Fantasy Dominoes

The Diamondbacks made two deals in the space of an hour that have changed the look of their team. The pushed down the first in a long series of dominoes in real baseball as well as the fantasy version.

Deal #1: Dan Haren for Carlos Gonzalez and other unmentionable stuff.

Deal #2: Jose Valverde for Chad Qualls, Chris Burke and Juan Gutierrez.

First, for the D’Backs, let’s remember that their young team had the best record in the National League in 2007. The kids are going to get better: Chris Young, Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton, Micah Owings, Tony Pena et.al. It’s painful to type that list of names because the Giants have so little young talent of this caliber after Lincecum and Cain. Make that NO talent of this caliber.

The D’Backs have to be thinking playoffs again. Their most serious weakness, starting pitching, has now been addressed, though somebody (Hernandez, Davis or Owings) has to step forward after Webb and Haren as a true number three starter. Of course, they still have Randy Johnson (Bums have him at $17, but he won’t be kept on their stocked roster).

It’s the Valverde trade that is a mystery. It seems they plugged one hole just as another sprang open. I hate Jose Valverde. He’s an injury waiting to happen, he wears his cap at a stupid angle, and he’s inconsistent. But it can’t be denied – he was pretty damn good last season. Do they really think Pena or Qualls or Lyon can step into the breach?

The early word is Pena, but the Doc and I are unconvinced. There is a big difference between pitching in the 7th inning and pitching in the 9th. The same can be said for Qualls and Lyon. Pena does not have overpowering stuff. Neither does Qualls or Pena. I can’t believe a team with clear designs for the Series is satisfied with what they’ve got here.

Techincally, they’ve also got Bob Wickman. He’s not likely the answer either.

I say there is another shoe to drop here. My guess is Chad Cordero. The Nats have been marketing him like an IMac, offering him to everyone, but keeping the price high. There is a rumor that the Astros turned down Qualls and Luke Scott. Maybe the D’Backs have a package of Qualls and a young hitter (Mark Reynolds could make Chad Tracy expendable) for Cordero, who would turn the Arizona bullpen into possibly the best in baseball. We don’t buy the Tony Pena argument.

This morning it was reported that the D’Backs pulled their 2 year contract offer to Tony Clark. The explanation is that Burke now fills the last spot in their infield. Of course, this is the same Chris Burke who was given the Astro’s CF job last spring, sending Hunter Pence back to AAA with his .500+ Cactus League BA. The .229 stinker BA that Burke put up brought Pence back to the show plenty fast. Meanwhile Tony Clark was a key veteran, power-hitting cog (17 homers in only 221 AB’s) in that Arizona lineup last year. He might look pretty good at first base right here at Mays’ Field.

The dominoes for the other pitchers should start dropping now that the price for starting pitching has been set. I believe it is one dynamite prospect and 4-6 crappy young guys. We should see a few deals during this Xmas season.

Ho-ho-ho to your keeper lists, boys. Fantasy-wise, the dominoes in BABI have been falling too. Pena wasn’t drafted last season. The Doc and I talked about him, but we read he threw slow stuff. He doesn’t throw fast stuff, but it’s not bad. He’s freely available, as is Qualls, whose contract expired on the Lickers. Lyon is hiding at $3 on the Cappers’ roster, unlikely to be the closer next season. Valverde and Burke are also free agents, with Valverde probably going in the mid to high 20’s, and Burke going for a couple of bucks.

Cordero is entering his last contract year for Hobo, and he’d be worth a lot more pitching for Arizona than for the Nats. Given the short list of Hobo batting keepers, it’s almost a sure thing that Cordero will visit a new BABI roster at some time in 2008. Of course, the Pecklers are rooting hard for a Cordero trade, which would make Rauch the front runner as the Nats’ closer.

We were also expecting to keep Tony Clark at $2. Now we’re not so sure. As Giants fans, we’d like to see him end up here, playing first base instead of that pathetic list of misfits they currently have lined up. Of course, he’s worth a hell of a lot less fantasy-wise as a left handed bat trying to hit them into the bay compared to trying to hit them into the hot tub.

Wow, two posts this week. The Doc is working on his annual review of BABI keeper lists, and said I’d get the first draft for my input shortly. It looks like Bums and Falkuhns at this moment. Anyone interested in Kelly Johnson? For you poker players willing to take a chance with your roster, he’s probably available from the overstocked Falkuhns’ roster, and could be just the kind of trade bait to make your pot right.