The Wire: Taking Shelton
By Scott Pianowski
April 5, 2006
Welcome to the first edition of The Wire, a look at the top players available on the fantasy waiver wire. This constantly updated feature will basically give you all you need to run a traditional fantasy baseball team. You'll be able to rest easy knowing you're not going to miss the next great thing on the waiver wire by checking in regularly on our player write-ups. These are broken down by position (each hitter position, starting pitchers, and relievers) and listed in order of their deserved priority on the waiver wire.
In addition to always listing the hot and viable pickups on the waiver wire each week, this feature will also deal with the residual effects of injuries and will track those all-important closer situations. For your convenience, The Wire will be constantly updated throughout the week.
Here's how the waiver wire is shaping up this first week of the MLB season.
CORNERS
Looking Shallow:
Mike Jacobs, 1B, Marlins – The Mets never gave him a shot to play against left-handed pitching, but the Marlins don't have the same hang-up with their first baseman. Jacobs quickly rewarded their faith by taking Andy Pettitte, a star lefty, out of the park on Tuesday night. This Florida lineup might not pummel teams into submission, but it's better than a lot of people think. Jacobs might be the cheapest 80-90 RBIs you can get in 2006.
Chris Shelton, 1B, Tigers – Shelton got some breaks at the end of spring training, as the Tigers cut Carlos Pena and moved Shelton up to the sixth spot in the batting order. Shelton quickly repaid the faith with a couple of Opening-Day homers, one a blast to left field, the other a shot around the foul pole in right field. This guy is a professional hitter in every sense of the term, and the Detroit lineup might be the most underrated in the American League, 1-to-9.
Looking Deep:
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres – With Ryan Klesko (shoulder) hitting the DL, the Friars had no choice but to say "Yo, Adrian" and give their young first-sacker some playing time. Gonzalez rewarded them with a couple of hits on Opening Day, and he's probably going to hit fifth in the order until Klesko returns.
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Braves – His 2006 started with a bang, as LaRoche drilled a couple of home runs into the Chavez Ravine air. Just keep in mind that the Braves will still sit him against most left-handed pitching.
MIDDLES
Looking Shallow:
Todd Walker, 2B, Cubs – Dusty Baker was coy about his 2B plans all spring, but Walker wound up being the guy when the smoke cleared. Walker might sit against the occasional lefty, but we're looking at a .291 career hitter who's going to bat between Juan Pierre and Derrek Lee most of the season. That's a productive place to be.
Looking Deep:
Luis Gonzalez, 2B, Rockies – I'm listing him at second base but in a lot of leagues, "utility" might be a better tag; Gonzalez qualifies at every non-catcher position in Yahoo! leagues, for example. I'd like Gonzalez more if he had a better batting slot – he'll probably hit seventh most of the time – but working at Coors Field makes up for a lot. If your league has tight bench restrictions, the flexible Gonzalez becomes a perfect guy for the front of your bench, ready to play just about anywhere.
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins – He's batting leadoff for a major league club, and that alone means he's gotta be worth something for fantasy. Perhaps Ramirez should be at Triple-A putting the finishing touches on his game, but I still think he should be able to get 75-80 runs and 15-20 stolen bases right out of the box.
OUTFIELDERS
Looking Shallow:
Brad Wilkerson, OF, Rangers – He's cemented to the leadoff spot now that David Dellucci is gone, and it wouldn't be a shock to see Wilkerson score 115-120 runs, given the batters behind him and his new home address in Arlington. If Wilkerson's cranky shoulder stays out of the way just a little bit, we're looking at a potential star here. He also picks up 1B-eligible in Yahoo! default leagues, an added bonus.
Curtis Granderson, OF, Tigers – If you're playing against a group of novice fantasy owners, you might be able to sneak this guy through, but make sure you act immediately. Granderson showed improved patience at the plate all spring, and there's never been a doubt about his power and speed potential. He might wind up being another Mike Cameron type of player, and there's nothing wrong with that. The Tigers plugged him into the leadoff spot Opening Day, and Granderson might hold that spot all year.
Looking Deep:
Jason Michaels, OF, Indians – He doesn't have one skill that jumps up and grabs your attention, but batting in the second spot in Cleveland certainly gets me interested. Michaels has been a lefty-killer over the years, but the Tribe plans to let him go against all pitching this year.
