Today's Fantasy Rx.

American League Relief Pitchers with $3 to $1 PDV

Quick Key to the tables:
W = Wins.  S = Saves.  ERA = Earned Run Average (ER*9/IP).
WHIP = (Walks + Hits)/IP aka Ratio.  K = Strikeouts.  BB = Bases on Balls aka Walks.
H = Hits.  IP = Innings Pitched.  P = Pitches.  B = Bats.
4x4 = BA, HR, RBI, and SB in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
5x5 = BA, HR, RBI, SB, and R in 12-team, $260 leagues with 23-man rosters.
DV = Draft Value.  DTCD = Draft Total Category Dollars.
AV = Actual Value.  ATCD = Actual Total Category Dollars.
LABR/Tout = 2001 Expert League prices; LABR for 4x4. Tout Wars for 5x5.

A brief review of what our dollar values mean:
Draft Value is how much a player should have gone for on draft day.
DTCD is the highest acceptable draft day price without a value loss.
Actual Value is how much a player earned this year.
ATCD is the highest price at which you could have owned a player without a value loss in leagues with an in-season salary cap.

Players are ranked in order from the highest draft value in a 4x4 league to the lowest.

45.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Paul Shuey		5	2	2.82	1.45		70	26	53	17	54.1
CLE Indians		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	3		5		4		7		8
2001 Age: 30	5x5:	4		6		5		8		3

Shuey continues to demonstrate as much potential in the bullpen as any reliever in baseball. His walk rate is a little high but remains consistent at a little over 4 BB/9. He also has averaged over a strikeout per inning for the last few years with above average home run rates. Now that he appears recovered from minor arm problems, he should hopefully challenge Wickman for the Cleveland closer's job.

46.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Bob Wells		8	2	5.11	1.31		49	18	72	39	68.2
MIN Twins		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	3		5		4		7		2
2001 Age: 34	5x5:	3		5		3		7		3

Wells should return to an ERA around 4.00 as his skills still appear quite solid despite a noticeable decline from 2000. He's certainly the most established right-handed reliever in the Minnesota pen, but he'd be more effective if he could manage to lower his homer rate. He has a chance to enter the saves' mix if Guardado falters, although you probably shouldn't gamble much on his upside.

47.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Jon Garland		6	1	3.69	1.52		61	55	123	48	117.0
CH White Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	3		5		4		7		Res
2001 Age: 21	5x5:	3		5		4		7		1

Garland offers little immediate potential at this stage of his pitching development. His strikeout rates are below average and his walk rates are correspondingly too high, leaving little logical reason for Garland to remain in the majors. He's shown practically no improvement over the last two seasons, so drafting him with anything more than a reserve or minor league pick is a waste of resources.

48.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Mike Venafro		5	4	4.80	1.37		29	28	54	32	60.0
TEX Rangers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	3		5		3		6		1
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	2		4		2		6

"Hi! My name is Mike and I'm a left-handed reliever of the Oakland Athletics. I enjoy striking out a batter every two innings and long walks back to the dugout after my manager's left me in to face too many batters and I allowed a few on base. Please don't confuse me with Mike or Mike here on the south side of the bullpen or you might wind up with a better roto pitcher or two."

49.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Ben Weber		6	0	3.42	1.42		40	31	66	26	68.1
ANA Angels		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	3		4		3		6
2001 Age: 31	5x5:	2		4		2		6

Weber displays little consistency in skill or ability from season to season. He showed weak skills in his 1999 MLE, followed that up by pitching slightly worse in 2000 while staying in the majors and showing good skill improvement, and then saw his ERA improve his 2001 as his strikeout rate slipped over 1 K/9 and his walk rate jumping by a corresponding amount. He'll likely return to the Angels' bullpen since he survived a wave of surprise non-tendering, although I wouldn't use him as anything more than a mid-season injury replacement.

50.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Bobby Howry		4	5	4.69	1.46		64	30	85	41	78.2
CH White Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	2		4		3		6		9
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	3		5		3		7		4

Howry continues to display excellent consistency of command as he waits for another opportunity to close. His strikeout rate has remained stable at 7.5 for three of the last four years, only increasing when he closed as he tried to overpower hitters, a situation that resulted in a corresponding increase in his walk rate. While he's certainly not the most deserving set-up man to potentially find a closer's job, he should find success if they White Sox deal him elsewhere. Stay at a couple bucks at your draft unless you can keep players traded to the NL, since a few dollars investment might find you with some bonus second-half saves after Matt Ginter's ascent to late inning work forces a Howry trade.

51.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Jack Cressend		3	0	3.67	1.17		40	16	50	23	56.1
MIN Twins		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	2		4		3		6
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	2		4		2		6

Cressend should develop into at least a reliable set-up man by the end of the season. His K:BB almost tripled to 3.8 in the second half, and while his history doesn't suggest that he can maintain that level of excellence, his MLEs indicate that he'll continue to perform admirably in middle relief. He certainly has more potential to establish himself as a closer than Hawkins or Wells, so if you have an open rosters slot left at the end of your AL draft, he certainly won't hurt you for a buck.

