Steel City Blues

RotoRob checks in today with some fantasy baseball observations.

Well, that didnít take long. After dropping the final two games of their three-game set against the Astros, the Pittsburgh Pirates have returned to a place they know oh so well ñ sub-.500 land. The Buccos still have six games remaining on this nine-game homestand, so letís not punch their passport to a record setting 17th straight losing season quite yet, but with the revitalized Braves and smoking hot Marlins heading into town over the next week, even the ìfriendly confinesî of PNC Park may not be able to stop Pittsburgh from sinking further under the even water mark. But hey, on Sunday they turned their first triple play in 16 years ñ which was the same season that the losing all started. I canít figure out if thatís a good omen or not. Any suggestions?

Itís only fitting that it was on this day in 2001 that the star of the last good Pirates team ñ Barry Bonds ñ hit his 500th career home run. Of course, by that time, he had long since departed Steel City and had headed west to The City.

Pirate starter Jeff Karstens suffered from a major lack of control in his season debut on Thursday, walking five in just four innings. Manager John Russell blamed Karstensí lackluster effort on his lack of game action, saying ìitís just a matter of competition.î Karstens hadnít thrown to major league hitters since March 31, so he was clearly rusty. He had his moments last season, but at this point, Iíd watch a couple more starts before given him any fantasy consideration, even in a deeper NL-only league.

Nate McLouth struck out once and stranded three runners ñ included one in scoring position with two outs ñ but he continues to show signs of life after his sluggish start. He singled and scored, making him 4-for-11 in the past three games. Itís definite progress after McLouth managed just three hits in the first six games.

So far, one of the best stories out of Pittsburgh has been the superb start by Paul Maholm, who looks like heís taken his game to a new level. After earning his first win of the season Saturday in very impressive fashion (seven innings, three hits, one run, two walks, three strikeouts), Maholm has gained nice traction on the wire this week. Heís been hard to hit so far, with a .200 BAA through two starts, and better yet, heís failed to yield a home run ñ an area he showed progress in last season as well. I have my doubts about Maholmís ability to maintain the low homer rates, however, as heís giving up more fly balls in the early going, so he may just be a bit lucky so far. Letís see how he does Friday night against a dramatically improved Atlanta offense before we completely jump on Maholmís bandwagon as a breakout candidate.

On Wednesday, Pirate GM Neal Huntington made a move to improve the teamís bench, acquiring Delwyn Young from the Dodgers for either two PTBNL or cash. Heís a switch-hitting corner outfielder who can also supply back up at second base if needed. Young also has some upside, so this could be a decent, albeit minor move.

How the hell are the Padres (7-3) tied for first in the NL West when their No. 3 hitter is Brian Giles? Giles took a second straight 0-for-4 Thursday, leaving him at 5-for-39 with one extra-base hit through the first 10 games of the season. If youíre in a deep NL-only league, go ahead and see if Giles can get his act together; otherwise, terminate him with extreme prejudice.

Jason Kendall, another ex-Pirate star who looks ready for pasture, doubled, scored and drove in two runs Wednesday ñ a veritable offensive bonanza considering he was 2-for-21 before that. Kendallís up to a robust .120 now, leaving him just 70 odd points away from hitting his weight. He experienced a slight rebound offensively last season, showing some gap power, but again, this is very deep NL-only league material at this point.

Astro fans arenít impressed that the team gave up Drew Sutton as the PTBNL in the Jeff Keppinger trade. Sutton, 25, had a huge performance at the AFL in 2008 and could have helped Houston with its third base situation, but instead he brings his upside to the improving Reds.

The World Champion Philadelphia Phillies have another future star on their hands. Dominic Brown went 1-for-6 in a double header on Thursday to slip to .231 (6-for-26) in the early going at High-A Clearwater, but prospect watchers need to add this name to their list. This 21-year-old outfielder is the Philliesí top prospect. And at 6í5î with great tools across the board, Brown is an imposing figure. Because it looked like he was headed for college football, he slipped to the 20th round in 2006. Can you say bargain?

York Revolution, an Atlantic League team, has invited a man less than half Brownís height — 3í2î Dave Flood ñ to its training camp. You gotta love Indy ball. Or not.

Anyone remember Otis Nixonís amazing catch to rob Pirate Andy Van Slyke of a sure home run in 1992 (which, by the way, was the last winning season by the Pirates)? I came across the video, and itís worth a second look.

C.C. Sabathiaís control problems returned Thursday, as he issued five walks in 5 2/3 IP. Only this time ñ unlike his Opening Day debacle ñ he only gave up five hits and one run and actually managed to strike someone out. In fact, he whiffed four. Sabathiaís command is awful so far, but heís already way better than he was last April.

