2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft

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Rangers Think Adrian Is An Adonis

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 61 Comments

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Adrian Beltre signed with the Rangers for five years plus one contract year.  Hopefully, El Senator can turn the local economy around in 2016, until then don’t expect roads to be paved or new schools to open.  “We just don’t have the funding right now for more than 17 home runs.”  That’s Beltre next October talking to his constituents.  The problem Beltre threw at us with this signing is he’s going to be hitting in a park he historically does well in.  So on one hand, a guy that coasts for five years.  On the other hand, a comfortable hitting environment.  On a third hand that some of you might call a foot with finger toes, he’s really just a 25 homer, .275 hitter with some speed.  The steals give him a nice added boost, but are also pretty fickle.  He shouldn’t be counted on for anything over 7 steals.  Might get 12, might get 2.  The rankings that start on Monday will have my projections for everyone, but conservatively I’ll give Beltre 80/24/95/.285/7.  Definitely gives him more value than I expected from him about a month ago when I thought he would go to The Los Angeles Suburb of Los Angeles Angels and hit 18 homers and be a bust.  Of course, him even playing for the Rangers is contingent on no one rubbing his head.  Anyway, here’s some more moves around the league and what they mean for fantasy baseball:

Michael Young – Should play the majority of his time at DH, which will cause a domino effect.  Everyone will be going up to bat while Getto Jam plays.  Wait, checking Wikipedia.  No, that’s the Domino effect.  The Young to DH domino effect will mean Vladdy isn’t long for the pah-tee, as told through Mayor Quimby.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Position Eligibility for 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft, 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 115 Comments

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The 2011 fantasy baseball rankings are not as far away as you might think.  Right now, January Grey is throwing darts at a board to figure out where to place Edwin Jackson.  Exciting!  In the meantime, let’s look at the players who have multiple position eligibility for this upcoming 2011 fantasy baseball season.  This took me far longer than it probably should’ve.  Can’t someone write me a program that sorts all the players by games played at a position?

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Grey

Brewers Fix What Ales Them

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 34 Comments

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The peasant Royals decided to send their big bargaining chip for three chips and a chip to be named later.  This comes just days after Dayton Moore said Zack Greinke wasn’t happy and the Royals were going to trade him.  This is like Ted Hughes saying Sylvia Plath wasn’t happy so he was going to cheat on her.  (That was for our three girl readers and the guys who took Feminist Literature to try to get laid.  “I’m going to take Feminist Literature because it’s going to be just me and a bunch of chicks!”  Three months later, “The class is just me and chicks that hate me.”)  In 126 1/3 IP in interleague play, Greinke had a record of 10-6/4.42/1.24/112.  That includes some young years when Greinke was manhandled by depression like CT manhandled Johnny Bananas in The Gulag, it includes NL teams in AL parks and it includes some relief work.  I think he’ll be better on the Brewers.  He’s a better pitcher now.  I wouldn’t necessarily expect another automatic Cy Young year.  Let’s face it, that was a year for the ages for Greinke.  He will have a better offense and he won’t have to carry the entire starting pitching staff, which I imagine could be a drag if you don’t have the mental stamina.  After last year, Greinke was wavering between a fantasy #1 and #2.  Now there’s some shine back on him.  I’d expect a 3.50 to 3.75 ERA with a solid WHIP and Ks.  I’d have no qualms about drafting him as my first fantasy starter.  Anyway, here’s some more moves and what they mean for fantasy baseball:

Alcides Escobar – Traded to the Royals.  Doesn’t really change his value, he just needs to run.  Alcides was actually going to get a sleeper post today before this trade went down.  Now he’s getting a sleeper post tomorrow.  Stay tuned!  Or don’t!  These are your choices.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Halladay Cole Oswalt Sees Dead Hitters, Lee Sees Dead Presidents

