Category Archives: BBBA Featured Writers
David Wright Deserves Everyone’s Respect
Freddy Vasquez (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – metshotcorner.com) Follow @metshotcorner
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David Wright has played only a single game in 2016 and already the media and certain members of a regularly loyal fanbase have written his obituary. Wright went 0 for 4 on Sunday night and was visibly flat on the field.
Though it was not the season debut I was hoping for, I have all the faith in the world in David Wright and expect The Captain to be a meaningful contributor to the Mets in 2016.
Back in October, I had the pleasure of attending my first World Series. I met up with a buddy of mine who works in the medical field, and of course I asked him about Wright’s diagnosis.
He told me there were varying degrees of spinal stenosis, and with some physical therapy Wright should be able to play.
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‘BBA Live’ Podcast – Year 2 Ep #7 – MLB Opening Week In 2016
BBA Live! The Second Season
BBA Live! is entering its second season. Listen in as AC Wayne is again joined by Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard and District On Deck (Nats) as we discuss all the latest news and headlines throughout the league. Tentatively scheduled, as always: Rich Rivera of Mets Public Record.
Its Opening Week In the MLB!
Ricky Keeler and AC Wayne host the flagship podcast of the BBBA!
For The Pittsburgh Pirates – There Is No Next Year
Following a quiet offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates enter 2016 hoping a large group of top prospects are prepared to make significant contributions to the big league club down the stretch.
Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – pbcbreakdown.com) Follow @pbcbreakdown
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In 2006, the Pittsburgh Pirates started their “We Will” campaign. Of course, that year is well remembered as the year the Pirates decided to commit to the rebuilding effort.
The next year, Neal Huntington would be brought in as the new general manager, and the completion of the rebuild process was brought to fruition in just six years after a rotating door of front office staff and players failed to reverse the losing streak that nearly forced the team to move.
The “We Will” campaign was meant to embody the work ethic and integrity expected of every member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Instead, it became the target of ridicule from many fans. The banners hanging from the façade of PNC Park did not help matter as disgruntled fans poured out following loss after loss.
Even in success, Pirates fans couldn’t dodge the pangs of defeat.
Following the success of the team in 2013 making a laughingstock of Johnny Cueto in the wild card game and taking the Cardinals to the brink of elimination before melting down in game five of the NLDS, the fans and players expected more, but who could have possibly anticipated the wonders that were Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta?
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The Bond Of Baseball Between Father And Son
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner of sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers
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My annual post in taking a moment to remember the game is much bigger then what we watch during the season.
Opening Day, a day for happiness, a day that signifies that summer is on its way, a day that everyone is in first place, a day that every team still has a chance, a day of sadness for me.
As much as I enjoy spending this day with my wife and friends hanging out at the ball park, it’s another opening day without my father.
It’s now been over seven years since I lost my dad to cancer and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him, but this day is especially tough for me as we shared the bond of baseball together. As a matter of fact it’s so tough that I had to write this two weeks prior to opening day nine years ago.
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FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Alert For Action Apr 5, 2016: Talking Strategy + Daily Selections
Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) Follow @Qualcomm98
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Hi, my name is Josh Robbins. I would like to share my Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) strategy with you throughout the MLB season. Fanduel is my preferred game of skill.
If you’re not familiar with the points breakdown, here’s the format utilizing a $35 million salary cap.
Scoring System: https://www.fanduel.com/spring-training?t=lobby
1 Starting Pitcher (SP)
1 Catcher (C)
1 First Baseman (1B)
1 Second Baseman (2B)
1 Third Baseman (3B)
1 Short Stop (SS)
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The Atlanta Braves 2016 Over/Under Game
Wayne Cavadi (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – wayniacnation.com) Follow @UofDWayne
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Yesterday was Opening Day. The Atlanta Braves teased their fans in the last home opener at The Ted as the Washington Nationals came back in extra innings to win the game.
