The Pirates continued their yearly in season fire sale, sending All-Star second basemen Freddy Sanchez to the San Fransisco Giants for Tim Alderson.

Many are saying that the Giants overpaid for Sanchez, and we agree; Alderson was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in the San Francisco organization entering this season. He has a 7-2 record and a 3.65 ERA in two minor league stops this season.

Via ESPN.com:

The Pittsburgh Pirates have dealt shortstop Jack Wilson and right-handed pitcher Ian Snell to the Seattle Mariners for shortstop Ronny Cedeno, first baseman Jeff Clement, and right-handed pitching prospects Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin and Nathan Adcock, the Pirates announced Wednesday.

The team said Cedeno will report directly to the Pirates, while Clement is headed to Triple-A Indianapolis and Pribanic, Lorin and Adcock are being assigned to Class A teams.

Via ESPN.com

The Cleveland Indians traded Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco to the Philadelphia Phillies for four minor leaguers on Wednesday.

Triple-A right-hander Carlos Carrasco, Class A righty Jason Knapp, catcher Lou Marson -- the likely heir apparent to Victor Martinez -- and shortstop Jason Donald were sent to Cleveland.

Cliff Lee is moving to Philadelphia and a ballpark that tends to punish fly-ball pitchers. Lee has fly-ball tendencies (54.5 pct of balls in play), but when the ball goes into the air, he keeps it in the park. A look at the pitchers with the lowest fly-ball to home run percentage for pitchers with a minimum 900 batters faced (2008-09):

As we get ready to sit down tonight to watch some of the greatest players in the world take the field in St. Louis, we at 108 Red Stitches feel that its time to sit back and reflect on those players who didn't receive top honors.

No, we're not talking about the guys who got snubbed and weren't voted or picked for the 2009 All-Star game.

We're talking about our favorite mid season award; "The False Stars".

We've compiled a list of some of the worst players in the majors, and are willing trot them out against any Triple A, softball beer league, or even Little League All Star team.

And we're willing to bet, they'll lose.

Geovany Soto, Catcher: Not are you trailing the runner up for this position (Russell Martin) by twenty three hits (Soto has 50, Russ has 73), but you just landed your sorry .230 BA ass on the disabled list and may miss about a months worth of games.

Chad Tracy, 1B: Five home runs and a paltry .222 BA gets you the starting job at first base on the 2009 False Stars. Nagging injuries haven't helped Tracy, and despite the Diamondbacks recent release of Tony Clark, Tracy is in a constant state of fear that he'll lose his job to Mark Reynolds or one of the two hot prospects the D-backs have in the farm system.

Howie Kendrick, 2B: Apparently being anointed the "second coming of Christ" at the beginning of the season doesn't translate into big league success. Before a recent rebound thanks to a demotion to Triple A, Kendrick's season was horrific. He's currently sporting a batting average of .239. Kendrick's been touted as a power hitting second basemen, but his four home runs puts him behind sluggers like Mike Fontenot, Jayson Nix, and Brendon Harris.

Yuniesky Betancourt, SS: Public spats with your manager and a .250 batting average with 2 dingers gets you traded to baseball purgatory (Kansas City). Betancourt's miserable defense and his reluctance to take a few pitches makes him the starting shortstop for the 2009 False Stars

Chris Davis, 3B: Davis is the hands down, odds on favorite to win the MVP of the 2009 False Star game. Davis is currently batting .202. Despite his 15 home runs and 33 rbis, Davis spent a chunk of time in the minors trying to correct his swing. Davis' 2009 season is a far cry from his spectacular 2008 campaign, and he is the most deserving of the False Star distinction.

Willy Tavarez, OF: After stealing 62 bases last season, you'd think he wouldn't have to fight for playing time with Chris Dickerson. But thanks to a .245 batting average (worst among leadoff hitters, or those posing as leadoff hitters) and only 17 steals, Tavarez is runner up to Davis in the 2009 False Stars MVP voting.

