{"playerId":1126,"percentChange":-33.2,"averageDraftPosition":187.4,"percentOwned":52.5,"playerRaterSEASON":2.1,"mostRecentNews":{"news":"McCarthy (shoulder) threw from flat ground for the first time since being sidelined, the team's web site reports.","spin":"McCarthy is eligible in return in a little over a week, though that seems optimistic at this point.","date":"Sat May 26"},"fullName":"Brandon McCarthy","seasonOutlook":{"outlook":"McCarthy has found a home in pitcher-friendly Oakland, after spending the bulk of his career battling injuries and toiling in less favorable venues. The key to his success was a serious reduction in the number of free passes while not giving anything back in the way of strikeouts. McCarthy also induced a ton more ground balls, which along with the park, induced a career-best home run rate of only 0.6 per nine innings. Any time a pitcher affects such a drastic change (for his career, McCarthy induced grounders at a 36 percent clip before the spike, 45 percent last season) you want to see it again, so expecting some give back in GB% leading to a few more homers is the safe call. The real concern with McCarthy is health, not performance. Even last season, the lanky righty lost five weeks because of shoulder soreness. He has battled serious elbow and shoulder issues in the past, so even getting five months out of McCarthy is considered a win. At least heading into 2012, he seems healthy and enough of his skills appear real to draft McCarthy with a good degree of confidence. Just be wary of a little bit of an ERA correction and the always-present chance of more arm woes.","seasonId":2012,"date":"Wed Feb 15"},"playerRater30DAY":3.4,"playerRater15DAY":1.8,"positionRank":57}