Earlier in the day on the way to work, I tuned in to The Front Row on 680 the Fan. Steak Shapiro, Sandra Golden and Brian Finneran were playing what they called the Atlanta Braves Over/Under Game. Steak would read a stat and poll Finneran, Sandra and some of their listeners for their thoughts.
Well, now you get to hear mine.
Braves wins: o/u 70
Finneran said under, while Sandra said over. While I can agree that this rendition of the Braves looks better and more exciting on paper than last season, they did little to make me believe that they can improve on last seasons 67-win campaign.
Let’s be honest, does anyone think the Braves actually care if…
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Tribe Spring Recap And 2016 Predictions, Thoughts + Player Evaluations
(Featured BBBA Website – 216clevelandgirl.blogpsot.com) Follow @clevelandgirl23
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Hey there, Tribe fans! Happy day of Indians Opening Day! baseball is just about back and that means it’s time for 216clevelandgirl to recap the Tribe’s spring and give my thoughts about the roster and the team’s chances in 2016. So here we go!
While spring training is an important part of a baseball players’ preparation, as tedious as it may be, the outcomes of the games don’t always mean a whole lot.
This year, in 34 games, including the two exhibition contests in Texas on April 1 and 2, the Tribe’s spring record was 18-12-4, 3rd best in the Cactus League. while that looks pretty good, it could have been even better.
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These 2 MLB Teams Could Surprise Everyone In 2016
Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) Follow @mmusico8
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Major League Baseball has technically been back for nearly two months now, but the fun is finally about to start.
As teams wrap up their respective Grapefruit and Cactus League schedules, we’re literally on the precipice of Opening Day. With the final week of Spring Training games taking place, many baseball analysts made their yearly predictions on who they think will make the playoffs and eventually capture World Series glory.
We all know these predictions really mean nothing, but it’s an entertaining way to spark debate as everyone waits anxiously for games to start counting again. After listening and reading countless predictions, there seems to be something missing.
In 2015, we witnessed a handful of teams that came out of nowhere to qualify for the postseason. The process of rebuilding ended a year earlier than expected for teams like the Houston Astros, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, while nobody picked the Texas Rangers to win the American League West. If you did and don’t claim to be a Rangers fan, you’re probably lying.
Keeping with this theme, here are two teams currently flying under the radar who have the potential to surprise everyone by the time September rolls around.
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Loss Of Pollock Wont End The D’Backs Chances In 2016
Arizona Diamondbacks’ A.J. Pollock, left, slaps hands with Paul Goldschmidt (44) after Pollock scored a run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Jen Rainwater (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – bbstmlb.com) Follow @OakAsSockGrl
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Now, the fact that I have a second favorite team may surprise many of you. Sometimes when I really think about it – it’s surprising to me as well. That team would be the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Over the years, I’ve had known players traded there, been friends with some and am still friends with others. I’ve watched the team prosper but mostly flounder and this was looking like a year where they could beat the San Francisco Giants and even the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to be beatable in 2016.
The DBacks beat out two of their division rivals to get the great Zack Greinke. They’ve got one of the classiest, not to mention best players in the league in first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. And until yesterday they had an up and coming star center fielder, an All-Star last year, in A.J. Pollock.
Now Pollock is out for an unknown amount of time with a broken elbow that will require surgery. That’s a big loss to the Diamondbacks, but it shouldn’t kill their postseason chances ….
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Justin Verlander’s Little Brother Takes Him Deep, But Will Justin Get The Last Laugh?
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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In case you haven’t heard, Justin Verlander has a little brother named Ben, who is in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. Many people are very familiar with Justin, but Ben’s name has been in the headlines more over the past few days.
In 2015, Ben did struggle in High-A, but what he did to his brother on Thursday could erase any negative results from 2015. Yesterday Ben got his first opportunity to hit against his brother in his lifetime and he decided to make the most of it. To read the rest of the article, please click the link below:
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The Top 8 Draftergies Guaranteed To Win Your Fantasy Baseball League
Blog Off The Bench (Featured BBBA Website – offthebenchbaseball.com) Follow @BlogOffTheBench
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Imagine it’s March 28th, it’s 40 degrees out, it’s 6:31 pm, you’re at a chain restaurant called “Just Salad,” and you just finished your salad so you’re loitering before your next appointment at 7:00 pm. You know what that means: it’s fantasy baseball season!
