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Subject: RIBC 2016: Draft Rationale Collection Thread

Posted by: Guru - [330592710] Tue, Mar 15, 2016, 13:12

RIBC managers: Please post your rationales in this thread. Rationales are due on a two round lag (i.e., when you make you 3rd round pick, your 1st round rationale is due. You can post any rationale sooner than that if you wish.

Do not worry about placeholders or keeping things in the proper sequence. This is just a place to collect rationales, which I will then transfer over to the formal rationale thread in the proper sequence. This approach has worked well for the past several seasons, and I now have a somewhat automated method for making those transfers.

Remember that you should refrain from mentioning undrafted players. If you feel that your rationale requires that, then hold it back until the player has been drafted - unless the player mentioned is clearly undraftable this year.

When posting your first rationale, please also comment on your choice of draft sequence.

beebop
ID: 39040261
Tue, Mar 15, 2016, 20:45

Draft Sequence - I had the second choice of selection. 1 was vacant as 2nd slot had already been chosen. I decided on 1 as I prefer to draft at the turn and this gave me choice of any player. I have had success drafting at the other end but the player I usually target with that pick would not have been available to me there this season.

Round 1, Pick 1 - I decided on Bryce Harper. He had the higher ISO out of Trout, Goldschmidt and himself. He is also the youngest and I am hoping he can keep his OBP over .450

Meatwads
ID: 181121414
Tue, Mar 15, 2016, 21:17

Draft Sequence - I had the third choice of selection. I intended to take the highest available draft slot because I believe the best of the best are on a different level.

1.03 Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, ARI
This is who I expected to draft and I couldn't be happier. I think there's an argument to be made for Goldschmidt first overall. He's coming off a season with 103 runs, 110 rbis, 21 sb, .435 obp and .570 slg%. Truly a 5 category superstar to build around.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 07:08

1.14 Miguel Cabrera, 1B, DET

I had the choice of pick 13 or 14 and opted to go with 14 because I felt like the 19th pick (vs 20th) could be relatively more important to me than having 13. It also keeps me closer to the turn if I am trying to pair up players for whatever reason.

Cabrera figures to anchor my offense in 4 categories and profiles well with the OBP/SLG format. He should get plenty of support from the Tigers lineup around him and if he can stay healthy, I think there is a good chance he outperforms this draft slot.

Meatwads
ID: 181121414
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 12:35

2.14 Miguel Sano, DH, MIN
There is more risk in this pick than I usually like to take early, especially in a high caliber league. The potential exists for him to be 3B/OF even though he only qualifies at DH now. If he plays at the same level as last season, this pick will look solid.

3.03 Lorenzo Cain, OF, KC
Based on his performance last year this is a great value. The biggest red flag to me is the lack of history to show if he can repeat it. If he can approach 100 runs, 30 sb, .350 obp, and be competitive in RBI/SLG%, I could have another 5 category producer.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 15:55

Draft Sequence - I had the 9th selection and spots 1-8 were taken. I tried a different strategy for me in AA last year by taking Kershaw & Scherzer with my first 2 picks and it worked swimmingly. I planned to try this again by taking 2 SPs early. I didn't think Kershaw would last until the 9th pick, but I didn't see value in taking 2 SPs in the first 2 rounds at a later draft slot, so I chose 9 with the plan of taking a hitter in round 1 and SPs in rounds 2 & 3.

1.09 Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT

Kershaw went 10th in ESPN-AAA so some hope existed that he would've lasted to 9 here but it was not to be. Cutch has had a fantastic OBP of 400 each of the previous 4 seasons and his career SLG is 500. His steals are trending downwards but he should still provide double digits. I also considered Stanton here but his knee has been hurting this offseason, and this combined with playing for a bad team leaves the extra possibility that he will be rested/ shut down if he begins
to hurt down the road.

2.08 Max Scherzer, SP, WAS

Scherzer was my target to take here since selecting my draft sequence as the second best SP on my board. His elite K/9, a WHIP under 1.00, and playing in the NL East are all things to love.

3.09 Matt Harvey, SP, NYM

I considered putting off selecting my planned SP2 here by a round but I didn't want to risk too many SPs going off the board before my next pick. He is another NL East starter with elite ratios and his K/9 has room to improve to his 2012-13 levels. I like that his Tommy John surgery is "out of the way," and there is no innings limit in store for him this season.

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 17:49

Last draft spot selection. Nothing to say I was given 13.
1.13 Jose Batista, OF, TOR
Batista gives me what I want in a first round selection. Very reliable production, high floor. Big slugger with high OBP. I took him last year in first round in AAA and did very well for me. Led the league in walks and hits for power on a high powered offense. His age is a slight concern but he shows no signs of slowing down and even a little regression would still be ok here. Probably not going to win the league for me but shouldn’t lose it either. I would of taken Rizzo Stanton or McCutchen if they continued to fall but they did not. Gave a passing thought to Miggy as he is a comparable player and just felt the risk was higher there then with Batista.

2.04 Edwin Encarnacion, 1B, TOR
And now im a Blue Jays fan. Had a queue of Votto, Pollock, Betts, Encarnacion in that order hoping to get one following the turn. Encarnacion was there and im happy to have him. The oblique injury doesn’t bother me even if he misses a week in the season, which I don’t think he will.. He never plays more then 130-150 games anyways and still puts up monster counting stats. 100 plus RBIs, 900 plus OPS, 90 Runs. 1st round numbers so happy to take him with the 20th pick.

holt
ID: 2921399
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 18:04

1.16 Pollock, A.J. OF ARI

Should contribute in every category. Thought he was the best player available. Hopefully the SB numbers stay up near 40. I was a little disappointed about the quality of players available here but whatever. It's nice to be able to do two picks at once on the turn.

2.01 17 Votto, Joey 1B CIN

I was surprised how low Votto was in most of the rankings out there. In an OPS league like RIBC he is more valuable. Very happy to have Votto on my squad.

jason
ID: 361522614
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 19:38

Draft Sequence - I got the 6th draft order selection and it was too good to choose the 16th draft position, what is my target generally. I can manage the draft better when I have to pick only once a day because of the time difference between USA and Hungary.
My first selection was Machado. I hadn't really a strategy this year, Machado was simply the best batter available. My second option was Correa, but Machado's better stats in SLG and OBP was the main reason picking of him. It was important the stolen bases with both of players.

jason
ID: 361522614
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 19:40

sorry..
1.06 Manny Machado, 3B, BAL

ywk
ID: 56236823
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 22:36

I tend to select the back end draft position so that my pair of the two picks would not be too far from each other not only because of the time zone I am in but also the players I target could be close in terms of the preseason ranking on which I heavily rely.

1.11 Nolan Arenado
I thought about picking Jose Bautista here as he could at least produce in RBI, R, OBP, and SLG and I like his way to approach the game. He actually carried my team last year to the title of AAA. He is in his FA year and very likely could maintain at the similar level of the production. But his age somewhat gave me a pause here. Hopefully, I would not be getting punished. Arenado, who just emerged as one of the biggest stars in baseball, could still manage to have the numbers similar to last season's (and I would be ultra happy if he does so) despite some minor concern of the regression. If he could draw more walks and raise his batting average above .300 at the expense of few homers and RBIs, I would take it.

2.06 Jose Abreu
He had a relatively down year 2015 but with his skill set it would not be surprise for him to bounce back. Thought about taking Miggy with this pick but he was long gone before my turn came around. Happy to have Abreu and if he could be more patient at the plate that would be nicer.

3.11 Jacob deGrom
I set up the queue including Harvey and Kluber for my SP1 only to see both of them taken right before my eyes. Kind of panicked here. Time would tell if taking deGrom here would be a reach. That said, no knock on his capability of dominating the hitters. Consistent and extra run support from the team would be giving him more Ws.

4.06 Yoenis Cespedes
Tried to get my first outfielder here. Set up a queue having Cain, Braun, and CarGo but none of them was available. Taking another Cuba export may not be a bad idea at least he could and should do fine at R, RBI, and even SLG but his OBP and AVG could be headaches sometimes.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 22:40

1.08 Anthony Rizzo, 1B, CHC
Draft sequence: Here's how my RIBC finishes have matched up with my draft position:
8th pick = 2nd
9th pick = 3rd
10th pick = 4th
11th pick = 4th
12th pick = 5th

So you can imagine how much I was wishing for pick #7. But the highest available when I picked was #8, which I took, so I will now finish second in the league. The rest of you are all playing for first, or 3rd - 16th.

The middle of the first round looked like a real grab bag to me, with a bunch of people that all looked pretty good. I went with a first basemen instead of OF, and hope that hitting in the middle of a stacked Cubs line-up leads to 200 runs+rbi, and if Rizzo throws in 10 steals this year, I'm happy.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Thu, Mar 17, 2016, 22:53

2.09 Starling Marte, OF, PIT
Once Abreu went off the board, this was a decision between JD Martinez, Justin Upton, and Marte. I drafted J.D. last year in the 9th round, and I find it hard to pay full price for guys I got it a big discount the year before. When I found out that the plan is to bat Marte clean-up, I made up my mind. 30 stolen bases from a clean-up hitter? Who is 27 this year, and might have another step in his hitting percentages to take? I'll take it.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 00:02

2.03 George Springer, OF, HOU

My plan for the 19th pick didn't quite come to fruition. I had Betts targeted but he was picked at 18 so I had to reconsider a few things. At 26, Springer should be coming into his prime and looks to have the ability to be an impact 5 category player. His big improvement in K% last year caught my eye and I'm hoping he continues on that path for a breakout season. I considered a number of other players (Encarnacion, Abreu, Scherzer, Marte, and Upton to name a few) but in the end felt like Springer best fits the way I like to build my team.

Meatwads
ID: 181121414
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 00:17

4.14 Jason Kipnis, 2B, CLE
At this point in the draft I thought it would be wise for me to address the middle infield. I decided Kipnis was a good choice based on his age, past success and job security. I'm hoping for a little bounce back in the counting stats and I think that's a reasonable expectation. A season with a .370 obp, nearly 100 runs and nearly 20 steals is within his range and that's elite for his position.

5.03 Felix Hernandez, SP, SEA
Decided to bite the bullet and add my ace. I was pleasantly surprised to see King Felix fall this late and I'm really happy to have him. He's coming off a bit of a down season (for his standards), but I have the utmost faith in his ability to be among the 10 best pitchers. He's still in his prime, pitches in a great park and has that competitive fire to be great. As we all know, he's been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball the last decade.

beebop
ID: 39040261
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 02:41

2.16 Jose Fernandez, SP, MIA
I wanted an ace, and Fernandez was the most appealing. I have him in a few other leagues so am picking him up where I can. If he can stay injury free I am hoping he can be a top 5 SP this season.

3.01 Yasiel Puig, OF, LAD
I was looking at best available at this pick. I have been high on Puig for a few years and have not been able to pick him up in many leagues. As with Fernandez, if he can remain injury free, there is huge upside here.

4.16 Gerrit Cole, SP PIT
It is important in a league this size to add another SP with potential of 200k's. I had thought of Felix, but decided to go with the younger, NL pitcher.

5.01 Brian Dozier, 2B MIN
At this point I felt I needed to look at MI instead of other positions on the board. Dozier has a good SLG for a 2B and also adds some speed. He is still young so I do not expect a decline in overall numbers.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 06:00

1.12 Jose Altuve, 2B, HOU

Any draft slot from 10-16 was open but with limited free time for research and a computer that was being a bum, I had to make a quick analysis. 10th a bit too close to middle for my liking, and at a quick glance there was 12 names I was comfortable with as anchors with another batch of names I liked that felt safe to get one at 21st pick.

Had a chance to set a six man queue for my top pick. As much as I love Bautista, I wanted to invest in some infield talent to start things off. Correa, Altuve, Bautista, Rizzo, Bryant, McCutchen. Tried to bump Bautista higher, but couldn't overlook the dominant debut of Correa and the speed/pop that Altuve brings from the middle infield. 100/60/40/.350/.450 in line with last season would be nice from 2b to start my offense.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 06:26

2.05 (skipped to 2.09) Buster Posey, C, SF

Six away with my other league live draft starting. Turned off auto-pick so I could pick in case my turn came up. Did not happen, with 3 names away I decided to update my queue. Edwin, Scherzer, Abreu, but Edwin oblique and not sure I wanna go SP this early has me second guessing. Settled on Abreu, Posey, Blackmon, but forgot to turn queue back on. Still wanting Edwin, but oblique scares me, no matter how minor it sounds. Wouldn't have had a chance at him anyway!

Lost my chance at Abreu, who I think will contend for MVP, but fine with getting Posey, who I think will contend for MVP with catcher eligibility.

Was naive enough when picking draft position to think this was a safe spot to land Votto. Temptation to rank him among my queue for my top pick based on what I think he'll do this year.

I think Posey is one of the more consistent stars in the game, and another traditional weak spot filled with a star is a nice feeling to start out my roster. Something like 80/100/-/.375/.475 along his recent averages would be a nice season for my catcher slot.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 09:41

Pick 10

I usually try to pick close to the top (helps a lot in the third round as well), but didn't have much choice this time. After so many years of doing this, I still have no idea where the best spot to pick is.

1.10 Giancarlo Stanton, OF, MIA

Well this worked out. At #10, I got the 5th guy off my board (Harper, Trout, Goldschmidt, Rizzo, Stanton, in that order). Not a whole lot to say about Stanton - he's among the best players in the game and I'm lucky to have him.

2.07 Chris Davis, 1B/OF, BAL

Was looking at Max Scherzer for this pick, but Davis is a clear winner. In OBP leagues, he's just fine with the percentages, and the power is unmistakeable. 1B and OF flexibility will give me some nice choices later on. With Stanton and Davis, I'm in good shape with the power.

3.10 Robinson Cano, 2B, SEA

Not sure how this happened. Cano is an amazing talent, perhaps the best middle infielder who doesn't play in Houston. He should have been gone much earlier, based on his power, hitting, health, and track record.

jdrenbarger
Dude
ID: 04035768
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 14:28

Had the first choice of draft order, and am generally most comfortable picking within the second quarter (slots 5-8) of the first round. That said, I couldn’t pass up the chance to end up with either Harper, Trout or Goldschmidt and, having yet not really thought much about which of the three I preferred, selected the second slot mostly as a hedge against a freak spring training injury to one of them before the draft started (still scarred somewhat by watching Derek Jeter, a first round pick of mine many years ago, dislocating his shoulder on opening day).

1.02 Trout, Mike - LAA – OF

With Harper going #1, this was only a choice for me between Trout and Goldschmidt. Both are elite 5 category talents, with the only appreciable difference to me being Trout trending down in SB/Goldschmidt trending up. When it’s close, I generally take the player filling the roster position for which I have the most vacancies ... and I’m buying in on Trout following through on running more this year.

2.15 Arrieta, Jake - CHC – SP

I had absolutely no intention of taking a pitcher this early ... many solid pitchers to choose from and I generally end up with better pitching stats than hitting stats despite not drafting pitchers until during/after round 6. That said, there wasn’t anyone left at the top of my list when my turn came and getting Trout in round 1 frankly allowed me a little flexibility in the timing of taking my next hitter. Only Kershaw, Scherzer and Sale were off the board at this point and I had no real preference between Arrieta and Bumgarner ... decided on Arrieta pretty quickly for no other reason than he carried my team last year as a 7th round pick. Even with a little regression from last year’s numbers, he’s a solid staff ace.

3.02 Bumgarner, Madison – SFO – SP

Two picks later and nothing has changed ... with Bumgarner still available, I elect to double down on staff aces probably too early in the draft. If anything, I probably should have taken them in the reverse order that I did ... last season was a breakout for Arrieta, while Bumgarner’s been consistently excellent for some time ... sub-3 ERA, sub 1.1 WHIP, and 199+ Ks for each of the past three years and no reason to expect anything but another excellent year this season.

4.15 Seager, Kyle – SEA – 3B

Was looking for a CI here and a MI on the turn ... with five picks in front of me, Seager was 4th in my queue ... and then Frazier, Hosmer, A Gonzalez went within the span of four picks. Seager’s been remarkably consistent over the past three years, is a solid – but not spectacular – bat with the potential for a few steals as well. Briefly considered Beltre here, but elected to go with the younger (by 8 years) player.

kdl212
ID: 31254812
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 14:57

3.08 Corey Kluber, SP, CLE
This was a choice between Kluber or Cano, and the Mariner fan in me was starting to get visions of owning both Cano and Felix (who was sure to linger this year longer than in the past). And it turns out I could've done it with my 3 and 4 picks. That there were enough elite starting pitchers still left (there seem to be about 20 top 10 pitchers this year) that one would make it back to me at 4 probably should've led me to pick Cano. And, I've traditionally picked up bounce-back studs in RIBC to great success, and Cano should be more like he was in the second half last year (amazing) than he was in the first (putrid).

Anyhoo, I picked Kluber, who is good.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 15:58

4.08 Troy Tulowitzki, SS, TOR

A first round type as recently as last year but a dreadful stint after being traded to the Blue Jays brought down his overall numbers. He is too good of a hitter not to rebound and it is hard to pass on that production from a MI at this point in the draft, injury concerns notwithstanding.

5.09 Corey Seager, SS, LAD

Seeing as Seager went in the 3rd round in each of the 3 other RIBC drafts, it appears I may have some value with this selection. His knee injury does not appear that it will cause him to miss too much time, if at all. Seager was awesome in his anticipated debut last season hitting to the tune of a .986 OPS. MI drops off quickly in a league this deep so I am happy to secure 2/3 of my starting spots without feeling like I reached.

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 16:50

3.13 Carlos Gomez, OF, HOU
Was hurt part of the year last year but should be a good bounce back candidate this year. When healthy can give you 30 plus SBs and help in other counting stats while not killing your ratios. I knew my team was leaning towards big heavy power hitters so thought it was important to get someone to give me some steals before I start reaching for them later in the draft. Cruz was technically at the top of my list here but just felt like I needed to diversify a little at this point. Plan is still basically intact though taking best hitter available regardless of position.

4.04 Freddie Freeman, 1B, ATL
I planned on starting the closer run here but looking at other drafts and my rankings decided it would probably start the next round I would just have to hope it didn’t start in round 4. Still too much hitting value out there. Freeman is another player I had the previous year. He was hurt a little last year but has traditionally been healthy. If he would of stayed healthy would have hit 20 HRs and is still a doubles machine. His value is raised in our league for that reason. Predicted for an OPS north of .850 and appears to be over health concerns. Gave strong thought to Prince here but just felt like the possibility of regression with him was too much and he would lock up my UTL slot which I don’t have problem with if you are a no brainer but just didn’t think Prince was at this point.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 17:04

4.07 Carlos Carrasco, SP, CLE

Was between three players: Carrasco, Syndergaard, and Archer (see below). I asked some friends, they all said Carrasco. He's come a long way from the Cliff Lee trade prospect, and you might even say he's elite. He's a little safer than Syndergaard, although I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

5.10 Chris Archer, SP, TAM

If you know me, you know I rarely take SP early, let alone two of them. Archer stepped up last season and should be good this year. A couple closers went off the board, and I smelled the closer run, but couldn't pass up this ace.

