Baseball Mastermind

Rotogod here. It’s been a while, rotofans. I trust your fantasy baseball teams are all in first place and have suffered no injuries. Mine too. I jest.

Today, I will be taking more questions, following up on my last Ask Rotogod post.

George S. writes:

I’m desperately needing a starting pitcher. I belong to a NL only league where we bid on each player. All the good and even mediocre pitchers are gone….What is left that I think is worth looking at are the following:

Matt Belisle - CIN
Chris Sampson - HOU
Nelson Figueroa - NYM
Adam Eaton - PHL
Mark Hendrickson - FLO

Who would you recommend? Also, do you know of any other sleepers in the bullpen what could become a starter?
Thanks for you help in advance.

You’re in a hell of a bind there, aren’t you?

Out of those guys, I don’t like Sampson at all. Adam Eaton pitches in a bad ballpark and so does Belisle, but of those two, Belisle has better upside because he’s the youngest of the guys you mentioned and had solid numbers last season, at least in terms of K/BB ratio, probably the stat I look at most along with K/9. He’s one to consider.

I think Figueroa is flash in a pan to some extent with the solid starts he’s had so far (remember: he did not pitch in the majors in either 2005 or 2007), but he might hold his own and win some games with the Mets’ defense behind him.

Hendrickson won’t be terrible at anything but he won’t be good at anything either and should have the lowest ERA of this group.

In summary, I’d take Belisle on age and upside. He’ll get the most K’s and probably pitch the most innings. After that, I’d take Hendrickson if you’re looking long-term fix and Figueroa if you’re looking for a short-term fix.

As for a sleeper, I’ve always been a fan of Anthony Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals as a guy who could be promoted from the bullpen. If he’s not available, keep track of Sean Gallagher of the Cubs who was recently promoted. I think he’ll be a solid option if he gets a shot at the rotation.

Thanks for the question.

#2 Question from Jeff D.:

I was lucky enough to win the Cliff Lee waiver-wire lottery. Now, I’m dancing. Is he back to where he once was as an 18-game winner? Or should I sell high?

I’ve gotten a few questions about Cliff Lee and I can understand that given his 5-0 record and 0.96 ERA. What’s more Lee has struck out 32 batters and walked only 2 in 37.2 IP. I’ll say this: Lee is a good pitcher and he will probably have a good year as he is on a strong team in Cleveland and is only 29 years old, still within the age-range where he could have as strong a season as 2005 season when he went 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA and 143 K’s. Will he be better than that season? I can’t really say that he will. He doesn’t have great velocity on his fastball, but his control is good and has been superb so far this season. If you can trade him and get more than back than a 3.50 - 4.00 ERA-type pitcher is worth, by all means, sell high. At the same time, even when he regresses, he will probably be a good #3-4 starter in most leagues and may set career highs in every category except wins and probably strikeouts.

Thanks for the question.

Next question comes from Frank D.:

Hi, I play in a National League-only keeper league. I was lucky enough to draft Justin Upton, who I know you’re high on, but I was offered a deal to trade him, Jason Marquis and Rafael Soriano for Carlos Lee and Micah Owings, Ryan Church and Randy Johnson. Since Soriano has apparently lost his closer job to John Smoltz, this trade will definitely help my team in the short-term and I do need pitching. What do you think of Justin Upton in the short and long-term as a keeper?

When evaluating trades, Frank, the most important thing is to identify the best player in the deal, and in this case, that is Upton, BY FAR, especially because you said you play in a keeper league and Upton probably has the longest career ahead of him, given that he is only 20 this season (barring injury). As I read somewhere, one scout said, Upton is a player without upside. The sky is the limit. I was going to say that you should look at your league’s parameters and rules and determine if getting those pitchers will help you win the league, but it’s only May. Don’t do it! Don’t trade Upton for anything short of a top ten player in a keeper league, maybe top five. Hell, if you’re in first or second at the trade deadline and dealing Upton will ensure that you will win your league, then and only then, would I consider trading him. And you would regret it, even if you won the title.

Thanks for the question. PS. Don’t do it.

And finally, to leave you with some words of roto-wisdom:

Sell High:

-Gavin Floyd, RHP, CHW: Flamed-out prospect who failed because of 1) command, 2) lack of a third pitch. What about a 19/18 K to BB ratio should make me think anything has changed?