In this column (column looks like it should be spelled differently), we will be going over a few different Baseball Dratergies (Draft-Strategies, Ihavetosaveonmywordcount) that will make you the Fantasy Baseball All-Star GM/Manager/Shortstop/Clicky Guy you’ve always wanted to be! Unless you wanted to be a doctor or in the Air Force or something. Then go for that.
Draftergy 1: Hoard all the catchers
Hoarding all the catchers is a great strategy! At some point in the season, everyone is going to need a catcher and will be willing to give up an extra player for these notoriously low-offense guys. You could end up trading for a valuable middle infielder or fourth outfielder. Better plan on having a lot of bench spots because if your roster only has one you’ll have two players. Also plan on buying lots of equipment.
Sample Lineup:
Catcher: Yadier Molina
Bench: Yasmani Grandal, Francisco Cervelli, Brian McCann, Salvador Perez, …
Draftergy 2: The “Moneyball” Strategy
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Dallas Keuchel’s Brilliant Spring Training May Pave The Way For Another Cy Young Season In 2016
Dallas Keuchel was the best pitcher in the American League for 2015. He won the Cy Young by posting a league leading 20 Wins. 232 Innings and and worked to a 1.017 WHIP. The brilliant LHP is under team control for the next 3 years in Arbitration. The 28 Year old also finished 5th in MVP Voting, made the ALL – Star Game and reeled in his 2nd straight Gold Glove from the Pitcher Position. His 2.48 ERA was 2nd in the AL to David Price, and he led the Majors for Pitchers in WAR (7.2).
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Dallas Keuchel should be viewed as a top tier option in all fantasy leagues in 2016. He has proved over the past two seasons that he is a reliable option and is continuing to improve.
The key for Keuchel to take the next step in fantasy leagues is to continue to see an increase in his strikeout rate. He increased this rate from 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 2014 to 8.4 per nine innings in 2015.
If Keuchel can continue this trend and increase his strikeouts closer to 9 per nine innings in 2016, then his value will rise dramatically. As mentioned earlier, Keuchel has the supporting cast behind him to score runs, but he also has a great defense and a dominant bullpen behind him for support as well.
All of these factors will come into play in 2016 and will help his cause to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards and lead the Houston Astros to a World Series title.
Dallas Keuchel will open the season for the Houston Astros on the mound against the New York Yankees on April 4th at 1:05 PM EST. To read the rest of the article, please click the link below:
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Pablo Sandoval + His $17 MIL Contract Will Ride The Pine This Year To Start In Boston
Ground Rule Triple Blog (Featured BBBA Website – groundruletriple.com)
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Red Sox manager John Farrell has announced that 2-time All-Star third-baseman Pablo Sandoval will begin the season on the Red Sox bench. Travis Shaw will begin the season at the hot corner.
Just last offseason, Sandoval signed a monster deal with Red Sox leaving behind the San Francisco Giants who he won multiple World Series with. Sandoval will make a whopping $17 million while on the bench (at least initially). He still has $75 million over four years left in his contract.
Sandoval commented that it’s the right decision, and manager Farrell commented that Shaw’s defense was key for this surprising decision. The Red Sox have shown that past lucrative contracts given by former management will not dictate the lineup.
This post will be updated as we get more updates. Stay tuned.
In the mean time, did you see this coming? Any thoughts on Sandoval on the bench?
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Milwaukee Baseball History – 50 Years Ago: The Opening Day that Wasn’t
Chris Zantow (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chriszantowauthor.wordpress.com) Follow @zantow_chris
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In early April, 1966, Milwaukee County Stadium sat silent for the first time since 1953. It was a quiet time in Milwaukee baseball history – and certainly no April Fools’ Day joke. The field didn’t need any special attention, stadium workers weren’t hired for the season, and concessions weren’t purchased. The Braves skipped town after the 1965 season and there would be no professional baseball played in the Cream City for the first time in 80 years.