Rick Ankiel, OF: Maybe its time for Rick to make a position change; we heard he used to pitch. Ankiel is flashing a .071 batting average in the first half of July and he's put up some gaudy numbers throughout the 09 campaign; .215 BA, 5 home runs, 22 RBI, and one stolen base. Injuries aside, Ankiel's season is almost down the drain.

Chris Young, OF: Time to rename the Mendoza Line to the Chris Young Line. Young's posted a .198 batting average, landing him the starting right field spot on the 2009 False Stars Roster. Six home runs and 25 RBI's later, and you have to begin to wonder if the Chris Young era is coming to a close in Arizona.

Chien Ming Wang, SP: Every fifth day in New York, thousands of responsible parents are covering their children's eyes. Wang has pitched 42 innings this season, and his era is finally under 10. Heck, it took an act of God to get his era under 20. Batters are hitting .365 against him, and in the twelve games he managed to show up for work, he gave up seven home runs and has walked 19 batters. His WHIP is horrific (2.02) and he's been placed on the DL until further notice.

Howard Stern show producer Gary Dell'abate was given the honor of throwing out the first pitch at a Mets game this weekend, and ma-ma-monkey took that honor and threw it right out the window.

After practicing in the hallowed Stern Show hallways and working with a Sports Psychologist, Gary launched the first pitch about 6 feet wide (and high) of home plate, plunking the home plate umpire.

It was all for a good cause though, Gary was taking part in "Autism Awareness Day".

According to multiple news sources, Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez has tested positive for a banned substance, and will begin serving the fifty game suspension.

Ramirez, arguably the highest-profile player to fail the test, released the following statement;

Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons. I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation.

Here's a list of two start pitchers for the second week of Fantasy Baseball 2009. The list isn't as impressive as last week, but you've still got some solid options:

• A.J. Burnett—New York Yankees: @ TB, vs. Cle
• Jon Lester—Boston Red Sox: @ Oak, vs. Bal
• Scott Kazmir—Tampa Bay Rays: vs. NYY, vs. CWS
• Edinson Volquez—Cincinnati Reds: @ Mil, @ Hou
• Chad Billingsley—Los Angeles Dodgers: vs. SF, vs. Col
• Yovani Gallardo—Milwaukee Brewers: vs. Cin, @ NYM
• Zack Greinke—Kansas City Royals: vs. Cle, @ Tex
• Chien-Ming Wang—New York Yankees: @ TB, vs. Cle
• Chris Carpenter—St. Louis Cardinals: @ Ari, @ CHC
• Javier Vazquez—Atlanta Braves: vs. Fla, @ Pit
• Gavin Floyd—Chicago White Sox: @ Det, @ TB
• John Danks—Chicago White Sox: @ Det, @ TB
• Ted Lilly—Chicago Cubs: vs. Col, vs. Stl
• Matt Garza—Tampa Bay Rays: vs. NYY, vs. CWS
• Kevin Slowey—Minnesota Twins: vs. Tor, vs. LAA
• Randy Johnson—San Francisco Giants: @ LAD, vs. Ari
• Mike Pelfrey—New York Mets: vs. SD, vs. Mil
• Ubaldo Jimenez—Colorado Rockies: @ CHC, @ LAD
• Fausto Carmona—Cleveland Indians: @ KC, @ NYY
• Chris Volstad—Florida Marlins: @ Atl, @ Was
• Koji Uehara—Baltimore Orioles: @ Tex, @ Bos
• Todd Wellemeyer—St. Louis Cardinals: @ Ari, @ CHC
• Jesse Litsch—Toronto Blue Jays: @ Min, vs. Oak
• Glen Perkins—Minnesota Twins: vs. Tor, vs. LAA
• Jamie Moyer—Philadelphia Phillies: @ Was, vs. SD
• Vicente Padilla—Texas Rangers: vs. Bal, vs. KC
• Zach Duke—Pittsburgh Pirates: vs. Hou, vs. Atl
• Dana Eveland—Oakland Athletics: vs. Bos, vs. Tor
• Doug Davis—Arizona Diamondbacks: vs. Stl, @ SF
• Daniel Cabrera—Washington Nationals: vs. Phi, vs. Fla
• Zach Miner—Detroit Tigers: vs. CWS, @ Sea
• Walter Silva—San Diego Padres: @ NYM, @ Phi
• Ricky Romero—Toronto Blue Jays: @ Min, vs. Oak
• Brian Moehler—Houston Astros: @ Pit, vs. Cin
• Dustin Moseley—Los Angeles Angels: @ Sea, @ Min
• Carlos Silva—Seattle Mariners: vs. LAA, vs. Det
• Carl Pavano—Cleveland Indians: @ KC, @ NYY

Thanks to the folks over at Fanhouse.com, we can bring you a list of hurlers that'll be throwing twice this week, so set your rosters accordingly.

