Our regular Tuesday Emails during the season will be Minor League Updates, telling you about players on the move through their farm system. That could mean players who have been promoted or are likely to be, players who are performing exceptionally well (or poorly), top prospects who are injured or returning from injury, and information on the somewhat anonymous “minor leaguers” who are included in trades or mentioned in trade talks.
Because the minor league season doesn’t begin until Thursday, we’re changing our usual order so that this Tuesday Email will be News and Notes.
Wednesday, as usual, will include Injury Updates (preview, Mark Prior is still hurt somewhere). On Thursday, we’ll tell you about the minors’ Opening Day. The focus of that report will be the Triple-A Opening Day starters. Those are the first pitchers likely to be recalled to their major league affiliate; we’ll give you an idea of how viable they would be as major league and fantasy baseball pitchers.
By this weekend, we’ll give you information on how you can subscribe for five (or more)-times-a-week themed Emails during the regular season. Let us know of your interest and what you’d like to see by Emailing lary@fantasybaseballscout.com.
Thanks for your continuing interest in and support of Fantasy Baseball Scout.
News and Notes
The Orioles and Rays were the last teams to open this season. Their game made it so that there was at least one home run in each of the 15 openers.
Rockies 3B/2B Ian Stewart hit a homer in each of their first two games.
SS Everth Cabrera is in the Padres’ lineup because of his base-stealing ability and to a lesser extent defense. It was a huge bonus for San Diego that he drove in four runs in a 6-3 victory over the Diamondbacks.
RHP Kanekoa Texeira made the Mariners’ roster because of a sensational spring, but he didn’t do as well in his debut against the Athletics. His pitching line was 1 2/3 51112, with Oakland 2B Mark Ellis driving in the winning run with a single to give Texeira and Seattle a loss.
The Red Sox re-signed RHP Josh Beckett to a four-year, $68-million contract.
LHP Aroldis Chapman will make his first regular-season appearance in the U.S. Sunday when he pitches for the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, Louisville, at Toledo of the Tigers’ organization. There’s likely to be a large crowd, possibly a sellout or more. I’ve covered a couple of extravaganzas involving international sensations. Orlando Hernandez’s career turned out to be pretty good, but Hideki Irabu didn’t deliver as promised. Chapman has an advantage over both of them in being several years younger.
In closing
This is a regular feature of our Emails and blog posts. It lets you know who’s getting saves. Equally important is telling you who’s blowing saves or putting his job in jeopardy by getting shaky saves. We’ll also have a FREE Article on the old site letting you know which pitcher or pitchers each team is using to close games.
We’ve been promoting Giants RHP Brian Wilson as a likely National League saves leader. He’s off to a good start, with saves in each of San Francisco’s first two games. One of those was the customary easy-in, easy-out one clean inning with a three-run lead. The other was entering with a runner on base, one out and a three-run advantage. The result was the same: Wilson slammed the door. Not only is does he have a high-90s fastball, but he’s also on a rising team that is likely to win a lot – including a high number of close, savable games. My early assessment is that the Giants are light years ahead of the Dodgers and should battle the Rockies for the National League West title.
There weren’t really any nail-biting saves on Monday. The other saves were by Angels LHP Brian Fuentes, 6-3 over the Twins; Mariners RHP David Aardsma, 5-3 at Oakland, and Rockies LHP Franklin Morales, 5-3 at Milwaukee. Morales gave up a run, and it’s almost certain that RHP Huston Street would resume his role as Colorado’s closer when he comes off the disabled list.
Also on Monday, Blue Jays RHP Jason Frasor blew a save at Texas, giving up two runs in a third of an inning. He appeared to throw very well, and was in part a victim of poor luck or timing. Frasor gave up an infield hit to DH Vladimir Guerrero and a bloop double by RF Nelson Cruz on a pitch that appeared to fool him. Bottom line: Don’t write off Frasor as a possibility.
Tuesday’s savers (saviors?) were Wilson; Yankees RHP Mariano Rivera, 6-4 at Boston; Twins RHP Jon Rauch, 5-3 at LA/Anaheim; Padres RHP Heath Bell, 6-3 at Arizona, and Brewers RHP Trevor Hoffman, 7-5 over the Rockies. Hoffman gave up a run on two hits. The most impressive save might have been by Rauch. He dispatched three Angels, two with strikeouts.
The Orioles’ new closer, LHP Mike Gonzalez, blew a save in a 4-3 loss at Tampa Bay. My feeling is that Gonzalez’s arm hasn’t been right since shortly after he arrived in Atlanta. I’d stay away from him, and expect to see him on the DL before long. Baltimore’s best alternative could be RHP Jim Johnson.
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