FANTASY BASEBALL OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS: AL

FANTASY BASEBALL OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS: AL

By Muntradamus

Finally..A fantasy sport that has no threat for a lockout to start the season.

Baseball is one of the most entertaining fantasy sports of them all.  Not only is it every day with pretty much every team playing.  But it is also a game of streaks where anyone from Prince Fielder, to Kurt Suzuki can be the hottest player in the league.  Then a week later only to see Dee Gordon come out of nowhere and steal four bases, the sport is unpredictable.

Beast Dome will be posting fantasy baseball articles all season long, and during spring training.  Here is First article.  Fantasy Baseball off-season moves: AL, NL will follow soon.   Enjoy the content, and as always feel free to ask questions.  An expert will get to them.

Welcome to the Beast Dome Community!

(FANTASY BASEBALL OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS: AL)
(FANTASY BASEBALL OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS: NL)

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BALTIMORE ORIOLES:

ENDY CHAVEZ (OF)- If Baltimore gives Endy Chavez the LF spot all season long.  25 Stolen Bases would be a great season.  But more likely than not Noland Reimold and his average bat will be in the lineup a few times a week for  Chavez.

I expect Endy Chavez to steal 17 bases and be waiver wire material.

WILSON BETEMIT (3B/DH)- Betemit has a good bat, but not something you want to depend on.  If you are in a very deep league, and you need a power hitting 3^rd baseman who can potentially get 20 Homeruns.  Then you got yourself a steal.  If Betemit does struggle do not expect Baltimore to have his leash that last longer than a month.

I expect Wilson Betemit to hit 15 HR’s and be a solid bench option.

JASON HAMMEL (SP)- Hammel was never a fantasy baseball pitcher type quality that would lead you to a fantasy baseball championship to begin with.  It will be interesting to see if the Coors Field effect was the real reason for Hammel’s struggles.  His Strikeout rate is a very low 1 per 2 innings.  On top of that he will pitche against the Yankees, Red Sox, D-Rays, Blue Jays.  Try justifying that as someone you want active on your roster.

I expect Jason Hammel to be waiver wire material.

WEI-YEN CHEN (SP)- After seeing Dice-K fail.  I’m going to wait to predict Chen until I see him in pre-season.  The fact he is #3 on Baltimore’s rotation going into Spring Training does not say much about his potential.

As of now, I expect Wei-Yen Chen to be waiver wire material.

TSUYOSHI WADA (SP) – The Dice K effect still keeps me hesitant about Wada.  He is 30 so at least he is a smart pitcher.  Would be surprised to see him be a good K pitcher, especially being projected as the #5 pitcher for Baltimore.

As of now, I expect Tsuyoshi Wada to be waiver wire material.

 

MATT LINDSTROM (RP)- Solid relief pitcher who will give them a secure 7^th inning guy.  Is he elite, no.  But he will help all the starting pitchers value a little bit.

I expect Lindstrom to be waiver wire material unless the bullpen implodes during Spring Training.

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BOSTON REDSOX:

ANDREW BAILEY (CP)- No Papelbon means Andrew Bailey gets the chance to close under one of the brightest spot lights in Major League Baseball.  He is more than capable of being one of the top closers in all of fantasy baseball.  If he struggles there will be pitchers in the pen that are capable of taking his spot.  He looks to have a healthy spring training to put any doubts to mind.

I expect Andrew Bailey to be a top 5 closer in fantasy baseball.
MARK MELANCON (RP)- The closer for Houston a season ago is now a set-up man in Boston.  He could be a decent source of some cheap saves if Bailey goes down.  Red Sox are going to be winning a lot of games.

I expect Mark Melancon to be a good reliever and ownable in all formats at some point in the season.

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CHICAGO WHITE SOX:

No OFF-SEASON moves.

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CLEVELAND INDIANS:

CASEY KOTCHMAN (1B)- Kotchman is the Mark Grace of baseball.  Big 1^st baseman with very little power.  Expect good average, but not fantasy worth numbers at a position that is supposed to be pure power.