52.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Pedro Borbon, Jr.		2	0	3.71	1.13		45	12	48	22	53.1
TOR Blue Jays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	2		4		2		6
2001 Age: 33	5x5:	2		4		2		6

Borbon suddenly remembered to stop walking almost a batter per inning as he almost increased his K:BB fivefold. He spent most of his peak years on the DL but should remain an effective reliever in most any pen for another few years. He'll likely hang around into his forties as a decent lefty. There's nothing particularly exciting about his skills, so don't be surprised if the Blue Jays deal him sometime soon.

53.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Dan Plesac		4	1	3.57	1.28		68	24	34	18	45.1
TOR Blue Jays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	2		4		2		6
2001 Age: 39	5x5:	2		5		3		7

Speaking of Blue Jay lefties, I wonder what a competent GM will manage to receive in return for dealing Plesac out of Toronto. He probably could have gotten Cust if he hadn't been too busy trying to grab Pena, and since he appears to have stolen all of Oakland's cheatsheets regarding freely available lefty relievers, don't be surprised to see everyone in the pen except Escobar moved by the end of the year. Plesac's holding up as well as ever, perhaps even compiling his most impressive skills' season in 2001, so while he won't earn anything close to double digits, he'll likely never hurt you as an injury replacement.

54.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Mark Guthrie		6	1	4.47	1.32		52	20	49	26	52.1
OAK Athletics		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:R	4x4:	2		4		2		6		Res
2001 Age: 35	5x5:	2		4		2		6		Res

Guthrie's really developed into an excellent pitcher over the last few years his K/9 has ascended to a batter per inning while he finally maintained good control. He should have another few years at this level, and even if he slips, he'll remain employed due to his lucky brain dominance. The Mets might need him to work a lot of games if Franco recovers slowly from his off-season surgery, so you probably should also only use Guthrie as an injury replacement.

55.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Lou Pote		2	2	4.15	1.38		66	32	88	40	86.2
ANA Angels		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	2		4		2		5		2
2001 Age: 29	5x5:	2		5		3		7		1

Pote continues to display more skill and potential than perhaps any other non-Percival in the Anaheim bullpen. His K:BB remains pinned at a little over 2, and he's combined this solid command with good strikeout rates around 7 K/9. He'll likely not earn too much in 2002 unless Percival is moved, but Pote would be a great addition to most rosters and definitely someone that could slip into the free agent pool in almost any league.

56.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Gary Glover		5	0	4.93	1.30		63	32	98	55	100.1
CH White Sox		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	2		4		2		5
2001 Age: 24	5x5:	2		5		2		6

After swiping Glover from the Blue Jays for Scott Eyre in the real steal from last winter, the White Sox wound up using him to fill a rotation slot after almost an entire pitcher staff hit the DL. He'll likely never be a particularly great pitcher, but unlike someone like Jon Garland, Glover could pitch quite well in 2002. If he makes the rotation, a possibility that seemingly increases by the day, he could earn double-digit value with the probable good run support and bullpen. I'd prefer to have open transactions when drafting him, but you should definitely try to slip him by for a buck or two regardless of your league rules.

57.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Shigetoshi Hasegawa		5	0	4.04	1.29		41	20	52	25	55.2
ANA Angels		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	2		4		2		5		8
2001 Age: 32	5x5:	1		4		1		6		6

Hasegawa displayed his best command and strikeout ratios in three seasons, and with a great improvement in his second half walk rate, he'll likely see a return to the qualitative numbers of perhaps even 1998. He should earn close to double digits on the strength of his ERA and WHIP alone, and since he's likely to receive several opportunities to vulture wins in Seattle, a few dollars' bid might return several bucks of profit. Don't expect him to see many save opportunities, so be careful not to overbid.

58.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Blake Stein		7	1	4.74	1.46		113	79	112	69	131.0
KC Royals		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	2		4		2		5		6
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	4		6		5		8		7

Stein continues to remain unable to lift his K:BB from 1.4-1.7 range. His strikeout rate now approaches close to a batter per inning as the Royals keep befuddling him by alternating starts with relief appearances. While he has pitched slightly better out of the bullpen, there's no reason for the Royals not to give him thirty starts this season. We'll likely keep him at two dollars in the hope that he'll finally discover how to pitch this season, although we'd feel much better if Muser was relieved of his duties before roster freeze day.

59.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Randy Choate		3	0	3.35	1.26		35	27	34	18	48.1
NY Yankees		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	1		4		2		5
2001 Age: 25	5x5:	1		4		1		5

Despite some underlying problems in the second half, Choate should easily win the second lefty spot in the Yankee bullpen as he limited left-handed batters to a .183 BA, .318 OBP, and a .254 SLG in 2001. Ted Lilly is certainly a more versatile pitcher with more upside, but the Yankees aren't going to find many situational lefties superior to Choate. As he's limited to a very specific role, he's unlikely to ever earn a decent roto salary, so you'll want to avoid him unless you need an injury replacement while the Yankees are playing most of their games at home.

