Kuzul

Around lunchtime on Tuesday, a report surfaced that Tampa Bay third baseman Longoria would miss six to eight weeks with a partial hamstring tear, a seemingly crippling blow to the Rays‘ chances of making the American League playoffs this year.

Then around 1 p.m. EST, the Rays’ Web site published a dissimilar account of Longoria’s progress, saying he had incurred a “hamstring-knee thing” (the words of GM Andrew Friedman) but would not be headed for the disabled list.

Fast forward to 6:06 p.m., just minutes after I had published the original version of this story, the Rays finally made it official: Longoria (four HRs, 19 RBI, 15 runs, two steals, .329 batting) will indeed miss four to eight weeks with a hamstring tear.

Even with the final prognosis, I’m still recommending that fantasy owners make a sincere, aggressive trade play for Longo—before the weekend—in the form of a two-tiered, scenario-based proposal (like the one below).

Think of it as your own live-action Choose Your Own Adventure for the fantasy realm…where GMs must hazard an educated guess on Longoria’s specific return date.

Scenario A—Longoria to miss 3-5 weeks

1-for-1: Joe Mauer, David Freese, C.J. Wilson or Ian Kennedy
1-for-2: Longo for Mike Moustakas/Chad Billingsley or Edwin Encarnacion/Mike Minor
2-for-2: Longo/James Shields for Alex Rodriguez/Mat Latos or Jose Bautista/Drew Smyly

Scenario B—Longoria out for 6-8 weeks

1-for-1: Chris Davis, Chris Young, Neftali Feliz or Lance Lynn
1-for-2: Longo for Adam LaRoche/Johan Santana or Mark Trumbo/Tom Milone
2-for-2: Longo/Jordan Zimmermann for Chase Headley/Josh Johnson or Eric Hosmer/Jon Niese

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The day will come when 19-year-old Bryce Harper, perhaps the most hyped hitting prospect of the last 30 years, lives up to his vast potential in the majors.

The day will come when Harper is one of the National League’s best hitters and one of baseball’s biggest personalities.

The day will come when Harper is a four-category force (if not five) and an easy pick for Round 1 or 2 in fantasy drafts.

But on the morning of the teen sensation’s initial call-up to the big leagues—replacing All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (15-day DL)—it’s important to remember these nine words about Harper’s immediate potential in the bigs:

From a fantasy perspective, don’t go overboard on expectations. 

1. Baseball history isn’t on Harper’s side.

Since 1900, the list of major league hitters enjoying amazing “fantasy” numbers in their age-19 seasons is noticeably short. In fact, here’s a look at some of history’s most prominent batters, upon breaking into the majors before their 20th birthday:

1906—Ty Cobb, Tigers (one HR, 34 RBI, 45 runs, 23 steals, .316 batting)
1914—Babe Ruth, Red Sox (zero HRs, two RBI, one run, .200 batting)
1915—Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals (zero HRs, four RBI, five runs, .246 batting)
1991—Joe Cronin, Pirates (zero HRs, 11 RBI, nine runs, .265 batting)
1927—Jimmie Foxx, A’s (three HRs, 23 RBI, 20 runs, two steals, .323 batting)
1928—Mel Ott, Giants (18 HRs, 77 RBI, 65 runs, three steals, .322 batting)
1951—Mickey Mantle, Yankees (13 HRs, 65 RBI, 61 runs, eight steals, .267 batting)
1954—Al Kaline, Tigers (four HRs, 43 RBI, 42 runs, nine steals, .276 batting)
1964—Tony Conigliaro, Red Sox (24 HRs, 52 RBI, 69 runs, two steals, .290 batting)
1975—Robin Yount, Brewers (eight HRs, 52 RBI, 67 runs, 12 steals, .267 batting)
1988—Gary Sheffield, Brewers (four HRs, 12 RBI, 12 runs, three steals, .238 batting)
1989—Ken Griffey, Jr., Mariners (16 HRs, 61 RBI, 61 runs, 16 steals, .264 batting)
1991—Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers (three HRs, 27 RBI, 24 runs, .264 batting)
1995—Alex Rodriguez, Mariners (five HRs, 19 RBI, 15 runs, four steals, .232 batting)
1996—Andruw Jones, Braves (five HRs, 13 RBI, 11 runs, three steals, .217 batting)
1991—Edgar Renteria, Marlins (five HRs, 31 RBI, 68 runs, 16 steals, .309 batting)
2011—Mike Trout, Angels (five HRs, 16 RBI, 24 runs, four steals .220 batting)
 