For a more detailed breakdown of the list, click on the Fanhouse link:

Brandon Webb
Dan Haren
Jair Jurrjens
Josh Beckett
Carlos Zambrano
Ryan Dempster
Cliff Lee
Ricky Nolasco
Josh Johnson
Roy Oswalt
Francisco Liriano
Johan Santana,
C.C. Sabathia,
Tim Lincecum,
Felix Hernandez
Erik Bedard
Adam Wainwright
James Shields,
Roy Halladay
Mark Buehrle
Aaron Harang
Justin Verlander,
Joe Saunders
Hiroki Kuroda
Randy Wolf
Jake Peavy,
Chris Young
Kyle Lohse
Jeremy Guthrie
Aaron Cook
Wandy Rodriguez,
Gil Meche
Dustin Moseley
Jeff Suppan,
Nick Blackburn,
Dallas Braden
Trevor Cahill,
Paul Maholm
Ian Snell
Kevin Millwood
David Purcey,
John Lannan
Scott Olsen,

The Royals traded left hand hitting first basemen Ross Gload to the Florida Marlins for a player to be named later.

According to MLB.com, the Royals also sent cash to the Marlins, apparently to help pay for Gload's $1.9 million salary for this year.

Gload spent the last two seasons with the Royals, batting .288 in 2007 and .273 last year.

Future Hall of Famer (???) Curt Shilling announced his retirement today, according to reports from the Associated Press and Shilling's blog; 38pitches.com:

Curt Schilling retired from baseball Monday after a career in which he won World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks and was one of the game's most dominant pitchers and grittiest competitors.

The 42-year-old right-hander said on his blog he's leaving after 23 years with "zero regrets." Schilling missed all of last season with a shoulder injury after signing a one-year, $8 million contract.

Shilling is most famous for the "Bloody Sock Incident", where he pitched through a ankle injury to win Game 2 of the 2004 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. His sock was eventually enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Schilling finished his career with 3,116 strikeouts, a 216-146 record, and a 3.46 ERA.

Midway through the 2009 Spring Training season we're starting to see some significant bumps and bruises piling up around the league.

Whether its because of the World Baseball Classic, poor offseason conditioning, or players trying to work the winter kinks out of their system, some big names are starting to show up on the benches;

A-Rod; in case you missed it. Hip surgery. Out til May. Moving on.

Cole Hamels is experiencing tightness in his pitching elbow, and may not be the World F*cking Champs opening day starter this season.

Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman has been sidelined thanks to a strain in his right side.

Manny's hammy is barking, causing Joe Torre to relegate his dread locked slugger to the bench.

Aaron Boone is going to have open heart surgery to correct a valve disorder. Not sure when or if he'll ever return to baseball. We're wishing him good luck and a speedy recovery.

Star outfielder Ryan Braun was pulled from the WBC thanks to aggravating his right rib cage.

Mariano Rivera threw for the first time this season and looked good.

The Oakland Athletics found a replacement for oft-injured shortstop Bobby Crosby in the fleet footed Orlando Cabrera:

The A's deal with Cabrera is worth $4 million. He was said to be looking for about $9 million earlier in the offseason.

Bobby Crosby, Oakland's incumbent shortstop, is entering the final year of a deal that will pay him close to $5.25 million this year.

According to multiple published reports, the A's are also close to signing Nomar Garciaparra to a one year deal. Nomar would be expected to play a utility role, backing up at first and third base.

If the A's decide to trade Crosby, Nomar would likely fill in at shortstop as well.

