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Everybody fell in love with David Price during Tampa Bay’s improbably run to the World Series in 2008. He truly was nearly untouchable. The expectations were so high for Price heading into last year.

Then he didn’t earn a spot in the rotation to start the year. He struggled initially for Triple-A Durham. Eventually he got things sorted out and make his return to the Rays.

He started off slow posting a 3-3 record with a 4.70 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP in his first nine starts. He was able to turn things around after the All-Star Break earning a 7-4 record with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. His batting average against was the same (.241) both before and after the break.

He was just finding different ways to make outs after the break. He had a 9.6 K/9 ratio before the break and a 5.9 K/ratio after it. Even though he wasn’t ringing up a ton of strikeouts he was getting the job done. I think that will be invaluable in 2010. I do feel the strikeouts will come back, but it’s good for his confidence to know he doesn’t have to rely on the strikeout. 

I could see owning Price as a 4th or 5th fantasy starter.

Predicion:  13-8, 3.85 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 160 Ks

Past profiles:
Arizona Diamondbacks:  Brandon Webb
Atlanta Braves: Yunel Escobar
Baltimore Orioles:  Adam Jones
Boston Red Sox:  Clay Buchholz
Chicago Cubs:  Geovany Soto
Chicago White Sox:  Jake Peavy
Cincinnati Reds:  Joey Votto
Cleveland Indians:  Grady Sizemore
Colorado Rockies: Ubaldo Jimenez
Detroit Tigers: Miguel Cabrera
Florida Marlins: Cameron Maybin
Houston Astros: Lance Berkman
Kansas City Royals: Billy Butler
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Howie Kendrick
Los Angeles Dodgers: James Loney
Milwaukee Brewers: Corey Hart
Minnesota Twins: Joe Nathan
New York Mets: Jason Bay
New York Yankees: Robinson Cano
Oakland A’s: Kevin Kouzmanoff
Philadelphia Phillies: Jimmy Rollins
Pittsburgh Pirates: Octavio Dotel
San Diego Padres: Everth Cabrera
San Francisco Giants: Barry Zito
Seattle Mariners: Franklin Gutierrez
St. Louis Cardinals: Colby Rasmus

Written by Eric Stashin the Rotoprofessor

June 1 tends to be the time when a lot of the top prospects start getting called up.  We are now two weeks away, so let’s take a look at seven prospects (I left out names like Clay Buchholz and Lastings Milledge, who have already seen extended time inthe major leagues) that should be on owners radars, as they could offer potential help once recalled:

1. Matt Wieters – Baltimore Orioles - He hit 3 home runs over two games earlier this week, breaking a long homerless streak and moving him ever closer to the major leagues.  He’s lowered his strikeouts, with just 5 over his past 10 games (through Saturday) and has his average at .280.  Fantasy owners have been anxiously awaiting his arrival, and I think the patience is getting ready to finally being rewarded.
2. David Price – Tampa Bay Rays – Struggles or not, I still think he’s going to be the first starter to get the call for the Rays.  We all know he’s an elite talent who can perform on the grandest of stages.
3. Tommy Hanson – Atlanta Braves - Kris Medlen is getting the first opportunity, but long-term we all know that Hanson has the higher upside.  His time is going to come, considering his 64 Ks in just 47.2 innings at Triple-A.  In his last four starts he hasn’t struck out fewer than seven in a game, totaling 35 over 27 innings.
4. Kyle Blanks – San Diego Padres - He’s not on too many radars, but in my opinion he really should be.  He’s not only working out in the outfield, but actually appearing in games in LF.  If he proves adequate there, he is going to get his chance.  I know he’s struggling with the bat now, but slumps happen.  He has a power bat that will translate to the majors, as we’ve already discussed (click here to read my review on him).
5. Chris Tillman – Baltimore Orioles - While a lot of talk focuses on Jake Arrieta, Tillman has been excelling at Triple-A thus far.  In six starts he’s gone 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 37 Ks in 31 innings of work.  Considering they are currently using Mark Hendrickson and Adam Eaton in the rotation, it really shouldn’t be surprising to see him in the Orioles rotation soon.
6. Austin Jackson – New York Yankees – There’s a lot of clamor in New York to give the young centerfielder a chance, given the Yankees early season struggles, and he’s doing everything he can to force their hands.  The 22-year old is hitting .348 with 8 SB in 115 AB and could provide a spark at the top of the Yankees line-up.  Of course, he has been struggling lately, hitting .265 in his past 10 games, but when has something like that slowed the Yankees down in the past?
7. Aaron Poreda – Chicago White Sox - The 22-year old has been solid in Double-A, posting a 2.52 ERA over 39.1 innings.  The team has proven that they are willing to shake things up, already demoting Jose Contreras and replacing him with Clayton Richard.  It’s very possible that Poreda could replace Richard if he struggles, or maybe even Bartolo Colon.  Either way, it’s likely he makes his major league debut soon.

