Legendary Battle: Sam Fuld versus Jed Lowrie

Guest Writer

These days, if you're a fan of Major League Baseball and follow anyone on Twitter blogging about baseball, then you're surely aware of a legendary battle taking place amongst the hashtags.

First out of the gates was the #LegendofSamFuld, dedicated to Tampa Bay Rays' outfielder Sam Fuld as he burst onto the baseball scene as a result of the Manny Ramirez retirement fiasco. A recent 12-game stretch of Fuld's produced these eye-opening stats: .420 BA (21/50), 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 8 R, 7 SB, 3 BB, 3 K along with many defensive gems and a string of "legends" the likes that haven't been seen since Chuck Norris. Here's a sample of a few gems:

• Sam Fuld eats Chick-Fil-A on Sundays.
• Superman wears Sam Fuld pajamas.
• Sam Fuld can divide by zero.
• Honus Wagner bought a Sam Fuld rookie card at auction.

One of the most memorable moments during Fuld's legendary ascent was in a game against the Boston Red Sox in which he only needed a single to complete hitting for the cycle and adding his name to the Rays' record books forever decided to stretch a ninth-inning single into a double and there was no turning back from his legendary status.

While the Sam Fuld legend was growing, a new legend was being birthed in Boston for their own cult hero, Jed Lowrie, with the #LegendofJedLowrie hashtag. Lowrie is in the midst of his own eye-popping offensive assault over his last nine games: .531 BA (17/32), 2 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 9 R, 0 SB, 1 BB, 5 K, spurring legends such as these:

• Jed Lowrie doesn't have a shadow.
• Unicorns drink Jed Lowrie's blood to stay hidden and magical.
• Harry Caray has decided to come back to announce a game with
  Jed Lowrie playing.

To get a pulse of what other baseball bloggers had to say about which side of these legends their allegiances lay, I reached out in this edition of my Fantasy Forum series to fellow Baseball Bloggers Alliance members and other friends I've made in the blogosphere, and here is what they had to say on the subject of "legendary".

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Michael Clair (@clairbearattack) of Old Time Family Baseball weighed in with:
There hasn't been a more fun story in baseball than the emergence of Sam Fuld. Fuld, a career fringe Major Leaguer, diabetic, and player who grew up obsessing over statistics, is the patron saint of the superfan. He's like us, only phenomenally gifted at playing baseball.

While his .344/.379/.525 start has been exciting and proof that he has is deserving of more Major League than given in previous years, it's not time to anoint him a fantasy god. Fuld doesn't offer enough power for a corner outfielder, having never topped six home runs in a minor league season, and his career .777 minor league OPS doesn't offer much hope either. He has an excellent batting eye, so if your fantasy league uses OBP instead of batting average, he's an great pick up. Fuld is a #Legend because he's a great guy who followed a unique career path and doesn't embarrass himself with extended playing time, something that is still a rarity. If anyone can prove me wrong though, it's Fuld.

Jed Lowrie, currently doing his best Troy Tulowitzki impression, is a different story. Three years ago Lowrie looked like the shortstop of the future for the Red Sox, hitting .258 with 25 doubles as a 24 year-old rookie and his offensive future was bright. At 27, Lowrie is just now entering his prime and with a few more good weeks, he should wrestle the starting job away from Marco Scutaro. If Francona can get him enough at-bats, and considering his home ballpark, Lowrie is a good bet to hit at least .275 with 15 or so home runs. How many shortstops managed to do both last season? Four. Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Alexei Ramirez, and Stephen Drew, with Miguel Tejada just missing the cut.

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Rob Munstis (@bottomlinesox) of The Bottom Line weighed in with:
The legend of Jed Lowrie began in 2007. He tore through Double A and Triple A like Pecos Bill riding a tornado, hitting a combined .298 that year, while smashing 47 doubles, 8 triples and 13 homers while playing all over the infield. In 2008, he earned a spot on the big league roster and the Red Sox rode his bat through August, while Jed hit .284 with 12 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer and 24 RBI in 102 at-bats.

It seemed Jed was desitined for greateness, but injuries and illness plagued the mighty Jed in 2009 and 2010... and whispers of a new "shortstop of the future" with "magic hands" began to spread through New England.

Jed returned to the field in 2011 and quietly made the team as the utility infielder, ready to wait his turn. But with the Red Sox floundering to an 0-5 start, the need for a hero grew, and Jed was ready. After a battle with the hated Yankees, Lowrie exploded onto the scene, starting 6 of the next 8 games and leading the offense with his Paul Bunyan-like lumber - hitting .465 with an 1.115 OPS, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 9 runs and 11 RBI, while players with bigger and much bigger contracts struggled to keep up.

Bottom Line: All joking aside, Lowrie is on a roll right now, and has more talent and power than Marco Scutaro. The Sox will create ways to squeeze him into the lineup, but he may struggle to log 400+ at-bats as long as Scutaro remains in Boston. Ride the wave and sell high when you can.

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Kyle Phillippi (@PiratesGab) of Pirates Gab weighed in with:
Heroes come and go, but legends stay forever. A recent surge on Twitter has dubbed Sam Fuld and Jed Lowrie 'legends.' But wait? They seem a bit young to be legends already, to be compared to the likes of Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols. In my opinion, none are legends right now, but down the road, I could see Sam Fuld being the legend. As of Thursday night, Fuld was batting .344 with a .380 OBP. That's quite impressive for anyone, let alone a three-year player.

My favorite Sam Fuld tweet: Sam Fuld can steal first base.

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Jonathan C. Mitchell (@FigureFilbert) of MLB Dirt weighed in with:
Player A - .284/.372/.401 with a 112 wRC+ and 1.3 fWAR and 1.2 rWAR in 115 games.
Player B - .267/.345/.446 with a 108 wRC+ and 4.3 fWAR and 4.1 rWAR in 182 games.

Player A - 11.9% Walk rate and 12.2% Strikeout rate and 5.9 Speed Score.
Player B – 10.9% Walk rate and 21.7% Strikeout rate and 3.3 Speed Score.

Player A - Can play all three outfield positions and is 29 years old.
Player B - Can play all four infield positions and is 27 years old.

Both “Legends” have struggled in small sample sizes and both have flourished in small sample sizes. Neither has enough experience to paint a perfect picture of which “Legend” will continue to perform at a high level of play.

Both Sam Fuld and Jed Lowrie have the ability to be contributing factors to any team. Fuld could be most team’s starting centerfielder and is a major fan favorite. I had the pleasure of talking to him last night about his “Legendary” status and he is enjoying the ride and thanking the fans along the way by signing autographs for a minimum of 20 minutes before each game. I mean, this is a guy that eats Chick-Fil-A on Sundays and had April 11th renamed April Fuld’s Day in his honor. But, due to his position, age, Fan Nation, and better minor league track record, Lowrie is more likely to be an All-Star and carry the legend on for seasons to come.

