| Shawn Estes, P, San Diego Padres | Sunday 2/10, 5:43 PM CT |
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| Shawn Estes has emerged as a dark horse to be the Padres' fifth starter, according to the Denver Post. While the soft throwing Estes is well past his 15-minutes at the big league level, any pitcher that starts half of their games in PETCO Park has to be a NL-only fantasy consideration. |
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| According to Rockies beat writer Roy Rench of the Denver Post, Colorado will reach contract agreements with Brad Hawpe and Garrett Atkins soon, while going to an arbitration hearing with Brian Fuentes.Outside of future Hall of Fame first baseman Todd Helton, Colorado is young and locking up Hawpe and Atkins ,will make one time Sports Illustrated cover boy Clint Hurdle, sleep much better for the next half-decade. |
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| Brad Hawpe, RF, Colorado Rockies | Sunday 2/10, 5:33 PM CT |
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| According to Rockies beat writer Roy Rench of the Denver Post, Colorado will reach contract agreements with Brad Hawpe and Garrett Atkins soon, while going to an arbitration hearing with Brian Fuentes. Outside of future Hall of Fame first baseman Todd Helton, Colorado is young and locking up Hawpe and Atkins ,will make one time Sports Illustrated cover boy Clint Hurdle, sleep much better for the next half-decade. |
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| Franklin Morales is the Rockies' great exception, reports the Denver Post.
At 22, logic screams that he should spend part of this season in Triple-A, refining his mechanics, majoring in humility, but like unlike other scrutinized prospects, Morales defied experts last season by succeeding in the big leagues after struggling to win games in Double-A. Morales needs only to capture a sliver of command and understand he doesn't have to throw every pitch 100 MPH to be effective at the top level. When the Rockies report to Tucson this week Morales will begin his fight for the final spot in the rotation. His competition will be Kip Wells, Mark Redman and Josh Towers. A productive spring for the young Morales would allow Colorado to realistically compete for another trip to the Fall Classic. |
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| General manager Brian Cashman won a personal victory by convincing the New York Yankees' hierarchy not to meet the Minnesota Twins' asking price for lefthander Johan Santana according to The Sporting News. Consider these six starters: Kevin Brown, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, Javier Vazquez and Jaret Wright. Cashman either traded for them or signed them as free agents since 2004.
Only Pavano lasted longer than two seasons with the Yankees, and he has been injured most of the time. Johnson is the only member of the group to win more than 16 games with the Yankees. The experts, Las Vegas bookmakers, have the Yankees on average at 5-1 odds to win the World Series, their longest odds in the last 10 years.
The future rests with young pitchers Joba Chamberlain, Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy, Cashman said. Getting tied up in a long-term deal with Santana would be risky and payroll-crushing, Cashman insisted. |
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| Mark Sweeney, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers | Sunday 2/10, 4:14 PM CT |
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| The Los Angeles Dodgers are nearing agreement on a one-year major league contract with free agent Mark Sweeney according to a report on ESPN.com. "It's not a done deal, but we're moving in the right direction,'' said Sweeney's agent, Barry Axelrod. Sweeney, 38, has 163 pinch-hits to rank second on Major League Baseball's career list behind Lenny Harris. He led the majors with 24 pinch hits and batted .316 in the role last season. Sweeney's fantasy value rests in deep NL-only formats.
