS ERA |
+------+-----------+-------+----+------+------+-----+----------+
| 2006 | Phillies  | 198.0 | 12	| 3.91 | 1.30 | 189 |     3.71 |
| 2007 | Phillies  | 68.2  | 5	| 4.33 | 1.28 |  83 |     3.25 |
| 2008 | Phillies  | 190.0 | 10	| 4.55 | 1.38 |	163 |     3.88 |
| 2009 | Phillies  | 58.0  |  4	| 4.34 | 1.34 |  43 |     3.97 |
+------+-----------+-------+----+------+------+-----+----------+

Note: The Phillies experimented with Myers as their closer in 2007. He was 21 for 24 in save opps.

The headache that is Brett Myers has been relatively not so painful to own, after all, he has yet to be sent down to the minors. After a rocky start to the season, Myers pitched well in May, posting a 3.76 ERA for the month.

+------+----------+-------+------+--------+--------+-------+------+
| Year | Team     | K/9   | BB/9 | OF FB% | HR/FB% | BABIP | LOB% |
+------+----------+-------+------+--------+--------+-------+------+
| 2006 | Phillies | 8.59  | 2.86 |   32.7 |   15.8 | 0.309 | 76.1 |
| 2007 | Phillies | 10.88 | 3.54 |   32.2 |   15.8 | 0.320 | 73.3 |
| 2008 | Phillies | 7.72  | 3.08 |   28.8 |   17.6 | 0.311 | 72.6 |
| 2009 | Phillies | 6.67  | 2.95 |   26.5 |   31.3 | 0.267 | 88.5 |
+------+----------+-------+------+--------+--------+-------+------+

Similar to Lilly, most of Myers' trouble has come from the long ball. If you thought Lilly's ten home runs allowed was absurd, Myers has already let up fifteen! Seventy one percent of the earned runs he has allowed (20 of his 28 earned runs) are due to home runs. Although I did not do the calculation for all pitchers, I am confident that is league-leading.

Unlike Lilly, Myers' home runs are not the result of an inflated fly ball rate (Myers is a ground ball pitcher with a close to 50 percent GB rate) but instead a 31 percent HR/FB ratio. Myers does typically struggle in preventing home runs; his career rate of 16 percent is above league average 11 percent. His current 31 percent rate, however, is unsustainable and likely to fall.

An interesting overhead view of Myers throwing a two-seam fastball taken from THT's own private helicopter. (Icon/SMI)

If it fell to a more reasonable (yet still high) 18 percent, Myers would have given up 7.5 less home runs, which, using our 1.4 runs per home run conversion, would save him about 10 runs. A whole 1.54 points would be shed off of his ERA!

Eerily similar to Lilly, while Myers' ERA will benefit from decreased home run totals, it figures to rise when his .267 BABIP and 88 percent LOB% regress. With an expected BABIP of .300 Myers would have allowed seven more hits, raising his ERA about 46 points. And with the LOB percentage dropping down to its normal level his ERA would rise even more.

What is interesting about Myers is that he blamed his early-season struggles on a couple of ticks off his fastball velocity, a drop from 91 to 89 MPH. On May 17th, the Philadephia Inquirer reported Myers made mechanical adjustments to increase his velocity.

According to Brooks Baseball's Pitch f/x archive, Myers did throw his fastball slightly faster in his last start against the Yankees. His fastball velocity averaged at 89.7 MPH and topped out at 92.4 MPH.

I am not sure if the extra mile per hour is the reason Myers was able to pitch so well his past two starts, but keep an eye on his velocity and be wary of any drops.

Actually, the pitch that has been killing him is his change-up, which is 10 runs worse than the average change-up. My guess is that is the pitch most of these fifteen home runs were hit off of, and he better do something different with it whether it be locating it differently, or slowing or speeding up the pitch.

