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The seemingly brittle NL West teams just can't seem to catch a break when it comes to key injuries. The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't had their optimal lineup all year, and two outfielders are still out. The San Diego Padres got center fielder Cameron ...

Blog | June 14, 2013

It would be a waste of time to look for faults in Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole's big league debut. He took a four-hit, no-walk shutout into the seventh inning at PNC Park against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night, with a larger...

Blog | June 12, 2013

Tuesday was not a good day for the San Francisco Giants. Before having to face hard-throwing Pittsburgh Pirates rookie phenom Gerrit Cole in his debut, the Giants placed third baseman Pablo Sandoval on the disabled list because of a strained left foo...

Blog | June 12, 2013

All the games count equally, so let's not shortchange Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo for Monday's excellent performance as he tossed eight innings of four-hit, shutout ball against the lowly Miami Marlins. After all, Miami's lineup di...

Blog | June 11, 2013

Kansas City Royals first baseman/designated hitter Billy Butler remains 100 percent owned in ESPN standard leagues, but, judging by my Twitter feed, patience is apparently running thin. Butler might have quieted the critics with Wednesday's three-hit...

Blog | June 06, 2013

Fantasy owners sure love the prospects, the constant temptation of the unknown with potentially Trout-ian upside, so it was hardly surprising that one optimistic Tweet after another flowed in Monday asking about how otherworldly new Los Angeles Dodge...

Blog | June 04, 2013

Unlike home runs and stolen bases and most offensive statistics, for that matter, pitcher wins are not a good gauge of a player's true ability. They just aren't. We could compare myriad sets of pitchers in this space with similar statistics in ERA, W...

Blog | May 30, 2013

It might seem crazy to bet against Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera leading the majors in pretty much whatever he wants to, but when predicting the final home run leaders for 2013, based on what we know so far and what I think will happen, I'm g...

Blog | May 28, 2013

Relying on batting average drains such as Chicago White Sox first baseman Adam Dunn and Atlanta Braves second baseman Dan Uggla can be painful for any fantasy owner, but when they're hitting for power -- like they were Monday night -- they can still ...

Blog | May 22, 2013

Rumors that Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly could be out of work soon make little sense, since he's not the one who built his flawed yet expensive team, rife with injuries, poor play and a lack of depth. On Monday night in Milwaukee, the Do...

Blog | May 21, 2013

While it seems as if everyone acknowledges Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout and Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper as the best young players in baseball, it sure looks as though the Baltimore Orioles have themselves a special young ...

Blog | May 16, 2013

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon got the call to replace injured Hanley Ramirez in the big leagues barely a week ago, and while it's a bit premature to call the lanky speedster a finished product or safe to keep his starting role the rest of ...

Blog | May 13, 2013

Big league managers don't always make what others perceive as the best choices when deciding who should and who should not be the designated closer for their teams. In fact, one might argue, when faced with a less-than-obvious choice, they seem ...

Blog | May 09, 2013

Eric Karabell has the latest news on closers, including Heath Bell taking over in Arizona with J.J. Putz on the disabled list.

Blog | Conversation | May 09, 2013

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay began Sunday owned in 100 percent of ESPN standard leagues, but that number is going to drop precipitously in the coming days. Halladay owners trusted him Sunday against the awful Miami Marlins, despite...

Blog | May 06, 2013

Eric Karabell discusses Roy Halladay's value now that he's admitted to shoulder woes, and ranks the top players currently on the disabled list.

Blog | Conversation | May 06, 2013