Roto Roundup: Anibal Sanchez, Curtis Granderson, Tyler Chatwood and Others

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

This is a little late as I decided to turn it in early last night after the golf outing and after-golf activities.

Fake Teams podcast Episode 3

In this podcast, Andrew and Zack discusss Mike Trout, Matt Kemp, Kevin Gausman and other. In case you missed Episode 3 of the Fake Teams podcast, here are the links:

MP3

ITunes

Mostly MLB Notes: Striking Goldschmidt

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

I wasn’t necessarily down on Paul Goldschmidt entering the year, but he came nowhere near any of my teams, as he was being drafted aggressively, and he played in what I perceived as a loaded first base position. Not only has first base been a huge disappointment in general, but Goldschmidt has quickly developed into a true star I certainly didn’t expect, as he’s on pace to finish the season with this line: .329-43-108-130-14. That’s a monster no matter what position you play. While Chase Field is a huge advantage on his side, Goldschmidt has actually posted a 1.242 OPS on the road compared to .812 at home, so while the former is bound to drop, the latter is certain to rise as well. Goldschmidt’s 23.0

The Fantasy Freak Show Podcast: Gronk talk, gaga for Goldy and selling Zim

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Over the course of roughly 45 days, it's stunning how different the fantasy landscape appears. Alleged franchise cornerstones Matt Kemp, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and R.A. Dickey, once thought to be indispensable, have underachieved. Meanwhile, afterthoughts Manny Machado, Starling Marte, Jean Segura and Shelby Miller, who were nothing more than late-round Hail Marys, are keeping many in contention.

On this week's insightful program, Brad Evans and Brandon Funston redrafted the season, fearlessly forecasting what slow/hot starts in Fantasyland will continue. Also on this week's

Freak Show Friday: Rebooting the mission at 8 PM ET, 5 PM PT

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Over the course of roughly 45 days, it's stunning how different the fantasy landscape appears. Alleged franchise cornerstones Matt Kemp, Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and R.A. Dickey, once thought to be indispensable, have underachieved. Meanwhile, afterthoughts Manny Machado, Starling Marte, Jean Segura and Shelby Miller, who were nothing more than late-round Hail Marys, are keeping many in contention.

On this week's insightful program, Brad Evans and Brandon Funston are redrafting the season, fearlessly forecasting what slow/hot starts in Fantasyland will continue. Also on this week's

Mostly MLB Notes: Albert Pujols’ decline, Carlos Santana’s emergence and examining David Price

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

We held a mid-season draft Monday, and I ended up taking Albert Pujols with the 19th pick. Judging by Yahoo’s updated rest of season rankings, I guess this could be considered something of a reach. I’m not necessarily going to argue against that, but it’s remarkable someone who was a unanimous top-three pick last year and was generally considered a top-10 pick this year is now a

Fantasy do-over: Auditing results from an in-season experts draft

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

At the risk of tearing down the entire "fantasy expert" scam, we begin today with an admission: Occasionally, fantasy gurus get stuff wrong.

It's rare, but it happens. Back in March, it's possible that some of us led you to believe Roy Halladay was salvageable and that Adam Dunn was not terrible at baseball. We apologize for these misunderstandings.

With six weeks of MLB data in the books, it's time to reassess the player pool. We've assembled a group of 10 experts for an in-season baseball draft. The league settings are fairly standard: 5x5, mixed player pool, CI & MI, head-to-head, weekly lineups. Nothing too exotic.

[You can still own Paul Goldschmidt! It's not too late! Sign-up today for

Shuffle Up: Carlos Gomez, the real deal

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

When it comes to fake baseball, the outfield is where the fun is. The first couple of rounds will always include some of these stat-grabbing giants, and yet the waiver wire in an average mixer consistently offers something for the discerning shopper. Add it all up and there's a lot to digest.

The prices you see in this piece are roughly how I rank the roto-eligible outfielders going forward. What we've seen to this point is merely an audition; if you want a list of the top players to this point, there are plenty of places you can access that.

