Bleacher Report - Articles by Matt Fanning

Waiver Wire Gems

Matt Fanning — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:18:00 -0400

Entering another week of fantasy, you may be looking for a boost at a couple of positions. Here are a few guys that are hot, as of late, and may be worth the pickup.

Batters

Josh Willingham—He's had some nice seasons in Florida, but was a fourth outfielder in Washington. With Milledge down in the minors, he's been been getting increased playing time. He hit four HR, five RBI, and has a .286 avg. last week. His RBI total should go up as he moves up in the lineup. He's red hot, but it's too early to give him the add. Stash him on your watch list and give him some time.

Casey Kotchman—Another guy who had success at another location (Angels). He's been red hot as of late, but I wouldn't this production to stay. He's been unproductive since coming to Atlanta, and in my opinion, his hitting is coming as a direct result of his benching. Recently Bobby Cox started infielder Martin Prado over Kotchman, which lit a fire under Casey's butt.

Pitchers

Brett Cecil—Add this guy as fast as you can. Pitching eight scoreless in his last start on Sunday, he's got a lot of an upside and is playing for a Toronto team that has been scoring runs by the bundles. This guy could be a very good third pitcher for you fantasy team. He is only 13 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues.

Kiko Calero—Relief pitcher for the Florida Marlins. He's got five holds on the season along with a great line, posting a 1.68 ERA, .90 WHIP, and 12.42 K/9. With help, undoubtedly your ratios can help to backup your rotation. He's readily available in all Yahoo! leagues.

P.S. Sorry about not posting all weekend, as I was afk all weekend.

Minor Moves = Possible Fantasy Value

Matt Fanning — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:57:00 -0400

With the suspension of Manny Ramirez and a few guys hitting the DL, there have been a few minor call ups from the minors throughout the majors.

There are more than a few guys you might want to add to your watch list to see their performance and possible fantasy value.

Send Downs

Vinnie Chulk: Looked pretty solid for a little bit. 3.75 ERA in 12.1 innings. There wasn't much fantasy value there, but I would have liked to see the guy stay on the major league squad for a little bit.

Jonathon Van Every: Provided a nice average in the few games he played; Another guy I would have liked to see have a little more playing time.

Call ups

Rocco Baldelli: Former 6th overall pick and "Can't miss prospect." Hitting in a very good Boston lineup and hopefully healthy, he might be able to provide some value. Clearly he's not worth the add right now, but he's worth a spot on your watch list.

Jeremy Sowers: Also a 6th overall pick, the 26 year old posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 4 starts at Triple-A. Had a rough first start against Boston, but still may provide some fantasy value. Put him on your watch list and keep an eye on him, he might be poised for a breakout year.

Xavier Paul: Called up after Manny was set to serve his suspension, posted a .344 AVG with 2 HR and 14 RBi so far at AAA. Without regular playing time, he might not post serviceable numbers, but at only 24 years of age he may be one to watch.

Manny Being Manny

Matt Fanning — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:27:00 -0400

If you had drafted Manny Ramirez in hopes that he would sign before the season started and just be Manny for the rest of the year, you looked like a genius up until today.

You probably spent around a third round pick on him, and now serving his 50 game suspension, you're undoubtedly in need of some production.

Guys to consider:

Marlon Byrd: Although his production is already starting to tail off as of late, he's still posting a .319 avg with 16 RBI. Hitting in a potent Rangers lineup is going to help this guy out a lot. I put him at a moderate buy if you're in dire need of an outfielder.

Scott Hairston: Currently ranked 131 in yahoo leagues, this guy is putting up a .344/.412/.672 line along with 4 HRs and 15 RBI. His career .252 avg scares me, and personally I'd rather have Byrd.

David Dejesus: Miraculously available in 92 percent of yahoo leagues, this guy has posted 3 HRs and 14 RBI. Although he is only batting .248 at the moment, he is a career .286 hitter. Expect this guy to start crushing the ball soon in a surprisingly productive KC lineup.

Something Amiss with the Florida Marlins: Great Scouting or Great Scandal?

Matt Fanning — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:18:58 -0400

Develop, use, trade, and start over. That's the unofficial Florida Marlins team motto.

We all know and appreciate that the Florida Marlins consistently have great young talent. But at some point, you have to wonder how the heck they got all this talent.

Sure, when you trade away anyone that gets too expensive for prospects, at least one of those prospects will probably pan out. But what are the chances of one of these guys becoming the top player in the game?

Fantasy owners don't care where Hanley Ramirez's production came from, but they sure as hell are glad it's there. Just about 30 home runs in each of the past two seasons. But when you look at this guy's minor league stats, he never hit more than eight home runs in a season. Wow, that has to be natural.

Come on, let's get real here. No one goes from belting out under 10 home runs against minor league pitching to crushing 30 home runs in one season against the big boys.

