2011 Fantasy Baseball: Twitter

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Legendary Battle: Sam Fuld versus Jed Lowrie

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These days, if you're a fan of Major League Baseball and follow anyone on Twitter blogging about baseball, then you're surely aware of a legendary battle taking place amongst the hashtags.

First out of the gates was the #LegendofSamFuld, dedicated to Tampa Bay Rays' outfielder Sam Fuld as he burst onto the baseball scene as a result of the Manny Ramirez retirement fiasco. A recent 12-game stretch of Fuld's produced these eye-opening stats: .420 BA (21/50), 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 8 R, 7 SB, 3 BB, 3 K along with many defensive gems and a string of "legends" the likes that haven't been seen since Chuck Norris. Here's a sample of a few gems:

Sam Fuld eats Chick-Fil-A on Sundays.
Superman wears Sam Fuld pajamas.
Sam Fuld can divide by zero.
Honus Wagner bought a Sam Fuld rookie card at auction.

One of the most memorable moments during Fuld's legendary ascent was in a game against the Boston Red Sox in which he only needed a single to complete hitting for the cycle and adding his name to the Rays' record books forever decided to stretch a ninth-inning single into a double and there was no turning back from his legendary status.

While the Sam Fuld legend was growing, a new legend was being birthed in Boston for their own cult hero, Jed Lowrie, with the #LegendofJedLowrie hashtag. Lowrie is in the midst of his own eye-popping offensive assault over his last nine games: .531 BA (17/32), 2 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 9 R, 0 SB, 1 BB, 5 K, spurring legends such as these:

Jed Lowrie doesn't have a shadow.
Unicorns drink Jed Lowrie's blood to stay hidden and magical.
Harry Caray has decided to come back to announce a game with
Jed Lowrie playing.

To get a pulse of what other baseball bloggers had to say about which side of these legends their allegiances lay, I reached out in this edition of my Fantasy Forum series to fellow Baseball Bloggers Alliance members and other friends I've made in the blogosphere, and here is what they had to say on the subject of "legendary".

Michael Clair (@clairbearattack) of Old Time Family Baseball weighed in with:
There hasn't been a more fun story in baseball than the emergence of Sam Fuld. Fuld, a career fringe Major Leaguer, diabetic, and player who grew up obsessing over statistics, is the patron saint of the superfan. He's like us, only phenomenally gifted at playing baseball.

While his .344/.379/.525 start has been exciting and proof that he has is deserving of more Major League than given in previous years, it's not time to anoint him a fantasy god. Fuld doesn't offer enough power for a corner outfielder, having never topped six home runs in a minor league season, and his career .777 minor league OPS doesn't offer much hope either. He has an excellent batting eye, so if your fantasy league uses OBP instead of batting average, he's an great pick up. Fuld is a #Legend because he's a great guy who followed a unique career path and doesn't embarrass himself with extended playing time, something that is still a rarity. If anyone can prove me wrong though, it's Fuld.

Jed Lowrie, currently doing his best Troy Tulowitzki impression, is a different story. Three years ago Lowrie looked like the shortstop of the future for the Red Sox, hitting .258 with 25 doubles as a 24 year-old rookie and his offensive future was bright. At 27, Lowrie is just now entering his prime and with a few more good weeks, he should wrestle the starting job away from Marco Scutaro. If Francona can get him enough at-bats, and considering his home ballpark, Lowrie is a good bet to hit at least .275 with 15 or so home runs. How many shortstops managed to do both last season? Four. Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Alexei Ramirez, and Stephen Drew, with Miguel Tejada just missing the cut.

Rob Munstis (@bottomlinesox) of The Bottom Line weighed in with:
The legend of Jed Lowrie began in 2007. He tore through Double A and Triple A like Pecos Bill riding a tornado, hitting a combined .298 that year, while smashing 47 doubles, 8 triples and 13 homers while playing all over the infield. In 2008, he earned a spot on the big league roster and the Red Sox rode his bat through August, while Jed hit .284 with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer and 24 RBI in 102 at-bats.

It seemed Jed was desitined for greateness, but injuries and illness plagued the mighty Jed in 2009 and 2010... and whispers of a new "shortstop of the future" with "magic hands" began to spread through New England.

Jed returned to the field in 2011 and quietly made the team as the utility infielder, ready to wait his turn. But with the Red Sox floundering to an 0-5 start, the need for a hero grew, and Jed was ready. After a battle with the hated Yankees, Lowrie exploded onto the scene, starting 6 of the next 8 games and leading the offense with his Paul Bunyan-like lumber - hitting .465 with an 1.115 OPS, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 9 runs and 11 RBI, while players with bigger and much bigger contracts struggled to keep up.

Bottom Line: All joking aside, Lowrie is on a roll right now, and has more talent and power than Marco Scutaro. The Sox will create ways to squeeze him into the lineup, but he may struggle to log 400+ at-bats as long as Scutaro remains in Boston. Ride the wave and sell high when you can.