The Atlanta Braves have found their replacement plan after failing to sign Ken Griffey Jr.

According to published reports, the Braves signed free agent outfielder Garrett Anderson (formerly of the LA Angels of Anaheim) to a one year deal;

Anderson, who had played his entire career for the Angels, agreed to a one-year deal worth approximately $2.5 million, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sunday.

Here are Anderson's 2008 stats:

BA: .293
HR: 15
RBI: 84
SLG: .433

According to John Schlegel, a beat writer for MLB.com, it looks like the drug A-Rod fessed up to taking isn't exactly legal in the Dominican Republic;

Primobolan, understood to be the substance Alex Rodriguez referred to as "boli" and reported by Sports Illustrated to be what triggered his positive drug test in 2003, is not and was not legal in the Dominican Republic, that country's top drug regulatory official told ESPNdeportes.com.

Dr. Pia Veras, who oversees the agency that monitors pharmaceuticals legally sold in the Dominican Republic, refuted the account Rodriguez told during his Tuesday press conference of his cousin getting "boli" legally over the counter in the Dominican Republic.

"What Alex Rodriguez stated at the press conference doesn't make sense," Veras told ESPNdeportes. "It is important for us to clarify that such substance has not been registered and is not currently registered for legal sale in Dominican pharmacies -- not now and the same applies for the years 2001 to 2003.

According to an article written by ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, Tom Glavine is returning to the Braves for at least one more season;


Tom Glavine reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves that could pay him $4.5 million if he attains all his incentives.

Glavine will make a guaranteed $1 million, and an additional $1 million in his first day on the major league roster during the regular season. He'll be owed $1.25 million after 30 days, and an additional $1.25 million after 90 days, a source said.

Looks like Ken Griffey Jr is returning home, to the Seattle Mariners.

According to various reports, Junior notified the Atlanta Braves that he'd be returning to play for the Mariners:

Two baseball sources said that Griffey made his decision after two days of debating between Atlanta, which is close to his home in Orlando, Fla., and Seattle, where he's been a fan favorite since breaking in with the Mariners as a 19-year-old phenom in 1989.

Griffey spent last season split between the Reds and the White Sox.

His 2008 totals were as follows;

BA: .249, 18 HR, 71 RBI, .424 Slugg%.

In what we're considering a really strange move, the Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem signed free agent outfielder Bobby Abreu to a one year deal worth $5 million ($8 million with incentives).

The Angels now have an extremely crowded outfield; Torri Hunter, Gary Mathews Jr, Vlad Guerrero, and Juan Rivera.

Abreu is expected to bat ahead of Vlad in the Angels lineup.

Abreu batted .296, 20 HR, with 100 RBI last season for the New York Yankees.

The Washington Nationals and free agent slugger Adam Dunn agreed on a two year contract believed to be worth $20 million.

Dunn figures to add a lot of life to the Nationals lineup, joining pals Ryan Zimmerman and Austin Kearns in a tough National League East Division.

Dunn, 29, hit .236 with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds last season.

It’s the age-old “who-done-it” question that will continue to baffle until answered.

Who was the snitch, low life, leaky faucet who released Alex Rodriguez’s name to the media, regarding his failed steroid test in 2003?

Lets take a look at all the players in this saga, and examine who might be the culprit;

The Profiteer in the Bookstore;
Isn’t it a little too convenient that Joe Torre and Tom Verducci have a book out that centers around an A-Rod bashing story? Would someone with insider knowledge be willing to sell their soul in order to push a few more books?

Analysis: Torre is one of the most respected men in baseball, so it would be a far reach to assume that he’s the one that leaked A-Rods’ name. Verducci is a reporter held in high regard by fellow peers and wouldn’t waste his credibility just to sell a couple more copies of “The Yankee Years”.

The Spurned Lover in the Bedroom
C-Rod and A-Rod get down and dirty in their divorce, as details of A-Rod’s elicit affairs with blond Canadian bimbos and Madonna are spewed throughout the newspapers over the past year. Could this be a case of a “woman scorned”?