-Greg Smith, LHP, OAK: Nothing about this guy’s minor league track record makes me believe his major league performance is for real. Dana Eveland looked real good too until he got bombed recently. These guys are mediocre at best.

Buy Low:

-Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, WAS: Started out low in 2007 and wound up just fine and he’s in a better ballpark.

-Philip Hughes, RHP, NYY: Sometimes the best time to trade for a player is when they’re hurt as long as they’ll be back.

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No Laffey Matter

Aaron Laffey’s debut on Monday against the New York Yankees was impressive. You might look at his line of 5.2 IP, 3 H,4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K and think otherwise, but he was the victim of some bad luck and lethargic defense. It should be noted he had a no-hitter for five innings (on a mere 63 pitchers), as he attacked the strike zone, threw inside and seemed fearless while facing the Yankee hitters. Against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, it was more of the same (7 IP, 4H, 0 ER, 2BB, 5 K). He lost to Gil Meche on an unearned run, a product of more bad defense. However, Laffey didn’tallow a hit until Miguel Olivo singled with two outs in the fifth and he threw 70 of his 103 pitches for strikes. He looked fantastic in both outings and, if by chance his bad-luck record makes him available in your league as a free agent or via trade, I’d pull the trigger. He’s filling in for Jake Westbrook, who is out for a few more weeks, but also recall that Francisco Carmona was yanked back and forth for a while last year before the Indians realized his value in their rotation.

Deep Keep

It’s hard for most to get excited about a sixteen-year old pitching prospect, but a Dominican right-handed pitcher by the name of Michael Inoa (aka: Micheal and Michel) might be the exception. Dubbed the next Francisco Liriano, Inoa reportedly has more than twelve MLB teams vying to sign him. When you get past the bravado you’ll discover he’s 6-foot-7, 200-pounds and is already throwing a 94 mph fastball, again, at the age of sixteen. Scouts say he “creates easy velocity through relatively sound mechanics. He possesses a 91-94 mph fastball, a breaking ball and a splitter.” I also uncovered this intriguing scouting report: “For as big as he is, you’d expect him not to be able to repeat as well as he does. But he stays within himself and once he grows more into that frame, you’ll see that velocity start to climb…and that’s a scary thing.”

Game Within The Game

As fantasy owners, we all love when the hot prospect gets called up to the bigs. However, as a baseball fan, how great is it to see the crafty veteran school a rookie? Last week, in his second game after his callup, Wladimir Balentien faced Paul Byrd. The old man struck out the kid all three times he faced him, getting him swinging twice and making him look silly in each at bat.

Game Within The Game II

On the other side of the coin, Jeff Clement, also in his second game, fouled out and grounded out in his first two at bats. However, in his third appearance at the plate, he battled Byrd for eight pitches, ultimately getting the walk. Why is that significant? It was Byrd’s first walk issued in 109 batters faced.

Everyday J.J.

J.J. Putz was one of the best stories during the 2006 season, in reality and fantasy. Prior to that season, he was always effective reliever, relying on a stellar fastball to get hitters out. What made him The Man though, that season and beyond, was his splitter. Prior to 2006, it was a serviceable pitch, until Everyday Eddie Guardado suggested J.J. alter his grip. Putz listened and according to him, “The first throw I made with the new grip fell off the table and just knew we had something.” I love that story. Wish I had heard it about a week prior to Putz’s breakout instead of two-and-a-half years later, but a great story none-the-less.

Vision Statement

It’s been reported Phil Hughes will be wearing glasses when he returns to the mound to help dull the glare of the lights during night games. Hughes said he had trouble seeing the catcher’s signs and is “slightly nearsighted.” He commented, “When I looked through the prescription, it made a pretty big difference.” Wonder if that eye chart read: T I N S T A A P P

Some Things Never Change

Watched Chris Shelton in his second game after getting called up by the Texas Rangers. Shelton homered in the game, but that’s also his only hit after 13 at bats. It’s a tiny sample size, but in 48 AB at AAA Oklahoma, Shelton was hitting .354 with 3 HRs, 18 RBI, a .429 OBP and .625 SLG, so I guess I expected more. Truth be told, I still do and will continue watching.

Three Days, Two Innings

Also watched Nick Adenhart’s debut on Thursday, which lasted only two innings, and was of course not impressed. Granted, he was pitching on three days rest, which definitely makes this week’s start against the Royals worth watching.

