Brendan Harris

2009 Keeper Dynasty League Shortstops

If you’re in a keeper league, shortstop is always the hardest position to fill.  In 2009, the shortstop position is a mess and if you don’t get one early, you’re in trouble.

Luckily there’s help just around the corner, unfortunately it’s not in the yahoo player pool quite yet. Mike Moustakas, and Gordon Beckham aren’t all that far away and should probably be in the pool by next year, if not later this year.  Tim Beckham and Wilmer Flores on the other hand are still a couple years away, but you never know what Yahoo and ESPN will do to their player pool come 2010.

C- 1B – 2B – SS – 3B – OF - SP – RP

Onto the Shortstop Rankings for a Deep (ish) Keeper or Dynasty League

1. Hanley Ramirez – FLA Marlins – 25 - Number one pick in fantasy this year, and probably for the next 5 years.  Any decrease in speed should be off-set by an increase in power.

2. Jose Reyes – NY Mets – 25 - At some point he’ll develop power, until then just enjoy the ride.  The first two picks really need no explanation at all.

3. Troy Tulowitzki – COL Rockies – 24 - This is where the explanations begin:  Tulo isn’t the most talented offensive shortstop left on the board, but he does play in Colorado. His glove-work will help keep him on the field throughout the worst o’ slumps.

4. Stephen Drew – ARI Diamondbacks – 26 – Drew has better offensive potential than Tulo and is starting to come into his own.  This may be Drew’s break-out year, and ranking Drew and Tulowitzki is a coin flip.

5. Alexei Ramirez – CHI White Sox – 27 - Ramirez is a popular pick this year, and he brings a rare power/speed combo to the table. He’s a free swinger, and while I woudln’t go out of my way to pick him in a one year league; he has solid long-term value.

6. J.J. Hardy – MIL Brewers – 26 - Hardy brings much needed power to a light hitting position. At 26, Hardy is just starting to enter his power prime.  Expect improvement.

7. Jimmy Rollins – PHI Phillies – 30 - Rollins had a terrible year last year, but he managed to save it by stealing a shit-tonne of bases.  The speeds slowly going to fade away, so Rollins needs to prove he return to his 20-30 HR days.

8. Rafael Furcal – LA Dodgers – 31 – Furcal’s starting to get up there in age and he’s pretty gosh-darn fragile.  I’m assuming 31 is his actual age, but who knows. He’s still performing at an efficient level, and there shouldn’t be a drop off for another couple years.  Nice Power/Speed combo.

9. Jhonny Peralta – CLE Indians – 26 - Peralta is a masher and after his disastrous 2006 season, he’s continued to improve.  He’s pretty much a lock for 20+ HR, and should continue to improve.  His batting average no longer kills him, so he’s a nice bet for your starting SS.

10. Yunel Escobar – ATL Braves – 26 - I probably have Escobar higher than most, but with an eye like Escobar’s — there’s something there.  Escobar posted damn-near as many walks as he did strike-outs, and while his batting average was sub-.300, he’ll push it up and over that mark to stay in 2009. Escobar isn’t a power guy, nor is he a speed guy but he is going to be the SS for a young, talented, Braves team.  With the amount he gets on base, he’ll be scoring plenty of runs with Franceour, Schafer, Heyward, and the harem of minor-league talent in Atlanta.

11. Elvis Andrus – TEX Rangers – 20 - Speed, Speed and more Speed.  He’ll develop the rest in due time.  The stolen bases should keep him rosterable during the slow maturation process though.

12. Derek Jeter – NY Yankees – 34 - I haven’t the fondest clue as to how much Jeter has left in the tank, let alone how long he’ll stick at shortstop.  While he’s there, he’ll provide a little bit of everything.

13. Brandon Wood – LA Angels – 24 - Does he stick at short? Does he cut down on those strike-outs? Wood has all of the potential in the world, but unless he cuts down on those K’s, he’ll be one of the biggest busts of the century.

14. Alcides Escobar – MIL Brewers – 22 – Escobar’s got a great glove, that’ll keep him in any line-up.  He’s currently blocked by Hardy at SS, but Hardy will be the one to move.  Milwaukee has enough talent in the pipe-line to trade Matt LaPorta, so there’s no reason to believe that Escobar won’t be a run scoring machine.

15. Jed Lowrie – BOS Red Sox – 24 - I’m not a believer, and I’m not sure how long he’ll stick at the shortstop position.  If he sticks, he’ll provide great value from a hard to fill position.

16. Michael Young – TEX Rangers – 32 - Young’s shortstop eligibility is gone after this year.  I’m not sure where to rank him based on this.  He’ll probably log between 10 and 15 games at Shortstop this year, so he could potentially maintain his eligibility. He’s got a great team, and a great ballpark which leads  me to believe that he’ll remain useful for a few more years.

This is where the fun begins, as we’re getting into the guys that aren’t guarenteed a job, or are old as dirt.  Either way, expecting more than 2 seasons out of them is asking a lot.  If you’ve got a feeling — go with it!

17. Mike Aviles – KC Royals – 28 - Is Aviles a late-bloomer or a bust waiting to happen.  Aviles just keeping the seat warm for Moustakas.

18. Miguel Tejada – HOU Astros – 34 - I’m not sure what’s left in the tank, even if he avoided jail time.  He’s probably got about 2 years left of being somewhat rosterable. The solid Astro’s line-up should at least keep his counting stats up.

19. Khalil Greene – STL Cardinals – 29 - I’m tempering my man-crush on Khalil in the keeper rankings.  Greene has the potential to really move up these rankings, and he’s still young enough to contribute for 4 or 5 more years.  I’d definitely recommend taking a flier on Greene this year.

20. Ryan Theriot – CHI Cubs – 29 – As high as I am on Greene, I’m equally as down on Theriot.  I am not a believer, and after this year he may well be without a job.  There’s potential here, but I’m not buying the hype.  The solid line-up really saves him from a free-fall.

21.  Felipe Lopez – ARZ Diamondbacks – 29 - I like Lopez a good bit this year, and he has a whole lotta potential buried inside — somewhere.  If he’s allowed to run, he’ll fit somewhere between Wood and Jeter.

22. Jason Barlett – TAM Rays – 29 - Barlett’s in a solid line-up and has improved quite a bit since he was traded away from Minnesota. Tampa has a prospect line-up waiting to fill Barlett’s shoes.  If Brignac fails to man up, Bartlett will have a few years to put up stats before Beckham gets to the show.

