Doctor confirms Pujols has tear, but won’t need immediate surgery – MLB

ESPN

The issue here is what do you think you should pay for an Albert Pujols who could shut down at any time. The rehab from the surgery is supposed to be eight months, which is why it didn’t make sense to do it last October.

Eight months back from next February is  May, which is probably too soon to count the Cardinals out even if you’re a pessimist.

But unless the Cards are really in it come June 15th or so, it makes sense to shut Albert down and focus on the last two years of his contract with them. A half a season of Albert is worth about $20, though at this point uncertainty is going to drive his price to $30. I’m going to go with $22.

Maybe the Pujols uncertainty is a good reason to start Colby Rasmus in the minors. Or it may be a good reason to promote him aggressively, the way the Cards once upon a time promoted Pujols. That’s a story worth watching closely.

Cole Hamels Goes on Disabled List: Due Back Sept 1

The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News

My early season naysaying about Hamels was based primarily on his fairly regular injury history until last year. Those who didn’t bite, or who bit at a lower price, benefited, since until now Hamels has been an excellent starting pitcher. This injury, which has been described as minor, doesn’t vindicate my earlier call. Hamels has done too much to shame my preseason precaution, but it does go part of the way to explain why we don’t pay full value for pitchers. They do a dangerous job.

Ask Rotoman: Fantasy 411

The Official Site of Major League Baseball

A reader asks for the best of a long list of free agents, considering he can only take one for the rest of the season. Another wants me to tell him who to offer to get Ichiro, since he needs batting average. A third, a bastard, asks me about my miserable Tout Wars NL team.

Reading my answer to the third question, now, later, I wonder if I gave enough explanation. Certainly a big part of why my team sucks is because Chris Carpenter, the linch pin of my pitching strategy, crashed on Opening Day. But my bigger point was that I bet on Clay Hensley, Jason Jennings and Zach Duke, hoping that one would be good and one would be okay, and all three failed.

That, more than Carpenter’s injury, crashed my season. And it is probably a good idea in next week’s Ask Rotoman to look at what $4-$9 starters paid dividends. Unless you think we should look at something else.

Ask away at askrotoman@gmail.com. Thanks.

Schilling’s aching shoulder

The Hardball Times

A while back I posted about a Joe Sheehan story that delved into the pitch by pitch data that MLB is making available. Here’s another story, by HT’s John Walsh, looking behind the news using those numbers. I’m still not sure what to make of it, his discussion about potential errors is very important, but nonetheless the potential for all this data to open up vast new areas of understanding about the game is obvious.

Viral gastroenteritis: Signs and symptoms – MayoClinic.com

What Josh Hamilton Has

I got curious about the prognosis for gastroenteritis after it soundeed like he was ready to play Monday, but—as Rotowire put it—”suffered a set back during batting practice.” So, here are some disgusting detail to mull over as he heads to the DL.

Also note that a person with a long history of drug use and an impaired immune system is more likely to have a strong reaction to the virus than someone with a healthy immune system.

Carpenter to undergo elbow surgery

Yahoo! Sports

This past Wednesday I wrote about Chris Carpenter:

So how is Carpenter doing? He threw Tuesday and said he felt fine, though we all know from experience that a pitcher always say that about his arm unless the darn thing is about to fall off (or maybe already has fallen off). Past history suggests that if all goes well, he’ll be back in two to three weeks, and maybe he’ll be able to slog through the season.

Or, of course, after a few more promising episodes throwing off a mound and then in a simulated game, he’ll be pulled from a rehab start and shut down to have surgery. He then might be in position to try to help the Cardinals secure a playoff spot in September.

We now know that it was the latter possibility that came to pass. I bring this up because I pursued Carpenter aggressively in Tout Wars NL and now face likely ruin this season in that league because of it. Carpenter’s demise is a reminder why the so-called experts don’t push the prices of any starting pitchers, which is why I’ve had pretty good success in recent years in Tout Wars loading up on starters.

Just not this year. Will I go after the best starter again next year? Despite the risk, if the prices for top starters stay low, I’ll be there.