Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickup for Deep Leagues – Henderson Alvarez and More
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickup for Deep Leagues – Henderson Alvarez
Henderson Alvarez of the Toronto Blue Jays is an intriguing waiver pickup for those in a deep league. He induces a ton of groundballs but not a whole lot of strikeouts even with a fastball that is consistently in the mid-90s. Alvarez threw even faster in the minor leagues, touching 101 mph at one point in Double-A, but has since toned it down to be more effective with sinking action. The Venezuelan is only 22-years-old and threw his first career shutout against the Angels on May 4th while topping the six-inning mark in every start this season (8).
He took the loss in his last outing on May 15th, allowing two earned runs to the Rays in 6 2/3 innings pitched and didn’t walk any batters. Alvarez’s ERA currently sits in the mid-2’s and should be in the low-3’s by season’s end. He’s a pitcher that can give you quality starts more often than not, going deep into ball games because of all the ground balls he produces.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickup for Deep Leagues – Yonder Alonso
Yonder Alonso is also a player to pick up if your team is in need of a first baseman and he also has outfielder eligibility in most leagues. He is also a younger ballplayer at the age of 25 who was born in Havana, Cuba. The left-handed slugger came up in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system before being shipped to San Diego in the offseason trade for starting pitcher Mat Latos.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickups – Carlos Quentin, Kyle Seager, Jarrod Parker
The top fantasy baseball waiver pickups as of May 11, 2012 area as follows…
Carlos Quentin, OF, San Diego Padres – The veteran outfielder is coming back from the disabled list after having arthroscopic knee surgery during spring training. Quentin will assume the everyday role as left fielder and is a good source for home runs, but not a very good batting average.
The Padres don’t have high-powered offense and Quentin’s RBI total will be above average at best. He’s a good replacement for Jayson Werth who suffered a broken left wrist.
Kyle Seager, 3B, Seattle Mariners – It’s becoming apparent that the relatively unknown Seager has earned the starting third base job in Seattle. Chone Figgins was slated to play third before the season begun, but Mike Carp got injured which moved Figgins to left field. Seager has seized the opportunity and is currently the team leader in runs batted in to compliment a batting average around .300.
Expect the former North Carolina Tar Heel to continue to his good play while being a regular in the Mariners’ lineup going forward. The 24-year-old is a good long-term option and short-term replacement for owners who recently lost Pablo Sandoval.
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Injury Report Hitters – Injured Hitters and Waiver Wire Replacements
If you have one or more of these injured hitters in fantasy baseball than you need to read this. Here is a breakdown of their injury reports along with what you should do in each player’s case.
Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays – Reports are saying that Longoria will be out 6-8 weeks with a partially torn hamstring. He was on a tear before suffering the crucial injury, which really hurts the Rays and also your fantasy team if you own him. Replacing a guy like Longoria will be impossible because he can hit for average and power while being one of the game’s top run producers. He’s definitely worth a roster spot and owners can only hope he can return to 100 percent in a couple months.
Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury, OFs, Boston Red Sox – The news isn’t good for Crawford’s throwing elbow which is scheduled for three-months of rehab, meaning he could miss more than half the season. The injury often times requires Tommy John surgery, but instead will be treated with a relatively new type of treatment performed by Dr. James Andrews, who is the arm doctor of choice in the Big Leagues. The treatment has been successful in helping players recover without requiring surgery in the past. Crawford injured his elbow during extended spring training while rehabbing his wrist that required surgery in January.
The Crawford injury comes after Ellsbury went down earlier this month with a partially dislocated shoulder and is expected to miss at least another month. Owners will want to stash Ellsbury without a doubt, but may want to consider dropping Crawford if they desperately need the roster space because of other injuries. It’s still not a sure thing that Crawford will come back full strength and there is the possibility that he could suffer a setback and miss the entire season.
Outfielders Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney will be expected to fill the void and both should be useful in fantasy leagues. Ross will be available only in shallow leagues while Sweeney in deeper leagues. The Red Sox also acquired Marlon Byrd but he hasn’t produced very much at all this season and won’t be fantasy relevant.