Say It Ain’t So

I reside in Los Angeles, but I do not root for any of the local teams. However, I always go out of my way to watch the Dodgers because of Vin Scully, announcer extraordinaire. Last week, Vin hinted about retiring and whenever that occurs, it will be one very sad day. If you’ve enjoyed the Vin Scully experience, you know what I’m rambling on about. If not, do yourself a favor and experience it ASAP. If you have a friend in the LA area, ask them to tape a Dodger game this season, maybe when they are playing your favorite team. Hell, tell them to just tape any game. Trust me, it will be something you cherish long after Vin has hung it up.

In Every League There’s That One Guy

I am certain if Monday’s Arizona Diamondback’s game was on National TV, 99% of Fantasy Nation would be watching. The other 1%, when asked why they were not watching, would probably respond, “Who is this Max Scherzer?”

What You Should Be Watching This Week:
Aaron Laffey, Nick Adenhart, Kei Igawa
Nick Johnson, Chris Shelton, Dallas McPherson
Franklin Gutierrez, Ben Francisco, Fernando Perez
Phillies at Diamondbacks, Yankees at Tigers, Diamondbacks at Cubs

Major League Words of Wisdom: What the Braves got here is a failure to communicate.

Phil Brody resides in Los Angeles, California. He works as a freelance writer and director. In his spare time, he devours everything baseball. He can be reached at: philbrody@earthlink.net

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With the Major League season now a little more than a month deep, I thought it would be a good time to check in with some of the league’s notable prospects and see how they’ve fared in the early goings.

Jay Bruce, 21, CF-L, AAA Louisville (CIN): Jay Bruce, the consensus top prospect of 2008 has been passed up by consensus number two prospect Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays in their respective quests for the majors as Longoria is the Ray’s starting third baseman (hitting .239/.345/.437 with five homeruns) and has already received a multi-million dollar contract extension.

Okay, it’s not fair to compare the two a month into the season and Bruce is still a year younger than Longoria. Bruce has more than held his own in AAA so far, hitting .284/.308/.505 in 109 at-bats with 5 HR. He’s still far from a finished product as his 27/6 K to BB ratio in AAA will not cut it against big league pitching. I suspect Bruce will get his first shot at the bigs by June. Will he be ready? That’s hard to say, but his performance so far would suggest that he’s not.

Cameron Maybin, 21, CF-R, AA Carolina (FLA): Cameron Maybin, the centerpiece in the Miguel Cabrera trade to Detroit, is another prospect whose major-league readiness I questioned prior to the beginning of 2008 and it seems the Marlins felt the same way, starting the toolsy outfielder to AA. He has shown that his approach still need work as he hit poorly in spring training and so far in 2008, he has hit .235/.390/.378 in 98 at-bats, striking out 38 times and walking 24 times. The walks are good, but the strikeouts are really bad. He was demonstrated the athleticism that many have seen in him, hitting three homeruns and stealing six bases.

At this point, unless Maybin can significantly improve his ability to make contact, he will not make it to the majors anytime soon. Having said that, Maybin is a truly elite talent and I do suspect he will breakout sooner rather than later. At this rate, a late-season call-up seems likely, but he’ll need to really catch fire or work his way through AAA first.

Homer Bailey, 22, RHP, AAA Louisville: Homer Bailey, teammate of fellow Memphis Bat Jay Bruce, had a rough major league debut in 2007 and displayed a lack of command of his otherwise electric stuff that has led to a dip in his stock coming into 2008. Starting the season in AAA, Bailey has been pitching very well and so far, has compiled a 4-2 record with a 2.29 ERA in 39.1 innings pitched, striking out 32 and walking 9, displaying much better command. Memphis Bats manager Rick Sweet has been impressed so far:

“His stuff has just been electric coming out of his hands. All of his stuff is coming out of his hands better. Fastball, slider, curveball change-up; all of his pitches are better. … He’s in much more control of what he’s trying to do.”

It’s unclear when Bailey will be promoted to the big league club, but if he keeps pitching like he has, he’ll be joining fellow Reds prospects Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto sooner than later.

Fore more info, scouting reports and footage, check out Baseball Mastermind’s 2008 Top-25 Prospects.

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It is being reported that Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo tore his ACL in a collision with Chicago Cubs left fielder Reed Johnson in Thursday’s game. It is still uncertain whether he will get surgery, but it’s likely that he will and will miss the rest of the season.

