Posted By:Bretsky on May 8, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan dive into the latest happenings in the world of fantasy baseball, covering Jay Bruce’s injury, Matt Wieters’ postie news and Wilson Ramos return. The boys welcome back Clayton Kershaw by debating whether or not he is still the No. 1 fantasy pitcher in the land before diving into some discussion of the elite arms thus far in 2o14. Mark takes some time to gloat about his team’s hot start as Bretsky presents some buy low options. The guys talk Rockies bats in The Good, the Bad and the Upside and close the show with a very special dip into the Mailbag

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Rolling Rockies

News and Notes

• Jay Bruce out 3-4 weeks following knee surgery
• Matt Wieter (wlbow) to avoid the DL
• Ryan Braun tergeting a May 13 return
• Wilson Ramos back in the Nationals lineup
• Clayton Kershaw returns

Elite Arms

• Who’s No. 1?
• Is Justin Verlander still elite
• Top-10 of 2014
• xFIP Leader

Buy/Sell/Hold

• Robinson Cano
• Matt Kemp
• Joey Votto
• Dee Gordon

Fix My Team!

• Mark has an impressive start in his FSWA league

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Troy Tulowitzki and the Rolling Rockies
• Cole Hamels struggles again
• Marcus Stroman is here, but his role is not

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on May 1, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan take a trip around a rainy week of MLB action, covering injuries to Bryce Harper, Chris Davis, Ryan Braun and Michael Pineda. The guys attempt to gauge Manny Machado’s value upon his return to the lineup and play a little game of Buy/Sell/Hold with some struggling studs. The boys also hit the waiver wire, discuss daily pitching strategies and jump into another edition of The Good, the Bad and the Upside before closing out the show with some questions from the listeners.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Blame It on the Rain

News and Notes

• Bryce Harper out two months following thumb surgery
• Chris Davis, Jason Kipnis, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Ryan Braun all deal with injuries
• MannyMachado set to return
• Doug Fister and Hisashi Iwakuma making progress

Buy/Sell/Hold

• Pedro Alvarez
• Yoenis Cespedes
• Jason Heyward
• Carlos Santana
• Allen Craig
• Martin Perez
• Homer Bailey
• Shelby Miller

Fix My Team!

• Mark plays the matchups with his pitching

Waiver Wire

• Top options out on the wire

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Jose Abreu continues to mash
• Prince Fielder has a month to forget
• Is Trevor Bauer on his way up?

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on April 25, 2014

In a league where power is at a premium, just how often can you find a player whose average 41 home runs per 162 games over the past two seasons just sitting on the waiver wire three weeks into the season? For over 60% of you out there, the answer is just a click away.

It’s no true mystery as to why owners simply don’t trust Adam Dunn. He’s a player who has not hit better than .216 since 2010 (when he batted .260 for the Nats) and has a pretty painful .211/.326/.455 line over the past two seasons, but we must not forget the power. Dunn is doing his thing on the South Side so far this season, showing that the big man can still slug it.

Through his first 64 at-bats, Dunn has whiffed 24 times (as expected) but he’s also produced a strong .400 OBP with five home runs, 11 runs scored and 11 RBI.

Though the sample remains small, we’ve seen some modest improvement from Dunn through three weeks. His strikeout rate (30.1%) is certainly trending in the right direction — down from 31.1% last year, 34.2% in 2012 and 35.7% in 2011 — while the walk rate has also rebounded.

No, Adam Dunn will not continue to .266 and, yes, he’s likely going to be a drain on you batting average. But if you play in an OBP or OPS league or even in a head-to-head format, Dunn is going to bring a lot more good to your lineup than bad.

Need some pop? Get it Dunn.

Each week we’ll provide a position-by-position roundup of the top talent on the wire. To qualify, players must have an ownership rate below 50% in standard 12-team Yahoo leagues. For our deeper formats, we’ll also throw out names with under 15% ownership. Check out last week’s list to find a number of other options who may still be out there on the waiver wire.

Working The Waiver Wire

Catcher

Carlos Ruiz (12%): After knocking seven hits in 14 at-bats during a four-game set with the Dodgers, Chooch has pushed his season line to a solid .270/.395/.476. with 15 runs scored and 10 extra-base hits.