Don't obsess over the prices in a vacuum: what really matters is how the players relate to one another. Assume a 5x5 scoring format, as always, and players at the same price

Shuffle Up: Carlos Gomez, the read deal

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

When it comes to fake baseball, the outfield is where the fun is. The first couple of rounds will always include some of these stat-grabbing giants, and yet the waiver wire in an average mixer consistently offers something for the discerning shopper. Add it all up and there's a lot to digest.

The prices you see in this piece are roughly how I rank the roto-eligible outfielders going forward. What we've seen to this point is merely an audition; if you want a list of the top players to this point, there are plenty of places you can access that.

Don't obsess over the prices in a vacuum: what really matters is how the players relate to one another. Assume a 5x5 scoring format, as always, and players at the same price

Fantasy Baseball: Of Course ... But Maybe - Matt Kemp

Source: KFFL.com MLB

Louis CK tells it like it is. Tim tries to capture some of that brutal truth when it comes to struggling fantasy baseball players. Matt Kemp ... not a bad place to start.

NL only fantasy thoughts: Early 2013 Disappointments

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

Last week, I took a look at some hitters and pitchers who have outperformed their preseason rankings in 2013. Today, I am going to take a look at some hitters and pitchers who have disappointed fantasy owners thus far. Every year, there are going to be players who under-perform their draft ranking, and every year there are first round picks who turn out to be busts. Here are a three hitters and three pitchers who have driven fantasy owners nuts this season.

So should you sell low or sit tight? Read on.

Matt Kemp

Yeah, he's the heart and soul of the Dodgers, but has just one home run

Mostly MLB Notes: Buying Matt Cain and examining what’s wrong with Eric Hosmer

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

Matt Cain entered this season having allowed 129 homers over 1,536.2 innings (0.76 HR/9). This year, he’s already served up nine home runs over 34.2 innings. Put differently, he’s allowed the same amount of long balls this month as he did all of the 2011 season, which spanned 221.2 innings. Cain has never had a season in which his HR/FB% was higher than 8.4. That number currently sits at 19.1% in 2013. While some could view this as regression hitting hard, Cain’s previous sample was too big to be written off as a fluke, and it’s worth pointing out just two of his six starts this year have come at home. Cain’s fastball velocity is down slightly in the early going (about 0.5 mph less compared to last

Roto Roundup: Alex Gordon, Matt Kemp, Brandon Maurer, and Others

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

Before I get into the Roto Roundup, I wanted to let you know that if you ever have questions, feel free to post them in the comments section of the daily Roto Roundup or any other article posted by the other Fake Teams writers. Someone will answer your question, so please do not hesitate to ask any question you may have.

I apologize for the lateness of the Roundup, but I was watching the NFL Draft and having a few beers with my neighbor and couldn't keep my eyes open last night, even though there was baseball still being played.

Alex Gordon is real good

Royals outfielder Alex

Kemp breaks through for first homer of 2013 - Matt Kemp | LA

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Matt Kemp slugged his first home run of the season but the Dodgers lost to the Mets on Wednesday.

Over/Under: Earth, Wind and Mire, how smelly is Matt Kemp’s funk?

Source: Roto Arcade by Brad Evans

Fantasy is a speculative game. Predict the future, and you look like a genius. Don't, and you're painfully human. Gazing into the crystal ball, here's our view on 10 intriguing over/unders this week.

What fading ‘star’ will yield more fantasy value come year’s end: Josh Hamilton or Matt Kemp?

Dalton – KEMP. I liked him far more entering the year, and at least he has an excuse for a slow start since he's coming off shoulder surgery. Kemp is also three years younger and isn't the one who left an extreme hitter's park.

Brandon – KEMP. If I was drafting today, I'd still take Kemp ahead of Hamilton. The difference is the speed factor, which remains a a key

NL-Only Fantasy Thoughts: Struggling Hitters

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

Last week, I took a look at some NL-only hitters who have started the season very hot, and offered my opinion on whether they could keep it up or not. Today, I focus on some hitters who have struggled thus far, and let you know if we can expect a bounce or not.

