Today's Fantasy Rx

Today, our August roto prospect series concludes with NL pitchers.

Note: For those of you unfamiliar with FAAB, each team normally has $100 to spend throughout the year on all free agent pickups. Most injury replacements or speculative picks go for a buck or two, hot starters go for $5-$10, top prospects go in the $10-$30 range, and we've seen $90+ bids on top players traded into the league, as well as selected call-ups.

Arizona: Bret Prinz, 25, RH Reliever
13 Saves on 35:9 K:BB in 40 IP over 35 G with 31 H, 2 HR, and a 1.80 ERA between A+ Lancaster(Cal) and AAA Tucson(PCL).

He's pitched 9 completely ineffective innings for Arizona after spending a couple of weeks closing last year; Prinz posted a 12.00 ERA on 8:9 K:BB in 9.0 IP with 17 hits allowed, forcing the Diamondbacks to look outside the organization for bullpen help. At least his minor league numbers continue to impress, but Kim's continued dominance and Mantei's progress from rehab curtail the possibility of any save opps for Prinz in the foreseeable future. As he also seems likely to hurt your WHIP in September, ignore him this year in favor of safer roster filler options.

Previous prospects: May: Eric Knott; June: John Patterson; July: Jose Valverde.

Atlanta: John Foster, 24, LH Reliever
7-4 on 46:27 K:BB in 60 IP over 53 G with 66 H, 5 HR, and a 4.35 ERA at AAA Richmond(IL).

The Braves recalled Foster to give them a second lefty in the pen while Remlinger's injured. Atlanta's bullpen easily has performed the best in the majors, and they even rank high in historical comparisons. Four relievers, Chris Hammond, Remlinger, Darren Holmes, and John Smoltz, are the among the top twenty this season. Foster and Aaron Small are the only relievers who have not contributed positively, and Foster's weak 1.7 K:BB at AAA indicates he's not ready for the majors. Add any other Atlanta reliever if you wish, but ignore Foster this year.

Previous prospects: May: Joey Dawley; June: Doug Linton; July: Trey Hodges.

Chicago Cubs: Francis Beltran, 22, RH Reliever
23 Saves on 43:19 K:BB in 41.2 IP over 39 G with 28 H, 2 HR, and a 2.59 ERA at AA West Tennessee(SL).

We were quite surprised when Chicago added Beltran to the 40-man roster last fall after a few lackluster seasons in the low minors, but Beltran's excelled at AA this year and thoroughly impressed us at the Futures' Game. However there's no reason for him to be in the majors right now other than the Cubs' reluctance to move injured pitchers to the 60-day DL to make room for minor league veterans at AAA like Pat Mahomes, Steve Sinclair, or Ron Mahay. Beltran needs AAA time to insure he doesn't suffer the fate of nearly all minor leaguer closers, who normally can't find saves at the major league level. He's only retired three batters in two games while allowing a hit and five walks. The Cubs have several capable pitchers fighting for saves next year, and we just don't see Beltran in that mix; ignore him this year.

Previous prospects: May: Mark Prior; June: Will Cunnane; July: Rick Palma.

Cincinnati: Jose Silva, 28, RH Reliever
1-1 on 21:3 K:BB in 26 IP over 18 G with 26 H, 1 HR, and a 1.38 ERA at AAA Louisville(IL).

Silva missed most of the spring while rehabbing from a March surgery to remove bone chips and spurs from his right elbow. He finally made it back to the majors for about three weeks in June before hitting the DL yet again with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder. While he was reportedly able to return about a week ago, he then cut his ankle on a stadium door, an injury which required fourteen stitches. His AAA numbers demonstrate his potential to dominate in relief when healthy, but his weak Cincy stats, including a 5.84 ERA on 3:5 K:BB in 12.1 IP with 14 H and 3 HR, also suggest he could struggle badly if his arm's hurting. We'll be willing to gamble a buck or two of FAAB on him when recalled, although you might not want to risk a bid on your contending teams.

Previous prospects: May: Trever Miller; June: Luke Hudson; July: Mike Neu.

Colorado: Brian Fuentes, 27, LH Reliever
3-3 on 58:28 K:BB in 45.2 IP over 37 G with 44 H, 0 HR, and a 3.74 ERA at AAA Colorado Springs(PCL).