Tickets were sold in Atlanta for the 1966 season starting in January of that year. The team was caught between two state court injunctions. In Wisconsin, Judge Elmer Roller ordered the team to play in Milwaukee until a replacement franchise could be obtained. Judge Sam Phillips of Atlanta issued a temporary injunction that called for the Braves to play games that season in Atlanta.
Braves owner, insurance industry executive Bill Bartholomay, acknowledged both injunctions in interviews. Yet he said, “The Braves fully intend to honor our contract with the Stadium Authority and all our larger obligations to the citizens of Atlanta, of Georgia, and the entire southeast, as the Braves have always honored our agreement with the county of Milwaukee.”
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The Cardinals Way: A Book Review From The Latest Howard Megdal Masterpiece
Andrew Martin (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – baseballhistorian.blogspot.com) Follow @historianandrew
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To the uninformed, the game of major league baseball may look simplistic. You run; you throw; you hit; and at the end of a game, a winner is determined.
However, as fans know, an enormous amount of work goes into each franchise and how they cultivate and maintain their organization from year to year. Some teams have greater track records than others, and there are few that can match what the St. Louis Cardinals have done over the years.
Howard Megdal has thrown the curtain back and provided a glimpse behind the scenes at what makes the team click with his recent work, The Cardinals Way: How One Team Embraced Tradition and Moneyball at the Same Time (Thomas Dunne Books- an Imprint of St. Martin’s Press).
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Spring Training Standouts: AL West
Robinson Cano enters year 3 of a 10 season contract. So far his arrival has not corresponded into a playoff berth. The Mariners now hold the longest playoff drought in the Major Leagues. The Second Baseman will need to return to a MVP caliber style of play if the franchise wants to be players in the AL West. Cano was awesome in the second half of last year – and with his 3 HR game the other day, has been equally as impressive in Spring Training this March. He is one a few guys we zeroed in on.
Ground Rule Triple Blog (Featured BBBA Website – groundruletriple.com)
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Next up is the American League West! Let’s take a look at each team and see their spring training stars!
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As the Pirates Lurch Forward Towards Opening Day, The Debate Over The Everyday Lineup Continues
Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – pbcbreakdown.com) Follow @pbcbreakdown
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With John Jaso now seemingly entrenched at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup, coupled with Andrew McCutchen pointed towards remaining in the number two slot, many observers now wonder what the rest of the batting order may look like against the Cardinals on April 3rd.
Despite the focus on the top of the order, it may be the bottom of the order that can take a step forward for the club.
In 2015, the seventh and eighth hitters for the Pirates performed reasonably well.
There are a couple of interesting notes when considering the Pirates’ performance form the bottom two spots in the order.
First, the 114 rating for wRC+ (weighted runs created +) led the NL from the seventh spot (100 is considered an “average” score). This will likely continue for 2016, as we will see shortly.
From the eighth spot, the wRC+ rating of 93 might seem underwhelming, yet only two teams in the NL had a rating of 100 or more. The St. Louis Cardinals were far and away the most productive in this regard, with a 110 rating.
2016 will likely be another story completely, as the changes at the top have ramifications that will be felt all the way through the order. While Pedro Alvarez‘s free swinging ways often led to his insertion in the lower third, his departure and a re-focusing on quality at bats results in a case of addition by subtraction.
If spring batting orders over the past week are any indication, Jordy Mercer, Gregory Polanco or Josh Harrison could be reliable bats at the 7th spot.
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San Diego Padres Show How Much Things Can Change In The Span Of A Year
A.J. Preller has been really active trying to replenish his prospect pool this year after making a big splash in his rookie offseason last year. The Padres finished a dismal 74 – 88. At least he recognizing the error of his ways – and trying to eradicate his mistakes that he made from putting up a squad that was saddled with injury riddled players.
Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) Follow @mmusico8
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The first full year of A.J. Preller’s tenure as San Diego Padres general manager has basically been a roller coaster of emotions. With Opening Day just days away, it’s interesting to see how the narrative about the club has changed so drastically from the year before.
Upon getting hired in August 2014, San Diego’s biggest need was pretty clear: breathing life into an anemic offense that ranked last in runs scored (535). In the boldest way imaginable, Preller completely transformed the lineup by acquiring players like Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Derek Norris and Wil Myers.
However, as we’ve seen in recent years, the winners of the offseason very rarely end up being winners of the World Series come October. That trend continued with the Padres, who missed the playoffs with a disappointing 74-88 record.
The goal of improving the offense was achieved (650 runs scored, 23rd-best in MLB), but not necessarily by leaps and bounds. The pitching and defense also suffered in the process.
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Mike Piazza 9/11 Jersey Up for Auction
Freddy Vasquez (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – metshotcorner.com) Follow @metshotcorner
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An artifact from one of the most memorable moments in New York Mets history is heading to the auction block. The jersey worn by Mets catcher Mike Piazza on September 21, 2001 will be sold by Goldin Auctions on April 30, 2016 during a live event in New York City.
Goldin has a very conservative estimate of $25,000 attached to this piece of history, but the feeling is that it will very well break the record for the highest amount paid for a game-used jersey.
In 2008, a jersey worn by Nolan Ryan in 1970 sold for the record price of $53,758. But the significance of Piazza’s jersey is expected to bring in at least double that amount when you consider how much famous home run jerseys have sold for in the past.
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‘BBA Live’ Podcast – Year 2 Ep #6 – AL Central Preview
‘BBA Live’ is the flagship Podcast of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance since 2015.
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BBA Live! is entering its second season. Listen in as AC Wayne is again joined by Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard and District On Deck (Nats). Tonight, we’ll showcase the AL Central. Rich Rivera is also a slated guest.
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A casual look at Major League Baseball and The New York Mets. Call-in! #347-326-9300
Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher, Juan Nicasio, Is The Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Everyone Is Looking For
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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No one has ever questioned Juan Nicasio‘s ability to pitch, but after posting a 5.03 ERA through four seasons in Colorado, the outlook was not bright.
The Dodgers decided to take a chance on him in 2015 and it paid huge dividends. As a reliever in the Dodgers organization, he threw in 53 games, totaling 58.1 innings, 65 strikeouts, 32 walks, 3.86 ERA, and a 2.83 FIP.
These numbers are impressive, but his low FIP suggests that his ERA should be even better than it was. The Pittsburgh Pirates took notice of Nicasio’s successful 2015 campaign and decided to sign him to a one year/$3 million contract for 2016.
To read why Juan Nicasio is one of the best sleepers in fantasy baseball, click the link below to read the rest of the article:
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Aaron Sanchez Joins The Toronto Blue Jays Rotation, But Does This Hurt His Fantasy Baseball Stock?
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Aaron Sanchez doesn’t lack for ability or elite pitches. His fastball is just about as good as they come and he has an above average curveball. His arsenal was put on full display this spring training.
He has thrown 20 innings this spring with a 1.35 ERA, 19 strikeout, and only three walks. Based on these numbers, it looks as if he has made many adjustments to put a lot of the concerns mentioned above to rest.
It is great to see that Sanchez is dialed in this spring, but it is important to take spring training statistics with a grain of salt. If Sanchez can continue to develop like he has shown in the small sample size this spring, he could become a very dominant arm in 2016.4
As for now, he should be drawing some attention in mixed leagues and definitely worth a waiver wire pickup. If for some reason this experiment with Sanchez in the rotation doesn’t work out, he still has the upside to be an elite closer in the future.
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Jose Berrios (RHP, MIN) – 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Jose Berrios has shown that he possesses potential ace-like pitch-ability in the minor leagues. In 2015, he threw 166.1 innings with a 2.87 ERA and 175 strikeouts. He proved that he is ready for the big leagues as he dominated Triple-A through 75.2 innings with a 2.62 ERA, 83 strikeouts, and only 14 walks.