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 99 Comments

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Cliff Lee not only signed with a team finally, he signed with the team that would give him the most value from the three rumored suitors. (BTW, Rumored Suitors would be an awesome R&B album title.  If you’re reading Jodeci, take it, it’s yours.)  Carlos Ruiz got a new battery mate and the Philly fans don’t have to throw batteries at anyone until at least 2013.  The Adverb’s return to Philly makes me think he can easily be a top ten starter in 2011.  The Mess and Gnats can’t hurt that.  Even in Citizens Flank he’s pitched, like, Excellent Lee — 2.52 ERA, 1.00 WHIP in 5 starts.  The Phillies now have the top three WHIPs for starters in the major leagues last year, with The Adverb coming in first with a 1.00.  A 1.00 WHIP in 212 1/3 IP goes a long way to helping a fantasy staff that is filled with Brain Freezes.  Wins are obviously unpredictable.  Somehow the Phillies have to lose at least 50 games.  And Lidge can only realistically be relied on for 10 of them.  For 2011, I’d give The Adverb the line of 16-6/2.95/1.05/190.  I.e., Fo’ realz?  I.e., Day-uhm.  I.e., Yup.  Anyway, here’s some more moves and what they mean for fantasy baseball:

J.J.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Red Sox Give Crawford Money To Buy Pirates

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 91 Comments

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Seriously, it’s cool and all for fans of the Yankees and Red Sox but doesn’t Bud Selig in his infinitesimal wisdom see that maybe something needs to be done to level out the playing field?  It’s all so short-sighted, kinda like how he turned a blind eye to steroids.  Diamondbacks give away Reynolds so they can save a few million.  Meanwhile, the Red Sox sign Carl Crawford for $142 million with a developing country bonus.  If he wins the MVP, they’ll buy him Guatemala.  “El Presidente can you steal a base for us?”  That’s what they’ll say in Guatemala.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Reynolds To Bring The K To The O’s

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 94 Comments

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Mark Reynolds was traded to the Orioles for two bullpen arms.  This hurts simply because I like to watch the Diamondbacks and don’t particularly enjoy watching the O’s.  Sorry, Jim Palmer can’t hold a candle to Mark Grace.  Reynolds and I had a bit of a love/hate thing the last two years.  Loved him prior to 2009, told everyone to avoid him prior to 2010.  So if I were a straight Saberhagenmetrician, I’d say we’re check raising to the bettor again for 2011, but I’m worried about how many bales of brays I want to heap on Mini Donkey (say that fast 117 times!).  Will he reach the highs of 2009 again or will he blunder his way to another 2010?  Like Monie and Malcolm, 2011 will probably be somewhere in the middle.  He’s not a sub-.200 hitter even whirling his bat at everything.  He was unlucky last year.  He’s not really a .260 hitter either, as he was in 2009.  He’s somewhere in the .230-.240 range.  His HR/FB last year wasn’t that far off his career average.  He’s a 35-homer guy, give or take some luck.  In some crazy small sample sizes like you’d find at a midget second hand store, he hasn’t been good in AL East ballparks, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that.  In a large sample size, he wasn’t good in Petco or Dodger Stadium either.  He’ll lose Coors and gain a slightly worse offense.  Though I think the O’s can be slightly better with a Wieters, Sparkakis and Jones bounce back.  At least 2 out of the 3 wouldn’t be bad, Meatloaf.  The AL East is a tough division, but it’s not like the pitchers in the NL West are a walk in the park.  All in all, it feels like a push on value with the league change, but a slight bounce back from 2010 should be expected.  Anyway, here’s some more moves and what they mean for fantasy baseball:

J.J.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

A-Gon Baby Gone

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 81 Comments

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The Padres finally put their offense on the offensive.  Only here the offensive definition is “causing anger, displeasure or resentment.”  Thanks, Merriam-Webster!  Adrian Gonzalez gets a small boost in value, if ‘small’ meant ‘could there be a better place for him to play?’  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist who gave up his job at JPL to study baseball stats to see the difference between Petco and Fenway.  In Fenway, there’s a giant freakin’ wall 310 feet down the line.  In Petco, there’s a memorial park in left field with a giant Nate Colbert statue that no one’s ever reached.  Wait, that was Kyle Blanks.  Last year, Fenway was 7th for most offense.  Petco was 26th.  I think A-Gon’s Home/Away splits over the last three years say all you need to know.  In 832 home ABs, 112/37/127/.257.  In 927 away ABs, 168/70/192/.310.  Yes, A-Gon can win the MVP in Boston.  I’m not going to belabor (any further) this point.  It’s a huge boon for A-Gon’s value if boon means what I think it does.  Youuuuk gets a small boost in value too now that he’ll be playing 3rd base, eligibility he was about to lose going into 2011.  Anyway, here’s some more recent moves and what they mean for fantasy baseball:

Casey Kelly – The prized piece in the A-Gon trade.  Stephen already went over his Casey Kelly fantasy.  Now that he gets to (eventually) pitch in Petco, his value bumps up, but he still looks at least a year away, if not more.  There’s probably at least three dozen prospects worth looking at before him in dynasty leagues.  There’s a few pitchers in the Padres system alone that are more interesting, in the short term at least.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Martinez To Smoke Comerican Spirits With Leyland

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 35 Comments

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I was in no rush to review the signing of Victor Martinez by the Detroit Tigers.  No, it wasn’t all the tryptophan.  Players going to a new club that won’t change their fantasy value doesn’t really float my boat.  So let’s talk about what’s really on my mind, what a crock of shizz Paranormal Activity was.  Hey, girlfriend, I have an idea, let’s put baby powder on the ground.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Marlin Fans Prepare For Omar Infante Bobblehead Night

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 49 Comments

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After realizing the 20% off Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon wasn’t redeemable for slugging 2nd basemen, the Marlins parted ways with Dan Uggla.  Now the Marlins have cut loose all the major objectors to Hanley Ramirez’s lack of hustle.  “Yo, I walk with a pimp limp so I can save my energy for when MTV Cribs visits my house.”  <– Not actual Hanley quote.  With the slashed payroll, Jeffrey Loria can get that seventeenth mansion he’s been eyeing.  Good time to be a Marlins fan!  Uggla is really one of those players whose value doesn’t change much with a trade.  30 homers — check!  Not a great average without some luck — check!  Owns douchey Ed Hardy clothing — check!  If anything, Uggla moving to Atlanta will only help his value.  He was better away from Whoever Will Pay The Most Money To Sponsor This Godforsaken Stadium down in Miami.  Last year, he hit .308 in away games and .264 in home games.  Also, he hit 19 of his 33 homers away from home.  Plus, he will be hitting in a better lineup.  For 2011, I see Uggla giving you a line of 90/32/100/.265/5.  Anyway, let’s see what other moves happened recently with fantasy baseball repercussions:

Omar Infante – Heads to the Marlins where he’s sure to be revered by the smartest fans in baseball.  (That’s why there’s only 20-something fans at each game.  They’re smart to stay home.)  Infante had a career year in 2010.  I don’t see him repeating it in Whoever Will Pay The Most Money To Sponsor This Godforsaken Stadium.  He’ll probably play 2nd base or 3rd base and be on and off your waivers all year.  If you’re drafting Infante, you ain’t no friend of mine.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Bill James’ Projections For 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft | 67 Comments

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Are crazy.  That’s continuing on the title.  They are just nuts.  Like the guy who stands on a milk crate carrying a giant sign about the apocalypse crazy. The room Bill James once shared with Chris Davis has a few new occupants.  Ryan Kalish’s line is 94/20/82/.271/43 in 582 ABs.  That reminds me of this joke I once heard.  It made so little sense that it made me laugh.  If Kalish got 800 ABs, he’s not approaching those steals.  Eric Young Jr.

Please, blog, may I have some more?