23. Orlando Cabrera – OAK Athletics – 35 - You might get more than a couple years out of Cabrera. He seems like the kind of player that just wont go away.  He’ll be production for at least 2009, and he might be worth a pick if you think he’ll play at a high level into his late 30s.

24. Edgar Renteria – SF Giants – 34 - Renteria falls into the same category as Cabrera, and while there’s still a few prospects out there — I’d rather take someone like Renteria to contribute the next couple years while I wait to draft a SS prospect.

25. Erick Aybar – LA Angels – 25 – Aybar is a nice little mixture of speed and average.  I’m fairly high on Wood, because of his potential.  Aybar doesn’t have the potential, but he probably has a solid shot at sticking at SS even if Wood starts producing.

26. Absdrubal Cabrera – CLE Indians – 23: I like Cabrera, and he should develop into a solid every day second basemen.  He’s got the potential to be above average, but there’s also a bit of risk associated with him.  He’s got the job however, so he’s one of the safer choices under 25 years old.

27. Yuniesky Betancourt

28. Clint Barmes

29. Chin-lung Hu

30. Alberto Gonzalez

31. Brendan Harris

32. Nick Punto

33. Reid Brignac

34. Emmanuel Burriss

35. Alberto Callaspo

36. Nick Punto

37. Brent Lillibridge

38. Marco Scutaro

39. Jerry Hairston Jr.

40. Cody Ransom

The back end of these rankings needs work, but if you’re in a league this deep — you’re probably pretty knowledge about fantasy baseball.

Brendan Harris

ESPN 2009 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Examining Shortstops.

And now onto the ESPN shortstop rankings, which seem pretty solid at least at first glance.  There’s a few guys I’m not fans of, but they’re ranked in these spots by just about every expert.  They’ll probably perform at this level, and I’ll probably be wrong.  Regardless of such reality, I’ll rank ‘em where I think they’ll perform:

Rank	OVR	Name	Team	Position(s)	MIX$	AL/NL$	UP/DWN
1	1	Hanley Ramirez	FLA	SS	38	40
There’s always an argument for not taking someone first, but this year Hanley seems like a sure-fire bet for number 1 in all leagues.
2	4	Jose Reyes	NYM	SS	35	35
Hopefully the power will come, all the signs were there and then he fell flat on his face. If he adds the power so many scouts said he had him in, he’ll rival hanley.
3	9	Jimmy Rollins	PHI	SS	31	34
Rollins had a nasty year last year, and the only thing that saved him were those stolen bases. I’d expect somewhat of an improvement across the board, which’ll be offset by a dip in speed numbers
4	65	Derek Jeter	NYY	SS	12	24	DOWN
I’m not a Jeter fan, but he does put up numbers across the board. He’ll undoubtedly go too high in your league, but batting early in that New York line-up will help his R and probably his RBI totals too. The loss of A-Rod hurt him though.
5	70	Rafael Furcal	LAD	SS	10	24
Furcal’s just gotta stay healthy and he’d easily come in at 3rd overall on this list. He’s a perfect power/speed combo but has as many injury concerns as anyone in the league
6	78	Stephen Drew	ARI	SS	9	23	DOWN
I’m on the fence with Drew. He’s young and there’s lots of room for improvement, but there’s also plenty of room for him to be a bust this year before going on to have a long prosperous career. Last year’s .291 average shouldn’t be expected again. Think more in the .275 range.
7	88	Troy Tulowitzki	COL	SS	8	20	UP
Tulo should rebound nicely after last years abysmal start. 8HR and .263 isn’t Tulowitzki. Think closer to 20HR with a .290 average. Could be a steal, but like Drew could also fall flat on his face
8	105	Michael Young	TEX	SS	7	20	DOWN
Young’s moved over to third to allow the speedster Andrus to get AB. While Young was never a defensively gifted SS, the move to a somewhat less demanding position defensively should help prolong his career. Texas’ line-up is always fun to watch, and expecting the same as last year seems about right. Somewhere around .300 with about 15 HR seems reasonable.
9	130	J.J. Hardy	MIL	SS	5	16	DOWN
25HR, .275 BA, and about 80-85 Runs and RBIs seems reasonable. Hardy’s one of the better RBI producing Shortstops, if you skimped in the power-positions.
10	139	Jhonny Peralta	CLE	SS	5	17	UP
Another RBI man, Peralta has been up and down the last few years but he’s starting to level off into a consisent run-producing machine. Peralta doesn’t steal though, and this may pose a problem if you haven’t grabbed speed elsewhere. In the ballpark of 100 Runs and 85RBI with 20 HR is as good as it gets at the position though.
11	159	Mike Aviles	KC	2B/SS	4	15	DOWN
I’m not sure why I dislike Aviles so much, he hasn’t done anything wrong. His Minor League numbers show his .330 AVG wasn’t out of the blue but – Never Bet the Farm On BA, and that .359 BABIP is gaudy. When the end of the year rolls around you should be happy that Aviles hit .295 with 70 each of RBI and RBI, and maybe 10-15HR. He could go for 20 if all the stars align, I guess.
12	166	Miguel Tejada	HOU	SS	3	13
It looks like Tejada is going to get off with just probation for his little escapade. I wont get into how much bullshit that is, but Tejada does what he does and the Astros are a better team for it. The Days of 30HR are over, but there’s probably still a 10 percent shot of an insane year. In a perfect world, we’re insanely happy with 23-24 HR to go with 80 of R&RBI. Realistically, 20 HR and 75 of each seems right.
13	176	Ryan Theriot	CHC	SS	3	13	DOWN
Somethings things look too good to be true, and Theriot is one of them. The .307 Average is bound to drop, 22 SB is nothing to write home about and his Run numbers will free-fall if he cant get on base. There’s a lot of Theriot bashing going on over at Fangraphs, but that BABIP vs. Expected BA really stands out…330 vs 290. You think he’ll free-fall?
14	204	Jason Bartlett	TAM	SS	1	11	DOWN
How much is 20 SB worth to you? With Bartlett, you’re getting an extra 15 SB over the no-stealers above him, but you’re sacramenting everything else. .280, 60 Runs, 50 RBI with a .280ish average. Bartlett is however a possible break out player and realistically just needs to move himself up in the line-up to have great value. Unfortunately, with Upton, Crawford and Iwamura up there, the odds of movin’ on up are slim.
15	215	Orlando Cabrera	OAK	SS	1	10	UP
Cabrera’s a great fit in a very improved Oakland offense. Move him up more than a couple spots. He may be the biggest asshole money can buy, but 80 Runs and 70 RBI seem about right depending on where he hits. He’s always been at least an average base-stealer, and so long as he doesn’t start getting nabbed all the time – he’ll steal 15-20.
16	232	Elvis Andrus	TEX	SS	1	10
Speed Kills and it better, because at this point Andrus doesn’t have anything else. Even if he takes up the rear of the Rangers batting order, he’ll still score runs. 65Runs, and say 45-50RBI is about right… and then BAM, if he’s allowed to run he’ll steal 40-50.
17	255	Jed Lowrie	BOS	SS/3B	$-	10	DOWN
I’m not a fan of Average Lowrie. Everything about him screams average, to slightly above average. There’s a shot Lugo still takes his job. Whoever wins the job will put up good, solid, numbers in the Red Sox lineup.
18	263	Cristian Guzman	WAS	SS	$-	8
Guzman got on base at a ridiculous clip last year. If he bats lead-off again this year, and maintains his silly-stupid leadoff skills he’ll be a top 12 SS. Unfortunately nothing leads us to believe that Guzman can do what he did last year again. I like Guzman as a boom/bust type in that improved Nat’s lineup.
19	276	Yunel Escobar	ATL	SS	$-	7	UP
There’s nothing not to love about a guy who walks as much as he strikes out, while hitting .300. Escobar will put up a nice OBP if that’s your thing. He wont run much, but 10 HR and 70R/60RBI seems about right.
20	285	Khalil Greene	STL	SS	$-	6	UP
My favourite sleeper, or at least one of them. Over the past 3 or 4 years, I’ve grown to hate Khalil Greene and his infinite talent with all of my soul. I figure a change of scenery may actually help him, and while he’s killing spring training pitching I wouldn’t move him up too high. That BA will kill you even if he ups it to .260
21	291	Brandon Wood	LAA	SS/3B	$-	8
One day Wood is going to get a shot to prove his worth without feeling like he could be sent down after an 0/4 performance. I think if Wood ever gets a fair shot, he’ll eventually develop into what everyone thought he’d become. This year, I just cant see where he’ll play unless someone gets hurt. Someone always gets hurt though.
22	296	Clint Barmes	COL	2B/SS	$-	6
Do not like Barmes, at all.
23	300	Asdrubal Cabrera	CLE	2B/SS	$-	8	UP
Do Like Cabrera, a lot. A healthy clean-up hitter, a healthy Cleveland line-up = sneaky good numbers for Cabrera.
24	318	Erick Aybar	LAA	SS	$-	7
Well, someone’s gotta play short and I’d rather have Aybar over Izturis.
25	322	Edgar Renteria	SF	SS	$-	5	UP
Awful San Fran line-up but Edgar deserves to be a smidgen higher. He should bat early, and big ‘ol Bengie Molina will drive him in.
26	331	Yuniesky Betancourt	SEA	SS	$-	6
27	344	Jerry Hairston Jr.	CIN	SS/OF	$-	5	UP
I like Hairston a lot, he had a great year last year in limited action and it looks like that’ll be the case this year too. He’s quick, and’ll steal bases. Dickerson looks to have the LF job on lock-down, but he could falter. Hairston’s versatility makes him useful in almost any league.
28	348	Julio Lugo	BOS	SS	$-	5
Awful BA, could steal some, will score some. Watch the Lugo/Lowrie situation unfold, LIVE on mlb.com
29	370	Jeff Keppinger	CIN	SS	$-	4
…never bank on BA for value
30	377	Emmanuel Burriss	SF	2B/SS	$-	4
Speed is nice. Frandsen is not.
31	381	Cesar Izturis	BAL	SS	$-	5
An Age’d Freddy Bynum
32	393	Maicer Izturis	LAA	2B/SS	$-	4
Could steal some…
33	395	Alex Gonzalez	CIN	SS	$-	3
No thank you.
34	466	Aaron Miles	CHC	2B/SS	$-	2
35	472	Nick Punto	MIN	2B/SS	$-	2	UP
Punto should go higher, as he’ll get his AB.
36	476	Nomar Garciaparra	OAK	SS	$-	2
37	479	Brendan Harris	MIN	2B/SS/3B	$-	2
38	487	Brendan Ryan	STL	2B/SS	$-	1
39	517	Bobby Crosby	OAK	SS	$-	2
Thank God the Bobby Crosby Experiment is over. I hear he’s learning second base now!
40	522	Ben Zobrist	TAM	SS/OF	$-	2
41	524	Jack Wilson	PIT	SS	$-	1
42	527	Marco Scutaro	TOR	2B/SS/3B	$-	1
Hrm, move him up a smidgen.
43	528	David Eckstein	SD	SS	$-	1
44	534	Gordon Beckham	CHW	SS	$-	1
If he plays this year, Chicago is on crack. I wrote a piece on him the other day, and while I love him – rushing him is an awful idea.
45	551	Tony Pena Jr.	KC	SS	$-	1
46	565	Angel Berroa	NYY	SS	$-	$-	UP
This one’s interesting. Move him up.
47	685	Ronny Cedeno	SEA	2B/SS	$-	1
48	735	Brian Bixler	PIT	SS	$-	$-
49	738	Brent Lillibridge	CHW	SS	$-	$-
50	754	Alcides Escobar	MIL	SS	$-	$-	UP
Nice place to end the rankings, but if Escobar plays I’d expect him to be higher than this. If Bill Hall continues to Bill Hall the situation, I’d expect Escobar to make his way into the line-up rather than Gamel. I think Hardy can play 3B – actually, it may be a pipe dream. Disregard.

ESPN hasn’t missed much with these rankings but,

Adam Everett – Detroit Tigers: While Everett brings the suck, he’s probably got a starting job save Ramon Santiago stealing a couple AB here and there.  In that Tigers line-up, everyone should have value.  Carlos Guillen’s days at shortstop are well over.

There’s a couple here and there, but I’m pretty satisfied with these rankings.

Brendan Harris

ESPN 2009 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Examining Second Basemen.

ESPN seems to have some glaring holes in the second basemen rankings, so here’s your cup of tea for the day.