Six hitters who should rebound

Matt Kemp

Kemp has yet to hit a home run this season, and I admit I am concerned that his offseason shoulder surgery will impact his power for a few months. He also hasn't hit very well to start the season, but has hit well of late, as he has 6 hits in his last 14 at bats, raising his average to .235 on the season, but only four extra base hits. I see him

Mostly MLB Notes: Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper making the leap

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

Max Scherzer has a ridiculous 30 Ks over 19.0 innings this season, as he’s become baseball’s premier strikeout pitcher. He finished second to Justin Verlander in the category last year, recording only eight fewer strikeouts in 50.2 fewer innings thanks to a major league leading 11.08 K/9 rate. Scherzer dealt with some shoulder issues late last season, and while cleaned up, his delivery remains somewhat violent, but he sure appears healthy now. Scherzer has allowed a 20.5 LD%, but with so few groundballs (35.9 GB%), his .385 BABIP looks especially unlucky. In fact, among the 15 starters with the lowest groundball rates this season (Scherzer’s is the 11th lowest), only two others have a

Roto Roundup: Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper, Matt Kemp, and Others

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

I attended the Orioles-Dodgers game at Camden Yards last night, with the hope that the Dodgers could snap out of their losing streak in game two of their double dip. That, apparently, was asking too much, as they lost the night cap 6-1, after losing game one 7-5. But the night was not a complete loss as I had the pleasure of meeting Fake Teams own Craig Goldstein and SB Nation's Cee Angi. Cee is one of the designated baseball writers for SB Nation.

Matt Kemp coming out of slump?

Speaking of the Dodgers, outfielder Matt

Matt Kemp: Gets Day Off Wednesday

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

Matt Kemp: Kemp is not in the starting lineup Thursday against the Padres. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

Early Season Standouts

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

It’s early and I continue to preach patience in the fantasy baseball game. Hopefully you’re able to heed that advice. Whether you’ve made one move or 11 thus far is irrelevant though to what follows in this piece. I’m just gonna randomly touch on some players that have stood out to me in the early going, so here goes.

The Matt Adams ownership dilemma

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

As of this moment, Matt Adams is on pace to finish the season with just 249 plate appearances — clearly not enough to make him a no-doubt fantasy option, despite his ridiculous early-season performance. Adams is 11-for-18 so far with three homers, eight RBIs and an OPS of 1.872. He's only started four games this year, yet he somehow has more total hits than Ryan Braun (10-for-30), Matt Kemp (10-for-51) and Buster Posey (9-for-39).

Adams is, for lack of a better cliché, absolutely on fire.

But as everyone knows, he's also blocked at first base in St. Louis by Allen Craig. Defensively, Adams really doesn't fit at any other spot. The Cards have zero motivation to trade him, because he's cheap ($490K), young (24) and

Closing Time: Dodgers and Padres have a brawl, Zack Greinke pays the price

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

The Dodgers won the game. The Padres probably won the fight. And now fantasy owners are left to pick up the pieces.

The two So-Cal clubs were playing a nondescript 2-1 game in the bottom of the sixth Thursday night when everything exploded. Zack Greinke hit Carlos Quentin with a 3-2 pitch and Quentin took exception, charging the mound. Greinke busted his collarbone in in the ensuing melee and could miss 6-8 weeks. Quentin was ejected

Draft Day Challenge, April 11

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Daily baseball is all the rage in the fantasy sports world, so I will be covering the game a couple of times a week here at BaseballGuys.com. To that end, I’ve partnered with DraftDay.com to give all my wonderful followers, that’s you, the chance to play the game on a daily basis. On Tuesday and Thursday’s here at the site, every week, I’ll be giving you some insight into the mind of The

The Sky is Falling

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

A hypochondriac is someone who is obsessed by the idea that they have an illness of some kind when, most of the time, there is no actual condition to be concerned with. I bring that up because in the world of fantasy baseball it seems like there is an epidemic of hypochondria akin to the zombie apocalypse that is portrayed in the television show The Walking Dead. People are freaking out. I’m talking, losing their minds type of situations.