Josmil Pinto (8%): The .222 batting average is not helping many owners, but four bombs in 54 at-bats is some tasty production from the catcher spot.

Dioner Navarro (8%): Navarro continues to sit on waivers as a nice well, he won’t hurt you option at catcher with a .288-10-1-13-1 line over 73 at-bats.

First Base

Adam Dunn (36%)

Corey Hart (31%): With his knee issues finally in the rear-view mirror Hart is batting .270 with four home runs over the first three weeks. He may be done stealing bases, but the power will play.

Ike Davis (12%): The change of scenery paid rapid dividends for Ike but even more promising is the fact that he will no longer have to struggle against left-handed pitching in  a platoon with Gaby Sanchez.

Middle Infield

Danny Espinosa (3%): Fantasy owners can have long memories, and for some, Espinosa’s injury-riddled 2013 was enough to write him off forever. Those that have are also missing out on a .317/.377/.524 slash line in the middle infield. He  may be squeezed out of the lineup when Ryan Zimmerman returns, but there are few higher-upside players getting everyday at-bats that are out there in over 95% of leagues.

Johnathan Villar (42%): Villar’s ownership is actually dropping since we mentioned him last week despite a modest three-game hitting streak. Scoff at the .211 batting average and I’ll take three home runs and four steals from my shortstop in just 71 at-bats.

Derek Dietrich (3%): Time is running thin for Dietrich as Rafael Furcal continues a rehab stint, but for as long as he’s in the lineup, he can help your team.

Third Base

Tevor Plouffe (43%): We covered Plouffe extensively in last week’s writeup and he just continues to do his thing, hitting in five-straight games with five runs scored and three RBI.

Juan Uribe (23%): Guess who has the second most extra-base hits in the National League? That’s right, Uribe’s eight doubles and four long-balls to accompany a robust .330/.341/.557 slash line put him among the top offensive performers in April. It appears that close to 80% of fantasy owners are yet to notice.

Matt Dominquez (8%): He’s all power and little else from a fantasy perspective and has delivered early on with four home runs so far.

Outfield

Rajai Davis (41%) The elite speedster blasted his second home run of the season this week.

Dayan Viciedo (13%): Avisail Garcia’s injury has cleared up playing time for the Cuban Clubber and he’s doing just fine with it so far, batting .377 with nine runs and nine RBI in 69 at-bats. Expect some more pop as the weather warms in Chicago.

Jason Kubel (10%): Doing his best Rodney Dangerfield impression, the veteran Kubel just can’t get no respect despite a fine .294/.377/.426 start to the season.

Corey Dickerson (4%): More of a speculative play than anything, Dickerson is a very intriguing option playing in Coors, but he’s blocked by the red-hot Charlie Blackmon. If/when Charlie comes back to earth (or Carlos Gonzalez hits the DL) Dickerson becomes a nice power/speed play.

Starters

Wily Peralta (40%): Three straight quality starts on the most surprising team in baseball have pushed Peralta  into the conversation as more than just a streamer. We are buying.

Rick Porcello (40%): He leaves something to be desired in the strikeout department but Porcello’s ground ball rate and K/BB ratio are solid indicators that his early success can continue.

Jenry Mejia (29%): His workload will be hard to trust, but Mejia has been throwing well and has a date with the Marlins on Saturday.

Jason Hammel (26%): We’re not gonna stop talking about Hammel until you pick him up or he blows out his knee. You move.

Trevor Bauer (7%): Carlos Corrasco pitches this evening and if the results don’t improve, it could be Bauer taking his next turn in the rotation.

Closer Carnage

It will be a constant race to the wire to go mining for saves, here’s how we see it.

