Pierre Becquey

  (3:02 PM)

Good afternoon, everyone. Let's talk fantasy baseball for the next hour or so. (For those chronologically challenged, that's long enough to listen to Avenged Sevenfold's Afterlife 10 times in a row.)

S (Kansas)

Pierre, any updates on the injuries to Miggy Cabrera and Andy LaRoche?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:03 PM)

Common theme already this afternoon. Miggy seems fine. Don't think he plays tonight, but should be OK for the weekend. LaRoche is listed as day-to-day, it's a "contusion," which is a fancy word for big boo-boo, and I really don't think there's much to worry about there either. Just the stuff that happens over the course of a 162-game season.

Sarah (MI)

Hi Pierre. Better WW pick-up: Kelvim Escobar or Tommy Hanson?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:04 PM)

I'd go with Tommy Hanson. I'd rather take the risk of a rookie having the jitters than have Kelvim break down on me again.

Kenny, NY

avenged sevenfold rocks. thanks for the mention

Pierre Becquey

  (3:05 PM)

That they do.

Dirk Diggler

Are we seeing BJ Upton turn around.....or is this just a fluke and try to deal him?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:06 PM)

It's a hot streak. He had a cold one earlier. A really, really long cold one. I think going forward you will get the Upton we expected... that is to say, better average, a bit of power, and a whooole lot of speed. I've got a trade FOR him on the table right now in a league where I need swipes.

Gordan Beckham

Who would you say is the best infield rookie prospect?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:06 PM)

Matt Wieters.

Mike D (ny,ny)

Why is Matt Kemp hitting so low in the lineup when his number are head on shoulders above furcals in the 2 hole?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:08 PM)

Dude, I don't know. I wonder the same thing every time he has one of his games and everything looks great except the RBIs. I'd also bat him over no-power Loney for sure. He needs to be in the top 5, and if Torre makes that move, his value will go up.

Andruw Jones

You buying?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:09 PM)

In light of Hamilton's DL-ing? Yes. One of the better upside pickups/cheap trades right now. But come on, guys, cut it out with the fake names. It's kind of cheesy.

Bryan (Chicago, IL)

Worth picking up J.P. Howell if I need saves? Would you drop Manny Parra or Randy Johnson for him?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:09 PM)

Yes, and right now, I'd drop Parra. I'm the biggest Parra apologist among the fantasy staff, and even I can't explain his latest ERA and WHIP-killing outing.

Jason (San Francisco)

Is it possible that what just happened to Glavine in Atlanta, also happens to Smoltz in Boston? While he probably won't get released, could that 5th starter spot go to C.Buchholz instead of Smoltz? Thanks

Pierre Becquey

  (3:11 PM)

No, I don't think so. Smoltz still has a lot more in the tank than Glavine did, and I don't think he ends up in the bullpen unless he fails as a starter. And I think Wakefield could end up in long relief before Smoltz does.

Sam (Boston)

Two great 1B on a giant tear right now: who do you take from here on out, Morneau or Texeria? Thanks

Pierre Becquey

  (3:11 PM)

Gotta go with Tex.

Brett (Toronto)

Carlos Gonzalez is getting his shot at the show. He was productive on a brutal A's team last year. Can he pound the ball in the thin air of Colorado? What are his projections looking like?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:12 PM)

I kind of like his Sacremento numbers as a baseline for his Colorado performance. So, if he gets 90 games going forward, I'd say 8-10 homers, 50 R, 50 RBI, .280 average.

Adam (NYC)

Pierre, I need your help. I have another team interested in Bourn, and I can get Lind or Hart in return. Which, if either, do I pull the trigger on? I already have Crawford so I could afford to lose some steals.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:13 PM)

If you can afford to lose the steals, I go with Lind. I expect he'll trump Hart in all four hitting categories. Note that he hit cleanup yesterday with Wells on the bench, and he responded by going 5-for-5. And that's with Rios striking out 5 times in front of him.

Joe (St. Louis)

Trade Aaron Hill for Holliday?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:14 PM)

Um... yes? How emphatically can I put that?

Alex (MI)

Good Afternoon Pierre. Magglio Ordonez seems to be hitting better of late. What do you project for him the rest of the season -- is .315 60 15 70 reasonable from here forward? Thanks.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:16 PM)

Yeah, Maggs was a concern there for a while, but I'm confident he's over it. I'd dial down that projection to .300, but yeah, it looks attainable.