Kyle Phillippi (@PiratesGab) of Pirates Gab weighed in with:
Heroes come and go, but legends stay forever. A recent surge on Twitter has dubbed Sam Fuld and Jed Lowrie 'legends.' But wait? They seem a bit young to be legends already, to be compared to the likes of Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols. In my opinion, none are legends right now, but down the road, I could see Sam Fuld being the legend. As of Thursday night, Fuld was batting .344 with a .380 OBP. That's quite impressive for anyone, let alone a three-year player.

My favorite Sam Fuld tweet: Sam Fuld can steal first base.

Jonathan C. Mitchell (@FigureFilbert) of MLB Dirt weighed in with:
Player A - .284/.372/.401 with a 112 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR and 1.2 rWAR in 115 games.
Player B - .267/.345/.446 with a 108 wRC+ and 4.3 fWAR and 4.1 rWAR in 182 games.

Player A - 11.9% Walk rate and 12.2% Strikeout rate and 5.9 Speed Score.
Player B – 10.9% Walk rate and 21.7% Strikeout rate and 3.3 Speed Score.

Player A - Can play all three outfield positions and is 29 years old.
Player B - Can play all four infield positions and is 27 years old.

Both “Legends” have struggled in small sample sizes and both have flourished in small sample sizes. Neither has enough experience to paint a perfect picture of which “Legend” will continue to perform at a high level of play.

Both Sam Fuld and Jed Lowrie have the ability to be contributing factors to any team. Fuld could be most team’s starting centerfielder and is a major fan favorite. I had the pleasure of talking to him last night about his “Legendary” status and he is enjoying the ride and thanking the fans along the way by signing autographs for a minimum of 20 minutes before each game. I mean, this is a guy that eats Chick-Fil-A on Sundays and had April 11th renamed April Fuld’s Day in his honor. But, due to his position, age, Fan Nation, and better minor league track record, Lowrie is more likely to be an All-Star and carry the legend on for seasons to come.

From my fantasy perspective: I think Sam Fuld has the longer leash on job stability this season since the Rays are in a transition year, of sorts, and that could allow him to get 600 at-bats to prove whether or not he's in their long term plans. Is a .300+ batting average with 30+ steals really that far-fetched? That's better than what Brett Gardner will put up this season.

Jed Lowrie probably has more fantasy upside, as long as he remains in the mix for at-bats. He already qualifies at 2B/SS and could be working towards some more time at 3B if the Kevin Youkilis injury is serious. He has more HR/RBI upside and could score as many runs as Fuld in a Red Sox lineup that will eventually start running on all cylinders.

As far as #Legend's go, I think the #LegendofSamFuld has more staying power. One, it comes from a place of true fandom for a player that is the epitome of gritty. And two, it's the original. Unfortunately the folks driving the #LegendofJedLowrie have taken to attacks against Fuld rather than simply promoting all that they love about their hometown hero. And that act tends to get old.

Where Can I Find: Stolen Bases

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I know it's just a couple weeks into the season but now is the time to evaluate your roster to see if you may have overlooked a category or two (or more) during your draft and making some roster adjustments to keep you from ~~failing~~ falling too far behind in the standings.

Below is a list of players available in a large percentage of ESPN and/or Yahoo! leagues that could help you stay competitive in the Stolen Bases category early in the season:

OF Sam Fuld, TB leads the American League in stolen bases with six in just nine games played. He wasn't fantasy-relevant until Manny Ramirez retired and looks to get the majority of playing time in left field while batting leadoff. His overall line of .313/5/1/4/6 could easily help you out in three categories. He's still only 18% owned in ESPN leagues and 26% in Yahoo! leagues. And for some good laughs, check out the #LegendofSamFuld hashtag on Twitter.
3B/SS/OF Willie Bloomquist, ARI benefited from Stephen Drew starting the season with an injury and has made the most of his opportunities. He's started nine of the D'Backs eleven games and has a hit in all nine while racking up six stolen bases and accumulating quite the fantasy baseball line of .349/9/1/5/6. He's only OF eligibility in ESPN leagues but could turn into a super-utility type much like what we saw from Omar Infante in 2010. Now may be the time to commit to picking him up as his ownership numbers continue to rise (54.1% E; 72% Y!).
2B Orlando Hudson, SD is settling in quite nicely near the top of the order with his new team and showing there's still life left in his legs. Hudson has never stolen more than 10 bases in a season, so the four he has now could be an anomaly but if you are lacking at 2B or MI in a deeper league he may be worth the look. He's putting up overall numbers (.324/5/0/2/4) that make him ownable while he's widely available (3.7% E; 7% Y!).
OF Coco Crisp, OAK has averaged 31 stolen bases per 162 games in his career but his problem has been staying healthy. He already has four steals this season but is now dealing with a lower back injury. If you have the roster space to spot start him when he's healthy, you could pick up some cheap steals without much risk. His ownership numbers are currently dropping (56.9% E; 41% Y!), so you probably have some time to make a decision here.
OF Johnny Damon, TB somehow has managed three steals already and currently riding a five-game hitting streak. He'll run a lot more with the Rays than he did with the Tigers, so double-digit steals should be a reality for him again this season. I wouldn't be surprised to see him reach 15/15 in 2011. His ownership numbers are very low (25.5% E; 10% Y!) and so is his batting average but he's providing value in 4-out-of-5 standard scoring categories (.220/4/2/7/3).
C Russell Martin, NYY looks healthy and playing with passion again for the Yankees. Why his ownership numbers aren't higher is beyond me (68.2% E; 72% Y!)? A catcher with the potential to go 20/20 should be owned in 100% of all formats (minus the NL-only lovers). Martin is currently the highest-ranked catcher on both ESPN and Yahoo! with his .300/5/3/8/2 line.
OF David Murphy, TEX will be in the mix for the majority of starts with Josh Hamilton hitting the DL yesterday. Murphy stole 14 bases in 138 games in 2010 and couple provide a nice mix of power and speed over the next couple of months. He's come out of the gate hot (.313/4/1/3/2) and should see a major spike in his ownership numbers (5.1% E; 34% Y!).

