Yoan Manuel Moncada Olivera has long been hyped as the next big thing in Cuba during a distinguished amateur career. He was born May 27th, 1995. He’s a switch-hitter who primarily played third base in international tournaments as a youth, but mostly second and a bit of shortstop with Cienfuegos in Serie Nacional. There’s a good chance that he’s seeking …
Yoan Moncada: The Next Great Cuban Defector?
Since it has become socially acceptable to speculate on which Cuban great will be the next to play in the Major Leagues, allow me to throw in my two cents: Yoan Moncada. Unlike Alfredo Despaigne’s case, there’s good reason to think it could happen soon. Yoan Manuel Moncada is a switch-hitting second-basemen who played for Cienfuegos alongside Jose Abreu and …
Alfredo Despaigne Returns to Cuba
In the past week, there have been rumblings about Cuban outfielder Alfredo Despaigne possibly playing in the United States. None of it makes much sense. Despaigne is one of the best players in Cuba. He’s a short outfielder with an extremely quick bat, a corner outfielder who could probably play regularly in majors. Last year, Despaigne started playing in Mexico …
Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 7
After complaining last week about the lack of impending callups last week, they have started to come quickly. Starting Pitchers Rafael Montero Called up by the Mets. Though not thought to have premium stuff, he has been consistently successful throughout the minor leagues with good strikeout rates and great control. He’s a flyball pitcher, but should be able to get …
Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 6
Previous editions are here. This week, I’ll focus mainly on starting pitchers. Starting Pitchers Josh Beckett I understand that some find owning older, injury-prone veterans like Beckett distasteful, but he should really be on a roster in every league right now. His velocity is up, he’s throwing his curveball as frequently as he did in his prime, he plays in …
Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 5
My apologies for the late (and short) offering. I was indisposed today. Plenty of my previous rec’s are still widely available, given that these tend toward the deeper options. Dallas Keuchel An Astros starting pitcher? Really? Believe me, I’m as shocked as you are. And I don’t blame you for passing; he’s not likely to help your win totals, after …
Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 4
Previous editions are here. As a reminder, with rare exceptions, I will highlight players at less than 30% ownership levels in Yahoo and ESPN leagues. Starting Pitchers Marcus Stroman Dustin McGowan was an intriguing fantasy bet in 2007 and 2008. In one of my leagues, I added him to my watch list after he was hurt 2008, and he’s been …
2014 MLB Draft: The Premium Arms
Draft season is starting to heat up, so it’s worth paying attention to some of the rumblings that are emerging. The consensus seems to be that there is a top tier of pitchers consisting of about five players: three from college and two from the high-school ranks. On the whole, observers are frustrated that there hasn’t been more separation. Coming …
Fantasy Waiver Wire: Week 3
Previous editions are here. Decent players are starting to show up on waiver wires after slow starts. Now is the time to scoop them up. I’ll start with this week’s big callup, though. Outfielders George Springer Unless your league has weekly transactions, it’s probably too late to pick up Springer. I do think he should be owned in all formats. …
Justin Grimm, Setup Man
When Justin Grimm came over from the Rangers in the Matt Garza trade last year, his profile seemed straightforward. Three pitches: fastball, curveball, and changeup. There was nothing remarkable about any of them. The fastball sat around 92-93, and he was starting to mix in a sinker. His minor league numbers were OK. In limited major-league appearances, his peripherals were …