Fantasy talk: Jarrod Parker status report

When the Athletics traded away Trevor Cahill this winter, I thought they were making a huge mistake. Cahill was very young and had success in the past. I truly thought he would be part of Oakland's rebuilding process. Anyway, Billy Beane and Co. must've seen something in the two players they got back in return, because they are both pitching like All-Stars. Ryan Cook was one of those players, and he has pitched great this year and actually made the All-Star team as a rookie this year. Jarrod Parker, has played very well too and he is looking like a keeper.

Parker was drafted in the 1st round (9th overall) by the Diamondbacks in the 2007 draft. He put up great numbers in 2008 and 2009 but unfortunately he severely hurt his arm in 2010 and it caused him to miss the entire season. This obviously slowed down his development and some questioned whether he would recover from Tommy John surgery. In 2011, he put up great numbers in Double-A and even got a spot start in September for Arizona. Like I said earlier, I was a little confused when Oakland received Parker in return because of his shaky injury problems. Tommy John surgery tends to have lingering effects on players' arms. Anyway, Parker was shipped in Oakland and started the season in Triple-A. He made four starts, posting a 2.18 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched. He earned a promotion in May and hasn't looked back since.

Oakland has been very pleased with Parker's performance. In 13 starts this season, he is 5-3 with a 2.46 ERA in 80.1 innings pitched. He looks like he has an ace-like arsenal of pitches. If he can get his strikeout numbers up, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes a run at the Rookie of the year award. Obviously, it would be tough to beat Mike Trout, but he can try to make a run for it.


Overall, from a fantasy standpoint, Parker has been great this season. If you don't own him right now, go and get him. He is going to continue to put up great numbers and hopefully he stays healthy.