Nash's 2015 Fantasy Baseball Thread

[stevenash]

Thought I'd keep a running thread this year for season long and daily fantasy baseball players.

Since dailies don't start for another two months, I'm going to focus on the yearly season fantasy players.

Going to focus on the starting pitchers first for a couple of days.

[stevenash]

Rank	Player	Team	Avg Pick	Min Pick	Max Pick
1	Clayton Kershaw	LAD	4.02	2	9
2	Felix Hernandez	Sea	11.58	7	22
3	Chris Sale	CWS	21.3	10	40
4	Madison Bumgarner	SF	27.38	16	40
5	Stephen Strasburg	Was	28.02	15	39
6	Max Scherzer	Was	29.84	15	44
7	David Price	Det	32.02	17	51
8	Corey Kluber	Cle	32.34	12	47
9	Johnny Cueto	Cin	41.48	30	60
10	Yu Darvish	Tex	46.46	31	64
11	Zack Greinke	LAD	49.26	31	67
12	Adam Wainwright	StL	51.38	16	74
13	Jon Lester	ChC	54.36	30	73
14	Cole Hamels	Phi	57.86	33	72
15	Jordan Zimmermann	Was	61.28	43	72
16	Matt Harvey	NYM	68.2	43	91
17	Jeff Samardzija	CWS	73.62	42	94
18	Julio Teheran	Atl	75.54	61	89
19	Sonny Gray	Oak	87.26	53	125
20	Alex Cobb	TB	88.78	67	129
21	Gerrit Cole	Pit	91.06	71	134
22	Tyson Ross	SD	102.24	70	137
23	James Shields	KC	102.3	67	138
24	Alex Wood	Atl	103.72	77	133
25	Hisashi Iwakuma	Sea	104.88	74	158
26	Jake Arrieta	ChC	105.42	72	144
27	Jacob deGrom	NYM	113.14	78	138
28	Carlos Carrasco	Cle	119.04	75	163
29	Gio Gonzalez	Was	122.6	85	170
30	Masahiro Tanaka	NYY	133.94	54	200
31	Yordano Ventura	KC	146.76	105	181
32	Doug Fister	Was	150.02	106	195
33	Lance Lynn	StL	150.32	103	202
34	Hyun-jin Ryu	LAD	155.06	116	195
35	Andrew Cashner	SD	161.62	83	210
36	Zack Wheeler	NYM	162.1	112	209
37	Michael Pineda	NYY	162.48	77	210
38	Cliff Lee	Phi	165.08	111	227
39	Marcus Stroman	Tor	166.54	119	215
40	Garrett Richards	LAA	167.22	92	209
41	Michael Wacha	StL	170	121	214
42	Drew Smyly	TB	177.34	121	212
43	Mat Latos	Mia	178.72	132	229
44	Ian Kennedy	SD	179.24	118	257
45	Anibal Sanchez	Det	183.16	123	223
46	Phil Hughes	Min	183.78	112	212
47	Chris Archer	TB	191.98	153	241
48	Justin Verlander	Det	194.96	93	238
49	Mike Fiers	Mil	201.34	151	266
50	Jered Weaver	LAA	202.12	149	262
51	Jose Fernandez	Mia	207.46	122	274
52	Collin McHugh	Hou	209.12	152	284
53	Jose Quintana	CWS	212.12	167	249
54	Matt Shoemaker	LAA	212.44	137	263
55	Homer Bailey	Cin	218.52	178	273
56	Francisco Liriano	Pit	229.12	189	268
57	Danny Salazar	Cle	232.7	198	266
58	Tanner Roark	Was	236.52	179	328
59	James Paxton	Sea	236.6	185	291
60	Jake Odorizzi	TB	241.68	189	280
61	Derek Holland	Tex	241.8	153	304
62	Matt Cain	SF	246.68	167	314
63	Dallas Keuchel	Hou	246.92	143	290
64	Scott Kazmir	Oak	247.34	202	288
65	Shelby Miller	Atl	251	196	326
66	Taijuan Walker	Sea	259.8	192	313
67	Chris Tillman	Bal	264.84	197	332
68	Drew Hutchison	Tor	266.14	213	321
69	Kevin Gausman	Bal	268.18	197	298
70	Danny Duffy	KC	268.36	206	329
71	Brandon McCarthy	LAD	268.44	226	327
72	Yusmeiro Petit	SF	270.52	201	389
73	John Lackey	StL	282.04	201	353
74	R.A. Dickey	Tor	285.64	229	329
75	Mike Minor	Atl	286.96	218	343
76	Kyle Hendricks	ChC	287.1	202	359
77	Rick Porcello	Bos	288.46	238	328
78	Ervin Santana	Min	293.26	218	371
79	Kyle Lohse	Mil	294.58	215	357
80	Wily Peralta	Mil	296.5	228	370
81	Henderson Alvarez	Mia	300.46	248	354
82	Jesse Hahn	Oak	302.78	262	343
83	Jason Hammel	ChC	309.62	239	368
84	A.J. Burnett	Pit	316.18	235	392
85	Matt Garza	Mil	323.3	278	380
86	Trevor Bauer	Cle	325.5	263	414
87	Jake Peavy	SF	329.28	270	410
88	Drew Pomeranz	Oak	329.5	246	415
89	Noah Syndergaard	NYM	331.98	251	411
90	Yovani Gallardo	Tex	333.58	256	380
91	Wei-Yin Chen	Bal	341.56	287	386
92	Jonathon Niese	NYM	346.08	283	406
93	Mike Leake	Cin	346.62	272	387
94	Andrew Heaney	LAA	350.96	254	419
95	Wade Miley	Bos	355.34	218	406
96	CC Sabathia	NYY	356.06	277	413
97	Tony Cingrani	Cin	361.74	290	456
98	Clay Buchholz	Bos	364	294	444
99	Bud Norris	Bal	364	244	443
100	C.J. Wilson	LAA	364.34	246	436

[stevenash]

The rankings from the above post is a composite from all writers in NFBC
Average pick means where the player was drafted overall in a draft.
Minimum pick means where the player was picked the highest, and maximum pick means where the player was drafted lowest overall.

Let's use David Price for instance, he is the seventh best projected starter this year.
You don't have to agree, you might think he's the 11th best, this is just the average opinion of all the expers.
Now reading left to right, on the average David Price was selected with the 32nd pick, or mid third round, and as high as 17th overall and as low as low as 51.
Me personally, if Price falls to me with the 44th pick overall, I might nab him, but not before 44.
But that's just me.

