Atomic RoadRunners

FAAB Acquisitions:

• OF Lorenzo Cain, Brewers ($13 Bid), add to actives

Up:

• SP Edinson Volquez
• 2B Luis Castillo (to MI)

Down:

• OF Drew Stubbs
• RP Hong-Chih Kuo
• MI Cristian Guzman

Cut:

• C Chris Iannetta

Notes:

• Get Off Kong! also bid on Lorenzo Cain (slated to be the new Brewers starting CF), with a $0 bid (even though his $12 remaining was the basis of my $13 bid).

Up:

• C Ronny Paulino
• MI Cristian Guzman
• OF Roger Bernadina (to UT)
• RP Drew Storen

Down:

• C Chris Iannetta
• MI Luis Castillo
• OF Matt Diaz
• SP Edinson Volquez

Notes:

• SS Cristian Guzman was traded to the Texas Rangers on July 29th in a deadline deal.  He’ll start at 2B while Ian Kinsler is on the DL (expected until the end of August).
• RP Drew Storen has seen his path to saves become a bit clearer.  Nationals closer Matt Capps was dealt to the Twins in a July 27th trade.  For now, Storen, fellow RoadRunner Tyler Clippard, and Sean Burnett will rotate for saves, though Burnett got the save last night. Update: It was a 1-2/3 inning save after Burnett entered to face a lefty.  Storen had pitched 2 innings Sunday.
• RP Joel Hanrahan is also in a position for more saves, with the trade of Pirates closer Octavio Dotel to the Dodgers on July 31st.  He and Evan Meek will vie for ninth-inning duties.
• The Braves acquired Royals OF Rick Ankiel, who will be added to the LF/CF mix, so Matt Diaz will likely see a decrease in ABs.
• The Shoeless Jews picked up former 2010 RoadRunner Chris Volstad, who was called up from AAA two weeks ago.  Volstad isn’t really protectable at $10.
• Misogynistic Padres picked up former 2010 RoadRunner Juan Gutierrez.  Gutierrez is blowing the majority of the save opportunities for new Diamondback’s manager Kirk Gibson.  Seriously, he’s 0-6 with 3 saves and an ERA of 6.69, which is down from earlier this year.
• Goodfellas took advantage of a RoadRunner mistake, picking up MI Omar Infante of the Braves for a $1 FAAB bid (I had bid $0).  Infante was released last week in the Luis Castillo gambit, but will now be the starting 2B with Martin Prado on the DL.  Goodfellas has Prado, so perhaps it was just a case of picking up the backup.
• In the first FAAB bidding since the MLB trade deadline, bids were fast and furious.  The only player I bid on was new Dodgers OF Scott Podsednik, who came over from the Royals.  Here was the bidding:  $93 (X-Men), $75 (Misogynistic Padres), $47 (Goodfellas), $29 (Get Off Kong), $16 (AaRr), $5 (Pi Train)

Up:

• 3B Casey Blake (to UT)
• MI Omar Infante
• SP Ian Kennedy
• SP Madison Bumgarner
• C Chris Iannetta

Down:

• OF Roger Bernadina (from UT)
• MI Cristian Guzman
• SP Wade LeBlanc
• RP Joel Hanrahan
• C Ronny Paulino

Notes:

