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Subject: RIBC 2012: Draft Rationales

Posted by: Guru - [330592710] Thu, Mar 15, 2012, 21:32

This thread will be for managers in the RotoGuru Invitational Baseball Challenge to provide the rationale for each pick.

Here are the ground rules:
1. Only managers in this league should post here. If you want to provide feedback (either from other league managers, or from those not in the league), put it in the discussion thread. (Non-conforming discussion in this thread will be deleted.)

2. Try to keep the pick rationales in the same order as the draft. We'll attempt to keep this thread 2 rounds behind the actual draft. With the lag, most comments should not have an impact on the draft in progress. However, if there are aspects of your pick that you feel need to be kept under wraps, feel free to protect that information. In particular, please avoid mentioning the names of any players who are still undrafted at that time of the post.

Please post your (2 round lagged) comments at the time you make your pick. For example, you should post your comments for your round 1 pick when you make your round 3 selection. If you are not ready to post at that time, then create a "placeholder" so that the next person is able to go ahead in sequence. When your post is ready, simply post it in the draft discussion thread and a moderator can copy it over.

If possible, please draft your rationale at the time your are making that pick. Not only does that allow you to remember your thoughts "in the moment", but it also makes it simple to copy and paste it when it is due, avoiding unnecessary delays and/or placeholders.

If your rationale is due and intervening placeholders have not been inserted, please insert them before posting your rationale. Simply post something like

for Guru
2.10 Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Mia

This makes it easy for me (or any moderator) to splice the eventual rationale in the proper place.

3. If you are providing rationales after a placeholder has been inserted for that pick, then post it in the draft discussion thread, and someone will copy it over.

4. Once the draft is over, each manager is also encouraged to provide a general draft recap, at which time you can discuss your overall strategy, mention any undisclosed factors, comment on what worked out well and what didn't, etc.

The general format should be:
1.01 Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Det
Several sentences of rationale.

In addition, along with your first player rationale, please comment on your rationale for your selection of draft order.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 10:13

for tilt23
Pick 1:Selected my position 3rd. I have no problem picking on the end, in fact it makes it easier for me to stay the course and not get cute trying to predict who I can wait on and and who I cant. Too many savvy drafters in this league for that. Had the first pick in ESPN AAA last year and that turned into a victory so why not go again.

1.01 Miguel Cabrera, 3B, Det
In this format he is clearly the best player. You add in 3B and the addition of Prince in the lineup and it becomes a no brainer. Pujols is switching leagues and history has shown some players struggle to learn pitchers, while I don’t think Pujols will struggle at all Miggy’s lineup is better and he offers no red flags that I see. With my first pick I always want someone I can count on to produce year in and year out so a guy like Kemp scares me a little bit, so getting Cabrera was the best thing for me.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 10:14

for twilson
0.06 Draft Slot #2 :1, 3-5, and 8 were gone. 2-6 is the draft section I most enjoy working out of, so 2 and 6 were left for me as options. I though 6 would offer better value in the early rounds, but my comfort level at 2 (my two previous RIBC drafts were at 3 and 2) won out.

1.02 Jose Bautista, 3B/OF, TOR
Despite having selected slot 2, I left myself open to taking a non-Pujols. Last year, I made the mistake of sticking with Hanley even when a number of favored sources suggested Braun or even Tulo instead. For 2012, I knew I wanted a power bat as my team's foundation. Pujols, Bautista, and Votto were the names under consideration. Pujols beat Votto as my top 1B, leaving only two. In the end, though I feel Pujols has both a higher floor and ceiling than Bautista, I do believe in the Toronto slugger's skill rebirth, and it doesn't look like I'll be positioned well for taking a 3B in rounds 2/3. The dual 3B/OF eligibility was the tipping point, as anything to boost team GP is helpful when we have such a small bench.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 10:15

for nerfherders
Selection #1 - pick 3. In the eight seasons of RIBC I have played, Pujols has been the obvious choice with the first pick every time, except the two times I have gotten the first selection. This year, I felt there were question marks with nearly all of the top 6 players, except Cabrera. Still, I did not think Cabrera would go first in every RIBC draft this year. I figured I would end up with him, but saw no huge differences between him, Bautista, and Pujols. So I took the third spot, also with consideration for getting a high 3rd pick.

1.03 Albert Pujols, 1B, LAA
With Cab and Bautista going in the first two picks, Pujols 'fell' to me. A pretty easy decision here, despite him switching leagues and in a different lineup. I expect him still to be the same old Pujols. I've never owned Pujols in any league before (the one time I had the first pick, it was A-Rod.), so this will be something new for me.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 10:15

for jseth333
Pick 4: Had the 4th choice for picking a draft slot and could have gone as high as 2. Spent a ridiculous amount of time deciding whether to move up, move down, or be boring and just take 4. I had my eye on Bautista and would have needed the 2 slot but with 4 I was happy to take...

1.04 - Matt Kemp OF, LAD
- While some regression might be expected, I am clearly counting on continued strong production across several categories from the reigning NL MVP - oh wait, Braun still has it? Well, I am still expecting big things.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 10:16

for Tosh
pick 5: I had the 2nd choice to pick my draft slot. Normally it’s a no-brainer, and I just take either 1 or 2. But the past few seasons I’ve been towards the ends, and found the waits to be very frustrating … so decided to pick closer to the middle. There’s a lot of talent in the first round, but see a slight break in production in 5th to 6th. So I decided to waffle and take the #5 pick, and draft whoever was left from Pujols, Cabrera, Bautista, Kemp & Braun. Tulowitzki and Votto would both be great options too, so picking as low as #7 should be a win-win.

1.05 Ryan Braun, OF, Mil
I guessed correctly on the first 4 picks, so took Braun. Briefly considered taking Tulo instead. I’m certainly not expecting last season’s video game numbers, but 95% of those would keep me happy. Prove to me it wasn’t the juice Ryan. OF is surprisingly shallow and has a lot of questions. It’s going to be hard to have 4 quality OFers on my roster, so now I only need about 2.5.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 10:16

for ksoze
Pick 6: I had the 7th choice and decided I was going to simply take the highest draft spot available. In this case, 1 – 5 and 8 were taken, so I chose #6.

1.06 Joey Votto, 1B, Cin
Once the draft was opened I queued up the players I was projecting to have the top 6 OPS for 2012; Votto was the highest ranked player left when the first round got to me. He’s a four category stud who will give me a .950+ OPS and might approach double digits in steals to boot. Very simply, at this point of the draft I’m taking the player who I project will give me the best combination of five categories.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 10:17

Pick 7
This was the earliest pick available. I considered dropping back to 10, targeting Adrian Gonzalez. But I wasn’t sure he’d be available by then (and I was right), and regardless, I figured I be happy with any of the top 7 players.

I also picked #7 last year, and finished second in the standings. So there’s good karma.

1.07 Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Col
I really figured either Votto or Braun would drop to this pick, so Tulo was a bit of a surprise. As long as he can stay healthy (which is the rub with Tulo, playing in 143 games last year and only 122 the year before), it’s hard not to like a 26-year old SS with a 920 OPS, 100-ish runs and RBIs, and maybe 10 steals or so.

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 11:36

For reeb
Pick 8: I took the 8th pick hoping to snag either Ellsbury or Upton. I could have gone a little lower in hindsight and maybe had more options in round two.

1.08 Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, BOS
I don't usually like to take guys coming off of career years but Jacoby is still only 28 so I think he can at least come close to duplicating last years numbers. I'm expecting close to the same amount of runs and steals with some slight regression in rbi's and ops. If that's the case I will be happy.

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 11:38

Drew the 8 hole in the draft slot selection and that’s about where I wanted to pick due to the 8th or 9th draft position had the least amount of picks between my picks. Seven and 9 through 16 were left, so 9th it was. I just dislike watching so many targeted picks fly out of my queue between picks, so I’m hoping that with less picks in between mine, maybe, just maybe I’ll get more of my targets. Maybe not, but I’m giving it a go.
1.09 Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, BOS
It took some time and additional research to finalize this decision. The last 2 years my first round picks bombed and only 4 of the preseason top ten last year remained there at the end. Most of the projections I looked at had Gonzalez just outside the top ten. But I like him here in an OPS league. Another year removed from shoulder surgery should boost those warning track outs from last year to HRs. His opposite field left handed swing accounts for plenty of doubles off the Monster. Seems like he’s been round forever, but he’s only 29. And looking at his last 3-5 year stats shows remarkable consistency even with the shoulder and playing the majority of that time period in SD. Normally, I’d go for a true 5 tool guy like Justin Upton here, but it’s tough to argue the potential of 100 runs, 120 RBIs and .950 OPS. In addition to Upton, Cano and Fielder were given serious consideration.

kdl212
ID: 1025614
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 12:05

Pick 10: In my opinion, draft slot is mostly meaningless. I had 10th pick of draft slot, and had 10-16 at my choosing. Looking at 10+, I thought I could get either Adrian Gonzalez or Evan Longoria, but figured I'd need to be in the top dozen to get one. Looking ahead to the 2nd round, I saw a break at about #25, so picking at 10 would (I hoped) get me one of my targets in the first round and keep me satisfied with bankable numbers in the second round at pick 23. I considered dropping down to maybe end up with Hanley and Pedroia/Kinsler out of my first 2 picks, but I have a hard time enduring those 25+ picks in between my own, so I took 10.

1.10 Evan Longoria, 3B, TB

In 2010 AA, I took Longoria in the first round and won. In 2011 RIBC I took Longoria in the first round and I'm still here. If ain't broke, don't fix it. Of course, this required passing over Upton, which was really hard. But Longoria is a big bopper at a thinner position than OF, and seems set to put up his biggest numbers yet this year.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 14:57

for Graydog
Pick 11: My choice was 11th or lower not including pick 14. 11 is close enough to the middle that I went for it despite expecting much difference out of 12 or 13. I made the pick hoping to get one of Halladay, Kershaw or Verlander in round 2.

1.11 Carlos Gonzalez OF COL
Was torn between CarGo, Fielder and Cano. Decided for some stolen bases as opposed to elite OBP from fielder or 2nd base eligibility from Cano. A slight change in philosophy for this year over years prior.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 14:57

for kokeshis
1.12 Robinson Cano, 2B, NYY
I felt Cano has been a steady performer, is in the middle of his prime in a potent lineup and plays a premium position. I've seen him ranked higher on preseason lists so I consider him a value with the 12th pick. I decided to go with Cano over Justin Upton because of the position he plays.

Kevin
ID: 26352810
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 14:59

1.13 Justin Upton OF COL
With 2 picks before me I knew I would be choosing between CarGo, Cano and Upton. The decision was made for me. I would have likely chosen between CarGo and Upton as 2B seems to be pretty deep this year for a 16 team league.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 15:46

for dror
Pick 14: Only 11-16 were still available, so it wasn't like I was full of options. I was confident the guy I want (Kinsler) would still be there at the end of the round, but didn't want to pick right on the turn, so I settled for #14.

1.14 Ian Kinsler, 2B, tex
In all of baseball, only 5 hitters walked more then they struck out and had an isolated power mark higher then .200 last year - Pujols, Cabrera, Fielder, Bautista, and... Kinsler. That's pretty good company, and obviously, Kinsler is the only one of the group who also plays a MI position and should get around 30 or steals. He was able to produce an .832 OPS last year despite an incredibly low .243 BABIP, so with a little better luck this year he should be able to improve his stats and cement his spot as one of the premier all around players in the league.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 15:46

for Uptown Bombers
1.15 Prince Fielder, 1B, Det
I was only choosing between the 13th and 15th picks so not much consideration there. I chose 15th because I figured it guaranteed me Jose Reyes in the second round, which was my plan.

As for Fielder, I was expecting to draft Pedroia here, not expecting one of the big bats to fall here. Once Fielder did, I couldn’t resist. Everyone knows what Fielder brings to fantasy so I don’t have much explanation other than to say I expect him to continue performing at that level.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 15:48

for Jkaye
Pick 16: I chose 16 because I felt OK sacrificing a few spots in rd 1 to get the wraparound slot where I always feel I have a better command of the draft as each pair of picks comes up.

1.16 Hanley Ramirez, SS, Fla
There is certainly a great deal of risk surrounding what type of production Hanley will actually deliver in 2012. However, the upside to get a season similar to what he has had in the past was too much to pass up on at this point in the draft. Not going to even think about what numbers I expect here, more of just a get the guy and see what happens.

2.01 Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Bos
Unlike Hanley, Pedroia feels pretty safe. Strongly considered Halladay here, but decided to stick with the elite MI combo and like the overall package both guys provide at these positions.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 15:49

for Uptown Bombers
2.02 Jose Reyes, SS, Mia
My planned second round pick from the start. Instead of having my MI set, though, I have Fielder and Reyes, whose stats balance each other very well. Reyes has been my favorite player since he was a rookie, I’m very sad to see him leave the Mets, but now I have even more reason to continue rooting for him anyway. The days of 60+ steals are gone, but he should still give me a solid foundation on which to build in that category. This pick also started the trend of my team becoming Team Injury Prone/Risk.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 17:25

for dror
2.03 Curtis Granderson, OF, NYY
Here are Granderson's OPS marks against lefties over the last 3 years:
2009 - .484 (180 at bats)
2010 - .646 (158)
2011 - .944 (191)
He was always very good against righties, but this is nothing short of amazing. I don't know how he did it, but this is too much to be just a couple of lucky bounces, and the new (lefty hitting) Curtis Granderson is quite simply one of the best hitters in baseball.
I don't expect 41 homers again, but the 20-25 steals should be there, he has argubely the best hitting spot for runs and RBIs in the majors (#2 on the Yankees) all to himself, and there really is nothing in the stats that suggests 2011 was any kind of a fluke... I believe he has a good chance to come close to what he did last year, witch is easily 1st round value.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 17:27

for KDogHall
2.04 Halladay, Roy SP PHI
I don't usually like going for pitching early but I wasn't in love with any of the hitting options at this point and I believe Halladay was consistently drafted before 20th in most drafts. I would also like to see if I can start a pitcher run early so I can get back to drafting hitters. On 2nd thought I wish I had gone for Kershaw, but oh well.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 17:28

for Kokeshis

2.05 Kershaw, Clayton SP LAD
I felt Kershaw has been getting substantially better every season, pitches in a great pitchers park and has a higher ceiling than any pitcher. While I would have prefered a hitter here, I saw question marks with everyone I considered at this pick. I believe having a steady ace has more value than gambling on a hitter with this pick.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 17:54

for Graydog

2.06 Verlander, Justin SP DET

Was my consolation price as I had Halladay and Kershaw ahead of him but they went the two picks before. I should get 220 plus innings of elite numbers in the 4 pitching categories. With Verlander drafted I will not have to focus too much on the hardest pitching category to predict wins for the rest of the draft. If 2010 is his floor and last year was his ceiling I should be making a profit.

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 19:49

for kdl212
2.07 Mark Teixeira, 1B, NYY
Would've happily traded down on this one. Not excited about this pick at all, as I expect Teixeira's best days are behind him. But he hits in a loaded lineup, at a friendly home field, and he appeared to be he last of a tier at 1B. Preferred his track record to Stanton's potential in Round 2; seriously considered McCutchen. So that means I passed on 2 five category outfielders in the first two rounds. Here's hoping that the value I see at OF in rounds 8-15 really is there.

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 19:52

2.08 Cliff Lee, SP, PHI

I guess you could say that I picked up Lee’s option, as I chose him in the 2nd round, last year in this very same draft. Hopefully he’ll be my good luck charm again, as last year I hung around 3rd place almost all year, even held 1st for a brief period of time. Right before the trade deadline I traded him and ended up just hanging on to 4th place. Roy, you just continue to do what you do. This year I promise not to trade you. Though plenty of decent SPs will be available later, I seem to do better when I grab a top tier stud to anchor my pitching staff.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 22:28

for reeb
2.09 Adrian Beltre, 3B, Tex
Beltre has been great since leaving Seattle. Plays in a hitter friendly park,hits in the middle of a potent lineup, and plays a pretty scarce position. I would have taken Verlander here if he fell and briefly considered Felix but figured I could get good value in the 3rd or 4th round for my first SP.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 22:29

2.10 Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Mia
Heading into this pick, my two top choices were Stanton and McCutchen, in that order. I thought that power was more important than speed (or balance) in this round, and at age 22, Stanton still has oodles of upside. But I’d have been just as satisfied with McCutchen.

My sense is that Stanton might be underrated for this format, since his career BA is only around .260. But he walks a lot, and his OBP was over .350 last year. Further growth in plate discipline isn’t unreasonable, either.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 22:30

for ksoze
2.11 – Carlos Santana, C, Cle
As much as I didn’t want to take a SP yet, I nearly pulled the trigger on Hamels here. At this point in the draft I was hoping for another veteran .900+ OPS hitter but wasn’t finding many left with that kind of history who are projected to do so again. Holliday was a consideration, but with his recent injury history and lack of Pujols in the lineup, I didn’t want to take the chance, so that left Hamels. Then I started looking at Santana, who I’d avoided in drafts last season due to his knee surgery the previous season. He had an outstanding final four months of 2011 that will hopefully carry over and could produce the best stats at a weak position in 2012. In fact, I only have one other C projected to match his OPS.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Fri, Mar 16, 2012, 22:38

Pick 2.12 - Felix Hernandez, SP, SEA - Yes. I am a huge fan. Yes. I have four Felix T-shirts. Yes. I went to six of King Felix’s AAA games in Tacoma his rookie season before being called up. Yes. I sat in the first row outfield for his major league debut, and hung giant paper ‘Ks’ off the railing (getting on TV a bunch). Yes. Of the eight Seattle Mariner games I have attended in the past two years, Felix was the starter in all of them. Yes. I have a ‘Larry Bernandez ’ bobblehead. And yes, I have never owned Felix on a fantasy team before!

Drafting a starting pitcher in the first three rounds is definitely against my recent trend. Pitching is deeper this season in the past, so I can certainly wait. And if ‘Wins’ is a category, selecting a Seattle Mariner pitcher isn’t the wisest thing. But King Felix will be a great 3.5 category ace pitcher for me, with outstanding ratios and strikeout numbers. Next time you are watching Felix pitch, look for me out in the King's Court.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:28

for jseth333

2.13 Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT - I am typing this on the night of my wedding anniversary which should give you an idea of how long I have been married. Probably also does not help that I am with my two children and my parents. Ahhh well...anyway...I consistently end up with McCutchen on my teams. The speed, the solid contributions across categories...I can't give him up...and with that I will return to my 'romantic' evening....

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:30

for nerfherders
2.14 Holliday, Matt OF STL
I was kind of hoping I could get a 3B here, but I didn't like the options left available. The best OPS left in the draft at this point was Holliday and Hamilton. Both are about the same age, both had injuries last year, but Holliday has been more injury-free in his career, and tends to be more consistent.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:31

for twilson

2.15 Zobrist, Ben 2B TAM
This pick was brutal to make. I saw absolutely no players of value here. When Stanton, Santana, McCutchen, and Holliday all went right before my pick, I began to seriously regret choosing draft slot 2. ADP suggested Lincecum and Josh Hamilton, but I do not want pitchers and major injury risks this early in the draft. I already had a 3B, so that massive tier was not particularly interesting. Zobrist stood out to me, but I knew I could get him with my 3rd rounder. When push came to shove, I decided to take him now and try to trade down in the 3rd rather than do the Hamilton/Zobrist combo.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:32

for mwm2355

2.16 Weaver, Jered SP LAA
I knew if I wanted a frontline SP I had to take one here. Weaver will be near the top in ratios and K’s and while W’s are fickle, he is in a good position to be at 15+ for the year with that lineup. Thought about Lincecum as well but believe I will get more wins out of Weaver.

3.01 Hamilton, Josh OF TEX
I was feeling stuck here. Was really hoping Holliday would fall to me but just missed him by a couple of picks. Do I go with two dominant SP? Start to fill my MI? Take another CI? I decided I would stick to my theory of taking the best player available in first couple rounds regardless of position. When Josh is on he is arguably the best OF in baseball……when he is off, he is sitting on the bench. I know he will be hurt sometime this year I just hope he only misses 20 games instead of 60. All the projections I have seen have him repeating last years numbers, but I think he can do better since he played the end of the year with a sports hernia that was obviously bothering him and had to come back from a broken arm in the middle of the year. I would rather take a chance on a high risk high reward player as opposed to playing it safe with someone like Pence. Considered Pence, Bruce, and Starlin Castro here as well.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:34

for twilson

3.02 Youkilis, Kevin 3B BOS
By the time I made this pick, four other players had gone off the board after I timed out due to the mistaken absence of the clock pause. This eliminated any chance I had of rustling up a real trade, but Guru was gracious enough to offer a pick swap. We settled on 3rds and 8ths. As for the pick, I still hated my options. Went with Youk because of the 4 cat production with excellent OBP. Don’t like the injury risk at all, but his dual eligibility and already having another 3B on my roster help to mitigate the inevitable time lost.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:34

for Nerfherders
3.03 Lincecum, Tim SP SFO
My plan was to take a top SP with this pick, and it came down to Lincecum or Hamels. Lincecum is the bigger K pitcher, but Hamels has the better WHIP. In the end I went for Lincecum, even though his numbers have declined slightly over the last couple seasons. He is still a lights-out pitcher. I took an SP here because I was afraid of going to the late 4th without a SP. It turns out that I could have gotten great value there. Perhaps I should have taken a hitter with this pick.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:36

for jseth333
3.04 Lawrie, Brett 3B TOR
Did I pick him too early? Possibly. Did I pick him based on a small statistical sample at least when it comes to major league stats? Yes. Do I have an irrational 'man-crush' on Brett Lawrie? You betcha'. In the minors and after call up last year I have seen nothing but a professional hitter with pop and some speed. Felt very comfortable with the risk at this draft spot.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 02:38

Pick 3.05 ~ Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, WAS -
Third base looks like one of the weaker fantasy positions this season. There is a significant drop-off after the top eight or nine players. If health questions had not arisen just before my turn, I would taken David Wright from the Mets at 3B. Zimmerman was great in 2009 and 2010, before suffering an injury (similar to Wright’s current injury) and only playing 101 games in 2011. At age 27, Zimmerman should be reaching his peak production, so I am certainly hoping for health, 2010 production and outstanding OBP & SLG numbers on a rising Washington team.