I hope you find this list as useful as I have while doing the research. People always talk about how fantasy baseball leagues aren't won by the players they draft in the early rounds but by how well they did with late-round picks and how active they are in the early part of the season with waiver wire pickups. Don't be someone that sits around too long waiting for that "sleeper" to start producing or wasting a roster spot on a potential keeper for next season. I play to win now and will deal with managing potential keepers when September rolls around.

Fantasy Forum: The Bryce Harper Edition

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For this edition of Fantasy Forum, I reached out to fellow
Baseball Blogger Alliance members to get their opinions on the Washington Nationals phenom outfielder Bryce Harper and what they think is in store for the 2011 season and beyond. Here's what they had to say.

William Tasker (@FlagrantFan) of The Flagrant Fan says:
Bryce Harper sure was fun while he lasted. All the experts say he's not ready. He needs more time. But the kid did everything right in his brief time in the Nationals' camp. He said the right things, he handled himself well. It was a blast to watch. It would have been great if the Nationals could live outside the box. The fan interest would have been huge. But we all know about the clock that the teams have to delay for financial reasons. We all know about the history and that no eighteen year old has ever played well in Major League Baseball. But there's always a first time. There's always a phenomenon waiting to happen if given a chance. And yes, this is all emotion and the voice of a fan. Sometimes it feels good to throw analytical thinking into suspension for a brief few moments. But, alas, sanity and business has trumped the dream.

Aaron Somers (@BlogFTBleachers) of Blogging From The Bleachers says:
Ultimately I think the Nationals are taking a smart approach to Bryce Harper. Yes, we all understand that he is an immense talent and potentially an offensive standout before the age of 20 - something we have not seen since Alex Rodriguez. But, he is highly inexperienced and highly unproven to date. Allowing Harper to spend some time in the minor leagues will prove to be wise for a number of reasons. He will be able to grow and mature as a player - learning the professional game, coping with life on the road, adjusting to being an outfielder full time, and growing as a player. He'll also be able to mature as a person which can only be a good thing for anyone who is destined to be in the spotlight as much as he will be.

The Nationals have some solid building blocks in place to build around going forward - namely Strasburg and the two Zimmerman(n)s - and Harper will prove to be a nice compliment to that trio. The team is not ready to win it all right now, which further reinforces their intentions to let Harper gain some seasoning in the minor leagues rather than rushing him to the Majors. I'm not certain what their specific plan is for Harper this season, but I think we could see him on something similar to the schedule Strasburg found himself on last season. He'll begin in A ball, gain X number of plate appearances, and then he'll move up to AA. Again he'll remain there for a predetermined number of plate appearances before moving on to AAA to finish the season. This lets him gain some experience and confidence, work his way through the various levels of competition, and ultimately put Harper in a position where he can come into Spring Training in 2012 primed to win a starting role in Washington.

Kyle Phillippi (@Kyle_Phillippi) of
GCOBB.com says:
Bryce Harper is a great story, but he'll be nothing more than "a #1 pick" this season. He certainly has all the potential in the world to make it to the majors... but not this season. There's no need for the Nationals, who most likely will not compete in 2011, to rush him out onto the field for the simple fact that he will sell seats.

Let the kid gradually enter the big leagues, just as every other prospect does. So far, Harper appears to have a good head on him, but even the slightest bit of favoritism could cause him to turn into a young, arrogant player. Washington should treat him the same way as the guy sitting next to him in Single-A.

For now, he's got all the hype in the world. His time will come, trust me.

Dave Nichols (@natsnewsnetwork) of
Nationals News Networks says:
Bryce Harper is a phenomenal talent. He has great natural power to all fields, a good idea at the plate, and tremendous hustle and work ethic. He's an all-out baserunner with good speed, and as a plus, he displays a ridiculous arm from right field. But he needs to see more balls hit to him in the field as he adjusts to playing the outfield and learn the best time to throw to a base or hit the cut-off man.

