After what he did in the Texas League last year, Joe Koshansky should have gone off offensively making his home in Colorado Springs. He did not.

Waiver Wasting

Tom Shearn, Starting Pitcher, Cincinnati Reds – Yes, his debut was a nice one, as he beat the Marlins, holding them to four hits, two walks, and three earned runs in seven innings, but there are plenty of reasons not to be impressed here. First, he just turned 30. Yes, 30, not 20 – he is not a prospect, never was a prospect, and never could be a prospect. Shearn was also not exactly that impressive in Triple-A this year. Nor was he in Triple-A last year. Nor was he the year before that in Triple-A. Nor the year before that either – you get the idea. Was he a great story finally making it to the major leagues after all this time? Certainly, but your fantasy team does not get points in the “best human interest story” category.

Josh Anderson, Outfielder, Houston Astros – Personally, I really like Josh Anderson. I have interviewed him on a couple of occasions, featured him for Sporting News, and just chatted with him at the Arizona Fall League. However, just like the feel-good factor with Shearn, none of that matters in fantasy baseball. What does is what Anderson can, and cannot, bring to the field. Anderson has excellent stolen base skills, and, if the opportunity presented itself, he could certainly steal 30-40 bases, maybe even more. That opportunity will not present itself though. For one, Anderson is not a great hitter, hitting just .273 in Triple-A with Juan Pierre-like power. Further, he does not walk anywhere near enough for someone with his skill set – he should be a leadoff hitter, but without the walks, he simply cannot be without hurting the team. Anderson will steal the occasion base over the next month, but they will not be worth it.

Nyjer Morgan, Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates – A former hockey prospect, Morgan knows how to run, as shown by the 59 stolen bases he ripped off last year between the Carolina and Eastern Leagues and the 26 he had this year in the International League, but that is really all that Morgan does. A slightly better hitter for average than Anderson, Morgan hits about the most hollow .300 average one can find – in 164 at-bats over 44 games, Morgan somehow drove in just 10 RBI despite a .305 batting average. One almost has to work at being that inept at driving in runs.

Craig Stansberry, Second Base, San Diego Padres – Whenever I would look at Edwin Jackson’s bio on any site, it would stupidly say he was born in West Germany, which has recently been modified in a few places to simply be just Germany. Either way, having talked to Jackson, I can tell you with 100% certainty that he is as German as I am – as an Army brat, his father was simply serving in Germany when he was born. Why do I bring this up here? Because we now have more of that silliness to deal with, as Craig Stansberry is being touted as the first player born in Saudi Arabia to play in the major leagues. Look at the name again, please – Craig Stansberry. Seriously, does that sound like a Saudi name to you? Of course it does not, and it is not – he is an American kid whose father was a contractor there, and he was there for all of three months of his life. Unfortunately for Stansberry, the “fact” that he is the first-ever Saudi-born player is all that makes him special in baseball. Stansberry was hitting .273 with 14 home runs, 75 RBI, and 83 runs in 124 games. His numbers the previous season in Double-A and Triple-A were far less appealing, and there is little reason to believe that there is any chance he will be a productive major league regular and he is bench material at best in the bigs. What does that mean for you? Don’t bother.

Joe Koshansky, First Base, Colorado Rockies – Before this year, Koshansky looked like he might have some decent pop in his bat and be a quality major league first baseman someday. There was even some reason to believe that had the Rockies traded Todd Helton to the Red Sox that Koshansky would have received a serious look in Spring Training. However, that never happened, and Koshansky was sent to Triple-A, where his numbers are largely unimpressive. In 136 games, Koshansky hit .295 with 21 home runs, 99 RBI, and 79 runs, and that is with all of his home games in Colorado Springs. There is no humidor in Colorado Springs. Rather than crushing the ball as he had in Double-A, Koshansky regressed. Koshansky is up now and will serve as bench material and the occasional fill-in for Helton, but that is it. There is nothing to be too impressed by here, and no reason to expect he will do anything of note over the next four weeks.

Questions and comments may be sent to markhaverty@sportsgrumblings.com