As a rule, I don't like to draft SP's in round 1, I would consider Kershaw and Kershaw only with the 11th or 12th overall pick, but that's it.
Why? Because I want my first two top picks playing in 150 + games, not 32 games.
If your top pick is a SP, and he goes down with an injury, your season is going to be real long.

Here is a free piece of advice.
FANTASY SEASONS ARE NOT WON IN THE FIRST ROUND, BUT MANY A FANTASY SEASON IS LOST IN THE FIRST ROUND.

So, I try to shy away from drafting SP's too early, I also love drafting strikeout artist as well.
Strikeouts consist of 20 percent of scoring in 5x5 leagues, and the 5 by 5 format is what this thread is going to be mostly about when I am talking about season long fantasy.
During the course of the year I/we are going to talk daily leagues, but this being February, the next 6weeks are going to be talking about your season long league.

Anyway, I am digressing here.
I'll sacrifice a little bit of WH/IP or ERA for a K artist, not to much ERA, but I place a premium on strikeouts.

Now, my best advice when drafting a starter is watch the flow of the draft, there is no set rule as to what wins drafts/leagues, and there is a ton of truth to the adage you don't want to win the draft, you want to win the war.

My draft strategy going in is I want the best available postion players with my first four picks, my strategy for rounds 5 through 8 is all pitching.
HOWEVER, if Chris Sale is available to me with my third round pick, I am abandoning my strategy and drafting Sale.
It's all about the flow of the draft.
I like to wait on pitching, but you have to go with the flow, the most common question is how long do you wait on pitching, well, if Kershaw, Sale, King, Mad-Bum, etc are flying off the board in early rounds, well it would behoove you to go with the flow.

OK, let's talk about the top 100 I posted some.

I don't want Harvey, unless he's dirt cheap.
Why? Because he will have Stras rules this year, innings and start caps are going to be placed on him.

I also would bump up Wainwright to top 7 or 8, not 12
Why? Because between 2013-2014 he's been the second best pitcher in the game.
He led the league ininnings last year, has struck out 400 in 2 years (well 398) won 39 games, made every start and on and on and on and on, he's a stud, bonafide stud!

I don't think Kluber is going to have a repeat season, I'm looking for minor regression there.

I'm looking for monster seasons out of Sonny Gray and Chris Sale.
Sale is my 2015 Cy Young award winner.
Thing about Sonny Gray that concerns me though is the elbow problems that curve ball pitchers seem to develop.

[joeye]

Hey Steve,
thanks for the info. I have never played fantasy sports before. I thought I would give it a try. Can you give me any other info? Where to play, and what tools and strategies are good. I would just like to play for free, and just play once a week, not everday. I might play some $1.00 games, but I would like to practice first. Getting old and don't have the time. lol.

[stevenash]

Hey Steve,
thanks for the info. I have never played fantasy sports before. I thought I would give it a try. Can you give me any other info? Where to play, and what tools and strategies are good. I would just like to play for free, and just play once a week, not everday. I might play some $1.00 games, but I would like to practice first. Getting old and don't have the time. lol.

Sure, you can play for free at Yahoo and ESPN year longs.
For daily contests DraftKings has freerolls, even .25 cent cash games.

Right now, gotta go to the supermarket, I'm going to post more this afternoon.
(I'm getting old too)

[High3rEl3m3nt]

I tend to take a different approach, because so many managers follow the same path of passing up on pitching early and drafting position players. Instead of playing the same game, I go for pitching early and often. Whereas most of the league is neck and neck offensively, I typically have a stronghold on the most stat cats and am able to make a play for certain offensive cats, such as runs, sbs, etc. I can usually draft some cheap power later on or even pick up guys with power potential like Chris Carter of last year.

This strategy is especially useful if you find yourself in a late draft position and SPs haven't been touched by the time it's your turn.

Obviously, this strategy is not without its fair share of risks. Several injuries and your rotation goes from dominant to weak.

[stevenash]

^
Your thinking is sound also, gotta go with the flow though.

If the top three relievers went in the 7th, 7th, and 8th rounds, and in the 9th rounds the rest of the good relievers are starting to be drafted, better have one drafted or draft in the 9th also.
Or else you are going to wind up with a 21 save, high ERA crap bum.

[joeye]

thanks for the help!!

Thanks !!! I will follow your thread, and try to pick up some tips.

[Auto Donk]

very informative thread..... just wish i had the time

[stevenash]

Some sleepers (SP) to consider.

Henderson Alvarez
Marcus Stroman
Nathan Eovaldi
Drew Smyly

[Straight Cash]

As far as daily games go, do you find daily fantasy baseball easier or harder than football? This fall was the first time I've dabbled in the daily games.

[stevenash]

As far as daily games go, do you find daily fantasy baseball easier or harder than football? This fall was the first time I've dabbled in the daily games.

Funny you should bring that up.
I was strictly baseball guy my whole life.
It took me 4 years to develop a winning strategy, mind you I have been doing baseball now since the beginning of time.
I put in all the homework, you have to, so after awhile baseball became second nature to me, 1) I am obscessed with baseball 2) I am a numbers geek who enjoys crunching numbers.

I digress, 2 years ago, there is a big cash season long, 12 team fantasy league run by my boss and his/my buddies.
I know NFL, I love NFL, but never did the fantasy thing.
Commisioner of the football league J.P says to me "we have an opening this year (which is rare) you want in?"
I was like "I don't know fantasy football" JP says to me "I hear you own and crush baseball" I'm like all modest "well kind of" JP says to me, "NFL is 100 times easier"
I read the scoring system, easy to grasp, I'm like "OK, PPR, backs get bonus points for receptions, I fall in love with guys like Forte who do it game in and game out" Draft Forte that year 1st round, 2nd round I get best available wide out Julio Jones, back to the best available back that catches passes, long story short, I break the league record for most consecurtive wins, win the regular season, lose in the finals, but still make nice bank.....

Point being, football is so much easier than basses on a daily, weekly or regular season.
Even though baseball is more consistant, there are a shitload more players that are relevant you have to know about.
Football all you need to know is defensive units, WR, TE, RB, QB, and a few kickers

Baseball you have to know every positon player (8) of every team (30).
Starters (5) of every team (30) and all 30 closers.
If you love baseball, have a passion for it, it's the most rewarding, but the most difficult in fantasy success.

[stevenash]

^
And to furter expand on my above post, once you know what all the baseball players can and can not do, who starts, etc. etc. you still have sall the matchup/breakdowns to do.
Who hits what pitcher well, what pitcher owns certain players/lineups......
It's worth the time if there is big cash involved, you want to play a 2 buck daily twice a week, just have a clue, you'll be OK, do it for BIG MONEY, you better put in your homework, once the season starts I'll be pointing things out.....

