Welcome back to another edition of the “Buzz Around the Bullpen”. Before we discuss some moves to help you in the last weeks of your season, let’s first talk about the start of the NFL season yesterday. As it always does, opening day surpassed any of my expectations. There were some surprises with Tennessee knocking off Jacksonville and Chicago beating Indianapolis. However, the biggest story of the day was the Patriots potentially losing Tom Brady for the remainder of the season. It didn’t look good the way he went down and early reports are that it might be the dreaded ACL tear.
Only adding insult to injury for Pats’ fans, Brett Favre and the Jets looked solid. If Tom Brady played for any other team, I’d say it was time to pack it in and plan for next year. But as we’ve learned over the past couple of years, give Bill Belichick 22 guys with a pulse and he’ll find a way to win. It will be interesting to see how Matt Cassel performs but if you need some convincing to make a move for him on the waiver wire, just remember what happened when Drew Bledsoe went down to injury. His replacement ended up doing alright for himself.
Now it’s time to sure up your fantasy roster for your playoff run. Let’s take a look at a couple of guys that might be able to help you out.
Big Hits
Pablo Sandoval (C, San Francisco Giants): It’s that time of the year where young prospects get the call to the big leagues to make their case for a spot on next year’s roster. Pablo Sandoval is doing just that. Sandoval is now getting consistent at-bats and he has shown the Giants that he deserves a spot on their opening day roster next year. In 77 ABs, Sandoval is hitting .364 with 2 HRs and 13 RBIs. Sandoval has never shown a huge power stroke in the minor leagues but at the age of 22, he still has a ways to go in the developmental process. He might be worth a look if you are currently starting a 2nd or 3rd tier catcher. You can guarantee that Sandoval will keep getting everyday at-bats and I look for him to stay hot as he tries to impress the front office.
Frank Francisco (RP, Texas Rangers): While the Eddie Guardado trade hurt his fantasy value, one guy that benefited was Frank Francisco. With Guardado’s move to Minnesota, Francisco has taken over the closer role. He took full advantage of that opportunity this week by recording four saves in just seven days. In those relieve appearances, Francisco accumulated 8 Ks in only 4 1/3 innings. It isn’t realistic for you to expect Francisco to put up these numbers each week, but he could be a nice save option for you down the stretch. He’s still available in well over 60% of leagues so you probably still have a chance to make a move for Francisco.
Nate Schierholtz (OF, San Francisco Giants): It’s hard to believe I’m focusing on two San Francisco Giants’ in one week. However, Nate Schierholtz’s bat has been too hot to ignore. Like Sandoval, Schierholtz is making a case to be a starter on next year’s opening day roster. Since his call-up to the Giants, Schierholtz is hitting .500 in 22 ABs. While no one can expect Schierholtz to hang around .500, he did hit over .300 during a brief stint with the Giants last year. Also, before being promoted in early September, he was hitting .320 with 18 HRs and 73 RBIs at AAA Fresno. He has proven at each level of the minor leagues that he can be a consistent hitter with some potential to hit the ball out of the ballpark. Another encouraging factor is that Schierholtz’s homerun totals have gone up each year over the course of his career. As we talked about with Sandoval, Schierholtz is still young and he will eventually develop a consistent power stroke to go along with his ability to hit for average. You’re not going to find a hotter hitter in baseball right now so make your move on Schierholtz immediately.
Big Miss
Carlos Quentin (OF, Chicago White Sox): It seems as though Carlos Quentin’s storybook season has come to an abrupt end with the breaking of his right wrist. Unfortunately, you can’t replace .288, 36 HRs and 100 RBIs. The only people feeling worse than his fantasy owners are the Chicago White Sox fans. The Sox are in the midst of a divisional race and are in danger of missing the playoffs. Even if the Sox make the playoffs, I think we have still seen the last of Carlos Quentin this year. From a fantasy standpoint, even if Quentin does return in the playoffs, your fantasy season will be over and you will have wasted a roster spot. I know it’s tough to part ways with your team’s MVP but now is the time to drop Quentin and fill his spot with someone that could actually produce some fantasy numbers for the remainder of the year. My suggestion would be to shop the waiver wire and look for the hottest bat available. Remember your not looking for consistency long term. You are just looking for the hottest bat available. It’s important not to hesitate in taking a shot at a fantasy unknown like Nate Schierholtz. You need instant production and his hot bat can provide it for you.
