Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

The Mets outrighted pitcher Nelson Figueroa to the minor leagues. He had been designated for assignment. Figueroa is nothing more than middle reliever or high-risk spot starter if he makes his return to the majors this season. Cut and ignore the journeyman in all Fantasy leagues. (CBS Sports)

The Braves sent left-handed pitcher Chuck James to the minors for the third time Friday and recalled reliever Phil Stockman from Triple-A Richmond. James started the year in the minors while rehabbing from a shoulder injury, and has been sent back twice to Richmond since then. He was an 11-game winner for the Braves each of the last two years. James (2-3) was demoted to Richmond after getting tagged in a 5-0 loss at Philadelphia. He surrendered three homers, walked five without striking out anyone, and gave up all five runs. His ERA rose to 8.22 in five starts. He’ll be up at some point, but his value is limited to larger NL-only leagues. (CBS Sports)

Cubs OF Matt Murton, who was last with the big club in late April, is hitting .368 through 95 at-bats at Triple-A Iowa, including .600 (6-for-10) over his last three games. Murton has a career .295 average in 844 major-league at-bats and is clearly too good for the minors. But the Cubs don’t trust his defense enough to call him up to the big club permanently. He’d need a trade to make any kind of Fantasy impact. (CBS Sports)

FAAB Acquisitions:

• SP Jason Bergmann, Nationals [$2 bid, Add to Actives]
• SP Greg Reynolds, Rockies [$0 bid, Add to Actives]
• 2B Aaron Miles, Cardinals [$0 bid]

Up:

• P Carlos Villanueva
• OF Ryan Spilborghs

Down:

• OF John Bowker
• P Brett Myers
• P Reynel Pinto
• P Manny Acosta

Cut:

• P Nelson Figueroa
• P Chuck James
• OF Matt Murton

Note:

New acquisition Jason Bergmann was released by Misogynistic Padres on May 6th. He had originally been selected in the 4th Round of the 2008 WBRL Minor League draft (with $10 assigned salary).

Matt Murton is expected to be sent to Triple-A once Alfonso Soriano (calf) returns from the disabled list Thursday. Of course. Murton has gotten just a dozen at-bats in his latest stint with the Cubs and the 26-year-old career .295/.363/.451 hitter will receive more unneeded work in the minors. (Rotoworld)

Update: He was.

FAAB Acquisitions:

• RP, Duaner Sanchez, Mets [$0 bid, active]

Up:

• Shane Victorino
• Andruw Jones

Down:

• Nelson Figueroa
• John Bowker
• Matt Murton

Cut:

• Zach Duke

Notes: I had also bid $0 on the Reds’ Jerry Hairston, Jr., and $0 on Cubs SS Ronny Cedeno.  I was outbid by Tom Ross of Get Off Kong! on both.  He won Hairston with a $4 bid, and Cedeno with a $13 bid.  Yikes.

FAAB Acquisitions:

• P Nelson Figueroa, Mets ($2 bid) [active]
• P Manny Acosta, Braves ($1 bid) [active]
• OF Gregor Blanco, Braves ($0 bid) [active]

Up:

• OF Matt Murton, Cubs
• C Chris Iannetta, Rockies

Down:

• OF Brian Barton, Cardinals
• OF Andruw Jones, Dodgers
• C Javier Valentin, Reds

Cut:

• P Peter Moylan, Braves
• P Jon Lieber, Cubs
• OF Rajai Davis, Giants

Note: Gregor Blanco becomes the first Atomic Roadrunner this season to re-join the team following his release. Blanco has worked his way into a LF platoon with Matt Diaz, something that hadn’t happened when he was released last week.

Cubs OF Matt Murton had two RBI groundouts and one single in six at-bats Sunday against the Pirates. Murton has just one hit in eight at-bats since his recall from Triple-A Iowa. Murton was recalled when Alfonso Soriano went on the DL, and will likely remain with the team as long as Soriano is sidelined. However, he is nothing more than a bench option for Philadelphia and will see limited starts. Consider him a NL-only Fantasy reserve. (CBS Sports)

Cubs recalled outfielder Matt Murton from Triple-A Iowa. Murton is worthy of a roster spot anyway, and he certainly should have been recalled the day Alfonso Soriano landed on the disabled list. The Cubs are making the switch now apparently because they weren’t satisfied with what Mike Fontenot was giving them at second base. Murton will share time in left with Mark DeRosa and should have a little short-term value. Fontenot figures to see less action at second base. (Rotoworld)

The Cubs decided to call up Eric Patterson over Murton after placing Alfonso Soriano (calf) on the 15-day DL Wednesday. Murton is off to a better start at Triple-A, but the Cubs are going the speed route here. Mark DeRosa started in left field for the Cubs on Wednesday, while Mike Fontenot got the nod at second and was the leadoff man. (Rotowire)

Baseball Prospectus had further snaps for Murton, in Caleb Peiffer’s Prospectus Preview:

Yesterday, Cubs fans got their first glimpse of what the lineup and batting order will look like with left fielder Alfonso Soriano sidelined for “a while.” Second baseman Mark DeRosa began yesterday’ the game in left field, while Mike Fontenot played second. The Soriano injury creates a number of interesting ripple down effects for Chicago. For one, it could increase the pressure to acquire Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts. It also illuminates just how little the organization thinks of minor league left fielder Matt Murton.

The Cubs’ souring on Murton has been well-documented, but even given that it is hard to believe they called up Eric Patterson over Murton after Soriano went down. The 26-year-old Murton owns a .296/.365/.455 line in 929 major league plate appearances, and PECOTA projects him to hit almost exactly the same this season, with a .295/.359/.462 forecast. In order words, he would be an average left fielder (so far this season NL left fielders have hit .262/.346/.435 in 960 PA) and a slightly better offensive performer than both DeRosa and Fontenot. Even if the Cubs didn’t want to play him everyday, it doesn’t make sense not to carry him as a platoon player, as Murton is another of the Eduardo Perez All-Stars, with a larger-than-average split between his performance against lefties and righties (909 career OPS vs. southpaws in the majors, 771 vs. righties). Murton is projected by PECOTA to slug .488 with a .380 OBP vs. left-handers this season, and would help a Cubs lineup that has a low 725 OPS against lefties thus far.

If Alfonso Soriano (calf) has to go on the disabled list, Murton would likely get called up from Triple-A Iowa. In that case, Murton would likely see time in left field when Reed Johnson’s in center - mostly against left-handed pitching. Mark DeRosa could also be in the mix, with Mike Fontenot moving to second base. (Rotowire)

However, the Chicago Tribune believes the Cubs will call up Eric Patterson, not Matt Murton, as the replacement for Alfonso Soriano should Soriano land on the DL. If that really happens, then Jim Hendrhy was lying through his teeth when he kept saying he thought Murton would be a solid left fielder on a lot of teams. The Tribune’s Paul Sullivan suspects the Cubs will give Mark DeRosa a lot of time in left field, with Mike Fontenot taking over at second. (Rotoworld)

Matt Murton has five basehits (all singles) in 15 at-bats in five games for Triple-A Iowa so far. Murton was sent down at the end of spring after the Cubs couldn’t find a trade suitor. He might still end up elsewhere, and the red-headed outfielder could still see some Fantasy value at some point. (CBS Sports)

From CBS Sports:

Cubs optioned OF Matt Murton to Triple-A Iowa.  This move was just a formality after the Cubs picked up Reed Johnson last week. Murton might find his way back into the majors this season at some point, but shouldn’t be drafted in any regular Fantasy formats heading into 2008. Murton remains a candidate to be traded.