6.07 Trevor Rosenthal, RP, STL

The run is on! I had them teed up: Giles, Britton. Familia, Kimbrel, Allen. Fortunately, Rosenthal is at about the same level, and the dropoff is coming (or came, since Melancon went one pick earlier). Happy to have a few saves, now I can concentrate on other positions.

mailedfoot
ID: 27912109
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 20:04

3.14 Xander Bogaerts, SS, BOS

Decided to fill one of my MI spots with Bogaerts, who slashed .355/.421 last year with over 80 each runs and RBIs. I would be happy with that but actually think he has room for improvement, as he should start to show more power. Will be hitting in the middle of what should be a potent lineup.

mailedfoot
ID: 27912109
Fri, Mar 18, 2016, 20:12

4.03 Stephen Strasburg, SP, WAS

With 26 picks before my next pick, I didn't want to wait any longer for a SP and am happy with Strasburg. He showed over the 2nd half of last year that he is still capable of being a dominant pitcher and should be a great anchor for my staff.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Sat, Mar 19, 2016, 02:15

4.09 Jason Heyward, OF, CHC
Didn't think he'd make it to me here at pick 57, on account of him getting a value-boost in OBP leagues and his move from a below-average home-run park to an above-average home-run park. I'm now projected at 60 home runs and 60 stolen bases from my first 3 hitters. Curious to see if the intention behind this approach pays off during the rest of the draft.

I thought about Syndergaard and Archer here, but I crossed my fingers that they, or another one of the 20 top 10 starters still on my board, would make it back to me in the 5th round.

holt
ID: 282541323
Sat, Mar 19, 2016, 13:41

3.16 David Price, SP, BOS

Wanted to get my SP1 on this turn and Price made sense. He has a good history and is still young at 30. Should pile up innings, wins, K's and keep the his ratios around 3.00 and 1.10 or better. Very consistent and always a Cy Young threat. I feel fortunate that he was still available.

4.01 Nelson Cruz, OF, SEA

I wanted to ignore Cruz for several reasons. Age, team, position, history of injuries? But, I couldn't convince myself to pull the trigger on any of the other hitters available. The MI's weren't going to be reliable anchors for my team's SLG or RBI, which is something I wanted to accomplish on this pick. None of the 3B or C caught my eye. I had Cruz and his .936 OPS on two teams last season, so I didn't need my arm twisted too much.

Bmd
ID: 825715
Sat, Mar 19, 2016, 17:35

Slot selection - picked 4 hoping one of the hitters slipped through.

1.04 Clayton Kershaw, SP, LAD

300 k's. What's not to like. I'm not a big pitching early guy but Kershaw is in a tier to himself. Didn't really consider anyone else as I knew it was either Kershaw or the big 3.

2.13 Justin Upton, OF, DET

Wanted a consistent hitter here. Upton is the definition of that. Should produce counting stars with little worry of a bad year unless he gets injured. Should see a few more opportunities moving the the AL so a slight uptick in counting stars would be great.

3.04 Charlie Blackmon, OF, COL

This was the first pick I really struggled with. I'm not a huge Blackmon guy but his numbers last year put him in the top 10. I doubt he matches his steal totals but the rest of his stats are all within reach. I considered Schwarber here but his situation is way too crowded.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sat, Mar 19, 2016, 19:09

5.14 Maikel Franco, 3B, PHI

With the main 3B options winding down, I selected Franco. Another young guy on the rise, he makes contact and provides solid power. He figures to be one of if not the main guy in the Phillies lineup. Hopefully, the lineup around him will improve some and help give him a fantasy boost.

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Sat, Mar 19, 2016, 20:56

5.13 Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX
Since I didn’t start the closer run last round, I figured it would be in force with this pick, but that didn’t happen. I had my queue filled with RPs ready to take the one that fell to me. But no run. My queue was filled with RPs I was ready to take……and Beltre. Good ole Beltre. How did you get here? Do I take Kimbrel at the top of my list? No I take a HOF player at a thin position. I think even with his age he is valuable here. He still has lots to offer and he is a gamer. He was playing with one hand most of last year and was still respectable. I will take him here and just wait for one of the RPs on the turn. The rush will start then and ill still get a top closer.

6.05 Cody Allen, RP, CLE
Ok there is the run and im at the beginning-middle, that’s a good spot for me, my queue of top RPs still have a couple to choose from. I have to get a top rate closer. I say this every year. I know im not fast enough on the wire to pick up guys so I have to get mine in the draft. Allen is young with a great K/9. He will get me 35 saves and close to 100 K’s. Good security.

Meatwads
ID: 252551912
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 02:07

6.14 Hector Rondon, RP, CHC
When I made my last pick I gave strong consideration to starting the closer run but decided I could get some saves and let it go. Rondon is relatively unproven as a closer but he has some things going for him. He plays for a winning team, he's not an old man (28 years old), and last season he was fantastic. If he stays healthy I'm expecting 35+ saves with a strikeout per inning, which is all I can really hope when taking closers.

7.03 Jake McGee, RP, COL
When I passed on a closer for Felix in the 5th round, I ended up deciding I needed to go back to back on closers since I won't pick for a long time. I was leaning towards someone safer like K-Rod or Street but decided to trust what I've seen. What it really amounts to for me is that McGee doesn't walk a lot of people and strikes out guys like some of the elites. Pitching in Colorado combined with no real closing history makes this a risky pick. If he's actually one of the best relievers in the league skill wise then I think he can have good value.

jason
ID: 361522614
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 12:54

2.11 J.D. Martinez, OF, DET

In the second round I wanted to get Springer or Chris Davis. Springer was important because of his stolen base potential, Davis has very good ratios, mainly the SLG.
With all of them had disappeared before me I try to find somebody has SLG over 50%.
Although he hit only in the fifht spot in the last game, because Tigers manager wants a left-handed bat in the cleanup spot, I hope Martinez will be very strong, maybe he could step up to the 4th later.

jason
ID: 361522614
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 13:06

3.06 Kyle Schwarber, C, CHC

Last year Schwarber was in my team, and he had a very attractive production, sometimes he hit two HR's in a game. I wanted to get him this year too, and maybe it was a very early pick on him, but I thought he will be not available in the next round.
Schwarber could serve as Jason Hammel's personal catcher this season, and I hope he could ensure a stable spot in the outfiled too.

jason
ID: 361522614
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 13:14

4.11 Francisco Lindor, SS, CLE

After I had Machado, Martinez and Schwarber it was the time picking up players in the 2B and SS position. My targets were Lindor and Rendon and I tried to find out which player I have to pick immadietaly and which will wait for me one more round. Because I needed some stolen bases I chose Lindor (and I had lost Rendon of course).

jason
ID: 361522614
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 13:19

5.06. Rougned Odor, 2B, TEX

The plan was to find somebody to 2B position. Odor is only 22, he batted .292 with 15 home runs and an .861 OPS over 91 games after his demotion last season and appears to be one of the top fantasy options at second base this year.

beastiemiked
ID: 5911312710
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 14:42

4.13 Gonzalez, Adrian - LAD - 1B

Another guy that I just hope he can duplicate last year's numbers. I'm starting to feel like the old fogey squad with basically no young players. I thought about going with Seager or a 2b here but I felt like I needed another big bat for Slg % and RBI's.

5.04 Jansen, Kenley - LAD - RP

I knew a closer run would be upcoming and instead of waiting until I got the 10th best closer I felt like I could pick the top one and the hitter drop off would not be nearly as steep. Davis and Kimbrel were considered but I went with the guy that most places have as the top closer.

6.13 Kinsler, Ian - DET - 2B

Another old guy. Hopefully he can reach double digit steals and not hurt me in OBP or Slg %. I really needed a MI and felt he was the safest of the one's left. I'm not trying to be conservative with this draft but feel like I'm just catching the value that slips through instead of reaching for the boom or bust young talent.

holt
ID: 282541323
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 14:59

5.16 Kimbrel, Craig RP BOS

May as well get my closers while the gettin' is good. Career numbers of 1.63, 0.93, and 14.5 K/9. OK.

6.01 Familia, Jeurys RP NYM

1.85 ERA, 1.00 whip, 10 K/9, 43 saves last season. Hoping for more of the same. If C Seager or Odor had fallen to this point I my have gone another direction. Being short-handed on closers is hard thing to dig out of in this league.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 17:53

5.08 Noah Syndergaard, SP, NYM
That Noah Syndergaard was available at this pick is the sole reason that I did not draft Corey Seager. Thor looked to be the last of the pitchers who offered both more than 9k/9 and a low WHiP, and I considered him a safer bet than Seager. That said, I'd put money down on this mathematical statement being true at season's end:
Seager + a starting pitcher available whenever I finally pick a shortstop > Syndergaard + whatever shortstop I finally pick.

6.09 David Robertson, RP, CWS
Drafting in the middle makes you closer-run-proof, and once it got going, there I was in a position to take Robertson, one of the guys with outrageous strikeout rates.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 18:05

7.08 Brandon Belt, 1B, SF
The first pick I wanted back, not because of who I picked, but because of when I did it. It just felt early for Belt. But when Kemp and Lester were drafted and I looked at my queue, I saw a giant pile of guys at nearly every position but shortstop and third base, and none of them screamed "grab me now, I have slipped through the RIBC cracks!"

Duda may have been the better choice to balance out my roster, but I don't expect regression from Belt this year. .340/.475 is what I want out of my CI slot.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 18:29

6.03 Zach Britton, RP, BAL

It was clear that if I wanted one of the top closers, I had to grab one now and selected Britton. He was tremendous last year with a K/9 over 10, great ratios, and 36 saves. I'm looking for more of the same.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 18:35

7.14 Albert Pujols, 1B, LAA
At this stage of his career, he's not what he used to be but should provide plenty of power and counting stats. Hoping he gets a little luckier with BABIP this year and can improve his OBP. Getting him with pick 110 represents a nice little discount on his ADP.

twilson
ID: 432242018
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 19:24

0.07 Slot #7
Six picks in, and of course slots 1-6 were all taken. Picking spots is just so much less interesting when we do a pure snake instead of Banzai.

Beyond slot 7, I considered everything from 10-15. I typically prefer drafting near the turn. #7 would easily be the closest to the middle of the round that I have ever been in this format.

Looking at the draft pool, the top offensive players peter out around the middle of the second round. Picking seventh would put me at the bitter end of that, which could be problematic depending on people's choices. However, it does give me the chance to control my first round preference. I haven't yet completed my research of all the first rounders, so I can't overfit my choice to that. I ended up going with slot #7 because I felt like I was comfortable this year with trying something a little different.

1.07 Carlos Correa, SS, HOU
I considered three people: Correa, Stanton, and Rizzo. Correa was fantastic last year in his abridged rookie season, but there are certainly reasons to be skeptical of a repeat performance. In particular, I expect a substantial drop in his HR/FB rate. The bigger concern is the potential for a sophomore slump as the league identifies and targets his weaknesses. A pick of him here is a bet that his skillset is deep enough to avoid the pitfalls and solidify his success.

When healthy, Giancarlo Stanton is a unique talent. His power profile is incredible and quite worthy of a top 5 pick, but he's had trouble staying on the field. On top of his wrist injury last year, he's experiencing knee soreness in camp. Rizzo is the safest option of the three, in my opinion. Good patience, power, and approach, plus he hits cleanup for the presumptive NL favorites.

Were it not for the camp soreness, Stanton was my guy. After knocking him out, I decided Rizzo was the correct pick; despite that, I went with Correa. Not entirely sure why, but that was what I did. It'll be interesting to see how things play out over the rest of the draft.

2.10 Chris Sale, SP, CWS
I'm already starting to regret my decisions thus far. I did mentally consider that pitcher might be the best option for me in the second, but seeing the pairs of players that people were able to get on the turn really drove home what I passed up with my slot selection. To top it off, Dee Gordon is the most interesting hitter on the board, but a Correa/Gordon start doesn't seem like the best approach. Pairing Gordon with Rizzo or Stanton sounds pretty fantastic.

Putting that aside, I concentrated on a trio of pitchers: Bumgarner, Sale, and Arrieta. Weighing the options, Bumgarner fell by the wayside. Sale has the advantage in Ks and track record, while Arrieta leads in the ratios and team situation. I think both are excellent pitchers worthy of the second round, but I eventually decided that I preferred the strikeouts.

3.07 Matt Carpenter, 3B, STL
I was all set to take Kyle Schwarber here until Jasonprof snagged him right in front of me. That, combined with the OF trio before that, sent me fully back to the drawing board. I looked all over the offensive spectrum. I love Freddie Freeman as a player, but the combo of poor lineup and wrist injury make me hesitant this early. There are a few outfielders worth considering, headlined by Heyward, Cespedes, and the pair of CarGos. Carpenter and Frazier at third base also have appeal.

I never like to take outfielders unless they stand out to me, so I settled on taking a guy at the weakest position of the three. Frazier has power, steals some bases, and is moving to a solid team and ballpark this year. Carpenter is a guy i have loved in this format for years. He changed his offensive approach in 2015 to emphasize power at the cost of increased strikeouts. I don't expect all the HRs to repeat this year, but I'm hoping that they'll at least just become doubles instead.

Carpenter is the guy I trust, so he's the pick. As a side note, I just got to see go 2 for 3 with a double and home run in spring training today. Now I have some firsthand exposure to this new flyball-heavy approach!

4.10 Todd Frazier, 3B, CWS
Second pick in a row where my clear top choice disappeared one pick away, this time at the hand of kdl212. My draft slot pick is really coming back to bite me.

Most of the players that stand out to me are at positions I already own. Frazier is still available, and the youngsters Seager and Lindor are tempting at short. I do like Rendon and Odor at 2B, but there are so many guys at the keystone on the board that one should survive the shorter turn.

Thus, I decided to double up at third with the guy I strongly considered in the third. With his poor plate discipline and extreme popup tendencies, Frazier is not my traditional player. Partly because of that, his strengths are a good fit for my roster. Hopefully he will thrive in his new home and still find the opportunity to steal some bases!

5.07 David Ortiz, DH, BOS
This draft is just not going my way. Four 2B gone in the span of 12 picks, with Jasonprof inflicting the final blow. I guess I should've just taken my preference in the 4th, which probably would've been Rendon.

I am not feeling good about my team at this point. None of my picks have made me particularly happy, and I am feeling uncomfortable with my team's current makeup, particularly with respect to slugging. I also am perpetually in need of steals, but I don't have to be desperate for them, at least not yet.

David Ortiz would make me feel much better about my RBI/SLG situation, but it might be a little early for him, not to mention his Utility-only status. Corey Seager is somehow still avaiable, which surprises the heck out of me, but do I really want to double down on draft inflexibility five rounds in? I could take a closer, but I'm okay getting in at the end of the top tier instead of the beginning. Christian Yelich was a name suggested by my father. He's got the prospect pedigree and a strong plate approach. If he ever starts hitting the ball in the air a little more, he's got plenty of upside.

I keep getting burned trying to work strategy in this draft, so I just need to bite the bullet and take the guy I think makes sense. After admiring him from afar for years and years, it will be nice to finally own David Ortiz in his farewell year.

6.10 Christian Yelich, OF, MIA
Yet again, I was wrong about the way the draft would unfold. Never doubt the power of the closer run! Rosenthal and Robertson were the last two I was interested in at this point in the draft, with the former having been my preferred target. Oh well!

Five rounds in and I still don't have an outfielder. That's pretty irregular for me, but I don't mind. There will always be at least four opportunities to take solid players at some point in each draft. Yelich and Adam Jones stand out here for different reasons. Jones' skills are starting to erode, but he's been a reliable top 50 pick for a number of years despite a distinct lack of walks thanks to a combination of health and power. Yelich is the type of player that can contribute to steals without killing the power categories, which is my preferred method of roster building. I don't normally get to draft top prospect types, but I guess Yelich is far enough past peak hype to make it possible. At pick #90, I feel like I am paying for his current level of performance and getting the upside as a bonus.

ywk
ID: 56236823
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 21:21

5.11 Dallas Keuchel, SP, Hou

Did plan to draft another solid starting pitcher here though there were other positions I may need to address then (and I do not even know how to correctly pronounce his last name). He has a very good control but having another 20-win may need quite a lot of luck and team support. He is not necessarily a strikeout pitcher but he should be of a lot of help in my WHIP area. Thought about taking Sonny Gray.

6.06 Mark Melancon, RP, Pit

Despite just 10 picks away from Keuchel, 5 closers were taken, which forced me to alter my original plan (if any) in the middle of my sleep. Melancon is not a power pitcher either but he could always limit the damage and he plays for a good team which makes the SV opportunities easier to come by. Expect him to have another 40+ SVs season.

7.11 Hunter Pence, OF, SF

Should have taken another outfielder before this pick. But I am glad to have Pence here---he is somewhat a consistent player before 2015, a injury-marred season for him. Reports out of the spring training suggest that he may have fully healthy again---hopefully his body could hold up in order to turn in another 20-homer season. Adam Jones and Matt Kemp were considered for this pick.

8.06 Carlos Martinez, SP, Stl

Set up my queue having two Adams (Eaton and Wainwright) but they just disappeared 2 and 3 picks before. Martinez should be having no problem improving but how far he could advance remains to be seen. If healthy, deGrom and Keuchel could give me 200+ innings but there is no guarantee that Martinez could do that as well. Cutting down his walks would be a good first step in the right direction.

ywk
ID: 56236823
Sun, Mar 20, 2016, 23:10

9.11 Kolten Wong, 2B, Stl
The potential target, LeMahieu, was taken way before, solidifies my thought to get my first middle infielder. I considered taking another outfielder but changed my mind after Ben Revere was snatched as well. If he could consistently bat at the top of the lineup, he should score plenty of runs. That he could steal also helps. Just hope he would not drag down the entire team with his percentage statistics.

10.06 Kevin Pillar, OF, Tor
The news that he could bat lead-off for the high scoring Toronto teams prompted me to draft him here. That he is quite an elite defensive player may keep him on the field often. And if he could continue swiping 20-30 bases and occasionally provide some pop I would be very happy with the decision of drafting him with this pick.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Mon, Mar 21, 2016, 00:45

8.09 Hanley Ramirez, 1B/OF, BOS
The draft starts to get complicated once we get through the first 100 picks. Offensively, all I had so far were 2 outfielders and 2 first basemen. That led me to look for a middle infielder, but I saw nearly 20 players who I couldn't confidently differentiate. So I put that one off and drafted a 1B/OF to add to my collection.

Hanley becomes my "former stud-bounce back-hope pick." I need RBIs and slugging, and figured why the heck not.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Mon, Mar 21, 2016, 09:51

6.07 Trevor Rosenthal, RP, STL

You've got to have a closer, right? Fortunately, we saw this one coming, and Rosenthal was the last of that tier, including Giles, Allen, Familia, Britton, and Kimbrel, all of whom went right before him. Happy to have Rosenthal, since he's young, usually healthy, and closing for a good team.

7.10 Gregory Polanco, OF, PIT

Been targeting him for like 3 rounds. Polanco is a future star, hopefully starting this year. He's also good with the SB, which is important as I cobble together some steals. He's got a high floor - lots of runs and steals, and also a high ceiling.

8.07 Joc Pederson, OF, LAD

Also been targeting him for a while. Not sure why, but he gets extremely underrated. Maybe it's the low batting average. In this OBP league, Joc's walks really help a lot. I expect him to be one of my best players by the end of the year. Lower floor than Polanco but higher ceiling.

9.10 Ketel Marte, SS, SEA

And looks like I caught the middle infield run perfectly. Since all of these guys have warts, and I already have a bunch of power hitters, I wanted to use this spot to help cobble together steals. Marte is young enough for a breakthrough, and looks like he's good a pretty good lineup spot. Considered Kolten Wong, but didn't see the SB upside there.

