It’s been a rough 24 hours. First, I looked at how my AL-only team did last night, and I saw that Erik Bedard and James Shields combined for 16 shutout innings … and neither got me a win. Then I find out today that B.J. Ryan -- whom I own in two leagues -- is out for the year. Bad back my you-know-what, J.P.
Anyway, a few things …
* After Jason Marquis’ three-hit shutout last night, there was a headline, photo caption and write-up on another Web site that made the Cubs righty sound like Sandy Koufax Jr. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. Yes, Marquis has been terrific: 5-1, 1.70. And yes, he is worthy of praise. But there’s no way he’s going to continue pitching this well. I’d sell high in a heartbeat.
My main worry about Marquis is his 24/13 K/BB in 47 2/3 innings. The walk total is OK (especially for him), but 24 K’s in 47 2/3 innings -- a 4.53 K/9 -- just isn’t sufficient. Marquis doesn’t miss enough bats to keep pitching like a Cy Young winner. He yields too many batted balls, and once those batted balls start dropping in and finding holes, he’s going to be in trouble.
* If you’re looking for a buy-low catcher, how about Josh Bard? Although he’s been horrible this month (.130 average, .390 OPS), his K/BB for May is a fine 3/4. Overall, he’s hitting more fly balls this year, too -- could translate to increased power down the line. Don’t expect Johnny Bench numbers here, but Bard should provide good bang for the buck if you can get him.
* Two closer notes:
1. Jorge Julio is apparently going to get his closer’s job back in Florida. Whether he can pitch well enough to keep it remains to be seen, but if Julio was dropped in your league after his horrid start, you might want to pick him up if you need saves.
As for current Marlins closer Henry Owens, you might want to sell high while he’s still the closer. Of course, keeping him might be wise as well, since Julio could struggle and Owens could eventually get the job back. Either action seems prudent right now.
2. Tony Pena got a save on Tuesday with Jose Valverde unavailable, so one has to figure that Pena would be The Man should something happen to Valverde. It’s worth noting, however, that although Pena throws gas, he’s striking out just 4.66 batters per nine innings. I’ve read a few reports on other sites hyping this guy, but I’m skeptical whether he’d be an effective stopper right now.
