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Stephen Drew could emerge as one of the elite shortstops in the National League this season.
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Editor's Note: While
spring training stats don't necessarily correlate with regular season numbers
and should never be used as the only reason to endorse a player, they can be
viewed as small encouraging or discouraging signs among a whole myriad of other
factors in player evaluation going into the season.
In every league there is a trader clown.
This guy offers up trades that more closely resemble forwarded
email jokes than legitimate offers. He juggles
names wearing his big floppy shoes and red nose. Ryan Howard for Aramis
Ramirez. Jose Reyes for Cliff Floyd.
The trader clown
never makes the other owners laugh.
The existence of this type of owner has two possibilities.
One is that the person is simply inept at deciding on player value. It is not
their fault. It is like a disability that must be overcome with study and
patience.The second explanation for a trader clown is they simply value their
own players more than other owner's players. This idea comes from the fact that
since they drafted the player and they are infallible, the player is obviously
full of value.
The trader clown just
hits the other owners in the face with cream pies full of arrogance.
The problem with being an owner that offers up these types
of deals is that eventually you will lose credibility and even balanced trades
you offer will be shunned.As an owner
you must always be sly, but you must also be fair.If not you could taint the entire fantasy
experience for your league.
Burners are players on the rise. These players represent
value over cost. Turners are players an owner might want to turnover in order
to optimize value. These players represent cost over value.
Burners
Let's take a look at the NL's next big shortstop and a
bargain bin catcher.
Stephen Drew, SS, Arizona: With 200 at-bats last season, Stephen
Drew had a .517 slugging percentage and hit .316. He also hit 5 HR and 24 RBI. Drew’s performance in the spring has shown that
these numbers were not a fluke. He is
currently hitting .326 with a .478 slugging percentage. He has also hit one homer and four doubles.
The best thing about Drew is his price.
Right now most outlets rank him as the ninth shortstop in the NL. In auction leagues he is priced at half of
what Hanley Ramirez and Rafael Furcal are, and his numbers in the spring have
been on par with the two early round choices.
Drew is a gamble entering his first full season, but the returns should
outweigh the risk.
Ronny Paulino, C, Pittsburgh: Owners playing in an NL-only format
find themselves with limited choices at the catcher position. After McCann,
Martin and Barrett, it is hard to find value here.Paulino could be the answer.During the spring he hit .512 and had a .512
on-base percentage.He also had an
astounding .814 slugging percentage.Paulino has also shown quite a bit of power this spring hitting three homers
and 13 RBI.He is being drafted as a
second catcher in mixed leagues and late starter in NL-only formats.If you are able to pick him up now he may
turn into a low cost sleeper.
Turners
Here we have two aging players with names that may cost you
more than they are actually worth.
Paul Lo Duca, C, N.Y.
Mets: He is at an age, 35, when catchers generally tend to go
downhill.Last season he hit. 318, but
this along with his 80 runs scored would have been the only categories he could
have helped owners in a 5x5 format.The
age factor also brings the risk of injury into
the picture. On most lists Lo Duca is the fourth ranked catcher in the NL.See if you can find the Paulino owner and
package a deal for the young catcher and perhaps another roster need.
Chipper Jones, 3B, Atlanta: Ability is not a concern when you are
talking about Chipper Jones.He is still
a 20 home run, 80 run player, but the main issue is that he has not broken 110
games in the last two seasons.If you
look at the fact that Jones has turned into a serious injury
threat, it is hard to see why he is being selected in the top 80 players in
mixed leagues.If you have the depth to
utilize Jones when he is healthy and stash him when he is hurt, hold on to
him.If you are looking for a starter
that is less of an injury risk at a mid-round
draft choice price then you may want to deal Jones.
