The battle for the closer is inching towards Jason Motte, in Joe Strauss's opinion. That's fine, but it means that Chris Perez will be squeezed off the roster. But will that maximize the usefulness of Cardinal Pitching?
As of right now, the bullpen would be set up like this:
Closer - Jason Motte
RH Set Up - Ryan Franklin, Josh Kinney, Ryan McClellan
LH Set Up - Trevor Miller, Dennys Reyes
Long Relief - Brad Thompson
I'm fine with almost all of this. My almost is Ryan McClellan.
McClellan has too many pitches to be used as a reliever. Why not send him to Memphis to begin the transition to starting pitcher? He needs to gradually be extended, based off his injury history. In Memphis, they can work to extend him, while paying attention to his innings and pitch counts. It's much better than coming to spring training next year expecting him to start while only pitching 70-80 innings this year.
We know he can get out major league hitters; now is the time to move him to the starting role.
With McClellan starting in Memphis, Perez can take his spot and make the bullpen better. I say the bullpen would be better bacause there are more options for closing.
The 4-man competition for closer could stay as it is; Tony tends to know match ups pretty well, so he would have 4 options against hitters. Say the Phillies are in town and Ryan Howards coming up to bat. If Tony thought Franklin's had some struggles in the past against him, he's getting the night off and one of the other 3 would have the chance to face him.
It would also make better pitchers available to face better hitters. If the heart of a line up is coming up in the 8th, you could use Motte against them without worrying about who would be available to close. It goes back to using your best pitcher in high leverage situations - would you rather use your best pitcher in a tie game in the 8th, or with a 3 run lead in the 9th? I know Baseball Prospectus has looked at it in the past.
Showing posts with label Chris Perez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Perez. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Cardinal Impacts on Fantasy Baseball
I think there will be quite a few Cardinals that will have an impact on fantasy baseball this year. There are the obvious ones, like Pujols, Wainwright, and Glaus. I'm going to look at some of the other ones.
Chris Carpenter - Most fantasy baseball followers may pass over Carp since he hasn't been effective/healthy in 2 seasons. Because of this, he could be a late round sleeper.
Chris Perez - I think he's valuable in deep leagues, even if he isn't the closer. He'll pick up saves for sure, and, if your league has holds, he'll pick them up as well. He'll have a good strike out rate, which will help K/9 and K categories. Same will go with Jason Motte.
Joe Mather - He'll be a nice pick up and insurance for people who draft Glaus. He'll play full time for at least the first month. If he hits well, LaRussa will have to keep his name in the lineup.
Khalil Greene - There are 2 reasons - he's in a contract year and he's not playing in Petco any more. He's see an increase in power numbers and should also get on base better.
Here are a few that I'd avoid:
Yadier Molina - He had a pretty good year with the bat last year, but I don't think he's worth owning even if he duplicates that production. He was middle of the pack for catchers, so there are a lot of better options.
Kyle Lohse - I think last year was a fluke, since he pitched much better than his career line. He's also starting to pitch under his multi-year contract, so the urgency for a great season isn't there.
Colby Rasmus - I want to preface this one by saying he's worth getting in keeper league - I took him with my first minor pick in my keeper league. In non-keeper ones, this is probably the year to avoid him. He's a slow starter, so he's definitely not worth having until May to June. He's also not guaranteed a roster spot yet. You'll find that one prospect guy that will draft him earlier than he should in most drafts. There is also a good chance he could be plucked off the waiver wires when he's either called up, or some one give up on him too early.
David Freese - This is probably a non-issue now since he's back in minor league camp, but I don't see the upside that others do. He had a great year in Memphis, but I don't see him sticking in the majors. I hope he proves me wrong, but I'm playing my feeling here.
Guys for Minor League Drafts:
Colby - Enough said.
Brett Wallace - I probably took him early (11th overall), but I had 2 first round picks and he was the first pick of the second round, where I had another 2 picks. He can rake. The position is a question, but his bat will work in the outfield and first base as well.
Bryan Anderson - If/When he gets his shot, he could be a sleeper. Even with the lack of power, his numbers so far would make him a solid catcher in most leagues. He's get you BA and OBP, and possibly some R and RBIs.
