Weekend wrap: Volquez, McLouth, Wood

The first baseball weekend has come and gone and, as always, there's plenty of nuggets to break down.

So, let's get rolling. You've got a waiver wire to comb.

Edison Volquez: The Reds skinny 6-1, 160-pound righty was dealing Sunday against the Phillies. Volquez threw 5 1/3 strong innings, striking out 8, allowing 5 hits, 2 walks and 1 run. 

Fantasy spin: If Volquez is still around, grab him in all formats but shallow mixed leagues. There's a reason Cincy traded Josh Hamilton to Texas for this guy and it was for days like this. Great American is a small park, so his era/whip number may look like 3.50/1.30 but if he lasts a full season he's 200 K's waiting to happen.

Nate McLouth: All McLouth did in his first week is hit 12 for 28 (.429) with 6 runs, 7 RBI, 1 HR and 2 SBs. 

Fantasy spin: The Pirates CF was moved to No. 3 in the lineup, but only because Jason Bay and Freddie Sanchez were not in the lineup. The Pirates voted McLouth as breakout player this year in an informal poll, but formally, I'm giving you permission to pick him up if he's somehow still around, or try to trade for him, if he ever has a lull in performance, as he's a 20/30/80/110/.280 guy waiting to happen.

Kerry Wood: You didn't think I could let the weekend go by without a Wood update, did you? All K-Wood did after that disastrous opener is save 3 games in 4 days, striking out 3, giving up just 1 hit and 0 walks in 3 strong innings. Wood fanned Miguel Tejada, at one-time a very tough out, to end the Astros game on Sunday. 

Fantasy spin: I won't say I told you so, because it's still early, but Wood is looking every bit a top closer I thought he would be. That said, I traded him for Fukudome in one of my leagues last night, so maybe I'm not 100 percent confident. Still, I give you permission to think of Wood you as a guy just outside the first tier of closers right now.

Odds & Ends: Erik Bedard was scratched Sunday with inflammation in his left hip. Don't worry. Yahoo! Sports Canada tells me it's no big deal and that the Ontario native will be back on the mound Tuesday against Tampa Bay. That's a rock solid news source ... Texas OF David Murphy was supposed to be in a platoon but is hitting .409 and is worth a look in mixed leagues ... Don't look now, but Ben Sheets is 2-0 with 15 1/3 scoreless innings after Sunday's 5-hit shutout. A healthy Sheets, circa 2004, means Sheets owners will be doing cartwheels this year, but I'm not a believer yet ... Those looking for saves, add Arizona RP Tony Pena, as Brandon Lyon looks blew his second save opp. ... St. Louis OF Rick Ankiel now has 3 HR, although he's probably not available, but Texas 1B Ben Broussard might be worth a spin. Broussard, who hit his third HR Sunday has 25 HR potential and is finally playing every day. ... Don't worry about Justin Verlander, despite an awful night. Only 4 of his 9 runs were earned and he makes a good buy-low candidate ... San Diego RP Heath Bell has pitched 16.1 scoreless innings while Trevor Hoffman (12.27 ERA) blew his second save in four chances. I know, he's Trevor Hoffman, but I could see a DL stint coming at this rate. Keep Bell on speed dial.

Auction Draft: A 5-hour saga

Everyone knew it would be long.

But this long?

In the 24th or 25th year of the Observer's fantasy baseball draft (the record-keeping is a little sketchy), the league decided to make a drastic change in the way it did things.

It decided to try an auction draft.

This was my sixth season drafting with my co-horts, most of them good for rich baseball knowledge and plenty of snarky comments. But the drafts are usually good for 3 hours of agony and second-guessing, give or take an extra late-round bathroom break.

But five rounds into a 25-round draft and most of us knew we were in trouble. And not because we just blew our budget buying two overpriced first basemen, Ryan Howard ($40) and Mark Teixeira ($30) and a good but not great SP in Carlos Zambrano ($23).

