Today's Fantasy Rx.

American League Relief Pitchers with $-3 PDV

Quick Key to the tables:
W = Wins.  S = Saves.  ERA = Earned Run Average (ER*9/IP).
WHIP = (Walks + Hits)/IP aka Ratio.  K = Strikeouts.  BB = Bases on Balls aka Walks.
H = Hits.  IP = Innings Pitched.  P = Pitches.  B = Bats.
4x4 = BA, HR, RBI, and SB in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
5x5 = BA, HR, RBI, SB, and R in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
DV = Draft Value.  DTCD = Draft Total Category Dollars.
AV = Actual Value.  ATCD = Actual Total Category Dollars.
LABR/Tout = 2001 Expert League prices; LABR for 4x4. Tout Wars for 5x5.

A brief review of what our dollar values mean:
Draft Value is how much a player should have gone for on draft day.
DTCD is the highest acceptable draft day price without a value loss.
Actual Value is how much a player earned this year.
ATCD is the highest price at which you could have owned a player without a value loss in leagues with an in-season salary cap.

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest.

101.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Carlos Almanzar		0	0	3.38	1.50		6	2	14	4	10.2
NY Yankees		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	-4		0		-7		1

Almanzar probably should have been able to find a big league job in 2001 but instead compiled a fantastic 3.5 K:BB MLE in AAA. His 5.9 K/9 is somewhat less impressive, but he still appears fully capable of competing at the major league level. He likely wouldn't hurt if needed as an injury replacement, although I'd want to see him secure a spot for more than this brief number of innings before risking him on my roster.

102.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Rusty Meacham		1	0	5.60	1.39		13	10	39	22	35.1
TB Devil Rays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 33	5x5:	-4		1		-6		1

Meacham found his first extended major league work in years after repeatedly posting 2.0+ K:BB MLEs in AAA. He doesn't strike out an excessive number of batters, so his sustainable value seems largely dependent upon a low number of home runs. He's unlikely to find consistent work due to his extended AAA stay, but I'd expect him to receive NRIs from several different teams over the next few years.

103.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Brad Voyles		0	0	3.86	1.39		6	8	5	4	9.1
KC Royals		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 24	5x5:	-4		0		-7		1

Kansas City picked up Voyles in the Rey Sanchez trade and immediately labeled him a strong contender for "closer of the future." He really needs a full year at AAA, and considering the relative depth of the bullpen when including everyone unlikely to make the starting rotation, the Royals can easily afford to give him another year in the minors. While he certainly appears to have the talent to finish games given that he's struck out over a batter per inning at every single minor league stop each year of his career, he'll need to improve his command slightly to emerge as a dominant closer. I wouldn't spend a draft pick on him, although I'd definitely consider a late-season FAAB bid of a few dollars.

104.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Travis Miller		1	0	4.81	1.52		30	20	54	26	48.2
MIN Twins		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	-3		1		-6		1

Miller should return as the second lefty in the Twins' pen, and he'll remain the primary left-handed reliever as long as Guardado closes. Unfortunately, Miller's skills have deteriorated over the past two years and he doesn't even appear draftable at this time. Make sure his K/9 and K:BB are no worse than his 2001 1st half numbers of 6.8 and 1.7 respectively before considering him as an injury replacement.

105.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Brett Tomko		3	0	5.19	1.64		22	15	42	20	34.2
SEA Mariners		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0		5
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	-4		1		-6		1		4

After moving to San Diego in the Davis-Vazquez deal, Tomko will finally get a second chance to establish himself in a major league rotation. His MLEs from 2001 rival his 1998 season in Cincy, so he certainly joins the Senior Circuit with a lot of potential. He normally finds trouble when he loses the manager's confidence after giving up too many homers, but as San Diego depresses homers by about 15%, he'll likely approach double-digit value for the Padres. Following an expected trade of either Jones or Jarvis at some point during the season, he might even move up another rotation slot or two, so he's definitely someone you'll want to grab if the bidding slows at only a couple of dollars in your league.

106.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Bart Miadich		0	0	4.50	1.40		11	8	6	5	10.0
ANA Angels		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 25	5x5:	-4		0		-7		1

In his first full year at AAA, Salt Lake used Miadich as a closer, and he largely dominated in the extremely hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He compiled a 73:29 K:BB in 59 IP while only allowing 40 hits and 4 home runs, and he even managed 27 saves. Miadich should be able to replace Hasegawa as the Anaheim setup many if given the chance, and he even offers more long-term upside as a potential Percival successor than Lou Pote. Definitely consider drafting Miadich for a dollar or two if he breaks camp with the team, and certainly FAAB him if he's only recalled later in the season.

