Fantasy Baseball Blog at Razzball.com» 2009 Keepers

Colby Rasmus, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:16:03 +0000

Colby Rasmus goes by the nickname Razz or Razzle-Dazzle, which should make him a favorite here at Razzball, but there’s something pricky about him that I don’t like. Might be the name, Colby. It sounds like a total douche name, like a character’s name in a Bret Easton Ellis novel. (Speaking of douche, I have two things to say. First, I went to the original Dollar Store the other day. No, not some weird field trip. Like, “Hey, honey, you wanna go check out the very first Dollar Store? There’s tours at 12 and 2. Oddly enough, not at 1.” I was walking by it and I went in to grab a Gatorade. The store was extremely small and there’s a giant one across the street. So I ask them why don’t they close up this stankhole of dollar-priced items. They tell me it’s the first store ever. Yeah, it’s a real historic landmark. Put up a plaque and add this to the World Famous Skyline Tour. “On the right is the Hollywood Sign. On the left is where they sold the very first discontinued-candy-that-might-get-you-sick-but-at-least-it’s-only-a-dollar.” So what do I see in the dollar store, besides the aforementioned discontinued candy? Summer’s Eve Douche. I tell you this because I’ve been trying to think of what kind of woman buys douche at the Dollar Store for three days now. I want you to be scarred too. So there. Okay, second thing, doesn’t it seem like the word “douche” should have an accent?) Anyway, the real question is, will Colby Rasmus have any fantasy value in 2009?

Okay, I lied. The real-real question is, will Rasmus win the starting job in 2009 for the Cards? He might. In February of 2008, the Cards GM said Rasmus will be in the majors in 2008. A funny thing happened on the way to The Gateway to the West. Rasmus sucked down a big bottle of Mediocre in the spring of 2008 and then went down with a knee injury in July. He skipped out on winter ball, choosing to do his own strength and conditioning program (Beer and German pretzels?). The good news is his knee should be healed in time for the spring of 2009. Rasmus still has the skills of someone who can run, homer and strikeout with the best of them. To give you an idea of what to expect, if you’re showing Colby Rasmus and the dealer shows Krispie Young, that’s a push. His value could go up in the April, if he leaves spring training with a starting OF job. In NL-Only and keeper leagues, you should pursue Colby Rasmus right now as a late round sleeper. In mixed leagues, wait to see if he has the job in spring training. If he does, then you should be buying in too.

Jason Heyward, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:52:18 +0000

Jason Heyward, besides having the surname of a 1930s matinee idol, has the mitts of a Yeti and the sturdies (<– that’s legs) of Frank Thomas. His man gams are 117% oak. You thought Jay Bruce could fight crime? Heyward just saved your life and you didn’t even know you were in danger. Look over your left shoulder — quickly! See that shadow shrinking out of the room? That was Heyward. He’s now going to Ireland to sing harmony with that Once guy. So being a globetrotting, harmonizing, crime fighting love child of a Yeti and Frank Thomas is all well-and-good, but can the the Braves outfield prospect, Jason Heyward, help you in fantasy baseball leagues in 2009?

Nope. But… You said he was Yeti-like! Sorry, random italicized voice, it’s a bummer. I know. So you’re probably thinking to yourself why am I even talking about him? (Yes, I can read your mind. Spooky, huh?) Firstly, when I decided to go over 2009 fantasy rookies — Wait, you don’t need to know it from the jump, as the kids said in the early naughts. Fast forward to my reasoning… Twenty-seventhly, Heyward is going to be something special probably as soon as 2010. This is a wake up call for all keeper leagues, NL-Only and mixed ones. You know all that power and speed you love about The Uptons? Heyward has that in duckets. He’s my early 2010 NL ROY frontrunner and should be owned in all keeper leagues. You want a prediction limb? Heyward goes 25/15 in his first full season with the Braves and he invents a Snuggie that doesn’t look quite as monk-like.

Mat Gamel, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:11:02 +0000

While regurgigating Jobacum, I mentioned Gamel is a lot like Ryan Braun. All hit, no field. In Single-A ball in 2007, Gamel made 53 errors in 128 games. In that post, I said that he plays 3rd like Jenny McCarthy at a celebrity All-Star game, but I think I was overestimating his glove work. Kenny Mayne might be a better comparison. Last year Gamel cut his errors to 30, but still led Double-A with the most errors by a third baseman. Oh Gamel, you’ve done it again! If he could just get to the big leagues as a third baseman, his bat will be one to own in fantasy. But can he help your fantasy baseball team in 2009?

