Nick Punto - Fantasy News & Updates
Nick Punto - Fantasy News & Updates
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Word spread during Smith's radio interview with KSTP 1500 AM on Wednesday. "His agent [Scott Boras] called shortly after the season and expressed [Crede's] interest in playing here," Smith said. "We're going to look at all options including Joe Crede and the young guys that we have. We'll try to make the best decision moving forward." Crede is one of several free agents to choose from at the hot corner this offseason. As things stand, Minnesota's most logical replacements include Brendan Harris, Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert.
The Twins love Punto's defensive ability. Offensively, however, he consistently leaves much to be desired, except for a few swipes and position flexibility. As Alexi Casilla and Matt Tolbert look to establish themselves at second base, Punto will likely wind up seeing more of his playing time at shortstop and third base. The one to watch is Casilla, who has a solid Minor League track record and could prove to be a sleeper source of steals.
Yes, Punto still has just a .232/.332/.291 line, which makes him one of the least productive everyday players in fantasy. But during the Twins' surge in September, Punto has been surprisingly, stealthily excellent. He's hitting .333 (18-for-54) and has reached base at a .429 clip. Even more impressively, Punto's slugging percentage for the month is around .400, and over 100 points higher than his season mark. It's tough to recommend starting him outside of deeper AL-only leagues, but he has played well enough to deserve an opportunistic flex look down the stretch.
Punto, who checked in with his second multi-hit effort in the last 14 games, has seen his average slip from .284 in 2008 to .232 this season. That, combined with his total lack of pop -- he’s hit one homer and driven in 34 runs in 112 contests -- has kept him on the waiver wire in most formats.
A good night’s work in an otherwise shaky 2009 campaign for Punto, who’s batting just .232 with 33 RBIs in 107 games. With 44 runs and 11 steals, he's provided some value in deep AL-only formats, though.
Crede was in the lineup Sunday for the first time in three weeks, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts as the designated hitter; after the game, it was clear Crede's back was still bothering him. Crede has undergone two epidural shots to try to alleviate the back pain, but he has had only five at-bats since Aug. 21 and never really found his stroke this year, as evidenced by his .225-15-48 line in 333 at-bats. Matt Tolbert, Brian Buscher, Brendan Harris and Nick Punto will likely fill in for Crede until season's end. None of them are terribly impressive fantasy players, although Harris -- who has a .265-6-34 line in 388 at-bats -- is likely the best of the bunch.
Kudos to Punto on the solid day at the park, but this is just his 12th extra-base hit in 276 at-bats. Punto plays hard and provides decent defense at a number of infield positions, but his .217 average and .272 slugging percentage sap him of any potential fantasy worth.
With the exception of a fine June, Punto has scuffled pretty much all season long, to the point that his .238 (10-for-42) average in August is actually his second-best monthly mark of the season. Given his season-long struggles and underwhelming .214 average and .263 slugging percentage, he's not really usable outside of the deepest AL-only leagues.
Morneau's dizziness came on a night when the temperature at first pitch was 96 degrees, though it was unclear whether that was the sole cause of his problems. Regardless, the Twins said the move was made for precautionary reasons. To replace Morneau, Brendan Harris shifted from shortstop to first base. Nick Punto moved from second base to shortstop and Alexi Casilla entered the contest to play second base. Morneau went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before leaving.
Casilla, who singled once in three at-bats, is listed as day-to-day. Nick Punto replaced him in the lineup and would likely stay at second base Sunday if Casilla is unable to go.
With an off-day on Monday, Aug. 10, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said that the hope is to have Crede back in the lineup for Tuesday's contest against Kansas City at the Metrodome. "It's really stiff, and there are sharp pains in the AC joint," Crede said. "It's not a good feeling when you go out there playing third and your shoulder is killing you. When hitting up there, that's the last thing you want to worry about is that something is wrong physically and thinking about that rather than trying to hit." Minnesota's eplacement options at third base include Brendan Harris and Nick Puinto.
Relocating to Minnesota would be a major boost for Cabrera. He'd go from an anemic Oakland lineup that offers little to no protection to one featuring two MVP-caliber bats in Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. The Twins have gotten little offensive production this season from shortstops Brendan Harris and Nick Punto.
Punto really needed a day like this, as he had been mired in a 1-for-17 slump over his last five games. While his versatility and speed -- he’s swiped eight bases -- are assets, the veteran shortstop’s .208 average is too low to merit him consideration outside of AL-only formats.
Crede aggravated his shoulder when he popped out in his final at-bat of the July 21 Twins-A's game. That day, Crede made his first start since injuring the AC joint during a series in Texas the previous weekend. He will be reevaluated July 26. While he's out, look for the Twins to continue playing Brendan Harris at third, Nick Punto at shortstop and Alexi Casilla at second, as they did in Thursday's game. Another option Minnesota has at the hot corner is Brian Buscher.
It was the 12th home run in 2,039 career at-bats for Punto. While the versatile infielder makes up for his lack of power with some speed, he doesn't offer much value to owners while his batting average remains mired in the low .200s.
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