I expect Casey Kotchman to be waiver wire material for a majority of the season.  He could get hot at some point.
DEREK LOWE (SP)- Not a bad signing.  Lowe could be over the hill, and pitching in the AL from the NL usually results in worst stats.  However fantasy worthy, Lowe is a solid bench player.  We have learned from the past that when Lowe is hot, he needs to be active in your lineup.

I expect Lowe to be a solid fantasy pitcher for the duration of the season.

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DETROIT TIGERS:

PRINCE FIELDER (1B)- One of the biggest Free Agent acquisitions.  Fielder goes to a very big pitchers ball park where his HR rate could take a small decline.  However it is Prince Fielder, and he could hit a baseball 500 FT so continue to draft him accordingly.  The good news is, hitters that move from NL-AL or AL-NL, usually have big seasons.  Reason for this, pitchers have no previous experience on knowing how to pitch to the new guys.  On top of that batting in a lineup with Miguel Cabrera gives the pitchers a lot more to think about which leaves them vulnerable for a mistake pitch.

I expect Prince Fielder to be an elite fantasy option.

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KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

JONATHAN SANCHEZ (SP)- Sanchez will get a lot of K’s.  The problem is he pitches for KC.  Which usually means a very low win total.  Take the good with the bad, but KC is excited to finally have a high potential pitcher.

I expect Jonathan Sanchez to be owned in all formats and be a great source of K’s.

 

JONATHAN BROXTON (RP)- Broxton is past the days of being a quality closer in fantasy baseball.  Now he is simply a set-up man for the inconsistent, but good.  Joakim Soria.  Not to be confused with Joakim Noah.

I expect Jonathan Broxton to be waiver wire material unless Soria goes down.

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LOS ANGELES ANGELS:

ALBERT PUJOLS (1B)- The best hitter in baseball will be ready to dominate whatever ball park he goes too.  The Angels are easily the favorite to win the AL West with a move like this alone.

I expect Albert Pujols to be the #1 overall pick in fantasy baseball.

 

CHRIS IANNETTA (C)- Iannetta has always had solid potential to be a big time hitting catcher, but it just does not seem like he has had it together.  A change of scenery with no competition for at bats is exactly what he needed.  It also helps playing on an offense where there is no pressure for him to be a big bat in the lineup.  This will allow him to focus on the things he needs to do to become a better hitter.

I expect a breakout season for Chris Iannetta.

C.J. WILSON (SP)- Can it get any better for the Angels?  It did get better for C.J. Wilson who leaves one of the worst pitching parks in the AL.  The Angels are a very talented defense, and a top 5 hitting offense in the American League.  No excuses for C.J. who also faces the weak AL West multiple times.

I expect a HUGE season for C.J. Wilson.

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MINNESOTA TWINS:

JOSH WILLINGHAM (OF)- The Hammer is one of the most underrated hitters in fantasy baseball.  Moving out of the 26^th worst offensive ball park to a better team that has Joe Mauer should increase his numbers.

I expect Josh Willingham to be a major contributor to a lot of fantasy baseball teams.  When he is hot.

JAMEY CARROLL (SS)- Carroll may give you a good batting average, but you cannot count on him for much more than that.   If het hits over 10 Home runs then you got yourself a steal.

I expect Jamey Carroll to be waiver wire material.

JASON MARQUIS (SP)- Marquis is past his prime, but pitching for the Twins will give him opportunities to win some ball games.  Wins are what you really hope for with this guy, because his ERA is just terrible.

I expect Jason Marquis to be waiver wire material.

 

RYAN DOUMIT (C)- Doumit has a lot of potential to be a big time hitter for a catcher in the fantasy baseball world.  The problem has always been inconsistency or unfortunate injuries.  Doumit should be able to make an impact on most fantasy teams, but expecting him to be a full year option could be a stretch.

I expect Ryan Doumit to be ownable in all fantasy baseball leagues.
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NEW YORK YANKEES:

MICHAEL PINEDA (SP)- Pineda is in line to have a HUGE fantasy baseball season.  Moving from the Seattle Mariners to the New York Yankees is day and night.  Pineda is an elite strikeout pitcher, and moving to a team that will score runs will allow him to pitch more freely.  Which will result in more K’s and most importantly more wins.

