The First (and only) League: Morandini Megastars (MLB)

Well, a week or so has swept by and a handful of big changes are coming to the Morandini Megastars. It was a tough seven days, as the Megastars fell back to fifth after a disorganized, ineffective mess.

As expected, Geovany Soto has started to turn his season around, batting .350 last week with a home run and 3 RBI's. I wipe the sweat from my brow for that one, but new beads formed over my outfield. Nick Markakis has been off for almost a month now, and I'm starting to consider the possibility that this year is simply not the year he develops power or speed (though the latter was more obvious). Carlos Lee, Nelson Cruz, and Justin Upton all had off-weeks, undermining strong showings from Soto, Ben Zobrist (.391, 9 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB), and Clint Barmes (.310, 3 R, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB). Jorge Cantu has continued his inconsistency and dizziness woes, and Dustin Pedroia had a rare off-week as well.

Interestingly enough, my pitching was superb. A.J. Burnett, Chad Billingsley, Dallas Braden, Scott Baker (I'll get to him in a second), and Aaron Harang gave me solid starts, and my relief pitching was spotless (a combined 9.1 IP, 1 W, 6 SV, 11 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.77 WHIP from Scott Downs, Joe Nathan, and J.P. Howell).

I made a few moves, some to off-set what appears to be declines, others to catch a rebounding player. After a gut-check of about 48 hours, I decided that dropping Joey Votto was too-hasty of a move. Iannetta is looking more like a .250 hitter with some power, which puts him nowhere near my utility spot and, with Soto rebounding, I just don't need him. So Votto comes back into the fold, because my 1B situation (with Jorge Cantu as my sole one-bagger) has been more dire and Votto has been taking batting practice.

More significantly, some of my pitching staff had worn out my patience. John Lackey got the boot for his subpar performances; to be honest, he's just not looking like the same pitcher of the last couple of years. Control problems, low K-totals, it's becoming a drag. Hiroki Kuroda gave me some good value for the rental; he's still a good pitcher, but I had little concern that he will be available in the future. Both Lackey and Kuroda were dropped for two pitchers primed for a solid remainder of the season: Gil Meche and Scott Baker, respectively. Meche turned many heads with his 11 K performance last week, but he's been rebounding strongly the last couple of weeks, and when he's locked in, he's excellent. Baker has also dominated, and anyone who remembers him from last year knows how consistent he can be. Both pitchers turned it on in the latter half of the season, which makes me even more confident in them.

Leo Nunez was dropped for J.P. Howell, who seems to be gaining Joe Maddon's confidence and getting put in higher-pressure situations. Nunez got knocked around a bit, and Fredi Gonzalez seems comfortable until the next Lindstrom implosion.

Seeing Corey Hart turning his season around made me desperate to get him, so much so that I essentially overturned my prior reasoning on Joey Votto. More on that later.

Going into this part of the season, it's safe to say that your sleepers and busts are really making themselves apparent. A sharp fantasy owner will also start to pay attention to players that, despite their production thus far, cannot possibly maintain their production. These are known as "sell high" players that are occasionally good to offer for value you are more certain about, or even players known as "buy low;" talented, accomplished players having a down-first 1/3 of the season. As a player in 5th place now, with only a couple holes to fill to improve my standings, these kinds of moves are essential.

Therefore, I spent some time reassessing my team and looking for teams willing to make a swap here and there. I found one that was, basically, shopping to my needs. "black bears" had some juicy starting pitching on the block, and some position players. To this point, I had pegged a few players I wasn't sure could sustain their production: Clint Barmes, Justin Upton, Ben Zobrist, Dallas Braden, and, potentially, Nelson Cruz. "black bears" had put Carlos Zambrano and Zach Greinke on the block, and I knew I had to get those guys. I threw Upton her/his way for Greinke, at which she/he countered with Fukudome & Greinke for Upton and Dallas Braden. This got me excited, because while he saw value in two players, I was unsure of their potential for the rest of the year. I countered with a blockbuster: Barmes, Upton, Markakis, & Braden for Greinke, Zambrano, and Mark DeRosa (2B,3B,OF). "black bears" accepted the offer.