The world is ending.
Life is

Shuffle Up: Choose your sophomore, Mike Trout vs. Bryce Harper

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

The outfield is the fun place to go shopping in fantasy baseball. Power, sure, you'll find it here. Plenty of guys run. A few players do everything. And the two most exciting young position players in the game happen to reside here, too. Everyone likes picking out their outfield.

The goal today is to rank all the mixed-league worthy outfielders going forward in 5x5 fantasy value, 2013 only. Don't read too much into the dollar values in a vacuum - they're merely used as a tool to compare players. And when commodities share the same price, they're considered even. (Players on the DL and minor-league prospects are not eligible for ranking.)

I reserve the right to tweak this list as the day goes along,

Fantasy Baseball: Early Returns

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

The 2013 baseball season is finally underway. The story of the first few days of the season is the success of starting pitchers, highlighted by the near run to perfection from Yu Darvish (more on that below). However, that doesn’t mean it’s only been about pitching, there are still some offensive moments of note, so I’ll

Clever Ball: Roto Arcade’s 2013 MLB Predictions

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Predictions are silly. Predictions are fun.

Today we collect the Yahoo! Five (Funston, Behrens, Evans, Del Don, Pianowski) and we invite Michael Salfino to sit in. It's Crystal Ball time, 2013 MLB season. We've seen the future, and this all works out reasonably well.

Share your predictions in the comments, and Happy Opening Day, gamers.

Brandon Funston, Lead Singer

NL Playoffs
Washington
Atlanta
St. Louis
Cincinnati
San Francisco

AL Playoffs
Toronto
Detroit
Kansas City
LA Angels
Oakland

World Series – Washington over Toronto

NL

Fantasy Baseball: Top Outfielders – 1 To 15

Source: Fantasy Baseball Dugout by BeeZee

Whether you play fantasy baseball for free, or participate in a fantasy baseball money league, you need to find great outfielders. Here is our list of the top 15 picks:

1. Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

Braun had over 30 HR, 100 RBI and a .300 BA for the fifth time each in six seasons, and also stole over 30 bases for the second straight year.

2. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Trout was one steal short of becoming the third player in MLB history to have 30 homers and 50 steals in a season. He also hit .326 and his 129 runs scored were

Final Update - 2013 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Top 250

Source: Fantasy Football Toolbox

1 Mike Trout OF, 2 Ryan Braun OF, 3 Miguel Cabrera 3B, 4 Robinson Cano 2B, 5 Andrew McCutchen OF, 6 Matt Kemp OF

Injuries & Accusations

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

The 2013 major league baseball season is about to begin, so now is a great time to touch on two topics that are in the news on a daily basis – injured players and those that might be guilty of PED use.

WORKING WITH THE INJURY BUG

Corey Hart.

Cactus Juice: Dodgers get good news on Greinke, lousy news on Hanley

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

We begin with a news item that is unambiguously good: Zack Greinke is pitching again, and he's not in terrible pain.

[Related: Dodgers' Zack Greinke erases doubt in return to mound]

Greinke tossed four scoreless frames against a collection of minor leaguers on Wednesday, allowing just one hit, then offered this assessment:

"My arm

Cactus Juice: Dodgers get good news on Greinke, brace for bad news on Hanley

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

We begin with a news item that is unambiguously good: Zack Greinke is pitching again, and he's not in terrible pain.

Greinke tossed four scoreless frames against a collection of minor leaguers on Wednesday, allowing just one hit, then offered this assessment:

"My arm felt really good today," he said. "It felt strong."

[...]

"I wasn't perfect," he said. "You saw me upset with several pitches. But for the first outing in two weeks, that's kind of expected."

Good

A Guide Through the First Five* Rounds

Source: Fake Teams by AnthonyCalanni

My name is Anthony Calanni and I will be your tour guide today. I am going to rank my top 60 players and place them in the position that I believe they should be drafted at. I broke the rankings up into five rounds of 12. These rankings apply to both rotisserie and head to head formats.