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 07:32

3.06 – Cole Hamels, SP, Phil

Ok, I was thinking about him in round 2, I wasn’t going to pass him up here. If I’m correct and he’s one of the top 6 SP’s, I get value at drafting him after 7 others. He should score well in all non-closer categories, maybe better than I expect if his contract situation drags out in his walk year. I didn’t consider anyone else with this pick.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 09:34

3.07 Michael Bourn, OF, Atl
I had Bourn last year, and although he doesn’t offer power, he is the league leader in steals, and that's worth a lot for a scarce category. This may be a tad early to take him, but I was pretty sure he wouldn’t make it back to me in round 4, and there was no other player I was particularly interested in. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all these years of RotoGuru Invitational league drafts, it’s that you need to take your targeted players while they’re still available!

kdl212
ID: 0231179
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 10:31

for reeb
3.08 Jay Bruce, OF, Cin
Trying to stick with guys who still have some upside left. Bruce fits the bill nicely. If he gives me the runs/rbis that I expect with an uptick in ops and obp I will e very happy.

kdl212
ID: 0231179
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 10:31

for mjd
3.09 Dan Uggla, 2B, Atl
Decision, decisions. Wright, Sabbthia, and Sandoval appeared at the top of my general queue, but I really needed an OF or MI with this pick. Didn’t want to wait any longer on either, but getting a top tier MI or 2 is critical in this format. Uggla had a slow start last year under the pressure of a new FA contract, which he readily admitted. But later in the year, he shook that off and really exploded. I’m hoping he starts off the year that way and delivers the goods all season long. Had Michael Bourne still been available, I’d have taken him to cover SBs, but now that he’s matured past being a one-dimensional player, he’s this year’s draft sweetheart. I’ve targeted him in 3 drafts now and each time someone else beat me to the punch. Apparently I grabbed Uggla just before kdl had him queued up. He’d get me back on the return trip with his pick of Pence.

kdl212
ID: 0231179
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 10:36

3.10 Starlin Castro, SS, CHC

I cannot express my hilarious disappointment that Dan Uggla was chosen right before me. Flustered, I stuck with the MI and made an upside pick with Castro. All I want is progression from last year. If he hits in the 3 spot, he might even produce across all categories. Frankly, I'd be satisfied if he outperforms my round 3 pick from last year (undrafted).

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 10:45

for Graydog
3.11 Pablo Sandoval, 3B, SF
I had set a queue hoping to land a third basemen. the top four in my queue were Zimmerman, Lawrie, Sandoval and Wright, the panda fell to me. The round turned into a bit of a third base run as Arod and Youkilis were also drafted. Hoping for at least 350 and 500 for OBP and SLUG while combining for at least 170 runs and rbi's. And of course 2 or 3 steals...

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 15:43

for kokeshis
3.12 Mike Napoli, C, Tex
I felt Napoli had a breakout year last year, could see the most AB's of his career, and has multiple position eligibility. His SLG% stands out to me as his greatest asset, especially compared to his fellow catchers. I'm obviously hoping for him to be one of my sluggers this season, although there's clearly some risk involved with that.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:32

for KDogHall
3.13 Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NYY
Due to the run on 3B, I knew it was between A-Rod and Wright because I thought there was a big drop off after these guys. I felt really good about Wright feeling this would be a good comeback year until I noticed the word "tear" on the injury report. I know that even a minor tear can mean major issues. If I had another week to decide on this pick I might have decided on Wright once a more detailed injury report came out, but instead I had to go with A-Rod who is only 1 year removed from 125 RBI in 130 games.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:33

for dror
3.14 Greinke, Zack SP MIL
Starters always go somewhat late in RIBC leagues, and I too usually like to start the draft with hitters, but this time I felt it was too good of value to just take a pitcher here. Greinke pitched extremely well last year, but was sort of under the radar because he missed April with an injury and then had some bad BABIP luck to finish with 3.83/1.19 in ERA and WHIP. I'm counting on him to repeat his very strong K/BB rate, witch should put him right up there with the top starters from the middle of the 2nd round.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:33

for Uptown Bombers
3.15 Utley, Chase 2B PHI
Drafting on the move starting to catch up with me by this point, not because I want a do-over here, but because with minimal prep work done and limited time and info available to me, I ditched playing it safe and started gambling on players I thought had slipped because of injury concerns. My thinking was that under normal circumstances, Utley would have been long gone. Rather than take the time to search for the safer pick, I took a chance on Chase.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:34

for JKaye
3.16 David Wright, 3B, NYM
Obviously the abdominal tear - an injury RZimm had surgery on and missed 60 games last year - is a major issue. But Wright claims he will play through it and he is a good enough player that at pick 48, it's worth the gamble. No one else has his upside at this point in the draft. Of course, I might be guilty of buying the brand in this case, because I still have hopes for DWright to return to his old form. Does that player still exist?

4.01 Michael Young, 1B, Tex
Absolutely love Michael Young. I am sure he will end up playing a variety of positions this year on my fantasy team, with the most value obviously being my MI behind Pedroia/Hanley. But he has everything you want here: consistency, great lineup and flexibility. For now, he is my default #1 1B, and can hold his own there if needed. It's a great situation to build the rest of the draft around.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:35

for Uptown Bombers
4.02 Nelson Cruz, OF, Tex
Some of the same logic for my 3rd round pick applies here as well. From a pure skill stand point, Cruz is a beast. But of course, he is always missing time with injuries. Much like Utley, I felt Cruz was too talented to let go by. Team Injury Prone/Risk was in full swing by this point. Looking around at other drafts, it’s likely this was too high for him, but he has the tools to justify the draft pick if he can put together a healthy season.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:35

for dror
4.03 Dan Haren, SP, LAA
This wasn't planned. I had no intention to end up with 2 starters in the first 4 rounds, and had every intention to pick a hitter here. But when I started going over my options (I considered Jennings, Victorino or Hosmer), I again felt that a top starter is just more valueble then any of those mid-level hitters. Haren is one of the most depandable guys out there, pitching for a strong team with a good park and a weak division. His terrific walk rate and long history of avoiding the DL make his as safe a bet as pitchers can get. With around 450 IP covered between him and Greinke, I now can turn my attention to finding good value on hitters, while the rest of the guys drafting will have to starts going the other way at some point.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:36

for KDogHall
4.04 Elvis Andrus, SS, Tex
I don't like Andrus, but after looking at who is left after him I knew I had to take him. Especially in a 16 team league that has a MI position. Andrus should at least be strong in Runs, SB and OBP and is significantly better than anyone ranked below him so I had to take him.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:36

for kokeshis
4.05 Desmond Jennings, OF, TB
I felt Jennings had the most upside for this season of all the remaining OFs. The team was in need of some speed and he certainly brings that. I am a big believer in Jennings becoming one of the best fantasy OFs, as soon as this season. I considered someone safer like Hunter Pence but ultimately couldn't pass on the speed/power possibilities Jennings may offer.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:37

for Graydog
4.06 Asdrubal Cabrera, SS, Cle
Heres to hoping I am not paying too much for a career year. Asdrubal turned into more of a flyball hitter last year and 13% of them left the park. I have read in a few spots this spring that many of his home runs were "just enoughs". Even if a few of those turn into doubles he should still outperform previous years in terms of power numbers if his flyball percentage stays the same. If i get 15/15 and 160 combined runs/ribs's i'll be happy.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:38

for kdl212
4.07 Hunter Pence, OF, Phi
It was Hunter Pence or CC Sabathia here. Having already taken one Yankee, I just couldn't stomach another. And he can't keep pitching 300 innings a year, can he? And I decided before the draft that I wasn't taking a starting pitcher until round 5 or 6 unless Felix was staring at me in round 3.

I thought Pence was the best looking OF on the board, which is a funny thing to say if you've ever seen him play. His disinclination to take a walk can only help his RBI potential while batting cleanup.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:38

for mjd
4.08 Shane Victorino, OF, Phi
Time for an OF. Hunter Pence was just about to become the second player to rejoin last year’s team when kdl212 hijacked that plan right before my pick. So thank him for the delay. I’m not in the habit of picking the same players on a yearly basis, but I’ve had Pence on a team for years when he was with the light hitting Astros. Last year his performance after being traded to the Phillies help pull me out of late season swoon that had me a little concerned that I would get booted back to AAA. Instead, I grabbed his CF teammate who will contribute in all 5 categories, but nothing worth alerting the media about. Broke another personal record of sorts. For the first time ever in one year, I have owned a player in more than 2 leagues. I’m not one to put all my eggs in one basket. it just worked out that way. This contract year player has a chance to prove me a genius, and perhaps cop a nice fat long term contract with a career season.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:38

for reeb
4.09 Jon Lester, SP, Bos
I waited for my first SP and am very happy to snag Lester here. He has potential 2nd round value if everything goes right but without paying the price for it by reaching. Love the upside here.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:39

4.10 Paul Konerko, 1B, ChW
So much for my youth movement. I’m a bit surprised to see Konerko still available. I was debating between several other players when I suddenly noticed that Konerko was still undrafted. I guess his age may have scared others away, but he’s been very durable, playing 152, 149, and 149 games in the last three years. First base is supposed to be a power position, and I look for Konerko to provide that for me again this year.

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 17:50

4.11 – Eric Hosmer, 1B, KC

With the draft three picks from me I'd settled on a queue with that many players in it. I Didn’t particularly want another SP yet but had CC as one of the three for his perceived value at this point in the draft… he has to be worth the 59th pick in the draft right? But I really wanted another hitter here and the main guy I was targeting was Choo; I was all ready with a fantasy rationale for him in which 2011 didn’t exist. But… well… 2011 did happen. Then I noticed that Hosmer is lighting it up in spring training, which of course, as we all know, translates directly into the regular season for real. Ha. He had an OPS of .799 in 2011, that’s for real, and it's reasonable to think he can improve that to .850 with double digits in steals and a combined 190 in the other two counting categories.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 18:15

4.12 - Brandon Phillips, 2B CIN
I was targetting an infielder for this pick. With two picks to go before mine, I narrowed it down to Konerko or Hosmer. Alas, They both disappeared in the next two picks. I had no back-up plan.

I don't need a 2nd SP yet, but there is CC Sabathia just sitting there, sticking his tongue out at me. I finally narrowed it down to Sabathia, Cuddyer, and Phillips. Decided to take Phillips now, and maybe one of the others will still be there in 9 picks. (Nope)

Every review of Phillips I see talks about reliability and consistency. Apparently he is only player in baseball that has managed at least a .260 batting average, 15 home runs and 10 stolen bases in each of the past six seasons. MLB.com ranks him ahead of Uggla, Utley, and Young (that have already been drafted). He won't contribute much in OBP, but should be a solid 2B in the other categories.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 21:18

for jseth333

4.13 Sabathia, CC SP NYY

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 21:19

for nerfherders

4.14 Weeks, Rickie 2B MIL
When you're on the ends of a draft, you really can't plan on specific players to fall to you, so you just have to check back in a few picks before and see where the draft has gone and where it's going. At this point I was very surprised to see how many infielders had gone off the board. Middle infielders go fast in this league, but there were still some nice picks to be had. Weeks is one of them. A consistent .800 OPS player who seems to be coming into his prime. His injury history is a concern, but at this point you have to take some chances.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 22:15

for twilson
4.15 Alex Gordon, OF, Kan
Made a 7-person queue before leaving for a concert with 6 picks to go, and 3 guys were left: Gordon, Berkman, and Choo. I like all three, and went with Gordon because he showed up slightly higher in general on my various source docs. With full resources available to me, I probably would’ve gone with Berkman, but that’s splitting hairs.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 22:16

for Tilt23
4.16 Lance Berkman, 1B, StL
He is getting up there in age and could literally fall apart at any moment, however, he can produce with an OPS over 900 and I would rather have him at first then Freeman or even Morse in this league. I wanted Konerko and Alex Gordon but they went a few picks before. I gave thought to another SP because I saw some value with Price and Strausburg but decided I could find some SP’s later and wouldn’t get a chance for another proven big bat like Berkman.

5.01 Michael Cuddyer, 2B, Col
I knew I was not going to end up with a dominant MI when I was picking 1st so I started looking for guys I wanted to target later in the draft. Cuddyer was one of those. Staying in yahoo he is 2B eligible. Taking him in the 5th round as an OF or 1B is a waste but with 2B and the flexibility I know that he wont be there 30+ picks from now. He was the highest 2B left on my list by far and playing in COL he could out produce Utley and Zobrist, we will see.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 23:20

for twilson

5.02 Choo, Shin-Soo OF CLE
Choo survived the turn, unlike Berkman. Still didn’t like the pitchers, and didn’t see any of the scarce position guys as a value, so stuck with the queue and Choo. Nice across the board production, and I do like his chances for something of a rebound. As I took him last year at 2.15 in AAA, his past production is quite appealing.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 17, 2012, 23:21

for Nerfherders
5.03 Upton, B.J. OF TAM
With this pick I knew I needed some elite SB, meaning not just SB, but also something in another cat. That idea brought me to two players: Upton and Gardner. They both give about the same in SB, while Gardner gives more in OBP and Upton more in SLG. I went with Upton mostly because I felt my OBP was in better shape at this point. I also think Upton has more upside, coming into his 27-28 years. Maybe this year is the year he lives up to the hype he had in his rookie season.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 00:59

for jseth333

5.04 Shields, James SP TAM
Improving K rate makes him an attractive starting pitcher. Combined with CC, should give me a nice 1-2 punch.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 01:00

Pick 5.05 - Brian McCann, C, ATL
I was hoping to nab Cuddyer with this pick. That didn’t work out. 22 picks until I pick again. So many holes to fill! David Price made the final 3, but I think there should be enough SPs at the next turn to satisfy me. I still need a 1B, and am hoping that Mike Morse can last.

Much like my previous pick, most previews of McCann start off with “consistency”. He has hit at least 21 homers in each of the past four seasons and five of the past six. No other catcher besides Napoli has even topped 20 dingers the past two years. If he were older (he’s 28), I would worry more about his oblique injury from last season. With OBP/SLG projections of .370/.500, he’s not too far from Santana or Napoli, and could certainly finish the season as the #1 player at a thin position.

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 06:59

5.06 – David Price, SP, Rays

I wanted another hitter with at least some power and preferably speed here, then saw Choo, Cuddyer and Upton go prior to my pick. I thought about Aramis but ultimately decided to bulk up my pitching staff. Another potentially stud SP should be more valuable than most hitters I could choose here, and head toweling neck injuries aside, Price is that pitcher. In 2011 his ERA took a small hit but his WHIP improved, hopefully the ERA goes back the other way again, and his 200+ K’s will be a welcome addition to the staff.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 08:11

5.07 Yovani Gallardo, SP, Mil
I struggled a lot with this pick. My original plan had been to take hitters with each of my first five picks, but the only guy I’m really interested in is Aramis Ramirez, and with a new ballpark and a history of durability concerns, I just can’t get comfortable that he makes sense – in spite of my current void at 3B. His road averages last year were just .306/.432. In 70 AB at Miller Park over the last three years, he slugged only .400. I know it’s a small sample size, But there were enough warning signs to induce me to look elsewhere.

No relievers have been taken yet, and I don’t want to be the first to jump.

With Gallardo, I get a 26 year old with 20-win, Cy Young potential, and three straight years with 200 Ks. I don’t usually take a starter this early, but decided that it made more sense to go for the upside of Gallardo than to risk the downside of Ramirez.

kdl212
ID: 312161810
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 11:16

for reeb

5.08 Steven Strasburg, SP, WAS
I debated long and hard on this pick and changed my mind several times. Jimmy Rollins was my last chance to get an above average shortstop and I came very close to drafting him here. Kendrick was also strongly considered.

At the end of the day Strasburg's upside was too hard to ignore even with an innings cap likely. 11+ k/9 in his career is was just too hard to pass up this late in the draft. This could come back to bite me but I'd rather go with his upside over a guy like Rollins on the downswing of his career.

kdl212
ID: 312161810
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 11:17

for mjd

5.09 Dee Gordon, SS, LAD
This pick, a reach perhaps for the light hitting speedster, was a result of missing out on Michael Bourn and the need for a little more speed in my lineup. Worst case-he fails to hit his weight and gets booted back to AAA. Best case- he proves that he’s more than a one cat player. He’ll never hit for power, but even a .325 OBP should result in 50 SBs and a bevy of runs scored. Hopefully my other hitters can compensate for his other ugly cats. Would have much preferred to be in a position to take Rollins, Morse, or Aramis Ramirez, all of who were in the 4 man queue that included Gordon. My backup plan was Emilio Bonifacio, who I figured would last a few more rounds, got picked 10 players later, so perhaps it’s good that I got Gordon here.

kdl212
ID: 312161810
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 11:24

5.10 Howie Kendrick, 2B, LAA

I was hoping that a one of a few second basemen would make it back to me in this round. If they didn't, I'd take a starter. Phillips, Cuddyer and Weeks were all picked. After Howie, it looked like a dip. This pick is entirely based on the assumption that hitting in front of Albert Pujols is a good thing. 1B and OF eligibility must be worth something, too.

Seriously considered CJ Wilson, Cain and Bumgarner, but hoped that one of them would make it back to me in round 6. Silly of me to think so.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:51

for Graydog

5.11 Morse, Michael 1B WAS
Morse was not someone I really targeted before the draft but I feel like this could be excellent value at pick 75. Finally got a shot to stay in the majors the last couple of seasons and continued to produce as he had in AAA. Batting in the heart of an underrated lineup and the position flexibility is also a plus.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:52

for Kokeshis

Pick 5.12 - Aramis Ramirez, 3B, MIL
I felt Ramirez has been a steady performer if he stays healthy. Considering how many third baseman went earlier in the draft, I felt pleased that I let Ramirez fall to me. I was ready to snatch up Mike Morse with this pick but he was taken right before me. I feel Ramirez was a good consolation prize regardless.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:53

for KDogHall
5.13 Davis, Ike 1B NYM
Was starting to see a dropoff at 1B so wanted to grab someone with upside. He was having a very strong year before his injury last year so with health and improved development he could be big.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:54

for dror

5.14 Jimmy Rollins, SS, PHI
This isn't the sexiest pick in the world, but with SS being so weak this year I felt it was a necessary one. Rollins' days of .800 OPS are obviously long gone, but he knows how to take a walk and still has double digit homers power, so I will be happy with something like .340/.420/90/60/30 at this point.
Also, the Philies just gave him $33 million to remain their shortstop for the next 3 years, so I will just take their word for it that he still has something left in the tank...

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:55

for Uptown Bombers

5.15 Cain, Matt SP SFO
A pitching detour and a detour from the risky picks, at least let’s hope so. Going into these two picks I knew I wanted 2 starters to give me a good foundation on the pitching categories. Cain has proven himself to be solid on K’s and the ratios, but unable to land W’s. Stats similar to the last few years are what I’m hoping for and I’ll just have to find some cheap wins somewhere else.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:56

for JKaye

5.16 Craig Kimbrel, RP, Atl

I knew I'd be going closer here with Kimbrel, Mariano, and Papelbon heading the list. Obviously happy to get my #1 at a point where I feel the closer run normally starts.

6.01 David Ortiz, Util, Bos

There's always been Util-only guys that are available past what their projected stats would indicate, going back to Frank Thomas, Jim Thome, etc. In RIBC these types of sluggers are very valuable with their high walk/power profiles. Ortiz may see some regression but from a purely numbers standpoint should return value at this point in the draft. The Util thing may end up being a little annoying but that spot is as good as any to get production from, albeit with reduced flexibility.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:56

for Uptown Bombers

6.02 Hanson, Tommy SP ATL
Back to the risk/reward team building. Hanson put together some rather impressive stats last year before having his season ended by injury. The news I’ve read point to him being able to recover and play a pivotal role as the ace of the Braves’ staff. There were safer options to be sure, put the hitter I liked the most was Carl Crawford, full of question marks himself. Of the other pitchers, I just liked Hanson more.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:57

for dror

6.03 Emilio Bonifacio, SS/3B/OF, MIA
2 starters, and now 2 shortstops... I guess I'm just full of surprises this year. This feels like a reach, but since there was no chance he comes back to me at 7.14 and I did'nt really like any of the power hitters available, I decided to pull the trigger.