While everyone loves to see an impressive strikeout rate (9.9 per nine innings in Triple-A), his walk rate is what could make him elite. He only walked 1.7 batters in Triple-A last year, which is an elite rate for starting pitchers.
Many baseball fans believe Berrios is more talented than most of the pitchers in the current rotation, but it looks as if the Twins will hold off on promoting him until later in 2016. The Twins will do this to limit his innings and get an extra year of team control in the future.
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New York Mets Pitcher, Matt Harvey Had A Blood Clot, Says He Will Be Ready For The Opener
UPDATE: Matt Harvey gave all of his fans and the club a big scare yesterday,and we now know it was a blood clot in his bladder. So far everyone is saying he will be fine to go on Sunday in Kansas City for the opener, however that may be pushing it. Harvey will throw a couple of innings at Spring Training today and see how he feels.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com)
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Two years ago, New York Mets right-handed pitcher, Matt Harvey, was sidelined after tearing his UCL. This injury required Tommy John Surgery, which sidelined Harvey for over a year. After returning from Tommy John Surgery, Matt Harvey had a great 2015 season in which he threw 189.1 innings with a 13-8 record, 2.71 ERA, 188 strikeouts, and 37 walks.
Through his short 2.5 year career, he has posted some incredibly good numbers that include a 2.53 ERA and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. So far this spring training, he has thrown 10 innings with a 6.30 ERA, seven strikeouts, and eight walks. His inflated ERA comes from his last start against the Houston Astros in which he gave up six runs, seven hits, and four walks over three innings of work.
The post from yesterday..
Whenever medical concerns surface about the New York Mets right-hander, many baseball fans and fantasy owners cringe. To read the rest of the article, click the link below:
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Dodgers Closing In On 2016 Roster
Who will make the 2016 Dodgers Opening Day Roster
Emily Siskin-Toy (Featured Baseball Writer – Owner Of The Website – behindenemylines32.blogspot.com) Follow @3BugBooks
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As the Dodgers are getting ready to break camp on Wednesday and head home to begin the annual Freeway Series with the Angels, it is a perfect time to speculate on the final 25-man roster.
Team officials are surely losing sleep over all of the injuries the team has endured throughout spring training and are crossing fingers the blood-letting is over. The 14-car pile-up that is the Dodgers current injury list (yes, that many) could make for some interesting roster decisions.
Starting Pitching Staff (5 spots)
One through four is an easy call with ace Clayton Kershaw (great spring, raring to go as usual) leading the way, followed by Scott Kazmir (luckily his abdominal issue turned out only to be a dehydration cramp the other day), then a very solid looking Kenta Maeda, an ever-improving Alex Wood, followed by, drum roll, please…the insert-a-new-name-every-five-days-guy.
I am only half-kidding. Due to injuries to #5 frontrunners, Mike Bolsinger (left oblique), and Brandon Beachy (left arm soreness), and no clearcut winner for the job between Carlos Frias and Zach Lee, it looks like we will get a combination of the two depending upon match-ups.
Then when Bolsinger and Beachy are ready, they, too, will probably join the #5 parade. This sounds a lot like last year’s “drive to find number five,” which was pretty much a disaster…
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2016 Seasonal/Re-Draft Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Positional and Overall)
Buster Posey just continues to be a masterful hitter at the Catchers position. A lifetime 3 slash of .310/.375/.484 and 3 Silver Sluggers out of the last 4 seasons. He also has appeared in at least 147 Games over the last four campaigns. How long will San Francisco have him as a Backstopper.? There is no doubt the club presents its best chance to win when he is behind the plate, with Belt at 1B and a Left Fielder that has better numbers than what the Backup Catcher has had in San Francisco.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com)
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Below you can find links to all of my re-draft/seasonal fantasy baseball rankings for 2016. If you have any questions or comments about these rankings or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me Follow @dynasty_digest
Second Base: http://dynastydigest.sportsblog.com/posts/14650546/2016-fantasy-baseball-second-base-seasonal-re-draft-rankings.html
Starting Pitching: http://dynastydigest.sportsblog.com/posts/14828381/2016-fantasy-baseball-top-50-starting-pitching-seasonal-re-draft-rankings.html
Marwin Gonzalez, A Man Of Many Talents, Versatility, and A Fantasy Baseball Sleeper
The Houston Astros finished second in the Majors with 230 HRs as a club in 2015, based on 11 guys with 10+ HRs – and 2 more players with 9. Houston will try to cut down on leading the American League with 1392 Strikeouts in 2015, that came from 7 different guys possessing over 100+ Strikeouts each. The squad also led the AL with SB in 121. As a sign of a complete team, Marwin Gonzalez was a perfect compliment to the starters, clubbing 12 HRs and adding 34 RBI among a .759 OPS in his 344 AB for 2015.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Many fantasy owners overlook the value of Houston Astros utility man, Marwin Gonzalez. At only 27 years old, he should be entering his prime in the next few years and will make a big impact for many fantasy baseball owners.