Which of these players do you think are worth owning?  Obviously, these aren’t the only prospects that may get recalled soon.  Who do you think I missed?

To read the previous article, click here.

Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Written by Eric Stashin the Rotoprofessor

Prior to the season it was a foregone conclusion that David Price, unanimously considered one of the top two prospects in baseball, would be up and contributing to the Tampa Bay Rays by June.  The team was just going to send him down to the minor for a little more seasoning, despite already showcasing him on the grandest of stages.  What they have, however, is a pitcher struggling at Triple-A making it nearly impossible for the team to recall him right now. 

His 2009 line is as follows:

1 Wins
24.2 Innings
4.74 ERA
1.65 WHIP
21 Strikeouts (7.66 K/9)
16 Walks (5.84 BB/9)
.292 BABIP

The blame does not fall on bad luck, but lack of control.  He was a lights out pitcher as he moved up the Rays farm system last season, posting impressive K/BB ratios of 5.29 at Single-A, 3.44 at Double-A and 3.00 in the Majors.  It should be noted that during his 18 inning Triple-A stint, his K/9 was 8.50 and his BB/9 was 4.50, eerily similar to the numbers he’s posted this season.

Is he truly not ready to take the ball as a starting pitcher against top tier talent?  Remember, the majority of his success for the Rays came as a reliever.  Still, at 23-years old I find it hard to believe that he’s not suited to take the ball and get major league hitters out. 

Could it be that he simply was disappointed in not making the team immediately out of Spring Training?  To me, that would explain some early season struggles, but it is something that he had to have gotten over by now.  He can’t let something like that bother him for this long if he wants to be a successful major league pitcher.  Unfortunately, it is his last few starts that have been the worst, walking 12 batters over 11 innings of work in three starts.  There is simply no way to equate that type of control to success.

Baseball America recently said, “What’s wrong with David Price? Much of it appears to be command. He’s throwing in the low-90s and touching the mid-90s with his fastball, but he’s not throwing enough strikes and not throwing good enough strikes when he does get the ball over the plate.”  For me, that says it all. 

If he can string together two or three good starts, this will all quickly be forgotten.  He can get back on schedule to make an impact for the Rays and fantasy owners in the near future.  It starts tonight when he takes the ball against Louisville.  Let’s see if he can right the ship.

What does everyone else think?  Will he be able to turn it around quickly?  Are you at all concerned with his struggles?

Picture courtesy of Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Photo courtesy of Icon SMI

He was good enough to lean on in the ALCS, but Tampa Bay decided that David Price should start the season in Triple-A.

He had a 1.93 ERA, 1.93 WHIP, and .176 BAA in five regular season appearances and a 1.59 ERA in five postseason appearances.  The Rays claim they want to send him down to the Minors so the can monitor the number of Innings he pitches.  Last time I checked, the Rays had that same ability on their Big League ballclub.  Price allowed one run in 8-1/3 Innings this Spring, so the move wasn’t so he could work on his mechanics. 

It appears that economics are playing a bigger part in the decision than anything.  Francisco Liriano made a similar claim last year about the Twins.  Price didn’t express his displeasure, but he didn’t have to.  He was pleased with his changeup and was ready to live up to his #1 pick.

