Rotoman

Rotoworld.com on Mike Rivera

Rivera continues to hit, Mitch Meluskey is behind schedule in his rehab and Brandon Inge is a defensive specialist who has been sent to the minors. Rivera had an excellent 2001 season in Double-A, but at 24 was old for the level, and hadn’t shown all that much before that.

With Inge and Javier Cardona (who was traded to San Diego today) out of the picture, Rivera is suddenly a strong candidate to become Numero Uno in Detroit. Good for him. Just don’t expect his hot hitting hand to continue. Comerica is a much different problem for hitters than Joker Marchant stadium in Lakeland is, and he isn’t going to get as many at bats against pitchers with suspect curves and mid-level fastballs as he’s been getting.

Still, he’s not a wild free-swinger and an opportunity is an opportunity. But Meluskey is suddenly feeling better, which could mean Rivera will get the backup slot. Still, he’s well worth a bid. If Dean Palmer starts the year on the DL Meluskey will see his most of his AB at DH. And Rivera could be on his way to 350-400 AB, though 250-300 is more likely.

ESPN.com: MLB – Dodgers, Expos swap relievers in four-player trade

Matt Herges, who alienated the Dodgers’ affections by asking for a contract reworking when he was considered the team’s closer this year, isn’t expected to get any saves in Montreal, but if Scott Strickland runs into problems Herges is now a solid guy to turn to.

I’ve been touting Mota for two years now, but he hasn’t posted results when asked. There is some chance he’ll end up in the Dodgers’ mix, especially if they go to a closer committee, but his best quality will remain that he isn’t going to be costly. And frankly, he may not be worth more than a little. If that.

The other bodies in this deal may have some minor impact in a year or two, but needn’t be on anyone’s radar right now.

ESPN.com: MLB – Padres trade infielder Jackson, catcher Walbeck to Tigers

Damian Jackson changes leagues and while he’s going to be a liability because of his batting average, he’s going to play enough to help a team more in steals. For a team with a high average or a team that is conceding last place in average, he could prove a valuable pickup.

Everybody else in this deal will probably end up in the minors, and even if they don’t they don’t offer much of anything in a fantasy sense.

Boston Globe Online / Sports / Merloni finds his fans aren’t only in stands

The hed is about Merloni, but the tidbit that is interesting is that Merloni and Carlos Baerga appear to have the inside track on jobs in Boston. Whither Jose Offerman?

John Henry says he’d be willing to eat a big contract if it would help the team. I know I said a couple of weeks ago that it made more sense for Offerman to start and Rey Sanchez to play backup, but it looks like Offerman’s defense is about to do him in. After talking to a number of Bostonians who swear Offerman single-handedly destroyed Derek Lowe’s 2001 season, I’m convinced.

It hasn’t happened yet, but it looks like Offerman is out.

Will he get picked up somewhere? It can’t help that he’s hitting just .229 this spring.

ESPN.com: MLB Index

Oh, on the ESPN.com front page the headline reads D’Backs’ catcher Durazo to miss six weeks.

They must have some temps working.

ESPN.com: MLB – Camps roundup: D-Backs’ Durazo to miss six weeks

There is always something wrong with Durazo. He was again convincing me this spring that the Diamondbacks were crazy to sign Grace last year. He was leading all spring training hitters in AVG and total bases. But now he’s out until the end of April, and for the third time it’s a bone in his right wrist. The doctor is saying this is unrelated to his two previous right wrist surgeries, but really.

There is something wrong with this ESPN.com article, which seems to suggest that the loss of Durazo is really going to screw up the Diamondbacks, but fortunately they have Rod Barajas to play some first base in his absence. Very weird.

Mark Grace was the D’backs’ first baseman before and after this simple twist of fate.

The Roto Times Chad Fox Profile

So, shouldn’t that have been expected. Sure, he said he didn’t think anything severe was going on. And who would know better? Me, or a guy who has pitched 73 innings in the past three years?