Overall, I would classify Myers as a risky pitcher that is prone to extreme swings in performance as we know from last year (5.84 pre-All Star break ERA, 3.06 post). Tentatively, I will say Myers is a pitcher you should be looking to buy right now, and he will make a good trade target if his owner is fed up with him getting worked every few starts. I make this suggestion more to cellar-dwelling teams that should start making more risky plays to give them a chance to rapidly climb in the standings.

It is better to go down swinging.

Posted by Paul Singman at 7:02am (6) Comments

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Roster doctor

Welcome to THT Fantasy's Roster Doctor. If you'd like your team to be analyzed by one of our fantasy baseball experts, please send your full roster to this address. Also be sure to include your league's player pool (mixed, AL-only, NL-only), number of teams, scoring format (roto, head-to-head, points, etc.), categories, whether or not it's a keeper league, and any other pertinent information. If your roster is selected it will be analyzed in a future Roster Doctor column.

League Rules: 12-team keeper league (5 keepers), rosters set weekly, head-to-head, 6x6 (HR, RBI, BA, OPS, SB, R and W, SV, K, ERA, WHIP, K/BB), mixed league

Roster:
C - Brian McCann
1B - Russell Branyan
2B - Brian Roberts
3B - Mark Reynolds
SS - Elvis Andrus
OF - Grady Sizemore
OF - Josh Hamilton
OF - Curtis Granderson
UT - J.D. Drew
UT - Adam Lind
Bench - Andruw Jones
Bench - Adam LaRoche
Bench - Jordan Schafer
Bench - Gordon Beckham
DL - Edwin Encarnacion
DL - Alex Gordon

SP - Zack Greinke
SP - Chad Billingsley
RP - Scott Downs
RP - C.J. Wilson
P - Ryan Perry
P - Yovani Gallardo
P - Sean Marshall (for this week, two starts)
Bench - Clayton Kershaw
Bench - Ross Detwiler
Bench - Tommy Hanson
Bench - Ubaldo Jimenez
DL - Scott Kazmir
DL - Joakim Soria

Notes: Right now, I'm using the best FA pitcher available with two starts for the week (hence Detweiler and then Marshall) or Kershaw. My biggest concern is whether I should try to trade Greinke for a SP and OF/CI upgrade.

Andrew, you have a nice trio of starting pitchers in Greinke, Billingsley and Gallardo. Given that you have an extra rate stat as a scoring stat (K/BB), I would be judicious about playing the revolving two-starter strategy. Typically the tradeoff faced with the double starter strategy is extra shots at wins and strikeouts, but a higher ERA and WHIP. In this case, you'd also risk a higher K/BB ratio - though both Marshall and Detwiler have pretty good ratios.

I'm glad you're preparing for a rainy day with respect to Branyan and Reynolds. Reynolds is having a good year but his home run to fly ball rate, at 26.7 percent, is going to drop. Branyan's numbers, particularly his batting average, are not going to last. Fortunately, you have a decent backup in LaRoche, whose skills are better than his current luck. Nevertheless, it is tough to be top of the league offensively when you have no likely first-rank players at your corner infield or utility spots.

There's two places that potential upgrades could come from: your bench (through free agency) or a trade. I think you've used the bench spots that you've allocated to pitching well. I'm not sure that that's the case with your batting bench spots. Beckham may be interesting long-term but isn't likely to help you this year. Schafer and Jones are mirror opposites. The former's been getting lots of playing time with little to show for it, while the latter has done remarkably well with limited at-bats. Neither of these guys is going to help you at the corner infield spots. I would look for players with potential upside there instead: Mat Gamel, Gary Sheffield (depending on eligibility requirements) or Nick Johnson (if you're lucky) or Jake Fox and Chris Coghlan (if you're forced to go deeper).

Lastly, I have no problem with you sending out feelers for a trade. I'm not going to take the easy route and tell you to "sell high" on Greinke, since I'm not going to insult your league mates by calling them fools. However, fair value for Greinke is still pretty darn high and you may get what you're looking for in a trade. However, with only seven active pitching spots, there may not be as much demand for starting pitching as you're expecting (i.e. the replacement level starting pitcher is probably pretty good in this league). So, don't force a trade if you don't get enough.

