Baseball

In 2010, it was definitely the year of the pitcher. But early injuries so far have it looking as if the 2011 season may be the year of the injured pitcher.

During a normal spring training, I would be sitting here telling readers to go ahead and take a chance on someone like a Dontrelle Willis because, worst case scenario, you drop him two weeks in and you’re still fine.

Every year, there is hype around the top prospects in baseball, and someone is always willing to take them in the middle rounds—hoping to catch the next star early on.

Last year, it was Stephen Strasburg, who is still being drafted in leagues this year despite having Tommy John Surgery in the offseason.

The flavor of 2011, however, is Bryce Harper.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series in which I will analyze a current Cy Young Predictor formula.  I offer a replacement formula to account for the change in philosophy for the Cy Young voters with the growing influence of new-age statistics (sabermetrics) and use this new formula to project the Cy Young race in 2011 and beyond.

Ten months removed from the freak accident that caused Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Kendry Morales to miss the remainder of the season, and he is still not 100% recovered and ready to return to game action. His status on the Opening Day roster is now in question.

Previously, The Fantasy Fix reviewed and gave projections for the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays rotation. Now, it's time to dive in and analyze the Rays' positional players.

Don't forget to check out our 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit

When Josh Beckett joined the Red Sox in 2006, he became an instant ace, anchoring the front-end of the Boston rotation, which at the time, was beginning to look a bit long in the tooth, thanks to the soon-to-be-retired Curt Schilling.

Coming off the worst statistical season of his career, the questions of whether Derek Jeter was still a capable leadoff hitter were rampant. And with a speedster like Brett Gardner spending most of his time in the No. 9 hole, a replacement for Jeter atop the lineup was already in-house.

While manager Joe Girardi was unwilling to say directly that he would consider moving Jeter down in the lineup, he did say that he'd try "different things."

Milwaukee Brewers (2010 record: 77-85)

The Milwaukee Brewers front office entered the offseason with one primary task: improve the pitching staff. The club finished last season with the third-worst ERA in the National League—the primary reason the club finished with a sub-.500 record.

A great deal of attention has been paid this spring to the open slots in the New York Yankees' pitching rotation.

The failure to sign Cliff Lee as a free agent and the retirement of Andy Pettitte are thought by some to leave glaring holes in the Yankee ranks.

The Yankees have three established pitchers at the top of the rotation in C. C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett. 

Spring training is more than halfway in the books, and the final roster spots for the Opening Day of 2011 are still being determined by the Rays' staff.

Most of the open spots are in the bullpen, where several pitchers are still in the hunt for a spot on the roster, come April 1st. There are at least three spots up for grabs, with Adam Russell no longer a sure thing and J.P. Howell on the mend for the first month.