Today's Fantasy Rx

Baltimore: Rodrigo Lopez, RH Starter
1-1 on a 14:8 K:BB in 25 IP over 4 GS
with 30 H, 7 HR, a 1.23 G-F, and a 7.20 ERA.

Lopez started on Opening Day for Baltimore even though he looks like no better than the fourth best starter on the roster. However, a 7.20 ERA also appears far too high for this normally consistently average pitcher. His 2.5 HR/9 will improve, and as long as his walks don't increase, we should see Lopez head toward double-digit value by mid-season. Aggressive owners can target Lopez for at least a small qualitative boost.

Boston: Matt Clement, RH Starter
1-1 on a 14:7 K:BB in 18 IP over 3 GS
with 25 H, 2 HR, a 1.43 G-F, and a 7.00 ERA.

The hot starts of Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett leave Clement as the forgotten Boston starter, but with an artificially elevated hit rate skewing his numbers, he soon could begin matching his teammates' performances to give the Red Sox three aces. Clement remains a solidly underrated contributor, and since I see no significant evidence that his second half struggles from 2005 continue to plague him, I'm comfortable recommending you seek to acquire Clement before his trade cost skyrockets.

Chicago White Sox: Jon Garland, RH Starter
1-1 on an 11:3 K:BB in 17.2 IP over 3 GS
with 29 H, 3 HR, a .82 G-F, and a 9.18 ERA.

Thankfully Garland's outstanding walk rate mitigates his disastrous hit rate, and barring a complete collapse by Chicago's defense, the latter mark will improve in the near future. Of course, he also isn't an overly dominant pitcher, and we can't discount the possibility that his contract extension caused at least some complacency. Wait to see his stats after no less than five starts before considering any action involving Garland.

Cleveland: Paul Byrd, RH Starter
2-1 on a 10:7 K:BB in 17.2 IP over 3 GS
with 17 H, 3 HR, a .64 G-F, and a 7.02 ERA.

Given Byrd's age, injury history, and limited dominance, perhaps we raised expectations unreasonably for his move to Cleveland. The Indians don't offer that many advantages over the Angels, and with Byrd's poor ground-fly rate supporting this weak homer rate, an ERA under 4.00 or even 4.25 seems surprisingly unfeasible. If you see another owner interested in these two wins or the possibility of WHIP help down the line, don't be afraid to shop this veteran.

Detroit: Nate Robertson, LH Starter
1-2 on a 10:4 K:BB in 15.2 IP over 3 GS
with 21 H, 3 HR, a 2.15 G-F, and a 7.36 ERA.

With an impressive ground-fly rate and unexpectedly solid control, Robertson appears primed for rapid improvement in the near future. Yes, the Tigers will need to sustain their hot start for him to see much overall benefit from the nearly certain rebound of his qualitative stats, but you also should remember that Robertson owned a very good strikeout rate only a couple years ago. Considering the potential demonstrated in his primary skills, attempt to acquire Robertson while other owners just might treat him as a replacement-level starter barely worthy of a roster spot.

Kansas City: Andy Sisco, LH Reliever
0-1 on a 7:5 K:BB in 6 IP over 9 G
with 11 H, 1 HR, a 6-5 G-F, and a 12.00 ERA.

The Royals' 2004 Rule 5 pick belongs in the minors this year reestablishing his starting credentials. Instead Kansas City management forced Sisco back to a ridiculously limited middle relief role, where he's unsurprisingly struggling like almost everyone else on the roster. Perhaps Sisco will escape Allard Baird's itchy trigger finger to stay in the majors indefinitely, and he also could finished the year with a few bucks of value. Unfortunately, he conversely won't receive many chances to vulture wins nor should he close over Ambiorix Burgos or Mike MacDougal, leaving Sisco's owners with only the slim hope of respectable qualitative stats from a control-challenged pitcher in front of a questionable defense. Deal or cut Sisco unless you grabbed him for a minimal ante in the draft while planning to rebuild.

Los Angeles Angels: Jeff Weaver, RH Starter
0-2 on an 11:4 K:BB in 19.1 IP over 3 GS
with 23 H, 3 HR, a 1.00 G-F, and a 5.12 ERA.

Although all of Weaver's skills appear relatively near his career norms, I see plenty of upside here and expect fairly quick improvement in his ERA, especially with brother Jered close to joining Jeff in Anaheim. Weaver at least offers WHIP help, and given the Angels' offensive potential and the overall environment, I see little reason not to target the veteran if looking for rotation help.

Minnesota: Carlos Silva, RH Starter
1-2 on a 4:3 K:BB in 21.1 IP over 3 GS
with 25 H, 3 HR, a 1.16 G-F, and a 7.59 ERA.