He obviously has no power what so ever, but is expected to hit 2nd for a what looks like a pretty strong Marlins lineup, and although his .376 BABIP from 2011 is sky high and bound for regression, with his good walk rate and ability to strech groundouts into infield singles, I believe he can sustain a .350 OPS, witch should lead to at least 90 runs and 40 steals. Add to that the position flexability, and I like what I'm getting here.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:58

for KDogHall

6.04 Wilson, C.J. SP LAA
He's no longer pitching half his games in Texas but still pitching for a good team. Lots of starts against Oakland and Seattle and a much better pitching park this year. I like his floor and his ceiling.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 21:59

for Kokeshis

Pick 6.05 - Buster Posey, C/1B, SF
This was the most interesting selection as it involved accidently leaving my general queue open to a picker without having it in order. I clearly didn't intend on selecting Posey after taking Napoli in third, but I've come to terms with it. All that being said, Posey is a good, young player that should be a good piece, as long as his injury doesn't hamper him.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:01

for Graydog

6.06 Bumgarner, Madison SP SFO
Was one of the last of one of my pitching tiers. I often draft pitchers this way, have a tier set up and wait for the pitcher who slips enough to provide value. I had hoped Cain would slip but it wasn't meant to be. Bumgarner had an excellent season last year and his peripheral pitching numbers actually outproduced his ERA and WHIP.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:02

for kdl212

6.07 Gardner, Brett OF NYY
CJ Wilson and Madison Bumgarner went just before my pick, and I didn't find any other SPs all that attractive, so I just decided to defer. It ended up being wise b/c only 2 of the next 19 picks were SPs.

Instead, I turned to Gardner to rack up SBs and runs with a good OBP. The projections don't have him all that much behind Bourn, who went in round 3. Part of this pick involves rooting against Derek Jeter. Gardner at lead-off is much more valuable than Gardner in the 9 slot.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:02

for mjd

6.08 Swisher, Nick OF NYY
Semi-messed this pick up by leaving the auto-pick on before sorting a 6 man queue. Might have been a round or so early, but with preseason projections, who knows much of anything. Need another OF though, and 1B, CI eligibility lessens the sting a bit. Actually, not a bad player to own an OBP league. Unfortunately, batting at the bottom of the Yankee’s order, he won’t get as many runs scored that you might expect from the usual high OBP guy who’d you expect to bat closer to the top of a batting order.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:03

for reeb

6.09 Crawford, Carl OF BOS
I know all the risks associated with taking Crawford but I just couldn't pass him up this late. He was a consensus top 10 pick last year so getting him at #89 could be a great steal. Even if he never gets back to where he was I have a hard time thinking he won't at least provide 6th round value. We will see...

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:04

for Guru
6.10 Reynolds, Mark 3B BAL
A solid 3 category player, whose low contact rate is not quite as harmful in this format because he walks enough to put almost a full 100 pts between his BA and OBP.

11 third sackers have already been taken, and after Reynolds, the power drops off significantly, so I have waited long enough.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:05

for ksoze

6.11 Aybar, Erick SS LAA
He might be a bit of a stretch in the 6th round but it's time for some speed and offense up the middle.. thus far I had a pair of corner IF’s and a C for hitters. Aybar will be hitting in front of a superior lineup and is on the incline of his career. He’ll score runs in bunches, steal +/- 30 bases and give me enough pop to drive in more runs than most of the SS’s left on the board.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:05

Pick 6.12 - Adam Jones, OF, BAL

I’m not really excited about this pick, but I am not very excited about any of the players at the top of my draft sheet right now. Of the holes that need to be filled, I would be reaching too early for most. I’m trying to resist the urge to take a closer until my next pick. There are still a number of SPs that can fill my second slot. So I decided to take Jones, who is one of the best hitters currently available. He should get me good SLG, RBIs, and some speed, but his OBP is really going to drag me down. Hopefully I can compensate in later rounds.

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 18, 2012, 22:07

for jseth333

6.13 JJ Hardy, SS, BAL
What do you write when you have no rationale for this pick? I was traveling with no internet/computer access and put a bunch of names quickly into a queue without the time to sort them as I really wanted them. Bunch of people were taken from the list before my pick leaving me with Hardy. I got nothing else....

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 11:22

for Nerfherders
6.14 Mat Latos, SP, Cin
I was not expecting to get a SP here, not at all. But I looked at the list of available hitters and none of them thrilled me much, especially at the slots I need. The best value was in pitching. Latos' move to the Reds will hurt his ratios a bit, but probably translate to more wins. I think he's good enough to overcome the park effects and be better than a solid #2 SP.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 11:23

for twilson
6.15 Mariano Rivera, RP, NYY
Was planning on targeting Brett Gardner here, but kdl212 rendered that moot at 6.07 with an unexpectedly early selection (though one I like obviously). Steals are always so difficult for me to get in this league. Looking at what was available, I finally saw good value at SP; Billy Butler was the clear standout on offense. Also, all closers but Kimbrel were unexpectedly still available. I decided on RP/SP and took the only truly reliable closer. I’ve been burned in the past by elite closers, so I finally decided to sacrifice a few strikeouts for the consistency gains. I left the starter for after the turn because Mo stuck out to me more than any SP. It’s always nice to start a position run rather than end it.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 11:24

for Tilt23
6.16 Jonathan Papelbon, RP, Phi
Was figuring the closer run would wait until 7th round and looks like I was right. I am usually the last one to start getting saves so wanted to make sure I got started now. He was in my top 5 closers which was my first tier so I got him. Lots of value at SP though so that was clawing at the back of my mind here as well.

7.01 Billy Butler, 1B, Kan
Do we just hate him because he is a DH or that he plays in KC? I don’t understand it, this guy can flat out hit. I wasn’t looking for another CI but couldn’t pass up the RBI and ratio numbers he will put up with no age or injury concerns. He is starting games this spring at first so HOPEFULLY get 1B eligible at least. Still trying to find out who will steal bases for me so thought hard about Ichiro, but just couldn’t stomach that all year. Also looked at Wieters and Mauer both at top of my lists and surprised they are here.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 11:24

for twilson
7.02 Matt Moore, SP, Tam
As stated in my previous rationale, I had decided to go with a starter in the 7th. Tilt23 made sure I didn’t rethink the plan by grabbing Berkman on the turn. I considered Darvish, Kennedy, and Wainwright in addition to Moore. The computers liked Kennedy most, but my choice came down to Moore and Darvish. I think both are poised for excellent years, so I went with the guy with higher projected K/9. I’m excited to see how he does in his first full season.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 11:25

for Nerfherders
7.03 Heath Bell, RP, Mia
My goal for this pick was always a closer. I was either going to start the run or be right at the top of it. My choices were either Papelbon or Bell, and I could do no wrong with either. Bell might be hurt a bit leaving SD, but we don't really know much about the new stadium in MIA. I suspect he will have a fine year either way.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 11:26

for Jseth333
7.04 Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atl
Needed a first baseman and wasn't really feeling anyone and was barely feeling Freddie - obviously counting on him not going through a sophomore slump. Supposedly is feeling pretty good after his recent knee injury and can help pile up the hitting stats.

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 11:27

for Tosh
7.05 John Axford, RP, Mil
Most of us visit all the same websites, and read all the same articles. And so many of those articles tell us to not overpay for saves. Wait on drafting a closer. Closer is a fickle position. And most of the time, I heed that advice. But there is a big drop off between elite talent, and cLoser. And we have reached that drop-off. If I don’t take a top guy now, I’m not going to want to take a risky guy with my 9th or 10th round picks, when I obviously need a 1B/SS/SP. And we do have a category called ‘Saves’.

Except for Mariano Rivera, I can only really use 2010-11 to look for job stabilty and results to predict 2012. And I only see four other closers that I currently feel I can count on the entire season. Two of them are drafted. That leaves me a choice between Axford or Storen. Both have a quality setup guy, but not good enough to risk their job. Both have great K/9 and K/BB numbers. Both should get me about 40 saves. Just because I’m a little nervous about a sophomore slump, I’ll take Axford.

100

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 13:00

for ksoze
7.06 Jason Heyward, OF, Atl
I was looking to bulk the OPS categories back up a little here after taking Aybar in the last round, though Heyward was the only hitter in my three player queue when I went to bed. If I didn’t get him, Wainwright was next, seeing as I’d been thinking about him for the last round or two. 2011 was horrible for Jason, but if his shoulder issue is no longer an issue, I’m expecting numbers closer to 2010, which would make this a great selection. If we’re talking an OPS upwards of .850 with the runs and RBI’s that tag along with those numbers, plus double digits in steals, then we’re talking outstanding value in the 7th round. If we’re not, then the Braves aren’t contending in the NL East in 2012.

101

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 13:02

7.07 Alex Avila, C, Det
I’ve come to the fork in the road.

At the start of the draft, I had resolved not to chase closers this year. Uptown Bombers won last year while punting saves. I ended up in 2nd place with only 5 ranking point in saves, in spite of taking two closers within my first 8 draft rounds. So it seemed reasonable to go after hitting in lieu of chasing closers.

Here we are in round 7, and very few closers have been taken, suggesting that I’m not the only one who has decided not to chase saves. I expect the run is about the start.

Meanwhile, there are 3 quality catchers available, any of whom I’d be happy with – Avila, M.Montero, and Weiters. (I just don’t know what to expect from Mauer’s power this year, so I’m letting someone else gamble on him.) If I felt confident that at least one of those catchers might survive to round 8, I might venture a top tier closer in round 7.

That’s possible, but I think there’s a reasonable chance that all three will be gone before my 8th round pick, and the dropoff at catcher looks pretty significant after that – particularly in power.

So I’ll stick with the plan. Without any firm basis for differentiating among the three catchers, I’ll take the one who ranked the highest last year.

102

kdl212
ID: 1025614
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 14:24

for reeb

7.08 Drew Storen, RP, WAS
At the time I had no idea that Guru was punting saves so i'm sitting at the computer waiting for him to pick fearing he will take the only guy I had queued up.

I was hoping to be picking close once Kimbrel was taken. Papelbon was the only other closer that I would have wanted over Drew. Storen projects for 40 saves,ERA under 3, a low whip, plus a K per inning. At only 24 he could still get better but I will be happy as long as he comes pretty close to last years numbers.

103

kdl212
ID: 1025614
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 14:24

for mjd

7.09 Drew Stubbs, OF, CIN
Been a favorite player of mine since his rookie season in ’09, but never quite reached my high expectations. A nice power-speed guy, but he struggles against RHP, strikes out too much, and can be a drag on a team’s OBP. At only 27, I’m giving him another shot at a breakout season. Worse case looks to be a sub ,400 SLG% and a .320ish OBP, but definitely good for 35-40 steals which is one cat that I always seem to under draft.

104

kdl212
ID: 1025614
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 14:31

7.10 Yu Darvish, SP, TEX

With the inevitable "Drew" run in full effect, I considered [undrafted] or [undrafted[ or [undrafted] to keep it going, but that seemed really early for each of them. So I quickly confirmed that RIBC does have pitching categories again this year, and decided to finally pick someone who doesn't get paid to hit the ball or run around the bases.

Yu is supposed to be polished, he gets to face the A's and Mariners multiple times, and he should--at the least-- dominate his first time around the league. Top 20 upside here.

105

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 16:21

for Graydog

7.11 Carlos Beltran, OF, STL
The only risk here is his knees, which is a major one. He manage a full season last year so hopefully there is another season in them. Beltran has manage to slug at least 500 and get on base at 353 since 2005, except for 2010 when he was injured. I'll happily take those numbers again. The lineup in St Louis is strong which should also help his counting stats.

106

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 16:21

for kokeshis

7.12 Jose Valverde, RP, DET

107

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 16:22

for KDogHall

7.13 Joe Mauer, C, MIN
I held off on drafting a catcher last round as I thought Mauer, Posey, Wieters, Avila, Montero were all about the same. Was very happy to see that many of them were still available next round so that was the right decision. I then was having trouble deciding whether to hold off until the next pick but noticed that all 3 people picking after me didn't yet have catchers so I went with Mauer who I thought still has the highest upside of the remaining catchers.

108

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 16:23

for dror steinberg

7.14 Ryan Roberts, 3B, ARI
Roberts is a career minor leaguer who broke out last year, finishing with 19 homers and 18 steals in 143 games. He is already 31 years old, but some guys are just late bloomers and he apears to be still on the way up in the career production curve. 20/20 with .800 OPS potential and eligibility at both MI and CI? sounds good to me for a late 7th rounder.

109

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 16:24

7.15 Jayson Werth, OF, WAS

I was looking for a hitter with power and speed. Werth is coming off a really disappointing year, but I’m going to consider that the outlier and hope for a modest rebound to somewhere between his 2011 and 2010 stats, with around 25 steals.

110

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 16:32

for JKaye
7.16 Matt Wieters, C, Bal

I debated an OF here, since I will eventually need 4 of them. But I quickly realized that this was my last chance to get a "decent" catcher, before the sleepers kick in. I like the upside of Wieters, and he had a monster 2nd half last year. If he continues his growth, the dropoff from him to the C I would end up with pales in comparison to waiting one more round for an OF.

8.01 Adam Wainwright, SP, STL

Also debated Kennedy, Johnson and Beachy, but concluded Wainwright has the highest upside and looks relatively OK this spring. Might not give me ace innings, but ace ERA/Whip is a real possibility.

111

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 17:18

8.02 Josh Johnson, SP, MIA

An ace, but an ace coming off injury. I gave strong consideration to going closer here, but ultimately decided that a healthy Josh Johnson was worth the gamble on a team full of gambles. Still, this means that between Hanson and Johnson I have two gimpy shoulders and that’s not really a comfortable position to be in. All of these injured guys won’t survive unscathed, but that can’t all be injury victims either right?

112

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 17:55

for dror
8.03 Joel Hanrahan, RP, Pit
It was time for a closer, and Hanrahan should do the trick. He took another step forward as a pitcher last year, taking some gas of the fastball in order to induce more ground balls and improve his walk rate. The result was a fantastic 1.83/1.04 in ERA/WHIP, and while he probably won't struck out 100 again like in 2010, I feel very comfortable with him as my #1 closer.

113

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 18:00

for KDogHall
8.04 Ryan Madson, RP, Phi
Knew I needed to go closer here. I don't like paying for saves so I typically go for a guy I KNOW will get them. Madson shouldn't have competition and will bring strong Ks, ERA and WHIP with him so he seems safe.

114

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 20:23

for kokeshis
8.05 Chris Young, OF, AZ
I didn't really want to take an outfielder here but I felt Young was the best hitter left on the board and the team needed more hitting.

115

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 20:26

for graydog
8.06 Andrew Bailey, RP, BOS
Time to get in on the closer run. I generally try to take one of the top, most reliable closers in RIBC drafts. Kept to the same strategy.

116

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 20:28

for kdl
8.07 Miguel Montero, C, AZ
He was the last of a tier of .350/.460 catchers, so this gave me an excuse to avoid pitching again. Knew that Beachy wouldn't make it back to me, figured there still would be 2-4 closers I could tolerate drafting in round 9, and was sure that Corey Hart was a better choice, but thought that I had a better chance of finding value at SP or OF or RP later in the draft or off the wire than I did at catcher.

117

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 20:29

8.08 Daniel Hudson, SP, AZ

Not one to jump on a 2nd pitcher this early in this format, I have a good feeling about Hudson this year, Arizona’s #2 starter. I even picked him 2 slots ahead of AZ #1 SP, Ian Kennedy. He had a sub .300 ERA the last 2 months of last season. He keeps the ball down in the zone, as he’s able to keep the ball in the park at home, a hitter’s stadium His sabermetrics trend that he’s been a bit unlucky in the past, and that perhaps he’s due for improvement in all areas. More of a gut pick than anything else, perhaps a mid-round sleeper type with breakout potential. And still too early for me to dip into the closer pool.

Anyhow, no hitters jump out at me, though I thought about Cory Hart. With our short bench, I’m not always inclined to stash a player starting out the season on the DL, as injuries were rampant early last year, though he shouldn’t be out too long and it’s easier to plan around him now then an injury that occurs in-season.

118

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 22:16

for reeb
8.09 J.J. Putz, RP, Ari
I knew I wanted another closer before I had to just take what was left. Was kinda hoping that Bailey fell to me but Graydog grabbed him a few picks earlier.

I'm happy with JJ here. I think he has a chance to be a top 5 closer this year if he stays healthy. I suppose there is a chance that he gets moved if AZ falls out of contention early but I'll take my chances.

119

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 22:17

for twilson
8.10 Ian Kennedy, SP, Ari
I considered Kennedy at the previous turn, but he’s still available here at pick 122. With an ADP of 77 in the qualifying leagues, I’m getting him almost a full 3 rounds after his typical draft slot. There are other available SPs offering similar statlines, but they have higher injury risk or weaker track records. Taking 3 pitchers in the first 8 rounds, even 6/7/8, is more than I would like to spend, but this league forces you to take value wherever it presents itself. Besides Kennedy, I considered Goldschmidt before deciding I could wait a bit longer for a 1B/CI. No closer really stood out from the pack, and the RIBC qualifiers suggest that there will still be options at the next turn, so I will wait on my second RP.

120

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 23:18

for ksoze

8.11 Motte, Jason RP STL
The closer run is on. 11 are gone, 10 in a span of 27 picks, time to keep from punting the saves category. He hasn’t had an established season full of saves but a K an inning and a WHIP under 1.00… plus 5 for 5 in save opps in the postseason… should cement him in the role for 2012. If I’m right, he’s going to be a stud closer.

121

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Mon, Mar 19, 2012, 23:19

Pick 8.12 - Paul Goldschmidt

Oh man. Only three more picks until me. This is an excruciating wait. I want Goldschmidt so bad. Two of the three managers before me also need a 1B. Instead of sitting here hitting refresh, I’m going to go cook some bacon. That will calm me down.

And … I’m back. Bacon is really good comfort food for me. But I didn’t need it as I was able to get Goldschmidt after all. He’s the first “upside” pick for me so far. My first seven picks are all established veterans. Goldschmidt has a total of 156 major league ABs, but made them count. He could be a bust, but the more I read leads me to believe he should get 25-30 HRs, 80-90 Rs/RBIs, and a .350 OBP. Maybe I’ll go celebrate with some bacon.

122

jseth333
Dude
ID: 24100310
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 00:00

8.13 Brandon League, RP, SEA - The power of bacon did not work for me as Goldschmidt was taken with the previous pick...maybe I did not cook it right....During the course of my arteries closing, my thoughts turned to a closer...Brandon was solid last year - with a relatively brief rough patch thrown in for good measure - not a strikeout king but got the job done. Here's to hoping he can do it again.

123

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 09:33

for Nerfherders
8.14 Dexter Fowler, OF, Col
I was going for best available here, and while there may be better hitters than Fowler left on the board, his upside is huge. He seemed to finally put together a season last year, and if he can continue that heading into his prime season(s), I think I have a good pick.

124

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 09:34

8.15 Corey Hart, OF, Mil
I thought about taking a pitcher here.

But when doing some last minute scanning of the hitter options, I noticed that Corey Hart was still available. In the other 4 RIBC draft, he was taken in the 6th round (or early 7th), and at first I figured his knee surgery must have happened after those picks were made. But his surgery was on March 6, before he was drafted on any team, so that’s not it – unless others were not paying attention. At any rate, it sounds like his rehabbing is progressing well, and while he may not be ready by opening day, he should return in April.

Hart has slugged over .500 in each of the past two seasons, and at age 29, I’m expecting more of the same this year, in spite of the knee repairs. Seems like good value with some upside potential for a pick at the end of round 8.

125

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 11:27

for Tilt23

8.16 Wilson, Brian RP SFO
Was going to take a pitcher here just deciding between a SP and RP. Normally I would take a SP here like Romero just to add stability to my staff but decided I would take the saves route instead. Wilson has obvious injury concerns but all signs are pointing to a good start so he was tops of what was left in the closers. Happy to have him as my #2.

9.01 Suzuki, Ichiro OF SEA
OK…… OK…. I will take ichiro. I was desperate for SB’s at this point. So desperate I looked at Ichiro last time around but couldn’t take him. Now, I kinda have to. Yes he is 38 but his batting average didn’t drop from lack of speed last year, his BABIP were his career norms, so hopefully a return to .300 average is there. He is still Ichiro and batting 3rd in the lineup now he will still steal 30+ give me decent runs and with any luck some RBIs while not destroying my ratios, at least my OBP. HOPEFULLY. As a side note I almost took Jeter and Ichiro on this turn but that was just too many gray hairs for one team and one round of picking.