This obviously is very bad news for the Brewers’ chances in 2008 as Gallardo would likely have been their best pitcher with the exception of the oft-injured Ben Sheets. I picked the Chicago Cubs to win the division, but I also really liked the Brewers’ chances because of the upside of their young team. With this injury, Dave Bush will take over for Gallardo in the rotation, leaving their rotation as:

1. Ben Sheets
2. Jeff Suppan
3. Carlos Villanueva
4. Manny Parra
5. Dave Bush

Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra still have the capability to perform at a high level, but unless Ben Sheets can remain healthy, the Brew Crew are going to be in trouble.

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I don’t have time to post something tonight as I have a midterm and a paper due tomorrow, so here is a question for today. Feel free to comment on it and discuss. Regular posting will resume tomorrow.

Question

With the addition of Frank Thomas and a relatively strong pitching staff and defense, will the Oakland Athletics give the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim a legitimate run for their money?

What are your predictions for wins for each team?

I say that Oakland will play good baseball, but fall short, winning 83 games but they will get solid contributions from Carlos Gonzalez and Gio Gonzalez down the stretch. The Angels will win 88 games, but they will out-perform their Pythogorean record and it will have been much closer than it looks.

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The Seattle Mariners have announced their decision to give catcher Kenji Johjima a three-year $24 million contract extension. This news should come as some shock as the Mariners’ top prospect, Jeff Clement, is a catcher and at the moment, is hitting .397/.535/.692 with five home runs for AAA Tacoma.

Johjima, 32, has served as the Mariners catcher the past two seasons after ten seasons in Japan, and has done well, hitting .281/.322/.426 with 18 and 14 home runs, respectively. Johjima has also been very strong defensively, throwing out 39% of base stealers for the Mariners.

There are a few problems with this extension: with Clement, 24, clearly ready to go offensively and Johjima looking weak offensively so far this season, hitting a meager .184/.253/.224 with no home runs in his first 73 AB, I have to wonder why the Mariners made it such a priority to re-sign Johjima that they did it before the season was over. Johjima has decent power for a catcher, but with his lack of plate discipline and his age, he will probably decline quickly offensively. Why not wait to see how he does this season before negotiating an extension? If Johjima were to have a down-year this season, it would definitely be as a result of his age and all the years spent behind the plate and as it is, Japanese players are believed to wear down at an earlier age, so with Johjima as the first Japanese catcher, we are in unchartered, albeit worrisome territory.

Even if Clement is determined to be unfit to make it as a catcher long-term based on his defense, he’s young enough where his offense should make it worthwhile for the coming seasons. I have to think the Mariners plan to mix Clement in as a part-time catcher and designated hitter this season, replacing the very un-DH-like Jose Vidro. After this season, Clement would increasingly take on more time at catcher iwith Johjima serving as a useful back-up and second option, which works as long as Johjima remains as strong as he has defensively, but really don’t see why they felt the need to extend him in-season.

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After starting the season with a 0-6 record and a 7.53 ERA, the San Francisco Giants have decided to move Barry Zito to the bullpen. Zito was unhappy with the decision, but also maintained his faith in management.

For those who are unhappy with Barry Zito’s performance this season and last, it’s only understandable given Zito’s record seven-year $126 million contract. However, the expectations on Zito based on his contract are unrealistic and when the move was made, the Giants were really trying to will something because they were in no real position to contend.

Let’s get some things straight: 1) Zito was never a hard-thrower and while the decline in his velocity is concerning, it was an inevitability, although the Giants were hoping the decline would come later rather than now. 2) Zito has never had good command of his fast ball. Even when Zito was at his best with Oakland, he was walking between 78 and 99 batters per season from 2001-06. That’s a bad combination and I’m not even factoring in Zito pitching for an A’s team with consistently strong defense behind him in his later years. At this point, hitters are just sitting on that fastball and things are getting ugly for the left-hander.

When the contract was signed, I never expected him to be a good pitcher, but a league-average innings eater? Yeah, I kind of expected that at least. So far, Zito has been neither. Will a move to the bullpen help him improve his command? Maybe a bit - to a passable level, hopefully. Will a move to the bullpen improve his velocity? I’m not sure it will.

Was that a really bad contract when it was signed? Yes, and I think everyone knew that, so why are people so surprised about his performance?

