Evan Longoria has the third base job locked up. Is he this season's Rookie of the Year?
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As Seth Frankel discussed here yesterday, there should be far more work on the actual psychology of the auction, as it can reveal much about the people involved. What it says about me, I will freely admit is probably not good, and part of that is the sick glee I take in naming someone well before I should, and sitting back and watching the ensuing frenzy. This is especially easy to do online, where you do not need a poker face. Doing my first mixed league of the season on FantasyAuctioneer.com last week, I took great joy in naming Cameron Maybin in the first round and seeing him go for $6. Sure, it might not seem like a lot, but when one looks at the draft later and analyzes the dollars spent, the slot used, and how it all could have been so much better used, you can see where my glee comes from.
Now, on to some Spring Training news and notes…
While Scott Kazmir was unable to make his Sunday start, he is saying that he has not suffered a setback, and he still appears on track at this point. Whether on track still actually means Opening Day, or a week or two after Opening Day, we still really have no idea. That said, one should not discount his draft day value yet. I stress “yet”.
Clayton Kershaw looked spectacular today as he pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and walking none while striking out three. Do not get your hopes up on him making the club out of Spring Training, as he is likely destined for Triple-A. However, he has done a brilliant job of speeding up his timetable, and he now looks just about ready, with a debut coming sometime during the season.
The good news for Matt Albers is that Garrett Olsen was demoted to Triple-A, moving Albers one step closer to staying in the rotation. The bad news is that he was shelled once again, allowing three hits, two walks, and three earned runs in 3 1/3 innings, raising his Spring Training ERA to 5.40. That is simply not a pretty number, and he should only be considered in very deep AL-only leagues at this point, and even then he is looking too risky.
Jay Bruce, 1-for-3. Corey Patterson, 1-for-3. Do you get the feeling that Dusty Baker will look at those two lines, say they are the same guy, and go with the veteran? Yeah, I do too. Let’s all take a moment of silence for the poor Reds fans in the audience…
Evan Longoria went out and picked up his third home run of Spring Training, and he is currently hitting .333 with nine RBI. If there were any doubts at all that he was not going to make the club, all of them should be erased by now. Longoria should be the favorite for the Rookie of the Year in the American League.
Maybe Tim Redding is somehow for real after all. Last year, he put together a 3.64 ERA in 15 starts despite a horrific strikeout-to-walk ratio of 47:38. That ratio should not give you that ERA. Today, Redding went out, tossed five innings, and picked up the win after holding the Tigers scoreless. He only struck out one, though, and walked one. While he has a 2.81 ERA this spring, which will make some believe that his ERA last year was legit, I am still not a believer. One cannot be consistent for long with such mediocre control numbers.
Alberto Callaspo is going to find a way to get himself into the lineup on a regular basis for the Royals, playing any and every position imaginable. Today, Callaspo was at third base, where he was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Callaspo is leading the Royals in at-bats this season, and he has shown excellent ability at putting the ball into play with just one strikeout so far. Of course, putting it in play all the time means he also has just four walks, but a 4:1 walk-to-strikeout ratio is nothing to sneeze at.
Hey, Brew Crew – how is that Éric Gagné thing working out? Gagné was pounded today for three hits, one walk, and two earned runs in one inning, and his Spring Training ERA is a robust 11.25. This signing keeps looking worse, although the would-be closer if Gagné was not in town, Derrick Turnbow, was roughed up too, allowing two hits, one walk, and three earned runs in his inning, and his ERA is 9.00.
The good news for Brian Giles is that he is on the field at least. The bad news though is that he is still hitless in his first two appearances. I do not know about you, but I am not getting that warm and fuzzy feeling about Giles for this season.
Lastly, Josh Hamilton was only 1-for-4 today. That lowered his batting average… to .556. Yeah, that’s right – over the winter, he became Ted Williams. Keep saying that heading into your auctions.
That’s it for today, and I am out of here. Tomorrow, new writer, more grumbling.
