Alex Rodriguez

That’s A Lot Of Money For A Band Box

A grand coliseum it is, unfortunately what’s going on inside isn’t gladiatorial at all — it is far more reminiscent of Christians being fed to LIONS.

In the first three games at New Yankee Stadium, the visiting Cleveland Indians have scored, gulp, 37 runs.  The Yankees have managed a respectable,  but not spectacular, 12 Runs.
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Alex Rodriguez

2009 Keeper Dynasty League Third Basemen

No Pedro Alvarez, Josh Vitters or Mike Moustakas in the Yahoo or ESPN Player Pool, looks like you’ll have to wait another year. There are plenty of solid keeper options at third base though, especially of the young and unproven variety.

Whether or not they’ll stick at third base, is a whole different ballgame however.  Currently Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, Russell Martin, Mark DeRosa, Marco Scutaro, Felipe Lopez, Hank Blalock, Chase Headley and Jed Lowrie have third base eligibility in Yahoo Leagues, but they haven’t been included because I either don’t think they’ll stick or they’ll provide greater vlaue elsewhere.

Banking on Miguel Cabrera logging 15 Games at 3rd for the next 10 years is a bit iffy, and if you’re drafting Russell Martin — You’re playing him at catcher. A-Rod’s probably got a couple years at DH in him as well, which would warrant him a higher overall than positional rank.  He scoots ahead of Longoria in the overall ranks.

C- 1B – 2B – SS – 3B – OF - SP – RP

1. David Wright – NY Mets – 26 - I thought he had another year to wait, but with Rodriguez’s injury, Wright’s the best third base option, and should continue stealing 15+ bases for the next 4 years.

2. Evan Longoria – TB Rays – 23 - Longoria’s a talent, but I’d expect somewhat of a sophomore slump this year. Blasphemy, I know. In the long run, he should provide you with 10 years of top-3 third basemen play.  A few more SB would be nice.

3. Alex Rodriguez – NY Yankees – 33 - Loses a few months to injury, but he’ll play well into his late 30’s. I’ll take 4 years of first-round talent over 8 years of 5th round talent, any day.

4. Ryan Zimmerman – WAS Nationals – 24 - It’s a tough choice between Zimmerman and Gordon. Gordon ends up being the better player, but Washington surrounds Zimmerman with more talent.

5. Kevin Youkilis – BOS Red Sox – 30 - Re-upped with Boston, and should produce at a high level for at least 5 more years.  There’s the possibility that Youkilis gets moved back to third to make room for Lars Anderson.

6. Alex Gordon – KC Royals – 25 - If Gordon wants to cash in on all that talent and become a superstar, 2009’s the year.  KC’s putting together a squad that can mash, and they’ll at least be fun to watch.

7. Edwin Encarnacion – CIN Reds – 26 – 2009 is the year Encarnacionn puts it together. I dont think he has the talent of a Zimmerman or Gordon, but the ballpark’s definitely in his favour.  I’d have no problem ranking Edwin above both Zimmerman and Gordon.

8. Aramis Ramirez – CHI Cubs – 30 - Same boat as Youkilis.

9. Pablo Sandoval – SF Giants – 22 - I haven’t the slightest clue where Sandoval plays out his career, but his versatility can’t hurt.  There’s a good amount of risk associated with Sandoval, and I think you’ll probably have to overpay to get him in any keeper league.

10. Mark Reynolds – ARI Diamondbacks – 25 - Lots of power, not much average.  You’re getting what you pay for.

11. Chipper Jones – ATL Braves – 36 - Where to put Chipper? He can’t stay healthy, and he’s getting old.  He did post his best batting average ever as a 35 year old.  You’ve probably got two years of top-5 third basemen, and 1 year old top-10.  Adjust your rankings based on the depth of your league.

12. Garrett Atkins – COL Rockies – 29 - If Atkins stays in Colorado, he’s probably two spots higher.  Unfortunately, I can’t see him sticking around the mile-high city. Best case scenario: Atkins plays the year out at 3rd base, and eventually gets moved to first base — but he gets to stay in Colorado.  Worst Case: Atkins gets traded to a not-so-hitter-friendly park.

13. Jorge Cantu – FLA Marlins – 27 - His next five years could be 30HR, 25HR, 8HR, 17HR, 32HR.  It’s really two bad that he was such a terrible second basemen.  The Marlins are stacked with young talent, so he should continue to put up R & RBI numbers.  There’s also the chance that Florida cleans house again.

14. Adrian Beltre – SEA Mariners – 29 - I can’t believe he’s only 29. He’s been underachieving for almost 10 years now!  Taking a peek at Beltre’s numbers is quite enjoyable. In a purely baseball sense, a sense that takes into account his stellar defense, the Mariners really didn’t waste that massive wad of cash-money signing Beltre.  Now, if only someone could get on base for him.

15. Ian Stewart – COL Rockies – 23 - Who knows what he develops into. He’s ceilings probably 7th or 8th, and his basement is about Joe Crede.