[MikeTizzy]

hey, nashy lets get a head start.. get it going on the season!

[stevenash]

Sleepers

Player	Team	POS	Projection System	Rank	Proj Val	ADP Type	Rank	ADP Val	Value Difference
Tim Hudson	SF	SP	Composite	190	4.77	NFBC	383	-6	10.77
Josh Collmenter	ARI	SP	Composite	211	3.46	NFBC	377	-6	9.46
A.J. Burnett	PIT	SP	Composite	179	5.61	NFBC	317	-3.45	9.06
John Lackey	STL	SP	Composite	157	7.61	NFBC	278	-0.9	8.51
Jake Peavy	SF	SP	Composite	196	4.31	NFBC	325	-3.8	8.11
Bartolo Colon	NYM	SP	Composite	235	2.06	NFBC	416	-6	8.06
Mike Leake	CIN	SP	Composite	214	3.21	NFBC	342	-4.81	8.02
Wei-Yin Chen	BAL	SP	Composite	222	2.51	NFBC	332	-4.33	6.84
Kyle Lohse	MIL	SP	Composite	187	4.9	NFBC	290	-1.68	6.58
Henderson Alvarez	MIA	SP	Composite	204	3.78	NFBC	302	-2.46	6.24
Ervin Santana	MIN	SP	Composite	197	4.3	NFBC	291	-1.77	6.07
Drew Smyly	TB	SP	Composite	107	11.57	NFBC	179	5.61	5.96
Garrett Richards	LAA	SP	Composite	100	12.1	NFBC	172	6.3	5.8
Scott Kazmir	OAK	SP	Composite	164	6.92	NFBC	244	1.31	5.61
Jason Hammel	CHC	SP	Composite	221	2.61	NFBC	307	-2.9	5.51
Wade Miley	BOS	SP	Composite	262	0.07	NFBC	356	-5.43	5.5
Jesse Chavez	OAK	SP	Composite	272	-0.56	NFBC	431	-6	5.44
Mike Fiers	MIL	SP	Composite	131	9.53	NFBC	199	4.12	5.41
Rick Porcello	BOS	SP	Composite	212	3.36	NFBC	284	-1.43	4.79
Yovani Gallardo	TEX	SP	Composite	255	0.7	NFBC	329	-4.06	4.76
Matt Garza	MIL	SP	Composite	250	1.17	NFBC	319	-3.54	4.71
Jonathon Niese	NYM	SP	Composite	264	-0.03	NFBC	339	-4.69	4.66
Nathan Eovaldi	NYY	SP	Composite	284	-1.43	NFBC	380	-6	4.57
Francisco Liriano	PIT	SP	Composite	163	6.97	NFBC	222	2.51	4.46
Jordan Zimmermann	WAS	SP	Composite	41	21.69	NFBC	63	17.27	4.42
Jason Vargas	KAN	SP	Composite	288	-1.64	NFBC	401	-6	4.36
Phil Hughes	MIN	SP	Composite	136	9.3	NFBC	184	5.09	4.21
Jose Quintana	CWS	SP	Composite	156	7.62	NFBC	210	3.46	4.16
Brandon McCarthy	LAD	SP	Composite	201	3.98	NFBC	264	-0.03	4.01
C.J. Wilson	LAA	SP	Composite	285	-1.53	NFBC	358	-5.44	3.91
Cory Luebke	SD	SP	Composite	297	-2.12	NFBC	613	-6	3.88
Carlos Carrasco	CLE	SP	Composite	81	14.32	NFBC	115	10.51	3.81
R.A. Dickey	TOR	SP	Composite	223	2.5	NFBC	281	-1.3	3.8
Hisashi Iwakuma	SEA	SP	Composite	70	15.87	NFBC	99	12.13	3.74
Mark Buehrle	TOR	SP	Composite	298	-2.33	NFBC	435	-6	3.67
Alfredo Simon	DET	SP	Composite	299	-2.38	NFBC	379	-6	3.62
Drew Hutchison	TOR	SP	Composite	205	3.78	NFBC	259	0.21	3.57
Ryan Vogelsong	SF	SP	Composite	301	-2.45	NFBC	497	-6	3.55
Cole Hamels	PHI	SP	Composite	42	21.29	NFBC	59	17.81	3.48
Anibal Sanchez	DET	SP	Composite	151	8.04	NFBC	185	5.04	3

[broadway6]

Will be tuned in all year. My fantasy draft is a little over a month away and I need to make the playoffs this year.

[mpaschal34]

Baseball needs to hurry up and get here. The sports world is boring as fuk right now.

[Big Bear]

Baseball needs to hurry up and get here. The sports world is boring as fuk right now.

i couldnt agree more.

[Big Bear]

Some sleepers (SP) to consider.

Henderson Alvarez
Marcus Stroman
Nathan Eovaldi
Drew Smyly

Stroman is far from a sleeper.

Pretty safe to say he is on everyones radar.

[stevenash]

Stroman is far from a sleeper.

Pretty safe to say he is on everyones radar.

Sleeper also pertains to one who will exceed expectations, doesn't always mean a pretty much unheard of.

[stevenash]

Random notes

Brad Boxberger (RP-TB): BB is going 250th off the board in NFBC drafts, which is some 60 spots lower, on average, than Jake McGee. While the Rays sound optimistic that McGee is ahead of schedule in recovering from minor elbow surgery, he is still, in the best-case scenario, likely to be out until late April. Will he, again assuming best-case scenario, reclaim his job? I'm skeptical. Brad Boxberger posted an INCREDIBLE 42% K-rate to go along with a respectable 8% BB-rate, and in tapping into the promise he showed in the minors, increased his velocity to 93 MPH on his AVG fastball. When you pair this with a nasty changeup that neutralizes left-handed hitters, it's no wonder he posted a 14% swinging-strike rate. While Betances and Giles are receiving lots of attention, Boxberger could easily post similar numbers by season's end.


Johnny Cueto (SP-CIN): The Reds are reportedly pushing hard to sign the man with exceptional hair to an extension and have until opening day to do so. While the Reds are in hot pursuit to retain his services, fantasy owners should be weary of his 40 ADP in the NFBC (9th SP taken overall on average). Prior to 2014 Cueto had logged over 186 innings in a season only one time, so while it's encouraging to see him pitch 240+ innings, I'm not convinced he is over the ailments caused by his inimitable delivery. When you look at the 2.25 ERA/3.21 xFIP, you can definitely see some natural regression on the horizon, as his 83% LOB rate and .238 BABIP are significantly different from his career norms. We like him as a top-of-the-rotation option in 2015, but see him as a top 70-player as opposed to a top 40.


