Aaron Harang

For the second consecutive year, the Cincinnati Reds entered Spring Training looking for someone to fill the fifth spot in their starting rotation.

Last season, the competition between Micah Owings and Homer Bailey ended with Owings winning the job.  However, it was Bailey that eventually took a firm grip on a spot in the rotation as he finished the season strong and rekindled the optimism that once hovered over the young right-hander.

Cincinnati Reds' manager Dusty Baker has announced that Aaron Harang will once again take the ball for the first game of the regular season in 2010.

He has been has starter the opener every year since 2006.  Harang's fifth consecutive Opening Day ties the team record set by Pete Donohue (1923-27) and Mario Soto (1982-87).

You really have to pitch well the previous year to receive this honor right? 

Wrong.

Beyond Hanley Ramirez and the mammoth 2005 deal that sent the slugging shortstop to Florida in exchange for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, and Guillermo Mota, who are the best former Red Sox toeing the rubber and flashing their leather today?

You know some of these, but some may surpise you. Who else in your fantasy draft was once a Red Sox? Who should have called Fenway home, but Fenway shut the door?

Here are my top ten.

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Aaron Harang was once considered a top option for fantasy owners, after posting back-to-back 200+ strikeout seasons with ERAs under 3.80. 

Then, without warning, things went south in 2008.  Injuries helped to sabotage him, as did his inability to get batters out consistently.

In the past two seasons, opponents have hit .280 or better against him.  His strikeouts have come down.  His home runs allowed are up.  His wins are almost nonexistent.

Let’s take a look at his line from last season:

Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News has watched more baseball in his lifetime than I probably ever will, what with his career revolving around baseball and mine...not so much.  However, his recent blog post to the Dayton Daily's online sheet proves just how little he actually understands the modern game.  He whines...I mean...writes, that small market teams cannot compete i

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The young Cincinnati Reds are a hanging tough at 26-20.

They are currently 1 1/2 games behind the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.  They also trail the Milwaukee Brewers by a half game.  The Reds are leading the preseason favorites, the Chicago Cubs, by three games.

It’s time to look at the potential two-start options for the upcoming fantasy week.  If I have someone rated as a three, four or five-star option, they are someone I would definitely use. 

A two-star option is someone who is borderline, but I’d strongly lean against it unless I have no other options.  The one-star options are an absolutely not scenario.

So, with that said, let’s take a look at the players available to you this week:

5-Star Options:

Picture this. 

It was a one-run game in the seventh inning.  The Reds had two on with two out and the pitcher due up.  Pinch hitter?  No...

Dusty Baker sent Aaron Harang to the plate.  Harang is considered the ace of the pitching staff.  He is a good-hearted, generous human being.  He is also one of the worst hitting pitchers in the league.

Harang grounded into a force play and the inning was over.

The Cincinnati Reds couldn't find any offensive spark, as Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez had an easy day on the hill.

Reds starter Aaron Harang worked six plus innings giving up five earned runs while striking out six and walking one on 10 hits in the loss.

Reliever Jared Burton came in to work the sixth after Aaron Harang was in trouble and was rocked once again giving up two earned on three hits.