The Rockies rotation is both fairly full and their top prospects need more minor league time, so we only expect them to promote a few veterans in September. While we can't recommend any Rockies' reliever except Jose Jimenez and maybe Todd Jones as they'll spend most of the next month at home, you should remember Fuentes in the future. They picked him up in the Cirillo deal from Seattle and he appears worthy of an extended look in 2003. He's struggled in the majors this year largely due to a poor .70 G-F, although the small sample size helps us ignore his rather unsavory line of a 7.88 ERA on 13:7 K:BB in 8 IP over 14 G with 12 hits allowed. A nasty platoon split contributes to much of his problems, as he owns a .741 OPS against righties while allowing a 1.380 OPS against lefties. He should spend a few years in someone's bullpen, but certainly ignore him in Colorado.

Previous prospects: May: Matt Whiteside; June: Ryan Cameron; July: Aaron Cook.

Florida: Toby Borland, 33, RH Reliever
11 Saves on 74:29 K:BB in 66.2 IP over 53 G with 53 H, 2 HR, and a 3.11 ERA at AAA Calgary(PCL).

Florida's bullpen has started to impress me following the acquisitions of Lloyd and Pavano in the Floyd deal, but they need to make room for Borland. He's dominated in the minors for the last few years while pitching in great hitters' parks, and he'd definitely improve their middle relief. Once you see him receiving regular work, feel free to FAAB him cheaply if you need relatively low-risk roster filler.

Previous prospects: May: Nate Teut; June: Blaine Neal; July: Tommy Phelps.

Houston: Brad Lidge, 25, RH Starter
6-6 on 108:46 K:BB in 102.2 IP over 16 GS(26G) with 83 H, 7 HR, and a 3.68 ERA between AA Round Rock(TL) and AAA New Orleans(PCL).

Lidge's repeated injury problems have limited him to only 100 professional innings over the last four years. Houston was expected to move him to relief this season in the hope of avoiding further health-related absences, but that experiment only lasted ten games before he returned to starting. As the Astros already can field a full rotation of pre-arbitration 25-and-under pitchers who all harbor significant potential, there's little reason for them to keep Lidge starting. He could be an absolutely dominant reliever, combining with Dotel and Wagner to effectively end games after the fifth or sixth inning, especially as both he and Dotel should be able to pitch multiple innings. Ignore Lidge for now, but remember him as a very intriguing $1 middle relief candidate in future seasons.

Previous prospects: May: Pete Munro; June: Kirk Saarloos; July: Jeriome Robertson.

Los Angeles: Victor Alvarez, 25, LH Swingman
9-5 on 94:38 K:BB in 103.1 IP over 30 G(12GS) with 110 H, 9 HR, and a 4.88 ERA at AAA Las Vegas(PCL).

LA finally allowed him to debut this season after three effective seasons in the high minors. They kept him in the majors for about five days, allowing him into two games where he compiled a 11.57 ERA on 2:1 K:BB in 2.1 IP with 4 H and a homer. He deserves a year-long look as one of their two lefty relievers, and hopefully he'll receive that opportunity next spring. The Dodgers' playoff push forces us to ignore Alvarez for now, but I suspect he'll establish himself as a regular resident on next season's LPR lists.

Previous prospects: May: Guillermo Mota; June: Kevin Beirne; July: Jeff Williams.

Milwaukee: Everett Stull, 30, RH Starter
9-10 on 107:44 K:BB in 133 IP over 21 GS with 131 H, 10 HR, and a 3.72 ERA at AAA Indianapolis(IL).

In two starts with the Brewers earlier this year, he managed a 22 PQS log while going 0-1 on 7:9 K:BB in 10 IP with 15 H, only earning the points for strikeouts and not allowing any homers. He's suffered from control problems throughout his career before sacrificing some dominance this year to fix his command ratio. If Milwaukee decides to protect any of their starters down the stretch, I suspect they might look at Stull again. However one decent minor league season doesn't suggest he'll succeed in the majors, so ignore him if recalled.

Previous prospects: May: Jayson Durocher; June: Jimmy Osting; July: Brian Mallette.

Montreal: Seung Song, 22, RH Starter
7-7 on 121:37 K:BB in 113.2 IP over 22 GS with 111 H, 11 HR, and a 4.20 ERA between AA Trenton(EL) and AA Harrisburg(EL).