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From my fantasy perspective: I think Sam Fuld has the longer leash on job stability this season since the Rays are in a transition  year, of sorts, and that could allow him to get 600 at-bats to prove whether or not he's in their long term plans. Is a .300+ batting average with 30+ steals really that far-fetched? That's better than what Brett Gardner will put up this season.

Jed Lowrie probably has more fantasy upside, as long as he remains in the mix for at-bats. He already qualifies at 2B/SS and could be working towards some more time at 3B if the Kevin Youkilis injury is serious. He has more HR/RBI upside and could score as many runs as Fuld in a Red Sox lineup that will eventually start running on all cylinders.

As far as #Legend's go, I think the #LegendofSamFuld has more staying power. One, it comes from a place of true fandom for a player that is the epitome of gritty. And two, it's the original. Unfortunately the folks driving the #LegendofJedLowrie have taken to attacks against Fuld rather than simply promoting all that they love about their hometown hero. And that act tends to get old.

COSFBA League Member Blogs About His Draft Experience

Guest Writer

While recruiting members for the three COSFBA-sponsored fantasy baseball leagues I decided to run this year, I looked to Twitter and baseball blogs (large and small) for participants. Once someone agreed to join, I offered them the opportunity to blog about their experiences within the leagues. John Venrick joined the COSFBA Blog/Twitter League III and decided to write an article about his draft. John is on Twitter and has his own personal blog. Enjoy!

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I was recently invited to a league by the author of this website, and I jumped at the opportunity, thinking that regardless of how the league went, it would be nice to make tangible connections in the community. I have in the past made comments about preferring roto leagues to head to head leagues, but I do like the head to head leagues like this where categories are scored, and it allows for playoffs if you are into that. It would be nice to say that I looked for consistency given the weekly matchups, but I think that tends to be something of a crapshoot.

It's a 10x10 league with OPS, XBH, RC, BB, and TB as extra batting categories and on the pitching side we lose K's but gain K/9, K/BB, BAA, QS, OBA, and HD. On the batting side of things, I thought that there was greater value in power (though I did still try to compete in steals), and as the pitching goes I tried to get high K guys and focus more on Holds than Saves as I think people tend to forget they have equal value in a league that scores both (plus your hold guys might get you the occasional save here or there). Before I dive in to the nuts and bolts of the draft itself, one last thing I would say is that I was impressed about the turnout given that it is an online draft. I don't remember what teams were on autodraft, so that won't make it into my analysis.

Round: 1
(1) BEONDECK Tweets - Albert Pujols 1B
(2) MLB Dirt - Hanley Ramirez SS
(3) Team E - Evan Longoria 3B
(4) Generic generics - Robinson Cano 2B
(5) Fantasy Farm System - Carl Crawford LF
(6) The Outfield Grass - Adrian Gonzalez 1B
(7) COSFBA NitTwits - Ryan Braun LF
(8) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Joey Votto 1B
(9) Team Kranepool Socie - Troy Tulowitzki SS
(10) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Miguel Cabrera 1B
(11) NY VENOM - Jose Reyes SS
(12) Double G Sports - Carlos Gonzalez LF
(13) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Roy Halladay SP
(14) Team DeSando - Josh Hamilton CF
*****
My thinking here was that there would be plenty of opportunities to grab an outfielder, but second base is not very deep, and really my thinking was that I was hoping to grab Evan Longoria. I was surprised to see Votto go ahead of Cabrera, though I might have made that call as well. I hate the Reyes pick. He won't be on any of my teams, and he certainly wouldn't be my first pick. I don't know if I would have taken Cano in a 10 team league, as Pedroia would likely be available in round 3 of a league that size, but I was not confident of such here.



Round: 2
(15) Team DeSando - Felix Hernandez SP
(16) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Kevin Youkilis 1B
(17) Double G Sports - Mark Teixeira 1B
(18) NY VENOM - Tim Lincecum SP
(19) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Matt Holliday LF
(20) Team Kranepool Socie - David Wright 3B
(21) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Matt Kemp CF
(22) COSFBA NitTwits - Alex Rodriguez 3B
(23) The Outfield Grass - Jon Lester SP
(24) Fantasy Farm System - Cliff Lee SP
(25) Generic generics - Ryan Zimmerman 3B
(26) Team E - CC Sabathia SP
(27) MLB Dirt - Nelson Cruz RF
(28) BEONDECK Tweets - Prince Fielder 1B
*****
I thought here that if I didn't grab Zimmerman I was going to regret it, once again due to position scarcity. I also think Zimmerman is going to be a stud. I feel like 26 is early for Sabathia though I was surprised to see pitching was going a bit earlier than I was expecting it to. I like David Wright at 20 quite a bit, not very much into Teixeira at all. I understand last year was a down year overall, but he always starts slow and not putting it together at all seems to be a risk.

Round: 3
(29) BEONDECK Tweets - Dustin Pedroia 2B
(30) MLB Dirt - Shin-Soo Choo RF
(31) Team E - Adrian Beltre 3B
(32) Generic generics - Andrew McCutchen CF
(33) Fantasy Farm System - Joe Mauer C
(34) The Outfield Grass - Ryan Howard 1B
(35) COSFBA NitTwits - Adam Dunn 1B
(36) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Justin Verlander SP
(37) Team Kranepool Socie - Mat Latos SP
(38) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Justin Upton RF
(39) NY VENOM - Buster Posey C
(40) Double G Sports - Jason Heyward RF
(41) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Ian Kinsler 2B
(42) Team DeSando - Dan Uggla 2B
*****
Here I was thinking that I should start getting some steals, though I briefly considered changing gears once Choo went off the board and trying to get a ton of power (with Dunn being my target), but I decided that balance would be the way to go. I also like Upton in this round. Even without the injury uncertianty, Latos went too early, and Ian Kinsler sucks. I would have loved to have ended up with Dan Uggla, and had I been thinking of him when I made my first round pick, I would have gone about it differently. Braun and Uggla seems better to me than Cano and McCutchen or Upton.

Round: 4
(43) Team DeSando - Clayton Kershaw SP
(44) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Tommy Hanson SP
(45) Double G Sports - Chris Carpenter SP
(46) NY VENOM - Justin Morneau 1B
(47) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Jayson Werth RF
(48) Team Kranepool Socie - Matt Wieters C
(49) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Jacoby Ellsbury CF
(50) COSFBA NitTwits - Jose Bautista 3B
(51) The Outfield Grass - Billy Butler 1B
(52) Fantasy Farm System - Ichiro Suzuki RF
(53) Generic generics - Dan Haren SP
(54) Team E - Victor Martinez C
(55) MLB Dirt - Alex Rios CF
(56) BEONDECK Tweets - Hunter Pence RF
*****
This pick seemed got a reaction from some of the people in the room, because I did reach a bit. I like Haren to be my ace because he tends to go a bit late and usually produces elite whip and K numbers, and last year he had a nice second half, which tends to be what people like the least about him. I like grabbing Haren here more than I like spending one of my earlier offense picks on someone slightly better. The difference between Haren and Halladay is not as great as the difference between one of the first round hitting talents and Jayson Werth, just to pull a random name. That being said, I do like the Werth pick here, and I like Bautista a bit as well. I would be very worried about Morneau.