He hit .378/.450/.556 (7-for-18) with three doubles and five RBIs in 13 spring training games, but most of those at bats came against pitchers not slated for the big leagues, as he was a replacement in each of the games he played. He more than held his own, though. He was hit with a pitch in his last appearance before being sent out to minor league camp Saturday, and after reacting to the sting, he calmly shook it off and took his base.

His spring training experience, coupled with his success playing twice a week in the Arizona Fall League, leaves most with the impression he won't need much seasoning in the minor leagues.

Before seeing him play, I had him pegged for the minors all season, as Nats GM Mike Rizzo has said on numerous occasions that they aren't going to rush Harper to the big leagues. The organization would prefer that he play everyday in the minors, learning how to be a professional player.

There's also the "old school" in Rizzo that wants Harper to ride the buses and carry his own bags and pay for his late-night dinners out of per diem like just about every other ballplayer in the history of the game.

But watching him perform during spring training, I could also see him dominating the low minors and forcing the team's hand. What Rizzo doesn't want to do is call him up and return him to the minors, so whenever he gets that call, expect it to be permanent.

Bottom line: Harper lives up to the hype. He's an exciting, energetic, powerful, dynamic player, and I expect his Major League debut as soon as the Nats feel comfortable with his defensive play in the outfield.

Jonathan C. Mitchell (@FigureFilbert) of
MLB Dirt says:
Bryce Harper may be the most talented position player to come along since Alex Rodriguez but we have to remember that he should also be a senior in high school right now. Historically, teenagers have struggled at the highest level. Does that mean Harper will too? There is only one way to find out. The fan in me wants to see him play this year and start in center but the realist in me knows he needs to start in AA and get regular at-bats against professionals before making the unprecedented jump to the Majors.

Scott Willis (@crazycrabbers) of
The Crazy Crabbers says:
Having gone through the torture of waiting for the anointed one to arrive last season with Buster Posey, I can certainly sympathize with Nationals fans. That being said I come down squarely in not rushing the kid. The risk of pushing him too fast into a level that he is not ready for comes with huge downside risk and very little to gain.

If he is pushed and struggles there are all sorts of bad things that could happen to him and the last thing you want is him to question his ability or plant the seed in the minds of fans that he is a bust. Look no further then Matt Wieters who is being called a bust by people that don't know much after being taped as a MVP candidate his rookie season. Patience and caution are in order here.

The reason that there is little to gain is because if he is really ready he will force his way up by tearing up the minors. If he spend a few months in the minors and shows that he is ready and makes a June or July debut it costs the Nationals a couple of wins but at this early date only the most optimistic would assume that they have a chance at contending this season. So plan for the future and don't put too much pressure on the kid and with that I would put an ETA of early 2012 on him.

Daniel Aubain (@COSFBA) of COSFBA says:
Clearly, Bryce Harper is a special talent rarely seen in an 18 year old ballplayer but it's clear that the Nationals are going to take there time to allow him to learn being an outfielder at the minor league level rather than take his bumps and bruises in the majors. This isn't the NBA, NFL or even the NHL we're talking about, where kids out of high school can achieve immediate success in their sport. It takes time to learn the ins-and-out of the what it takes to play in the MLB. The length of the season alone is a huge adjustment for most.

Alex Rodriguez and Robin Yount are two of the most-notable modern-day players given a chance to play at the major league level as an 18 year old and neither saw measurable success until years later. Does Harper deserve to be in the same conversation as these two Hall of Famers (insert PEDs arguement here!), only time will tell.

Readers: I'd love to hear your comments and opinions of Harper and feel free to make comparisons, statistical projections and/or wild career predictions. Oh, and please visit the contributors websites and follow them on
Twitter.

Finding Keepers: Tampa Bay Rays

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The Tampa Bay Rays went for it all in 2010 and won the AL East before being knocked out of the playoffs by the Texas Rangers. Everyone knew the Rays would be making some wholesale changes this offseason (letting Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, Carlos Pena and Joaquin Benoit walk while trading away Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett) but the future looks bright for a team that has 12 of the first 89 picks in the 2011 MLB Draft.

So for all of the talk about what this team has lost, they still have some fantasy keepers on the roster and it all starts with 3B Evan Longoria. Longoria is definitely a keeper and a first-round pick for 2011 and for many years to come. Mock Draft Central puts his current ADP at 4.89, being drafted as high as third and as late as 11th. He's projecting a batting average in the .280s with 25-30 home runs, 100+ RBI and runs with 10+ stolen bases. Third base is a very shallow position this year so I can see why people are jumping on Longoria early.

In 2010, SP David Price was the runner-up in the AL Cy Young Award with a 19-6 record, 2.71 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 188 K's and is now being looked upon as the ace of the Rays' staff. That's a lot of pressure to put on a 24 year old but Price has shown he's ready to handle it. His win total may come down a bit to around 15 since he'll be matching up against other number ones in the AL East but I'd expect his ERA to hover around 3.30 and a WHIP near 1.25 with 200 K's in 2011. Lock him up as a fantasy roster ace.