Bill James projects a full-time Mat Gamel in 2009 hitting 18 home runs and over .300 in 150 games. I think that’s being too conservative on the power, but too generous on the games played. If Gamel gets a full-time gig out of spring training, I think we could see 27/80/.300 and 40 errors. The Brewers also realized Gamel’s glove isn’t ready for the majors and now have in place the third base blahtoon of Mike Lamb and Bill Hall. Gamel is probably destined for the outfield, but the Brewers outfield is a bit crowded right now. Gamel needs Corey Hart to tongue kiss Casey Kotchman and come down with a bad case of mono for Gamel to see any significant time in the Brewers outfield in 2009. I’m sure the Brewers want Gamel to play 3rd; I’m almost positive Gamel wants to play 3rd, but inspiration meets perspiration meets no fielding ability, doesn’t add up to a major league 3rd baseman. Unless the Brewers play Gamel in short left field in front of Braun, the glaring flaw in his defensive game makes him too much of a liability for the Brewers and too much for you, except in deep keeper leagues.

Teagarden and Max Ramirez, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:29:47 +0000

Back in September, I wrote about the Rangers catching situation in a post titled, “Rangers Decide Catching Wins Championships:”

Gerald Laird? Yeah, he’s serviceable. Jarrod Saltimbocca? He was enticing enough to get from the Braves and he’s wonderful with broccoli rabe. Taylor Teagarden? (Has six) HR(s) in (the last) 12 games. Before you rush out to pickup Teagarden, see 1/18 of a centimeter after this period. Max Ramirez, the future at catcher for the Rangers, was called up on Monday night. This gives the Rangers three promising catchers, a fourth usable catcher and no pitchers. Let’s see, the last three World Champions have had Varitek, Pierzynski and one of The Flying Molina Bros. Usable pieces, for sure, but not exactly the cogs that made the offense work. Earth to the Rangers, wtf?

And you can add Carlos Ruiz to that illustrious group of championship catchers. So, is Nolan Ryan trying to make amends for something he said about the catchers he worked with? Did someone roofie this organization’s common sense? Seriously, WTF?! I wasn’t even going to cover these Rangers rookie catcher schmohawks because there’s too many of them for any of them to have any fantasy worth, but there’s word the Rangers are smartening up and trying to trade some of these schmohawks. So what can we expect from Max Ramirez and Taylor Teagarden for fantasy baseball in 2009?

More than Josh Bard, if they get the job, but right now Laird and Salty are blocking them. Don’t fret, young Razzballian, there’s still some hope. Detroit needs a catcher. Maybe one of these catchers ends up there. There’s talk Laird is going to Motown. Then there’s Blalock who is a back scratch away from pulling a Kotchman. Maybe one of these catchers goes to 1st base. The one that fits the first baseman mitt the most is Max Ramirez. Unfortunately, he’s a bit iffy as a fantasy starter if he gets moved to a corner. He’ll be a sleeper in keeper leagues to watch in 2009, nothing more. I’d rank him fourth behind the other four as of right now. If Laird and Salty are traded, Ramirez, like bran, becomes number two. So who’s number one?

Taylor Teagarden. Let’s assume for the moment he’s the starter in 2009. Now no one, not even Teagarden, thinks he’s the .800+ slugging catcher we saw in September of 2008. Though he does have pop that will only be aided by Arlington’s hot summer and he’s shown his ability to take a walk. His average in 2008 was a bit of a mirage. He’s closer to a 20/60/.260 hitter with a full-time job. Think Mike Crapoli with a slightly better average. With the right offseason breaks, Taylor Teagarden could be the Rangers catcher in 2009. Granted, he needs a lot of breaks. In AL-Only and two catcher leagues, I’m grabbing him late with the hope he somehow emerges from spring training with the job. In most mixed leagues, Teagarden’s not worth a draft pick. Yet. But if he lands the job, get ready to pounce.