10.07 Masahiro Tanaka, SP, NYY

Since he looks healthy, Tanaka is a steal at this point in the draft. The last two SP to go were Wacha and Matz, and I far prefer Tanaka. With Archer and Carrasco plus Tanaka, I'm pretty happy with my SP core.

jdrenbarger
ID: 112282116
Mon, Mar 21, 2016, 17:36

5.02 Rendon, Anthony - WAS - 2B

Having just picked up (3B) Seager, I was looking for a MI here. Preferred Dozier and then Kipnis, each of whom went within the four picks immediately preceding this one, and strongly considered the other (SS) Seager. Selected Rendon in part because of two-position (2B/3B) eligibility, in part because it appears he’ll spend the year hitting immediately in front of Bryce Harper, and in part because he’s widely expected to return to close to his 2014 form (111 R, 83 RBI, 17 SB, .351 OBP, .473 SLG) this year – there’s some risk in that assumption, but he’s just 25 and will hopefully avoid the various injuries and ailments that kept him off the field for roughly half of 2015.

6.15 Ramos, A.J. - MIA - RP

The closer run is fully underway at this point – 12 closers gone, and 10 of them within the 15 picks immediately preceding mine. My general practice is to pick up the leftovers after the first feeding frenzy has run its course, but I wasn’t willing to wait and see what was left after the 28 picks separating my 7th and 8th round selections … hence my mostly on-the-fly decision to pick up closers with both this and my next selection. Considered Ramos, Papelbon, Rodriguez and McGee based primarily on 2015 performance rather than 2016 projections, and went with right-handed (McGee’s a lefty) youth (Ramos is 29, while Papelbon and Rodriguez are both in their mid-30s) in a good home ballpark for pitchers. Had Carter Capps not gone down for the year, I'd have chosen someone else simply for better (projected) job security.

7.02 Rodriguez, Francisco - DET - RP

Another closer (Tolleson) selected in the two picks between mine, reinforcing my decision to select another closer here. Thought long and hard about taking McGee, but eventually shied away from taking a Colorado pitcher and, from Rodriguez and Papelbon, went with the one in a slightly better park for pitchers (and far less likely to put his season at risk by choking the team’s star player – even if he was (mostly) right to do so last year).

8.15 Andrus, Elvis - TEX - SS

Seven picks to date and already four pitchers on my roster … I don’t think that’s ever happened before … and 1B and SS/MI seem to be the most picked-over of the starting positions I have left to fill. Elected to address stolen bases here and Andrus was the logical choice given the remaining SS/MI choices. Strongly considered Marte here, and eventually went with Andrus because of both proven experience (only 27, but already with 7 MLB seasons under his belt) and slightly better projected counting stats (albeit at the expense of slightly worse projected ratios).

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Mon, Mar 21, 2016, 18:14

7.13 Jonathan Papelbon, RP, WAS
This pick was made on my phone and not really well researched. I should of taken one of my SPs I had ready here or Adam Eaton who I think fell too far. Papelbon is going to shore up my saves though. As I said before I need to get mine in the draft. Doesn’t strike guys out anymore but should have pretty good job security as long as stays on the team. Another plus is I don’t have Bryce Harper so no worries there.

8.04 Adam Wainwright, SP, STL
I waited on SP as per the plan and this is a good start and good value in the 8th round. If you take a SP early they have to perform to that draft slot and with injuries and just volatility in W’s etc its hard to get value on SPs. I have had great luck finding mid-round SPs and having them perform above their draft slot and keeping me in the running in Wins and ERA. Plus when, not if, one of my SPs goes down to injury it is more palpable as a mid-round pick as opposed to an early round pick.

kdl212
ID: 31254812
Mon, Mar 21, 2016, 21:44

9.08 Dustin Pedroia, 2B, BOS
Like everyone else at this point, my attention wandered to middle infield and I decided it was finally time to pull the trigger. Pedroia promises a high OBP and 30 games missed because of injury. If he can slug over .400, the lineup around him should make for perfectly respectable production.

ywk
ID: 56236823
Mon, Mar 21, 2016, 22:21

11.11 Brad Ziegler, RP, ARI
I have been not very comfortable with my drafting so far---mostly because the players I target typically would be gone before my turns came around. For this pick particularly, I thought about drafting Valencia, , Trumbo, Andrew Miller, or even Delino Deshields. None of them was available. And then I had to settle for another closer. No knock on Ziegler's capability of close the doors. But he is not like a stereotypical 9th inning man. He could still hold onto the job as the season progresses so long as he does not falter too often. But I just have to find someone to make up my SO total.

12.06 Brett Lawrie, 3B, CHW
Though having no any catcher and starting shortstop, I resisted the urge of drafting any with this selection. It has been quite often in this draft that every time I thought I could address a particular position later the targets for that position would be taken by others. 1B/3B options have been exhausted fairly quick up to this point. I intended to take Matt Duffy but again someone ahead of me had the same thought. Playing half of his games in a hitter-friendly park would be good for Lawrie but his priority is always being healthy and staying in the game. If his body could hold up, it is possible that he could have a 20-HR and 10-steal season.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Mon, Mar 21, 2016, 23:46

6.08 Michael Brantley, OF, CLE

The closer run is underway with 7 taken in the previous 8 picks. I am fine with taking a couple lower end closers so I will pass on one for now. Brantley has developed into one of the better hitters in the game over the past 2 seasons + he walks a lot + will get double digit steals. His offseason shoulder surgery is a bit disconcerting but current reports have him on track for opening day.

7.09 Huston Street, RP, LAA

I want to come away from this draft with 2 closers (with at least one being middle tier). Street is coming off back to back 40 save seasons with just under 1 K/ IP. Another season of this would be great.

8.08 Billy Burns, OF, OAK

Nothing is quite like fantasy baseball drafting as there are so many different directions you can go. A third SP? A second closer? Power hitting 1B? Speedy MI? Moustakas would be great to have here as I am still in need of a 3B and I see a sizeable dropoff after him. I do only have two guys to this point who should get double digit steals, but I need a lot more to be in the upper tier in the category. Burns had 26 steals in 125 games in his rookie year, but he has the potential for a lot more considering his solid OBP and multiple 50 steal seasons in the minors.

9.09 Mark Teixeira, 1B, NYY

I could use some SLG to help offset my previous selection of Burns, and I still need a 1B, so Teix is a good fit. He is coming off a resurgent season where he was having his best year since 2009(!) before it was cut short after fracturing his leg with a foul tip. A statistical season close to last year's would be nice value at this point.

10.08 Joe Panik, 2B, SF

Panik shores up my starting MI. He is another player whose previous season was shortened after an injury (I am noticing a trend on this team...), but he posted a very impressive 833 OPS beforehand, and will hopefully bat in the top third of the lineup again.

11.09 David Wright, 3B, NYM

He is an injury concern and the Mets plan to give him frequent days off, but he is currently fealing healthy and should continue to produce when he is in the lineup. His significant OBP advantage over the remaining 3B was the difference for me.

kdl212
ID: 502182123
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 00:21

10.09 Justin Turner, 3B, LAD
The middle infielder run continued, so much that continuing would have been seriously reaching. It appeared to me that managers were leaving a lot of value on the table to fill those hitting slots when there were far superior hitters (and pitchers) still available. I figured the difference between Neil Walker now or [undrafted] later was too small to justify using this pick on a middling middle infielder.

Justin Turner seems too good to be true. Back-to-back years slugging .490 with an OBP north of .370. Nobody believed he'd repeat 2014 (lasting until the 19th round last year) and he did. As everyone says in Tennessee, Fool me once, shame on .... shame on you. Fool me, ........ you can't fool me again.

Turner now has third base all to himself and seems likely to bat third or fifth for the Dodgers, so 500 at-bats with nice counting stats and percentages might be possible.

beastiemiked
ID: 481162721
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 13:04

7.04 Desmond, Ian - TEX - SS

I really needed a SS. Desmond dropped off a cliff in recent years but he's not old. I'm hoping a relocation to Texas will bring back old Desmond. Hopefully he plays well enough to get that 100 million dollar contract. His stats were pretty good if you remove the 2 months where he was terrible last year.

8.13 Moustakas, Mike - KAN - 3B

He learned to beat the shift last year. I don't see why it won't continue this year. He has always been a highly touted guy but his babip sunk really low when he kept trying to hit into the shift. I'm hoping he can uptick his power a bit but even if he rehashes last year's numbers I'll be very happy.

9.04 Richards, Garrett - LAA - SP

2 Years ago he was awesome. Last year not as much. He brings the HEAT and still maintains decent control. If he can work out some kinks he could be a top 15 pitcher. Even if he doesn't he should still see a fair amount of wins and k's.

10.13 Grichuk, Randal - STL - OF

He can crush the ball. Has some serious contact issues but I think he'll improve his power numbers this year while his OBP numbers will go down. Should get plenty of at bats and counting stats. He's someone that could sneakily get 10 SB's if things go right.

holt
ID: 282541323
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 13:09

7.16 Hamels, Cole SP TEX

Good time to grab my SP2. Hamels' ERA and WHIP did not rise after his move to the AL last season, but his W/L record certainly improved (6-7 in Philly, 7-1 in TEX). He has been producing 200 IP 200K seasons for about a decade now (but only recently turned 32 yrs old). Thought he was the best bet here. As a Cards fan I was tempted by Wainwright and Martinez but they are both bigger risks in my opinion. Wainwright won't have a good K/9 this season, I am afraid.

8.01 Zobrist, Ben 2B CHC

I don't love this pick but a middle infielder with an OPS around .800 and a spot high in the Cubs batting order is worthy of an 8th rd pick. The bad is that he is 34 yrs old and doesn't run anymore. The good is that he has a good eye, hits the ball hard, and should get plenty of pitches to hit this season.

If Belt had been available I may have gone in that direction. I also considered Kang but thought there was a chance he would drop farther in the draft. He was gone by 8.5.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 13:49

8.03 Adam Eaton, OF, CHI
After picking Pujols I wanted an OF would be strong in OBP and selected Eaton. He can contribute in all 5 categories, figures to be at the top of a potent White Sox lineup, and at 27 should be hitting his prime.

9.14 Steven Matz, SP, NYM
Wanted to add a starter at this point and finally settled on Matz after much internal debate. Matz showed a lot of promise as a rookie last year and I'm hoping for more of the same.

10.03 Marcus Semien, SS, OAK
Decided to fill another IF spot with Semien, who has a nice minor league track record and just completed his first year as a major league starter. If he takes another step forward this year, he could put up a 20/15 season, which would be nice coming from a MI.

holt
ID: 282541323
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 14:30

9.16 Story, Trevor SS COL

I could have gone with Grichuk and Wacha on this turn, and I am amazed that I didn't. I'd be happy with that. I also wanted to pull the trigger on D'Arnaud but he is a catcher, so I didn't. At this point, it's hard to imagine the Rockies not handing the SS job to Story. He is out-hitting everyone in camp (1.187 OPS), is probably the best defensive player in the organization, slashed .350/.514 last season, has 20 sb type speed, and was a 1st rd pick. The remaining group of SS available looked pretty grim (this position has looked grim since round 1, to the tell the truth). I figured I needed to make this pick if I wanted any chance of having a good SS this season. I don't think anyone will be shocked if Story is a top 3 SS in next year's draft. 9.16 is kind of early for someone not guaranteed a job but his ADP is trending up and I doubt that he would have been available later. Drafting on the turn in a 16 team league, you have to reach on some players. If you try to get all your hard targets at their ADP, you will have problems.

10.01 Ho Park, Byung 1B MIN

Went with another risky upside pick. Votto was still my only CI at this point and I am intrigued with Ho Park. I don't expect the 50+ HR's that he has been getting in Korea, but Jung Ho Kang's successful transition gives reason to think that Ho Park will continue to be a good hitter here. The composite projections have him at 0.268 0.333 0.483 this season. If those projections are accurate, then this is a good pick. We'll see.

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 15:45

6.11 Adam Jones, OF, BAL

After 5 batters I wanted to pick up a good SP when I realized that Jones was undrafted yet. He is too good to left him on the wire at the end of the sixth round. It was an absolutley surprising possibility.
I expect him to hit 30 homers and drive in about 100 run this year.

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 15:59

7.06 Jon Lester SP, CHC

Lester was the first picther in my team. It seemed it was maybe too late finish for good SP's, but I thought Lester was a correct choose in the seventh.
Just a day after this turn I read about his injury that could eventually require surgery. So, In the last two years I was in trouble with my first pitchers, they was injured in two month after the start. I will cross my fingers..

jdrenbarger
ID: 422342217
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 18:39

9.02 Ellsbury, Jacoby – NYY – OF

Spent a decent amount of time trying to convince myself to draft a 1B here, but I wasn’t all that enamored with the choices immediately available when compared to those I felt I’d have a shot at at the end of the 10th round. Elected to continue addressing steals instead, and only seriously considered Ben Revere in addition to Ellsbury – Hamilton’s projected ratios are just too much for me to take on, having taken pitchers in rounds 2/3/6/7 … in retrospect, probably should have thought more seriously about taking a flyer on Marte and filling my starting MI slot here. Revere’s five years younger and has been pretty consistent … I’ve been a Yankees’ fan for nearly 50 years, though, and I’m counting on Ellsbury bouncing back from last year’s disaster and providing significantly better power (poor, rather than extraordinarily poor) than Revere can be reasonably expected to provide.

10.15 Calhoun, Kole – LAA – OF

I don’t put a lot of stock in ADP results already available, as it’s still pretty early and the dynamics of both a 16 team league – closers in particular go far earlier in our draft - and our different hitting ratios make them less useful than they’d otherwise be, but I do start tracking them more closely as I approach the middle of the draft. Calhoun stood out to me as someone who rightfully should have already been drafted, as he’s been going on average in the 8th round (adjusted for league size) to date. Projections from a variety of sites peg him for 75+ runs, 75+ RBIs, a smattering of steals and a .430ish SLG … RBIs and SLG are areas I need to start really shoring up at this point, due to taking both Ellsbury and Andrus, and I’ve only drafted two OF so far. I’m happy with Calhoun here and will accept the OBP hit he almost certainly brings with him.

11.02 Trumbo, Mark – BAL – 1B

I’m set on filling my 1B position here and, while I’m somewhat enamored with the multi-position eligibility of Myers and Vogt, I really need to keep plugging away at SLG and RBI categories that are running behind almost everyone else at this point. Considered Bour, Carter and Trumbo … all of whom project to be high SLG/low OBP hitters who’ll put up decent, in particular, RBI totals. Trumbo’s OF eligibility, and a hope that a move from a pitcher’s park (Seattle) to a hitter’s park (Baltimore) will prove to be good for him, made him a pretty easy choice, for me, from among them ... another OBP hit notwithstanding, and expected to be a little worse than I'd have gotten with either of the other two.

12.15 Pineda, Michael – NYY – SP

I put together a queue of high OBP hitters, one MI (I do have to start three of them and there’s just about no one left I want any part of), and one pitcher for this and the pick following shortly thereafter; would have taken Conforto had he not gone three picks earlier, and was still somewhat enamored with both Myers and Vogt (both subsequently taken within the following five picks). All of that said, I take Pineda and hope that this is finally the year he pitches more than 171 innings … still just 27 and with a generally solid – albeit pretty short – track record, I still believe the sky’s the limit for him. Not really a reach here as he’s been going 2-3 (adjusted) rounds earlier in other drafts, I think he’s a nice third behind Arrieta/Bumgarner and should allow me some flexibility in when I finally get around to taking a 4th starter.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 19:11

11.14 Dexter Fowler, OF, CHC
I still have a bunch of positional needs at this point but decided Fowler was too good to pass up here. Fowler figures to hit at the top of the Cubs lineup and with his OBP skills, should rack up plenty of runs. He also displayed an increase in power last year and should be good for 15-20 SB.

12.03 Neil Walker, 2B, NYM
I decide to finally address 2B, and went back and forth between Walker and Harrison. Selected Walker because he has been a little more consistent and should help more in SLG and RBIs.

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 23:35

9.13 Addison Russell, 2B/SS, CHC
Run on MI in full force. Time to get one. My strategy doesn’t emphasize positional scarcity early in the draft so I rarely end up with MI’s until this point. Russell didn’t have a great statistical year but he is still really young and one of the top prospects in the game. This is an upside pick that still has value with where he fell to. The run really didn’t hurt me, I had Russell ahead of most of the ones taken before him so we will see if maybe I had Russell a little too high? The eligibility of both MI spots just cinches it.

10.04 Michael Wacha, SP, STL
Another good SP value. Was on my list last round. Young pitcher ready to take the next step to becoming an ace. If you take out his horrendous Sept he was one of the best pitchers, I am going to chalk that up to normal young pitcher fatigue. If he repeats then this pick is ok if he takes another step forward this pick could be great.

ywk
ID: 56236823
Tue, Mar 22, 2016, 23:51

13.11 Eduardo Escobar, SS, MIN

My team does have gaping holes at both the middle-infielder and catcher---if I could start the thing over I should at least try to address those with some sense of urgency (instead of waiting until all choices I could be comfortable with are no longer available). Escobar's job security as the starting and primary shortstop of Twins should be good. With some sneaky pop and above-the-average SS batting, hopefully he could improve upon his last year's success (by his standard of course).

14.06 Corey Dickerson, OF, TAM
Leaving Coors may not be a good thing for anyone. It may be difficult for him to duplicate his numbers at Tampa especially considering his weakness against southpaws. That said, as long as Dickerson could relatively stay healthy he could remain productive when batting clean up for his new team.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 00:29

12.08 JJ Hoover, RP, CIN

There are less than a handful of closers left so it's time to get my second one now. He sports a career 3.34 ERA 1.18 WHIP and 1+K/ IP. Bryan Price said going into Spring training that it was Hoover's closing job to lose, and since he has yet to give up a run this Spring, I feel good about his job security.

13.09 Fernando Rodney, RP, SD

Rodney might be the last full time closer remaining and now having 3 should put me near the top of the saves category for at least the beginning of the season. Rodney was terrible and lost his job as Seattle's closer last season, but then went on to give up 1 run in 12 innings with the Cubs. He's also thrown 3 scoreless innings this Spring so he seems to at least still have the potential to get hitters out.

14.08 Kenta Maeda, SP, LAD

I planned to take my 3rd SP at about this point after drafting 2 in the first 3 rounds. I think Maeda can be great. Him not getting overly hyped reminds me when the Yankees signed Tanaka and Cashman said something to the effect that he could be a servicable back end of the rotation starter, seemingly as a way to keep the pressure off. Like Tanaka, Maeda had awesome pitching ratios in Japan, though struck out about 1 less batter per 9 IP. His strong Spring shows further promise that his success can transfer over stateside.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 00:58

11.08 Justin Verlander, SP, DET
Hoping there's one more good year left in the tank. Low upside pick, which has marked my last few choices. Gonna need to to look for some upside somewhere soon or I'm drafting a 5th place team.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 01:02

12.09 Josh Harrison, 2B/3B/OF, PIT
After Harrison and Kendrick, it looked like a drop to another tier for middle infield Still needing both SS and MI, I decided I needed to grab one. I like Kendrick's consistency, but he's boring. Harrison has really only had one good year. I'm hoping for 500+ at-bats and 15 steals. If he could split the difference between 2014 and 2015 percentage wise--say, 333/440--I'd be pleased.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 07:53

3.12 Shin-Soo Choo, OF, TEX

Was starting to look at Sano, Blackmon, Schwarber as I build up a master queue to survive to my 6th round in case we start to fly. They're all picked before bed when I need to settle on a top 6 at least. Doubtful I would stack Schwarber with Posey when it came to it, but the thought crossed my mind for a second. Wouldn't have minded Blackmon a round earlier and was considering Sano strongly for round 2 as well.