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I See Your Scherzer and Raise You A Meloan

Last week, I wrote about the possibility of Max Scherzer getting an opportunity this season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and he was indeed called up yesterday. While I am excited to see him pitch in the majors (albeit as a reliever at first it seems), I have already turned my attention to the next big impending call up, Jon Meloan of the Los Angels Dodgers. Meloan’s career K-Rate is as exciting as Scherzer’s (91 K’s in 66.2 IP) and the two seem to be sharing the same career path with their respective clubs. Meloan also projects as a reliever, but the Dodgers decided to stretch him out as a starter during the Spring in order to work on his command. All was going well (25 K’s in 25.2 IP) until he walked five in his last start, which lasted only four innings. I am anxious to see how he rebounds. If he does well in his next few starts, I believe the Dodgers are a team that could use an influx of youth and energy on the mound.

Minor Accomplishments

Trevor Cahill was flat-out dominant against the Ranch-Cucamonga Quakes on Sunday. This came after a less-than-stellar outing against San Jose Giants earlier in the week where he gave up 5 runs in 5 innings, while striking out 6. On Sunday, however, he struck out 12 in 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and an unearned run, while walking none in a no-decision. The run came on a throwing error in the first inning by Quake’s catcher Juan Nunez, when he attempted to throw out 2B Wilberto Ortiz at second. The error did not seem to faze Cahill, who struck out 7 of the next 9. Lots of details, I know, but what I am trying to say I can boil down to five words: Get. Him. While. You. Can.

Cardinal Sin

Said it before and will say it again, given the opportunity Brian Barton would help many fantasy baseball teams this season. To me, it’s almost a sin that he’s relegated to part-time duty in what has become a crowded outfield in St. Louis. Barton has been performing well off the bench, which is invaluable to a team, so it looks like it’ll take an injury or a trade to prove my point.

Rockie Mountain High

I feel the same way about Ryan Spilborghs. I’m high on him. He always seems to get the clutch hit off the bench and I’d love to see what he could do with everyday at bats.

New Sox

Gut feeling here, but the White Sox seem at wits end with Juan Uribe, which might be a golden opportunity for Alexei Ramirez. While Ramirez has not done much with the opportunities he’s been given so far, the fact that the Sox have not sent him down tells me they believe in him. If the Sox act on their disdain for Uribe, Ramirez could be a nice band-aid for fantasy teams with MI needs.

This Season, Not Next

Watched John Lannan on Sunday and to me he looks a lot like this year’s version of Kyle Kendrick, which is not a bad thing if you need a SP this season.

Did You Know?

What do Chris Young, Edinson Volquez, John Danks and Armando Galarraga have in common? All are former Texas Rangers, the same Texas Rangers with a current rotation of Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Jason Jennings and Sidney Ponson.

One Door Closes, Another One Opens

Francisco Liriano’s demotion gives Kevin Slowey a clear path into the rotation when he completes his rehab assignment. He has looked good so far, tossing five hitless innings on Saturday, while striking out five and only walking one. I am trying to add him or acquire him in any league I can.

Always Fun To Root For The David

If anyone needs proof that the Tampa Bays Rays can and will contend in the very near future, look no further than the way they played the Red Sox this past weekend. I know it’s just one series, but when Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz pitch like they did and the Rays do not even flinch, it shows me something. Now it looks like Tampa Bay gets Scott Kazmir back this week. Wow.

The 2008 Rays remind me a lot of the 1994 Cleveland Indians, albeit Tampa Bay has much better pitching than Cleveland ever did during their run in the 90’s. Another wow. If it sounds like I am a Rays fan, let it be know I am not. I just enjoy watching a young team that plays with high-energy and no franchise (besides maybe the Diamondbacks) has seen more highly touted prospects reach the majors in the last few years. Plus, it’s always fun watching a David slay a Goliath.

One-Hitter, Two-Hitter, Three-Hitter

Speaking of Buchholz, his outing on Saturday was heart-breaking. He was cruising for 7 2/3 shutout innings, striking out 9 and walking 2. Then he gave up that two-run shot to Akinori Iwamura. At the time of the homer, Buchholz’s pitch count was at 110. I have to think that Buchholz’s no-hitter last year affected Terry Francona’s decision to let him pitch the eighth. With Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and Jonathan Papelbon in your pen (none of whom pitched the prior day), why else would you send Buchholz to the mound with six outs remaining? More importantly, though, why leave Buchholz in the game after giving up a single to Dioner Navarro with his 102nd pitch?