16. Aubrey Huff – BAL Orioles – 32 – Eligibility is going to be a problem going forth.

17. Brandon Wood – LA Angels – 24 – Same boat as Stewart.  Wood’s massive power potential at the shortstop position is worth the risk, but at the third base position 30 HR isn’t all that uncommon.

18. Mat Gamel – MIL Brewers – 23 – His defense is getting better, and he’s almost a below average third baseman.  I don’t know if he’ll stick at third, but he’s got a whoooole lotta potential.

19. Josh Fields – CHI White Sox – 26 – This could be Gamel four years from now.  Fields has got a boatload of potential, and I’d be taking a chance on him.  All of the reports out of Spring Training are encouraging.

20. Chone Figgins – LA Angels – 31 – I probably screwed up this Figgins ranking, but it’s impossible to judge atypical performers in keeper leagues.  In a keeper league, you can’t really gameplan around Figgins by drafting a power-hitting MI to offset Figgins’ lack of power from a typical HR-hitting position. You just want to put together the best team without getting too cute.  With Figgins’ injury history, and almost all of his value coming from speed — I’d  avoid him as my third baseman.

21. Brett Wallace – STL Cardinals – 22 – Ooooh, Ahhhh! Baseball America has him only six spots lower than the mucho-hyped-upped-o, Mat Gamel.  Wallace comes in at the 40th best prospect, and a whole lotta power potential.  Glaus is getting old, and who knows how long Freese can hold Wallace off.  Well worth the risk at this point.

22. Kevin Kouzmanoff – SD Padres – 27 - I have an unhealthy hatred for San Diego third basemen.  I think it’s because I sat on Sean Burroughs for so long. Anyways, here’s a tidbit about Burroughs: After winning the league little world series, a team coached by his father and 1974 AL MVP, Jeff Burroughs; Sean was invited onto David Letterman.  When asked what his dream job was, instead of coming up with the obvious answer of:  “follow in my dad’s footsteps and become a ball player,” Burroughs told Letterman he wanted to be a gynecologist. Kids say the darndest things.  Anyways, I do not want the Kouz on my team.

23. Troy Glaus – STL Cardinals – 32 - Still has a few good years left in him, 2009 isn’t one of those years. He’s got Wallace breathing down his neck, too.

24. Carlos Guillen – DET Tigers – 33 – Detroit will find a spot for Guillen to play, and Guillen should produce for a couple more years.

25. Andy LaRoche – PIT Pirates – 25 - Now that he’s with his brother, and hopefully relaxed — LaRoche is probably a very profitable risk to take heading into 2009.

26. Joe Crede – MIN Twins – 30 – Signed a one-year deal with the Twins.

27. Dayan Viciedo – CHI White Sox – 20 – Cuba, Cuba.  Should be solid, if/when Josh Fields fails.  Even if Fields succeeds, Viciedo will probably snag a spot in the outfield.  At the very least, keep an eye on him.

28. Melvin Mora – BAL Orioles – 37 – I couldn’t believe that Mora was 37 Years old.  Maybe 1 or 2 seasons of 90+ RBI left in ‘em.

29. Bill Hall – MIL Brewers – 29 - Bill Hall should be in his prime, he’s not.  He’s having trouble making contact, let alone smash-killing.  With Gamel breathing down his neck, maybe this year’s the year.

30. Matt Tuiasosopo – SEA Mariners – Solid youngster, you might have to wait a couple years.  I dont see him being anything special though.

31. Mike Lowell – BOS Red Sox – 35

32. Wilson Betemit – CHI White Sox – 27

33. Ty Wigginton – BAL Orioles – 31

34. Jose Bautista – TOR Jays – 28

35. Jeff Keppinger – HOU Astros – 28

36. Brian Buscher – MIN Twins – 27

37. Conor Gillaspie – SF Giants – 21 – I think Gillaspie flops.  Maybe you want to move him above Tuiasosopo, but I dont.

38. Russell Branyan – SEA Mariners – 33

38. Jack Hannahan – OAK Athletics – 29

39. Eric Chavez – OAK Athletics – 31

40. Casey Blake – LA Dodgers – 35

41. Scott Rolen – TOR Blue Jays – 33

Unfortunately, I’m sick as a dog, and the regular season is only a few days ago — So if these seemed rushed, they are.

Alex Rodriguez

Re-Examing A-Rod Part II: “Brother: A-Rod could be out until May”

There are inconsistencies everywhere surrounding this Alex Rodriguez story.  I wrote an article earlier this week dealing with A-Rod’s cyst and it’s fantasy impact.  A link to an MLB.com article detailing the situation was provided (lame, I know).

The MLB.com article focused mainly on A-Rod’s brother announcing that Rodriguez will miss a bunch of time due to cyst surgery.

