Fantasy Baseball Advice

There’s no Reyes, Rollins or Hanley on this list of shortstops.  This list is guys that can be had later in your drafts if you’ve punted shortstop or still are looking for a middle infielder.  Look at this as a supplement to the top 20 shortstops of 2009 fantasy baseball list.  If you’re feeling especially industrious, click on the players name to read more about them or to see their 2009 projections.  Anyway, here’s some shortstops to target for 2009 fantasy baseball:

Ryan Theriot/Jason Bartlett – Exactly the kind of late-round shortstop you should be targeting when you’re feeling light on speed.  They’d be a nice MI complement if you had Hardy as your shortstop.  And if you get scooped on Theriot, just grab Bartlett.

Brandon Wood – Earlier this offseason, I said this, “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.)”  And that’s me quoting me!

Clint Barmes – What if I told you he was going to out produce Yunel?  You’d say, “Is that a compliment?”

Julio Lugo/Jed Lowrie – I wanted Lowrie to get the job just to put some flare in my MI spot, but it doesn’t look like it’s happening.  Lugo looks like the man to beat at shortstop and he’s good for 25 steals.  Either man could be a late round sleeper for an MI spot in deep leagues.

Asdrubal Cabrera – Remember that movie Clueless when they said, “As IF!”  When I read this shortstop’s name, I always hear it with that inflection, “As DRUBAL!”  Hmm… I’m pushing the Drubal pretty hard this offseason.  Well, he’s a cheap MI candidate so put that in your pipe and smoke it!  If you were, ya know, Popeye or Sherlock Holmes.

The guys on this list are going after the 1st ten rounds in your 2009 fantasy drafts.  But, for the LP, I would absolutely draft Utley, Phillips, etc. if they fell to me at the right spot.   This is a supplement to the top 20 2nd basemen of 2009 fantasy baseball. These are 2nd basemen that I’ll be setting the ol’ crosshairs on at my 2009 fantasy drafts after the top options are gone.  Click on the player’s name where applicable to read more and see their 2009 projections.  Anyway, here’s some 2nd basemen to target for 2009 fantasy baseball:

PSYCHE!  Before we get to the 2nd basemen to target, small site update.  Frequent commenter and F.O.R., Figgy, made this fantasy baseball tiers thingamajack that I think some of you might be interested in.  Thanks, Figgy!  Make sure you scroll to the right on the fantasy baseball tiers thingamajack, it goes over.  It can also be found in the sidebar on the left under ‘Fantasy Baseball Features’ and under the 2009 fantasy baseball rankings at the top.  Okay, on to the 2nd basemen.

Jose Lopez – I really wanted to write a sleeper post about this doode.  I did.  I ended up not writing it because I just couldn’t find enough to get excited about.  If that sounds like the exact opposite thing you want to hear when looking for guys to target, it kinda is.  But these are 2nd basemen, so you’re not going to find an insanely valuable hidden gem like when Max, your Golden Retriever, pooped out your dead Nana’s broach.

Ian Stewart – Unfortunately, he’s not 2nd base eligible in a lot of leagues.

Mike Aviles – He’s a poor man’s Kelly Johnson.  That’s really not a big compliment, but, late enough in a draft, Aviles is worth a flier.

Rickie Weeks – If he doesn’t come down with a case of a strained something-or-other, potentially Mike Cameron at 2nd base.

Asdrubal Cabrera – Think about the giggles you’ll get from your 12-year-old cousin if you have Asdrubal and Pujols on the same team.

Mark Teahen – He doesn’t have eligibility yet but the Royals are trying him out at 2nd.  I wish they’d just go with Alberto Callaspo.  If Teahen wins the job, and I’m skeptical, he could offer some value at 2nd.  If Callaspo wins the job, I’m buying.  He can hit (and run while intoxicated) and he has speed.

Emmanuel Burriss – SAGNOF if he wins the job.

Felipe Lopez – Here’s one last guy who I haven’t discussed much on this site, which is for shame because I really like him this year.  The last time he played a full season in a hitter’s park he went 97/23/85/.291/15.  Now he’s had a lot of crappy seasons since then but he’s only 28 and he’s back in a hitter’s park.  If he goes 20/20 at 2nd base, you’ll be thanking me.  You’re welcome.

Is Evan Longoria a 2nd round pick?  Grey, me, I seemed to think so when I wrote up my 2009 fantasy baseball, top 20. Or did Grey, me, I get swept away with Evan Longoria like Guy Ritchie in the arms of Madonna circa 1999? Did I lose the ability to rank Evan Longoria like Guy Ritchie lost the ability to make a kickass Steadicam shot? Am I good for nothing, except taking care of Rocco and their other kid? (Speaking of spoiled brats, for my birthday I got a pair of Heely’s — Free Your Sole!  If any of youse care, I have not broken my neck. Yet.  I really need to hire an 8-year-old to teach me how to use these things. Then again, that might’ve been how Pedroia’s brother got into trouble.  But I digress.) Now I’m 2nd guessing my 2nd round pick of Evan Longoria and you’re running in to tell your Mom, “Grey’s second guessing his 2009 fantasy baseball top 20!  Is the world no longer round?!”  It’s still round, youngen.  We just need to dig a little deeper on Longoria.