Round: 5
(57) BEONDECK Tweets - Brian McCann C
(58) MLB Dirt - Brandon Phillips 2B
(59) Team E - Ubaldo Jimenez SP
(60) Generic generics - Jay Bruce RF
(61) Fantasy Farm System - Chase Utley 2B
(62) The Outfield Grass - Jered Weaver SP
(63) COSFBA NitTwits - Shane Victorino CF
(64) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Cole Hamels SP
(65) Team Kranepool Socie - Andre Ethier RF
(66) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Zack Greinke SP
(67) NY VENOM - B.J. Upton CF
(68) Double G Sports - Josh Johnson SP
(69) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Mike Stanton RF
(70) Team DeSando - David Price SP
*****
I needed an outfielder, and I think that Jay Bruce is going to have a breakout year, though it was hard to pass up Weaver. There is no way I take Stanton where he went. If McCann falls to 60, I probably grab him. He's really the first catcher I really consider grabbing, and honestly I am more looking towards someone like Soto or Montero most of the time.

Round: 6
(71) Team DeSando - Derek Jeter SS
(72) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Martin Prado 2B
(73) Double G Sports - Curtis Granderson CF
(74) NY VENOM - Matt Cain SP
(75) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Aramis Ramirez 3B
(76) Team Kranepool Socie - Ike Davis 1B
(77) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Aaron Hill 2B
(78) COSFBA NitTwits - Elvis Andrus SS
(79) The Outfield Grass - Carlos Santana C
(80) Fantasy Farm System - Kendry Morales 1B
(81) Generic generics - Paul Konerko 1B
(82) Team E - Brian Wilson RP
(83) MLB Dirt - Michael Young 3B
(84) BEONDECK Tweets - Rickie Weeks 2B
*****
I knew I needed power from my 1b slot, and I wasn't wanting to settle for the likes of Derek Lee. This seemed like as good a round as any for closers to start going. I don't like the Michael Young pick, I would rather wait and take the risk for someone like Mark Reynolds. I am a huge fan of Aaron Hill, the most unlucky player in baseball last year. Crazy unlucky. I also don't like Jeter here or at all. Why are people so certain that a 37 year old with declining skills is going to have a bounce back year in any regard?

Round: 7
(85) BEONDECK Tweets - Jimmy Rollins SS
(86) MLB Dirt - Heath Bell RP
(87) Team E - Chris Young CF
(88) Generic generics - Carlos Marmol RP
(89) Fantasy Farm System - Joakim Soria RP
(90) The Outfield Grass - Roy Oswalt SP
(91) COSFBA NitTwits - Drew Stubbs CF
(92) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Nick Swisher RF
(93) Team Kranepool Socie - Gordon Beckham 2B
(94) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Alexei Ramirez SS
(95) NY VENOM - Mariano Rivera RP
(96) Double G Sports - Yovani Gallardo SP
(97) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Delmon Young LF
(98) Team DeSando - Max Scherzer SP

Round: 8
(99) Team DeSando - Colby Rasmus CF
(100) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Wandy Rodriguez SP
(101) Double G Sports - Corey Hart RF
(102) NY VENOM - Francisco Liriano SP
(103) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Ben Zobrist 2B
(104) Team Kranepool Socie - Craig Kimbrel RP
(105) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Matt Thornton RP
(106) COSFBA NitTwits - Adam Lind DH
(107) The Outfield Grass - Michael Bourn CF
(108) Fantasy Farm System - Casey McGehee 3B
(109) Generic generics - Ted Lilly SP
(110) Team E - Chad Billingsley SP
(111) MLB Dirt - Kelly Johnson 2B
(112) BEONDECK Tweets - Brett Gardner CF
*****
I grabbed Marmol here because I thought if I am going to get a closer now I am going to get the one who could get a crazy elite K/9, and Lilly gets some K's along with another elite whip guy which allows for the possibility to go for high K guys with more questionable control later. I like Thornton from a ratio perspective, he's a closer I would be happy to have in most instances, and Kelly Johnson seems like a nice value. Stubbs could be 30/30 (not that I think he will be), so that's another nice pick. I would rather have Alexi Ramirez than Jeter at any slot. These two rounds seemed to have a lot of nice picks, also digging McGehee here. Would much rather have him than Young.

Round: 9
(113) BEONDECK Tweets - Francisco Rodriguez RP
(114) MLB Dirt - Stephen Drew SS
(115) Team E - Carlos Quentin RF
(116) Generic generics - Aubrey Huff 1B
(117) Fantasy Farm System - Torii Hunter CF
(118) The Outfield Grass - Juan Pierre LF
(119) COSFBA NitTwits - Neftali Feliz RP
(120) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Angel Pagan CF
(121) Team Kranepool Socie - John Axford RP
(122) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Bobby Abreu RF
(123) NY VENOM - Pablo Sandoval 3B
(124) Double G Sports - Geovany Soto C
(125) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Rafael Furcal SS
(126) Team DeSando - Pedro Alvarez 3B

Round: 10
(127) Team DeSando - Shaun Marcum SP
(128) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Carlos Ruiz C
(129) Double G Sports - Jonathan Broxton RP
(130) NY VENOM - Vernon Wells CF
(131) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Miguel Montero C
(132) Team Kranepool Socie - Trevor Cahill SP
(133) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Clay Buchholz SP
(134) COSFBA NitTwits - Tim Hudson SP
(135) The Outfield Grass - Jonathan Papelbon RP
(136) Fantasy Farm System - Joe Nathan RP
(137) Generic generics - Adam Jones CF
(138) Team E - Brett Anderson SP
(139) MLB Dirt - Matt Garza SP
(140) BEONDECK Tweets - Hiroki Kuroda SP
*****
These two rounds were frustrating. I wanted Stephen Drew at 116, and he went two picks before I could snag him, and I thought one of Soto or Montero would make it back to me at 137. I think Jones and Huff will be fine, but I was hoping to fill different needs. Arrgh. I like Papelbon less than Nathan even with the injury in the equation. Garza has had an awful spring and I would be worried about him (and as a Cubs fan I am anyway).

