Kuzul

Casey McGehee is a player whose value could vary a great deal depending on who you talk to.

One thing is for sure, fantasy owners of Prince Fielder last year are certainly well aware of McGehee’s ability to scoop up base-runners and bring them home.  In 2010 Mcgehee drove in 104 runs while his more notable counterpart Fielder, had just 83.

Now let’s be honest here, we are not talking about a guy like McGehee for his speed.  His .288 lifetime average is respectable, but the value McGehee will show this year is directly tied to how many runs he can drive home. 

Some people think that McGehee’s RBI numbers last year were a mirage, and that more of them will be driven in by Fielder (who is in a contract year) and Braun.  That the RBI total was a quantified product of his 610 AB (7th most in NL). 

However, no one is questioning the likes of Ryan Braun to produce runs, and he had 619 AB’s with one less RBI than Casey did.

Am I implying that McGehee is the same caliber hitter as Ryan Braun?  Of course I’m not saying that, but there is good value to be had with a guy like him.  McGehee still has some possible room for growth too, if he can learn to start hitting right-handers with more authority.

In 2010 hit .316 with eight hrs in just 158 AB against lefties, while hitting .274 with 15 hrs in 452 ab’s against righties.

I believe that McGehee should have pretty similar numbers to what he posted last year, with maybe just eight to 10 less RBI to be predicting on the more conservative side.

Fantasy-wise he is a nice value pick in fairly late rounds, especially if you’re looking for some cheap quality run production that won’t punch a hole in your batting average.  The amount of value he can bring will mostly be on how well he can progress against right-handed pitching, since hoping that twice as many lefties will suddenly show up in the bigs is futile.

Be sure to tune in to plenty of MLB action this summer and find out what will happen when McGehee is up to bat.

Also Check out:

R.A. Dickey

Yadier Molina

Francisco Liriano

NL East

AL East

NL Central

AL Central

NL West

AL West

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the 26th overall selection in the 2009 MLB amateur draft, the Milwaukee Brewers picked up one of the most promising young hurlers in the nation, Eric Arnett.

Arnett, who had a horrendous start to his 2010 campaign in the Arizona League, looks to become one of Milwaukee’s premier starting pitchers in the near future.

But the question is, will it happen?

While the Milwaukee Brewers are gearing up for what hopefully becomes a successful regular-season run, Arnett finds himself on Milwaukee’s spring training roster for the time being.

Standing at a Randy Johnson-like 6’5″, 230 pounds, Arnett is certainly a physical specimen worthy of a call-up for the Brewers in the near future. If things go as planned, Arnett could potentially be apart of a revamped Milwaukee rotation starting as early as next season.

At Indiana—where he absolutely dominated in college ball—Arnett was a co-Pitcher of the Year and a First Team All-Big Ten selection in just his junior year for the Hoosiers while accumulating 109 strikeouts, a 12-2 record and a 2.50 ERA.

But that’s not where his résumé ends, as Arnett boasts a 91-96 MPH fastball with notable breaking pitches and an above-average slider.

How can Arnett’s talents help a Brewers ball club looking to break through to a World Series this season? The question may actually be how he can’t help this Milwaukee squad.

Although the Brewers went out this offseason and added former AL Cy Young winner Zack Greinke, along with Shaun Marcum and reliever Takashi Saito, it would be to Arnett’s benefit to learn under Greinke and other starters.

You can’t put a price on experience, and though the Brewers would probably like Arnett to continue his progression in the minor leagues, there truly is nothing compared to the major-league experience.

Should newly named manager Ron Roenicke become impressed with what Arnett has to offer, expect him to be called up somewhere in the middle to late part of the regular season as the Brewers attempt to make their World Series run.

An important role in the starting rotation this season may not be imminent, but a position in Milwaukee’s bullpen will more than likely happen this season.

**Make sure to follow me on Twitter, as well as take a look at my new blog Brewers Rumors.**

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The latter portion of the Brewers’ 2010 season brought with it more than enough reasons to be concerned about baseball in Milwaukee.

A disappointing season from their two most essential assets, both Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder certainly aren’t pleased with their production from just a season ago.

Pitching?  Let’s just say things didn’t quite go as planned.

Nevertheless, with as much setback as the 2010 season generated, there is a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for Milwaukee.  And notable offseason acquisitions in Zack Grieke, Shaun Marcum and newly named manager Ron Roenicke have bestowed a much more positive feel on baseball in Milwaukee.

Next up?  Hopefully a trip to the World Series.

Here are 10 questions that must be answered before the end of the regular season.

