NEWSY STUFF
Dominic Smith and David Peralta are invited to camp by the Cubs. Smith is just 29 years old this year, but hasn’t been an effective batsman since the short pandemic season. Peralta is 37 and hit 30 homers once, in 2018, but is coming off a poor year with the Dodgers. There isn’t a clear way for either of these guys to earn a job with the Cubs, but a good spring could change things.
IT’S A SETUP
What about the relief pitchers who haven’t been named Closer?
Some think Robert Stephenson will end up closing in Anaheim, but the Angels say no. Stephenson was a revelation after he landed in Tampa last summer, but that’s a very small sample to rely on.
Ryan Pressly is not the closer in Houston anymore, but old habits die hard. And he could do the job if Josh Hader has another funk.
The fact is that some of these setup guys are going to earn big bucks because they give up few runs and strike out a lot of guys. Plus, a few will win a lot of games. While the pitchers have talent, the extreme outcomes that boost their value depend mostly on luck. Guys like Bryan Abreu and Yennier Cano are unlikely to repeat their big years in setup, and should not be paid as if they will.
You won’t have to pay much for Matt Brash and Jason Adam, but they’re probably better than most.
DL Hall and Garrett Whitlock are on this list because, even though they are working this spring to become starters, but I don’t believe it. And I could be wrong.
Most of these guys have a puncher’s chance at some saves this year, and a few will probably end up closing. Bryan Shaw seems like a good alternative to Jesse Chaves if John Brebbia isn’t up to the job in Chicago.
And clearly the sharps in the NFBC think AJ Puk is better than most on this chart. I won’t argue with that, but I also won’t put down an additional penny.
AMAZON REVIEWS
Some of you may know that I’m selling a 113-page book with about 900 player profiles, projections, and bid prices on Amazon. The softcover costs $19.99, and a Kindle version costs $9.99.
Reviews have started to come in and I’m grateful for the enthusiasm of some of the reviewers.
Not all are enthusiastic. One review wished the book was organized by position and ranking, which is a different way to do it. If you want your fantasy baseball guide organized that way you’ll be disappointed with my Guide. It’s separated into Hitters and Pitchers and arranged alphabetically to make it easier to find players, the way it’s easier to find words in the dictionary.
That same reviewer says it has “Good analysis for fantasy relevant players,” which I like, but then claims there are no strikeout projections for pitchers. But there are! Look for it:
So, 2 Stars, and the reviewer signs off with “I won’t buy again.”
I bring this up because there doesn’t seem to be a way for me to comment on this erroneous review. If you’ve bought the book or Kindle version of the book, I would be grateful if you wrote a review. Tell the truth, love it or hate it, but please emphasize that there are strikeout projections in The Guide!
Many thanks.
HISTORICAL PITCHERS CHARTS
The Top Starters (Top 15 each year are shaded):
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