Editors Note: Today we are very pleased to have Guest Blogger, Scott Solomon lend his knowledge of one current, and one future Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher, in today’s edition of The Shallow & The Deep!

The Shallow

Brad Bergesen – Starting Pitcher (SP)

Quickly becoming the ace of an Orioles staff in transition (Only one starter from the opening day rotation remains), Brad Bergesen has developed into a valuable fantasy commodity over the last month – depending on your league format. A sinkerballer, Bergesen throws strikes - and lots of them - with only 19 walks in 83IP on the season. A 0.88 WHIP over the last month, only good enough for 5th in the Majors among starters over the period, would make any fantasy owner drool.

With wins in his last 4 of 7 starts and 3 of the last 5, don’t let the O’s overall record frighten you away! There’s plenty of offense in that lineup and with Bergesen’s ability to get deep into games (avg 7 2/3rds IP over his last 6 starts) Bradley can easily bridge the gap to the (always) competent Jim Johnson and (sometimes) competent George Sherrill to rake in the wins.

So what’s not to love?

K’s my friend. A 4.30 K/9 is not what we typically gravitate to. We certainly prefer the power pitcher who racks up the K’s, but at only 40% ownership among Yahoo leagues, Bergesen is available and very solid pickup for 5X5 leagues and you can do much worse than him in mixed leagues featuring the K/9 category.

The Deep

Jake Arrieta – Starting Pitcher (SP)

The Orioles minor league pitching is deep – really deep and really good and Jake may have the best pure stuff of them all. Without the urgency of trying to compete this year, the Orioles have chosen to take the safe route and bring along their 3 studs one step at a time.

After dominating AA, the Orioles finally brought Arrieta up to Norfolk to replace a AAA staff decimated by the loss of Brad Bergesen, Jason Berken, and Rich Hill - and he hasn’t disappointed. Arrieta pitched a gem in his first start, going 6 innings, giving up 2 hits 1 ER, no walks and 6 K’s.

Most likely a September call-up, as the Orioles have not discounted the idea of going to a 6 man rotation, Arrieta is certainly not someone the Sox and Yanks want to face in the midst of a playoff run, and he’s not someone that you want to fly below your radar in the midst of your playoffs!

Read Wednesday’s Post…

The Case for Nick Markakis

What vehicle typifies Nick Markakis? Since Nick is a powerful throwback player, we see him in a muscle car vehicle similar to the original Fast & Furious car, which we believe was a 1970 Dodge Charger. He even resembles Vin Diesel a bit when he shaves his head!

Yes, Nick Markakis is having himself another solid season; however, we aren’t seeing a continued rise in his development. Is he going to be a career .300 hitter with 20 HR power and nice RBI contribution? While this isn’t something that fantasy owners would turn their nose up at, could he ever develop into a 30/30 type hitter that some deemed him prior to the 2008 season? Perhaps, but thus far, he hasn’t taken the strides to appear that he will be able to do so.

The 26-year old lefty’s numbers are nothing to sniff at, currently hitting over .290 with eight long balls and 45 RBI’s. His speed hasn’t been used effectively after topping out at 18 swipes in ’07; Nick dropped to 10 last year and has only two thus far after 70 games.

Markakis is still somewhat the focal point of the O’s offensive attack; however, with the surge of Adam Jones’ development along with the continued steady performance of Brian Roberts and the often under-valued Aubrey Huff, the pressure has been lightened to become the next great O-Bird. I don’t necessarily feel as if this is the ceiling for Nick the Greek (er…the half-Greek that is) and I truly expect him to have a second half surge that will raise the expectations and energize the confidence in his progress.

A glaring stat to be critical of on Markakis, would have to be his inability to start a rally. His BA without runners on is a paltry .268 and gets even worse when there is an out dipping to a measly .152. Should he be depended on as a catalyst in Maryland , especially after signing a big 6-year $66 million deal, it’s something that he is going to be depended on as a majority of AB’s over the course of a season come in such situations.

The Case for Andre Ethier

What car would make chef “Andre Ethier’s” mouth water? Playing out in LA, it’s gotta be a convertible! Andre is sort of a low key guy though – leaving the bling and media attention to Manny and Kemp – so we put Ethier in a silver James Bond 007 inspired Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster.