• Bid $8 on Reds SP Travis Wood, but was out-bid.  Bidding was $32 (Goodfellas), $11 (Get Off Kong), $8 (AaRr).
• Bid $1 on Braves minor-league SP Mike Minor.  Was obtained by Get Off Kong for $1, due to tie-break rules.
• Get Off Kong also acquired Roadrunners prospect Jordan Lyles, and had first-round draft pick Christian Friedrich as his contingency bid on Minor.  Looks like we’re reading the same sources. We’ve also both picked up Hong-Chih Kuo and Sean Marshall this season.
• There were three trades in the WBRL last week:
  • Get Off Kong acquired 1B Adam Dunn, 1B Lance Berkman, and OF Xavier Nady from Cover Zero, for former 2010 Roadrunner RP Sean Marshall, OF Chris Coghlan, and SP Matt Cain.
  • Shoeless Jews acquired OF Chris Young from Misogynistic Padres, for SP Dan Haren and OF Cody Ross.
  • Goodfellas acquired RP Huston Street, RP Andrew Cashner, and 2B Martin Prado from Misogynistic Padres, for SP Jair Jurrgens, OF Jay Bruce, 1B James Loney, SP Ricky Nolasco, and SS Yunel Escobar (who happened to be traded from Atlanta to Toronto that day).
• The original trade between Goodfellas and Misogynistic Padres was vetoed by the Commissioner (me) and four other owners also objected. That deal would have had every player list above, plus Misogynistic Padres also acquiring 2B Chase Utley and SP Hiroki Kuroda.  That’s imbalanced!

• Some discussion comments:

Tom: “I totally agree with the AARR squad…7 for 3 seems lopsided enough, but I ran the numbers and projected value (for the rest of 2010) of the 7 guys that Tim is getting is $114- Drew’s 3 guys – $44!!  Come on man!!

I think the trade needs to be reworked with some guys coming out of Drew’s end (Loney would be logocal as a start) or more active/real guys from Tim’s side being added in…otherwise I say we vote and I vote veto.”

Steve: “way unbalanced, I vote for veto”

Steve (later): “On second look, it isn’t so bad.

Drew is cashing in for next year…Jurrjens, Bruce, and Nolasco are up, Utley is hurt and $36, and Kuroda just isn’t that good.
Street is a $10 closer, Cashner is a $5 keeper, and Prado is one of the best young players in baseball and $10.

On the other hand, Tim has protected guys a lot more expensive than Utley before, and Loney and Escobar are both protectable at not much more money.  Kuroda isn’t sexy, but he’s projecting to 14 wins and an ERA under 4 with over 150 Ks for only $14.

I still say veto.”

Me: “I believe the problem with the trade is that, with possible exception of Prado vs. Escobar, every player received by Tim is, and likely will always be, better than anyone received by Drew, regardless of the length of contract. And Drew received 4 fewer “less-notables”.

Tim received a #2 and two #3 starters, plus four starting position players for a lesser 2B, a recovering closer, and a young middle-reliever.

I’m not hung up on the 7-for-3, it’s just that the 3 should have been of the ilk of Lincecum, Pujols, and a top prospect.  Drew’s proposal or not, that sort of trade is very unbalanced and not good for our league, and it’s too bad that the rest of the league feels obligated to monitor the future of Drew’s squad.

And Utley is VERY protectable at $36.”

Stan: “Rework or veto. Unless you guys want me to trade half my roster to Barry for Strasburg. Seriously, rework or veto.”

Hersh: “I can’t offer a legal opinion on this trade, because sodomy is regulated on a state level. That said, I agree that it should not go through.  Drew acquires two guys with one year left, each of whom may charitably have ten dollars of equity.  He also gets a prospect with a $5 salary, whom I guess he will keep, but I’m not sure why, other than some inexplicable pro-Cubs bias that permeates the entire league.  In exchange he gives away three solid middle-of-the-order hitters and three #2 or #3 starters. This is completely disregarding Utley (which seems a reasonable thing to do, based on salary and injury).  That’s just too much.  Even if you accept that Drew’s goal is to dump and that his expiring contracts are comparatively worthless, he should only need to trade half of this group to acquire a package of that quality.  Throwing those other guys in is unfair to Andy, Mark, and Tom, each of whom would presumably give up some keepers to get the rest of those guys.”

FAAB Acquisition:

• RP John Axford, Brewers ($12 bid) – Add to Actives

Up:

• RP Tyler Clippard
• C Buster Posey

Down:

• C Chris Iannetta
• SP Wade LeBlanc
• SP Chris Volstad

Cut:

• OF Luis Durango

Notes:

• Misogynistic Padres ($7 FAAB bid) was the only other team to bid on Axford.