Cole Hamels (SP-PHI): According to reports, four teams sent serious offers to the Phillies in an attempt to pry Cole Hamels out of Philadelphia. Hamels had yet another solid season, reaching 200 innings for the 5th consecutive year and posting a career-low 2.46 ERA. While there may be some regression in store--his 82% LOB and 8% HR/FB rate portend it--Hamels enjoyed a stellar 24% K-rate that was backed by an increase in velocity on his fastball. While it appears that the Phillies are shooting for the moon in a deal, making it likely that a trade won't be consummated until the summer months, Hamels makes for a solid option near the top of your rotation. Just remain cognizant of his likely run support.


Chase Headley (3B-NYY): Currently the 222nd pick on AVG in the NFBC, Chase Headley makes for an appealing consolation prize should you miss out on the top tier at 3B. He posted an impressive 105 MPH AVG speed off bat to go along with a 408 feet as his AVG home run distance. Additionally, he lowered his swinging-strike rate by a significant 3% and increased his contact rate by an impressive 6% as compared to his 2013 season. Fresh of a new deal in the offseason, full-time AB's are his for the taking, making him a sneaky fallback option at 3B and a serviceable CI option in standard leagues.


Jason Kipnis (2B-CLE): Despite undergoing finger surgery in December, Jason Kipnis is ahead of schedule and looks to be on track to fully participate in Spring Training, according to multiple sources out of Cleveland. While it was a disappointing 2014 for Kipnis and his fantasy owners, much of that, we believe, can be attributed to health (hamstring, oblique, and finger). He still maintained solid plate coverage, increasing his contact rate, and even maintained his AVG homerun distance and SOB numbers from prior seasons. My one concern, assuming perfect health, is his reversion last season to early troubles against lefties; after posting a .371 wOBA against same-siders in 2013, he plummeted back to a .229 mark in 2015. Overall, he is still a worthwhile selection around his NFBC ADP of 73.


Victor Martinez (DH-DET): While VMART feared the worse initially, it turns out that the Tigers may have dodged a bullet with the severity of the knee injury. All reports indicate the completion of successful surgery and an expected recovery of 4-6 weeks, putting him on track to return in Spring Training. While his 103 SOB and 387 AVG HR distance are solid, it's difficult to see them sustaining that 16% HR/FB rate he posted last year, a number some 6% higher than his career (and league) norm. Having such a spike in his power at age 35/36 is puzzling. While he is still unquestionably one of the best hitters in the league, the likely decline in power, combined with the uncertainty of yet another knee operation, compels me to drop him slightly in the rankings.


Daniel Norris (SP-TOR): The Blue Jays appear set for an open competition for the 5th slot in the rotation, and Daniel Norris is a man to watch. After struggling previously to find consistency in his delivery with that tall, lanky frame (he walked 46 in 90 innings in 2013), Norris finally put things together in a big way in 2014, striking out a whopping 163 batters and walking a respectable 43 in 124 innings across three MiLB levels. While his brief stint in the Majors showed that he is still a work in progress, I see him as one of the more intriguing breakout candidates to watch this Spring; even if he doesn't break camp, I still see him making an impact in 2015. And yes, it's true: he does live in a van down by the river!


Garrett Richards (SP-LAA): Today is an important day for Garrett Richards and his prospective fantasy owners, as he'll take the mound for the first time since brutally injuring his knee while covering firstbase on August 20th. Richards showed he was the real deal last season, harnessing his stuff and increasing his velocity to 96 MPH on his AVG fastball. While his 4% HR/FB rate portends some regression, the underlying indicators suggest that his 3.15 xFIP is a reasonable expectation. Watch closely today and throughout the Spring, but from all indications, he should end up being a steal at #169 overall in NFBC drafts.


Dayan Viciedo (OF-FA): According to reports out of Cleveland, the Indians are kicking the tires on signing Viciedo to a Major League contract. While the man clearly has contact issues (75% rate, 5% below league average), he did show improvement in his chase rate last season and still managed to smack 21 homers thanks to his superior speed off bat. Somebody will sign him, likely for a part-time role, but he still should be on the radar of those in 15+ team leagues.


Christian Walker (1B-BAL): It's not often that a prospect that received a cup of coffee gets overlooked the following year, but that's exactly what's happening with Mr. Walker. The 23 year old belted 25 home runs across AA and AAA in 2014 while posting a bearable 24% K-rate. While Travis Snider's arrival muddies the picture of Walker, as Snyder can handle lefties quite well, I see Walker as the next in line and a man who can assist those in deeper leagues in 2015. For those in keeper/dynasty formats, this could be your last chance to buy low.


Jered Weaver (SP-LAA): With a 200 AVG ADP in the NFBC, Jered Weaver has fallen considerably from where he stood during the past several seasons. While his velocity fell yet again to 86 MPH AVG on his fastball, Weaver still maintained his effectiveness thanks to his incredible arsenal, ability to change speeds, and command. He has a preternatural ability to induce weak contact, which has proven to be vital to his success despite being a heavy flyball pitcher and has enabled him to continually defy the DIPS. After pitching 236 innings in 2011, Weaver has struggled to go deeper into games. He has reportedly added bulk in the offseason in an attempt to eclipse the 213 innings he posted last season. While he shouldn't be drafted as a #1 or #2 anymore, don't forget about him.

[stevenash]

My first real mock draft of the winter

FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS

I was assigned #1 pick (Trout-no brainer)


1. Trout
2. McCuthchen
3. Stanton
4. Goldschmidt
5. Kershaw
6. Gomez
7. Miggy
8. Joey Bats
9. Encarncion
10.King Felix
11.Rizzo
12.Cano

[broadway6]

FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS

I was assigned #1 pick (Trout-no brainer)


1. Trout
2. McCuthchen
3. Stanton
4. Goldschmidt
5. Kershaw
6. Gomez
7. Miggy
8. Joey Bats
9. Encarncion
10.King Felix
11.Rizzo
12.Cano

top 12 makes me feel like baseball is running low on superstars. It may cost me but I would hate my team if I picked Joey bats or Rizzo in the first round.

[stevenash]

^
I have another mock in 15 minutes.

