Now hated in both reality AND fantasy.
Well, September is finally here and with that comes MLB’s roster expansion. Now on some levels, that’s good stuff as there will be an increase of talent on your free agent waiver wire; plenty of guys who will see a good amount of action down the stretch and offer your fantasy baseball team that nice late season boost we all crave. On the other hand, you’re also likely to see some guys sit a little more often as teams audition these youngsters to see how they perform on the major league stage. If you’ve got some slumping, aging veterans, you might see them riding the pine a little more often, which means you might need to make a few adjustments. But be careful. I’m always a firm believer in sticking with the guys who got you to where you are, so if you’re up near the top, don’t go making moves just because some kid comes up and has a good game or two. It’s nice to ride the hot bat, but not at the expense of a guy who’s helped you all season long and may just be going through a rough patch. Anyway, here are a few names to consider adding and dropping…
3 Up
Desmond Jennings, OF TB – One of the most anticipated call ups all season long and a great option in long term keeper formats, so chances are, when he became available, someone jumped all over him. On the other hand, with Tampa’s addition of Brad Hawpe, people may have shyed away citing a lack of playing time. Jennings might not start every day, but Joe Maddon is going to want to give this kid a fair amount of opportunity down the stretch. With B.J. Upton plodding through and not really lighting it up here and with the Hawpe/Matt Joyce platoon not very fleet of foot, Jennings could see a significant amount of time if he starts to play well. He stole 37 bases down in Triple-A this season and is expected to continue that trend down the stretch. If you’re looking to add some speed, Jennings is a great call.
Freddie Freeman, 1B ATL – With the Braves likely headed to the playoffs and the addition of Derrek Lee, the chances of Freeman seeing a lot of action are pretty slim. This is definitely more of someone to check out in keeper leagues if you’re planning for 2011. Freeman is a solid bat with plus power and will likely be the Braves starting first baseman next year. He will get a few starts here and there this year as we all know the health of Lee is fragile at best, so you should see some flashes of power throughout the month. He will be a welcomed left handed bat off the bench for Bobby Cox, so if you’re in a league with daily roster moves, you might be able to find a place for him on days that he does get the nod to start.
Brandon Allen, 1B/OF ARI – Completing the list of September call ups, Allen put himself on everyone’s radar when he knocked his first career grand slam the other day against the Padres. Allen is listed as a first baseman and probably qualifies there for now, but the Diamondbacks have converted him to left field where he should see a majority of the starts the rest of the way. He cracked 25 HR and knocked in 86 RBI in 107 games at Triple-A this year and while he only hit .461, he did have a very impressive .405 OBP. If you’re in need of an extra outfielder/first baseman, this year, I would take Allen over Freeman. Next year might be a different story.
3 Down
Nyjer Morgan, OF WAS – I don’t know if someone told Morgan that baseball was looking for a new Milton Bradley, but the A**hole of the Year Award goes right to the Nats’ outfielder this season. His attitude and lack of maturity just f***ed your fantasy team if you were hoping that he was going to help you in the speed department the rest of the way. First he throws a ball at a fan and gets a 7 game suspension. Then, in the middle of appealing it, he’s criticized for his assault on catchers Bryan Anderson (STL) and Brett Hayes (FLA), and then charges the mound against the Marlins, inciting a benches clearing brawl. MLB just handed him another 8 game suspension to tack onto the original 7 and there’s probably very little chance of him getting his appeal accepted. Morgan will end up missing most of September now, so if you need speed, you better hit the waiver wire.
Kelly Johnson, 2B ARI – He’s hot, he’s cold, he’s hot, and guess where he is now…? Yup. Johnson is now mired in a 0-15 slump over his last 4 games and is only hitting .179 over his last 14. He also hasn’t hit a home run in that time, and that’s been his only real asset this year. I just dropped him in my head to head league in favor of Pirates’ Neil Walker, but I’m sure, if he ever heats back up again, he’ll be more than available to me as a free agent. But for now, if you’re sitting with Johnson at second and can make a move, I suggest you do so ASAP.
Rich Harden, P TEX – I’ve actually never been a huge Harden fan, primarily because you can’t trust him to ever stay healthy. Well, now it’s not his health, but his actual pitching that’s devaluing him down the stretch as the Rangers are moving hiom to the bullpen for the remainder of the season. It could help him develop into a reliever for the playoffs, but for fantasy purposes, he becomes expendable. He’s gone just 5-05 with a 5.17 ERA over his last 17 starts and the Rangers have more viable options to which they can turn. It should be safe to assume that you can ditch Harden and find yourself plenty of other pitching options on the free agent waiver wire.
We’re almost there, folks! This is it. You’ve got a month left to your fantasy baseball season. If you’ve been doing your due dilligence for the last 5+ months, then there’s no reason to stop now. Finish the job and collect your trophy!
And if you’re looking for more free fantasy baseball advice for this year or even if you want to talk keepers and sleepers for the next, you can always comment below or email me at rotobuzzguy@gmail.com.
Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Morgan has an attitude problem? I’m not sure I agree . . . let’s see– I certainly never excuse any type of exchanges with fans other than positive ones, but do you know the context? We weren’t there– he was probably being heckled and ridiculed beyond and he reacted poorly– I don’t condone it, but it is what it is . . . now as for the catching “bowl-a-thon,” cmon . . . sure he could have slid– but he played tough and made sure he scored by knocking the catcher down– totally legal and totally not a dirty move. Was Gardner’s slide to avoid the DP dirty? Some thought so . . . the game marched on. Morgan got hit for it– that’s the game– he took first– 4th inning– can still come back– steal the bags– not grandstanding AT ALL. They had a shot with 5 innings left and you leave it out on the field. To throw at him again– egregious. Volstad– who the heck is he anyway- the law?– deserved to get charged. AS for Gaby Sanchez– nice clothesline. He got more than he deserved — he is a tough player and played tough.
Actually, Morgan has been known for having attitude problems in the past dating back to his time in Pittsburgh. It may not have been the most Bradley-esque, but there were issues with him prior to these last 2 weeks.
But touching on your points…
“he was probably being heckled and ridiculed beyond and he reacted poorly– I don’t condone it, but it is what it is .”
I will not accept the “it is what it is” clicke here. He threw a ball at a person, plain and simple. Players get heckled all of the time. It’s part of playing on the road. If you can’t handle it, then get out of the business. You don’t turn around and throw a ball with intent to hurt because he is screaming obscenities at you or about your mother. It is 100% unacceptable and, without question, warrants a suspension. The guy’s a douche bag if he can’t handle fans heckling him. If Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire can avoid throwing a ball at someone who tosses a syringe at them while on the field, then Morgan can keep himself in check when someone is just yelling at him.
As for running both catchers, yes, that is certainly part of the game as much as sliding to take out a guy to break up a double play. The charge on Hayes, the Marlins catcher, did seem worse than the first one against Anderson, which is obviously why he got plunked the first time. By worse, I mean unnessary. Plunked twice, and that tells me that he had more to say when he was on the field. Not stuff that you or I are privy to, but no one gets hit a second time like that in the game unless they did or said something to warrant it. And again, with Morgan’s history, I doubt he was silent before getting hit the second time around.
Kudos to Volstad and definitely get Gaby Sanchez a wrestling title shot in the WWE or something.
Bottom line is that, yes, I believe Morgan does have an attitude problem, yes, I believe that he is a douche bag, and yes, he just screwed plenty of fantasy owners down the stretch. 15 games and then the probability that the Nats will just send him hom for the rest of the season. Buh-bye.