What's not to like about an outfielder that can produce 18 HR, 62 RBI, 89 R and 42 SB? How about his awful .237 batting average? Such is the case with OF B.J. Upton. If only he could get his batting average up to his career mark of .260, it would make the 20 HR/40 SB potential so much more attractive. If you're willing to accept some bad with all that good and the potential Upton possesses for greatness, he makes a great keeper selection.

OF Desmond Jennings could probably steal 50 bases given an entire season of regular playing time this season. The giant question mark, though, is how much playing time will he ACTUALLY get? I think the Rays are going to bring him along slowly while seeing how the Damon and Ramirez signings play out for 2011. If you are in a dynasty league, Jennings would be a great keeper selection to lock up for 2012 and beyond. I'm not sold that you'll get your return on investment if you are simply keeping him for his 2011 potential.

Best of the rest but not keepers:

SP Jeremy Hellickson is being touted as the "next big thing" but projections on Rotochamp.com put him as an 11-win pitcher, at best. He could be good in 2011 but probably not a keeper until 2012 or 2013.
2B/OF Ben Zobrist is a second baseman that has 20/20 potential but his .253 career batting average could deter him from being on anyone's keeper list. NOTE: He hit just .177 and slugged .293 after the break due to an ugly .190 BABIP.
What you get out of OF Manny Ramirez and OF Johnny Damon this season is anyone's guess but it's been a while since either were worthy of a keeper selection.
C John Jaso is a catcher that can hit .270 with an OBP near .380 and should be sitting there available at the end of most drafts if you're looking for a cheap option at this position.
1B Dan Johnson looks as though he'll be in the mix at first base for the Rays this season. There are some serious discrepancies in projections on what to expect out of him this season.

The Rays roster still has a bunch of players with fantasy value and it will be interesting to see how that relates to the real-life outcomes in the standings. This team will play with a ton of enthusiasm and heart and should be in the mix come playoff time.

Please take a moment to check out the rest of the teams in my "Finding Keepers" series and contact me if you have any interest in participating in my fantasy baseball league (see settings). Also, COSFBA can be followed on Twitter and now has a Facebook fan page to "Like" to have new articles and updates appear in your News Feed. Thanks for taking the time to check out all the ways in which COSFBA helps feed my addiction to fantasy baseball.

COSFBA Readers/Followers Leagues Are Now Open For Business

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The beginning of February is always an exciting time for fantasy baseball players - free agency is winding down, rosters are taking shape, players are reporting to camps, keeper selections are due and new fantasy leagues are forming.

Over the last few years, I've dedicated myself to creating FREE, competitive leagues (on ESPN) filled with mature adults looking for a unique, fun experience and have been very successful in doing so. I like Head-to-Head leagues with lots of teams, large rosters and more than the standard 5x5 scoring categories so those are the kinds of leagues I've created.

I've already filled one 14-team league for 2011 and am filling up a second one with more readers of my blog and Twitter followers. I plan on occasionally writing about these leagues too and will be asking league members to get involved too. I've met some really great people over the years through my leagues and look forward to meeting many more (especially in the Colorado Springs/Denver area).

If this sounds like the kind of league you've been looking for and would like more information, please send me a message by visiting the "Contact Me" page on my blog at http://goo.gl/y81z1.

Looking forward to hearing from and competing against some new people now and for years to come.

Thanks,
Daniel

Finding Keepers: Milwaukee Brewers

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The Milwaukee Brewers had a very productive offseason, acquiring two very exciting young arms but it remains to be seen if they gave up too much in doing so.

OF Ryan Braun is at the core of this team's offense and finished the season as the 13th-ranked fantasy player with a .304/101/25/103/14 line. It's hard to find fault with those numbers even though each was below his career average (per 162 games played) of .307/111/36/118/18. The Brewers are a team that injected a lot of optimism and energy into their 2011 season and I'd expect a player like Braun to benefit from that and produce another MVP-caliber season.

Okay, enough beating around the bush. Acquiring SP Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals sent a message to the rest of the NL Central (and all of baseball) that the Brewers were ready to make a run at winning now even though it meant sacrificing a few young players. Greinke is one season removed from winning a Cy Young award while on a very bad team. I look for him to regain his dominance and you should too by making him a keeper selection in all fantasy baseball league formats.

OF Corey Hart seemed to figure it all out after a horrific 2009 and wondering if he'd even be a starter in 2010. Merely a late round afterthought in most drafts (ADP 232.7), he rebounded to produce a .283/91/31/102/7 line, which was good enough to finish the season as the 17th-ranked outfielder. Hart is a two-time 20/20 player but has seen his stolen bases slip to just seven last season. It would be great to see him produce a 30/15 season in 2011 but regardless of the stolen bases deserves to be a keeper.

It's hard not to call a player that was drafted with an ADP of 8 and finished the season ranked 100th overall a disappointment, but I'm sure that's exactly what most 1B Prince Fielder owners would say about his 2010 performance. Fantasy managers were definitely expecting big things from Prince after his .299/103/46/141/2 line in 2009 but would be foolish to think he's not going to put up monster numbers again, especially while seeking a mega-millions type contract. If he were made available in a keeper league, I'd be questioning if the league was even worth playing in.

