Fantasy Value Aside: I'm Rooting For Dontrelle Willis

Let me start with full disclosure – I am an unabashed Dontrelle Willis fan.  Every since the he burst onto the scene with the Florida Marlins in 2003 (winning ROY honors along the way), I have been an enthusiastic passenger on the “D-Train”. 

What was there not to like about the guy?  He had charisma, an entertaining wind up, but most of all, he could pitch.  I thought “this kid has it – whatever it is.”  I was certain he would become Satchel Paige, Bob Gibson and Dwight Gooden (minus the drug problem) all rolled into one made for marketing package!

There seemed to be no stopping the D-Train express in 2005 as he won 22 games and finished runner-up in the NL Cy Young race.  But just when it seemed Willis was steam rolling his way to baseball immortality, the D-Train somehow got derailed.  After that brilliant 2005 season, Willis is just 24 – 35 with a 6.18 ERA.

Many, including myself, thought trading Willis to the Detroit Tigers in 2007 might spark a turnaround.  Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse after the move to Detroit.  He struggled with control issues in his two plus seasons with the Tigers and was even sent down to the Minors for a stint.  He was further hampered by an anxiety disorder that was diagnosed in 2009.

Indeed, the trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks was probably a bit overdue as it was obvious his place in the Detroit pitching rotation was precarious, at best – even before being designated for assignment at the end of May.  Arizona was probably the best destination for several reasons: 1) the Diamondbacks starting rotation was in desperate need of a left-handed starter; 2) it returns Willis to the more pitcher friendly National League; 3) with the Diamondbacks going nowhere this season,  he won’t  feel the pressure of coming in and being the final ingredient to a postseason run.

At only 28, Arizona represents a chance for Willis to recapture some of the magic he had when he took the league by storm as a young pitcher with the Marlins.  I don’t expect the Dontrelle Willis trade to Arizona to have a huge impact on his Fantasy value this season.  As a matter of fact, owning him outside of NL only formats is probably a bit of a stretch, but for me – as an unabashed fan – this “new beginning” goes so much deeper than H2H Fantasy Baseball.

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