http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/920 Recent articles about Scott Olsen en-us Who's hot, who's not in Major League Baseball? We'll get you started with a sizzler named Mike Cameron. After being suspended for the first 25 games, Cameron is back, and has a starting job (as he should). For those owners (like myself) who took a chance on Cameron, knowing that he was suspended and might risk losing a job, should be quite pleased. He's showing a few signs of rust, but he has already posted a HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, and 3 BB's. The stolen bases should come too. Considering how lethal the Milwaukee Brewers lineup is, Cameron should get plenty of RBI opportunities. Add Cameron to NL-only teams, and if he heats up, you can add him in all leagues because of his power/speed abilities. Fri, 09 May 2008 00:41:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265080 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/265080 Looking ahead to the coming week in fantasy baseball, FIO co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter discusses some of the two-start pitchers for Week 6. This is a must-read for weekly leagues or if you like to stream pitchers on your roster. Check the Favorable Match-Ups, Two-Start Pitchers to Stay Away From, and the two-start pitchers to Keep an Eye On. Sun, 04 May 2008 12:42:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263316 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263316 AccuScore fantasy expert Tim Williams details some players who are off to hot starts that are better off avoiding. You might be surprised to find Johnny Cueto on this list. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:11:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261469 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261469 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! Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:49:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/258248 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/258248 We look around at some of the most added pitchers in fantasy and decide if they are worth an add or someone to avoid. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:11:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255126 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255126 The Braves supposedly high-powered offense was held scoreless last night by the Marlins and starter Scott Olsen. How are the Marlins beating the Braves? Simple - the Braves stunk worse than they did. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:11:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/239103 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/239103 Looking ahead to the coming week in fantasy baseball, FIO co-founder & editor Matt Hinzpeter discusses some of the two-start pitchers for Week 3. This is a must-read for weekly leagues or if you like to stream pitchers on your roster. Check the Favorable Match-Ups, Two-Start Pitchers to Stay Away From, and the two-start pitchers to Keep an Eye On. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:42:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235991 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235991 Here's Part 2 of today's Major League Baseball update. It includes updates on the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins,Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:27:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/218363 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/218363 With Spring Training fast approaching, FIO staff writer Rich Lerner takes a look at each MLB team in terms of fantasy purposes. In this discussion, we will take a look at the potential offensive/pitching impact players, some questionable guys, and some youngsters on the come up. In Part 2 - the teams of the National League. Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:06:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/153432 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/153432 We take a look at what 2008 holds for the Florida Marlins, highlighting key offseason moves, projected starters, players to draft/avoid and sleepers. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:25:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/138951 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/138951 This offseason I've broken down and offered my opinion on the NL East outfields and infields so far, and the Phils have naturally won each of the polls. Now it's time to check out the rotations. However, with the Mets addition of some dude named Johan, this is merely for formality. *Career won/loss record, era, whip, and pitching arm in parentheses. Atlanta Braves: 1. John Smoltz (207-145, 3.26, 1.17, R), 2. Tim Hudson (135-70, 3.51, 1.26, R), 3. Tom Glavine (303-199, 3.51, 1.31, L), 4. Chuck James (22-14, 4.00, 1.32, L), 5. Mike Hampton (138-101, 3.97, 1.44, L), and reserves- Jair Jurrjens (3-1, 4.70, 1.14, R) and Jo-Jo Reyes (2-2, 6.22, 1.68, L). That is a solid rotation with some great veterans at the top. Smoltz joined the 40+ crew along with Glavine, but both can still pitch effectively, especially John-boy. Hudson is a menace when he has his cut fastball is working, and Chuck James is soft-tossing lefty that gets it done. Hampton is a crapshoot because he's always injured, but waiting in the wings is Jurrjens who has tremendous upside. Florida Marlins: 1. Scott Olsen (23-26, 4.86, 1.53, L), 2. Sergio Mitre (10-23, 5.36, 1.55, R), 3. Andrew Miller (5-6, 5.69, 1.75, L), 4. Mark Hendrickson (43-55, 5.01, 1.45, L), 5. Ricky Nolasco (12-13, 4.91, 1.44, R), and reserves- Rick Vandenhurk (4-6, 6.83, 1.74, R) and currently DL'ed Anibal Sanchez (12-4, 3.24, 1.37, R). Being brutaly honest, that's one of the worst rotations in the Majors. There's definite potential in there, but overall that's a whole bunch of high era's and whips...could be a very long season in Florida. New York Mets: 1. Johan Santana (93-44, 3.22, 1.09, L), 2. Pedro Martinez (209-93, 2.80, 1.03, R), 3. John Maine (23-19, 4.19, 1.29, R), 4. Oliver Perez (45-53, 4.43, 1.43, L), 5. Orlando Hernandez (90-65, 4.13, 1.26, R), and reserves- Mike Pelfrey (5-9, 5.55, 1.71, R) and Jorge Sosa (36-48, 4.59, 1.46, R). Wow! Holy Mother of God Wow! I openly weep when I look at this rotation. Santana is quite possibly the best pitcher in baseball, Pedro and Orlando are effectively crafty, Maine is still improving, and Ollie really found himself last season. This is one of the best rotations in baseball. Philadelphia Phillies: 1. Cole Hamels (24-13, 3.68, 1.18, L), 2. Brett Myers (59-47, 4.34, 1.35, R), 3. Kyle Kendrick (10-4, 3.87, 1.27, R), 4. Jamie Moyer (230-178, 4.21, 1.32, L), 5. Adam Eaton (64-55, 4.70, 1.40, R), and reserves- Chad Durbin (25-37, 5.75, 1.57, R) and JD Durbin (6-6, 6.19, 1.83, R). Hamels if healthy could put himself into Cy Young consideration, Myers if mentally capable can be an awesome force in the rotation, Kendrick has moxy, and Grand Pappy Moyer has guile for a 45 year old. However, the 5th spot in the rotation is horrendous with Eaton, and our reserves are disheartening too. Washington Nationals: 1. Shawn Hill (6-10, 4.53, 1.33, R), 2. John Patterson (18-25, 4.32, 1.35, R), 3. Jason Bergmann (8-8, 5.00, 1.37, R), 4. John Lannan (2-2, 4.15, 1.53, L), 5. Matt Chico (7-9, 4.63, 1.54, L), and reserves- Tim Redding (24-40, 4.91, 1.53, R) and Tyler Clippard (3-1, 6.33, 1.70, R). Like the Marlins staff, the Nats' isn't very good. They too have potential, but they're not scaring anyone with those top 5. Click on URL to vote in the poll. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:08:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/126079 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/126079 In an attempt to add some depth and leadership to their rotation (and possibly bullpen), the Marlins signed starter/reliever Mark Hendrickson to a one year contract. It looks as though the Marlins will use Hendrickson in their rotation, since their bullpen was a strong point last season, and their rotation was far from it. The Marlins currently have Sergio Mitre, Scott Olsen, Andrew Miller, Anibal Sanchez, and Rick VandenHurk in their rotation, but Hendrickson figures to have a secure spot considering Sanchez is still recovering from arm surgery, and VandenHurk struggled in 2007 (despite a nice 9.03 K/9 IP). If Hendrickson can remember what he did in the first two months of 2007, then he should be a serviceable fantasy pitcher, but that's a tad unrealistic. At this point, he's a marginal NL-only reserve pick as a starter, but he could potentially have more fantasy value as a reliever. We'll also examine Jose Valentin to the New York Mets and and Kirk Saarloos to the Oakland A's. Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:40:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/95766 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/95766 Looks like Scott Olsen is ready to step up and be a leader on this squad. Here is a collection of quotes from the various local papers put together by a buddy of mine over on MarlinBaseball.com… "With Dontrelle being gone, someone has to do it. Whoever it is, obviously, it will be well deserving. But I'm not going to sit here and beat around the bush. I want to start on Opening Day. It's just going to come down to how I pitch in Spring Training, and the shape I show up in, and the shape the other guys show up in. It will come down to the competition to see who gets it." "That's over, that's in the past and over with," Olsen said about the fallout from the arrest. "On the field-wise, I was throwing a lot of balls, and I was walking a lot of people. I watched a couple of game-tapes, scouting people. You'd see, I'd get two quick outs on nine or 10 pitches, and then the inning turned into 28-30 pitch inning after two outs and nobody on base." "I think if you are the Opening Day starter, and you replace that No. 1 guy, there might be some more people looking up to you, and more people wanting you to be that guy who steps up every time out," he said. "We knew [Willis] was going to be the Opening Day starter, but at the same time, he was still like, 'Something might happen. I might have a 10-and-a-half ERA in Spring Training. Make sure you go for it, strive to do it. Give your best each day. Even if a position is set and locked, you still have got to go out and do your best.' " "[Willis] always used to say that he didn't like guys, who when they were winning, they are in the clubhouse, and they're happy," Olsen said. "Then when they are losing, they are down. You've got to be the same guy every day. He was really good about that, to maintain your composure every day, whether you win or lose." "It can't get any worse than that, with all the stuff that happened last year," he said. "All the bad, I think it's made me probably stronger mentally and more able to handle everything that goes into this job. "I'm looking forward to next year. It will be interesting, but it could be a lot of fun. I'll be 24 in Spring Training. You've got to grow up eventually." It should be interesting next year. Especially since Miguel won't be around to smack Olsen into line. Olsen was at Select a Seat the other day and needless to say not many people were interested in seeing him and Fredi Gonzalez. Fewer than 50 fans showed up in the first two hours of a four-hour event Saturday to pick out their season tickets for next season. One fan at the stadium offered this interesting tidbit on his decision or not to buy tickets for the upcoming season… "We're thinking about it," said Joe Schillan of Fort Lauderdale, perusing ticket prices with his girlfriend Cori Pasinetti of Boca Raton. "This is Montreal. They develop players for other teams." Scott Olsen and Fredi Gonzalez are not the fan favorites compared to Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera were. I understand where Joe from Fort Lauderdale is coming from. Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:30:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/46328 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/46328 In his first article for FIO, staff writer Rich Lerner discusses the fantasy implications of the biggest deal thus far in the MLB offseason. See what's in store for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in 2008, and how players like Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin may step up their productivity as they move to the NL. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 04:15:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/42452 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/42452 The highest scoring team in the National League, the Phillies staked starter Adam Eaton to a 5-0 lead with 4 runs in the 3rd and another in the 4th off of snake-bitten Marlins' starter Scott Olsen who was pounded in his third straight start. Eaton even chipped in with a lead-off solo homer in the 4th. The Phils were looking good, too good! Once again, the highest ERA pitching staff in the NL couldn't make a lead stand up. Eaton couldn't cope with the prosperity of a big lead as the Marlins' homer barrage began as they pounded him for three 4th inning runs on two homers, single runs in the 5th, on a fielding error, and in the 6th on a solo homer to tie the game. Reliever Kane Davis was touched for back-to-back homers in the 7th inning as the Marlins bullpen held the Phils scoreless on two hits and 4 walks until the 9th inning to win by a 7-6 score and to take the series in two of three games. Sun, 02 Sep 2007 22:22:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25709 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/25709