Justin Morneau landed on the 15-day DL with a concussion. The move was made retroactive to July 8th. Morneau’s condition is as painful to fantasy owners as it is to the Twins’ playoff hopes. OK, maybe they aren’t on the same level, but it’s tough.
Morneau is hitting .345 with 18 HRs and 56 RBIs. Replacing him on your fantasy roster won’t be easy, but here are some reasonable available options (stats over past 30 days):
Ike Davis, NYM – .247, 3 HR, 18 RBIs (Owned: 22% ESPN, 54% CBS) Russell Branyan, SEA – .264, 5, 13 (12% ESPN, 31% CBS) Travis Ishikawa, SF – .390, 1, 12 (Virtually all ESPN & CBS leagues) Matt LaPorta, CLE – .357, 4, 11 (18% ESPN, 54% CBS) Eric Hinske, ATL – .200, 2, 10 (1% ESPN, 6% CBS) Justin Smoak, TEX – .193, 2, 10 (8% ESPN, 39% CBS) Daric Barton, OAK – .239, 1, 9 (3% ESPN, 24% CBS) Casey Kotchman, SEA – .378, 4, 8 (2% ESPN, 11% CBS) Wilson Betemit, KC – .364, 2, 8 (Virtually all ESPN & CBS leagues)
Twins fans have to have mixed emotions over this weekend’s developments. Joe Nathan tested his elbow and confirmed people’s fears. He will have Tommy John surgery, which will knock him out for the year. It’s not all bad news for Nathan fans. Once recovered from the surgery, pitchers can come back even stronger. This very well could have extended Nathan’s career.
That brings us to the other Twins news. If Nathan can stick around a while longer he can play with Joe Mauer, the Twins catcher that just signed a ten-year $189 million contract. He’s a heck of a ballplayer, but I fear it will just keep the Twins in mediocrity. With such a big amount locked up on one player, the Twins could struggle to put the pieces around him. That same concept failed miserably with the Timberwolves and Kevin Garnett. Mauer will get the praises for sticking with his hometown team, but do note that Mauer did not give his club the hometown discount. In fact, he never has. That doesn’t make him a bad person, but just make sure you are giving him credit for what he deserves.
Whenever your star closer breaks camp to have his surgically-repaired elbow looked at, all the excitement surrounding the start of a new year comes to a screeching halt. The joy of finally having outdoor baseball in Minnesota again is replaced with the fear that they will suffer a similar fate as the Mets in their new ballpark.
For now they are just running some tests on the elbow, but is certainly is concerning. Hopefully they are just being extra cautious. As long as Dr. James Andrews is not mentioned regarding Nathan, I can breathe a little easier as a Joe Nathan owner. Still, I can’t help put feel something in the pit of my stomach after plunking down $18 of my fictional $330 in a slow auction for his services. My fingers are crossed.
In other news, Dodgers catcher Russell Martin will be out four to six weeks with a strained groin, putting his availability for the season opener in question. It’s unfortunate because Martin beefed up 25 pounds in an effort to return to his former All-Star level.
Not nearly as important as Nathan and Russell, Kansas City’s Alex Gordon will miss nearly a month with a broken thumb. He could also miss Opening Day.
Few players have been as consistently dominant as Twins closer Joe Nathan the past six seasons. His ERA has never been above 2.70, and last year’s 2.10 was the second highest of the stretch. His WHIP has never been above 1.02. Only once was his BAA above .187. Only once did he record fewer than 77 strikeouts. He has had at least 36 saves every year. He’s just consistently been one of the best closers in the league.
The only thing that concerns me is the move to Target Field. The past two years he has pitched better when he plays indoors.
The splits from the past two years are a little alarming for a pitcher that will be moving to a park where weather could play a key role at the beginning and the end of the year. Especially one that’s 35. Of course, Mariano Rivera is five years his senior and still getting it done.
So does the move to Target Field end Joe Nathan’s fantasy reign? Hardly. I still have him as my 4th ranked fantasy closer (click to see rankings). I just think his numbers will take a slight dip.
While Joe Mauer was supposedly set to sign a ten-year deal with the Twins according to WCCO, it appears the announcement was premature. There were, however, some other moves that were on a much smaller scale.
Melvin Mora inked a deal with the Colorado Rockies. He will serve as a utility player as he can play virtually every position. He will turn 38 on Sunday, and his fantasy value has probably dried up, as evidenced by his .260, 44 R, 8 HR, 48 RBI 2009 numbers.
Kevin Millar, who’s also 38, will try his luck with the Cubs. Millar managed to hit just .223 with 7 HRs and 29 RBIs for the Blue Jays last year. He too has little to no fantasy value, and little may have skipped town.
The Reds bolstered their infielde by signing free agent SS Orlando Cabrera and trading for Aaron Miles. Cabrera will start for the Reds and likely hit in the two-hole. He had a solid year split between the A’s and the Twins hitting .284 with 83 runs, 9 HRs, and 77 RBIs. He has a good chance of replicating those numbers in Cincinnati. Miles will serve as a backup infielder and has little fantasy value.
Ryan Garko signed with Seattle. He’ll be used primarily as a bat off the bench to face lefties. He could also play some first, DH, and even have spot duty at catcher. He too has little fantasy value.
The Twins have done it again. Once upon a time they were able to keep Kirby Puckett from entertaining thoughts of playing for a big market team. They struck gold again by keeping their hometown hero Joe Mauer for a decade (click to see WCCO’s article).
The terms were not released, but it can be assumed that it’s a hefty sum, but significantly lower than an offer he could have got from the Red Sox or Yankees had he tested the free agent market.
This is a great day for Twins fans. It remains to be seen if they can put enough talent around him to challenge for a title. However, the Twins can breathe a sigh of relief that they are opening their new stadium with their most important building block in place.
