Fantasy Baseball Today - Gerrit Cole Makes His Return! Updates on Seiya Suzuki & Jeremy Peña (3/19 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)
Episode Date: March 19, 2026Gerrit Cole made his return on Wednesday, throwing a scoreless inning against the Red Sox. What's the latest on Seiya Suzuki and Jeremy Peña? Harry Ford and Abimelic Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A by... the Nationals. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/FantasyBaseballToday Download and Follow Fantasy Baseball Today on Spotify: https://sptfy.com/QiKv Follow our FBT team on Twitter: @FBTPod, @CPTowers @CBSScottWhite, @Roto_Frank Join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantasybaseballtoday Sign up for the FBT Newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/fantasy-baseball-today/ For more fantasy baseball coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcript
Discussion (0)
We've got some news to talk about up next on Fantasy Baseball Today Express.
Welcome into FBT Express on Thursday, March 19th.
Happy March Madness to all.
I am Frank Stamphill joined by Scott White.
And let's talk some news and notes from Wednesday's action.
And I just want to start with Garrett Cole, who made his long-awaited return.
First start back from Tommy John surgery with an internal brace.
He only pitched one inning.
He allowed two hits, one of which was a bunt.
but the velocity looked great, Scott.
I know it was only 10 pitches,
but I thought this was a really good first step for Garrett Cole.
Yeah, it definitely was.
I mean, he was good when we last saw on pitch in 2024, 17 starts.
It wasn't prime Garrett Cole could.
Garrett Cole good, but 341 ERA, 13 whip, 9.4K per 9.
So to see him come in and have that much more velocity,
granted it was only over an inning,
but it was the first time
and a long time
we've seen it pitches
and there was more velocity
so it looked good
we're still talking
mid late May
before his return
so I guess it's
just a little
extra encouragement
to stash him away
if you get him
for a good price
on draft day
among injury stash pitchers
though I would still put
Blake Snell ahead of him
and still put Carlos Rodon
ahead of him
probably Rodon over Snell even
because I think they're going to be
back sooner than Garrett Cole
we have some
injury update. Saya Suzuki has been cleared to resume light
workouts and has not been ruled out for opening day.
Jeremy Pena will start swinging a bat with both hands this weekend.
Scott, we actually just wrapped up a 12-team Roto mock draft
where Sayas Suzuki went at pick 89.
Jeremy Pena went at pick 91.
What do you think about the, where those players went
knowing that they are dealing with injuries right now?
It doesn't seem like either was really discounted at all, does it?
Yeah, not really.
Not really. So that's heartening in a way because I feel like given the NFBC influence on fantasy baseball commentary, probably outsized influence on commentary, but nonetheless, an FBC, a competition with no IL spots. So players who are injured tend to fall too far.
So it was encouraging to see that they did it in this one. A league like this in theory would have IL spots.
sounds like you may not even need it for those two. I think if you do, it would be for
too small a period of the season to really matter. You know, come, come June 1st, we're not
going to be thinking about that injury Jeremy Pena or say a Suzuki had in all likelihood.
We are at the point in the offseason where players and prospects are starting to be optioned
down to the minors if they are not making the team for opening day. And we got that for the
nationals. Harry Ford and Abamelik Ortiz were both optioned to.
to AAA. Harry Ford, someone who was acquired in the offseason in the Jose Ferrer trade.
We were hoping he would be on the roster, maybe push Cabo Ruiz to be the catcher one for that
team. But a lot of people, Scott, have been drafting Harry Ford as their second catcher
in some of those deeper two-catcher league. So would you stash Harry Ford and wait for him?
Or do you think he's just someone you drop and then pick up when he gets called up?
I mean, a two-catcher 15 team rode a league. You're going that deep into the catcher pool.
which is a small segment of the audience, but still.
Or, you know, obviously, a two-catcher and an lonely league.
A league that deep, absolutely.
You just ask Harry Ford because I think probably why he didn't make the roster
to form a tandem with Kiva Ruiz is because he was away from the World Baseball Classic
for the time he really needed to be making his case for the nationals.
I'm not saying he made the wrong decision necessarily,
but that was a consequence of the decision.
a new team, new pitching staff, just a lot to learn, and he didn't get that chance.
So I imagine if things go for him at AAA, like I think they will, he'll be up in short order.
