MLB Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

Ah, it's good to be back. I'm sure you all missed us terribly. Cooperstown was another smashing success, and spending time in the town certainly hooked the members of the 'Table up to the rejuvenation machine. We're set to go for the long haul. Almost like a quick trip to the DL.

 We did learn certain things from our trip. First, losing has not agreed with Yankees fans. They don't seem to enjoy the fact that they're in third place and haven't won a title this century.

We can't recall being bashed like this during out last trip to Yankee Stadium, let alone Cooperstown. This isn't true for all Yankees fans, but certainly for 75 percent of the ones we came across.

 Second, induction speeches need to be more entertaining. We firmly expected Goose Gossage to be more entertaining, maybe even slightly controversial. What we got was a guy reading off a paper during his entire speech. Not very impressive. Glad he's in though. Hopefully, he opens doors for other relievers.

 Third, Mariners fans have to be some of the most passionate in the business. Their broadcaster, Dave Niehaus, was inducted as an award winner. He deserved it. His speech was outstanding and he seemed decidedly appreciative of the honor.

There were as many Mariners fans (surely helped by the fact Dick Williams managed and Gossage closed his career there) as there were Yankees fans. We talked with some great ones. Best of luck to them.

 Alright, that's settled. Let's get to the notes.

• Daisuke Matsuzaka finally danced with fire too long. He was erratic through most of his start against Anaheim, culminating in a mess that was the sixth inning. Matsuzaka couldn't get out of it. He should shrug this off and be back to a solid dominating position again, but expect this to happen at least one more time. It's how he seems to be throwing.
• Jorge Posada will be on the DL for the rest of the season. Probably the best move for the team, as they now can focus on life without him. For Posada owners, we've gone over replacements. Kurt Suzuki is still likely the best option.
• Roy Oswalt returned from the DL and grabbed a win. Based on his performance, make sure to get him back in your lineup for his next time out. Oswalt is a solid buy-low candidate if he's healthy. He could add some life to any team heading down the stretch.
• John Maine hurt his shoulder and could miss a turn in the rotation. He felt pain after his last start and left after 75 pitches last night. He'll undergo testing to see if there is any further damage in the shoulder.
• Jarrod Washburn already has minimal fantasy value. Washburn has struggled pitching against any team with a decent offense and has had a track record of poor performances against the AL East, specifically the Red Sox. The idea that the Yankees think he will solidify a rotation is borderline laughable. He hasn't pitched in no-pressure environments and is expected to pitch in the biggest spotlight of them all? Not buying it, and neither should you. Leave this one alone, regardless of a trade.
• Mark Teixeira on the trading block does have fantasy implications. Teixeira is a second-half player who has hit well in both Texas and Atlanta, two smaller market areas. He'll continue to succeed regardless of where he hits. Don't expect this to bring his value down. A smaller park could, in fact, enhance it more than anything else.
• Interesting that A.J. Burnett was told that he won't be traded and then went out and dominated the Rays. Maybe this was something weighing on his mind. It can't be the reason behind all of his control problems, but it could be a way for him to turn the page. Look for him as a potential boost to any mixed-league staff the rest of the way.
• Kevin Slowey looked very good at home. We've talked about the home-road splits that many staffs are experiencing. Nowhere is it more prevalent than Minnesota and Milwaukee. Minnesota pitchers should all be considered solid plays unless told otherwise when pitching in the confines of the Metrodome.
• We can't explain Manny Ramirez either. We're not going to try. We will, though, say that as long as he's hitting that he's a player you start. Knowing what we know about the guy, the safe bet is for him to tear pitching up for the next two months. He now knows he's basically playing for his next team. It just wouldn't be smart to think there won't be another incident. If you can deal with that, he's great. If not, give him a week and sell high.
• Greg Maddux and Paul Byrd both got wins at home. This is where they work best in all formats. Maddux was finally able to get a win period. It doesn't have anything to do with how he's pitching, but more run support than anything. They both are good spot-plays in all formats, but don't look to them for long-term solutions to pitching problems.

Notes for today's games:

• Clay Buchholz continues to have problems locating pitches and did not look good in his last start, which was also against Anaheim. Keep all your Angels in the lineup, as it doesn't add up to a win for the Boston rookie. Until he pitches consecutive solid games, it's likely best to leave him alone.
• Boston's big bats love John Lackey. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz have both done well historically against Lackey. Drew, Youkilis, and Pedroia aren't far behind. All five are swinging good bats at this point and should be considered solid plays.
• Armando Galarraga is 2-0 against the Indians this season and has held them to a .119 AVG. He's a solid spot play. If there are other options for your Indians, using them would be a solid way to go. Add to that, he's been lights out on the road all season long.
• Matt Garza is on the road tonight. He has problems away from home, but Toronto hasn't put together back-to-back offensive performances in a while. What pushes me towards benching him is the fact he is facing Halladay. Garza doesn't provide decent enough peripheral stats on the road to play him in this match up.
• You do not want to start Carlos Silva. You do want to start any Rangers player that is available, as Silva's road record dictates it is the best option available today in any game.
• Chris Young will be activated by San Diego to start today. It will be his first outing since that awful line drive he took early this season. Let him go a start or two before getting him back in the lineup. If on waivers, grab him now in all formats.
• Todd Wellemeyer hasn't been good in July, but he is 2-0 in nine road starts this season and holds opponents to a .232 average. If you need a spot starter, there are much worse options than the numbers he will give today. Especially against an Atlanta squad without Chipper Jones.
• We continue to trash on Brett Myers. This time, he's facing a lineup that has hit .290 against him. He's 0-6 on the road with an ERA nearly eight. He's 0-1 against Washington this year in two starts. Batters are hitting over .300 against him. That pretty much makes the point.
• Start your normal Marlins, but avoid any borderline plays (Jeremy Hermida, Cody Ross, etc.). Perez has held the Marlins to a .226 average as a team.
• Bench all Cubs and Brewers beyond starts, as Sheets and Zambrano won't give up many runs.
• Spot starts for today? We like Wellemeyer, Galarraga, and Darrell Rasner.

Notes for Wednesday's Games:

• Cris Carpenter is going to take the mound for St. Louis. This is another guy that will add depth to rotations that need help. Grab him now, let him sit a start, then go with him the rest of the way.
• Jair Jurrjens continues to pitch very well at home. Even against a good hitting St. Louis team, make sure that he's in your lineups.
• Brian Bannister is simply awful on the road. Oakland is a pitcher's park, but recommending a guy with a road ERA approaching seven is not how you win leagues. Or make many friends.
• Gavin Floyd is 2-1 against Minnesota this year with a 2.11 ERA and .162 BAA. Keep him in the lineup and consider him one of the better starts of the day.
• Manny Parra at home is very much one of my favorite plays. Parra has been so good lately that starting him and owning him in all formats is almost a certainty. Even against the Cubs, you have to play the hot hand. Ryan Dempster is a solid option as well, but expect Parra to come away with the win.
• Josh Beckett was fine against Anaheim until being left in one inning too long. He's pitched well against them in the past, and we would bench any Angels player that you have a better option for in this case. Joe Saunders does not like pitching at Fenway Park and the Red Sox hitters have good numbers against him.
• Early spot-start calls? Go with Parra, Josh Johnson, Tim Redding, and Vicente Padilla.

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