Kluber, Choo, Harvey, Strasburg, Greinke, CGonzalez for my top six. OPS potential or an ace, would have liked any of these names. Had Kluber ahead of the rest because I feel he is locked in and ready for another run at a Cy Young. One of the NL East aces or Greinke would be great consolation prizes. Cargo felt a bit early but I wanted him, so I gave him a chance for my first go around. Hindsight says I could have gone Cargo and gotten Choo on the return, but I strongly believe Choo is back to elite form and can't resist sneaking him past everyone on the queue but Kluber.

Happy I got Choo but was hoping it would be with the 4th rounder after landing Kluber. Wasn't meant to be, early reminder of the grueling draft process this always turns out to be! Sixth best second half OPS last year among regulars gives me reason to expect a season around 110/90/5/.400/.500 and not feel crazy.

4.05 Prince Fielder, UTIL, TEX
Had a secondary tier of 9 names after my top 6 for my 3rd round pick, but didn't expect the quick turn around so updating the queue in between passed me by.

Top six already gone, Fielder, Cespedes, AdGonzalez, DeGrom, Cruz, Heyward, Cano, Freeman, Carpenter with minimal research done into this tier and mistakenly thinking that Fielder qualified at 1B in ESPN having him initially leading the group. Seeing all the arms fall would have bumped some starters up my queue, and realizing Util would have bumped Fielder out but I have my issues with the other names that survived as well. Cespedes would be so much nicer though.

Big expectations for Texas offense but not a fan of investing in it so heavily this early. Fielder is opposite Choo where he fell off in the second half. Missed a lot of 2014, and getting back to the grind may have tired him out. I'm hopeful that it'll be easier to get back into it and that he's recharged but fully aware that this might be the beginning of his end. Something close to last season would be amazing, but likely a little fall off and not qualifying at 1B in ESPN makes this feel like a bit of a dud pick. A line around 70/90/0/.370/.450 to factor in a bit of decline would still be a pretty good result in an OPS league.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 10:31

5.12 David Peralta, OF, ARI

Certainly would have looked at Tulo here but he was gone before I could replenish my queue. Names are being drafted as I'm filling my queue this time around. Really liking Kipnis despite already having a 2B. MI is tough to cover. Still liking AdGonzalez. Last of my previous tier just gets picked. I love Felix for life, he's very tempting. So many directions to still go here. Start the closer run? I wouldn't dare? Lots of time to think and my queue is getting picked off as I try to sort.

Time to settle on a top 5 before bed at least. Closers off board by now. Reports on Brantley are looking promising. David Peralta keeps jumping out at me. Top 10 second half among regulars for OPS last year put him among Choo high on my wishlist for this season. Leaning and hoping for Keuchel or CSeager. Peralta, Allen, Giles to round out my top 5.

Got my number 3 is kinda deflating, but this Arizona offense is dangerous and once Peralta got the fulltime gig, he ran with it. I'm expecting big things given an extra month worth of at bats. 70/90/10/.350/.450 would not surprise me.

6.05 Ken Giles, RP, HOU

Still landed 2 of my previous top 5 from the round 5 queue. I tend to miss closer runs by valuing them too low but I liked Allen, Giles, Melancon enough to have them high among my queue this early. Brantley was on deck for me, and I think he's a terrific pick. Was looking at Kinsler too as he stands out among MI crowd at this point. Hamels, Lester, Salazar, Archer, Syndergaard, Beltre filled out my queue to cover me. Really liking the Franco pick, thought he'd last longer due to the weak lineup support, should've known better!

I have Allen/Giles neck and neck for my number 3 closer rank. Allen should be solidly ahead, but Giles came on strong after a poor start last year and really catches my eye. Decision was made for me anyway. Glad my autopick didn't miss my chance to get one of my safe closer picks. Only gave myself a chance at a handful of them.

What makes Giles safe even? My hunch... what is my hunch based on? He just seems ready for it. Top contender wanted him is a good sign. Pretty good bullpen arm for awhile now and didn't crumble with a chance at closing. I like his chances to be a closer all year, maybe even a great closer. I'm mostly happy with one that doesn't get traded into a setup role after last year's double whammy (undrafted & undrafted within days of each other!)

I could see Giles with a season line of 5/35/80/2.00/1.20 similar to last year. Would be happy with that. I could see him struggling to adapt to AL in another scenario, would be sad about that. AL West not a lot tougher than NL East in my opinion, so I like his chances to match last year's numbers and keep the closer job all season.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 10:58

11.10 Jonathan Schoop, 2B, BAL

One of the best parts of RIBC leagues is the MI position. Some leagues have it, some don't. The RIBC structure means I can draft a 2B after having Cano. Schoop has long been one of my favorites, and is young enough to have a potential major breakout. Needs to up the walk rate, but the power is legit.

Meatwads
ID: 252551912
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 14:02

8.14 DJ LeMahieu, 2B, COL
This is the first pick I didn't realistically expect to make. I already have Kipnis from 4 rounds earlier but I think there is some value here. Of course we start a MI spot in our lineup every day, so I thought he was better than the shortstop options. MI tends to get thin and the position inevitably gets over drafted, so I felt pretty good letting someone "fall" to me based on last year's production. If he gives me 90% of what he did last year then this is a safe pick.

9.03 Ben Revere, OF, WSH
This pick could have gone several directions but I ended up going with the elite speed. Revere moving back to the NL, projected to lead off for a potentially stacked lineup. I'm expecting about 90 runs with 35+ steals and his OBP/SLG isn't quite as bad as some other elite speed options. He performed better than this draft position last season and I expect improvement in his age 27 season.

10.14 Danny Valencia, 3B/OF, OAK
I felt this has potential to be one of my better picks. I didn't have a 3B on my roster yet and that's an important position to have someone good. Valencia is a late-bloomer and doesn't have much high-level production in his past so there are obviously red flags. But all the things going in his favor is what ultimately makes me happy with this selection. He's getting a chance to start full-time, he'll hit in the middle of the lineup, he's probably still in his prime, etc. What it came down to for me is how often can you select someone this late who has 3B/OF who's coming off a season with an over .500 slg%?

11.03 Delino Deshields, OF, TEX
I made this selection based on value more than need. I had been looking at Deshields at least 30 picks earlier and felt he was an appropriate pick at that time. He has a lot of things going for him that I like. Projected leadoff hitter, plays in a hitters park, had real value as a rookie, has upside to become extremely valuable. Ultimately I was impressed with his first significant time in the majors. Players with his skill set, who are more known and proven commodities, are looooooong gone already. So I'm hoping he joins that group next year by severaly outperforming this draft slot.

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 15:04

13.13 Jake Odorizzi, SP, TB
Another SP that has been high on my list for a while. This is an upside pick. If he can put it together he could be a steal here and regardless of a big step forward he has real chance to out perform his draft slot. Should help with my ratios while giving me a few K’s.

14.04 James Shields, SP, SD
Autopick from the queue. If I made this pick live would not have selected him. Very dependable, eat innings. Give me some much need K’s. Will have to offset the ERA and would like him to cut down on HRs but he is what he is at this point in his career.

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 15:09

11.13 Brett Gardner, OF, NYY
This pick doesn’t excite me. I had tunnel vision on Piscotty and Verlander for my next two picks and they went a few picks before and I just didn’t have real good feel on who to take here. I knew I needed SB’s and it was going to come from one of my last 2 OF spots. When he is on he is scoring a ton of Runs and stealing 20+ bases while helping in SLG. When he is off he is a killer across the board and he can fall into a rut for a long time.

12.04 Kendrys Morales, UTL, KC
He hits. He has been at the top of my list for 2 rounds now. I couldn’t pass him up for a MI I will prob hate anyways. I will take him and his 90+RBI and good ratios. David Ortiz light for half the price. Lets see if I can cobble together a MI and make this pick worth it.

twilson
ID: 37573115
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 17:55

10.10 Billy Hamilton, OF, CIN
This is a pick I never expected to make. Billy Hamilton is, by most measures, the worst hitter in all of baseball. He somehow manages to pair weak contact with poor plate discipline and a batted ball profile befitting a slugger instead of the speedster he is. I do not expect Hamilton to improve these deficiencies in any meaningful way. And yet, because he is so remarkably good at stealing bases, he is still a significantly positive fantasy asset.

In prior years (2015 RIBC ADP: 72, 2014: 70), Hamilton has been drafted well before my valuations. I’m expecting his OBP and SLG to rebound toward their 2014 values. If this happens and he continues to attempt steals at a similar rate, he should exceed his draft cost. As long as he continues to play stellar defense, he won’t be replaced in the lineup. My primary concern is if his offseason shoulder surgery impacts his performance, but can he really be much worse?

Other than Hamilton, I considered a number of other outfielders and closers. OF names were Gardner, Granderson, DeShields, Grichuk, Piscotty, Holliday, and Alex Gordon. Andrew Miller was at the top of my RP list.

11.07 Stephen Piscotty, OF, STL
I missed out on Andrew Miller by two picks. His combination of elite performance with early season saves and the outside chance at holding onto the closer role when Chapman returns will be a profitable combination for Guru.

My debate here focused once again on outfield vs. relievers. Of the names mentioned in my 10.10 rationale, Gardner, Piscotty, Holliday and Alex Gordon remained. Thanks to his high walk rate, Gardner is a good fit for the RIBC format. After my Billy Hamilton pick, though, his strengths are not a great fit for my roster. I really have to focus on RBI/OBP/SLG with my remaining hitter picks to counter Hamilton’s massive deficiencies there.

Gordon is a very well-rounded player having a strong spring. Players without a standout skill can sometimes be overlooked, but a lack of weakness is an advantage in and of itself. Looking at ADPs, Gordon should be available in later rounds than this.

Matt Holliday’s power has significantly declined in the last couple years, and he is a constant injury risk. With that said, his superb plate discipline provides a strong floor and he will once again be in a good lineup situation.

Stephen Piscotty is a personal favorite of mine this year. He had an unexpectedly great debut season, showcasing a wonderful batted ball profile. Though his babip is extremely high, his metrics suggest that he should remain solidly above average in that department. The confusing bit is that there is little in his minor league record to suggest this outcome.

Due to my complete lack of saves, I am scouring every corner of MLB to see if I can find a reliever worth drafting. I’m not going to kid myself into thinking that any one player is a lock to return value; it’s really just a matter of weighing the risk and reward.

Dellin Betances is the reliever most likely to be worth a pick at this spot, but he’s third in the pecking order for saves. I also am not certain that he will pitch quite as many innings as he has in recent years given the Yankees’ depth. Will Smith is officially co-closing in Milwaukee; who knows what the true outcome will be. Steve Cishek and Brad Ziegler have been anointed as the closers of Seattle and Arizona, respectively, but both could easily lose the job with a couple of blowups. Atlanta’s situation is unclear and promises to remain that way all season long. Cishek is my preference, but I just don’t believe in him enough to pull the trigger when value exists at outfielder.

I think there is a good chance that Piscotty survives the long turn, but after my early round issues, I decided I wanted him enough to just grab him now. I am curious to see what happens, and I am glad that he will be on my team as we do.

12.10 Howie Kendrick, 2B, LAD
My original plan for this pick was to finally get started on patching together my saves category. However, when I looked a little deeper, I saw that the MI market was practically threadbare. To make matters worse, most of the available players were SB-heavy options, which is the opposite of what I need with Billy Hamilton in the fold. Howie Kendrick is literally the last guy I actually trust and want for that slot. Neil Walker would’ve been a great fit, but mailedfoot took him.

I also expect that we are about to have a major starting pitcher run. There is too much of a backlog compared to the other RIBC drafts, and the floodgates have to break open at some point. It would be nice to grab my SP3 before that happens, but I don’t think I’m able to afford the luxury.

With Cishek gone, I determined that filling MI took precedence over my closer deficit.

twilson
ID: 37573115
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 18:11

13.07 Will Smith, RP, MIL
Continuing the theme, my debate here was once again between OF and RP. The last of the subtly valuable outfielders would very possibly go between here and 14.10. I think Alex Gordon and Matt Holliday are the clear top two most valuable undrafted players. For health reasons, Gordon is my preference.

The names in the relief debate haven’t changed either. Good pitchers in timeshares on bad teams or bad pitchers on short leashes for mediocre/bad teams are my choices. It could very well make the most sense to punt. Ultimately, I took my favorite from the “good pitcher on bad team” pool in Will Smith. Though he is a lefty, I find his combo of skill and track record at least somewhat appealing.

ywk
ID: 56236823
Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 23:11

15.11 Trevor Plouff, 3B, MIN

Just could not stop wondering if my pick selection was a disaster---set up the queue including Wei-Yin Chen and Mitch Moreland for this pick and you know what happened. Got to turn to Plouff as my corner INF instead. Plouff just came off a career year in terms of the total of his long balls. Typically, I often stay steer of the players setting the career high numbers the year before as more likely than not they could not justify their new ADP. But the thing is I am kind of left with no choice here. That said, I should be fine if Plouff could improve his AVG and OBP a bit while maintaining his HR output.

16.06 J.T. Realmuto, C, MIA

Before the draft began, in a perfect world I thought I would like to have d'Arnaud or Mesoraco as my backstop. Apparently, I am not living in a perfect world. Realmuto could have some decent batting average and speed compared with other catchers. If the projection of him averaging at north of 200 and stealing 10-20 bases is somewhere on the mark, I may consider backtracking my statement of not living in a perfect world.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 04:11

7.12 Danny Salazar, SP, CLE

Looking for CI power or SP mostly at this point. SS and even another C, MI, OF, RP could work.

Hamels, Lester, Salazar leading my queue from before. Home from work and a friend's bday party to still have 11 picks to go. Good chance to refresh my queue. Street stands out for RP. Pujols wouldn't be a bad 1B. Zobrist for MI or Kang for SS. Not a lot for 3B? Turner and Valencia ranked outside my top 11. Eaton, Wainwright, Stroman, CMartinez round out my top 11 before bed. Salazar bumped to the top because I see big things and feel like gambling on the upside over Hamels/Lester. Happy with and hoping I get one of the 3 or Street, liking the offense options more for the 8th round pick.

The big strikeout potential is what puts Salazar ahead for me the most. Still so young and with an expectation for continued improvement as he builds his innings up I am seeing Salazar on the verge of busting into stardom. 15/0/225/3.25/1.10 is reachable for Salazar in my mind.

8.05 Jung Ho Kang, SS, PIT

The upside of Kang had him moved up to 5 on my queue before work this day. Six picks away from my round 7, so I needed to settle on a top 15 to cover in case it came back around and the queue got pillaged. Salazar, Hamels, Street, Zobrist, Kang, Pujols, Eaton, Wainwright, Stroman, CMartinez, Richards, Duda, Belt, Turner, Valencia to get me through the workday at least.

Got home a few picks after Kang. Can't see any scenario where I would have changed my mind. Really liking the potential for big shortstop numbers. Gotta pick up some insurance for later is the only catch. Not the surest of bets. Even a similar year to last year would be nice, but I am hoping for a bit of improvement as he adjusts more. 70/70/5/.350/.450 in line with last year would be amazing from an 8th round shortstop. Even higher ceiling if he can stay healthy May-Sept, which I'm not banking on but hoping for.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 04:38

9.12 Logan Forsythe, MI, TB

18/27 picks from my turns before bed this night. Needing a rough queue that I can tinker with in the afternoon. Still really wanting some CI power, 1B, 3B ideal here. MI, OF, RP, C also worth considering. Stroman and Richards still around from the previous queue, but I'm bumping offense up my list for this turn. Adding some other SP arms to fill out the mix as well. Thought Joc Pederson would slip more, but didn't make it far enough to get on my radar, good pick.

Martin, d'Arnaud, Vogt. Turner, Valencia still seems early for them but 3B is really looking bare. I don't really like Moustakas but he's in the queue to cover the need. 1B looks slim also. HoPark and Zimmerman considered. Not a lot for OF, Grichuk stands out enough at this point. Stroman, Richards and so many other pretty similar arms. Filling up my queue with names like Liriano, Ross, Wacha, Iwakuma, Smyly, Quintana. For RP only Perkins really stands out. Lemahieu, Walker, Wong, Panik for MI options. Forsythe really standing out for RIBC format though. Had a great season last year.

Only a few picks pass over night and next morning. Needing to settle on 13/22 to cover me for work. Forsythe, Zimmerman, Grichuk, Perkins, HoPark standing out most as fits for me.

MI eligible and 70/70/10/.350/.450 to match last season is within reach for Forsythe, so I am glad that nobody else decided to go for him first! Wasn't really liking a lot of the back of my queue enough to sort it very well, just figured I'd go with it and hope we had a slow day so I could sort better based on results.

10.05 Ryan Zimmerman, 1B, WAS

Home 4 picks after this pick made for me. Might have considered going for Turner/Valencia if on the spot. Seeing Story go before hitting my radar is scary, great pick.

Had Zimmerman bumped up my queue based on some very small sample evidence from his second half that says he is still a beast when healthy. Worth it at this point when I still need some CI pop. Likely battles injury all year like usual, but giving it a shot. Guy put up MVP type numbers for about six weeks in the second half. I'm hoping for more quantity with all star rather than MVP stats, something like 60/80/0/.330/.440 isn't that hard to imagine from Zimmerman at this stage in his career. Thankful my queue isn't getting pillaged at this point, but feeling like I'm just that far off the radar... will see!

filthy
ID: 212371616
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 05:08

11.12 Jose Quintana, SP, CWS

Having to set up another pretty large rough queue before bed again this night. 18/27 again to be exact. Panik was another one I was hoping to slip a bit more, not that I have much spot for him after Forsythe, but in hindsight, wondering if Panik would have been better to bump up my queue. Really wanted Forsythe so it's a very minor thought.

Feeling very good about offense after 10 picks, but only 1SP/1RP is leading to a pitcher heavy queue this time. Couple C/OF/3B remain from before as well. Still liking Grichuk, and really hoping Valencia will slip. Martin, d'Arnaud and Vogt all considered but none stands out enough to be above pitching this time around. Iwakuma, Smyly, Quintana still around. Ziegler, Cishek, Rodney, Smith? No thanks, ranked but low, feels like I might only have 1RP this season because SP dominates this queue.

Rodon, Twalker, Corbin, Iglesias, Odorizzi, Darvish all considered. Nice run overnight, lets me settle on a 9/18 to cover me for the day this time. Three of my 5 bats are gone, with Martin leading my queue now, and Quintana, Rodon, Darvish, Iglesias, Twalker, Iwakuma, Odorizzi, Smyly, Vogt, Corbin, and a bunch of RP options to fill it out.

Quintana stands out because of the track record he has managed to build up. Offense sometimes doesn't help him out, defense sometimes doesn't help him out, but he just consistently keeps doing his thing out there. Not that exciting, but he avoids danger and gets some decent K's. Might even get some run support for once? Something like 12/0/175/3.50/1.25 is reasonable to expect with a bit of room to still improve in my mind. Hitting his prime hopefully.

12.05 Carlos Rodon, SP, CWS

Much like 2 TEX bats earlier, getting 2 CWS starters this time around was not on purpose. Just the way the queue falls sometimes!

Again got home a few picks after my turns. Liking these SP over what is being drafted at other positions. Most likely would have gone with a different team's arm or Vogt had I manually picked here. Liked Rodon for 11th round right behind Quintana on my queue so he's clearly a pick I like in round 12 still. Darvish/Twalker/Iglesias were all shuffling their ranks around Quintana and Rodon the night before though, so any would have been nice for me.