Analysis; C-Rod seems to like the press and limelight (remember that F-You Shirt she wore to the Stadium?). C-Rod’s stock depends on what type of a relationship her and A-Rod had; if Alex talked to her about everything between a pitcher’s tendency to throw him sliders and failed drug tests, then she becomes a prime suspect. If their relationship was “don’t ask, don’t tell” then she quickly falls out of favor.

Jealous Teammate with an Axe (to grind) in the Clubhouse;
Jose Canseco; baseball’s biggest tragedy since the invention of the Designated Hitter. The guy could hit a baseball 500 feet but never got paid accordingly (in his opinion). In his second book “Vindicated” Canseco wrote that A-Rod had taken steroids and his name was left off the Mitchell Report.

Analysis; Canseco, ever ready to make a quick buck due to financial woes, seems to be the most likely candidate out of the group. He’s got the motivation (jealousy, greed, desperation) but the question that remains is; “How did he get the names on the report?”

The Nerd in the Computer Room;
Wouldn’t it be great that we find out the guy who brought A-Rod down was a twenty five year old computer programmer in the Commissioner’s Office? This one makes the most sense.

Analysis: Dorky. Dweeby. Un-athletic. Couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Wouldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. Has to hit the inhaler after walking up two flights of stairs.
Has the brainpower to unlock the password that protects the document that has the name of all 114 failed drug-tested players in the 2003 tests.

Remembers every athlete who stuck him inside of a shower stall/locker/garbage can after administering an atomic wedgie.

Hits send on his email program after attaching A-Rod’s name with supporting documents.

Thousands of years of cruelty to the weak-bodied-able-minded erased with the click of a mouse.

Organization	Pitchers & Catchers	First Workout	Position Players	First full workout
Arizona D-Backs	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Atlanta Braves	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Baltimore Orioles	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
Boston Red Sox	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Chicago Cubs	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
Chicago White Sox	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
Cincinnati Reds	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
Cleveland Indians	Feb. 12	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 17
Colorado Rockies	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
Detroit Tigers	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
Florida Marlins	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
Houston Astros	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
Kansas City Royals	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Los Angeles Angels	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
Los Angeles Dodgers	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
Milwaukee Brewers	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Minnesota Twins	Feb. 15	Feb. 16	Feb. 20	Feb. 21
New York Mets	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
New York Yankees	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Oakland Athletics	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
Philadelphia Phillies	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
Pittsburgh Pirates	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
St. Louis Cardinals	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 16	Feb. 17
San Diego Padres	Feb. 15	Feb. 16	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
San Francisco Giants	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Seattle Mariners	Feb. 13	Feb. 14	Feb. 17	Feb. 18
Tampa Bay Rays	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
Texas Rangers	Feb. 14	Feb. 15	Feb. 18	Feb. 19
Toronto Blue Jays	Feb. 15	Feb. 16	Feb. 20	Feb. 21
Washington Nationals	Feb. 15	Feb. 16	Feb. 18	Feb. 19

Baltimore, sit down and ask yourself this question;

Jeff Kent is retiring from baseball.

We'd like to say good riddance.

We continue or Fantasy Baseball analysis for the 2009 season with newly acquired closer Francisco Rodriguez of the New York Mets.

Fransisco Rodriguez: Rodriguez rewarded fantasy owners last season with an impressive campaign. K-Rod established a new single season saves record, finishing up with sixty two doors slammed.

So that begs the question; "Will K-Rod repeat, come close to, or totally miss last season's production?" Lets examine:


On the Field Factors:

Sixty two saves. That means he appeared in at least sixty two games. In total, however, K-Rod graced the mound seventy six last season. That is a mind boggling number for any reliever, let alone a closer. K-Rod pitched in 68 1/3 innings while also posting his third lowest ERA (2.24) since becoming a big time contributor to the Angels bullpen.

By all accounts, K-Rod will not repeat last season's success, and if the Mets are smart, he won't even come close. Trading for JJ Putz will help lighten K-Rod's workload, and even give him a rest every once and a while. The Mets say they plan on using Putz as a set up guy, but they're not dumb enough to expect Francisco to handle another abnormally large workload in back to back seasons.