Round: 11
(141) BEONDECK Tweets - John Danks SP
(142) MLB Dirt - Adam LaRoche 1B
(143) Team E - J.J. Putz RP
(144) Generic generics - Ian Desmond SS
(145) Fantasy Farm System - Vladimir Guerrero DH
(146) The Outfield Grass - David Ortiz DH
(147) COSFBA NitTwits - Jonathan Sanchez SP
(148) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Starlin Castro SS
(149) Team Kranepool Socie - Josh Beckett SP
(150) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Carlos Lee LF
(151) NY VENOM - Daniel Hudson SP
(152) Double G Sports - Alcides Escobar SS
(153) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Andrew Bailey RP
(154) Team DeSando - Nick Markakis RF

Round: 12
(155) Team DeSando - Carlos Pena 1B
(156) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Austin Jackson CF
(157) Double G Sports - Howard Kendrick 2B
(158) NY VENOM - Chris Perez RP
(159) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Brian Roberts 2B
(160) Team Kranepool Socie - Ryan Raburn LF
(161) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Mark Reynolds 3B
(162) COSFBA NitTwits - Neil Walker 2B
(163) The Outfield Grass - Chone Figgins 2B
(164) Fantasy Farm System - Colby Lewis SP
(165) Generic generics - Huston Street RP
(166) Team E - Jeremy Hellickson SP
(167) MLB Dirt - Rajai Davis CF
(168) BEONDECK Tweets - Ian Stewart 3B

Round: 13
(169) BEONDECK Tweets - Brett Myers SP
(170) MLB Dirt - Brandon Morrow SP
(171) Team E - Derrek Lee 1B
(172) Generic generics - Ryan Dempster SP
(173) Fantasy Farm System - Jhoulys Chacin SP
(174) The Outfield Grass - Jose Valverde RP
(175) COSFBA NitTwits - Gaby Sanchez 1B
(176) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Francisco Cordero RP
(177) Team Kranepool Socie - Rick Ankiel CF
(178) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Ricky Nolasco SP
(179) NY VENOM - Grady Sizemore CF
(180) Double G Sports - Chase Headley 3B
(181) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Ryan Franklin RP
(182) Team DeSando - Daniel Bard RP
*****
Danks is a good pick here, and I like Pena's power at 155, particularly if one can absorb the avg risk. I needed a SS, and I don't feel too good about missing on Drew. Hopefully Desmond can be decent. Street was going to be my last closer, and I didn't want to add someone like Cordero or Kevin Gregg with their whip issues. Dempster gets me nice K's, and a fine ERA, with a whip that won't kill me. I wouldn't be inclined to grabbing Sizemore, but that pick looks good compared to Ankiel just a couple of picks before.

Round: 14
(183) Team DeSando - Manny Ramirez LF
(184) Juuuust A Bit Outside - C.J. Wilson SP
(185) Double G Sports - Phil Hughes SP
(186) NY VENOM - Johnny Cueto SP
(187) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Brian Matusz SP
(188) Team Kranepool Socie - Edinson Volquez SP
(189) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Rafael Soriano RP
(190) COSFBA NitTwits - Michael Cuddyer RF
(191) The Outfield Grass - Mike Napoli C
(192) Fantasy Farm System - Erick Aybar SS
(193) Generic generics - Travis Snider LF
(194) Team E - Jason Bay LF
(195) MLB Dirt - Madison Bumgarner SP
(196) BEONDECK Tweets - Sean Rodriguez 2B

Round: 15
(197) BEONDECK Tweets - Andres Torres CF
(198) MLB Dirt - Jaime Garcia SP
(199) Team E - Asdrubal Cabrera SS
(200) Generic generics - Jordan Zimmermann SP
(201) Fantasy Farm System - Ricky Romero SP
(202) The Outfield Grass - Mitch Moreland 1B
(203) COSFBA NitTwits - Ian Kennedy SP
(204) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Kurt Suzuki C
(205) Team Kranepool Socie - Michael Pineda SP
(206) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Bronson Arroyo SP
(207) NY VENOM - Carlos Beltran CF
(208) Double G Sports - Jair Jurrjens SP
(209) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Brad Lidge RP
(210) Team DeSando - J.P. Arencibia C

Round: 16
(211) Team DeSando - Gio Gonzalez SP
(212) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Joel Pineiro SP
(213) Double G Sports - James Loney 1B
(214) NY VENOM - Omar Infante 2B
(215) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Jon Garland SP
(216) Team Kranepool Socie - Bill Hall 2B
(217) Jim Joyce's Eyes - A.J. Burnett SP
(218) COSFBA NitTwits - Joel Hanrahan RP
(219) The Outfield Grass - Lance Berkman 1B
(220) Fantasy Farm System - Edwin Encarnacion 3B
(221) Generic generics - Tsuyoshi Nishioka 2B
(222) Team E - Drew Storen RP
(223) MLB Dirt - Luke Scott DH
(224) BEONDECK Tweets - Placido Polanco 3B
*****
More frustration. CJ Wilson or Phil Hughes were supposed to fall to me here. Zimmerman in the next round made me feel a little better. Snider should be fine. Napoli is a good pick, especially if he can get up to somewhere around 500 AB. Burnett is terrible, and I want no part of him. Luke Scott is another pick I like.

Round: 17
(225) BEONDECK Tweets - Frank Francisco RP
(226) MLB Dirt - Denard Span CF
(227) Team E - Freddie Freeman 1B
(228) Generic generics - Hong-Chih Kuo RP
(229) Fantasy Farm System - James Shields SP
(230) The Outfield Grass - Jose Lopez 3B
(231) COSFBA NitTwits - Jorge De La Rosa SP
(232) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Marlon Byrd CF
(233) Team Kranepool Socie - Luke Gregerson RP
(234) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Jake McGee RP
(235) NY VENOM - Seth Smith LF
(236) Double G Sports - Jonny Venters RP
(237) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Brandon Lyon RP
(238) Team DeSando - Chipper Jones 3B

Round: 18
(239) Team DeSando - Kevin Gregg RP
(240) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Chris Coghlan LF
(241) Double G Sports - Scott Rolen 3B
(242) NY VENOM - Jose Tabata LF
(243) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Ryan Madson RP
(244) Team Kranepool Socie - John Lackey SP
(245) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Aroldis Chapman RP
(246) COSFBA NitTwits - Rafael Betancourt RP
(247) The Outfield Grass - David Freese 3B
(248) Fantasy Farm System - Dexter Fowler CF
(249) Generic generics - Chris Sale RP
(250) Team E - Leo Nunez RP
(251) MLB Dirt - Yunel Escobar SS
(252) BEONDECK Tweets - Travis Wood SP

Round: 19
(253) BEONDECK Tweets - Jim Thome DH
(254) MLB Dirt - Fernando Rodney RP
(255) Team E - Danny Espinosa 2B
(256) Generic generics - Sergio Romo RP
(257) Fantasy Farm System - Juan Uribe 2B
(258) The Outfield Grass - Hideki Matsui DH
(259) COSFBA NitTwits - Edwin Jackson SP
(260) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Anibal Sanchez SP
(261) Team Kranepool Socie - Chris Capuano SP
(262) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Mike Adams RP
(263) NY VENOM - Wade Davis SP
(264) Double G Sports - Cody Ross CF
(265) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Ty Wigginton 3B
(266) Team DeSando - Jake Westbrook SP
*****
Here is where I wanted to start wrapping up holds. I think I ended up with some nice relievers here. I wish I had thought of Mike Adams. He's a good one. This deep into the draft there aren't a ton of bad picks, but I can't fathom Lackey going before Edwin Jackson, who while inconsistent is also someone with a ton of upside relative to Lackey. Madson is another nice pick here, and Rolen could pay some nice dividends at this point in the draft.