Then, MLB.com made the link disappear. The link was replaced with an article detailing how the cyst had been aspirated on Thursday — which is odd because my article was written Wednesday night.  Either way, I’m not sure why they removed the article from both MLB.com and their sister site worldbaseballclassic.com

Here’s the article by Bryan Hoch (taken from google cache, entitled Brother: A-Rod could be out until May:

TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez’s troublesome right hip requires immediate surgery and could force the Yankees slugger out until May, the third baseman’s brother told LasMayores.com, MLB.com’s Spanish-language Web site.

Rodriguez’s brother, Joe Dunand, said that Rodriguez will have the operation performed in Vail, Colo., on Monday by Dr. Marc Philippon. The recovery time is expected to be about 10 weeks.

The diagnosis will nix Rodriguez’s hopes of playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

“We’re not giving any information right now,” Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo said Thursday.

“I do not have that information. I have not heard that yet. I have to talk to Cash,” manager Joe Girardi said, referring to general manager Brian Cashman.

Rodriguez left the Dominican Republic team on Wednesday to fly to Colorado after the results of a MRI taken Saturday in Tampa revealed the internal cyst. A Yankees team physician, Dr. Chris Ahmad, recommended that Rodriguez undergo an examination by a specialist.

The 33-year-old Rodriguez has managed discomfort in his right hip dating back to last season. Girardi said Wednesday that Rodriguez had expressed feeling “a little stiffness” at various times since last season.

“There wasn’t really any pain — just some mild stiffness,” Girardi said. “He was doing a lot of stretching and worked on it this winter as well. We just want to make sure that we’re doing the right things with this.”

Rodriguez has played regularly this spring, including going 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday’s Dominican Republic exhibition against the Marlins. He left the Yankees on Sunday after playing in New York’s Grapefruit League loss to the Reds at Sarasota, Fla.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. — MLB.com

I wanted to revisit this article to deal with some of the inconsistencies, and it seemed wise considering that A-Rod’s surgery was breaking news, somehow, 4 days later.

March 5th brought us: The News that A-Rod was doing his thing in Colorado, and there was the possibility of surgery.

The strange thing about this Newsday article was A-Rod’s comments to the Yankee organization:

Rodriguez told the Yankees he thought the hip soreness was restricting his bat motion, however, and possibly affecting his power.

March 7th brought us: Bloomberg’s ‘Maybe A-Rod Will have Surgery‘

March 8th and 9th brought us: A-Rod is going to have hybrid surgery and should be out for 6-9 weeks. As far as I can tell, the cyst is rubbing A-Rod’s hip labrum, and causing stiffness. Dr. Phillippon, the hip-specialist, plans on freeing up the labrum in addition to removing part of the cyst (mlb.com-link).

The MLB.com Link that replaced “Brother…” still piques my curiosity however, stating the following:

Cashman said that Rodriguez has not felt pain in the right hip, though an MRI examination taken last season during Rodriguez’s stint on the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps revealed an irregularity that was tucked into Rodriguez’s medical file.

Because the irregularity was asymptomatic and there was no pain, Rodriguez was permitted to continue playing. He had taken measures over the off-season and during the Grapefruit League season to relieve stiffness and restriction in the hip, including increased stretching.

USA Today listed A-Rod’s 2008 Quad injury as having taken place in late April, which I’d assume meant A-Rod played the entire 2008 season with the Yankees having known that he had a cyst or an irregularity.

A tear of the hip labrum does seem suspicious, however. Firstly, tearing the labrum in the hip joint generally requires absolutely no treatment, and patients often do not even realize they’ve torn it. The Mayo-Clinic’s website, Mayoclinic.com, will help us along, although feel free to skip to the end:

Symptoms: Many hip labral tears cause no signs or symptoms. Occasionally, however, you may experience one or more of the following:

* A locking, clicking or catching sensation in your hip joint
* Pain in your hip or groin
* Stiffness or limited range of motion in your hip joint

Causes:

The cause of a hip labral tear may be:

• Repetitive activities. Sports-related and other physical activities — including the sudden twisting or pivoting motions common in golf or softball — can lead to joint wear and tear that ultimately results in a hip labral tear.
• Trauma. Injury to or dislocation of the hip joint, such as from playing football, hockey and other contact sports, can cause a hip labral tear.
• Diseases or conditions that damage the labrum. These may include degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis or femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), a condition in which the ball of your femur and your acetabulum rub together abnormally, causing friction in your hip joint.

Sometimes a hip labral tear has no known cause.

Tests and Diaganosis:

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and conduct a physical examination. He or she may ask you to move your hips and legs in different positions to assess your range of motion while asking you about any pain or unusual sensations.

To confirm a diagnosis of a hip labral tear, you may undergo a special type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) called magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography.

Magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography is a noninvasive technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create cross-sectional images of joints. During magnetic resonance (MR) arthrography, contrast material is injected into the joint space to help make images more clear.

Treatments and Drugs:

Many hip labral tears cause no signs or symptoms and need no treatment. However, when treatment is necessary it may include:

• Physical therapy. Exercises to maximize hip range of motion and hip strength and stability can help to improve symptoms. A physical therapist also can analyze the movements you perform that put stress on your hip joint and help you avoid these forces.
• Corticosteroid injections. A corticosteroid injection into the hip joint can help provide pain relief and reduce joint inflammation. These injections are performed under X-ray or ultrasound guidance.
• Pain medications. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can provide pain relief. NSAIDs include such over-the-counter (OTC) medications as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, others).