UPDATE:

Gerald Laird – Was traded to the Tigers ten hours after I posted this. You’re welcome, Rangers. Let me know what else I can advise on. That trade makes the catching order Salty, Teagarden then Ramirez. Now if Blalock gets injured, Salty goes to 1st base and Teagarden catches 75% of the games. As Naughty By Nature was sang, “That shizz is written on a kitten.” I’d now draft Salty in 10 team mixed leagues some time after the top catchers are gone and grab Teagarden late in 12 team mixed leagues and deeper. In AL-Only leagues that draft prior to spring training, they both need to be owned. Just don’t rush to grab Teagarden. He still needs Blalock to get injured. Which means as soon as Blalock is allowed to leave his hermetically-sealed bubble, it’s on like Donkey Kong.

Position Eligibility for 2009 Fantasy Baseball, Companion Piece

Grey — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:04:03 +0000

I shut the comments off on the Position Eligibility for 2009 Fantasy Baseball post because… Well, I don’t know. I felt like it. You have to know everything? Since that post was mostly just listing players and their eligibility for 2009, I figured I’d do a companion piece to highlight the guys that have a boost in value because of multiple position eligibility. That position eligibility post was the cheese and this is the macaroni. I might have left some people off of here, but that’s prolly because they didn’t see a boost in value from extra eligibility. Or maybe I forgot them. Check to see if I did and let me know in the comments, cause as even a semi-regular reader of Razzball you’ll know that the comments are ofttimes more entertaining than the posts themselves. Anyway, here’s some guys who see a boost in fantasy value for 2009 because of multiple position eligibility:

Russell Martin – You want him at catcher — pork butt pho sho! But having him at 3rd too could help you if you have some Corner Infidel clogging up your lineup.

Victor Martinez – See Martin, Russell or 1/8 of an inch above.

Brandon Inge – Face the facts, Cousin Jeri, you don’t want him at 3rd or OF. At catcher, his .215 average almost seems digestible. Almost.

Pablo Sandoval – You want him at catcher, but in a lot of leagues he may not be eligible there yet. According to Sabean, he’s going to be the Giants starting 3rd baseman in 2009. Sandoval will be a name to watch as he is currently knocking the cover off the ball (and then eating its innards) in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Mark DeRosa/Asdrubal/Barmes/Eugenio/Alexei - You want them at 2nd base or MI.

Blake DeWitt – Where DeWitt might not have had any value at Corner or 3rd, he now has some late round flier MI value with his 2nd base eligibility.

Hank Blalock/Chris Davis/Youuuuuk/Huff/Cantu/Atkins/Carlos Guillen – You want them at 3rd base.

Ty Wigginton – Could be slotted in as a 5th outfielder in some deep leagues or a corner infidel.

Adam Dunn – If you can squeeze him in at Corner, it could be huge — literally — oofa!

Conor Jackson – At 1st base he’s a bit yawnstipating, but as a second-tier outfielder he might be worth the Jason Kendall-like power.

Nick Swisher – See the first part of the 1/8 of an inch above comment.

Brandon Wood – Not sure yet what the Angels of Bobby Grichville have planned for Wood in 2009, but he has eligibility at 3rd and SS, which gives him the Superfecta eligibility of MI and CI. Keep in mind that he was booted from a winter league for his poor performance. (The same league where convicted pedophile Luis Polonia is now the career hits leader. No lie; he’s the Pete Rose of the Dominican.)

Ian Stewart – Also has the Superfecta eligibility of MI and CI.

Juan Uribe – I’m not a fan of the Uribe, but he does have Superfecta eligibility. This helps his AL-Only value.

Felipe Lopez – Not a fan of his either, but he has the Pick 4 of eligibility available at 2nd, 3rd, SS and OF.

Alfredo Amezaga - He isn’t necessarily ownable except in NL-Only leagues, but he also has the Pick 4 of eligibility.

Jhonny Peralta — This Silent H is being groomed in the DR this winter to take over 3rd base in 2009 so he could have multiple position eligibility next season. (I say could because the Indians could sign a 3rd baseman in the offseason.)