Posted by Jonathan Halket at 1:36am (2) Comments

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Minor League Mailbag

Q: Hanson doesn’t seem to be more than a No. 3 pitcher in the majors—seems ranked high here. Guys like Fowler, Alonso, Lawrie, Alvarez and Carlos Santana seem very low. They are producing now and are quick movers. Tim Beckham as well. Triunfel has to be moved down again at this point.

Missing altogether: Jaff Decker OF SD and Peter Bourjos OF LAA. Ryan Strieby 1B Det has to be on the watch list.

-- Posted by JFC in the comments section on 05/01 at 11:06 AM.

A: JFC has a lot on his mind, and he touched on a lot of hot topics. I’m going to take things one at a time.

First of all, there is no evidence to back up your pessimistic view of Tommy Hanson. He possesses ace stuff with his good fastball, solid change up, and dominating curveball. The only thing that could hold him back initially would be his control, and he has the work ethic and tenacity to work through those issues. He’s the best starting pitching prospect in baseball.

Yonder Alonso and Pedro Alvarez have not dominated like they should, revealing some chinks in their armor, although Alonso is certainly starting to turn it on. Dexter Fowler had a hot first couple of weeks, but I have legitimate concerns about his ability to hit for average and, especially, power—the speed is there, though. I have moved Brett Lawrie up since this post, but I won’t go overboard. He’s showing off against Single-A pitching. As for Carlos Santana, I was concerned about his poor first couple of weeks, and thus he gave me that one-year-wonder feeling. I was wrong. His bat has exploded since then, and he has moved up my list accordingly.

This is a good opportunity to address my Tim Beckham outlook overall. As a real-world prospect, Beckham would register in my Top 25, because of the position that he plays and the skill set that he provides. But from a pure fantasy perspective, his outlook is not as bright. The way I see it, if everything turns out right, a year or two from now he will be in the Elvis Andrus or Alcides Escobar class of shortstops. Meaning he would have great value for Tampa Bay in the real world, but he does not project to be an elite fantasy shortstop, only an above-average one—and, once again, that’s only if everything goes according to plan in the next year or two. I like him, but the fact that he was the top overall pick in last year’s draft has inflated his fantasy stock.

Carlos Triunfel is slowing descending my board, but I still love the kid. The injury could be a long-term concern.

Jaff Decker is a guy that I went out of my way to draft last year. But his poor start to the year had me concerned. As the temperature has heated up, so has Decker’s bat. He is back on my radar. He reminds me of Caleb Gindl but with better plate discipline. Unfortunately, he still has a lot to prove in the consistency department in order to catch up to Gindl.

Peter Bourjos was a bit of an oversight. I put together my initial watch list too hastily. I like him.

Ryan Strieby’s Double-A performance is mirroring his Advanced-A performance from a year ago, but something about him doesn’t stick out for me. I’m not sure his bat will translate to the big leagues. He will be one of the next guys to join my watch list, though.

Q: Josh Reddick? Did you overlook this guy? He is closing on Lars as the Sox best position prospect.

-- Dan, Columbia, Maryland

A: Admittedly, I have never been a fan of Reddick’s. He screams fourth outfielder to me, and his poor Double-A performance last year added fuel to the fire. But this year he bounced back and had a strong April for Double-A Portland. I had no choice but to add him to the watch list while he heals up from his oblique injury. Thanks for reminding me about Reddick.

Q: Great article on THT about prospects. I just picked up LaPorta in a trade (12-team mixed keeper) and already have Wieters in one of two minor league slots. Question: Who do you think will have the better career and 2009 impact of these BoSox pitching prospects: Buchholz, Bowden, or Masterson? I've seen Buchholz pitch a few times, but Bowden seems like the sleeper to me if he can find a spot in the rotation this season. Any recommendations? Thanks.

