Fantasy

While it is hard for us to disseminate reports that are speculative, it is still very noteworthy to keep abreast of them—considering just how much is going on right now in MLB.

Take, for instance, the report from The San Jose Mercury News .

It’s been just two days since the start of spring games, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some story lines already forming. Let’s take a look at a few stories from yesterday’s games that are certainly worth noting for fantasy owners:

Nice opening outing for Detroit's Jeremy Bonderman, striking out three over two shutout innings (he also allowed a hit and a walk). He started the game against Toronto, so he faced the likes of Aaron Hill, Adam Lind and Vernon Wells.

When you look at potentially filling your fantasy rotation out in the late rounds on draft day, WHIP is one of the categories you have to keep in mind. While strikeout potential is great, if the pitcher is capable of walking the ballpark and posting a WHIP of 1.35 or worse, he potentially will do more harm then good.

With that in mind, let’s look at five pitchers with the potential to contribute in WHIP and who are generally available after Round 18:

Mark Buehrle—Chicago White Sox

So you didn’t land Zack Greinke or Chris Carpenter. That’s OK, there are still plenty of value pitchers to help you post a low ERA.

Brett Anderson, Oakland A’s 
Anderson had a solid rookie debut posting an 11-11 record with a 4.06 ERA. I expect the win total to increase and the ERA to dip below the 4.00 mark.

Closers are a volatile bunch.  It’s a fantasy mantra and a good one.  So, for those who participate in dynasty leagues, how do the rankings fall?  How far do you push up a younger closer who has proven capable?  How far do you drop a veteran who may only have a year or two left?  Let’s take a look:

There are some players who always appear to be on the cusp of breaking out, aren’t there?  We’ve already discussed Johnny Cueto (click here to view), who certainly falls into this category. 

The oft-injured Rickie Weeks is another player who pops into my mind.  What about the Angels' Brandon Wood?

Cases already heard:

Injuries are definitely one of the more frustrating things that you have to deal with in fantasy baseball, as they are pretty much unavoidable and completely out of your control. 

What happened to Russell Martin in 2009?  Was it an aberration or have his skills actually declined? Before we can answer that question, let’s take a look at his 2009 production:

505 At Bats
.250 Batting Average (126 Hits)
7 Home Runs
53 RBI
63 Runs
11 Stolen Bases
.352 On Base Percentage
.329 Slugging Percentage
.285 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Brett Wallace was dealt from the Cardinals to the A’s to the Blue Jays last year. After three solid seasons at Arizona State (.406 AVG, 193 R, 45 HR, 193 RBI, 31 SB in 643 AB), he was selected with the 13th pick in the 2008 draft.