2. Harper’s audition with the Nationals might be brief—very brief.

On Friday, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo hinted Harper’s promotion would be a short-term move. He then said the club has no plans to deviate from its preseason goal of Harper (one HR, three RBI, eight runs, one steal, .250 batting) logging 300 to 350 minor league at-bats. Of course, that concept came before injuries to Zimmerman and 1B/OF Michael Morse.

Translation: The kid’s taste of the big leagues may simply be a motivational ploy or timely reward to keep Harper focused on what lies ahead.
 

Breakdown

Harper likely has owners for 99.99 percent of long-term keeper leagues, but if you should accidentally find him on waivers, by all means grab and stash him for 2013 and beyond.

For roto owners only concerned with this season, unless there’s a specific slot for “minors” talent, I wouldn’t recommend upending your roster for a few weeks of hot-and-cold Harpermania. He may be the greatest young hitter since Tony Gwynn…but he’s still just a teenager.

And great fantasy success, historically speaking, is usually reserved for the 20-something crowd.

Harper seasonal targets: Six homers, 24 RBI, 27 runs, seven steals, .258 batting.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The following slideshow touts the top 15 waiver-wire pickups right now, a countdown of the best free agents from the majority of 12-team roto leagues. For the most part, this list rewards players who have already fostered productive starts to the 2012 season.

Savvy readers will notice the rankings are different from last week’s offering; and that can be attributed to the waiver-wire graduations of Zack Cozart, Jordan Schafer, Henry Rodriguez, Danny Duffy and Lance Lynn—forgotten assets on draft day but now invaluable pieces with their current teams. And that’s how it should be with this list: Here today, gone tomorrow.

Enjoy the show!

Begin Slideshow

Here are five ways to recover the numbers lost from Jacoby Ellsbury‘s six- to eight-week absence from the Red Sox lineup (dislocated shoulder)…without necessarily gutting your fantasy roster.

(That may be a lie.)  

Option No. 1: Grab Cody Ross off waivers

OK, so this isn’t the most exciting way to start a column, but with Carl Crawford (hand) still nursing his way back into the lineup, Ross will undoubtedly be granted full-time at-bats for the foreseeable future.

For the 2008-09 seasons with the Marlins, he combined for 46 homers, 163 RBI and 132 runs. Given his age (31) and the cozy dimensions of Fenway Park, Ross has a chance to replicate the numbers of years past—at least on a per-game basis.

Since the Red Sox are already thin with starting pitching and the bullpen, I doubt club execs will make a substantial trade for an outfielder in Ellsbury’s stead. The team’s best minor-league option may be Bryce Brentz…but even that seems like a short-term step down from Ross and his 22-homer potential.

Option No. 2: Target Jason Bay, Mike Carp, Will Venable, Brandon Belt or Jon Jay in free-agent waivers

All five outfielders certainly have their warts—Bay and Belt are slumping, Carp’s been hurting and Venable and Jay are routinely overlooked in fantasy circles—but hey, that’s why they’re free agents in most leagues.

Astros center fielder Jordan Schafer would have been the best available Ellsbury clone earlier in the week, but you’ll never go unwanted in fantasyland after collecting five steals in a 48-hour period. He’s gone.