So here's the logic (at least on my part): DeRosa has been swinging a hot bat lately, and I've always thought he could continue his production in a potentially potent Indians lineup. Plus, he gives me another option should Cantu continue to have problems. Zambrano has been dealing, and his strikeout rate has jumped back to dominant totals (and the Cubs are poised for a rebound). As for Greinke, his production is not necessarily a surprise; this was a top-flite prospect, a guy many had pegged for years to become a star. Yes, he won't finish with a miniscule sub-1.00 ERA, but a Cliff Lee, circa 2008 year is not out of question. Bring him on. And finally, most importantly, I end up with an extra roster spot, something I love to end up with. I can either re-acquire Votto, or grab the second-half stud Adam LaRoche, who's been ripping the ball lately (.350, 2 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB over last week); I could even take a chance on Ty Wigginton (.500, 4 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 0 SB). Assuming this trade goes through (pending to Thursday), I'll be boosting my starting pitching, trimming away some potentially inconsistent players (Barmes, Upton, Braden), and giving me the chance to maximize contingency plans for the remaining question marks (Cantu, Zobrist). The trade could be the turning point of my year; or it could be my undoing. That's the beauty of fantasy sports.

***UPDATE***

As of this morning, the Upton, Barmes, Braden, Markakis for Zambrano, Greinke, DeRosa trade has gone through without league veto. I feel decidedly invigorated by the whole deal, as this is probably the latest (into the season) trade I've ever made. I know how it sounds, but it's true; I'm not a big fan of overhauling a lineup mid- or late-season. That being said, the Megastars were in need of help.

With my extra roster spot, I scooped up Adam LaRoche, who I truly think is embarking on his annual second-half dominance. At the same time, there were reports that Joey Votto is on the cusp of beginning a rehab program, but I won't allow this to cloud my judgment. I need production now, and it's bad enough I have to spend time agonizing over Jose Reyes.

Interestingly enough, there's two things that I forgot to mention concerning "black bears," the team with which I made the trade. For one, I'm playing her/him this week, so we'll see who got the better end on the short term (unfortunately, I've missed out on DeRosa's homers yesterday and the day before yesterday; but so did she/he with Markakis's first homer since mid-May). More interesting, though, is that "black bears" is first in our league. I think a good piece of advice is to avoid making trades (at least big ones) if you're in first in the league. Maybe some small, one-for-one swaps are okay, but large deals where you are swapping around three or four players basically flies in the face of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra.

The First (and only) League: Morandini Megastars (MLB)

Well, I could have waited a week on this, but on such a momentous occasion I think there are a few valuable lessons learned from my most recent move. As of today, Joey Votto is no longer on the Morandini Megastars, having been sent to the waiver wire for Chris Iannetta. My new roster is as such (with their stats over the last month of games):

C: Geovany Soto, Cubs --- .250 BA, 6 R, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB

1B: Jorge Cantu, Marlins --- .252 BA, 12 R, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB

2B: Dustin Pedroia, BoSox --- .295 BA, 17 R, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 6 SB

SS: Ben Zobrist, Rays --- .313 BA, 17 R, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 4 SB

3B: Clint Barmes, Rockies --- .333 BA, 17 R, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 3 SB

OF: Carlos Lee, Astros --- .340 BA, 16 R, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 1 SB

OF: Justin Upton, Diamondbacks --- .343 BA, 20 R, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 6 SB

OF: Nelson Cruz, Rangers --- .304 BA, 19 R, 10 HR, 22 RBI, 5 SB

Util: Brad Hawpe, OF, Rockies --- .349 BA, 17 R, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 0 SB

Bench: Nick Markakis, OF, Orioles --- .230 BA, 7 R, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB

Bench: Chris Iannetta, C, Rockies --- .263 BA, 4 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB

DL: Jose Reyes, SS, Mets --- .379 BA, 4 R, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 3 SB