Rodon ultimately was above the rest in the queue because of the expected growth into a solid pitcher for his first full season in the bigs. Did not fare well at first but seemed to figure it out and pitched quite good for the last 2 months. I'll expect a couple rough stretches as he learns the league and they learn him, but the upside could be huge if he can limit those stretches. Big 23 year old lefty, strikes out a guy an inning as a starter and already showed signs that he can figure out his control. Exact prediction as Quintana: 12/0/175/3.50/1.25 for Rodon would be a nice jump closer to the stardom that is expected of him.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 07:47

13.12 Patrick Corbin, SP, ARI

Queue is down to some starting pitchers that I still really like, and some relievers that I still don't like. Vogt is the only bat. I need 3B or SS if I shift Kang. CI or C if I shift Posey. And 2 OF. Needing to add some 3B/OF/SS/C to the queue this time around. 17/26 man queue roughly set before bed.

Get to narrow it down to 7/16 before work this time. Conforto, Twalker, Reddick, Vogt, Myers all were among my initial 26. All picked. Now the queue is really getting pillaged. Corbin, Iwakuma, Iglesias, Odorizzi, Darvish still tempting but Corbin is the only one that stays in the top 7. Early reports and his end to last season are too tempting. Olivera stands out for 3B and everyone but Corbin at this time. Escobar would be a great fit. And Suarez. KDavis is a guy I'm really hyped on this year. The RP are all gambles to me and not worth overlooking the other talent that still remains. Parra in COL would be a nice pick. And Inciarte looks like a decent OF pick this year to round out my top 7. 4SP/5RP round out my queue before work.

Drafted Corbin around this point in draft 2014, which really hurt me. He owes me! Came back for 2 good months and 1 bad one. I'd be happy with 4 good/2 bad months this year, but he seems on the verge of getting back to his 2013 form. My go to prediction would be just behind 2013 and just ahead of a full season 2015 projection, so if Corbin can pull off a 12/0/175/3.50/1.25 as my SP4 it would be a nice pick here.

14.05 Hector Olivera, 3B, ATL

Got my top 2 this time around, not bad! Thought about ranking Buxton/Holliday last time around but they missed me. Escobar would have been a pretty good pick I think, didn't even make it to my 13th though.

Olivera was signed big, got a little dinged up, never really got a shot, then traded for big, got a bit of a shot, and looked pretty good. Also looks pretty good early, and I figure will be given a shot to add some life to a pretty dull lineup. 3B was getting pretty thin, had been eyeing Plouffe for awhile but wanted to find someone else a bit better. Olivera really started to stand out. Ceiling is pretty high but kind of a wild card. First third bagger in the 14th though, what do I expect. I'm feeling like he could pull off a first season line like: 50/70/0/.300/.400 but fear he'll struggle to adjust to the grind.

Liking my team's offensive ceiling so far, but going to need to hedge some bets and really need to work the relief market to make the Giles pick worthwhile. Things are really starting to take shape now.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 09:38

12.07 Chris Carter, 1B, MIL

Like Schoop, a long time BH favorite. Like Schoop, the power is the thing. But Carter walks a ton, enough that he can get a respectable OBP, and you can lean on the power. With many outfielders and in need of a 1B, Carter fit the bill quite well. He was unlucky last year and moves into a great park for power. Happy to get this kind of player this late.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 09:42

13.10 Byron Buxton, OF, MIN

You know all about Buxton. I suspect he'll finish the year with great numbers, especially in the steals. I won RIBC AAA 4 years ago because I had Mike Trout, and Buxton profiles similarly. I did need a SP at this point, but with Shields, Iglesias, Odorizzi, Corbin, and Teheran still out there, I know I'll get a good one. Well, as it turned out, there was only one left by my next turn, so I was technically correct.

14.07 Julio Teheran, SP, ATL

As I said before, I was hoping to land Shields, Iglesias, Odorizzi, Corbin, or Teheran with this pick, and 4 of the 5 went since my last pick. Teheran has been drafted much higher in the past, and I think he can recapture it. Hard to believe all these good SP went this late in the draft.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 09:45

15.10 David Hernandez, RP, PHI

With only Rosenthal, I needed another reliever. Hernandez, the presumptive Phillies closer, has a great historical profile and a nominal job. Given that JJ Hoover and Fernando Rodney went a couple rounds ago, I am amazed that Hernandez was still there. At the time of this pick, my intent was to take Andrew Bailey next, and lock up Phillies saves.

16.07 Alex Colome, RP, TAM

My plan to pair Andrew Bailey with David Hernandez was abandoned, because Colome appears to be the lead man in Tampa, and his secondary skills are quite good. Again, with Hoover and Rodney already gone, it's amazing that there are better bets so many rounds later.

holt
ID: 2921399
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 09:49

11.16 Cishek, Steve RP SEA

If I recall correctly, I drafted Cishek in rd 6 or 7 of RIBC last season and he promptly forgot how to pitch and lost his closer job. At least if it happens again this season, I've only lost an 11th rd pick. I don't have much else to say about this. I don't think Cishek is a great pitcher but he is first in line for saves (for now).

12.01 177 Duffy, Matt 3B SFO

I think Duffy will be solid again this season. He has good speed, hits in the heart of the order, and puts the bat on the ball. Pitchers began adjusting to Duffy as the season went on and his HR rate dropped but he did adjust and continued to be a valuable hitter. The 3b landscape after Duffy looked dry as the Sahara. This was the only way I could go.

13.16 208 Mesoraco, Devin C CIN

Like every catcher, Mesoraco is an injury risk. I had him on my roster in 2014 and vividly remember him murdering the ball day after day (.893 OPS). I hope he is in the lineup a lot but if he can manage 350 AB I guess I'd take it.

14.01 209 Iwakuma, Hisashi

Iwakuma has a career 3.17 era and 1.08 whip in the majors. Hoping he stays on the field and gives me around 14 wins, 180 IP and 150K or so. I needed more innings, and someone has got to do it. Also considered Hammel and a couple others but I liked Iwakuma's history of keeping his WHIP very low. In hindsight, I think Gordon or Dickerson may have been better picks, but I didn't even really investigate that position at the time due to only having 2 SP rostered.

jdrenbarger
Dude
ID: 04035768
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 15:18

13.02 Phillips, Brandon – CIN – 2B

I’m past any pretense of drafting best available, regardless of position, at this point and am looking to fill holes in my roster – with a particular eye toward what’s left for various starting positions. The most glaring hole is my third MI, given what’s left to choose from, and I pretty quickly settle on Phillips. I have no expectation that he’ll replicate last year’s resurgence (69 R, 70 RBI, 23 SB, .328/.395) as he’s about to turn 35 (and with a lot of miles on him), but half of last year’s SB total and only a little regression in the other areas would make me happy given what other middle infielders there are to choose from at this point.

14.15 Perez, Salvador – KAN – C

Second in my two man pick queue ... and Pedro Alvarez goes immediately before my pick. I think a solid value at this point for a roster hole I have, given how far he’s fallen compared to where he’s been going in (albeit, mostly AVG) drafts ... I’m expecting over 500 AB, helping relative to most other catchers in R/RBI, and a SLG percentage that will only be replicated by a few other catchers at this point – and none of whom are expected to play as much as he will ... but likely again brutal in OBP. Best case, I’m probably not looking for another catcher to spot-start until after the All Star break, as he begins to again wear down.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 19:45

13.14 Raisel Iglesias, SP, CIN
At this point in the draft I feel the need to add more pitching; Iglesias is a young guy who showed nice promise last year with good K rate and decent ratios. Hopefully he will blossom into something special this year.

14.03 Alex Gordon, OF, KC
I feel like I should be getting more saves here, but hate the idea of picking a guy who doesn't even officially have the job and is locked in closer battle. Rather than gamble with one of those guys, I go with Gordon who makes for a nice 4th outfielder. He should be very solid in the OBP/SLG format and put up good counting stats.

mailedfoot
ID: 532131615
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 21:56

15.14 Shelby Miller, SP, ARI
A bit overwhelmed with stuff going on at work and trying to keep up with 3 drafts, I take Miller as a 4th starter. He had a nice year with the Braves last year and now moves to Arizona. There are questions as to whether he can duplicate last year but he will at least be pitching in front of a better team. With more time I probably would have done something different here, but hopefully it works out.

mailedfoot
ID: 532131615
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 22:10

16.03 Jaime Garcia, SP, STL
Garcia has proven to be a solid starter when healthy and is supposedly ready to go to start the season. One of the highest ranked starters still left on the board, I decide to try and solidify my rotation, accepting that I will have to capitalize on in season closer turmoil to get back in the saves category.

ywk
ID: 56236823
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 23:32

17.11 Vincent Velasquez, SP, PHI
Not sure why I did this in the very early morning here. Maybe I just read too much raving about him as being the prized return in Ken Giles's trade. He could be at the back end of the rotation to start the season. Or he could be sent down to minors. Undoubtedly, he does have the upside. But using my 17th pick for some uncertainty when needing to cure the deficiency of other positions of my team may backfire. Did consider Colabello or Nola (I had them both last year).

18.06 Andrew Cashner, SP, SDG
Even Velasquez does become the part of Philly's rotation and stays there, his innings/pitches would be capped for sure. Therefore, in order to compensate my choice of last pick I drafted another starting pitcher. Cashner would be FA after the end of this season---maybe this could actually motivate him to pitch better. His stuff is good but for some reasons just could not manage to miss bats more often. And his durability could be another concern.

beastiemiked
ID: 481162721
Thu, Mar 24, 2016, 23:46

11.04 Martin, Russell, C, TOR

Martin plays for the best offensive team so as long as he stays healthy his counting stats should be fairly decent. .775+ OPS is what I'm shooting for with him. With catchers health is a major question mark and the only downside about playing for a team like Toronto is he will usually sit on his days off instead of DH'ing.

12.13 Walker, Taijuan, SP, SEA

My first high risk/high reward pitcher. Highly touted prospect that fell flat early last year. Regained some form later on in the year to turn in respectable year. Looks like he got "unlucky" last year and he's got the stuff to take the next step. At this point there are few guys that could actually have the potential to be a top 20 SP. Walker is one of them and worth the risk.

13.04 Wil Myers, OF, SDG

Another highly touted guy. He's been a walking wrist cast the past few years. I'm hoping he's moved past those issues but I know he comes with risk. If, and that's a big if, he can stay healthy he's a stud waiting to develop. I see he's going to be the main guy at 1b for SDG so the added eligibility is a nice little plus.

14.13 Ventura, Yordano, SP, KC

Was a bit of a head case last year. Hopefully the ring has calmed him down a bit. Has an elite fastball but hasn't put the rest of his game together enough to take the next step. I LOVE high fastball guys. My first 4 SP's were all in the top 25 of fastball velocity last year.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 02:45

15.09 Mitch Moreland, 1B, Tex

Moreland is a steady fill for my CI slot. He came into his own last year with his first .800+ OPS season. He obviously hits RHPs a lot better than LHPs, but I like that he still plays everyday in case I don't have a platoon option handy.

16.08 Alex Rodriguez, Util, NYY

I had been eyeing Arod since round 9 so I am ecstatic to get him here (just kidding, mostly). I had him in every league of mine last season and he provided great value. He had almost a .900 OPS in the first half before slowing down some in the second half to end with an OPS of .842. Playing an almost exclusive DH role also kept him in the lineup as seen by his 151 games played. He'll hit in the middle of the order again this season and I don't see why he won't replicate last year's numbers.

17.09 Scott Kazmir, SP, LAD

I was considering Kazmir last round so I'm happy to get him here. For two seasons in a row he has been an incredible first half pitcher before falling off in the second half:
2014 Pre ASB: 2.38 ERA 0.98 WHIP 8.3 K/9
2015 Pre ASB: 2.49 ERA 1.12 WHIP 8.5 K/9
I'll be cognizant of his performance once July comes and won't mind cutting bait then.

18.08 Carlos Beltran, OF, NYY

It wasn't my plan to take 3 aged Yankees, but I am not complaining if the value seems to be there. I drafted him in the 15th round in AA last year after a bad 2014 season and actually dropped him after a terrible April, but he then went on to have a productive season and finish with an OPS over .800. I will take solid production for a starting position over a wildcard who in likelihood has a better chance of hurting than helping, and who might at best give me the stats Beltran can.

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 08:32

17.14 Nick Hundley, C, COL
After another hectic afternoon at work, I discover I am almost 2 hours into my clock without having had a chance to prepare for this pick. I hurriedly decide to fill the catcher position with Nick Hundley. Hundley, slashing .339/.467 in his first year in Colorado, was great for me last year as a waiver wire pick up and I think he can do more of the same this year.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 14:21

17.10 Joey Gallo, 3B, TEX

Not sure how it happened, but Gallo is 3B-eligible on ESPN with only 15 games there last year. But, since I don't have a 3B yet, I'll take it. Gallo will start in the minors despite an OPS over 1.000 in Spring Training. I expect him to be up for good by May or so, and to contend for Rookie of the Year honors. Not a bad way to fill the slot. However, since Gallo will start in the minors, I'll take care of April in the 18th round.

Tyler Goeddell, 3B, PHI

Like Gallo, Goeddell has a mistake on ESPN and is eligible at 3B, despite zero games there in 2015 (in the minors). He played there previously, but not last year. No matter, I need someone to fill 3B until Gallo gets called up, and Goeddell should do quite well, starting in the Phillies' outfield. Most importantly, Goeddell steals some bases, so it will be unique to get that out of the 3B slot.

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 14:21

(Goeddel was 18.07 in the post above)

Meatwads
ID: 252551912
Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 14:38

12.14 Josh Reddick, OF, OAK
Continuing with the trend of going with value over any specific position. Obviously I'm looking at positions I need to fill, but Reddick severely outperformed the players remaining at those positions. Reddick is certainly not sexy but he's batting in the middle of the order, in his prime (age 29), and brings some proven power/speed to the table, which probably shouldn't be available right now. I think his addition to my roster gives me one of the best outfields in the league, top to bottom.

13.04 Stephen Vogt, C/1B, OAK
I'm usually not the type to draft a catcher particularly early but I thought Vogt was overdue. I didn't particularly like making this pick but he was the 4th ranked catcher last season, isn't too old, tends to hit near the middle of the lineup, and most important for me, qualifies at an infield position. This could mean he plays some first base this season and get even more AB's than last season. Probably passed on several players that will outperform him this year though. Apparently I'm all-in on the middle of Oakland's lineup being undervalued.

14.14 Pedro Alvarez, 1B, BAL
I'm slightly intrigued by Alvarez and his move to Baltimore. His infield eligibility and his move to a hitters park are the first that come to mind. I also think him not having to focus much on defense could help his bat. He's also still 29 years old and still has a career year in him potentially. I'm sure I will be only using him against RHP so I'm hoping his numbers will be sneaky good in a platoon.

15.04 Wei-Yin Chen, SP, MIA
I finally decided it was time to get my second SP. I think this pick could look quite good once the dust settles. Chen has been an underrated arm for the last few years and put up respectable numbers pitching in the AL East. Now that he's moved the NL in an obvious pitchers park, I think we will see his best season to date. I'm obviously not expecting elite strikeouts but I do think they will improve and I project his ERA/WHIP to be quality. He's an innings eater with quality numbers for my purposes.

jdrenbarger
ID: 16242519
Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 20:06

15.02 Bruce, Jay – CIN – OF

Has been near the top of my hitters list for more than a couple of rounds now, and I’ve passed mostly because I perceived my needs to fill other positions – most recently MI and C – as more pressing than drafting my fourth OF. Hard to ignore Bruce at this point, however – has now slipped between 2 and 3 rounds below where he’s going on average in other drafts, and offers a pretty solid track record of power and production. Put up a 72 R, 87 RBI, 9 SB, .294/.434 line last year, is projected for something similar this year, and is only 28 … and I’ll be happy with something close to those numbers at this point in the draft. No doubt discounted by many due to his brutal (sub .300) OBP for the past two years and something on the order of .310 is probably his ceiling these days … but I don’t see any way to do much about my projected OBP at this point in the draft, and will accordingly have to attempt to deal with that through waiver pickups/trades/employing platoons once the season starts.

16.15 Valbuena, Luis – HOU – 3B

Filling my last starting CI slot here, and offsetting frankly not all that impressive past performance with dual position (1B/3B) eligibility and a smattering of projections of increased playing time and, accordingly, production … best case is that he plays almost daily between 1B and 3B for the Astros and meets the higher end (.330/.440ish) of OBP/SLG projections … worst case is that he either finds himself in a platoon, sitting against lefties, or loses his starting position outright.

17.02 Quackenbush, Kevin – SDG – RP

Purely a speculative pick for future saves … currently second in line behind the human gas can – Fernando Rodney – in San Diego and, if he can remain second in line, will no doubt get a chance to close at some point (and probably soon). I have been a Rodney owner many times and seem to always find myself with closers who lose their jobs – once thought of naming my team “Where’s Bob Wickman?” – and am hopeful that I deal with somewhat less of that this year.

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 00:24

19.09 Yan Gomes, C, CLE

Three other teams still need a catcher, and 2 teams have 2. I see 2 catchers I like similarly and would like to make sure I get one of them. After impressive years in 2013 & 2014, Gomes suffered an injury early last season and then never got going when he returned and proceeded to have a forgettable year. He is healthy and raking this Spring though and a return to an .800 OPS is in play. His low OBP is not great, but I feel I have focused on OBP enough in this draft to afford the hit.

20.08 Avisail Garcia, OF, CWS

Recent reports are that Milton Bradley will likely miss the beginning of season so I need some coverage in his stead. Garcia is a post hype sleeper once again locked into a starting role with help from LaRoche's retirement. He's had a torrid Spring with a 1.134 OPS which lends some hope that he can be an asset, which is something he has not been for the past couple of years.

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 02:07

13.08 Gerardo Parra, OF, COL
This is purely a Coors Field pick, as Parra hasn't been much to get excited about in his career, though he showed a bit last year. But 81 games at Coors, together with a dozen steals, could make for a very nice contribution. Had Twilson not drafted Will Smith right in front of this pick, I would've had a harder choice to make. Also considered Alex Gordon and Matt Holliday.

14.09 Jason Hammel, SP, CHC
I really needed some sluggers on my team, and considered both Pedro Alvarez and Adam Lind, but I thought at least one would make it back to me in the next round. I was wrong, and seeing them go made me regret picking Hammel here. Not that I don't like Hammel, but what my roster needed more was power, and I flubbed it by picking a starter.

15.08 Jason Grilli, RP, ATL
I wanted this pick to be Arodys Vizcaino, who may not start the season as the Braves' closer, but who is likely to finish it as the closer. But he went a few picks ahead of this spot. Maybe Grilli gets 10 saves early, and if I'm lucky, gets traded to a team who needs a closer. When not hurt, Grilli's numbers are good, but he's still walking off an Achilles tear, so I don't know how much I'll get out of him. But with almost every known actual closer off the board, I thought this was a good spot to roll the dice.

16.09 Jeremy Jeffress, RP, MIL
This pick, and the next couple, were made while camping in Joshua Tree. Surprisingly, there was cell reception at the campground, so I was able to sneak away from the campfire and check if I was up before bed. This was a choice between Jean Segura (I still don't have a shortstop) and Jeffress, who might be part of a closer committee. With only one actual closer, I figured I'd gamble again on a reliever here, and take my chances with one of the many sub .300 OBP shortstops I have to choose from at this point later.

