Howie Kendrick - I am definitely ready to cut bait on Kendrick in just about all formats. He hasn't had an XBH since May 9th, and he has regressed in just about every facet of the game this year at just 28 years of age. Worst swinging strike% in four years, worst LD rate in five, worst ISO in four, worst K rate of his career. He even looks slower both at the plate and in the field....his SB success rate and UZR are both way down this season. I think this is too pervasive to be just a cold streak....there is something wrong with him physically or mentally that isn't very likely to turn around. I'm OK cutting bait in the majority of leagues, and he certainly wouldn't be in my lineup in any but the deepest of AL-only leagues.
Gavin Floyd - Floyd was shelled again yesterday for the fourth straight outing, allowing four homers to the Mariners to account for all five of his earned runs in just five innings of work. A big wind blowing out helped account for 8 homers on the day between the two teams, but once again Floyd looked pretty solid when he wasn't allowing homers. The strange thing about Floyd's season is that he's experiencing career bests in swinging strike% and contact rate, and aside from a few extra homers (he's allowed 8 in this 4-game cold streak) everything else looks pretty normal for him except for a slight dropoff in velocity. I'm mildly concerned here, especially with the Mariners and Twins having battered him around of late, and I might consider sitting him in more shallow formats, but I wouldn't go so far as to drop him entirely as there is little here to warrant this rough patch to continue.
David Cooper - Cooper had a modest four-game hitting streak broken yesterday in his first start against a lefty, but I think the toughest thing for him is going to be hanging onto playing time once Adam Lind comes back from AAA. Cooper is a former 1st-round pick that has solid contact skills, but only moderate power and zero speed at just 25 years of age. He has managed a contact rate of over 90% and an LD rate of 28% in his first 30 PA's, but the bar is high enough at 1B in the AL that I'm not sure even that warrants a starting spot in most formats, and this may be about the best you'd expect him to perform. For me, Cooper is a reserve in deeper formats only unless some more power develops.
Gordon Beckham - Beckham homered again yesterday, giving him three the past two days to go along with a nine game hitting streak during which he's scored 10 runs. Beckham has dragged his seasonal line up to 238/292/411, approaching respectability but still far under expectations for the 25 year old. A career-best contact rate is a minor plus this season, and the resurgence in power (much of which has been in the past 48 hours) is cause for a bit of optimism as well. He's been unlucky with BABIP since the beginning of last year to boot, so there's actually quite a few reasons to be mildly optimistic...not the least of which is the fact that he's still on the good side of the age curve. I do think that Beckham will end up being a useful middle infield starter in just about all formats, but after regression in his second and third campaigns and a poor start this year in his fourth, skepticism on that front isn't just warranted, it's expected. I wouldn't be shy about asking for him as a throw-in on any bigger deal.
Ernesto Frieri - It sure looks like Ernesto Frieri is locking down the closer's spot for the Angels after he picked up his second save over the Rangers in as many days. Frieri allowed his first hit as an Angel yesterday in the midst of striking out three Rangers in 1 1/3 IP, giving him this line for his LA tenure: 14 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 11 BB, 30 K. Crazy. Frieri is a solid bullpen arm that almost exclusively throws a fastball, and he is indeed a useful bullpen arm, but how about this EXTREMELY fortunate stats: .211 BABIP (148 points below expected), 91.6% strand rate, 0.69 HR/9 despite a mere 18% GB rate. He's been super-lucky, but I don't think that changes his value all that much really....he's going to pick up the majority of save chances on a winning team.
