Pitching Forecaster: Sox stockpiled with starters

Every other team in baseball, all 29 of them, has to look at the Boston Red Sox with envy. They have depth like no other in a place more important than any other: starting pitching.

You don't trade pitching -- good pitching anyway. But the Red Sox can. They might even have to.

With the mid-June return of John Smoltz, a future Hall of Famer, coupled with the Triple-A dominance of Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden, two major league ready starters, their pitching staff only figures to get stronger and deeper. And drool by the rest of baseball will continue to drip in one continuous stream all the way to the ground.

Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are too good to struggle for much longer. Daisuke Matsuzaka will build back up to be a steady every-fifth-day guy. Brad Penny is throwing in the mid-90s and proving healthy after shoulder woes. Tim Wakefield is not spectacular, but few can argue with his reliability -- a trait that is far too underrated in the pitching realm. And, their defacto No. 6 starter Justin Masterson is back in the bullpen.

What the heck are the Red Sox going to do with nine starters for five rotation spots?

Buchholz and Bowden can stay in Triple-A, but probably shouldn't. Masterson can remain in the bullpen, because he can make a very good bullpen completely great.

Once Smoltz is brought off his rehab assignment and the 15-day DL, which has to happen by June 19, according to MLB.com, they might only have a six-for-five problem.

A six-man rotation is possible, albeit a two-start pitcher killer for Fantasy owners. That would mean at best one two-start pitcher for the Red Sox on a weekly basis, but only if they play seven games without a day off or have a doubleheader on the schedule.

Assuming Beckett, Lester, Dice-K, Penny or Wakefield don't need a DL stint once Smoltz is ready, if he is ready, the prevailing thought is Penny will be on the trade market. The struggles of David Ortiz make it possible they could use their starting pitching depth in the coming weeks to solve their hole at DH. Yes, they might be done with the face of their franchise. Penny is the primary bargaining chip. What team couldn't use Penny?

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe calls Penny "one of the most valuable chips in the game." As a free-agent signee in the first year of his contract, Penny cannot be dealt before June 15 without his consent, but there is talk Penny won't stand in the way of any potential deal before then, if one comes along. It is more likely they wait until Smoltz returns after mid-June, though.

Eventually this season, the Red Sox front office says, Buchholz and Bowden will be in the major leagues. Buchholz, already the author of one major league no-hitter, certainly looks ready to arrive. He pitched a one-hit shutout gem Monday night in Triple-A to improve to 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA. At 2-2 with a 1.64 ERA and a .153 batting-average against (just one homer allowed in 44 innings), Bowden is no slouch either.

Yes, these are high times for the Red Sox. We can't wait to see how they solve these pitching "problems" that every other team in baseball would love to have.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Next week's two-start pitchers
Pitcher	TM	Own%	Start%
Tim Lincecum	SF	98	95
Johan Santana	NYM	98	94
Roy Oswalt	HOU	97	85
Adam Wainwright	STL	97	85
Joe Saunders	ANA	96	84
A.J. Burnett	NYY	97	74
Carlos Zambrano	CHC	97	73
Brett Myers	PHI	93	73
Joba Chamberlain	NYY	96	70
Kevin Slowey	MIN	90	62
Clayton Kershaw	LA	93	61
Daisuke Matsuzaka	BOS	96	58
Randy Wolf	LA	87	57
Zach Duke	PIT	85	57
Ubaldo Jimenez	COL	85	56
Gavin Floyd	CHW	77	43
Rick Porcello	DET	63	42
Bronson Arroyo	CIN	63	39
Manny Parra	MIL	57	29
Brian Bannister	KC	50	24
Kenshin Kawakami	ATL	39	23
Aaron Cook	COL	38	22
Andy Sonnanstine	TB	43	22
Ricky Romero	TOR	43	22
Edinson Volquez	CIN	96	21
Kyle Davies	KC	33	15
Rich J. Hill	BAL	27	15
Joe Blanton	PHI	33	14
Trevor Cahill	OAK	31	14
Todd Wellemeyer	STL	28	13
Ian Snell	PIT	27	12
Andrew Miller	FLA	22	11
Livan Hernandez	NYM	12	8
Jeff Suppan	MIL	11	6
Bartolo Colon	CHW	13	5
Derek Holland	TEX	11	3
Kevin Correia	SD	4	2
Billy Buckner	ARI	1	1
Felipe Paulino	HOU	2	1
David Huff	CLE	3	0
Craig Stammen	WAS	1	0

Week 8 two-starter(s): Buckner. He pitches Wednesday, but he figures to be risky option even in NL-only formats.
Starters on the DL: Brandon Webb (shoulder) and Yusmeiro Petit (shoulder). Webb is still a couple of weeks away at least. Keep him stashed.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jarrod Parker and Bryan Augenstein. Augenstein might have blown his chance to help in Fantasy this year, while Parker, 20, could position himself for a late second-half call-up. The groundball pitcher has not allowed a homer in 44 innings, but he has a .313 batting-average against after his Double-A promotion. He is 3-2 with a 1.84 ERA through nine starts in high Class A (four) and Double-A (five).