It has been a bit of a strange season for Andre Ethier. One that started out with great expectations and excitement about him taking the next step in his career, to that of disappointment from a bit of a slow start, followed by a heated month, to another slump, to…you get the picture.

With Manny Ramirez’ soon return to the fold after his 50 game suspension for steroid use, Ethier may be on tap for a 2nd half swell in his stats that will please fantasy owners and compliment their patience with his up and down trends.

The product of Arizona State University is on track to surpass his career highs in terms of power and stolen bases; however, across the board Ethier has slipped in the remainder of his peripherals. Runs scored, doubles and batting average have taken a noticeable decline which isn’t due to anything particular and can be excused as bits of bad luck and timing issues. Unfortunately at 27, it was previously assumed that this could be a break-out type season and with a crowded Dodgers outfield, Joe Torre may have to do some juggling to keep everyone in Dodger blue happy.

A slam on Ethier would have to be his inability to cash in when the table is set for him. Hitting only .233 with RISP and bringing home 33 RBI’s in 90 AB’s isn’t anything that puts a tag of elite amongst the top OF ranks, and things get even worse with two outs, dropping down near the Mendoza line to .205.

FANTALYTICS FINAL CALL

Ultimately, I keep wondering and thinking of legitimate reasons as to why I continue to do this to myself; however, a decision must be made. With so much on the line and only a tad more than half of the season remaining, who out of this group will continue to mash and become a post All-Star juggernaut at the dish? Who if any will have the fantasy air slowly leak out of their unlimited ceiling air balloon?

In a group of this level, if you are lucky enough to have one of these thoroughbreds honing the outfield behind first and second base, you are a happy camper, so let’s get that out of the way.

But seriously, a lot has to be taken into account and if all things are considered, I’m going to comfortably go with Nick Markakis as my respected winner, in a close near photo-finish with SUPER SPECTACULAR SUMMER RF EXTRAVAGANZA silver medalist Justin Upton. I truly feel as if the torrent pace that Upton has set in the first half won’t be able to keep up, all the while believing in Nick Markakis and his knack for upping the tempo and padding his stats after the All-Star break.

Find a Nick Markakis Bobblehead on eBay

Markakis’ numbers post midsummer classic (with the exception of last year when he was dealing with injuries) are tremendously better than in the cooler months prior and an increase of drastic percentage isn’t pushing the limits. There isn’t a guarantee that he will be able to dominate statistically in comparison to the others in their final lines comes seasons end; but, we are looking at the remainder of the season here and I see some cushy second half numbers when thoughts come popping into my crazy FANTALYTICAL mind.

Upton may be the winner when it comes to the final numbers come October, Cruz may belt the most round-trippers, Pence may have the greatest peripheral line contributing in everything from triples to OBP, Ethier may surge with Man-Ram back and not lose any PT in a jammed Dodger line-up; however, it is the left-handed #21 that I see taking the cake when it comes to performance from this point on.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! 

With 12-team leagues entering their second go around in their schedules, winners from the first rotation of the schedule will be looking to sharpen their match-ups in attempts to go undefeated, while losers in first go’ round will seek redemption. Take notes on who will continue to roll, and who will be slowly dragged back down to earth as we embark our first ever 5-player FANTALYTICS!

The Case for Nelson Cruz

What should Nelson Cruz - cruise in? A 2010 G8 Sport Truck or modern day El Camino! Sure, the project was scraped by General Motors, but with the dough Nelson will be making the next few years, he could afford to build his own!

Power to burn in a notoriously favorable home park gives this chic pick from previous seasons a gold star as Nelson Cruz has exceeded any expectations after a couple of iffy opportunities of failure. At 28 (will turn 29 on July 1st) it appears that Cruz has allowed disgruntled owners to easily forget the challenges endured in yesteryear by going deep 18 times while clubbing home 45 big RBI’s through his first 250 AB’s. Throw in his 11 swipes and this kid is really showing his worth in his first full-time, full season gig.

Cruz has touched close to a .300 BA on several occasions this season; however, sitting at the mid .260 range is probably an indication of where he will comfortably settle. Striking out nearly 25% of the time will hurt this average, and should he find the plate discipline that currently eludes him, he’ll be a more reliable .275 to .285 hitter.

The injury to Josh Hamilton and struggles of Chris Davis don’t help Cruz out as far as line-up protection goes; however, he is currently being relied upon to be a main contributor to a confusing Rangers attack and has to be considered a staple in the middle of the order for the near future.