-- Trey, Florida

A: Thanks for the compliment. If you have a choice, Buchholz should be your horse. He still has great stuff, is coming into his prime, and has dominated Triple-A this year. If he was still eligible for my Top 100 list he would fit in the top 20 somewhere, despite his age. He still has it. Go out and get him.

Q: How do you like Gerardo Parra for this year and the future? Thanks in advance.

-- Brett

A: He’s off to a solid start in the big leagues, despite being rushed. I’m not counting on him for much this year, though. Unless you’re in a really deep league. He is moving solidly up my Top 100 list, and rightfully so. Long-term, he should hit for a high average with some stolen bases thrown in for good measure, but I’m not a believer in his power. He will probably top out at 15 home runs.

Q: Where is Greg Halman? Potential 30/30 guy.

-- Posted by Jake in the comments section on 05/01 at 07:54 PM.

A: By now I think most of you know my feelings on Greg Halman. He is not a 30/30 guy, unless you mean 30 walks and 30 doubles; and even then I’m not sure he makes the cut. After seeing the amount of mail that I have received regarding Halman I am now thoroughly convinced that he is the most overrated prospect in baseball.

Q: Cecil needs to move up!!! Where’s Strasburg?!?!?

-- Posted by Evan in the comments section on 05/12 at 12:29 AM

A: Brett Cecil has moved up, but his latest outing is cause for concern. He is not a savior for your fantasy team, but he should be a strong No. 3 pitcher long-term.

A little early to be jumping on Strasburg’s back, isn’t it? He will be joining the list with the rest of this year’s draft class, which will be in the offseason. That is unless he becomes ineligible.

Q: Hey, no Luke Hochevar? Also, since you seem to really get into the future stars and such, any interest in putting together lists for the Top 25 Fantasy Players five and 10 years down the line?

-- Posted by NoPepperGames in the comments section on 05/08 at 04:29 PM.

A: Hochevar is not a rookie, and thus ineligible.

That’s an interesting idea for an article. I’ll take it into consideration.

To be featured in a future Minor League Mailbag, send and all minor league questions to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Posted by Matt Hagen at 1:25am (7) Comments

Friday, May 29, 2009

Roster Doctor - 5/29/09

Welcome to THT Fantasy's Roster Doctor. If you'd like your team to be analyzed by one of our fantasy baseball experts, please send your full roster to this address. Also be sure to include your league's player pool (mixed, AL-only, NL-only), number of teams, scoring format (roto, head-to-head, points, etc.), categories, whether or not it's a keeper league, and any other pertinent information. If your roster is selected it will be analyzed in a future Roster Doctor column.

I chose a deep league for today so this roster will not look like an All-Star ballot...

Player Pool: Mixed
No. of Teams: 16
Categories: Traditional 5x5 (except instead of stolen base totals, it is net stolen bases [NSB])
Scoring Type: Head-to-Head
Roster:

C - John Baker
1B - Adrian Gonzalez
2B - Chase Utley
3B - Mark Teahen
SS - Stephen Drew
LF - Jayson Werth
CF - Carlos Beltran
RF - Matt Kemp
Util - Nelson Cruz
BN - Juan Pierre
BN - Adrian Beltre
BN - Matt LaPorta
BN - Mat Gamel
DL - Ryan Doumit

SP - Chad Billingsley
SP - Javier Vazquez
RP - Brian Fuentes
RP - Brad Ziegler
P - Yovani Gallardo
P - LaTroy Hawkins
P - Carl Pavano
BN - Andrew Bailey
DL - Kelvim Escobar

For a 16-team league, I think your hitting is overall, quite good. Your outfield is stacked like Scarlett, as is the right side of your infield. The left side of your infield however, manned by Drew and Teahen, needs to be reworked.

Actually, Teahen is a decent option at third, and he is the type of player that provides more value than he commands in a trade so I suggest keeping him as a role player. Drew, on the other hand, is the hitter on your team I would look to upgrade right away. He has been playing too terribly to be worthy of netting you anything valuable in a trade so the players you give up should either be outfielders or starting pitchers.

