Atomic RoadRunners

FAAB Acquisitions:

• OF Cameron Maybin, Marlins ($1 bid), Reserve
• UT Geoff Blum, Astros ($0 bis), Active at MI

Up:

• RP Tyler Clippard
• OF Lorenzo Cain

Down:

• MI Brooks Conrad
• SP Edinson Volquez
• OF Roger Bernadina

Cut:

• C Ronny Paulino
• SS Cristian Guzman

Notes:

• C Ronny Paulino was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for PEDs.  Since the Marlins only had 42 games left, he’s done for the season.  There have been 2 MLB PED suspensions this season, and the Roadrunners have had both (the other was Edinson Volquez).
• The Roadrunners need one more steal to obtain 50 hitting points.  We’re stuck at 49.5 currently. However, the pitching has hemmorraged WHIP and ERA this week, dropping almost 5 points.  We went from 4th to 7th in WHIP and 3rd to 5th in ERA.
• The Pi Train added former 2010 Roadrunner Nick Masset to his roster with a $0 bid. Masset has recovered nicely from his 5 earned runs given up on Opening Day. So have the Roadrunners, actually.
• OF Cameron Maybin is expected to be the everyday CF for the Marlins starting today, as OF Cody Ross was claimed by (and traded to) the Giants.
• The Maybin acquisition for $1 FAAB was the last dollar in our budget.  It’ll be $0 bids from here on out, folks!
• This post was published from Hudsonville, Michigan, where AaRr staff arrived late last night.  FAAB bids were submitted from Springfield, Missouri early Monday morning.

After getting a decent amount of work in the Marlins bullpen earlier in the season, Burke Badenhop only appeared in four games over the past two weeks. In those games, he was far less dominant than his earlier matchups, where he gave up only one run over 9-2/3 innings, with a save as well.

Reds reliever Nick Masset has been a disappointment thus far in 2010. Originally drafted by the Roadrunners in the 7th round of the 2010 minor league draft, Masset’s season got off to a rocky start, giving up 5 earned runs on opening day, including a grand slam to Yadier Molina. Masset has been shaky ever since, although he has secured the random vulture win.

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:

• RP Sean Marshall, Cubs ($0 bid)
• RP Burke Badenhop, Marlins ($0 bid) – Add to Actives

Up:

• RP Takashi Saito

Down:

• RP  Nick Masset
• RP LaTroy Hawkins

Cut:

• RP Brian Bruney
• 1B Mike Jacobs

Notes:

• On April 18th, the Mets designated 1B Mike Jacobs for assignment, and called up 1B prospect Ike Davis.  Jacobs would later accept the assignment to become 1B at AAA Buffalo.
• On April 20th, Major League Baseball announced that Reds SP Edinson Volquez was suspended 50 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug (PED).  Volquez’s suspension starts tomorrow (April 21) and will be served concurrently with his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery while he’s on the 60-Day Disabled List.
• Contingent Bids:
  • The contingent bid for the Sean Marshall acquisition was a $0 bid on Pirates reliever Joel Hanrahan.
  • The contingent bid for the Burke Badenhop acquisition was a $0 bid on Brewers reliever Carlos Villanueva, followed by a $0 bid on Cubs starter Carlos Silva
• Sean Marshall re-joins the Atomic Roadrunners for his third season.  Marshall was also on the 2007  and 2008 squads.
  • 2007 – FAAB selection for $6 on May 29th, stayed on the roster all season, not protected.
  • 2008 – FAAB selection for $2 on June 24th, stayed on the roster one week, released July 1st.

Reds RP Nick Masset escaped from a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday against the Marlins. He wound up getting the win when the Reds scored in the 10th. Masset struck out Ronny Paulino. Cody Ross then worked the count full, so it was bases-loaded, 3-2 count, bottom of the ninth in a tie game. “That’s what you dream as a kid,” Masset said, “then you’re doing it. My job was to go out there and put up a zero. I definitely made it interesting.” Masset has picked up victories in each of his last two outings. He has worked his ERA down from 45.00 to 9.00 with four straight scoreless outings (four innings). He also has at least one strikeout in all five of his appearances. He is turning into a solid setup man for the Reds and worth using in Fantasy leagues that use true middle men. (CBS Sports)

Up:

• RP LaTroy Hawkins
• RP Nick Masset
• RP Tyler Clippard
• MI Cristian Guzman

Down:

• RP Takashi Saito
• RP Brian Bruney
• RP Juan Gutierrez
• MI Omar Infante

Notes:

• Bid $0 FAAB on new starting C Chris Snyder for the Diamondbacks, but he was acquired by Stanimals for $3.