***It appears WCCO was premature in announcing the news. I imagine a deal is in the works though***
1. Can Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios bounce back? Quentin has missed significant time the past two years because of injuries. Juan Pierre was brought on board to help set the table. His foot has healed and as long as he can avoid the injury bug, he should be a high-end OF again.
Rios was having a disappointing season even before he was dealt to the White Sox. He hit a brutal .199 for his new club with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs in 146 ABs. The bad news for Rios is he’ll be playing his home games outside. His AB/HR in outdoor parks is 43.5 compared to 29.9. Minnesota no longer has a dome, which would also work against him. His average and OPS have been on the decline the past four seasons.
2. How about Jake Peavy? Peavy likely won’t be as dominant this year as in year’s past. He has to face a steady dose of American League hitters without the comfort of PETCO Park. Working in his favor though is the absence of the World Baseball Classic. I believe that threw off his April last year, which led to his bloated 5.74 ERA in April.
3. And Grady Sizemore? He battled through an elbow injury and a hernia to still put up respectable numbers (73 runs, 18 HRs, 64 RBI, 13 SB in 436 ABs). Don’t let his numbers get you down on him though. Not many players can bring we he can to the table. Bump him down a few spots from where you had him ranked going into last year, but don’t let him slide too long.
4. What will the Indians do with Michael Brantley? The Indians have a good problem having four quality OFers for three spots. Grady Sizemore, Matt LaPorta, and Shin-Soo Choo are blocking the path for Brantley, who hit .313 after replacing Sizemore last year. LaPorta can play some First Base, which would allow Brantley to play in LF. LaPorta is one of the Indians’ few right-handed hitters though so don’t expect him to be out of the lineup very frequently. Brantley can play all three OF positions, which will help his cause. The Indians could choose to send him to Triple-A so he can get steady playing time. In any case, take the wait-and-see approach with him.
5. Can Austin Jackson replace Curtis Granderson? He certainly doesn’t have the power, but he has flashed his speed stealing 24 bases to go along with nine triples last year for Triple-A Scranton. He hit .300 as well. He’ll be challenged by Clete Thomas and Ryan Rayburn. Watch that battle during Spring Training.
6. Will Zack Greinke get some help? Gil Meche should be better for starters assuming his back and arm are healed. His ERA surged above 5.00 after being below 4.00 in his previous two years with the Royals. Luke Hochevar has a world of talent, and the former #1 pick should be better. He can’t get much worse. I’d hold off on drafting him unless he shows some promise during Spring Training.
7. What will the Twins’ new ballpark bring? All you have to do is look at the two New York ballparks, and you know they can be unpredictable. The Yankees play in a launching pad while the Mets saw a power outage. The Twins won’t get as may infield hits as they move to grass. See where Justin Morneau ranks among fantasy First Basemen.
8. Will J.J. Hardy rebound? Hardy was terrible last year, but a change of scenery could do him wonders. He goes to a club that is starving for solid Shortstop play after they dealt away Jason Bartlett a couple years back. Hardy averaged 83.5 runs, 25 HRs, and 77 RBIs in 2007 & 2008. In a lineup that features Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Jason Kubel, and Denard Span, a resurgence is very likely.
9. What will the Twins do at Third Base? This is an annual issue. Nick Punto plays a great Third Base, but can’t hit. Brendan Harris had his moments. Joe Crede returning isn’t out of the question. No matter what their “solution” is, it’s not a fantasy friendly one. Look elsewhere.
The Twins cleared up a logjam in the Outfield by moving Carlos “Go Go” Gomez to Milwaukee for Shortstop J.J. Hardy.
I think it’s a great deal for the Twins. They have too many Outfielders with Denard Span, Delmon Young, Michael Cuddyer, and DH Jason Kubel. As for the Twins they got some pop at Shortstop, which they haven’t had in years.
Hardy had a down year, but is a goo candidate to bounce back. If Alexi Casilla can bounce back as well, and they solve their 3rd base issue, the Twins could have one of the better infields in the league with the M & M boys.
Gomez gets a much needed change of scenery. He strikes out too frequently and has mental lapses. Those are two no-nos in Ron Gardenhire’s book. In Milwaukee he won’t have to carry the pressure of being the key component in the Johan Santana trade with him.
Frankly, I thought they rushed him into the lineup in his first year with the Twins because they had to have someone from the Johan deal on the Opening Day roster.
Span outplayed him that spring, and should have got the nod. The Twins had to save face though. I think that stunted his growth and messed with his confidence.
He did better last year when Orlando Cabrera took him under his wing. He’ll need someone to do the same in his new home. He has the tools to be a quality leadoff hitter. It’s just a matter of whether or not he can make the proper adjustments and continue to grow.
My 8-year old nephew Justin has really taken an interest in sports the past couple months. For his birthday party he had a sports theme. First we split up into teams and played basketball. One team was the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. We also went to a baseball field and played a game of kickball. It was a lot of fun.
As Justin has become increasingly interested in sports he asked if he could post comments on my site. In an effort to foster his interest in sports as well as his writing ability, I said not only could he leave comments, but he could write an occasional article. This is his first effort.
All-Star Game Observations
By Justin Lester
The American League won the 2009 All-Star Game 4-3 thanks to Carl Crawford, who was named MVP of the game. Crawford plays for the Tanpa Bay Rays as an Outfielder. He made a great catch to take a Home Run away from Brad Hawpe.
There were three Minnesota Twins on the American League team. Joe Nathan pitched in the the 8th inning, Joe Mauer got one trip around the bases, and Justin Morneau played First base in the 8th and 9th Innings.
Trading cards is a popular fixture in American culture.The best time to find a better trade in the NHL is around the league's annual trade deadline in March.