As with any SportsJudge articles, please feel free to post any questions or comments. Until next time, keep your ears open for the Buzz Around the Bullpen.
Only adding insult to injury for Pats’ fans, Brett Favre and the Jets looked solid. If Tom Brady played for any other team, I’d say it was time to pack it in and plan for next year. But as we’ve learned over the past couple of years, give Bill Belichick 22 guys with a pulse and he’ll find a way to win. It will be interesting to see how Matt Cassel performs but if you need some convincing to make a move for him on the waiver wire, just remember what happened when Drew Bledsoe went down to injury. His replacement ended up doing alright for himself.
Now it’s time to sure up your fantasy roster for your playoff run. Let’s take a look at a couple of guys that might be able to help you out.
Big Hits
Pablo Sandoval (C, San Francisco Giants): It’s that time of the year where young prospects get the call to the big leagues to make their case for a spot on next year’s roster. Pablo Sandoval is doing just that. Sandoval is now getting consistent at-bats and he has shown the Giants that he deserves a spot on their opening day roster next year. In 77 ABs, Sandoval is hitting .364 with 2 HRs and 13 RBIs. Sandoval has never shown a huge power stroke in the minor leagues but at the age of 22, he still has a ways to go in the developmental process. He might be worth a look if you are currently starting a 2nd or 3rd tier catcher. You can guarantee that Sandoval will keep getting everyday at-bats and I look for him to stay hot as he tries to impress the front office.
Frank Francisco (RP, Texas Rangers): While the Eddie Guardado trade hurt his fantasy value, one guy that benefited was Frank Francisco. With Guardado’s move to Minnesota, Francisco has taken over the closer role. He took full advantage of that opportunity this week by recording four saves in just seven days. In those relieve appearances, Francisco accumulated 8 Ks in only 4 1/3 innings. It isn’t realistic for you to expect Francisco to put up these numbers each week, but he could be a nice save option for you down the stretch. He’s still available in well over 60% of leagues so you probably still have a chance to make a move for Francisco.
Nate Schierholtz (OF, San Francisco Giants): It’s hard to believe I’m focusing on two San Francisco Giants’ in one week. However, Nate Schierholtz’s bat has been too hot to ignore. Like Sandoval, Schierholtz is making a case to be a starter on next year’s opening day roster. Since his call-up to the Giants, Schierholtz is hitting .500 in 22 ABs. While no one can expect Schierholtz to hang around .500, he did hit over .300 during a brief stint with the Giants last year. Also, before being promoted in early September, he was hitting .320 with 18 HRs and 73 RBIs at AAA Fresno. He has proven at each level of the minor leagues that he can be a consistent hitter with some potential to hit the ball out of the ballpark. Another encouraging factor is that Schierholtz’s homerun totals have gone up each year over the course of his career. As we talked about with Sandoval, Schierholtz is still young and he will eventually develop a consistent power stroke to go along with his ability to hit for average. You’re not going to find a hotter hitter in baseball right now so make your move on Schierholtz immediately.
Big Miss
Carlos Quentin (OF, Chicago White Sox): It seems as though Carlos Quentin’s storybook season has come to an abrupt end with the breaking of his right wrist. Unfortunately, you can’t replace .288, 36 HRs and 100 RBIs. The only people feeling worse than his fantasy owners are the Chicago White Sox fans. The Sox are in the midst of a divisional race and are in danger of missing the playoffs. Even if the Sox make the playoffs, I think we have still seen the last of Carlos Quentin this year. From a fantasy standpoint, even if Quentin does return in the playoffs, your fantasy season will be over and you will have wasted a roster spot. I know it’s tough to part ways with your team’s MVP but now is the time to drop Quentin and fill his spot with someone that could actually produce some fantasy numbers for the remainder of the year. My suggestion would be to shop the waiver wire and look for the hottest bat available. Remember your not looking for consistency long term. You are just looking for the hottest bat available. It’s important not to hesitate in taking a shot at a fantasy unknown like Nate Schierholtz. You need instant production and his hot bat can provide it for you.
As with any SportsJudge articles, please feel free to post any questions or comments. Until next time, keep your ears open for the Buzz Around the Bullpen.
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