Halfway There …
By Butters in D.C.
If your team hasn’t made a free agent move yet, you’ve missed out on some of the best free agents the sport has seen since, well, at least last year. But, we are about halfway through the hot stove season, and it’s time to look at some players who have changed teams and who could make an impact on your fantasy team.
Francisco Cordero – Went from being the closer on the Milwaukee Brewers (the NL surprise team of ’07) to being the closer on the Cincinnati Reds (maybe the surprise NL team of ’08?). Definitely a worse ballpark, as the Great American Launching Pad was the #1 hitter’s park in terms of homers to hit ratio in ’07. Fortunately, Cordero is a big time strike out closer, so he should still be able to put up good numbers. Look for an increase in ERA and maybe a smaller increase in WHIP.
Andruw Jones – The Los Angeles Dodgers decided to add Jones to an OF that already included Juan Pierre, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier. I’d expect the Dodgers to try to move Kemp as they seem to be high on Ethier … and Pierre’s contract is far too large for what he really provides. Jones will play center and bat somewhere in the middle of a fairly potent line up, which will give him plenty of opportunities to drive in runs. However, if, in ’08, his performance imitates “Jones Version ’07” as opposed to “Jones Version ’06 or ’05”, the Andruw Jones Era may be a very short one in L.A. You really couldn’t get a much worse return on your investment than “Jones ’07”. Look for a bounce back year in Chavez Ravine.
Jose Guillen – Well, apparently being suspended for steroid use is not as big a deal as one might think. Guillen will miss the first 15 games of the season to serve his steroid suspension, but that won’t be the biggest thing having an effect on his numbers this year. Guillen has never been the best hitter on his team but will be asked to fill that role this year with the Kansas City Royals. A move from spacious Safeco Field to, more middle of the pack, Kauffman Stadium can only help his numbers from last year, but to paraphrase Dennis Green, Jose Guillen is ‘who we think he is’. That is to say, he is a nice option in the OF, but if you are relying on him for a large chunk of your offense, you have about as much chance of winning the World Series as the Royals. Count on similar numbers in ’08.
Torii Hunter – One of the best defensive CFs is now playing in one of the best hitting parks in the bigs. Hunter will be counted on to provide protection to Vladimir Guerrero, one of this generation’s best all around hitters. Other than that, there’s not much in the lineup besides a young Howie Kendrick, so, while Hunter may be able to put up numbers similar to last year, it will be a little harder to do so. Look for a slight decline across the board.
Aaron Rowand – After a career offensive year, where can a player go but down? Well, Rowand goes from one of the best hitter’s parks to one of the worst. The San Francisco Giants boast a tough hitter’s park where Rowand will be surrounded by a bad Bonds-less lineup. No way Rowand comes anywhere near the 28 homers from last year and I’d be surprised if he matches any of his other numbers either.
Eric Gagne – Man, did this guy sign his contract at the right time? Should get a shot to close with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he may win the job outright if he’s in contention with Derrick Turnbow … who has closed before. Will his command return? Can he do it without steroids? That’s why we love Spring Training. It is interesting, though, that both guys fighting for the job were named in the Mitchell Report. I doubt Gagne closes … or even performs as well as he did in Texas last year. Me? I stay away.
Well, those are the big movers so far. With bats out there like Barry Bonds and Mike Cameron, and arms like Kyle Loshe and Carlos Silva available, we’ll be on the edge of our collective seats to see where they all wind up. Well, at least we’ll ponder with mild curiosity …