Fantasy Plus: JJ Putz

Next up in the Fantasy Plus series, is closer JJ Putz, coming off of his first 40 save season, and All-Star appearance.

CBSSports.com

Putz, who pitched in only two games last spring because of an elbow injury, went on to have the finest year of his career -- 40 saves, a 1.36 ERA and a 6-1 record to earn the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award. In 2007, Putz and the Mariners were concerned about lingering soreness in his right elbow. He was having trouble getting loose after his first Cactus League performance on March 5 and didn't pitch again until March 27, when he appeared in a minor league game. The Mariners weren't at all sure that he'd be ready to go once the season started, but he threw one inning against the Cubs in Las Vegas and judged himself ready to go. He's one of the Big Three at the Fantasy closer positions this season, along with Jonathan Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez, so draft him as such.

ESPN.com

So much for the elbow trouble that plagued him late last spring; Putz recovered quickly and managed substantially better ERA, WHIP and batting-average against numbers than he did in his breakout 2006. Sure, his strikeout rate tumbled slightly, but when you're talking about going from 11.95 per nine innings to 10.30, are you really going to complain? Putz is now one of the game's most reliable closers, and nothing in his profile indicates a step backward is coming. He'll contend for top fantasy honors at his position.

MLB.com
Putz proved that his 2006 breakout season was no fluke by saving 40 games for the Mariners in dominating fashion last year. Ringing up a 22-inning scoreless streak along the way, he topped all regular relievers in ERA and WHIP while recording an overpowering K/BB ratio. Even though Putz has logged more innings than any other top closer over the past two seasons, owners shouldn't worry about him breaking down. Expect Putz to be right there at the top of the pack again in '08.

My Analysis

You should be able to count on JJ once again to be a solid closer, now that his rotation has become better. Why does the good rotation matter? Would it be easier to convert a save with a one run lead or three? That could be the difference between the save and blowing the save. Expect around 40 saves again for Putz, with atleast a strikeout per inning pitched. His ERA should also be fairly low as well. Don't be too worried when using a high draft pick on him.

My Fantasy Baseball Draft Results

If you don't already know, I'm a bit of a fantasy nut, and today was my first draft for 2008. Here's my picks:

8 Matt Holliday (OF COL)
13 Ichiro Suzuki (OF SEA)
28 Manny Ramirez (OF BOS)
33 Robinson Cano (2B NYY)
48 Roy Halladay (P TOR)
53 Justin Morneau (1B MIN)
68 Jose Valverde (P HOU)
73 Felix Hernandez (P SEA)
88 Michael Young (SS TEX)
93 Miguel Tejada (SS HOU)
108 Jorge Posada (C NYY)
113 Chris R. Young (P SD)
128 Jeff Francis (P COL)
133 Mike Lowell (3B BOS)
148 Yovani Gallardo (P MIL)
153 Pat Burrell (OF PHI)
168 Placido Polanco (2B DET)
173 A.J. Pierzynski (C CHW)
188 Chris Duncan (OF STL)
193 Dustin McGowan (P TOR)
208 Shaun Marcum (P TOR)
213 Hiroki Kuroda (P LA)

Overall I'm fairly happy with my team. The only problem that I had with it, was that I missed out my one pick, on Russel Martin, Erik Bedard, Joe Mauer, and Brian McCann. Oh well. I would like to know if there's any interest in having a fantasy baseball league through this blog. Leave any interest in the comments, or drop me a line at marinerscentral @gmail.com.

Mariners Sign Denny Stark

The Mariners have signed 33 RHP Denny Stark to a minor league deal. Stark was drafted by the Mariners in 1996, and was traded to the Rockies with Brian Fuentes and Jose Paniagua for Jeff Cirillo in 2001. Stark hasn't seen big league action since 2005, because he is coming off of two Tommy John surgeries. He was with the Rockies' and Indians' organizations before his surgeries.

Position Battles: Left Handed Set Up Man

After the departure of George Sherrill in the Erik Bedard trade, the Mariners are without a left handed set up man to closer JJ Putz, something the George Sherrill did an excellent job doing last season. There are a few contenders for this job, but all from the organization.

Eric O'Flaherty spent most of last season with the Mariners in mostly a mid-relief role. He is believed tobe one of the best contenders for the left handed setup man this year. O'Flaherty pitched in 52.1 innings in '07, sporting a 4.47 ERA, with 20 walks and 36 strikeouts. He gave up only one home run, and 45 hits. His 1.24 WHIP is probably his best statistic, and in my opinion, is one of the most important stats for a setup man. The 20 BB will probably go down a little bit, now that he has got a few innings under his belt, and maybe his 36 K's will go up too. For O'Flaherty, there is almost nowhere to go but up. He looks to be one of the biggest contenders for this job. So far this Spring, O'Flaherty has given up only one hit in 2 IP.

