Baseball: Edwin Jackson, Jeff Francis, Jose Valverde, Emilio Bonifacio

Edwin Jackson, SP. He reportedly has two three-year offers, and the Red Sox, who are in on many players, are there with a bid, as well. Has remarkable record of durability for a young (still only 28) pitcher, but one bad early year in Tampa skews his career stats. A clubhouse plus who always answers the bell, but hurt himself with an uneven postseason. One of three active pitchers 28 or younger with less than a 4.50 ERA, at least 199 innings and more than 140 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons. The other three are Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Felix Hernandez. http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/33714192/34639146

Jeff Francis – SP – signed with Reds - In an offseason where Jason Marquis nets a somewhat lucrative one-year deal, it’s simply stunning to me that Francis, who for all his faults was a 2.6-win pitcher last season, had to settle for a minor league deal. Sure, there’s more red flags than a Chinese embassy here, but projection-wise you have to believe Francis has matured greatly as a pitcher to be a nearly 3-win hurler despite an 84.7 mph average heater. Can you even call that a heater? Maybe it’s a warmer. Joking aside, Francis hasn’t landed in an ideal place with the Great American Ballpark (120-133 home run park factors via StatCorner), but if he gains velocity back in his ongoing rehabilitation efforts, as a lefty he could carve out a nice, long career in the back of a number of rotations. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/notable-recent-minor-league-pacts/

Jose Valverde may be affected more than the rest of the group. Converting 49 saves in as many opportunities will have Valverde’s draft value at an all-time high, with Mock Draft Central drafts currently averaging Valverde as the seventh reliever taken. If Cabrera is being drafted due to his likely third and first base eligibility, it is being assumed that he actually will appear at third base at least semi-regularly. While he only needs a bit more than a handful of games to qualify at third, Leyland’s comments give confidence in constructing drafts around the thought that Cabrera will play third base often. This means other players should be drafted under that same assumption, such as Valverde. There is at least some risk that Cabrera is the Tiger’s third baseman, which adds additional risk to Tiger pitchers. http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/downgrade-valverde/

T.S. Eliot evidently was not a baseball fan, and even if he had been, he likely wouldn't have played fantasy. But if he had, and he ceased writing long enough to construct a time machine, and it worked, and he travelled to 2012, and his travel through time didn't thereby create the prototypical parallel universe which nullified the entire process, he would be just as high as me this year on Emilio Bonifacio! Yes, Eliot fans, Emilio Bonifacio is the secret to your 2012 fantasy baseball success. Or, he was. Or, he will be unless you play in leagues that include managers influenced by RotoAuthority.com, which, is, like, every league, so you're screwed. Go skittishly "like" the picture that girl you've been stalking for the past year just posted to her Wall. But, but, BUT, if, somehow, not everyone is heavily influenced by my opinion of Emilio! Bonifacio!, draft him. And draft him late! Why, you ask, insubordinately? Prepare to be bullet-pointed: http://www.rotoauthority.com/

Baseball: Jeff Francis, Wilson Valdez, Jesus Montero, Boone Logan

The Cincinnati Reds are close to signing left handed pitcher Jeff Francis to a minor league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal. Jon Heyman is now reporting the deal is official. Numbers have not been released yet. Francis, 31, enters his 8th season with a career 4.78 ERA. He spent his first six seasons with the Colorado Rockies, but was out for the entire 2009 season following a surgery on his left shoulder (that's the important one!). While he's no Edwin Jackson, he's good for 180+ innings when healthy -- striking out 6 and walking 3 per game. He spent 2011 with the Kansas City Royals, going 6-16 with a 4.82 ERA. http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2012/1/25/2735489/cincinnati-reds-to-sign-jeff-francis

Here's a look at Wilson Valdez' numbers from the past two seasons with the Phillies: 2010 - 20 GIDP - 363 PA (5.5% of all plate appearances ended in 2 outs.) 2011 - 13 GIDP - 300 PA (4.3%) During those two years, Baseball's top GIDP victims were Billy Butler (32 in 2010) and Albert Pujols (29 in 2011). Had Wilson Valdez reached the same plateau of PAs in each season, in 2010 he would have set a new Major League Baseball record for GIDPs in a season with 37.35. We're talking about a sport that's been around for 140+ years and Wilson Valdez would have been the all time season leader in grounding into DPs had he been an every day player! In 2011, had he reached Pujols' PA numbers he would have been a close second in all of baseball with 28.21. Unfortunately, Valdez can't support his GIDP numbers with the same OPS numbers that Pujols puts up! http://www.droppedstrikethree.com/2012/01/saying-goodbye-to-double-play-machine.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

