Out with the Older, In with the Old

The Phillies have decided what to do with Pedro - he will be a starter. However, to make room, they have sent Jaime Moyer to the bullpen. Yes, in with the old and out with the older.

This is a little surprising as Pedro did some relief work at the WBC, and Moyer is not crazy about coming out of the pen. In any event, it's done. Pedro will start Wednesday against the Cubs.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating - Phillies pitchers are worth more then other pitchers due to the great offense. In addition, Pedro is not just some pitcher, he's Pedro! He has shown that he still has a little in the tank. He probably won't go real deep in games, but should rack up some wins and average to above average strikeouts.

Moyer's value takes a huge nose dive in most formats. Pedro makes an intriguing flier in NL only and deeper formats. He might even help you make a little late season and playoff run.

-Scout Monkey

No Bull(pen): J.A. Happ

J.A. Happ owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Happ will be staying in the rotation. With the addition of Pedro Martinez, it looked like Philly might move Happ back to the bullpen (and into fantasy obscurity). But today, the Phillies announced that Happ is staying right where he is. I guess this isn't a surprise with the way Happ has been pitching. How does 6 wins, 2 losses in 14 starts sound? Oh yea, ERA of 2.80. On top of that, he just pitched a complete game shutout. Don't forget, he pitches for the Phillies - an offensive juggernaut that can make any pitcher look a little better (not that Happ needs it). Still, something must change to accommodate Pedro. If not Happ, then what? Latest thoughts are a 6 man rotation, Pedro to the pen, perhaps even Moyer to the Pen. Whatever the case, Happ is safe. Happ is owned in less then half of fantasy leagues. He may not be a top tier pitcher yet, but he's up there. All formats need to consider him (except AL only of course). -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)

I'm Back! I'm Pedro!

Being recognized by just your first name in sports is pretty cool. Michael, Tiger, Kobe, LeBron, Bo, Magic (close enough), Larry, Manny, to name a few. Pedro Martinez makes the list. In his prime, he is probably my most favorite pitcher to watch (I see a lot of him in Lincecum). Pedro, however, is 37 years old and definitively past his prime. He has injury issues, velocity issues, weight issues (today someone commented that he looked like he was 'stuck in a vat of cheese and had to eat his way out'). But come on, he's Pedro! Despite the negatives, he is still a brilliant pitcher - not that he's the smartest guy (maybe he is, maybe he isn't, we're not friends) - he is baseball smart. His 'A' stuff is long gone, but with his smarts and his 'B' stuff, he still can be pretty nasty. Clearly I'm a little biased, but I would take a flier on him in deeper leagues or NL only leagues (in fact, I did). He moves up a spot as he will be pitching for the Phillies, with a good defense behind him and a top notch offense. He won't go deep in too many games, he may not stay injury free for the second half, he won't strike out hit 1+ batter an inning (his heyday was AWESOME), but he could prove good enough to make a difference on your team in the second half. Maybe he'll make your team so good that your friends will start referring to you by your first name! -Scout Monkey

( scout_monkey@gmx.com)