Cesar Jimenez appears to be one of the longer shots for this job. In 2007, he had 25.2 IP with the Rainers with a 3.51 ERA. He gave up 28 hits, only 2 homeruns, 12 BB, and 23 K's. His WHIP was 1.56. I like the fact that this guy can strikeout his share of betters, but I dislike the numbers of hits and walks he gave up. Only 2 HR's in 25.2 IP, is good, but Eric O'Flaherty's 1 HR in 52.1 IP is better. Once he gets the hits and walks down to about a 1-1.40 WHIP, then we will start to notice this guy more. He'll probably spend another season at AAA to imprive his control, which will bring down the walks and hits, making him a better pitcher for potentially the 2009 season. This Spring he has gotten 2 IP, giving up only one hit, but he has a save.

I really like Ryan Feierabend, but as a starter. Like Brandon Morrow, everyone could fall in love with him as a setup man, and then the next season complain about how he isn't in the rotation. He was 6-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 108.1 IP, primarily as a starter. He had 70 K's, 33 BB, 9 HR, and 131 hits, for a WHIP of 1.95. His HR rate per nine innings is pretty good at 1.82. I don're really like most of his other stats per nine (H9 13.32, BB9 4.20, K9 4.93). I guess his strikeout rate is alright, but the hits and walks needs to go down. Like I've said for te last couple of guys, WHIP can be a pretty big factor for a reliever trying to make it. He got 49.1 IP with the Mariners last season, but had a 1-6 record, with a terrible 8.03 ERA. I can't remember how he got his IP in the Bigs last season. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy makes the team, he could also be in a long relief role. This Spring he has an ERA of 2.25 in 4 IP, giving up four hits and one earned run.

Ryan Rowland-Smith is another in-house candidate that could make this spot. In 41.2 IP with Tacoma, he had a 3-4 record with a 3.67 ERA. He had 50 K's over that span. With the Mariners last season, he got 38.2 IP, and had a 1-0 record with a 3.96 ERA. His strikeouts continued, with 42 in the majors. His WHIP was 1.40 with the M's. He looks to be one of the top contenders for this gig, based on what he has already done in the majors. This Spring, he is 0-1 in 3.2 IP with an ERA of 0.00, and has given up four hits and one unearned run.

My pick for he left handed setup man job will be either Rowland-Smith, or O'Flaherty, mostly because of the two's prior expierience. They both look good. Maybe they switch in or out at some point in the season. Your pick(s)? Also, any other position battles that you want done?

Spring Training Watch Part 2: Jeremy Reed

I took a look at Jeremy Reed back in February, I didn't have Reed with the Mariners, but rather down at AAA, pending what happens with Brad Wilkerson and Wladimir Balentien. Now he looks like a solid contender for a Major League spot. Some Spring stats for you, as of 07/03/08:

AVG G AB R H TB 2B 3B HR RBI

.571 7 7 1 4 4 0 0 0 1

It's still too early to tell, but don't these stats look not that bad? Out of all Mariners, he has the highest BA, other than Moore, who has only had one at bat. Wladimir Balentien hasn't blown anyone away yet, and that fourth outfield spot is still up for grabs. I haven't seen Reed actually play yet, so I can't use first hand expierience, but the stats don't lie, he is ready for the big time. If he can continue like this, I would have him on the bench, without too many questions.

Only time will tell, but this guy looks like he is ready to be in the Bigs, once again. I'm watching the Mets right now, and man can they hit home runs. Glad the Mariners don't have to play them much, of at all.

Spring Training Watch: Part 2

A little while ago, I started a feature called Spring Training Watch. Now that Spring Training is under way, I will be looking over players to watch during the Spring, but now that they have had a few PA's and IP's, there will be more analysis, and better predictions.

Fantasy Plus: Erik Bedard

Next up in the Fantasy Plus series, is Erik Bedard. Bedard will open the season for the M's, as the rotation's new ace. Bedard established himself last season as a fantasy stud.

CBSSports.com

Bedard said he didn't change anything from his previous start. He had fewer words than pitches -- he threw 38, 26 for strikes. His ground rules for the session: "You've got four questions." Why four? "That's one," Bedard said. "I was throwing the same as last time," he said during the 78 seconds he made himself available. "They just weren't hitting them today." Continue to draft the strikeout artist among the top 10 pitchers in Fantasy despite his so-so start to the spring.

