SB Nation User Blog: The Congo Hammer

Struggling former top position prospects (AL)

The Congo Hammer — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:07:54 -0000

Share your thoughts on these misguided souls...

While they may not be in the minors anymore, former top prospects are always intriguing...you never know when a guy will suddenly figure things out and have a breakthrough season in the majors a la Carlos Quentin. Right now there are quite a few potential sleepers for next year, or so it would seem. The question is, are there key reasons as to why the player has not found their groove (injuries, attitude etc.) or are they still just as likely to break out. I'm not going to include guys like Chris Davis who have already succeeded before in the majors.

The main guys -

Alex Gordon - That 40 HR / 25 SB potential still hasn't been realized, does he still have that potential, or did he ever? Injuries can explain this year, but still, when is he going to figure it out?

Delmon Young - okay, you can say he's had solid seasons in the majors, but this year has been flat out bad. But he's only 23, why is he not improving like he should be. I just can't give up on him yet, I still think he has some filling out to do.

Andy Marte -Had a big season in AAA, after he was almost left by the wayside after mediocre seasons in the minors. Now has a full-time job, is hitting fairly well... but will it last? Will he ever be the 30 HR hitter he was projected to be

Brandon Wood - One of my favorite prospects for years, he really just hasn't gotten enough ABs in the majors to prove himself. Perhaps Figgins moving on will give him a chance to shine at 3B in 2010. Still, while he crushed minors hitting, he's been less than impressive in his ML sample sizes

Daric Barton - The former top prospect has done little in AAA, and has been mediocre at best in the majors. Still young enough, but can he even get a full-time job? His power may be the deciding factor.

Let me know if I'm forgetting anyone, I'm sure that I am....

Poll

Who is the most likely to have a breakthrough season in 2010?

Alex Gordon

138 votes

Delmon Young

35 votes

Andy Marte

27 votes

Brandon Wood

111 votes

Daric Barton

18 votes

329 votes | Poll has closed

Kendrick Demoted, Sean Rodriguez gets the call

The Congo Hammer — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:39:43 -0000

Well I guess that old Kendrick vs. Cano debate was settled rather easily. Rodriguez was hitting .273 with 21 Homers and a 68/20 K/BB in 205 AB. Wood deserved a callup more IMO, hitting .299 with 14 HR and a 36/21 K/BB in 167 ABs, but it seems the organization has soured on him despite his improvement and I really hope they trade him so that he gets an opportunity.

I personally don't think Rodriguez will post a good enough average to substantiate for his high power potential, but I wonder if Kendrick will be given another shot if he can figure out things in the minors or if he will take the Josh Barfield route instead. Well what do you guys think?

Peavy traded to the White Sox for pitching prospects?

The Congo Hammer — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:38:44 -0000

Pending Peavy's approval, MLBTradeRumors.com and Rotoworld.com report. It looks like the return for Peavy involves Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard, and two more pitching prospects. At the moment it looks like Gordon Beckham is not part of the deal.

I don't really get why the White Sox would do this, especially as their top pitchers from last year have been struggling and it seemed pretty clear that they were in rebuilding mode. Well it's still not a done deal, Peavy has expressed a strong preference for playing in the NL, and former teammate Scott Linebrink said there's a 50-50 chance he accepts.

This news is going to wreak havoc in AL-only fantasy leagues. Please feel free to post any updates on the Peavy situation.

Emerging Young AL pitchers:

The Congo Hammer — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:16:58 -0000

I'll try to include most interesting younger AL pitchers that I can think of, though I'll probably miss a few. But I feel that a few of these guys really warrant some discussion since they may be important pitchers over the rest of the year.

Josh Outman - According to FanGraphs, he ranks in the top 10 in the league in Fastball Velocity. I don't know what it used to be, but this definitely makes him intriguing and suggests potential beyond his 4th starter projected upside. If he can improve his control, he can be a real sleeper. I'd grab him if he is still available in your AL-only or deeper mixed league.

Scott Richmond - Okay so he's not young, but he did come out of nowhere, and is displaying fastball velocity around 92 mph, so I don't think he's just another Matt Palmer. But will he keep his rotation spot when other pitchers come back? I do think he's better than Ray.

Ricky Romero - Burst onto the scene after dull minors numbers, now injured but will be back soon. If he can keep that same control he was displaying, he could be a strong #3 starter. His stuff is definitely good enough...

Dontrelle Willis - Yes, it's been just one start, but hey, he one hit the friggin Texas Rangers. I'd wait and see what he can do if you can afford to, but the point is that it looks like that potential that seemed to have vanished has come back with this off time. I'm definitely keeping a close eye on him.

