Mark Reynolds has 30 home run power and the starting third base job for the Diamondbacks.

The players below have largely gone undrafted in deeper AL and NL only leagues.  Some of them have ill-defined roles on their teams, or have questions surrounding the amount of playing time they will get.  Others are young players who represent a certain amount of risk for fantasy use.  No matter what, they all have at least some use in fantasy right now, and should be considered.  Here is a dive into the deeper end of the player pool.

AL Only Options

Carlos Gomez – Outfielder – Minnesota Twins – Gomez was the centerpiece of the players the Twins received in return for Johan Santana.  As such, he was handed the starting centerfield, and leadoff batter roles for the Twins despite stiff competition in Spring Training.  Manager Ron Gardenhire is emphasizing an aggressive approach for Gomez at the plate and on the base paths, and hopes he will utilize his considerable speed to keep out of prolonged slumps and steal a bunch of bases.  Gardenhire will likely give Gomez the green light to run to bolster the run production of the Twins lineup, which was among the worst in the AL last season.  Gomez stole 12 bases in just 139 plate appearances for the Mets last season, and could easily triple that production this year.  He will struggle to bat higher than .260, but if you are looking for some hidden speed in your AL only league, turn to Gomez near the end of your draft.

Jake Westbrook – Starting Pitcher – Cleveland Indians – Westbrook had a tough year in ’07, battling an oblique strain for much of the season.  This spring, he reported to camp in great shape, and has been as close to flawless as he possibly could.  In his most recent spring outing, he retired 16 straight batters over six innings of work, and struck out eight.  Overall, he’s thrown 14 scoreless innings, surrendered just five hits and struck out 16.  Of course he is not going to keep this up all season, but it has to be a sign of good things to come.  Westbrook won 44 games over three years from 2004-’06, and should win at least 15 this season if he can stay healthy.  The Cleveland lineup is among the best in the AL and should provide ample support for Westbrook.  If he continues to dominate, he could post an ERA below 4.00 with decent WHIP numbers.  Grab Westbrook near the end of AL only drafts and reap the benefits of having a starter from the favorite team to win the AL Central.

Jack Hannahan – Third Base – Oakland Athletics – Hannahan stepped in last season when what was left of Eric Chavez had to shut down.  Hannahan did a yeoman’s job of it, compiling a .276 average with 3 home runs and 24 RBI in 169 plate appearances.  He has excellent patience at the plate, and decent power.  With Chavez on the shelf again, after a setback in his return from multiple surgeries last fall, the A’s will again turn to Hannahan to man the hot corner.  Given the depth of Chavez’s physical issues, Hannahan could find himself playing quite a bit, especially early on.  Hannahan makes a decent CI in deeper AL only leagues, and could surprise with some excellent power numbers in the early going. 

NL Only Options

Elijah Dukes – Outfielder – Washington Nationals – Dukes struggled mightily last season with off field issues that distracted him from baseball altogether.  Now playing in Washington, under the watchful eye of several veteran ballplayers that have adopted him, Dukes may finally get the chance to live up to his much hyped potential.  He’s a high risk-high reward gamble for fantasy managers, but the payoff could be extreme.  Dukes has the talent to post .300+ average, 20 home runs and 20 steals this season, and even better numbers down the line.  Either that, or we will be talking about wasted potential, and ridiculously shameful behaviors.  You cannot win big in the fantasy game without taking some risk.  You may as well go for the highest possible payoff, so if you are going to take chances, take them with Dukes.

Mark Reynolds – Third Base – Arizona Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks brought Reynolds up last season when Chad Tracy fell apart, and he did not disappoint.  He’s got plus power and hits line drives into the gaps with frightening regularity.  Reynolds could easily hit 30 home runs if given regular at bats, while maintaining an average around .275.  Tracy is beginning the season on the DL and appears to be far from ready to return to action.  Reynolds will hold down third base in the meantime.  If he gets hot, like he did last season, Tracy could find himself riding the pine.  Either way, it seems the Diamondbacks will try to find Reynolds at-bats whenever possible.  He’s a must-grab in NL only drafts.

Johnny Cueto – Starting Pitcher – Cincinnati Reds – Cueto has opened some eyes this spring and pitched his way into the Reds starting rotation after jumping through three levels in the minors last year.  He’s got a mid 90’s fastball, a heartbreaking slider, and clean, simple mechanics that make his motion easily repeatable.  He strikes out better than a batter per inning, and has decent enough command to limit the walks.  The only drawback he has is a tendency to give up the long ball when he can’t keep his pitches down.  Cueto makes a fine addition to NL only fantasy staffs in need of strikeout pitchers.  He’s been largely ignored because of doubts he would make the rotation.  He is now in, and you should be all over him if he’s sitting on your waiver wire.

That’s all for this week’s edition.  Good luck with your fantasy teams this season.

If you have questions or comments for me, drop me an email at TimM@sportsgrumblings.com