Take note though; in being the “senior” of this group and currently in his “prime years” of professional baseball, Cruz is probably displaying what we should expect for the next five years right now. We must consider this when comparing him with the four others within this group.

The Case for Hunter Pence

What should Hunter Pence drive? Well, Pence is from Texas , so a Cadillac, but he’s tall so a shiny pearl white Escalade suits him…and since he’s a pretty efficient player – let’s make it a Hybrid baby!

After a somewhat forgettable “two steps back” season of 2008, this Texan has solidified himself as a solid five-tool fantasy contributor returning to the promise displayed in his rookie season. Hitting comfortably over the .320 mark, while powering double digit HR’s and close to double digit steals, Pence is being used effectively in the line-up by not being placed in a pressure filled position and commonly following the likes of a Carlos Lee, Miguel Tejada or the Big Puma to provide him with some quality pitches each time he digs in.

Pence isn’t getting the tremendous RBI opportunities that someone in the 3-4-5 spots do; however, he maintains a near .300 BA (currently .298) with runners on base and an above average .333 BA with RISP with two outs. This shows that Pence is getting more comfortable when submersed in high-pressure situations.

If we had to come up with a knock about Pence, it would have to be with his struggles for consistency. While it hasn’t been as magnified this season; last season, Pence had months of .260, .346, .200, .294, .223 and .302 and while his extra base power remained steady, his ability to get on base, steal and score runs was directly affected. Pence has worked hard to rid himself of any stigma of being an inconsistent hitter which has pleased fantasy owners that bought into this blue chip stud years ago.

The Case for Justin Upton

Justin Upton – Would Updog pimp his ride? Probably – But for sure, it’s gotta be bulked up & powerful! And since Baby Upton plays for the Baby Snakes out in Arizona - what better powerful desert crawler is there than a Hummer? …& maybe even a couple of “ladies” to help push BJ’s younger brother out of a sand dune!

After a somewhat disappointing 2008, many fantasy owners weren’t sure of what to expect from the MLB’s younger Upton brother and with the oft-anemic D’Backs offense constantly being a concern, you wouldn’t think that having a 21-year old leading the charge would be possible. However, Justin Upton is certainly laying the foundation for what will hopefully be an impressive fantasy career.

Find a Justin Upton Bobblehead on eBay

Ranking 1, 2 or 3 in every statistical team category at his age is more than impressive and through 71 team games having an OPS above 1.000 is nothing short of phenomenal. He has cut down on his whiffs by nearly an entire AB (2.94AB/K in ’08 compared to 3.87AB/K this season) all the while appearing more patient each time he digs in. Positioned 3rd in the line-up, Upton has been given every opportunity to thrive and is showing that he isn’t willing to move from such an honor.

Upton is one homer away from tying last years’ mark of 15 (in over 100 less AB’s), is challenging to score 100 runs and could inevitably reach the 30/30 plateau. Not bad for being on a team that ranks 3rd from the bottom in terms of BA that typically depends on its’ pitching staff to win games.

Solid concern of the 2005 1st overall pick and his whiff-ability has a tendency to expose some other weaknesses (.267 BA with RISP), as striking out in big moments and his inefficiency in battling back when behind in a count are regularly spotlighted. You can discount a majority of that to his youth and lack of exposure; however, this will definitely be a key focus for his future development.

Tune in Thursday July 2nd to read the other two Right Field playas - and who we think is the #1 fantasy baseball right fielder for 2009!

June 2009 - Megalodon of the Month

Andrew McCutchen

Note: The Megalodon of the Month is awarded to the best Fantasy Baseball waiver wire pick-up WaiverSharks.com recommended from our daily “The Shallow & The Deep” suggestions.

We’ve talked about Andrew McCutchen for a long time here at WaiverSharks – but even we are a little surprised how fast the speedy Pirate has broke out! If indeed “Cutch” does begin to find some added power in the coming years, he could become a fantasy monster!

Since the super athletic Bucco was called up near the beginning of June he has managed to collect a hit in every game he has played in except two. Along the way he’s legged out a most impressive five triples, and three stolen bases while displaying potential future gold glove defensive skills while patrolling PNC Park ’s center field.