Go get ’em: Kyle Farnsworth (39%), Joe Smith (24%), P{edro Storp (15%), Chad Qualls (12%)

Keep an eye on: Cody Allen (26%), Hector Rondon (13%), Daisuke Matsuzaka (6%)

Posted By:Bretsky on April 24, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan celebrate Wrigley Field’s 100th birthday the way Cubs fans were meant to, drinking beers to forget another horrible loss. The boys chat about Michael Pineda’s latest pine tar incident, Clayton Kershaw’s rehab and Cole Hamels’ return to the mound. The guys play a quick game of Buy/Sell/Hold to determine the status of Charlie Blackmon, Bryce Harper, Johnny Cueto and others before attempting to fix Bretsky’s banged up squad. The Good, the Bad and the Upside turns it’s attention to a red-hot Albert Pujols, and struggling and injured Mark Trumbo and young lefty Alex Wood. Finally, Mark and Bretsky take a dip into the mailbag to answer some questions from the listeners.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – New Century, Same Old Style Story

News and Notes

• Clayton Kershaw set to make a rehab start Friday
• Cole Hamels, Shane Victorino, Matt Harrison, Manny Machado and Adrian Beltre on the comeback trail
• Chris Sale (flexor strain) gives owners a scare
• Josh Johnson and Ivan Nova headed for Tommy John Surgery
• Mark Trumbo (foot) has a stress fracture
• Ike Davis gets a change of scenery

Buy/Sell/Hold

• Michael Brantley
• Charlie Blackmon
• Bryce Harper
• Julio Teheran
• Mark Buehrle
• Johnny Cueto

Fix My Team!

• Bretsky’s pitching dilemma
• Managing DL spots

Waiver Wire

• Closer Carnage continues
• Replacement Arms

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Albert Pujols gets 500
• Mark Trumbo was down and now he’s been kicked
• Can Alex Wood keep it up

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on April 19, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan catch up on the latest happenings around major league baseball, discussing the impending returns of Cole Hamels and Jose Reyes, A.J. Burnett’s groin, Casey Jansen’s setback and Alex Cobb’s injury. The guys turn to the wire to highlight some replacement options including Trevor Plouffe, Danny Espinosa, and a couple of two-start pitchers for Week 4.  The Good, the Bad and the Upside continues with a look at Giancarlo Stanton, Stephen Strasburg and George Springer, before the show closes with a dip into the mailbag.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

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Box Score Baseball Podcast – Struggling Stras

News and Notes

• Down goes Cobb (and team Bretsky)
• Cole Hamels (shoulder) on the mend, set to return Wednesday vs. LAD
• A.J. Burnett pitching (well) through injury
• Jose Reyes eyeing a weekend return
• Brandon Phillips (back) makes and early exit
• Doug Fister targeting a May 7 return
• Casey Jansen (back) shut down while Sergio Santos blows up
• Shane Victorino (hamstring) to begin a rehab assignment

Waiver Wire

• Jose Valverde looks shaky, who’s next?
• Targeting the Twins: Trevor Plouffe, Brian Dozier, Chris Collabello
• Two-start pitcher: Zach McAllister, Jason Hammel, Kyle Gibson, Miguel Gonzalez

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Giancarlo Stanton continues to mash
• Stephen Strasburg struggles
• Hype Machine: George Springer

Mailbag!

The Box Score Baseball Podcast theme is written and performed by William “Wild Bill” Hitchcock

Posted By:Bretsky on April 18, 2014

Around here, the wonderful fortnight beginning late-May 2012 will always hold a special place in my heart. Yes, it’s that magical two week run when I developed my affections for a studly 25-year-old third baseman by the name of Trevor Plouffe. Young Trevor mashed 10 home runs in a 14-game span, giving my fantasy squad just the sort of early-summer jump-start everyone is looking for.

Plouffe cooled soon after, and batted just .212/.271/.347  post the all-star break. Still, as I strode to the final that fall, and  Trevor’s stay on my team was little more than a distant memory… I longed for those bombs that he struck on those warm summer nights… those were the moments that stick.

After an abysmal 2013 made it looked as though Trevor and I were finished (and for good this time!), but a preseason injury to uber-prospect Miguel Sano all but locked up everyday at-bats for Plouffe once again in 2014. He’s made the most of his early playing time, sprinting to a .309/.409/.436 start to the season with 11 runs and 11 RBI in 14 games. He’s yet to flash much of a power stroke with just singe home run, but a 11:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio is a strong sign of growth at the dish.