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| Mike Hampton thinks this might finally be the year that he is able to avoid the DL and earn his paycheck after being limited to just 69.1 innings last season. "My arm does feel better," Hampton said. "When I throw, the pain I had that [last year] — we thought we knew what it was but it wasn't — is not there." As for his hamstring? "There's still some tightness but not much soreness," Hampton said. "It doesn't limit me off the mound." Hampton is nothing more than a late flier in fantasy league's this season considering he has posted an ERA below 4.00 in more than 150 innings only once since 2001. Leave him on waivers and monitor his progress. Atlanta Journal Constitution |
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| Ben Sheets, P, Milwaukee Brewers | Sunday 2/10, 12:07 PM CT |
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| Ben Sheets hopes that he will be able to stay healthy this year after a rigorous off-season training. "It's not conditioning. It's just a pattern of bad luck for him," manager Ned Yost said. "Hopefully, that will change and he can go the full year healthy and be dominant like everybody knows he can be." After three straight years of 200+ innings, Sheets has been unable to record even 160 the past three years. Still, over the past three years he has posted a 3.63 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.08 K/9IP and a stunning 4.97 K/BB ratio. A huge risk on draft day, but few have a higher ceiling. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
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| Rickie Weeks is a prime breakout candidate in 2008, just ask manager Ned Yost. "I consider it almost a done deal," said Yost. You saw what he can do in August and September last year. It was unbelievable, the difference in how he swung the bat [after finally getting healthy]." Weeks will bat leadoff for the Brewers and after hitting .273-11-17-44-15 over his final 43 games, Weeks is certainly in line to be a big-time performer this season. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
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| Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies | Sunday 2/10, 11:54 AM CT |
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| Ryan Howard appears headed to arbitration as he and the Phils still cannot bridge the gap between the $10 million he asked for and the $7 million that was offered. The hearing is scheduled for February 20th. This whole thing seems stupid. The only reason Howard is in this spot is cause the team needlessly blocked his ascension to the majors with Jim Thome or he would likely have two more season's under his belt. Regardless, things could get ugly in the arbitration process so why not just sign the slugger to a huge deal and be done with it? If it doesn't get worked out, look for Howard to take out his frustration on opposing pitchers this season. Philadelphia Enquirer |
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| Nate McLouth, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates | Sunday 2/10, 11:49 AM CT |
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| Nate McLouth and Nyjer Morgan will open spring training in a battle for the starting spot in CF, but it appears that McLouth has the slight advantage in the battle given his left-handed power bat that produced 13 HR last season in 329 AB. McLouth also stole 22 bases for the Pirates. Whoever wins the battle figures to bat leadoff, but for fantasy purposes it looks like McLouth is the player to grab late for his combo of power and speed, that is unless Morgan wins the battle for the spot. Pittsburgh Post Gazette |
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| Conor Jackson lost his biggest competition for playing time when it was learned that Tony Clark will spurn the teams offer and instead play for the Padres in 2008. Jackson has hit .288 with a .368 OBP the past two seasons while producing 15 HR in each season, a sub par total for a 1B. While Jackson doesn't figure to morph into a 30 HR beast this season, now that he will likely be given 550 AB he certainly makes a fine target as a middle infield option in mixed leagues. |
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| Tony Clark, 1B, San Diego Padres | Sunday 2/10, 11:40 AM CT |
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| Tony Clark signed a 1-year contract for about $900,000 to serve as the team's top bat off the bench in 2008 though the contract wont be official for a day or two. Clark apparently turned down a 2-year deal to stay in Arizona to move back to where he grew up. He still provides plenty of pop (17 HR last year) and clubhouse leadership, but with Adrian Gonzalez the team's best hitter entrenched at 1B, Clark's chance of playing in as many games as his 113 of last year seem slim even if he pinch hits all the time. San Diego Union Tribune |
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| Scott Olsen, P, Florida Marlins | Sunday 2/10, 10:52 AM CT |
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| Scott Olsen hopes that all the work he has done of late will help to erase any felony charges that have been filed against him for the DUI and resisting arrest incident last season. "We anticipate that all felony charges against Scott will be dismissed this month,'' his attorney, Lawrence Reynoso, said. Hopefully with that situation settled Olsen can get back to being the promising pitcher he appeared to be after posting 166 K and a 1.30 ERA in 2006 and not the horrible performer who lost 15 games with a 5.81 ERA and 1.76 WHIP last season. Palm Beach Post |
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