Luckily, Drew is not the only shortstop struggling right now and other shortstops that are struggling—such as Jimmy Rollins and J.J. Hardy—can be acquired relatively cheaply and are more likely to break out of their slumps. Both are discussed briefly in this article.

In a perfect world, you would be able to trade the players you feel are valuable yet somewhat expendable in return for players you deem more helpful to your team's cause. However, sometimes it is important to trade the players that, even though are playing great for your team, have a higher perceived value than what they most likely will produce in the future. Adrian Gonzalez is a perfect example of this type of player.

Adrian is a great player, but right now he is perceived by some as a super-elite player and can haul quite the load of player(s) in a trade. His current 37.7 percent HR/FB rate is unsustainable and for the rest of the season, most likely, he will play like the .280/35/100 hitter he is; not the .280/63/120 player he currently is on pace for. Winning owners will recognize this and receive players in trades that will produce better numbers for the rest of the season than the players they are trading away. If you can acquire a "super-elite" player for Gonzalez, I would accept.

I feel Nelson Cruz' production is pretty legitimate by the way. None of his indicator stats jump out at me so he is someone worth keeping if no one is biting on trade offers with him.

In your submission you note that you would like to bolster your pitching, and in my opinion, that is unnecessary. Billingsley is one of the best pitchers in the game right now—although I would like to see his BB/9 rate decrease, not increase as he supposedly matures. Right now he has given up 30 walks in 67 innings, good for a 4.03 walk rate per nine innings.

Still, he is one of the best pitchers in the game and when combined with Vazquez and Gallardo, the three make a formidable three-headed strikeout machine. A relief corps of Fuentes, Ziegler, and Bailey to back him up is solid—there is no reason to try and improve them by any means other than through free agency.

The rookies you have taken a stab on—LaPorta and Gamel—have yet to pay off but I would hold onto at least Gamel for now. My feeling is he could get hot at any moment, and can make a nice platoon player when facing righties. The implication is that LaPorta is expendable, and if a player in free agency catches your fancy, he would be the one to drop.

So what you should be doing immediately after reading this is to start attempting to acquire a new shortstop. I gave you my suggestions of who to target, but almost anyone will suffice over Drew. After that major upgrade, I would feel comfortable carrying this team throughout the rest of the season and into the playoffs. Yes, I do think you will make them.

Posted by Paul Singman at 1:10am (0) Comments

Waiver Wire

American League by Rob McQuown

Mike Aviles | Kansas City | SS/2B
YTD: .183/.208/.250
True Talent: .267/.301/.401
Next Week Forecast: D/L
Aviles is one of the most difficult ballplayers to figure out. He was a non-prospect entering 2008 despite skipping A-ball and slugging .443 or higher in all but one minor-league season. Last year, he hit well in 441 PA, aided by a .353 BABIP; he even racked up +11 defensive runs in the BIS +/- system. In 2009, his defense is bad, his hitting is worse, and now he's hurt. We think that he has been playing hurt, and that he will rebound to those “True Talent” predictions—useful for AL-only leagues.

Danys Baez | Baltimore | RP
YTD: 6.2 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 3.58 ERA
True Talent: 6.0 K/9, 1.5 K/BB, 4.27 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 0.0 saves, 4.03 ERA
It would seem reasonable to predict an expanded role for Baez, who has been the O's best pitcher in 2009. However, that's unlikely to happen despite their dire need for another SP and Sherrill's awful .288/.339/.538 line against RHB (career .262/.375/.398). The worse news is that Baez's stats can be expected to get worse, as his BABIP is only .192. Still, his new split-fingered fastball has led to a huge 60% GB%, and he can help an AL team in ratios and vultured Wins.

