Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market

Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Dustin McGowan, Drew Pomeranz

September 9, 2011 @ 11:20:59

By Nicholas Minnix
Edited by Tim Heaney

Your fantasy baseball cheat sheets are no longer of use. KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market series gives you tips on fantasy baseball players available as free agents, on waivers or for your FAAB dollars in your rotisserie or head-to-head baseball league. It's time to replace your fantasy baseball busts.

Key

Acquire	Add player (in most circumstances)
Consider	Add for speculation or because of need
Watch	Track player, consider if trend continues
Pass	Do not add player (in most circumstances)

Pitchers

Drew Pomeranz, Colorado Rockies

The Rockies intend to pull Aaron Cook from the rotation after the veteran makes one more start this season, sometime within the next week. Pomeranz, 22, will debut against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday and essentially assume Cook's spot for the remainder of the season, in all likelihood. He should get a few starts from the deal.

This McG directing comeback story

The left-hander was one of two big prizes - the other was right-hander Alex White - in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal and enjoyed a stellar first professional campaign. In 15 starts (77 innings) at advanced Class A Kinston, Pomeranz was 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, a 11.10 K/9 and a 3.74 BB/9. In three outings (14 frames) with Double-A Akron, he posted a 2.57 ERA, a 10.93 K/9 and a 3.86 BB/9.

Pomeranz's heater sits in the low 90s and hits 95, with good movement, according to Baseball America. He also throws a hard breaking ball and must continue to work to develop his third pitch, a changeup, at least. Colorado wants to give the 6-foot-5, 230-pound potential ace a taste of the bigs, but his control issues, propensity to give up fly balls and lack of experience against advanced competition all make him incredibly risky for fantasy purposes.

Pomeranz is incredibly intriguing as a keeper, and big-league bats may not intimidate him, but the Rockies won't let him go deep into any of his starts. He's worth an add in very deep redrafters, just in case, but don't be remorseful if you miss out.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

NL-only: Consider

Dustin McGowan, Toronto Blue Jays

The road back was pretty long. The once promising right-hander who went 12-10 with a 4.08 ERA, a 7.64 K/9 and a 3.24 BB/9 in 169 2/3 stanzas in his first full MLB season will on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles make his first big-league start since 2008. Luis Perez, who has struggled mightily in his past couple of outings, will step aside.

McGowan, 29, had been sidelined for nearly three years because of shoulder issues, and forearm problems set him back as well. This year, he's enjoyed a rather impressive rehabilitation, in terms of his health, his ability and his mental fortitude. Reports had him popping the catcher's mitt with fastballs in the mid-90s with regularity as he regained his strength.

In 12 starts (a mere 35 1/3 frames) between advanced Class A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound hurler posted a 2.80 ERA, an 8.92 K/9 and a 3.57 BB/9. He's made one appearance since rejoining the Blue Jays, a relief outing against the Boston Red Sox in which he tossed four frames, yielding five hits, three runs and three walks, while fanning five. Observers noted that, despite the so-so results, the important thing is that he came out fine and looked like he was in command.

Toronto just hopes to continue to build his log of innings and confidence as the season winds down. But they also plan to escalate him to around 80 to 85 pitches in his next appearance - that start against the O's. It's unlikely that he'll go deep enough into any of his remaining turns to have great shots at victories, and fantasy owners have to consider him an unstable commodity because of the lingering rust and his history of mild control problems. But McGowan, for the first time in years, is approaching the fantasy consciousness, at least for full-retention leaguers.

Shallow mixed: Pass

Deep mixed: Pass

AL-only: Consider