Philip (St. Louis, MO)

Pierre, I'm struggling with my hometown guy Chris Duncan. Does he find his bat again, or should I dump him for a prospect like Carlos Gonzalez or Matt Joyce?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:17 PM)

I think he'll find his hitting stroke again. That said, I think Carlos Gonzalez plays more than him and has more upside right now. Duncan is so easy to platoon.

Harry (NM)

A guy just dropped Ludwick. Worth a grab or is he done?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:17 PM)

Totally worth picking up. The dude who dropped Ludwick? He's done.

Scott (Philly)

Pierre, who is the next big callup? Is Chris Tillman a possibility? Regardless what do you expect from him once he does get the call...

Pierre Becquey

  (3:19 PM)

Check out our current front page look on baseball. Christopher Harris did a terrific job of identifying the leftover callups. I think Tillman will be good, but with the rookie risk, I don't expect miracles. Anything under 4.30 would be sweet, and I think he can get close to a K per inning right away.

roc (ct)

if you have to pick one for the rest of the year who's it gonna be - liriano or price???

Pierre Becquey

  (3:20 PM)

Price. He's a lot, lot safer and as much upside as Liriano.

John (NY)

In a keeper, who should I use my waiver priority on: Beckham or Hanson?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:20 PM)

Beckham. I prefer hitters to pitchers in keeper leagues. The longer you can keep'm, the more that's true.

Nick (NYC)

I have Price, Hanson, Wieters, and Beckham. I know its early, but which 2 do you think will be the best keepers?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:23 PM)

I can't help myself. I love keeper questions. I think it's Wieters. A cheap stud catcher is the ultimate luxury. There's plenty of pitching and other infield prospects coming down the line, but a Wieters, that doesn't happen too often.

Jocelyn (Seattle)

I have both Liriano and Dice-K on my team, and they're both killing my pitching. Do I go after Hanson, Nolasco, or Wolf on waivers?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:23 PM)

Yes, I'd go for Hanson of those three. I hope you can keep Liriano and Dice-K on your bench, though. There's still hope for them.

Mike (Dallas)

Pierre, I did my homework and learned Mike Lowell's second-half career OPS is .761, much lower than his first-half numbers. Adrian Beltre's is .826, much better than his first-half numbers. Should I be picking up Beltre for Lowell?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:25 PM)

Yeah, Lowell's second-half woes are well documented, though heavily influenced by his Florida days. I like that swap mostly because Beltre's more likely to play out the whole season. Lowell's a greater injury risk.

Steve (ND)

Is it time to get Nolasco off the wire in a deeper mixed?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:26 PM)

Yeah, in deep mixed, he's worth a shot. He pitched well at Triple-A, he's going to get another crack at the majors... it's a pretty good risk to take.

Glenn (Providence)

In a seasonal league, pick one prospect call up this week, or rank, up to you; Beckham, McCutchen, Gonzalez?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:27 PM)

McCutchen. If he does nothing else, he'll steal. Did you guys see him yesterday? Dude looked quick even when I paused the TV.

Steven (Philly)

Liriano was just dropped in my league, is he worth picking up. Have to drop Scherzer for him.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:28 PM)

I'd do that if I was in the lower half of the standings.... in a shallow league (IE where your worst pitcher is Max Scherzer) you need to be bold to make up ground. But I don't risk a good thing on Liriano if I'm near the front.

Josh (DC)

With the summer (and Beltre) heating up, would you rather have him over Branyon in the Pacific Northwest?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:28 PM)

Any day of the week.

Bob(Ma)

DAVID PRICE...Do I dare start him vs the Mighty Bronx Bombers in the "BAND BOX" they call a park? Thanks

Pierre Becquey

  (3:28 PM)

Yeah. Go for it.

Paul (Dayton)

Your colleague Eric Karabell believes J.A. Happ is legit and will win 12 games this year. Do you agree?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:30 PM)

He said 12 wins? Well, the Phillies certainly have the offense to make it happen. I'll take the under, but not by much, and I do worry about the bad games he could have in Philly. Legit in deep leagues, but too risky for my taste in shallow mixed. I'd rather have a Josh Outman in his comfy home ballpark than Happ.

Nick - Cleveland

Are Atkins or C. Davis worth picking up off waivers? Maybe outperform Lowell?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:31 PM)

Atkins hit two homers after being threatened with the minors. But... it's just one game. I say the same thing as the Liriano answer: be bold if you're behind, and make the move (Atkins for me, unless you want homers over everything else). If you're running ahead, stay the course until Lowell gives you a reason to stray.

