Post
by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Mar 27, 2017 9:42 am
'Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen said Monday that Steven Matz is working on shortening his arm angle to put "less bang" on his troublesome left elbow.
Altering pitching mechanics to compensate for discomfort in a specific area is often how minor injuries turn into major injuries. Matz has been scratched from his final turn in the Grapefruit League rotation due to irritation in his left elbow, and he felt some lingering tightness Monday while throwing on flat ground from 70 feet. The young southpaw is ticketed for the 10-day disabled list to open the 2017 regular season. Seth Lugo is probably going to take his spot.'
So Mets, right?
The interesting thing is the reminder that the 15 day dl has been changed to 10 days.
For fantasy purposes, it could be both a good and bad thing.
Offensive players will probably hit the dl at a faster rate. A minor pulled hammy or a bruised finger or knee may result in a quicker decision to disable the player.
It seemed last year, that the Mets waited forever to see if Cespedes could play and even the Reds gave the lost cause of Devan Mesoraco a lot of days to 'heal'.
A 10 day 'penalty' being shorter makes the choice more palatable for clubs.
This will prevent the Chipper Jones aggravation of a player sitting multiple days, leaving us not knowing whether to start or sit him.
Pitching-wise, I believe it'll be abused in real baseball.
A starter's schedule over 10 days is...
Day 1- Start
Day 2-5 Rest
Day 6 Start
Day 7-10 Rest
A 10 day disabled stint with an off day leaves any starter open to missing one start and coming back to the rotation on turn.
Perfect for manipulation.
An extra roster spot over a pitcher not used for 10 days will be too much to resist for many teams.
A dead-armed pitcher will certainly miss a turn.
And with a couple of off days in a short span, it'll be easy for teams to use their front four starters while rostering an extra reliever or bat off the bench.
I believe it means less starts for fifth starters and starters who are struggling.
We could see a 'trickle down' effect of starts instead of all pitchers in a five man rotation getting over 30 starts.
Something like this, presuming good health for all:
Lester 34 starts
Arrieta 32 starts
Lackey 29 starts
Hendricks 27 starts
Anderson 25 starts
Montgomery 15 starts
In this instance, Lester would not miss a start while others would be periodically 'rested' by the disabled list. At the same time, giving the Cubs another player in which to feed Joe Maddon's button pushing qualities.
For fantasy overall, it'll probably have little effect. We may be a little more patient before cutting ties with a dl'ed player.
Now, if a player is hurt and dl'ed on Wednesday, he would only miss one FAAB period if coming back from injury after his 10 days.
The effect of instantly dl'ing a player rather than sitting him for a few days would make our decision process a lot easier for lineups.
I believe that more teams will carry the 'Montgomery types'. A hurler who can start and throw five or six innings for any pitcher dl'ed, while also throwing long relief from the bullpen. This will keep teams from having to call up and use a roster spot for a Starter needing rest and a reprieve via the disabled list.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