After allowing five runs in his one inning, including a Yadier Molina grand slam in the ninth inning, Reds reliever Nick Masset worked a perfect eighth inning that included an inning-ending strikeout of Albert Pujols on Wednesday. It lowered his ERA from 45.00 to 22.50. “I’m big on trying to get guys back in there after a rough outing as soon as possible so they can get it off of their mind,” manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com. “That grand slam was a wind-blown slam to me. It’s still a slam.” Masset does not see the opener as something to dwell on. “Personally, I was kind of run down,” Masset said. “I didn’t feel as locked in as I normally am. Coming back to the city and surroundings, you’re trying to get your feet underneath you. I felt my control was a little off and I got behind. Hitters were a little more comfortable in there. There was one hard-hit ball, and I went from one run to five runs just like that. It just made me realize there are certain things I need to focus a little more on and execute certain pitches at certain times.” In 2009 Masset led the Reds with a career-high 74 appearances and became the team’s eighth-inning man. He went 5-1 and posted a 2.37 ERA. That being said, his setup role on the Reds doesn’t make him someone to target. (CBS Sports)

Up:

• SP Mat Latos
• SP Ian Kennedy
• SP Chris Volstad

Down:

• RP Tyler Clippard
• RP Nick Masset
• RP LaTroy Hawkins

Notes:

• I bid $0 on new Marlins SP Nate Robertson, was outbid by The Pi Train, who was awarded Robertson for $1.
• The Pi Train was the only other team to submit FAAB bids, and received $4 OF Tyler Colvin and $2 SP Rodrigo Lopez.
• Was originally going to send down Juan Gutierrez, but the Diamondbacks are playing the Padres and Pirates this week, while Nick Masset’s Reds play the Cardinals and Cubs this week.  Perhaps the 5 earned runs in 1 inning that Masset gave up Opening Day had something to do with it.

Nick Masset gave up five runs in his inning of relief Monday against the Cardinals. Already a huge change from 2009, when Masset didn’t give up his fifth run until his 22nd appearance of the year and maintained a sub-2.00 ERA into July. The Reds need him to fill a setup role in front of Francisco Cordero, particularly since they’ve soured on Jared Burton. (Rotoworld)

(These post-draft roster moves are pre-FAAB and only for Opening Day, Monday, April 5th, 2010)

Up:

• RP Takashi Saito
• RP Brian Bruney
• RP Tyler Clippard
• RP Nick Masset
• RP Juan Gutierrez
• RP LaTroy Hawkins
• C Ronny Paulino

Down:

• SP Mat Latos
• SP Ian Kennedy
• SP Aroldis Chapman (AAA)
• RP Drew Storen (AA)
• SP Edinson Volquez (60-Day DL)
• SP Madison Bumgarner (AAA)
• C Buster Posey (AAA)

Notes:

• Since the only RoadRunner given an opening-day nod was Josh Johnson, I chose to flood the team with relief pitchers for the one-day week.

Christian Friedrich – Starting Pitcher – Rockies
Selection: 1st Round, 2nd Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $10
Notes: Best available prospect, was high on him coming into the draft. AAA-Colorado Springs. May be up in September 2010.

Chris Volstad – Starting Pitcher – Marlins
Selection: 2nd Round, 10th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $10
Notes: Best available starter, No. 4 starter for Marlins, should be decent, possibly low strikeouts, bad peripherals.

Takashi Saito – Relief Pitcher – Braves
Selection: 2nd Round, 19th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $10
Notes: Set-up guy with great numbers, may close if Billy Wagner falters.

Ronny Paulino – Catcher – Marlins
Selection: 4th Round, 28th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $10
Notes: Platoon catcher with John Baker. Some pop, generally high batting average, moreso than some starters. Will play while Buster Posey is in AAA.

Brian Bruney – Relief Pitcher – Nationals
Selection: 4th Round, 30th Pick overall (acquired from The Pi Train)
Salary (assigned): $10
Notes: Set-up guy with chance to close in unsettled Nationals pen, espcially if Matt Capps goes wild again.

Cristian Guzman – Shortstop – Nationals
Selection: 5th Round, 38th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $10
Notes: Former starter, expensive enough to get traded or playing time, depending on how Ian Desmond and Adam Kennedy do.