Brett Cecil - despite last night's slugfest, he still has had a few great starts, which surprised some after he was struggling in the minors. He has the stuff and poise to succeed now, and probably has higher upside than anyone else on this list.

Brian Tallet - Has been solid as a reliever, has probably overproduced as a starter as his K/BB indicates some regression is on the way, but I'm sure he's been a pleasant surprise nonetheless.

Rich Hill - Deserves a mention after his lost 2008 season and signs of a potential comeback (I know, sample size). I'm not expecting 2007 production, but the K potential seems strong, and Baltimore's great defensive outfield could save him a few runs.

Robert Ray - 25 year old has been solid enough, posting a 3.60 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, but I don't think his stuff will hold up so well in the long-term. I honestly haven't read up much on the guy though.

What do you think of these starters? Sorry I know I failed to include some people, I didn't spend a lot of time on this, but feel free to add your own guys into the discussion.

Poll

Which one of these AL pitchers will be the best overall in 2009?

Josh Outman

45 votes

Scott Richmond

12 votes

Ricky Romero

20 votes

Dontrelle Willis

10 votes

Brian Tallet

3 votes

Rich Hill

20 votes

Robert Ray

0 votes

110 votes | Poll has closed

Fantasy: How Bad is David Ortiz?

The Congo Hammer — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:15:18 -0000

I thought it was brilliant to pick him up in all three of my leagues, since I picked him up rather late and he was coming off a bad season. I didn't need him to hit 45-50 HR, but I'd be fine with a .300 30 HR season. But what the hell is happening? He has no HR and doesn't appear able to hit even in batting practice!

Well my question now as an Ortiz owner, do you sell now and still get something, albeit greatly reduced, for him, or am I better off just holding on and hoping he can turn it around? The two best offers I've gotten for him in my AL-only league (many teams say they don't want him at all) are Ortiz and DelCarmen for Crisp and Floyd (I can replace him rather easily) and Ortiz and DelCarmen for Ken Griffey Jr. and my choice of Brian Tallet or B.J. Ryan.

It pains me that his stock has fallen so far so fast, and I worry that I'll look like a moron if he comes back to form and puts up great numbers for someone else, but at the same time I'd feel stupid to not get something for him if he'll just keep putting up zeroes til he gets replaced in the lineup and is worthless. What do you guys think of him and his performance for the rest of the year?

Poll

What should I do with David Ortiz

Trade Ortiz and DelCarmen for Crisp and Floyd

30 votes

Trade Ortiz and DelCarmen for Griffey and Tallet

6 votes

Trade Ortiz and DelCarmen for Griffey and Ryan

5 votes

Hold on to Ortiz

40 votes

81 votes | Poll has closed

Brandon Wood is still a top prospect

The Congo Hammer — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:22:37 -0000

He is now hitting .351 with 8 HR, an .877 SLG% and a 1.317 OPS in only 57 Triple A ABs. After his last season where he hit .296 with 31 HR in 395 ABs, it's clear that the power is for real. BUT now he's also showing a 9/12 K/BB ratio, which granted is a small sample size but has been showing signs of improving his plate discipline.

In addition, he is now playing SS in the minors. After sporadic intervals of call-ups to ride the pine, he continued producing, and put up solid numbers in his last call-up of 2008 and his 2009 stint combined. Maybe he will take over for Aybar, or get traded to a team that'll give him a chance. After all, he's still only 24. I think he can still put up .260, 30 HR seasons at Shortstop if given the legitimate shot that he badly deserves. I don't get why such a potentially exciting player gets so little attention on this site (other than SNTS i guess)

Brandon Wood recalled from Triple-A

The Congo Hammer — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:25:34 -0000

From Rotoworld:

"It remains to be seen how the Angels will deploy him, but the power-hitting infielder is a must-add in AL-only leagues and someone to watch closely in deeper mixed leagues. Not only does Wood have 3B and SS eligibility in many formats, but he also possesses legitimate power -- he was hitting .346 with four homers and eight RBI in Triple-A at the time of his callup."

He's been a favorite of mine for a long time, I've stuck with him through the thick and thin, after all the kid is 23, plays good defense at shortstop and hit .296/.375/.595 with 31 HR in 395 Triple A at-bats in 2008, showing a real breakthrough after some stagnation the previous two seasons.

What I want to know is how the Angels plan to use him. Personally I think the Angels would benefit for him trying out at SS and push out Aybar who isn't bringing anything to the table, though with Vlad's injury Wood can always play 3rd and Figgy move to OF. It just drove me crazy in the past how they called up Wood to have him rot on the bench for a lot of time before sending him back down, it's amazing that it hasn't fazed him but I think he really deserves a shot at a full-time role this time around. Thoughts?

