The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

It doesn’t get much more impressive than Hiroki Kuroda’s performance Monday night. Facing just 28 batters, Kuroda needed only 91 pitches in the gem. And it’s always more satisfying when that first hit is legit, which Mark Teixeira’s certainly was. Kuroda was facing a Braves team that had flown across the country after waiting through a 1-hour, 50-minute rain delay in a 17-inning victory over Houston on Sunday, but nothing should be taken away from Kuroda, who has two complete game shutouts (17:0 K:BB ratio) in two of his last four starts.

Jacoby Ellsbury has really slowed down, stealing just one base over the past 18 games and having been caught on each of his past three attempts. He’s going to be an extremely valuable fantasy commodity for years to come, but he’s also not exactly a superstar in real baseball. Outside of hitter-friendly Fenway Park, his line sits at .243/.302/.324 on the year.

Speaking of speedy outfielders playing for big markets, Brett Gardner is a must add (and it’s probably too late) for any team looking for help in the stolen base department. With Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui sidelined, there should be plenty of opportunity for the rookie who had racked up 34 SBs in 282 Triple-A at-bats this season. As a 22-year-old, he swiped 58 bases and has a career success rate of 83 percent in the minors. As someone who can take a walk, Gardner could even outplay the disappointing Melky Cabrera.

I’m not sure who looks more pathetic at the plate right now, Wily Mo Pena or Andruw Jones, but either way, it’s ugly.

Not that this is a new fad, but was there a rule passed without my knowledge disallowing the words “Brett” or “Favre” ever to be uttered separately? Speaking of whom, has anyone heard anything about what he’s been up to these days during his retirement?

Since 2003, no major league outfielder has more RBI than Carlos Lee.

After watching Miguel Cabrera this year and J.D. Drew over the last two, I’m more convinced than ever that the impact on hitters switching leagues cannot be underestimated. It’s a definite issue in the short-term.

J.R. Towles needs to be reconsidered now back with Houston. His ceiling won’t be too high if he continues to bat eighth in the lineup, but he did post a .954 OPS with five homers and three steals in 61 at-bats after getting sent down to Triple-A. Sure, his first stint in Houston was dreadful, but since he plays catcher, the pickings are thin, and Towles offers unique HR/SB potential.

Making sense of the Rich Harden deal: I trust Billy Beane fully, but I’m surprised he couldn’t get a bigger prospect in return, instead going with the quantity over quality route. Not to say there’s no quality in return, as the three major properties in the deal have all failed to live up to expectations in no small part because the Cubs have mishandled them. Matt Murton had a .977 OPS in Triple-A last year and possesses very good plate discipline. However, the power has disappeared this year, and it’s unclear how the A’s will use him. One thing’s for sure, it will be an improvement on how Chicago did. Eric Patterson has good speed with some pop, and his .875 OPS in Triple-A this season could translate into an adequate regular, especially if moved to the infield. Sean Gallagher is young enough to develop into the key of this deal, and he also might be the most fantasy relevant right away. As for Harden, his value gets an obvious boost with the move to the NL and to a team with a loaded lineup and excellent bullpen. But after looking at the return the A’s got, my guess is Beane thinks Harden’s arm is about to fall off.

An easy schedule has certainly helped, but watching him pitch (a sometimes dangerous way to evaluate), Ricky Nolasco looks simply fantastic. Where did this stuff come from? I recently wrote about him, so I won’t repeat myself, but would it be crazy to currently treat him like a top-25 starter? Or is that a perfectly sane food to eat?