Fantasy Baseball Today - Cespedes Launches Bomb

When Donna invested a 12th-round draft pick for Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes it was a gamble. Players like Mark Trumbo, Brennan Boesch and Dexter Fowler were still on the board and they've shown the ability - even if just flashes - to excel in the Major Leagues. Cespedes, on the other hand, had simply shown he could leg press the equivalent of a Fiat. Was The Machine's investment too high in an unproven rookie?

That freakish athleticism turned into Major League potential early this morning when Cespedes launched his first home run, a two-run shot in the seventh inning to help Oakland beat Seattle. Now the competition in the East Division has to wonder how formidable The Machine will be with Cespedes, Jose Bautista, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Shin-Soo Choo in the lineup.

BaseballMonster.com loved Cespedes. The website projected 26 home runs and 82 RBI for the A's outfielder. Those are borderline keeper numbers, not stats for a 12th-round pick. CBS Sports projects a more conservative 20 home runs and 70 RBI, still very good numbers. The grind of a 162-game schedule will sort the truth but at this point Donna has to be pleased with her newest addition to The Machine.

Bartolo Colon - There's More Than Meets The Eye

Fantasy baseball owners love young players with potential. At times, it can cloud their judgement. Take the case of pitcher Bartolo Colon. In 2011, Colon had 13 quality starts, a 4.00 ERA, and a respectable 1.29 WHIP. Players like Brad Peacock and Trevor Bauer were drafted for their potential this year but dropped when they were sent to the minors. Colon remains a free agent that can help a team, as evident by this morning's performance in Tokyo. The portly pitcher tossed eight innings of one-run ball while striking out six. Those are numbers you can embrace from your fifth starter.

In other news from around the league...It was a mixed night for The Bulls and owner Carolyn Greene. Jason Vargas, who was added last week to help a hobbled pitching staff, earned a quality start with 6.1 innings of one-run ball. Unfortunately, outfielder Mike Carp landed on the DL with a sprained shoulder...A-Rod's Mirrors will be without the services of outfielder B.J. Upton to start the season. Upton is still recovering from a violent collision with teammate Desmond Jennings in a Grapefruit League game and will be placed on the DL. Sean McKenna can insert Nyjer Morgan into the starting lineup or scour the waiver wire for help...Closer Drew Storen has a sore elbow and will likely start the season on the DL. The Lower Haighters have Huston Street and Joe Nathan at the back end of the bullpen but Robert will be in the market for short-term relief pitching help.