What You Should Be Watching This Week:

Max Scherzer, Jon Meloan, Kevin Mulvy

Aquilino Lopez, Masahide Kobayashi, Chris Perez

Ronnie Cedeno, Blake Dewitt, Alexi Ramirez

Brewers at Cubs, Mets at Diamondbacks, Rays at Red Sox

Major League Words of Wisdom: The greatest trick the jinx ever pulled was convincing the world it did not exist.

Phil Brody resides in Los Angeles, California. He works as a freelance writer and director. In his spare time, he devours everything baseball. He can be reached at: philbrody@earthlink.net

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This is a question that many, especially within the Minnesota Twins organization are asking right now as the decision was made last week to option Francisco Liriano down to AAA Rochester. All of the indications are that Liriano is healthy and isn’t experiencing any pain in his delivery, so the problem must be either mechanical and/or to some extent mental.

There has been quite a bit written on the mechanical changes in Liriano’s delivery, which were made in order to help his long-term health. However, Baseball-Intellect has made the suggestion that the new delivery may be affecting the quality of his stuff:

His fastball, normally 93 - 95, sat at around 90 while his slider lacked that hard bite we’re used to seeing. Both pitches also lacked oomph. As expected, Liriano was rusty. He didn’t command his pitches all that well. However, it isn’t his control I would worry about. We need to see if his stuff can return to the quality it once was or at least get close to it.

Another article, written by pitching mechanics expert, Chris O’Leary commented on the above mentioned article, agreeing that the new arm slot would be advantageous for Liriano in the long-term as his pitching side elbow (PAS) is lower at the end of his delivery:

The key thing to notice is how his PAS elbow stays lower. This should reduce the strain on both his elbow and his shoulder…I should mention that I think that a major cause of Francisco Liriano’s elbow problems was his reliance on his hard slider. Combine the slider, which is probably the worst pitch for the elbow due to the forceful supination, with questionable pitching mechanics and you have a recipe for disaster.

Both articles are in agreement that Liriano’s mechanics, particularly the angle of his elbow, have changed. They are unsure if this is the reason for his struggles. His velocity is down a bit from where it was in 2006, which may be a product of a relative lack of arm strength.

I believe sending Francisco Liriano down will do him a lot of good and will allow him to regain his feel for his fastball and slider, which have both been lacking this season. He may not regain his 2006 form this season, or any season for that matter, but right now, the expectations are very high and he may be pressing.

The Minnesota Twins aren’t going to be able to seriously contend this season, so their number one priority should be to get Francisco Liriano back on track, whether that is a mechanical issue or otherwise is anyone’s guess.

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The Oakland Athletics announced their decision to bring back DH Frank Thomas for $337,000, or the prorated portion of the league minimum after the Toronto Blue Jays made the decision to release Thomas when the slugger complained publicly of the Jays’ decision to cut back his playing time. The Blue Jays are still on the hook for the remaining salary of the two-year $18.12 million deal Thomas signed with the Jays following the 2006.

Thomas had one of his better years in recent memory for the A’s in 2006 where he hit .270/.381/.545 with 39 home runs and 114 RBI. Thomas seemed content in his time in Oakland and upon re-signing with the A’s, he said, “I never wanted to leave [Oakland]. The finances didn’t work out a couple of years ago, but I sincerely wanted to stay. So when Toronto released me, this was my first choice, to come back here.”

Thomas will step in as the A’s full-time DH replacing the Jack Cust/Ryan Sweeney platoon they had been using.

The new A’s lineup will look something like this:

C- Kurt Suzuki
1B - Daric Barton/Mike Sweeney
2B - Mark Ellis
3B - Jack Hannahan/Donnie Murphy
SS - Bobby Crosby
LF - Jack Cust
CF - Ryan Sweeney
RF - Emil Brown
DH - Frank Thomas

This is still not a strong lineup by any means, but once RF Travis Buck returns from the disabled list and if 3B Eric Chavez can ever return healthy, the A’s have some chance of contending with a Los Angeles Angels team that is out two starters and a Seattle Mariners team that has looked lack-luster all season and doesn’t figure to get much better.

Frank Thomas isn’t going to make or break this team, but it is nice to add a high on-base percentage/high power guy to a lineup that was going to lack both.

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Technorati Tags: baseball, Daric Barton, Eric Chavez, frank thomas, jack cust, Mark Ellis, MLB, Oakland Athletics, Ryan Sweeney, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays

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