Position Eligibility for 2009 Fantasy Baseball

Grey — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:02:43 +0000

With our 2009 fantasy baseball rankings a sneeze and a “Bless you,” away, I’ve decided to look at the guys who have multiple position eligibility for this upcoming 2009 fantasy baseball season. This was an arduous (<–Word of the Day!) task, but I thought it might come in handy for the 2009 fantasy baseball drafts you’ll be doing. I know if I were in your shoes, I’d want a comprehensive list like this. I’d prolly even bookmark it. Maybe I’d even print it out for drafts. I only listed players that have multiple position eligibility because of ten games or more played outside of their primary position. Arod is not here; but Alfredo Amezaga is. Players with multiple position eligibility are listed once alphabetically under their primary position. The games played are listed in parentheses. Anyway, here’s all the players multiple position eligibility for the 2009 fantasy baseball season and where they’ll be eligible at:

CATCHERS

Brandon Inge C (60), 3B (51), OF (13)
Paul LoDuca C (26), 1B (17)
Russell Martin C (149), 3B (11)
Victor Martinez C (55), 1B (10)
Javier Valentin C (17), 1B (11)

1ST BASEMEN

Rich Aurilla 1B (82), 3B (63)
Roger Bernadina 1B (33), 2B (29), 3B (31)
Wilson Betemit 1B (36), 3B (21), SS (14)
Hank Blalock 1B (34), 3B (31)
Aaron Boone 1B (54), 3B (16)
John Bowker 1B (71), OF (19)
Miguel Cabrera 1B (143), 3B (14)
Miguel Cairo 1B (70), 3B (19)
Kory Casto 1B (23), 3B (13)
Frank Catalanotto 1B (33), OF (26)
Chris Davis 1B (51), 3B (32)
Ross Gload 1B (111), OF (11)
Doug Mientkiewicz 1B (37), 3B (33), OF (10)
Pablo Sandoval 1B (17), 3B (12), C (11)
Kevin Youkilis 1B (125), 3B (36)

2ND BASEMEN

Jeff Baker 2B (49), 1B (22)
Clint Barmes 2B (61), SS (36), 3B (13)
Asdrubal Cabrera 2B (94), SS (20)
Alberto Callaspo 2B (46), SS (18)
Jamey Carroll 2B (74), 3B (43)
Ronny Cedeno 2B (43), SS (27)
Mark DeRosa 2B (95), OF (59), 3B (22)
Joe Inglett 2B (66), OF (34)
Adam Kennedy 2B (84), OF (10)
Felipe Lopez 2B (101), OF (17), 3B (13), SS (13)
Jose Lopez 2B (139), 1B (13)
Mark Loretta 2B (46), 3B (17)
Luis Maza 2B (35), SS (16)
Aaron Miles 2B (85), SS (27), 3B (11)
Augie Ojeda 2B (44), 3B (28), SS (22)
Pablo Ozuna 2B (37), 3B (17)
Eric Patterson 2B (22), OF (17)
Cliff Pennington 2B (16), SS (10)
Omar Quintanilla 2B (40), SS (39)
Alexei Ramirez 2B (121), SS (16), OF (11)
Eugenio Velez 2B (69), OF (17)

3RD BASEMEN

Garrett Atkins 3B (94), 1B (61)
Willy Aybar 3B (41), 1B (19), 2B (10)
Casey Blake 3B (133), 1B (29)
Jorge Cantu 3B (129), 1B (66)
Jose Castillo 3B (110), 2B (12)
Craig Counsell 3B (38), SS (24), 2B (19)
Blake DeWitt 3B (95), 2B (27)
German Duran 3B (30), 2B (17)
Chris Gomez 3B (20), 2B (18), SS (13)
Carlos Guillen 3B (89), 1B (24)
Jack Hannahan 3B (126), 1B (10)
Wes Helms 3B (60), 1B (42)
Aubrey Huff 3B (33), 1B (24)
Martin Prado 3B (24), 1B (17), 2B (17)
Robb Quinlan 3B (39), 1B (22)
Ian Stewart 3B (65), 2B (12)
Matt Tolbert 3B (17), SS (14), 2B (11)
Juan Uribe 3B (57), 2B (52)
Ramon Vazquez 3B (70), SS (26), 2B (11)
Ty Wigginton 3B (82), OF (30)
Brandon Wood 3B (32), SS (28)