One of the more impressive pitching prospects in baseball prior to the season, Song's AA dominance further establishes his credentials. The shocking aspect of his stats is that his strikeout rate is only slightly down, falling from 9.9 to 9.6 K/9 this year despite making the often difficult move to AA. All of his ratios are depressed to some extent from 2001, but he's still hitting all the required skill targets while striking out over a batter per inning. Unfortunately he reportedly injured his shoulder a few days ago and might be finished pitching this season. Assuming he hasn't suffered serious damage, we expect him stay at AAA through at least next year's All-Star break, although we'll make every effort to FAAB him if promoted sooner. A rotation of Colon, Vazquez, Armas, Ohka, and Song could push the Expos into the 2003 playoffs.

Previous prospects: May: Julio Manon; June: Zach Day; July: Dicky Gonzalez.

New York Mets: Tyler Walker, 26, RH Starter
9-4 on 94:36 K:BB in 126.2 IP over 22 GS(25G) with 126 H, 8 HR, and a 3.69 ERA at AAA Norfolk(IL).

Mike Bacsik's 11.1 H/9 suggests that he needs more AAA time, while Walker appears more prepared to replace Estes in the rotation. His 6.7 K/9 is actually his worst mark of any year in his career, and his 7.9 K/9 in eight AAA starts last season suggests Walker's still developing. He's always shown good command, and the Mets should feel perfectly comfortable placing him into next year's rotation in the #4 or #5 slot. Hopefully he'll receive a start or two in September to prove himself, and while contenders should approach with some caution, most teams should definitely look to FAAB him.

Previous prospects: May: Bobby M. Jones; June: John Bale; July: Jim Serrano.

Philadelphia: Hector Mercado, 28, LH Reliever
2-1 on 32:8 K:BB in 24.2 IP over 20 G with 15 H, 1 HR, and a 1.09 ERA at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre(IL).

Philly picked him up this spring for Reggie Taylor, and demoted him after he compiled a fairly disastrous 6.75 ERA on 18:14 K:BB in 18.2 IP with 21 hits and one homer allowed. However this appears more of a problem with Bowa's usage of Mercado. He held left-handers to a .491 OPS as righties toasted him at a .965 OPS. He surprisingly suffered a reverse platoon split in 2001, allowing an .879 OPS against lefties while holding right-handers to a .709 OPS. Most of Mercado's problems appear fixed based on his AAA dominance, so he likely deserves another extended look next season. He might not hurt a roto team if his manager limits him to a specialist role, but you should probably ignore him.

Previous prospects: May: Brett Myers; June: Joe Roa; July: Eric Junge.

Pittsburgh: Duaner Sanchez, 22, RH Reliever
18 Saves on 61:23 K:BB in 58 IP over 49 G with 50 H, 4 HR, and a 3.72 ERA between AA El Paso(TL), AAA Tucson(PCL), and AAA Nashville(PCL).

While he probably needs another few months in the minors, adding Sanchez for Fetters ranks as one of the Pirates' top moves of the last couple of years. In the six games he pitched for Arizona before the trade, Sanchez posted a 4.91 ERA on 4:5 K:BB in 3.2 IP with 3 hits and one homer allowed. He's not reaching the same level of success in AAA that he accomplished in AA, but he's probably Pittsburgh's top young relief prospect and a potential heir to Mike Williams. Rebuilding team should consider a small FAAB bid in September when he's recalled.

Previous prospects: May: Bronson Arroyo; June: Salomon Torres; July: Al Reyes.

San Diego: Mike Bynum, 24, LH Starter
7-2 on 64:14 K:BB in 74 IP over 12 GS(13G) with 53 H, 6 HR, and a 2.31 ERA between AA Mobile(SL) and AAA Portland(PCL).

He missed the second half of 2001 and the first two months of this season with a knee injury, but he's pitched exceedingly well upon his return. Bynum's only problem is that he's never shown much dominance in the past, leading some analysts to expect him to wind up in the bullpen. With Oliver Perez and Eric Cyr more touted just among lefties in the organization, not to mention right-handers Brian Lawrence, Jake Peavy, Dennis Tankersley, Brad Baker, and Ben Howard, I suspect Bynum will eventually convert to relief. However he could pitch effectively in the short term, and as he'll likely receive a few starts following his probable Saturday debut, we're willing to gamble a few bucks of FAAB on him.

