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Jun 7, 2009
1:20 PM EST |
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Maloney seemed to be having a breakthrough of sorts at AAA Louisville this year, yielding
far fewers BBs than in 2008 or in any prior season for that matter. Much like Antonio
Bastardo, there's a lot to like here: strong ERA, K:IP, WHIP and propensity to keep the
ball in the park, although the 2009 Reds may not be conducive to winning many ballgames.
Worth a flier, especially in N.L. only keeper leagues. |
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Jun 7, 2009
1:13 PM EST |
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Despite the fact that Bastardo has a 2.42 career minor league ERA in 42 starts, he's
probably tracking more toward a mid or back of the rotation starter. He had command
issues in AA Reading last year resulting in a 1.39 WHIP, but has generally been able to
keep the ball in the park, has a solid K:IP and is generally difficult to hit. Although
he probably won't stick this year, he's worthy of a free agent pickup, especially in N.L.
only keeper leagues. |
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May 31, 2009
6:50 PM EST |
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So far so good for Alonso who's posted a .302/.378/.503 line in the offense starved FSL.
His 22BB:28K suggests that his incredible collegiate plate discipline has translated well
to professional ball and he's more than capable of going deep to all fields. With
positive results and an improved approach to reading breaking pitches, Alonso should be
promoted to AA in the next few weeks, with an anticipated callup in August or September.
Expect Votto to make a transition to LF (sorry Chris Dickerson fans), with the less
athletic Alonso taking 1B in 2010. There's some buzz that Alonso may get a callup if
Votto is out for any length of time, but we don't see that happening until he logs some
successful ABs in AA. Solid pickup candidate in N.L. only keeper leagues and some deeper
Mixed leagues. |
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May 31, 2009
6:40 PM EST |
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There's nothing wrong with LaPorta. The fact that the Indians only gave him 42 MLB ABs to
prove himself serves as a reminder that even the professionals make knee jerk reactions
based on small sample sets. He continues to rake at AAA Columbus (.300/.385/.567 in 90
ABs) and may get a call to Cleveland with Sizemore's move to the DL. We're unsure if
LaPorta, now 24, will have his initial breakout in Cleveland, despite the fact that he was
one of the key players in the 2008 Sabathia trade. It may be a slow boil in AAA for
LaPorta and we don't expect significant ABs in the near future. He's a "Stash and Mash"
candidate for next year despite the Tribe's impossible run at the pennant in 2009. |
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May 31, 2009
6:30 PM EST |
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Poreda was rumored to be included in the deal to acquire Jake Peavy and we're trying to
read the tea leaves on Poreda's inclusion. He's pitched well in AA Birmingham (2.62 ERA,
62K:30BB in 58 IP) and although his K:BB has regressed a bit from 2008, he's proven he can
be dominant as a 22 year-old in AA. Monitor Poreda's progress as a trade may be a faster
path to The Game. |
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May 31, 2009
6:19 PM EST |
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Hanson's been ready for the prime-time for a long time and we're just as shocked to see
Medlen and Jo Jo Reyes get first crack at the open 5th rotation spot. With Glavine
expected back shortly and Medlen saving his rotation spot with a good outing against the
D-backs earlier toay, it will take an injury or ineffectiveness for Hanson to get the
call. Expect one or the other to happen over the next 3 or 4 weeks, with Hanson making
his debut in June. A 1.48 ERA, 82K:17BB in 60 IP tells you all you need to know about
Hanson's potential as a true #1 anchor for years to come. If he's available (even in
mixed leagues), he should be grabbed ASAP. |
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May 31, 2009
6:12 PM EST |
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Maybin has scuffled since his demotion to AAA (.270/.333/.413 in 61 ABs) and it's not
clear when we'll see him back in the Marlins lineup. Only 22, we'll stick by our "10"
Ceiling rating based on his overall toolset, but owners might not see any payoff until
2010 or 2011. If you're a current owner in keeper leagues, Hold on Maybin and hope that
he can improve his reads on breaking pitches while elevating a few more pitches out of the
park. |
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May 31, 2009
6:06 PM EST |
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7-1 record, 1.14 ERA, sub-1 WHIP 47K:10BB, 0 HRs allowed.... I could keep going!
Bumgarner has gotten even better since his promotion to AA Connecticut and despite the
fact that he'll play most of the season as a 19 year-old, it would not be completely
insane to see him in SF come September as a learning experience for the 2010 season. An
interesting comp is Clayton Kershaw who dominated in 11 starts in AA as a 20 year-old but
it's Bumgarner's incredible command (4:1 K to BB ratio) that separates him from even the
elite pitching prospects. There's not a tremendous amount of press on Bumgarner despite
his performance which is most likely due to his age. Grab him if he is available in your
keeper league. |
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May 31, 2009
5:48 PM EST |
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McCutchen homered on Sunday and has produced a .295/.352/.487 line with 4HRs, 20RBIs and
10SBs in 193 ABs which is a productive line for a 22 year old in AAA. His 16K:23BB is
marginally better than his '08 ratio and he's put up a somewhat respectable .270/.333/.401
line againts RHPs. Brandon Moss is not exactly tearing it up (.682 OPS with 1HR) and we
might see "McCutch" as early as June. Hinske, Monroe, et al feel like roster filler in
most roto circles, even deep N.L. leagues and we should see the Pirates clear some roster
space over the next few weeks. With nearly 700 ABs in AAA and the team clearly not
contending this year, they should look to promote McCutchen sooner than later. Expect
decent speed, a little pop, with more to follow in 2010 for those of us in keeper leagues. |
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