Fantasy Baseball: Friday News and Notes

It's amazing how something that doesn't end up happening can send the fantasy world into a frenzy. The near trade of Jake Peavy to the White Sox had AL-only owners scrambling to find out where they were in waiver positioning, and trying to determine what the impact would be of a change in venue to an elite pitcher. 

Mixed-league owners were concerned about how Peavy's numbers would be impacted by a move to the American League. He'd need to face a DH, it's a more hitter-friendly league overall, the ballpark isn't as big. Some trades were even positioned based on early indications of the move itself. 

All this without anyone changing uniforms. It can be a funny game, and Peavy's cloud is going to hang over it until there is some ultimate resolution. 

The fact is, the Padres are young and not going anywhere. Peavy doesn't want to lose, and should be looking at any potential spot he can win.

Yet, he can't be all that unhappy if he's going to pick and choose the deal. Makes it that much harder for the Padres to deal him, and much easier for them to tell him to stay put. 

Let's get to the notes. 

Thursday Rewind

• The window to get on the Todd Helton train is quickly closing. Helton entered yesterday owned in about 60 percent of all leagues. Then, he proceeded to club four more hits, drive in five runs, and notch a grand slam in the process. Helton's average has never been a concern, and his hitting above .350 shouldn't shock anyone. With Derrek Lee still being owned, and Carlos Delgado now injured, giving Helton a shot should be a priority.
• Is there much more that needs to be said about Joe Saunders before the remaining 30 percent of owners get on the bandwagon? Saunders pitched seven shutout innings again yesterday, and continues to impress. Yes, there will still be times you'll want to keep Saunders out of your lineup, but he's pitching all too well to be sitting on waivers in any format. Skepticism may have reigned last season, but he's doing it again.
• There are plenty of good reasons to avoid some outfielders, but hot streaks aren't one of them. Michael Cuddyer had four hits yesterday, pushing his average to .275. Now, he struggled in April, but remember that he spent much of last season injured. For May, he's now hitting .325 with five home runs and 18 RBI. With interleague play, he may share a bit more time in National League ballparks, but he's a solid pickup right now.
• Joba Chamberlain was chased after taking a line drive to the knee against the Orioles last night. Chamberlain stayed in to face two more hitters before leaving. His comments after the game indicated that he expects to make his next start, and that's good news for fantasy owners. Only reserve him if news comes out otherwise over the next few days.
• Edinson Volquez will be placed on the disabled list as a result of his back woes that were discovered during his bullpen session. Homer Bailey has been recalled from AAA to take Volquez's turn in the rotation. Bailey hasn't pitched great, but he has been adequate in the minors. NL-only leagues should take note, but mixed-league owners can do better in the short run (See: Saunders, Joe).
• Considering things couldn't have been much worse for Jimmy Rollins, his recent run to push his average to .234 is a good thing. Still, Rollins is hitting just .259 for the month, and is a far cry from the .300-hitter owners expected when drafting him in the early rounds. Rollins isn't showing signs of injury, and does have hits in nine of his last 10 games. He's coming around, it's just slow. A good buy-low candidate with the window closing on owner's ability to do that.
• Why can't you judge pitcher's on wins alone? Bullpens. Some of the worst bullpens in baseball made sure to make that point yesterday. Ian Snell wasn't spectacular, but he pitched well enough to earn a win before Tom Gorzelanny got his hands on the game. The Royals cost Zack Greinke a win; granted, Greinke wasn't great. Tim Lincecum was on top of his game, but Brian Wilson was not. Finally, the Rays offense needed to save Troy Percival from yet another disaster.
• Edwin Jackson garnered his third straight win yesterday, but it did take him 132 pitches to do it. Jackson's control problems are largely the reason that Tampa looked to move him during the off-season. He walked five yesterday, but did keep the damage to a minimum. The pitch counts this season could be concerning, and owners should watch who he throws against next before starting him.
• The Cubs need some help on offense. With Aramis Ramirez out and Derrek Lee not hitting his weight, the bats in the lineup are limited. Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano are both solid, but the rest of the Cubs have only been good in fits and spurts. It makes sense for them to make a move more for offense than for defense, and that's why Jake Peavy wouldn't seem to be a fit at this point.
• Yesterday's Results: Wins-Edwin Jackson; Losses-Roy Oswalt; Push-Ian Snell, Jeff Suppan (Season: 106-76-8)