107.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Kris Foster		0	0	2.70	1.70		8	8	9	3	10.0
BAL Orioles		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

Baltimore acquired Foster in the Trombley deal and appeared to largely neglect his excellent MLEs of 43:14 K:BB in 49 IP with only 2 home runs allowed. Perhaps his low major league ERA will aid him in finding another opportunity for the Orioles, but Foster's stuck competing against several younger relievers who all strike out just as many batters. He'll need to impress during Spring Training to make the team, and I just don't expect Baltimore to consider him in their long-range planning, leaving Foster unlikely to be up with the team by April 15th.

Foster: Oriole for under-utilized AAAA reliever.

108.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Bobby Seay		1	0	6.23	1.38		12	5	13	9	13.0
TB Devil Rays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 23	5x5:	-4		0		-7		1

Former Bonus Baby Bobby Seay finally reached the majors as a reliever after almost five full years attempting to start in the minors. He never managed extremely high strikeout rates, although he definitely shows potential in the bullpen. He's young enough where they should leave him in the bullpen for a year or two so he can build his arm strength, and then consider starting him when one of their current young starters begins earning too much money. He offers as much potential as most other bullpen lefties, so only consider him for injury replacement duty if his skill ratios all appear solid in 2002.

109.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Tony Fiore		0	0	5.59	1.24		8	3	9	6	9.2
TB / MIN		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 29	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

Fiore again failed to capitalize on a brief opportunity to establish himself in the majors. Both teams found him victim to bad luck, but anyone paying attention to his minor league record would realize that he definitely has enough command to find success in the majors. His relative lack of strikeouts will likely keep him from ever establishing himself in the big leagues, so he'll be lucky to hang around as a AAAA reliever.

110.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Todd Erdos		0	0	4.96	1.41		7	8	15	9	16.1
BOS Red Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

Erdos pitched fairly well in AAA before again losing all command upon reaching the majors. He'll need to impress some scout to even earn another long look, so Erdos really needs to hone his focus since teams seem to keep giving him chances against most logic. I can't see a reason for anyone to consider drafting him this season, and many clubs won't bother with older, soft-tossing right-handers with poor track records.

111.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Carlos Castillo		0	0	6.00	1.00		0	0	3	2	3.0
BOS Red Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

Castillo continues to earn cups-of-coffee with superb command in the minors. He managed to compile a 114:24 K:BB ratio in 163.2 IP at AAA Pawtucket in 2001, although he also gave up 179 hits. When he reaches the majors, he never seems able to continue any success, and his strikeout rate plummets while his home run rate shoots up. I suspect he'll continue to bounce between AAA and the majors for the next several years, but he could establish himself as a decent long reliever if given another extended opportunity.

112.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Mickey Callaway		0	0	7.20	1.00		2	2	3	4	5.0
TB Devil Rays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

In his fourth year at AAA Durham, Callaway finally learned how to pitch, assembling a 81:24 K:BB ratio in 129 IP with only 9 home runs allowed. Tampa rewarded him with 5 major league innings and a trade to Anaheim. He has almost no chance to break camp with the Angels considering their rotation, additional depth like Matt Wise, and a very competitive bullpen situation. I'd like to see another year of consistently good AAA work before I recommend him as even an injury replacement, so perhaps a new situation will invigorate him if he can avoid the pitfalls facing every pitcher new to the PCL.

113.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Pete Schourek		1	0	4.45	1.65		20	15	35	15	30.1
BOS Red Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 32	5x5:	-4		1		-6		1

Schourek handled the transition to the bullpen fairly well despite a falling K:BB ratio. These deteriorating skills have left him unownable as his walk rate shot up last season. He certainly still has enough time to complete a Jeff Fassero-like transition to relief work, but he might need to spend a year or two in AAA before seeing a lot more time in the majors.

114.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Allen McDill		0	0	5.52	1.36		16	7	13	9	14.2
BOS Red Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 29	5x5:	-4		0		-7		1

Boston stupidly non-tendered McDill, apparently paying too much attention to his artificially-inflated ERA instead of his underlying skills. He seems to be a perfectly capable left-handed reliever, and I'd be quite surprised if he didn't perform significantly better than someone like Dennis Cook if McDill finds that opportunity. He's a relatively safe pick as an injury replacement, although I'd prefer to wait until a team appears to commit to keeping him before adding him to my roster.

115.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Matt DeWitt		0	0	3.79	1.68		13	10	22	8	19.0
TOR Blue Jays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-5		0
2001 Age: 23	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

DeWitt continued his slow conversion to relief work and gradual emergence as a decent reliever after he recovered from arm problems. Toronto actually dealt him to the White Sox in the Shouldergate package before finding himself sent back to the Blue Jays after Chicago discovered those arm problems. Of course, unlike almost everyone in Comiskey, DeWitt seemingly immediately recovered and began pitching better than before the injury. I don't expect him to receive a long look from any team this season, so you'll likely just chart his minor league progress in 2002.