[stevenash]

More random notes

Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles
Davis was one of the biggest fantasy busts in 2014, following up his monstrous 53 HR, 138 RBI campaign in 2013 by hitting a major league low .196 with 26 HRs last season. Davis had a league high K% of 33.0%, although this is not much higher than his career rate of 31.0%. What really hurt him was a career low .242 BABIP (3^rd lowest among qualified hitters), which is significantly lower than his lifetime .320 mark. He maintained an above average line drive rate (24.6%) but suffered from a line drive BABIP of .591, over 100 points lower than any other season of his career, which would seem to simply be bad luck. While his ridiculous 2013 season, aided by career highs in fly ball rate (45.7%) and HR/FB % (29.6), was likely an anomaly, he should still provide good power in 2015, and it is certainly reasonable to assume he will improve from last year's unsightly batting average. For those wondering about the shift, Davis has been working on hitting the ball the other way this offseason.


Brad Boxberger, RP, Tampa Bay Rays
Boxberger broke through to become one of baseball's best relievers in 2014, posting a 2.37 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts in 64.2 IP. His spectacular 14.47 K/9 was good for 3^rd best in the big leagues among pitchers with at least 50 IP. His xFIP of 1.95 last season suggests that he may have actually been unlucky last year and his bloated 18.8 HR/FB% (2^nd highest in the majors) is likely due for some regression. While it remains to be seen if he can duplicate his remarkable 2014 strikeout rate, there is no reason to believe that he can't at least come close. His major problem earlier in his career was his high walk rate, (over 5 BB/9 in each of his first two seasons), but he managed to lower that figure to 2.78 last year, making him more of a complete package. The key to Boxberger's fantasy value in 2015, however, is that he is currently a frontrunner to start the season as the Rays' closer with Jake McGee expected to land on the DL. His dominance last season against both lefties (13.07 K/9, .105 BAA) and righties (15.82 K/9, .195 BAA) bodes well for him succeeding as a closer, and if he can take the gig and run with it, it is very realistic that Boxberger ends the season as a top-ten fantasy closer.


Michael Cuddyer, OF, New York Mets
Not many could have anticipated Cuddyer hitting over .330 in back-to-back seasons, even with Coors field as his home, but that's exactly what he's done the last two years. Injuries limited Cuddyer to just 49 games in 2014, but when he was in the lineup, he made the best of it, producing a slash line of .332/.376/.579 with 10 HR and 31 RBI in 190 at bats. Now he moves to Citi Field where his numbers are bound to regress, the question being to what extent. In three years with the Rockies, he performed quite well even on the road, batting .286 with 20 HR and 70 RBI in 144 road games. His contact rate (84%) and line drive rate (24.2%) in 2014 were above average, albeit a small sample size, so he should be able to maintain a solid batting average. The major concern for Cuddyer looking forward is his health. He has averaged only 93 games per season over the last three seasons and he will soon be 36. While he should still contribute a decent average and moderate power, it is hard to view Cuddyer as much more than a late-round flier in shallow leagues.


Francisco Liriano, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
Liriano had a decent season last year, posting a 3.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 175 strikeouts and 81 walks in 162.1 IP. He continues to get punchouts; his 9.70 K/9 was his highest mark since 2006, aided by an MLB best 13.6% swinging strike rate. Liriano's struggle is, and always has been, with control. His 4.49 BB/9 was a league high and marked the fourth time in six years that his BB/9 was over 4.00. His Zone% dropped for the seventh year in a row to a major league low 35.0%. He benefited from a ridiculous .206 BABIP with runners on base last season, compared to a .341 BABIP with bases empty. This discrepancy is likely just a case of good luck for Liriano, and if regression kicks in, he could be in trouble. Liriano should remain a good source of strikeouts next season, but unless he finds a way to cut down on the walks, he could be a very risky play.


Brandon McCarthy, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
McCarthy finished 2014 with a mediocre 4.05 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 175 strikeouts in 200 IP split between the Diamondbacks and Yankees. It seemed like a tale of two seasons for McCarthy, who went 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA in 18 starts with Arizona, then finished the season by going 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA in his 14 starts with the Yankees. His peripherals indicate that he actually pitched very well the entire season. His 7.88 K/9 was a career high and his 1.49 BB/9 marked the fourth consecutive year in which his BB/9 was under 2.00. In fact, McCarthy's 1.50 BB/9 since 2011 is the 3^rd best rate in MLB over that span. He seems to have made some pitch selection changes last season; he threw substantially more fastballs and curveballs, significantly fewer cutters and practically abandoned the changeup. In addition, his average fastball velocity was over 2 mph greater than ever before. When McCarthy changed his pitch arsenal back in 2011 with the A's, it made him a totally different pitcher, and his recent changes seem to be working as well. His swinging strike rate (8.8%) was his highest in 8 years, and he's getting more hitters to swing at pitches outside the zone (37.4 O-Swing %, 2^nd in MLB). He suffered last year from a .328 BABIP and a league high 16.3% HR/FB, which was likely just bad luck. In fact, when those rates did regress towards the mean in his time with the Yankees (.307 BABIP, 12.8% HR/FB), his results vastly improved. The bottom line is that his 2.87 xFIP last year indicates that he could be one of the better pitchers in baseball. The main concern with McCarthy is his health, as 2014 was the first season that he made over 25 starts. When on the mound though, he has the potential to be quite dominant, and at a bargain price, he very well may be worth the health risk.


Colin McHugh, SP, Houston Astros
McHugh quietly put together a fantastic rookie season for the Astros last year, compiling a 2.73 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 157 strikeouts in 154.2 IP. He particularly excelled in the 2^nd half of the season; in 72.1 IP after the break, he posted a 2.12 ERA to go along with 64 strikeouts and only 8 walks. McHugh finished the season with a 9.14 K/9, aided by an excellent 10.8% Swinging Strike rate, compared to 2.39 BB/9, all of which bode well for him maintaining his success. His .259 BABIP indicates that he may have gotten somewhat lucky last season, but his xFIP of 3.11 suggests that even with some regression, he could remain a very good pitcher. While he may not have received the hype of fellow breakout pitchers Garret Richards and Jacob deGrom, he was every bit as good last year and may come relatively cheap on draft day.


Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox
Pedroia had a disappointing 2014 in which he hit a career low .278/.337/.376 with only 7 HR and 6 SB. His 12.3 K% last season was a career high, although still well above league average, and was the primary culprit of his "low" batting average. The truth is, Pedroia's increase in strikeouts is not entirely new; from 2006-09, his K-rate was 6.9%, and it has been 11.0% since. In fact, his contact% (88.8%) and swinging strike % (4.8%) in 2014 were right in line with his rates from 2011-13 and his K% was 10.6% over that span, so he actually may be in line for some mild improvement in that area. A more major concern for Pedroia is his disappearing power. Over the past two seasons, he has seen decreases in both his FB% and HR/FB% resulting in back to back single digit homerun seasons. This may partially be due to his recent wrist issues, and if his wrist is complete healed as he claims, it's possible some of the power returns, but this is far from a certainty. His decline in steals is perhaps even more mysterious, being that he had at least 17 SB in each of his last 5 full seasons, so it would not be surprising to see him put up double digit steals next year. With his good contact abilities, stolen base potential, and (what should be) an improved Red Sox lineup around him to help his counting stats, Pedroia could easily return to the top-ten 2B pool, but he is no longer the fantasy stud he once was.