Round: 20
(267) Team DeSando - Tyler Colvin RF
(268) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Ryan Theriot SS
(269) Double G Sports - Ben Francisco LF
(270) NY VENOM - David Aardsma RP
(271) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Chris Iannetta C
(272) Team Kranepool Socie - Reid Brignac SS
(273) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Justin Smoak 1B
(274) COSFBA NitTwits - Matt Capps RP
(275) The Outfield Grass - Raul Ibanez LF
(276) Fantasy Farm System - Jake Peavy SP
(277) Generic generics - James McDonald SP
(278) Team E - Johan Santana SP
(279) MLB Dirt - Brandon League RP
(280) BEONDECK Tweets - Franklin Gutierrez CF

Round: 21
(281) BEONDECK Tweets - Gavin Floyd SP
(282) MLB Dirt - Randy Wolf SP
(283) Team E - Nate McLouth CF
(284) Generic generics - Coco Crisp CF
(285) Fantasy Farm System - Garrett Jones 1B
(286) The Outfield Grass - Matt Joyce RF
(287) COSFBA NitTwits - Brian Fuentes RP
(288) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Matt Guerrier RP
(289) Team Kranepool Socie - Alex Gordon LF
(290) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Evan Meek RP
(291) NY VENOM - Ervin Santana SP
(292) Double G Sports - Joaquin Benoit RP
(293) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Rick Porcello SP
(294) Team DeSando - Grant Balfour RP

Round: 22
(295) Team DeSando - Yadier Molina C
(296) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Nyjer Morgan CF
(297) Double G Sports - Peter Bourjos CF
(298) NY VENOM - Alfonso Soriano LF
(299) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Scott Downs RP
(300) Team Kranepool Socie - Josh Thole C
(301) Jim Joyce's Eyes - J.A. Happ SP
(302) COSFBA NitTwits - Michael Morse RF
(303) The Outfield Grass - Scott Baker SP
(304) Fantasy Farm System - Dallas Braden SP
(305) Generic generics - John Buck C
(306) Team E - Mike Aviles 2B
(307) MLB Dirt - Johnny Damon LF
(308) BEONDECK Tweets - Alexi Ogando RP

Round: 23
(309) BEONDECK Tweets - Octavio Dotel RP
(310) MLB Dirt - Jason Kubel RF
(311) Team E - Magglio Ordonez RF
(312) Generic generics - Carlos Zambrano SP
(313) Fantasy Farm System - Cameron Maybin CF
(314) The Outfield Grass - Javier Vazquez SP
(315) COSFBA NitTwits - Russell Martin C
(316) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Bobby Jenks RP
(317) Team Kranepool Socie - Kila Ka'aihue 1B
(318) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Logan Morrison LF
(319) NY VENOM - Marco Scutaro SS
(320) Double G Sports - Juan Rivera LF
(321) Juuuust A Bit Outside - A.J. Pierzynski C
(322) Team DeSando - J.J. Hardy SS
*****
I needed some more starting pitching, and McDonald has nice upside while if I get the Zambrano from the second half of last year I am set. I like Hardy at this spot, but thought I needed the pitching more. I like Crisp, and Buck is fine considering I took my catcher at 305. I don't trust Russell Martin at all, as someone who has owned him in the past couple of years, and I wonder if Pierzynski is going to last the year as the starter. I like Scott Baker this late, and a flier on Ogando seems like a good move too.

Round: 24
(323) Team DeSando - Carlos Gomez CF
(324) Juuuust A Bit Outside - David Murphy LF
(325) Double G Sports - Julio Borbon CF
(326) NY VENOM - Domonic Brown RF
(327) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Josh Willingham LF
(328) Team Kranepool Socie - Danny Valencia 3B
(329) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Jhonny Peralta SS
(330) COSFBA NitTwits - Brandon Belt 1B
(331) The Outfield Grass - Kevin Slowey SP
(332) Fantasy Farm System - Miguel Tejada SS
(333) Generic generics - Alexi Casilla 2B
(334) Team E - Jason Bartlett SS
(335) MLB Dirt - Jonny Gomes LF
(336) BEONDECK Tweets - R.A. Dickey SP

Round: 25
(337) BEONDECK Tweets - J.D. Drew RF
(338) MLB Dirt - Kyle Drabek SP
(339) Team E - Pat Burrell LF
(340) Generic generics - Erik Bedard SP
(341) Fantasy Farm System - Brian Duensing SP
(342) The Outfield Grass - Tim Stauffer RP
(343) COSFBA NitTwits - John Jaso C
(344) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Kevin Kouzmanoff 3B
(345) Team Kranepool Socie - Jorge Posada C
(346) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Brett Cecil SP
(347) NY VENOM - Freddy Sanchez 2B
(348) Double G Sports - Michael Brantley CF
(349) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Mark Buehrle SP
(350) Team DeSando - Felix Pie LF

Round: 26
(351) Team DeSando - Matt LaPorta 1B
(352) Juuuust A Bit Outside - David DeJesus RF
(353) Double G Sports - Mark Lowe RP
(354) NY VENOM - Derek Holland SP
(355) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Bud Norris SP
(356) Team Kranepool Socie - Matt Diaz LF
(357) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Jack Cust DH
(358) COSFBA NitTwits - David Hernandez RP
(359) The Outfield Grass - Carl Pavano SP
(360) Fantasy Farm System - Jay Gibbons LF
(361) Generic generics - Kyle Farnsworth RP
(362) Team E - Yuniesky Betancourt SP
(363) MLB Dirt - Joel Peralta RP
(364) BEONDECK Tweets - Chris Johnson 3B

Round: 27
(365) BEONDECK Tweets - Daric Barton 1B
(366) MLB Dirt - Nick Hundley C
(367) Team E - Brennan Boesch RF
(368) Generic generics - Yorvit Torrealba C
(369) Fantasy Farm System - Brad Hawpe RF
(370) The Outfield Grass - Cliff Pennington SS
(371) COSFBA NitTwits - Aaron Harang SP
(372) Jim Joyce's Eyes - Skip Schumaker 2B
(373) Team Kranepool Socie - Brendan Ryan SS
(374) Fire Eric Bruntlett - Brandon Beachy SP
(375) NY VENOM - Xavier Nady RF
(376) Double G Sports - Kyle McClellan RP
(377) Juuuust A Bit Outside - Todd Helton 1B
(378) Team DeSando - Will Venable RF
*****
Now we are to the last portions of the draft. I actually set up my last few picks and left the room, as I needed to leave, but I got the only players I dragged aside, so I feel good about that. I like Bedard's upside and hope this is the year he finally stays healthy. Farnsworth should provide some back up in case one of my holds guys gets injured. I wanted a second catcher so that I can hopefully always have one who is actually in the lineup on any given day. There isn't really a ton to say about these last few rounds other than I was surprised that the talent went as deep as it did. Barton might not be great, but he's going to play every day and get a decent amount of walks, and Hawpe could put it together. Overall I feel fairly good about this team, and the draft was a good experience. Here are the rosters if you want to check them out: http://games.espn.go.com/flb/leaguerosters?leagueId=60852

2011 Starting Pitcher Sleepers

Guest Writer

(In my continued effort to bring additional voices and perspectives to COSFBA, this article is being brought to you by guest writer KJ Hanna. KJ was one of the first people I connected with on Twitter and actually lives in the same part of Brooklyn, NY where I grew up. He's had his fantasy baseball work featured on both FantasyBaseball101.com and BigTroph.com. I hope you find as much value in his contribution to this site as I do.)