126

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 11:28

for twilson

9.02 Jeter, Derek SS NYY
Still feel the same way about RPs as at 8.10, and Goldschmidt has also left the board as expected. Jeter is at or near the top of my computer rankings, and I have a draft rule that if a MI rises to the top, take him. With that said, when comparing Jeter to a pair of young 2B, Kipnis and Jemile Weeks, they stood up well. Kipnis should outperform Jeter on a per PA basis but is unlikely to match up in raw PA due to lineup slot and youth. Weeks would provide much needed steals, but doesn’t measure up in the big picture. The extra scarcity of SS was the deciding factor. I now own both Jeter and Mariano for the first time. Should be interesting.

127

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 11:28

for Nerfherders

9.03 Soria, Joakim RP KAN
I put in my queue of closers Sunday night and went to sleep. By the time I got up in the morning he was mine. 2 hours later, I got the news. It pretty much devastated my draft - changed just about every plan I had from here on out. Basically, I am drafting 23 players while everyone else gets 24. Big blow. All I can do is press on and hope for some luck to come my way.

128

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 11:30

for Jseth333

9.04 Walden, Jordan RP LAA
Blew a bunch of saves last year but is young and throws hard - and for now seems entrenched. Somewhat worried that he might have a short leash since the Angels expect to win quickly with Albert but I am rolling the dice....

129

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 11:30

Pick 9.05 - Ricky Romero, SP, TOR

The last of the reliable SPs are nearing the top of my list, so it’s time to take my 2nd SP. Heading into the pick, I narrowed the choice down to Romero, Garza, -undrafted-, and -undrafted-. Each has many positives but a couple negatives too. Romero pitches in the AL-East, which is tough. Garza and -undrafted- each pitch for teams that will struggle to get Wins. -undrafted- killed a lot of fantasy teams (including mine) in 2010. I decided to roll the dice with Romero. I shouldn’t count on his 2011 numbers, but 3.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 190 Ks are realistic numbers.

130

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 12:14

for ksoze
9.06 Brandon Beachy, SP, Atl
With the draft five picks from me, I was looking at one of three players here: Ricky Romero was first in line, Beachy second, and Edwin Encarnacion third. I felt it was likely that E.E. would be around for me to take in the 10th round so I was hoping to cement my rotation with one of the two SP’s… one out of two ain’t bad I guess as R.R. went one pick prior to me. Beachy is a potential ace who should approach 200 K’s with a decent WHIP and ERA. If my three SP’s (thus far) live up to their potential, my pitching is in great shape so far. “If.”

131

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 12:14

9.07 Matt Garza, SP, ChC
Garza is the type of pitcher I like in this format – age 28, NL team, good K/IP, no evidence of durability issues. Would like to get some more wins than last year’s 10. As RotoWire notes, he won’t have to face Pujols and Fielder as often this year (just 3 games vs Detroit) – although neither of those guys (or their teams) were particularly problematic for Garza last year.

132

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 12:46

for reeb
9.08 Dustin Ackley, 2B, SEA
Waiting until the 9th round to select my first middle infielder may come back to bite me. I knew I absolutely had to take on here. The 2 guys I had in my queue were Ackley and Peralta. I went back and forth for awhile before deciding to go with the youngster over the seasoned vet. MJD promptly took Peralta right after me.

133

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 12:49

9.09 Jhonny Peralta, MI, DET

Hart, who I would have picked here as a great value, was long gone, so on to plan B. Looking at my positional needs, avoiding closers, I saw what could be a pretty decent addition to my team. Peralta perhaps had his best season in the majors last year as he made some clear adjustments in 2010 with an extreme flyball rate and declining strikeout rate, but those changes clearly worked better for him last season. The shortstop is going to hit inside a lineup with ridiculous run support and he should have another big year after being named an All-Star last season.

134

kdl212
ID: 1025614
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 13:58

9.10 Rafael Betancourt, RP, COL

Figured it was time to take a reliever before they all disappeared, and saw 2 high k/9 options still on the board: Betancourt and Santos. It was basically a toss-up. I expect nothing less than a full season of his August and September production from last year (20 innings, 8 saves, 5 hits allowed, no walks, 1 ER and 25Ks).

135

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 15:02

for Graydog

9.11 Jesus Montero, C, SEA
I am confident the production will be there from Jesus, the question is when will I be able to slot that production in at catcher. When this happens I will have the best type of fantasy catcher, a DH. If I can slot him at catcher by May 1st I will be very happy. Even at UTL, The Jesus should provide useful numbers.

later add - at pick 12.16 no further catchers have been drafted since I took Montero. Quite the drop after the top 8.

136

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 15:03

for kokeshi

9.12 Michael Pineda, P. NYY
I did not want to take a starter here but I felt Pineda was too good a value here the drop between him and the next pitcher seemed far greater than the difference between any offensive player.

137

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 15:04

for kdoghall

9.13 Sergio Santos, P, TOR
It was between Santos and Huston Street as I saw a large drop off after them. I prefer Huston Street but there is more risk with him due to injury or the odds of SDG being sellers at the trade deadline. If I'm paying for saves I want to know I'm getting saves and Santos felt like a more sure thing. The high K/9 rate doesn't hurt either.

138

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 15:04

for dror steinberg

9.14 Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, TOR
I drafted 5 hitters by this point, and all of them are expected to hit either leadoff or second and are more runs/steals oriented then power hitters. It was time to go find some middle of the order sluggers, and I like what I'm getting here with EE.

His power potential has always been there (he had an .832 OPS at age 23 in 2006), but the wheels came off for him in recent years, mostly because of fielding problems (his defense at 3B is nutoriously bad) that affected him mentally. Now he is an everyday DH (with dual eligability at the corner infield positions...), playing in a great hitting enviorment in Toronto, and I expect great things out of him at the plate.

139

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 15:05

9.15 Cameron Maybin, OF, SD

I wanted to give my team some more speed and even though I had some other team positional needs, I choose Maybin as my 3rd outfielder. Maybin should be poised for a breakout and is threat to swipe 35 steals. I thought about shoring up MI, particularly with the news that Utley will be missing the start of the season but in the end I didn’t want to overreact to something (injury) that I knew existed as a risk when I first drafted Utley and screw things up twice. I’ll wait a bit longer and hope for the best.

140

JKaye
ID: 47216110
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 15:10

9.16 Carlos Lee, 1B/OF, Hou

Needed to start collecting OF, and Lee was a solid option. He has the flex to play 1B or CI if I am able to add depth in the OF eventually. He has been more durable than people realize playing 150+ games the last 3 years. During his down 2010, he still managed 89 RBI. Last year he increased his RBI to 94 and his OBP/SLG improved, so it has not been a straight decline for the 35 year old. Hoping for one more good year, and maybe even a trade to a contender mid year.

10.01 Joe Nathan, RP, Tex

Time was running out to get a 2nd closer and Nathan was the choice due to the quality of team mainly. Obviously there is risk but would rather get 2 closers for now as the draft dictates, and this was the last chance to get one, given I need to wait 32 picks after this one.

141

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 16:30

10.02 Huston Street, RP, SD

Last year I punted saves and it worked out perfectly. But I felt much stronger about my team last year at this point, when I gave up on saves, than I do this year. By the feel of it, I’m going to need to some points from saves unless I get extremely lucky. I don’t mind waiting this late for saves though because of the volatility of the position. Street keeps the injury theme of my team going. By leaving Coors, he might emerge a better option than he has been in the past. That seems worth the risk at this point, even if only as trade bait at some point.

142

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 18:45

for dror
10.03 Lucas Duda, 1B, NYM
Duda was one of the guys I marked for my team well before the draft. While never being considered a top prospect, he has hit very well at every level during his career (including the majors last year), and his skills look absolutely legit to me.

With the fences in City Field moving in to make it less of a pitcher's park, I believe he can give me power numbers that will easily outperform this draft position.

143

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 18:47

for KDogHall
10.04 Colby Rasmus, OF, Tor
It's totally plausible that Rasmus may have been available with my next pick, but I felt Rasmus' upside was worth it. Just 1 year ago he posted an .850 OPS as a 23 year old. Now he is in a strong lineup and last year can hopefully be chalked up to injuries and disdain for Stl. The upside is worth the potential that I jumped too early.

144

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 20:44

for kokeshi
10.05 Carlos Marmol, SP, CHI
I wanted to take a closer last pick but there were a couple guys I did not mind getting, Marmol was the only guy to fall in that group. He is a gamble and I would not be suprised if he lost his job but a couple years ago he was about as valuable a reliever as there was in the league and was worth the risk.

145

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 20:47

for graydog
10.06 Kelly Johnson, 2B, TOR
I felt like I needed another middle infielder at this point. Kelly is hard to project as some seasons are great (2010 - .370, .496) some are not (2011 - .304, .413). The lineup in Toronto is going to score a lot of runs and I have read the plan is to have Johnson bat 2nd ahead of Jose- bats. This and the double digit steals were enough for me to make this selection head of several options.

146

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 20:50

for kdl

10.07 Adam Dunn, 1B, CWS
In between years of consistent greatness, on March 22, 1986, coming off a foot injury and guarded by the legendary World B. Free, Michael Jordan scored a mere 8 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the only time in over 1,100 games with the Chicago Bulls that Michael Jordan did not score in double digits.

This pick is based on my belief that for Adam Dunn, 2011 was his March 22, 1986. It's impossible to describe in words the depth of Adam Dunn's crapitude last year. Numbers do it pretty well though: in 122 games over almost 500 plate appearances, he hit .159. He struck out 35.7% percent of the time he came to bat. His slugging percentage was .277.

Adam Dunn was drafted #25 in RIBC last year, and I'm banking on a comeback.

147

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 20:51

10.08 Martin Prado, 3B, OF, ATL

Still need a 3B and OF depth, in addition to RPs, and Prado gave me a valid excuse to avoid what was left of the closer dregs. I’m not planning to punt saves, but I am anticipating a bounce back, healthy season by Prado, so RPs can wait a little longer. He could eventually gain 2B/MI eligibility as primary backup to Dan Uggla, should Uggla miss any time due to injury.

148

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 21:13

for reeb
10.09 Carlos Pena, 1B, Tam
Carlos is a team killer in standard roto leagues with his atrocious batting average but in this league only counting OBP hes a very good option. There are rumors that he may possibly bat 2nd in his return to Tampa and while I don't actually expect that to happen it sure would be a nice bonus. Looking for a line of 70-80 runs and rbi's with an OBP over .350 and an OPS over .800, I'll take that in the 10th round.

149

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 21:14

10.10 Jemile Weeks, 2B, Oak
I’ve got Michael Bourn to anchor my steals, but that’s not enough. I’ve got a pretty solid hitting lineup, and can suck up some weaker averages. I have nobody at 2B yet. So Weeks seems like a reasonable fit here. It’d be nice if he could learn to take more walks, and convert more SB attempts. As a second year player, it’s not unreasonable to expect some favorable development on those fronts.

Candidly, I wasn't totally sold on this pick in the moment. But as the run on second basemen emerged, I began to feel better that I had gotten one now.

150

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 23:06

for ksoze

10.11 Freese, David 3B STL
! I thought Encarnacion had a chance at making it back to me here, hence my pick of a SP in round 9. With E.E. off the board, J. Weeks was my next choice here. However, for the first time this draft Guru snagged my choice a pick prior to me. Since there appear at this point to be about a half dozen 2B worth taking, I went with the only other 3B left in my current list. Freese, of course, will expand on his World Series MVP breakout performance to become one of the greatest 3B in all of baseball. Or, I'd be thrilled with the projections I've seen that have him with an OPS of better than .800, especially if he stays healthy.

151

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Tue, Mar 20, 2012, 23:06

Pick 10.12 ~ Alexei Ramirez, SS, CWS

Well that’s plenty frustrating. Twenty-three picks ago (9.05), I struggled to narrow my choice for a SP down to four. I took one. And two of them are still left. Maybe I should have taken a hitter instead. Anyways … I need a SS, and it’s a choice between Ramirez and -undrafted-. If we didn’t have a MI position to fill, I might have waited, as there are other SS that aren’t too far behind those two. Ramirez projects better in four of the five categories, but -undrafted- has a better OBP, which is the category I need. I decided to dig my OBP hole a little deeper, and take the younger Ramirez.

152

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 08:12

for Jseth333
10.13 Gaby Sanchez, 1B, Mia
Not too sexy and an older young guy but solid OBP who should help in other categories as well.

153

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 08:12

for Nerfherders
10.14 Kyle Farnsworth, RP, Tam
The beginning of the re-working of my draft is getting someone to replace my last pick while I still can. This pick was supposed to be a SS, but that now gets put off. Farnsworth surprised, perhaps, but he's always been a good pitcher, just not good in the 9th until last year. Hoping for one more year of it.

155

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 10:09

for twilson

10.15 Ethier, Andre OF LAD
Well, I was wrong about being able to get in at the end of the closer run. The last guy I liked in terms of both skill and role, Farnsworth, left the board at 10.14. Try as I might, I cannot get sell myself on any of the alternatives when so many good hitters are available. Ethier doesn’t fit my roster needs, but I just really like what he has to offer in the 10th round. His skills aside from power were largely stable last year despite suffering from injuries throughout the season. He has performed at a high level this spring, so I expect a significant rebound toward his historical mean. Nick Markakis was another strong consideration, but his recovery from abdominal surgery worried me more than Ethier’s camp back spasms.

156

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 10:10

for Tilt23

10.16 Zimmermann, Jordan SP WAS
SP are going to start flying off the board here soon and I need to get my second. Zimmerman gives me a guy with great upside who could be the ace of my staff. He doesn’t rack up the K’s but his ratios are great. If he stays healthy and Wash can win a few games I have a top 15 pitcher.

11.01 Walker, Neil 2B PIT
I stayed up late the night before praying to the fantasy gods as I kept watching Alexi Ramirez drop. Then it gets within 5 picks of me and I actually start to believe I have a chance. I put off SS and thought about him last time around never thinking he could make it back to me. Never thought I would be praying for Alexi Ramirez but there I was updating the draft hoping and praying……then just like that I wake up and he is gone…..Tosh took away my dream with 2 mouse clicks….Turns out he didn’t even want him, funny how one guy can be thought of differently by different managers………oh well…….Sooooo Neil Walker huh……he is the last solid 2B I see and will hit in the middle of the order and should do well in my MI position......blah……did end up starting a little 2B run so that makes me feel better

157

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 10:10

for twilson

11.02 Kipnis, Jason 2B CLE
Yet again, one of my targets from the previous turn has survived 30 more picks. All those reliever picks were at least good for something. Thus, I decide to fill my MI slot before the well runs dry. His power outburst from last season is highly unlikely to continue at the same level, but even with some regression in that category, he will provide value in all five categories. That is not to be trifled with in the 11th round. I would’ve taken Jemile Weeks for the better SB totals here had Guru not grabbed him earlier in the round, but I’m not disappointed that he made that decision for me. I also liked some of the SPs available but still think waiting makes the most sense.

158

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 10:11

for Nerfherders

11.03 Morales, Kendrys 1B LAA
Again, passing on SS to grab a slugger who by all reports should be ready for opening day. If he's the old 'Kendry', 'Kendrys' should be a great grab at the 11th round. His ceiling, I believe, is 3rd round quality.

159

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 10:12

for Jseth333

11.04 Murphy, Daniel 2B NYM
I hope he remains the starting second baseman anyway. Nothing that is going to blow you away but a fairly solid 2B - and the options were diminishing rapidly.

160

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 10:13

Pick 11.05 ~ Danny Espinosa, 2B, WAS

If there was not a MI slot, I would have not taken Espinosa. But that slot accumulates stats just like the other 20. Second base is a volatile position, that suffers a lot of injuries, so now I have a decent backup for Phillips. The dropoff for MI is pretty steep before my next pick of 12.12, so I would just be adding a barely-replacement-level sort of player. Another good contributor if we did not have OBP, but hopefully Espinosa can get me a respectable .330. If Neil Walker or Jason Kipnis was available, I would have taken them instead.

161

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 10:19

11.06 – Yunel Escobar, SS, Tor

Wow. When one is looking to take a player at a specific position, it’s not a good thing to see four players at that position taken within the five preceding picks. I could still have taken Aaron Hill here but stubbornly decided I didn’t want to be “forced” into my last 2B choice at this point. If Kipnis or Walker were around, I’d have taken one of them. If 2 or 3 of Murphy/Espinosa/Hill were there, I’m sure I would have taken one. As it was, I decided I might as well punt my 2B for now and I went to the other middle IF position . As long as Yunel doesn’t revert to his 2010 self, he’ll be a fine value here because he walks a fair amount so his OBP is higher than any of the 2B’s I was targeting, and his SLG should be similar. And he loves playing in his home park where he had an OPS just shy of .900 in 2011.

162

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 11:03

11.07 Kenley Jansen, RP, LAD
My first reliever, and he’s not even likely to start the season as a closer. It’s hard to find a projection that doesn’t assume he’ll take over the role sometime this year, however.

I still may end of punting saves – that won’t ultimately be settled until after the season starts. But Jansen should make useful contributions in the ratios and Ks, regardless. The biggest concern is the heart-related issues that have surfaced from time to time. For that reason alone, I should probably pass. But – no guts, no glory. If he does assume the closer role in LA, he could be a top tier one – and after 22 relievers have been drafted, that’s a worthwhile gamble, especially since 8 of my hitters are already nailed down.

It would have been nice to get him in a later round, but based on the other RIBC league drafts, its unlikely he’ll slide to 12.10, so it’s now or never.

163

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 11:28

for reeb
11.08 Max Scherzer, SP, DET
I am real happy to get Scherzer here. He's a high strikeout guy on what projects to be a good team so the wins should be there as well. His ERA and WHIP are a little high but I still think he can improve on those a bit. He is entering his prime so maybe he can put it all together and have a breakout year.

164

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 11:43

11.09 Javy Guerra, RP, LAD

First dip in the RP pool. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has confirmed that Guerra will open the year at closer, but most believe that he’s just a placeholder for Kenley Jansen. Whatever. Just help get me to the upper bottom half the saves cat without killing my peripherals while netting me a few K’s. 20-some closers are off the board by now, so this is what is left.

165

kdl212
ID: 32214712
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 12:29

11.10 Josh Beckett, SP, BOS

Back in the 7th round, when I selected my first starting pitcher, I was choosing between Yu Darvish and Josh Beckett. To see Beckett still here in the 11th made me wonder if I had missed an injury report or something on him. But I don't think I have. I'm not expecting a sub 3.00 ERA again - I'll be happy with 3.50, a 1.2 WHiP, decent strikeout rate, and 15 wins. Seems like nice value here in round 11. Feeling better about delaying my choice of starting pitchers.

166

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 16:12

for graydog

11.11 Brett Myers, P, HOU
The most important thing for a closer to have is job security....other than the ability to get batters out. Myers was one of only a couple closers with secure jobs left. I always like to have at least 2 "for sure" closers in this format.

167

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 16:13

for kokeshi

11.12 Justin Morneau, 1B, MIN

168

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 16:14

for kdoghall

11.13 Aaron Hill, 2B, ARI
I did not at all expect the run on 2B since my last pick. I was going to target Kipnis or Walker. I wasn't sure if the 2B run would continue but decided to stop the bleeding and take someone with some upside like hill who has hit well in the past and I'm hoping his lack of success lately is bad luck. He at least should have a good spot in the arizona lineup.

169

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 16:14

for dror steinberg

11.14 Frank Francisco, P, NYM
I wanted another closer, and Francisco was next on my list. The mets paid him pretty well ($12 million for 2 years) to be their closer, and they have no one else who looks like competition for the job, so his leash should be pretty long. His skills are not great, but he is good enough to give me the 30-35 saves, barring an injury of course.

170

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 16:15

11.15 Adam Lind, 1B, TOR

Holy smokes, I was not expecting that run on low level MI’s. I was thinking of taking one with this set of picks because of Utley but that group seems to have been picked pretty thin now. My next target was Lind, who I hope is due for a bounce back season. If that happens, he should be a decent source of power at this point in the draft. Actually, I’m quite happy to see him still available. I was thinking about Morales leading up this pick but that decision got made for me.

171

JKaye
ID: 47216110
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 16:40

11.16 Markakis, Nick, OF, Bal

You don't get too excited when you draft Markakis, but I seem to experience this a lot. I got him in RIBC in the 8th round last year which was probably too early but here, it makes sense. He is an unspectacular, but consistent performer, and 75/75/10/.350/.440 is not bad production compared to what is left - not to mention 650 AB every year like clockwork.

12.01 Jeremy Hellickson, SP, TB

Hellickson is a solid value here, and chose him over Gio (who went the very next pick)
Basically, I felt his K upside was a little better than Gio's WHIP upside, which are each pitcher's biggest weakness. But that decision shouldn't make or break. Just needed a 2nd quality SP here.