Didn't seem to work that well for Billy Wagner.

Off the Field Factors:

K-Rod leaves quiet Los Angeles or Anahiem or wherever that team calls home for the Big Apple, the big bright scary New York City. K-Rod's successes and failures will be placed under bright lights and microscopes, every outing critiqued by mindless bloggers like myself. K-Rod will be compared to his cross town rival Mariano Rivera, a much taller order than having to hold a candle against the likes of Huston Street, Takashi Saito, or whoever the closer of the week is in San Francisco.

Final Thoughts:

While we understand that telling people not to select K-Rod as their fantasy closer of choice is just short of a retarded notion, we're urging you not to overspend or pick with, say your second draft slot. K-Rod is quite a talented arm to have on your team, but lets face it, he's on the Mets now.

We continue or Fantasy Baseball analysis for the 2009 season with newly acquired outfielder/DH Pat Burrell of the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays.

AL Champion Tampa Bay, it's going to take quite some time to get used to saying that.

Burrell represents a unique opportunity for Fantasy Team Owners this year, so without any more digressions, lets begin.

Pat Burrell: Burrell's rocky marriage to the Philadelphia Phillies finally came to an end this offseason, with the World Champs signing Raul Ibanez to take over in left field. Burrell's tenure with the Phils was one of highs and lows, with constant trade rumors swirling over his head. It's tough for a ballplayer to concentrate in that type of environment, so a new home might be a welcome sign for Burrell's career.

On the Field Factors: Burrell is likely to be slated to bat fifth or sixth in the Ray's lineup which will translate into a significant increase in RBI opportunities. Burrell only had 86 RBIs last season, but if you look at the RBI machines hitting in front of him (Utley, Howard) its easy to figure out why his production dropped in '08.

Insert Burrell into the Rays lineup and you've got a right handed power threat to compliment Carlos Pena. Teams will inevitably begin to pitch around Longoria and Pena, resulting in more offensive opportunities for Burrell. Lets not forget that Burrell, in the past three seasons, has put up some serious power numbers:

HR: 29/30/33
2B: 24/26/33
Hits: 119/121/134
SLUG: .502/.502/.507

Notice a trend? As Burrell is getting older, his numbers are getting better. Factor in increased rest due to manning the DH slot in the Rays lineup and we're looking at a potentially solid year.

Off the Field Factors: Burrell is leaving a semi-hostile environment in Philly, were slumps lasting longer than three games call for immediate expulsion from the roster. Rays media and fans are less volitile than Philly and would welcome Burrell's veteran experience to an extremely young roster.

Final Thoughts:

Burrell is likely to be around late in a lot of drafts due to the fact that his strikeout totals are scary to most fantasy owners. In deep leagues, Burrell is a no brainer, and if you can get him later on in the draft, say 10th-12th round, the rewards will significantly outweigh the risks.

With pitchers and catchers reporting a little less than one month from today, its time to start thinking about how this offseason's transactions will ultimately effect your fantasy baseball team.

While there are some major players still on the market (see Ramirez, Manny.) there are enough big names with contracts to warrant further inspection.


Mark Teixeira: Just because he's signed a mega-deal doesn't mean you should necessarily move him up in your draft order. Money doesn't always translate into continued success. One thing that we liked about Teixeira last season was that his numbers did not differ from his average season output.

Usually, we target a handful of ballplayers in their last year before free agency, as their stats tend to improve dramatically in their walk year. Tex's stats remained consistant with his performance over the previous two seasons (06/07/08);

HR: (33/30/33) RBI (110/105/121) BB (89/72/97)
BA (.282/.306/.308) Hits (177/151/177)

On the Field Factors:
Adding Tex to a pretty powerful Yankee lineup, you should expect to see two things happen. The first is a dramatic increase in walks. Teixeira is an already patient hitter, so throwing him in a lineup that's known to take pitches and stresses the importance of wearing out a starting pitcher will only reinforce (and improve) Teixeira's base on balls total.