Arthroscopic surgery
If you have a hip labral tear and experience hip pain for more than four weeks, your doctor may recommend a surgical procedure called hip arthroscopy.

During hip arthroscopy, an orthopedic surgeon inserts a flexible, drinking-straw-sized instrument (arthroscope) into your joint space through a small incision in your skin. The arthroscope is fitted with a lighting system and tiny camera, enabling the surgeon to see into your joint.

Once the surgeon can see the joint, the specialized instruments needed to perform the procedure are inserted through small accessory incisions. Depending on the cause and extent of the tear, the surgeon may cut out and remove the torn piece of labrum or repair the torn cartilage with a suture procedure.

YES, STEROIDS ARE A TREATMENT FOR A TORN HIP LABRUM. Awesome, or AWESOME?

Just a final note on the possibility of Rodriguez having osteo-arthritis or the possibility of FAI (hipfai.com):

Why does it occur?

No one knows if FAI is a condition that begins at birth (congenital) or develops during periods of growth (acquired).  It is likely a combination of one’s genetics and environment.

How did I get it?

Some experts believe that significant athletic activity before skeletal maturity increases the risk of FAI, but no one truly knows.  Significant contact sports (i.e., football) are associated with Cam impingement.

I’m going out on a limb when I say this, but when you combine a body that has yet to mature with mass amounts of steroids, and in turn, muscle growth — you have yourself a perfect set of conditions.

What I can’t understand is why Alex Rodriguez didn’t have this addressed in the OFF-SEASON.

Everyone knew there was a problem but like many people Rodriguez did not experience pain from a torn-labrum & cyst.  However, the Yankee Doctors and Specialists surely must have known that this “irregularity” wouldn’t get better with time.

A-Rod swings a bat for his paycheck, and somehow we are supposed to believe that highly paid Doctors assured the Yankees that this wouldn’t continue to worsen?

So what’s going on here? There’s no reason why things should have unfolded this way.  If A-Rod was unfit to play, or the cyst was causing discomfort — this should have been taken care in the off-season.

Alex Rodriguez

Cyst Keeps A-Rod Out: Re-Examining His Draft Spot.

Alex Rodriguez’s brother, who I’m sure is great friends with his cousin, has been talking to ESPN Deportes. It appears as though A-Rod is to undergo EMERGENCY SURGERY on a cyst.

A cyst that causes no pain, just mild stiffness.  A cyst that apparently dates back to last year.  A cyst that’s probably not on his hip, but rather somewhere ridiculously close to where his cousin stuck a needle in his ass. Clemens had one of those too…

Rodriguez shat the bed earlier this off-season, as he decided he wasn’t American: he was UN-American, he was Dominican. Maybe A-Rod just wanted to win, you cant fault someone for doing anything possible to win, right?

Americans celebrated as their chances of victory doubled with the departure of Rodriguez.  It’s not just that Rodriguez can’t win the big one, it’s that his inability to handle the pressure rubs off on everyone else.  Now that Rodriguez’s is out, the Dominican Republic is almost guaranteed success.

Newsday is reporting that the CYST is not related to steroids, because it’s on his hip. To which I say: “Has anyone seeeeen, this cyst?”.  Even if it’s on his lower hip, Arod’s proven that he isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.

Fantasy Take: Average Draft Position.

Rodriguez has been all but set in stone at the 3rd overall pick this spring, and while the steroid news has dropped him — it hasn’t dropped him far.

Now with the news that Rodriguez is going to miss 10 WEEKS, and may not play UNTIL MAY, we’ve got a problem. The MLB Season starts in less than 40 days, which isn’t 10 weeks.

Assuming you have plenty of DL spots, A-Rod’s going to start the year on your DL and miss about a month.  How hard this hits you will depend solely on the depth of your league.  In a very shallow league, you’ll be able to find a replacement player to fill in for A-Rod that wont kill you.

Thus, Rodriguez only drops a couple spots.  I think he falls behind Wright and Reyes, but ahead of guys like Cabrera and Sizemore in shallow leagues.

In deeper leagues, we have a different ball-game though.  Drafting A-Rod is going to leave a rather large void in your line-up for a bit.  If you can’t fill that void with someone like ….Ty Wigginton, you’re in trouble.

In this case, a Month without Alex Rodriguez should drop him to the damn near end of the first round / early second round. Somewhere around the Holliday, Berkman and Also-Injured Utley.

Realistically, someone’s going to overpay for A-Rod. If he’s playing, he’s still the best third-base option for your fantasy squad. With all of this hooplah, he may just put up career numbers to prove to the world that he can do it without the ‘roids.

Unfortunately, he’s no longer worth your draft pick.  Rodriguez could come back early, as a cyst removal really isn’t crazy-intense.  The problem is going to be getting back into shape, as the surgery will limit the flexibility in his hip-flexors, lower-back, and probably even his hamstrings.