SP: AJ Burnett, Yankees --- 33.1 IP, 2 W, 32 K, 4.05 ERA, 1.47 WHIP

SP: Chad Billingsley, Dodgers --- 32.1 IP, 2 W, 38 K, 2.78 ERA, 1.36 WHIP

RP: Joe Nathan, Twins --- 11.2 IP, 7 SV, 14 K, 2.31 ERA, 0.94 WHIP

RP: Scott Downs, Blue Jays --- 8.2 IP, 4 SV, 5 K, 5.19 ERA, 1.62 WHIP

P: Leo Nunez, RP, Marlins --- 12.1 IP, 2 SV, 13 K, 4.38 ERA, 1.14 WHIP

P: John Lackey, SP, Angels --- 26.1 IP, 1 W, 16 K, 5.13 ERA, 1.41 WHIP

P: Wandy Rodriguez, SP, Astros --- 27.2 IP, 2 W, 32 K, 4.88 ERA, 1.73 WHIP

Bench: Dallas Braden SP, A's --- 38.0 IP, 2 W, 26 K, 4.26 ERA, 1.32 WHIP

Bench: Hiroki Kuroda, SP, Dodgers -- 11.0 IP, 0 W, 11 K, 1.64 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Bench: Aaron Harang, SP, Reds --- 37.3 IP, 3 W, 35 K, 5.26 ERA, 1.51 WHIP

*You can view it here, as well.

As you can probably see, my batting has carried the team through many a down-week this year; I've been substantially burdened by under-performance in my pitching staff. Harang's and Wandy's numbers from the last month actually aren't representative of what they've done for me; in both their cases, they carried my pitching in the early months. But Burnett's inconsistency, Lackey's injury return troubles, and my scramble for closers has weakened my pitching numbers.

As for hitting, I've been helped by the varying hot streaks of my players. Jorge Cantu was one of the hottest hitting bats in baseball for the first two months, but has had problems more recently. Ditto, for Nick Markakis. My current hot-streakers include Clint Barmes and Ben Zobrist, and Carlos Lee is finally starting to give me some productivity. All-year performers (to this point) have included Nelson Cruz, Brad Hawpe, Justin Upton, and Dustin Pedroia. As you can see, the Reyes and Votto injuries have opened large holes in my lineup. Instead of their strong, consistent production, I have stop-gaps in Cantu (whom I've always been a bit uneasy about) and Zobrist. This isn't to say that they haven't filled in for me; for the most part, they have. But I really needed Reyes and Votto to recover much quicker than they have.

Now comes my biggest issue, the Votto Drop. The one thing I knew throughout was that I had to have Chris Iannetta, who had been recently dropped in our league. He's returning this week, had been hitting the ball well before the injury, and was still crushing the ball in rehab. A big hitter that plays half of his games in Coors Field is worth having. To say the least, then, I struggled mightily to find a way to make the add of Chris Iannetta work for me. I threw out trade offers, hoping some managers would see upside-potential in Geovany Soto and give me a reliever or starting pitcher. No dice. I considered dropping Soto for Iannetta straight-up, but as you can see there have been signs of life in Soto's bat, and in Wrigley he could be poised for some serious hitting. Plus, there's ego at play here; I had traded for Soto (giving up Iannetta, incidentally). I considered dropping a pitcher, but there's simply too much talent (despite the numbers) to throw away a pitcher, and I need all the pitchers I can get. I couldn't drop Zobrist or Barmes, because I would end up shifting Cantu to 3rd and putting Votto in the lineup. Unfortunately, the whole deal put me into a situation I didn't want to do; assess obvious talent and see who is expendable.

So it came down to two decisions, each reprehensible: drop Soto for Iannetta, or drop Votto for Iannetta. Jose Reyes was simply not an option, as he's rehabbing and is too good at a thin position. Soto is a proven talent with some batting issues, but the plate discipline is there (23 BB's to 30 K's) and he has been getting a few good games. He's also having some pressure taken off of him by Sweet Lou Piniella. Votto has hit extremely well, even when he was having dizziness issues. He plays in a hitter's park, on a team that didn't hesitate to slot him third in the lineup. But these dizziness and emotional issues are apparently crippling for him, so much so that Dusty Baker has announced that Votto will not return after the mandatory 15-day DL stint, nor does he know when Votto will be ready. Because Reyes already occupies the DL spot, Votto has been a void of production on my bench, and now I don't even have an idea of how long. My hunch is that this is a potential season-long issue, on the par with Zach Greinke's, and that I'll have to cut my losses. I wish Votto the best in his recovery, but in the game of numbers he ends up being the odd-man out.

This all being said, my more-recent adds have proven to be excellent. Clint Barmes is raking, Kuroda had a solid start, and I quickly dropped J.P. Howell for Leo Nunez on learning that he will be getting save opportunities. Thus, I have my desired three closers set, and the fall-out from losing Reyes has been averted. My main concern now is that Jorge Cantu has sat out one game with a bout of dizziness. Oy.