Laynce Nix, OF, Rangers – His 0-for-8 start might scare some people away, but Nix at least did the job with the glove the first two nights, and that should help earn some trust with manager Buck Showalter. Nix isn't going to ever win a batting title, but he's got a chance to whack 20-25 home runs if this health cooperates and the Rangers keep trotting him out there.
CATCHERS
Looking Shallow:
Josh Willingham, C/OF, Marlins – It blows my mind that this guy is still out there in some leagues, but I know that's the case, so Willingham belongs on this list. It's always ideal to get a fantasy catcher who's not tied to actually catching most of the time, and for 2006 Willingham looks like the best fit for that category. He'll easily get 50 to 100 at-bats over what a normal catcher logs, and 20-25 home runs might come tied to that. Willingham showed his power with a couple of home runs at Houston Tuesday, the second one an impressive opposite-field blast to right-center field.
Looking Deep:
Danny Ardoin, C, Rockies – There's nothing special about this 31-year-old journeyman, other than the fact that Yorvit Torrealba is hurt and the Rockies are going to give Ardoin the bulk of the work at the start of the year. If you're in a pinch for a second catcher, you could do worse than this early-season rental. Just know Ardoin's shelf life might not be that long.
STARTERS
Looking Shallow:
Ryan Madson, SP, Phillies – He was sharp as a tack in Florida (1.50 ERA, 18 strikeouts in 24 innings, ratio below one), forcing the club to put him into the rotation. He may never turn into a true ace, but he can be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter for the Phillies eventually, and that definitely translates to fantasy value.
Chien-Ming Wang, SP, Yankees – It's not easy to find buried treasure in New York, but Wang is an exception, one of the most unheralded No. 3 starters in the majors. The Yankees think he can give them 185 innings, 12-14 wins and 90-100 strikeouts this year, and I'll sign off on those numbers. In fact, I think the upside runs higher than that.
Looking Deep:
Sergio Mitre, SP, Marlins – He's not going to make a Cy Young run or anything like that, but he's got a heavy sinker and he's working in a pitcher's park, so Mitre is at least worth investigating. The cover is a little blown after a tidy opening start at Houston (six scoreless innings, three hits, one walk, five strikeouts), but in less-competitive leagues most of the Marlins remain somewhat anonymous.
Gavin Floyd, SP, Phillies – The classic post-hype sleeper, Floyd got back on the good side of the Phillies with a solid camp (3.16 ERA, 17 strikeouts in 25.2 innings). Working at Citizens Bank Park won't help the bottom line much, but at least the other four stadiums in the division all favor the pitcher.
Dewon Brazelton, SP, Padres – Forget the Tampa Bay years with this fizzled prospect, and instead focus on the pedigree (he was the third overall pick in 2001) and the superb spring training (1.77 ERA, 17 strikeouts in 20.1 innings). Brazelton is certainly no sure thing, but working at Petco could really agree with him, and at minimum you want to give him a long look when he makes his first start against Colorado this weekend. Sometimes it takes a while for the light to go on with young pitching, and I wouldn't be shocked if Brazelton turned into this year's Jon Garland.
RELIEVERS
Looking Shallow:
Chris Reitsma, RP, Braves – He's not flashy and he's not dominant, but he's got the closing job in Atlanta anyway. Don't be surprised if Reitsma tops the 20-save mark, especially with flashy prospect Joey Devine starting the year in Triple-A.
Dan Miceli, RP, Devil Rays – He's essentially the chairman in Joe Maddon's "amorphic" bullpen, and if Miceli comes out of the chute well, he'll get a lot more leash to work with. Don't worry about the presence of Chad Orvella; he had a terrible spring and is starting the year in Triple-A.
Fernando Rodney, RP, Tigers – He's going to be the temp closer while Todd Jones is out, and you can make a strong case that the Tigers shouldn't have signed Jones to begin with. If you're fighting for every save you can get, show Rodney some respect and give him some roster time while Jones rehabs his hamstring.
David Weathers, RP, Reds – He's the closer that everyone loves to hate, but he's still the guy in Cincinnati – and his first chance of the year was a 1-2-3 ninth inning against the Cubs. If you're dealing from strength in the bullpen, you avoid him, but if you need to troll for every possible save, you consider the oft-stormy Weathers.
Looking Deep:
Jonathan Papelbon, SP/RP, Red Sox – The team would like him to be a starter eventually, but don' t be surprised if Papelbon gets a look in the ninth inning if and when Keith Foulke blows up. Foulke looked shaky as can be in Monday's opener, while Papelbon threw a clean inning.