Todd (Pasadena, CA)

Would you drop Skip Schumaker for Fred Lewis, Andruw Jones, Matt Joyce or Chris Duncan. I need HR and BA help.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:31 PM)

Yeah... for Jones and Joyce, in that order.

Glenn (Providence)

No worry of McCutchen becoming Carlos Gomez v2.0?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:33 PM)

It's a worry that he does that in his first season... but McCutchen has more talent (so the talent evaluators say) and has hit for moderate power at every level.

Joe (Richmond)

would you drop Babe Ruth for Tommy Hanson?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:34 PM)

Funny.

Brad (NJ) [via mobile]

You said you have an offer on the table to get BJ Upton. What are you trading away?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:35 PM)

Carlos Lee. It's not perfect, but I've got lots of home runs and RBIs, I'm desperage for runs and steals, my opponent has the exact opposite problem, so it'd be a match.

Joe (Chicago)

I need some pitching help. Who is the best option off the wire - Nolasco, Smoltz, or Scott Baker?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:36 PM)

Baker is the safest bet to produce. I think he's going to be very solid going forward. Nice start yesterday, too.

Dan (Chicago)

Strictly upside for this season only... pitching -- Ben Sheets, Bumgarner, Tillman, or steals -- Eric Young, Alicedes Escobar? Which do you think, if any, has the biggest impact? Deep, speculative league, so the big names are gone, even the high upside, lesser known names.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:37 PM)

I think I'd grab Tillman. Bumgarner is tempting, but he only made it to Double-A last month. Don't know that he moves up to the bigs before September, if at all.

Seth (IL)

Pierre - Why the upset face in the profile pic? AL only keeper and own Holliday and Bedard. Trade them now or hold tight and risk them getting dealt to the NL? Thanks!

Pierre Becquey

  (3:39 PM)

I am so un-photogenic, it's not even funny. Or actually, it is. That.. or that picture was taken immediatly after a Liriano start this season. Pick the answer you like best. Don't trade either of those guys out of panic. If you get a deal you like, go for it, but i don't trade either based on that. The odds just don't favor it.

Joe (Richmond)

When is this whole 'regression' thing gonna catch up with Justin Upton?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:41 PM)

What's he supposed to regress to? He's a young player with no real established baseline. I only trust "regression" when a player is clearly doing something he shouldn't be doing and whose underlying stats tell me that nothing has fundementally changed from the player he was before. Now, do I think Upton cools down a bit? Yeah, the odds are with you on that bet. But by how much? He's SUPPOSED to be a talented, power-hitting dynamo with some speed.

Matthew Berry (LA)

yeah, you're so un-photogenic.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:42 PM)

HA! And there's a 50/50 chance that's actually Matthew.

Henry (Miami)

Is Scott Richmond worth keeping or would you rather pick up Bastardo or Tillman?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:42 PM)

I'd hold on to Richmond and see how he does the second time through the AL.

Josh (DC)

Where do you rank Ted Lilly? Should I give up Lind for him when I've got Sheff and (cogh) Sizemore sitting right now?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:43 PM)

Nah. Rather have Lind than Sheff and we're not sure when Sizemore comes back. Lilly's not anything special.

Rick(Chicago)

Please compare F.Martinez and C.Gonzalez from a keeper standpoint.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:44 PM)

Would rather have Carlos this year and maybe next, but want Martinez for the balance of his career.

Nick (Philly)

Have to drop one - Atkins or Peralta?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:45 PM)

Peralta. Want to see if Atkins' game was the turnaround, or just a dead cat's bounce.

Matt (seattle)

If you were drafting today, where would you take Ben Zobrist? I mean, a shortstop with slugger's power has gotta be worth something serious, especially now that he's playing every day. I'd put him right behind Hanley, Reyes and Rollins.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:48 PM)

Let's not get carried away. He has power. So does Miguel Tejada. If you'd taken him in the 10th round this year, you'd be happy.

Brad (NJ) [via mobile]

Carlos Lee??? Isn't that overpaying a bit for BJ?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:48 PM)

Well, yeah.. but I don't care if I "win" the deal as long as I win the league. Isn't that the point? None of my other outfielders fit the bill.

Me (The place where I am)

I enjoy the chat, but isn?t it odd that someone who had a pseudonym for years is against fake names?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:49 PM)

Touche.

