Between The Bauer Lines

I’m pretty impressed with Trevor Bauer after ending his season with a luscious 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks. Sooooooo are we believing in Bauer to keep this up for next year? He has a history of being a Cherry Bomb and inconsistency is tattooed on his forehead like a horrible “coming of age” decision, but man do his final 12 starts look phenomenal: 9.81 K/9, 2.19 BB/9, 2.42 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 3.38 xFIP. Sure, a 93.1% LOB rate, which is dumb as my pet rock, but also a .322 BABIP and 16.2% HR/FB rate. The impressive part here are the walks, with just 3 of those 12 outings coming with more than 2 BBs. It’s stuff to consider and I think his addition of his Cutter/Slider has helped plenty, especially with his massive Curveball embrace. I think I’m buying if he doesn’t come at a somewhat premium price.

Let’s see how every other SP did yesterday:

Jake Odorizzi – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. He was cruising. Killing it. Your man to save your year as he wasn’t touched much anymore…until knee soreness took him out of the game.

Stephen Strasburg – 7.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. Aces gonna ace. I didn’t expect Strasburg to pitch this deep into the game. He ends the season with a 2.52 ERA and I’m pretty convinced he deserves the #5 spot entering next season. Sorry Bumgarner.

Chris Stratton – 6.2 IP, 0 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks. Cain is retiring and Stratton should be in the Giants rotation through the 2018 season. Need help in an NL-Only league? Stratton is your guy. I can see him being a Eickhoff type, only problem is that he’ll have to head to Arizona, Coors, and face the Dodgers a good amount. Womp womp.

Masahiro Tanaka – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 15 Ks. Holy Wade Boggs’ Mustache! 22 Whiffs en route to the Gallows Pole and obviously inflating his numbers a bit. Over his last 16 starts, Tanaka earned a 10.45 K/9, 1.77 BB/9, 1.05 WHIP, and 3.54 ERA, which are dope and you should feel dope if you stuck with Tanaka after his atrocious start to the year. I’m down to believe in him for 2018, though I wonder how much it will cost.

Chase Anderson – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Look at these numbers. 1.94 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 8.94 K/9, 2.14 BB/9 in his final 16 starts. It does come with a .228 BABIP, 87.5% LOB, and 8.8% HR/FB rates as well, though, but I’ve seen people want to rank him past #50 and it just seems silly to me. Sure, I get it. This is probably a career year and I’m with you in that I hate paying for career years. But that would be drafting him in the Top 20 starters. Of course don’t do that. Will I be drafting him in the 30s? Absolutely.

Chad Bettis – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. I’m happy Bettis had this start in what was likely the most tumultuous year of his life. Nothing to say fantasy wise, but good for him.

Ian Kennedy – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. Look at Kennedy ending on a good note after one of the more atrocious seasons you’ll come across. Fortunately, we have a long gap between now and the next time you’d consider him, allowing everyone to remove any sort of recency bias. Why would you want that? Because Kennedy is bad, y’all. Okay fine, this is a little harsh. He probably was hurt a bit and it affected him. Now he has a full off-season of recovery and it’s possible he bounces back in a decent enough way to be consideration for your 12-teamer. That’s a lot of ifs for a fringe starter.

Robert Stephenson – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks. I’m a bit amazed at this start for multiple reasons. Just two walks against the Cubs – a walk heavy offense – is astounding, and so is the 1 ER. Then there’s the reason you probably elected to start Stephenson in the first place, his K upside. Which was zero. He had zero strikeouts. HAIGTFMFWT? There will be talk about Stephenson this off-season, I’m not sold he’s someone you want to own consistently just yet, but we’ll see. Major strikeout arms don’t grow on trees, you know.

Marco Gonzales – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks. Just one swing-and-miss recorded from Gonzales in this game. Yikes.

Zack Greinke – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. Greinke pitched just 75 pitches as he was having a “tune-up” for the wild card game on Wednesday. I’m a fan of Greinke for next year and think he can be a consistent ace for your staff while not being that massive 12 K guy with any sort of regularity. I’m totally cool with that.

Edward Lively – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks. Nothing like sneaking a Win with just 1 strikeout. Thanks for the Grave Mistake, but I’m not touching you next year, Raggedy Ann.

Charlie Morton – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks. Morton ends the year with a 3.62 ERA, 10.00 K/9, and 3.07 BB/9, with a 1.19 WHIP. A little under 6.0 IPS, but I’m totally down to own Morton again next season with his increased velocity. Sure, he’ll most likely miss some significant time next year, but as long as I’m spending a pick past 200, I’m cool with this.