FAAB Acquisitions:

• C Jason Jaramillo, Pirates ($0 bid) – Add to Actives
• OF Jose Tabata, Pirates ($0 bid) – AAA Reserve

Up:

• MI Omar Infante
• RP LaTroy Hawkins

Down:

• C Chris Iannetta
• MI Cristian Guzman

Cut:

• RP Nick Masset
• RP Burke Badenhop

Notes:

• Contingency Bids at catcher: George Kottaras (Brewers), Yorvit Torrealba (Padres).
• Sean Marshall, acquired by the Atomic Roadrunners on April 20th, and released last week, was a FAAB selection by Get Off Kong! for $5.
• Jose Tabata rejoins the Roadrunners.  He was a 6th round minor league selection last season (2009), but was released May 5th, 2009.
• Tabata was originally drafted in 2010 by The Pi Train, as an 8th Round minor league pick.  He was subsequently released for Week 1 (April 6th).

FAAB Acquisitions:

• SP Wade LeBlanc, Padres ($4 bid) – Add to Actives
• SP Jordan Lyles, Astros (AA) – reserve

Down:

• RP Takashi Saito

Cut:

• RP Sean Marshall
• OF Willy Taveras

Notes:

• Contingency bids:
  • For acquisition of Wade LeBlanc, $0 bid on Cubs SP Carlos Silva.  Silva was acquired by Misogynistic Padres for $8 FAAB.
  • Last week’s contingency bid subject Brewers RP Carlos Villanueva, was acquired by Get Off Kong! for $1 FAAB.
• It was announced after the Monday midnight FAAB run that Rockies C Chris Iannetta would be sent to AAA Colorado Springs.  Since the only other catcher on the roster is Buster Posey (at AAA Fresno), no action taken for this week.

Chris Iannetta hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the tenth inning to beat the Mets on Wednesday night. Iannetta had his best game of the young season, racking up three hits to go along with his game-winner. But as long as he’s splitting time with Miguel Olivo, he’ll only be a keeper stash in most formats. He went 3-for-5 overall in the game, raising his average for the season from .083 to .235. “For him it’s great because he’s a guy that works so hard,” said teammate Ryan Spilborghs, who also homered. “For him to see results like that, it’s great.” Miguel Olivo has been hot at the plate to start the year, so Iannetta is going to have to have more nights like this to avoid losing playing time. It’s also worth noting that his poor defense, mailing a throw to second into center field on a Gary Matthews Jr. steal, set up the run that sent the game into extras. (Rotoworld, CBS Sports)

In six games, C Miguel Olivo has hit two homers and Chris Iannetta has homered once, for his only hit in 12 at-bats. Olivo hit a career-high 23 home runs last year for Kansas City while Iannetta hit 16 for the Rockies, two shy of the career-high 18 he hit in 2008. “We have a dynamic there that’s extremely interesting,” manager Jim Tracy said. “You get to July and other clubs don’t have the type of tandem we have. You’re going to have a couple of starting catchers on other clubs starting to drag a little bit. We can avoid that.” It doesn’t look like Iannetta is going to get regular at-bats until something happens to the older Olivo at this point. It makes him a candidate to cut or reserve in mixed leagues in the short term. (CBS Sports)

Rockies C Chris Iannetta hit a solo homer in Saturday’s 14-inning loss to the Padres. It was his only hit of the game. Iannetta is currently splitting time with Miguel Olivo in Colorado, which limits his Fantasy value to just deeper leagues. We can see Iannetta winning this battle at some point this season, but we’ll have to wait and see. (CBS Sports)

Colorado C Chris Iannetta went 0 for 2 with two walks in a win over the Brewers on Monday. Iannetta is coming off a productive spring that saw him hit .350. with 10 RBI. Because he is expected to split time with Miguel Olivo behind the plate, he is just a low-end option in mixed league formats at this point. (CBS Sports)

