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This season Fantasy Baseball has been frustrating to many owners.  The new pitching rules have hurt some in their eyes, I think for my team personally, it has benefited more than hurt.  Where my team stands right now, it would get a wild card spot if this was the last week of the season.  The new pitching rules need revamped for next season for the following, which I think CBS has heard a majority of owners in these two issues and hopefully will follow through with a change.  An earned run needs to go back to -1, and a complete game needs to be an additional 5.  Like one of the CBS writers wrote, the pitcher already lost a point for the walk or hit given up to begin with, losing two more points is just more damage on top of losing the one.  Anyway I'm going to get off the rules as this blog is about two aces and basically what to do with them.

Last year my team got burned by Brandon Webb twice.  This year he was going to burn everyone else's team.  Then of course week one he netted a -6 and has been on the DL ever since.  Webb had been progressing throwing on flat ground and was scheduled to do a bullpen session today.  However in Kansas City last night, he stated his shoulder was hurting and went back to Phoenix.  He is to be reevaluated today, hopefully the Diamondbacks will know more by tomorrow.

Jake Peavy was obtained in a trade for Javier Vazquez and Nick Swisher about week two this season.  He cost me a game a few weeks ago pitching with the flu, his -15 was the difference, otherwise he has pulled through more times than not.  Peavy may have to have surgery and even if he does not, his earliest return looks to be mid August.  Even if he does come back this season, how effective will he be with a bad ankle, especially the right one, the one he plants against the rubber to get his power into the pitch with?

Better question for both is will either see action again this season?  Right now the Dodgers are 44-29, the Padres are 14 game back and the Diamondbacks are 15 games behind.  Without Peavy and Webb with their respected teams, does either organization risk adding to their respected injuries when neither will have a chance to contend as Webb's earliest return date now is after the All-Star break.

The Brandon Webb injury has me a little skeptical.  Webb was in contract negoiations when his should injury flared up.  No insurnace companies wanted to insure the Diamondbacks on their contact with him due to his arm, and then he went out opening day, looked awful and then to the DL.  Everytime it looks like he is getting closer to returning, his shoulder hurts again.  He was supposed to have been back end of April, then mid-May, then late-May you can see the pattern.  Is it possible that he is exaggerating this injury because he and the Diamondbacks did not come to terms on a new contract before the season began?  This could be in a way his own kind of holdout, he's getting paid to do nothing, but you're not going to get a big contract from any team if you're not putting up big stats on the field.  Then again there are some teams in the league, if you're healthy this offseason and were great for a few years, they will give you an eight figure contract per season.

Basically in fantasy baseball you play 16, nine batters at each position including utility, then five starting pitchers and two closers.  There is a five man bench.  Do you hang on to Jake Peavy and Brandon Webb, or do you cut them off your team?  My pitching would be way better with the both of them, but when you have other undroppable players on the bench you have to cut from somewhere.  Thankfully CBS just made both of these pitchers droppable.  Right now for week 12 if I go with Ryan Dempster my team would have 10 starts next week, that would mean benching Gil Meche or Chris Carpenter as one would be out anyway due to recently picking up John Danks off waivers as a two start for next week.

My guess is being the Padres are wanting to deal Jake Peavy, he may be done for this season.  They will want him to heal, and probably try and deal him come December at the Winter meetings.  I wonder what the White Sox fan base thought when he was injured the night after turning down the trade to go to Chicago by running the bases, something he would not have to do at US Cellular Field.  I'm sure they did not find it too comical as hardly no one wishes injury on anyone, but it does seem like a coincidence the injury occured when it did.

Brandon Webb could go either way.  However the winning pace the Dodgers are on by the time he were to return, the Diamondbacks will probably be between 23-30 games back.  If he is not pitching to spite the Diamondbacks about the contract, it's doubtful he will come back at all this season.  If this injury is legit and still lingering would the Diamondbacks run him out there just playing out the string?  Wouldn't the Diamondbacks be starting younger guys for a chance in the rotation next season?

Either way I'm ready to drop both of these guys from my team.  I loaded up on pitching due to Webb's absence that my bench has one hitter on it, being Grady Sizemore, I think I want more depth there.  So the question for you the reader is, would you drop Jake Peavy and Brandon Webb now, or hold onto them?  If you say hold, will they be the pitcher they have been in the past? 

Here is a link to an article done on Brandon Webb back on April 11, 2009, this injury did not seem too bad back then after his MRI.
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/04/11/
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