RANK	OVR	Name	Team	Position(s)	Mixed $	AL/NL $	UPDOWN
1	14	Dustin Pedroia	BOS	2B	28	27
There’s no arguing with Pedroia at 1, but I wouldn’t expect a repeat of 2008. Pedroia doesn’t strike the same fear you’d expect from an MVP. 14th overall seems right, but second base has a lot of value this year.
2	16	Chase Utley	PHI	2B	26	27
If Utley comes in healthy, and gets at least a little time under his belt prior to the season – he’s number one. Utley has about 3 weeks of the season to take off, before I’d drop him below Brandon Phillips and crew.
3	25	Ian Kinsler	TEX	2B	22	26
The little guy cannot stay healthy, at all. He’s a superb talent that can’t seem to play a whole season. Obviously, you’re going to have to rank Kinsler based on the depth of your league. If you can fill the 25 or so games that Kinsler will miss with a half-decent player, then Kinsler might just be the best fantasy option at second base. As a player, I like him more than Pedroia but less than Utley.
4	34	Brandon Phillips	CIN	2B	17	23
Phillips brings everything except batting average, which he should hike up to at least .270ish this year. Phillips is a given for 20/20 with the possibility of 25/25 or even 25/30! The Reds should be a blast to watch this year, and having Phillips on your team will at least keep things fun.
5	38	Brian Roberts	BAL	2B	16	24
At least the Orioles think that Roberts has something left in the tank, giving him a new multi-year deal. Roberts leaves a little bit to be desired in the power category but more than makes up for it with SB numbers. He went for 50 a couple years ago, and 40 last year. Like the Reds, the O’s are stacked with young talent and should be fun to watch. I figure Roberts will miss 40 SB by a couple.
6	62	Alexei Ramirez	CHW	2B	13	21
Ramirez is the most interesting of the bunch, as he seems to have all the potential in the world. He could easily finish the season as the top second baseman in the league. Not often do you get a player outside the top-50, that has the potential to jump up into the top-15. Here’s the problem with Ramirez: He Swings at Everything and gets caught stealing way too much. Ramirez’s numbers will drop once pitchers completely clue into Ramirez’s hacking ways, and whether or not Ramirez can adjust remains up in the air. Ramirez hit 20 HR and stole 13 bases in limited playing time last year. He was unfortunately caught stealing 9 times. Is 30HR and 25 SB a possibility for Ramirez? A Resounding Yes. Could he also fall flat on his face? Indeed.
7	91	Dan Uggla	FLA	2B	9	18	Down
Uggla posted a career high strike-out rate last year, striking out nearly one third of the time. Thankfully, he also improved upon his walk rate, negating much of the increase. Uggla’s BA is going to kill you, as he’s bound to come in somewhere between .250 and .260. You’re either going to have to punt batting average, or draft a low-HR-high-AVG player in a typical power position. If you can get 20HR and a good AVG out of a player like that, you’ll have two players with about 50 HR between them, to go with a .280 AVG. That’s not bad, and you’ll probably be getting your money’s worth.
8	109	Robinson Cano	NYY	2B	7	18	Up
Robbie started off terribly last year, and playing in the stacked Yankees line-up will definitely help his counting stats. Most of Cano’s value will come from his AVG, or how often he gets on base. Throw Cano’s .270 AVG of 2008 out the window, and remember he used to hit .340.
9	118	Howie Kendrick	LAA	2B	7	17
Kendrick will get hurt, but the kid can hit. He’s in a good line-up and he’s approaching the age when things start to click. Kendrick’s a good boom/bust but Anaheim is stacked in youngins that can play the MI positions.
10	126	Placido Polanco	DET	2B	6	17	Down
Polanco is boring, but Detroit will be improved. Polanco doesn’t do the sexy things, but he hits for average and scores runs. A safety pick that brings about 10 HR, 10SB, a Boatload of Runs and RBI and a .300+ average. People will draft the guys after Polanco before him, because their ceiling is higher – If you want a safe pick though, Polanco’s your man. Nice pick here for ESPN.
11	143	Jose Lopez	SEA	2B	5	16
Lopez has been raking all spring, and a repeat of last year’s numbers seems a very safe bet. Can Lopez step up and reach the 20 HR mark? I’m banking on yes. Lopez’s average will drop but the power numbers should go up. He is in a fairly terrible offense though, so whether or not he brings elite R & RBI is still in question.
12	159	Mike Aviles	KC	2B/SS	4	15	Down
I’m not an Aviles fan, and I think this is still too high. I love the Royals this year, but Aviles is a bit old to be a rookie in my book.
13	175	Mark DeRosa	CLE	2B/3B/OF	3	14
DeRosa started out as a fairly sexy pick, and has returned to where he probably should be valued. He had a career year last year, and while I wouldn’t expect a complete repeat – there’s still good value here.
14	185	Rickie Weeks	MIL	2B	2	13
It’s Rickie’s last shot, and I think he goes hog-wild on the basepaths. Alcides Escobar is breathing down the neck of whomever falters in the infield. Rickie Weeks and the next couple guys showcase the benefits of waiting on a second baseman and then grabbing a couple high-risk players and hoping one pans out.
15	187	Kelly Johnson	ATL	2B	2	13
Kelly Johnson does what he does and does it well. He’s not spectacular, nor does he play in an incredible line-up, but he still has value. The .5 BB:K ratio isn’t awful, but he could cut down on his 20+ percent K Rate. BABIP says expect a downturn in AVG. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him up the ante on last years 12HR. 15Ish? 17?
16	196	Felipe Lopez	ARI	2B	1	13	Up
My favourite sleeper this year. Lopez should be hitting near the top of that stacked Diamondback line-up. The deal with Lopez is he only plays when he wants to, so his stats tend to lie. Remember, it was only 2 years ago that Lopez stole 44 Bases.
