Sean Casey, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates

April 24, 2006 @ 14:29:34

By Matthew Scott Carr
Edited by KFFL Staff

Newly acquired first baseman Sean Casey (back) was off to a great start, batting .313 with two homeruns, five RBI and seven runs scored through his first nine games with the Pittsburgh Pirates. But after colliding with Chicago Cubs' outfielder John Mabry at first April 14th, Casey landed on the disabled list (DL) and will be out eight to ten weeks with two fractured bones in his lower back. Fortunately, the injury won't require surgery, but Casey won't see action again probably until June.

Casey is a career .305 hitter and the Pirates were looking for him to aid left fielder Jason Bay in getting Pittsburgh's offense in gear, which finished near the bottom of the league last season in runs scored (680), home runs (139) and team batting average (.259).

Casey's a good contact hitter and led the Cincinnati Reds with a .312 batting average in 2005, but his power numbers have been streaky throughout his career, hot at the plate one season while tepid the next. For example, he followed up his 2004 campaign with the Reds in which he batted .324 with 24 homers and 99 RBI, with a 2005 season in which he managed just nine home runs and 58 RBI, appearing just 42 fewer times at the plate. Injuries have played a major role in those peaks and troughs for Casey as he's had problems with his head and neck over the years.

For the Pirates, Casey's expected absence until mid-season further dampens their already dismal start. When Casey got injured, Pittsburgh was 3-9 on the season, 0-9 in games Casey played. Since then, they've fared no better, sitting at the bottom of their division at 5-15.

With Casey out, first baseman/outfielder Craig Wilson slides back into the starting role for the Pirates after missing most of 2005 with a hand injury and being replaced by Casey this offseason. If Wilson's available in free agency and another owner hasn't jumped on the bandwagon already, he could provide some pop at utility, first or the outfield. But take heed, and keep expectations in check. Early on, Wilson was looking to be one of the bright spots for Pittsburgh, hitting .346 with five homers, nine RBI and seven runs through the club's first 11 games. He leads the team in RBI (14) and home runs (six) so far. But since taking on the full-time job at first, his numbers have flattened out.

In the last eight games, which included a five-game home stand, Wilson has had only seven hits in 29 at-bats (.241 average), including nine strikeouts. He's hit one homerun while amassing four RBI and scoring four runs, settling in to his pace as a career .269 hitter, averaging 16 homers and 48 RBI per season.

In the near-term, the real attractiveness for Wilson is how many games the Pirates will be playing at home in Casey's absence. Pittsburgh will finish out April with three more home games, then have a nine-game home stand, followed by a six-game home stand in May. In June, the Pirates will play 10 home games before mid-month. PNC Park has yielded 31 homers in just 10 games this season.

From a fantasy standpoint, if Wilson maintains the pace that he has set since taking on the everyday job at first, Casey won't have any concerns about being able to step right back into the lineup once he's fully recovered. Casey is merely an average first baseman, primarily attractive for his projected above average RBI and run totals and his above-.300 batting average. His absence and return shouldn't be hailed as crushing or as a salvation, except maybe in NL-Only leagues.

For Pittsburgh, the team has sprung out the gates, hitting 27 homers in 20 games, sixth most in the majors, with 16 of those coming at home in batter-friendly PNC Park. But their offensive production remains on the low-end with 86 runs scored, 26th in the league. It's the club's pitching, which is sporting a 5.74 ERA, fourth worst in the league, and a WHIP of 1.67, second worst in the majors, that is really hurting them.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, they sit in one of the league's power-driven divisions, with division rivals the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers all in the top 10 in home runs and in the top 15 in RBI and runs scored at this point.

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Matthew Scott Carr

Matthew Scott Carr has been an avid football follower and fan for as long as he can remember. He became involved in fantasy sports in 1999, which transformed an already fanatical sports worship into a full-fledged psycho. Carr joined the KFFL team in 2004.

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

One Day FREE Fantasy Contest - $350 in cash prizes (05/24)
Fantasy baseball players in the news (05/24)
Fantasy football players in the news (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Dee Gordon's problems at bat (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting: Will Smith, Yordano Ventura, Wil Myers, more (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Roundtable: How trade talks develop (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: Tyler Clippard, J.J. Putz (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Mark Teixeira's ill beginnings (05/23)
Fantasy NASCAR race preview: Coca-Cola 600 (05/23)
Fantasy baseball closer depth charts - AL (05/23)