Kevin Youkilis, 3B, Boston Red Sox – The Red Sox third baseman has an irritated joint in his lower back which could turn out to be a nagging injury over the course of the season. Youkilis can come back as early as the second weekend of May, but it’s too early to tell if he will be healthy enough. The 33-year-old has gotten off to a slow start with a .219 batting average and only two home runs in April. Owners need to keep a close eye to this situation to see how it progresses in the next week.
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Injury Report Pitchers – Injured Pitchers and Waiver Wire Replacements
There are so many injured pitchers in MLB fantasy baseball right now. It can get frustrating if you have a relief pitcher or a starting pitcher that has an injury but this is not time to panic. Here is some insight on their injuries as well as some great waiver pickups if necessary.
Injury Report – Starting Pitchers
Cliff Lee, SP, and Philadelphia Phillies – The veteran southpaw should be ready to return to action when he’s eligible to be activated from the disabled list on May 4th. Lee strained an oblique muscle after throwing 10 scoreless innings against the Giants. Owners have little to worry about because Lee has already begun throwing and he’s been relatively durable in his career.
Daniel Hudson, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks – Hudson will likely be out beyond the 15 days he was designated to be on the disabled list with a shoulder impingement. He was off to a rough start this year with an earned run average at 6.00 after three starts. It is now estimated that the 25-year-old is likely to be back in the Diamondbacks’ rotation in late May. Owners will want to be patient with Hudson and wait for him to be activated because he can be a great contributor to your fantasy squad.
Tim Hudson, SP, Atlanta Braves – The grizzled vet is slated to make his 2012 debut this Sunday against the Pirates after having spine surgery last November. Hudson is definitely worth a roster spot might be available in shallow leagues if you’re lucky. If you own him already, feel free to start him but understand it could take a couple start before he gets into his groove.
Michael Pineda, SP, New York Yankees – The 2012 campaign is already over for the promising young arm acquired this past offseason from the Seattle Mariners, without having pitched at all. Pineda will require season-ending shoulder surgery after getting hurt in recent extended spring training start. The Yankees were counting on Pineda for big things like his fantasy owners as well, but it’s time to move on without him in both cases.
Injury Report – Reserve Pitchers
Drew Storen, RP, Washington Nationals – The young reliever had minor surgery in mid-April to remove a bone fragment from his elbow and could be back before the All-Star break. Before the season, Storen was only expected to miss the first couple weeks of the season but he experienced soreness in the elbow in early-April which led to a visit with the famous, Dr. James Andrews. It’s a major setback for Storen and his fantasy owners who have to look elsewhere for saves for the time being. He’s worth stashing on your bench and/or DL spot if you can.
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Fantasy Baseball Waiver Pickups – April 13, 2012
With the baseball season fully upon us, here are a few waiver pickups available in most leagues. Feel free to ask us questions on Twitter @fantasycouch
J.D. Martinez, OF, Houston Astros – He was mentioned as a sleeper before the season started and has lived up to the title so far with a batting average above .300 and a couple of home runs. Martinez is a very capable hitter who will bat in the middle of the Astros lineup so he will have his chance to drive in around 80 to 90 run as well. Don’t expect him to set the world on fire, but he is a very worthwhile addition to you fantasy team if you need an outfielder and/or depth.
Fernando Rodney, RP, Tampa Bay Rays – The veteran right-hander has earned the club’s closing duties with Kyle Farnsworth on the shelf with a bum elbow. Rodney was a primary closer for the Detroit Tigers in 2009 when he converted 37 saves in 38 chances. He won’t strikeout a lot of hitters and has had issues being consistent in the past with an earned run average over 4.00 each of the past five seasons. It’s not certain he will get all the save opportunities going forward even though he has been sharp so far. If you’re in need of saves with a number of closers already being injured this season, than Rodney is worth a waiver wire tap.