Atlanta Braves

Week 8 two-starter(s): Kawakami. He could prove to be a sleeper with a solid outing at San Francisco.
Starters on the DL: Tom Glavine (shoulder, elbow) and Tim Hudson (elbow). Glavine could be just one more rehab start away from a return, so Medlen is pitching for his rotation spot each time out. He was not impressive Tuesday night.
Starters to watch in the minors: Tommy Hanson. If Glavine cannot return in the next week, Hanson (3-3, 1.48 with 82 strikeouts and a .164 batting-average against in 60 2/3 innings) might.

Baltimore Orioles

Jeremy Guthrie
Rich J. Hill
Brad Bergesen
Jason Berken
David Hernandez is expected to be called up to start Thursday

Week 8 two-starter(s): Hill. He could prove to be a nice sleeper in deeper leagues with a solid effort vs. the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: Koji Uehara (hamstring) and Alfredo Simon (elbow, out for the season). Uehara will be out until mid-June with chronic hamstring problems.
Starters to watch in the minors: Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, Troy Patton, Brandon Erbe and Hernandez. Tillman could have been an option over Berken if he didn't leave his past start with a sore groin. Patton was merely not on schedule for the Berken turn, but he could be altered to get on schedule in the next week or so. Arrieta, Matusz or Erbe are no better than September call-ups at this point.

Boston Red Sox

Week 8 two-starter(s): Dice-K. He could prove to be a must-start with a solid start at Minnesota on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: John Smoltz (shoulder). He is on a rehab assignment that is due to expire June 19, barring a stoppage. Keep him stashed another couple of weeks.
Starters to watch in the minors: Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Junichi Tazawa. It has been stated publicly that Buchholz and Bowden are expected to arrive in the second half, but it looks like it will be in the bullpen at this point.

Chicago Cubs

Week 8 two-starter(s): Zambrano. He could be a must-start with a solid outing vs. the Pirates on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: Rich Harden (back). He is eligible to return in Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7), but there is no word yet whether he could accelerate his timetable that quickly. Track his news through the weekend.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeff Samardzija and Mitch Atkins. Samardzija (1-1, 4.40 in Triple-A) could help this year, but Atkins (2-5, 8.38 in Triple-A) doesn't look like he can.

Chicago White Sox

Week 8 two-starter(s): Colon and Floyd. Colon had a decent outing so there will be no switching spots with Jose Contreras at this point. Floyd had a great start last time out and another good one makes him an advisable two-starter.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Aaron Poreda and Contreras. Contreras started with 15 shutout innings in Triple-A, but he allowed five in 5 2/3 in his past start Saturday. Poreda is back in Double-A and manager Ozzie Guillen said publicly he is not ready because the lack of command of his secondary pitches.

Cincinnati Reds

Week 8 two-starter(s): Arroyo and likely Volquez. Arroyo is a sleeper with a solid outing Wednesday vs. the Astros, while Volquez is targeting a June 2 return at St. Louis.
Starters on the DL: Edinson Volquez (back). The Reds sent their No. 5 starter back to Triple-A and are going with a four-man rotation until Volquez is eligible to return.
Starters to watch in the minors: Homer Bailey and Daryl Thompson. Bailey stunk in his one start and will need another month of good, solid Triple-A pitching before he is considered for another look.

Cleveland Indians

Cliff Lee
Fausto Carmona
Carl Pavano
TBD, perhaps David Huff
Zach Jackson and then perhaps Jeremy Sowers

Week 8 two-starter(s): Two TBDs. Track their call-ups in the next couple of days. The Wednesday and Thursday starters will be two-start options, albeit risky ones for AL-only leagues. Jackson is making the start Wednesday, because Sowers was needed in an extended relief outing Monday. Huff could go Thursday, or the Indians could dip into the minor leagues.
Starters on the DL: Jake Westbrook (elbow), Anthony Reyes (elbow), Aaron Laffey (side) and Scott Lewis (elbow). Westbrook, Laffey or Lewis won't be ready before mid-June, while Reyes looks like he will be out for the year.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Rondon and Charles Lofgren. Gomez is coming off a perfect game, Rondon is no longer working in relief, due to need, and Lofgren (3-1, 1.35 in Double-A) could be a top option for one of those TBDs above. Watch this closely. These guys are in Double-A, but they could be on call in a pinch.

