Rotoprofessor

I know I could throw in the Russell Branyan signing with the Mariners, but does anyone really think that has a fantasy impact?

• The San Francisco Giants continued to strengthen their bullpen, signing former Cub Bob Howry after adding Jeremy Affeldt earlier in the offseason, according to Henry Schulman of The San Francisco Chronicle (click here for the article).  I know Howry is coming off a season where he posted a 5.38 ERA, but had an ERA of 3.33 or under each of the prior 4 seasons and we all know how reliever’s numbers can fluctuate from year-to-year.  It’s a 1-year, $2.75 million contract so it is not like the Giants are taking a huge risk here.  Like Affeldt, Howry is not going to have fantasy value, but he strengthens a bullpen that has a shot at being decent in 2009.  They certainly look a lot better bridging the gap between their starters and Brian Wilson, giving guys like Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez a little bit more value, though it really is just a slight bump.  The article also mentions that Edgar Renteria is close to signing, but we’ve been down that road before.  When it becomes official, I’ll weigh in.
• Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (click here for the article) is reporting that the Padres have acquired Khalil Greene in exchange for 2 players, though their names have yet to be revealed.  Greene, who suffered a broken hand ending his season in July, hit just .213 with 10 HR in 389 AB during the 2008 season.  He was just as bad at home vs. on the road (.215 vs. .212) and is just a career .248 hitter.  I think that’s more along the lines of what you should expect, though I’m very confused about his power.  Of his 10 HR, 7 of them actually came in Petco, while he hit 12 of his 27 at home in 2007.  If healthy, he’ll be a 20+ HR guy, making him worth considering as a low-end SS or MI, especially if you already have a solid team in average.  Now that I know his landing spot, I’ll do a full write-up on Greene in the near future, as I think it’s an interesting case.