2012 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers – Hitters
Need some last minute help with your 2012 MLB fantasy baseball draft? Well, here are some last minute fantasy baseball sleepers (hitters) that you should look out for in your fantasy baseball draft. Make sure you visit my previous article of our 2012 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers – Pitchers.
Jemile Weeks, 2B, Oakland Athletics
This switch-hitting second baseman should be targeted with a late-round selection to see a very good return on the investment. He won’t have as much power as his brother Rickie, who will be taken with a mid-round pick, but Jemile will deliver a better batting average and could steal 30+ bags this season.
In 406 at-bats in his rookie season last year, Weeks hit .303 and had only two home runs. In 31 at-bats this Spring Training, he hit three home runs including a game with one from each side of the plate. Owners might see him hit around 10 long balls this season as the club’s everyday second baseman.
Brandon Belt, 1B, San Francisco Giants
It’s not clear where Belt will play in the Giants lineup and how often, but the talent suggests that he should get the chance. He had a tough time making the transition the Big League last year but is much further along heading into this season. There’s a good change Belt will play a good number of games in the outfield which gives more versatility to your fantasy roster.
The former Texas Longhorn will make it hard for the Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy not to give him playing time down the stretch and has a great value as late-round sleeper.
Martin Prado, 3B/LF, Atlanta Braves
With Chipper Jones set to have knee surgery, Prado moves from left field to the hot corner and is assured plenty of at-bats in the No. 2 hole. The Venezuelan should get plenty of chances to score runs and he’s a good hitter, although the .260 batting average last season was a disappointment. He’s capable of hitting over .300 like he did in 10’ and 11’.
He will be on the board in the later part of most drafts and is a good utility player to have because of the OF eligibility.
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2012 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers – Pitchers
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers 2012 Pitchers
The names of these pitchers on my 2012 fantasy baseball sleepers list created a wild fire in my brain and I just had to put them out with this spontaneous article. Let me know what you think of my list and if you have any baseball draft questions feel free to ask us on Twitter @fantasycouch. These pitchers are undervalued so be ready when the time comes to draft one of these sleepers in the mid-to-late rounds.
Johan Santana, NYM, SP – The concern with Santana is that he won’t make it through a full season without seeing the 60-day disabled list. He missed all of 2011 recovering from surgery to repair his throwing shoulder and is pitching well right now. In four Spring Training starts, just over 13 innings pitched, the lefty has a modest 3.38 era with one bad outing against the Tigers. His last start was six innings in which he allowed one run on six hits.
You’ll likely be able to get him towards the later part of your draft even though he’s starting to get hyped up a bit. Santana will have to be a ‘crafty’ pitcher going forward like Greg Maddux did in his older years; learning how to keep hitters off-balance and induce weakly hit balls. And the 33-year-old Venezuelan is capable of doing just that as long as he stays healthy.
A.J. Burnett, PIT, SP – Being back to the National League will be the best thing for Burnett who played his last six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees (three years apiece). He has proven to have “electric” stuff when at his best and is trying to revive his career as a grizzled vet. At least he won’t have to regularly face the AL East opponents or have the pressure of pitching in the Big Apple.
Burnett is carrying a 2.77 ERA through 13 innings pitched 11 punch-outs against nine hits allowed which is a good sign. When he can locate his fastball, the hard-throwing righty can be very effective with his offspeed stuff including a wicked, sweeping curveball. Look to pick him up off waivers in the end of April as he recovers from a broken orbital bone he suffered in early March trying to bunt at Pirates’ Spring Training facility.
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2012 Fantasy Baseball Predictions for Pitchers – Young Pitchers on New Teams
2012 Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Predictions
There is a boatload of potential from these young pitchers who are on new teams this year. Don’t be afraid to take a risk when selecting one of these pitchers in your fantasy baseball draft this year. The following pitchers are ranked based on their projections for the 2012 season.