Pierre Becquey

  (3:50 PM)

... but then again, if you could count the number of times I'm getting called "Frenchy" or the fake girl handles trying to get a question answered by commenting on my accent... you might be wondering why I did away with the pseudonym.

Craig Stuart (Victoria, BC)

What was your pseudonym?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:51 PM)

Pete Becker. Original, huh?

Wayne (ATL)

Would you rather have Asbrubal Cabrera or Aramis Ramirez in your DL slot?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:51 PM)

Aramis. I think he'll make a big difference down the line. Or at the very least, someone will pay the price to acquire him.

Jesse (Modesto, CA)

Juan Rivera suddenly looks legit. Is he? What's he going to do from here on out?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:54 PM)

He's been legit for a long time... he just broke his leg, remember? He was terrific before that injury, and he was a victim of the number crunch last season. He's slugging almost exactly the same, but with more playing time, his average is improved. I think he's a .280-.290 guy more than a .300 hitter, but the power is legit.

Josh (DC)

Scott Downs only has 7 saves. Should I start looking elsewhere? Any "sleeper" closers out there?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:55 PM)

Saves come in bunches. Downs is pretty safe in the job, and if the Jays give him four save opps in the next seven days, you're gonna feel pretty silly having dropped him. Patience. I've seen worse dry spells than what he's gone through.

Matt, DC

Am I wasting my time with Wheeler and Morrow? Any chances for saves for either of them?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:57 PM)

The deeper your league, the less you're wasting your time. But... yeah, I think Aardsma has a pretty solid hold on the job in Seattle, and Howell's pretty good and the usage patterns hints that he's really the guy. I'd hold on to Wheeler a bit longer, but Morrow's safe to drop in a shallow league.

steve (queens)

Which Upton would you rather have?

Pierre Becquey

  (3:57 PM)

For the first time ever, I'll answer Justin. But I'm still a big B.J. Upton believer.

Jason (Buffalo)

Is it safe to drop Chris Young in a ten team mixed league in order to activate Elijah Dukes I already made the mistake of releasing Justin Upton in April and look what happened

Pierre Becquey

  (3:59 PM)

Yeah, I've about had it with Chris Young myself. I like Dukes' upside and power-speed combo without the risk of the .200 average. Chris Young ain't no Justin Upton.

Pierre Becquey

  (4:01 PM)

OK, time for the lightning round. Whatever song my shuffle sellects is the time we have left. (Better hope it's not "Song 2.")

Pierre Becquey

  (4:01 PM)

Oh, good one... Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis. Could be the theme song for anyone who drafted Liriano, Chris Davis, Garrett Atkins....

Adam (Newtown, PA)

Theriot, Hardy or Drew?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:02 PM)

Hardy.

BJ (Chicago)

Ervin Santana or Tommy Hanson???

Pierre Becquey

  (4:02 PM)

I'm a sucker for upside. Hanson.

Conor Jackson (in Bed)

Am I coming back this year to make a meaningful contribution?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:02 PM)

Yes to part 1, no to part 2.

Steve (Portland)

Hanson or Kershaw?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:03 PM)

Kershaw.

Marc (chicago)

Please pelase plase. I traded crawfod for ibanez..Good deal..i Need home runs and rbi

Pierre Becquey

  (4:03 PM)

Then yes. Win the league, not the deal.

Katie, SD

Hanson another Lincy?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:03 PM)

Not quite. Lincecum is special. Hanson is merely potentially quite good.

Eromoh (Seatown)

BJ Upton or Soriano, keeper?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:04 PM)

Soriano.

Liam and Noel

Wieters or Aaron hill

Pierre Becquey

  (4:04 PM)

Wieters.

Pierre Becquey

  (4:04 PM)

Here comes the drum roll... love this part in Rock Band....

Steve MA

Qualls the closer at the end of the year?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:04 PM)

Yeah. Though it pleases me not.

Paul (St. Paul)

Do you get paid overtime in Euros?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:05 PM)

Hey, it's all about the baseball, not about the Benjamins.

Justin

Scutaro for real?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:05 PM)

Yup. Full playing time and scrappy production the rest of the way.

Marc (Malden, MA)

ARod or Longoria?

Pierre Becquey

  (4:06 PM)

Long live Longoria. ... I heard you say.

Pierre Becquey

  (4:06 PM)

And with that, have a great weekend, everyone! Thanks for the fun questions.