Albert Pujols, 1B, Los Angeles Angels
Pujols' days as the unquestioned premiere hitter in baseball are well behind him, as his numbers since joining the Angels are well below those which he put up year in and year out in St. Louis. In 2014, Pujols batted .272 with 28 HR, 105 RBI, and an OPS of .790, a stat line which would be considered pretty good for the typical player. His 89% contact rate last season was well above league average and right around his career mark. However, his BABIP has dropped from .311 over 11 seasons with the Cardinals to .270 in his 3 years since moving to the AL. Perhaps even more alarming is the drop in his HR/FB % over the same time span, from 19.7% with STL to 13.4% with LAA, causing his average season HR total (per 600 at bats) to drop from 42.3 to 27.6. To make matters worse, his walk rate has been declining over recent years, including a career low 6.9% mark last season, costing him run scoring opportunities and especially hurting him in OBP leagues. The fact that his numbers have remained down for 3 years is a fairly clear indication of declining skills, as opposed to just bad luck. It is hard to expect much improvement from Pujols over last year's production; the best one can reasonably hope is that he stays healthy in 2015 and puts up numbers similar to those of a year ago, which would still give him plenty of fantasy value.


Jose Quintana, SP, Chicago White Sox
Quintana was solid in 2014, finishing 9-11, with a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 178 strikeouts in 200.1 IP. He improved both his strikeout and walk rate for the second consecutive year, averaging 8.0 strikeouts and 2.34 walks per 9 IP, both slightly above league average. As a result, his xFIP improved to a career low 3.37. He may have gotten lucky last year with a 5.1 HR/FB% (2^nd lowest in the league) but he was also a bit unlucky with a .318 BABIP against him, so it could even out. Overall, Quintana's numbers are certainly not exceptional, but they are above average and fairly consistent; his swinging strike rate has always stood between 8 and 9%, his contact rate between 80 and 82%, and his ERA under 4.00 for each of his three seasons in the big leagues. If you're looking for a relatively safe back of the rotation option, Quintana may be a good choice.


Denard Span, OF, Washington Nationals
Span had his best offensive season since 2009 last year, batting .302 with 94 runs scored and a career high 31 steals. Span continues to make great contact, and his career low 9.7 K% in 2014 ranked 8^th among qualified hitters. His .330 BABIP last season may have been a bit lucky considering that his GB/FB rate of 1.54 was a career low by a significant margin, and as a speedster with little power, Span is better off keeping the ball on the ground. If his GB and FB rates return to his career norms, however, he could maintain a BABIP right around his lifetime mark of .320. While Span is not likely to match his 31 steals from a year ago (26 was his previous season high), he is still a good bet to steal 20+ bases next season (in years that he has played in over 130 games, he has always had at least 20 SBs). Combining the steals with a good BA and a lot of runs scored should allow Span to remain a valuable fantasy asset in 2015.

[stevenash]

The key to a successful fantasty baseball seasom is mock draft, mock draft, mock draft, mock draft!

This one I am assigned 4th overall pick.

1. Mike Trout
2. Clayton Kershaw
3. McCutchen
4. Stanton
5. Goldschmidt
6. Miggy
7. King Felix
8. Joey Bats
9. Carlos Gomez
10.Encarncion
11.Abreu
12.Adam Jones

[stevenash]

San Diego's Pitching

Padres Pitching -Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, James Shields, and Ian Kennedy The Padres loaded up on RH hitters and vastly improved their offense, but the real question is going to be what type of pitching will they have? Quietly the Padres have put together a very solid pitching staff. It is not getting the same type of publicity that their revamped offense is getting. They have four quality major league pitchers in Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, James Shields, and Ian Kennedy.


Andrew Cashner Andrew Cashner is the ace, but has yet to fully develop into the ace that we would all like to see. Cashner has great stuff; mid-nineties fastball, hard slider, average curve, and an above average change-up. Cashner also has good control and limits base-runners, but hasn't truly learned how to finish hitters via the strikeout. His career strikeout rate of 7.27/9 leaves much to be desired, especially with his raw stuff. Cashner is a smart pitcher that knows how to make adjustments and has the potential to put together an ace-like season. Cashner's pre-season ADP has been 13th round, which makes him a perfect high-upside player that could be a steal if he stays healthy and improves upon his strikeout rates.


Tyson Ross There was a lot to like about Ross in 2014. He threw 195.2 innings, 2.81 ERA, 8.97 K/9, and a 57% GB rate. All of those numbers were excellent and contributed to his breakout 2014 season. Ross continues to get overlooked on draft day (11th Round ADP) despite his stellar numbers. Ross primarily uses two pitches, his two-seamer to get ground balls and his slider, which has a 23% swinging strike rate (excellent). We should be concerned with his slider usage, which was over 40% last year. This is a warning sign for an injury waiting to happen. In deeper leagues take this into consideration, but in shallow leagues feel free to ride him until his shoulder gives out.


James Shields James Shields recently signed a 4 YR/$75M deal with the San Diego Padres. PETCO Park is a pitching haven and should benefit an aging Shields. Shields has thrown a ton of pitches and innings over the past eight years. He has topped over 200 innings for eight straight years, but with all the wear and tear, Shields average FB velocity has remained constant at 92mph. However, Shields strikeout rate has declined over the past three years (7.14 K/9 career low in 2014). The good news is that even though his strikeouts have declined, so has his walks per nine to a career low 1.7 in 2014. You can peg Shields for 195 innings, 3.50 ERA, and 175 strikeouts with the shift to the National League.


Ian Kennedy Ian Kennedy was the beneficiary of moving from a hitter friendly park in Arizona to the pitcher friendly PETCO Park in 2014. Kennedy also benefited from an increase in velocity of 1.5 mph, which at age 29 is impressive. It remains to be seen if he will maintain this increase in velocity into his age 30 season, which is when pitchers velocity typically trends downward. Kennedy posted a 3.63 ERA over 201 innings and managed 207 strikeouts. Don't forget about Kennedy on draft day, but don't pay for his 2014 numbers. Expect numbers in the ballpark of a 10 W, 3.80 ERA, and 170 K's. Anything beyond those numbers would be a bonus.