Look, unless you’re playing in a 12-team league full of absentee borderline moronic owners, it’s going to be a tough road without Ellsbury. We’re talking about a top-six outfielder (although no one should expect 32 homers again) and top-15 overall asset. It’s nearly impossible to flourish in his absence.

But in short bursts, Bay (four-category factor), Carp (25-75 guy in the minors), Venable (20-steal potential), Jay (poor man’s Martin Prado) and Belt (future NL batting champion) can bring a level of fantasy respect to anyone’s team.
 

Option No. 3: Grab Chone Figgins off waivers, or trade for Mark Trumbo

Before Opening Day, Figgins was only 3B-eligible and one of baseball’s more anemic corner-infield options. But with a seemingly permanent spot in the outfield (left or center field) after just nine games, Figgins (.270, 4 RBI, 1 SB) should garner full outfield eligibility sometime in the next 10 days, making him attractive to owners who crave modest three-category success and dual-position versatility.

Regarding the 1B-eligible Trumbo, he should have full 3B eligibility sometime around April 25. Depending on how the Angels handle the Mike Trout and Vernon Wells situations, Trumbo (29 HRs in 2011) could see up to 30 games in the outfield this season.

For owners of Ellsbury (105 RBI, 119 runs, 32 steals last year) and Emilio Bonifacio (2B-3B-OF eligibility), a sneaky Trumbo acquisition would subsequently bump Bonifacio to the outfield spot in Ellsubry’s place.

As a secondary move, I highly endorse the act of grabbing Trout (baseball’s No. 1 prospect) off waivers ASAP, in anticipation of a May call-up that will be permanent (and enriching).

Bottom line: Replacing Ellsbury’s eight-week production doesn’t necessarily demand the plug-and-play addition of an outfielder. It can also come from a simple redistribution of current assets, prompted by a modest trade.

And for those with grander thoughts… 

Option No. 4: Trade your Round 1 superstar

During spring training, Ellsbury had an Average Draft Position value of 15, meaning the majority of his owners also grabbed Joey Votto, Robinson Cano, Justin Verlander, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez or Prince Fielder with their low Round 1 selection.

The quickest way to overhaul the composition of your roster involves a simple six-word email/message-board dictum to the rest of the league: “(Superstar’s name) is on the block!” This should draw immediate responses, in the general form of four trade proposals:

• 1-for-1 value: Jon Lester, Dan Haren, Nelson Cruz, Hunter Pence or Starlin Castro
• 1-for-2 value: Melky Cabrera and Bud Norris
• 3-for-2: (Round 1 star)/Yovani Gallardo/Jordan Schafer for Ian Kennedy/Matt Holliday
• 2-for-3: (Round 1 star)/Matt Moore for Jason Heyward/Jason Kipnis/Max Scherzer 

Option No. 5: Put Ellsbury on the trade block

The final solution requires certain fantasy owners to perform an honest assessment of their rosters and prospects for the entire season.

1. Can my team endure/absorb the two-month loss of Ellsbury?
2. What are the chances I’ll be in ninth, 10th, 11th or 12th place overall on June 10?
3. What other areas (outfield aside) are in need of significant help?
4. What categories or positions could not sustain a key injury?

If the above answers are roundly negative, it may be time to make the early executive decision of selling Ellsbury to the highest bidder, as a means of fortifying the outfield and one other area of concern.

After all, if your club was barely a pennant contender before Ellsbury’s right shoulder had a fluke encounter with Rays shortstop Reid Brignac, then perhaps it’s time to cut your April losses…and hope for a profitable return in May and June.

This is where it pays not to get too attached to original draftees. Very few teams can win a roto championship without disrupting the core, via trade, at some point; and whether these hard decisions occur in mid-April or late July, change is inevitable.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Let’s pretend your pre-Opening Day fantasy draft permits the trading of actual picks in 10-team mixed leagues (not just slots).

Here’s an unconventional road map to a roto championship, tailor-made for owners who believe in the depth of potential stars (or difference-makers) with pre-draft values ranging from 45-85:

The Premise

Trade picks in Rounds 1, 2, 4, 12, 14 and 16.