This remind you of anyone? Oh yeah, there's that shortstop who went from hitting 20 home runs in the minors to 50 in the majors.

Still not ringing a bell? Convicted steroid abuser Alex Rodriguez, more commonly known as A-Roid, had a similar jump as Hanley.

Don't even get me started on Dan Uggla. Acquired through the Rule 5 Draft, this guy is just a hitting machine. Look at this guy's stature: He's listed at 5'11'', 190 pounds, but he looks more like 5'6'', 210 pounds.

This guy's forearms look about as natural as Pam Anderson's breasts. No way this guy's clean.

As we look at others in the organization, more questions arise.

How did Jorge Cantu seem to find his power so quickly after being injured for two straight seasons? Why's this Emilio Bonifacio guy, who couldn't stick anywhere, crushing the ball all of a sudden? How the heck did Dallas McPherson hit 42 home runs at AAA last year? Why did Dontrelle Willis burn out so quickly?

I'll leave it up to you, the reader. Is this a well-run organization or is there something going on behind the scenes?

If you ask me, there are way too many questions for this squad to be clean.

Highs and Lowes, Braves Bolster Starting Rotation

Matt Fanning — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:06:13 -0500

The Atlanta Braves finally found the top of the rotation starter they've been looking for today. The Braves signed starter Derek Lowe to a four year, 60 million dollar deal.

Although Lowe isn't your typical number one starter, he does provide the stability Atlanta has been looking for in a pitcher. After a year in which Tim Hudson, John Smotlz, Tom Glavine, and Mike Hampton were sidelined because of injury, Lowe looks like a savior. Hes a 200 IP guy with an ERA that should hover between 3.40 through 3.80. He and Javier Vazquez provide Atlanta with the durability they've been looking for.

Although no one has seen much of Kenshin Kawakami, the 2009 Atlanta pitching staff is looking pretty formidable. With Lowe and Jurrjens in front, Vazquez and Kawakami in the middle, and Jorge Campillo bringing up the rear, the Braves might be reminded of those days where pitching was a fine spectacle in the A Town.

Furthermore, the possibility of Hudson coming back during the late summer months makes the taste in their mouths even more sweet. If Tim Hudson is able to return at some point during the season and the Braves are still within contention, you better believe Wren's gonna be pulling a few strings before the deadline is up.

In an offseason that been one to forget for Frank Wren and Braves fans everywhere, this move sure feels nice.

Oft-Injured Superstar, Been There Done That?

Matt Fanning — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:56:01 -0400

Just a day after the Brewers made their move acquire CC Sabathia (formerly known as C.C. Sabathia), the Cubbies felt the need to also improve their club. The Cubs packaged up P Sean Gallagher, IF Eric Patterson, OF Matt Murton, and C Josh Donaldson to the Oakland A's for ace Rich Harden and P Chad Gaudin.

The Cubs seem content with their counteraction to the Sabathia deal, but only time will tell if it will pay off. Although Harden has been dominate this season posting a 5-1 record with a 2.34 ERA, he hasn't completed season since '04. Doesn't that ring some sort of bell? A young, talented pitcher that just can't seem to stay off the DL. Oh yeah, Mark Prior. You would have thought the Chi-Town team would have been a little more cautious before making this trade.

On the other hand, it seems like another typical move by GM guru Billy Beane. Beane, notorious for selling big players for prospects, seems to have landed a bunch of promising players. Gallagher could develop into another great young pitcher for the A's and Murton might be the future of the outfield for Oakland. Furhtermore, they acquired 22 year old catching prospect Donaldson, a much needed position. Hopefully, Patterson won't turn out to be an underachiever like his brother Corey.

In my opinion, the key acquisition in this trade was Chad Gaudin. He posted an 11-13 record as a starter last year, but so far this season he is 5-3 with a 3.59 ERA mostly in relief. His flexibility to pitch as a starter and in relief situations is very important considering the Cubbies might find Harden often on the DL.

Chicago shouldn't expect too much from Harden considering that he's never had more than 11 wins in a season. He spends more time on the DL than on the mound, and hes already nearing 27 years of age. You would have thought they could have learned from Prior.

Tampa Loses the "Devil", AL East Gains Another

Matt Fanning — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:05:11 -0400

With the MLB season just around the corner, the revived Tampa Bay Rays sit atop the Grapefruit League standings. It has been awhile since Tampa's fans (all five of them) had something to get excited about. Yet, this season might bring the team's first winning record since coming into existence in 1998. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Playing in what is considered one of the toughest divisions in baseball with the evil empire, the New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox, they are usually considered ton not stand a chance at winning the division. Although they probably won't win the division, they still have a good shot at third, and a possible run at second place. They can easily finish ahead of the aging, poorly put together Baltimore Oreos, i mean Orioles. Furthermore, they have a chance to even finish ahead of the oft injured Toronto Blue Jays.