If Caber Ruiz is struggling, like he has been in recent years for the Nationals,
that'll make it all the more necessary.
Or if either Caber Ruizor is backup, Drew, so Drew Milas or Miyas,
if he gets hurt, either one of them gets hurt, then Harry Ford's up.
So it's honestly kind of similar to Drake Baldwin,
the way I was approaching Drake Baldwin last spring.
He did end up making the opening day roster,
but that wasn't expected until the very end.
I thought he was worth just drafting to stash for when he came up, though.
And I think Ford in those, again, in those leagues where you go really deep a catcher is worth it as well.
All right, let's take a quick break.
We'll be back right after this.
Welcome back in, FBT Express.
We're going over to the latest news and notes.
Lots going on.
in spring training this time of year, Scott.
And we had an injury here on Wednesday.
Kyle Harrison left his start with a blister.
Now it's not a major injury,
but a blister is something that could linger
for a couple of weeks and be annoying
for a pitcher to get over.
The Brewers have dealt with a couple injuries now
in spring training to their rotation.
I'm starting to think Brandon Sprote
might have a real shot to be in their opening day rotation.
What do you think about the state of the Brewers
pitching staff right now?
Well, I hadn't thought
about that, but you're right.
I have been losing several to injury,
and Sproat may back his way in there.
I wouldn't say he's had a particularly eye-catching spring,
but he's had his moments,
and it's a pretty good prospect.
I don't know.
At Logan Henderson, it sounds like the elbow issue isn't as bad,
so he's probably still in the discussion.
We'll see what happens with this Kyle Harrison injury,
the blister.
That might not end up being a big deal,
But yes, bro, I would say, is still in the discussion at least.
All right, moving on.
We learned that Roki Sasaki will be in the opening day rotation.
We pretty much knew that, but we got confirmation recently here from Dave Roberts.
It has been a brutal spring for Roki Sasaki.
10 earned runs allowed over 6 and 2 thirds innings, 10 strikeouts to 9 walks.
I mean, he just hasn't been able to throw strikes.
It's pretty eye-opening.
He'll get his opportunity to start the season, Scott.
but I just don't know how long this is going to last.
Roki Sasaki being in the Dodgers rotation.
I don't see how you can feel good about it.
I mean, I guess the best thing you can say for Roki Sasaki
is that the Dodgers haven't backed off that stance.
When they have options, they have alternatives.
And maybe they're just thinking, you know, throw them out there, sink or swim.
We could always pivot later.
Or maybe they see something we're not seeing.
I know Roki Sasaki's excuse in this latest one was he was working on a sinker.
So that's why he threw so many balls.
I don't know, maybe.
I mean, Springs for working on stuff,
especially if your job is guaranteed like that.
But we haven't seen him.
We haven't seen him pitch well as a starter yet in the majors.
His success last year came out of the bullpen.
So I have no interested drafting Rokees Sasaki in standard-sized leagues.
And even in a deeper form, even in a lonely,
I'd have to get him at a steep discount.
J.B. Crawford is.
uncertain for opening day. He's dealing with a shoulder injury. And one of their top prospects,
Colt Emerson is a shortstop. He's only 20 years old, mind you. He's only played like a handful of
games at AAA. But this spring, he's 11 for 41. He's got two homers, a steel, an 814 OPS. Scott,
A, do you think Colt Emerson is up on opening day with this injury? And B, would you be interested in
drafting him in a standard mixed league if he is? So I don't know that he's earned his way onto the
roster.
He is a great prospect, but he's only 20 and has played very little at AAA even.
The exit velocities this spring are fine.
And chase rates a little high.
So I don't know that if he made the roster, he would be quite ready to be a serious contributor in fantasy.
Obviously, deeper roto leagues, you'd have to take a shot on the upside.
You go that deep into the hitter pool.
what are cold Emerson's chances of actually making the roster?
Well, if J.P. Crawford isn't ready to go at the start of the year, I think they're pretty good.
Not 100%. They have other ways they could go.
But Emerson, I think just given that he plays shortstop, I think his chances would be really good.
All right. For more extensive fantasy baseball coverage, listen to our full-lane podcast Fantasy Baseball today on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else podcasts are found.
Thanks for listening to Fantasy Baseball Today Express, and we will be back again later this week.
Bye-bye.
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