ESPN.com

Though it cost them perhaps more in talent than it did the Mets to acquire Johan Santana, the Mariners nevertheless paid the steep bounty to get Bedard to install him as staff ace. Not that it was a poor move; he shifts to a ballpark and a pitching staff better suited to his talents. Bedard has ranked a fantasy ace -- a clear No. 1 type -- since June 2007, and on the road, he has a 1.07 WHIP and .205 BAA in his past 24 starts, awfully encouraging numbers. The case can be made he's the American League's top fantasy starter.

MLB.com

Going from Baltimore to Seattle is a huge step up for Bedard, who will now enjoy the benefits spacious Safeco Field and greater run support. Coming off a career year in which he registered 221 strikeouts despite missing all of September, Bedard is a good bet to build on his success in Seattle, with 20 wins in the realm of possibilities.

AOL Sports

Bedard's quote basically sums up his season and his career. At times, he's had "it" and performed very well for fantasy owners – such as when he was 4-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 18 strikeouts through his first four starts of this year. At other times, the 27-year-old southpaw hasn't had "it" – like his last six starts, when he's gone 1-3 with a 7.04 ERA, 15 strikeouts, and 17 walks. Few things irk fantasy owners as much as inconsistency, and Bedard is definitely testing our patience.

My Analysis

Erik Bedard coming to Seattle strongly improves his fantasy value. Safeco Field will help bring down his home run rate, and a strong defence behind him also helps. Not to mention a solid bullpen that will save a few games for you. Bedard is almost an ace. To me, it takes atleast two seasons of domanince to be considered an "ace". A Cy Young award would help that. Don't be afraid to use a high pick on him, as he will most likely not dissapoint you. Did I mention that he's Canadian, eh?

Around the League: March 6, 2008

Sorry I haven't kept up with these, but I have other things on the go, for this blog, and outside of this blog.

• MLBTradeRumors has new stuff on the Brian Roberts situation, but nothing new, other than that the talks have almost come to a complete stop.
• Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times learned that the Cubs never contacted Torii Hunter's agent before he signed with the Angels. Derek Lee and Hunter are friends, so Lee may have been able to lure Hunter over.
• D'Backs pitchers Brandon Medders and Dustin Nippert are out of options, and one of them could be traded.
• Spring Training action: BOS 2 BAL 12; DET 9 ATL 6; MIN 7 BOS 2; MIN4 TOR 0; NYM 8 CLE 6; PHI 1 TB 9; PIT 13 CIN 8; STL LAD 4; WSH 2 FLA 3; HOU 9 NYY 5; ARI 10 CWS 0; ARI 3 SD 6; CWS 1 LAA 11; COL 10 KC 7; OAK 2 SF 3; TEX 8 MIL 9; CIN - PIT - PPD.

Mariners Check in on Ponson

Sorry for the delay, but late is better than never. Sidney Ponson threw a bullpen session for many teams. Our own Seattle Mariners were one of those teams, and appear to be the best fit, according to MLB Rumors. The stadium, good bullpen, makes sense, but they don't have the room. Maybe as injury insurance he would work, but we already have RA Dickey and Cha Seung Baek among others.

MacLaren's Numbers Game

The Mariners had the fewest walks in the league, and the second fewest strikeouts. Odd stats, but they will keep getting odder, or more odd. Mac plans to hand out sheets this spring, with each batter's stats in different counts, for example, so-and-so had a .364 BA when the count was 1-2, but a .101 BA when the counts was 1-1. The plan is that these splits will allow the Mariners' hitters to discover what counts they have better success in, starting with Spring Training so it all melts in. If this pans out, than maybe it will help out this Mariners team. With the Angels as good as they should be, this team may need any advantage they can get. Not saying that their rotation and bullpen aren't some of the best in the league.

07/03/08 SEA 4 CHC 2

The Mariners lost to the Cubs in today's Cactus League action.

BoxScore. Recap.

