Jeff Weaver: The Brewers signed Jeff Weaver to a contract. He will need some time in the minor leagues to get into shape. Depending on how some of the younger Brewer pitchers and Weaver perform will determine if he goes into the starting rotation or a long reliever role. His once promising career has been derailed, 2004/2005/2006/2007 ERA’s of 4.01/4.22/5.76/6.20. The first culprit was gopheritis, 2005/2006 home runs allowed of 35/34, which was a bit strange considering that he was not an extreme fly ball pitcher, FB%’s of 38% in both years. Last year, his K/9 dipped to 4.9 and his FB% rose to 47%, which is a recipe for disaster. Stay away from Weaver in all formats.
Omar Vizquel: Vizquel, who has been out with a bone bruise, still cannot run and will have to wear a knee brace when he returns. The soon-to-be 41 year-old still had some speed left two years ago, 24 steals in 31 attempts, but seemed to have lost a step last year, 14 steals in 20 attempts. Playing with a leg brace with hamper his running game, which is pretty much the only value that he has left offensively.
Mark Reynolds: Reynolds is showing some serious power in the early season, 5 home runs in 50 AB, but he is swinging and missing often, 68% Ct%. The power should keep him in the lineup even after Chad Tracy returns, but the poor contact skills will keep a ceiling on his batting average and make him vulnerable to prolonged slumps.
Peter Moylan: Moylan went on the 15-Day DL retroactive to April 12th with a sore elbow. That is very bad news for fantasy owners of Moylan because Rafael Soriano will likely return from the DL before Moylan and step right back into the closer role. When both are healthy, Soriano; 8.8 K/9 and a 1.9 BB/9, has the better skills to close while Moylan is better suited for set-up or situational relief; 6.3 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and a 62% GB%.
Derrek Lee: Lee hit a career-high 46 home runs in 2005. After Lee missed most of 2006 with a wrist injury, his power clearly suffered in the first of 2007, 6 home runs in 280 AB. But Lee began to crank it up in the second-half of last season, 16 home runs in 287 AB. From 2005 to 2007 his FB% remained in a tight 38% to 39% range, so it looks like the wrist was affecting his ability to get more of those fly balls out of the park. Now that he has already gone yard 5 times this year, it is safe to say that his power is back. At just 32 years of age, Lee should be good for at least 30 home runs this season and a return to the 40+ level is not out of the question.
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