Fantasy Baseball: Tuesday News and Notes

No doubt that Stephen Strasburg should have been the top pick in the draft. Quite simply, owners cannot afford to pass on someone that dominated an entire level of top-tier baseball talent. Strasburg was consistent and demonstrated he had the tools to be a success.

He has a top-flight fastball, good breaking pitches, and can throw three pitches consistently for strikes. 

The Nationals were then forced to overpay the "one in a million" prospect, making him one of the highest paid players (if not the highest) on the team without ever throwing a pitch. Tough precedent to set. Undoubtedly, there will be some intense pressure on both the team and the player to succeed. 

Paul Sporer pointed out this morning that there are plenty of cases where players, specifically pitchers, simply fail. The list is pretty extensive when it comes to these types of players. Some fail as a result of their own stupidity (Brien Taylor). Others it is because of injury (Mark Prior). Still, the majority fail on an inability to make the adjustments. 

Back in the day, the hot rookie card to have was that of one Todd Van Poppel. Van Poppel was an Oakland draft choice that had a million dollar arm and would be the next great success story in that rotation. Needless to say, it was not to be. 

Van Poppel ended up pitching with six teams after garnering a $1.25 million bonus to pass on a scholarship to Stanford. This was as the No. 14 pick, after telling Atlanta he had no intention of signing with them if drafted. He had a limited minor league career because of the contact, throwing just 32 starts. 

He was most effective as a middle-reliever for the Cubs before retiring. 

Is Strasburg the next Van Poppel? Probably not. His story is just one of many littered across the landscape of the draft. The Nationals are certainly banking on his success, and the $15 million arm they just put into their system. 

On to the notes. 

Monday Rewind

• Obviously, the biggest news of the day was the signing of Strasburg. Owners should not expect much more than a quick cameo appearance this season, and even those results may not be pretty. Those in long-term keeper leagues need to grab him quickly. Honestly, even if you are afraid he might fail, the idea of losing out on a success to hold on to a waiver priority does not do you much good. Especially if you are already out of the playoff hunt this season.
• Nate McLouth is going to spend some time on the DL. McLouth injured his hamstring over the weekend, forcing the hand of the Braves. The outfielder has missed days here and there over the entire season because of back and leg issues. This move was likely made because of a lack of roster flexibility more than anything else. Matt Diaz should see some regular time in his absence.
• As expected, Hiroki Kuroda will miss his next start after suffering a concussion. Kuroda has shown good signs in recovery, but this move is a safety mechanism for everyone involved. The Dodgers are getting Chad Billingsley back, and got a solid performance from Charlie Haeger last night, so they have a couple options. Jeff Weaver is always available for a start as well.
• Freddy Garcia will make his return to the mound tonight for the White Sox. Garcia has missed most of the last two seasons with a shoulder injury. Honestly, there is not a much better team to start against in a return than the Royals. Garcia has ability, and that was seen prior to 2006. The question becomes if he can translate his rehab work.
• Mark Reynolds hit another home run yesterday, giving him 38 on the season to go with his .285 average and 21 stolen bases. The concern that should be shared is how this translates next season. This is an impressive performance, especially for a guy that is a career .265 hitter and strikes out a lot. Owners may be forced to over-pay for him in next year's draft, as he likely is a second or early third round choice at this rate. There had better be strong belief that he can do this again if that is the case.
• Aubrey Huff is on his way to Detroit, likely hurting any regular playing time status he had. His best bet is spelling the struggling Brandon Inge and potentially Carlos Guillen. Inge is down to .247 this season and is at .200 in August. Ty Wiggington should be grabbed in AL-only leagues, as he should see more regular playing time as a result.
• Aaron Rowand did not make a liar out of me yesterday. Rowand had been 7-for-15 against Livan Hernandez, and added four hits in five at-bats yesterday. While all were not against Hernandez, starting him led to some quick offensive production to begin the week for many owners.
• Chris Carpenter pitched eight impressive innings last night, garnering the win against the Dodgers. The Cardinals pitcher improved to 8-1 in his last 10 starts, dropping his season ERA to 2.27. Carpenter has been a pleasant surprise that many owners were able to steal at the end of their drafts. Always be careful, though, when it comes to pitchers with injury histories.
• Kevin Gregg is being removed from the closer's role for the Cubs. After blowing the save on the road against the Padres last night, the Cubs basically told Gregg via the press not to expect more end-of-game situations. The Chicago Sun-Times speculates that it may not exclusively be Carlos Marmol either. Owners can pilfer some saves through picking up John Grabow and potentially Angel Guzman in ultra-deep leagues.