172

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 16:48

12.02 Gio Gonzalez, SP, WAS

Once my plan of taking one MI and one CI got scratched, my big decision was what direction to go with this pick. I gave serious thought to Mike Moustakas and Logan Morrison, but it felt a little early for Mous… and I already had 3 OF’s. So I decided to be the first to take a 4th SP. Only 2 other teams have 3 SP, so I am going against the trend of the draft, but I saw some pitchers with really good value available and I don’t expect them to be there with my next picks. I debated between Ubaldo Jimenez, Cory Luebke, and Gio Gonzalez, before settling on Gio, who I feel presents the most upside.

173

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 18:08

for dror

12.03 Matt Thornton, RP, CWS
My infield is pretty much all set, and there are a ton of SP and OF remaining with similar value, so I decided to go for a 3rd closer here. This can make a big difference, as 2 closers don't guarantee you anything, but having 3 (if they make it through the whole season) should be easily good enough for a top 3 finish in the category.
Thornton is a very good pitcher, but had a tough time closing at the begining of last year and lost the job to Sergio Santos. Now he gets another chance, and if he won't blow it again he should not only get me the saves, but also terrific ratios and a strong K rate.

174

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:32

for kdoghall

12.04 Jimenez, Ubaldo SP CLE
Very tough decision here as it's very difficult to predict who might be around next pick. It was between Jimenez, Holland, Morrison or multiple other players. I went with Jimenez because he has atleast proven to put up elite numbers in multiple seasons so there is some consistency as well as upside.

175

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:33

for Kokeshis

12.05 Francoeur, Jeff OF KAN
I was looking foer a all 5 category contributor and Francouer was a 20/20 guy last year, I am definitely worried about him repeating those numbers but if he is 80% of what he was last year I will be happy.

176

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:34

for graydog

12.06 Morrison, Logan OF MIA
I was looking for a bat with some upside in this slot. I like his walk rate and at this point I believe I have some ground to make up in OBP. I like his chances of outperforming RBI expectations based on the lineup of hitters that he will follow.

177

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:35

for kdl212

12.07 Brandon Morrow, SP, TOR

I walked out of the draft last year in RIBC with just one closer (I drafted 2, but [undrafted] was hurt and never recorded a single save all year), yet ended up finishing 2nd in the category, just 5 saves off the league leader. As a contrast, but with even better results, Bombers punted saves and won the league.

So despite wanting to have a second closer on my roster, I figured I'd become a vulture again and hopefully finish in the middle of the pack. Besides, nothing left seemed worth the draft slot. Instead, I could get a quality 3rd OF or quality 3rd starter.

Despite pitching in the tough AL East, this could be the year Morrow puts it all together. At the least, he offers 200 strikeout potential, and I didn't see anyone else left on the board who did.

178

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:36

for mjd

12.08 Luebke, Cory SP SDG
Drafted purely for his K/9 rates. Pitching in the cavernous Petco with a low scoring offense, wins could be tough to come by but help with ratios and strikeouts beats an iffy closer. Actually, once he earned a place in the Pad’s rotation in late June, his ratios were much better on the road.

179

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:37

for reeb

12.09 Scutaro, Marco SS COL
I needed a SS here badly and Marco should provide good counting stats along with a very good OBP for his position. The lack of SB's from a MI spot hurts a little but I have a pretty good base in that cat already.

180

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:37

for Guru

12.10 Balfour, Grant RP OAK
Heading into this pick, I had three names on my short list: Luebke, Scutaro, and Balfour. I have no idea who I would have taken if presented with a choice. Luebke was probably my first choice – although I never made that decision.

So am I punting saves or not? I still don’t know. But Balfour is another guy who generally has value even if not closing, with good ratios and a good K rate.

This afternoon, Oakland announced Balfour as their closer to start the season. If he can hold the job, and if Jansen becomes the Dodger closer, I may actually muster a few ranking points in saves, If I can pounce on another closer somewhere along the way – either during the draft, or during the season - who knows?

181

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:38

for ksoze

12.11 – Chris Perez, RP, Clev

Ehhh… Guru did it again. I needed another closer here so as not to completely bring up the rear in saves, and Grant Balfour had just been named the A’s closer a few hours before. When Guru took him a pick prior to me I scanned my list of remaining closers, ground my teeth, and picked Perez. He bombed towards the end of last season and hasn’t faced live hitters yet this spring (at least not when the pick was made) but he’s apparently about ready to do so and “should” be ready for opening day. Here’s hoping 2011, especially the last couple of months, was a fluke.

182

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 20:41

Pick 12.12 ~ Jim Johnson, RP, BAL

Bleh. Might as well, since I need a second closer to compete. Johnson looks less sucky than Capps, the only other guy left, and Johnson hasn’t even been officially named the closer. He doesn’t strike out enough people, but has good ratios, and keeps the ball in the park. Hopefully he be serviceable. Bleh.

183

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 22:27

for Jseth333
12.13 Jose Altuve, 2B, Hou
A youngster on a predicted terrible team. Showed some things after call-up last year. Has a little pop, a little speed, and should score some runs - assuming that Houston scores this year.

184

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 22:28

for Nerfherders
12.14 Rafael Furcal, SS StL
I waited and waited... and waited some more on a SS, while just about everyone who ever stood between second and third went off the board. This was the spot, and I was hoping for Escobar, and then Scutaro. Both gone during the eternity between picks. So I went with Furcal, who while on the field, is as good as any SS. The problem is being on the field. He seems to get hurt every season, and already has some kind of ailment this spring. All I can do is hope to get 100 games from him and fill in as I can the rest.

185

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 21, 2012, 22:28

for twilson
12.15 Matt Capps, RP. Min
This was a pick borne out of necessity. I had waited so long for a second closer that the only guy left who fit the description struck out only 4.66 batters per 9 last year. Needless to say, not a skillset I want on my roster. With that said, I do foresee a significant uptick in performance for Capps this year, and could certainly see him holding on to the job for the entire season, and that’s pretty much all I can ask for at this point. It also helps that he has a clear handcuff who will put up acceptable (if not elite) stats and only cost me a 17th rounder.

186

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 09:34

for Tilt23
12.16 Coco Crisp, OF, Oak
He steals bases. Lots of bases.

13.01 Chris Carpenter, SP, StL
He is an ace of staff with a proven record. He is old but still has another season in him I hope. He is having trouble right now in spring training with health and may miss opening day but should not miss another start. That is the hope anyways. If he can give me 160 innings im happy. Will get some Wins and ratios will be good………That was until it was announced hours after I drafted him that he is having more problems with his neck and is out for a while……ok plan B

187

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 09:34

for twilson
13.02 Ryan Howard, 1B, Phi
Was looking at the former New Jersey Cardinal Coco Crisp on the flip side of the turn, but Tilt promptly scooped him up. I liked Bourjos and De Aza about as much, though with fewer SBs. I really do need more steals, but I think De Aza will still be around for my 14/15 picks. Thus, I used my 13th rounder to finally take a first baseman. Were he not injured and missing the first month of the season, I would value him 30th overall, which is right around his RIBC ADP last year (27.4). My injury sources project him back around May 1, which has just been confirmed by the Phillies organization itself. As tiny as the RIBC bench is, I don’t think one month of production is worth anywhere near the difference between picks #30 and #194, and I will happily pocket the difference with this selection.

188

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 09:35

for Nerfherders
13.03 Colby Lewis, SP, Tex
It's time for my third starter, and one of the common threads of this draft is that I seem to be in synch with everyone else's draft schedule. If I'm going for X and Y on this turn, 6 X's and 5 Y's go within 15 picks of the turn. So it took me awhile to decide on this pick. Lewis doesn't have much upside but he's solid. Good WHIP and peripherals, even if the ERA is a tad high. He's also going to get his wins. I'm starting a trend here with my starters - Lincecum, Latos, Lewis. So my motto for this team is "L's = WINS"

189

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 09:35

for jseth333
13.04 Clay Buchholz, SP, Bos
Was going to ignore Derek Holland's overall goofiness and his recent ridiculous appearance during the weather on local news, and pick him here instead, but in the end went with Buchholz. Supposedly healthy and looking good so far this spring made me figure he was worth the shot here.

190

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 09:36

for Tosh
13.05 Derek Holland, SP, Tex
Halfway through the draft. I need a SP, OF, Corner, and stolen bases. I’m seeing a number of OFers w/ 20-30 SBs, and a few CIs that should be available the next pick, so I decided to target a SP now.

Holland offers a lot of upside. As a Ranger, he might get more Wins than my 2nd round pick (King Felix). He’s still young. He added 2 mph last year on his fastball. After the ASB, he posted a 9-1 record with a 1.21 WHIP, 3.06 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 88.1 innings. Feels like a great pick for the 13th round.

191

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 09:37

for ksoze
13.06 Angel Pagan, OF, SF
Very simply, I needed to bulk up on SB’s here. I only had one OF at this point, and only one player with a good history of swiping double digits each year. Not getting J. Weeks a few picks back most likely forced me in this direction now. Pagan will lead off for SF, hopefully tally more than 30 steals, and score 80 or 90 runs.

192

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 09:37

13.07 Johnny Cueto, SP, Cin
I had Derek Holland on the top of my queue. Life in the RIBC…

Cueto doesn’t have the strikeout rates that I’d like, but his ratios are solid. Last year’s 2.31/1.09 seem like outliers that are unlikely to be repeated, although at age 26, he may still be learning how to pitch. His home park is generally considered a hitter’s park, but he posted a 1.38 ERA at home last year, with a sub-Mendoza BAA. Go figure. He’s no iron man, having never pitched more than 190 innings in a season (nor less than last year’s 156). I’d have preferred Holland’s win potential and strikeout rate, but Cueto should be an acceptable SP3 for me.

I didn’t see any reliever that warranted a 13th round pick. A few hitters looked reasonable, although the profile for the next 20 or so hitters looks pretty similar, so I feel no urge to jump. Matt Joyce was on top.

193

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 13:02

for reeb
13.08 Wilson Ramos, C, WAS
I might have reached a bit with this pick but I liked Ramos better than the other options that were left at catcher. If he improves on his numbers slightly he should provide good value in the 13th round.

194

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 13:03

13.09 David Hernandez, RP, AZ

Primary setup guy for the D-backs, he succeeded as a fill-in closer during J.J. Putz's brief DL stint last summer, and considering Putz's propensity for injury, more saves might be on the horizon. Nice ratios and a K/9 around 10, this is a player I had targeted at some point in this draft. That time is now. Maybe could have waited another round, but I’m gambling that he’ll be the full time closer in AZ before the end of the season.

195

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 14:43

for kdl212
13.10 Matt Joyce, OF, TAM
Time for a 3rd OF, and happily saw Joyce still available. .800 OPS together with a dozen steals. Maybe he spent the winter learning how to hit left-handed pitching and I won't have to sit him down twice a week.

196

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 14:44

for graydog
13.11 Shaun Marcum, SP, Mil
Was far and away the top pitcher left on my depth chart so I made the pick. I haven't understood why marcum doesn't get more love. He has produced whips of 1.15 or 1.16 over the past 3 seasons. He gets just enough K's to give a slight positive value. He was higher on my depth chart than Holland, Buchholz, and Jimenez who all went before him. This of course happens all the time with pitchers as we all evaluate them slightly differently.

197

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 14:44

for kokeshis
13.12 Mike Moustakas, 3B, KC
The team needed production in the infield and Moustakas seemed like the best upside guy there. He was disappointing last year but I needed somebody who could provide starter numbers if he worked out.

198

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 14:46

for KDogHall
13.13 Jonathan Broxton, RP, Kan
I haven't been particularly pleased with my draft so far so it's time to take some risks. I'm going to guess that Soria has Tommy John Surgery and is out for the year. I'm also going to guess that Broxton is the closer. If neither of those guesses are true than this is a waste. If both are true than this is the kind of pick that can get me a lot of points

199

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 16:25

for dror steinberg

13.14 Brennan Boesch, OF, DET
I always believe that OF is the best position for late round value in RIBC, and this year is no different. Boesch is a capable young hitter (.799 OPS last year, and he looks to be on the rise), who is penciled in as the Tigers everyday #2 hitter, with Miggie and Fielder following him. In theory, this should lead to a lot of good pitches to hit and tons of runs scored.

200

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 16:26

13.15 Chase Headley, 3B, SD

Nothing entirely exciting about this pick. I was hoping Moustakas would get back to me, at least then I could root for upside. With Headley, I am fairly sure what I am getting. He brings good OBP and mediocre counting stats and SLG for a third baseman. At this point in the draft, that’s about all I can get from a positional need. On a side note, I am glad I took a pitcher last round, even if it cost me Moustakas. 8 starting pitchers came off the board since my Gio pick, including all the ones I was considering. Hopefully, the drop-off between Headley and Moustakas won’t come back to haunt me.

201

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 16:28

for JKaye
13.16 Mark Trumbo, OF, LAA
Trumbo is a nice fit at this point in the draft. Already with 1B/OF eligibility, he could be the Angels 3B this year. Somewhat risky given the fact he might not play every day, but he is one injury away from being guaranteed PT, and seems hard to keep his bat out of the lineup compared to Alberto Callaspo and Mazier Izturis. Only a .291 OBP last year, but a .477 SLG which definitely helps in the 13th round.

14.01 Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Oak
Obviously went for upside here, but given how long I waited on OF, I really need actual production from Cespedes. He might be one of the real keys to determining how my team fares this year.

202

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 16:28

for Uptown Bombers
14.02 Ryan Raburn, 2B, Det
I need some help at MI and 2B in particular. I’d rather have some other hitters but I probably can’t afford to pass on this position with so many teams picking twice before my next chance to grab Raburn. There were a few other MI that I considered, but stuck with Raburn. He has some power potential, at least, and offers some position flexibility. That was enough for me to take a chance with him.

203

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 16:29

for dror
14.03 Josh Willingham, OF, Min
One of the most underrated and under the radar hitters in baseball, Willingham finished with an OPS higher then .800 in each of the past 6 years. The Twins are not the type of team that hands out lucrative 3 year deals to just anyone, they are counting on him to produce in the middle of their lineup, and there is no reason to believe he won't do just that. The new stadium in Minesota is a terrible place for power hitters, but Oakland is not that different, and he was still able to hit 29 homers last year. He is not going to set the world on fire, but is a very safe bet for positive contribution, wich is not easy to find at this point of the draft. I guess not every pick has to be a hit- or-miss gamble.

204

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 16:30

for KDogHall
14.04 Jed Lowrie, SS, Hou
Lowrie or Cozart seemed to be the only people left who even had potential for upside, even if it's minimal. This is the price I pay for waiting so long on the MI position. Hopefully he comes through with serviceable production. Otherwise I will be looking to trade for MI help.

205

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 20:59

for kokeshi

14.05 Gordon Bekham, 2B, CWS
Same as last pick was looking for upside in the infield, I was once very high on Beckham at this point I think the chances are he continues to suck but I wanted another guy who if he works out can give me the production of a much earlier pick.

206

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 21:02

for graydog
14.06 Amibal Sanchez, SP, MIA
My accidental pick, attempted to set a pick queue but did not activate it properly. I was looking for another middle infielder. It turns out there was a run on them right around my pick with Raburn, Cozart, Beckham and Lowrie all getting drafted. I had 3 of them (not Beckham) and Mike Aviles. It worked out for me as Aviles was still around with my next pick.

I like the upside and K's with Sanchez. He had a good season last year and his Fip and other advanced metrics had him at an even better season. There should be more wins to go around for the Marlins this year so hopefully he gets more than his share.

207

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 21:05

for kdl
14.07 Zack Cozart, SS, CIN
Had Anibal Sanchez at the top of my queue, but he didn't make it. Strongly considered Francisco Liriano, but chickened out. Talked myself out of Tyler Clippard, who has great ratios and a closer who had a sore pitching arm, because Storen said he felt great after throwing that day and guessing that he might make it back to me for my next pick. Of course, he didn't (and then news broke that Storen felt more discomfort).

There wasn't much left after that MI frenzy but this kid who might hit second in the Reds lineup, and might do a little bit of everything. He probably won't, though.

208

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 21:14

14.08 Mitch Moreland, Ci

1B and OF eligible. Perhaps one of the only true power guys left with reliable playing time.

I’m beginning to see disadvantages of picking in the middle. When picking closer to the turn, I feel a little more in control by pairing up picks and being more connected to my overall team concept. Being in the middle of a big draft like this gives me a little too much time in between picks to think. I feel a bit disconnected. Picking near the turn has me more engaged with pairs, deciding which of 1 or 2 players might make it back to me after the turn. As it is now, I really can’t anticipate who’s going to make it back to me for my next choice if I can’t decide on someone specifically on any given pick. More on this in my recap.

209

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 22:23

for reeb

14.09 Santana, Ervin SP LAA
I seem to always end up with this guy on my team hoping that he has the breakout season that people predicted earlier in his career. This year I'm drafting him hoping he just gives me an average year of 10-15 wins, 150+ K's, mid 3 ERA, and a 1.20 whip. Anything better than that is gravy. He should be a pretty good 4th fantasy starter in this league.

210

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 22:23

for Guru

14.10 Torii Hunter, OF, Ana
At age 36, Hunter is no doubt on the downslope of his career, although he did manage to play in 156 games last year. He’s still got some speed and some power. As long as he can stay healthy enough, he should put up decent numbers in a lineup that now gives him a shot to bat either before or after Albert Pujols. Seemed like a good value pick for round 14, and I still had an opening for a starting OF.

I would have taken Willingham if he had survived to this pick, however.

211

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 22:24

for ksoze

14.11 Liriano, Francisco SP MIN
My last few picks have felt like forced, “fill needs” picks that I didn’t want to have to make and I haven’t enjoyed watching my “wanted players” fall before me. Liriano feels like a comfort food type “I know I shouldn’t do this now but I can’t help myself” pick, but it sure feels good for the time being. There’s definitely the possibility of a very high reward to go with the high risk. If he fails, well, he’s my 4th SP at this point. He’s looked great this spring, always puts up nearly a K an inning, and if he’s back and healthy this will be an outstanding choice. I’m taking the chance that, at 28, he’ll finally be back to being a worthy starter, albeit on a team that won’t help him win many games.

212

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 22:26

Pick 14.12 ~ Austin Jackson, OF, DET

I really struggled with this one. I need a corner infielder and outfielder. I need SBs, and OBP. Narrowing it down to Jackson and Peter Bourjos, each spent time on the ‘click here to select player’ screen. Bourjos and Jackson both have a lot of strikeouts this Spring. Bourjos projects higher in SBs, and Jackson projects higher in OBP. But when I had to make a final decision, I went to the most recent boxscores. Bourjos was batting 7th, while Jackson was leading off. So I took Jackson, and will target a corner infielder the next round.

213

jseth333
Dude
ID: 24100310
Thu, Mar 22, 2012, 23:28

14.13 Mike Carp, OF, SEA Don't really know what to expect from him this year but apparently I am hitching my wagon to a bunch of young guys - I look forward to competing against some of you in AAA next year. Plenty of power but seemingly sure does like to miss alot...we shall see....

214

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:52

for Nerfherders
14.14 Chipper Jones, 3B, Atl
My favorite position player of all time, announcing his retirement at the end of the year only hours after making this pick. He will be missed! The epitome of the franchise player. Anyways, I waited too long to get a 3B and there were not many options left. Chipper, for as good as he is, will be lucky to play 100 games this year, so I will need to find someone to fill in those games. When he's in there though he will be fine.

215

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:53

for twilson
14.15 Peter Bourjos, OF, LAA
It’s pretty remarkable how often players have survived the turn for me in this draft. I’m not used to it happening more than once in RIBC, and this is the fourth pick I’m making where that has been the case. I need steals but would prefer to do it without killing SLG. Bourjos fits that description better than anyone else. He has a good pedigree, and his defensive skills give him a very good chance to hold onto his starting spot in the crowded Angels outfield. De Aza and Tabata were also considered at this spot.

216

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:54

for Tilt23
14.16 Neftali Feliz, SP, Tex
He is slated to be the #5 starter in Texas this year. The rangers have had good luck moving back of the bullpen guys into the rotation. He has all the skills and gives me much needed K’s. He has the best stuff on one of the best teams in baseball. If he moves back to the bullpen I am ok with that too.

15.01 Tyler Clippard, RP, Was
He is one of the best set up men in the game. He may not get many saves there but his K’s and dominant stuff will allow me to leave him in my lineup and reap the benefits. He is a hard throwing set up man next in line for saves. That was good enough for me at this point in the draft.

217

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:54

for twilson
15.02 Alejandro De Aza, OF, ChW
I actually think I prefer De Aza to my previous pick Bourjos, but when making pick 14.15, I decided that doubling up on the speedy outfielders was my best move for maximizing value and improving my roster. So De Aza was forced to sweat out the turn before joining the squad. His complete lack of a pedigree and his injury history are troubling, but the performance record is very intriguing, and he will be leading off for the White Sox. It is really early to take my fifth outfielder, but so it goes. I wanted to take a SP at this turn since I am falling very behind there, but don’t think anyone stands out quite as much as De Aza.