Michael Cuddyer | Minnesota | OF
YTD: .284/.371/.517
True Talent: .272/.354/.450
Next Week Forecast: 0.7 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, .269 BA, 0.4 SB
The “hot” recommendation this week, Cuddyer has benefited from the ineffectiveness and health woes of his teammates. Reasons not to go crazy over him: a) His career Home/Road split is huge, and he has already played nine extra games at home (28-19; on the road, he's batting only .247/.321/.452). b) His HR/FB% is much higher than historically. c) He's still in a five-man OF/DH rotation, and if the other guys get hot, he'll sit some.

Josh Fields | Chicago | 3B
YTD: .229/.293/.314
True Talent: .245/.326/.422
Next Week Forecast: 0.7 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, .248 BA, 0.2 SB
Whew, what a smelly start to Fields' season! We were sold on the “extra work” that Fields put in to retool his swing, and on the offseason fielding practice. But his CT% is under 69%, and his +/- shows -9 runs already in 2009. Without a Custian walk/homer package, or Flash-like speed, Fields can't get away with that. Expect slight improvement, but his job will soon be endangered by just-promoted-to-Triple-A Gordon Beckham.

Jason Isringhausen | Tampa Bay | RP
YTD: 3.6 K/9, 0.4 K/BB, 3.60 ERA
True Talent: 7.1 K/9, 1.6 K/BB, 4.04 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 0.0 saves, 4.02 ERA
The “True Talent” level is hardly overwhelming, but “Izzy” has been fantastic as recently as 2007 ... and none of the other candidates to replace Percival are doing great. Wheeler has always been vulnerable to LHB (.281/.346/.487 career, worse in '09); the lefty Howell is more useful in a set-up role; Nelson and Balfour haven't pitched to their abilities; and Cormier is good for GB and multiple innings. If you're in need of Saves, Izzy is worth an extra buck even in larger mixed leagues.

Rob Johnson | Seattle | C
YTD: .211/.247/.316
True Talent: .243/.293/.349
Next Week Forecast: 0.1 HR, 0 R, 0 RBI, .249 BA, 0.1 SB
In two-catcher AL-only leagues only, the fact that slick-fielding Rob Johnson is getting playing time in Seattle becomes “interesting.” Johnson is a career .280 hitter in the minors, including a .305 BA last year at Triple-A at age 24. As his “True Talent” projection indicates, he's not ready to do that in the bigs, and he won't ever contribute much in any other category, but he won't kill a team, even after Johjima returns.

Brandon Morrow | Seattle | RP
YTD: 11.3 K/9, 1.4 K/BB, 6.91 ERA, 6 Saves
True Talent: 9.5 K/9, 1.7 K/BB, 4.70 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 0.1 saves, 4.59 ERA
It would seem that we sold David BB-rdsma short, though there's plenty of time for him to regain his wildness. In the meantime, Brandon Morrow has had control problems of his own (13 BB in 14.1 IP). Morrow has also been slighly unlucky (.329 BABIP, 14% HR/FB). Given the delays to change closers, it is safe to cut Morrow except in deeper formats. As the humongous K-rate suggests, he remains a good keeper, but inertia plays a big role in closer value.

Rick Porcello | Detroit | SP
YTD: 5.6 K/9, 2.00 K/BB, 3.48 ERA
True Talent: 3.9 K/9, 1.0 K/BB, 5.96 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 4.2 IP, 0.2 wins, 2 K, 6.45 ERA
“Young pitchers break your heart.” That's an old roto saw that fantasy owners should keep in mind when wondering why “True Talent” seems to have scouted a different pitcher entirely. Porcello's 4.39 xFIP is higher than his current ERA, but it's still good enough to win in front of Detroit's offense. Expect his ERA to rise above even his current xFIP, and his WHIP to be around 1.40 after exposure and fatigue, but his numbers to be nowhere near as bad as these projections.

Juan Rivera | Los Angeles | OF
YTD: .293/.335/.415
True Talent: .273/.322/.442
Next Week Forecast: 0.9 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, .271 BA, 0.1 SB
Juan Rivera has cut down his swing and is making more contact (91% CT) and hitting for a high BA without the aid of an egregiously high BABIP. This fits the Mike Scioscia/Micky Hatcher offensive paradigm, so expect the higher-AVG/lower-SLG batting line to continue. Now that Vlad is back, expect Rivera's AB to decline somewhat (though not as much as Matthews'). Rivera has almost always hit when he's healthy.