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Ahh, the dreaded word ALL fantasy experts and drafters love and hate…SLEEPER.  Another word equally as poisonous… BOUNCEBACK. The great thing about the fantastic sport of baseball is there will always be players who fall into one or both of these categories. Luckily for you, the owner, we have already crunched the numbers and taken out most of the guess work.

You’ve all heard this already but, starting pitching is deep this year and you shouldn’t reach early for a SP early. That is, unless your league’s scoring settings heavily rewards SPs or you’re in a keeper/dynasty league. That being said, it’s in my opinion that you make your move in the middle to late rounds for pitchers and these are a few you should target.

The objective to identifying a sleeper starting pitcher is to determine which players have the upside to outperform their current draft position and provide your fantasy team with an advantage over the rest of your league at a low cost/draft pick.

AL SP Sleepers

Jeremy Hellickson – Tampa Bay Rays
Hellickson, the Rays stud prospect du jour got a huge boost once Matt Garza was traded to the Cubs in the offseason. He now has the chance to build upon his impressive numbers when called up in 2010, 3.47 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 33 strikeouts and eight walks in 31 1/3 innings.

Notably revered to be more of a control pitcher, Hellickson is deceiving in his assortment of pitches and has the potential to become an ace, however, expect peaks and valleys, especially as he gets more acquainted with the AL East mashers.

Beyond the occasional long ball and a few rookie hiccups, the only negative I can see with “Hell Boy” is that the Rays may shut him down early, limiting his innings. In that case, all formats should feel confident in grabing him in mid-late rds and sell high come July (except in Keeper/Dynasty leagues).

Max Scherzer – Detroit Tigers
I know, most of you are thinking, "Scherzer, a sleeper?". That’s right readers! After an awful start to 2010 (7.29 ERA in April and half of May) and a minor league demotion, Scherzer came back to the majors with a blazing fastball and an appetite for strikeouts.

In Scherzer’s return to the majors, he posted a 2.46 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 158 strikeouts and FINALLY showed his potential and quieted the “bust” whispers. Scherzer has the talent to become an elite fantasy starter and should be on everyone’s radar in all league formats in mid rounds on draft day. Draft with confidence.

Edwin Jackson – Chicago White Sox
EJax is an enigma. Is he an Ace or a tease? After moving to the AL, Jackson put together some fantastic strikeout and walk numbers which was a great sign of things to hopefully come. Jackson’s K/9 with the Dbacks was 6.98, with the White Sox 9.24! Not only did his K/BB improve but his fastball launched from 94 MPH to 95.3 MPH AND he lowered his overall ERA by almost 2 runs!

Jax is going late enough to take a risk/reward approach with him. His skills are pointing the way to a very productive season with plenty of run support from a stacked White Sox lineup. Grab him in the late rounds and reap the benefits in all league formats.


DEEP SLEEPER: Carlos Carrasco – Cleveland Indians
Carrasco is Spanish for “Peppered Strikezone” because that is what CC-lite does; unfortunately sometimes it results in the long ball, which can become a deterring factor in his fantasy value. One of the prospect players in the Cliff Lee deal, Carrasco, 23, could be in for a quality first full professional season.

He possesses solid upside after his 2-2 3.83 ERA, 38 K/14 BB ratio in 44.2 inngs in 2010. This kid is young and needs to find some maturity on the mound (as shown by his Spring Training numbers) but fantasy owners should consider him a quality matchup fantasy option in late rounds of deeper mixed leagues and AL-only formats.

NL SP Sleepers

Javier Vazquez – Florida Marlins
Vazquez is an established veteran pitcher who has had some very good and not so good (’04 & ’10 ironically both w/the Yankees) years. Yes, he’s 34 and yes his velocity fell predominantly last season, however, he has regained some of that lost speed this spring.

What makes Vazy a sleeper in 2011? 1. His move back to the NL East and into a pitchers ballpark. 2. He’s only 2 seasons removed from a 15 win, 2.87 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 238 K year with the Braves. 3. His current drafting position is between 175-194 in most drafts.

Fantasy owners should look to snag this vet in late rounds for Roto and H2H leagues and mid-late rounds for NL only leagues for a low-risk, high-reward investment in 2011.

Jhoulys Chacin – Colorado Rockies
One of my top targets for sleepers in 2011, this 22-yr old looked incredible in 2010 logging a 3.28 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 138 strikeouts in 137 1/3 innings and giving up ONLY 10 home runs last season.

Chacin should miss tons of bats and cause groundballs aplenty with his low-90's fastball and filthy off speed pitches. Chacin is poised to steal the #2 spot away from Jorge de la Rosa this season and could become a legitimate real life and fantasy ace in 2011 and beyond.

Owners, grab Chacin if he falls to you in mid-late rds in all fantasy formats, especially in keeper, dynasty and NL Only leagues as he is a special breed and will bring you weekly gold.

Jordan Zimmermann - Washington Nationals
Since coming back from Tommy John surgery last season, Zimm hasn’t logged in many innings to turn heads, however, with his mid-90’s fastball and jelly leg slider, he is poised to finally show the MLB and his owners why he should be considered a valuable starting pitcher.

Though I expect strong results when on the hill, he has not pitched more than 100 innings in a season since 2008 and I don’t expect the Nats to give him more than 150-160. Zimmerman MUST be considered an injury risk by all owners and is truly the definition of a risk/reward pick, however his potential for late roundd drafting returns is exponential.

Currently going anywhere from 180-192, Zimm should be scooped up and considered a viable mid-level fantasy starter in Mixed, Roto and H2H leagues with a larger upside in NL Only and Keeper leagues.

DEEP SLEEPER: Homer Bailey – Cincinnati Reds
Can 2011 finally be the year of the Homer? Bailey, that is. I’m a believer and you should be too.

Last season, Bailey logged 109 innings, posted his highest strikeout rate to date and improved his control to drop his ’09 totals in BBs and Runs allowed. Not to mention that after his demotion to the minors in May, he came back strong posting 3.55 ERA, 9.10 K/9 and 2.93 BB/9 in 58 1/3 innings from Aug 15 on.

The addition of a splitter to his arsenal has helped his fastball’s effectiveness and keeps batters off balance more than in years past. This ultimately will help his K/9 and BB/9 numbers.

Is he a staff ace, nope, but as a No. 3/4 starter he has lower-tier fantasy starter written all over him. Upside is he gives you depth in your rotation; the downside is it may take him a month or so to get it rolling.

Bailey is being drafted between 260-330 in most drafts, so there isn’t urgency from owners at this time. NL Only owners draft him late rounds, Mixed, Roto and H2H leagues draft in very late rounds especially if you have a deep bench.