The Strategy

Step 1: Trade the picks from Rounds 1 (No. 5 overall) and 16 (No. 156) to the owner of the ninth slot in exchange for his/her picks in Rounds 6 (No. 52 overall) and 7 (No. 69).

Step 2: Trade the picks from Rounds 2 (No. 16 overall) and 14 (No. 136) to the owner of the second slot in exchange for his/her picks in Rounds 6 (No. 59 overall) and 8 (No. 79).

Step 3: Trade the picks from Rounds 4 (No. 36 overall) and 12 (No. 116) to the owner of the 10th slot in exchange for his/her picks in Rounds 7 (No. 70 overall) and 8 (No. 71).

The New Bounty

• Fifteen high-value picks from Nos. 25 and 125
• Three picks in Round 6, two in Round 7 and four in Round 8

The Core (courtesy of Mock Draft Central’s ADP rankings)

Pick 1 (No. 25 overall): OF Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins (candidate for 40 homers)
Pick 2 (No. 45): SP Zack Greinke, Brewers (my 10th-ranked starting pitcher)
Pick 3 (No. 52): 3B Brett Lawrie, Blue Jays (couldn’t risk him falling to the next spot)
Pick 4 (No. 56): OF Desmond Jennings, Rays (excellent power-speed source)
Pick 5 (No. 59): 2B Brandon Phillips, Reds (annual lock for 19 HRs, 19 steals)
Pick 6 (No. 65): 3B Pablo Sandoval, Giants (a necessary luxury pick)
Pick 7 (No. 69): 1B/3B Michael Young, Rangers (love that multi-positional versatility)
Pick 8 (No. 70): SP Madison Bumgarner, Giants
Pick 9 (No. 71): SP C.J. Wilson, Angels
Pick 10 (No. 76): 1B/2B/OF Michael Cuddyer, Rockies
Pick 11 (No. 79): OF Drew Stubbs, Reds
Pick 12 (No. 85): 1B/OF Michael Morse, Nationals (30-HR asset to return by April 12)
Pick 13 (No. 96): SP Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Pick 14 (No. 105): OF Jason Heyward, Braves
Pick 15 (No. 125): SS Dee Gordon, Dodgers

Breakdown

1. The first 15 picks didn’t produce one closer (although John Axford was a major consideration at 85), but that’s hardly a big concern. In 10-team drafts, Rounds 17-19 should yield a smorgasbord of Tier II closers—25-save talents like Carlos Marmol, Brandon League, Chris Perez, Javy Guerra, Joe Nathan and Huston Street.

2. I landed four of my top 26 starting pitchers, and frankly, the fourth starter (Wainwright) may prove to be the most successful by season’s end. Last March, before he suffered an elbow injury, Wainwright (20 wins, 2.42 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 213 strikeouts in 2010) was my No. 3 overall pitcher heading into Grapefruit League play.

3. My philosophy for drafting shortstops is quite simple: If I can’t corral Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Elvis Andrus or Starlin Castro in the first six rounds, I will skip the big-name, occasionally erratic vets from Rounds 7-12 before settling on Dee Gordon, a lightning-fast lock for 40 steals in 2012.

4. With six outfield-eligible assets in the first 15 picks, I won’t feel compelled to overextend for Lorenzo Cain, Austin Jackson, Martin Prado, Carlos Lee, Brandon Belt, Brennan Boesch, Mike Trout or Denard Span. However, at least three of the above names will be available in Rounds 24 and 25. Future superstars Trout, Cain and Belt have immense upside.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In a perverse way, I’m glad the Yankees have starting pitcher Michael Pineda earmarked for the 15-day disabled list (shoulder tendinitis) before Opening Day.