Mock Round 1
1. Mike Trout
2. Ryan Braun
3. Miguel Cabrera
4. Matt Kemp
5. Robinson Cano
6. Albert

Spin Doctors: Andrew McCutchen vs. Matt Kemp

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

There typically hasn’t been a consensus when it comes to the middle of the first round this year, with many fantasy owners choosing between Andrew McCutchen and Matt Kemp. Both are five-category outfielders with big upside yet also possess some question marks. Scott Pianowski and Dalton Del Don have a difference of opinion. Let’s get to the debate.

Pianow to open: When I'm making first-round picks or handling the blue chips in an auction, I usually take a floor-driven approach. Every player worth considering in the first round certainly has a major upside; I tend to focus on what the downside is, and how confident I feel in the given player

Fantasy Baseball 2013: Outfield Primer

Source: Roto Arcade by Andy Behrens

Last season, the players who ranked first, second, fourth and sixth in terms of overall fantasy value were all outfielders. This spot gave us one player who went 30/40 in home runs and stolen bases (Mike Trout), and another who went 40/30 (Ryan Braun). Seven different outfielders gave us 20/20 seasons. Thirty-seven outfielders finished with at least 35 homers-plus-steals.

Simply put, this position is a smorgasbord of stats. Among the outfielders, you'll find several of our game's most useful multi-category contributors — guys like Trout, Braun, Kemp, McCutchen, Heyward, Harper, both Uptons and both Car-Gos. You'll also find a collection of high-quality category specialists in the outfield — burners like Ben Revere and

A Guide Through the First Three Rounds

Source: Fake Teams by AnthonyCalanni

My name is Anthony Calanni and I will be your tour guide today. I am going to rank my top 36 players and place them in the position that I believe they should be drafted at. I broke the rankings up into three rounds of 12.

Mock Round 1

1. Mike Trout

2. Ryan Braun

3. Miguel Cabrera

4. Matt Kemp

5.

Fantasy Baseball Chat: St. Patricks Day Weekend Edition

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

It's been a few weeks since our last fantasy baseball chat, so let's have another. With fantasy baseball draft season upon us, stop on by with any question you may have relating to your drafts, our rankings, trade offers, keeper decisions or whatever is on your mind.

You know the drill. You can ask as many questions as you would like. I will answer your questions throughout the afternoon and evening, so please be patient.

Who is your favorite player when you were growing up? and now?

My favorite player when growing up was Dodgers center fielder Willie Davis, and later on Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey. Now, my favorite players are Matt Kemp and Adrian Beltre. See a trend here?

Kemp (shoulder) starting in center field Tue. - Matt Kemp | LA

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Matt Kemp (shoulder) will start in center field Tuesday for the first time this spring.

2013 Fantasy Baseball Rankings Top 250

Source: Fantasy Football Toolbox

1 Mike Trout OF, 2 Ryan Braun OF, 3 Miguel Cabrera 3B, 4 Robinson Cano 2B, 5 Andrew McCutchen OF, 6 Matt Kemp OF

Matt Kemp goes hitless in Cactus League debut - Matt Kemp | LA

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Matt Kemp (shoulder) made his Cactus League debut on Friday, going 0-for-2 with a strikeout.

Kemp (shoulder) making spring debut Friday - Matt Kemp | LA

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Matt Kemp (shoulder) will make his Cactus League debut Friday.

Spring Training Thoughts: Robinson Cano, Aroldis Chapman, Matt Kemp, and Others

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

There might be some out there who think moving Aroldis Chapman to the rotation is not a wise decision by the Reds, and manager Dusty Baker has already come out saying, or implying, that he prefers Chapman in the pen, and who could blame him. Outside of Craig Kimbrel, Chapman is probably the second best closer in the game. But, I think he will be just fine in the rotation. He pitched well in spring training last season, and made his spring debut yesterday, throwing two scoreless innings. According to MLB.com, Chapman used four

Cactus Juice: Dodgers play waiting game with Carl Crawford and Matt Kemp

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

When it comes to buzzy names and bloated paychecks, the Dodgers have few rivals in major league baseball. There are major fantasy options all over the Glendale diamond; this is a roster we have to take seriously.