The First (and only) League: Morandini Megastars (MLB)

So, a couple of months into the season is a good time to catch up on the fantasy teams. What constitutes the "First" Team stems from the April 1st blog on "A Tale of Two Leagues." That team, the Morandini Megastars, apparently is the only league I want to bore you with, since I never really got around to talking about the other team (it's worth noting that my other four teams are in 1st, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their respective leagues, all 12-teamers except one 10-teamer). It's for the better, as this has been my more difficult of the five teams. As of today, the Morandini Megastars are sitting in 5th (out of 12), but if my players maintain their monstrous lead this week I'll be hopping up to 3rd place. This has been my most trying team this year, for many reasons, so without further ado, here are all the key moves since the opening roster below:

C: Geovany Soto, Cubs

1B: Joey Votto, Reds

2B: Dustin Pedroia, BoSox

SS: Jose Reyes, Mets

3B: Jorge Cantu, Marlins

OF: Carlos Lee, Astros

OF: Nick Markakis, Orioles

OF: Elijah Dukes, Nationals

Util: David Ortiz, BoSox

Bench: Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers

Bench: Mike Lowell, 3B, BoSox

SP: Chad Billingsley, Dodgers

SP: John Lackey, Angels

RP: Joe Nathan, Twins

RP: Manny Corpas, Rockies

P: Jason Motte, Cardinals

P: A.J. Burnett, Yankees

P: Scott Baker, Twins

Bench: Aaron Harang, SP, Reds

Bench: Gil Meche, SP, Royals

Bench: Sean Marshall, SP,RP, Cubs

Adds/Drops:

Add: Wandy Rodriguez, SP, Astros

Drop: James McDonald, SP,RP, Dodgers

The word: I had added McDonald because Torre had announced he would be the fifth starter in the rotation, but after watching him pitch I realized he wasn't ready. I needed a starter, and Wandy had done well in his first start, so I took a chance. And he promptly became my star pitcher. Phew, you may remember that I dropped him before the season began. But unfortunately, Wandy was one of the few I wish I could have back.

Key Adds: Fernando Rodney, RP, Tigers; David Aardsma, RP, Mariners; Scott Downs, RP, Blue Jays; Mike Napoli, C, Angels; Justin Upton, OF, Diamondbacks; Jerry Hairston, Jr., 2B,3B,SS,OF, Reds; Ben Zobrist, 2B,SS,OF, Rays; Dallas Braden, SP,RP, Athletics; J.P. Howell, RP, Rays

The first two were short-lived plusses, as both had a bad outing and I bailed. With closers, you have to be fickle or you'll miss great opportunities, and at the time I wasn't sold on either Rodney or Aardsma as being long-term closers. Downs was a great add to fill the void left by Corpas and Jason Motte's breakdown; Napoli likewise saved me from Geovany Soto's horrendous start. Upton was just a speculative add that has turned into an excellent add, as with Zobrist. Hairston was need when Jose Reyes went down to injury, and has done very well until recently. Dallas Braden has been rock-solid, and I brought Howell back because there's a potential for him to become a closer out of the mess in Tampa, and I still need a solid third closer.

Key Drops: Mike Lowell, 3B, BoSox; Rodney; Aardsma; David Ortiz, Utility, BoSox; Gil Meche, SP, Royals; Scott Baker, SP, Twins; Hairston

The Lowell, Rodney, Aardsma drops are all regrettable, although at least in Lowell's case there's sign that his production is levelling off. I think the other shoe will drop in Rodney's case, but Aardsma may be legit. As for Ortiz, Meche, and Baker, I really couldn't stick around for these guys; having too many players with down-years trying to turn it around will ultimately hurt your team too much. I dropped Hairston as his production has faltered now and scooped up a resurgent Clint Barmes, who has been hitting well after Clint Hurdle's firing and is in the two-spot in the order.

