AL West Fantasy Report: Week 8

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (26-20, T-1st place): The two most important players on the Angles are on the disabled list. Remember when your little league coach told you NEVER to slide into home plate headfirst? See Vlad’s mangled shoulder to find out why. Francisco Rodriguez was holding opposing hitters to a .164 average but now it’s up to Scot Shields & Co. to hold down the fort.

C: Bengie Molina – The Molina brothers are platooning at catcher right now which renders their fantasy potential even more useless. Furthermore, Bengie is not 100% after spending a month on the disabled list.

1B: Darin Erstad – A recent streak (12 hits in the last 8 games) has raised his average to .265. One of the more disappointing aspects about Erstad’s fantasy value has been the lack of stolen bases. At one time Erstad was one of the most consistent base stealers in baseball. However, it’s been injury and not age that has decreased his SB production. Lyle Overbay or Jay Gibbons should be on the wire in most 12-team mixed leagues and are both more consistent fantasy options than Erstad at this point.

2B: Adam Kennedy – He’s hitting under .240 and showing no life on the base paths. He isn’t even a fantasy afterthought.

SS: Orlando Cabrera – It started out as “Jason Giambi” disappointing. Then, it slowly moved into “Brian Bosworth” territory. Now, Cabrera’s tenure with the Angles is rapidly approaching the lowest of the low. That’s right, I’m talking about Hootie & The Blowfish’s second album. Good Lord.

3B: Dallas McPherson – I would rather have Sam Horn on my team right now than this guy. Avoid him like that girl at the party with gray splotches all over her legs…or maybe…I just go to different parties than the rest of you.

OF: Vladimir Guerrero – Here is a timeline of the recent events in one of my fantasy leagues.
May 17th – I propose a trade that would send Jake Peavy and Brian Roberts from my squad to the “Chocolate Pounding Thunder Farts” for Vlad and Roger Clemens.
May 18th – I celebrate when the trade is accepted.
May 19th – The trade is put through by the commish
May 20th – Vlad promptly injures himself by sliding headfirst into home plate with his team up 4-0.
May 21st – I pray to whatever is holy that Vlad isn’t put on the DL.
May 21st – Vlad is put on the DL
May 22nd – I lose all sense of religion
May 23rd – I kick my girlfriend’s puppy
Ok, ok that last one isn’t true. You people should know me better. I would never lower myself to having a girlfriend.

OF: Garret Anderson – Serious power outage. Anderson has 2 HR’s all month and has an OBP of less than .300 in May. These are not the numbers the Angels need in order to stay afloat in this division, especially with their masher on the mend.

OF: Steve Finley – He keeps trying to pull the first pitch out of the yard and keeps getting jammed inside. Forget about Finley as there are plenty more fantasy options on the wires for you to choose from. (K. Mench, R. Sanders, S. Stewart)

OF: Chone Figgins – Figgins had at least one hit in every game last week and stole three bases. His OBP is still dreadfully low for a leadoff man and he is striking out too much. However, consistent base stealers are a crapshoot this year so try to pick him up.

SP: Bartolo Colon is still an absolute start. His WHIP is around 1.00 and he is avoiding the high pitch innings that crucified him last year. Start him with confidence.

I want to know what the deal is with Paul Byrd’s arm strength as he has thrown over 100 pitches only twice all season. He isn’t going to strike anyone out but he may get you a cheap win if you have some starters on the DL.

The Kelvim Escobar saga continues in southern California. I’ll argue this point until I’m blue in the face:

”Escobar has the nastiest stuff of all of the Angel starters.”

They need him desperately, but the front office is in a tough spot. Do they…
A. Get him back in the rotation to help fend off the Rangers?
B. Bank on the team winning the division anyway, and save him for the postseason?

Ervin Santana was a nice stopgap surprise as he shut out the White Sox 4-0. His has a brutal changeup and a nice command of the strike zone. However, it is too early for me to recommend picking him up. If the Royals do anything against him this Saturday, know he is a flash in the pan.

Washburn has kept his walks at the minimum this month and is showing better command. I’ve probably been too hard on him in my reviews because he is one pitcher (the other being Brad Radke, Kenny Rogers) that makes me nervous before each start. His stuff isn’t dominating, and a team can force him out after 2 innings if they get to him. In all fairness, he did make the Dodgers look ridiculous last Friday, shutting them out 9-0.

RP: The bullpen is hurting. Scot Shields has been abusing hitters all year with his array of pitches and changing velocities, but now he’ll be the one called on the save the day. This is another turning point for the Angels organization because they will see if their bullpen can be effective without Rodriguez in there. Remember, his contract is coming up and if the bullpen collapses while he is in the DL, the front will be all but forced to pay Rodriguez the Gagne-esque money he is seeking.

