bollostar

What a waste of a game. This team fights every day and this clown comes out and throws batting practice to a team like the Nationals that barely have a professional line up right now. ding ding ding ding! We should have a 'like' button.

Relief Efforts: Rating the bullpens Karabell By Eric Karabell ESPN.com (Archive) March 26, 2008, 7:34 PM 21. Kevin Gregg, Marlins: If you ask me for five seemingly safe closers who could lose their job, I'm always going to put Gregg on the list. He was never a closer before, and Florida has a pattern of taking either ordinary middle relievers or throwaways and turning them into one-year wonders. I think Matt Lindstrom is better than Gregg, but for now, he must wait for Gregg to sputter. I'll say Gregg makes it through the season in the role, and saves 26 games, but Lindstrom is like Soria in Kansas City, knocking loudly on the proverbial door. Next in line: Matt Lindstrom Stealth guy: Joe Nelson 22. Joe Borowski, Indians: The man with the blown-up ERA still has the job, despite a bevy of top options licking their chops for the role. A normal fantasy expert would probably say Borowski is to be avoided and loses the job in mid-April. I think he's going to save 40 games. Why is he so low on this list? There's certainly risk here, and he's not much help in any other category. I don't think even the best closers help fantasy teams all that much, but Borowski hurts you some with the ERA. Still, he's the closer. Rafael Betancourt remains next in line, but don't assume another sub-2 ERA or many saves. I'll give him three. Next in line: Rafael Betancourt Stealth guy: Jensen Lewis 23. Todd Jones, Tigers: I predict Jones is in more danger than Borowski, but the reason Jones sticks around long enough to save 33 games is because there is nobody else to take the role. I mean, Joel Zumaya is out for months. Fernando Rodney is on the DL. Could Jason Grilli actually luck into some saves? I think he's next in line, and is a deep sleeper for holds if the top 15 or so middle relievers are off the board, but Jones keeps the job. His ERA will be 4.76, at best. Next in line: Jason Grilli Stealth guy: Yorman Bazardo Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com fantasy. You can e-mail him here.

The Marlins will not win more than 77 games this year. If they do, it will be one of the biggest miracles in baseball history. I predict they win 71 games. So, out of the 162 games that are played, winning 78 would be one of the "biggest miracles in baseball history." Yet your prediction is only 7 games short of that mark.

This guy could have been a stud. Unfortunately now he looks like damaged goods with small chance of ever being what he could have been. Still, I wouldn't have minded if we took a shot at him, especially since it looks like he can be had for peanuts.

If there is some plan to market Conine as goodwill ambassador or perhaps a radio personality with his own radio call-in show or a third guy in the booth for radio or tv there might be some value to retiring his number, but otherwise not so much. I totally agree. If he doesn't find a way to stay in the news until he's gray, then his playing career was meaningless.

I wholly support the thoery that when 20 people think 1 man makes no sense, it is usually because those 20 people need to improve their reading comprehention.

Sure. BTW, the word pragmatic is exactly the word I wanted to use - the word pragmatic having to do with being practical as opposed to the usual pie in the sky "let's trade Mike Jacobs for Johan Santana" trade proposals - and if you are language challenged I'll be glad to tutor you. I fear your tutoring.

i know we shouldn't be thinking about this, but what a waste of an arb year with the new stadium around the corner. keep him in the minors for at least the start of the season. I say we should definitely be thinking about this and it's not a small issue. I support this line of thinking.

The other alternative, thinking more long term (and I'm being pragmatic and nothing else), is to put Hermida out there as tradebait. Perhaps packaged with a high pitching prospect. I know a firestorm will ensue for even mentioning the thought but it is based on one thing, GMs regardless of what we like to think about them didn't get where they are by being idiots or fools and any front office would have to be blind to not recognize what a terrific job Hermida did after the All-Star break last season. It's that track record (a spectacular .340/.401/.555/.956 with 10 homeruns) that creates significant trade value. Neither Uggla nor Willingham, or Jacobs are right now, based on the second half of last season compelling enough to bring what Hermida can. And I believe with the three fourth outfielders we have in camp, Carroll, De Aza and Ross, especially Carroll (Alb. '07 .314/.361/.597.958 19 homeruns, best outfield arm in the system), we potentially have another Hermida in the making. Again, others can disagree and no doubt will but the best and quickest way to fix our rotation is to make the big move, and for me the only one who fits that description is Hermida. This is the least pragmatic post of all time.

Off topic to rferry: Why do you say in your sig that Welker is a traitor when he got traded? What would you have done differently than him? Retire from the NFL because you got traded from the Dolphins?

I'd give Vandy a shot ahead of Nolasco. At least Hurk has actual stuff.

Miller's walks are not a spring training thing. He has a history with those, and this spring has just shown a continuation of that history. I'm very high on his potential, but he'll probably struggle this year.

And I'm not all together sure Ross is on the Opening Day roster if both Cantu and Castillo are. Great observation. I also agree that two guys taking up two infield spots is of major impact as to wether Cody gets an outfield spot.

I'd have liked for Volstad to make it to the big show a couple of years older with an extra mph or two.

I'm really surprised that Jeff Weaver has been signed somewhere. Not that he's a great pitcher or even good at this stage of his career, but still it surprises me. :huh