Welcome to our exclusive weekly player hot and cold feature. I recommend you use the information in this column like I do to identify players who might be worth picking up this week, as well as ones to consider benching or moving, perhaps.
Consider this the ultimate in short-term gratification. We’re not looking at histories of contact rates or command or anything other than what has occurred over the last week in the ten standard fantasy scoring categories, whether good or bad.
I will be calling out names that may have eluded your notice that either could still be available on your waiver wire in a mixed league or perhaps stashed on someone’s bench in an AL or NL-only league. I will pick anyone who is on ice, as that information can help guide your line-up selection choices.
Fire
Catcher
Jason Kendall, Mil
.471 BA, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 3 R
I don’t know what has gotten into the Brewers’ backstop. I hope it isn’t a delivery from Signature Pharmacy (just a joke, Kendall friends and family). Perhaps it is his manager Ned Yost making him hit behind the pitcher. But whatever it is, it is working.
First Base
Ross Gload, KC
.304 BA, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 2 R
Remember that the purpose of this column is to call out guys who actually might be out there on the wire. The Royals first baseman has quietly started his season very nicely. Think the White Sox would give injured Andy Sisco back to KC if they could?
Second Base
Jose Lopez, Sea
.280 BA, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB, 3 R
Talk about the Rodney Dangerfield of second basemen! Despite putting up solid numbers every season, Lopez went undrafted in many mixed leagues this spring. If you need help at the position, take a look. You could do a lot worse.
Shortstop
Matt Tolbert, Min
.615 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB, 2 R
Hadn’t heard of him, eh? To be honest, I hadn’t either. Yet, batting .556 on the season, even if it is only 18 at-bats, is worth noting. Short-term help, anyway…
Third Base
Jorge Cantu, Fla
.400 BA, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 5 R
I can’t believe the presence of Wes Helms as competition could drive a man to these heights. The fact is that Cantu also hit very well this spring and while not back to his Tampa Bay heights, he looks like a decent fill-in for sure.
Outfield
Brandon Inge, Det
.286 BA, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 1 SB, 4 R
Back from the fantasy and real baseball dead, Inge is making Tigers management happy they could find no takers for the player displaced by the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera. Note the outfield eligibility added to his regular third base position.
Johnny Gomes, TB
.316 BA, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, 4 R
I find it quite ironic that one week ago, Cliff Floyd was in this very spot. Now Floyd is back on the disabled list, surprise! In the process, Gomes went from buried on the bench to everyday player. Think cheap power.
Luke Scott, Bal
.500 BA, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, 3 R
Of course, the former Astros outfielder isn’t going to be hitting .500 on the season. Yet, he will get consistent at-bats in Baltimore and won’t have Phil Garner jerking him in and out of the lineup.
Starters
Livan Hernandez, Min
2 W, 14 IP, 2.57 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 5 K
Raise your hand if you thought the now well-traveled former Expo’s knees were shot, along with his major league career. Me, too. Gamble if you feel lucky, but I predict a crash to earth soon.
Matt Chico, Was
0 W, 14 IP, 3.21 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 8 K
I want to resist a cheap joke calling Matt the man… Because he pitches for a bad team, two good outings were wasted. There isn’t a lot in Chico’s history that signals this will be the norm.
Edwin Jackson, TB
2 W, 14 IP, 0.64 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 10 K
Off-season rumors were that the talented enigma could have been had in trade, perhaps for an outfielder. It didn’t happen. The Rays have to be delighted that Jackson seems to be putting it together finally at the still-young age of 24.
Reliever
Peter Moylan, Atl
1 SV, 0 BS, 0-0 W-L, 3.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3 K
When a closer is deposed or goes onto the disabled list, such as with the Braves’ Rafael Soriano, someone becomes the beneficiary. Such is the case with Moylan. With a decent team behind him, Moylan will be a good source of cheap saves until further notice.
Ice
Catcher
Kenji Johjima, Sea
.059 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 1 R
Not only is the Mariners’ backstop here for the second consecutive week, but he also ended the 2007 season poorly. At this point, if you can spare the roster space, it is time to consider a short-term benching.
First Base
Prince Fielder, Mil
.130 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 1 R
Actually Big Papi (.048) could be here, except he managed to score three runs on just one hit. Prince is partying like its 1999, but that means no home runs yet this season, the longest such dry period of his career. They’ll come soon enough.
Second Base
Robinson Cano, NYY
.207 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 0 R
A dreadful 2008 start has Cano a repeat icer here. On the season, he is hitting .159 with no runs scored. Bench Cano if you can-o and wait for him to break free.
Shortstop
Jason Bartlett, TB
.174 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 0 R
That was a pretty expensive stolen base last week. Normally, Bartlett wouldn’t be starting in a mixed league, hence he wouldn’t draw ice here. However, since my brother-in-law is playing the ex-Twin in our local league, I am really icing him, too. There you go, Ryan!
Third Base
Miguel Cabrera, Det
.174 BA, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, 1 R
Someone please tell Cabrera that it isn’t a contest between he and Dontrelle Willis to be the worst ex-Marlin on the Tigers this season. It is far too early to proclaim “bust”, but it isn’t too soon to say “major April disappointment”. The fact he has a sore leg can’t be soothing to his owners, who either spent over $40 or a first-round pick to get him.
Outfield
Carl Crawford, TB
.194 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB, 5 R
If you took Crawford in the first, you have to be getting nervous. Yet, there doesn’t seem to be a physical problem, but instead just a slump. Don’t lose hope and don’t over manage. Leave him in there and he will produce.
Hunter Pence, Hou
.208 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 2 R
You know it is a bad week when a .208 mark actually raises your season mark all the way up to .196. Pence is still with just one RBI and one steal on the season, now 46 at-bats long. He will improve.
Gary Sheffield, Det
.214 BA, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB, 0 R
Do you really want to play a guy wearing a brace on one of his fingers because of a yet-unhealed tendon tear? Not to mention the fact he is 39 years old…
Starters
Gil Meche, KC
0 W, 11.2 IP, 8.49 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11 K
Meche is a very wealthy man. Sometimes he is a serviceable MLB starting pitcher. The first statement remains true, but last week was a tough time trying to prove the latter.
Brad Penny, LAD
12 W, 6 IP, 6.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 6 K
The Dodgers’ starter is carrying only a 9-to-6 strikeout to walk ratio this season, which is considerably less than over his career - better than two-to one mark. In other words, Penny is also issuing too many walks, hardly a news flash.
Jeff Francis, Col
0 W, 11.1 IP, 9.53 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, 5 K
The scary part about this is that Francis was spanked by the Cardinals on opening day only to have the game rained out, or his season ERA mark would be even worse than its current 9.53 noted above. Don’t drop him, but a spot on the bench should be reserved immediately.
Reliever
Trevor Hoffman, SD
1 SV, 0 BS, 0-1, 2 IP, 9.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 3 K
In the one game he saved, the all-time saves leader almost blew a three-run lead and left the sacks jammed. Hoffman simply lost the other one. Not good, though he did “lower” his season ERA to 11.57.
Brian Walton’s work can also be found daily at stlcardinals.scout.com.