Finally, I’m disappointed that A-Rod isn’t having the surgery in his HOME-COUNTRY that’s given him so much.  Instead he’ll be flying to Colorado, where Kobe will give him a lesson on relationships.

photo: rickyrhodes, flickr.

Alex Rodriguez

Spring Training Day 2: A Little Bit Of A-Roid

Spring Training has reached it’s pinnacle: Day Two! This is where we separate the winners from the losers. This is where we find out who’s got what it takes to be a Vivid Girl, and who’s just a fluffer.

What Have We Learned Today, Day 2 of Spring Training?

Alex Rodriguez may actually be as stupid as reported. When the SI Steroids story came out, I figured there was no way A-Rod could have not known what his cousin was sticking in his ass every couple days.

Alas, Rodriguez may actually be this dumb.  Yesterday after the Yankees / Jays game, Mr. Rodriguez figured he’d catch a ride home from none other than his cousin: The MYSTERIOUS COUSIN, Yuri Sucart.

Alex Rodriguez undoubtedly paid a PR firm quite a bit of money to paint him orange for the ESPN Peter Gammons interview. You’d figure he’d also pay them a few bucks to tell him: “DONT HANG OUT WITH YOUR STEROID MONKEY COUSIN FOR A BIT, KTHX”.

USA today has an AP article describing the whole situation and offer some so obvious it hurts insight, from A-Rod.

Rodriguez acknowledged to the Yankees that having the cousin meet him at the ballpark in Dunedin was a mistake, the person who told The Associated Press about the situation said.

In Other News, Johan Santana has a sore elbow and was scratched in a B game against Italia.  This doesn’t seem like anything too serious.

The Dodgers have offered MANNY! a new deal, and they’re hoping to hear back by tomorrow.  2 Years / 45 Million sounds awfully familiar.  Hrm.

Eric Young Jr. got his second start in a row at second base for the Colorado Rockies.

Mark Teahan of the Royals got some more at-bats as a 2nd Basemen, and didn’t commit an error today! Hurray! Ka’aihue pitch hit today, and did it well — but where are they going to find AB for him?

Jose Guillen wants to be a new man, and he does have a point with the whole ” I don’t beat my wife, drive drunk, or kill people” defense. I like Guillen this year, hopefully he stays healthy.

Andruw Jones of the Texas Rangers got another AB, and struck out again.  For those of you keeping track: 3AB / 3 SO

In the most boring recap of the day, the Seattle Mariners played the San Diego Padres. Chris Young pitched, and his face remained in one piece…for now!  Still like Young a lot as a sleeper?

Eric Patterson who the Athletics got from the Cubs played some second base today but I’m sure Ellis has got that shit on lock-down.  Sean Gallagher pitched well, and the Athletics bullpen looks very solid.  A bullpen can really effect a SP’s ERA numbers — Big Time. I like Gallagher quite a bit this year.

Milton Bradley played right field for the Cubs? Wait.. he was pitch ran for in the first inning after snagging a hit.  This should be interesting. Alcides Escobar committed an Error? What? No! NOT POSSIBLE. DAGGER!

Orlando Hudson suited up for the Dodgers, and I’m still not sure where he bats in that line-up.  He could be a steal if he bats ahead of Kemp and Ramirez.

The Diamondbacks/Indians Game doesn’t really tell you anything new, but I’ve always liked Wyatt Toregas.  Catcher in Cleveland is sorta jammed up though.

The Yankees beat the Rays, and have been anointed World Series Champs. Phil Hughes pitched well, and please remember this guy is still one of the top pitching prospects? in the game.

All sorts of fun out of the Mets vs. Marlins Game. First off, Congrats to David Wright for allegedly boning Eric Andrews and almost certainly perfecting the money shot. Is there anything Wright CAN’T DO?! Anything? Danny Murphy needs to get some infield reps at some point this year. Hanley Ramirez is now an ERROR MACHINE (2 Games, 2 Errors). Cameron Maybin got Picked Off — Nice One, Idiot.  Jeremy Hermida still exists and I still think it’s BREAKOUT-YEAR!

Joe Carter went deep off Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams as the Blue Jays beat the Phillies, 6-2.  Realistically, the Blue Jays are going to come very very close to being the worst team in the AL.  Their only saving grace is Roy Halladay + 8 Trillion left handed relievers. The temperature was 76 Degrees and Sunny.  Toronto comes in at 39 Degrees and Overcast (and this has been the nicest day in the past week).

Baltimore exploded all over St. Louis, showered and then left. Danys Baez wants to be a SP, right?  3 BB, 2 ER, 0 K’s, all in 1IP! Stardom, Achieved.  Baez only gave up one hit though!

The Pirates edged the Red Sox, with Andy LaRoche managing to do two things at the same time — He PLAYED and HIT.  It is expected he’ll turn that doubles-power into home-run power, as well. I’m not certain that Julio Lugo doesn’t end up with more AB than Lowrie this year. Lugo’s always fun to own. I wonder if Nyjer Morgan can hold off the young guns all year long?