The second thing you should expect out of Tex is a combination of three things; increase in home runs, decrease in RBI's, and a major increase in runs scored. There is less pressure for Teixeira to drive in runs in his current lineup, especially if he's going to bat in front of Alex Rodriguez. A shorter porch in right field will always help a lefty power hitter and, as mentioned before, Tex's OBP (.410) will not be wasted in this powerful Yankee lineup.

Off the Field Factors:
Teixeira is leaving the West Coast, which means he'll be playing closer to his hometown Severna Park, Maryland. Also, it seems that Tex's wife was happy with his choice to play for the Yankees. And most news reports practicly credit Leigh Teixeira for the deal getting done. A happy wife makes a happy hitter.

Final Thoughts:
Teixeira inevitably will go way too early in most fantasy drafts this year. We're not saying that he's a bad player, but his over exposure to the general public this offseason will bump his value and draft position in the majority of the "casual" fantasy leagues. Try not to get caught in the hype, but grab him if he falls into the third round (We're guessing that'll never happen).

As an ardent fan of baseball, we'd like to step in and offer you some advice on how to get your career back on track.

We remember you as that fleet footed 19 year old who almost single handedly ruined the 1996 Yankees season. You killed them in the World Series, only to lose to destiny and the fact that God loves the Yankees more than the Braves.

You used to be a human highlight reel, Gold Glove center fielder. You crushed baseballs.

Now, the Dodgers are trying to pay you to stay away from them.

We'd like to offer sure-fire advice that'll get you where you want to be.

1. Change your name: How are people supposed to take you seriously when you can't even spell "Andrew" correctly? In order to show people that you're still a team player, show them that there's no "U" in Andrew.

2. Get off the Michael Phelps diet: Yes you both are athletes, but that's where the similarities end. Just because you and Phelps both play a sport, doesn't mean you have to share the same eating habits.

3. Go on Oprah: Let her do that Oprah thing she does on you. Then you're money.

4. Check your bat for termites: You do realize that you're strikeout to hits ratio for the past 2 combined seasons is 2:1. There couldn't possibly be anything wrong with you, your swing, your mental attitude while at bat, or the fat that you may be way to fat to physically swing a bat. There are obvious signs that wood burrowing bugs have infected your bats, causing the ball to sail right through your swing.

5. Acquire a new fan base: You should start attempting to attract a new set of fans; namely baseball fans that are blind or deaf. That way they won't be able to see how bad you suck or hear you suck out loud.

Well, any way, we hope these tips help you out. We'd hate to see your career end up with you being rolled out of Dodger Land by a bunch of Animal Activists trying to roll a beached whale back into the ocean.

-With Love and Respect
108 Red Stitches

As the date for pitchers and catchers to report to spring training is a little over one month away, teams around the league are finally figuring out ways to shape up their rosters.

The recent Tampa Bay signing of outfielder/DH Pat Burrell seems to have set off a domino like chain reaction around the league, with numerous other clubs picking up whatever's left on the free agent market.

The Chicago Cubs and Milton Bradley agreed on a 3 year $30 million deal (pending physical) that will add some much needed pop into the Cub's lineup. Bradley is slated to play right field for the '09 season, but may not last that long. Bradley has only played 100 games in the field (during his career) just once; with the '04 Dodgers.

Jason Giambi is returning home, as he and the Oakland A's agreed (pending physical) on a $4 million deal for the 2009 season with a $6.5 million base salary for the option year in 2010. The second year would also provide for a $1.25 million buyout.

Another ex-Yankee has found a new home, this time in Cleveland. We're not sure if Cleveland is running a rehab center or a baseball team, but the Indians' signing of RHP Carl Pavano points to the later. After signing oft injured closer Kerry Wood, the Indians offered Pavano a one-year, $1.5 million deal. Pavano can make another $5.3 million in performance bonuses.

Finally, according to ESPN.com, the Baltimore Orioles added a Japanese pitcher to help fill in their rotation:

Koji Uehara will be paid $10 million over the two years of the contract, which also includes incentives that could raise the total to as much as $16 million.

Uehara has spent his entire career with the Yomiuri Giants. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Uehara was 6-5 with one save and a 3.81 ERA in 26 games for the Giants last year.