Plouffe was recently moved up to the three spot in the Twins’ order, batting right behind on-base machine Joe Mauer which should lead to a substantial boost i run production. With an improved walk rate, proven power potential and opportunity aplenty, things are setting up nicely for a fantasy breakout from the 27-year-old entering his peak years. Plouffe is currently available in over 70% of standard leagues and is addable in all formats if you’re looking for a boost at the hot corner.

Each week we’ll provide a position-by-position roundup of the top talent on the wire. To qualify, players must have an ownership rate below 50% in standard 12-team Yahoo leagues. For our deeper formats, we’ll also throw out names with under 15% ownership. Check out last week’s list to find a number of other options who may still be out there on the waiver wire.

Working The Waiver Wire

Catcher

Mike Zunino (17%): Three bombs and a .277 average (13-for-47) over the first couple of weeks makes for some solid production behind the dish.

Devin Mesoraco (34%): Still time to grab Mesoraco despite an 11-for-22 performance since returning from the DL.

Dioner Navarro (6%): When you’re digging this deep, volume is a beautiful thing (six runs, eight RBI in 53 at-bats).

First Base

Justin Morneau (46%): A professional hitter taking his hacks in the best park in the league. Morneau has homered twice in the past week — in San Diego, of course! — and is slashing .346/.386/.538 through 15 games.

Adam Lind (37%): Does his damage versus righties primarily, but there’s plenty of value to be had there.

Mitch Moreland (4%): His ownership is yet to budge despite being featured here last week. Moreland is warming with three multi-hit effort in his last two games with three runs, four RBI and three walks over that span.

Middle Infield

Danny Espinosa (2%): A middle infielder with 20/20 ability who suddenly falls into everyday at-bats is not something you find on the waiver wire often, but Espinosa is just that. He’ll get the playing time now that Anthony Rendon is covering third for the injured Ryan Zimmerman and should be rostered in all leagues. Consider that even after his brutal 2013, this guy has averaged 19 home runs and 16 steals per 162 games over his major league career.

Johnathan Villar (48%): Owners  seem to be losing faith in Villar — and I suppose an 0-for-his-last-15 might have something to do with it. The kid is, predictably, hitting an adjustment period but the raw tools remains to dominate. He’s got a couple of home runs and three steals in four chances over 16 games and that’s solid production from a shortstop, batting average be damned!

Kolten Wong (26%): Wong is holding his own and chipping in on the basepaths. The early plate discipline (eight strikeouts versus five walks.

Derek Dietrich (2%): Three home runs, 28 at-bats. This kid has legit power after slugging 20 home runs across the majors and the minors last season. He’ll have to find a way to shake platoon-mate Jeff Baker and withstand the impeding return of Rafael Furcal (hamstring) and when he does, you’ll be happy you got in at the ground floor.The Marlins have every reason to play Dietrich and see what he can do.

Nick Franklin (3%): Called up to replace Logan Morrison, Franklin is strictly a name to monitor… especially with Brad Miller slumping.

Third Base

Tevor Plouffe (27%): Need we say more?

Juan Uribe (22%): Perhaps the least sexy name on the list, Uribe can be a nice volume play in a loaded Dodger lineup. He’s off to a nice start, batting .375/.385/.594 over 64 at-bats.

Kevin Kouzmanoff (4%): The Kouz doesn’t look to have a particularly long shelf life in 2014 and many only get another week and a half of playing time. Still, he’s got some pop and a 12-for-29 start in Arlington will play in any lineup as a short term stop-gap.

Outfield

Alejandro De Aza (44%): Flashed some pop in Week 1 and has largely disappeared since despite securing more regular playing time with the Avisail Garcia injury. He’s good for double digit power and 15-20 steals.

Jason Kubel (13%): Now making his third straight appearance in Waiver Wire Friday, Kubel has finally broke into double-digit ownership territory. But he’s still under-owned and still hitting, working a .340 average over 14 games.

Starters

Wily Peralta (17%): Though Peralta has always been able to light up the radar gun with a mid-90s heater, he’s finally shaving down the walks to a respectable level during his brief 2014 sample, issuing just five free passes in his first 18.1 innings. He’s yet to allow more than two earned runs in a start and has won consecutive decision, notching a pair of Ws at home aganist divisional opponents Pittsburgh and St. Louis. Could this be the year that things finally click?