The Story of My Team: Injuries and "Personal Issues"

It is fair to say that the Morandini Megastars have had resounding success, though it has been fairly handicapped by some stints on the DL from key players. Most significantly, two of my building blocks, Joey Votto and Jose Reyes, have had injury issues, which has seriously undermined my production. Votto was tearing into the ball (as I thought he would) until an ear infection and ensuing dizziness spells got to him. Now he languishes on the DL, a big sinkhole on my bench because Jose Reyes is already taking the DL spot. There's been little word on when or whether he'll rebound; as such, Jorge Cantu has been my solid (if not shaky) 1B, and I've had a hodge-podge at 3B (Hairston, now Barmes). The loss of Votto has taken it's toll on my RBI and power totals, especially. In Reyes' case, his injury (calf) has been enigmatic, keeping him out of the starting lineup for weeks. Thankfully, Ben Zobrist emerged in time to be a great power option at SS for me, but unfortunately I have to do without Reyes' speed.

That being said, Jorge Cantu has been a roller-coaster surprise, cranking homers and providing the numbers in spurts. I'd like him to smooth out the bumps in his consistency, but beggars can't be choosers when injuries come into play. Pedroia has been rock-solid, Nelson Cruz has developed nicely, and Upton, Hawpe, Markakis, and Carlos Lee have all contributed, though Markakis has been difficult lately. Soto has been horrible, but there is a sun on the horizon; yesterday, the fantasy owner to whom I traded Chris Iannetta has dropped him. I am to the point of dropping Soto, and should I either by trade or straight-drop get rid of him, then Iannetta will be waiting. Now on the other hand...

Pitching has been a bit difficult; my closer struggles have been spelled out, I think. But A.J. Burnett has alternated brilliance with boob-ishness, and Gil Meche has lost his luster. Lackey's early injury has meant I lost a top-tier pitcher for the first two months, and Scott Baker has been downright terrible. But despite all of this, I have managed to get great pitching out of Joe Nathan, Scott Downs, Chad Billingsley, Aaron Harang, Wandy Rodriguez, and Dallas Braden which has carried me this far. There's hope for Burnett, who has settled down a bit, and Lackey seems to be figuring it out in L.A. Recent adds Hiroki Kuroda (SP, Dodgers) and J.P. Howell could fill a couple of problem spots in my production: consistency and saves. The lineup as of today:

C: Soto

1B: Cantu

2B: Pedroia

SS: Zobrist

3B: Barmes

OF: Carlos Lee

OF: Nelson Cruz

OF: Justin Upton

Util: Brad Hawpe

Bench: Nick Markakis, Votto

DL: Reyes

SP: Billingsley

SP: Burnett

RP: Nathan

RP: Downs

P: Howell

P: Wandy Rodriguez

P: Harang

Bench: Lackey, Kuroda, Braden

Analysis: I was worried about Lackey and my closer problem at the beginning, and I was right on that. I anticipated great power numbers, which did happen as well. My most pressing concern right now is saves, closely followed by saves. Add some consistency and this still is a strong lineup, especially if Votto and/or Reyes return to form.

Updating the Closer Sitches (MLB)

Well, since it has been awhile since I've done the blog thing (I'll need signs of life on the viewing counter before I become too serious), I think it best to begin with talking about current closer situations, as that usually is a hot topic.  Besides, there needs to be a counter to the other ideas perpetuated by the fantasy experts, although I don't always provide it.  Without further ado, the sitch:

Diamondbacks

Qualls has been nothing short of excellent, although he's had some forearm trouble.  Recent reports have said he's going to be okay.  Feel comfortable for now, but know that when Qualls was unavailable the D-backs turned to Tony Pena (who blew it) and have also used Juan Gutierrez in late-inning situations.

Braves

Bobby Cox has been content to have a situational closer set-up with Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, and both closers have been great this year.  About as 50-50 as it gets.

Orioles

A surprise to me so far, George Sherrill has put it together early this year.  Just remember he pitched likewise early in the year last year, and had some troubles later on.  That being said, Chris Ray has fallen apart, and is stewing down in the minors, so he's no threat.  Sherrill might be a good piece of trade bait for a down closer (Lidge?  Wood?).

Red Sox

Papelbon.  Enough said.

Cubs

What a mess.  Neither Marmol nor Gregg have been particularly good, but Gregg seems to be the frontrunner with 8 saves.  Angel Guzman has been the best of a bad bullpen, but I wouldn't touch this situation with a ten-foot pole.

White Sox

Bobby Jenks continues to close the door; if he would ever slip up, the Chisox have probably the best bullpen available to pick up the slack.  Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel, and Scott Linebrink are truly dominant relievers.

Reds

Coco Cordero has been the man all year, and will be, it seems.

