Leo Nunez (RP-FLA) – Nunez blew his second-to-league-worst eighth save of the season on Sunday, allowing a pair of ninth-inning homers in a loss against the Braves. Nunez has now allowing four homers in his last four appearances after just one in his first 50. It’s a steak that has taken his ERA from 3.04 to 3.83, and it could have him on the hot seat in terms of job status. For the year, Nunez’s K:BB remains strong at 59:17 in 54 innings, but anytime a non-elite closer has a run like this, it’s time to examine the team’s other options. There aren’t a lot of obviously ones, but the Marlins do have four relievers with sub-2.00 ERAs this month – Clay Hensley, Jose Veras, Brian Sanches, and Burke Badenhop. Hensley would probably be my choice as the guy most likely to take over for the struggling Nunez, so speculate away and read the post-game notes on this one for a clue as to how the Marlins are leaning in regards to the closer position.
Manny Ramirez (OF-LAD) – Ramirez found himself out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday, allegedly due to manager Joe Torre’s “superstitions” about how well the Dodgers have played with Scott Podsednik in left field. Look, I read the LA newspapers and beat writers/bloggers on a daily basis, and trust me, this has far more to do with the Dodgers not wanting Manny to get hurt again while they work out a deal with the White Sox. Sure, Podsednik has been successful on 70% of his 50 SB opportunities, but it’s not like Manny is a liability (at least on offense). He still has a .915 OPS to Podsednik’s .738, and in the last game he started, Ramirez had a pair of doubles and two walks. The Dodgers have crept back into the hunt for the NL wild card, so it would seem Ramirez would be worth keeping around to help the team pursue that effort, but not if the manager won’t use him. Expect a trade come Tuesday. Late edit: Manny appears headed to the White Sox.
Matt Kemp (OF-LAD) – Kemp had a pair of singles, a double, and a walk in five plate appearances Sunday in a losing effort against the Rockies. Kemp had been in a 2-for-16 mini-skid, so the base hits were a welcome effort from the multi-talented Kemp. For the year, he’s still hitting just .255/.315/.448, but with 22 homers, 74 RBI, and 18 stolen bases, he’s been a highly valuable fantasy commodity again this season. Despite the BA decline, Kemp’s numbers have held up pretty well over his top-10 MVP finish season of a year ago, including a (last year in parentheses) 22.5 AB/HR (23.3), 8.0% BB/PA (7.8), and .193 ISO (.193). The killer for Kemp has been his propensity to chase balls out of the strikezone. If you watch him for an extended period of time, it would seem that all you have to do is throw sliders 9-12 inches off the plate and you have a good shot at a strikeout. Speaking of strikeouts, Kemp’s contact rate has dropped from last year’s 77.1% to 72.3%. That may not seem like much, but combined with a BABIP that’s dropped from .363 and .349 the previous two seasons to .304 in 2010, and you have your explanation for the .255 BA.
Carlos Gonzalez (OF-COL) – Gonzalez isn’t going to win the NL MVP, but he’s putting on a season that makes him well-deserving of consideration in most years. Sunday, Cargo was 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, sacrifice fly, and four RBI. He’s now hitting a robust .326/.360/.595 with (NL rank in parentheses) 29 (T-4th) homers, 86 runs (T-6th), 90 RBI (3rd), and 20 stolen bases (12th). His .326 AVG leads the league as of Sunday by a point over Joey Votto. No, he’s not a perfect player, as his EYE sits at a meager 0.24 and he’s drawn walks in just 5.4% of his PA’s, but there’s plenty of precedent for players improving their batting eye as they gain experience. From a fantasy perspective, Gonzalez is an easy top-five player in next year’s drafts.
Jeremy Jeffress (RP-MIL) – A flame-out as a starter with a 100-game suspension for marijuana on his resume, Jeffress has rebuilt himself into a dominant reliever and could be on the cusp of the big leagues. The former first-round pick has put up a 2.32 ERA and impressive 12.5 K/9 across three minor league levels this season and could be an option as a future closer for the Brewers. Jeffress’ fastball routinely reaches the upper 90s, and he’s reached triple digits as well. John Axford has done well enough to enter 2011 as the overwhelming favorite to act as closer, but keep this guy in the back of your mind.
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