Minnesota pasted Cinci, as Micah Owings went for 3 Innings..Either Cinci pitchers are the best prepared in the league, or Dusty Baker is on crack. Joe Crede hasn’t suited up for the Twins yet, but everyone’s favourite roster filler, Brian Buscher, may no longer be a viable option.

Braves and the Astros played a solid game, and everyones favourite Arizona Fall League MVP, Tommy Hanson, gave up a couple runs in 2IP.

Washington and Detroit played an enthralling 2-1 game.  Dunn, Johnson and Dukes all played today leading me to believe that Nick Johnson is still healthy. Freddy Bynum is almost certainly still a very nice guy, who can’t hit.

…I’m not sure how long I can keep up spring training updates, as they’re terribly boring.  Soon they’ll be reduced to short updates where we’ll inform you whether or not a player has ceased to exist.

Alex Rodriguez

Fantasy Baseball Rankings 2009: Third Basemen

Top 3rd Basemen: The Chlamydia Corner, The Worm Burners.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Alex Rodriguez	Yankees	510	35	18	104	103	0.302	0.392	0.573	0.56	0.965

One of these days Alex Rodriguez is going to be overtaken by David Wright, but not yet.  Alex Rodriguez brings value across the board, and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. There’s no reason to think that his power numbers will decline anytime soon, and he should post an OPS around 1.000 each and every year.

The curious part is his stolen base numbers. Each and every year I assume that his SB numbers will dip below 15, and then he goes and hikes it up to around 20. He’s obviously never going to steal 46 bases again, but counting on somewhere between 15 and 20 is a safe assumption.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
David Wright	Mets	626	33	15	115	124	0.302	0.39	0.534	0.8	0.924

Wright has developed into one of the more consistant fantasy players out there, and he’s definitely 1b rather than 2nd overall in these rankings. Unlike Rodriguez, David Wright doesn’t have the potential to go and put up 45 home runs unless absolutely everything goes right.

Wright does have the potential to steal 30 bases, and is one of the few players who even has the potential to go 25/25, let alone 30/30.  Depending on who you’re targetting in the later rounds, the extra 10 SB Wright puts up may be worth the loss in HR between him and Rodriguez.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Aramis Ramirez	Cubs	554	27	2	97	111	0.289	0.38	0.518	0.79	0.898

The Cubs are stacked and Ramirez is consistant, and consistancy is key in these early rounds.  You’re going to get what you pay for with Ramirez, 30 HR, 100+ RBI, 100+ Runs, and a .300 average.  There are other third baggers that could put up better numbers than Ramirez, but they come with a bit more risk.

The second tier of third basemen clearly ends with Wright and begins with the next couple of guys.  I’ll take consistancy on a great team over potential, any day of the week.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Evan Longoria	Rays	448	27	7	67	85	0.272	0.343	0.531	0.38	0.874

Oh the potential! Everything you look for in a third basemen, Longoria has. In only 448 AB last year, Longoria threw up amazing numbers.  With a year under his belt and a full time starting gig, Longoria should improve upon his numbers across the board.

Longoria plays on a young, and obviously talented, Tampa Bay Rays team.  There’s more than enough protection on either side of him in the line-up, and they’ve had a taste of success.

The one thing to watch with Longoria are his strikeouts and his lack of walks. Players can succeed with a BB:K ratio of .40, but it’s not something you’d like to see. This screams sophmore slump, so watch out.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Chipper Jones	Braves	439	22	4	82	75	0.364	0.47	0.574	1.48	1.044

Chipper has all the talent in the world, but his body is breaking down and asking for 500 AB is probably asking too much.  However, when I value a third basemen — I fill in the missing at bats with a replacement level player. Even in a 14 team league, there are still plenty of third basemen that you can throw in after Chipper has made his annual DL trip.

Third Base is probably the deepest position of them all this year, so drafting Chipper isn’t as risky as it seems.  He’ll probably bat .330+ and hit 20-25 Homers, with the possibility of .350 and 35 Homers.  Chipper is one of the few third basemen who actually have an eye, and has an above 1.00 B/KK ratio.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Kevin Youkilis	Red Sox	538	29	3	91	115	0.312	0.39	0.569	0.57	0.958

I didn’t think Youkilis would succeed last year, or at least put up the 29 home runs.  There was nothing out there that predicted 30 Homers from Youkilis, but that’s how the cookie crumbles.  You will get a solid average from Youkilis, along with a great On Base Percentage.

All of the prediction models have Youkilis around 20 Homers, but there’s no reason Youkilis can’t repeat his 29 HR season of last year.  He plays in a great line-up and will add mass amounts to either your R or RBI depending on where he’s batted in the line-up.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Aubrey Huff	Orioles	598	32	4	96	108	0.304	0.36	0.552	0.6	0.912

It hurts me to put Aubrey Huff here. I’m not a Huff fan, and he’s managed to put up spectacularly average numbers each and every year.

