MLB Fantasy Baseball: A Perspective on Carlos Quentin and Saturday Notes

If you told me at the beginning of the season that I would write two articles on Carlos Quentin, I'd have called you crazy. For two reason, actually.

First, I only knew Carlos Quentin's name in passing last season as a part-time player in Arizona. Even then, most baseball fans knew nothing about this guy.

Second, even if you knew him, you wouldn't have anticipated the numbers he has put up so far this season. Through Thursday, he had 21 home runs and a .274 average. Not too shabby for a guy that played a total of 81 games last season. 

The question comes, what is his value in a keeper situation?

As always, the answer is "it depends." If you're in a league that allows multiple keepers, the chances are pretty good that Quentin has that kind of appeal. If you're limited by positions, then the question becomes more involved. So it largely depends on whom you're comparing him to and what the needs of your team are.

Quentin will turn 26 in August, which really amounts to entering the prime years for power. He's an established player for this White Sox team and has been relied upon to provide a large amount of offense. Let's face it, Jermaine Dye isn't going to keep playing forever. 

In that sense, he'll be around. Quentin has proven, in the 87 games this season, that much of his problem in the past was an inconsistency in his playing time. Many players just need regular at-bats in order to find their stroke. It's entirely possible that Quentin is one of those type of guys.   

That being the case, he's showing the potential to be a 30-home-run outfielder that could drive in 100-plus runs as well. But, he's struggled dramatically against lefties, hitting just .200 on the season. His average against righties is .294. Those splits make me nervous as an owner.

Just six of his home runs have come against left-handed pitching. He still has some power, but doesn't seem to quite know how to hit them.   

This could come in time. But it's a chance you have to be willing to take. The question posed wanted the 'Table to judge him against a player like Carl Crawford. So let's do that. Crawford has more speed, but has suffered several injuries this season. He doesn't have close to the power that Quentin does.   

If my team needs power, despite the splits, I'm going to hang on to Quentin. Crawford is a nice player, but seems to be slightly over-valued based on what he's done this season and the last two. We look highly on him because he can steal 50 bases. But if he has leg troubles, his .300/15/80 isn't what we should call a top-tier outfielder.   

In a close one, I'll go with Quentin. But, overall, you have to be willing to either live with his struggles against left-handed pitching or you have to hope he'll come out of it as he sees more. Quentin could be heading into his prime as a power hitter. I think, in keeper leagues, he's a fine addition and would expect numbers over the next two to three years to be .280/33/100 on a consistent basis.   

Notes for today's games:   

• Rich Harden will make his debut for the Cubs. Start him as you normally would until we're proven otherwise here.
• Jesse Litsch has been up and down, but is 4-1 at home with a respectable ERA around three. Most of the damage done against him by the Yankees is on the disabled list. Jeter is just 2-11 and Bobby Abreu is just 1-9. Makes a sneaky play as a spot-start.
• I'm on the Scott Baker bandwagon until further notice. He's going to be in a pitcher's park and has done nothing to deter owners from starting him. The Tigers have been playing well, but Baker is a healthy option. The Twins have already seen his opponent, Nate Robertson, three times and are hitting .343 against him this season.
• Radhames Liz is pitching in a small ballpark against a hot offense. He's been good, but this is not a matchup to look to use. Tim Wakefield has pitched well against Baltimore, but I'd make sure to use Kevin Millar, who has gone .458/3/8 against Wakefield.
• Matt Garza has struggled on the road, posting an ERA over five. When Garza is on, he's still one of the best pitchers available. I wouldn't use him in this case though.
• Both Hiroki Kuroda and Ricky Nolasco are good plays. Nolasco has pitched very well lately, going 5-0 in his last six starts. He hasn't allowed more than three earned runs during that time. The Dodgers don't exactly have a high-octane offense, and Nolasco makes the better play of the two as a result. I'd keep Kuroda in the lineup as well, since he's managed to look good in both starts since returning from the shoulder injury.
• Greg Maddux is pitching at home. Dana Eveland is pitching at home. So, you know.
• David DeJesus is a .412 hitter against Jarrod Washburn. I'd play all of your Royals in this matchup, but DeJesus is the best of the lot for this game. Washburn is just 2-5 on the road with a 4.88 ERA. That's about all you need to know there.
• Todd Wellemeyer is 2-0 on the road with a 3.00 ERA in eight starts and is 2-0 against Pittsburgh on the season. He's struggled recently, but this is the type of start that will get him back on track.
• John Danks has pitched well everywhere he's been this season. In eight road starts, he has a 1.48 ERA and a 3-1 record. Keep him in your lineup. Kevin Millwood will be pitching with a sore groin, so keep all White Sox in the lineup and be prepared to go without him pitching if you have other options. There is a high likelihood he could be scratched.
• Spot start calls? Go with Wellemeyer, Eveland, Maddux, and Gil Meche.

Notes for Sunday's Games:

• Scott Kazmir hasn't been working deeply into many games, getting through the fifth just once in his last five outings. It isn't necessarily walks causing the problem, but it is command and a lot of deep counts. The Indians aren't as patient as Boston or New York, so this could be a better matchup. No reason not to use him, but you just want more out of an ace.
• Justin Verlander has pitched well of late and has been decent at home most of the season. The Twins big bats hit him well. Morneau and Mauer are still must plays, and I'd look to start Mike Lamb, who is 5-10 against Verlander. Verlander is 3-4 in his last eight starts against Minnesota, with an ERA just under four. Because the game is at home, still a good start.
• Andy Pettitte has been ok against Toronto over his career, posting an ERA right at 4.00. But, many of the players with decent numbers against Pettite are sidelined. Start Alex Rios, but bench Lyle Overbay, as he's just 1-18 lifetime against the lefty.
• Don't expect Julio Lugo in the lineup against Daniel Cabrera. Lugo is 3-19, while his replacement Alex Cora is a .407 hitter in 27 at-bats against him. Start all other regular Red Sox as you normally would. Mike Lowell has the best numbers.
• There's never a good reason to start Carlos Silva. But he does provide good reasons to start players from his opposition. David DeJesus, Jose Guillen, John Buck, and Mark Grudzielanek all have good numbers against Silva. Kyle Davies will make a good spot-start as his opponent as well.
• Jose Contreras has been good at home, but not so much on the road. He's just 3-3 with an ERA of 5.14. Batters are hitting 80 points better against him on the road, checking in at .300 even.
• The Roundtable has become quite the backers of Odalis Perez at home. That's what we have on Sunday, and against a struggling offense from Houston. Great spot-start potential here. Lance Berkman is the biggest threat, as he's 8-12 against Perez. No other concerns offensively.
• Great pitching matchup between Brandon Webb and Cole Hamels. Leave the bats at home for this one, guys. Same is true between Joe Saunders and Justin Duchscherer.
• Randy Wolf is pitching at home, so you know. I like Jorge Campillo as well. He's pitched well against weaker offenses, and the Padres certainly qualify as that.
• Get all your Cardinals in the lineup against Ian Snell. Up and down the lineup, they have been very good against the Pirates pitcher. Joel Pineiro actually has surprisingly good numbers against the Pirates. He's 1-0 in two starts this season, allowing them to hit just .222.
• Spot starts? Let's go with Perez, Davies, Wolf, and Campillo.

Check out the full Roundtable blog.