SEATTLE AB R H BI
I Suzuki cf 2 1 0 0
R Dickey p 0 0 0 0
J Clement ph-c 0 0 0 0
Y Betancourt ss 4 1 1 3
M Cairo ss 0 0 0 0
R Ibanez lf 3 0 0 1
S Green p 0 0 0 0
R Sexson 1b 3 0 0 0
B LaHair 1b 1 0 0 0
B Wilkerson rf 3 0 1 0
W Balentien rf 1 0 0 0
K Johjima c 3 0 0 0
J Reed lf 1 0 1 0
J Lopez 2b 3 0 0 0
Y Chen 2b 1 0 0 0
M Morse 3b 2 1 1 0
C Silva p 1 0 0 0
R Rowland-Smith p 0 0 0 0
A Moore ph 0 0 0 0
B Sardinha cf 2 1 1 0

IP H R ER BB SO HR
SEATTLE
C Silva (L,0-1) 3 1-3 7 6 6 2 0 1
R Rowland-Smith 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 0
R Dickey 3 1 0 0 0 2 0
S Green 1 1 0 0 0 1 0

Baek Not Going to AAA

Overlooked this yesterday, but John Hickey of the Seattle PI says, that if Cha Seung Baek is not with the big club when camp breaks, than he will opt for free agency if he is unclaimed when he is sent down to AAA.

"I don't know if they want me to stay or go," he said. "Maybe I will go to another team. There's no way I want to go back to Tacoma."

Baek to me looked like a solid candidate to get some time in the rotation over the past few years, but for some reason, couldn't get over that hump. Since 2004 with Tacoma, he has a 26-13 record, primarlily in the rotation, so he can't say that he didn't get enough playing time. He was 10-8 with a 4.87 ERA over the same span.

06/03/08 SEA 5 MIL 2

Another Mariners win to bump their Spring Training record to 5-3.

BoxScore Recap

SEATTLE AB R H BI
M Cairo SS 3 1 1 0
M Kiger SS 1 0 0 0
B Sardinha CF 4 0 0 0
G Norton 1B 3 1 1 3
A Beltre 3B 2 0 0 0
M Tuiasosopo PH-3 2 0 1 2
B LaHair DH 2 0 1 0
J Clement PH-DH 2 0 0 0
W Balentien LF 4 0 0 0
M Morse RF 4 0 1 0
J Burke C 2 0 1 0
Y Chen PR-2B 2 1 0 0
W Bloomquist 2B 2 1 1 0
A Moore C 1 1 1 0

IP H R ER BB SO HR
F Hernandez 4 2 2 2 0 5 2
R Feierabend (W,1-0)2 0 0 0 0 2 0
J Woods 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
S White 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
C Jimenez (S,1) 1 0 0 0 0 1 0

Fantasy Plus: Ichiro

Time for the first player in this new feature, CF Ichiro, who's too good to have a last name. To me, Ichiro has been one of the best players in the MLB, during his whole career, which isn't an easy thing to do for most players. He has the abilities to hit for power, but chooses to put the ball on the ground. For this series, I will start by giving you what other sites say, and then what I say. So, let's get her started.

CBSSports.com

Suzuki, who led the majors with 238 hits, said former manager Bob Melvin did the same thing for him at the end of 2004. Ichiro's .351 average was second to Detroit's Magglio Ordonez (.363) in the AL batting race. Expect to spend a high draft pick on him again in 2008.

ESPN.com

You can't get a much more complete mix of speed and raw hitting ability than Ichiro, who has never finished with lower than a .303 batting average, 101 runs scored or 31 stolen bases in his seven years in the States. Quoting those numbers, in fact, does him a disservice; he has averaged .333-112-39 numbers in those categories per season. At 34, Ichiro has shown no signs of slowing down, and he'll resume his traditional role as the Mariners' center fielder and table-setter. Folks, this is about as consistent as they come.

RotoTimes.com

The Mariners would like to see their best player, Ichiro Suzuki, run more often in 2008, according to MLB.com. "As much as he gets on base, and as fast as he is, there's no telling how many bases he could steal in a season," GM John McLaren said. "But we don't want him running just to run. There has to be a purpose behind it." The number that was floated out there was 80, but given the fact that Ichiro hasn't stolen more than 45 bases the past six seasons, a more realistic goal might be 50 since he stole 56 bags as a rookie.

My Analysis

Ichiro has slowly slid down the draft depth charts, because it seems that everybody wants power hitters. If your lucky, he may be available come the second round, pick him up. You can count on him for a .300 BA, and 200 hits. Now that McLaren wants Ichiro to run, we could see that SB number jolt up. He has some of the best speed that you are going to see. In leagues that value hits, average and stolen bases, this guy's value goes even higher. He will likely be contending again for the AL batting title. You will be using a high pick on him, and you won't be dissapointed.

Fantasy Plus

Time for a new feature, as many of you are getting ready for your drafts for your fantasy baseball leagues, so I thought that I would help you out from the Mariners side of things. I will still be keeping up with everything else that I have on my plate, and bring you a little more info from Spring Training, as it starts to heat up a bit.