Colorado Rockies

Week 8 two-starter(s): Cook and Jimenez. Cook is a questionable option, while Jimenez could be advisable with a solid start Wednesday vs. the L.A. Dodgers.
Starters on the DL: Franklin Morales (shoulder) and Jeff Francis (shoulder, out for the season). Morales could begin a rehab assignment Sunday and might only need a couple of outings to get ready.
Starters to watch in the minors: Greg Smith, Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds, Jhoulys Chacin and Keith Weiser. Morales is the first option as a replacement, while these prospects are no better than second-half options.

Detroit Tigers

Week 8 two-starter(s): Porcello. The rookie has been a nice contributor in deeper leagues and is a nice sleeper with another solid outing Wednesday at Kansas City.
Starters on the DL: Jeremy Bonderman (shoulder). Bonderman could return in Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7), but it is more likely the Tigers give him a couple more rehab starts to build up arm strength.
Starters to watch in the minors: Scot Drucker and Chris Lambert. Lambert has pitched a lot better than a 1-5, 6.29 ERA suggests. Regardless, ignore the Tigers' organizational depth at this point.

Florida Marlins

Week 8 two-starter(s): Miller and Badenhop. Miller is a nice sleeper in deeper formats amid his development. Badenhop, working on a pitch count out of the bullpen, is a risky option best left for the deepest of NL-only leagues.
Starters on the DL: Anibal Sanchez (shoulder) and Rick VandenHurk (elbow). Sanchez and VandenHurk are working on rehab assignments that could make them candidates to return by mid-June. Sanchez might be closer than that even.
Starters to watch in the minors: Ryan Tucker, Brett Sinkbeil, Graham Taylor and Aaron Thompson. They have gone to the well on West, but these others haven't pitched well enough to warrant a look at this point.

Houston Astros

Roy Oswalt
Wandy Rodriguez
Mike Hampton
Felipe Paulino
Brian Moehler

Week 8 two-starter(s): Perhaps Oswalt and Paulino (or Moehler or Backe). The Astros rotation this weekend is up in the air due to a potential rotation return.
Starters on the DL: Brandon Backe (side). Backe can return this weekend, most likely in Moehler's spot.
Starters to watch in the minors: Bud Norris. Norris is starring in Triple-A and looks like he could be an impact second-half call-up for an Astros team that sorely needs some talent in the back end of their rotation. Take an early flier on him in deeper formats right now.

Kansas City Royals

Zack Greinke
Gil Meche
Kyle Davies
Brian Bannister
Vacant

Week 8 two-starter(s): Davies. He could be a sleeper if he pitches well Wednesday vs. the Tigers.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Luke Hochevar and Danny Cortes. Hochevar is expected to make a Triple-A start soon and be ready for the end of Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7), when the Royals next need a No. 5 starter. Cortes (2-4, 3.86 in Double-A) won't be called on before Sidney Ponson or Horacio Ramirez get another look(s).

Los Angeles Angels

Week 8 two-starter(s): Saunders. He is a must-start after his solid outing Tuesday vs. the White Sox.
Starters on the DL: Kelvim Escobar (shoulder) and Dustin Moseley (elbow). Escobar could be a factor in the No. 5 starter's spot or the bullpen by mid-June. Keep him stashed. Moseley is not close to starting a rehab assignment at this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jordan Walden, Sean O'Sullivan and Trevor Reckling. They don't figure to need to dip into these guys, since the Angels made it through all of their injuries earlier this season.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Week 8 two-starter(s): Kershaw and Wolf. They figure to be at least advisable options with solid outings Wednesday at Colorado and Thursday at the Cubs, respectively.
Starters on the DL: Hiroki Kuroda (shoulder) and Jason Schmidt (shoulder). Kuroda might be an option in Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7), but track his progress on his rehab assignment through the weekend. Schmidt had a setback and had to stop his rehab stint, so he is no better than a late June returnee, if he ever returns.
Starters to watch in the minors: James McDonald and Joshua Lindblom. McDonald is back making regular starts, but Kuroda and Schmidt will be fill-ins before the Dodgers look to try out their prospects. McDonald and Lindblom are more likely to help in relief in the second half than the rotation.