Player to watch: Watch and see how Shields handles the pressure of being the man in the 9th inning. Esteban Yan and Brendan Donnelly will contribute where they can, but it’s all on Shields now.

Injured impact player: This team looks like a M.A.S.H unit right now. Do they have any injured impact players? Yeah, only their two best, Vlad and K-Rod.

Texas Rangers (26-20, T-1st place): They swept the in-state rival Astros and have had four straight games where the starting pitcher has gotten the “W”. The Rangers are in the middle of a six game winning streak that is shifting the balance of power in the AL West.

C: Rod Barajas - No.

1B: Mark Teixeria – He has been hitting the ball harder as the season has progressed but is still leaving too many guys on base. Even though it pains me to say is, it’s almost worth keeping an extra first baseman on your roster for the days Teixeria has to bat right-handed. Most guys like Lance Berkman have improved from their weaker side of the plate. Teixeria however, has not.
All 10 of his HR’s and all but ONE of his RBI’s have come against right handed pitching.

2B: Alfonso Soriano – The Rangers just can’t find a consistent place for Soriano in the lineup. Dellucci has taken over leadoff and with Blalock and Teixeria in the middle it leaves Soriano stuck at number 5. The fifth spot puts the burden of run-producer on his shoulders, which is something he has never responded well to. He’s been a non-factor over the past week and his horrendous glove-work is beginning to show as never before.

SS: Michael Young – Did I inspire him with my column last week? No, he has better things to do…like raising his average to .280 and only strikeout twice since the beginning of the Minnesota series. The RBI’s and runs aren’t there, but that doesn’t matter because you are still playing him everyday and will reap the rewards when they do come around.

3B: Hank Blalock – Yes, the Rangers game against the Astros on the 21st was over from the beginning as the they hung 18 runs and jacked 8 HR’s. However, even if it was just a stat- padding event, 4 hits and 4 RBI’s are impressive in any situation. He’s hitting around .300 this month so keep him as your regular 3rd basemen.

OF: Richard Hidalgo – Michael Young might not read my article, but Lord knows Richard Hidalgo must. Here is my proof:
A. He has nothing better to do
B. His average if 100 points higher this month than last month after I referred to him as a “whiney, crying little child”
C. He has nothing better do.
D. He’s clocked 4 HR’s since last week.

I won’t pick him up out of spite, but you probably should.

OF: Kevin Mench – If Mench is out there than pick him up. He is obliterating pitchers on the road and providing a consistent threat outside of Blalock and Teixeria.

OF: David Dellucci – Dellucci is batting leadoff and loving it. His OPS is over 1.000 and is he is doing a great job of setting the table for the middle of the lineup. If he is on your team, you might consider trading him because his value is skyrocketing. However, don’t just trade him for a run-of-the-mill pitcher because Dellucci is producing in several different fantasy categories.

OF: Nix/Allen/Torres – Not convinced.

DH: Gary Matthews Jr. – Still hurt. The reason he is still listed here is so you won’t be tempted to pick up any of the Rangers platooning in the Outfield or DH.

SP: The scoreless innings streak fell short but keep starting Kenny Rogers. Pre All-star break is his time year after year. He has allowed a grand total of ONE home run this year and yes, his next start is against the Royals…plug him in.

Chris Young is a great option right now as he is showing improved command of his changeup.

I wouldn’t recommend starting Drese or Astacio until they show they can beat good teams.

RP: Start Cordero as always. The Rangers bullpen is 5 – 7 pitchers deep, so no one else gets consistent innings.

Player to watch: Watch Dellucci’s hot streak continue. He is thriving in the leadoff spot.

Injured impact player: With Matthews out, the Rangers outfield is forcing to platoon a bunch of misfits. Ignore them all.

Seattle Mariners (18-27, 3rd place, 7.5GB): The offense is anemic and what’s worse, they are as bad at home as they are on the road. For all of the immense talent they have on the hitting end, the Mariners have pitifully few fantasy impact players. The pitching is a mess and finally getting out of the cellar in AL West is hardly worth the money they spent this winter.

C: Miguel Olivo -
The Good: Miguel Olivo is losing innings
The Bad: He’s losing innings to Pat Borders
The Ugly: Pat Borders was World Series MVP…in 1923

1B: Richie Sexson – He caught fire during the M’s series against the Padres and finally raised his average above .220. You’re going to start him because he’s going to hit 40 HR…but you’re going to hate yourself for it.

