Yardbarker: Yovani Gallardo

Quick Hits

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:35:48 -0500

-The Marlins have stepped up their pursuit of a starting catcher, targeting Yorvit Torrealba after Matt Treanor went down with an injury

-The Twins have had internal discussions about Adrian Beltre, but the talks appear to be in the very early stages

-Yovani Gallardo is hoping to return by the end of the year from knee surgery. This seems a bit optimistic but stranger things have happened

-The Diamondbacks are atleast considering the idea of adding Barry Bonds, with GM Josh Byrnes not flatly denying interest like most teams have

The 'Sabathia Got Traded' Post

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:54:18 -0500

The whole world is reporting that the Indians have traded C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers, so even though the specifics of the deal are unclear, I guess it's time for a post.

There have been strong rumors about a trade between these two teams for awhile now, and for good reason. Both teams are, essentially, trading from a position of excess. The Indians are giving up a 2008 asset (expendable when you're 14 games out of first in July), and the Brewers are trading a potent bat that comes with a questionable glove (valuable, but less so when you're in the NL and already have Braun, Fielder, and Mat Gamel).

The Brewers are seizing their opportunity this season, as it looks to be their best in the near future. Although they will likely benefit from Yovani Gallardo's return next year, ace Ben Sheets will be a free agent this winter; combined with Sabathia's expected departure, the 2008 Brewers rotation is looking a whole lot more formidable than next year's staff.

By acquiring Sabathia right now, Milwaukee is maximizing his value, as he'll be able to make two starts before the All-Star break. That means he'll make approximately 15 regular season starts as a Brewer. Either Dave Bush or Seth McClung will be moved out of the bullpen; it doesn't particularly matter, as an ERA of about 4.60 would be expected out of either. In the NL, the over/under on Sabathia's ERA would likely be around 3.10. Over half a season, that upgrade is worth about 1.5 wins, plus the substantial value he'd potentially provide in the playoffs. Add to that the two compensation picks Milwaukee stands to receive if they don't re-sign Sabathia, and it's easy to like this deal from their perspective.

In terms of impact on the National League pennant race, the team most adversely effected by this trade is likely the Cardinals. Sabathia makes the Brewers the clear frontrunner for the Wild Card (not that they weren't already), and possibly even the second most likely NL playoff team.

It would be a mistake to not mention Sabathia's hitting prowess, as he boasts a career line of .300/.317/.475 (in an outrageously small sample size of 42 PAs, of course). His 440-foot bomb against the Dodgers provided one of the few highlights of Cleveland's 2008 campaign.

Sabathia's departure probably won't register to Indians fans until he takes the mound in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. Ever since his debut at the age of 20, he's been a valuable member of the rotation, posting at least average ERAs in each of his eight seasons. His value as an Indian peaked last year, both in reality (241 IP, 143 ERA+, both career highs) and perception (Cy Young award).

Sabathia's poor performance at the outset of the season (18 IP, 27 R, 14 BB, 5 HR in four starts) made headlines and, other than in trade talks, he hasn't been in the news much since. However, he's been as good as anybody since mid-April, posting a 2.16 ERA and 109:20 K:BB ratio in 104.1 innings. His 2008 QERA--even including those first four starts--is an impressive 3.44.

Unfortunately, this is how a team with the Indians' resources is forced to do business. From a business perspective, drafting Sabathia is likely one of the smartest things the organization has ever done. They turned a #20 pick in the 1998 draft and about $30MM into 1,528.2 innings of a 115 ERA+, and the four prospects they'll receive from Milwaukee.

The headlining prospect is Matt LaPorta, a 23-year old out of the University of Florida. Last winter, Kevin Goldstein ranked him as the #1 prospect in the Brewers organization, and Keith Law had him 37th in all of baseball. This year, he's hit .291/.404/.584 in 296 ABs at AA Huntsville. He'll likely report to AAA Buffalo, and could contribute to the big club as early as August. He'll likely end up at first base, a position that has emerged as a weakness for the Indians in 2008, as Ryan Garko has managed only a .243/.324/.342 line.

The details beyond LaPorta are not entirely clear, but reports indicate the Indians will be receiving LHP Zach Jackson, RHP Rob Bryson, and a PTBNL.

Jackson doesn't look to be anything to write home about, as he's a 25-year old with a 7.83 ERA at AAA Nashville, with 33 Ks and 9 HRs allowed in 56.1 IP.

