The Fantasy Baseball Wolf Hunt, Vol. 2: Proceed with Caution

Welcome back to the second edition of The Wolf Hunt. Last week’s hunt was a bittersweet assortment of results, and though the hunt went marginally well, I somehow feel it could’ve been a bit better.

For owners who took my advice on Stults, Marquis, and Palmer, you should be happy considering there really wasn’t much worth to them since May 26. Stults was roughed up by Philly and is now on the DL, Marquis did lower his ERA, but was pounded by Houston, and Palmer may not be back anytime soon if Escobar builds on his first so-so outing since surgery.

For Porcello and Martis owners, I suppose it’s all how you look at it. Martis’ ERA has taken a pretty good hit, and in two games, he lasted a combined 9 innings. Porcello, on the other hand, did a pretty good job against the Royals only to get pummeled by Boston.

So as we stand, peering into the forest, where do we go from here?

The hunt this week has decided to take a more cautious approach and discuss some interesting wolves. Be very careful, and understand that not all of the wolves are bad; not all of them are in disguise ready to devour your fantasy stat line, and drag your team in the mud. Some of the wolves may actually help you.

So ready your torches, form a tight line, and let’s go hunting!

Tommy Hanson, SP, ATL

Hanson has been called up from Triple-A Gwinnet, and for those of you who follow the wire on minor league prospects, you should be well aware of his 1.50 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 66 innings. These are the stats that the experts are salivating over as they hurry to advice an immediate roster add.

Well let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, lest ye be lost in the forest of "must haves."

Hanson has more than enough stuff to be an great pitcher, and he will inevitably add SOMETHING to the Braves roster, but saying a guy is gonna just come out and start smoking people—with three games in Atlanta’s hitter friendly park in June—is a bit of a stretch.

Against the Brew Crew, he went 6 IP, 6 H, 6 R 6 ER 3 HR 1 BB 5 SO 9.00 ERA. Not exactly how the Braves wanted his debut to go.

Consider this.

Hanson will more than likely face Baltimore and the Reds on the road, two games that could potentially garner some fantasy value. However, he then faces the Yanks and the Phillies at home, two games that probably won’t go so well.

Use caution, my friends, and don’t get so wrapped up in the hype just yet. If you should decide to take a chance on Hanson, grab him now since the earlier games he should pitch in are more favorable matchups than the games later in the month.

Antonio Bastardo, SP, PHI

Bastardo’s MLB debut went rather well, pitching six innings of one-run ball. Did I mention he pitched against the Padres too?

Against a more formidable Dodger team things went pretty good as well: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 0 HR, and a 2.45 ERA.

But Bastardo may finish this month on top considering the Phils are hitting very well and have three out of four favorable matchups. They will see Boston and Baltimore at home (two not-so-good teams on the road) and a series in Atlanta. The only glaring danger zone may be Tampa Bay since they like to hit just as much as Philadelphia and they sure know how do it.

Bastardo may be worth the look if he can provide some quality starts and the bats keep cracking in Philly. If you’re in a spot—or if you’re like me and have a starting rotation filled with injuries—I say take a chance on him.

Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT

Ah yes, the hunt doesn’t just track pitchers, and Pittsburgh’s newest toy has found himself being stalked. After his debut game, McCutchen has seemingly cooled off just a bit, but that should change soon. Now that McLouth is gone, McCutchen not only has a golden opportunity, but also some shoes to fill.

McCutchen could be the offset to Morgan the Pirates have been looking for and since both huge are steal threats, owners may be able to reap some of the benefits.

But, like I said, the theme is caution. Keep a close eye on him should you choose to pick him up. Just because he is a high prospect doesn’t mean he can’t disappoint. Just look at how fast Gordon Beckham lasted for the White Sox.

Jake Fox, 3B, CHC

On May 27, Lou Piniella said he wasn’t ready to “try Fox at third base yet.” Piniella wanted Fox to work a bit more with bench coach Alan Trammel and let him (Trammel) make the decision.

Since the 27th, Fox has recorded 2 H 1 R 1 RBI in 9 AB and is holding steady at .300. The Cubs are dealing with injury after injury on top of everything else, and though Fox has the potential, as a fantasy owner you’ll have the unpleasant task of reading behind Piniella’s lines on this guy.

My take is Lou will ultimately cave in to get the extra bat in the lineup, and, at least for now, Fox should be a nice change of pace and a good option for those of you in search of a bench guy or a roster replacement due to injury.

Fernando Martinez, OF, NYM

Well, Ryan Church is returning and Martinez is still gonna get the bulk of the workload for now—for now.

A week ago, Manuel said that Martinez would have to step things up with the bat if he wanted to stay on the roster. This week Church is in the doghouse, and no one really knows what the heck is going on in left field.

Martinez hasn’t necessarily shined with 6 H, 3 R, 4 RBI, and 2 SB in 30 AB, but he does have that potential for some extra value in the stolen base department for the remainder of the month. If you're willing to gamble with Manuel’s sizable doghouse, that is.

Be very careful with this guy since Church is back and Manuel is back and forth. Unless you are a die-hard Mets fan, you won’t have much luck making sense of all this anytime soon.

Well, that about does it for the hunt and I hope everyone enjoys and reaps some benefits from this week’s column.

But, before we go, I have two additional things to throw out there, two additional tidbits that your crawl can munch on as the season treks forward...

FIRST: A lot of what has been discussed today primarily focuses on H2H leagues and Rotisserie leagues, but for those of you who are wading your way in Dynasty leagues, take what I say about Hanson and McCutchen with a grain of salt. They may struggle for a bit and even find themselves under scrutiny in their first year, but I really do believe—in time—these two players have a very bright future and may be worth a hard look going forward.

SECOND: OK, now I don’t normally bring names to the table that won’t have significant impact THIS year, but there is one guy I know of who should definitely be on your watch list.

John Mayberry—Philadelphia Phillies.

Mayberry may see some time as a designated hitter when the Phils face the Rays and Blue Jays on the road at the end of the month, and although there isn’t any room right now on the roster, Mayberry will be a name you’ll be hearing about in the not-too-distant future. Keep a close eye on him as he progresses.

His last outing against the Yanks consisted of 1 R, 2 H, 3 RBI, and 1 HR (which was a smoker) in only 9 AB.

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Remember: The forest is filled with cute little bunnies, wonderful foliage, and a great collection of pleasantries, but in the shadows the wolves lurk.