60.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Jose Paniagua		4	3	4.36	1.47		46	38	59	32	66.0
SEA Mariners		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	1		4		2		5		1
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	1		4		1		6		Res

Paniagua lost all control in the first half of 2001 as he walked more batters than he struck out. His second half was much better with a significantly reduced walk rate and even a slight improvement in strikeouts. He slipped from an 8.3 K/9 over the last two seasons down to 6.3 this year, and he'll need to reverse that trend rather abruptly if he wants to find any success in Coors.

61.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Chad Bradford		2	1	2.70	1.28		34	6	41	11	36.2
OAK Athletics		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	1		3		1		5		1
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	1		4		0		5

Oakland fans should enjoy more Adventures of the Submariner in 2002 as Bradford returns after an obnoxiously good K:BB in 2001, including a 6.7 yearly total and 20.7 figure in the second half. He strikes out close to a batter per inning and should easily earn close to double digits if used properly. Definitely consider spending a buck or two late in the draft for a cheap profit on a reliever who's both fun to own and to watch pitch.

62.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Cory Bailey		1	0	3.48	1.34		61	33	57	26	67.1
KC Royals		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	1		3		1		5
2001 Age: 30	5x5:	2		4		2		6

Bailey returned after a few years of minor league exile to re-establish himself as quality major league middle reliever. His strikeout rate is well above average and even if he occasionally walks too many batters, he should remain a solid member of the Royals' pen for another season or two. He has enough underlying skill problems where I can't offer a good recommendation on his 2002 potential, although I wouldn't be upset if I needed to employ him for two weeks once or twice.

63.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Jesus Colome		2	0	3.33	1.27		31	25	37	18	48.2
TB Devil Rays		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	1		3		1		5		Res
2001 Age: 21	5x5:	0		3		0		5		Res

Colome has tremendous potential in almost any pitching role but clearly needs more time in the minors. His MLE strikeout rate has only shown miniscule growth to 6.7 K/9 in 2001. Tampa needs to leave him at AAA for all of 2002 to watch him develop arm strength since they already have several competent starters and relievers who are more prepared for the major league opportunity.

64.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Victor Santos		2	0	3.30	1.45		52	49	62	28	76.1
DET Tigers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	1		3		1		5
2001 Age: 27	5x5:	1		4		1		5

Despite outwardly acceptable statistics, Santos has shown little potential above the AA level. His K:BB was barely above one in over 35 IP as both a starter and reliever last year. Comerica doesn't really help him since it will only allow extra hits to fall, and with an uncertain outfield defense this season, his flyball tendencies don't help any. Santos does not appear draft-worthy at this time.

65.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
Juan Moreno		3	0	3.92	1.21		36	28	22	18	41.1
TEX Rangers		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:L    B:L	4x4:	1		3		1		4
2001 Age: 26	5x5:	0		3		0		5

Although Moreno's control appears relatively poor, his strikeout rate is rather good and his OBA is an outstanding .153. Texas hurts flyball pitchers so I don't expect Moreno to ever develop into a great lefty reliever, but he should adequately fill the role in their pen for a few years. I'd likely only use him during road trips, and I see no reason to draft Moreno or most any lefty reliever.

66.		W	S	ERA	WHIP		K	BB	H	ER	IP
David Riske		2	1	1.98	1.39		29	18	20	6	27.1
CLE Indians		DV		DTCD		AV		ATCD		LABR/Tout
P:R    B:R	4x4:	1		3		0		4
2001 Age: 24	5x5:	0		3		-1		4		1

I see no reason why Cleveland bothers with Mark Wohlers when they already employ a fantastic right-handed relief corp in Wickman, Shuey, Baez, and Riske. Jerrod Riggan's addition allows Baez to move to the rotation, still leaving no place for someone with Wohlers' meager qualifications. Riske's combined MLEs were outstanding, including a 10.2 K/9 and 2.6 K:BB. He would even find success in the closer's role, so you might want to grab him cheaply at the end of your draft if Cleveland finds a way to keep him.

We'll begin and end with Cleveland's top bullpen arms, and American League Relievers will continue tomorrow.

Today's Fantasy Rx: I'm going to spend the next few days reminding you to submit your Challenge rosters and save a few bucks. For now, I'm simply going to state that if you believe you know anything about fantasy baseball, play at least one of the four Baseball Weekly Challenge games at CDM sports. We participated last year based on a suggestion from Doug Dennis, Baseball HQ writer and 2001 2nd place finisher in AL LABR. By following a few simple precepts, we finished 102nd out of about 8200 teams in our first season, and we suspect we can do much better this season now that we understand the game. I'll spend several articles discussing Challenge ideas and strategies, although all you need to know at the moment is that you can make significant money if you trust your abilities, so go take a look at the different games on the website. We'll have a team or two in each contest this year, but if you haven't played this type of rotoball before, pick the one that most appeals to you. Tomorrow we'll briefly discuss the virtues of each game.