Time will tell how long they’ll keep Price down, but if Jason Hammel and/or Jeff Niemann struggle, Price could get an early call-up.  Alternatively, if Scott Kazmir or one of the other starters suffer and injury, Price could get the nod. 

So what to do with Price?  You still have to draft him and you still have to hang on to him.  He’s got far to0 much talent to leave hanging around the waiver wire.  You just have to lower your expectations a little.

Francisco Liriano – Liriano exploded on the scene in 2006 going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA.  He missed 2007 and struggled early last year following Tommy John surgery.  After tearing up the Minors, Liriano returned to go 6-1 with a 2.74 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and .236 BAA in eleven starts in August and September.  His September numbers (4.66 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, .289 BAA in five starts) were a little alarming, but he was probably dealing with arm fatigue.  The Twins are one of the best at pacing their starters so that shouldn’t plague Liriano in 2009.  If he stays healthy he should be able to win 16+ games with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP.

Joba Chamberlain - The Yankees are taking it slow with their young star as well.  When he’s healthy he is nearly unhittable, as evidenced by his career 2.17 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and .217 BAA.  With the addition of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, and a healthy Chien-Ming Wang, there won’t be as much pressure on Joba to perform. He’ll settle into that fifth spot in the rotation, behind Andy Pettitte, and the early schedule should allow him the opportunity to miss a start or two if that’s in his best interest.  The limitations the Yankees will put on him will keep him from having a monster year, but he should be able to win 12-14 games with a low ERA, WHIP, and BAA. 

Yovani Gallardo – A knee injury cost Gallardo the opportunity to build on the solid 2007 season (9-5, 3.67 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, .245 BAA).  In just four starts last year Gallardo had a 1.88 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and .256 BAA.  With the departure of C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets, Gallardo will have a chance to be a key member of the Brewers Pitching Staff.  With their solid Offense, he could win 14-16 games if he stays healthy with low ERA, WHIP, and BAA. 

David Price - Price toyed with Major League competition last year posting a 1.93 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, and a .176 BAA.  His success spilled over into the postseason posting a 1.59 ERA in five relief appearances.  Whether Tampa Bay uses his as a Reliever or a Starter, Price will give your fantasy team a boost in ERA and R.

Jonathan Broxton – Broxton took the Closer job last July and ran with it.  He recorded 14 Saves with a 2.76 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and .200 BAA with 42 Ks in 29.3 Innings after the All-Star Break.  He was solid in a setup role the previous two and a half seasons so his success isn’t a fluke.  Now that the Dodgers have secured Manny Ramirez’s services, they’ll likely build on their success of last year meaning Broxton could have plenty of Save opportunites.  I don’t think he’ll have a problem reach 30-35 Saves.

Josh Johnson – Johnson went 7-1 last year with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.  Opponents did bat .275 on him, but his other numbers are still solid.  In 2006 he was 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and .236 BAA.  He is also trying to continue a successful return from Tommy John surgery.  If he stays healthy he could win 12-14 games with a sub-4.00 ERA

Clayton Kershaw – Clayton went 5-5 with a 4.26 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, and a .265 BAA.  He did show improvement after the All-Star Break going 5-3 with a 4.17 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and .262 BAA.  In the Minors he went 12-10 with a 2.49 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP.  His K/9 ratio in the Minors was 11.3, and a decent 8.4 in the Bigs.  He could win 12+ games with a sub-4.00 ERA.

Max Scherzer – Max failed to pick up a Win last year in seven starts (16 Games), but did manage a 3.05 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and .234.  He recorded 66 Ks in 56 Innings (10.6 K/9).  He’s been battling shoulder inflammation and may not have a spot in the rotation initially, but he’s too good of a talent to not get a chance.  In thirty Minor League starts Max is 8-5 with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.  His Minor League K/9 ratio is 11.9.  Given that his role has yet to be determined, his Win total likely won’t help fantasy teams, but he’ll be a nice source for Ks, ERA, and WHIP.

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