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Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

On the surface, it appears as though Yovani Gallardo experienced a setback last season. His 2009 ERA (3.73) climbed slightly to 3.84 in 2010, while his already despicable WHIP (1.31 in ‘09) ballooned to 1.38.

Yet despite this, Gallardo made a significant improvement in his walk rate last season. After posting the worst walk rate (4.56) among pitchers with 180 innings in ‘09, Gallardo issued just 3.65 walks per nine last season.

Gallardo’s 2010 BABIP (.324) and LOB rate (69.8 percent) likely held him back. Even his FIP (3.02) and xFIP (3.42) in comparison to his season ERA (3.84) suggest he actually was, and will continue to be much better than 2010 totals indicate.

Looking forward to 2011, Gallardo appears primed to take one big step forward. Since returning from a knee injury that cut his 2008 season short, Gallardo has the third-highest strikeout rate among pitchers with at least 300 innings (9.81). He’s worth a pick based on his elite strikeout rate alone.

Fortunately, he has much more to offer. Although he generally doesn’t work deep into games (he averaged less than six innings per start in 2010), Gallardo is the No. 2 starter (when Zack Greinke is healthy) on a potent N.L. Central team.

Given that he reaches 200 innings for the first time in his career, Gallardo could set himself up for 15-16 wins, a mid-threes ERA and a much more respectable WHIP.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Projections
• Nos. 51-60: Jimenez, Verlander, Carpenter or Sabathia?
• Nos. 61-70: Weaver, Haren or Latos?
• Nos. 71-80: Young, McGehee or Ramirez?

Latest from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• 2011 MLB Team-By-Team Spring Training  Injury Report
• Adam Wainwright to Undergo Tommy John Surgery: Updated Pitcher Rankings
• Keeper Conundrum: Bryce Harper or Mike Trout?

30 Teams in 30 Days Fantasy Preview:

• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox

MLB Trades: Fantasy Impact:

• Frank Francisco Traded to the Blue Jays; Who Will Be The Team’s Closer?
• Mike Napoli Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact
• Vernon Wells Traded to the Los Angeles Angels: Fantasy Impact 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Brewers’ third baseman Casey McGehee proved his 2009 rookie campaign was no fluke last season, blasting 23 HRs with 104 RBI and a .285 batting average.

But nobody seemed to notice.

Prepare yourself for an incredibly tricky, mind-blowing example:

• Player A, 2010: 22 HRs, 104 RBI, .294 BA
• Player B, 2010: 23 HRs, 104 RBI, .285 BA

Of course, we already know Player B is McGehee, but who is player A?

Wait for it…

…Evan Longoria. BOOM. (Longoria also inexplicably stole 15 bases last year, but that’s besides the point.)

Yet, despite similar production, McGehee’s current ADP on Mock Draft Central is just 107, while Yahoo! compositeranks him outside the top 100 as well. Of course I’m not suggesting McGehee be drafted among the top 10 picks such as Longoria, but the guy deserves some love.

At a position as thin as third base, any player who can keep a .285 average and knock in 100 runs should be considered a valuable asset. In fact, only Alex Rodriguez and Jose Bautista had more RBI than McGehee from the hot corner in 2010.

Now before you flood the comment box with your “RBI is a fluke category” comment, know that I completely agree. But consider this: McGehee hit .324 with runners in scoring position last season. And oh, he also hit .371 under the same circumstances in 2009. The guy has a knack for big hits at opportune times.

Of course, it’s also worth mentioning that McGehee bats fifth in the Brewers’ lineup behind Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, giving him plenty of chances to drive runs in.

Looking forward to 2011, there’s no reason to believe the 28-year-old won’t continue to produce. McGehee’s walk (7.5 percent) and strikeout rates (16.7 percent) are respectable, and his contact rate (83.9 percent) is well-above average. It’s time to start believing, folks! Draft McGehee as the eighth third basemen, ahead of the now injury-prone Aramis Ramirez, batting average-challenged Mark Reynolds and the out-of-shape Pedro Alvarez, whose current lineup protection includes Matt Diaz and Garret Jones.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Projections
• Nos. 51-60: Jimenez, Verlander, Carpenter or Sabathia?
• Nos. 61-70: Weaver, Haren or Latos?
• No. 71: Francisco Liriano
• No. 72: Tommy Hanson
• No. 73: Brian Roberts
• No. 74: Shane Victorino
• No. 75: Michael Young

Latest from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• 2011 MLB Team-By-Team Spring Training  Injury Report
• Adam Wainwright to Undergo Tommy John Surgery: Updated Pitcher Rankings
• Keeper Conundrum: Bryce Harper or Mike Trout?