2B: Bret Boone – He’s hitting an embarrassing .176 against left-handed pitching. His batting average is worse this month than last, and it was really bad last month. Don’t drop him but see if you can get a reliever in return.

SS: Wilson Valdez – I would rather start a paraplegic Octopus, than Wilson Valdez at SS.

3B: Adrian Belpre – You took him in the 3rd round…what are you gonna do? Not play him? If I’m biting the bullet and starting Oliver Perez than by golly, you are gonna start Beltre.

DH: Raul Ibanez – What you see if what you get. His on base % has plummeted this month because he forgot how to take a walk, but is still a solid start.

OF: Ichiro Suzuki – He has looked almost human lately. His average in May is hovering around .300 but is still on pace to steal 50 bases. Unfortunately for him the mashers in the middle aren’t doing their job to drive him in.

OF: Jeremy Reed – Too many good outfielders out there right now. His average isn’t where it needs to be and he isn’t using his speed.

OF: Randy Winn – They have stuck him in the #2 spot in the lineup again. Still, he isn’t producing enough to be on your roster.

SP: I wouldn’t use any of the M’s starters right now.

RP: Eddie. Hasegawa has a great WHIP so pick him up if he is still out there. J.J. Putz might be worth a look if you are desperate.

Player to watch: Watch Ichiro’s progress. You can get a good trade value for him right now.

Injured impact player: No one of any fantasy consequence is affected here.

Oakland Athletics (17-28, 4th place, 8.5GB): Dotel is on the DL and no one is hitting. Zito isn’t getting run support and tonight Joe Blanton lasted 1/3 of an inning…against the Devil Rays. It’s one thing to be in last place but it’s quite another to be last place in this division; the weakest in baseball.

C: Jason Kendall – No.

1B: Nick Swisher – Swisher is off the DL and back at first base. However, he is hitting .210 and in the middle of possibly the weakest lineup in baseball. You do the math.

2B: Mark Ellis – Last week he had 3 hits in a 13-6 romp over the Red Sox. He is hovering around .280 now so you might want to give him a look if you’re thin at second base. Ellis should by no means be your starter but could be good for you off the bench. Ronnie Belliard is a good option and should still be available. Other options include the Diamondbacks’ Craig Counsell, Jorge Cantu of the Devil Rays or Tadahito Iguchi of the White Sox.

SS: Marco Scutaro – At .252, Scuatro isn’t worth a look…especially in this lineup.

3B: Eric Chavez – He’s leaving too many of his teammates stranded. Still, he has 3 more hits this month than he did in all of April. That “torrid” streak has raised his overall average to .224. Now is the time for Chavez to respond. His teammates are starting to get on base, albeit not with great consistency, but better than in April. Chavez is going to get his shots to drive in runs especially since the A’s have drifted into the cellar of the West. Don’t think for a minute that Billy Beane is going to let his team sink to the bottom and stay there without tinkering the lineup and rotation.

OF: Charles Thomas – This man’s batting average is actually BELOW .100. Stunning. What’s more? He’s batting 2nd in their lineup as of yesterday.

OF: Mark Kotsay – One of the few A’s who’s hitting the ball at home (.309) and he is still killing the ball off left-handers (.347) His lack of power, runs and RBI’s kill his value and he’s a 4th outfielder at best.

SP: Don’t dump Zito yet. He’s getting ZERO run support and has actually started to locate his pitches. In his last start he was getting ahead of hitters early; something he could not do over the past year and a half. Zito needs to know when to throw his soft curveball and needs to set it up with a first pitch fastball strike. If he can get some runs, he’ll finish with 12 or so victories.
Rich Harden’s ERA is below 3.00 and he’s striking out 8 ½ per 9 innings. Start him for his K’s, WHIP and ERA, but don’t expect a win.
Joe Blanton lasted 1/3 of an inning tonight against the Devil Rays…that should explain itself.

RP: This group is in a lot of trouble. Justin Duchscherer is probably your best bet as far as fantasy production goes. He is similar to the Twins Jessie Crain in that he is very effective, but doesn’t get enough innings to be a fantasy fixture. However, if you have an extra roster spot he could shave a little bit off your ERA or WHIP. Duchscherer is striking out almost 8 per 9, but usually goes an inning or so per appearance.
Kiko Calero should not be on your team, no matter how much the A’s being to rely on him.

Player to watch: Watch as Chavez begins to prove his fantasy worth. If he can get to bat with some runners on he’ll have a chance to turn the A’s fortunes around.

Injured impact player: Octavio Dotel