National League by Michael Street

Joel Hanrahan | WAS | RP
YTD: 11.3 K/9, 2.6 K/BB, 5.64 ERA
True Talent: 9.1 K/9, 2.0 K/BB, 4.87 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 0.9 Saves, 4.68 ERA
Hanrahan is back as the Nationals’ closer, making him an instant pick-up. His Achilles' heel is his walk rate; his 4.4 BB/9 in 2009 is a career best. He’s getting by on his strikeouts (if True Talent is right, he’ll still end up near his career high of 9.9 K/9), but look for his numbers to drift downward. Although Washington may not seem like an ideal location, winning teams aren’t always the best place to find saves. A must-add in NL leagues, and worth a spot in other leagues only if you need saves enough to take the ERA hit.

Kenshin Kawakami | ATL | SP
YTD: 7.7 K/9, 1.9 K/BB, 4.73 ERA
True Talent: 7.9 K/9, 2.9 K/BB, 4.28 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 12.0 IP, 0.7 wins, 11 K, 4.45 ERA
The Japanese import struggled early, going 1-3 in his first four starts with a 7.06 ERA and 18 K, 11 BB, and 5 HR. Since skipping a start to rest his shoulder, he has gone 2-3 with a 3.03 ERA, 26 K, 12 BB, and 0 HR. Kawakami won’t dominate, but True Talent shows his great control. If he keeps dodging the longball, he’ll offer above-average ratios and wins (assuming Atlanta can find its offense). A back-of-the-rotation guy in 12-plus team leagues, and mid-rotation in 10-plus team NL leagues.

J.A. Happ | PHI | SP
YTD: 6.8 K/9, 2.3 K/BB, 2.60 ERA
True Talent: 7.6 K/9, 2.1 K/BB, 3.89 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 6.2 IP, 0.4 wins, 6 K, 3.46 ERA
In his first start, the Phillies’ young lefty threw seven innings of 2-ER ball against the Yankees. Lacking true strikeout stuff, Happ relies on location, which worked well for him in the minors (9.3 K/9). Big leaguers are obviously able to hit his stuff better, but thus far, he has kept his walks under control (2.9 BB/9). At 28, he has the maturity to overcome the hiccups that will come his way. Wait and see in 14-team and shallower leagues, but teams in NL leagues of any size can do much worse at the back end of the fantasy rotation.

Ryan Madson | PHI | RP
YTD: 9.7 K/9, 4.0 K/BB, 2.82 ERA
True Talent: 8.0 K/9, 2.7 K/BB, 3.74 ERA
Next Week Forecast: 0.6 Saves, 3.69 ERA
Brad Lidge has scuffled at times, and Charlie Manuel continues to stick with him. But when Lidge was unavailable, Manuel looked to Madson, as he’ll do all year long. And if Lidge falls apart, Mad Dog will slide right into that closer spot. True Talent says that his current eye-popping ratios will sink, but Madson will keep your K high and pick up the odd save or two. Essential for Lidge owners as insurance, along with leagues that count holds. Other teams can use Madson for the K boost if you have the room.

Fernando Martinez | NYM | OF
YTD: .000/.125/.000
True Talent: N/A
Next Week Forecast: N/A
The Mets’ top prospect is only 20, but since turning pro he has been among the youngest players at every level. His problems have been injuries (three in the past three seasons) and plate discipline (0.36 BB/K). Still, he's getting his chance in New York, and he could benefit from the tutelage of Gary Sheffield (of all people). This season, look for modest power and above-average speed to go with a shaky BA. He’ll deliver some steals in any league, but keeper teams and NL leagues must add him. Worth a spot in 12-team and deeper leagues of any kind just to see what happens.