You don’t honestly expect George Sherrill to hold down the Oriole closer job all season, do you?

By Todd Habiger

We’re back with more of the 2009 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit, today shifting gears back to the Top 10 Lists Fantasy Owners Always Wanted But Were Afraid to Ask For.

There ís not a more volatile position in fantasy baseball than closer. Once you get past the Joe Nathans and Mariano Riveras of the world, the turnover rate is extraordinary. Closer is the land where mediocre players can become shutdown closers if even for a short while. Because of the high turnover rate of closers, the position bears extra attention. Here are a few guys that may get a chance to save games if circumstances fall the right way.

1. Chris Ray, Baltimore Orioles: Conventional wisdom says George Sherrill is only keeping the closer spot warm until the Oís think Ray is recovered enough from Tommy John surgery to handle ninth inning work on a regular basis. The Oís have already said that Sherrill wonít get every save opportunity which bodes well for Ray probably hitting double digit saves even if he never fully gets his old job back this year.

2. Dan Wheeler, Tampa Bay Rays: The Ray bullpen is a mess from a fantasy perspective. Troy Percival canít be counted on to stay healthy, Grant Balfour had great numbers last year, but it’s unclear if he can be counted on to close, and then there is the Jason Isringhausen factor. All of which leads us to Wheeler. Heís been solid for most of his career and will probably get the first shot if (when) Percy goes down. Heís another guy that should luck into double digit saves.

3. Jensen Lewis, Cleveland Indians: Raise your hand if you think Kerry Wood avoids the DL all year. All of you with your hands up please smack yourself really hard upside the head for me. Wood had a fine year in his first season as a closer, but you know heís going to spend some time on the DL. Enter Lewis, who was 13-for-13 in save opportunities in the second half of 2008. If youíre looking for someone to fill out your RP slot, Lewis is a good bet to get a handful of saves.

4. Fernando Rodney, Detroit Tigers: Rodney is in a fight with Brandon Lyon for the closer job in Detroit. Jim Leyland seems to like mediocre arms as his closer which means Lyon should get the gig. If he does, snatch up Rodney and hold on to him until Lyon implodes. While Rodney will never be a shutdown closer, he can get the job done. Iím betting he ends the year as the Tiger closer.

5. Octavio Dotel, Chicago White Sox: This one is only a hunch, but Bobby Jenksís declining strikeout rate has me worried. I would not be surprised at all to see the wheels fall off, forcing Ozzie Guillen to resort to plan B, which would be Dotel. Now, Dotel has never been that effective of a closer despite putting up some pretty good save numbers over the years, but he may have the best arm in the Chicago pen. Heís definitely worth a shot in the dark.

6. Jose Arredondo, Los Angeles Angels: I know the Angels went out and spent money on Brian Fuentes after losing K-Rod to the Mets. I actually think the Halos would have been better off letting Arrendondo shoulder the closing load, but Tony Reagins never called to get my opinion (Tony, e-mail me at: Todd@RotoRob.com, Iíve got lots of great ideas; letís do lunch). Anyway, letís remember that Fuentes is just a season removed from losing his closer job in Colorado, while Arrendondo was fantastic last year. If Fuentes canít handle the pressure, the Angels wonít hesitate to go to Arrendondo.

7. Brad Ziegler, Oakland Aís: While the entire western world is ready to anoint Joey Devine as the Aís closer of the present and future, letís remember that it was Ziegler that ended the year as their closer. In a comparison of arms, Devine is the Dodge Viper to Zieglerís Ford Pinto. Ziegler gets by with deception while Devine gets by with pure power. Devine has never closed games in the majors while Ziegler has had success in that role.

8. Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals: In my Top 10 Rookies column, I pretty much said I expect that Chris Perez will take over the closer role and hold on to it for the next decade. Well this here is called covering my ass. Whereas Perez is the hot shot rookie, Franklin is the crafty veteran, and we all know Tony LaRussa loves his vets. If LaRussa does go with a true bullpen by committee, Franklin will get his share of saves.

9. Kevin Gregg, Chicago Cubs: We all know that Lou Pinella is such a patient man so heíll probably stick with Carlos Marmol through thick and thin even if he struggles. But if Sweet Lou somehow becomes this impatient bastard of a manager and Marmol struggles, why donít you take a chance on Gregg? He saved 29 games last year and had solid numbers across the board.

10. Jon Rauch, Arizona Diamondbacks: This list was made for Rauch. Heís the guy that seems destined for middle relief, but always seems to sneak in double digit saves due to luck and injury. I know he was absolutely horrible after his trade to Arizona last year, but for Godís sake, Chad Qualls is the closer here. Do you feel good about having Qualls as your closer? I didnít think so. Go grab Rauch.