Jason Hammel (17%): Hammel made our list last week despite a daunting matchup ahead at Yankees stadium. He escaped not only unscathed, but with a quality start to show for it (7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K). That make three straight quality turns to kick off the year.

Garret Richards (43%): One of the trendier adds in fantasy, Richards can hump it up to 96 MPH regularly. He’s seen a massive leap in his strikeout rate (16.3 K% in  2013 to 23.7 K% in 2014) but question remain about that bloated 4.74 BB/9. Richards makes for a fine spot start at home, but it may be wise to wait and see how he does in the next start on the road at Washington and then in New York against the Yankees.

Trevor Bauer (4%): Flashed that potential that we’ve been waiting for in a double-header start last week, Bauer looks to have finally gotten a handle on his control. You’ll have to play it patiently until he gets another call up but Bauer could be a major boost to a deep-league rotation if he continues to progress. Now is the time to make your move.

Closer Carnage

It will be a constant race to the wire to go mining for saves, here’s how we see it.

Go get ’em: Luke Gregerson (31%), Edward Mujica (44%), Matt Lindstrom (35%) Chad Qualls (16%), Jonathan Broxton (37%), Pedro Strop (16%), Anthony Bass (3%)

Keep an eye on: Gonzalez Germen (2%), Cody Allen (26%), Hector Rondon (13%), Al Alburquerque (2%), Josh Fields (12%)

Posted By:Bretsky on April 16, 2014

The Houston Astros picked up the phone late Tuesday evening and summoned juicy outfield prospect George Springer to the big club. He’s the first name prospect to join the fantasy conversation this season and what better way to celebrate that then cranking up the hype machine! Before we dive in, realize that Springer will be snapped up en-mass today and he’s already up to 44% ownership in Yahoo leagues as of this writing. If you want a crack a Springer, go get him now, sort out the details later.

So about that hype…

Springer burst onto the fantasy radar last summer as he put up a near 40/40 campaign across two minor league levels, leaving dynasty and keeper league owners itching for a late-season call up. He remained down on the farm, but after a strong spring and solid start to the Triple-A season, the Astros are ready to take the plunge. They surely don’t need to see more against inferior competition after watching the 24-year-old outfielder compile a .302/.397/.562 line over parts of four minor league seasons (including a handful of games at Triple-A this year).

The upside is obvious. He’s got power, he’s got speed and a can draw a walk. So what’s the worry? It’s the fact that he’s consistently stuck our in over 26% of his plate appearances throughout the minors. Last season, if we take a look at the top-30 batters in terms of wOBA (weighted on-base average, a very solid indicator of fantasy goodness), just three qualified hitters posted strikeout percentages over 25% –Chris Davis, Mike Napoli and Giancarlo Stanton. Obviously, a high strikeout rate is not a strict blocker to being a fantasy monster, but it certainly doesn’t help if he’s headed back to the dugout more than quarter of the time without even putting the ball in play.

Enough of the negativity, however, there is plenty to love about Springer. Expectations can be tempered a bit this season and we are likely to see that strikeout rate climb while he adjusts to major league pitching. Still, the power and speed will play immediately in every league — though you’ll want to discount him just a bit in points formats where strikeout totals can really drag down a player’s value. We can conservatively project a .250 average in his rookie campaign, but given starter’s playing time the rest of the way, we could easily see Springer approach 18-20 homers with 20+ steals. This is an impact bat available for free in more than 50% of standard leagues. That will change today, go get him now.

Hype Machine Projection: 530 PA, .248 avg, 70 R, 16 HR, 75 RBI, 22 SB

Posted By:Bretsky on April 15, 2014

Just a few short weeks into the 2014 mlb campaign and it’s see panic time… My slugger is homerless (Prince Fielder)! My ace is winless (Max Scherzer)! My closer is out (any)! Yes, April gets the best of us. Those small samples can look painfully depressing at times, but that’s nothing a little two-homer game can’t fix(hellooooo, Dan Ugglad… well, I guess Uggla’s not really “fixed”). Still, if you’ve got the itch to tinker with your team after ajust a few weeks, there is value to gain from your impatient league mates. Head to the trade market if you must, just be smart about it.

