Buy Buy Buy - Alfredo Simon, SP, Detroit Tigers
If I told you 3 years ago that in the 2015 season, the Tigers rotation would be led by a right-handed power pitcher with a strong fastball, you'd have probably laughed and said "No way, Justin Verlander will be pitching for another team by then." Well, idiot from 3 years ago, I hate to tell you this, but not only is JV still in Detroit, but we aren't talking about him. An offseason acquisition from the Reds, Simon, 33, had a renaissance year in 2014, pitching to a 3.44 ERA (4.33 FIP) in 196 1/3 innings, his first season as a starter since 2011. He won't ever be a big strikeout hurler, as the 7.67 K/9 he posted back in 2012 still represents a career high, and the low BABIP is also a sign that regression is due, but if he can continue to limit walks at a 0.87 clip per 9, that will go a long way towards keeping the ERA and FIP roughly in line with each other. While his fastball has dropped this season from 94 MPH to 92, Simon's pinpoint control normally helps him avoid getting into too many jams. He's never posted any particularly overwhelming numbers until last season, and even those put him in the "acceptable" fantasy tier rather than the "must-draft" tier. Still, until the blowup comes to pass, he can add a lot of value to your team. Never thought those words would be uttered about an erstwhile murderer.
Sell Em If You Got Em - Mike Zunino, C, Seattle Mariners
Nobody expects a lot of fantasy-relevant numbers to come out of any backstop, but if you're one of the hundreds of people that saw 22 homers next to Zunino's name last year (while somehow ignoring the .199 average), you may have the wool pulled a little too tightly over your eyes. While the 24 year old certainly provides a ton of power from a position not known for it, the rest of Zunino's counting stats suffer mightily even when compared to other catchers. In 196 career games over the last 3 years, he's managed a .261 OBP and a .364 SLG. When you're struggling to break the .650 mark in OPS, you're simply unqualified to face major league pitching, even if you can call for it with aplomb. In fact, it's likely that Zunino still has the starting job in Seattle due to the lack of depth behind him: Jesus Montero is still in Triple-A fending off snide remarks about his weight, and Jesus Sucre is a make-believe person with 69 plate appearance over the last 2 years. Just because the Mariners can't afford to let him go doesn't mean you should needlessly cling to him, though. Jason Castro of the Astros is available in 90 percent of Yahoo leagues, and is an eminently better hitter.
Hurlers In The Stream - Dan Haren, SP, Miami Marlins
Haren is one of the more well-traveled pitchers in today's game: since 2010, he's been traded from the Diamondbacks to the Angels, played for the Nationals and Dodgers one year apiece, and then shipped to the Marlins during this past offseason. Haren, 34, has managed to stay steadily employed despite a sharp dropoff in the velocity of his fastball; this is likely due to the heavier reliance on his splitter, which he's throwing more frequently as the miles come off his other pitches. In spite of that, Haren remains a relatively competent major league-caliber starter, and the team he's facing tonight in Philadelphia more closely resembles a disinterested Little League squad than an MLB one. While Chase Utley might give him the fits, there's no other reason to believe this matchup won't end in Haren's favor.
Minor League Korner - Addison Russell, SS/2B, Chicago Cubs
We're kinda cheating here, but nobody's actually reading these posts, so does it even matter? If a fantasy expert gets something wrong and nobody's around to call him on it, was he ever really incorrect? The most recent in a long line of Cubs prospects making their debut in the hopes of turning the big league club around, Russell may have the most upside of them all. A middle infielder with power is a beautiful sight to behold, and the 21 year old has that in spades. He can run and field beautifully, but unless you're playing in a defense league (and let's face it, you probably don't), that isn't going to help you. What will help you if you're a Russell owner is him playing half of his games in the Friendliest of Confines: with the wind blowing out, most hits coming off of Russell's bat should find some part of the ivy at Wrigley Field if nothing else. Slotting him ahead of Kris Bryant in the lineup should also give Russell a boost, as it'll become much harder for pitchers to pitch around him. The future continues to get brighter in Chicago, another nonsensical sentiment.
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