17	222	Freddy Sanchez	PIT	2B	1	12	Down
The Pirates are improving but Sanchez’s value is based on his batting average. If you can predict BA, then you can go ahead and rank Sanchez wherever you please. If he hits .330 again, he’ll be a steal. The improvement in the Pirates give Sanchez a bit of lee-way, as he could well score 90-95 Runs.
18	223	Orlando Hudson	LAD	2B	1	12
Hudson and the Dodgers. I’d move him up. He’ll be in a great line-up and I’m starting to think he bats early in the line-up rather than late in it. With Kemp, Manny and Loney behind him he’s just gotta get on base. I’d take him over Sanchez any day.
19	253	Kazuo Matsui	HOU	2B	$-	12
Matsui is starting to get up there in age but he stole 20 bases in under 400 AB in 2008. Matsui’s nearly .300 average last year, made him a steal. He probably won’t repeat the average, but a slight increase in steals if he plays a full season is very realistic. The possibility of 30SB to go with a .280 AVG is pretty appealing at this point.
20	258	Mark Ellis	OAK	2B	$-	11
Ellis had a very solid year last year, and Oakland has went out and re-loaded this off-season. With the maturation of Travis Buck, Daric Barton and the addition of Matt Holliday, and Jason Giambi; Oakland should be a very solid offense. Expect Ellis to quietly put up solid numbers.
21	268	Akinori Iwamura	TAM	2B	$-	10
He’ll put up damn near 100 runs to go with a solid batting average. You get what you pay for.
22	294	Mike Fontenot	CHC	2B	$-	9
Fontenot should get the job, but Aaron Miles is right there. If either of these two can get to 550AB, they’re in a good enough offense to outperform their draft spot. Pick 300 seems about right for the higher-upside Fontenot.
23	295	Clint Barmes	COL	2B/SS	$-	8	Down
I’m not a Barmes fan, mainly because I love Ian Stewart so. You could do worse at this point, but this tier of second basemen is very deep.
24	299	Asdrubal Cabrera	CLE	2B/SS	$-	9	Up
I’m high on Cabrera, and Cleveland in general. I wouldn’t have any problem putting Cabrera in Aviles spot, but anyone from 15 to 5 Dollars has the possibility to preform.
25	323	Aaron Hill	TOR	2B	$-	8
Aaron Hill is a steal at this point if he plays all year. Post Concussion Syndrome is a bitch, though. The Jays have a solid, yet not spectacular, offense. Hill will probably outperform his peers.
26	334	Luis Castillo	NYM	2B	$-	7	Down
He has the second base job, but I wouldn’t touch him with a 10 foot pole. At this point, the speed has gone and while he may have a resurgence in a decent Mets line-up, I wouldn’t expect too much.
27	378	Emmanuel Burriss	SF	2B/SS	$-	6
Speed, Speed, Speed, Kelly Fransden. Burriss needs to find a spot to play to be valuable. He’s definitely worth a late round flyer based on speed alone. Same goes for Velez. The Giants are going to have to manufacture runs this year, which means speed on the basepaths.
28	394	Maicer Izturis	LAA	2B/SS	$-	6
I’m not sure how Maicer falls into this spot with the Kendrick Ranking. Maybe he’s a solid fill-in, maybe he only gets 300 AB.
29	413	Anderson Hernandez	WAS	2B	$-	5
Hernandez is someone I’d take over the previous few guys. He’s got the starting gig in a good Nats line-up and he’ll steal bases even if he gets caught. The power wont be there, but at this point what can you expect. Most of the Robots have him coming in at .250, but I’d expect more in the range of the high-.260s, low-.270s and there’s always the chance of him maturing faster than expected.
30	424	Chris Getz	CHW	2B	$-	6	Up
Getz has been compared to Pedroia, at least in stature. I’m not certain as to why Getz has fallen so far in these rankings, but he definitely deserves to be higher in a good-line up that hits in a solid park. I bet he comes closer to 10 dollars than 6 dollars.
31	427	Ronnie Belliard	WAS	2B/3B/1B	$-	4	Down
Boring, and no place to play….yet. With his versatility, he’ll eventually find a place to play.
32	429	Blake DeWitt	LAD	2B/3B	$-	4	Down
Poor DeWitt. Blake’s got third, and Hudson was brought in to play second. The outfield is also packed. Someone’s gotta get hurt for DeWitt to produce.
33	460	Kevin Frandsen	SF	2B	$-	3
Boring, really boring. It’s hard to hype up Frandsen when you’re praying for Burriss or Velez to take his spot.
34	467	Aaron Miles	CHC	2B/SS	$-	3
Fontenot gets the job, but if you’re in a league this deep it makes sense to bet on Miles getting the job. Fontenot has some faults, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Miles snag the job
35	473	Nick Punto	MIN	2B/SS	$-	3
Punto was hurt a lot by the signing of Crede but like Belliard, he has all sorts of versatility. I think Punto out preforms the previous couple guys all the way up to Chris Getz.
36	479	Jeff Baker	COL	2B/1B	$-	2
If Helton goes down as expected, Baker will find a place to play. Otherwise, Barmes, Stewart, Tulu, and Atkins will fill the infield spots.
37	488	Brendan Ryan	STL	2B/SS	$-	1
We’re getting into very boring land, and I’d much rather take a risky pick with this selection but 1 dollar is fair.
38	523	Brendan Harris	MIN	2B/SS/3B	$-	1
A starting gig and maturation should get Harris at least to a few bucks. He’s a steal this late.
39	526	Marco Scutaro	TOR	2B/SS/3B	$-	1	Up
Full time starter, in a decent offense is worth more than a buck. His average isn’t so awful that he’ll hurt you.
40	529	Eugenio Velez	SF	2B	$-	1	Up
Ditto Emmanuel Burriss.
41	548	Alexi Casilla	MIN	2B	$-	1	Way Up
Really, this is what’s up? Casilla is a beast, and I adore the man. What the hell is ESPN thinking? .280 AVG with 25-30SB and you’re ranking him 41st? I have him in the top 10!
42	683	Ronny Cedeno	SEA	2B/SS	$-	1
43	704	Ray Durham	FA	2B	$-	$-
44	719	Adam Kennedy	TAM	2B	$-	$-
45	722	Mark Grudzielanek	FA	2B	$-	$-
46	730	Mark Loretta	LAD	2B	$-	$-
47	738	Adrian Cardenas	OAK	2B	$-	$-
48	739	Joe Inglett	TOR	2B/OF	$-	$-
49	745	Alberto Callaspo	KC	2B	$-	$-	Up
I have trouble believing that Teahan can stick at 2nd.
50	746	Edgar Gonzalez	SD	2B	$-	$-