2B Rickie Weeks has averaged 22 home runs and 23 stolen bases (per 162 games played) over his young career and produced the 3rd-best season of all second basemen in 2010 with a .269/112/29/83/11 line. It's hard to ignore production like that when locking in your keepers but be aware that Weeks has only averaged 105 games played over the last six years with a low of 37 in 2009 and a high of 160 in 2010.

What a nice fantasy surprise 3B Casey McGehee has been over the last two seasons, producing at a .288/74/22/101/1 pace and being the ninth-ranked third baseman while holding 2B eligibility too. He'll strictly be a third baseman in 2011 but deserves serious keeper consideration at a position that drops off significantly outside of the top 10.

Best of the rest but not keepers:

SP Yovani Gallardo, newly-acquired SP Shaun Marcum and SP Randy Wolf round out the top four rotation spots and each could have a very good fantasy season but none are worthy of a keeper selection. All three should be available in the middle rounds of drafts when quality starting pitchers start flying off the board.
RP John Axford filled in very nicely as the closer when the wheels fell off of Trevor Hoffman's season. He finished the season with 24 Saves, a 2.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a stellar 11.79 K/9 ratio. Axford will be a fun player to own in 2011. I mean just check out his Twitter profile picture!

Looking over the Brewers roster, fans have a lot to look forward to in 2011. Did I miss anyone? Disagree with my assessment of a player? I'd love to hear from a die-hard Brewers fan that can't wait for the season to get underway and your player and team predictions.

As a new member of the Yardbarker Network, my articles are getting a lot of exposure to a much wider audience and I am grateful to all of the first-time visitors. Be sure to check out COSFBA on Twitter and Facebook, too. If you'd like to see what other teams I've already covered in my "Finding Keepers" series of articles, click here.

Baseball Bloggers Alliance Day: 12/10/2010

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Today is Baseball Bloggers Alliance Day, and as a member of the Fantasy Baseball Chapter I'd like to tell you what the BBA has meant to me and COSFBA.

First off, here's a little about the BBA straight from the source:
"The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was formed in 2009 to foster communication and collaboration between bloggers across baseball. Member blogs are encouraged to use one another to deepen their understanding of the game and the teams that play it.

While no formal requirements for membership exist at the current time, participating blogs are asked to keep their blogs current and to link to other member blogs on their blog roll.

The BBA has, as a secondary aim, the goal of producing year-end awards in a similar fashion to the Baseball Writers of America. These awards can be found here in October with links back to the voters, ensuring transparancy and, most likely, the onset of some good baseball arguments."

As a relatively young blog, I went searching the internet for a group or organization that was doing great things for baseball bloggers and the BBA was exactly what I was looking for. I now feel like my blog belongs to something important and has a voice on a much larger scale than it would had I gone at this venture on my own.

In October, I had the pleasure of voicing my opinions and casting votes for the BBA's end-of-year awards (seen here) and was overwhelmed by the hundreds of views that post received. I've also submitted my Hall of Fame ballot, so keep an eye out for those results in early January 2011.

Be sure to take some time to visit the BBA website and visit as many of the nearly 240 member blogs as possible. Also look for BBA member tweets on Twitter by searching for the #BBBA hashtag and have a very happy BBA Day!

Thankful

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This is the time of year where everyone takes a moment to voice all that they are currently thankful for, reflect on the past year and look towards what the future has in store. COSFBA is no different. The following are the Top 10 things COSFBA is very thankful for this holiday season:

10. Players with multi-position eligibility. These are the types of players that make every fantasy baseball roster better. Martin Prado (1B/2B/3B), Jose Bautista (3B/OF), Omar Infante (2B/3B/SS/OF), Ben Zobrist (1B/2B/OF) are just a few valuable players whose positional flexibility kept them in the lineup.
9. Bryce Harper. What's not to love about the future of the Washington Nationals? From the ridiculous amounts of eye black to tearing up the Arizona Fall League, this guy will keep fantasy baseball writers busy for years to come.
8. Perfect games and no hitters. Ubaldo Jimenez. Dallas Braden. Roy Halladay (x2). Edwin Jackson. Matt Garza. Sign me up for more of the same in 2011.
7. The Hot Stove season. Rumors. Signings. Trades. This time of year is why I gave up on fantasy football several years ago. Who needs football when baseball is now truly a 12-month sport. Twitter has been a phenomenal source of great information if you know who to follow.
6. Statistics. I'm a huge fan of advanced baseball statistics but will admit I'm a little late to the game. You won't see me quoting a whole lot about BABIP, FIP, WAR, VORP or wOBA but I'll be sure to make reference to resources I find valuable in my hunt to become more SABR-literate.
5. Awards. Starting with the Derek Jeter Gold Glove fiasco and ending with Josh Hamilton's AL MVP, the 2010 awards gave bloggers plenty to talk about and COSFBA got in on the action, too.
4. Albert Pujols. I'm sorry, but Pujols is fantasy baseball royalty and until he proves to be less than superhuman, he's the number one pick in all fantasy baseball formats.
3. Impact Rookies. Here's hoping 2011 brings another crop of rookies as good as Buster Posey, Jason Heyward, Neftali Feliz, Austin Jackson, Jaime Garcia, Danny Valencia, Gaby Sanchez, Neil Walker and more.
2. Closers on the cheap can change the fantasy baseball landscape of any league. Guys like John Axford, Kevin Gregg and Chris Perez will be the poster boys for next season's "never pay for saves" reasoning.