[stevenash]

More random notes

Ken Giles (RP-PHI) Jonathan Papelbon is the closer for now in Philadelphia, but it seems that he is likely to be moved at some point this season. In the waiting, is a youngster by the name of Ken Giles. Ken Giles boasts a hard FB (97mph) and hard slider (87mph). Giles managed to strikeout 38.6% of batters that he faced in 2014. Giles peripherals support his monstrous 2014 season (1.18 ERA, 12.61 K/9, and 2.17 BB/9). Papelbon is being drafted 137th and Giles 245th in NFBC drafts. Giles is a must own regardless of being a hand-cuff or not.


Joc Pederson (OF-LAD) Joc Pederson is the ultra-talented prospect for the Dodgers that pushed Matt Kemp out of town. The Dodgers still have the same conundrum they did a year ago, four outlfielders (Crawford, Puig, Either, and Pederson), plus the LHP masher Andy Van Slyke to play three OF spots. At this point it seems like the Dodgers are going to ease their top prospect into action among a four-man rotation. This might limit his value initially, but he is always a Crawford injury away from a full time-gig. Pederson offers the coveted power/speed combo that many fantasy owners love. Pederson posted a 30/30 season at Triple-A, but that was in the very hitter friendly Pacific Coast League. It is not a reach to project Pederson with a 20/20 season, albeit with a low batting average for upcoming 2015 season.


Dalton Pompey (OF-TOR) Dalton Pompey is the favorite to win the final OF spot in Toronto. Pompey may be unknown to some, but his meteoric rise through the Jays farm system last year should make him a very interesting fantasy option in 2015. Pompey went all the way from rookie ball to the big leagues in one year. Pompey has the potential to go 10/20 in first extended look at the major league level. The risk here is high, but the reward could be as equally high. He is one to keep an eye on during Spring Training.


John Jaso (C-TB) John Jaso is going 285th overall in NFBC drafts. I find this to be interesting because Jaso is primarily going to be a DH with C eligibility. Jaso hit .264/9/40 in 344 PA. The Rays are going to use Jaso properly, meaning he is going to hit mostly against RHP, which he crushes to the tune of a .349 wOBA. Catching this year is hideous and you could do worse than Jaso as your second catcher or primary catcher in leagues in which you can utilize his strengths such as crushing RHP and .OBP leagues.


Barry Zito (SP-OAK) The Athletics have signed Barry Zito to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Zito is no spring chicken (37 yrs. old) and he posted a 5.74 over 133 innings with the Giants in 2013. The soft tossing left-hander is a nice story for the Athletics, but has zero fantasy value.


Masahiro Tanaka (SP-NYY) Masahiro Tanaka is due to arrive in Spring Training this week and all eyes are going to be on him, as he is recovering from a partially-torn ulnar collateral ligament. He has not had any setbacks during the off-season. Tanaka was electric when on the mound last year (2.77 ERA, 9.31 K/9, 1.70 BB/9). The biggest concern is whether he is truly healthy or not. The UCL is very delicate and he will be one pitch away from Tommy John surgery all year long. At this point Tanaka is a true gamble. He is being drafted in the 13th RD, but has top 5 potential. Take the plunge if you dare choose.


Carlos Martinez (P-STL) The Cardinals are still discussing the workload for Carlos Martinez for 2015. While he is considered the favorite to win the 5th spot in the rotation, he has never thrown over 108 innings in a season. Martinez is a two-pitch pitcher, triple digit FB and average CV. He needs to develop a change-up to combat LHH, which have a career .355 wOBA against him. Martinez can be drafted as a late-round flier with upside, but do not expect much out of Martinez until he figures out how to get LHH out.


Justin Verlander (SP-DET) Verlander has reportedly put on 20lbs of muscle this off-season. He was not able to workout last off-season due to core muscle surgery. Verlander threw a bullpen on Tuesday and reports are that he looked good. There is no way around it, Verlander had a terrible 2014 and is going 242nd overall in 12-team leagues. The outlook on Verlander is not good, because his velocity has declined each year for the past four and so has his strikeouts. Verlander has yet to show that he can pitch without his top-notch velocity.

[broadway6]

Zito stole plenty of money in his career...not sure why he wants to continue on a minor league contract. The guy could own the minor league team.

[Chi_archie]

Good luck

[Big Bear]

Zito stole plenty of money in his career...not sure why he wants to continue on a minor league contract. The guy could own the minor league team.

maybe he is not a prick like Dan Haren.

maybe he actually enjoys playing baseball.

The Oakland Colesium is an easy ballpark to pitch in. Hell it made an average pitcher like Gio Gonzalez look like an ace.

It even made Trevor Cahill look half way decent.

Zito is an excellent pick up by the A's but i still think they finish 20 games back of first place.

[Big Bear]

Ken Giles (RP-PHI) Jonathan Papelbon is the closer for now in Philadelphia, but it seems that he is likely to be moved at some point this season. In the waiting, is a youngster by the name of Ken Giles. Ken Giles boasts a hard FB (97mph) and hard slider (87mph). Giles managed to strikeout 38.6% of batters that he faced in 2014. Giles peripherals support his monstrous 2014 season (1.18 ERA, 12.61 K/9, and 2.17 BB/9). Papelbon is being drafted 137th and Giles 245th in NFBC drafts. Giles is a must own regardless of being a hand-cuff or not.


Joc Pederson (OF-LAD) Joc Pederson is the ultra-talented prospect for the Dodgers that pushed Matt Kemp out of town. The Dodgers still have the same conundrum they did a year ago, four outlfielders (Crawford, Puig, Either, and Pederson), plus the LHP masher Andy Van Slyke to play three OF spots. At this point it seems like the Dodgers are going to ease their top prospect into action among a four-man rotation. This might limit his value initially, but he is always a Crawford injury away from a full time-gig. Pederson offers the coveted power/speed combo that many fantasy owners love. Pederson posted a 30/30 season at Triple-A, but that was in the very hitter friendly Pacific Coast League. It is not a reach to project Pederson with a 20/20 season, albeit with a low batting average for upcoming 2015 season.


Dalton Pompey (OF-TOR) Dalton Pompey is the favorite to win the final OF spot in Toronto. Pompey may be unknown to some, but his meteoric rise through the Jays farm system last year should make him a very interesting fantasy option in 2015. Pompey went all the way from rookie ball to the big leagues in one year. Pompey has the potential to go 10/20 in first extended look at the major league level. The risk here is high, but the reward could be as equally high. He is one to keep an eye on during Spring Training.