Buy Low: Angel Pagan

A forgotten man at the draft table, Pagan has proven over the first couple of weeks of the season that he is well beyond last year’s injury issues. Slashing at a ridiculous .412/.455/.549 rate over his first 51 at-bats, Pagan has shown a solid contact rate (6 K vs. 4 BBs), a touch of pop (5 extra-base hits) and some nice speed. He’s setting the table for San Fran’s offense and becoming, once-again, a very solid fantasy contributor.

The performance is not entirely out of line from a guy who averaged a very tasty .285-95-11-68-34 line per 162 games from 2009-12 giving you some very Shane Victorino-ian production at a fraction of the cost. In fact, I’d swap Victoriono (drafted as a top-30 outfielder) for Pagan today. Others outfielders we are taking Pagan over: Carlos Beltran, Will Venable, Alfonso Soriano, Curtis Granderson, Carl Crawford.

Sell High: Charlie Blackmon

Blackmon is off to a furious start to the season, taking hold of the Rockies job in center field and finding himself batting at the top of the order every night for the Rockies. A 2-for-5 effort Monday actually dropped  Blackmon’s average to a ho-hum .478 through 14 games played with four doubles, a triple, a home run and three steals. We like the solid average and on base skills that Blackmon brings to the table and batting in front of a healthy duo of Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez for 81 games at Coors field puts him in the mix for 100 runs scored based on volume alone.

The question, however, remains: will the juice be there?

It’s easy to get swept up in an amazing April performance and we can point to a .309/.336/.467 average over 246 at-bats with the Rockies to know that this kid can hit. His platoon splits are safe. He’s got the home park. But where’s the power? Where’s the speed?

Last season in in 150 games between the majors and minors, Blackmon slugged nine home runs and swiped 14 bags — while getting caught five times. The modest power stroke is passable for a high-average top-of-the-order hitter, but those expecting speed to come may be sorely disappointed. Blackmon has already been gunned down on two of his five attempts this season and has broken the 20 steal plateau just once in the minors, way back in 2009.

Blackmon is certainly a waiver wire gem and worth an add in every format for his ability to get one base and score runs. Still, with his ceiling being ( a still very solid) .300 average with 100 runs scored a handful of homers and 15 steals, perhaps it’s time to hit the open market and try and flip Blackmon for a top-50 bat ( or a guy like Pagan who will give you 20 more steals).

Hold Steady: Joey Votto

No one is questioning Joey Votto’s talent as a baseball player. He’s clearly one of the smartest and most patient hitters in the game, sporting a ridiculous .430 OBP since the start of 2009.  He’s also, however, seen a three year decline in RBI/game, dropping from 0.75 in 2010 to 0.63 in 2011 to 0.50 in 2012 and just 0.45 last season. Of course, RBI totals are not entirely on the hitter as someone’s gotta be on base for him to drive in. He’s been given very little help in that department this season, as the Reds exchanged on-base monster Shin-Soo Choo batting out of the the lead off spot for the speedy-but-inconsistent Billy Hamilton.

Votto’s own position in the lineup is likely not doing hum any favors as an RBI producer and with the Reds sliding him up to the two-spot, they have all but dashed his hopes of driving in more runs than he scores. It’s simply impossible to really ding Votto for this, however, as he figures to see an increase in at-bats hitting higher up in the order, giving him more opportunities to score runs and have a positive impact on your bottom line with that elite average and on-base skills. Votto’s power stroke has responded to the lineup shuffle and he’s now hit in four straight games with three homers, five RBI and five runs scored over that span.

Votto’s .186 ISO slugging last season ranked just 13th among qualified first baseman and if there is a hole in his game from a fantasy perspective, it’s his good-but-not-great pop. These concerns are legitimate, but we continue to have faith in Votto as an elite contributor and top-5 first baseman. Now is simply not the time to panic when it comes to stud bats and Votto’s power surge over the last couple of days shows you how quickly things can turn around. With the move up in the order and Billy Hamilton’s struggles some owners may foolishly panic and look to sell the Reds’ first baseman, but we implore you to stay patient and hold the course. Downgrade the RBI totals and we are still staring at a legit .310-100-25-85-5 line from the first base position, plenty of production from your second round selection.