And the number one reason COSFBA is thankful this holiday season is...
1. Pitchers and catchers report to camps on February 13, 2011. Valentine's Day will come a day early this year and I will be sure to mark the 13th with a heart because "I Love You, baseball season". Just don't break my heart.

What are some of the baseball-related things you were thankful for in 2010 and hopeful for in 2011?

COSFBA Goes Yard

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This offseason, I'm dedicating myself to taking COSFBA to the next level as a legitimate source for fantasy baseball news, advice and opinions. Here's some of the things I've accomplished so far:

Purchased a domain.
Cracked the 200 followers mark on Twitter with @COSFBA.
Made it easier to connect with COSFBA on Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo! and via Feedburner.
Added the feature to become a friend of this blog and follow it publicly.
Continuing my series of articles, Finding Keepers, geared towards identifying keepers on each major league roster.
Joining a sports bloggers network geared at exposing what I do to a larger audience of readers and maybe making a few bucks in the process.

The sports bloggers network I chose to join was Yardbarker, and happily they accepted me. Yardbarker has a great lineup of fantasy baseball bloggers, many that are also fellow members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, so take a moment to check them out.

One of the last things I'm hoping to accomplish soon is a brand new logo and possibly some more tweaks to the lay out of the blog that will incorporate Yardbarker a bit more seamlessly. So keep an eye out for those changes and be sure to spread the word of COSFBA through the share options below.

Sincerely,

Daniel

Waiver Saviors: 07/25/2010

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Here are some names of note that are widely available in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues in the latest installment of Waiver Saviors:

1B/OF Luke Scott, BAL (17.7% E; 21% Y!) is on another of his typical, streaky tears. Since returning from the DL, he's hitting .458 (11/24) with 4 HR, 8 RBI, 5 runs and a 1.458 OPS in 6 games. For a guy hitting around .300 for the season and projecting 30 HR, you'd expect higher ownership numbers.
OF Jack Cust, OAK (6.5% E; 8% Y!) is on fire in July. Hitting .346 (18/52) with 6 HR, 18 RBI, 14 runs and 14 walks, Cust could be a very nice add in OBP and/or OPS leagues.
3B Pedro Alvarez, PIT (25.6 E; 25% Y!) may finally be living up to his potential. In July, he's raised his average from .152 to .252 by hitting .315 (23/73) with 7 HR, 15 RBI and 13 runs. He could help you at the CI position in deep leagues or be a nice gamble in a keeper league if you are already thinking about next season.
SS Starlin Castro, CHC (43.3% E; 24% Y!) has got his groove back and loving his move into the #2 spot. Over the last 7 days, he's 13/27 (.481) with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 runs and 2 SB. Castro is a player with huge fantasy baseball upside and worthy of a roster spot in all formats.
SP Vincente Padilla, LAD (34.8% E; 31% Y!) is starting to look like a pitcher that deserved starting opening day. He's allowed two runs or less in each of his last six starts and and sporting a nice 61:15 K:BB in 68.2 IP on the season.
RP Chris Perez, CLE (45.7% E; 37% Y!) is back in the closer role for the Indians, replacing the oft-injured Kerry Wood again. Perez should be owned in any format that uses saves. He has 3 Saves (and 2 Holds) and a 11.32 K/9 ratio over his last 10.1 IP.

Are you already in a rebuilding stage or attempting to identify next season's keepers? At what point do you consider yourself too far out of the running? It better not be once you draft your fantasy football team.

Be sure to follow COSFBA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/COSFBA. Thanks!

Line of the Day: 07/22/2010

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3B Alex Rodriguez, NYY was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer (#599), four RBI and a run. AROD is about to join a very elite group of individuals with 600 or more home runs (Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Griffey, Sosa), regardless of your feelings on the validity of some of this group's members. Five more years of 30+ home runs and Rodriguez will be the new "Home Run King".

