RotoSynthesis Blog Posts for Cleveland Indians

Early Returns on Roster Expansion Madness

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 54:00 AM 0000

Last week, fellow RotoSynthesizer* Rob Leibowitz discussed September roster expansion and its implications for the fantasy player. I agree with Rob that it's an exciting time of year -- especially for those of us in keeper leagues looking to get a sense of an organization's intentions for 2010.

*Is this the term?

Just a couple of days into the new month, RotoWire's Recent Debuts page is as active as it probably will be all season (with the exception of early April, maybe). Not every personnel decision has been made, but there are already enough to take a look at some early returns.

Here are three players of note as we head into the final month of regular season play.

Arizona Fall League Rosters Announced-Loaded With Talent

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:00 PM 0000

Preliminary rosters for the Arizona Fall League were announced today. The rosters are loaded with talent. In the past, however, for one reason or another some preliminary names were removed when the games actually began. So this list is subject to alteration.

Quantifying Patience and Timing in Fantasy Baseball

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 39:00 PM 0000

What we can learn from buying lowest, David Ortiz, and partial-season dollar values.

Finder's Keepers: Some Young Players to Consider

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 29:00 AM 0000

For those of you who, like myself, won’t be finishing first in your keeper league this season, this is a good time of year to start combing the waiver wires for players who’ve been dropped either due to injury, lack of playing time, or poor performance. The fallout from an active trade deadline, coupled with other factors like the upcoming September roster expansion, can make this an opportune moment to speculate on players who could be receiving a boost in value soon.

One sort of player to focus on, in particular, is the former prospect who, for whatever reason, has lost his glossy sheen but is still young enough to show improvement if given playing time.

Recently, I went through the free agent list in my twenty-team, mixed-league keeper league and was able to find some available players who fit that profile. Obvious caveats apply in re keeper rules and stat categories.

Subversive Trade Deadline Strategies, Fans' Edition

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 40:00 AM 0000

How Yankees fans can sabotage the Rays' playoff chances.

What I'm Watching At The Deadline (And The Rest Of The Season)

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:00 PM 0000

As much as teams try to look at the big picture, today's actual problems always seem to carry more weight than tomorrow's theoretical problems. A team with a great pitching staff in paper that's getting lit up leading into the trade deadline might feel compelled to reach out for an ace or a bullpen stopper. A team expected to score a ton of runs that hits a July offensive swoon might have trouble resisting the urge to trade premium prospects for a middle-of-the-order bat.

Here are two situations we're watching that could prompt teams to make deals they wouldn't have expected to make a few months, or even a few weeks ago.

Mitch Stetter, Sooper-LOOGY

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 38:00 AM 0000

Maybe it's the fact that he pitches for Milwaukee. Maybe it's the fact that he's considered little more than a lefty specialist. But Mitch Stetter has gotten very little attention despite being on something of a crazy tear over his last five games.

In that stretch, he's faced 13 batters. One of them, Troy Tulowitzki, beat out an infield single to shortstop. Another, Victor Martinez, grounded back to the mound and reached on a fielder's choice.

The other 11 struck out.

BABIP of the Week: Carl Pavano(?!)

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:00 AM 0000

In this week's edition of BABIP of the Week, we examine a very unlikely tout: Carl Pavano.

Yahoo's Can't Cut List and Projecting the Fall(s)

Fri, 1 May 2009 42:00 AM 0000

So here's a little exercise for you: Who's going to end up with the worst season among players considered pre-season MLB superstars?

This Year's Cliff Lee? Jarrod Washburn

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 48:00 PM 0000

Making the case for a most unlikely breakout pitcher.

Denver on the Hudson?

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:00 AM 0000

The Yankees may have a home run problem on their hands... aside from the fact that Chien-Ming Wang is giving up too many.

MLB Playoff Team Predictions

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 45:00 AM 0000

I'll post complete projections for all 30 teams, with regular-season records, playoff results and award winners, at JonahKeri.com before Monday's first pitch. For now, here are your eight 2009 MLB playoff teams.

Strat-O-Matic 2009 Card Review - Part 1 (The Hitters)

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 36:00 PM 0000

Spring is in the air! That means it is time to prepare for your Strat-O-Matic league. Sometimes the difference between coming home with a championship are those handful of 'freak' cards that may not be the best long-term talent, but will do a fantastic job in a platoon or as a pinch-hitter in the right situation. We will cover pitchers in an upcoming blog entry.

Prospect Tuesdays on Fantasy Focus

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 08:00 PM 0000

For the next three weeks, we'll be having John Sickels on for the full hour and talk exclusively about prospects on Fantasy Focus.