17.08 Zack Cozart, SS, CIN
Had I not been camping, I would not have made this pick, since Zack Cozart is awful, and I could've had him or some other equally awful scrub, 3 rounds later. But I hadn't prepared any queues ahead of time for my camping trip, and feeling like my team needed power more than steals, I went with Cozart, who wasn't actually half bad last year before he got hurt. And since he's slated to hit #2 in front of Votto, maybe he isn't a total disaster. If he is, I drop him. At this point in the draft, as far as I can tell historically, only 3 or 4 guys I draft from here on out will make any kind of contribution, so I've got low expectations.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 06:32

15.12 Eugenio Suarez, SS, CIN

Wasn't liking the relievers enough to fill my queue yet, but hadn't thought about Hernandez yet, didn't make it back to me, but good pick. Vizcaino, Grilli, Osuna, Colome, Jeffress, Benoit, Gregerson all considered. Worth a shot at someone that isn't guaranteed the job at this point in draft for me.

Still needing a cover at shortstop though, and was looking at Suarez earlier, so he leads the queue ahead of the relievers. Showed a bit of power last year from shortstop and seems like he'll get to play third this year. Covers another weakness for me and could allow for Olivera to shift to OF if he qualifies as I expect. Lots of flexibility gained by adding Suarez here. Expecting that he could get a good chance and might even breakout. If he can gain some at bats and play similar to last year, I will be very happy here. 50/60/5/.310/.420 seems like it could be done.

16.05 Derek Norris, C, SD

May have been better ranking Colome, Benoit, or Jeffress ahead of Norris but the recent highlights had me liking Norris. Rumours of a potential trade out of San Diego at some point doesn't hurt either. Been wanting some Posey insurance for awhile and kept missing out on my choices. Willing to keep waiting but liking Norris more than a shot at a possible closer.

If he struggles like during the summer, I will really regret this. They say they really tired him out and will manage his use better this year, but even then I am banking a lot on him getting out of San Diego. Strangely enough he hit better there. If I am using him much, it means someone else flopped pretty bad, but Norris could at least put up some average numbers if needed. 50/50/3/.300/.400 would be a slight drop from last year, but he is still in prime years so I could see 20% improvement on this prediction and not be surprised.

filthy
ID: 212371616
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 06:49

17.12 Chris Colabello, OF, TOR

Still needing an OF bad. Wish I had checked out Paulsen. Was liking Inciarte, probably better pick than Norris would have been. Wished somehow I could have made Khris Davis fit earlier. Colabello and Saunders are both seeming like they will get to play a fair amount this year in Toronto's offense. Span is another interesting name. Most of the next tier of potential closers is gone after Benoit. Really want to land Gregerson to handcuff with Giles. But the OF situation is pretty grim and there will be plenty of RP turnover all year.

Colabello seems like a hitter. Just needs at bats. Revere trade cost him at bats but he still kept hitting whatever role was asked of him. That should buy him some more at bats this year. Battling Smoak, but Edwin might need some time. Smoak and Saunders hot, and Edwin healthy could hurt for Colabello, but this is a 17th round pick, I'm not looking for a full season of .350/.500 here. The line is what I expect but anything more than 400 AB will surprise me. 50/50/2/.350/.500 again is very reachable for Colabello in my opinion.

18.05 Luke Gregerson, RP, HOU

At the very least, I've covered my own tail. Gregerson could make the Houston bullpen situation interesting if he pitches well and Giles falters at all. Liking a couple other setup men but they all lasted to my next queue. Still wanting Saunders but not wanting to ignore my handcuff plan any longer. Found a few other OF that I'd be happy with landing later.

Considering I pick Giles for 35 saves, I obviously don't think the handcuff is mandatory, but it is still comforting. 40 saves between the 2, no matter how they fall will work for me. I'll predict Gregerson for 5/5/60/3.00/1.00 along lines of last year minus the closer's job.

100

filthy
ID: 212371616
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 07:39

19.12 Ryan Madson, RP, OAK

Madson was the only other ahead of Saunders on the last queue. Doolittle was a letdown last year, so betting against him this year isn't a horrible idea. Desperate times. Kela, Strickland, Farquhar right behind Saunders on the queue. Not really overloading the queue now, as it is lasting a bit longer, and I've been home to monitor the draft a bit more.

Great bounceback for Madson last year. Easy to see him get the chance if Doolittle falters. Followed closely the many setbacks of Doolittle last year, and hoping for his and the team's sake that it's behind him, but for my own sake would love to see him have a rough April and recover to make a great setup man for the rest of season. More likely I'm seeing Madson steal the closer's seat for a month this year if I'm lucky. 3/10/60/2.50/1.00 wouldn't be bad, likely pipe dream!

20.05 Michael Saunders, OF, TOR

Wanted Saunders for awhile. The ability has been there, but the guy seems pretty jinxed. Not a great add for someone that treats a fantasy roster somewhat superstitiously. But he seems like he'll get a chance to at least build trade value again. Might even get a look at leadoff?! The other OF options I like are a bit behind what I could see Saunders doing, so I am very happy to see there's no other Saunders believers in here. More setup men if I didn't get OF here.

Big expectations for Saunders to breakout when he got to Toronto, but he just continued breaking. Worse than ever. I haven't forgotten the expectations, and wouldn't be shocked to see him top his 2012 numbers this year. In May 2014, he finally earned back regular role lost in 2013 and April 2014, and was hitting, but got hurt again and the M's gave up on him. He raked in part time duty when he came back but that was simply to add trade value. Lost any leash he may have had with the Jays pretty instantly, but I'm hopeful he will rise to the occasion as they try to showcase him, as I'd rather see his glove in LF than Colabello and rather see his bat than undrafted.

Most of all, I can't see Pillar leading off as predictions seem to be speculating. Experiment with Tulo leadoff again is more likely in my mind. Martin as on base machine again would be great pick, but he fell off a bit last year. Saunders just might sneak in there as leadoff guy. If he hits like I believe he can, then he will be in line for a pretty monster year. Even though I drafted Colabello first, I figured it was safer this way, I prefer Saunders. Extreme bias for Vancouver Island player but if everything lands how I am picturing: 80/70/10/.330/.430. Expecting a quick DL stint at some point and periods of struggle as the season wears on, but a real hot start to turn some heads is in my forecast.

101

holt
ID: 282541323
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 11:58

15.16 Paulsen, Ben OF COL

Looking for an OPS around .800 and about 1 SB and he has a chance if developing a bit more. Paulsen adds some flexibility at 1b/OF. I didn't see any other OF I wanted to take a shot on here. Was hoping Olivera would hang around longer.

16.01 Fiers, Mike SP HOU

I still remember Fiers' nice run in 2014 when he had the 0.88 whip. His career K/9 is a little over 9. Sure he is in the AL now but his numbers improved drastically after moving from MIL to HOU last year (and he threw that no hitter after the move) so we will see how it goes.

17.16 Crawford, Carl OF LAD

I didn't have much time at all to look this pick over. I knew that some injury news indicated that Crawford was now in line to receive the bulk of the AB's vs right handers, and that he still has very good SB ability. I don't think that .320/.430 with 20 SB is a stretch. 450 AB is probably a stretch though.

18.01 Spangenberg, Cory 2B SDG

Again, I didn't have the luxury of reviewing everyone who was available. Spangenburg was in my head as a decent target late in the draft so I figured I may as well take him in rd 18. I have an expectation of around .340/.410 and maybe 15 steals, and that is pretty good for a middle infielder this late in the draft.

102

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 13:13

15.13 Roberto Osuna, RP, TOR
Was the closer last year for a playoff team and did well. Young dominant arm. Tor signed Storen but really no one knows how that will play out. Osuna has better stuff and even if doesn’t close will help my team but will hopefully end up in the closers role again. If no change in status an ok pick that will stick in my starting lineup, if he gets to close… a great value.

16.04 Didi Gregorious, SS, NYY
I still need two MI so needed to get one here. He has been in my queue for a while. Still young still growing, showed better discipline last year. .294/.345/.417 over the entire second half last year. If that continues this is a steal, even with some regression its ok and most importantly he will start almost every game. Wont kill me. Ill take it. I am going to be behind in SB this year though cause neither of my two MI’s are SB guys so that could be a problem.

17.13 Denard Span, OF, SF
Almost took him last round. As long as he is healthy will help me across the board with the exception of RBI’s. A known commodity and if he bats at the top of the lineup a great value here. Didn’t really consider anyone else I know my problems at MI but at this point its most likely going to filled during the season or will have to get lucky with an unexpected player later. No more proven commodities so I will shore up the rest of my team and adjust with MI later, why reach for a replacement level player that could and prob will be dropped soon?

18.04 Jeff Samarzjda, SP, SF
This is based on history and moving to NL pitchers park with better defense. I don’t care about spring stats so much but he is getting lit up. If he returns to any kind of serviceable form this pick will work out. If he doesn’t he is waiver wire fodder and no big loss.

103

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sat, Mar 26, 2016, 15:13

18.03 Chris Coghlan, OF, OAK
Coghlan's move to Oakland figures to open up some playing time for him even though he is not projected as a starter right now. Last year he slashed .341/.443 with 11 steals and I am hoping he will gain 2B eligibility where those kinds of numbers would be very useful. In the meantime, I can use him as a platoon hitter until I see how the situation in Oakland plays out.

19.14 Keone Kela, RP, TEX
20.03 Sam Dyson, RP, TEX
Kela is a 10 K/9 guy with good ratios who will help with those aspects of my pitching stats. In the event there is a change in closers, he should be one of the prime contenders. Dyson is the other guy in the pen who would figure to get consideration if there is a close change. He has similar ratios to Kela with a few less Ks so he should help my staff also.

104

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Sun, Mar 27, 2016, 01:37

18.09 Steven Souza, OF, TB
I'm hoping this is my Josh Reddick redux pick. Last year, I picked Reddick in the 19th round, and despised it the moment I did it. It was, as is Souza, my 5th outfielder, and there's no need to draft a 5th outfielder at this stage, because (remember this next year!) there will be outfielders available in the early 20s. Yet Reddick was a valuable contributor to my team, and if I'm lucky, Souza will do the same. There isn't a lot of upside here - maybe 320/420 with 15 steals. Even though I don't like this pick, no one else in my queue was drafted before my turn came around again.

105

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Sun, Mar 27, 2016, 01:48

19.08 Clay Buchholz, SP, BOS
Last year was rough for starting pitching on my team. For a couple of weeks, I was down to 2 healthy starters, and spent most of the season with only 4 starters, so I vowed to emerge from this draft with 6 starters. There seemed to be about a half dozen with what could generously be called upside left, including Buchholz (8.5k/9, 1.21 WHiP and a 2.68 FIP in limited innings last year). I almost talked myself into Victor Martinez, and had my eyes on several other outfielders (why did I draft Souza last round again?), but went with starting pitching.

20.09 Jayson Werth, OF, WAS
I cannot get enough outfielders, it seems. Werth is old, and past his productive years. But if they hit him 5th or 6th, he might give me the RBIs I need without killing any percentages. A higher upside play, like Michael Taylor (who very well may send Werth to the bench) might have been more fun, and a better use of the 20th round. Best case - I get 3 productive months out of Werth, and then he gets hurt.

106

Tilt23
ID: 120161420
Sun, Mar 27, 2016, 19:17

19.13 Erick Aybar, SS, ATL
Need to add to my MI depth. Could end up playing reg in my lineup. He has a starting spot, he is a veteran but not that old. His ratios are his biggest problem as he is a slap hitter without a good walk rate but my team should be able to overcome that with the way I have drafted and I needed the counting stats more including SB

20.04 Hunter Strickland, RP, SF
Upside pick at the back end of a bullpen with a closer that some don’t have faith in. Even if doesn’t close he has the stuff to help my team. Hoping for something big but can handle it if just a late inning reliever.

21.13 Trea Turner, SS, WAS
Intriguing prospect, prob hasn’t done enough to have the starting job but could soon. Can he stay on my roster long enough to benefit? Time will tell.

22.04 Wellington Castillo, C, Ari
Time to get my C. was really hoping to get Cervalli but at this point they all kind of equal out in value. Castillo still has a chance to outperform his slot here as he hit for some pop in Ariz. I can take the OBP drop so this is a good fit for my team but will need to fill in around him when he is out.

107

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Sun, Mar 27, 2016, 20:23

21.14 Kyle Gibson, SP, MIN
Selected Gibson to add depth to my pitching staff. He doesn't have the K rate I would like, but it has been improving and he has looked good this spring. Still relatively young at 28, if he can take the next step in his progression, I think he can be a viable fantasy starter.

22.03 Seth Smith, OF, SEA
Smith will be the strong side of an OF platoon and slashed .330/.443 for the Mariners last year. I expect similar numbers and will use him as OF/UTIL guy. With his position in an improving lineup, I am looking for some RBIs from him.

108

ywk
ID: 56236823
Sun, Mar 27, 2016, 23:40

19.11 Justin Smoak, 1B, Tor
He will platoon with Colabello and even Edwin Encarnacion but is one other's injury away to collect more ABs (despite him having more ABs may just hurt my team more as he has never been known for his batting and on-base percentage).

20.06 Kevin Siegrist, RP, STL
Tried to at least somewhat improve my pitching staff. Siegrist should help my team on punch-outs and WHIP and since he may be serving as the primary setup man for Rothenthal occasionally he could snatch some SVs here and there.

21.11 Kelvin Herrera, RP, KC
Back to back selection of relievers with some SO capability though Herrera's high-90 fastball for some reasons does not necessarily generate a lot of punch-outs. Maybe that is all due to his control. Still, he remains an important piece in KC's bullpen and is expected to be successful in 2016.

22.06 Franklin Gutierrez, OF, SEA
His health certainly cripples his career. Even he is not going to handle a full-time duty anymore, he still have some pop and therefore could be somehow useful in some situations or spot starts. I picked him up very late of last season and he did surprise me a lot. That said, he may be the first I drop when the regular season begins in order to make my team better.

23.11 Drew Pomeranz, SP, SDG
He may compete for the No. 5 starter at San Diego though it may be also possible for him to stay as a useful reliever just like he did last year at Oakland. The change of the scenery might do him some good no matter he starts or not.

109

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Sun, Mar 27, 2016, 23:42

21.08 Juan Nicasio, SP?, PIT
When I made this pick, it wasn't clear that Nicasio had a spot in the Pirates rotation, and he could end up in middle relief. But he's been crazy in spring training - zero runs and 24 strikeouts in 15 innings. I'm rolling the dice that he makes the rotation, and that pitching coach extraordinaire Ray Searage does with Nicasio what he did with Happ last year and others before him: turn mediocre pitchers into studs.

110

jdrenbarger
Dude
ID: 04035768
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 06:36

18.15 Napoli, Mike - CLE - 1B

I’m aiming to end up with 9-10 pitchers – 6 starters – and at least one spare for every hitting position except maybe catcher. Not expecting any real everyday contributions from any bench players, but would like to find hitters with at least exceptional one-side splits or everyday playing time and some potential for steals.
Napoli fits pretty well here, albeit quite a reach for pick 287 given his current FantasyPros (FP) ADP of 359– he’s almost always crushed lefties (2013-2015 OPS vs lefties of .899/.923/.954), has reached at least 400 AB each of the last three years, and is expected to play regularly this year (around what will no doubt be a DL stint or two). With my other two 1B-eligibles (Trumbo, Valbuena) having multi-position eligibility, he’ll also allow me additional flexibility in setting daily lineups.

19.02 Ross, Joe - WAS - SP

My fourth starter and, I think, a great value here – current FP ADP of 224 for pick 290, pitched well in his major league debut last year (76.2 IP, 3.64/1.11, 8.1 K/9), and seemingly assured of a starting rotation spot. Expected to be the 5th starter, so very well may be skipped from time to time, and at 22 will very likely both encounter some rough spots and have his overall workload capped (last year’s 152.2 IP was his career high).

20.15 Kiermaier, Kevin - TAM - OF

My sixth OF-eligible hitter – will play regularly simply because of his defensive value, should be a contributor in both R and SB, and has reasonable power (.432 career SLG in 836 career MLB AB). Another real OBP drain, however ... only 25, though, and I think it’s reasonable to hope for some improvement here as he continues to mature. Expected to lead off and, best case, can become a poor man’s version of Jacoby Ellsbury ... which is convenient for me, should Ellsbury have another year like last year’s.

21.02 Heaney, Andrew – LAA – SP

My fifth starter and a reasonable value here – FP ADP of 278 for pick 322, assured of a starting rotation spot, pitches in a pitcher’s park, and – at 24 – considered a potential breakout candidate by some. 3.49/1.20 in 18 starts last year, albeit with a very pedestrian 6.6 K/9.

111

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 09:28

19.10 Anibal Sanchez, SP, DET

For the last decade, Anibal Sanchez has shown flashes of brilliance mixed with injuries. Always pretty good with the strikeouts, I see Anibal as a great comeback story this year, and just who I need to round out my pitching staff.

20.07 Colby Rasmus, OF, HOU

This late in the draft, I realized I needed one more starting hitter. Rasmus is ALWAYS underrated - he's better with the power, better with the walks, and better with the defense than anyone ever gives him credit for. Houston is always great with players like that (see Valbuena, Luis), so I figure Rasmus is the safest bet to fill that last spot.

21.10 Corey Knebel, RP, MIL

Looks like Will Smith might be out a while. Knebel was already a threat (although I'll project Jeffress for 35 saves right now), and even if he's not closing, he brings great stats to the table. This late in the draft, that's exactly the kind of guy I'll go after.

112

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 09:31

22.07 Daniel Norris, SP, DET

In the hope that we wise up and add axe wielding and van living as RIBC categories, I took a gamble on Daniel Norris. He'd also do well in categories like coolest beard, most times traded for David Price (tied), and biggest 2015 bust.

113

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 09:33

23.10 Blake Swihart, C, BOS

You need a catcher. Otherwise, every pitch would sail all the way to the backstop. Swihart is highly rated, and Wazaap Guy traded for him in G20. And with the awesome pitching staff I've assembled, it'd be unfortunate to lose every game on a passed ball.

114

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 09:39

24.07 Travis Shaw, 1B/3B, BOS

Rumor has it he'll take over third base if Pablo Sandoval struggles (I like those odds). Since Gallo (minors) and Goeddel (playing time) are my other third basemen, Shaw seems like a gamble worth taking.

115

kdl212
ID: 31254812
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 12:12

22.09 Evan Gattis, DH, HOU
I'm planning to mix upside with some reliable contributors here in the last rounds, and I was surprised to see Gattis still available. That he is recovering from surgery and will miss the first 2 weeks of the season, and that he's DH-only, probably explain that. Still, if he doesn't lose playing time to Houston's many young, talented hitters, he could provide 70 RBIs with a .450 slugging percentage. In a dream world, he catches enough games that he becomes eligible there. Unlikely, but Houston has no backup catcher and there is chatter of him putting on the catching gear every once in a while.

I also considered Jarrod Dyson, also injured to begin the year, but felt my roster needed a slugger more than stolen bases.

116

Meatwads
ID: 142562814
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 15:57

16.14 Yasmany Tomas, 3B/OF, ARI
I'm not sure why I made this selection. I think there's a high probability this will be a wasted pick. That being said, the 3B eligibility is nice, he's in a hitters park, he's young enough to bust out any time. If I had this pick to do over, I would certainly be looking in a different direction. I honestly don't see this guy making it all year on my team but hopefully I'm wrong.