Joe Biagini – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. This is about average for a guy heading into the Bronx and not being a stud. I can’t help but think Biagini is still underperforming given his skill set – good velocity with a moving fastball, massive “sky hook”, and fading Changeup – and I’ll be watching closely next season if he’s still inside the Jays’ rotation.

Gerrit Cole – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. After 14 ER in his previous three games, Cole faced the Nats and…well…meh. Yes, the 7 Ks are great but the ERA and WHIP are bad.No, I don’t have any idea where to place Cole for Monday’s list.

Doug Fister – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Ehhhh, yeah I take this. I’m a bit shocked it was this digestible of a start against the Astros, but so ends Fister’s ridiculous September run. No, I will not be banking on it return next year.

Kyle Gibson – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks. 87 pitches in under 4 frames did Gibson in, but six Ks!

Martin Perez – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. Sure, whatever Perez.

Tyler Skaggs – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. On one hand, Skaggs was able to give you strikeout production when we weren’t sure which guy will show up.

Raul Alcantara – 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. It was Alcantara’s third start since becoming a starter from the pen and after 8.2 shutout innings in his first two games, he had to go to Arlington, so of course this happened.

John Gant – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks. I see Gant as a Cup of Schmo, so this doesn’t shock me at all.

Luiz Gohara – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks. This does a little though. I was hoping for slightly better here and Gohara let me down with 4 ER. 6 Ks are nice, a 1.33 WHIP isn’t good but it’s not terrible, but the 4 ER hurt. With no Win as well, I have to take the loss. Streamer Record 84-61-17. Yes, I see Gohara as a sleeper for next season. Fringe arm in a 12-teamer, but great NL-only pick.

Matt Harvey – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks. Why would we expect any different from Harvey? I’m sure he’ll be drafted next year because he’s named Harvey, but I don’t think you should.

Wade Miley – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks. There was no party for Miley after this game. Not here, not in Seattle, not in DC. No party in the USA.

Jose Quintana – 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks. Blegh. Quintana was supposed to be your rock against the Reds and he blew it. Do you want to own him next year? Is he really much better than chasing someone like Luis Castillo, Chase Anderson or Trevor Bauer? I’m inclined to think not.

Matt Boyd – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. I can’t say I’m shocked as Boyd faced the Twins and he just isn’t that good. I think more people got on baord given the extremity of the end of the season, but there’s no way I like Boyd long term as I’m still Boyd Watching.

Hyun-Jin Ryu – 2.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks. Ryu got the start suddenly and was just as poor as you’d think heading into Coors. I wonder if he has a solid place in the rotation again next season, but that also assumes to he doesn’t get a finger contusion in the mean time. How did he get that one? Ringing his door bell.

Dan Straily – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks. Ugggggh. Straily was a good play here for strikeouts against the Braves and fresh off two high strikeout games, and it fell on our face. Because Straily is dumb and making Marlins fans upset they don’t have Luis Castillo anymore.

Jordan Lyles – 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 10 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. You know you don’t want anything to do with Lyles. Ever.

Mike Pelfrey – 2.2 IP, 7 ER, 6 Hits, 6 BBs, 2 Ks. Yep, that’s Pelfrey alright.

Today’s Streamer

Jhoulys Chacin vs. San Francisco Giants – This was originally Gibson and they switched that on me, so we’re going with Chacin instead. He’s pretty middle of the road, but Chacin against a bad offense in AT&T park seems like it should work. Should.

Tomorrow’s Streamer

Jordan Montgomery vs. Toronto Blue Jays – I’m not even sure this is happening as the Yankees are silly like that and it’s the last day of the season. Backup options are Nick Pivetta against the Mets, Luis Perdomo against the Giants, Anibal Sanchez against the Twins, and Blake Snell against the Orioles.

Day After Tomorrow’s Streamer

None – JUST KIDDING. There’s actually a chance that the Yankees and Red Sox square off on Monday, meaning CC Sabathia, Chris Sale, Luis Severino, David Price, etc. are all in play for a possible Monday start if you’re neck-and-neck in a roto league. Considering that these guys would have been dropped in your league by now, you may be able to snatch one of them for this outing. No reason not to drop any starters that have 0 games left for any Red Sox/Yankee arm or bat.

Game of the Day

Jameson Taillon vs. Max Scherzer – Great matchup here and I hope Taillon ends on a good note.