Last year was ridiculous though, absolutely ridiculous, and maybe he finally put everything together.  He clearly has the talent, and always has had it — it’s just putting it all together. Anyways, the potential for .300 and 30HR is hard to resist.  In a young, talented Orioles line-up, Huff should flourish.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Chone Figgins	Angels	453	1	34	72	22	0.276	0.367	0.318	0.78	0.685

It’s impossible to rank Chone Figgins properly against other third-basemen, as his skill-set is pretty much the opposite of every other third basemen.  He compares better to the second basemen, shortstops or centre-fielders. Anyways, I like to ignore Figgins unless you plan on ignoring stolen bases from other typical SB heavy positions.

If that is the case, Figgins is a must.  If your outfield, or middle infield has power guys — then why not get 30-40 SB from your third-bagger.  He’ll obviously improve on his 22 RBIs from last year, so long as he stays healthy.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Garrett Atkins	Rockies	611	21	1	86	99	0.286	0.328	0.452	0.4	0.78

I’m not certain how the Rockies play out this year, and I’m not sure what Garrett Atkins is going to show up.  With Ian Stewart waiting in the wings, who knows if Atkins stays in Colorado.  If he gets traded, his value drops immensely.

If he does play the entire year in Colorado, he should continue putting up damn good numbers at the hot-corner.  His average took a big hit last year, and he should hike it back past .300 in 2009.  Other than that, 30 Homers and 100+ RBI seem about right.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Melvin Mora	Orioles	513	23	3	77	104	0.285	0.342	0.483	0.53	0.826

He’s not a young sexy sleeper, and Baltimore is over-shadowed by New York and Boston.  He produces though, and he puts up consistant numbers.  The average could be anywhere between .275 and .330.  The Homers should be on the nice side of 20, and the RBIs and Runs should pile up with such a solid Orioles offense.

While the next couple guys: Cantu, Davis, Reynolds and Gordon will  probably produce better than Mora — Mora is safe, real safe.  Maybe I’ll move Mora down, maybe not.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Jorge Cantu	Marlins	628	29	6	92	95	0.277	0.327	0.481	0.36	0.808

Good Ol’ Jorge. There was a time when Jorge Cantu played for the Devil Rays and was quite the second base dynasty prospect.  He’s not particularly defensive minded by any means, but he’s young and he can swing the stick.  Then, he dissappeared.

Anyways, it looks as though perennial Minor-League smasher, Dallas McPherson may have grabbed the third-base gig for 2009, with Jorge Cantu moving to first after the Mike Jacobs trade.  I’m sure this is a good thing for Cantu, but who knows.  Cantu still strikes out too much, walks too little, and has an awful OBP.  When he does make contact though, it goes a long way.  The Marlins offense appears to be coming along, and depending on where you get him — Cantu is either a steal with lots of upside, or a huge bust with lots of risk.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Christopher Davis	Rangers	295	17	1	51	55	0.285	0.331	0.549	0.23	0.88

Davis is flying up draft-boards and is one of every magazines sleepers.  The kid can hit, and did so in his limited action in 2008.  However, one of these young third-basemen is going to flop.  The K numbers and plate discipline just aren’t there, and this is the case with many of the young corner-infielders.

Davis’ numbers are hard to resist though: In 295 AB last year, he damn nearly slugged .550 with 17 Home Runs.  Boy, can Davis hit.  He’s clearly worth the risk, but expectations need to be held in check considering his massive K rate.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Carlos Guillen	Tigers	420	10	9	68	54	0.286	0.376	0.436	0.9	0.811

Guillen was plagued by injuries last year, and only managed 420 AB. Guillen brings with him a different sort of risk than many of the younger third basemen listed both above, and below, him: Injury Risk.

If you think Guillen can keep his ass, literally his ass, healthy then he’s worth a pick earlier than this point. Depending on his position in the line-up, his R or RBI should be around 100 with the other at about 80 and Guillen actually manages to take a walk or two.  He’s a solid hitter, without great pop, and wont particularly contribute to the SB category — although you can expect 5-10, fairly.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Ryan Zimmerman	Nationals	428	14	1	51	51	0.283	0.333	0.442	0.44	0.774

Ryan Zimmerman is another young 3rd baseman, who’s been around long enough to start producing some dirty-ass numbers.  This should be the year that everything comes together, and Washington is starting to look like a half-decent team.

I genuinely have no clue where to actually rank Ryan Zimmerman, but just take a look at his stats and figure it out for yourself.  I suppose you either like him, or you dont. You either like Stud players on bad teams, or you dont.  On a good team, Zimmerman would actually see some pitches, but until someone steps up — teams will continue to pitch around the National best hitter.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Mark Reynolds	Diamondbacks	539	28	11	87	97	0.239	0.32	0.458	0.31	0.779

Here we go again, all sorts of talent but strikes out way too damn much. His BB/K ratio isn’t awful because he doesn’t walk, he’s got a bit of Adam Dunn in him, and he’s got a 10% BB rate but he damn near strikes out 40 percent of the time.