The first 50 picks took 90 minutes, putting us on a pace to finish at 2:30 a.m.

"We gotta speed this up," was uttered by several owners who started doing the math, backtracking how many hours of sleep were in store before the kids got up, or the early flight was leaving.

But the bidding drama was too intense to think about time.

There were the classic showdowns. Grady Sizemore, usually a low $30 player, reached the high $30s with poker faces and pregnant pauses filling the smoke-filled draft room. Finally, when the owner, an outspoken Indians apologist, swallowed hard and hesitantly gave a $40 bid, the room both moaned and cheered.

Jake Peavy, last year's NL Cy Young winner, went for $38 to yours truly - who after two starts is suddenly feeling much better about his investment than that night, when Johan Santana went for the same $38 price tag.

For the record, A-Rod was the highest paid player at $46 and Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, Matt Holliday and Howard were all in the $40-plus club.

But somewhere around the 11th or 12th round, the housing market crashed.

It was as if owners, almost simultaneously, realized that they were broke. Some owners could only spend an average of $2 per player the rest of the night, some $4.

The foreclosure deals started flying off the board, and they weren't all fixer-uppers.

Carlos Pena was about to go for $11, so on principle, I jumped in and put in a $12 bid and won the Rays 1B. Jim Thome went for $6. Three of my late-round targets - Oliver Perez, Carlos Gomez and Johnny Cueto - all went for $3 apiece, as I sat helpless with only $2 max left to spend on a player.

Even Carlos Delgado went for a buck.

I finished the draft, gladly taking Michael Bourn for $2 and Dustin McGowan for $1 and calling it a night.

But not before the stroke of midnight. In fact, it was closer to 12:30 when things wrapped up, as we quickly scoured our lineups, reliving the agony and ecstasy of what was probably the best draft many of us had ever been a part of.

Sure, I suffered the next day or two, crossing the (Mountain) Dew line a little earlier than usual.

But for true baseball fans who enjoy the journey of the fantasy baseball season far more than the destination of a championship, consider switching to an auction draft next year in your league.

The only thing you have to lose is a few hours of sleep.

Mailbag: Time to skimp on Kemp?

Fantasy Mailbag:

What is your opinion of Matt Kemp? Is he ever going to be a full-time guy for L.A.?
- Brian I.

Thanks for the question, Brian.

And the answer right now is about as hazy as the Los Angeles smog.

At 6-4, 210 pounds, Kemp is a physical specimen and is a 5-tool guy, minus a tape measure ... his defensive skills leave a little to be desired.

But from a fantasy perspective, he's a 4-tool wonder, who has 25/25 potential, if he were to ever get regular at-bats.

In five games so far, we've seen Kemp hit 3rd, benched for Juan Pierre (pinch-hitting for Pierre in the 6th), hit 7th, 7th and benched again today.

Right now, it looks like Andruw Jones and Andre Ethier are getting the regular at-bats early, but if you're a Kemp owner, be not dismayed. The Dodgers shipped off old man Luis Gonzalez for a reason and it's because of Kemp's ceiling, which is much higher than Ether, but Kemp will have to prove himself or start bribing first-year manager Joe Torre.

Last year, Kemp was a 10/10 guy in 292 at-bats, hitting .342. Clearly, Grady Little didn't utilize him properly. No way a .342 hitter with power and speed should be platooned, but that's Little for you.

Torre seems to lean toward veterans, which makes you think Pierre will get more at-bats going forward, but this is very fluid situation and by June 1, you'll should see a steady diet of Kemp in RF and probably in the heart of the batting order. Pierre and Ethier will eventually lose the starts.

If this happens, think of Kemp as Hideki Matsui-value, but his range this year is anywhere from Raul Ibanez to Gary Sheffield, the 2007 version.

My guess is he'll end up with 500-550 at-bats a 25/20 season, batting .308, driving in 90.

There's room for that guy on any roster. And Torre is too good of a manager to not see it.

