MLB

This week, I am going to look at five outfielders, at least 36-years old at the start of the season, who have the potential to make an impact on fantasy rosters this season. 

The most obvious to be included is Manny Ramirez, but having recently discussed his signing (click here to read), we aren’t going to include him here.  Instead, let’s look at a few other potential options.

Raul Ibanez - Philadelphia Phillies - 36-years old

This was a great week to be a Twins' starting pitcher, and a bad week to face the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Twins starting pitchers threw a total of 21 innings this week, working between three and four innings as they begin to stretch out, but gave up just one run. Kevin Slowey continued his strong start to the spring and has yet to give up a run since coming to camp.

The other particularly bright spot was Francisco Liriano

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is on the precipice of game changing decision...

How will the "Steroid Era" and the Mitchell Report impact future HOF stars Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds?

Normally, this question is answered with a bevy of options from suspensions to rehab. Those aren't going to be enough this time around. Yes, people have admitted they made mistakes and people have said they are sorry.

Despite an uncharacteristically rocky start from Roy Oswalt, the United States gained passage to the next round of the World Baseball Classic with a 15-6 victory over Venezuela.

Oswalt went just 3.2 innings before running into the 70-pitch limit, giving up six hits, two walks, and three earned runs in the process. His counterpart, Armando Galarraga, fared a little better with a line of 5H, BB, 2ER in his four innings of work.

This game, however, was a testament to the importance of a solid bullpen.

Don't hate the writer, but I was right about A-Rod.

He had his cyst drained but now it appears that there is more damage and he won't be able to play through the pain. The damage to the labrum is more severe than expected. It had to be because the Yankees pulled him out of the WBC.

If he was able to play with the pain he should be playing in the WBC. It is no different than playing the Spring Training games.

We move from the Bronx to the other side of New York, where the New York Mets look to get back into the playoffs after choking down the stretch the past two seasons.

The New York Mets finished out of the playoffs again last year, losing the wild card in the end to the Brewers and finishing with an 89-73 record, good for second place in the NL East.

The offense wasn’t the issue, as the Mets put up an average of 4.9 runs. They batted .266 as a team, and showed their speed throughout the order, stealing an NL 2nd 138 bases and hitting 38 triples.

Round 11

Nelson Cruz broke out in a big way in AAA last year with 37 homers, and then hit seven more after coming to the big leagues. There are a few concerns about him however. One is that he is 29 years old, if he was this good why did it take so long for him to get to the majors. 

Two, the Pacific Coast League is known to inflate hitting stats.  Three, he had a few good seasons in the minors before, but nothing that approached his 2008 season.  He is a popular sleeper, just don’t stretch too far for him.

I was at his debut game in 2006, sitting through a five hour rain delay (that was actually the day that The Player to Be Named Later and I discovered how to get into Fenway without tickets, so we left and came back for the start of the game) to watch what was supposed to be the first game of a doubleheader.

Since the Indians will still not be on STO for another three weeks, I found some clips of the Wigwammers in action.

This first clip is of the Mar. 3 game against the Royals, first inning (Trevor Crowe, Jamey Carroll, Jhonny Peralta, and Ryan Garko).