Previous prospects: May: Brandon Villafuerte; June: Jason Kershner; July: Dennis Tankersley.

San Francisco: Jesse Foppert, 22, RH Starter
6-7 on 161:50 K:BB in 123.1 IP over 22 GS with 97 H, 12 HR, and a 3.36 ERA between AA Shreveport(TL) and AAA Fresno(PCL).

The Giants' 2001 2nd round pick out of the University of San Francisco, Foppert now ranks among the best pitching prospects in baseball, as well as sliding ahead of fellow Grizzlies Kurt Ainsworth and Jerome Williams. Debuting at A- Salem-Keizer(NWL), he posted an 1.93 ERA while going 8-1 on 88:23 K:BB in 70 IP over 14 GS with 35 H and 7 homers allowed. He jumped past both levels of full-season A-ball and continued dominating in the upper minors. His career skill ratios include a 3.4 K:BB, 11.6 K/9, 6.1 H/9, and even a .9 HR/9 despite mostly pitching in the two toughest leagues for pitchers in the upper minors. Certainly try to FAAB if he sees any September starts, and if he remains in the minors, he should rank near the very top of minor league drafts in the spring.

Previous prospects: May: Kurt Ainsworth; June: Jerome Williams; July: Troy Brohawn.

St. Louis: Gabe Molina, 27, RH Reliever
11 Saves on 51:24 K:BB in 69 IP over 54 G with 58 H, 7 HR, and a 2.22 ERA at AAA Memphis(PCL).

He's pitched very effectively in AAA for the last four years but suffered from severe command and control problems during thirty-eight major league innings in Baltimore and Atlanta. Molina has struck out 448 batters in 422.1 professional innings, so he can certainly dominate much of the time. If he can avoid giving up too many homers or walks, he could establish himself as a decent middle reliever for a few years. Ignore him for now, but if you see a solid K:BB after 10-15 IP, he shouldn't hurt you as roster filler.

Previous prospects: May: Les Walrond; June: Travis Smith; July: Steve Stemle.

Internet Challenge

SP(6)
Pedro Martinez: Fri:@MIN(Mays) Curt Schilling: Fri:@CHC(Smyth) Mike Mussina: Sat:@SEA(R.Franklin) Roger Clemens: Sun@SEA(Pineiro)
Matt Morris: Sun:@PHI(Padilla)
Barry Zito: Sun:CHW(D.Wright)
Kerry Wood: Sat:ARI(Batista)
Roy Oswalt: Sat:@CIN(Estes)
Eric Gagne: 3 Road games at New York Mets.
Roy Halladay: Fri:@TEX(K.Rogers)

No starts: Randy and Vazquez.

Pedro and Schilling are essential at this point, and we rank Halladay only slightly behind them, even on the road. Zito and Wood have the safer home starts, and we'll deploy Gagne instead of Oswalt for cap reasons.

On offense, the four Rockies sit along with Bonds as all five are on the road. Lastly we need to sit Jason Giambi, and we don't particularly object with New York in Seattle; it's more important to keep the Rockies benched until they get home.

The Umpire Hunter(1st lg; 16th overall)
Week 20b: August 16-August 18

C 	Jorge Posada		990
C	A.J. Pierzynski		460
1B	Ryan Klesko		1300
1B	Paul Konerko		1220
2B	Luis Castillo		1000
2B	Alfonso Soriano		900
3B	Eric Chavez		1070
3B	Shea Hillenbrand	450
SS	Alex Rodriguez		1880
SS	Jimmy Rollins		940
OF	Ichiro Suzuki		1330
OF	Lance Berkman		1320
OF	J.D. Drew		1010
OF	Torii Hunter		830
OF	Adam Dunn		710
OF	Daryle Ward		620
DH	Sammy Sosa		1900
DH	Vlad Guerrero		1880

SP	Pedro Martinez		1770
SP	Curt Schilling		1540
SP	Barry Zito		1080
SP	Kerry Wood		1050
SP	Eric Gagne		500
SP	Roy Halladay		490
RP	Byung-Hyun Kim		1200
RP	Mike Williams		900
RP	Eddie Guardado		900
RP	Jorge Julio		750

Today's Fantasy Rx: Colorado spends at least half of the next four weeks at home. Make sure to keep track of what teams will spend team at Coors, and in leagues with open transactions, remember to sit your pitchers in Colorado while deploying any available hitters.