Back in my bachelor days, Ramen noodles were the greatest invention known to man. Anytime I could get a meal for 17 cents -- that was a good thing.
Granted, the nutritional aspects might not have been ideal, but come on, it's 17 cents. That left more money for -- soda pop.
Along those same lines, I bring you some cheap options on the mound that are likely available on the waiver wires for your respective leagues.
Just like last week's review of some free-agent hitters, these pitchers are owned in 18 percent (or less) of the Fantasy leagues in which they are eligible. Once again, you'll notice that most of these guys are pitching for bad teams, which is often the reason they are overlooked in the first place.
It's important to remember that these pitchers are available for a reason -- whether it's because they've been very bad in the past or many expect them to be very bad in the future. The nutritional value of these pitchers for your team is questionable. Don't be afraid to dump one for another on the list as the All-Star break nears.
Lesser-known Fantasy pitchers worth a look
Scott Elarton, SP, CLE (owned in 6 percent of leagues): After having his ERA climb to a ridiculous 7.47 on May 7, Elarton has become a different pitcher. In the six starts after that, he has gone 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA and 1.183 WHIP in 36 1/3 innings. The Indians have been red hot recently and as long as the pitching staff continues to keep up with the offensive production, they should be fine. Elarton, despite being their fifth starter, should be starting in all AL-only leagues and some mixed-league owners beset with injuries should consider using him as an emergency replacement.
Jamey Wright, SP, COL (2): Rockies pitchers are always tough to insert into your starting NL-only lineups. Obviously, their gravity-challenged home park is a huge factor. Wright has been excellent as of late and is certainly worth owning in more than two percent of the leagues in which he is eligible. Opponents have scored more than two earned runs on him only once in his past four starts -- two of which the enemy went scoreless. On this squad, he will find wins tough to come by, but that doesn't mean he can't help a Fantasy squad. Since he plays at home for the next scoring period, then at the similarly evil Great American Ballpark the next week, wait until after the All-Star break to pick Wright up for some road starts.
Jason Jennings, SP, COL (5): Fastballs rise and curve balls don't cut in the thin air. On the road, these same pitchers are already busted up mentally since they've been conditioned to think giving up five runs instead of seven is a great thing. Jennings is 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA in his past five starts after going 1-6 with a 7.05 ERA in his first nine starts. Be cautious with Rockies pitchers. Pick Jennings up for favorable road starts -- especially if a two-start week is upcoming, like next week for Jennings. The fact that Jennings is a trade candidate makes him even more valuable. Imagine if a decent team picks him up for the middle of their rotation.
Hayden Penn, SP, BAL (8): In five starts this season, the rookie has performed consistently well. Strangely, the first win of his career came in his worst outing -- June 13 at home against Houston. He gave up five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, but came away with the win. In his other four starts, he has a 3.27 ERA and a 1-0 record. He often doesn't go deep into games, but the Orioles are strong enough around him to give him chances at wins. Pick him up in AL-only leagues while he remains in the rotation until Erik Bedard returns possibly after the All-Star break.
Brandon Claussen, SP, CIN (7): For the most part, Claussen has been a major disappointment since arriving from the Yankees in a trade for Aaron Boone in 2003. He went 2-8 after getting the call last season and Fantasy owners weren't expecting much more this year, especially pitching in Cincinnati where homers fly out fast and furious. Claussen gave up five earned runs at Colorado on June 5, but otherwise, he has been solid. Since May 10, when he was struck by a batted ball and turned his ankle, Claussen is 2-1 with a respectable 3.25 ERA -- and that includes the start at Coors Field. He has improved his strikeout to walk ratio considerably this season, which explains a lot of his statistical success. Remove that and his ERA drops to 2.35. His road ERA (3.68) is almost a half-run lower than at home (4.15), so consider using him when he's away from the Great American Ballpark.
