Call me crazy, but I currently view Jason Motte as a top-10 closer. Sure, there are safer options, but then again, there's also quite a bit of uncertainty in the closer's market right now (B.J. Ryan, Brian Fuentes, Francisco Cordero, etc.). There's always the chance Tony La Russa goes all Ryan Franklin on us, but I always draft for skills, not role, and he's probably a smarter manager than that anyway. I like Chris Perez, but he's walked 5.6 batters per nine innings throughout his career, and I'm not sure why he's generally considered the pitcher with more upside. Motte, a former catcher, didn't even start pitching until two years ago, compiling a 11.9 K/9 mark throughout 164.2 minor league innings. When you combine last year's stint with the Cardinals and his stats this spring, you get an acceptable 31:4 K:BB ratio over 21.1 innings. And this has all been accomplished throwing primarily his fastball, as his slider remains a work in progress (and it's showing definite signs of improvement). With terrific command of a devastating fastball, he only needs the slider to be average anyway. Go get him.
I'm guessing this cop got picked on an awful lot in high school. I give Ryan Moats a lot of credit – I would have easily ended up in jail if this happened to me.
I've written about Johnny Cueto ad nauseam, so I'll keep it short and simple; he has an 11:2 K:BB ratio this spring and has the upside of entering next year as a top-20 fantasy starter. The 11 Ks have come in 18 innings, so I'd like to see him missing more bats, and his ballpark is always going to remain a big obstacle. Still, the improved command is a very nice sign. I'm still buying.
Your weekly Stephen Strasburg update. He now has an 88:8 K:BB ratio over 42.1 innings.
I'm starting to come around on Todd Helton. Obviously, his prime is well in the past, and I doubt he'll ever return to his 30-homer days. However, his back appears to be the healthiest it's been in years, and he's currently posting a 1.446 OPS during spring. Sure, it's a tiny sample size, but the four homers are telling. Helton isn't likely to hit more than 20-25 bombs in 2009, but he still has Coors Field on his side and should be a major asset in batting average. He's just one year removed from a .928 OPS season and is 35 years old, hardly that ancient. If he's truly back to health, Helton could be a big help in fantasy leagues.
Everyone always talks about how thin middle infield and catcher are, and normally, I agree. However, I'd argue third base is the shallowest position right now. I guess there's a top-8 (Wright, ARod, Longoria, A. Ramirez, Youkilis, Chipper, C. Davis, Atkins), but there's definite injury concerns with three of those, and Atkins is shaky at best. But the real problem is after that group, when it becomes a true crapshoot. I'd much prefer waiting on MI and gambling on a Khalil Greene, Yunel Escobar, Jed Lowrie, Felipe Lopez, Freddy Sanchez, etc. than I would taking a Mike Lowell, Carlos Guillen, Mark Reynolds or Melvin Mora. But the problem is I'm not all that big on any third baseman after the big-three, so Hank Blalock is too often ending up as my starter.
I honestly can't tell if Richard Justice is being sarcastic here. Based off his last few columns, it appears he's being dead serious.
I've been a Conor Jackson fan for quite some time now, but it might be time to call a spade a spade. I love his plate discipline and home stadium, so he should be an asset in BA and runs scored, but his lack of power is a huge source of concern. Dating back to last year and through this spring, CoJack has ZERO homers over his last 248 at-bats.
I'm not even going to waste much time talking about how absolutely ridiculous it is to have Brandon Morrow become a full-time closer, because it's not even worth it. Maybe his arm will only hold up as a reliever, but that conclusion has hardly been reached yet. And I don't care if that's his preference, just as it shouldn't matter where Manny Ramirez wants to hit in the lineup. If I were a Mariners fan, I would be highly discouraged – the fact this is being allowed shows complete incompetence from top to bottom. Really, it's sad. Forget teams comprehending complex stats correctly, or trying to dissect defensive measures, can we at least reach the point where some common sense is instituted?