Alas, aches and pains are part of this L.A. Story, too – especially in the outfield.

Left fielder Carl Crawford is coming off Tommy John surgery and it's not a guarantee he'll be ready for the opening of the season. Crawford suffered a "minor setback" this week, stiffness in his left forearm, and he was limited in his Thursday workout. Here's more from

Matt Kemp: (Shoulder) No Timetable Yet

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

Matt Kemp: The Dodgers still aren't sure when Kemp (shoulder) will make his spring debut, though he reportedly is feeling no pain when swinging the bat, the Dodgers' official site reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

Fantasy baseball 2013 team previews: Cincinnati Reds

Source: SI.com

Matt Kemp and Chris Carpenter sustained two of the most high-profile injuries last year, but the oblique strain Johnny Cueto suffered in Game 1 of the NLDS against San Francisco had arguably the biggest impact on the 2012 season. The Reds went on to win that game despite losing Cueto in the first inning, but he was unavailable to start either Game 4 or 5, in which the Reds could have closed out the series and moved on to the NLCS. Instead, the Giants rallied from a two-game deficit and went on to win the World Series. Had Cueto been healthy, the story could quite easily have been different.

Matt Kemp: (Shoulder) Slated For Spring Debut This Weekend

Source: RotoWire.com MLB

Matt Kemp: The Dodgers plan to have Kemp (shoulder) play his first spring training game Friday or Saturday, John Heyman of CBS Sports reports. Visit RotoWire.com for more analysis on this update.

Matt Kemp won't play in games until March - Matt Kemp | LA

Source: Rotoworld Baseball

Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly said Friday that Matt Kemp won't play in any Cactus League games until at least early March.

Mostly MLB Notes: Debating 1st round decisions, hyping Cliff Lee and defending my LABR team

Source: Roto Arcade by Dalton Del Don

There are a handful of outfielders worthy of being taken in the first round even after Mike Trout and Ryan Braun are off the board, all of whom should be valued similarly. I’m personally taking Matt Kemp first in this tier, as he’s one season removed from a .324-39-115-126-40 campaign and finished April with 12 homers and a .417/.490/.893 line over 23 games last year. But injuries derailed the rest of his season and coming off serious shoulder surgery that repaired a detached labrum and rotator cuff damage, he’s certainly not without risk. Andrew McCutchen is likely off the board next in most leagues, and it’s tough to argue after he posted a

Are Your Expectations Reasonable?

Source: Baseball Guys by Ray Flowers

Today I’m going to break down a handful of players an attempt to refute the prevailing wisdom about at least one aspect of their game. Hopefully the piece will be a thought provoking one, even if you disagree with my conclusions.

Robinson Cano‘s Power
Cano hit 33 homers last season, the first time

Early Spring Training Thoughts: Gio Gonzalez, Mat Gamel, Matt Kemp, and Others

Source: Fake Teams by Ray Guilfoyle

Here are some quick thoughts on the early spring training news over the last few days.

We learned on Sunday that Cubs starter Matt Garza had to cut short his bullpen session after 20 pitches. Here is the original tweet from David Kaplan:

Garza in with trainers after exiting BP session earlier than expected.We'll ask Dale Sveum about it after workouts are done.

— David Kaplan (@thekapman) February 17, 2013

We later learned that Garza had a "mild" right lat strain. To me, a lat strain

Seventh-Inning Stretch: Exploring the Tigers bullpen; is Bryce Harper a first-round pick?

Source: Roto Arcade by Scott Pianowski

Pitchers and catchers have finally reported to their respective Florida and Arizona camps, and the baseball wire is finally springing with some news of note. It's time for a lap around the diamond.

The Tigers have an obvious vacancy at their closer position and manager Jim Leyland isn't in any hurry to settle things. In fact, it's possible the Tigers might break camp without naming their bullpen chairman.

Rookie Bruce Rondon has the highest theoretical upside on the roster, but we're still talking about a 22-year-old who's never thrown a pitch in the major leagues.

Let's pick up the story from Steve Kornacki of