D.J. Carrasco, SP, KC (15): The Royals are waiting for the other shoe to drop with their 28-year-old right-hander. He'll never strike out a dozen batters in a game, but he has shown that he can control his opponent efficiently. Will he be able to keep left-handed hitters off the basepaths? That's what the Royals are gambling on. His 2.56 ERA is the best of any pitcher that has started a game for the Royals this season. He's actually stronger on the road (never allowing more than one ER in three road starts) than at home. He has thrown six quality starts in his past seven outings and he deserves starting consideration in the back end of mixed-league rotations.
Tim Stauffer, SP, SD (17): Despite not getting many wins, Stauffer has been a solid option at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. He has a 3.79 ERA in three home starts compared to a 4.37 ERA in four games on the road. He should be owned in NL-only play and started during homestands.
Ricardo Rodriguez, SP, TEX (16): The Rangers felt they could part with last year's star starter Ryan Drese since they had Rodriguez pitching so well in the minors. Before getting the call two weeks ago, Ric-Rod (Remember last week's nickname game?) was 7-3 with a 2.91 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma this season. And last year, he was 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA in five starts for Texas before his right elbow was fractured by a line drive July 22. He has emerged into a nice pickup in all AL-only leagues.
Robinson Tejeda, SP, PHI (3): When the Phillies found out Randy Wolf might need season-ending Tommy John surgery on his elbow, they turned to an unseasoned rookie. He brought a 95-mph heater to The Show and if he can get better command, he should have a chance at sticking on the roster. He hasn't allowed a run in two starts with the Phillies and the team will likely begin to trust him more by giving him more innings per start, as long as he continues to pitch like this. Pick him up and start him in NL-only leagues.
Sergio Mitre, SP, CHC (18): Mitre was beaten and bruised after the Yankees tuned him up for five runs in 5 2/3 innings in Sunday's series finale. For the past month, Mitre has shown that home is definitely where the heart is. He is 2-0 with 16 scoreless innings in his two June home starts. But in his two bookend road starts this month, he is 0-2 in 10 1/3 innings with an 8.71 ERA. Start him on the road in NL-only leagues. The Cubs are on the road for 20 of their next 29 games.
Runelvys Hernandez, SP, KC (8): Another surprising starter for the Royals has been Hernandez. After a couple of rocky starts earlier this season, he has settled down into quite a strong rhythm. He has five quality starts in his past six outings and over his past four starts, he has gone at least six innings in each while allowing only five earned runs total. That's a 1.80 ERA and a 1.040 WHIP since June 3. While he might be 3-0 in that span, don't expect the team to continue to get him wins. He is still pitching well enough to own in all AL-only leagues. He leads the team in starts (15), wins (five), innings (91 2/3) and, sadly I might add, strikeouts (55).
Jesse Crain, RP, MIN (17): Many Fantasy owners stay away from any middle relievers because they don't get a ton of innings or they rarely get saves. But that prejudice can be costly. At this point of the season, Crain has emerged as one of the top setup men in baseball and can certainly help a Fantasy team. Rotisserie owners in mixed leagues can benefit from his incredibly low ERA (0.88) and WHIP (0.848), but Head-to-Head AL-only owners aren't left out either. His 6-0 record is better than many of the subpar starters available. His fastball and slider are above average pitches. Baseball America ranked the closer-in-waiting as the team's top pitching prospect in a deep organization entering this season. If injury or a trade removes Joe Nathan from the closer's role, grab Crain in every league you can.
Greg Aquino, RP, ARI (10): In Aquino's (elbow) first game back from the DL, he walked two and gave up four earned runs against the Cubs. Welcome back. Since that horrible outing, he has settled down in consecutive appearances, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out one. Young Brian Bruney currently owns the closer's job in Arizona until Brandon Lyon (elbow) returns from injury sometime after the All-Star break. That's plenty of time for Bruney to slip up and let Aquino back in the race. If you have room on your Rotisserie league roster for a reserve pitcher, grab Aquino.
