Another Closer Bites the Dust

jonlee

I have been down on George Sherrill recently mostly because of his lack of control that led to poor performances. He was still on pace for 40 saves, and was a great sleeper I picked up late in a few leagues. There was really no indication that he was suffering from injury. He then wasn’t able to warm up properly on Monday, complained of shoulder soreness, and then was promptly put on the DL. Sherrill has gone the way of <strong>Billy W [...]

Looking for Late Season Help?

jonlee

Most trading deadlines have past in fantasy leagues so the main source of help is going to come from the waiver wire. Here are a few players that are hot over recent days and can help you bring home a fantasy championship.

Marlon Byrd, TEX OF: He has 16 hits in his last five games including five hits, four runs, and three RBI in that basketball game that broke out at Fenway on Tuesday. He’s hitting .491 over the past tw [...]

Pity Jim Leyland

jonlee

What do the Tigers do now? First they started the season with Todd Jones as the closer hoping they could squeeze out another season of him using Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya in higher leverage 7th and 8th inning situations. Instead, Detroit finally got fed up with his poor performances and replaced him with Rodney. Almost immediately after being demoted, Jones went on the disabled list. In his short stint as closer, Rodney blew two saves and wa [...]

So Long Mets?

jonlee

Billy Wagner is having arm troubles again. The closer is heading for an MRI on his throwing arm on Tuesday, and even the most optimistic projections would have him missing some time. Wagner has told the Mets team site that he won’t risk further injury by pitching through pain after having a scare a few weeks ago. All bad news for the Mets.

Liriano Set to Return

jonlee

The Twins didn’t make a move on Thursday allowing the trade deadline to pass without changing the roster. The team still has a chance to improve its team in a big way by finally recalling Francisco Liriano. The southpaw really should have been back up in the majors weeks ago, and the Twins finally appear ready to rectify this situation soon.

According to the Minneapolis Start-Tribune, Minnesota appears ready to release Livan [...]

Angels Acquire Mark Teixeira

jonlee

The Angels acquired the big prize hitter on the trade market sending Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Stephen Marek to the Braves for slugger Mark Teixeira. The move should better position the team from Orange County for a serious run through the playoffs. The Angels are virtually assured of winning the AL West, but their offense would probably be an issue against the other contenders like Boston, Chicago, and New York.

Teixeira should fit nicely hitting either in fro [...]

Adam Lind Deserves Your Love

jonlee

If you need a hitter, in any format, Toronto outfielder Adam Lind is your man. Most of the chatter and attention around this time of year is centered around who will be traded and how those moves affect player values in fantasy. Lind’s terrific recent performance has gotten lost in the shuffle.

I have promoted Lind since he was called up once again back on June 22, and he has more than delivered. The Blue Jays finally l [...]

Arizona Shores Up Bullpen

jonlee

The Diamondbacks have acquired pitcher Jon Rauch in an attempt to shore up their shaky bullpen. Arizona had seen their relief corps as a strength earlier in the season, but the performances of Brandon Lyon, Chad Qualls, and Toney Pena have dropped off in recent weeks and Juan Cruz and Doug Slaten remain on the disabled list.

Rauch has been solid this season as the closer for the Nationals for most of the season. At 6-foot-11 he is the [...]

Adam Loewen Tries to Channel Rick Ankiel

jonlee

Baltimore’s Adam Loewen has decided to give up pitching after suffering through several injuries to his arm and will try to become an outfielder. Loewen was drafted No. 4 overall in 2002, and was named Baltimore’s top prospect by Baseball American in 2004. He was rated second best in 2006. This move is surprising given how rare a move like this is at the major league level, but the successful conversion of Rick Ankiel shows that it can be do [...]

All Star-Game Lives Up to Hype

jonlee

Usually, an All-Star game of any kind is little more than an exhibition. This year, baseball’s version lived up to its billing as the “Midsummer Classic.” The American League continued its dominance winning the game 4-3 in 15 innings in front of a sellout crowd in the last year of Yankee Stadium.

Justin Morneau scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly by Michael Young by just beatin [...]

All-Star Starters Tabbed

jonlee

Ben Sheets and Cliff Lee have been picked to start Wednesday’s All-Star game at Yankees Stadium. Their selections mean that the final starting rosters have been set. The All-Star festivities began on Sunday with the Futures Game that was won by the World team 3-0. The events will continue on Monday with the Home Run Derby followed by the actual game on Tuesday.

Dodgers Are Walking Wounded

jonlee

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a disappointment all season. The off-season signings of manger Joe Torre and slugging outfielder Andruw Jones brought optimism to Chavez Ravine, but that has morphed into a 38-43 record at the halfway point. Torre has not been able to ignite a punchless offense, and Jones is among 10 players currently on the disabled list (which is probably a good thing - he's been terrible at the plate).

By the miracle of the mediocre National West how [...]

Chipper Jones May Be Headed to DL

jonlee

Here are some injury notes on some key players in baseball this week. Fantasy players should pay close attention because some of the biggest names will be spending some extended time on the bench:

• Chipper Jones has already missed 8 games, and now he looks headed to the DL. Jones has avoided the disabled list all season despite a nagging hamstring injury, but now he may also miss the All-Star game despite hitting .394 for the [...]

NBA Draft Running Diary

jonlee

The NBA draft is on. Check back here throughout the day for updated commentary as the picks roll on in.

4:37: No surprise here as Chicago takes Derrick Rose to kick off the draft and my running diary. Welcome all. Rose was dominant towards the end of the NCAA season, and combines the size and athleticism rarely seen in a point guard. Don’t worry about a backcourt glut for the Bulls; Rose is way more talented than anybody on the roster.

Fantasy owners looking for saves have a few new options becoming available soon, they just might have to wait awhile, and do some speculating. Mike Gonzalez is obviously the first choice currently available. He was activated on Wednesday, and got a save the same day. Rafael Soriano is on the disabled list for the second time this season with elbow problems and can’t be considered reliable. Gonzalez himself is coming off Tommy John surgery, but he is the close [...]

Blog Entries for jonlee

Another Closer Bites the Dust

Looking for Late Season Help?

Pity Jim Leyland

So Long Mets?

Liriano Set to Return

Angels Acquire Mark Teixeira

Adam Lind Deserves Your Love

Arizona Shores Up Bullpen

Adam Loewen Tries to Channel Rick Ankiel

All Star-Game Lives Up to Hype

All-Star Starters Tabbed

Dodgers Are Walking Wounded

Chipper Jones May Be Headed to DL

NBA Draft Running Diary