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.

By Ryan Roach

The Shallow

Ian Stewart – Second/Third Base (2B/3B)

Ian Stewart has had a rather up and down season so far with the Rockies, but ever since the departure of Clint Hurdle, it’s been on the up and up. Stewart leads all Rockies hitters with 12 long balls this year, and has caught fire this month hitting .327 with 5 dingers and 13 ribbies.

He appears to be finally getting enough at bats to not play guessing games each week, and seems to have found a comfort zone, so now may be the time to grab the power plus 2B eligibility as Stewie enjoys a Coors Field home stand.

The Deep

Buster Posey – Catcher (C)

What more can you say about Buster Posey. The versatile Gerald "Buster" Demp Posey III as he is referred to on Wikipedia, can play any position he’s asked of - just ask his coach at Florida State who wouldn’t hesitate to put Posey practically anywhere on the diamond.

Posey is the Giants best hitting prospect and has excelled so far this season at Advanced A ball. In 60 games, Posey has 10 moon shots, 45 RBI’s and a modest .318 average, and he’s even managed to chip in with 5 steals.

If Posey isn’t called up this season, I wouldn’t be shocked, but Buster Posey could make a Joe Mauer type impact next year if the Giants let their youth completely take over at AT&T Park in 2010.

We thought we would allude to a couple other ball players that were recently drafted in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, besides the Nationals number one overall pick Stephen Strasburg.

The Draft Pick

Dustin Ackley – Outfielder/First Base (LF/CF/RF/1B)

Hailing from UNC, Ackley has spent the last two seasons crushing college pitching, while hitting over .400 in the process. Taken #2 overall in the 2009 MLB Entry Draft, Ackley is full of talent. He has 5-tool capability and has versatility in a number of positions, such as the entire outfield and even first base.

The Seattle Mariners have a gem in Ackley, and will likely keep him in the minor league system for the next year or two to expand his already developed tools. Look for Mr. Ackley to come onto the scene in late 2010 or possibly 2011.

The Deeper Draft Pick

Grant Green – Shortstop (SS)

The Oakland A’s got a steal, when Green slipped to them at the #13 spot in this year’s draft.

Grant Green has exceptional talent and his range in the field is astounding. The USC product is a diamond in the rough and now that he’s in a system that loves to promote their young studs, I would expect the A’s to take the same approach with Green as they did with their previous top prospect shortstops (Miguel Tejada, and Bobby Crosby); promote quickly. My feeling is that Green will end up producing somewhere in the middle of those two; think Ryan Theriot with power.

By Adam Forsyth

     The flame-throwing right handed standout from San Diego State was indeed the obvious choice for the Washington Nationals in what many considered a weak 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. With such a dynamic and heralded name at the top, and a crop underneath that seem too far behind to be compared, where does his career go from here? Does he turn into the free-wheeling three-digit fastball prodigy that many believe will not be able to be touched by the bats of waiting hitters? Or, is he more apt to become the next Bryan Bullington?

Maybe the names Matt Anderson or Kris Benson come to mind. Or dare I even utter the name…Brien Taylor? Harsh, perhaps, but there is the possibility of a player with this much hype never reaching their potential, and with the fan-bus fully loaded, perhaps we don’t even know what to expect from someone of this magnitude, prior to even tossing out his first professional pitch.

I, along with most who have read, or watched him take control, am comfortable and confident in saying that Stephen Strasburg won’t leave his mark on the game by flaming out without ever contributing in any way (even if it does have to be with a dismal Washington Nationals team).

What makes Strasburg such a dynamic pitcher, is his incredible ability to use a three pitch arsenal to change the pace, while using the entire strike zone as his playground. There is no questioning the skill level that the 20-year San Diego native brings each time he tops the hill. Some scouts have him confidently noted as being once in a generation. Bringing “it” and the mental game are all that is left to question.

With a superb mix of two and four-seam fastballs that go anywhere from 95-100+ MPH with regularity, Strasburg toys with opponents by blending in a devastating curveball, and a downright nasty slider. You have to understand what having this ability in your arsenal means, as amping up a pitch to the tune of 103 MPH, only to pull the reins and toss a gentle 78-83 MPH curve (considered a slurve due to intense break) with pinpoint location. End result, most commonly, is that of yet another big punch-out.

When I say pinpoint location, I’ll allow the stats to speak for themselves. How does a three year line of 7.2K/BB ratio, 1.9K/9IP and an even more interesting and impressive (albeit bizarre stat) 119 (of 360 big career K’s) caught looking. Hopefully for the Nats’, that have struggled on the field since their re-inception, having a game changer such as Strasburg in the fold could be the medicine required to right their sick and ghastly play and right the ship of the sinking franchise.

 To quickly review the impressive last season from Strasburg while playing for Manager Tony Gwynn at SDS University , what’s even more impressive is the way that he closed out his Mountain West Conference career. In providing the appropriate exclamation point to his stunning collegiate career, the kid tossed his first no-hitter while fanning 17 unlucky Air Force henchmen along the way in his final league game. Striking out double digit batters is pretty much the norm for the 6 foot, 4-inch, 220 pounder, as he filed games of 11, 16, 18, 14, 15, 13, 14, 12, 17, 10 and 15 over the course of his 15 starts, while going 13-1. In his 15 starts, he ranked first in every major statistical category in the MWC, while being at or near the top in the entire NCAA. Below is the official low-down:

Not all is perfection aboard the deck of the good ship S.S. SuperArm, as there are always risks associated with such a dynamic pitching genius. First off, in being a client of Scott Boras, D.C. faces some hard-nose negotiations that will ultimately force them to open their wallets to the reported tune of an unprecedented $50 million over a six-year term. While that has been the number thrown around in pre and post-draft chatter, it’s a common approach of the “super agent” to use bullish tactics and voiceless threats to get every single dollar available for his clients. So, that is a huge sum to pay to even get Stephen Strasburg to put on a Washington Nationals jersey.

Once he puts ink to paper, the real judgment begins. Fitting in with teammates, not having a tag of “arrogant rookie punk” associated, along with the fact that injuries are extremely common amongst power armed pitchers. It’s not new information to realize that the unnatural motion of being a pitcher forced upon a young body every fifth day is wearing, and over the course of 150+ innings, depending on how they develop him, fatigue and injury can be of concern. With the amount of money that will be invested and the realization that Stras' can become the game changer that they need, there is no doubt that they will handle him with the utmost of care and most likely baby his progress with soft padded mittens.

With that being said, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him make a late start or two by the end of this season, throwing him to the wolves and seeing how he handles it. It’s not as if Washington really has much to play for. Being a three season collegiate, he is much more apt at making the jump, especially with being tagged as having major league stuff. One way or the other, it will be a pleasure to watch Strasburg face the likes of Ryan Howard, David Wright, Hanley Ramirez, Chipper Jones and the rest that the NL East has to offer on a regular basis for years to come.

With the amount of accolades he’s coming into the majors with, hopefully the hype matches the hope coming out of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. Washington could use a winner, and so hopefully Strasburg can help infuse some much needed enthusiasm to those poor D.C. followers. Who knows, perhaps he can become the first ever, first overall pitching prospect to win himself a Cy Young Award. The sky is the limit for this “once in a lifetime” hurler.

Youtube video of the 23 K game Strasburg threw against Utah :