First, let me say what has me looking at Longoria a lot harder.  The BBTF did a breakdown of the Rays with ZIPS projections.  They have Longoria’s projections at 78/28/91/.264/6.  Waaaaay back in January, I said Evan Longoria’s 2009 projections would be 85/30/110/.275/7.  As you can see, my projections are more optimistic.  When you, or at least when I, look at those other projections I begin to wonder if Aramis a round or two later is better value than Longoria. (If curious, I have Aramis’s projections at 105/30/115/.295 from the 2009 fantasy baseball, top 20 third basemen and ZIPS has Aramis at 84/27/100/.289/1)

Included in the BBTF charts is a player profile where it goes over the possibility of certain stats being reached by Longoria.  There’s a 33% chance of Longoria hitting .275+ (only a 7% chance of him hitting .300+).  There’s a 38% chance of him hitting 30+ HRs (actually an 8% chance of him hitting 40 HRs) and a 17% chance of 10+ steals.  So what I’m taking away from those odds and projections is Longoria’s not going to hit .300, but he has some power to spare (and a bit of speed).  Aramis has no speed, a bit less power and more average.  Also, Longoria’s younger and rising while Aramis is a few years older and apparently plateauing.  Longoria also has more risk than Aramis.

For fantasy purposes, I’ll take more home runs and steals over average every day of the week and twice on Muesday (that’s Monday after 5 and before noon on Tuesday).  So I said Evan Longoria is a late 2nd rounder and I still agree.  Phew, a restoration of F.I.G — Faith In Grey.

I’m not going to point out Brian McCann or Mauer or any other catchers you or your leaguemates will be looking at in the first 10 rounds.  Here are some catchers that I will be targeting at my 2009 fantasy drafts after the top options are gone.  I’m also not going to get into the strategy of punting catchers.  Been there, half-drunkenly wrote that.  Click on the player’s name where applicable to  read more and see their 2009 projections.  This is a supplement to the top 20 catchers of 2009 fantasy baseball.  Anyway, here’s some catchers to target for 2009 fantasy baseball:

Pablo Sandoval – I have his 2009 projections as 60/14/65/.300.  I think he can get to 17+ home runs without losing anything on the average side.  He’s not as appealing to me as a 3rd baseman or a swimsuit model.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia – Salty will see time at 1st base, DH and catcher.  He’s going after some stankworths as Inge, Pierzynski and Suzuki.

Taylor Teagarden – Even with Saltymochachino standing in his way I like him to get enough ABs to be worthwhile.  Teagarden is better with the glove and Blalock will get injured.

Chris Iannetta – Iannetta comes from a long line of Italian-American catchers, Napoli, Torre, Cannoli, Berra, Girardi, Piazza and Sal Falsano.  Mamma mia!  Now throwa chest protector ona Nicky Punto.

Jesus Flores – Flores para los muertes! Flores! Para los muertes!  Some pop, low average.

Jeff Clement – Great late flier for power.  If you were to take someone like Pierzynski over Clement, you deserve to lose your league.  Sorry, sometimes the truth stings.  You rub it with some lying-to-yourself ointment.

J.R. Towles – In 2008, I was off him like black off rice, but I haven’t mentioned him much, if at all, in 2009.  You just need to throw out 2008.  Pretend like it never happened.  Or pretend like the only part that happened was when he hit .304 in almost 50 games after his callback from the minors.   He has speed and some slight power.  The absolute best case scenario seems to be Russell Martin.  In the so-late-it-doesn’t-matter-anymore round, you turn your head to the East and you see no catchers by your side.  Then like JT accompanying TI, you turn your head to the West, still nobody in sight.  So you turn your head to the North, swallow that pill that they call pride and draft Towles.

Back in September, I said, “There’s so much to love about Fred Lewis. Let’s see… Power — check!  Speed — check!  A name that sounds like an 80’s sitcom character — check!  I’ll take Fred Lewis in the center square for the win.  Alas, Fred Lewis is about to undergo season-ending surgery on a foot bunion.  (The operating podiatrist hopes his patented Toe, Hairy and Curly procedure will one day be as recognized as Tommy John surgery.)  I still like Lewis for next year, but this is this year, fool!” And that’s me quoting me!  Let’s see why I still like Fred Lewis as a 2009 fantasy sleeper.

Similarly to a wah-wah storyline from a bad sitcom, Fred Lewis was bothered by bunions for most of last year.  It’s impossible to know how many bases Fred Lewis would’ve stole if not for the bunions, but I’m gonna guess more than the 21 he did steal.  He also missed quite a few games with this chronic foot-to-path disease.  It’s hard to say how many home runs he would’ve hit if he didn’t miss all of those games, but, like a foot, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say more than the 9 he did hit.  Now that your expectations are soaring, I’m gonna knock them down a bit.  With extra at-bats and less luck, Lewis probably won’t hit the .282 he hit last year.   Cuz, see, his BABIP was a bit too high, even for a chop and run hitter.  Also, he’s already 28 years old, last year (with extra games) is about as much as we can expect from him.  I’d put Lewis’s 2009 fantasy projections at about 95/12/50/.270/25.  Those are a bit optimistic, but they’re not fall off from some outfielders going much higher in 2009 drafts.  Fred Lewis should be good, as long as he’s got these bunions beat — “Get your feet checked.  You big dummy!”