Chris Iannetta tripled in two runs and walked in his three plate appearances Wednesday as the Rockies beat an Indians split-squad 6-3. Miguel Olivo has been hot, too, but Iannetta is standing his ground so far this spring. He’s 7-for-18 with six RBI and four walks. It’s expected that Iannetta will get the majority of the playing time behind the plate for the Rockies early on. Still, it might not be a large enough majority to keep his fantasy owners happy. (Rotoworld)

Manager Jim Tracy told the Denver Post he has decided catchers Chris Iannetta and Miguel Olivo will begin the year in a time-share situation. “I can tell you this: They are both going to play,” Tracy told the paper. “I am not using the word ‘platoon.’ But they are both going to play.” Iannetta still can be a breakout candidate, but he will have to be more of a sleeper out of the gate. Olivo is a veteran that is going to cut into his playing time, making both backstops more of late-round options in standard mixed leagues. Both could be top 10 options in mixed leagues with full-time duty, but they apparently will cut into each others’ value right now. (CBS Sports)

Miguel Olivo went 3-for-3 with a homer, a double and three RBI against the Padres on Monday. The question on the minds of all Chris Iannetta owners is whether Jim Tracy will fall for Olivo like he did Yorvit Torrealba last year. If Olivo gets off to a fast start, those possessing Iannetta might be in for a frustrating summer. (Rotoworld)

Yesterday we started off our upcoming protected list preview with the 2010 No Doubters. There were only three, as for the first time since 2006 it didn’t include “Lincecum – $7″. Along with a new rule change that reduces the minimum amount of protectables from 9 to 5, the 2010 Roadrunners may be off to a shaky start. Here’s a look at the next group – the “Almost Automatics”. These guys would be No Doubters except for one or two chinks in the armor. Here’s the breakdown:

Johnny Cueto
1 Year – $5
11 Wins, 4.41 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and 132 K’s
Cueto was acquired mid-year from Cover Zero, and shortly after that, the 23-year-old starter had a run-in with Dusty Baker’s School of Young Pitcher Fatigue. It was apparent to the entire world that he was either gassed, hurt, or both, but a 15-day DL stint for a sore hip seemed to cure all. According to most sources, his ERA and WHIP won’t be this bad, as he was lit up a bit in some of those aforementioned starts. Still plenty of potential here, for $5

Chris Iannetta
1 Year – $1
.228 Average, 41 Runs, 16 HR, 52 RBI, and 0 steals
Long-time Roadrunner Iannetta finally was given the starting gig for 2009, but his paltry average allowed Yorvit Torrealba to steal at-bats. Always a power threat, Iannetta suffered a May hamstring injury, and he just wasn’t the same after that. Last season he was a no-doubter, but this season, with the lousy average, and the signing of former Royals starter Miguel Olivo a threat to take more at-bats, Iannetta has some issues to be concerned about. He did sign a three-year, $8.35 million contract extension in early January, so at least he’ll be on the squad. Almost too much drama for $1.

Randy Wells
2 Years – $7
12 Wins, 3.05 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 104 K’s
Wells was picked up in May, and proceeded to surprise all, earning a sixth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting (with one 2nd place vote). A converted catcher, Wells survived well in his second and third times through the league. While his ERA can’t possibly be as good, he should be a solid starter for 2010.

Chris Iannetta believes he will get a “large volume” of starts behind the plate for the Rockies this season. The Royals signed former Royals catcher Miguel Olivo this offseason to push Iannetta, who finished the ’09 season slowly. “If I am playing like I expect to, I will be in there,” Iannetta said Monday. “I want to play a large volume of the games and let my performance speak for itself.” The 26-year-old batted .228/.344/.460 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI in 289 at-bats last year. (Rotoworld)

Note: The Rockies also signed former Dodger and Marlin catcher Paul LoDuca to a minor league contract today.