The lack of strikeouts isn't shocking, but both the mediocre ground-fly and homer rates greatly concern me. Even if Silva maintains a good WHIP due to his outstanding control, the downside of a shift away from his previously steady stream of induced groundouts could lead to massive ERA problems for the soft-tossing inning eater. Francisco Liriano's already angling for any available rotation slot, so unless you see improvement here in the near future, begin to shop Silva rather than risk him eroding into a fungible middle reliever.

New York Yankees: Shawn Chacon, RH Swingman
1-1 on an 11:5 K:BB in 12.1 IP over 2 GS(4G) with 19 H, 3 HR, a 1.07 G-F, and an 8.03 ERA.

Two disastrous starts led to two equally problematic relief appearances with Chacon allowing at least one run in each of his four outings. Perhaps this shouldn't surprise me given his 7.11 ERA two years ago, but after his 2.85 mark in 79 IP with the Yankees last season, he appeared fully capable of producing useful fantasy stats. Yet the organization's obvious lack of faith in him concerns me, so only wait a short while longer if he continues struggling in an uncertain role.

Oakland: Dan Haren, RH Starter
0-1 on a 17:2 K:BB in 20 IP over 3 GS
with 20 H, 5 HR, a .96 G-F, and a 5.40 ERA.

Over half of Oakland's pitchers merited at least some consideration here, however given Haren's overwhelming skill superiority compared to his ostensibly comparable teammates, he deserves discussion before his price spirals out of control. Even a slightly weak ground-fly rate and commensurately lofty homer rate don't pose serious obstacles for someone with his combination of overall dominance and control. I consider Haren one of the best bets among any AL starter for the rest of the decade and see no reason here not to thoroughly endorse any attempt to acquire the budding ace prior to his inevitable accumulation of overwhelmingly impressive outings.

Seattle: Felix Hernandez, RH Starter
0-2 on a 17:9 K:BB in 15.2 IP over 3 GS
with 15 H, 4 HR, a 2.00 G-F, and a 6.14 ERA.

King Felix's struggles haven't pleased anyone other than his opponents. The Mariners continue to baby their franchise player, but with his walk and homer rates spiking, something's simply not right here. At least we can expect the homers to drop due to the continually solid ground-fly rate, and he also still strikes out plenty of batters. I see no recourse other than the perfectly pedantic advice to wait until Hernandez's qualitative stats drop nearer expected levels before considering any action other than regular deployment if you already own him.

Tampa Bay: Brian Meadows, RH Reliever
1-0 on a 4:2 K:BB in 5.1 IP over 3 G
with 11 H, 2 HR, a 5-11 G-F, and an 8.44 ERA.

Pitching in long relief for Tampa offers none of the benefits that his spring training sojourn with the Dodgers promised. Meadows instead might exceed his usual 2-3 vulture wins, but despite demonstrating relatively decent skills with Pittsburgh, he neither will receive any save opportunities nor return to the rotation. While I expected Meadows to remain capable roster filler, I simply see too much downside here to recommend you do anything save deal or cut him.

Texas: Kevin Millwood, RH Starter
1-2 on a 19:1 K:BB in 25 IP over 4 GS
with 34 H, 2 HR, a .96 G-F, and a 5.04 ERA.

A significant qualitative spike for the reigning AL ERA champ seemed certain due to his move from the leagues' best pitchers' park to the worst. However, since the Rangers don't own an awful defense and Millwood's overall skill set stayed strong through his transition, he should settle closer to a 4.00 ERA than his current mark. He still owns superb control, which similarly will keep his WHIP low and maintain Millwood's chance of finishing with double-digit value. You certainly should take advantage of any opportunity offered to acquire Millwood from an anxious owner already regretting an overly aggressive auction payment for the Texas ace.

Toronto: Josh Towers, RH Starter
0-3 on a 9:5 K:BB in 13.2 IP over 3 GS
with 25 H, 3 HR, a 1.93 G-F, and a 9.24 ERA.

The problem with the eminently hittable Towers is that his low strikeout totals and increasing groundball rate invite an extremely high hit rate, especially given the new holes in Toronto's infield defense. Even though his homer rate will drop, the odds of an unacceptably high WHIP sharply cut any expected upside from an improved ERA or actually winning any games. Bench him if possible, and if not, find a way to deal or cut Towers before he ruins your standing in two categories.

We'll continue tomorrow with National League underachieving pitchers.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Clement, Robertson, and Haren fairly lap the field in terms of the pitchers you want to acquire as soon as possible. These three should see the greatest gains in value by year's end of today's pitchers, so prioritize adding one of this trio if seeking starting pitching.