Fantasy Baseball Hit and Run – October 13

From one curse to another: can Theo bring hope to Wrigley? (Elsa/Getty Images)

The Hit and Run is designed to be a weekly update on all things in the world of baseball both real and fantasy. The setup is fairly simple. The news will be given “quick-hit” style with links to the full story; then I’ll be off with the pitch and give you the run-down analysis of how I think it affects the teams involved and the value of the players from a fantasy perspective. So here’s the pitch, with the runner going…

Hit: Albert Pujols destroys Milwaukee to this point in the NLCS. Call to the pen, USA Today

Run: Pujols is going to get paid big time this offseason. Any questions that were lingering after his injury and “down year” are being erased game-by-game. The Cards will definitely do all they can to keep him but I think there will be some crazy team that will go to the 10^th year that Albert was asking for.  I hope he stays, but I think he goes (don’t worry Cards’ fans, not to the Cubs). Either way and no matter where he ends up he’ll be the unanimous #1 overall pick due to his consistency and absolutely astounding reliability to put up huge numbers.

Hit: Theo Epstein on his way to the Cubs. Boston Herald-first reported. ESPN

Run: Theo’s move to the Windy City could mean quite the overhaul of the Cubs roster. It’s hard to say exactly what will happen and who will stay or go but it at least means a shakeup and possibly some major signings. Theo’s effective overhaul of the Sox farm system took a few years but if he has the freedom (which he should) he loves to make big splashes both through trades and free agent signings. It’s impossible to say who will be where but expect plenty of moving pieces.

Hit: Ryan Howard suffers injury on final out of Phillies season. Yahoo Philadelphia Inquirer

Run: Adding injury to insult the Howard injury on the last out of the last game for the Phillies led to one of the most bizarre celebrations in MLB history and the Cards celebrated while Howard writhed in pain. A torn Achilles is supposed to be 6 months recovery, which means he’ll probably miss part of spring training and possibly the regular season. This could either make him a bargain in the 3^rd or 4^th round or make him a huge gamble in the 1^st or 2^nd. More than anything, this is a wait and watch situation as he has the surgery and then recovers throughout the offseason.

Hit: CC will likely opt out of Yankees contract. NY Post

Run: CC’s probably not going anywhere but it will most likely cost the Yanks more money and years to keep him. If he does leave the Bronx Bombers their rotation will lose one of the few reliable starters it has. The Yankees already will be active on the free agent starter market that includes names like C J Wilson, Edwin Jackson, Jon Garland, and maybe Ryan Dempster and Aaron Cook (options) and to lose CC would devastate them. I think they’ll retain him no matter what the cost, but the cross-town Mets might make a run which would keep him in his beloved NYC but still get him the money if the Yankees won’t dish it out (yes, that would be a first.) Regardless of where Sabathia pitches he’ll be a top 10 starter; again, stay tuned throughout the offseason we’ll keep you up to date on this situation as well.

Hit: Papi talks about Boston and the Yankees. ESPN Boston

Run: Go ahead, kick Red Sox Nation while they’re as down as possible. Go ahead… we can take it… From a fantasy perspective Yankee Stadium would be a huge boost to Papi’s HR totals. I would never be able to pick him because of the Brutus-factor, but he’d be a big help to somebody. My feeling is after some time away he’ll be back in Boston with the Sox for another year. Keep an eye on this though; it’s shaping up to be a fascinating offseason in the hub.

Hit: Arizona wants to bring back Aaron Hill but at a cheaper price than his option, but the snakes will probably pick up Willie Bloomquist and Henry Blanco’s options. AZCentral

Run: Aaron Hill is a borderline mixed league start due to the lack of depth at 2B. His numbers in Arizona were good so staying there or at least in the NL would seem to make sense and add to his value. Bloomquist and Blanco are more role players which don’t carry a ton of fantasy value but do help keep the NL West champs intact headed into next year.

Hit: Robin Ventura as White Sox Manager. Sun-Times

Run: Ozzie takes his profanity-laced rants to the media hungry Marlins and the White Sox go with a surprise in Ventura. It could change how certain players and especially the bullpen guys are utilized. While it’s definitely a situation worth monitoring as we head into next year, it’s impossible to  anticipate exactly how Robin will run the team since it’s his first managerial position.

Hit: Magglio Ordonez wants to keep playing. MLB

Run: Mags will definitely have to sign for less money and it would seem weird to picture him anywhere but Mo-town. He could be a serviceable hitter especially for average depending on what situation he ends up in. Keep an eye on where he lands.

Hit: Royals claim Aaron Laffey from the Yankees. Cumberland Times-News

Run: Royals starters can have value (see Bruce Chen) and if Laffey wins a spot this could bear watching at least in AL only leagues.

Tags: Baseball, Cubs, David Ortiz, hit and run, hot stove, MLB, news, Pujols, Red Sox