SHORTSTOPS

Mike Aviles SS (91), 2B (28)
Manny Burriss SS (47), 2B (41)
David Eckstein SS (57), 2B (24)
Brandon Fahey SS (46), 2B (10)
Nomar Garciaparra SS (31), 3B (11)
Alberto Gonzalez SS (26), 3B (14)
Brendan Harris SS (55), 2B (39), 3B (34)
Chin-Lung Hu SS (35), 2B (30)
Maicer Izturis SS (52), 2B (23)
Jeff Keppinger SS (108), 3B (10)
Jed Lowrie SS (49), 3B (45)
Nick Punto SS (61), 2B (26), 3B (12)
Luis Rivas SS (31), 2B (29)
Brendan Ryan SS (40), 2B (23)
Ramon Santiago SS (33), 2B (21)
Marco Scutaro SS (56), 2B (50), 3B (41)
Ben Zobrist SS (35), OF (19)

OUTFIELD

Alfredo Amezaga OF (79), SS (19), 3B (15), 2B (10)
Will Bloomquist OF (43), SS (12)
Eric Bruntlett OF (36), SS (35), 3B (27)
Chris Burke OF (26), 2B (18)
Chris Duncan OF (45), 1B (21)
Adam Dunn OF (141), 1B (19)
Darin Ertsad OF (88), 1B (12)
Esteban German OF (39), 2B (35)
Jerry Hairston OF (42), SS (34)
Willie Harris OF (103), 3B (14), 2B (14)
Eric Hinske OF (89), 1B (11)
Omar Infante OF (36), 3B (32), SS (20), 2B (10)
Conor Jackson OF (77), 1B (68)
Greg Norton OF (26), 1B (11)
Dan Ortmeier OF (15), 1B (13)
Ryan Raburn OF (57), 3B (18), 2B (16)
Nick Swisher OF (97), 1B (71)
Mark Teahen OF (119), 3B (19), 1B (14)

Carlos Carrasco, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:57:53 +0000

Who’s a 2009 NL Rookie of Year candidate? Who’s a 22-year-old Phillies rookie who should be owned in keeper leagues already? Who won The Pickup Artist and how? Wait, that last one was off topic, but to answer, Carlos Carrasco, Carlos Carrasco, Simeon with negs and DHV spiking. Yes, saying these things about Carlos Carrasco is high praise. Lumping him in with a pregunta about The Pickup Artist is the ultimate. So why all the hype about Carrasco? Can he help your fantasy baseball team in 2009?

Um, dur. Yeah, of course. What was I just saying? He’s the real deal. The butter on your biscuit, the mustard on your hot dog, the donkadonk on your badonkadonk. He’s wrestled with an average WHIP but he has a nice K:BB and doesn’t give up many home runs. In the last year, he improved his walk rate… Oh my, I almost put myself to sleep. Let’s say this, Carrasco can be a difference maker in 2009 like Volquez was in 2008. The real hangup, will he be pitching in Lehigh Valley or Philly in 2009?

The Phils promoted Kyle Kendrick from Double-A last year and he was hardly a doughy bagel. Pursue Carlos Carrasco in your 2009 fantasy drafts. All of them. Hold on, I’m bring out the caps — ALL OF THEM. Now don’t make go get the exclamation mark. If Carrasco doesn’t make the club out of spring training, he’ll soon be there and will make an impact. If he does make the team but only as a long man out of the bullpen, he will soon be starting. Don’t worry about what the Phils will be saying out of spring training. Remember Evan Longoria in 2008. In March, the Rays said they wouldn’t bring him up just yet. Then he won the Rookie of the Year. (And I’m not talking about a DVD of that bad Gary Busey movie.)

James McDonald, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:41:18 +0000

Most of the rookie nookie reacharounds I’ve given out so far have been for hitters. But that doesn’t mean all 2009 fantasy baseball rookies will be hitters. Right, David Price? So today there’s Dodgers rookie pitcher, James McDonald, who is in no way related to the smooth-as-a-Mah-Jong-tile, Michael McDonald. On my own… As with the other 2009 rookies, James McDonald is not being talked about today because he should be drafted in the first round of an 8 team league. He’s a rookie that needs to be examined for sleeper and deep league keeper consideration. Can James McDonald compare to Billingsley or Kershaw? Can he help your fantasy baseball team in 2009? Who am I, Ms. Cleo? Do I have a Doctorate in The Voodoo That You Do? Respectively, nope, yup, nope and definitely, but let’s look at James McDonald’s fantasy baseball status anyway, shall we?

