Andrew Sonnanstine and J.P. Howell look like they'll be replacing Jae
Seo (designated for assignment) and Casey Fossum (deisgnated for the bullpen) in the rotation. And after last night's implosion by
Edwin Jackson, he could be next to get the hook. It's not like he's a
veteran with a proven track record to stand on. And the Rays still have
Jason Hammel and Jeff Niemann down on the farm.
Sonnanstine
does not have overpowering stuff, and therefore has missed many of the
top prospect lists. But his numbers, including strikeouts, at every
level are nothing less than outstanding. He supposedly learned his
change-up from James Shields, which is a good thing, The question is
whether or not he can continue to make batters miss at the big-league
level. Some compare him to Kevin Slowey of the Twins.
Howell
was at best the fourth-best arm on his triple-A team. He was likely
promoted ahead of Hammel and Niemann because he is viewed as less of a
prospect. The Rays are being careful with their best arms. In fact, as
good as Sonnanstine has been, Hammel and Niemann are probably more
highly-valued over the long-term. And the Rays don't want to rush them
unnecessarily.
Given Tampa's track record with Scott Kazmir
and Shields, it is tough to argue with them at this point. That
being said, I'd expect both Hammel and Niemann in the rotation by
August or September ...
... The Carlos Quentin we expected to
see this season is slowly beginning to emerge. He's hitting the ball
for average and power of late. The time to acquire him cheaply is
running out ...
... Given Ervin Santana's ridiculously bad road
stats, I wonder if Mike Scioscia would ever consider a starting
pitching platoon. Use Santana at home, and Dustin Moseley or Joe
Saunders on the road. The tough part would be making sure that Santana
got enough work (in the form of long relief work out of the bullpen),
but desperate times may call for desperate measures.
Santana's fantasy owners
would likely get more value out of him if he only started half as many
games, as long as they were all at home. The likelihood of this in
reality is doubtful, but speculation is fun ...
... If I'm a
Brad Hennessey owner, I'm also trying to roster Vinnie Chulk and/or
Kevin Correia (depending on your number of reserves). I think he'll
probably be fine, but until he establishes himself, you need an
insurance policy ...
... Jerry Owens is wicked fast. Darin
Erstad is wicked bad. Plus, he sounds like he'll be out for awhile.
Since Erstad's injury was announced, he has admitted that he "heard a
snap." That doesn't sound good, does it? If Owens can get on base, he
will be a prime source of steals ...
... Chone Figgins is THE
fantasy bust of the year to date. There is no competition. I'd still try to
trade for him in most leagues as long as he is dirt cheap. There's a
good chance he gets traded into a different situation and turns it
around. It's at least worth a fifth starter-type ...
... For
every person who says that Jason Giambi owners got what they deserved
for drafting a cheater, I submit the stats of Barry Bonds: .280, 12 HR,
26 RBI, 31 R, 2 SB. Considering where Bonds went in some drafts, many
owners have already gotten their money's worth out of him this season
...
... With the collision between Mike Lowell and Doug
Mientkiewicz at first base, Josh Phelps may get full-time at-bats for
awhile. Giambi is out of the picture, and Mientkiewicz had to be carted
off with what appeared to be a concussion ...
... J.D. Drew
revealed that he has been playing with a strained hamstring for a couple
of weeks. That could explain why he has sucked so bad. Drew has hit
.114 over the past 14 days with no home runs. Red Sox Nation will be
praying that this isn't more serious than it seems. After all, this is
J.D. Drew we're talking about. A direct relative of Mr. Glass.