Posted By:Bretsky on April 11, 2014

After averaging 30 home  runs and 93 RBI per 162 games from 2010-2012 with Washington, Michael Morse fell flat last season while once again struggling to stay on the field. He certainly appears to be feeling fine out by the Bay, however, posting a .692 SLG over nine games with the Giants. Morse is dangling on the wire in exactly 40% of Yahoo leagues at the time of this writing, but given that he smashed a solo home run Thursday evening to extend his hitting streak to seven games, Morse will likely be above our threshold when we go to press.

Yes, I know.. he’ll strike out far to much and doesn’t really draw walks — we might as well sprinkle a DL stint in there too — but whats the harm in cautiously penciling Morse in for 120 games played, a .285 average, 20 bombs and 80 RBI with clear upside for more. If you just lost a streaking Josh Hamilton, Morse may very well be the top option on your wire.

Each week we’ll provide a position-by-position roundup of the top talent on the wire. To qualify, players must have an ownership rate below 40% in standard 12-team Yahoo leagues. For our deeper formats, we’ll also throw out names with under 10% ownership. Check out last week’s list to find a number of other options who may still be out there on the waiver wire.

Working The Waiver Wire

Catcher

Russell Martin (19%): Somehow, someway, Martin puts together a couple months of fantasy relevance year in and year out. The Buccos backstop is a streaky as they come and with a pair of dingers in his first 24 at-bats he’s a fine replacement option out of the gates.

Devin Mesoraco (8%): Fresh off the DL, Mesraco has put up a pair of multi-hit games, taking Shelby Miller deep on Wednesday. The former top prospect will finally get a chance to prove he’s got a major league bat and glove on a regular basis.

First Base

Michael Morse (40%): See the open.

Mitch Moreland (4%): It’s no secret that Moreland failed to capitalize on increased playing time last season, slashing at a career worst .232/.29/.437 rate while appearing in a career high 147 games.  He’s probably best suited for a platoon role and has had just five hit less at-bats agianst southpaws  so far. He’s a solid bet for 15-20 home runs, an average that won’t hurt and room for growth as we move towards another hot summer in Arlington.

Also widely available: Adam LaRoche, Garret Jones

Middle Infield

Brian Dozier (45%): OK, we’re cheating a tiny but. But still, Dozier crushed it last year (18 HR/ 15 SB) and is picking up right where he left off in 2014 with three home runs and three swipes in just nine games. I know he’s hitting just .167 right now… I simply don’t care.

Marcus Semien (3%): Semien is making the most of his early season at-bats while Gordon Beckham (oblique) nurses an injury. He’s got 10 hits including a pair of doubles and one home run in his first 10 games while adding a couple of steals. There are no guarantees about his future playing time, but Semien, who put together an intriguing .284-110-19-66-24 line in the minors last season, could have a shot to mix in with the underwhelming Beckham at second and see some time at third base as well. It’s a speculative move that could last just a couple of days, but if Semien can earn additional playing time, he’s got plenty of upside.

Brandon Crawford (4%): Crawford, more know for his work in the field than his hacks at the plate, is off to a nice start slashing at a .300/.432/.433 rate over the first nine games. He’s a deep-league volume play mostly, but at a paper thin shortstop positions, sometimes that’s just what you need.

Also widely available: Chris Owings

Third Base

Trevor Plouffe (17%): No power yet, but Plouffe’s got 12 hits in his first 36 at-bats has given plenty of owners cause to give the third baseman a look. Remember, this guy mashed 24 home runs in 119 games in 2012 and while he struggled in 2013, the raw power remains.

Yangervis Solarte (33%): Now getting regular playing time for the Yanks Solarte is off to a very nice start to the season (.387/.441/.581 over 31 at-bats). He’s got a solid contact rate, decent pop that could play up in Yankee stadium and (perhaps most importantly) the always valuable shortstop eligibility.

Outfield

Jason Kubel (8%): We mentioned Kubel in this space last week, and not much has changed. He continues to hit and continues to be under-owned.