In almost 100 games started in his minors career, James McDonald has the stats of a capable starter: 3.41/1.20 and a 9.74 K/9 ratio. He took most of his beatings in Single-A and Rookie Ball. In Double- and Triple-A last year, he had an ERA of 3.26 and a 7-4 record. Then when the NLDS rolled around, McDonald found more than partially hydrogenated soybean oil in his Happy Meal when he was added to the roster by Joe Torre, even if it was just for middle relief. McDonald’s starter status in 2009 will be contingent on offseason free agent signings and the Dodgers are in too big of a market to simply rely on a rookie pitcher. But if they are stuck with McDonald, it might not be such a bad place to be. James McDonald could be a capable fifth starter for the Dodgers, a must grab in NL-Only leagues and a late round mixed league sleeper — recognize!

Andrew McCutchen, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:50:08 +0000

Andrew McCutchen has been compared to a young Barry Bonds. Not because he takes steroids and kicks puppies. He’s getting the comparisons because McCutchen is toolsy. Hey, Grey, my friend works at Home Depot and we call him Toolsy. Good to know, random italicized voice. McCutchen’s power is still developing and the speed is already there. He’s the top prospect for the Pirates (which is a bit like being the world’s tallest midget), as long as the Pirates don’t turn him into a crappy pitcher or lose him to the Calcutta Cricket League. (As some longtime readers may know, a few years ago I pitched a baseball reality show to studios. One of our biggest hurdles was who in their right mind would sign a winner of a reality show. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 Pittsburgh Pirates!) With the hype on McCutchen, can he help your fantasy baseball team in 2009?

The short answer is no. The long answer is nooooooo. The Pirates’ GM Neal Huntington said that McCutchen won’t be getting the starting job out of spring training. If McCutchen were playing for the Marlins, he’d prolly be going on his third year in the majors. In all fairness, there’s only room for one Mc in center (much to the chagrin of anyone named Seamus in the Pirates organization), and McLouth is doing just fine. There’s a good chance McCutchen will simply be refining his tools in the minors in 2009 and if he gets the call it won’t be until rosters expand in September. Unless something changes in spring training, McCutchen is only a very deep sleeper in 2009 NL-Only leagues and a good, late draft pick in keeper leagues.

David Price, 2009 Fantasy Outlook

Grey — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:54:57 +0000

We’ve already looked at some 2009 rookies for fantasy baseball, such as Travis Snider, Matt Wieters, Killa Kahula and Brett Gardner. Now we turn our monocled eye towards David Price. It took some time for the Rays’ farm system to pay dividends, but, now that it has, it’s a doughy bagel. (A doughy bagel is a situation that is very good for its kind; eminently good. I’m trying to get “doughy bagel” to catch on so use it whenever you can. Thanks!) The best thing about this doughy bagel farm system is they are stacked right now in the majors and they have prospects in the minors. And the Jewel of the Tampa Nile is David Price. He’s bona fide as a character in a bad Coen Bros film might say. Aw, look at Grey, he watched the World Series and now he’s hyped up on David Price for 2009. God, random italicized voice, I hate you. Yes, there’s a chance that the World Series will have people overrating David Price for 2009. But there’s a chance he can be as good as the hype.

When he was at Vanderbilt (Did you know Grey almost went there for undergrad? You did? Stalker!), Price was some kind of dynamo. Price’s numbers are those of legends. Then the Rays took him from High A to Double-A to Triple-A to the Majors in 2008 as they boosted his Frequent Flyer miles and primed him for 2009. Between those Minor League stops he went a cumulative 12-1/2.30 and 109/32 K/BB ratio in 19 starts. He suffered his only loss in his Triple-A debut. Not necessarily a terrific sign, but it might have been nerves. In 2009, I predict the Rays will try and get Price at least 20 starts. This could mean he starts the season in the bullpen and waits for an injury to a starter cough Kazmir cough. This will shake out more in spring training. If you’re drafting for 2009 before spring, grab Price like a third or fourth fantasy starter. Think Gallardo going into 2008. Yes, I used one of the biggest busts of 2008 on purpose because drafting Price means embracing risk. Anyway, Price should go in mixed leagues some time around draft pick 130 to 140. In AL-Only and keeper leagues, you obviously need to be much more aggressive.