Keep the questions coming. I'll continue to answer reader questions in my mailbag segments throughout the season.

Reds' Cueto dazzles in debut

You've heard all the hype about Reds phenom pitcher Johnny Cueto.

On Thursday afternoon, it was the Diamondbacks feeling the buzz.

In his major league debut, Cueto, throwing 96-mph heat, struck out 10, walked none and gave up just 1 hit - a Justin Upton HR. Shock waves from the Cincinnati epicenter are currently rippling through fantasy leagues all over the country today.

Expectedly, the comparisons are flying.

Orlando Hudson and Ken Griffey Jr. say he resembles a young Pedro Martinez. And why not, as the 5-foot-10 pitcher from the Domincan Republic has the track record to back it up. Cueto breezed through three years of minor-league ball, racking up a 3.28 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and over a K an inning.

“The guys on the bench were saying they haven’t seen anything like this in a long time,” manager Dusty Baker told the Associated Press. “I guess it’s something they’ve never seen, and there’s a lot they still haven’t seen from this young man.”

Check out Cueto during a perfect second inning, fanning Eric Byrnes and Mark Reynolds.




Given Baker's track record with young pitchers, Reds fans are just hoping they see Cueto finish the season healthy. It's no secret some Cubs fans are still blaming Baker for any and all injuries between Mark Prior and Kerry Wood after those two finished the 2003 season No. 1 and 2 in pitches thrown.

I'm sure talk radio around Cincy is already speculating when Cueto's first 130-pitch game will be and the first subsequent report of a twinge in his arm.

But don't let this keep you from buying Cueto stock. It goes without saying, if he's still on your waiver wire today, you're either in a very winnable league or everyone was sleeping yesterday. Go hit the button right now. And if you're in a waiver league, he's more than worthy of using a top claim.

There will be some speed bumps. Think back to the last couple years of guys with this kind of hype. The Phillies' Cole Hamels and the Giants' Tim Lincecum both struggled mightily after early success.

But neither had a debut like this. Cueto is just the third MLB pitcher to strike out 10 and allow 1 hit in his debut and the first since 1900 to record 10 Ks and 0 BB in his first game.

We're only three games in, but it's a great time to be a Reds fan.

Blogroll Me!

Don't sleep on these Pirates

For anyone who's heard of Veggie Tales, a popular children's video series with humor that even adults can appreciate, one of their famous songs is "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." (see below, if you're curious).

But when it comes to the fantasy world, a similar question begs an answer: Are there Pirates who do anything?

The short answer is, yes indeed. The long answer is, there are up to eight Pirates worthy of mixed-league ownership, depending on the depth of your league.

Let's start with the obvious.

Jason Bay: As recently as 2007 drafts, the Canadian righty (pictured above) was a second-rounder but has fallen off as his rookie hype seems to be a distant memory. Bay went from a 35/109/.286 to 21/84/.241, not to mention his steals fell from 11 to 4. If anyone resembles the Pirates who don't do anything it's Bay, and there's been some speculation he wants out of Pittsburgh and may not be exactly swabbing the deck, so to speak. Still, there's a bounceback year waiting to happen, so keep faith that a 30/100 season is possible.

Freddie Sanchez: The 2006 NL batting champ (.344) came back to Earth with a .304 average last year, but the Pirates' No. 2 hitter is worthy of ownership in most mixed leagues, even if his power is mild (11 HR in 2007). He's more valuable in 5x5 formats, as he'll help you get 80 runs along with 80 RBI this year. But he runs like a catcher.

Nate McLouth: This could be your most valuable fantasy option this year, depending on how Bay rebounds. McLouth hit 13 HR with 22 SB in 329 at-bats last year. That's a 20/30 season, with little improvement and the average (.258 last year) has been ticking up. Don't walk, run to your waiver wire and grab McLouth if he's unowned.