Milwaukee Brewers

Week 8 two-starter(s): Suppan and Parra. Suppan is a questionable option after a poor start Tuesday night, while Parra is a sleeper with a solid outing vs. the Cardinals on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jeremy Jeffress. Jeffress was demoted to high Class A after his slow start in Double-A, and he stunk there, too. He is not close.

Minnesota Twins

Week 8 two-starter(s): Slowey. He could be an advisable option with a solid start vs. Boston on Wednesday.
Starters on the DL: Glen Perkins (elbow) and Boof Bonser (shoulder, out for the season). Perkins was a candidate to be ready in Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7), but it is more likely he gets time on a rehab assignment after Swarzak's solid debut Saturday.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kevin Mulvey. He will have to wait behind Swarzak and Perkins, which could mean he is no better than a September call-up. He might be considered for relief help, though.

New York Mets

Week 8 two-starter(s): Hernandez and Santana. Hernandez is a real sleeper after his complete game Tuesday vs. the Nationals, while Santana is a must-start.
Starters on the DL: Oliver Perez (knee). He began a rehab assignment Tuesday night in Triple-A and could be a couple of starts away from replacing Redding in the No. 5 starter's spot.
Starters to watch in the minors: Jon Niese, Bradley Holt and Tobi Stoner. Perez is first to get a look, but Niese (0-3, 8.06) will remain in Triple-A as the potential second-half contributor.

New York Yankees

Week 8 two-starter(s): Chamberlain and Burnett. They are likely advisable options in most formats on potential alone.
Starters on the DL: None. Chien-Ming Wang (hip) came off the DL, but he is stuck in long relief right now amid Hughes' hot streak.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kei Igawa and Ian Kennedy (shoulder, might be out for the season). Unlike the Red Sox, they Yankees are not as deep. Their replacement starters Wang and Aceves are working in long relief right now, though.

Oakland Athletics

Week 8 two-starter(s): Cahill. He will be at best a questionable option best left for the deepest of AL-only leagues even if he pitches well Wednesday vs. Seattle.
Starters on the DL: Justin Duchscherer (elbow). He hasn't started a rehab assignment yet and will need as much as a month once that starts.
Starters to watch in the minors: Dana Eveland, Gio Gonzalez, Vin Mazzaro and James J. Simmons. The A's will need a No. 6 starter Tuesday of next week, which is necessitated by a doubleheader Friday and no ensuing offdays. Gonzalez is the likely fill-in, but Mazzaro has outpitched him to date. Watch this news in the coming days, because that spot could be a two-starter if they pitch well and warrant sticking in the rotation thereafter.

Philadelphia Phillies

Week 8 two-starter(s): Blanton and Myers. Blanton is a nice sleeper now, while Myers could prove to be an advisable option if he pitches well Wednesday vs. the Marlins.
Starters on the DL: None.
Starters to watch in the minors: Kyle Kendrick, Carlos Carrasco, Joe Savery, Antonio Bastardo and Kyle Drabek. Happ will be getting at least a month after being tabbed to replace Chan Ho Park, who was shuffled back to long relief. The Phillies know what they have with Kendrick, but the others are real prospects.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Week 8 two-starter(s): Snell and Duke. Snell is more of a risky option after struggling Tuesday at the Cubs, while Duke could be a better option depending on how he comes out of his Wednesday start at Wrigley.
Starters on the DL: Phil Dumatrait (shoulder). He isn't ready for a rehab assignment and would likely get a lengthy one once he's ready to start it.
Starters to watch in the minors: Brad Lincoln, Bryan Morris and Daniel McCutchen. Tom Gorzelanny is already up, working in long relief, but the Pirates are saying they still expect him to (hope he will) be in the rotation before the end of the year.

San Diego Padres

Week 8 two-starter(s): Peavy. The Padres should be expected to keep their ace on every fifth day until they find a taker on a team he would approve a deal to.
Starters on the DL: Shawn Hill (elbow) and Cha Seung Baek (elbow). Hill and Baek figure to be out a long time at this point, perhaps for the rest of the season.
Starters to watch in the minors: Walter Silva, Cesar Carrillo, Nick Schmidt, Wade LeBlanc, William Inman and perhaps Mark Prior. None of these guys will be considered before Silva, Hill or even Baek returns, so consider the Padres as having no prospects to watch -- untill they deal Peavy for some.

