Spring Training Boxscores: Fantasy Notes

by faketeams on Mar 25, 2008 7:49 PM EDT in Baseball

Cincinnati Reds' SP Edison Volquez continued his excellent Spring. In five innings, he struck out five and walked just one. In 20 innings, he has walked just four batters while striking out 26. The question fantasy owners needs to answer is whether or not this sudden control excellence is for real given he walked 72 AAA hitters in 120.2 innings last year. If it helps, he did face the regular Phillies line-up today.

Indians' 3B Andy Marte hit his 5th Grapefruit League HR. He is out of options and likely to make the roster. If Casey Blake stumbles, Marte should get the first chance to proof he isn't a bust. A .204 Spring AVG doesn't inspire confidence though.

Even though Angels' 3B Brandon Wood was never given a legit chance to claim the starting SS role, he has done nothing to bring that point up. The Angels have given him 41 ABs coming into today's start at 3B, and he has struk out 19 times without a single walk. It looks like the Angels gave him all the rope he needed.

I am sure Giants closer Brian Wilson hopes his front office subscribes to the ubquitous belief amongst the more statistically-inclined baseball commentariat that Spring training stats do not count. Given the closer's job at the start of the Spring, Wilson has precede to get lit up allowing 16 hits and eight earned runs over 10.2 innings of work. On the plus side, he has walked only one batter and struck out eleven. Nor has he allowed a HR. Despite the construction of the Giants current roster leading one to believe the front office is not amongst those more inclined to disbelief Spring stats, he can hope those secondary stats are too good to ignore.

Effing wow! Clayton Kershaw pitched three more shutout innings and struck out six. In 10 innings, he has struck out 13 and walked three. Unlike Brian Wilson who has similar totals, Kershaw has allowed just seven hits and one run. Are the Dodgers' really better sending him to AAA?

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Kershaw

I read that he is being sent to AA Jacksonville. He won't even sniff AAA Las Vegas before he is called up.

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 25, 2008 8:28 PM EDT reply actions

One more........

you pose a very good question. If he can do this against the regular Brewers lineup, which is very good, why send him down?

raygu

by Ray Guilfoyle on Mar 25, 2008 8:29 PM EDT reply actions

true

he needs innings is the only justification to send him to the minors. If Torre would use him a couple tiems per week for multiple innings, Kershaw could get 100+ innings this season/

by faketeams on Mar 25, 2008 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

tired

I think the Dodgers believe he wore down as the season progressed last year so they are taking it easy on him. I know from owning him that his stats seemed to go downhill in the second half (also with promotion to AA).

by TheStoneCop on Mar 26, 2008 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Well,

you have t othink that transitioning a guy from the bullpen t othe rotation is probably not the best way to capitalize on talent(cough, Joba). This is merely a way to keep his innings from not going over the +30 rule while still maintaining his role he will likely assume full time in 2009

by thomasps3 on Mar 26, 2008 11:43 AM EDT reply actions