The inevitable Brag About Your Awesome Fantasy Roster Thread

The Congo Hammer — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:50:39 -0000

So I'm guessing a lot of people on this site recently had their drafts, and I bet a bunch of people want a place to brag about their team while they still can. In my 10-team AL-Only rotisserie keeper Live-Auction draft league, this is the team I managed to assemble at this year's draft. I'll include salaries, with a $50 salary cap (09A means acquired at this year's draft, 10X means expires in 2010, etc.) just for the sake of draft strategy discussion. So, what's your stacked lineup for the upcoming season that you want to gloat about?

HITTERS

1B Kevin Youkilis - $1.75 09X

3B Alex Rodriguez - $8.25 09A(currently replaced by Cody Ransom)

CO Chris Davis - $2.50 08A

2B Robinson Cano - $4.50 09A

SS Brandon Wood - $1.00 09A (currently replaced by Ben Zobrist)

MI Brian Roberts - $5.25 08A

C Miguel Olivo - $0.75 08A

C Jeff Mathis - $0.25 08A

DH David Ortiz - $5.50 09A

OF Matt Holliday - $7.50 09A

OF Nick Markakis - $3.00 10X

OF Travis Snider - $1.00 09A

OF Travis Buck - $0.25 09A

OF Rocco Baldelli - $0.25 09A

PITCHERS

SP - Felix Hernandez - $3.25 10X

SP - Ervin Santana - $1.00 08A (currently replaced by Nick Blackburn)

SP - Kelvim Escobar - $1.50 09A (currently replaced by Kyle Davies)

P - Kevin Slowey - $0.25 08A

P - Clay Buchholz - $1.00 08A (currently replaced by Brandon McCarthy)

P - Dustin McGowan - $0.25 09A (currently replaced by Sean Gallagher)

RP - Grant Balfour - $0.50 09A

RP - Manny DelCarmen - $0.25 09A

RP - Ryan Perry - $0.25 09A

MINORS

1. Matt Wieters

2. Tim Beckham

3. Brian Matusz

My team may get off to a slow start due to the injuries and I may need to throw the saves category (half-cat in our league), but things are looking pretty good for the Congo Hammers right now and for future years. Do you think this is a championship lineup in an AL-only league? Can your lineup top this one?

Ranking Top 20 Minor Leaguers in shallow AL-only league

The Congo Hammer — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:20:49 -0000

In my keeper league, you can only have 3 minor leaguers on your roster at one time, though you can get another one at next year's draft if you activate them to your major league roster, so drafting strategy tends to be different as it leans more heavily towards *major-league ready* talent in order to get more prospects on your active roster. Still if you want, you can hold on to one of your minor leaguers for as long as you want, but he clogs up a spot til he reaches the majors. So, with these rules in mind, how would you rank these guys? I have picks 12 and 15 in the upcoming draft and I want to know who is the best late pickup, thanks for the help. I have a list of my own, let me know what you think.

1. Neftali Feliz

2. Justin Smoak

3. Gordon Beckham

4. Carlos Santana

5. Matt LaPorata

6. Eric Hosmer

7. Jesus Montero

8. Tim Beckham

9. Chris Tillman

10. Brian Matusz

11. Michael Ynoa

12. J.P. Arencibia

13. Derek Holland

14. Greg Halman

15. Michael Bowden

16. Chris Carter

17.Ben Revere

18. Austin Jackson

19. Aaron HIcks

20. Dayan VIciedo

Of course, this was before I saw anyone's input, and may change before my draft tomorrow. Thanks!

Butler or Jones?

The Congo Hammer — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:14:11 -0000

I have been planning on making a trade with another team in my keeper league in which I trade Clay Buchholz for either Billy Butler or Adam Jones and Moustakas. My team already has Youk and Davis at the corners and Markakis and Snider in the outfield (5 OF spots). I'm still wondering who I should expect to have the bigger breakout in 2009 and who will have the better production in the next few years, from a FANTASY perspective.

I still think Butler has been written off quickly after the Manny comparisons, though I think Sickels may have been closer with career projection. Jones' defense means nothing to me, but he does have some speed with his power potential (though worse AVG likely) and will be hitting 2nd in the O's lineup. I'm also wondering if I should offer Brandon Wood (qualifies at SS, with him gone I'd have two MI slots open) or Snider instead of Clay, but Wood and Snider's contract are a year newer (I'd get to keep them for two years before having to extend them to Clay's one year) so I'm hesitant on that even if they're less likely to put up great '09 numbers (I assume Buchholz will dominate once given the opportunity). Any help with your thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Poll

Who is going to be better from a fantasy baseball perspective in 2009?

Billy Butler

71 votes

Adam Jones

103 votes

174 votes | Poll has closed