To clarify, I would never cheer for any player to get injured; that’s not my style. But from a fantasy perspective, this situation should be a fascinating case study of Jittery Fantasy Guy/Gal vs. Rational-Thinking Fantasy Guy/Gal, as both types prepare for their drafts sometime between today and the Wednesday “opener” of Cardinals-Marlins (Miami’s official christening of its new stadium).

If you have already drafted Pineda, part of the blockbuster offseason trade involving the Mariners (Jesus Montero) and Yankees, there’s no reason to do anything rash in the coming days. Simply wait a week or two to assess what might happen with Pineda (9 wins, 3.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 173 strikeouts last year with Seattle) getting some rest before making a rehab start or two. Besides, it’s not like you’d get market value with any panic trades. For better or worse, you’ll just have to stick it out for a bit.

As for those who have yet to draft…

Prior to Friday’s erratic start against the Phillies and subsequent complaints of shoulder stiffness, Pineda had an Average Draft Position value of 104th overall and ranked as the 28th starting pitcher. Obviously, those numbers will dip in the coming days…but by how much? Here are some comparison questions to ponder:

1. What were your expectations of Pineda before the Yankees opened camp?

2. What will be your expectations if Pineda returns to the majors, fully healthy, by May 1?

3. Would you rather have Pineda, Atlanta’s Tim Hudson (back) or the Cards’ Chris Carpenter (nerve irritation) for the season ahead?

4. Where would you prioritize Pineda amongst Max Scherzer, Derek Holland, Brandon Morrow, Wandy Rodriguez—four pitchers ranked somewhere in the 30s—from May 1-Sept. 30 only?

If your answers are largely optimistic, then it makes sense to only let Pineda slide to Round 13 or 14. If your answers are predominantly pessimistic, there’s probably no time before Round 17 that warrants any consideration. In fact, you may be privately thrilled when someone else grabs Pineda at his adjusted value.

Let someone else deal with that potential headache. Right? Wrong? Only time will tell.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the stunning news of Reds reliever Ryan Madson needing season-ending surgery on his elbow, fantasy owners must now play the waiting game to learn of Cincinnati’s interim (or long-term) closer.

Or, at the very least, you can start taking prospective fliers on these four candidates, via the draft or free-agent waivers.

Sean Marshall (LHP)
 

One of baseball’s most effective set-up relievers of the last few years, Marshall was acquired from the Cubs in December. And, by all accounts, he’s the favorite to become Cincinnati’s next closer.

In Marshall’s last 150.1 innings (spanning two seasons), he tallied 169 strikeouts (and just 42 walks), a 2.44 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a K/9 ratio north of 10—all numbers befitting of a closer. Marshall also posted six saves during that time. This back-end experience should warrant Marshall getting a first crack at leading the bullpen.

Aroldis Chapman (LHP)

Chapman (90 Ks in 63 innings, 12.8 K/9 ratio in 2010-11) might have been the easy choice if the Reds needed an emergency closer last season. But with the club committed to converting Chapman into a starting pitcher, going back to the bullpen may not seem like the most palatable option.

Speaking of which, Cincinnati still has options with Chapman and were reportedly thinking of letting the Cuban lefty start the season at Triple-A Louisville as a means of building up arm strength for a May or June call-up. However, that plan might get scrapped, in the wake of Madson’s injury.

With a fastball that routinely tops 100 mph, Chapman has the greatest closer upside of the four candidates listed here.

Logan Ondrusek (RHP)

At 6’8″ and 230 pounds, the 27-year-old Ondrusek certainly looks the part of a menacing closer, but he’s still a little raw for a bullpen ace. In his 120 major league innings (spanning two seasons and 126 appearances), Ondrusek only has 80 strikeouts, a 3.45 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP and a pedestrian K/9 ratio of 6.0.

This isn’t to say Ondrusek would be a bad experiment at the closer spot, though. Not all players find their niche within the first three seasons in the bigs. Ondrusek would likely get plenty of run support from hitters like Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, Scott Rolen and shortstop Zack Cozart, the Reds’ best pure hitter (.444 batting, 1.196 OPS) in Cactus League play.

