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Sports Grumblings -
http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles
Waiver Wire Roundup: Sep. 7, 2009
http://www.sportsgrumblings.com/baseball/articles/articles/1293/1/Waiver-Wire-Roundup-Sep-7-2009/Page1.html
Josh Duggan
 Utterly
unemployable as a English major, Josh had nowhere to turn but the
not-so-fantasy-world of fantasy sports. Putting down the
books that damned him to a lifetime of menial jobs, he set forth on a
voyage that would take him through the crests and troughs--the
surprises and letdowns--the failures and successes that at once madden
and excite us all. So obsessed did he become that he decided
to shun the fickle mistress fantasy football for the games
which allowed for his drive and determination to beat his opponents
into bloody pulps. For him there were more successes than
failures, though, and that is where you and he shall meet. By Josh Duggan
Published on 09/7/2009 |
 Elvis Andrus, Rangers |
Head-to-Head
playoffs start in many leagues this week.
Roto is coming down to the wire.
The
keys to your success are within.
Elvis Andrus – SS – Texas Rangers
(40% Y! Plus, 17% Y!, 58% ESPN)
One
of the front-runners in the AL Rookie of the Year race, it can be easy to
forget that the defensive wunderkind made the jump from Double-A to the Majors
this season. As such, he has had his ups
and downs. For the 20-year-old rookie,
rock bottom was probably July 20th, at which point he was hitting
.249/.313/.341/.654. Since then he has
raised his split to .274/.339/.396/.735, which aren’t exactly must-own numbers
but do point towards a bright future.
Obviously,
right now most owners are not looking to the future for their short-term needs. Of course, Andrus has hit .323/.389/.500/.889
since July 21st, while putting up 24 R, 3 HR, 13 RBI, and 7 SB. For the early portion of the season, much (if
not all) of Andrus’ value was tied to his speed. On the year, he does have 20 steals. His line over the past 40 games has given
fantasy owners much more than just speed.
With
the injury to Michael Young, Andrus has moved to batting second in the order, and
in the five games that followed he has scored five runs and collected three
XBH, including one home run. Young is
expected back in the next couple of weeks, so the spot near the top of the
order is probably going to be short-lived, but owners should try to cash in
while they can.
Julio Borbón – Util – Texas
Rangers (25% Y! Plus, 7%Y!, 6.9% ESPN)
With
Hank Blalock’s inability to hit right-handed pitching becoming too much for Ron
Washington and the Rangers to bear, a door has opened for the 23-year-old
former Volunteer. The supplemental
first-round pick from 2007 ascended through the Rangers’ system in what
amounted to a little less than two full seasons. Over 231 minor league games, Borbón collected
81 stolen bases on his way to hitting .310/.360/.401/.761. In his 1091 plate appearances, he also
managed to maintain a 65:106 BB:K, but he only totaled 63 XBH on his way to
driving in 94 and scoring 159 runs.
Clearly
when glancing at those numbers, he fits the prototype of relatively
light-hitting speedster. His 12 steals
in 13 attempts since his call-up on August 9th certainly support that
notion. Now obviously, he is
platoon-splitting at DH with Blalock the Disappointment. Luckily since he is drawing the righties in
that split, he should be getting enough playing time to warrant fantasy
ownership.
Of
slight concern is the fact that Borbón is currently reaping the rewards
inherent in enjoying a BABIP of .435.
Even with his speed and insane power, that .435 is preposterously
lucky. With the .081 ISO he was carrying
heading into action on Sunday, even a BABIP in the .335 area that he often
sported in the minors is probably something he cannot expect to enjoy at the
Major League level. One should expect
some drastic regression any time now.
Fortunately there could be a coincidental drop in his K-rate, which was
never higher than 12.5% at any stop in the minors yet sits at 24.2% over his 70
plate appearances thus far for
Jonny Gomes – LF, RF – Cincinnati
Reds (10% Y! Plus, 3% Y!, 1.4% ESPN)
With
Jay Bruce’s injury a few days before the Break, the Reds found themselves
turning to Jonny Gomes to plug their hole in right. Since the All-Star Break, Gomes has clubbed
12 jacks, scored 19 runs, and plated 27 runners. His split over that time has been
.267/.326/.573/.899.
Since
August 13th, he has been even better, hitting to the tune of
.356/.400/.729/1.129. In those 20 games,
he has collected six homers and two steals while scoring 11 runs and 15
RBI. Obviously, Gomes has not become Albert Pujols in the past month. Moreover, his .429 BABIP over that time is
absurd. His performance will not
continue to be bolstered by such advantageous bounces of the ball, but he is
swinging a scorching hot bat right now.
Such a torrid pace at the plate cannot be ignored and a short rental is
advised if you have an expendable piece sitting on your bench.
Ross Ohlendorf – SP, RP –
Pittsburgh Pirates (30% Y! Plus, 13% Y!, 3.8% ESPN)
One
of the key returns (we all know the Jose
Tabata was the key get) from
their deal with the Yankees that sent Xavier
Nady and Damaso Marte to New
York last season, Ross Ohlendorf has been something of a stud in his past nine
starts. Since the All-Star Break,
Ohlendorf has maintained a 2.70 ERA over the course of 56.2 IP. If my calculations are correct, he has done
so without the benefit of an unsustainably low BABIP (.308). In that time, he has struck out 41 and walked
21. His WHIP since July 20th
has been a tasty 1.22.
Even
more importantly, in those nine starts, the
Happy
motoring.
Josh Duggan welcomes
your comments at mister.josh.duggan@gmail.com. If you are going to heave insults in his
direction, at least be funny and creative.
He is also the author of a
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