17.03 Joaquin Benoit, RP, SEA
At this point in the draft I'm just looking for anything that has the potential to be more valuable than it currently is. Being a Seattle native, I'm fully aware of the Mariners and their business. I have almost zero confidence that Cishek will hang on to that job all season. Benoit is old but he's just a consistently good pitcher who never seems to pitch badly for long stretches. If the Mariners surprise people and end up contending this year in the AL West, I believe Benoit will be the guy closing for them. If I'm wrong, oh well. I'll just replace him off the free agents with a SP, hitter or another speculative closer.

18.14 Matt Moore, SP, TB
This selection has boom or bust written all over it. I only had 2 SP on my roster at this point so I figured time to add a 3rd. Moore has lots of qualities I look for in a SP. He also has lots of qualities which usually puts him on my don't draft list. I think at this point in the draft the upside of him working out and being a good strikeout pitcher is worth the risk. Any players selected this late have warts and I'm just not attached to any of these players if they don't work out.

19.03 Jonathan Villar, SS, MIL
This pick concludes the worst stretch of picks in my draft. I waited until this long to select a shortstop and I really don't think this guy has what it takes to succeed. That being said, it appears he has a job locked up, potentially could be leading off for some reason, and has some speed and success in the minors. Considering I didn't have the position covered at this point, I guess I could've done worse.

117

Meatwads
ID: 142562814
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 16:32

20.14 Jumbo Diaz, RP, CIN
I made this selection for the same reason I picked Benoit, I don't think the guy currently listed as closer will hold the job. Diaz throws hard and shows decent strikeout potential. Whether Hoover is traded at the deadline because he's succeeding or loses his job early due to ineffectiveness, I think Diaz eventually gets the job. It's such a late pick in the draft that I can easily justify it and move on with no worries if it doesn't play out how I want.

21.03 Michael Taylor, OF, WSH
I'm really intrigued by his upside. There aren't many players who have his power/speed combo, only 24 years old, without a full-time job yet. Obviously if Revere hasn't been signed Taylor would've been picked probably 12 rounds earlier. I'm not sure how he is viewed by the masses, but in my personal belief he has the potential to become a star. The only thing missing is a full-time gig and a little more patience at the plate. I also believe either though injury or poor performance, Taylor will end up finding every day AB's eventually.

22.14 Jarrod Dyson, OF, KC
I'm not sure how this happened but one of the fastest and most skilled base stealers in the league ended up falling this far. I've used him countless times as an underrated steals guys in a part time role. Now that it appears he has a starting job, I honestly think he can be right next to players like Billy Hamilton and Dee Gordon among the elite. I truly believe that making this selection just locked up stolen bases for me. I don't think it'll be close. I probably have too much speed on my roster. Hopefully it doesn't cost me in RBI and SLG%.

23.03 Kevin Jepsen, RP, MIN
Once again I find myself settling on a setup guy who has the potential to take over closing duties. He did a good job last season while Perkins was injured, which seems to becoming an annual event. I'm not sure if or when he takes over the role. I'm fine this with pick if I end up getting double digit saves by seasons end.

24.14 R.A. Dickey, SP, TOR
He was one of the best SP's remaining, based on last season. I'm not worried about his age because of the knuckleball. If he pitched outside of Toronto, I think he'd be viewed as a much better commodity. Once again, if he shows signs of losing it, I can easily cut him. It's tough finding value nearly 400 picks deep, so I'll take what I can get.

25.03 Wilmer Flores, 2B/SS, NYM
Just a straight up backup to my mediocre starter at SS. I think it's safe to say I'll be one of the teams gunning hard for one of those young SS prospects at some point this season. Flores still has age on his side, seems to be versatile enough to play all the infield positions and has a little pop for a SS. Obviously he's not the reason I'm going to do well or fail this year. Just a guy with theoretical upside at middle infield.

119

kdl212
ID: 56138261
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 19:48

23.08 Miguel Montero, C, CHC
Because you have to have a catcher. The difference between 400 at-bats from Montero and 400 at-bats from any of the other guys left is a total guessing game. I thought Wilson Ramos had the highest ceiling, and Montero the highest floor. Given that this is round #23, I should have gone with ceiling.

24.09 Martin Prado, 3B, MIA
Just looking for counting stats anywhere I could find them. I considered a different third baseman who is fat, and a starting pitcher who surprisingly has not been drafted. But the reality of it is that guys like Prado will be dropped first when more pressing needs arise. Would've gone with Headley if he'd made it to me.

25.08 Orlando Arcia, SS, MIL
He won't be in the majors until June at the earliest, which should be about the time that I've had absolutely enough of Zack Cozart sucking, or [undrafted] sucking as my replacement for Cozart. Whether I've been able to devote the roster spot to Arcia all the way until June is doubtful, but he promises 20 stolen bases if he does play for 4 months. Given the insane love of RIBC managers for crappy middle infielders, I was surprised that someone who apparently is actually good hadn't already been picked.

120

ywk
ID: 56236823
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 21:12

24.06 Shawn Kelly, RP, WAS
It is possible that he could replace Papelbon as the closer for Nationals considering the incumbent is in his final year of the contract (making him an easy trade target before the deadline) and him not going along with Bryce Harper. The potential gig aside, Kelly could do my team some good at K/9 and WHIP.

25.11 Rajai Davis
Not sure why I picked another outfielder especially someone at his 35. That being said, Davis may even lead off for Indians---and if he could get some regular playing time he could produce in runs scored and chip in some base steals. I could have tried to at least select another middle infielder here but turning to the waiver wire appears my only option when needing to drop any MI on my roster. And it also appears that my scoring department could become one of my weak spots when I kind of focused too much on RBI and SLG in the process at the expense of other categories.

121

jdrenbarger
ID: 302202820
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 21:22

22.15 Wieters, Matt – BAL – C

FA ADP of 195 for pick 351, so I’m obviously not the only one missing that which everyone else sees in this league. Sure, he’s been hurt and is still questionable for Opening Day … sure, he’s not played a full season since 2013 (and racked up an impressive .287 OBP then) … sure, he’s essentially the same catcher I already have in Salvador Perez, only with probably barely half of Perez’ AB this year. That said, he gives me a shot at getting closer to maxing out GP at catcher with – if everything goes extremely well – R/RBI/SLG contributions when Perez isn’t playing. Thought about taking Montero here and probably should have given that I wanted to start the year with two catchers – I think Wieters has a higher ceiling, however unlikely it might be, though, and I’m willing to carry him for a month to see what can do this year.

23.02 Bauer, Trevor – CLE – SP

He sure seems to have been around a long time for someone who’s only 25. My sixth starter and a bit of a reach, for pick 325, given his FP ADP of 366. Quite a few safer SP options available – but they’ll be available after the season starts, too, and I don’t believe any of them have the ceiling Bauer has if he can just harness some of his more-than-just-occasional wildness. There’s a glimmer of hope in his spring training performance to date, and I’m willing to park him on the bench for 2-4 weeks and see whether this is finally the year he gets closer to the performance that has been predicted for him since he was the third overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft.

24.15 Hardy, J.J. – BAL – SS

Having been behind on drafting MIs throughout this draft, it seems only fitting that Hardy will provide what little MI depth I start the season with. This is, along with a reflection of what was left to choose from, a blind bet (to paraphrase the ESPN season projection) that, with a year to recover from last year’s torn labrum, his power rebounds to respectable levels and he can contribute in R/RBI even from the lowly spot he’ll be hitting in the Orioles’ lineup. He no longer runs and won’t help at all in OBP … best case is that he contributes some other counting stats when I have to use him and won’t extract much of a SLG hit.

25.02 Maurer, Brandon – SDG – RP

Was returned to the bullpen just before I took Quackenbush in the 17th round and is now considered by some to be the go-to guy when (not if, in the opinion of most) Rodney loses the closers job. In for a penny, in for a pound … if I can figure out a way to carry two not particularly special closers-in-waiting, I should at some point this year have a third closer for some period of time.

122

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Mon, Mar 28, 2016, 21:54

21.09 Yunel Escobar, 3B, LAA

A backup CI and a backup to David Wright who may rest frequently. Escobar is coming off a career year with a .790 OPS and he has been crushing it this Spring (1.115 OPS). He may hit in the top of the lineup.

22.08 Keon Broxton, OF, MIL

I have 4 SPs and don't have a desire to take another as I would need to see 1-2 starts from anyone remaining before feeling comfortable to put him into my lineup, so I will take a hitter who has the possibility of making a more immediate impact. Broxton has shown strong stolen base and on base skills with some pop the past couple of years in the minors + this Spring, making his case for the starting CF job for the Brewers.

23.09 Scooter Gennett, 2B, MIL

My 4th MI and insurance for Corey Seager in case he isn't ready for Opening Day and Joe Panik in case he doesn't replicate last season. Scooter was productive in 2013 & 2014 before taking a step back last season, but he's had a few great Spring games under his belt and appears to be locked into his starting role, at least against RHPs.

24.08 Jason Motte, RP, COL

Jake McGee hasn't been named the closer and Motte would seem to be the other option. They are making similar salaries and Motte is a RHP, and this is a team that gave the job to LaTroy Hawkins to begin last season.

25.09 Daniel Nava, OF, LAA

It is difficult to max out the roster limits so I drafted Nava as I saw him as the best option involved in one of the season's first 4 games on Sunday.

123

mailedfoot
ID: 531322718
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 06:49

23.14 Darren O'Day, RP, BAL
O'Day is insurance for Britton and should post strong K/9 and ratio help in any event.

24.03 Chase Headley, 3B, NYY
Headley is a 3B/CI, should be an everyday type player for the Yankees, and can back up Franco on his days off.

25.14 Jace Peterson, @B, ATL
Peterson has been designated as the Braves starting 2B and, as such, becomes a backup 2B/MI for my team. Hopefully, he gets his motor running and steals some bases.

124

Tilt23
ID: 412151815
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 11:47

23.13 James McCann, C, Det
This was a queue pick that wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't able to check my draft at this point but its ok. I will need another C to fill in for Castillo but will prob only carry one C most of the year due to short bench

24.04 Nick Markakis, OF, ATL
I like this pick. he walks, nothing flashy and all this talk about his power being sapped affected his HR but SLG went down .010 so not worried too much. a nice backup I think.

25.13 Ervin Santana, SP, MIN
needed another pitcher. just a flier. he can be dominant or he can be gasoline on a bonfire. which one am I going to get start to start. lets see if I cant make some use out of him.

125

holt
ID: 2921399
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 11:55

19.16 Naquin, Tyler OF CLE

Shot in the dark based on his silly 1.377 OPS this spring. Was a 1st pick out of college in 2012 but hasn't put up any extraordinary numbers in the minors. Has ability to steal a few bases, is reported to be a very well rounded player, and has a path to a lof AB's. He did hit .300/.381/.446 in the minors last year so I'm taking a shot that he is rapidly developing into a solid hitter.

20.01 Lamb, Jake 3B ARI

Lamb is still only 25 yrs old. If he can avoid the DL maybe this is the season he finally breaks out (as his .960 OPS in the minors suggests he has the ability to do).

21.16 Travis, Devon 2B TOR

I don't know if I can keep Travis rostered until he returns to the field or not. He had an OPS of .859 in the minors and then .859 in the majors last season. He recently made it back on the field to work out. Hopefully he makes it back to the lineup before June.

22.01 Crawford, J.P. SS PHI

Wasted pick. Had his name in a queue that I fired up while standing in line at the movie theater. Probably would have taken W. Ramos here, wo I got at 23.16 anyway. May have also taken Jaso or Aoki. Not sure, but JP Crawford is in the minors as he should be.

23.16 Ramos, Wilson C WAS

I've rostered Ramos many times in the past. He has pretty good power but get hurts a lot. Hopefully his lasik surgery helps his numbers get back to where they were in 2013 (.272 .307 .470). If not, he is just my backup catcher and would make good waiver wire fodder.

24.01 Iglesias, Jose SS DET

Just grabbing a SS that was still available. He doesn't have much power and I'd prefer not to have in my lineup. He does offer an acceptable OBP and some speed.

25.16 Hinojosa, Dalier RP PHI

The Phillies manager announced that Hinojosa is a candidate to be the team's closer. He is 30 yrs old, Cuban, has pitched well in the majors and in spring training but his numbers in Cuba aren't real impressive. Anyway, he has a chance to get some saves so he is worth taking with the last pick of the draft.

126

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 15:59

8.11 Francisco Liriano, SP, PIT
Liriano was he 99th in the Yahoo ranking so I felt he could be a good steal in this phase of the draft. His high strikeout ratio was the main reason picking him, and last three years he had very good percentages too. Because I hesitated was the win category and I think it will be the weak point this year again.

127

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 16:12

9.04. Drew Storen, RP, TOR
I needed a closer and at this time I hadn't too much possibility to find somebody with good categories in this position. Ziegler, Cishek, Doolitle or Storen. I chose Storen, because of his good spring production, he has a sutitable ERA in his appearances this spring.
I hope Blue Jays manager John Farrell will announce Storen as the team's closer.

128

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 16:27

10.11 Travis d'Arnaud, C, NYM
At this time I needed a batter for 1B position, but I didn't find somebody in my list who was strong enough to pick him in this round. But, there were Grichuk, Priscotty and d'Arnaud all of them are my favorite players.
I have already had Schwarber but this year I decided to get some advantages in the league in cather positon. My expectation is very high, I hope d'Arnaud could be one of the top-five fantasy catcher this year.

129

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 16:38

11.06 Drew Smyly, SP, TAM
He was impressive after returning down the stretch last year and he's continuing to throw well this spring. His ERA 3,11 WHIP 1,17 was last year I would be satisfied with that this year too.
If he stays healthy he can be a strong part of my pitcher team.

130

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 16:47

12.11 Dellin Betances RP, NYY
Although Betances is only the third in the RP ranking of Yankees, but his ability to strike out the batters is a very big value for me. Last year he has 131 K's in 84 innings which is absolutely impressive and this performance could help me to pick a good SP with lower SO ratio later.

131

jason
ID: 361522614
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 16:59

13.06 Domingo Santana, OF, MIL
Was it too early? I wanted to be sure that Santana will collect the stats in my team, because I have very high expectation for Santana this year. He can hit HR's, the power is there and I think this year he will take some steals too.

132

twilson
ID: 37573115
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 19:20

7.07 Johnny Cueto, SP, CIN
The closers just keep on dropping, so I guess I'm going to be scrounging for saves all season long. Won't be the first time, although this is definitely the worst off I have ever been. I still don't plan to punt the category, but I'm willing to try that strategy if I have to. For the time being, the comparative value available at other positions prevents me from getting involved.

I think there are a number of good directions I can go with this pick. The big offensive dropper is Albert Pujols, who I considered back at 5.07 before I drafted Ortiz. Had I known this would happen, I would've grabbed Corey Seager, but no sense in thinking about that now. Despite recurring foot issues and declining physical skills, Pujols is still a talented slugger who will very likely outperform this draft slot. However, I will be locking myself out of the CI market for the next 10 rounds if I go with him, and I'm not sure I want to do that with other players I like still on the board.

Beyond Pujols, there are a group of well-rounded outfielders with speed grabbing my attention. Gregory Polanco, Adam Eaton, and others would help me in a category that often gives me trouble without killing me elsewhere. Billy Hamilton is also there if I am willing to commit to a very different rest of the draft. After reading up on each of them, Polanco stood out as my preference among them. Elsewhere on offense, Ben Zobrist was his usual interesting self. He's another aging guy that is holding onto enough of his prior skills to continue offering value, and he retains dual 2B/OF flexibility.

Another option is starting pitching. Jasonprof's pick of Lester shortened the list by one, but that still left Cueto and Danny Salazar. Salazar got demoted to AAA in the not-distant past, but he has a great strikeout rate and an improving defense behind him. The latter should help limit his babip downside after a sizable improvement last year.

Cueto has one of the lowest ERAs in baseball over the past 5 years thanks to his talent for inducing weak contact and good plate control skills. The end of 2015 went very poorly for him after his trade to the Royals, but I have confidence he will rediscover the unique approach that makes him so successful. It helps that an organization as successful as the Giants feels the same way. Because of that and my K advantage due to Chris Sale in round 2, I chose Cueto.

8.10 Jonathan Lucroy, C, MIL
First pick since round 1 where my selections was not majorly affected by the run of picks before mine. My areas of interest were very similar to round 7: OF w/speed, 2B, and closer. Not sure how much longer I can put off addressing saves before it becomes a punt, but it can't be that much longer.

I’ll talk about 2B in my 9th round rationale. There are still some closers with a reasonable hold on the job and decent peripherals. Glen Perkins is my favorite from that group. Another option is Andrew Miller, who combines excellent performance with some early season saves while Chapman is suspended. I even give him a chance of holding onto the role after that point.

Some steals could be had in the form of Hamilton, Ellsbury, Revere, or DeShields. Ellsbury is banged up, Hamilton is recovering from shoulder surgery, and I have ceiling concerns about the latter two.

Another name that popped on my radar was Jonathan Lucroy. Prior to last year’s injury-plagued season, he had a three-year track record of five category assistance highlighted by strong rates. He also managed to get some playing time at 1B in 2014-15, though I don’t really know what to expect this year with Chris Carter in the fold. There’s no denying that his stats took a major downturn in 2015, but I expect a significant recovery now that he seems to be healthy again. I do have a catcher that I like much later on in the draft, so I’m not tied to filling the slot this early.

I decided to pass on the outfielders given my concerns and the quantity still available. I do need to get more saves at some point, but I’ve accumulated enough so far that there is no need for desperation. 2B was also a quantity issue. I couldn’t sell myself on any of them to be the first to make the move.

It came down to Perkins or Lucroy. Both have concerns. I have greater belief in Lucroy, but Perkins fills a bigger roster need. I took Lucroy.

9.07 Daniel Murphy, 2B, WAS
The turn took a bite out of the OF queue, but 2B was untouched outside of LeMahieu. Perkins was taken, otherwise he was the pick here. That brought me back to the 2B/OF debate, with Andrew Miller and Sean Doolittle thrown in for good measure.

Doolittle’s strained triceps makes me nervous, especially given his prior shoulder issues. Miller is a great player, but he isn’t likely to help much in saves and I’ve already invested two early picks on starting pitching. Three in nine would be a heavy commitment.

I looked again at Hamilton and DeShields, but I’m just too secure in the talent level of the second basemen to go in that direction.

I considered Kolten Wong, Dustin Pedroia, and Daniel Murphy. Wong has the highest ADP of the bunch. He steals some bases, which would be nice, but the rate stats leave something to be desired. Pedroia and Murphy are both established veterans that aren’t over the hill quite yet. Pedroia’s ceiling is higher, but nagging injuries have been taking more of a toll in recent years.

Wong would need to take a step forward to be worth drafting here, and I’m just not sold on it happening. I like both Pedroia and Murphy this year. Thus, I will do the prudent RIBC thing and side with the better health profile.

133

twilson
ID: 37573115
Tue, Mar 29, 2016, 21:29

14.10 Khris Davis, OF, OAK
Down went Gordon and Holliday, as well as Parra and Dickerson. A whole bunch of nice starters got taken as well. In particular, I was hoping Pat Corbin might drop a little further. Nothing I didn’t expect, though.

When the wreckage cleared, the outfield pool was looking pretty thin, and I (believed at the time) still needed three of them. Khris Davis offers a ton of power, but he’s moving to a tougher ballpark and strikes out enough that his OBP is questionable. Jay Bruce is a more extreme version of Davis. Ender Inciarte is getting plenty of hype this spring, but after the Hamilton pick I’m not really that interested in more stolen bases. Not that SBs are the only thing he provides, but still.

Bruce’s OBP is too much of a killer for me. Davis is a better fit for my team than Inciarte and I like what he brings to the table. He won’t be a superstar because of the holes in his game, but the skills he does have are real.