Homer Bailey (RHP)

On stuff alone, the 25-year-old Bailey would make a fine closer. But with his multi-pitch repertoire and an extra-time requirement to get warmed up each time out, the Reds won’t likely pursue this option.

From a selfish perspective, I have admired Bailey’s fantasy ceiling since his Single-A season with Dayton (10.9 K/9 ratio) and desperately hope he remains a starter.

Yes, Bailey hasn’t fully lived up to the Cole Hamels-esque expectations of a few years back, but I still believe Homer (nine wins, 106/33 K-BB ratio last season) can be a front-end starter for a pennant-contending club.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Here are the results from my live, mixed-league auction draft on Tuesday, where each owner had to fill 24 spots on a $260 budget. While it’s true that no two auction drafts are alike (just like snowflakes), I faithfully adhered to five time-tested philosophies of spender conduct:

1. Don’t invest more than $27 on two elite players.
2. If you’re going to spend like a drunken sailor, do it with power-hitting corner infielders.
3. Never pay exorbitantly for saves.
4. Be the last (or second-to-last) owner to go below the $100 threshold.
5. And don’t ever be afraid to call a fellow owner’s bluff at the end of the draft.

Lights, Camera, Auction…

Phase I—Early Spending Spree
1B Joey Votto, Reds – $42 (my No. 3 first baseman)
OF Josh Hamilton, Rangers – $26
SP Dan Haren, Angels – $27 (a top-12 pitcher)
OF Hunter Pence, Phillies – $21
SS Elvis Andrus, Rangers – $24 (my No. 4 shortstop)

Phase II—Restrained, Yet Jubilant Spending
2B Dan Uggla, Braves – $18
OF Shin-Soo Choo, Indians – $14
1B Eric Hosmer, Royals – $13

Phase III—Guilty Pleasures
SP Stephen Strasburg, Nationals — $19
2B Rickie Weeks, Brewers – $12
OF Cameron Maybin, Padres – $8

Phase IV—Smart Shopping
OF Melky Cabrera, Giants – $6
SP Shaun Marcum, Brewers – $4 (the ‘missed-starts panic’ discount)
2B Jason Kipnis, Indians – $4
SP Wandy Rodriguez, Astros – $4

Phase V—Extremely Smart Shopping
1B/OF Carlos Lee, Astros – $2
3B Mike Moustakas, Royals – $2 (stud-in-waiting)
3B/2B Ryan Roberts, Diamondbacks – $2
RP Chris Perez, Indians – $2

Phase VI—Bargain Bins
OF Lorenzo Cain, Royals – $1
SP Ricky Nolasco, Marlins – $1
C Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers – $1
SP Colby Lewis, Rangers – $1
RP Javy Guerra, Dodgers – $1

Verdict: Owning nine players at $1 or $2 would usually be cause for great concern, but the bargain-bin steals—Nolasco, Lucroy, Lewis, Guerra (hopefully the Dodgers’ closer) and Cain, the Spring Training leader in OPS (1.507) and a poor man’s Andrew McCutchen—surprisingly capped a balanced roster that’s full of power, speed, athleticism, upside and potentially prolific pitching, with a focus on strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. Not a bad group.

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the possibility of Miguel Cabrera missing Opening Day due to an orbital bone fracture, fantasy owners at the top of drafts must ask one vital question:

Should I care that one of baseball’s most destructive forces might miss a few games so early in the season?

The short answer is yes…and no.

With the move to third base to accommodate Prince Fielder’s arrival to Detroit, a first base/third base-eligible Cabrera (projections: 33 HR, 109 RBI, 112 runs, .327 average) holds slightly greater value than Albert Pujols, Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Jose Bautista and Troy Tulowitzki.

But that’s a statement contingent on Miggy playing 150 or more games. With a range of only 135-149 (factoring in regular days off), Cabrera might not garner enough at-bats to overcome the 155-game projections of Pujols, Kemp, Braun, Tulo and Bautista. The razor-thin margins separating the Round 1 elite just aren’t that profound.