Here’s the problem: ESPN released new rankings, and has people floating around all over the field but failed to mention the two guys that seem like a lock at second base.

Skip Schumaker – St. Louis Cardinals: Skip is a dirty dirty man, and has faired very well at second base.  While he only hit 8 HR, he went for 87R and 8 SB while batting above .300.  Right now, he looks like a glamorized Aki Iwamura, but just wait — he’ll be a top-10 2nd basemen.

Mark Teahan – Kansas City Royals: Teahan looked half-decent at the WBC playing third, and he’s got a great arm.  However, playing second base for the Royals has been a chore.  He keeps committing errors, and Collaspo is a fine replacement.  In a perfect fantasy world, Teahan would get enough bats at 2nd Base to gain eligibility and then return to the outfield.  His bat makes him roster-able as a second basemen, but not particularly an outfielder.

Matt Antonelli – San Diego Padres: Antonelli slept through the majority of the 2008 season, waking up occasionally to strike out.  However, this is still the uber-prospect who made 2007 his bitch.  Maybe he makes the big club out of camp, but he’ll probably spend some time down in the minors now that the Padres got the super-talented David Eckstein.  I’d still rather have Antonelli over the Joe Inglett’s of the world.

The Phillies Situation – Marcus Giles, WHAT? and Eric Bruntlett: Bruntlett is penciled in at every conceivable spot on the Phillies depth chart.  If Utley misses serious time, one of these two gents could actually have some value.  Marcus Giles? Yah, he’s in camp.  He used to be very good too, so if you’re in a deep deep league — take a flyer, maybe.

German Duran – Texas Rangers: There’s some upside here, but he only gets a shot if Kinsler hurts himself, which is guarenteed.  25 Games, it is.  If Kinsler ever goes down permenantly, Duran should be nabbed up in deeper leagues.

Eric Young Jr. – Colorado Rockies: He killed Arizona fall league pitching, and has been taking some practice at second base — maybe worth a shot.  If he gets a job in the outfield or at second, he’ll steal some.

Gordon Beckham – Chicago White Sox: As of today, Tuesday March 17th, Gordon Beckham is listed atop the White Sox depth chart at second base.  AWESOME.  Beckham was drafted last year, 8th overall and is just a wee lil child.  Anyways, if he starts he’s good enough, as raw as he is, to ball out.  It’ll be a roller-coaster ride though.  White Sox manager, Ozzie Guillen seems to think that Beckham shouldn’t be used as a UTIL man under any circumstances — which is stellar for Beckham’s development and his keeper league prospects.

Angel Berroa – New York Yankees: Here’s the deal, Cano had an MRI yesterday and it revealed bursitis of the shoulder.  This is not good, and there’s a good chance it’ll flare up again throughout the season.  Those little bursae sacs are bastards, and if Cano can’t go or Jeter gets hurt, Berroa steps in.  In that Yankee line-up, anyone can be successful.

Brendan Harris

Fantasy Baseball Shortstop (SS) Rankings for 2009

The Fantasy Shortstop Position for the 2009 Fantasy Baseball season is deep enough.  There’s some solid value, and its incredibly top heavy — so you’ll pretty much get what you pay for.

If you’re lucky enough to get Hanley Ramirez, congrats.  Otherwise, it might be best to load up elsewhere and take a few high risk / reward type guys later in the draft.

As always, everything depends on your draft settings and league size.

1. Hanley Ramirez – Florida Marlins

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Hanley Ramirez	589	33	35	125	67	0.301	0.4	0.54	0.75	0.94

I cannot see a reason to not take Hanley Ramirez first overall. The freedom he gives you by combining HR/SB into a 30 / 30 season is unbelievable.

He’s young as hoot, but still has a .75 BB / K ratio to go with a .400 OBP and .940 OPS. There’s nothing to dislike here, except the team he’s on and ballpark he’s in.

He’ll continue to run so long as he plays on a bad team, and the Marlins lack of success may actually help Ramirez in the fantasy world.

2. Jose Reyes – New York Mets

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Jose Reyes	688	16	56	113	68	0.297	0.358	0.475	0.8	0.833

After Reyes, there’s a huge drop off. Hanley Ramirez and Jose Reyes have proven to be legitimate first round picks who are guaranteed, pretty much, to stay healthy.

They’re both young, uber prospects, that don’t have that much wear on the tires.  Reyes, hopefully will throw 50-60 SB on the board this year.

Scouts have said that Reyes WILL develop power since double-A, single-A? Since a damn long time ago. As I dont enjoy disagreeing with scouts, especially when they start saying “5-tool player” — I’mma go ahead and finally mark Jose Reyes down for 24 HR and 50 Steals this  year.

3. Jimmy Rollins – Philadelphia Phillies

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Jimmy Rollins	556	11	47	76	59	0.277	0.349	0.437	1.05	0.786

Rollins is just as good as the previous two, well almost.  He’s older, and more injury prone and had a shit-eating average last year, considering what owners expected (about .290)

The 47 stolen bases kept owners from mass-suicide last year, as Rollins only played in 137 games last year after about 7 years of 154 games, or more!

If Rollins stays healthy, he’s easily a late first round pick.  He’s a good risk/reward type guy in the early rounds, but isn’t the whole point of the early rounds, minimizing your risk?  That’s why you didn’t take Pujols first overall last year, right?

4. Stephen Drew – Arizona Diamondbacks

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Stephen Drew	611	21	3	91	67	0.291	0.333	0.502	0.38	0.836

You’re going to get, what you get.  Improvement will come with some movement in the batting order, along with the slight maturation you’d expect from a overly-hyped Drew brother.

You’re going to know pretty quickly what you’ve gotten with Stephen Drew.  Is he going to regress to his rookie-average of about .250? Or will Stephen Drew keep on, keeping on — rolling on with at least a .285 average.

No one will doubt that Drew’s got talent, but he’s got to keep his K rate below 20%

5. Johnny Peralta – Cleveland Indians

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Jhonny Peralta	605	23	3	104	89	0.276	0.331	0.473	0.38	0.804

It looks like Peralta is a surefire bet for 20HR this season, after years of potential without results. Peralta finally cut down on his strike-out rate, which lead to an across the board improvement.  After years of a 25% rate of strike-outs, Peralta lowered it to a *reasonable* 20 percent.

2006 is starting to look like an aberration at this point rather than your regular Jhonny Peralta, which is a good deal for Peralta owners in dynasty leagues.

Cleveland should be interesting, to say the least, this year.  While I’m not certain as to whether or not Peralta will score 100+ runs again this year, he should do fine.  90 Runs and 90 RBI seems likely, if Peralta continues to bat in the top half of the line-up.

His strike-out rate will limit him to either the third, fifth, or sixth spot in the line-up — I’d imagine.  Peralta provides a good deal of value in the second tier of fantasy shortstops, and if you’re going to grab your stolen bases elsewhere — Peralta is a damn good deal, right here.

6. Rafael Furcal – Los Angeles Dodgers

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Rafael Furcal	143	5	8	34	16	0.357	0.439	0.573	1.18	1.012

Per Plate Appearance, Rafael Furcal had probably the best fantasy season out of all of the shortstops.  Unfortunately, Furcal only managed 143 AB to start and end the 2008 season.

I suppose this would be another referendum on whether or not you think Furcal will get to 140 Games played.  If Furcal plays, he’s going to put up super-shortstop numbers, and probably compete with the best in the business.

Thirty-Five Stolen Bases to go with 20 Home Runs isn’t out of the question, as Furcal is a marvelous talent.  In Los Angeles, particularly if Manny Ramirez is signed, Furcal will put up great Run totals, which is generally required from your MI.