Andy LaRoche | PIT | 3B
YTD: .297/.370/.414
True Talent: .261/.348/.401
Next Week Forecast: 0.7 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, .263 BA, 0.3 SB
Maybe there’s something in the LaRoche family creed requiring you to wait a month to start hitting. Like perennially slow-starting older brother Adam, Andy stunk in April (.254/.310/.365) before hitting .329/.415/.451 since. Pittsburgh's not the best place to rack up RBI, and neither is the No. 6 spot in the order, but Andy showed a consistent batting eye in the minors (0.83 BB/K), and he should produce a strong BA but weak pop for a 3B. He’s worth a roster spot in all 12-plus team NL leagues and 16-plus team MLB leagues.

Chris Snyder | ARI | C
YTD: .231/.377/.440
True Talent: .250/.354/.442
Next Week Forecast: 0.6 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, .248 BA, 0.0 SB
When A.J. Hinch announced that Snyder and Montero would compete for PT behind the dish, Snyder responded by hitting .270/.417/.649, starting 10 of those 17 games. Snyder will continue to gain ground on Montero, particularly since Chris is backing up his power with a career-best batting eye of .84 BB/K. If he can hold his plate discipline gains, he’ll beat that True Talent OPS, which already ranks him No. 3 in the NL and No. 8 overall at catcher. Grab this guy in 8-plus team NL leagues and all 10-plus team leagues.

Ian Stewart | COL | 3B
YTD: .187/.290/.421
True Talent: .250/.331/.459
Next Week Forecast: 1.1 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, .254 BA, 0.3 SB
Stewart has been hitting a lot of waiver wires because of that ugly line. However, Garret Atkins isn’t hitting any better, so Stewart is still getting PT. Moreover, Stewart’s 2009 BABIP has been a horribly unlucky .197, well below his career .315 average. Stewart qualifies at 2B in most leagues, increasing his value more. A turnaround is not so certain that you should trade for him, but it’s likely. 16-plus team NL-only leagues should consider picking up Stewart for now, but everyone should watch him carefully for a bounceback.

Posted by THT Staff at 2:00am (1) Comments

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Welcome to the new THT Fantasy

Hey guys,

Unless you’re reading through an RSS feed, you probably noticed that the THT Fantasy page looks a little bit different today. Most obviously, we’ve replaced the blog format with a more dedicated home page that we hope will make it easier for you to access THT Fantasy content.

Over the past many months, we have added a significant number of writers so as to provide you with as much high-quality content as we can. We’ve gone from essentially one full-time writer, the brilliant Derek Carty, to nine while adding columns such as “Confessions of a Fantasy Baseball Addict,” “Waiver Wire,” and “Roster Doctor.”

We now have coverage of the minor leagues by Matt Hagen, specialized fantasy games by Alex Zelvin, and the economics of fantasy baseball by Jonathan Halket. With this re-design, we’ve also added a new blog, called “Buy on the Rumor,” where our writers will comment on how breaking news will affect your fantasy baseball team. We think you’ll find it a very useful resource for staying ahead of your competition.

The hope is that this re-design makes it easier to access all this content. You’ll notice the latest posts from “Buy on the Rumor” on the left sidebar, as well as a box with all of our regularly updated content in the center of the page.

We plan on adding even more columns and features over the coming months, and if there’s anything you’d particularly like to see, feel free to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and let me know. I hope you enjoy the new THT Fantasy as we continue to do all we can to help you win your fantasy league.

Posted by David Gassko at 12:52pm (2) Comments

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Prospect Thoughts, Notes, and Projections - 5/20

Friday, May 22, 2009

Roster Doctor - 5/22/09

Waiver Wire

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Confessions of a fantasy baseball addict: Bailing

A tale of two pitchers

Ted Lilly

Brett Myers

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Roster doctor

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Minor League Mailbag

Friday, May 29, 2009

Roster Doctor - 5/29/09

Waiver Wire

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Welcome to the new THT Fantasy