The Impossible - "Replacing" Jose Fernandez on Your Roster

"Since the beginning of spring training, Fernandez will be the 18^th pitcher on a major league roster to need elbow reconstruction because of a tear in the ulnar collateral ligament, already surpassing the average from 2000-11 (15.8) and nearly equaling last season's total of 19." 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2014/05/13/marlins-fernandez-has-elbow-tear-surgery-looms/9067309/

Eighteenth? Eighteenth? EIGHTEENTH?!

If you are one of the unfortunate owners who drafted Fernandez - a pitcher "some people on other teams" regarded as having "the best stuff in the game, and it's not close," - then your pitching is definitely hurting. There's also the possibility you drafted Tampa Bay's flamethrower Matt Moore or, if your draft was in early March, Atlanta Braves' starter Kris Medlen. These are just a few of the names that have gone down with Tommy John surgery this season. Those unlucky owners who spent a decently high pick on any of these pitchers may have less trouble replacing them than anticipated.

There are strong pitchers available in many leagues that are just waiting to be picked up. For the sake of making this piece not-so-obvious, I am going to ignore any starting pitchers that are owned in more than 25% of ESPN's standard leagues. Therefore, chances are, if you are in a shallow 10 man league, there's a high likelihood that there are better players available. How can you tell if a player is owned in less than 25% of ESPN's standard leagues? Look here:

 Tim Lincecum, as you can see, is owned in 41.5% of ESPN standard leagues.

Here's a list of five starting pitchers who could possibly be available in your league, and are worth a look if you need SP help.

Drew Pomeranz, OAK (owned in 16.8% of ESPN standard leagues)

3-1; 1.14 ERA; 1.01 WHIP; 24 Ks in 23.2 IP

The fifth overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft, Pomeranz was the centerpiece of the package of players sent to the Colorado Rockies in 2011 for then-ace Ubaldo Jimenez by the Cleveland Indians. Through 30 starts for the Rockies, Pomeranz was horrible. He finished his career as a Rockie 4-14 with an ERA north of 5.00. So why should we now trust him just because he's pitched well through a measly 23.2 IP and only two starts? Simply put: Curt Young, Oakland's pitching coach. Young has made pitchers like Tommy Milone, Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy, AJ Griffin, and Trevor Cahill look a lot better than most would agree they actually are. Did anyone see the season Bartolo Colon had last year as an Athletic? There's ample evidence to suggest Curt Young is a pitching-coach-god. 

Is it crazy to think that Curt Young has possibly "fixed" Pomeranz? I don't think so. The southpaw has two plus pitches and routinely visits the 93-95mph range. Don't let durability concern you if you are looking at the 5IP in both of his starts. He started the season as a reliever and is still being stretched out as a starter again following the demotion of Dan Straily. If you're desperate for K's or simply trying to replace an injured starter like Fernandez, give Pomeranz a try. Now, speaking of Ubaldo...

...Ubaldo Jimenez, BAL (24.0%)

2-4; 4.02 ERA; 1.45 WHIP; 41 Ks in 47.0 IP

I know, I know. It would take a giant leap of faith for most people to even consider adding Jimenez. After his dominating 2010 season (which even teetered off the rails a bit in the second half of the season), Jimenez has been a pretty bad starter. That was, of course, until after the All Star Break last season during which Jimenez posted an ERA under 2.00! He has gotten off to a slow start in 2014 but over his last three starts Jimenez has gone 19.2 IP, only giving up 1 ER over that span, with a 4:1 K:BB ratio. While it is unfeasible to expect those numbers to continue, Ubaldo is worth a look if he can keep up the pace he started last July. 

Dallas Keuchel, HOU (9.1%)

4-2; 3.06 ERA; 1.11 WHIP; 47 Ks in 53.0 IP

Keuchel is fresh off of two outstanding wins against a pair of the best offenses in the American League, Texas and Detroit. He sports a strong slider, a decent change up, and a go-to sinker. While definitely more of a ground ball pitcher with that sinker, his other breaking pitches still should be solid enough for him to bring in a decent number of K's. Rarely do Houston pitchers ever warrant an add but Keuchel may be your man. He may not win a lot, and his K numbers will be pedestrian, but his ratios should remain above-average.

Jose Quintana, CWS (14.7%)

1-3; 3.67 ERA; 1.22 WHIP; 40 Ks in 49.0 IP

The 25 year old Quintana hasn't exactly lit the world on fire through his first several professional seasons, but he has been very solid. For those that don't know, a quality start (QS) is when a pitcher goes at least 6 IP in a start and gives up no more than 3 ER. Going in to May 16th's games, the following pitchers have had seven quality starts: Max Scherzer, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, Michael Wacha, James Shields, Adam Wainwright, and Cliff Lee. Here is one more: Jose Quintana. Two of Quintana's quality starts have come against Detroit and another came in Colorado against the league's best offense so far this season.

Bronson Arroyo, ARI (9.0%)

4-2; 4.15 EA; 1.32 WHIP; 27 Ks in 47.2 IP

Yes, he's 37 years old and yes, he doesn't strike a lot of guys out. But remember, we're going dumpster-diving for help here. Arroyo's awful start to the season made owners quickly forget just how effective he was last season when he had 14 wins and a WHIP of only 1.14. He has since re-emerged as a reliable starter after that awful start, going 3-0 in his last four appearances, all quality starts, with 19 Ks and only 3 ER over 29.2 IP. He's not perfect and just simply not worth it in shallow leagues, but he is much better than his percentage-owned would indicate.

The fact is, you can't simply "replace" Jose Fernandez. You can add one or more of these pitchers, someone else, make a trade, or stream the spot. None of those options will replace what Fernandez would have given (unless you trade for an ace, of course). However, it is still way too early to give up, no matter your injury troubles. It's easy to complain and forget about a team (sacrilegious to me, but I see it every season) because of its injuries. Owners with respect for their league and the wonderful game of fantasy baseball will continue onward. Trust me, you aren't the only one with injured players on your team.

http://media.philly.com/images/071613_Jose-Fernandez_600.jpg