Tuesday Notes

• If Jon Garland is going to find success, it will be on the road. While the Arizona pitcher has a 3-5 record on the road, he has also posted a 2.85 ERA away from home. Garland has struggled with Raul Ibanez, but the rest of the Phillies do not have much of a track record against him. NL-only leagues could use the spot start here.
• Do not shy away from your Blue Jays simply because Josh Beckett is on the mound. The Jays have actually hit the Red Sox starter reasonably well. Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, and Aaron Hill all have at least 20 at-bats against Beckett and all are above .300 in those appearances.
• Curtis Granderson has gone 9-for-22 against Felix Hernandez, and Placido Polanco checks in at 6-for-15. Newly acquired Aubrey Huff is only 4-for-19 so do not expect him to start out in a lineup, certainly not in fantasy anyway. Magglio Ordonez has also struggled hitting Hernandez.
• With Gary Sheffield back in the lineup again for the Mets, make sure to start him against Derek Lowe. Sheffield is 9-for-19 with two home runs against Lowe. Otherwise, there is not much offense to be found against the Atlanta starter. Avoid as many as you can, especially given the new injury to Wright.
• Alright, time for the riff on Ubaldo Jimenez again. Jimenez has improved to 3-0 in August, posting a 1.19 ERA in his starts and holding opponents to a .158 average against him. The Rockies starter has won his last four decisions, and is still available in about a third of all leagues. Together, we can push him to the 80 percent mark he deserves to have.
• At home, David Price is a completely different pitcher than he is on the road. Inside Tampa, he is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA and .219 BAA. Given those numbers, and the fact that the Orioles have not seen much of him, this is another good chance for Price to pitch well. Good spot option here.
• Desperate for a hit in AL-only leagues? Bobby Crosby is a .308 hitter in 26 at-bats against CC Sabathia, and he is about it when it comes to offense in the Oakland lineup at this point. Crosby is worth a look in these deep leagues if you are looking for a potential 2-for-3 night.
• It is not often anyone recommends reaching for Pirates to start, but look to get Andrew McCutchen, Ryan Doumit, Garrett Jones, and Lastings Milledge into your lineup against Manny Parra. The stats are just bad. Couple that with a strong 7-2 mark and 3.18 home ERA for Ross Ohlendorf, and you have yourself a good spot start matchup.
• Chad Billingsley will take the ball for the Dodgers tonight. Billingsley has not thrown since tweaking his hamstring last week, but should be at full strength in this matchup for Los Angeles. Leg injuries are always a concern with pitchers, but this does not seem to be anything that should force owners to look at benching him a start.
• Bonus note, Kevin Youkilis has served his suspension and will return tonight against the Blue Jays.
• Spot Starts: Ohlendorf, Pedro Martinez, Scott Feldman

Wednesday Notes

• Roy Halladay has been impressive against the Red Sox, and there are a few regulars that owners should consider keeping down if they have other options. Dustin Pedroia is just 7-for-35, and Jason Varitek is a .213 hitter in 75 at-bats against Halladay. It is likely Boston still uses him and avoid Mike Lowell on the turf as much as possible.
• Paul Maholm has owned Prince Fielder. Fielder is just 3-for-30 against the Pirates starter. Jason Kendall is only 2-for-19 in his at-bats as well. No concerns regarding your Brewers otherwise in this matchup. Maholm has not recorded a win against Milwaukee in three starts this season, allowing 14 runs in 17.1 innings of work.
• Zack Greinke has certainly seen a fair amount of the White Sox so far this season. In four starts, he is 2-1 and has given up only five earned runs in 28 innings while keeping the White Sox to 26 hits and four walks. Still, do not shy away from Scott Podsednik, as he is 16-for-30, and A.J. Pierzynski is 16-for-37. Carlos Quentin could get the night off based on his 3-for-14 numbers against Greinke.
• After two rough outings against the Dodgers, Jair Jurrjens rebounded against the Phillies to the form owners are accustomed. Jurrjens may have just nine wins this season, but he still has posted a 2.99 ERA this year. He has a win against the Mets already this season, and has a 3.20 ERA on the road in 12 starts this season.
• The Twins have hit Kevin Millwood very well. As a team, they have 244 at-bats against him and a .336 average in that time. There should be no concern when it comes to starting any of your regulars in this one. The only potential hold up is the 4-for-20 of Joe Crede.
• Spot Starts: Randy Wells, Jeff Niemann, Jason Marquis

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.