The Rays have strung together a pretty good offense made up of young talented players. Their outfield includes 23-year-old super player B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford, Jonny Gomes, Cliff Floyd, and Rocco Baldeli. Cliff Floyd may be done, but Upton, Crawford, and Gomes seem to be on the upslope. Former super-prospect Rocco Baldeli has been slowed by injuries but may have a chance to come back and finally pan out into the player he should have been.

Their infield looks strong too. They have a 45 HR, 120 RBI hitter in Carlos Pena at first, Japanese sensation Akinori Iwamura making the switch from third to second, and prospects Willy Aybar and Eva Longoria at third. Oh, I mean Evan Longoria, but Eva wouldn't do a bad job either. I think they should sign Barry Bonds as rumors had suggested earlier. He is a distraction, but he can play DH and he can still rake. He's good for 25 home runs, and who is going to turn that down.

Their pitching staff looks the best its been, ever. With Shields and Garza at the top right now and Kazmir hopefully not staying on the DL for too long, they have a strong trio, all of whom are under 27 years old. Edwin Jackson looks to the be the fourth starter. He could prove to be useful considering that he has good stuff, but he hasn't really panned out as expected. They have three decent relievers in Troy Percival, Al Reyes, and Dan Wheeler.

They have pretty much no shot at first place, which is almost locked up by the Boston Red Sox, but the Yankees haven't sold me yet on second place. Jorge Posada is coming off a career year and is unlikely to repeat that. I have no idea why Jason Giambi is even still in the majors, and Johnny Damon has proved to be almost useless since leaving the Red Sox (I kinda miss Captain Caveman). Bobby Abreu is aging and Derek Jeter is the worst fielding shortstop in baseball (See?). Furthermore, their pitching rotation after Wang is shaky at best. Mariano Rivera is done, but Joba looks too be the new heir of the closing position.

It may be ludicrous, call me crazy, but whens its all said and done, you might be surprised. The Tampa Bay, yes thats right, the Tampa Bay Rays might actually have a shot at beating the almighty New York Yankees.

Atlanta Braves: Silent but Deadly

Matt Fanning — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:20:21 -0500

It's that time again. Time to look back on the offseason to find the winners and losers. Time to fly down to Florida for spring training. Above all, it's time for playoff predictions.

After the Mets' historic collapse at the end of last season, the Phillies stood victorious in the NL East. And Jimmy Rollins looked like a genius after saying the Phillies were the team to beat before the season started.

In reality, Rollins was wrong. The Phillies weren't the team to beat; the Mets were. And they were beaten.

But as we get ready for the new season, the usually quiet Carlos Beltran was the first to kick off the conversation.

“Let me tell you this: Without Santana, we felt as a team that we have a chance to win in our division. With him now, I have no doubt that we’re going to win in our division,” Beltran said. “So this year, to Jimmy Rollins—we are the team to beat!”

I never knew you could get so cocky about winning by adding a guy that went 15-13 last season. A pitcher with a high PAP (Pitcher Abuse Points) among active pitchers, no less.

Once Rollins reported to Phillies camp, he made sure to put his two cents into the conversation. “There isn’t a team in this division or the National League that’s better than us,” Rollins said. “After 162 games, we’ll be looking to win the next 11.”

Pretty confident for a guy whose team got swept in the first round of the playoffs last season.

It looks as if everyone has forgotten the team that had won 14 straight division titles just three seasons ago. But after two third place finishes in the NL East the Atlanta Braves will surprise more than a few MLB analysts.

With the addition of Tom Glavine, the Braves' starting rotation looks the best its been since the Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz era. With Hudson, Smoltz, and Glavine sitting comfortably at the top, former 20-game winner Mike Hampton finally healthy, and a bunch of youngsters to choose from for the final spot, the rotation looks deceptively dangerous.

The Braves have the best power-hitting, switch-hitting combination in baseball with Chipper Jones and Mark Teixeira. Pitchers won't be able to pitch around Chipper to get to a guy that bats .222. If they do pitch around him, they will be looking at a guy that averages about .300, 30 homers, and 100 RBIs.

Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann will both be looking to come of age this season. Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are two youngsters that could have breakout seasons hitting in this lineup.

When asked about the chatter between the Mets and Phils, Chipper responded, "It really doesn’t bother me. They are the last two division champions. They can talk all they want. We did it for 14 straight years. We know what it takes.

“The core of guys is still here. We’ve just got to get these young guys used to having that killer instinct and getting back on top of the NL East to stay again.”

With their rotation, lineup, and a manager that is addicted to winning, the Braves might be destined for success this season, whether the Mets and Phils know it or not.