Adam LaRoche: We all remember Laroche's .133 April last year, but somehow we forget that he finished hitting .272. With just a decent April his 21/88 line could read 25/100 with a .285 average. Not great from the 1B spot, but he should be able to find a roster spot in mid to deeper leagues.

Xavier Nady: Probably the last ownable Pirate and Nady is closer to an NL-only guy, but you've gotta love the start. Two HR and 4 RBI against the Braves in the opener, and he smacked 20 in 431 at-bats with a serviceable average (.278). Nady's finally got a regular job and he soon may be a regular fixtures on mixed-league rosters, not just a guy who floats around at the top of your waiver wire.

Tom Gorzelanny: He passed Zach Duke as the most promising Pittsburgh lefty starter with a 3.88 ERA and 14 wins last year. Gorzelanny's not going to help your WHIP much (1.40 in '07) or your K's (135), but he is still a steady option in a relatively weak-hitting NL Central. At worst, he's a good fill-in while you wait for Pedro or Lackey to come off the DL.

Ian Snell: The biggest mystery is how Snell only won 11 games last year with a 3.76 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 177 Ks in 208 innings. Well, these are the Pirates, after all. Snell made the jump from prospect to a guy anyone can feel comfortable having in their rotation. Don't worry about the 4-run, 7-hit opener; it was against a potent Braves lineup.

Matt Capps: Yeah, Capps' ERA stands at 40.50 after his Pirates teammates dropped an easy pop fly for the final out in the opener, but it'll end up close to the 2.28 ERA he had last year. Add in a 1.01 WHIP from 2007 and the fact that most of the Pirates' 65-70 wins will probably be close and you could be looking at a top 5 closer by year's end. In other words, underline and All-Capps this closer.

"The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"




Around the fantasy world

• Lou Piniella is already tinkering with the Cubs lineup after 2 games, moving Alfonso Soriano back to the leadoff spot, moving Ryan Theriot to No. 2. He says Soriano's running fine. If this is true, Soriano just got more valuable as he's probably back to a 30 SB guy.


• The Indians are still saying Victor Martinez only has a mild strain in his hamstring and they don't expect him to land on the DL. For some reason, I'm not 100 percent sold on this quite yet.


• Early diagnosis of Pedro Martinez is a strained left hamstring that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. With a 36-year-old body, I'd take the over.


• J.J. Putz is on the DL with a rib cage injury. Mariners aren't giving a timetable, but it's not sounding dire at the moment. If you own Putz or are looking for some cheap saves, grab Mark Lowe.

Bad week for Martinez, hammys

Two Martinezes down. Two hammys to blame.

In a bizarre start to the MLB season, two fantasy factors, Pedro and Victor Martinez, have come up lame with hamstring problems.

In a world of corporate tie-ins, this Fantasy baseblog update should be sponsored by Denny's and its infamous "Moons over my hammy" breakfast dish. Victor Martinez owners can only sigh, thinking of those Grand Slams from year's past.

These jokes, I realize, are a little syrupy. Not eggs-actly rip-roaring hilarious. Nor is this news - or, in V-Mart's case, the non-news surrounding his injury.

You can read the latest update here, but I'll save you the click and give you the nuts and bolts. The Indians are being rather vague, calling it a mild strain. He's day-to-day. No roster move is being considered. If that's the extent, V-Mart owners can exhale. But judging by the replays of Martinez come up lame on a slide into second base, a DL stint would not be shocking in the least. Mike Napoli, John Buck or Chris Snyder, if he's somehow still available, would be nice fill-ins.

As for Pedro's injury, Martinez heard a pop and felt a twinge on his 57th pitch last night in Miami, causing all of Mets Nation to feel a twinge in what was supposed to be the strength of their team: starting pitching depth. Last year, Phillip Hughes of the Yankees had a similar injury, which caused him to miss a couple months. There's talk of the Mets signing Brewers castoff Claudio Vargas.

The Mets aren't saying much until the MRI comes back, but start scanning your waiver wire now and get your eye on a Pedro backup plan.