1. Mat Latos, CIN
2012 Projections: 15-9 3.45 ERA 188 Strikeouts
An offseason trade has landed Latos in Cincinnati where he will look to step in as the ace of the pitching staff. The 24-year-old is one season removed from putting up a 14-10, 2.92 ERA season in 2010 playing for San Diego. He won’t likely produce a sub-3 ERA anytime soon now playing home games at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark, but owners shouldn’t be scared away so easy. The kid still has a promising future and could very well win 15+ games for the Reds with around 200 punch-outs. He’s a looked pretty good in five innings of work between two starts in the Catcus League, with a two-run homer being the only damage to mention.
2. Yu Darvish, TEX
2012 Projections: 14-8 3.37 ERA 179 Strikeouts
It’s hard to gauge how well the Japanese star will be in his first season in the Big Leagues, so Spring Training starts will be very interesting to watch. He pitched two scoreless innings against the Padres with a pair of punch-outs on March 7th. So far, so good for Darvish who reportedly throws seven different pitches, fastball, cut fastball, sinker curve, slider, changeup and splitter. That’s unheard of by most standards. If he can locate even three or four pitches on any given night, he would have a great chance at being an All-Star. It’s a draft day decision that could be the best gamble because of the possible payout being very high.
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2012 Fantasy Baseball Hitters Predictions and Updates
2012 Fantasy Baseball Hitters – Offseason Predictions and Updates
This past offseason saw a handful of big-name players change zip codes through free agency. While these hitters cashed in on their new contracts, you as a fantasy owner need to know what to expect . These are more of the ‘household’ names you may already know and are familiar with, there will be more made of players in new places as Spring Training unfolds and FantasyCouch.com brings you news, advice and tips to help you claim bragging rights in your league this season.
Albert Pujols, Los Angels Angels – “The Machine” has a new home in the American League after signing a 10-year contract this past offseason to play for the Halos. This is a great move for his long-term value because the designated hitter spot will be an option to keep him in the line-up without overworking him. Now entering his 12th big league season, Pujols posted a career-low in batting average (.299), runs batted in (99) and walks (61) in 2011. Those are still very good number, but we are talking about a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who should dominate opposing pitchers for at least five to six more years.
Fantasy owners should not shy away from drafting him No. 1 overall and certainly inside the top-3 along with the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera and the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp. It’s not a bad idea to put your money on a player that has been as consistently ‘great’ ever since breaking into the big leagues like Albert has.
The transition from National to American League won’t be a problem for Pujols as evidence by his career numbers in interleague play, .348 BA, 39 HRs and 121 RBIs in 143 contests. He is one of the game’s best hitters of all-time and should easily hit over .300 with 40 big flies and 110+ RBIs in 2012.
Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers – The 27-year-old first baseman is the ideal addition to the Tigers’ lineup complimenting Miguel Cabrera as potentially the best ‘one-two’ punch in the game. Fielder has tremendous power and is an elite run producer who drove in 141 Brewers in 2009. He was protecting another high profile right-handed hitter in Ryan Braun for the last six years in Milwaukee.
Fielder will also make the jump to the AL like Pujols, and shouldn’t have much issue getting settled in. Owners can expect him to become a better overall hitter after a .299 batting average last season, which tied a high career high. He’s a top-5 first baseman without a doubt.
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Major League Baseball – Offseason Shenanigans
The proverbial black eye that Major League Baseball has been trying to heal in terms of steroid usage amongst players has been blackened once again. Milwaukee Brewers’ leftfielder Ryan Braun, this year’s National League Most Valuable Player, could potentially face a 50 game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance this past season. This is a tough blow for his career if proven guilty, and frankly all the more reason to strip the MVP from Braun and give it to Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Braun’s name is now tarnished like other superstars like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemans, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez as those who have been associated with performance enhancing drugs. It’s sad that athletes are putting substances in their body to compete amongst the game’s elite, because the younger generations will likely follow suit. Today’s athletes have access to the best trainers, top of the line workout equipment in state of the art training facilities and some of the world’s best dieticians at their disposal. They could even use legal supplements or Canadian drugs instead of damaging their body and reputations by using steroids and other PEDs.
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