Willy Taveras – Outfielder – Nationals
Selection: 6th Round, 48th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $10
Notes: Weak-hitting speedster, who may just platoon in right field with Willie Harris. Don’t plan on activating until he secures playing time, or if I’m desperate for steals.

Nick Masset – Relief Pitcher – Reds
Selection: 7th Round, 58th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $5
Notes: Top Reds set-up pitcher for Francisco Cordero, should have good vulture opportunities with that offense behind him, some save chances.

Mike Jacobs – First Baseman – Mets
Selection: 8th Round, 68th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $5
Notes: 20-HR power, with nothing else, and bad OBP, but due to injuries, may get the start on Opening Day.

Juan Gutierrez – Relief Pitcher – Diamondbacks
Selection: 9th Round, 78th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $5
Notes: Top D’Backs set-up man for Chad Qualls, who is still returning from a knee injury. Got 8 saves last September, and Qualls is a free agent next year.

Tyler Clippard – Relief Pitcher – Nationals
Selection: 10th Round, 88th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $5
Notes: Former Yankees starting prospect, found success in bullpen, with very good strikeout ratios, and a slight chance at saves.

LaTroy Hawkins – Relief Pitcher – Brewers
Selection: 11th Round, 98th Pick overall
Salary (assigned): $5
Notes: Brewers’ set-up pitcher, had 11 saves last year for Astros, and he’s backing up 40-year-old Trevor Hoffman.

This is the final installment of the 2010 Atomic Roadrunner Protected List preview series. Protected lists are due for submission this Monday, February 1st, by midnight, Eastern. Here are the folks that are saying goodbye, as they will not be protected for 2010:

Kyle Blanks
2 Years – $10
.250 Average, 24 Runs, 10 HR, 22 RBI, and 1 steal
Blanks was a top 1B prospect for the Padres, but was moved to the outfield due to the presence of Adrian Gonzalez. To give you a vision, Blanks is like a fatter Frank Thomas in the outfield. He can slug, but he probably should be tethered to first base. He was lost for the season in August with plantar fasciaitis, and just isn’t worth protecting for $10, as he was originally drafted by Misogynistic Padres in the third round of the minor league draft.

Kiko Calero
2 Years – $5
2 Wins, 1.95 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 69 K’s (in 60 innings)
Still a free agent as of this writing, Calero strung together a good season in the Marlins’ pen, but is not a player anyone should consider protecting. No save chances, just some decent WHIP if you need it.

Nick Masset
2 Years – $5
5 Wins, 2.37 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 70 K’s (in 76 innings)
Like Calero, Masset is another guy that was picked up for ERA and WHIP assistance. The problem with relievers is you can usually never bank on them repeating their performance from year-to-year. One bad outing will taint the stats for three months. Meanwhile, some other scrub is mowing them down, and thus is worth the FAAB flyer in May. Masset just signed a two-year, $2.58 million extension, and will likely be one of the top Reds set-up guys, but not for $5.

Steve Peace
2 Years – $5
.206 Average, 19 Runs, 4 HR, 16 RBI, and 1 steal
Originally picked up by The Pi Train in 2009, Pearce was a second-hand pickup in August. Pearce’s career is at a crossroads, and may already be over, though the Pirates will keep paying him for another year or two. Pearce had a tremendous season in 2007 in AAA as a 1B/OF, but he couldn’t repeat the magic. Pittsburgh got tired of waiting for him to develop, and now he’s behind Garrett Jones and possibly Jeff Clement at 1B, and also may lose out to Jones, Ryan Church, and Brandon Moss in right field (assuming Milledge and McCutchen occupy left and center, respectively). And he keeps getting worse at the plate. Pass.

Ryan Roberts
2 Years – $5
.279 Average, 41 Runs, 7 HR, 25 RBI, and 7 steals
Picked up after the Roadrunner trade of Brandon Phillips, Roberts pretty much was the starting 2B for the Diamondbacks after the deadline trade of Felipe Lopez to Milwaukee, and he filled in rather well. At the end of the season, it was thought that Roberts might have a shot as the starting 2B for 2010, but then the D’backs received Tony Abreu from the Dodgers to complete the Jon Garland deal, and then signed a below-market-value Kelly Johnson in January. Now either Roberts or Abreu is the primary middle-infield backup, assuming the D’backs can move Augie Ojeda. Roberts also can play 3B and OF, so he’s a handy guy to have around. Obviously, not worth protecting.