Bottom line: If Miggy isn’t a lock to return for Opening Day by March 28—the day the Athletics and Mariners start the season in Japan—I would drop him to the three-to-six range with little remorse.

On the flip side, if Cabrera (30 HR, 105 RBI, 111 runs, .344 BA in 2011) starts taking live batting practice before March 28, he’d automatically return to the top spot in mixed- and AL-only league rankings. Lucky for Tigers and fantasy fans everywhere, Miggy was wearing sunglasses for the bad hop of all bad hops.

Although, Tony Kubek might disagree with that hyperbolic assessment. (Old World Series joke wasted on young readers.)

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Here are a few fantasy takes from the world of baseball, specifically involving Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay and the Yankees’ latest reclamation project:

News: Ryan Howard likely won’t return to Phillies until late May/early June

Views: I cannot recall one circumstance where a player from the NBA, NFL, MLB or NHL sustained a career-defining injury at precisely the same moment his team was eliminated from the playoffs. So in terms of gaining sympathy votes from Phillies fans and fantasy gurus everywhere, Howard is breaking new ground when confined to the sidelines.

Bottom line, I would only invest a Round 24 or 25 pick on Howard (34 HRs/224 RBIs from 2010-11) in mixed-league drafts; and perhaps Round 21 for NL-only leagues.

Even if Howard says all the right things during his extended spring break, history tells us that major Achilles injuries require at least one full year of controlled recuperation. Sure, Howard may be able to jog well and knock out good swings in a batting cage—but it’s rare for an athlete to regain 80 percent of his/her explosion and power in the first year back—especially one of Howard’s size.

Howard projections: 14 HRs, 43 RBIs, .256 average

News: Andy Pettitte ends one-year retirement to sign with Yankees

Views: Without a doubt, Pettitte had a superb 16-year career with the Yankees (13 seasons) and Astros, notching 240 regular-season wins, five World Series titles and two All-Star berths; and when his name comes up for Hall of Fame consideration in six years, he’ll probably garner more than 45 percent of the initial vote (75 required for Cooperstown).

But just three months shy of his 40th birthday and undoubtedly rusty from his first retirement, Pettitte doesn’t have much cachet for 10, 12 or 14-team mixed leagues. Maybe an AL-only league, but only if you’re desperate for victories.

Pettitte tallied 11 wins, 101 strikeouts, a 3.28 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 2010, his final campaign in pinstripes. These numbers, representative of a No. 5 or 6 starter in fantasy, likely won’t be repeated this season—given the southpaw’s age and depth of the Yankees’ starting rotation.

His return to the game makes for great copy. Maybe it’ll nudge his Hall of Fame standing a little higher, too. But in the fantasy realm, it’s no more substantial than Jamie Moyer attempting a comeback with the Rockies at age 49.

Pettitte projections: Seven wins, 4.72 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 91 strikeouts

News: Roy Halladay reportedly incurs drop in velocity during Phillies camp

Views: I can break this one down in seven sarcastic words: As of March 16, I…DON’T…CARE!

Snarky humor aside, it really doesn’t matter if Halladay is struggling to reach his Spring Training peak at this point. At 35 (hardly a death sentence for today’s conditioned athletes) and fresh off a monster season (19-6, 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 220 strikeouts), it’s impossible to envision old Roy falling off the proverbial cliff anytime soon.

Barring an unforeseen injury or a “dead arm,” I trust Halladay enough to believe he’ll arrive at Opening Day in tip-top shape, or something very close to that. The man’s a Hall of Famer with a near-spotless record of durability, for heaven sake. He has earned the benefit of the doubt.

Halladay projections (subject to change): 18 wins, 208 strikeouts, 2.80 ERA and 1.04 WHIP

Jay Clemons can be reached on Twitter, day or night, at @ATL_JayClemons.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com