Bryson is a 20-year old currently a single-A West Virginia, with a considerable amount of upside. He was moved to the bullpen after five starts, and has recorded 73 Ks in 55 innings, while walking 20 and giving up three homers. Back in February, Goldstein described him as "[offering] plenty to dream on."

The fourth prospect sounds like it may end up being 21-year old Taylor Green. He primarily played second base in 2006, but was then moved to third, apparently because of Rickie Weeks' presence presence on the Brewers. The thinking is that the Indians would like to get a good look at him at second before committing to him, as he'd theoretically be more valuable there. In 2008, Green has put up a line of .297/.381/.452 with Brevard County, with 10 homers in a park that significantly suppresses power.

The Indians and Brewers matched up very well, which of course is why this deal happened in the first place. The Indians got a high impact bat that will be able to contribute to the 2009 club. They also received potential long-term solutions for second base and the rotation, although the probabiliity of those two is significantly lower. I'm in no real position to value prospects, but this seems like a pretty decent haul, especially considering the heightened (perceived) value of prospects over the last few years.

Related:
The Big Trade, Part I [Let's Go Tribe]
Meet Matt LaPorta [The Cleveland Fan]
Keith Law [ESPN]
All about LaPorta [CastroTurf]

Two Future Brewers to Headline All-Star Game

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:42:54 -0500

The upcoming MLB Futures Game, the annual All-Star game for the Minor Leagues, will be headlined by two Stars. Huntsville Stars, in fact. Third baseman Mat Gamel and right fielder Matt LaPorta, two future Milwaukee Brewers, who could be called up as soon as next season, will take the field at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, July 13th as members of Team USA. Over the past few seasons, the Brewers have had a handful of stars in the Futures Game, including pitcher Yovani Gallardo, left fielder Ryan Braun and shortstop Alcides Escobar. For those of you curious, assuming the Crew keeps their youngsters together, they could have a very tough lineup next season… C - Jason Kendall, Lou Palmisano, Angel Salome 1B - Prince Fielder, Brad Nelson 2B - Rickie Weeks, Hernan Iribarren, Joe Dillon 3B - Russell Branyan, Mat Gamel, Taylor Green SS - J.J. Hardy, Craig Counsell, Alcides Escobar LF - Ryan Braun, Cole Gillespie CF - Gabe Kapler, Tony Gwynn, Cutter Dykstra RF - Corey Hart, Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley SP - Ben Sheets, Jeremy Jeffress SP - Yovani Gallardo, Zach Jackson SP - Jeff Suppan, Mark DiFelice SP - Manny Parra, Mike Jones SP - Seth McClung, Zach Braddock RP - Chris Capuano, Guillermo Mota RP - Brian Shouse RP - Mitch Stetter RP - Carlos Villanueva RP - Tim Dillard CP - Solomon Torres, Luis Pena

Week 6 Diamond DL Report

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:02:16 -0500

In this weekly fantasy column, FIO co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter takes a look at the walking wound in the world of fantasy baseball. Find out which guys are set to return, news and updates concerning some key players, as well as the newest additions to the DL.

Clueless in Milwaukee

Sat, 03 May 2008 07:04:56 -0500

What in the world was Brewers manager Ned Yost thinking? His bizarre decision on Thursday to allow Yovani Gallardo to continue pitching after hyperextending his right knee in a bizarre play at first base might have cost his young pitcher the entire 2008 season, and maybe even the Brewers' playoff hopes, as an MRI exam yesterday morning confirmed that he suffered a complete tear of his ACL.

Yovani Gallardo Tears His ACL

Fri, 02 May 2008 19:53:45 -0500

The Sports Muffin provides some fantasy analysis on the Yovani Gallardo injury. What really surprises me is that, right after he got hurt, he still went out and pitched a couple more innings. Stud...or idiot. I think stud.

Gallardo out for the season

Fri, 02 May 2008 15:04:49 -0500

Yovani Gallardo has a torn ACL in his knee and will probably miss the remainder of the season.

Brewers take a gift from the Baby Bears

Thu, 01 May 2008 17:11:56 -0500

Before I get to the game today, I have to thank Cubs' fans for again displaying no class and showing why no one outside of Chicago likes you people. In the bottom of the sixth on a ball hit to Ryan Braun in left field, Cubs' "fans" threw food and drinks in Braun's direction while he was making a throw into the infield. Typical Wrigley Field drunks, I guess. You are a classless bunch with no respect for the game or players. You sit in the bleachers for one think, to get drunk. It's people like you that make it so enjoyable when the Cubs choke every year.

