Horacio Ramirez or Jeff Francis in 2006?

[shortsavage]

It doesn't look certain that Horacio Ramirez is going to have a spot in Atlanta's rotation all season in 2006. With that in mind, is Jeff Francis a better pitcher to target for the back of your rotation?

[lbbaseball14]

Unless your in a really really deep league i would not be targeting Francis. Maybe target a Chris Young or Kelvim Escobar type of pitcher in the later rounds.

[Subversive]

It has been said that Francis is talented enough that he *could* succeed at Coors. Given that his numbers at home were actually pretty good last year, I think he's a pretty good bet to have an overall ERA around 4.5 with a few more strikeouts than last year, this year. HIs wins probably won't be much better, if at all. Whether that's better than what you expect from Horatio Ramirez, I don't know.

[stumpak]

I don't think it's a toss-up, I would take Francis.

Both of these guys figure to have ratios that fall somewhere between "OK" and "CRAPPY". Sure Ramirez may grab a extra win or two all things being equal, but he Ks no one. If you are playing roto 200 innings of a guy like Ramirez will doom you a finishing in the bottom half of the league in Ks. Finally, while I do not believe that Mazzone is quite a diety, a lot of people do, and he is not around anymore.

Francis, on the other hand, has a decent K rate that figures only to get better.

Frankly, Coors really slid as an offensive park last year. Still a strong pitcher's park overall, but I am not so sure that it still spells RIP for a quality pitcher. Maybe the humidified balls are working. Regardless, I actually like Francis as a potentially productive sleeper for the back of the fantasy rotation.

[Red Stripe]

I probably wouldn't want either unless it's a deep league. I would rather have Ramirez if he was starting but I guess since he ain't starting it's kind of obvious to take Francis. Although it sucks that he's in Coors, such a waste of talent. Hope he gets traded.

[stumpak]

Good point, I should mention that I play in a 14 team league. In a 10 team league, for example, I would not touch him. But the mere fact that poster is thinking about either of these jokers probably means that he plays in a deep league.

[raiders_umpire]

Francis is on my radar as a late round take a chance kinda of guy in my 15 teamer, Ramirez is not anywhere close to being on my list.

[shortsavage]

Unless your in a really really deep league i would not be targeting Francis. Maybe target a Chris Young or Kelvim Escobar type of pitcher in the later rounds.

I probably wouldn't want either unless it's a deep league.

As mentioned above, I wouldn't be asking about this if it didn't have bearing on my league. We have 16 teams and 30 man rosters.

[wrveres]

I'd stil take Horacio

[bigken117]

I would take a late flier on Francis before Horatio Sanz.