Indians

Kerry Wood has had a rough go of it so far, although he's only blown two saves and seems to be settling down.  His contract gets him a long leash, which won't likely be challenged.  A good buy-low candidate.

Rockies

Huston Street nabbed the closer job away from Manny Corpas earlier this year, via Street's dominance and Corpas's incompetence.  Lately, though, the shoe has gone on the other foot, as Street has had two shaky outings and Corpas has settled down some.  As with Wood, though, Street will have a long leash, and should be the man in Colorado.

Tigers

In probably the surprise of the year, Fernando Rodney has been very, very solid in the closing role.  He hasn't allowed a run the last 9 outings, dating back to early May.  Which really is a good thing for him, as Joel Zumaya has returned and pitched well.  Much like George Sherrill, I'm skeptical, which could make Rodney a solid trade chip.

Marlins

Another messy situation, as Matt Lindstrom has had a very up-and-down season.  His main competition comes from Leo Nunez, although Kiko Calero and Dan Meyer have also been solid.  Monitor the situation closely, as a new closer may emerge here.  Lindstrom just can't seem to stop walking people.

Astros

Kind of a weird storyline in Houston; Jose Valverde has been injured for a while now, though he seems not too far from returning.  When he was pitching, he was doing somewhat poorly, but his numbers suggested a correction.  The main problem was a lack of save opportunities, as the Astros have had a difficult year.  Kudos to those who nabbed LaTroy Hawkins, who has wheeled off 7 saves, but it appears Hawkins will go back to a set-up role when Valverde returns.  Once again, the contract looms large.

Royals

Unlike with Hawkins, those of you who grabbed Juan Cruz were likely beat up by his poor closing numbers.  That being said, Joakim Soria is returning and will hold the role to the end of the year, barring an injury.

Angels

Brian Fuentes has had a roller-coaster year filling K-Rod's shoes, but has ultimately benefitted from ineptitude among the other potential closing candidates, the only exception being Darren Oliver.  It's becoming a broken record, but Fuentes has the contract working for him.  He's the guy, but if you have him he's got to be hurting you.

Dodgers

Arguably the most dominant closer in the bigs, Broxton has been nothing short of amazing.  Props to those who bumped him up the draft cheat sheets.

Brewers

I knocked him early this year, thinking him too old to fully recover from an injury.  Boy, was I wrong.  Hoffman has been a sensation in Milwaukee for the first-place Brewers, and has looked like the Hells Bells of old.  As it gets warmer, I can only believe he'll pitch even better.  Congrats on those who took a chance on him, and damn me for trading him away.

Twins

Nathan.  Enough said.

Mets

Despite the naysayers, K-Rod has duplicated his efforts of the last 5+ years.  I didn't have any doubts, to be honest.

Yankees

Mo being Mo.  Enough said.

Athletics

Brad Ziegler has apparently lost the job, which isn't overly surprising as his early season dominance has waned in the warmer weather.  Andrew Bailey has been the proposed closer to watch, but he's faltered somewhat.  His numbers, outing to outing, are solid, so he can't hurt you too much, but a guy like Michael Wuertz has proven just as dominant and could be considered.  Try to avoid this one unless you're desperate.

Phillies

Lidge had been getting torched until about two weeks ago, but since then he's seemed to pull the pieces back together.   I'm wary because Lidge has shown signs of life before, but he could be poised for a rebound.  And on a team like the Phillies, that's nothing but good.  P.S. If he should falter, Ryan Madson appears to be next-in-line.

Pirates

Capps is the man, but do you really want a Pirates closer?  I guess I'll go a little further with this; Capps was hurt for a while, the experts said "Go get Grabow," who wasn't even the best reliever on the team (Jesse Chavez), and Capps returned and started closing games right away.  There's a reason I avoided Capps.

Padres

Boy, they can't blame their record on Heath Bell.  He's been awesome.  Seems like an excellent pick-up for those who took the chance.  

Giants

While there are those who believe in Brian Wilson, I consider him a poor man's Bob Wickman.  Not a compliment, and it would be a very poor man.  But you have to adjust for today's economy.  That being said, there's really not a lot of outstanding options behind him.  Affeldt, maybe, but managers tend to shy away from lefties as closers unless they're dominant.  Wilson sticks.