San Francisco Giants

Week 8 two-starter(s): Lincecum. He is a must-start in all leagues in all weeks.
Starters on the DL: Noah Lowry (shoulder, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Madison Bumgarner, Timothy Alderson and Kevin Pucetas. Bumgarner and Alderson are candidates to start the Futures Game in St. Louis. We could see them up in August and blowing people away in Fantasy immediately. Stash them wherever possible. They have been great after a quick Double-A promotion.

Seattle Mariners

Week 8 two-starter(s): Washburn. He pitched six shutout innings Tuesday vs. Oakland and is a decent option in AL-only leagues.
Starters on the DL: Ryan Rowland-Smith (biceps), Carlos Silva (shoulder) and Ryan Feierabend (elbow, out for the season). Rowland-Smith is an option to return in Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7), but track his news through the weekend before considering him viable. Silva will need more time and frankly isn't worth stashing.
Starters to watch in the minors: None. Their organization is not real ripe with pitching prospects now that Phillipe Aumont has been moved to relief.

St. Louis Cardinals

Chris Carpenter
Adam Wainwright
Kyle Lohse
Todd Wellemeyer
Joel Pineiro

Week 8 two-starter(s): Wainwright and Wellemeyer. Wainwright is likely a must-start, while Wellemeyer is a sleeper for deeper leagues if he pitches well Wednesday at Milwaukee.
Starters on the DL: Jaime Garcia (elbow, out for the season).
Starters to watch in the minors: Mitchell Boggs, P.J. Walters and Clayton Mortensen. As long as Carpenter stays healthy and Wellemeyer doesn't pitch himself back to the bullpen, we don't see these guys helping Fantasy owners at this point. Boggs is likely the spot guy, but he is not all that intriguing long term.

Tampa Bay Rays

Week 8 two-starter(s): Sonnanstine. He is a sleeper with a solid outing Wednesday at Cleveland.
Starters on the DL: Scott Kazmir (quadriceps). He figures to get some time to work out the kinks on a rehab assignment. Don't consider him viable in Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7).
Starters to watch in the minors: Wade Davis. With Price in the majors, Davis becomes the object of prospect attention here. He was outpitching Price by a wide margin in Triple-A at 5-1 with a 2.66 ERA and a .199 batting-average against. Niemann still is pitching for his rotation spot. Sonnanstine might be too.

Texas Rangers

Week 8 two-starter(s): Holland or Feldman. Holland would be on turn, but they could choose to skip him to keep their top starters on regular rest. Feldman would be the one that could move up for two starts. Both are best trusted only in AL Fantasy formats.
Starters on the DL: Vicente Padilla (shoulder) and Eric Hurley (shoulder, out for the season). Padilla likely will get a rehab start before he returns to the rotation at this point. Don't consider him in Fantasy Week 9 (June 1-7).
Starters to watch in the minors: Neftali Feliz, Michael Main, Tommy Hunter, Thomas Diamond and Kasey Kiker. Holland is the No. 6 starter right now, but one of these guys could pitch their way into the Rangers' plans after the All-Star break. They still have work to do.

Toronto Blue Jays

Week 8 two-starter(s): Romero. He's a high-risk option based on how poorly he pitched Tuesday night in Baltimore.
Starters on the DL: Jesse Litsch (forearm), Dustin McGowan (shoulder) and Shaun Marcum (elbow). These guys won't be ready until July at this point, even later (if at all) in the cases or the latter two.
Starters to watch in the minors: David Purcey, Brad Mills, Brett Cecil, Bobby Ray and Marc Rzepczynski. We have seen the first four with mixed results, while Rzepczynski is back in Double-A. They have depth, but none of it is all that intriguing right now.

Washington Nationals

Week 8 two-starter(s): Stammen. The oldest but least experienced (in majors) member of the Nationals staff is a risky option best left for the deepest of NL-only leagues at this point.
Starters on the DL: Scott Olsen (shoulder) and Matt Chico (elbow). Olsen could prove viable later in June, while Chico is no better than a second-half returnee at this point.
Starters to watch in the minors: Josh Smoker and Colton Willems. The wait is on for the drafting, signing and call-up of Stephen Strasburg from San Diego State. He is not far from being drafted (June 9). The guess here is Strasburg is treated with kid gloves or merely given a token call-up.

You can e-mail Emack your Fantasy Baseball pitching questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Pitching Forecaster in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.