An MRI today revealed bone chips. There isn’t a prognosis yet, but it can’t be good.

Curt Leskanic is happy right now to be able to play catch, so it appears that newly acquired burner Jose Cabrera and Mike DeJean will be the Brewers’ closers to start the season. Both are capable of doing the job, but in this situation all it takes is one bad outing for the opportunity to end.

Don’t go crazy bidding for them, even if it’s announced Fox and Leskanic are out until the middle of the season.

are you guys stupid? both you and mayo say bud smith might start the year in the minors, with stephenson and benes in the cards rotation. there is no way in hell benes is in the rotation over smith. right now, the rotation goes morris, kile, williams, smith , and stephenson. do you people know anything? a guy that has won big at every level of the minors…pitched a no hitter in his rookie year…was 6-3 3.83 era and 1.22 whip in his first season is going to be sent down?

i really have to question your credibility as a so called baseball expert with stupid comments like this.

A team that has too many pitchers and needs to send one to the minors is obliged to send a pitcher with options. Otherwise they must expose him to irrevocable waivers. None of those other pitchers have options left. Smith does.

This story from the St. Louis Post Dispatch last weekend explains this. St. Louis Post Dispatch: Smith Shines Again But Might Be Odd Man Out

Next time why don’t you try reading (and perhaps thinking just a smidge) before you start spewing your bile.

Mr. Fedducia responded: give me a break. andy benes over bud smith. it’s obvious to anyone that knows anything about baseball (which obviosly you don’t) that they are just trying to give benes a fair shot and will send him to the pen.

Okay, I give up.

I’m in a 5X5, MLB league with only nine participants. Question: I see eight
stud third basemen and don’t want to get stuck with the ninth-best if it’s a steep
drop-off. The top eight, as I see it, are Chipper, Pujols, Glaus, Nevin,
Rolen, Chavez, Koskie, Ramirez.

Two: If Beltre is #9, should I believe the hype about him about to break out
this year into a 30-30 guy. Is he really as young as reported? Can this guy
produce in a park and lineup not conducive to breakout offensive seasons?

I think it’s unlikely that Koskie or Ramirez will match last year’s numbers, but I think they’re both solid players. Ramirez should see a dropoff in batting average. Koskie is more of a production thing. Most guys don’t suddenly do all that more hitting without falling back a little bit. But some guys do. There isn’t really anything weird about Koskie’s performance except that the increase was so sudden.

Beltre is that rare Dominican player who actually said he was older than he was. The lie, and the Dodgers’ cover up of it, cost the team the right to sign South American players and some cash. It also got Beltre a nice fat contract.

He missed spring training last year because of illness. He is a totally first rate prospect who is being run down this year for reasons that aren’t apparent to me. I’d say you should consider him an equal of Ramirez, perhaps a few steals behind Koskie. If he goes much more cheaply than the other two he’s the one you want.

RollingStone.com Hall of Fame pix

In 1977 I lived on the east side of New York just a few blocks from a bar called CBGB (which initials, oddly, stood and stand for Country, Blue Grass, Blues). My girlfriend and I lived in a basement loft, or at least that’s what we called it, somehow happy to trade off a view for a fair amount of room.

In heavy rotation on the turntable that year were records by the Ramones, the Talking Heads and Tom Petty, all of whom were inducted into rock ‘n’ roll’s Hall of Fame last night.

Talking Heads seemed to represent some sort of brittle future, an artsy geeky world that really has come to pass, while Tom Petty seemed a throwback, a talented appropriator of the tricks of the Byrds. The Ramones, of course, seemed to have their feet in both camps, virulently old style while making noises no one had ever heard before.

After the Tout Wars draft the other night, when the conversation wasn’t about baseball, it seemed to veer toward this music, too. But I’m really digressing here, there isn’t anything about baseball here. Just an illustration of the way time slips into the future. Remember, “Hours are like diamonds, don’t let them waste.”