Updated RAW Pitcher Ratings: Trends to Buy or Sell
First of all, sorry for not posting any content since Thursday, but I have a good excuse. One of my best friends got married over this weekend and that, of course, takes priority over analyzing baseball happenings. However, there was plenty of fantasy trade talk going on between groomsmen. It sort of felt like our own little winter meetings. Some GM's --you know who you are-- were pushing hard to get a blockbuster done. No deals went down, but there were plenty of good times.
Congrats on a great wedding Steve. When you come back from the honeymoon we'll talk trades.
Now, onto the fantasy baseball stuff...
A couple of weeks ago I released FB365's exclusive RAW Pitcher Ratings, then followed up with an article explaining the reasoning and looking at some high and low scores that were somewhat surprising. There was, however, a small glitch in the last spreadsheet as I didn't paste the altered formula to all of the players. This week, everything is good to go. We'll look at some of the trends from the last update and try and decipher who to buy and who to sell.
You can download the RAW Pitcher Ratings spreadsheet here.
Capitol Loss and Gain: Matt Capps Traded to Minnesota
Matt Capps has done a fine job this season closing out games for the Washington Nationals. Not only was it somewhat of a surprise bounce back season, but it made for a huge fantasy value for owners able to snag him on the cheap.
Now, a deal is reported as done and Capps is a member of the Minnesota Twins.
Strasburg to DL - Could Be a Good Thing
Stephen Strasburg needed one start to show the world that he was absolutely worth all the hype he got going back to his senior season at San Diego State. As time marched on from that moment his jersey became the most popular seller in the game, Cooperstown came calling, and David Letterman had him recite the top ten. The only thing that was ecohed against Strasburg were the four words that haunt him and the Nationals now: If he stays healthy.
More Run Support for Roy Oswalt
Have you heard all these Roy Oswalt to Philly rumors? Well, finally, after days of speculation and waiting for Oswalt to waive his no-trade clause, the Phillies and Astros have finalized a deal that will send the former Astro ace to Philadelphia for J.A. Happ and Prospects.
Tyler Skaggs Scouting Report
19-year-old Tyler Skaggs was dealt to the Diamondbacks as part of the recent trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels. While Joe Saunders was the “big name” in the deal, Skaggs may turn out to be the gem of the package.
Read the full report at ProjectProspect.com >>>>
Injury Report: Coming and Going
Many big-time fantasy baseball names have missed time this season and it seems like injuries have compiled of late. Let's take a look at some of the recent comings and goings from the disabled list.
Top 5 Keepers for 2011
I received a tweet the other day asking for my top five keepers for next season. Honestly, that had not been something that was on my mind just yet, but it is a relevant question for teams looking to rebuild for 2011. How I understand the question, the goal is to basically come up with the top five players in next year's draft since we're talking about 2011 and not 2012 and so on. So, for today's drill were going to focus on the top five players for 2011 and disregard long-term values --though striving to find players in or entering their prime is part of this equation anyway-- as not every keeper league allows for players to be kept long term. However, in the coming days I'll be dwelling into long-term values as well.
Stealing Dan Haren in Real Life and in Fantasy Baseball
When I got back into town last night, my friend picked me up from the airport and informed me of a trade that had just gone down between the Angels and Diamondbacks. Dan Haren had been sent to the Angels in exchange for starting pitchers Joe Saunders, Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin and reliever Rafael Rodriguez.
There has been plenty analysis of the trade today and I'll leave that to the likes of Kieth Law. Instead, I'll just say that the Angels essentially stole Dan Haren away from the D-Backs and you should follow suit if his fantasy owner is still fretting over a 4.60 ERA and bad career second half numbers.