Reynolds would be much more useful in an OBP over AVG league, as his .240 average at least becomes a respectable? .320 OBP.  Reynolds is going to steal some bases, hit some HR, and come close to 100 RBIs and Runs.  He’s a ridiculous talent, but his average will kill you.

Of course, if Reynolds improves his average it will certainly come at the loss of some power but he’d still be pretty attractive at 20-25 HR, 80 Runs, 90 RBI, and a .260 AVG.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Alex Gordon	Royals	493	16	9	72	59	0.26	0.351	0.432	0.55	0.783

If you’re not on crack like myself, go ahead and move Alex Gordon down 3-4 spots.  I adore crack-cocaine however, and Gordon’s staying here. I’m figuring Gordon puts up a great year, in a poor offense, and finally puts everything together.

Alex Gordon has just as much talent as Evan Longoria, and/or Ryan Braun, yet for some reason he hasn’t put the peices together.  This is the year he swats 35 Homers, and steals 15 bases.  Its gotta be. He’s on the right track, keeping his K% under 25 percent and I can’t help but believe that Alex Gordon and Zack Greinke put the Royals back in the spotlight, at least for 3 weeks.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Edwin Encarnacion	Reds	506	26	1	75	68	0.251	0.34	0.466	0.6	0.807

He’s on the right track, and he’s just gotta keep that average up to maintain fantasy relevance.  He should be in for a break out year, and is just starting to come into his prime at age 26.

Go ahead and circle the hell out of Edwin Encarnancion on your draft card, becaue it genuinely looks like its break out year time.  He could finish as high as 3rd or 4th overall in the final rankings.  He could also be babied again, sent back down to the minors, and never heard from again. (Actually, i’m not sure about Edwins Contract Options — If he’s out of options, I suppose the Red’s wont baby him anymore.  Draft Edwin, if you’d like some risk)

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Troy Glaus	Cardinals	544	27	0	69	99	0.27	0.372	0.483	0.84	0.856

I’m a Toronto Jays fan, and i tend to believe that Troy Glaus is a big-ol’ baby, who loves his steroids.

Glaus is bound to get hurt at some point, and when that massive injury occurs, I dont want to be the guy owning him.

Otherwise, Glaus has the potential to keep hitting 30 HR and 100RBI if he stays healthy.  An .850 OBP + SLG puts him in pretty elite company.  Stupid Glaus!

Glaus is already out and  is expected to miss 3 months of the season.  That took about 3 hours since the post.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Adrian Beltre	Mariners	556	25	8	74	77	0.266	0.327	0.457	0.56	0.784

I hate Adrian Beltre.  I hate that he’s got so much talent, and doesn’t play all-out. I hate that he had a good year in LA and got a massive contract from SEA.

Beltre is a great player, who’s younger than he seems, considering he’s been haunting fantasy squads for years.

The moment you forget about Beltre, he’ll go and put up 48HR and 120 RBI *cough cough* 2004.  He’s shown that he can knock out 30 a year while piling up a few SB, but I never want this man on my team.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Mike Lowell	Red Sox	419	17	2	58	73	0.274	0.338	0.461	0.62	0.798

How is Mike Lowell still on the Red Sox? Who knows. You probably dont want to draft Mike Lowell, as there’s more than a few guys with great upside at this point.  Mike could return to his 120RBI prowess of two years ago, but i doubt it.

Still good value in this extremely deep 2009 third base class, here.

Name	Team	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Casey Blake	- – -	536	21	3	71	81	0.274	0.345	0.463	0.41	0.808

Casey Blake is a safe pick here. He’s not a sexy prospect or an aging veteran, he’s simply a dude that produces and has a sparkling fucking beard.

Possibly the best beard in all of professional sports, ever.  Its thick and lusterous, and the dudes got a huge man-chin.  If he’s in Dodger-town LA all year, he’s got a good chance of hiking up those Run and RBI totals and playing a solid third base. While the know-it-all jerkoff may grab Ian Stewart or Kevin Kouzmanoff here, I’d stick with Casey Blake.

The Best Of The Rest Time:

• Ty Wigginton
• Dallas McPherson
• Joe Crede
• Kevin Kouzmanoff
• Ian Stewart
• Josh Fields
• Bill Hall
• Andy Laroche
• Pablo Sandoval
• Eric Chavez
• Brandon Inge
• Brandon Wood
• Travis Metcalf
• Brian Buscher
• Daniel Murphy
• Wilson Betemit
• Andy Marte
• Scott Rolen (I hate being a Blue Jays Fan)
• Jose Bautista (Truly Hate it, but Getting Bautista was a great call)

Third base is truly insane — from about tenth overall almost to the  bottom, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same numbers.  Pablo Sandoval is a huge sleeper that could easily put up better numbers than Edwin Encarnacion.

You pretty much have to take whomever falls into your lap.  I think the depth of this years 3rd base crop really devalues Alex Rodriguez and David Wright.