Rusty Ryal
2 Years – $5
.271 Average, 11 Runs, 3 HR, 9 RBI, and 0 steals
If Ryan Roberts isn’t worth protecting, what does that mean for Roberts’ backup in Rusty Ryal? Bad news, that’s what. Ryal was called up in August to help out, and to his credit, he filled in at first and second base once it was clear the Diamondbacks were phoning it in. He did hit 17 homers and 70 RBI with a .290 average at AAA Reno, but quite obviously, there’s no protections here.

Delwyn Young
2 Years – $5
.266 Average, 40 Runs, 7 HR, 43 RBI, and 2 steals
Young was given every chance to earn the 2B job after the Pirates traded Freddy Sanchez to the Giants at the deadline. The fact that Pittsburgh traded for Rays 2B Akinori Iwamura is an indication of how that experiment went. Pirates GM Neal Huntington has announced that Young will be on the squad in a utility role, as he can play OF corners, 2B, and a passable 1B (though he’d be forth or fifth on that depth chart). Not really protectable material.

Reds signed RHP Nick Masset to a two-year, $2.58 million contract. Masset, who turns 28 in May, will make $1.035 million this season and $1.545 million in 2011, buying out his first two years of arbitration. He’ll have a chance to make more with performance-based incentives. Masset emerged as an important contributor out of the Reds’ bullpen last season, posting a 2.37 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 76 innings. Armed with an impressive sinker, he was among the league-leaders with a groundball rate of 54.1 percent. He should continue to be a fixture in the back-end of Cincinnati’s bullpen. (Rotoworld)

Elsewhere:

MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon has the initial story of Cincinnati’s new contract agreement with reliever Nick Masset. The club avoided arbitration with a two-year deal worth

Masset posted excellent numbers setting up Reds closer . He earned five wins in relief with a 2.37 ERA. He limited baserunners, allowing just 78 players to reach via hit or walk in 76 innings pitched, while notching 70 strikeouts. He also stranded men on the bases, preventing 34 of the 50 runners he inherited from coming around to score.  Cincinnati acquired Masset and Danny Richar from the White Sox in 2008 for Ken Griffey Jr..

Masset’s signing continues the hectic pre-arbitration signing period and reduces the number of players whose cases are pending to 126. The Reds remaining arbitration eligible player is Jared Burton. Reds GM Walt Jocketty indicated the club wanted to resolve their arbitration cases before the club and players exchanged figures on January 19th. Please visit the salary arbitration page for more information.

Up:

• OF Kyle Blanks
• RP Matt Lindstrom

Down:

• OF Matt Diaz
• RP Nick Masset

Notes:

• On July 31st, 1B Casey Kotchman was traded to the Boston Red Sox for the recently-acquired Adam LaRoche.  Kotchman is no longer protectable due to the trade.
• I bid $27 on new Reds 3B Scott Rolen, but was outbid.  Results: $82 Pirate Smokers, $81 Cover Zero, $45 X-Men, $45 Misogynistic Padres, $27 Atomic RoadRunners, $22 Get Off Kong!, $7 Stanimals
• I bid $27 on new Phillies starter Cliff Lee, but was outbid. Results: $100 Cover Zero, $82 Pirate Smokers, $81 Misogynistic Padres, $68 Shoeless Jews, $49 The Pi Train, $45 X-Men, $44 Get Off Kong!, $27 Atomic Roadrunners
• I bid $21 on new Giants 1B Ryan Garko, but was outbid. Results: $55 Misogynistic Padres, $45 X-Men, $21 Atomic Roadrunners, $20 Get Off Kong!

FAAB Acquisitions:

• OF Angel Pagan, Mets ($0 bid, active at UT)
• RP Kiko Calero, Marlins ($0 bid, active)
• RP Nick Masset, Reds ($0 bid, active)

Down:

• C John Baker (was UT)
• SP Edinson Volquez

Cut:

• SP Todd Wellemeyer
• OF Reed Johnson
• RP Clay Zavada

Notes:

• I bid $0 on Nationals MI Alberto Gonzalez, but Goodfellas won (also with a $0 bid)
• Phillies P Pedro Martinez was a backup $0 bid for both the Calero and Pagan acquisitions.  Pedro went to X-Men for $12
• Nick Masset re-joins the squad, having been released just five days ago.
• 3B Mat Gamel was sent down to AAA Nashville on Monday, July 20th