218

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:55

for Nerfherders
15.03 Jose Tabata, OF, Pit
This turn was for 3B and speed. The 3B part was taken care of, but my #1 choice for speed was taken the pick after mine. The #2 choice 2 picks later. So I was left with the #3 choice, who perhaps has the best upside of the three. Last year I had a slugging OF with Braun, J Upton, and Joyce along with Gardner. This year, my OF is definitely light on the SLG, but three of them can easily put up 30+ steals. In a perfect world steals would come from MI, but that is very hard to do in this league.

219

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:55

for Jseth333
15.04 Greg Holland, RP, Kan
Kind of a flier here - might end up being the closer; might help me with other pitching categories; might soon be dropped.

220

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:56

for Tosh
15.05 Brandon Belt, 1B, SF
It’s starting to get to the point in the draft where players are drafted on their potential role, rather than what we know right now. If Belt can get a starting gig at either 1B or OF, he should be an exciting player with solid percentages and reasonable runs/ribbies. If he ends up as backup to some -undrafted- old man, it will be tough to roster him with the short benches we have.

221

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:56

for ksoze
15.06 Delmon Young, OF, Det
I’m guessing I won’t be getting the 2010 Delmon Young here, you know, the one with the .826 OPS and the 112 RBI’s. But I’m also guessing that I won’t get the 2011 version either, that in the middle of this powerful Tigers lineup he’ll fall somewhere in between. The OBP side of his OPS won’t be pretty, but hopefully his SLG will improve and his counting stats will be increase. If so, he’s fine in the 15th round.

222

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 08:58

15.07 Vinnie Pestano, RP, Cle
I’m light in saves, so I’d like to grab a few setup men with a chance to assume closer duties if the incumbent closer falters or is injured. There are a handful of reliever on my list of prime targets, and it’s tough to choose between them. Pestano gets the nod primarily because I still lack someone from Cleveland on my roster. My cousin Vinnie, so to speak.

Age 27, with a high K-rate, he’s been a late inning pitcher for his entire “career” – high school, college, minors, and now majors. So the role fits him, and should he get the chance to close, he should embrace it. And if he works the 8th inning all year – well, then just mow ‘em down, Vinnie.

223

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 10:57

for reeb
15.08 Mat Gamel, 1M, Mil
I needed a CI here. Gamel has a spot in the starting lineup for the first time in his career. Everything I have read says the Brewers are going to give him every shot to succeed which should help his mindset going into the season. His AAA numbers are just what I'm looking for so if he can just come close this will be a good pick.

224

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 10:58

for mjd
15.09 Jhoulys Chacin, SP, Col
Where to go now? Had Vinnie Pestano queued up 1st in this auto pick, but Guru grabbed him 2 picks earlier, so Chacin it is. As far as I’m concerned any pick from here on out might be kicked to the curb at any time.

Chacin looked great as a rookie 2 years ago, averaging over a K/inning. However, last year he regressed and came back down to earth. Still a youngster with a good arm, he’s a potential break out player worth a shot in this deep format in the 15th round.

225

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 10:58

for kdl212
15.10 Glen Perkins, RP, Min
Nice 9k/9 and next in line behind Matt Capps. Figured that if Capps pitches well, the Twins move him and Perkins takes over. If Capps sucks, Perkins takes over. Wanted to get one vulture before the obvious names all went, knowing that I was looking for offense and SP in my next few picks. Considered Romo and Venters, who are likely better pitchers, but it's all luck as to who gets a shot at closing. Went with the one with the weakest closer above him.

226

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 10:59

for graydog
15.11 Mike Aviles, 2B, Bos
As mentioned in previous past, I was targeting and attempting to draft Aviles last round. Very happy he is still here. Has potential to help in runs and sb's while only hurting in OBP. That is useful in the middle infield slot at this point in the draft.

227

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 10:59

for kokeshis
15.12 Wandy Rodriguez, SP, Hou
I Wanted to pick up another starter with this pick and Wandy Rodriguez is just a solid option, I know he will get me around 200 innings a good but not great ERA and WHIP and some K's.

228

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 11:27

for KDogHall
15.13 Lorenzo Cain, OF, KC
Trying to draft all upside the rest of the way as I'm not feeling great about this team. Cain has been having a great spring and is young on what could be a decent Royals team this year. I'm hoping he ends up hitting 2nd in the lineup and provides me with some runs, steals and OBP.

229

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 11:29

for dror
15.14 Russell Martin, C, NYY
He is not the player he was in 2007, but moving to the Yankees has been good to him, and he actually performed pretty well last year, despite having some bad luck (.255 BABIP, by far the lowest of his career). With Jesus Montero traded he has no competition for playing time, and the bottom of the Yankees lineup is probably a better spot to hit then most team's middle of the order. I can see him getting a .750 OPS with 70/70 in the counting stats, and the 10 or so steals is a great bonus from the catcher position.

230

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 11:30

for Uptown Bombers
15.15 Melky Cabrera, OF, SF
Coming off a career year, there is sure to be some regression. But in round 15, I still think he holds some value here, especially because of the SB help he brings to my team. I almost took him last round, but opted for MI help instead so I am happy he is still available. I was hoping to pair him with Lorenzo Cain with this batch of picks, put that dream was dashed by two picks.

231

JKaye
ID: 47216110
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 12:06

15.16 Tim Hudson, SP, Atl

Hudson is a very reliable W/ERA/WHIP pitcher, with low K's. My staff has ended up being lower on the K's that I wanted but that can hopefully be corrected. ERA/WHIP is more structural and I feel like all my guys have the potential to excel in those categories, including my next pick...

16.01 Johan Santana, SP, NYM

Johan is a deep sleeper and I believe he will have a good year. Wins may be hard to come by and he won't K batters like the Johan of old, but a return to 3.25 ERA and 1.2 WHIP seems very reasonable, and excellent value for this pick.

232

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 12:41

for Uptown Bombers
16.02 J.D. Martinez, OF, Hou
With Cain off the board, I contemplated drafting a catcher, as there are a number of teams at the top of the draft and I have three catchers singled out that I prefer. But I couldn’t choose which one I liked best and decided to chance it. Looking over my team, I felt I needed some RBI help, something that Martinez has the potential to provide. He’s young and unproven and the Astros stink, but someone has to produce some runs on the team and I’m hoping its Martinez.

233

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 12:41

for dror
16.03 Bryan LaHair, 1B, ChC
And my quest for cheap power continues. The MVP of AAA PCL in 2011 (38 homers, 1.075 OPS in 520 PAs), LaHair is getting a chance in the majors this year. I'm obviously not counting on the same numbers, but I do think it's reasonable to expect him to be an above average power hitter in the big leagues too.

234

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 12:44

for KDogHall
16.04 Jason Bay, OF, NYM
Another upside pick. I'm hoping his struggles were due to injury. He has had some elite years in the past and I'm hoping some health plus some improvements in Citi field help him recapture some of that. Still only 33 years old so there should be some years left in the tank.

235

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 13:39

for kokeshis
16.05 Addison Reed, RP, ChW
At some point in this draft it was my goal to acquire a elite set up guy that I though could become a closer, it seemed like those guys were starting to dissappear. I actually like Thornton but he is an old man with very little sustained time at closer in his career so I could see a change being made.

236

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 13:40

for graydog
16.06 Chris Davis, 1B, Bal
Is this the year? I hope so, Baltimore will certainly give him a chance to shed the AAAA label. Drafting for upside at this point as there were certainly players with higher floors available.

237

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 13:41

for kdl212
16.07 Alex Rios, OF, CWS
Plugged my nose, closed my eyes, and clicked the mouse. Having already selected Adam Dunn, I figured I'd go all in on guys who had historically atrocious seasons last year while playing for Ozzie Guillen. I don't expect big things from Rios, but if he can get his OPS back above .750 and steal 15-20 bases, I'm satisfied.

Would've preferred Melky Cabrera (man, the things we say when composing these rationales), but he didn't survive the turn. Nearly selected Kuroda or Lilly, but thought Rios offered the most potential upside.

238

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 13:41

for mjd
16.08 Jason Kubel, OF, Ari
Right now it looks like Kubel will start the season as the D-back LF, but as this is his first NL team and he’s played about 40% of his career at DH in the AL, his playing time will largely depend on how bad he butchers things up on defense. His main contribution will be Runs, RBI’s and SLG%, but one again, these numbers, especially the counting stats, will depend on playing time. The move to hitter friendly Chase Field is a plus.

239

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 15:13

for reeb
16.09 Yonder Alonso, 1B, SD
A young CI with some upside and locked into a starting role, I'm in. Not much research here and he has Petco working against him but he seemed like a good guy to take a chance on.

240

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 15:15

16.10 Allen Craig, 2B/OF, StL
I spent almost all day waiting between picks, and at one point I was doing an extensive survey of the alternatives for my corner infield position. I checked at Yahoo to see if Craig was even eligible at 1B, and discovered that he was not – but he was eligible at second! Who knew? Turns out he played 8 games at 2B last year, and that was enough to meet Yahoo’s threshold (but not at ESPN, where he is only listed at OF).

I still need a MI, and Craig looks much more compelling as a MI option than anywhere else. So the research took off in earnest.

He had knee surgery in January, and wasn’t expected to be activated until at least May – but recent reports suggest that Opening Day isn’t yet ruled out. He has appeared in several minor league games this week, though not yet in the field. But even if he misses a few weeks, if he is able to deliver anything close to last year’s 900 OPS (in only 200 AB, admittedly), then this could be a real coup.

And if he falters, then it’s not like I’m missing out on any hot middle infielder.

Worth a shot.

241

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 15:36

for ksoze

16.11 Melancon, Mark RP BOS
My saves category isn’t necessarily in the most wonderful shape; I have two closers who are either unproven or unhealthy. So, I went after the setup man still available that I felt had the best chance of inheriting the role at some point this season.

242

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 15:37

Pick 16.12 ~ Jaime Garcia, SP, STL

Another good young pitcher on the rise. Garcia keeps the ball in the park, doesn’t walk too many, and should get 7.5+ K/9. If he can just give up fewer hits, he could be in line for a breakout year.

243

jseth333
Dude
ID: 24100310
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 15:58

16.13 Hiroki Kuroda, SP, NY I kind of had my eye on Yonder but that decision was made for me so I took a turn to another SP. Not completely comfortable that he will be able to handle the increased scrutiny, and/or the the change in leagues, but he should at least be a source of some wins without totally destroying things.

244

Nerfherders
ID: 161121811
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:02

16.14 Ted Lilly, SP LAD
(Hey, I got one in the actual thread!) I was thinking of Wandy Rodriguez with this pick, but he was taken. Then I realized that the second player in my queue with Lewis was Lilly, and voila! The 4th L of super L squad. Lincecum, Latos, Lewis, and Lilly! What can you say about Lilly? Solid, unspectacular, gets the job done. Everything you want from a 4th SP at pick #254. The question now is, who will be my 5th SP? L-?

245

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:52

for twilson
16.15 Sean Marshall, RP, Cin
Seeing Jaime Garcia and Ted Lilly go right before this pick was not a particularly positive feeling. After reading up on Garcia a bit more after rounds 14/15, I now like him enough that I would’ve taken him instead of one of the OFs. Yadier Molina was the only hitter of interest at this point, but twitter news of a setback to Ryan Madson’s elbow made me sit up and take notice, particularly the following quote: “I don’t know what I can say,” Madson said. “I don’t like to be like that, but . . . ”

The defeatist tone led me to Sean Marshall, who is an excellent MR even before factoring in the possible closing role. My lack of comfort with Capps as a #2 closer cemented this pick. As it turns out, Madson needs TJ surgery, so I got myself a very good closer in the 16th round. I’ll take that.

246

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:53

for Tilt23
16.16 John Mayberry, OF, Phi
Needed my 4th OF. He is supposed to get reg playing time in left this year. I had taken two speed guys in my OF already and was looking for someone who could give me some pop. Was planning on taking Willingham back in the 13th round but ended up deciding I needed to get my 3rd starter there and took Carpenter. That looks like a mistake now. So here is hoping he can build on his end of the season last year and give me some decent power numbers or how about just not kill me in anything.

17.01 Yadier Molina, C, StL
Waited on catcher as usual for me. Was pleased to get Molina here. He has good ratios and gets some RBI’s. Most importantly he is durable and starts regularly so I shouldn’t have to carry a second catcher. Didn’t see another catcher besides Soto that excited me and would like to just plug Molina in and forget about him. Didn’t think I could wait another 30picks and turns out I was right as a few catchers came off the board soon after.

247

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:53

for twilson
17.02 Brandon McCarthy, SP, Oak
Yadier went on the turn, so I am consigned to a replacement-level catcher. No need to take one anytime soon. Thus, it is finally time for SP #3. Nobody really stands out. I considered Fister, but he only has one good year and doesn’t strike out enough batters to have high upside. Vance Worley’s swinging strike % doesn’t support his K/9 rate. Minor and Sale sure have great K numbers, but I wasn’t sold. McCarthy is a guy I targeted out of the FA pool later last year, and he performed at a high level. He is a major injury risk, but the combo of decent K/9 with a groundball tilt appeals to me.

248

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:54

for Nerfherders
17.03 Geovany Soto, C CHC
Soto has been my main C target in almost every draft. Goes late, has upside, can deliver .800 OPS and close to 20 HR's. He seems to have a good year every even numbered year, so he is due for one this year. This was one of the few picks where I was almost surprised he lasted as long as he did.

for jseth333
17.04 Alfonso Soriano, OF, ChC
I have absolutely no idea what I will get from him this year. Supposedly is feeling good this spring and has re-worked his swing some to reduce some of the leg kick. Will it last into the season...heck if I know. The Cubs do seem committed to batting him 3, 4, or 5 so he has a chance to help if he has anything left.

249

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:55

for Tosh
17.05 Vernon Wells, OF, LAA
It seems that Anaheim is committed to keeping Wells in the lineup rather than -undrafted- or -undrafted-. Hopefully that is because of his skill set, rather than all the money they are paying him. He’s older than I like to draft, but there are a lot of older guys available right now. If the Angels keep batting him in the five slot (like they have been this Spring), he’ll accumulate plenty of RBIs and Runs. He just needs to not bat .218 like he did last year.

250

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:55

for ksoze
17.06 Todd Helton, 1B, Col
Just trying to fill out a starting lineup including a UTIL spot and noticed that Todd was still available. I doubt I can count on him to play more than 130 games but if he does that and comes anywhere close to the .850 OPS he had last year he’ll be well worth a 17th round pick. His perpetually high OBP makes him a little more valuable in the RIBC than a BA league, so I’ll take the chance at this point.

251

Guru
ID: 330592710
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 18:57

17.07 James Loney, 1B, LAD
I’m looking to fill my corner infield position, and have narrowed the field to Loney and Aubrey Huff. Loney is younger(27) and more consistent, but lacks the power you look for from a first baseman. Huff is older (35), and his consistency lately has been bipolar – good in even years, while in odd years – not so much.

It is an even year, but I think I’ll head toward the devil I know. Loney even flashed some power in the second half of 2001, posting .380/.534 post All-Star break. Some guys are late bloomers. I can dream, can’t I?

252

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 23:13

for reeb
17.08 Iab Desmond, SS, WAS
I'm going to keep drafting crappy MI's in the hopes that one of them has a semi breakout year. Desmond still has some potential so he was worth a late round flier.

253

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Fri, Mar 23, 2012, 23:16

17.09 Jonny Venters, RP, ATL

I have maybe one true closer on my team at this time. All that’s left are potential closers who may win the job out of camp, only to lose it later because of poor performance by the current guy, guys who will take over the job from the poor performers, and guys who will fill in for an injured or overworked solid closer. Venters falls into the last category. The penultimate setup man last season, I’m hoping for more of the same this year-nice K’s and help with ratios. Any vultured saves along the way may help to keep me from looking like I’m punting that category.

256

kdl212
ID: 32214712
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 00:17

17.10 Doug Fister, SP, DET

Finally freed from pitching in the bandbox that is Safeco Field, Doug Fister thrived after joining the Detroit Tigers last summer, going 8-1 in 10 starts with awesome ratios across the board. With the Tigers adding defensive wizard Prince Fielder at first, and moving the gold glover Miguel Cabrera to the hot corner, the pitch-to-contact Fister looks like a no-brainer. There is no possible way whatsoever that he won't put up Cy Young-esque numbers over 34 starts. That he was available in the 17th round reflects poorly on all of you.

It was really down to Fister, Sale, Minor or Smoak. As a lifelong Mariners fan, I wanted to pick Smoak, and not the former Mariner. But I didn't, and I'll spend the rest of the year regretting not taking Smoak.

257

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 00:58

for Graydog
17.11 Andrew Torres, OF, NYM
A bounce back candidate who could potentially help me with stolen bases. Hoping he can return to 2009 and 2010 form with his new club. upside: 90, 50, 330, 460, 30. Downside: last season.

258

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 00:59

for kokeshis
17.12 Justin Smoak, 1B, Sea
With my team relying on a catcher to fill my 1st base slot I wanted to get a little more corner depth at this pick.

259

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 10:01

for kdoghall
17.13 Denard Span, OF, MIN
He actually was an .800 OPS guy for two years at age 23 and 24. The last two years have been down due to injury but he's easily young enough to rebound with strong SB, runs and OBP. Enough upside for me to like him.

260

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 10:01

for dror steinberg
17.14 Mike Adams, RP, TEX
The secret is obviously out on the value of the elite middle relievers in this format, and every year it takes earlier and earlier picks to get them. One of most dominating setup man in the leauge the last few years, Adams is a strong bet for 60-70 IP of elite ratios and more the one strikeout per inning. And with Joe Nathan not looking too durable last year, maybe he will get a chance to do some more.

261

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 10:02

17.15 Sergio Romo, RP, SF

One of a handful of setup men I was looking at, Romo pitched quite well last year and would offer good K/IP and ratio help. With Brian Wilson shaking off an injury, Romo would be in line for saves consideration. As we all know, those factors are the appeals of the middle reliever in our format.

264

JKaye
Leader
ID: 01372359
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 10:51

17.16 Will Veneble, OF, SD

The more I looked at Veneble the more I liked. Once I got past the .250 AVG/.300 OBP, I realized he has a decent amount of power, and a lot of speed. With 26 SB in just 370 AB last year, Veneble is a legit 40 SB candidate with a full slate of AB's. Quentin's injury opens the door to him playing everyday, so at the very least I'll hvae a player in April who hopefully earns his keep as a staple at the top of SD's lineup this year.

18.01 Ty Wigginton, CI/OF, Phi

Kind of wish I had this one back because I didn't really look close enough at the stats. I heard a "tip" that he was a nice sleeper because of all the injuries, and I remembered how this guy always ends up with a lot of AB's every year despite not being ranked for fantasy. Problem is, he isn't the hitter he once was. So this may have been a wasted pick

265

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 11:07

18.02 Ryan Doumit, C, MIN

Back in round 16, I decided to wait on the catcher position and hope that Doumit would make it back to me. The consideration then, which I hope I don’t regret, was whether to use my 16th round pick on the safer choice of Yadier Molina. I was certain Molina would not survive my next picks, but as I researched catchers, I was stubbornly pulled in Doumit’s direction. I couldn’t justify taking Doumit ahead of Yadier, but I could justify settling for Doumit two rounds later. At least Doumit survived the pick. Now why Doumit and not the safer pick of Yadier Molina? Word is Doumit will serve as primary DH in Minnesota, something that should help him stay healthier than he has been in the past. If that happens, Doumit should be able to outperform this draft position and that allowed me to take an upside pick in JD Martinez last time. I can’t believe I just wrote my longest rationale about an 18th round catcher.

266

kdl212
ID: 17222412
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 13:02

for dror

18.03 Alex Presley, OF, PIT
My 12th and final hitter, Presley had a very good year in 2011, both in AAA and the Majors. He is expected to hit 2nd, so runs and steals are the strong points, and should have just enough walks and homers in him to not kill my OPS.

267

kdl212
ID: 17222412
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 13:03

for Kdog

18.04 Luke Scott, 1B, TB
Would not have expected to have Luke Scott in my lineup at the start of this draft. It's sad when I'm disappointed that neither Justin Smoak or James Loney made it to me. Scott as least has upside if healthy so he at least fills my final lineup spot with potential for a decent year.

268

kdl212
ID: 17222412
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 13:03

for kokeshi

18.05 Chris Sale, SP, CWS
I thought Chris Sale was going to be a very good starter when he was in the minors, if Chicago had handled him differently and continued developing im as a starter last year I think he could of gone higher in this draft.

269

kdl212
ID: 17222412
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 13:03

for graydog

18.06 Carlos Ruiz, C, PHI
I really wanted Helton to slip but he got away from me. From my projections I will be lacking in OBP. Ruiz should be able to help me with that and fill my catcher slot until Montero gains eligibility.

270

kdl212
ID: 17222412
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 13:06

18.07 Mike Minor, SP, ATL

Had considered Minor last round, and since he was still around, and is a high upside guy, I went for it even though I needed another hitter. Had Hafner at the top of my hitters list, but thought he would sneak through. Then, 2 picks before my round 19 choice, reeb makes me wait 4 hours and crashes my hopes by taking Hafner.