30 Teams in 30 Days Fantasy Preview:

• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox

MLB Trades: Fantasy Impact:

• Frank Francisco Traded to the Blue Jays, Who Will Be The Team’s Closer?
• Mike Napoli Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact
• Vernon Wells Traded to the Los Angeles Angels: Fantasy Impact 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With the news today that Zack Greinke will miss the first couple weeks of the 2011 season due to a broken rib, it has become even more imperative for the Milwaukee Brewers to be a great offensive ballclub.

They have the talent to score a ton of runs, and Ryan Braun will be a key figure for them to do so. Like his teammate Prince Fielder, Braun is coming off a subpar year in 2010. He hit .304 with 25 home runs and 103 RBI last year. Though those are good numbers, they are a significant decline compared to the numbers he posted during the first three years of his career.

Over his first three seasons, Braun hit .308 and averaged 31 home runs and 106 RBI. Most notably, his slugging percentage never dipped below .550. Last year, he slugged just .501—still a good number—but down over 130 points since his rookie campaign in 2007. Along with the decline in power, he has yet to gain a great deal of plate discipline, having never accumulated more than 57 walks in any single year. 

In addition to the low number of walks, he has struck out at least 105 times every season. To his credit, that career-low of 105 strikeouts came last season, so there could be hope for him to become a more patient hitter. Hitting in front of Fielder should continue to give Braun ample opportunities to get good pitches to hit.

He just needs to accept the fact that a walk can be just as valuable as a hit with the power-hitting first baseman behind him.

At the end of last season, Braun was worn down physically, and his weight dropped to around 196 pounds. To combat that, he put on a solid 10-plus pounds of muscle in the offseason and reported to camp this year at 210 pounds. The added weight will help him maintain his strength throughout the season, which should help increase his power numbers back to what he posted earlier in his career.

One of Braun’s best attributes as a hitter is his willingness to hit the ball to all fields. This makes him a dangerous threat to get on base, even if his power numbers never recover to the level of his rookie campaign. As long as he stays healthy, 200 hits per season should never be out of the realm of possibility for him.

Another strong, but undervalued, aspect of Braun’s game is his speed. He has stolen at least 14 bases in each of his first four seasons. Former manager Ken Macha was not a fan of the running game, especially with Fielder hitting behind Braun; however new manager Ron Roenicke has promised to use the running game as more of a weapon in 2011.

Even with Fielder at the plate, Braun should expand his aggressiveness on the base paths. Opposing pitchers may choose to then walk Fielder, but Casey McGehee proved last season with his 104 RBI that he is more than capable of producing with runners on base.

There’s no reason to believe Braun won’t continue the kind of offensive production he has posted the first four seasons of his career. If he can develop the plate discipline Brewer fans hope he can, that should improve his overall numbers, including his power totals. Expect another .300-plus batting average and a return in his power numbers with at least 30 home runs and well over 100 RBI. He has made the All-Star Game three straight seasons, and I don’t see any reason to believe 2011 won’t be a fourth.

Ryan Braun is off to a Hall of Fame start to his career. Unlike Fielder, he is signed long-term and will be in Milwaukee at least through the 2015 season. With Fielder’s departure imminent, 2011 could serve as a springboard year for Braun to become the face of the franchise and cement his legacy as one of the best Milwaukee Brewers ever.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

According to Ken Rosenthal via Twitter, “MRI on Greinke revealed one bruised rib and one hairline fracture. Bone will take four to six weeks to heal”.

Mlb.com has also posted an article (click here to view), clarifying things a little bit:

“Greinke, the team’s biggest offseason addition and likely Opening Day starter, had made two Cactus League starts with sore ribs before undergoing an MRI scan on Monday that revealed a minor fracture of his seventh rib and a bone bruise on his eighth rib. The normal recovery time is four to six weeks from the time of injury, Brewers head physician William Raasch said, meaning Greinke is already about two weeks into the healing process.”

That puts him out for about another two to four weeks.  When you work in time on the mound (since he will miss the remainder of Spring Training) to get into game shape, it would appear that he is going to miss anywhere from the first two to four weeks of the season. 

It’s a huge hit to his potential value, there’s no question about that, but it doesn’t mean that he should be ignored completely on draft day. 

With the move to the NL he still has the potential to post gaudy numbers when he does take the mound.  The problem is, we don’t know exactly how long he is going to be out, and the uncertainty just further hurts his perceived value on draft day. 