I expect Michael Pineda to be an elite pitching option.

HIROKI KURODA (SP)- Kuroda only won 13 games with an ERA of 3.07.  He lost 16.  Playing for the New York Yankees, if you have an ERA that is under 4.00 you can win 14 games.  Kuroda is a great pitcher to own in all fantasy leagues as he should be a great source of wins.

I expect Hiroki Kuroda to be an excellent fantasy pitcher to own.

RAUL IBANEZ (OF)- Ibanez is a hitter that is over the hill, but playing in New York gives him the chance to revitalize his career.  Left handed hitters have a huge advantage playing in the new Yankee stadium because of the jet stream to right field.  Remember when Johnny Damon some how hit 24 Home Runs a few seasons ago?  Ibanaez can be a dark horse to do the same.

I expect Raul Ibanez to be a solid fantasy OF for his RBI potential, and decent power.
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OAKLAND ATHLETICS:

YOENIS CESPEDES (OF)-This guy is no joke.  When you see his body you think of Wily Mo Pena.  When you see him hit you think of Sammy Sosa.  When you see him run you think of Matt Kemp.  This guy has 5 tool potential, and he will need to do his best Matt Kemp impersonation to get this team anywhere.

I expect Yoenis Cespedes to be a major contributor to fantasy baseball teams this season, early prediction 25 HR – 20 SB.

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SEATTLE MARINERS:

JESUS MONTERO (C)- Moving to Seattle is one of the worst moves for any hitter.  Just ask Adrian Beltre, or Richie Sexson.  Jesus Montero is an amazing young talent, which will give him a good batting spot to rack up the RBIs.  I would take him if he falls, but I do not expect to see more than 20 Home Runs.

I expect Jesus Montero to be a starter on majority of fantasy baseball rosters.

HISASHI IWAKUMA(SP)- 30 year old pitcher who is more of an ERA specialist than a K specialist.  Pitching for a bad offensive team like Seattle does not help his chances.

I expect Hisashi Iwakuma to be waiver wire material in fantasy leagues.

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TAMPA BAY D-RAYS:

JOSE MOLINA (C)- Never an offensive threat, Jose Molina now plays in a lineup where he could hit 40 RBIs.

I expect Jose Molina to be waiver wire material.

 

CARLOS PENA (1B)- Pena is going home to the place where he became the power hitter he was supposed to be.  You can only imagine how much more comfortable he will be playing for his old fans who saw his prime, than the Wrigley Field Fans who were frustrated with his inconsistency.

I expect Carlos Pena to bounce back with a 30+ HR season easily.

LUKE SCOTT (DH)- Scott has always been a big offensive threat who has never panned out to the big player he was supposed to be.  Enter in the best thing for your career which is a change of scenery.  In this stacked lineup, Scott could be a sleeper for a big season and should be considered in all leagues.  He was battling a shoulder injury all of last year and still managed to put up 9 Home Runs in 209 AB’s.

I expect Luke Scott to be a great source of Power for where he gets drafted.

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TEXAS RANGERS:

YU DARVISH (SP)- Yu is supposed to be a special pitcher, especially signing a 6 year, $60-million contract.  The Rangers may go with a 6 man rotation which would really hurt all of their values.  But I still expect them all to be fantasy worthy as the Rangers are going to be a good team this season.

I expect Yu Darvish to be owned in all fantasy leagues.  A better idea about his potential will be seen during Spring Training.

 

JOE NATHAN (CP)- Nathan was hot to end the season, and now finds himself on a better ball team.  That means more saves, except there does remain one problem.  Neftali Feliz is going to run for the starters role which already has 5 quality pitchers.  If the Rangers decide to go 6 man, than Nathan is safe.  If at any point they switch to 5 man, then the Rangers have two elite closers which will result in split saves.

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Ask Any Fantasy Baseball Questions, and check out the baseball articles as they come.

(FANTASY BASEBALL OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS: AL)
(FANTASY BASEBALL OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS: NL)