We hope for the Pirates sake that they can retain this kid for as long as possible – as it certainly appears in the early going that he could be the ideal player to build a franchise upon.

June 2009 - Chum of the Month

Alfonso Soriano

Perhaps it’s a juvenile statement – But plain and simple, during the month of June the Cubs left fielder has completely SUCKED! It wouldn’t even have mattered if Lou Piniella put the struggling left fielder at second base enough to gain 2B eligibility this month – we still would be disgusted by the veteran Cubbies monthly production.

Expect Soriano to bounce back with a hot streak soon, as things heat up in Chicago , and maybe try and pry the power prone lead off man away from a possible fed up fantasy owner who may be growing tired of Alfonso’s 0 for fives. He appears to be healthy, and therefore the slump he’s in will undoubtedly end some time this summer.

By Adam Forsyth

The Shallow

Juan Rivera – Outfield (LF/RF)

This Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim outfielder has long been a fantasy enigma. The one-time Yankee seemed to meet some of those expectations in his .310-23-85 season of 2006, but has since tailed off due mostly to bizarre injuries and nagging nicks and bumps.

Needless to say, it appears that the native Venezuelan has returned to form and at 100% health, could turn in an even better season this year. While Mike Scioscia keeps you guessing with his line-up on a daily basis, Rivera has comfortably found himself hitting in the 4 or 5 hole of a decent Angels offense that has provided him great opportunity to contribute regularly.

With a good eye at the plate (only 22 K’s through 229 AB’s thus far) and a tremendous contact rate, Rivera is comfortably hitting over .300 again this season and has shown a re-birth that the Angels could really use. Rivera has made the transition from the loss of longtime LF Garrett Anderson much more tolerable. If he’s available in your league, don’t hesitate to grab him, because his performance can no longer be considered a “hot-streak”.

The Deep

Carlos Santana - Catcher

Platinum guitar guru Carlos Santana has decided to tackle another challenge at the tender age of 62??? No…not that Carlos Santana, who is pretty much the only Santana that can drop his first name and be recognized, but the top-prospect as nominated by Baseball America in the Cleveland Indians organization Carlos Santana.

It is a good time to be an Indians prospect, as for several years with their great line-ups, it was difficult to get a break. Fortunately (for the prospects at least…) the Indians are struggling away and have found themselves in last place in an icky AL Central.

With V-Mart and Kelly Shoppach on the big club, Santana knows that he likely won’t get a full-time gig for at least another season; however, showing great defense and good pop will at least get him a mid-season call-up you’d have to think. After tearing the cover off the ball in 2008 (.326-21-117), along with his excellent base running skills (125 R and 10 SB’s), Santana doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of a typical catcher.

Struggling a bit more at the dish this season in his first full AA ball season, .265-10-45, the best thing of note is the power is still there. Another good sign, is the fact that he is walking nearly twice as many times as striking out, which shows great plate presence and discipline. A lot of pundits expect a possible July or August call-up for his first big league exposure, so for leagues with two catchers, AL-only, deep mixed and keeper leagues, take note.

By Scott Woodall

The Deep

Casey McGehee – 2B/ 3B

Don’t fret if you never heard of Casey McGehee until this year, I spelled his name wrong three times while blogging this post

Casey McGehee has seemingly come out of nowhere to become a viable option in deep leagues, while his bat remains smoldering. The kicker bonus in Yahoo Fantasy Leagues is the 26 year old righty from Santa Cruz has the coveted Ian Stewart type of eligibility - 2B/3B.

McGehee, who has collected 17 hits in the past 10 games hasn’t officially locked down a full time starter’s role with the Brew Crew, but if he continues to rake the way he has the last couple of weeks that will most certainly come to fruition. Don’t expect steals from Casey at Bat, but he’s proving that batting in front of Ryan Braun is a sweet spot to be in!

If you could use some middle/corner infield help - we would suggest taking a flier on him NOW, because if the hot streak continues, he’ll start to disappear from waiver wires at a break neck pace later this month.

The Shallow

Aaron Cook – Starting Pitcher

Aaron Cook is about as exciting as a roof shingle…

But, roof shingles are important pieces of building any home…

Hmmm…I’m not sure where I’m going with this, so to heck with the house to ballplayer analogy, it’s going on midnight, and as I watch Aaron Cook toss another solid ballgame, I’m thinking - plain & simple – this guy knows how to pitch.

