Here's the latest from last year's MVP candidate via The Sports Xchange:"We're aware that if a relapse happens where the tendon ruptures even more, well, that's major," Quentin said. "That's something that's going to take longer, maybe even the rest of the season. So we're thinking that if that tendon goes, that's a two- to four-month recovery. Where we're at in the baseball season, two-to-four really doesn't work out as far as being able to play again this season. That's more of the concern right now."Wow. Personally, I am a horribly disappointed Carlos Quentin owner in a 12-team keeper league. When I saw this news, my initial impulse was to throw something... hard. Or, better yet, punch something... hard. That impulse, however, reminded me of last season... when Carlos Quentin broke his hand in frustration...
The combination of two thoughts (the first being how much I hate Carlos Quentin and the second being my concern for my own hand) prevented me from taking any physical action. The above is the latest in an on-going injury plagued career for such a promising young major leaguer, in Carlos Quentin.
Nearly two years ago, when I skimmed the pages of the 2008 Baseball Prospectus, I almost immediately stumbled upon the name "Carlos Quentin." Why? Well, he played for the D-Backs at the time and BP is displayed in alphabetical order. In Quentin's bio, the guys and gals at BP noted that he had a world of talent, but was too injury prone. The projected meager stats, and Carlos Quentin made them look silly....
...or did he?
If anything, 2009 has shown what an aberration 2008's MVP campaign was for Carlos Quentin. Furthermore, it displayed how scarily accurate Baseball Prospectus can be.
So... fellow Carlos Quentin owners, what's our next step. Well, for anyone who's late to get on the bandwagon, Quentin is almost "drop-able." Yes. It pains me to say so, but if you're in a single-season (non-keeper) league, Quentin's foot ailments and news of *almost* shutting it down puts him in the red-zone. Here's who we all should be looking at as potential replacements:
Cody Ross: In most leagues, this guy's available. He started off like a bat out of hell but really, really, REALLY cooled off for most of April and the early parts of May. Over the last 5 weeks, however, Ross has averaged nearly 26 points/week in points based leagues. Not to mention his OPS of nearly .900 during his last 15 games. While other studs like Hanley Ramirez take over the spotlight in Miami, look for a hard-nosed break-out player in Ross to help ease the loss of someone as spectacular as Carlos Quentin.
Juan Rivera: I remember young Juan fumbling around the Yankees' outfield in the early part of the new millennium. While his average and arm left something to be desired, he still had that little "Ricky Ledee" in him that all Yankee fans wanted to grasp on to as a token of their championship years. Well... Ricky Ledee's probably warming someone's bench right now (maybe in the independent leagues? It's not important enough to look up, to be blunt) and Juan Rivera is doing his best impersonation of Bernie Williams (yes, THAT Yankee favorite of the Dynasty years). Over his last 15 games, Rivera's OPS is in vintage Big Papi territory at nearly 1.000. And he's averaging around 23 points/week over his last five weeks. Kudos to ESPN's Matthew Berry for having such a man crush on this guy that he stuck out in my mind. Rivera's dominance probably will not last... but it doesn't mean you can't ride him into the ground, Dusty Baker-style!
Nolan Reimold: Yes, one of the many man-crushes of my blog, Reimold has done nothing but impress since his call to the bigs. The Greenville, PA product has averaged 20/week in points based leagues--with the potential to do a bit more. It's hard to put all your faith in a rookie, but Reimold's OPS of .951 over his last 15 games is enough to warrant consideration in most leagues. Hold him as a 3rd - 4th OF for your team. This guy has the make up of a 2nd half sleeper and may be worth it on your team's turn-around run.
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