Friday, March 23, 2018

Fantasy Focus: Keeping Bumgarner?

Hey team!  Madison Bumgarner's injury impacted a whole lot more than the Giants 2018 season.  I traded Mookie Betts for him last year just so I could name him as one of 2 keeper pitchers for my Savvy Vets fantasy baseball team.  Now that he is out for the better part of the first half of the season, I have 2 reasonable options:  1.  Keep him and stash him on the DL until comes back.  2. Name another keeper pitcher.  Unfortunately, my choices for #2 are less than optimal.  The second best SP on my roster is Zach Davies, who I think is very underrated, but not really Keeper material.  Closers are very valuable in my league which counts K/9 instead of K's as one of 6 pitching categories.  I have been debating between keeping Wade Davis who is now with the Rockies or Edwin Diaz, who closes for the Mariners.  I could cut Bummy loose and keep both Davis and Diaz which would allow me to concentrate on SP's in my auction draft(remember all the top SP's will be Keepers for other teams).   Between Bumgarner, Diaz and Davis, which 2 pitchers would you keep?

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Around the League:

Joey Gallo 3B/1B, Rangers- 3 for 3, 2 HR(5).  BA= .269.  Gallo's 41 dingers last year just might be his floor!  He is more of an asset in OBP leagues than BA leagues.  Some analysts think he can get his BA above .250 which would make him a monster.

Aaron Altherr OF, Phillies- 2 for 4.  BA= .298.  Here's hoping the Phillies do the right thing and send Nick Williams down for more salt.  Altherr will be a big fantasy asset if he plays every day.

Aaron Nola SP, Phillies- 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 3.50.  Nola seems to be about as safe a bet as you can get in SP's.  He had 184 K's in 168 IP last year.

Dylan Bundy SP, Orioles- 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K's.  ERA= 7.20.  Bundy has been inconsistent, but still has a high ceiling.  Buck named him Opening Day starter by saying he was the best the Orioles had.  Ouch!

JA Happ SP, Blue Jays- 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R 1 BB, 1 K.  ERA= 3.05.  Happ will be the BJ's Opening Day starter.  He's the best they have.

Tyler Chatwood SP, Cubs- 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K's.  ERA= 2.91. Chatwood won't be the Cubs Opening Day starter, but should be a solid fantasy asset now that he is away from Coors Field.

Ian Happ 2B/OF, Cubs- 1 for 2, HR(6), BB.  BA= .341.  It is becoming increasingly likely that Happ will be the full-time starter in CF for the Cubs.  If so, he is a Breakout Candidate.

Yoan Moncada 2B, White Sox- 2 for 2, SB(3).  BA= .281.  Moncada has higher value in keeper leagues than redraft leagues but he should provide double digit HR's and SB's in 2018.

Yasiel Puig OF, Dodgers- 2 for 2, HR(2).  BA= .349.  Puig has had a big spring.  Did you realize he hit 28 HR's and stole 15 bases last year?

David Dahl OF, Rockies- 2 for 2.  BA= .274.  Dahl is ticketed for AAA and seems blocked in Rockie Town, but I expect him to force the issue fairly soon although the CarGo signing complicates his situation.

Jeremy Hellickson SP,  Nationals- 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K's.  I did not realize Helllickson signed with the Nationals.  This was his first spring appearance.  He is coming off a disastrous season with the Orioles, but maybe the change of scenery will help him recapture his 2015 goodness?

Mike Clevinger SP, Indians- 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 7 K's.  ERA= 3.79.  Clevinger put up a 3.11 ERA with a K/9 better than 9 last year.

Yonder Alonso 1B, Indians- 2 for 3, HR(7).  BA- .396.  Judging by his spring performance, last year's breakout was for real.

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