271

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 18:34

for mjd
18.08 Justin Masterson, SP, Cle
Slated to pitch the Tribe’s opener (not necessarily a bragging point), I’m chancing that the 27 year old continues his progression from last season. Improved command while maintaining his groundball rate with decent K abilities could make him a nice bargain at this point of this draft. Or not.

273

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 18:55

for reeb
18.09 - Jason Bartlett, SS, SD
Another almost useless middle infielder. hopefully he can swipe a bag or two on the few days he's in my lineup.

274

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 18:56

for Guru
18.10 - David Robertson, RP, NYY
I probably jumped on a setup reliever (Vinnie Pestano) a bit early in round 15, but I’ve held back on since then. Since my last pick (rnd 17), three of the guys on my short list have disappeared -Venters, Adams, & Romo. I think I’d better take another before my short list is no list.

I’m a bit surprised that Robertson survived some of the relievers already taken. His ERA and WHIP were ridiculous last year (1.08 ERA, 1.12 WHIP), although I don’t think he’s quite that good, based on his previous two seasons. He’s always had the strikeouts working, however, with 270 career strikeouts in 164 IP. Admittedly, he’s behind one of the closers with the greatest job security, but given Mariano’s age (42), health is always a factor, and even if Rivera stays healthy all year, workload rationing might provide Robertson a few save opps (although last year’s record suggests I should temper that hope.)

Regardless, while there are no sure things when it comes to relievers, Robertson seems like a pretty reasonable bet. Yes, I know he sustained a bone bruise in his foot in early March, but I’ve not seen that it’s anything that should have a lingering impact.

275

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 18:57

18.11 – Edwin Jackson, SP, Nats

I changed my mind at the last minute with this pick. I was set to finally take a 2B here, to at least fill that void, and queued up 4 of them. I also threw 5 available SP’s in there, just in case. I then put myself on “auto” with a 45 minute window. If I hadn’t checked, Darwin Barney would have been my 2B here. When I looked, however, I saw I had about 20 minutes to choose, and that at least a couple of my SP’s were gone, but of course none of the remaining nearly worthless 2B’s had moved yet. So I figured at least one of them would make it back to me and I went after my highest ranked SP left. EJax stayed in the NL so he helped his chances at a sub-4.00 ERA and a WHIP that might not be horrible. He’s got great stuff, will help my K’s and is only 28… who knows, maybe he’ll win a few games and turn in a better than respectable season.

276

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 21:30

for Tosh
18.12 Francisco Rodriguez, RP, Mil
I certainly considered a middle reliever the previous pick to help stabilize my ratios. At that time, KRod was #5 on my wishlist, but unfortunately my top-4 … Venters, Adams, Romo & Robertson … were all taken by now. He’s a good handcuff for my main closer (Axford) if something happens to him.

277

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 21:30

for Jseth333
18.13 Vance Worley, SP, Phi
I am on board with the Vanimal Has looked great this spring and maybe some Halliday, Lee, and Hamels can keep rubbing off on him.

278

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 21:32

for Nerfherders
18.14 Fernando Salas, RP, StL
Salas came on the scene last year and was the closer for a little while. This year they are going to give the ball to Motte in the 9th, but Salas is next in line. With the top non-closer RP's gone, I went with the next tier, and Salas at least has a chance to close.

279

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 21:32

for twilson
18.15 Bud Norris, SP, Hou
As far as high K starters go, I would’ve much preferred Mike Minor. Still, it’s easier to find low K control guys in the FA pool during the season than pitchers like Norris. He’ll need to maintain much of last year’s statistical gains to start regularly on my team, but I decided to take a chance here that he does. To be honest, I’m not a big fan, but nobody else was all that appealing.

280

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 21:33

for Tilt23
18.16 Alcides Escobar, SS, Kan
Well I finally took a SS. I really wanted Bartlett but he went before I could get to him. Escobar looks like he will get playing time this year and will steal bases. I just hope his OBP doesn’t kill me but I will have to be looking for a SS all year. In a 16 team draft everyone has problems even without injuries somewhere and SS will be mine all year.

19.01 John Danks, SP, ChW
Being a lifelong Rangers fan I have known of john danks since he was drafted as a ranger and touted as the next great lefty. He was shipped off and found his way with another team much like many Ranger pitching prospects from the early aughts. He is not going to hurt me. And as my back of the rotation guy that is what I want. He had a bad month that make his numbers look worse then they should be. I expect better.

281

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 21:33

for twilson
19.02 Juan Nicasio, SP, Col
Had a nice 13-start debut last season before breaking his neck on a scary comebacker, especially when looking at the peripherals. Obviously, it is very hard to know how the freak injury will affect him this year, but all signs out of spring training have thus far been positive. Nicasio has a nice combination of power and control; he isn’t elite in either measure, but together it works out pretty nicely. I like his profile, but I admit there is significant uncertainty risk attached.

282

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 23:41

for Nerfherders

19.03 Thames, Eric OF TOR
This is a bit of a spec pick as he isn't even guaranteed a job out of spring training. But he showed a good bat with power in his stint last season. I honestly didnt know anything about him until about a week ago - I thought he was the other one! He's young and has upside, which has been a common theme in my draft this year.

283

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 23:42

for Jseth333

19.04 Viciedo, Dayan OF CWS
Has not been impressive at the plate or in the field this spring, but appears to still be in line to be a starter. Here's to hoping he makes the most of it.

284

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sat, Mar 24, 2012, 23:44

Pick 19.05 ~ Danny Valencia, 3B, MIN

In the majority of fantasy leagues, Valencia is a bench player. But in the RIBC, he is pencilled in for me as my final starting hitter #12. There are other hitters available that I like better … but Valencia serves the dual role as my backup 3B. I see no other 3B I would be happy with at this time. Valencia had a disappointing 2011, but is having a strong Spring thus far, and hopefully this will carry forward.

286

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 07:23

19.06 – Darwin Barney, 2B, Cubs

Gack. I still need a 2B and had given up on drafting one worth more than half a roll of used toilet paper. For 10 rounds or so I’ve been thinking “one more round” until I draft a 2B, only to watch those I had in my queue fall before me. When Gordon Beckham went in the 14th round, I knew that position was toast for me (is it sad that I was hoping for Gordon Beckham?). I found four 2B’s left that I project to have regular playing time and queued them all up. Then I passed on them round after round until now because I couldn’t justify taking one of them over a player at another position that “should” be more productive for my team than the 2B position will now. Barney should do a respectable job of bringing my % stats down a bit. He might drive in and score a run or three, and he might hit double digits in SB’s. Meh.

287

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 07:24

for Guru
19.07 - Gavin Floyd, SP, CWS
I had hoped that Mike Minor would slip to this spot, but that was not to be the case, as he was gone even before my 18th rounder. Floyd is another that I’ve had sitting in my queue for awhile, and now is the time. He’s only my fourth starter, but in past years, I‘ve had relatively good luck with late-round starters – and even F/A pickups, for that matter.

Nothing flashy here. Floyd, 29, posted a lofty 4.37 ERA last year – seemingly inconsistent with a WHIP of 1.19 - and several analyses have dismissed that high ERA as random variation, rather than evidence of eroding skills. His strikeout ratio is only 7-ish, but I think my others pitchers can compensate. For an SP4, I’m more interested in someone unlikely to torpedo my staff ratios, rather than someone with high volatility.

289

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 07:27

for reeb:
19.08 Hafner, Travis UTL CLE

Being only a DH kinda stinks and his awful health is the only reason he has slipped this far. I like taking a chance on a guy with a great OBP track record in this format. He's a JD Drew/Youk/Helton type and if healthy is a real plus in this type of league.

290

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 07:28

for mjd
19.09 - Francisco Cordero, RP, Tor
When I was reading a last minute article about the Indians while researching the Masterson pick, it was mentioned how good Travis Hafner was looking. Apparently several others saw it also, because he’s been mentioned in a couple other rationales and was chosen just prior to this pick. I might have been semi-tempted to pick him here even though I rarely draft an old, oft injured DH in this format, with our short bench. But he already was picked, so no further thought necessary.

Instead, I pick the old vet who’s slated to be the setup guy/plan B closer for the Jays. Considering that he saved 37 games in Cincy last year and the lack of experience that Sergio Santos has, I’m a little surprised that he’s still on the board. I’ll be chasing saves all year. Maybe I’ll get lucky here.

291

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 07:29

for kdl
19.10 - Omar Infante, 2B, MIA
Middle infield scrap. Not much upside here, unless he replaces Bonifacio in the #2 spot in the lineup. But a decent floor: .350/.390 with perhaps 50 rbi if he bats down in the order. The #1 candidate to be the first person dropped from my team. Thought about Rolen as a backup 3B, but he's old, and didn't think he could be counted on for anything past April.

292

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 07:30

for Graydog
19.11 - Scott Baker, SP, Min
Is a health risk but at this point in the draft I am not too concerned. Has had downward trending innings pitched over the past three years but his pitching metrics have also gone down. The home park will also help suppress a few runs.

293

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 07:31

for Kokeshi
19.12 - Sean Rodriguez, SS, Tam

294

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 09:53

for kdoghall
19.13 Ricky Nolasco, P, MIA
At this point nobody is a sure thing so looking at people who have put up good seasons in the past and have a shot to get back to that. Nolasco had bad luck last year and this year is in a new stadium that caters to pitchers and an upgraded team. There is potential for a strong season from him.

295

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 09:54

for dror steinberg
19.14 Erik Bedard, P, PIT
Back in 4.03, I was the first one to pick a 2nd starter. Now I'm the last one to pick up a 3rd, with most teams already having 4. Bedard can be dominating when he is on, and moving to the NL can only help. He is very unlikely to stay healthy throughout the season, but I'd rather have 100 strong IP then 200 medicore ones.

296

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 09:55

19.15 Joaquin Benoit, RP, DET

Another setup man with good K’s and ratios. Valverde has been defying the experts for years and at this point, I have to assume that will continue. But if he falters, Benoit could be in line to close.

297

JKaye
Leader
ID: 01372359
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 10:36

19.16 Jon Niese, SP, NYM

Niese has intriguing upside as my #5 starter. In the 2nd half he posted 59 K in 59 IP, with just 12 BB (a 5-1 ratio). Yet, his ERA was over 5. He is a 50%+ GB pitcher, so combining that with the run of dominance he had in the 2nd half and there is definitely sleeper potential in this arm.

20.01 Michael Brantley, OF, Cle

I don't love Brantley but it does seem like he will earn PT in Cleveland's OF. He had 13 SB in 451 AB last year, but certainly has the potential for 20. Hopefully he takes a step up this year, but I'm not expecting much. If he plays and just keeps his OBP/SLG in a reasonable range (330/380) with 70 runs and 20 SB, he could be serviceable as a 4th OF.

298

Uptown Bombers
ID: 318502217
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 10:59

20.02 Cliff Pennington, SS, OAK

At this point I am bargain shopping for a MI who might be viable or if not, be easily dropped for someone who might. There is not really much more to say about this pick. Certainly, I saw move valued players available, but with Utley’s press conference scheduled for tomorrow, I feared the worst.

299

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:19

for dror
20.03 Kerry Wood, RP, ChC
Carlos Marmol looks to me like a train wreck waiting to happen, and with Sean Marshal in Cincinnati, Wood in now next in line for saves there. He walks way to many people to be a considered a top reliever, but his K rate is allways strong and his health apears to be stable, so he should get the job done as my 5th reliever.

300

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:21

for KDogHall
20.04 Stephen Drew, SS, Ari
Nobody at this point in the draft is really worth stashing on the bench to fill in because they have such bad OPS. Because of that and the fact that my MI is so weak I figured it's worth stashing Drew on my bench and hoping he is only out 1-2 months. I'll be drafting even more useless guys in the next few rounds so it SHOULDN'T be too big a deal to clog my bench with him since I can drop someone else if a free agent opportunity arises.

301

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:22

for kokeshis
20.05 Ben Revere, OF, Min
I was just looking to get some speed near the end of the draft. Revere will be a good guy to slot into my 5th outfield spot if I need to catch up a little in steals.

302

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:22

for Graydog
20.06 Travis Snider, OF, Tor
Has pedigree but was on the outside looking in because of Eric Thames. I saw that Ben Fransisco got injured so I was hoping that both Snider and Thames would make the team. But shortly after my pick Snider was sent down. Most likely not worth a roster spot and will be shortly dropped.

303

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:48

for kdl212
20.07 Brad Lidge, RP, Was
Rolen was still there, but news broke that Storen could begin the season on the DL, so I became a saves vulture before the draft even finished. I took Lidge last year in round 8 or 9 and held him for several months and got nothing out of him. Not a single inning. A complete waste of a roster spot.

Maybe this year he gives me 2 or 3 saves in April. I'll take it. Anything else is gravy.

304

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:48

for mjd
20.08 Jesse Crain, RP, CWS
Even though he’s been dinged up a bit, he’s still in the mix with Thornton for the closer’s job to start the season, though his rising fly ball rate could be cause for problems at the homer friendly US Cellular. Regardless, all reports indicate that the youngster Addison Reed eventually becomes the closer. My best hope is that Crain gets me a handful of early season saves and helps to keep my ratios down.

305

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:49

for reeb
20.09 Daniel Bard, RP, Bos
Starter or reliever I don't really care. He has good stuff and should make an impact no matter what his role is.

306

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 14:50

20.10 Aubrey Huff, 1B/OF, SF
Several sites have commented on Huff’s even-odd “Saberhagen effect”. That’s probably just a random impact, but if not, at least this is an even year, which – in Huff’s case – is a good thing. (If you’re unaware, look at his 2008 & 2010 numbers, and compare them to 2009 & 2011.) At the start of spring training, it was unsure whether he’d be a regular starter or not, but recent indications suggest that he’ll get pretty regular usage.

I really wanted to get a hitter here. I was beginning to regret not taking one in round 19, as my short list (Snider, Revere, Brantley, Huff) had dwindled to Huff-only. While waiting a full hours for reeb to pick, I managed to churn through a range of names, none of which interested me as much as Huff, so I was glad to get him.

I drafted Huff as my last starting hitter one other year (it must have been an even year as well) with good results, so there’s a good vibe about this pick. I actually seriously considered taking him in round 18. For once, patience worked out. We’ll see whether I still feel that way in June.

307

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 15:15

for ksoze

20.11 Heisey, Chris OF CIN
Looking to complete my starting lineup with this pick, I have my MI, CI and UTIL spots covered but still need a 4th OF. It seems we’re deep into “slim pickings” ground here, and I was looking mainly for OF’s who are expected to start regularly, then narrowed those down to the one that I felt had the best chance of contributing to a fantasy squad. Heisey has decent power, hit 18 homers in less than 300 AB’s last year and fell just shy of a .500 SLG. His OBP stinks, but at this point in the draft something is going to. He might tally double digits in steals to boot.

308

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 15:16

Pick 20.12 ~ Trevor Cahill, SP, ARI

1350 innings is a lot to fill in the RIBC. But fortunately, SP is a fairly deep position, and being able to get Cahill in late round 20 is a good example. He was mostly sucky last year, but was really good in 2010. He’s 24 years old, and still learning to pitch. His K/9 numbers, while still lower than desired for fantasy, have improved each of the past 3 seasons. In 2009, he threw 70% fastballs, and in 2011 it was 59% … as he has been adding the curve into his arsenal. And just the mere fact he won’t have to pitch against Anaheim and Texas is a good thing.

309

jseth333
Dude
ID: 24100310
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 15:46

20.13 Alexi Ogando, P, TEX There continues to be alot of uncertainty regarding his role this season especially with Feliz' recent shoulder concerns, however, he should be able to help in the categories and provide the occasional win should his role be more bullpen than starter.

310

Nerfherders
ID: 310111515
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 18:01

20.14 Orlando Hudson, 2B SD
I still needed an MI, and this is as late as I have ever waited to get one. My 9th round pick basically delayed my MI as I had to catch up on other things. Hudson has some injury concerns, but he's as good as anyone else left, which isn't saying much. Last year I won with a similar player playing over 100 games, so it's not a huge concern right now.

311

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 18:02

for twilson
20.15 Scott Rolen, 3B, Cin
I need a CI to fill in for Howard in April, and Rolen is in my opinion the best still available. Everybody else is inferior in either skills or playing time. The injury and age-related risk is real with Rolen, and he’s coming off shoulder surgery in the offseason, but he’s only one season removed from 133 games of .358/.497. If he can put up .330/.430 or better and stay active for at least a month, I’ll be content.

312

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 18:03

for Tilt23
20.16 Aroldis Chapman, RP, Cin
He is a strikeout machine. Madson is out for the year. He will either start and get a chance to perform or he could easily be put in the closers role and get some saves. He has great stuff and I will always gamble on great stuff in pitchers this late in the draft. They are paying him a lot of money so they cant send him to AAA.

21.01 Brent Morel, 3B, CWS
He is a starting 3B. He is young. I don’t have a 3B besides Miggy and he wont be eligible for a while. Morel would not be available when I get back and I will be damned if im stuck with you-know-who playing 3B for me.

313

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 18:03

for twilson
21.02 Brian Matusz, SP, Bal
A former top prospect, Matusz has spent much of the last few years fighting injuries and failing to live up to his pedigree. This spring, he came to camp throwing 2-3 miles faster than he has at any other point in his major league career and boasts a K/BB ratio of 18/2 thus far. As spring training stats prove nothing, Matusz will be starting the season on my bench before hopefully graduating to the rotation.

314

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 18:13

for Nerfherders
21.03 Mike Leake, SP, Cin
Who else could it be really? The L-Squad is complete now with Lincecum, Latos, Lewis, Lilly, and Leake. Leake isn't much of a strikeout pitcher but he is otherwise solid, and has room to improve. His BB/9 and SO/BB improved dramatically last year, and if he continues that he will be a fine 5th starter.

315

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 18:28

for jseth

21.04 Pastornicky, Tyler SS ATL
Was looking for a short stop who might be able to fill in when Hardy inevitably gets hurt. Definitely has some speed...still not so definite is that he actually is going to be the starter.

316

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 18:29

Pick 21.05 ~ Nolan Reimold, OF, BAL

I give this guy a chance every year on at least one team. As a rookie in 2009, he posted good numbers, but has been disappointing in ‘10 & ‘11. If he can get the full-time gig for Baltimore, he might be good. Or maybe not. That’s what I look for in the 21st round of RIBC.

317

ksoze
Leader
ID: 04619323
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 19:10

21.06 – Tim Stauffer, SP, SD

Now I’m throwing as many “possibilities” into my queue as I can find, then seeing which one sticks by the time I draft. I knew I wanted at least one more SP and most likely would have taken Bedard if he’d made it to me in round 20. By now I’d watched another couple of SP’s I’d queued up go down, so I took the next one in my line. Stauffer isn’t going to blow anyone away, but in the 21st round I’ll take a few wins, an ERA that doesn’t suck (especially when spot started at PETCO) and hopefully his WHIP won’t slip any. If the forearm problem he had last year is truly not an issue this year, he maybe the 2nd half slide doesn’t happen again and he’s an upgrade from his 2011 self.

318

Guru
ID: 330592710
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 19:17

21.07 Cody Ross, OF, Bos
I’ve got a few hitters who are already gimpy, so wanted to add a bench hitter before reverting back to pitching. Ross has been hitting well this spring, and figures to start everyday in the Red Sox outfield to open the season (with Crawford expected to open on the DL). The Green Monster should help his pop, after spending his whole career in Florida and San Fran.

319

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 19:59

for reeb
21.08 Rex Brothers, RP, COL
Young, future closer. Figured this was a good spot to take a chance on him.

320

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 20:01

21.09 Tyler Greene, 2B, SS, MI, OF, DH, BN, StL

Gotta break this string of drafting pitchers. Four in a row, 8 out of the last 10 picks are not hitters. Stauffer had been on my radar the last few rounds. Have several more pitchers that I still like, but I have other roster needs to fill.

Greene is that utility belt of position eligibility who looks to have a leg up on the 2B job in St. Louis. And even though he may start the season batting near the bottom of the order, that may not last if he can get on base because this guy is a good base runner and fast.

Still plenty of potential gold out there. The problem is what is real and what is fool’s gold. Dart throwing time to try and find that late value nugget.

321

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 20:06

for kdl
21.10 Morgan, Nyjer, OF,MIL
For the first time all draft, the player I had at the top of my queue for the long turn (18 picks) made it back to me. After I picked Lidge in round 20, I looked at my roster and thought I could use a few extra steals. There are some part-time players who'll cobble to together 20 steals, but you won't ever know when they'll start, and some will come as pinch-runners. Morgan is, for better or worse, an everyday player. Got my fingers crossed for BABIP luck and a return to 25-30 steals.

322

mjd
Leader
ID: 501381415
Sun, Mar 25, 2012, 20:08

for graydog
21.11 Peralta, Joel, RP, TAM
It is now time to fill out my roster with RP's most of whom will not likely be on the roster by the dog days. Peralta has produced excellent ratios over the past two seasons and any hedge against Farnsworth is a good one in my books

323

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:32

for kokeshis
21.12 JP Arencibia, C, Tor
The last thing my team needed was another catcher but I could not believe Arrencibia was still there, he seemed like too good a value to pass up and I can try to trade a catcher in the season.