Furcal is a great  boom/bust prospect to combine with a safety-pick later in the draft.  You can live with someone like Nick Punto for 250 AB, if you get 400 AB from Furcal.

7. Troy Tulowitzki – Colorado Rockies

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Troy Tulowitzki	377	8	1	48	46	0.263	0.332	0.401	0.68	0.732

Tulo was probably the most dissappointing fantasy draft-pick of all, last year.  He eventually put everything together around the end of the season and started putting up at least half decent numbers.

As with all of the younger shortstops, Tulowitzki is going to have some serious ups and downs.  Unlike the other shortstops though, Troy Tulowitzki’s glove will keep him in the line-up through slumps.  This is both good and bad: He’ll have a chance to fight through the slumps, but he’ll also put up some awful numbers and possibly kill your batting average, if the slump goes on for too long.

8. J.J. Hardy – Milwaukee Brewers

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
J.J. Hardy	569	24	2	78	74	0.283	0.343	0.478	0.53	0.821

Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. I dont have much to say about J.J. Hardy other than the fact his SLG percentage should be in the high 400′s which is nice for your shortstop, but he wont steal bases.

You can pretty much assume that Hardy is going to put up 25 homers to go with a respectable .275 BA.  You could do a lot worse than Hardy.  His R / RBI numbers should stay in the same ball-park as last year, but that Brewers line-up has the potential for a huge increase in production if Fielder gets going and Weeks matures.

Hardy’s a pretty safe pick, with a bit of upside.  Owning him will definitely require some patience though — Just make sure to never click the “Stats for this Month” button when Hardy is slumping.

9. Derek Jeter – New York Yankees

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Derek Jeter	596	11	11	88	69	0.3	0.363	0.408	0.61	0.771

Jeter was once massively overrated, and now he’s underrated.  Its hard to value Jeter properly as he doesn’t do anything particularly well.  There are roughly three million players that can put up 10 SB to go with 10 HR, so he’s really not all that impressive.

A couple years ago, Jeter decided to put up 34 SB to go with a .343 average and 14  homers which was absolutely top-tier but he’s been declining since.

Normally you don’t refer to a players potential when he’s 34 years old, but that’s exactly what you get with Jeter. If you’re playing with guys who know their shit, Jeter has some serious value, as they probably despise him for being overrated for so long.

Anyways, Jeter has the potential to go for 15HR and 20+ SB, and the Run and RBI totals are always going to be there along with a guaranteed .300+ average.

Snag Jeter if he falls too far, as he’s probably in for a redemption year.

10. Michael Young – Texas Rangers

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Michael Young	645	12	10	102	82	0.284	0.339	0.402	0.5	0.741

I really see Jeter and Michael Young putting up identical numbers.  You should expect round ’bout 15 Home Runs, 10 Stolen Bases, a great batting average, and great run and rbi totals.

Young’s solid, and I’m sure that he’ll regain his .300+ batting average in 2009.  2008 was okay, but I’d expect 2009 to be a bit better than *okay*

There are a few indicators that he may be in for a steep decline, however. His Line Drive rate dropped drastically from 27 percent to 22 percent.  He started striking out more, notching his second 16% K rate after averaging about 13% during his prime years.  He just seems to be forcing it, and whether or not he played through a minor injury last year, or has just noticed his skills diminishing is up in the air.

10.5 Elvis Andrus – Texas Rangers

I featured Andrus here, in a Welcome to the Hype Machine post.  Andrus should steal plenty of bases and not kill you in the other categories.  His lack of natural power, really sits well in this spot as no one can really bang the bombs at this point.

11. Miguel Tejada – Houston Astros

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Miguel Tejada	632	13	7	92	66	0.283	0.314	0.415	0.33	0.729

Getting old, too old: 15 HR, 5 SB, 90 R, 75 RBI, .280 average.  He’s still very much roster-able, but he’s not going to start regaining his early 2000′s form where he was knocking out 30 HR each and every year.

12. Orlando Cabrera – Free Agent

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Orlando Cabrera	661	8	19	93	57	0.281	0.334	0.371	0.79	0.705

The Skills are still there, I just dont know where he’ll land.  He’s apparently a giant ass-hat, but he’ll do whatever’s asked of him, and he’s very much more concerned with his personal stat-line than team success — which is exactly what you want from your fantasy short-stop.

Great Value at this spot.

13. Yunel Escobar – Atlanta Braves

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Yunel Escobar	514	10	2	71	60	0.288	0.366	0.401	0.95	0.766

Escobar is my type of player, and with the Braves new pitching staff — he should help them contend for the NL East.

Yunel Escobar walks just about as much as he strikes out, and he gets on-base. Escobar’s splits when it comes to LD, FB, GB were quite interesting.  His LD rate should be floating around 20 percent, but last year he hiked his GB rate to a silly 59 percent which resulted in a 17 percent LD rate.

His fangraphs page is here, and it’s interesting to look at these stats because he’s definitely not going to put up the same numbers as last year.  He’s either going down a chunk, or up a chunk — I just have no clue how to interpret these numbers.

14. Khalil Greene – St. Louis Cardinals

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Khalil Greene	389	10	5	30	35	0.213	0.26	0.339	0.22	0.599

I’m going to hell for this, but Khalil Greene has a huge bounce back year. He’ll hit 25 home runs, and have quite possibly the longest Ball-Park-Effect induced orgasm in the history of man.

And, yes there’s more, Khalil Greene will hit .260.

And, cure cancer.

And, steal 12 bases.

15. Ryan Theriot- Chicago Cubs

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Ryan Theriot	580	1	22	85	38	0.307	0.387	0.359	1.26	0.745

Plays for the Cubs and gets on base.

When on base, will steal between 20-30 times.

That is all you really need to know.  Theriot could be a steal this year, especially if he grows his mullet out a smidgen more.

16. Christian Guzman – Washington Nationals

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Cristian Guzman	579	9	6	77	55	0.316	0.345	0.44	0.4	0.786

While playing fantasy baseball last year in a fairly shallow league, Christian Guzman’s name just kept popping up.  I’m not sure how the hell Guzman put up that kind of batting average even though his 50 game performance of 2007 showed he had it in him.

But, C’mon — it’s Christian Guzman we’re talking about here. The guy who steals 30 bases and hits .250, if you’re lucky.

If only all of the young, speedy, shortstops aged like this.  Once your legs are too old to steal 30 bases, you go and start hitting .320.