Breaking down Opening Day

The continental U.S. Opening Day is officially in the books.

And in case you missed it, here's a quick wrap on some of the highs and lows from a fantasy perspective:

Peavy outduels Oswalt: The two aces were close friends before the game, but after Jake Peavy drove in 2 runs on an RBI-single in the third, the Peavy-Oswalt friendship might be soon downgraded to CCO (Christmas Card Only) status. "I love Roy to death," Peavy said. "I wish him well for 33, 34 more starts."

As for the stats that count, Peavy picked up from his brilliant 2007 with a 3-hit, 7-inning shutout, walking 3 and striking out 4. The Padres announcers didn't think he had particularly good stuff, but you could've fooled the Astros. Oswalt's night was not as pretty, giving up 11 hits and 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Hopefully, this is just a blip, but after a career high WHIP of 1.33 last year, Oswalt is starting to look more like a 2nd tier SP.

Santana superb: Just like the Mets (and Johan fantasy owners) drew it up, Santana threw 7 strong innings, fanning 8 while giving up 3 hits, 2 ER and 2 BB. Feels good to get an early return on your investment, as both the Mets and Santana owners paid retail for his services.

Wild day at Wrigley: How many times have you heard this? First, Kerry Wood, in a 0-0 game in the 9th gives up 3 runs, including a 2-run double to Corey Hart.
Like clockwork, Eric Gagne blows the save as Kosuke Fukudome whipped Wrigley into a complete frenzy with a 3-run HR in the bottom of the 9th. Check out the video and experience it for yourself:

It was a mixed blessing for Gagne owners, as the blown save turns into a cheap vulture win, but coming from a guy who had a 9.00 ERA last August, I'd stash David Riske on your bench, if you have room and if not, put him on speed-dial. Same with Carlos Marmol for Wood owners, although it's way too early to hit the panic button. It was awful weather conditions with two rain delays.

Carlos Zambrano owners probably winced when Big Z was taken out with more cramping in his forearm, but MLB.com says he won't miss a start and dehydration seems to be Zambrano's middle name (what's it gonna take to get some Gatorade down the big fella?). Fukudome owners had to be pleased, not just with the HR, but with a perfect OBP day (walk, single, double, HR). Still, anything over a 20/20 season will be gravy.

Wilder day at Turner Field: A lazy pop fly to center off the bat of Brian McCann with two outs in the 9th dropped, causing Mark Teixeira to have an out-of-body reaction in the dugout, as the game-ending out turned into a 2-run single, tying the game 9-9.

But Xavier Nady hit the second of two HR in the 12th inning, finishing 4-for-7 with 4 RBI. Nate McLouth, who Pirates teammates picked for breakout candidate of the year, went 3-for-6 with a HR and 4 RBI. Despite the 12-11 high-scoring victory for Pittsburgh, starters Ian Snell and Tom Glavine pitched modestly well.

Gomez, Bourn on the run: For all you owners looking for cheap speed, check out centerfielders Carlos Gomez (Twins) and Michael Bourn (Astros), both coming over in the offseason, fighting to keep their jobs. Gomez and Bourne both swiped second base twice and appear to be solid candidates for this year's Shane Victorino award.

Baked Zito?: Not trying to pick on the guy, but when you're getting $17 million a year, you're expected to put up a better line than 5 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 1 K. Unless you're in an NL-only or deep mixed leagues, I might just throw Giants pitcher Barry Zito back and try to fish out someone else on the wire. It might seem drastic, but after a 4.53 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and only 11 wins and 131 Ks last year, there's not much to get excited about there.

Pujols HR wiped away: First the Blue Jays and Yankees were wiped away by the rain, then it was a second-inning HR by Albert Pujols. Sorry, Pujols owners, this one won't count (nor will Rick Ankiel's 2-RBI double), but it's an encouraging sign that the elbow isn't too creaky yet. Jeff Francis owners (5 ER in 2 1/3) can also exhale.