324

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:42

for KDogHall
21.13 Antonio Bastardo, RP, Phi
No hitters seem to be worth stashing at this stage so might as well stash some relievers who can help my ratios and get me limited wins and saves with good strikeouts. Bastardo fits that bill and if Papelbon somehow gets injuried he should step in.

325

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:43

for dror
21.14 Ivan Nova, SP, NYY
I was very empressed with this guy last year. Not a lot of people believed he can succeed where so many others have failed, but he proved he belongs and then some. His hard, sinking fatball is just the right pitch for the new Yankee Stadium, and I expect his K rate to improve this year towards his minors averges. And of course, while pitching for the Yankees he should have an easier time getting a win then most others.

326

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:44

for Uptown Bombers
21.15 Casey Kotchman, 1B, Cle
I felt like my team needed a little bench depth. Kotchman is expected to start at 1B for the time being and he gives me a little protection in case one of my other bats starts off cold. Would have taken Bastardo had he survived to my pick.

327

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:44

for JKaye
21.16 Mark Buehrle, SP, Mia

Definitely the first time he has ended up on any of my fantasy teams. His sub 5 K/9 turns me off, but I do like the fact that he is going to be pitching in the NL, in a large ballpark, and that Ozzie will let him pitch a lot of innings - all of which means he has a good chance at Wins, as well a respectable ERA/WHIP. A solid #6 SP for me.

22.01 Mike Trout, OF, LAA

Round 22, why not?

328

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:45

for Uptown Bombers
22.02 Ryan Dempster, SP, ChC
His skills are regressing, but he still put up rather impressive K totals. His ratios leave something to be desired, but hopefully I can hide that. If he’s that bad, I can cut him for a hot pitcher or good matchup during the season.

329

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:45

for dror
22.03 Tom Milone, SP, Oak
The main piece of the Gio Gonzalez trade, Milone is locked in as the A's #3 starter. Last year, in 148.1 IP at AAA, he gave up a total of 16 walks. Thats a better mark then any starter had in the majors. Starters in Oakland usually overachieve, and I think this guy can be another example of that.

330

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 10:47

for KDogHall
22.04 Andrew Cashner, RP, SD
Huston Street has proven to be less than durable so the SDG backup closer is worth a stash. Most believe someone else in the SD bullpen is next in line, but I like Cashner's ratios and Ks better. Odds are he'll get dumped if a free agent opportunity arises.

331

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 15:57

for kokeshis
22.05 Carlos Quentin, OF, SD
I really don't like Quentin this year but I was seduced by the name this late in the draft. hopefully the bump he gets from moving from the AL to the NL counteracts the downgrade in parks.

333

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 15:58

for Graydog
22.06 Henry Rodriguez, RP, Was
Drew Storen is hurt. H-Rod could snag me a couple saves early in the year, likely a drop by mid spring.

334

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 15:58

for kdl212
22.07 Rafael Soriano, RP, NYY
Other than Mike Trout, I had relief pitchers in my queue here. While I enjoyed the Planetarium at the American Natural History Museum (where I was told that before the big bang, the entire observable universe was contained in a mass the size of a grain of sand), the computer selected Rafael Soriano for me. I don't think he's awesome, and I'm not even sure he'd be next in line if Mariano Rivera ever broke down. But maybe he scoops ups some wins and a save or two with decent ratios.

335

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 15:59

for mjd
22.08 Chris Iannetta, C, LAA
Better get a catcher on this run before kokeshi’s picks the rest. As I’ve waited this long to draft one, I guess he’s getting the kicker’s treatment. To be honest, the only 2 teams other than myself without one will each get 2 picks before I pick again and since I’d be satisfied with either Iannetta or Hundley, I’d better grab one here. Neither are particularly notable. Both should get good playing time while not killing my hitting percentages. Hundley will be relied upon by the anemic hitting Padres to provide some production, while perhaps Iannetta benefits from hitting in a stronger lineup. I guess I could have flipped a coin.

336

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 15:59

for reeb
22.09 Scott Downs, RP, LAA
Wanted a set up guy with good ratios and Downs has been doing just that for a long time. Hopefully he picks up a few wins and saves along the way.

337

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 16:00

22.10 Chad Billingsley, SP, LAD
In 2009, we was the 12th starting pitcher drafted in the RIBC. Even last year, he was drafted in round 8. He’s only age 27 now. Wha’ happened?

Last year, had an ERA of 4.21 and a monster WHIP of 1.45. I’m hoping that 2011 turns out to be the aberration, and this pick works out to be great value. If not, it’s round 22 – so nothing ventured.

338

Guru
ID: 330592710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 16:01

for ksoze
22.11 Jake McGee, RP, Tam
Cashner had been first on my short list of RP’s I would be willing to draft because, while long shots, they might still have the chance at snagging a few saves in 2012. Jake was next, as he was outstanding for the Rays on his second go around with the team the latter half of 2011. He’d probably be third in line for saves in the Ray’s pen behind Farnsworth and Peralta but he absolutely shut down lefties last season and could put up some nice %’s along with a K an inning or so.

339

Tosh
Leader
ID: 057721710
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 16:02

Pick 22.12 ~ Matt Lindstrom, RP, BAL

Have you ever seen that TV show ‘Gold Rush’? When the Dakota boys sometimes get off their machines, and start panning for gold down in the mud. And then find a big gold nugget. Well … that’s me right now. Unbelievably, Baltimore has still not named an official closer. Since I already have Johnson, I’ll take Lindstrom just in case. And maybe find gold.

340

jseth333
Dude
ID: 24100310
Mon, Mar 26, 2012, 16:45

22.13 Freddy Galvis 2B PHI I am strangely addicted to 'Gold Rush' and this draft I appear to be strangely addicted to drafting as many second baseman I can reasonably find. This was just pure speculation on Freddy being worthwhile since Chase is going to miss some time. Philadelphia may also be in the market for someone to play second, so Freddy may be a quick drop.

342

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:35

for Dror
22.14 Koji Uehara RP TEX
I was actually surprised to see Uehara still here. Yes, he's third in line to close, but gosh his numbers have been out of sight. I'm happy to have him doing his thing again this season.

343

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:36

for Twilson
22.15 Jake Peavy SP CWS
My SP spam continues with the oft-injured Jake Peavy. The ERAs have not been pretty since he left San Diego, but there is still reason to be optimistic. Underneath that 4.92 ERA last year was an xFIP of 3.52 and a SIERA of 3.53. He had the seventh-lowest strand rate amongst pitchers with over 100 IP, and his BABIP allowed was also significantly above career norms. He may never again be the guy who put up sub-3 ERAs in 4 of 5 consecutive years, but he doesn’t have to be to add value to my team.

344

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:38

for tilt23
22.16 Jonathan Sanchez SP KAN
He has a high K/9 with an acceptable ERA. WHIP needs help. He is moving to the AL and out of a pitchers park so we will see. Will have short leash but I needed another pitcher since I lost Carpenter.

23.01 Bryce Harper OF WAS

We all know Harper. Manager wants him in the lineup now but Wash decided to sent him down to AAA. It wont be long, tickets have to be sold. This kid is supposed to be the real deal, can I keep him on my bench long enough to reap any rewards?

345

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:39

for Twilson
23.02 Nick Hundley C SDG
I asked my dad, an NL-only roto guy since 1987, for some catcher suggestions, and he came up with Hundley and [undrafted]. The OBP/SLG of [undrafted] left a lot to be desired, so that left me with Hundley. He has put up solid enough triple slashes for a catcher, which is all I can ask for this late in the draft. He just got a contract extension from the Padres, so if they are believers, why can’t I be one too?

346

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:43

for Nerfherders
23.03 Ian Stewart 3B CHC
I needed a backup for Chipper, who is already out to start the season. Stewart is not the ideal candidate, but he at least has some upside, and can't possibly be worse than last year. He also has some injury problems. I just hope he and Chipper aren't hurt at the same time.

347

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:43

for Jseth
23.04 Deven Mesoraco C CIN
Tough to rely on Dusty but Devin is catcher of the future and hopefully that future is now.

348

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:44

for Tosh
23.05 Robert Andino, 2B/3B/SS, BAL
Why did I draft this guy? I don’t really like the Orioles, yet just took my third in a row. Andino put up some decent numbers last season in limited play, and has that really cool three-position eligibility. The Orioles have a regular 2B, but he appears to be hurt at this time, and Andino would be filling in for him. Maybe I’ll be able to get some runs and SBs out of him before he returns to utility status for Baltimore.

349

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:52

for ksoze
23.06 Wilson Betemit 3B BAL
I'm looking to take hitters for my final three picks of the draft. Betemit is starting. For Baltimore. He’s starting. So… he’s playing most every day. That, combined with the fact that I only have one 3B makes Wilson a great candidate to sit on my bench, unless I need him otherwise. A good friend of mine is blindly optimistic about the 2012 prospects for the Orioles, both in real life and fantasy baseball. He’s a fool. Hopefully I’m not for putting Wilson on my bench. Can I really hope for an OPS close to .800 with runs/RBI’s combined at 120? Time will tell.

350

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:53

for Guru
23.07 Edward Mujica RP MIA
One of a handful of relievers that I had in my queue. Age 27, approx one K/IP, closer potential in the event the incumbent is injured, expectation of decent ratios. Vultured 9 wins last year, but that was probably dumb luck.

351

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:54

for Reeb
23.08 Drew Pomeranz SP COL
He supposedly has great stuff and the Rockie feel highly of him. Probably only a spot starter for now but hopefully he develops over the course of the season.

352

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:54

for Mjd
23.09 Ruban Tejada SS NYM
A blindfolded dart throw. Backing up my MI, Tejada looks poised to follow Jose Reyes as the Muts opening day SS. Unfortunately, he’s known more for his glove than his bat. But he’s got a full time gig and might steal a few bags whenever he graces my lineup.

353

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 01:55

for Kdl
23.10 Seth Smith OF OAK
Yes, I understand he's going from Colorado to Oakland, but he batted .358/.456 on the road last year, and is a career .356/.456 hitter at Petco, so it's not like he's totally dependent on Coors. If I use him just against right- handed pitching, I should get slightly better results than that. Plus, he bats clean-up! All of that in round 23. Hoping this is the kind of pick that helps me ensure I stick around next year.

354

Graydog
ID: 01532723
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 02:32

23.11 Jesus Guzman
If he manages to earn regular playing time could be a viable backup at CI and outfield. With Blanks and Quentin likely starting the season on the DL it should open some at bats for Guzman.

355

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 10:53

for kokeshis
23.12 Raul Ibanez, OF, NYY
He is close but I don't think Ibanez is completely done. Yankee stadium fits his swing perfectly and like Granderson last year I think he could get a big homer bump from the ballpark, unfortunately he does not do much else at this point I would of liked him more if this were a homer league.

356

Guru
ID: 330592710
Tue, Mar 27, 2012, 10:54

for KDogHall
23.13 Adam LaRoche, 1B, Was
Sort of surprised he lasted this long. He's one year removed from 100 RBI and last year's poor season was all injury related. Since 2005 he's never had an OPS below .788 and has been over .800 on multiple occasions. I like having two left handed CIs as it allows me to play matchups as well.

357

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 08:59

for dror
23.14 Matt Harrison, SP, Tex
Another AL west starter to play matchups with. Not much to say here... he pitched well last year, has a spot locked up in the Rangers rotation, and should do good at least against the Mariners and A's of the world.

358

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:00

for Uptown Bombers
23.15 Chone Figgins, 3B, SEA
Coming off a garbage year, but he still expected to hit at the top of the order this year. That gives him a chance at being valuable because of his speed. Before he can help there, he needs to remember how to hit. I also needed another warm body at 3B, so Figgins fit the bill there.

359

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:01

for Jkaye
23.16 Chris Parmalee, 1B, Min
I did not know about him until the day I took him. Seems like a reasonable sleeper who is in line to start for the Twins. Obviously swinging for the fences at this point in the draft.

24.01 Matt Belisle, RP, SF
I had planned to fill out my pitching with set up men earlier, but the timing never worked. A run of guys including Adams, Romo, etc.went just before my pick in an earlier round. At this point, I just needed to take the best rp I could find.

360

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:01

for Uptown Bombers
24.02 Santiago Casilla, RP, SF
Casilla has been valuable as a ratio helper in the past two years, so at the very least he is worth a shot there. Also, I have already invested in Wilson being iffy with my Sergio Romo pick. Last thing I want is to get lucky with a Wilson injury and still lose out on the closer in waiting. Casilla has gotten saves in the past and might get the nod if it comes to that.

361

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:02

for dror
24.03 Chris Capuano, SP, LAD
Out of all the late starters, this might be my favorite pick. He was able to get 168 Ks in (more importantly) 186 IP last year, so his health looks to be in fine shape, and I just have a feeling he is going to be one of those NL West starters who posts great stats and all the credit for it goes to the division.

362

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:04

for KDogHall
24.04 Eduardo Nunez, 3B, NYY
Since I have A-Rod it's probably not a bad idea to handcuff his backup. I like Nunez's positional flexibility at tough to fill positions and am hoping that this is the year that Jeter spends significant time on the DL so I can capitalize on Nunez's speed.

363

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:04

for kokeshis
24.05 Henderson Alvarez, SP, Tor

364

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:05

for Graydog
24.06 Aaron Crow, RP, Kan
unlikely, but could be in the mix for saves in KC with Soria out. Most likely will provide me a few innings with useful ratios before he gets the boot to the wire.

365

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:06

for kdl212
24.07 Alberto Callaspo, 3B, ANA

Not an everyday player, but my everyday 3B backup.

366

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:06

for mjd
24.08 Eric Young, MI, OF, COL

He’s out of options this year, good enough to make the team as a bench player, but a weak hitter with no power and a poor defender. A cheap source of steals, he only appeared in 77 games last season and stole 27 bags in less than 200 plate appearances. For once, I may not be lacking in SB, so maybe early season trade bait for some team desperate for steals.

367

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:07

for reeb
24.09 Alfredo Aceves, RP , BOS

Like Daniel Bard I don't really care if he is a starter or reliever. He should be good value in the 24th round as long as he is pitching similar to last year.

368

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:09

24.10 Maicer Izturis, 2B/SS/3B. LAA
I want someone with the following characteristics: (1) likely to get reasonably regular playing time, (2) eligible at SS & 3B. Izturis satisfies both criteria – and there isn’t much more to be said about him. I probably could have relaxed the SS standard – if Tulowitzi gets injured, I’m toast anyway. That would have opened up the options to someone like Polanco. No big loss.

I now have at least one hitter capable of subbing in at any position except catcher – and I may nust wing it at catcher. We see what I’m thinking about that in round 25.

370

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:10

for ksoze
24.11 – David Murphy, OF, Tex

I need a backup OF so I was looking again for someone who should have some decent playing time. Murphy would probably be starting for many other teams, and he should compile quite a few AB’s with Texas, especially since 2 of their 3 OF starters are injury prone. He’ll hit a few homers, steal a few bases and hopefully be worth an OPS north of .750… that’ll have to do for a bench player for now.

371

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:11

for Tosh
Pick 24.12 ~ Nick Masset, RP, CIN

Blind dart #1. Madson is out as closer in Cincinnati. Marshall is expected to be the new closer … but maybe it will be Masset instead.

372

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:11

for Jseth333
24.13 Brandon Allen, 1B, OAK
Likely to start at first base - not as likely to be starting on my team.

373

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:12

for Nerfherders
24.14 Jamey Carroll, SS MIN
Carroll is one of the better MI still available, which isn't saying much. He will get on base and score some runs, but not much else. All I can hope for is I don't have to use him for more than 70 games between SS and MI.

374

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:13

for twilson
24.15 Ramon Hernandez, C, COL
My dad’s list was actually crafted in response to my independent interest in Ramon Hernandez. He is 35 and hasn’t exceeded 352 PAs since 2008, but when healthy and active, he has often done well. In particular, the last two years have provided an above average offensive performance irrespective of position on a per PA basis. The move to Coors Field can’t hurt either. Hopefully, one of my two catchers establishes himself early on, as I will undoubtedly have to cut one for an injury replacement before too long.

375

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:13

for Tilt23
24.16 Garrett Jones, 1B/OF, Pit
I needed another bat since ive got Bryce Harper sitting on my bench. I wanted Jones last round so was happy to get him here. He will play the heavy side of the platoon and does well against righties. He can plug in for me at 1B and OF so that helps too.

25.01 Edison Volquez, SP, SD
My final pick. I continue my trend of current and former Rangers pitchers (Carpenter, Feliz, Danks)with Volquez. The guy has great stuff and no command. Nuke Laloosh. Moving to Petco could be huge plus though.

376

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:14

for twilson
25.02 Kris Medlen, SP, ATL
The Braves keep saying that Medlen will be kept as the long reliever. It’s too bad, because he has pitched very well whenever an opportunity has been provided. He missed last year due to Tommy John surgery but has outperformed his competition thus far this spring. If he starts the season in the bullpen, he will not be starting the season on my roster.

377

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:15

for Nerfherders
25.03 Eduardo Sanchez, RP STL
Another RP that I was surprised to see available. He was lights out when he pitched last year, so hoping for more of the same. He could also close if Motte fails, so I have the backup STL closer covered.

378

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:16

for Jseth333
25.04 Andy Pettitte, SP, NYY (aka Joel Zumaya)
I am onboard the comeback train.

Let's play ball!!!!!!

379

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:16

for Tosh
25.05 ~ Brian Fuentes, RP, OAK

Blind dart #2. Fuentes has been a closer before … so if current Oakland closer Ball-Four lives up to his name … maybe Fuentes will take over.

380

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:17

for ksoze
25.06 – Casey McGehee , 3B, Pit

I really should have put Casilla higher in my queue for this pick than McGehee, I really needed a back up MI. McGehee was there because due to the fact that it appears he’ll get the bulk of the playing time at 3B for the Pirates. That doesn’t necessarily translate into anything worthwhile on a fantasy team if his OPS is below .700 again, and it’s likely at this point that he’s the first player replaced on my team.

381

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:17

25.07 Kurt Suzuki, C, Oak
I have no plan to carry a second catcher for most of the season. But I’ll rent Suzuki for the two games in Japan, as I’ll never get a full 162 games from Avila. After this week, Suzuki may bethe first player dropped in favor of someone with more utility.

382

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:18

for reeb
25.08 Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C , BOS

Back up catcher with maybe some upside still left. Most likely my first casualty when I find a free agent that I like.

383

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:18

for mjd
25.09 Luke Gregerson, RP, SD

Poor lifetime splits vs LHBs will probably limit him to 7th or 8th inning duties where he’ll be useful help to my ratios. He’s been working on developing a slider and if he can master it, might get a few saves in place of the oft injured Houston Street. Not that they’ll be a ton of games to save for the Padres this season. Value also augmented by pitching in Petco.

384

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:19

for kdl212
25.10 Alexi Casilla, 2B/SS, MIN

I had over a dozen guys still in my queue, at every position, in the majors and the minors, and really didn't know how to pick. Went with the guy with both 2B/SS eligibility, and the potential to steal 20 bases.

385

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:20

for Graydog
25.11 Bobby Abreu, OF, LAA
Bobby appears to have mouthed his way out of Anaheim. This will hopefully lead to a new landing spot and some at bats. This is a guy who clearly has declining skills but has never had a season where he did not register 500 at bats. I am hoping there is something left in the tank and he gets a shot to prove it.

386

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:20

for kokeshis
25.12 Carlos Zambrano, SP, Mia
Seemed like a good flyer for the last pick, maybe him and Ozzie Guillen get along well and he gets his career back on track.

387

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:21

for KDogHall
24.13 Jon Jay, OF, StL
I was hoping to get Garrett Jones here as the appeal of platooning various positions seemed smart with such a deep league. I just missed out on Jones so I went with another lefty who is young and can be platooned. Do I expect this pick to get me anything in the way of production? Nope! But it could.

388

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:22

for dror
25.14 Jeff Niemann, SP, Tam
Another swing of the SP roulette... Niemann looked very good at times late last year, and with the 5th spot in the rotation locked up, maybe he can recreate some of that magic.

389

Guru
ID: 330592710
Wed, Mar 28, 2012, 09:22

for Uptown Bombers
25.15 Chris Johnson, 3B, HOU

He is only a year removed from putting up some decent numbers. He’s young, slated to start, and worth a flier. Maybe he gets off to a hot start.

390

Guru
ID: 330592710
Thu, Mar 29, 2012, 09:49

for JKaye
25.16 Chris Resop, RP, Pit
Last pick, just needed another arm. We will see how long he lasts on my roster but has good K ability, and seems to be next in line for saves in Pit.

Forum: basePage 20175Subject: RIBC 2012: Draft Rationales

Forum: base
Page 20175
Subject: RIBC 2012: Draft Rationales