John Jaso (C-TB) John Jaso is going 285th overall in NFBC drafts. I find this to be interesting because Jaso is primarily going to be a DH with C eligibility. Jaso hit .264/9/40 in 344 PA. The Rays are going to use Jaso properly, meaning he is going to hit mostly against RHP, which he crushes to the tune of a .349 wOBA. Catching this year is hideous and you could do worse than Jaso as your second catcher or primary catcher in leagues in which you can utilize his strengths such as crushing RHP and .OBP leagues.


Barry Zito (SP-OAK) The Athletics have signed Barry Zito to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Zito is no spring chicken (37 yrs. old) and he posted a 5.74 over 133 innings with the Giants in 2013. The soft tossing left-hander is a nice story for the Athletics, but has zero fantasy value.


Masahiro Tanaka (SP-NYY) Masahiro Tanaka is due to arrive in Spring Training this week and all eyes are going to be on him, as he is recovering from a partially-torn ulnar collateral ligament. He has not had any setbacks during the off-season. Tanaka was electric when on the mound last year (2.77 ERA, 9.31 K/9, 1.70 BB/9). The biggest concern is whether he is truly healthy or not. The UCL is very delicate and he will be one pitch away from Tommy John surgery all year long. At this point Tanaka is a true gamble. He is being drafted in the 13th RD, but has top 5 potential. Take the plunge if you dare choose.


Carlos Martinez (P-STL) The Cardinals are still discussing the workload for Carlos Martinez for 2015. While he is considered the favorite to win the 5th spot in the rotation, he has never thrown over 108 innings in a season. Martinez is a two-pitch pitcher, triple digit FB and average CV. He needs to develop a change-up to combat LHH, which have a career .355 wOBA against him. Martinez can be drafted as a late-round flier with upside, but do not expect much out of Martinez until he figures out how to get LHH out.


Justin Verlander (SP-DET) Verlander has reportedly put on 20lbs of muscle this off-season. He was not able to workout last off-season due to core muscle surgery. Verlander threw a bullpen on Tuesday and reports are that he looked good. There is no way around it, Verlander had a terrible 2014 and is going 242nd overall in 12-team leagues. The outlook on Verlander is not good, because his velocity has declined each year for the past four and so has his strikeouts. Verlander has yet to show that he can pitch without his top-notch velocity.

Verlander is supposedly also going to try to actually "pitch" now and stop being just a thrower.

Early on in his career he was able to be like here is my fastball you know its coming... i am going to throw it right down the middle and you can't hit it.

Last year the Cleveland Indians ripped his off. Verlander now knows he is going to have to sacrifice some velocity for some location and movement. He reportedly has been working on his 2-seamer.

Coach Ausmus thinks Verlander is going to have a great season this year. He is one of the best competitors in the game and he definitely has the body to withstand a 200 inning season and he has the mental aspect of pitching down. I think he may surprise everyone and win 20 games this season.

Price and Verlander will both be okay its that shitty bullpen and questionable back half of the rotation that may cause some problems for the Tigers.

[stevenash]

Hell it made an average pitcher like Gio Gonzalez look like an ace.

You really can't be this stupid.
Gio got lit up in Oakland.
Do you post stupidity just for trolling purposes?
Nobody can be this dumb.

Take a look at this link, tell me his numbers in Oakland, now tell me how he fared in Washington.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gonzagi01.shtml

[stevenash]

More random notes

Jung-Ho Kang (SS-PIT) - Between the contract and the posting fee, the Pirates are invested to the tune of $16 million over four years with Kang, but he will reportedly open the year as a utility infielder. He obviously wasn't going to unseat Neil Walker or Josh Harrison, but Kang was thought to be a strong competitor for shortstop duties given Jordy Mercer clocked in with a .692 OPS a year ago. Kang hit a robust .256/.383/.503 with 40 home runs in 117 games in Korea last year, but there are significant questions as to how those numbers will translate stateside. He's an interesting NL-only and dynasty league grab, but he's probably more of a 15-homer guy with full-time at-bats.


Addison Reed (RP-ARI) - Reed is battling early spring arm soreness, but it's probably nothing to be concerned about this early. Reed saved 32 games last year with solid ratios (10.5 K/9, 2.3 BB/9), but his HR/9 rate also spiked, to 1.67 per nine innings, thus resulting in a 4.25 ERA. He's probably not going to allow that many long balls again this year, but Reed is a flyball pitcher who pitches half his games in the desert. In the event of an injury or poor stretch, look for Evan Marshall to be the next man up. Marshall posted a 1.54 ERA over his last two months of last year and with Reed getting more expensive, he's a good keeper play as well.


Rougned Odor (2B-TEX) - Tough break for the Rangers Thursday, as Jurickson Profar will undergo surgery on his troublesome shoulder and likely miss a good chunk, if not all of 2015. Profar has his youth on his side, as he doesn't turn 22 until June, but this is a lot of development time missed. He's worth holding onto in deeper dynasty formats, but this is just unfortunate. It's good news though for Rougned Odor fans, as the second baseman won't have Profar looking over his shoulder (sorry, no pun intended) this year. Odor hit just .259/.297/.402 last year for the Rangers, but that was at age 20, so major improvement is possible this year, and the newfound job security doesn't hurt.


Paul Goldschmidt (1B-ARI) - Goldschmidt's left hand is reportedly completely healed, after the slugger was injured last August, ending his season after just 109 games. Goldschmidt heads into 2015 looking to stay healthy and improve upon an excellent .300/.396/.542 batting line from a year ago. I'd draft him just ahead of Miguel Cabrera and Jose Abreu among first baseman, and if you're worried about the injury affecting him this year, it's not a wrist (much more troublesome).


Eric Young Jr. (OF-ATL) - Young is just a non-roster invitee to Braves camp, but he is reportedly being viewed as a potential leadoff man / platoon left fielder. He would have the "good side" of the platoon with Jonny Gomes given he's face mostly RHP, but you would have a right to be skeptical here. First, Young batted just .229/.299/.311 in 316 PA's with the Mets last season, and given he also posted a subpar .310 OBP the year before, it's tough to see him lasting too long in the leadoff role. Should it happen though, Young would be a legitimate threat to steal 40 bases, as he swiped 30 last year in just 100 games. There isn't much competition for LF duties, so watch this spring to see how this plays out.

[broadway6]

maybe he is not a prick like Dan Haren.

maybe he actually enjoys playing baseball.

The Oakland Colesium is an easy ballpark to pitch in. Hell it made an average pitcher like Gio Gonzalez look like an ace.

It even made Trevor Cahill look half way decent.

Zito is an excellent pick up by the A's but i still think they finish 20 games back of first place.

i'm sure he's not doing it for the money and or the love of the game... but his prime came and left years ago... good luck to him though