Gonzalez provides positional versatility that could take your fantasy baseball roster to the next level. In 2015, he played 15 games in left field, 15 games at second base, 21 games at third base, 32 games at shortstop, and 43 games at first base.
Based off of normal fantasy baseball positional requirements (minimum of 10 games for positional eligibility), Marwin Gonzalez will be eligible at every infield position and the outfield (left field specifically).
While Marwin Gonzalez has a lot of value in his positional eligibility, he also has tons of value in his ability to produce above average statistics. To view the rest of the article, click the link below:
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Larry McLean’s Unusual Baseball Contract Demand
Andrew Martin (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – baseballhistorian.blogspot.com) Follow @historianandrew
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Haggling over contracts is nothing new in professional baseball. For years, players and management have gone back and forth over getting the perceived upper hand when it comes to determining worth.
In the days before free agency and player representation, teams could more or less dictate the terms, which could lead to some pretty unhappy exchanges and counter proposals.
Perhaps none were as bizarre as hard-drinking catcher Larry McLean, who tried to negotiate the payment of 25 cents for every drink he refused during the 1911 season with the Cincinnati Reds.
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Robinson Cano: Fantasy Sleeper, Bounce Back, And Ready To Return To An Elite Second Base Option
Robinson Cano enters year 3 of a 10 season contract. So far his arrival has not corresponded into a playoff berth. The Mariners now hold the longest playoff drought in the Major Leagues. The Second Baseman will need to return to a MVP caliber style of play if the franchise wants to be players in the AL West.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Many fantasy baseball owners thought that Robinson Cano was starting to regress last year as he struggled through injuries that affected his first half of the 2015 season, but it looks as if they were wrong. In the first half of 2015, he hit only .251 and struggled to produce his typical run production.
This rough first half was due to an abdominal strain and a terrible stomach condition that affected his energy. Cano was quoted saying that some days he could barely drink water without feeling like he was going to get sick, which shows that his energy wasn’t at a normal level.
This stomach condition lasted much longer than a typical illness, but not many people were aware of this. Following the all-star break, he entered the second half and posted a .331 batting average.
Once he recovered from his bizarre illness, Cano was back to himself. He finished the 2015 season hitting .287 with 21 home runs, 79 RBI’s, 82 runs, and a .334 OBP. To read the rest of the article, click the link below:
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Spring Training Standouts In 2016
CARGO’s battering mate Nolan Arenado emerged as the premiere 3B in the National League in 2015 – 3 Slashing .287/.323/.575 – with a league leading 42 HRs and 130 RBI. At 24 next year, he is coming off both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger year. Can he hold on until the club becomes competitive before losing his patience with the organization?
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers
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No one puts a whole lot of faith in to spring numbers and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to look at the numbers as long as you don’t take them too realistically. I like to look at batting average, hits, homers, and RBI for hitters and just ERA and strike outs for pitchers.
ERA isn’t a great indicator with the innings restrictions on these guys but at least we get an idea what’s working and what isn’t. Here are the standouts as of 3.23…
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