Although not a strike out king, or a sexy young prospect with tremendous upside – Aaron Cook has REALLY been getting’ ‘er done for the past month.

The ground ball specialist has obviously survived the volatile confines of Coors Field for the past eight seasons for a reason. The right hander with the nasty sinker has been an integral reason for the Rockies resurgence since Colorado kicked Clint Hurdle to the curb, and they have been stringing together several victories this month.

If you can pad your K’s from other power arms on your roster, Aaron Cook makes for a decent back end addition to your fantasy rotation, particularly while the Rockie bats remain so hot, and the wins keep on adding up.

Note: WaiverSharks daily column, The Shallow & The Deep will be taking a bit of a breather the next couple weeks to gather our senses, wipe off our dusty baseball pants, and gear up for the 2nd half of the 2009 MLB season.

By A. Forsyth & S. Woodall  

The Shallow

Aaron Rowand – Outfield (CF)

After signing a huge five-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, following a breakthrough contract season with the Phillies, the reckless center fielder has finally started to earn his keep. Not that his .271 AVG. or 70 RBI’s are horrific, it’s just that the fans in the Bay city expected his charisma to translate into much more comparable numbers to the .309 27-89, that’s all.

Fortunately; with a very hot stick, Rowand is becoming a much more valuable commodity in the OF and although he doesn’t have the stolen base prowess of many other fantasy CF options, his recent tear of getting hits in 21 of the last 24 games has boosted his AVG. above the .300 for the first time since the second week of the season. Along with that is some nice extra base power as he has 25 extra-base hits and has had an increase in runs scored by doubling the stat in the last 28 games.

Rowand is a nice 3 option in deep leagues, and should your league breakdown OF positions, he could be nice filler for Vernon Wells owners that are waiting for their once amazing Blue Jay to wake up. Or Josh Hamilton owners, who are counting the DL days down to when the Power Ranger can once again perform the Something About Mary seven minute abs work out.

The Deep

Marcus Thames – Outfield (LF)

Marcus “Got Game” Thames apparantly has taken a liking to his cleanup batter role of late, and could be a sneaky source of Home Runs and RBI’s if you are scouring for a Cheap Deep boost in these categories.

Thames has never excelled in the batting avg. department, but his Part Time power is practically stuff of legend for the Detroit Tigers, since the last several years he’s managed to hit several dingers with minimal at bats.

The Big Cat is often not overworked by Jim Leyland, but with Motown needing to generate some runs of late - look for River Thames to keep a steady flow of AB’s, and with it a healthy diet of long balls if he can manage to stay healthy, and limit his strike outs.

 With Magglio Ordonez, despite the lobbying of Scott Boras,  still taking a “mental break” we may see Thames in the cleanup spot for a little longer. However, long term, Thames may not provide every day production, since Maggs certainly won’t be benched much longer. But, Thames is worth rostering while the hot bat is being rewarded with regular playing time, and he appears fully healed from the strained rib cage he suffered back in April of this year. 

The Shallow

Rick Ankiel – Outfield (LF/CF/RF)

If you are looking for a bit of a power boost without any roster concern of adding a potential BA liability, than former pitcher Rick Ankiel may be the guy for you. Now, with only FIVE home runs this season, many skeptics are thinking that the “steroid-era” has swallowed yet another power bat back into the real world. You may be right.

It appears though, that upon returning from another stint on the DL that the versatile former blue-chip pitching prospect is starting to find a groove. Take away a poor showing in the St. Louis Cardinals recent interleague play against the Indians and Ankiel has been hitting at a decent clip. And while he only has two big knocks through that time, he has four doubles and a triple and seems to be hitting the ball much harder, more like the 25 HR Ankiel from 2008.

This 29-year old Floridian isn’t going to hit for .300 anytime soon, hitting either second or fifth in the Cards’ line-up gives him the opportunity to contribute offensively and with a touch of speed he’s able to score runs at a reasonable enough clip to not be a two category heavy player.

The Deep

Clayton Richard – Starting Pitcher

Since his move to the White Sox rotation, the big lefty has had a mix of success and failure. The 8th-round pick out of Michigan as of now remains in the Sox Rotation, but if he slips up, Aaron Poreda – the Sox other highly regarded lefty prospect could bump him. Incidentally, we are not sold on the recent success of Jose Contreras, so it wouldn’t be a shock to eventually see both these kids on the mound every 5th day as GM Kenny Williams has not been afraid to begin a minor youth movement in Chicago in 2009.