Brandon McCarthy, RP, White Sox – He'll need a break to get into the rotation – the White Sox are very happy with their current starters – but there's little doubt that McCarthy has the stuff to be a star in the big leagues. If you stayed with the Opening Night game through all the raindrops, you saw McCarthy throw three dominant innings against a strong Cleveland lineup (no hits or walks, two strikeouts).
Tim Worrell, RP, Giants – Someone has to clean up in the ninth inning while Armando Benitez gets his knees right, and Worrell might be the first guy Felipe Alou looks to. Worrell is no spring chicken at age 39, and he's coming off a so-so camp, but opportunity and guile have a way of trumping raw ability when closing out games is concerned. Said another way, getting those final three outs isn't quite as hard as a lot of people think it is.
Ambiorix Burgos, RP, Royals – He's the temp closer while Mike MacDougal is sidelined, and if Burgos has his best game over the next 4-6 weeks, he might push for the full-time gig even after MacDougal returns. Okay, the Royals look like a 60-win team at best, but that doesn't mean there aren't 30 saves out there for somebody.
Rafael Soriano, RP, Mariners – The expiration date on Eddie Guardado figures to come due sooner or later, and the electric Soriano has everything you look for in a closer. It might take a while for this stock to fully mature, but I'd be stunned if Soriano didn't become fantasy relevant by the end of 2006. In deeper groups, you act now; in shallow groups, you put him on the radar for later.
Neal Cotts, RP, White Sox – He's left-handed so the anti-closing bias may apply, but Cotts nonetheless looks like the fallback plan for Ozzie Guillen if and when Bobby Jenks loses the job. What are the chances of Jenks losing the ninth inning, you ask? Call it 50-50 for now.
Scott Pianowski is the Baseball Editor at FantasyGuru.com. One of the oldest fantasy information sites on the Internet, FantasyGuru.com has been online since 1995 and publishes an annual fantasy football magazine available on newsstands in early July. For more information on the site's products, including its free offseason fantasy football newsletter, head to www.fantasyguru.com.
By Scott Pianowski
April 5, 2006
Welcome to the first edition of The Wire, a look at the top players available on the fantasy waiver wire. This constantly updated feature will basically give you all you need to run a traditional fantasy baseball team. You'll be able to rest easy knowing you're not going to miss the next great thing on the waiver wire by checking in regularly on our player write-ups. These are broken down by position (each hitter position, starting pitchers, and relievers) and listed in order of their deserved priority on the waiver wire.
In addition to always listing the hot and viable pickups on the waiver wire each week, this feature will also deal with the residual effects of injuries and will track those all-important closer situations. For your convenience, The Wire will be constantly updated throughout the week.
Here's how the waiver wire is shaping up this first week of the MLB season.
CORNERS
Looking Shallow:
Mike Jacobs, 1B, Marlins – The Mets never gave him a shot to play against left-handed pitching, but the Marlins don't have the same hang-up with their first baseman. Jacobs quickly rewarded their faith by taking Andy Pettitte, a star lefty, out of the park on Tuesday night. This Florida lineup might not pummel teams into submission, but it's better than a lot of people think. Jacobs might be the cheapest 80-90 RBIs you can get in 2006.
Chris Shelton, 1B, Tigers – Shelton got some breaks at the end of spring training, as the Tigers cut Carlos Pena and moved Shelton up to the sixth spot in the batting order. Shelton quickly repaid the faith with a couple of Opening-Day homers, one a blast to left field, the other a shot around the foul pole in right field. This guy is a professional hitter in every sense of the term, and the Detroit lineup might be the most underrated in the American League, 1-to-9.
Looking Deep:
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres – With Ryan Klesko (shoulder) hitting the DL, the Friars had no choice but to say "Yo, Adrian" and give their young first-sacker some playing time. Gonzalez rewarded them with a couple of hits on Opening Day, and he's probably going to hit fifth in the order until Klesko returns.
Adam LaRoche, 1B, Braves – His 2006 started with a bang, as LaRoche drilled a couple of home runs into the Chavez Ravine air. Just keep in mind that the Braves will still sit him against most left-handed pitching.