Note: At the time I made this pick, I mistakenly believed that Stephen Piscotty had dual eligibility at 1B and OF. Had I realized, I would’ve gone with Lind instead. Not sure what I’m going to do about a starting first baseman now. Oh well.

15.07 John Lackey, SP, CHC
Considerations at this spot were primarily on the pitching side of things. At starter, my list of names consisted of Lackey, Kazmir, Jaime Garcia, Alex Wood, DeSclafani, and Shelby Miller.

I knocked out Kazmir because of his velocity drop this spring. Garcia is a perennial favorite of mine; whenever he is healthy enough to play baseball, he does it very well.

I earned a solid profit on my late snag of Lackey last year in AAA. Though he won’t match 2015, he’s a very reliable arm on a good team. Not an exciting pick, but a stabilizing one. Miller is another guy who got lucky last year. He’s younger, and the Diamondbacks just paid a huge price to get him in the offseason, but his profile isn’t exciting enough for my taste.

I like Alex Wood to rebound to prior levels of performance. I will explain further in my 18th round rationale. DeSclafani had a skills breakout in September; again, see rationale 17.07.

I was sad to see Arodys Vizcaino get taken by beastiemiked at 15.04. That left his teammate Grilli, Jeffress, Andrew Bailey, and a menagerie of other partial closers on the table. A number have some appeal to me, but I’m having trouble really getting excited about any one.

I guess I shouldn’t be talking about a lack of excitement on closers when I ended up taking Lackey. What can I say? That’s where my head was at the time.

16.10 Andrew Bailey, RP, PHI
This is about the point where I realized that Piscotty didn’t qualify at first base. What an ugly group of remaining options! I pretty much hate all of them. I found a sleeper I kind of like, but this would be way too early for him.

Before I get into relievers, let me talk about the two position players I considered. Marcell Ozuna disappointed last year, but he has a prospect pedigree and some analysts remain quite bullish. Melky Cabrera is due for a bounceback, but he seems like he could still be on the board a little later.

I like Joaquin Benoit. I see talent and opportunity both for him this year. Cishek is vulnerable and Benoit has recent proven closer experience, along with his elite performance record.

Andrew Bailey seems like he will be the closer in Philadelphia. He hasn’t pitched effectively in the majors since 2013, but his new manager is saying good things in camp. A couple rounds ago, I was hoping to get him as a late flyer, but this seems to be the price I would have to pay if the other RIBC drafts are any indication.

I took Bailey. Looking back now, this was a really bad pick that goes against my draft philosophy. It doesn’t help that his manager’s tune has changed pretty dramatically in recent days, but the signs of error were there already. Major injury risk + lack of recent track record + terrible team <> smart pick.

17.07 Anthony DeSclafani, SP, CIN
The outfielders and relievers worth taking here disappeared on the turn. That meant it was time to dip back into the SP pool. Of my list in round 15, three names remained: DeSclafani, Alex Wood, and Kazmir. Again, Kazmir’s velocity decline dropped him from consideration. I had a tricky time choosing between Wood and DeSclafani, as I expected both to be taken before my next pick. I eventually went with the breakout guy over the rebound candidate.

In early September, DeSclafani added a curveball. He experienced an immediate performance leap. Yes, small sample, but the underlying numbers were extremely positive. Because they can be tied to a clear change in approach, I have optimism that much of the improvement can be maintained. In a draft that has overall been pretty terrible for me, this is a pick I can be very happy about.

18.10 Alex Wood, SP, LAD
I took Alex Wood at pick #139 last year in AAA and thought it a very good value. That obviously didn’t work out, but I still think there are many reasons to be optimistic. Wood has talked about experiencing a decline in mechanics over the course of 2015, exacerbated by a bone bruise on his foot. With an offseason to heal and work out the kinks, a return to 2013/14 performance levels is within the realm of possibility. As a bonus, he now plays for one of the best teams in baseball.

Probably the easiest pick of the whole draft for me.

134

filthy
ID: 212371616
Wed, Mar 30, 2016, 07:41

21.12 Mark Lowe, RP, DET

Neglected speed, and need OF depth. And pitching depth. Was liking Kiermaier, Taylor, Romo, Nicasio here, but all went first. Lowe survived to the top of the queue. Pretty solid setup option for gambling on someone to step in at some point. Top option is getting old, and back to the AL might not turn out great. Lowe is a big security option for the Tigers. Guy can be downright nasty. I could see him getting in for around 10 saves throughout the season. Possibility for more. 3/10/60/3.00/1.10 would not be a big surprise to me.

22.05 Aaron Sanchez, SP, TOR

Nobody I was eyeing goes off the board. Giolito would have been smart to check for, but I mostly had relief on my mind here. Sanchez being the wild card flex play. Seemed more and more likely that he was not going to lose the battle for final rotation spot at this point. And the spring numbers had been very impressive.

Likely limited innings, hopefully not bounced around, just lots of 5IP starts and skip a few starts late. Not expecting lots, but worth the dice roll at this point. 8/0/75/3.50/1.25 is below my expectations but a conservative estimate is probably smart given the handling of his arm so far.

23.12 Nori Aoki, OF, SEA

Strop, May, Watson all nice relief picks I was looking at. Broxton is a nice wild card for speed. All picked. Aoki was standing out as I scrape for steals potential and outfield depth. Might lead off. Fairly consistent performer. Worth a shot. Give him regular playing time, and he will shine if he can stay healthy. Done it before. I can see it happening again. Worst case in a platoon situation and batting in Safeco, I can still see him putting up 50/30/15/.350/.380. Fairly fragile career with very little pop, but this late as a bit of reserve speed makes me like this pick.

24.05 Daniel Hudson, RP, ARI

Still need 2 more arms, any arms will do. Giles, Gregerson, Madson, Lowe with another setup option seeming worthwhile. Sanchez wild card, and all arms being wild card in general makes me consider 2 starters. Was looking at Hudson for awhile though, as a potential saves thief. Hill, Santiago, Eovaldi on the radar as well. Easter weekend, I don't care too much about restocking or shuffling the queue at this point. Hoping at least someone survives. Hudson it is. Ziegler doesn't exactly have a stranglehold on the job. Hudson likely fumbles if he gets a shot though. Maybe not. 3/5/60/3.25/1.25 would be solid, but likely rotating roster spot if he doesn't have any luck by May.

25.12 Nathan Eovaldi, SP, NYY

Nothing really left beyond him. Ervin or a quick panic pick if it came to it. Try to avoid Yankee/RedSox/Orioles/DevilRays whenever I can, but broke a pretty good streak of avoiding Yankees with this pick. Really surprised he wasn't picked though. I'll revisit in a few days if this feels wrong by then. Shows flashes of brilliance and looks mighty impressive when he's on. Nothing was standing out so why not. AJ Burnett's AL East days jump to mind when I think Eovaldi which is not a good sign for my sanity if he sticks around. 10/0/125/4.00/1.40 along career averages would be reasonable to expect. Better options will likely present themselves in first week. Maybe he's about to hit prime and becomes a trade chip was the only real temptation here.

135

Bmd
ID: 825715
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 10:34

15.04 Vizcaino, Arodys - ATL - RP

This is my 2nd RP. He should be the primary closer in Atlants by mid season of not sooner. Grilli was available but I think Vizcainoneill out save him and should have better ratios. Hopefully the Braves can win some games this year.

136

blue hen
Dude
ID: 710321114
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 10:37

25.10 Liam Hendriks, RP, OAK

I actually don't think he'll get any saves this year. Was just looking for good ratios to fill up some innings.

137

Bmd
ID: 825715
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 10:38

16.13 Segura, Jean - ARI - SS

Everybody remembers that 2013 season where he came out of nowhere to be a stud. Everybody also remembers his 2014 and 2015 seasons of terrible numbers. Can he turn it around? No idea but as a MI there's not much risk. He should get steals. If he could rebound ratio wise he'll turn into a decent pick. He's tearing the cover off the ball this spring if that means anything(probably not).

138

Bmd
ID: 825715
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 10:43

17.04 Ozuna, Marcell - MIA - OF

Barry Bonds! The greatest hitter ever has been teaching Ozuna a few things. Sign me up. Fences are moving in too. This was one of those guys I really wanted earlier but didn't want to jump the gun. Thought about Gallo here but I hate eating up a bench spot on a guy starting the year in the minors.

139

Bmd
ID: 825715
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 10:46

18.13 Leake, Mike - STL - SP

What q boring puck. Leake offers little upside but he's very safe. He should be an easy 10+ winner with an ERA and WHIP that will be average. I plan on avoiding a few starts of his so I'm hoping I can do better than his yearly ratios.

140

Bmd
ID: 825715
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 10:51

19.04 Cron, C.J. - LAA - 1B

Needed some more pop and a CI. Cron brings down the OBP but he has shown flashes of being a really good hitter. He should see plenty of action to start the season. He's young enough where he still could trend upwards in OBP and Slg. I thought about White and Madson here.

141

Bmd
ID: 825715
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 10:54

20.13 De La Rosa, Rubby - ARI - SP

This was my do-over. I really like him but I probably could've waited on him. Has a nice fastball. I didn't consider anyone else here as I picked from my phone and only picked Rubby as I knew I wanted him and didn't want to research another pick.

142

Bmd
ID: 825715
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 11:01

21.04 Moss, Brandon - STL - 1B

I'm St Louis Cardinals fan and I didn't research my pick. I wish I could provide a better rationale but that was about it. Moss was awesome a few seasons ago. I look for him to only start on my team vs righties. Should hopefully turn in some decent ratios.

143

beastiemiked
ID: 5911312710
Thu, Mar 31, 2016, 22:47

22.13 Jaso, John - PIT - UTL

My favorite pick of the draft. He's the classic platoon player who hits righty's. He'll be given a decent opportunity in Pittsburgh and will gain 1B eligibility. He was seeing reps as the leadoff hitter so if Polanco struggles then he could step up and gain value by being at the top of the order.

23.04 Lowrie, Jed - OAK - SS

Ugh, I thought he had MI eligibility but he did not. He will hopefully gain it soon. Steamer has him projected .700+ OPS. Not great but at least he won't crush me if I need to use him at MI. I think having a MI that doesn't cripple your ratios is key. GP's and at bats are huge in RIBC. The more you have the more points you will accumulate.

24.13 Caminero, Arquimedes - PIT - RP

FASTBALL! He's a guy that throws hard and will probably be a closer some day. Probably not this year but if Melancon goes down they might insert him in the 9th inning instead of Watson in order to not "move" Watson. Probably a long shot but it's round 24. I think by midseason last year I had dropped everyone that I had drafted 19+ rounds so I'm not too worried about having guys that will probably not last on my roster.

25.04 Adams, Matt - STL - 1B

Another homer pick. Kind of a hedge with Moss. One of them will hopefully see the majority of at bats vs righties. Hoping one goes down or stinks so I can cut bait. Seeing Eovaldi and Reyes drafted after me stings. I would've definitely picked either over Adams but didn't "research".

144

beebop
ID: 39040261
Fri, Apr 01, 2016, 03:55

I started a new job in the middle of this - and a lot of my picks ended up being auto picks. So sorry for the lateness of this!
6.16 Carlos Santana, 1B, Cle
I needed a first baseman at this point and I felt he was best available. He draws a lot of walks and should be good for a decent slugging percentage.
7.01 Shawn Tolleson, RP, Tex
I didnt want to miss out on a closer. I had him on a few of my teams last season and he did not disappoint. He may not be in the top tier but he has the ability to post good numbers and job security should be favourable.

8.16 Glen Perkins, RP, Min
I felt it is necessary to start with at least 2 closers and there were not many left at this point. He may be a bit shaky, but has the potential to keep the job all season if everything clicks for him. He has performed in the past - why not again?

9.01 Marcus Stroman, SP, Tor
This is a player I just have to own in all leagues. He has the talent to be a front line starter and I think he will be taken by round 5 next season. I am expecting very big things from the Stro Show this year. I doubt he would have lasted much longer than this.

10.16 Luis Severino, SP, NYY
I like gambling on young unproven but high upside players. Although his park is not favourable, he should still put up very good K numbers for a pitcher taken in the 10th round. Like Stro, he could very well provide a very good ROI for me this season.

11.01 Nick Castellanos, 3B, Det
I really do not like this pick at all. I could have taken Schoop, Rodon, T. Walker, DeShields at this pick but I was very desperate for a 3B. I also couldn't bring myself to gamble on David Wright, who even if healthy may only see 120-130 games. I think this could very well be my dud pick of the draft.

12.16 Justin Bour, 1B, Mia
Another young risky high upside player. He performed well last season and CI pickings were a bit slim. Again, I didnt have the confidence to gamble on Myers in SD but I probably should have looked at Buxton or Teheran at this slot.

13.01 Jorge Soler, OF, ChiC
This guy has the talent, he just has to put it all together. Good tools, good park, he just needs to make contact. Only other player I was considering here was Darvish.

More to come later.

145

beebop
ID: 39040261
Fri, Apr 01, 2016, 04:57

14.16 Jedd Gyorko SS, Stl
I needed an SS at this point. Gyorko has had a good season previously and he is in a better position in Stl. He has the potential for good power out the MI slot but will take a hit in OBP.

15.01 Alexei Ramirez SS SD
I didnt want to take back to back SS at this point in the draft, but I was desperate to fill the MI slot. Speed is a much needed commodity, especially in a 16 team league. If he can provide 15 steals for me at this slot, job done.

16.16 Yasmani Grandal, C, LAD
For a catcher, Grandal has the potential to put up great OBP/Slg numbers. I also had Ozuna queued up here but I needed a catcher more than an OF. I think he will outperform this pick by 1-4 rounds.

17.01 Kevin Gausman, SP, Bal
I prefer SP from the NL as they don't have to face the DH as often, but that did not pan out for me. Gausman is a high strike out pitcher and I think that provides him with a better chance of decent WHIP/ERA figures. I rate high K pitchers above pitchers with better ERA/WHIP but far inferior K/9 numbers.

18.16 Hyun-Soo Kim, OF, Bal
At this point in the draft he was performing OK during spring training, however with lack of walks. In the days after this is started to become clear he may not be up to scratch and probably wont even play. At the time I thought he was a decent gamble to at least put up a decent SLG and provide some OF depth.

Jose Berrios, SP, Min
This pick was to add some mid to late season SP depth. No doubt he will up at some point and I am taking the gamble on stashing him. I was also considering Heaney at this pick however I thought I could wait a little longer on him.

19.01 AJ Reed, 1B, Hou
This pick was a reach. He was performing well in ST and I really thought he would snag a starting spot with the Astros. Any injuries to Houston in the right spot, and he could find himself up sooner than later. When he makes it up I have no doubt he will stick around. He has the talent for ROY if he gets the playing time.

146

beebop
ID: 39040261
Fri, Apr 01, 2016, 05:08

Contd:
I had Heaney queued up at the Reed pick but I needed depth on offense.
21.01 Eddie Rosario, OF Min
Just continuing with my theme here. I prefer to gamble on the young guys, especially late in the draft. I would prefer to take a flyer on potential than a boring vet who is on the decline.

22.16 Eduardo Rodriguez, SP, Bos
He will miss the first few starts of the season, but in a short time he put up some very useful fantasy numbers last season. He should be able to build on that and provide value 100 picks higher. Same theme, young, potential, good K rate.

23.01 Trevor May, RP, Min
He has the ability to be a starter or a reliever. Either way, he has a good K rate. Whatever happens he will either be a starter or closer by the end of the season. He won out over Trevor Bauer at this slot.

24.16 Desmond Jennings, OF, TB
He has been injury plagued for a long time now. IF he can stay healthy he is a good back up OF considering the speed potential with a little bit of pop. He has to have a full season again sometime. This might be his last chance.

25.01 Hector Santiago, SP, LAA
I wanted to balance out the bench with another pitcher. By this point the pickings are very slim. He has a changed approach to his sessions and if he can pitch like his first half last season, this pick has the potential to pay massive dividends for me.

147

twilson
ID: 37573115
Fri, Apr 01, 2016, 17:25

21.07 Jackie Bradley, Jr., OF, BOS
Jackie Bradley was godawful at the major league level until last August. All of a sudden, he was the best hitter in baseball that month. He cooled off significantly in September; otherwise, he would’ve been taken hundreds of picks ago. There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical, but he has a strong MiLB track record, an athletic build, and an unchallenged everyday role in the Boston outfield. This is the point in the draft where upside matters more than expected performance, and I think Bradley is an excellent example.

22.10 Koji Uehara, RP, BOS
I’m basically set at starting pitching at this point. I might have room for one more flier, but I think I can wait for the guy I have in mind. I want to add one more outfielder to my roster given ongoing uncertainty over Hamilton’s health, but I’m in no rush. That leaves relievers, which will be the primary focus of my draft from this point forward.

With the freak injury to Will Smith and the possible demotion of Andrew Bailey, I’m basically going to have to punt saves. Thus, what I want right now is elite skill in either strikeouts or ratios, though preferably both. I still recognize the value of saves, but I can’t let that be my priority.

The player pool is a mix of old favorites and fresh faces. In the former category lie Koji Uehara, Darren O’Day, and Tony Watson. O’Day is having an awful spring, so he’s out. Watson has the elite ratios but is below average for Ks. Uehara has elite ratios plus an above average strikeout rate, but he’s 41 and dealing with general soreness in camp.

The new guys I see are Trevor May, Daniel Hudson, and Nate Jones. Hudson didn’t measure up. May had a good strikeout rate after he moved to the bullpen, and he sits behind a vulnerable closer. Kevin Jepsen (another guy I’m considering) is probably a better bet to take over for Perkins if he falters, but that still gives May a legitimate path to saves. I’ll discuss Nate Jones in my next rationale.

In the absence of a clear standout, Uehara was my inevitable choice. He’s a personal favorite, and I relish the opportunity to own him at least this once more.

23.07 Nate Jones, RP, CWS
The Twins duo went on the short turn, but it didn’t really change my thinking. Because I failed to get an elite closer, I’m feeling vulnerable on strikeouts. I would love to add a flamethrower to boost my K/9.

Nate Jones fits the bill. He throws it 97 mph and induces a ton of swinging strikes. He only pitched twenty innings last year in a return from Tommy John surgery, but they were excellent. Hopefully he can stay healthy and be an under the radar relief ace for me.

24.10 Brett Cecil, RP, TOR
I could still use another good reliever to solidify my ratios. Also, I haven’t had a chance to cull the outfielder crop to find my OF6, so that will have to wait until post-draft.

I’m debating between Brett Cecil and Dalier Hinojosa, who has a shot at saves in Philly. Cecil strikes people out and does a pretty good job inducing ground balls. The contact he does allow tends to be harder than average, but cutting down on walks last year really helped him limit the damage. Hinojosa seems like a decent pitcher, probably about the same quality as my terrible Andrew Bailey pick. I’m tired of throwing good money after bad, so I’m taking Cecil.

25.07 Adam Conley, SP, MIA
Conley had a reasonable debut last year, but wasn’t anything special. This spring, he has seemingly added 3 mph to his fastball. With luck, that newfound velocity will give him the boost he needs to be a fantasy asset.

148

Da Bomb
Donor
ID: 487112814
Sun, Apr 03, 2016, 19:18

Re: 122 - Daniel Nava rationale

Well the Cubs/ Angels game today was not a regular season game. Woops.

Forum: basePage 20364Subject: RIBC 2016: Draft Rationale Collection Thread

Forum: base
Page 20364
Subject: RIBC 2016: Draft Rationale Collection Thread