The Scoop

By Dalton Del Don

It’s safe to say Jorge Posada is recovered from his shoulder surgery, at least at the plate. Fantasy owners who gambled on the 37-year-old catcher coming off an injury ruined season have been rewarded big time, as he’s posted a .955 OPS in the early going. He’s hit five homers with 20 RBI and has already seen four starts at DH, so there’s plenty to like. Among all catchers, only Russell Martin has come to the plate with more runners on base, as hitting in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup has its advantages. He can safely be considered a top-five fantasy catcher.

Adam Lind already has 24 RBI this season, which puts him among the AL leaders. He had an .888 OPS throughout his minor league career, making him a good not great prospect. He hit a home run once every 28.8 at-bats, and last year in the majors he hit more groundballs than fly balls, so his early season power surge has been a surprise. After walking 16 times over 326 at-bats with Toronto last year, he has already drawn 15 base on balls over 107 ABs in 2009, so he’s clearly improving as a hitter. Still, he’s playing over his head (.360 BABIP), making him a sell-high option if possible.

After a slow start to the season, Kendry Morales has raised his OPS 271 points over the past 10 games. He’s hit all four of his homers over that span, and he’s clearly securing his place in the Angels’ long-term plans while doing so. He’s a fine option at CI for those who waited to address the position.

What is wrong with Carlos Marmol? His 9.8 K/9 IP mark remains elite, but 12 walks over 11 innings is about as bad as it gets. Maybe the knee injury is still an issue, as he’s walked a whopping nine batters over the past 3.1 innings. His fastball has averaged the exact same velocity (93.7) as last season, so that’s not the culprit. Marmol is likely to bounce back and certainly shouldn’t be dropped, but it seems like Kevin Gregg may be the Cubs’ closer for a lot longer than most anticipated.

Sticking with the Cubs, Ryan Theriot hit just one home run over 580 at-bats last season. He already has three long balls in 98 at-bats in 2009…On the opposite spectrum, there’s Lance Berkman, who is hitting .176 over his last 165 at-bats.

I’m not saying Delmon Young still can’t turn his career around. After all, he’s just 23 years old. However, with an 18:2 K:BB ratio and a .605 OPS, it’s safe to question when/if that talent will be realized. He’s now approaching 1,500 career at-bats, so it would be nice if it happens soon. Meanwhile, Matt Garza just posted a 10:1 K:BB ratio and nearly no-hit the Red Sox last week, giving him a 9.3 K/9 IP mark and a 1.06 WHIP for the season. The Rays ripped off the Twins in a big way with that trade.

Jack Cust has 1,352 plate appearances in the majors. Saturday marked the first time he recorded a stolen base during his entire career.

I’m not going to kill the Mets because it’s always silly to criticize after the fact, but it’s become clear the team’s offseason moves were terrible. They didn’t give up a ton a of talent in the J.J Putz trade, but he’s due $5 million in 2009 with an $8.6 million option in 2010, which is a lot of coin for a setup man. Especially one who isn’t all that good. Putz’s ERA (3.21) and WHIP (1.00) look solid, but he has a 6:6 K:BB ratio over 14 innings, and the huge decrease in K rate is even more disconcerting when you factor in the switch to the easier league. His fastball velocity is way down, averaging a career-worst 92.9 mph, so this clearly isn’t the same pitcher who once dominated in Seattle. He currently sports a .193 BABIP, so expect a huge hit to his ERA soon enough. After posting a .991 OPS after the break last season, no one could fault the Mets for exercising Carlos Delgado’s $12 million option, but his hip problem is supposedly incurable and chronic, meaning he may be a liability from here on out. And then there’s Oliver Perez, who was signed to a three-year, $36 million deal. He has a 4.84 BB/9 IP mark throughout his career. A decrease in velocity can’t help. This team is in trouble.