Jackie Bradley Jr. (6%): Shane Victorino’s early season injury opened the door for JBJ to get some early playing time and prove his worth to the defending world champs. Bradley has flipped the script from his early 2013 struggles, sprinting out to a 10-for-22 start at the dish with three multi-hit games, four walks and a steal. Bradley doesn’t offer a ton of pop or speed, but his premium defense will give him a shot of sticking around. He has show excellent on-base skills in the minors and could at least provide solid runs totals to go along with a helpful average.

Also widely available: Rajai Davis

Starters

Jason Vargas (14%): Vargas has long been an excellent spot start in mixed leagues as his predictable home/road splits lend opportunity to fantasy owners. He’s back to his old tricks, posting back-to-back quality starts to open the season, but has done it once on the road and once at home. Looking ahead, there’s a lot to like about the Royals defense and Kauffman Stadium, which played as a bottom third park in terms of home runs allowed last season,  which means we’ll get yet another season of living the stream with Vargas.

Jason Hammel (8%): Health issues aside, Hammel has consistently flashed upside as a fringe top-30 starter and has parlayed his health in the early going into a surprising 2-0 start for the Cubbies. He’s got an 11:2 K-to-BB ratio over 13.2 innings pitch in the opening two weeks and is worth a look in all leagues. Up next is a challenging match up against the Yankees in New York that you may want to pass on given his 5.67 ERA and 1.61 whip against the Bombers while pitching in Baltimore the past couple of seasons, but keep tabs on Hammel when he heads back into National League play.

Also widely avialable: Nathan Eovaldi

Closer Carnage

In Oakland, Jim Johnson was mercifully lifted from the role after a brutal outing on Wednesday, but the problem in deciphering this ‘pen is that they have three solid, legitimate options. Sean Doolittle has potentially the best stuff, but is also the team’s late-inning lefty. Luke Gregerson is the veteran option who spent the first 10 games of the season pitching in the eighth inning and Ryan Cook recently returned from the DL. Cook has had the job in Oakland before and appears to be the front-runner if healthy, but you simply cannot discount Gregerson finally getting a shot as a stopper or Doolittle sneaking in for a chance or two based on matchups.

It will be a constant race to the wire to go mining for saves, here’s how we see it.

Go get ’em: Chad Qualls, Jonathan Broxton, Ryan Cook, Luke Gregerson, Sean Doolittle, Pedro Strop

Keep an eye on: Cody Allen, Rex Brothers, Antonio Bastardo, Al Albequerque

Posted By:Bretsky on April 10, 2014

Wayne Bretsky and Mark Kaplan take a look at the early season carnage plaguing MLB clubs and fantasy rosters, discussing injuries to Matt Moore, James Paxton, Josh Hamilton, Ryan Zimmerman, Adrian Beltre and more. The guys will head to the waiver wire to find the top replacement options before continuing with The Good, the Bad and the Upside.

Hit up the guys on Twitter @BretskyBall and @DaTrueGuru to join in on the action!

»Listen

Box Score Baseball Podcast – The Carnage Continues

News and Notes

• Matt Moore (elbow) likely headed for Tommy John surgery
• Mat Latos (knee, elbow) feels discomfort
• Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder) has an “arthritic” shoulder – returned to the lineup Wednesday
• Jacob Turner (shoulder) to the DL… Brad Hand steps in
• Oswaldo Arcia (wrist) to the DL
• Adrian Beltre headed to texas for MRI on his quad… situation to monitor
• James Paxton (side) to the DL
• Yasiel Puig (thumb) remains out of the lineup
• Avisail Garcia (arm/shoulder/collarbone)
• Josh Hamilton (thumb surgery) out 6-8 weeks

Waiver Wire

• Jim Johnson on the brink, but who’s next?
• Waiver wire bats: Rajai Davis, Adam Lind, Adam LaRoche, Mike Morse
• Waiver wire arms: Nathan Eovaldi, Jesse Chavez, Martin Perez

The Good, the Bad and the Upside

• Matt Kemp and Ryan Braun turn back the clock
• Mike Moustakas bottoms out
• What Charlie Blackmon can do for you

Mailbag!

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