Friday Notes

• While Carlos Zambrano will get the start in San Diego, he'll be on a pitch count between 85 and 90. In all likelihood, that's about six innings depending on his control. In all likelihood, sitting Adrian Gonzalez isn't an option for most teams, and he has solid numbers against Zambrano. Avoid all other Padres if you can, despite the recent hot streak.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka will take the mound for Boston in his first start since early April. Matsuzaka looked good in his final rehab start in Pawtucket, but we still need to see something from him. Based on the control issues and the fact this has been a shoulder injury, I'd hold him out against Johan Santana and the Mets.
• Bronson Arroyo has had a lot of problems recording outs at home so far this season. He's given up nine runs in back-to-back starts in Cincinnati and a .421 opponents batting average. When you give up 24 hits in 12 innings at home, the numbers don't make for a good start. Mark DeRosa is your best bet on the Indians, as he is 9-for-21 against Arroyo.
• Manny Parra isn't working deep into games, having only worked six innings in each of his last four starts. Still, he hasn't given up more than three earned runs in an outing since April 21. The Twins saw their bats come alive yesterday against Chicago, but Parra is enough different that he could be used as a spot start even on the road. Parra's last three road outings outweigh the 5.33 ERA that is skewed by his first two appearances. He's also 3-0 in May.
• Jason Varitek is 8-for-18 against Johan Santana, but the rest of the Red Sox have struggled in their chances against the Mets ace. If you were using Julio Lugo or Rocco Baldelli in AL-only formats, the two have combined for six hits in 38 at-bats.
• Find a way to avoid Adrian Beltre today. He's hitting just. 226 in 62 at-bats against Randy Johnson. Beltre does have three home runs, but the bad outweighs the good on this one. Ichiro and Jose Lopez are both fine plays based on history and options for many owners.
• It's possible that owners were short-changed on seeing a turn in Ricky Nolasco because of rain last week. Nolasco had gone just over three innings without allowing a run to score before the rain came and wiped out his stats. He gets a Tampa team that didn't set the world on fire against Oakland. While there is justification to start him, holding him out for certain, even at home, is the safer play. This is more true if you hold a lead in WHIP or ERA that you don't want to see destroyed.
• Todd Wellemeyer has been hit hard at home, going 1-3 in five starts this season. His 6.51 ERA in the ballpark doesn't make him an attractive option, even against the Royals. Kansas City is hitting the ball well enough, and is unfamiliar enough, to give him a hard time. With a choice between Wellemeyer or Kansas City starter Kyle Davies, I would take Davies.
• Zach Duke's improvement over last season has been well documented. He's improved his BAA 60 points over his 2008 number and nearly 100 points off of the 2007 number. I'm not convinced that he'll sustain a pace at that level, and you have to be concerned for the guy getting a team the day after they were beaten 20-1. Still, based on the Chicago bats of late, as well as Duke's .219 BAA against righties, I like the matchup.
• Spot Starts: Ubaldo Jimenez, Zach Duke, Manny Parra
• Keep on the Bench: Nolasco, Zambrano

Weekend Notes

• Josh Beckett's numbers against the Mets look very good. David Wright is just 1-for-15, and even a healthy Jose Reyes checks in at 1-for-14. Carlos Beltran isn't much better at 3-for-11. Keep as many Mets down as you can in this one and use other options against Beckett. Beckett's last three outings have looked much stronger, and that's a good sign for owners.
• Derek Lowe is relatively familiar with the Blue Jays, and gets a surprisingly good matchup against Scott Richmond. While you'll want to keep Vernon Wells active against the Braves starter, there are no other major impact players with great numbers against Lowe. He's been very consistent, and with Toronto having struggled against Boston, he should be able to capitalize.
• Ross Detwiler will get a second start on Saturday for the Nationals against the Orioles. I'm not always a fan of using young pitching, but he has some upside in this matchup. Baltimore is not particularly strong outside of the usual suspects. Given that Detwiler will be drastically unfamiliar, he could sneak one past them. In NL-only leagues, give him a shot.
• Armando Galarraga is 0-4 with a 10.90 ERA in four May starts. He needs to pitch well here with the impending return of Jeremy Bonderman, and that could put some added pressure on the young pitcher. Given his increase in innings and the workload he's shouldering right now, this could be another rough outing against a hot-hitting Colorado team. Keep him down.
• Jarrod Washburn's efficiency has largely come at home, where he holds opponents to a .226 average. While he struggled last time out, the Giants represent a decent opportunity for him. May hasn't been kind thus far, but keep him active here.
• Dave Bush continues to defy expectations. Bush has had exceptional command this season while increasing his strikeout rate above 2008 levels. With a 2-0 record in three road starts, he's a decent option in most leagues on Sunday. He's walked just three hitters in his last 32 innings and has allowed three earned or less in seven of his eight starts this season.
• While you're likely starting Orlando Cabrera anyway, and should against Jon Garland (.394), give Bobby Crosby a look as well. While Crosby is hitting just .205, he's a .370 hitter in 27 at-bats against Garland. If you need a couple hits on Sunday, this could be the spot.
• Brian Tallet has been nothing more than a career journeyman reliever, but he's somehow managed a rotation spot for Toronto based on injuries. If we back out one outing where he allowed ten earned runs to Kansas City, he's held opponents to two earned runs or less in five of six starts. He's a long shot, but AL-only owners should look to him on Sunday if they need some help. For May, batters are hitting just .152 against him and Tallet has posted a 2-1 record in four starts.
• Can you afford to bench Barry Zito against a struggling Mariners team on Sunday? If you need some pitching help, you can't. Zito has been good, and already has one decent outing to his credit this week. Numbers can't necessarily explain what's going on here, so just ride out the streak.
• Spot Starts: Jarrod Washburn, Ross Ohlendorf, Braden Looper, Barry Zito, Dave Bush, Brian Tallet
• Keep on the Bench: Armando Galarraga is the only major flag to raise.

Collin Hager writes The Elmhurst Pub fantasy blog. You can get your questions answered by sending an email to [e-mail]. He's also on Twitter @TheRoundtable.