Mariners

In an interesting turn of events, Brandon Morrow sucks.  And Chad Cordero isn't even with the big club.  Enter David Aardsma, who had pitched well and seems poised to be the replacement Putz.  The walk totals make me nervous, but outside of a horrendous (and I mean horrendous) blown save on May 31st, he seems to have gained the confidence of the Mariners and manager Don Wakamatsu.

Cardinals

Ryan Franklin has only blown one save in 14 opportunities, so there are many reasons to believe he's the guy.  As with Sherrill and Rodney, there are reasons to believe that this won't last, as Franklin had a meltdown about this time last year that led to his being unseated.  If that does occur, Jason Motte or Chris Perez will benefit, though after Motte's abrupt removal from the closing role early this year I'm leaning towards Perez getting a shot.  Both have been solid.

Rays

The Cubs closing situation is a mess; the Rays' is the apocalypse.  An injury to erstwhile-shaky Troy Percival only complicated things, as Joe Maddon has turned to an incredibly multi-variate committee approach.  On any given night, Grant Balfour, Randy Choate, Dan Wheeler, Lance Cormier, Joe Nelson, or Jason Isringhausen could record a save.  The only reliever not given explicit late-inning work has been the best of the bunch, J.P. Howell.  I'm begging for Howell to get a shot at the job, but I don't think Maddon has had enough fun yet.  Avoid the Rays' closers like the plague (or H1N1 {aka "swine flu"} virus).

Rangers

Sleeper candidate Frank Francisco has fully justified all the hype this year, and he's pitched strong-enough numbers to suggest he'll sustain his production.  Congrats, savvy fantasy players.

Blue Jays

With the demise of B.J. Ryan, Scott Downs has emerged as the fully-capable closer in Toronto on a strong (but enigmatic) Jays squad.  Downs is a dominant lefty, hence a reasonable choice; what makes me even more intrigued is that he walks no one.  Unfortunately, the dude's 33, so it's not like we're getting a K-Rod kind of revelation here.  But he could have a stellar, surprise year, especially as some of the Blue Jays (ehem, Alex Rios) figure out how to play baseball, and key pitchers (Dustin McGowan, Casey Janssen) return.

Nationals

And we finish with not only a messy closer sitch, but also one on a team that can't win a game to save their lives.  If you have a Nationals closer, you are in such dire straits you may want to consider scooping a strong reliever with closer potential instead (such as Leo Nunez, or Andrew Bailey).  It's just not worth hoping the Joel Hanrahan (or any of the other unstable options) will pan out.

...Well, that about closes up this post.  Hopefully, you are not in such a situation where closers are a problem.  As we all know, though, relievers can be a tricky lot.  Good luck,

Southpaw 

Time to Re-Assess: My March 20 Fool's Gold/Real Deals List (MLB)

As is necessary, a month into the MLB season gives many a fantasy blogger a reason to re-assess their grand predictions.  Undoubtedly, I've already done that with my fantasy teams, a fact I will catch everyone up on a day or so in the future.  But for now, I'd like to sneak a peak at those grandiose predictions I made on March 20th, concerning those who could carry on their spring "stud" ways and those who were aberrations, flashes-in-the-pan (current stat line in italics):

Fool's Gold

Kelly Shoppach, C, Indians --- .238 Batting Average(BA), 5 Runs(R), 2 Home Runs(HR), 7 Runs Batted In(RBI), 0 Stolen Bases(SB) --- See March 20th description.

Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox --- .313 BA, 13 R, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB --- It's fair to say that Konerko is deciding to have a strong year.  So much so that I begrudgingly hopped on-board in one league.  But the fact that I scooped him on the waiver wire meant I wasn't the only wary soul.

Rickie Weeks, 2B, Brewers --- .271 BA, 17 R, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 1 SB --- He looks pretty good on paper, but he's doing the same thing Old Rickie did; too much swinging for the fences.  Those that think they are getting a deal need to take their nugget to the appraiser.

Khalil Greene, SS, Cardinals --- .215 BA, 12 R, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB --- See March 20th description.

Mark Reynolds, 3B, Diamondbacks --- .268 BA, 12 R, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 2 SB --- Much like Rickie, he's still committing his old habits (26 K's in 23 games, only 10 walks), so expect the ship to dip.

Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers --- .302 BA, 15 R, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 5 SB --- Plate discipline problems are still there (12 BB's to 25 K's in 24 games) but he seems to make contact enough to make this a bad call by me.  To give me one shred of dignity, though, he was getting drafted way too high.