Allen Craig - The guy is proving this spring that he can hit. His position is a question mark; he's a third baseman that's block (Wallace, Freese), but is seeing time at first (blocked again) and the outfield (it's crowded before he's added to the mix). I think he'll be trade bait, but could be a minor league sleeper.
Chris Carpenter - Most fantasy baseball followers may pass over Carp since he hasn't been effective/healthy in 2 seasons. Because of this, he could be a late round sleeper.
Chris Perez - I think he's valuable in deep leagues, even if he isn't the closer. He'll pick up saves for sure, and, if your league has holds, he'll pick them up as well. He'll have a good strike out rate, which will help K/9 and K categories. Same will go with Jason Motte.
Joe Mather - He'll be a nice pick up and insurance for people who draft Glaus. He'll play full time for at least the first month. If he hits well, LaRussa will have to keep his name in the lineup.
Khalil Greene - There are 2 reasons - he's in a contract year and he's not playing in Petco any more. He's see an increase in power numbers and should also get on base better.
Here are a few that I'd avoid:
Yadier Molina - He had a pretty good year with the bat last year, but I don't think he's worth owning even if he duplicates that production. He was middle of the pack for catchers, so there are a lot of better options.
Kyle Lohse - I think last year was a fluke, since he pitched much better than his career line. He's also starting to pitch under his multi-year contract, so the urgency for a great season isn't there.
Colby Rasmus - I want to preface this one by saying he's worth getting in keeper league - I took him with my first minor pick in my keeper league. In non-keeper ones, this is probably the year to avoid him. He's a slow starter, so he's definitely not worth having until May to June. He's also not guaranteed a roster spot yet. You'll find that one prospect guy that will draft him earlier than he should in most drafts. There is also a good chance he could be plucked off the waiver wires when he's either called up, or some one give up on him too early.
David Freese - This is probably a non-issue now since he's back in minor league camp, but I don't see the upside that others do. He had a great year in Memphis, but I don't see him sticking in the majors. I hope he proves me wrong, but I'm playing my feeling here.
Guys for Minor League Drafts:
Colby - Enough said.
Brett Wallace - I probably took him early (11th overall), but I had 2 first round picks and he was the first pick of the second round, where I had another 2 picks. He can rake. The position is a question, but his bat will work in the outfield and first base as well.
Bryan Anderson - If/When he gets his shot, he could be a sleeper. Even with the lack of power, his numbers so far would make him a solid catcher in most leagues. He's get you BA and OBP, and possibly some R and RBIs.
Allen Craig - The guy is proving this spring that he can hit. His position is a question mark; he's a third baseman that's block (Wallace, Freese), but is seeing time at first (blocked again) and the outfield (it's crowded before he's added to the mix). I think he'll be trade bait, but could be a minor league sleeper.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Motte Effective with Secondary Pitches
As everyone has read already, Jason Motte was using effective secondary pitches. This will help him land in the big league bullpen sooner than some thought.
Motte's story is interesting. He was a late round pick as a catcher. While his arm was good, he couldn't hit. So the Cardinals moved him to the mound. He can hit the high 90s with his fastball. The knock has been his other pitches - or lack there of. He can get by in the minors with only 1 pitch, but big league hitters will be harder to get out when they know a fastball is coming.
He was working with Chris Carpenter last year and made some strides in Memphis. His cup of coffee with the Cards was impressive last September.
It's too soon to annoint him closer, which Tony is quick to point out. I don't think he's a better option than Chris Perez in the long run, but having options doesn't hurt anything.
Motte's story is interesting. He was a late round pick as a catcher. While his arm was good, he couldn't hit. So the Cardinals moved him to the mound. He can hit the high 90s with his fastball. The knock has been his other pitches - or lack there of. He can get by in the minors with only 1 pitch, but big league hitters will be harder to get out when they know a fastball is coming.
He was working with Chris Carpenter last year and made some strides in Memphis. His cup of coffee with the Cards was impressive last September.
It's too soon to annoint him closer, which Tony is quick to point out. I don't think he's a better option than Chris Perez in the long run, but having options doesn't hurt anything.
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