Trade Target: Go Fish
By Todd Gold
ProFantasyBaseball.com
One year ago today Chien-Ming Wang was 6-1 with a 2.90 ERA and looked to be an early contender for the Cy Young award. At the same time CC Sabathia was 2-5 with a 6.55 ERA. Obviously it is still way too early to jump to conlusions about any player, especially starting pitchers. I am not here to remind you to hang onto your slumping stars, but rather tip you off to one that you should steal away from a panicked opponent.
There are many obvious buy low options out there, including the afore-mentioined CC Sabathia, Jimmy Rollins and Josh Hamilton just to scratch the surface. But the one that should have the best ripoff potential of all is Ricky Nolasco. The Marlins' ace currently has owners frustrated and should come on the cheap thanks to an atroscious 7.78 ERA.
Nolasco's current Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), which is what a hurlers ERA SHOULD be is at a slightly disappointing but solid 4.34 (a full explanation of FIP can be found here). It is important to note that Nolasco got off to a slow start last year by posting a 5.79 ERA in April, before settling down and posting excellent totals the rest of the way (6.29 career ERA in April). Now is the time to buy low on Nolasco, as his most recent start was a 3.2 inning disaster in which he allowed 8 earned runs. That should be enough to give frustrated owners on the ledge the nudge they need to give away a pitcher who was typically drafted ahead of Zack Greinke, Derek Lowe and Josh Johnson.
Ready, aim....fire those lowball offers now.
Todd Gold is a first-year professional baseball scout and sports junkie who enjoys taking his friends' hard earned money in fantasy leagues and helping his readers do the same. You can contact him here.
One year ago today Chien-Ming Wang was 6-1 with a 2.90 ERA and looked to be an early contender for the Cy Young award. At the same time CC Sabathia was 2-5 with a 6.55 ERA. Obviously it is still way too early to jump to conlusions about any player, especially starting pitchers. I am not here to remind you to hang onto your slumping stars, but rather tip you off to one that you should steal away from a panicked opponent.
There are many obvious buy low options out there, including the afore-mentioined CC Sabathia, Jimmy Rollins and Josh Hamilton just to scratch the surface. But the one that should have the best ripoff potential of all is Ricky Nolasco. The Marlins' ace currently has owners frustrated and should come on the cheap thanks to an atroscious 7.78 ERA.
Nolasco's current Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP), which is what a hurlers ERA SHOULD be is at a slightly disappointing but solid 4.34 (a full explanation of FIP can be found here). It is important to note that Nolasco got off to a slow start last year by posting a 5.79 ERA in April, before settling down and posting excellent totals the rest of the way (6.29 career ERA in April). Now is the time to buy low on Nolasco, as his most recent start was a 3.2 inning disaster in which he allowed 8 earned runs. That should be enough to give frustrated owners on the ledge the nudge they need to give away a pitcher who was typically drafted ahead of Zack Greinke, Derek Lowe and Josh Johnson.
Ready, aim....fire those lowball offers now.
Todd Gold is a first-year professional baseball scout and sports junkie who enjoys taking his friends' hard earned money in fantasy leagues and helping his readers do the same. You can contact him here.
Labels: KC Scouts, Ricky Nolasco