Why I Had To Quit Fantasy Baseball

Guest Writer

(In my efforts to bring additional voices and perspectives to fantasy baseball on COSFBA, I present to you another guest writer. This article was written by William J. Tasker of The Flagrant Fan and gives a unique perspective on his struggles of being a baseball fan and a fantasy baseball player.)

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     I envy you folks that can still play fantasy sports. Growing up with an advanced love of baseball statistics, playing fantasy baseball was the bomb. It was also the natural progression from growing up with Strat-O-Matic baseball, a game that reached its fiftieth anniversary this season. Pouring over the statistics every day along with the box scores fit right in with my lifestyle and that’s what made fantasy baseball very exciting and a passion. It was fun to compete against friends and also anonymous people on the Net and the victories made me feel like a genius. Of course, the losses were always blamed on luck.

     But a funny thing happened. I noticed that I was developing a mental disorder the more I played the fantasy game. I’ll have to admit that I am a lifelong Yankee fan. Before you hate me for that, my love for the team began in the 1960s when the team was absolutely terrible. So I was a Fan even before they became the Evil Empire. When I root for a team, it goes down to the roots of my being. In essence, a part of my life force is wrapped up in my desire for the team to win. Being a Fan of any team has its shares of heartbreak. No team is going to win all the time and failure is built into the system. Even the best teams are going to lose 35% of the time. Now add to this passion the element of fantasy baseball.

     Here is how the mental problems came about. Say my fantasy team included Miguel Cabrera and his Tigers were playing my Yankees. But Cabrera is a big dog on my fantasy team and earns me a lot of points. Say the Yankees are fighting the Red Sox or the Bay Rays for the pennant and there are only a game or so separating all the teams. Naturally, I am pulling hard for the Yankees, but now, in a scoreless game with a man on, Cabrera crushes an A. J. Burnett pitch into the left field grandstand. Immediately, I jump up and start pumping my fists and scream, “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”

     But then, just as suddenly, my head catches up with my fantasy baseball glee and says, “Whuh?” The guy hit a two run homer…against the Yankees…who are fighting for a division title. Why are you cheering you idiot!?

     Say the next day is Sunday and the ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball is on and the featured game is the Red Sox against the Rangers. Absolutely, I have to admit that I HATE the Red Sox. Not only do they compete head to head with my team, but a lot of their fans have become this obsessive, obnoxious group they call, “The Red Sox Nation,” which is a direct rip off of the “Cardinal Nation” which has been around a whole lot longer.



     Anyway, the game is the Red Sox against the Rangers. The Rangers are probably my second favorite team in the AL because of Josh Hamilton and because they finally got the Angels out of the playoffs. But it just so happens that I have Dustin Pedroia as my fantasy second baseman and Jonathan Papelbon as my closer. The fan again has to admit that Papelbon is pretty close to my least favorite major league baseball player. But I needed a closer for my fantasy team and he was the best name left on the board during the draft. Pedroia doesn’t bother me. He’s kind of a cute little elf anyway. But both are on my fantasy team. And the game progresses.

     Everything about me would root against the Red Sox and for the Rangers. The Red Sox losing would be good for my team, the Yankees. The Rangers winning would be good for them to stay ahead of the Angels. But again, Pedroia hits a double that plates two runs and then steals third and scores on a wild pitch. I’m delirious with glee as my fantasy team just got the Holy Grail. And then, at the end of the game with the Red Sox ahead, Papelbon comes in with men on base and closes the door with every out being a strikeout. Score! Yeah! Cool! Bonus!

          Whuh?

     And so you can see how this was ruining me. I started twitching during games as the duality of my desires fought constantly. It got to a point where I was having open arguments…out loud…with myself.

          “You CAN’T root for him.”

          “Oh yes I can and I will!”

          “But…but…it’s sacrilege!”

     And so I had to put it away and give it up. That’s the big difference between Strat-O-Matic and Fantasy. If you win in Strat-O-Matic, at least it doesn’t really affect your favorite team. I don’t play Strat-O-Matic anymore though.

     And thus order is restored to my baseball viewing habits. My wife no longer looks at me with fear in her eyes and the phone at the ready to call 911. My passion is fully directed toward one cause and not split. My blood pressure is down. And the game is fun again.

     But I do miss it. I miss looking for the sleeper picks. If I was still playing fantasy baseball, my two sleeper picks for 2011 would be Curtis Granderson and Aaron Harang. They would have been great picks too.

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William J. Tasker writes about baseball and his passion for the game on his own blog, The Flagrant Fan, and should also be followed on Twitter. He's also a fellow member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

Finding Keepers: Washington Nationals

Guest Writer

(Stop me if you've heard this one before. COSFBA would like to introduce another guest blogger to you all. This edition of "Finding Keepers" was written by Geoff Bloom of BEONDECK.com. I hope you enjoy Geoff's style of writing about fantasy baseball as much as I do.)

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The Washington Nationals improved by ten games in 2010 and hope to do the same in 2011. Their lineup is slowly improving and the addition of RF Jayson Werth will provide protection for 3B Ryan Zimmerman in the lineup. This lineup has some fantasy keepers lead by Werth and Zimmerman. However, Werth's home run total fell from a career high 36 in 2009 to 27 in 2010 and Werth is projected by some to have even fewer in 2011. The change in scenery could be a huge detriment to Werth's fantasy stock. Werth hit 50 points higher and twice as many home runs in Philadelphia last year than he did on the road. He won't see a lot of pitches to hit with RISP in the Nationals lineup. He probably will drive in 87 runs, but Werth is going to have to be extremely efficient when his opportunities present themselves. A hamstring injury slowed Zimmerman's production a bit in 2010, but he continued to be a four-category monster. If the top of the Nationals order had gotten on base more, he would have easily had 100 RBI based just on his clutch hitting last year (.365 BA two-out with RISP). With Werth and 1B Adam LaRoche protecting him, expect Zimmerman to have a monster year. LaRoche does not have Adam Dunn power, but he has hit at least 20 homers each of the last six seasons and should continue to provide respectable production numbers as long as he can cut down on his strikeouts.

SS Ian Desmond stole 17 bases and knocked in 65 runs, but he had nearly four times as many K (109) as BB (28). 2B Danny Espinosa rated as the #66 prospect by Baseball America is a potential future fantasy stud. In 2010, he posted huge numbers between Double-A, Triple-A and the majors: 151 G, .259 BA, 96 R, 28 HR, 84 RBI and 25 SB. Look for him to have a productive 2011. Desmond and Espinosa can provide double-digit power and speed as well as strengthen the Nationals defensively up the middle.

With RHP Stephen Strasburg expected to miss the entire 2011 season after reconstructive elbow surgery, the ace of the Nationals injury-riddled staff is RHP Livan Hernandez. Enough said.

The Nationals bullpen is led by RP Drew Storen. He pitched well enough last year to warrant the closer role when this season begins. He went 5-for-7 in save chances. His 22 walks were uncharacteristic of what he did in the minors, but he did strike out 52 batters in 55.1 innings. If Storen stumbles, RP Tyler Clippard is next in line for saves. If your league includes the HOLDS category, look no further than Clippard who had 23 holds last year.