Corey Hart, OF, Brewers --- .270 BA, 17 R, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 SB --- Having issues, much like Weeks.

Micah Owings, SP, Reds --- 22.1 Innings Pitched(IP), 1 Win(W), 11 Strikeouts(K), 11 Walks(BB), 4.84 Earned Run Average(ERA), 1.61 Walks/Hits/Innings Pitched(WHIP) --- I thought homers would get him (and they have), but his lack of dominance is killing him, too.

Chris Volstad, SP, Marlins --- 30.1 IP, 2 W, 27 K, 12 BB, 2.67 ERA, 0.99 WHIP --- He's playing very well, but his K rate is too high to be sustainable, and he's had some control hiccups.  Expect an adjustment, not a breakout.

Ryan Dempster, SP, Cubs --- 30 IP, 1 W, 25 K, 14 BB, 5.40 ERA, 1.43 WHIP --- See March 20th description.

Brandon Lyon, RP, Tigers --- 12 IP, 1 W, 0 Saves(S), 4 K, 7 BB, 4.50 ERA, 1.58 WHIP --- See March 20th description.

Trevor Hoffman, RP, Brewers --- 3 IP, 0 W, 2 S, 3 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP --- In this case, I've been proven wrong.  Hoffman has been lights-out, and his control and power are still there.  It is still possible he could have an injury problem, but performance-wise he's still in Hall-of-Fame form.  Bravo.

Real Deals

Jorge Posada, C, Yankees --- .293 BA, 10 R, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 1 SB --- See March 20th description.

Joey Votto, 1B, Reds --- .364 BA, 11 R, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 1 SB --- See March 20th description.

Skip Schumaker, 2B, Cardinals --- .266 BA, 10 R, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB --- A couple of oh-fers knocked his average down from .300, but he's getting time atop a potent Cardinals lineup, he has LaRussa's approval, and his discipline (9 K's, 9 BB's) is there.  Apparently, his defense is even better, and Brendan Ryan (his only competition), is hurt.  Great for deep leagues, especially.

Ryan Theriot, SS, Cubs --- .315 BA, 12 R, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 5 SB --- Has already topped last year's power total.  See March 20th description.

Pablo Sandoval, 3B, C, Giants --- .313 BA, 8 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 SB --- The speed is unexpected, but the only thing holding his numbers down is the rest of the Giants lineup.  See March 20th description.

Ryan Sweeney, OF, A's --- .270 BA, 15 R, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 SB --- Has struggled a bit, but is putting up great leadoff numbers lately and only awaits the sleeping giants in the heart of the order (Holliday, Cust, Giambi) to do something.

Rick Ankiel, OF, Cardinals --- .253 BA, 11 R, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB --- Not doing much right now, truthfully.  Pretty much just playing like Rick Ankiel.

Josh Johnson, SP, Marlins --- 34.2 IP, 2 W, 32 K, 6 BB, 2.60 ERA, 1.04 WHIP --- See March 20th description.

John Danks, SP, White Sox --- 23 IP, 2 W, 18 K, 8 BB, 2.74 ERA, 1.09 WHIP --- See March 20th description.

Jordan Zimmermann, SP, Nationals --- 17 IP, 2 W, 14 K, 3 BB, 4.24 ERA, 1.35 WHIP --- Not counting some home run trouble last outing, the kid's been dominant.

Jason Motte, RP, Cardinals --- 11 IP, 1 W, 0 S, 9 K, 4 BB, 4.09 ERA, 1.45 WHIP --- After abruptly losing the closer's job, Ryan Franklin has been solid in the role.  On the other hand, Franklin has looked this good before.  While Motte has been an early season bust, he is rounding back into dominant form and Franklin, honestly, has this Brandon Lyon-like feel to him.

Manny Corpas, RP, Rockies --- 10.1 IP, 0 W, 1 S, 5 K, 1 BB, 6.10 ERA, 1.74 WHIP --- Has been, quite simply, hittable.  Looks like a bust, unfortunately for me, but I can be granted one or two.

So, for those of you keeping score, my predictions fall (arbitrarily, as you'll see), as such:

- Wins:  13

- Borderline:  6

- Losses:  5

Not bad percentages, if you rule in my favor for the "borderlines."  Well, I'll catch you later.