The Wire Troll: Luis Castillo to the Rescue

/ Baseball, The Wire Troll

Three years ago, Alvarez was just 24 and in the midst of a breakout season in which he recorded a 2.65 ERA en route to earning Cy Young consideration. The following year, he made just four starts and shoulder woes have kept him sidelined since. Well, he’s healthy now, putting on a showcase for MLB teams this weekend as he aims to get a chance to make a comeback. Given his still tender age, pedigree and tremendous control, Alvarez is worth tracking as we see how this plays out. Who knows? This Venezuelan could be a surprise source of value in the second half given how many teams need pitching help.

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Which MLB Manager is on the Hot Seat?

/ Baseball, Rumours

Ausmus has already survived one scare after his second season in 2015 when it looked like he was on thin ice. He failed to enjoy any playoff success with a team built to win it all, and now he’s stuck with an old and underachieving roster that costs more than any in the game. The AL Central is up for grabs, but the Tigers under Ausmus seem incapable of taking advantage of this situation, just losing four of six on its recent homestand.

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The Wire Troll: Sandy Alcantara Turning Things Around

/ Baseball, The Wire Troll

Another top prospect that’s recently gotten the call, Chapman’s arrival has coincided with the A’s starting to heat up, and yes, these two events are clearly connected. He drew two walks and scored a run in his debut, got a hit and three RBI in his second game and then had two hits, including his first double, and a run in Game No. 3. Chapman is another one that looks here to stay.

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The Wire Troll: It’s Almost Gleyber Torres Time

/ Baseball, The Wire Troll

As we enter the time of the year when prospects begin to get called up, it’s time once again to consider Fulmer. The eighth overall pick in 2015 has great strikeout potential, averaging nearly 8.5 Ks per nine over his minor league career, although that number has dipped this season. Fulmer ended May on a rough note, but has really come on so far this month. His overall ERA is still less than impressive, mostly because of some long ball issues, but he’s kept the ball in the yard in his last two starts. Fulmer will definitely get another look with the Pale Hose in the not too distant future.

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2017 RotoRob Top 80 Fantasy Baseball Prospects

/ Baseball, Prospects

Swanson dealt with some back woes this spring, but it’s not a major issue, and he’s expected to take a major step forward this year. He’ll be a big part of what should be a much better Atlanta squad in 2017. The one worry we have here is that Swanson’s strikeout rate rose from 14 per cent at High-A to 18.8 per cent at Double to 23.4 per cent in the majors. We can’t see him hitting over .300 with a contact rate that low, so keep an eye on that. Still, we have full confidence that Swanson will adjust, and after a very ugly April, he was much better in May. He will need to start using the whole field, instead of being such a pull hitter, to take the next step.

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The Wire Troll: Jed Lowrie on Fire in Oakland

/ Baseball, The Wire Troll

Even though it slipped last year, Anderson has always had solid command. And although he had really struggled in his previous five starts, he reminded us Saturday that he’s a pitcher that needs to be on your radar, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning en route to seven shutout innings of one-hit ball with 11 strikeouts against one of the top hitting teams in the bigs (Arizona). Anderson is durable, and in well on his way to shattering his career high in innings pitched, so give him a look if you need pitching help.

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