As Clayton gains more confidence and comfort on the hill the greater the reflection in his numbers will be. He’s not a power pitcher, more of a controlling type, which doesn’t suit his frame. One way or the other Richard could have Joe Saunders type success in the major leagues, which isn’t overly sexy, but definitely effective.

The Quad Cities River Bandits SGA Bobbleheads
are really well made, with a nice attention to detail!

FIND Brett Wallace Bobblehead on eBAY

I recently got my hands on the Quad Cities River Bandits Pete Kozma Bobblehead that was given out earlier this year. The Corn backdrop base is a sweet added touch that gives the bobble a little bit of a unique quality.

The Brett Wallace Bobblehead was given out on June 13th. Brett Wallace is shown in his River Bandits #5 uniform. Brett Wallace is a high end Cardinals prospect who was recently promoted to Triple-A Memphis, and could become a fixture in the Cards line-up in 2010, and possibly the Cardinals third baseman in the future!

Regardless where this masher plays, it’s his bat that could eventually lead him to greatness when he does one day join Albert and co. in St. Louis .

Check out WaiverSharks’ Bobblehead Daze Blog!

By Adam Forsyth

The Deep

Scott Podsednik – Outfield (LF/CF/RF)

Luckily the Chicago White Sox remembered how big of a component Scotty 2 hotty was in their 2005 run to the World Series. Because after a pair of injury plagued seasons, (one in the Windy City , and the next a forgettable season in Colorado ) Podsednik has been given the opportunity to come back and take a regular at-bat with a team desperately in need of a spark.

After spring training the Sox decided to bring him back into the fold as the continuous struggles of their OF options (mostly Brian Anderson and DeWayne Wise) forced their hand, requiring them to make a decision. Currently, with the injuries to Carlos Quentin it has given an extended look at the speedy number 22.

Lisa Dergan Podsednik married Scott Podsednik, of the Chicago White Sox, in February 2006.

She graduated San Diego State University with a degree in Art History, she is an avid golfer, a Fox Sports News babe, the only “Real” Bond girl, and did we mention, she speaks Japanese fluently?! Omedetou Suka-to!

While we can still use a word like “speedy” to describe him, it isn’t at the breakneck pace of previous seasons where the fleet-footed former third-round pick had seasons of 40, 59, 70 and 43 swipes, making him extremely valuable as a SB category winner in the world of fantasy. With eight stolen bases through 40 games, should Podsednik stick the entire season, a final toll of 29 would be a nice plus for owners with base running needs.

Ozzie Guillen has placed him right back at the top of the order, which usually turns into run scoring chances. Expect Podsednik to seize the opportunity that he is given right now and possibly take over in CF when (er, if…) Quentin returns.

The Deeper

Clay Buchholz – Starting Pitcher

If the Boston Red Sox weren’t so stacked with solid arms in their rotation, this kid would be making an appearance every fifth start, hands down. Unfortunately for him; but fortunately for the Sox, the issue of having too many good starters is an issue that I’m sure they don’t take for granted. Oh wait…before we proceed…Gratuitous pic of Erica Ellyson in 3…2…1…BLAST OFF!!!

Okay, now that that’s out of our systems, let’s continue on about fantasy baseball…

There are 29 other teams that would love to be in this predicament, and when the Sox get another boost from season long DL member John Smoltz, it will make the situation even more difficult for the young Texan to get another shot. Having already pitched a no-hitter in his second career start, many know of the stuff the kid has.

The Sox seem to be content with letting him dominate in Pawtucket one more year; however, at the age of 25, there is nothing more for him to prove professionally at the minor league level. Currently sitting at 4-0, with a 1.75 ERA, along with a .167 BAA and close to a 4:1 K/BB ratio, Buchholz is having a phenomenal season.

We should all ignore his career 5-10 MLB record, as well as the 5.56 ERA from the first 18 starts of his career. He’s ready to become part of the Beantowns’ rotation, ultimately fans and fantasy owners alike are just chomping at the bit to see how he does this time around. Definitely keeper worthy, definitely worth stocking on your roster, should you have the open spot.