116.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Kelly Wunsch		2	0	7.66	1.34		16	9	21	19	22.1
CH White Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	-3		0		-6		0		1
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0		Res

Even before he went down for the year with arm troubles, Wunsch lost much of his control as he allowed four homers and hit six batters in 22.1 IP. Hopefully, these problems were symptomatic of his growing difficulty with physically throwing the baseball, and he'll be able to recover fully by 2003. The Sox could certainly use another dependable lefty in the bullpen, so his return might even be a key to this year's playoff hopes unless Williams deals for veteran help or Manuel forces Parque to pitch in relief.

117.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Mark Lukasiewicz		0	0	6.04	1.34		25	9	21	15	22.1
ANA Angels		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	-3		0		-6		0
2001 Age: 28	5x5:	-4		1		-6		1

Lukasiewicz finds himself in direct competition with Miadich and Wise for the third right-handed reliever slot. I don't understand why they're paying Levine so much money when Wise deserves to be in the majors, and Miadich and Lukasiewicz both have the skills of future closer. Lukasiewicz somehow struck out 41 batters while only allowing 2 walks and 12 hits in 30.1 IP at AAA Salt Lake. His major league numbers were also quite good, including a 25:9 K:BB in 22.1 IP with 21 hits. His inflated ERA was due to allowing 6 home runs, so if Lukasiewicz can keep the ball in the park, he could post an absolutely miniscule ERA.

If the Angels won't find room for him, I'd like to see him traded to Minnesota to add to their wonderful Scrabble mix of names.

118.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
T.J. Mathews		0	1	5.09	1.70		19	11	28	13	23.0
OAK Athletics		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-6		0
2001 Age: 31	5x5:	-4		0		-7		1

Mathews pitched his way off the Athletics as worsening control and increasing hittability left him as too much of a liability to remain on the staff. He found more success in St. Louis with LaRussa, a mildly ironic development since he was the top prospect in the package that St. Louis sent Oakland for McGwire. He certainly could return to being a solid set-up man, although I don't know why the Astros gave him around a million in guaranteed money when superior relievers continue to find only minor league deals.

119.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Ariel Prieto		0	0	2.45	2.18		2	2	6	1	3.2
TB Devil Rays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-6		0
2001 Age: 31	5x5:	-5		0		-8		0

The Athletics wasted the fifth overall pick on Prieto back in 1995 when he was a prized Cuban defector eligible for the draft. He never fulfilled that promise, showing little command in the majors. He should be able to hang around AAA for another few years as a long reliever and mop-up man, although I doubt he'll ever again earn positive roto value.

120.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
J.D. Smart		1	0	6.46	1.50		10	4	19	11	15.1
TEX Rangers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-6		0
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

Smart pitched decently at AAA Oklahoma, but he's never really shown the skills necessary to pitch in the majors since AA Harrisburg in 1998. His difficulties seemingly began then as the Expos rushed him to Ottawa after only 14 appearances and eleven starts. While he might see some major league success if presented with the right opportunity, I find it more likely that he'll continue to receive the occasional cup-of-coffee as a weak AAAA pitcher.

121.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Francisco Cordero		0	0	3.86	2.14		1	2	3	1	2.1
TEX Rangers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-6		0		1
2001 Age: 23	5x5:	-5		0		-8		0		Res

Cordero still retains the "closer of the future" label despite repeated injury problems and a very poor 2000 season wherein he only struck out one more batter than he walked. His fantastic 2001 AAA numbers included a 20:3 K:BB in 15.1 IP, and while the sample size is certainly small, this shows that he still has the ability to develop into a top reliever. Given the extreme pitching depth assembled by the Rangers this off-season, you should probably only speculate on Cordero if you're allowed to draft him as a minor leaguer, and I doubt he'll even see much of the majors this year.

122.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Chad Paronto		1	0	5.00	1.63		16	11	33	15	27.0
BAL Orioles		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	-3		0		-6		0
2001 Age: 25	5x5:	-4		0		-7		0

Given these extremely poor major league skill ratios, Paronto should definitely return to AAA for a full season while the Orioles instead use relievers like Roberts, Bale, and Kris Foster. Despite some gradual improvements, Paronto only managed a 1.4 MLE K:BB rate, and an increasing K/9 rate does nothing to help his poor control. He's certainly not draftable at this time, and I wouldn't expect him to have much value for the next few years until he first masters AAA.

American League Relievers will continue tomorrow.

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