Brewers' offense no where to be found

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 08:59:31 -0500

Friday night's game between the Florida Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers was your classic pitchers' duel. Scott Olsen went for the Fish and the Brewers countered with Yovani Gallardo. Olsen gave the Brewers plenty of chances to score, but the Brewers didn't feel like taking advantage of any of those chances. The Marlins bullpen pitched stronger and the Fish held on for a 3-0 win in 10 innings. Olsen pitched 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball. He gave up only four hits but walked five batters. Gallardo went 7 innings and struck out five while only giving up six hits.

Beyond the Boxscore--Fantasy MLB News and Notes 4/25/08 Injury News, Minors News, more

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:45:47 -0500

Welcome back Salty! After being inexplicably sent down to AAA to start the season, Jarrod Saltalamacchia is back with the Rangers. Starter Gerald Laird is still in Texas so this doesn't necessarily mean that Salty will take the full time catching duties. He will most likely catch once or twice a week, DH some, and maybe grab some starts at first. He will most likely be grabbed quickly in your league as the news spreads, so if you have the roster spot act quickly. At the opposite end of the spectrum, struggling Twin Francisco Liriano was sent back to Triple A to try to find that electric form again. Liriano was awful this year, and it all fell apart last night when he gave up six runs and failed to get out of the first inning. The Twins sent him down to try to get his head straight and find his control again. This is far from the end of the line for Liriano, many pitchers struggle when coming back from an injury of this magnitude, but there is no timetable for his return to the majors, so I can't fault you for cutting ties with him, but keep an eye on his AAA performance. If he does well, he might not be gone long. Phillies OF Shane Victorino is nearly complete with his rehab assignment as he is returning from a strained right calf. Victorino is doing well (2-3 on Wednesday), and it looks as though he will be coming off the DL when he is eligible on April 29. He may have been dropped in your league when he was injured, so take a look to see, if he's available, I would try to find a spot for him on your roster. Returning from the DL tonight, Rays SP Matt Garza did OK against the Red Sox. Garza threw 84 pitches over five innings, giving up three and striking out only one. There was major concern about Garza's eligibility for the season when his injury was first diagnosed, but after tonight's outing it looks like it is safe to put him back in your lineup. Click below for the rest!

Series Recap: Phillies at Brewers

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:47:15 -0500

A quick two games series saw Philadelphia arrive in Milwaukee sometime early Wednesday morning and head out of town before dinner on Thursday. That short time saw the return of a Brewers' great and the return of our current superstar. So the Brewers won one and lost one. Jeff Suppan deserved a better fate on Thursday than to have David Riske blow it for him. Dave Bush pitched well enough to keep the Brewers in the game so Prince Fielder could play the role of hero.

Top Pick Ups On the Mound: 4/23

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:08:06 -0500

We look around at some of the most added pitchers in fantasy and decide if they are worth an add or someone to avoid.

Series Recap: Brewers at Reds

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:35:34 -0500

After looking like a Triple A team against the Cardinals, the Brewers headed to Cincinnati to face a team that dominated them only a week earlier. The Brewers had the top of their rotation going into the series which at least gave them a fighting chance. The Good The top three pitchers for the rotation were simply great this weekend. Ben Sheets, Jeff Suppan and Yovani Gallardo pitched a total of 18 2/3 innings while only giving up three runs to the Reds. The stats would have been even better had it not been for Ben Sheets leaving after five innings Friday night. He once again had dominant command on all his pitches and was almost untouchable. Gallardo looked great on Sunday and will prove to be extremely important should Ben Sheets miss extended time.

Gallardo dominates but Gagne blows the victory

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:43:59 -0500

Yovani Gallardo made his 2008 debut for the Brewers on Sunday and picked up right where he left off in 2007. Gallardo faced the Reds on Sunday and went seven innings and struck out four batters while only giving up four hits including a solo home run to Edwin Encarnacion which was the only run Gallardo allowed all day. Gallardo looked solid all day. He walked Corey Patterson to start the game, but he immediately settled down and appeared to be in mid-season form.

Ben Sheets Leaves Game With Tightness In Triceps - Fantasy Impact

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:23:09 -0500

We discuss the injury sustained by Ben Sheets and examine the fantasy impact.