MIDDLES
Looking Shallow:
Todd Walker, 2B, Cubs – Dusty Baker was coy about his 2B plans all spring, but Walker wound up being the guy when the smoke cleared. Walker might sit against the occasional lefty, but we're looking at a .291 career hitter who's going to bat between Juan Pierre and Derrek Lee most of the season. That's a productive place to be.
Looking Deep:
Luis Gonzalez, 2B, Rockies – I'm listing him at second base but in a lot of leagues, "utility" might be a better tag; Gonzalez qualifies at every non-catcher position in Yahoo! leagues, for example. I'd like Gonzalez more if he had a better batting slot – he'll probably hit seventh most of the time – but working at Coors Field makes up for a lot. If your league has tight bench restrictions, the flexible Gonzalez becomes a perfect guy for the front of your bench, ready to play just about anywhere.
Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins – He's batting leadoff for a major league club, and that alone means he's gotta be worth something for fantasy. Perhaps Ramirez should be at Triple-A putting the finishing touches on his game, but I still think he should be able to get 75-80 runs and 15-20 stolen bases right out of the box.
OUTFIELDERS
Looking Shallow:
Brad Wilkerson, OF, Rangers – He's cemented to the leadoff spot now that David Dellucci is gone, and it wouldn't be a shock to see Wilkerson score 115-120 runs, given the batters behind him and his new home address in Arlington. If Wilkerson's cranky shoulder stays out of the way just a little bit, we're looking at a potential star here. He also picks up 1B-eligible in Yahoo! default leagues, an added bonus.
Curtis Granderson, OF, Tigers – If you're playing against a group of novice fantasy owners, you might be able to sneak this guy through, but make sure you act immediately. Granderson showed improved patience at the plate all spring, and there's never been a doubt about his power and speed potential. He might wind up being another Mike Cameron type of player, and there's nothing wrong with that. The Tigers plugged him into the leadoff spot Opening Day, and Granderson might hold that spot all year.
Looking Deep:
Jason Michaels, OF, Indians – He doesn't have one skill that jumps up and grabs your attention, but batting in the second spot in Cleveland certainly gets me interested. Michaels has been a lefty-killer over the years, but the Tribe plans to let him go against all pitching this year.
Laynce Nix, OF, Rangers – His 0-for-8 start might scare some people away, but Nix at least did the job with the glove the first two nights, and that should help earn some trust with manager Buck Showalter. Nix isn't going to ever win a batting title, but he's got a chance to whack 20-25 home runs if this health cooperates and the Rangers keep trotting him out there.
CATCHERS
Looking Shallow:
Josh Willingham, C/OF, Marlins – It blows my mind that this guy is still out there in some leagues, but I know that's the case, so Willingham belongs on this list. It's always ideal to get a fantasy catcher who's not tied to actually catching most of the time, and for 2006 Willingham looks like the best fit for that category. He'll easily get 50 to 100 at-bats over what a normal catcher logs, and 20-25 home runs might come tied to that. Willingham showed his power with a couple of home runs at Houston Tuesday, the second one an impressive opposite-field blast to right-center field.
Looking Deep:
Danny Ardoin, C, Rockies – There's nothing special about this 31-year-old journeyman, other than the fact that Yorvit Torrealba is hurt and the Rockies are going to give Ardoin the bulk of the work at the start of the year. If you're in a pinch for a second catcher, you could do worse than this early-season rental. Just know Ardoin's shelf life might not be that long.
STARTERS
Looking Shallow:
Ryan Madson, SP, Phillies – He was sharp as a tack in Florida (1.50 ERA, 18 strikeouts in 24 innings, ratio below one), forcing the club to put him into the rotation. He may never turn into a true ace, but he can be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter for the Phillies eventually, and that definitely translates to fantasy value.
Chien-Ming Wang, SP, Yankees – It's not easy to find buried treasure in New York, but Wang is an exception, one of the most unheralded No. 3 starters in the majors. The Yankees think he can give them 185 innings, 12-14 wins and 90-100 strikeouts this year, and I'll sign off on those numbers. In fact, I think the upside runs higher than that.
Looking Deep:
Sergio Mitre, SP, Marlins – He's not going to make a Cy Young run or anything like that, but he's got a heavy sinker and he's working in a pitcher's park, so Mitre is at least worth investigating. The cover is a little blown after a tidy opening start at Houston (six scoreless innings, three hits, one walk, five strikeouts), but in less-competitive leagues most of the Marlins remain somewhat anonymous.