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Geoff Bloom writes his own fantasy baseball blog, BEONDECK.com, dispensing fantasy baseball advice. I recommend checking out his blog and following him on Twitter. Geoff is also a member of a COSFBA-sponsored fantasy baseball league.

Finding Keepers: Texas Rangers

Guest Writer

(For the second time in COSFBA's short history, an article is being presented to you by someone other than me. I've recently been in contact with some writers that have shown interest in possible  guest writing opportunities, so you may see a few more in the near future. This post was written by Joe Tetreault, a fellow Baseball Bloggers Alliance member and accomplished writer/blogger. Enjoy his take on a "Finding Keepers" article.)

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Defending AL Champs. That suggests plenty of keepers to be found by reviewing the roster of the Texas Rangers. But the pickings are slimmer than one would expect. The obvious ones jump out right away. But even in the most obvious there are caveats aplenty.

Josh Hamilton is a feel good story, and the reigning AL MVP. His outstanding .359/.411/.633 slash line signals the offensive prowess that Hamilton brings to the plate. But he's entering his age 30 season and injuries have chewed up chunks of his last two seasons. They weren't enough to derail his MVP quest, but as year end approached and Miguel Cabrera chased his numbers down, plenty called for the award to go to Detroit's troubled slugger instead of Texas'. And like Cabrera, no caveat list is complete without alluding to the troubles that Hamilton had with drugs when he was a minor-leaguer. They seem to be in the past, but the worry of relapse should be taken seriously when considering Hamilton as a keeper.

Legitimate keepers are much harder to find. One can make a case for Nelson Cruz, but age (he'll be 29 this year) and his own set of persistent injuries diminish the credibility of that recommendation. Julio Borbon and Mitch Moreland are younger lads, but their track records reflect their youth. Borbon was barely replacement level in 2010, so he's not worth the keep. Moreland didn't make it to 50 games played in 2010, so his solid batting line screams small sample size.

That leaves two players who have both youth and an established track record of success available. The first is even more appealing because he plays the most challenging position on the defensive spectrum. That's Elvis Andrus. And he'll be but 22 during the coming season. He doesn't bring the power, with just 49 career extra base hits in his two full seasons. But he's swiped 65 bases in that same stretch of time and he's reasonable enough at getting on base that he'll pile up runs. In short, he's a great table setter at a typically difficult to fill fantasy position. Draft him. Keep him. Be Happy.

Like Andrus, the Rangers other keeper of renown started his pro career as a Brave and was part of the bounty the Rangers won for Mark Teixeira. But Neftali Feliz is not a defensive wiz afield. He's not a Ruthian figure at the plate. He's a flamethrower of some skill who's actually undervalued this year because no one really knows what the Rangers are poised to do with him. Will he continue to close or is his destiny in the rotation. His greater value to the club is likely as a starter, but unless he becomes a front of the rotation star, his fantasy value is tied to the saves and strikeouts he racks up along with a miniscule ERA and WHIP. He's only 23, so nabbing him now amid the uncertainty may be the steal of your draft.


Deeper keepers can look to the Rangers farm system for another treat. Lefty starter Martin Perez made it to AA Frisco as an 18 year old in 2009. He stumbled there at 19 but still struck out more than a batter an inning while playing very young for the league. He's a possible September call up, so if you can grab him later in the year and keep him long term, your patience will surely be rewarded.

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Joe Tetreault covers the intersection of baseball and business for the Biz of Baseball, and a variety of topics at his own blog TetreaultVision. You can also follow him on twitter.

Finding Keepers: Philadelphia Phillies

Guest Writer

(In a COSFBA first, this article is coming to you by someone other than me. A unique opportunity presented itself to me via Twitter and I pounced. Writer Paul Boyé offered up his services to compose this edition of Finding Keepers and I couldn't be happier with the results. Paul currently writes for PhilliesNation.com. Be sure to check out his body of work there and follow him on Twitter @Phrontiersman.)

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In making the NLCS for the third consecutive year, the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies further cemented their status as one of the Senior Circuit’s top clubs. Their defeat at the hands of the eventual champion San Francisco Giants, however, seemed to expose some flaws in their armor. In the offseason, OF Jayson Werth flew the coop for a huge contract with the Nationals and, suddenly, with all of the incumbent players a year older, things seemed a little dubious for the Phils and their top-tier status.

Then along came SP Cliff Lee, and things didn’t seem quite so bleak anymore. Sure, questions still remain about their future, but for 2011 and 2012, you can find keeper-quality players in plenty of places.

One of the no-doubt-about-it keepers on this team is SP Cole Hamels. The 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP followed up a rough 2009 campaign – one compounded by both sub-par stuff and bad luck – with an excellent 2010, and at 27 years old, he’s entering his prime years. Playing in Citizens Bank Park as a flyball pitcher means Cole will always give up more than a homer per nine innings, but he gives you enough everywhere else – high-strikeout, low-walk numbers, along with wins if the offense supports him – and durability isn’t a problem. He could be a top-20 SP in 2011, and should be just as good for the next few seasons.


Similarly, you can earmark SP Roy Halladay for a keep. You know how good he is, and he’s showing no signs of slowing. He’ll still be elite in the N.L. for the foreseeable future. The rest of the rotation, with SPs Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt, are probably keepers, too. Watch out for lingering back injury issues with both, but don’t let it bother you too much when deciding whether to hang on to either.

Offensively, 2B Chase Utley is likely a top-2 second baseman, C Carlos Ruiz is an underrated player in a thin position (beware low RBI totals from the end of the lineup), and 1B Ryan Howard will always give you big numbers in fantasy stats, even if his real-world value seems to have slipped. Top prospect OF Domonic Brown could break out at any time, even in 2011, so he’s worth holding on to for a few seasons to see if he’ll reach any of his lofty expectations.

After this season, hang on to RP Ryan Madson. Even if it isn’t with the Phillies, he’ll be a closer in 2012.

Best of the rest but not keepers:

• 3B Placido Polanco – A nice player, but he won’t provide you with enough offensive production (good AVG aside) to justify being a high pick at third base.
• SS Jimmy Rollins – While he’ll never be the player he was in 2007 again, he’s not as bad as he was in 2010, either. Still, this definitely feels like beginning of the back end of a good career.
• RP Brad Lidge – He’ll get saves, and he had a nice second half in 2010, but something still isn’t right with Lidge. Plus, a balky knee and elbow could limit his innings.
• OF Raul Ibanez – Struggled mightily out of the gate in 2010, and though he salvaged some decent fantasy numbers, his age 39 season doesn’t seem likely to feature some big power surge.

The Phillies have a lot of really good, if aging, players on their roster and, for once, their pitching is more valuable than their hitting. Assuming 130-game health for the hitters and 30-plus starts for the SPs, they have plenty of top fantasy players. Some keeps would be a bit riskier than others, but the sheer number of potential keeper-quality players on this club is noteworthy.