Stupid Christian Guzman. Washington has a decent enough offense to knock in Guzman 85 times in 2009 and if Guzman manages to get more than 140 games under his belt, he could put up some stellar numbers.

17. Edgar Renteria – San Francisco Giants

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Edgar Renteria	503	10	6	69	55	0.27	0.317	0.382	0.58	0.699

Renteria is useful enough, and on a real bad San Fran team, he should start running a bit more.  At this point in the short-stop rankings, value comes down to a solid contribution in one or two categories while not sinking the ship in the rest of the categories.

In a PERFECT world, Renteria puts up 75 Runs, 70 RBI, bops 14 home runs, steals 18 bases, and hits .280.

18. Jerry Hairston Jr. – Cincinnati Reds

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Jerry Hairston	261	6	15	47	36	0.326	0.384	0.487	0.64	0.871

Hairston put up great numbers in limited action last year, and it looks like he has the inside gig on the starting left-field job.

Of course, Hairston Jr. isn’t going to put up an .870!!! OPS again this year, that’s just ridiculous for a light hitting journey-man  second baseman.

BUT! he’ll steal some bases on a fairly young Cinci team, and all the rest of the stats are double double extra bonus bonus!

19. Mike Aviles – Kansas City Royals

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Mike Aviles	419	10	8	68	51	0.325	0.354	0.48	0.31	0.833

I’m not particularly high on Aviles, as he came out of absolute obscurity to put up great triple-A numbers in 2008. Then, as is always the case, those numbers predicted future major league success perfectly and Aviles is now a future HOFer.

Anyways, something just doesn’t add up for me, and 400 major league at-bats isn’t nowhere near enough AB to deduce a players true talent level.  If I recall correctly, 600 AB is when the numbers start becoming meaningful.

20. Jed Lowrie – Boston Red Sox

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Jed Lowrie	260	2	1	34	46	0.258	0.339	0.4	0.51	0.739

Uh, he’s in the Red Sox line-up and even if he bats 8th or 9th, he’ll be a useful source of Runs and RBI. Sure Lowrie has some potential, but not enough to start for most fantasy teams.

I’m sure someone in your league, who adores the Red Sox, will draft him though.  Pedroia showed last year that you don’t have to be the most talented player to succeed in that line-up, you just have to get on base.  If Lowrie can raise his OBP to .350, and his average to .270 — he’ll be very serviceable.

21. Marco Scutaro – Toronto Blue Jays

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Marco Scutaro	517	7	7	76	60	0.267	0.341	0.356	0.88	0.697

As much as I hate J.P. Ricciardi, picking up Scutaro was probably one of his better moves.  Scutaro can be plugged in just about anywhere and I was more than surprised to see him put up 75 Runs in the powerless Toronto Blue Jays line-up.

If Aaron Hill ever gets over his concussion, Scutaro is going to lose some at-bats to the completely useless John McDonald.  I wonder how deep your league would have to be to roster John McDonald — someone get back to me on this.

22. Jason Bartlett – Tampa Bay Rays

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Jason Bartlett	454	1	20	48	37	0.286	0.329	0.361	0.32	0.69

Barlett isn’t anything special in the fantasy world, but he was a huge part of the Tampa Bay Rays run to the world series. I still like the Garza/Bartlett trade for both sides, and Bartlett will continue to produce.

The Steals are nice and make him roster-able.  Getting 20 – 30 Steals late in a draft on the cheap is generally a good idea: A better idea than drafting a minor leaguer with heaps of potential, in most cases.

23. Nick Punto – Minnesota Twins

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Nick Punto	338	2	15	43	28	0.284	0.344	0.382	0.56	0.726

I like utility men quite a bit. Scutaro in Toronto and Ryan Freel in Baltimore now, are always more useful on the field than in the fantasy world.  Anyways, Punto has the ability to steal 25 bases and hit .285-.290 if he plays every day.

The Twins did well resigning him after letting him go, and i’m surprised that no one else expressed serious interest.  Keep Punto on your radar as he’ll prove to be useful throughout the season.

The problem with utility men is keeping track of when they’re playing and when they’re sitting on their buts, and nothing is worse than wasting a game on someone who’s not playing.

24. Clint Barmes- Colorado Rockies

Name	AB	HR	SB	R	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	BB/K	OPS
Clint Barmes	393	11	13	47	44	0.29	0.322	0.468	0.25	0.79

Well, he plays in Coors but he doesn’t particularly have a choke hold on the position.  If he plays, he plays and he should put up half decent numbers.  Barmes is either batting atop the Rockies line-up or right before the pitcher, so keep an eye on how this plays out.  He may be a nice late round pick-up, for the first chunk of the season at least until Stewart steals the second base job.

The Rest of The Rest, Complete With A Couple Guys To Keep An Eye On.

Yuniesky Betancourt - doesn’t contribute particularly well, nor does he steal bases.  His average will probably flutter in the wind, and land somewhere around .275.  He wont hurt you too bad, but he definitely wont help you.

Wilson Betemit – I like Wilson Betemit, and I’d imagine he’d find himself a spot somewhere in that White Sox day-to-day lineup.  Whether Fields fails, or Ramirez goes to second and Wilson plays short — he should get a shot.  If he does, he’s got the potential to put up some half decent numbers.

Bobby Crosby – Un-Ownable.  Once a top tier prospect, now he’s the constant producer of an awful BA. You never know though, sometimes these prospects shit the bed for years and then wake up and realize that they should be hitting 25 HR, and do so.

Brendan Harris – Not sure where he plays, I’m figuring on third with Punto at SS, but who knows.  He’s decent enough but doesn’t have Punto’s speed.  Come to think of it, Punto would probably be better served playing third with Harris at short.  Who knows.

The Anaheim Angeles of Los Angeles, Huh? Aybar and Izturis - 25 Steals. A .260 average. Enjoy you, Enjoy.

Jeff Keppinger – Uhh, he’s got to get a shit-tonne of Plate Appearances to have any value, at all. Those Walks add 50 pts in OBP.

Ben Zobrist – I’m not certain whats up with the OF situation in Tampa.  Zobrist should get in at least 120 games at one position or another.  Could be worth a look.

Emmanueal Burriss - might get some playing time at second, could be worth a long look.

Brandon Wood – The next Bobby Crosby?  Wood’s got a load of power, but just about everything else needs work.  I dont see how the Angels could actually play a game with him at short, but when Wood does put it together, he should be a bopper.

And to think just a couple years ago, I liked Brandon Wood more than Stephen Drew.

Ryan Freel - Set him free.