Gavin Floyd, SP, Phillies – The classic post-hype sleeper, Floyd got back on the good side of the Phillies with a solid camp (3.16 ERA, 17 strikeouts in 25.2 innings). Working at Citizens Bank Park won't help the bottom line much, but at least the other four stadiums in the division all favor the pitcher.
Dewon Brazelton, SP, Padres – Forget the Tampa Bay years with this fizzled prospect, and instead focus on the pedigree (he was the third overall pick in 2001) and the superb spring training (1.77 ERA, 17 strikeouts in 20.1 innings). Brazelton is certainly no sure thing, but working at Petco could really agree with him, and at minimum you want to give him a long look when he makes his first start against Colorado this weekend. Sometimes it takes a while for the light to go on with young pitching, and I wouldn't be shocked if Brazelton turned into this year's Jon Garland.
RELIEVERS
Looking Shallow:
Chris Reitsma, RP, Braves – He's not flashy and he's not dominant, but he's got the closing job in Atlanta anyway. Don't be surprised if Reitsma tops the 20-save mark, especially with flashy prospect Joey Devine starting the year in Triple-A.
Dan Miceli, RP, Devil Rays – He's essentially the chairman in Joe Maddon's "amorphic" bullpen, and if Miceli comes out of the chute well, he'll get a lot more leash to work with. Don't worry about the presence of Chad Orvella; he had a terrible spring and is starting the year in Triple-A.
Fernando Rodney, RP, Tigers – He's going to be the temp closer while Todd Jones is out, and you can make a strong case that the Tigers shouldn't have signed Jones to begin with. If you're fighting for every save you can get, show Rodney some respect and give him some roster time while Jones rehabs his hamstring.
David Weathers, RP, Reds – He's the closer that everyone loves to hate, but he's still the guy in Cincinnati – and his first chance of the year was a 1-2-3 ninth inning against the Cubs. If you're dealing from strength in the bullpen, you avoid him, but if you need to troll for every possible save, you consider the oft-stormy Weathers.
Looking Deep:
Jonathan Papelbon, SP/RP, Red Sox – The team would like him to be a starter eventually, but don' t be surprised if Papelbon gets a look in the ninth inning if and when Keith Foulke blows up. Foulke looked shaky as can be in Monday's opener, while Papelbon threw a clean inning.
Brandon McCarthy, RP, White Sox – He'll need a break to get into the rotation – the White Sox are very happy with their current starters – but there's little doubt that McCarthy has the stuff to be a star in the big leagues. If you stayed with the Opening Night game through all the raindrops, you saw McCarthy throw three dominant innings against a strong Cleveland lineup (no hits or walks, two strikeouts).
Tim Worrell, RP, Giants – Someone has to clean up in the ninth inning while Armando Benitez gets his knees right, and Worrell might be the first guy Felipe Alou looks to. Worrell is no spring chicken at age 39, and he's coming off a so-so camp, but opportunity and guile have a way of trumping raw ability when closing out games is concerned. Said another way, getting those final three outs isn't quite as hard as a lot of people think it is.
Ambiorix Burgos, RP, Royals – He's the temp closer while Mike MacDougal is sidelined, and if Burgos has his best game over the next 4-6 weeks, he might push for the full-time gig even after MacDougal returns. Okay, the Royals look like a 60-win team at best, but that doesn't mean there aren't 30 saves out there for somebody.
Rafael Soriano, RP, Mariners – The expiration date on Eddie Guardado figures to come due sooner or later, and the electric Soriano has everything you look for in a closer. It might take a while for this stock to fully mature, but I'd be stunned if Soriano didn't become fantasy relevant by the end of 2006. In deeper groups, you act now; in shallow groups, you put him on the radar for later.
Neal Cotts, RP, White Sox – He's left-handed so the anti-closing bias may apply, but Cotts nonetheless looks like the fallback plan for Ozzie Guillen if and when Bobby Jenks loses the job. What are the chances of Jenks losing the ninth inning, you ask? Call it 50-50 for now.
Scott Pianowski is the Baseball Editor at FantasyGuru.com. One of the oldest fantasy information sites on the Internet, FantasyGuru.com has been online since 1995 and publishes an annual fantasy football magazine available on newsstands in early July. For more information on the site's products, including its free offseason fantasy football newsletter, head to www.fantasyguru.com.
This post first appeared on Fantasy Baseball - MLB Trades And Rumors, please read the originial post: here
