
9. Jorge Posada New York Yankees
Posada re-found his swing last season hitting .281
with 30 HRs and 101 RBIs, after experiencing a slight downward trend since
2003. Of course, the 2006 Yankees were an extremely potent offense, so Posada
got plenty of protection that assisted in his productive campaign, especially for a 35 year old. Even though the lineup hasn't changed, Posada
is another year older. To expect a
repeat from last year would be a mistake, but something in between 2005 and
2006 is realistic. Could Posada be catching Roger Clemens (above) again this season?
Jorge Posada
2007 Projections
|
G
|
AB
|
Runs
|
Hits
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
BB
|
RBI
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
E
|
AVG
|
|
127
|
432
|
66
|
114
|
23
|
1
|
18
|
61
|
64
|
91
|
2
|
0
|
6
|
0.260
|
10. Mike Piazza Oakland A's
Piazza will move into the designated hitter role for
the A's; a switch that should help the 38-year-old pay closer attention to his
offensive production, and worry less about wearing down in the 2nd
half of the season…something he has endured the last few years.From a fantasy perspective, this is given
"two thumbs up", and you'd be wise to snag Piazza once the powerhouse backstop
trio of Joe Mauer, Victor Martinez and Brian McCann are off the board.
Mike Piazza 2007 Projections
|
G
|
AB
|
Runs
|
Hits
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
BB
|
RBI
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
E
|
AVG
|
|
123
|
425
|
57
|
109
|
23
|
1
|
20
|
40
|
70
|
71
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
0.260
|
11. Jason Varitek Boston Red Sox
Varitek's .238 AVG last season was a career low. Blame
his down year on his knee injury if you like, but at some point you have to
slow down, and at 34, Varitek may have seen the beginning of the end. Varitek
will be hard pressed to ever top a .290 batting average or 20 homers again, and
will be a risk/reward type player on draft day.
Jason Varitek 2007 Projections
|
G
|
AB
|
Runs
|
Hits
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
BB
|
RBI
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
E
|
AVG
|
|
113
|
403
|
57
|
103
|
22
|
2
|
15
|
52
|
60
|
104
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
0.260
|
12. Dioner Navarro Tampa Bay D'Rays
He's nothing-special fantasy wise. Yes, he calls a
good game…yes, he handles the Tampa
Bay pitching staff like a
seasoned pro...and yes, has an extraordinary arm, but all of these fielding
attributes do nothing in fantasy baseball leagues. The fact that he's only 22 is a positive, as
he still has time to develop into a productive fantasy catcher. Until then though, he's only valuable in
AL-only leagues.
Dioner Navarro 2007 Projections
|
G
|
AB
|
Runs
|
Hits
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
BB
|
RBI
|
SO
|
SB
|
CS
|
E
|
AVG
|
|
127
|
434
|
54
|
107
|
18
|
0
|
9
|
55
|
50
|
63
|
3
|
1
|
7
|
0.250
|