For now I have to assume the worst, meaning his projected innings drops to around 180.  Hopefully he’s able to return sooner, however.

Let’s take a look at how far he drops in the rankings (these will again be re-evaluated as more information becomes available):

1. Roy Halladay – Philadelphia Phillies
2. Felix Hernandez – Seattle Mariners
3. Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants
4. Jon Lester – Boston Red Sox
5. CC Sabathia – New York Yankees
6. Cliff Lee – Philadelphia Phillies
7. Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Jered Weaver – Los Angeles Angels
9. Justin Verlander – Detroit Tigers
10. Ubaldo Jimenez – Colorado Rockies
11. Josh Johnson – Florida Marlins
12. Francisco Liriano – Minnesota Twins
13. Chris Carpenter – St. Louis Cardinals
14. Yovani Gallardo – Milwaukee Brewers
15. Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies
16. Clay Buccholz – Boston Red Sox
17. Mat Latos – San Diego Padres
18. Tommy Hanson – Atlanta Braves
19. Dan Haren – Los Angeles Angels
20. Roy Oswalt – Philadelphia Phillies
21. Zack Greinke – Milwaukee Brewers
22. Colby Lewis – Texas Rangers
23. David Price – Tampa Bay Rays
24. Ricky Nolasco – Florida Marlins
25. Brett Anderson – Oakland Athletics
26. Matt Cain – San Francisco Giants
27. Max Scherzer – Detroit Tigers
28. Matt Garza – Chicago Cubs
29. Josh Beckett – Boston Red Sox
30. Chad Billingsley – Los Angeles Dodgers

What are your thoughts on the rankings?  Who’s too high?  Who’s too low?

**** Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****

Make sure to check out our 2011 rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• Top 15 First Basemen
• Top 15 Second Basemen
• Top 15 Third Basemen
• Top 15 Shortstops
• Top 30 Outfielders
• Top 15 Closers

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I chose this week—and more specifically today—to begin posting blog entries again. It’s been an incredibly long offseason for me and with nearly a dozen Spring Training games under the collective belts of the Brewers, it felt like a good time to kick this thing back up into…well, into any gear at all.

However, like the title says, just when I thought it was safe to post again the news hits the internet that new staff ace Zack Greinke will miss at least three regular season starts with a fractured rib.

Greinke has finally revealed what he previously called a “stupid” reason for the injury: he was playing basketball and fell while going for a rebound.

So what does this injury mean? The quick and dirty answer is that Yovani Gallardo will almost assuredly start Opening Day on March 31 in Cincinnati against the Reds. The Brewers must now try to identify a fifth starter for the times when they’ll need one, and try to stave off any possible fan revolt. 

Okay, that third point is a bit of tongue-in-cheek ranting, but there are those out there that will undoubtedly cry wolf…and not Randy.

The good news in this situation, though, is that the doctor has said that it’s a very mild injury and that after two weeks of rest, Greinke will be able to begin throwing. The doctor also said that if it was the playoffs, Greinke would be able to go out there and toe the rubber.

The other piece of positivity that we all have to keep in mind is that this injury is affecting Greinke now instead of, for example, during the stretch run of a playoff push.

If Greinke has to miss a couple of starts, I think we all agree that the first two weeks of April are better than the last two weeks of September.

Injuries are a part of the game and the Brewers will find a way to fill the rotation spot until Greinke is ready to go. Let’s just all hope he rests the way he is supposed to and gets back out there as soon as possible.

For all our sakes.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Spring training is under way, and we can now take a much more in-depth look at what the regular season holds in store.

Last season, we were fortunate enough to watch dominating pitching take over the landscape of Major League Baseball; and this season looks to be the same.

With ample amounts of solid arms in last year’s playoffs, run production (believe it or not) was few and far between for some ball clubs.

However, for a vast majority of teams without such talent on the mound, last season was a forgettable one.

So as we take a look into what’s to come this season, let’s contemplate which teams could benefit the most from a four-man starting rotation for the beginning of the season.

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The 2011 MLB season is right around the corner.

Spring training is upon us and players are looking to standout and build up momentum heading into the upcoming season. 

While many of these players are rookies and young talents trying to land a roster spot in the big leagues, some are veterans and proven players who are trying to rebuild their reputation.

Whether they’ve been traded from the AL to the NL, are finally healthy, or were unable to perform in 2010, these players are looking to prove their worth to the baseball community.

The success of these players could make or break their teams success in the coming year, while the second half of their careers could hang in the balance.

We take a look at those once “prime-time” players who are looking to rebound in 2011 after a disappointing 2010.

The top 10 rebound candidates are…

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