I think Jesus Montero could struggle at the major league level in 2012, particularly if he continues to tinker with his setup and swing mechanics, as finding consistency and rhythm is vital to execution at that level; advanced arms can feast on hitters who are out of sync; hitters who are constantly altering their stance or setup. I think he’s capable of making adjustments, and his gifts with the bat (bat control, hand-eye coordination, etc.) should keep his head above water even in the event of mechanical setback. The end result will please fans of the Mariners for years to come, and Yankees fans can pine for their former flame from afar while they erect shrines to Michael Pineda, a pitcher so promising that I would consider having his children as well http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=15916

The Yankees settled their final salary arbitration case, agreeing with left-hander Boone Logan on a one-year contract worth $1,875,000. The agreement Thursday was just below the midpoint between the $2.1 million he had asked for last week in arbitration and the $1.7 million New York had offered. But Logan can earn a $25,000 bonus if he appears in 55 games this season. Logan was 5-3 with a 3.46 ERA in 64 games last year and earned $1.2 million  http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/01/26/boone-logan-and-yankees-agree-at-1875000/

Mets: Nick Carr, Jon Niese, Zack Wheeler, Jason Isringhausen, Jeff Francis

1-23-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/23/2693134/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects  #44) RHP Nick Carr - Carr placed no. 41 on this list last season and around the end of April he looked like a lock to make a big move forward in 2012. Armed with the high-90's heat that has always made him dangerous, he finally looked to be turning the corner as his command was straightening out and he'd dominated the competition in the FSL. That's when the injury bug returned and curtailed his season. He continued to miss bats upon returning but his control reverted back to 4+ BB/9 levels and he now once again resembles quite a question mark moving forward. As always he has the stuff to move extremely fast -- I'm talking Citi Field by September fast -- but he's got to stay healthy and improve the command, despite a violent delivery which works against him on both fronts.

Jonathon Niese, Mets, ADP: 218.75 - For some, Niese's appearance in a piece like this will elicit sleeper-list fatigue, while others will see it as an opportunity. Indeed, Niese has been a preseason breakout candidate a couple years running now, and those who've invested (hopefully not too heavily) have yet to be rewarded. However, the lefty's 2011 peripherals suggest that this could finally be The Year. Last season, Niese flirted with periphs befitting a bona fide No. 3 fantasy starter: 7.89 K/9, 2.52 BB/9, 51.5% GB rate. Just for kicks, compare those to Ricky Romero's: 7.12 K/9, 3.20 BB/9, 54.7% GB rate. Niese bested Romero in two of those three categories, which, as Meatloaf tells us, ain't bad. http://www.rotoauthority.com/

1-26-12: - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/index.jsp?partnerId=aw-6182194846943667814-996  - Scouting report: Zack Wheeler can run his heavy fastball into the mid-90s consistently. His main breaking ball is a curve that has improved to the point of being another potentially plus pitch. His changeup has continued to develop well and gives Wheeler another option. He’s struggled with command in the past, though his walk rate plummeted in the second half of last year, especially after the trade. A fingernail problem he had in 2010 seems to be a thing of the past.

It doesn’t appear there is going to be room in the Mets’ retooled bullpen for Jason Isringhausen. Isringhausen, 39, made an unexpected return to the majors — and his former team — a year ago when the right-hander showed up at spring training to get some work in to see if he could still pitch. The Mets’ new regime was impressed — and in dire need of help in the bullpen — and Isringhausen came at the bargain-basement price of $500,000. It was a salary he said he wouldn’t be willing to play for again.  http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/no_room_for_izzy_in_mets_bullpen_Y6Mdd0iJcVtkzPyhmIH9wJ#ixzz1kY8YZobn

You just can’t make this stuff up — yet another high-profile free-agent has refused to take the Mets’ money. The latest is former 17-game winner and 16-game loser Jeff Francis, who opted instead to accept an invitation to spring training and minor league dealoffered by the Cincinnati Reds. It was a wild, wheel-and-deal day for the Reds, who also picked up former Met Wilson Valdez in a trade with the Phillies. As reported in various outlets, the Mets had been keeping a close eye on Francis, perhaps fearing he might pickpocket an employee. In any case, I’m a little sad they weren’t able to bring him into the fold — anyone with the guts to wear a Vancouver Canucks hat around Denver has to have some moxie and would add interest to the team. http://www.metstoday.com/7398/11-12-offseason/jeff-francis-also-forsakes-flushing/