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/21/2010

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3B Pedro Alvarez, PIT was 3-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI and three runs. Alvarez has homered twice in each of his last two games and now has all seven of his homers in July. Speaking of July, he's hitting .339 (21/62) with those seven home runs, 15 RBI and 12 runs this month. Only 9.1 % ESPN and 18% Y! owned, now would be the time to grab him if you are floundering at the 3B or CI positions. He's projecting 23 HR and 65 RBI, most of which would be gained by the owner picking him up today.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/20/2010

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3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC went 3-for-5 with three home runs, seven RBI and three runs. Ramirez is on a TEAR right now and any dreams of getting him off waivers have vanished. In 15 July games, he's gone 23/60 (.383 BA) with 9 HR (15 XBH), 24 RBI, 23 R, a .406 OBP and a 1.356 OPS. His average is now up to .226 after hitting only .152 in April and .173 in May. You are being greatly rewarded if you simply stashed him on your bench until now instead of dumping him.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/19/2010

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1B Miguel Cabrera, DET was 3-for-6 with two home runs, three RBI, two runs and a walk. Cabrera is now hitting .340 on the season with 24 HR, 82 RBI and 67 runs. He's in the Top 3 in all Triple Crown categories and projecting 43 HR, 146 RBI and 120 runs. An ADP of 11.5 seems like a steal now. He will easily be a Top 5 fantasy player next year, if not the top pick in many formats.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/18/2010

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SP Paul Maholm, PIT pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout against the Astros. Maholm. Really. I KNOW! Maholm walked none and struck out one. If you were part of the 0.7% that own him in ESPN leagues, you probably deserve a start from him that didn't make you wanna kill yourself. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Ups and Downs: 07/18/2010

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This edition of Ups and Downs looks at a few players being added and dropped the most (according to ESPN leagues) and the possible reasons why.

3B Aramis Ramirez, CHC (+24.2%) has been on a tear in July (.375, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R) and looking like his first half woes (.207 BA pre All-Star break) may be behind him. His ownership numbers are high (91.3% E; 79% Y!) but could be available if your league mates have already moved on to fantasy football.
SP Edinson Volquez, CIN (+23.8%) returned from Tommy John surgery (and a 50-game drug suspension for PEDs) with a quality start in which he went six innings, allowing three hits, an earned run, two walks while striking out nine in a win at home versus Colorado. Volquez is fairly available (35.8% E; 45% Y! owned) right now but don't wait much longer to pick him up. Another quality start and his ownership numbers could double.
SP Madison Bumgarner, SF (+16.2%) is proving that he belongs in the big leagues. After just four starts this season, Bumgarner is 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 21 K's in 28 IP. He's pitched seven or more innings in three of those four starts, too. If you need a good, young starter (especially in a keeper league), now may be the time to claim Bumgarner (31.9% E; 28% Y! owned).
OF Chris Coghlan, FLA (-21.4%) is rumored to be headed to the DL or at least be out of the line up for the short term. Coghlan is projecting 9 HR, 51 RBI, 101 R and 17 SB this season, which is actually better than last season's numbers, except for BA (.263 compared to .321). Owners must be finding better options on waivers.
SP Carlos Silva, CHC (-16%) was lit up for six earned runs in just 1.1 IP in his last start. Owners are probably seeing this as the last straw towards the "beginning of the end". Silva is 1-3 over his last six starts after opening the season 8-0.
1B Gaby Sanchez, FLA (-15.5%) was a very popular "add" just a couple of weeks ago. He's gone 10/40 with 0 HR, 0 RBI and only 2 R over the last 15 days and no longer worthy of a CI or UTL spot.

What other players are you buying, selling or simply cut and running away from? Is the All-Star break the unofficial point of worrying if a guy is going to turn it around or not? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter. I could always use some more followers there, if you're into that sort of thing.

Line of the Day: 07/17/2010

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2B/SS Reid Brignac, TB was 3-for-5 with two home runs, five RBI and two runs scored. Brignac really isn't a fantasy-relevant player (1.3% E; 3% Y! owned) but his first home run could have plenty of fantasy impact. It's being reported that his first blast of the day sent Yankees' SP A.J. Burnett into a tirade that left him with two cut palms. Yankees' manager Joe Girardi is saying Burnett will stay on track to make his next scheduled start.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/16/2010

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C Bengie Molina, TEX was 4-for-4, hitting for the cycle, with four RBI and a run. Unfortunately, he left the game in the eighth with tightness in his right quadriceps after legging out a triple. Molina is hitting .290 with two home runs and six RBI in nine games with the Rangers.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/15/2010

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SP Tim Lincecum, SF tossed a complete-game, six-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the Mets. Lincecum allowed one walk and struck out five while throwing 110 pitches. It was his first complete game and first shutout of the season. He's on pace for 18 wins and 248 strikeouts in 228 innings pitched. You get what you pay for with Lincecum (ADP 8.9) and he has yet to disappoint.

Agree? Disagree? Nominate your own Line of the Day player using the comments section or hitting me up on Twitter.

Line of the Day: 07/11/2010

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OF Carlos Quentin, CHW was 2-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and 2 runs scored. That now gives him three multi-homer games out of his last four and 19 overall. In his last 33 games, Quentin has 14 home runs and 35 RBI. The .244 batting average could be hard to swallow right now, but he's projecting 38 home runs and 121 RBI. If Quentin can hit .280 in the second half, 40 bombs should be a given. Hopefully you were lucky enough to grab him off waivers recently (like I did) after a frustrated owner finally dumped him.