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Some random observations as I prep for 2 normal drafts and 1 Razzball draft in the next couple days…

Is there anything more fruitless than trying to make preseason trades? Unless someone did auto-drafts or accidentally picked a guy, we all picked our players for a reason. We think they’re good value at that pick. We also didn’t pick the guys that other teams chose because we didn’t think they were good value. It’s like watching two old farts fight over whose grandchildren are cuter…

What’s all the hype in the last week about Yunel Escobar? So what that he’s had a good spring. This guy’s 25, had a mediocre year in AA in 2006, and had a solid AAA/MLB 2007 but didn’t exhibit great power or speed (7 HR / 12 SB in about 500 AB). Not only do I find him less inspiring than Howie Kendrick but I don’t really see any difference b/w him and waiver pick Yuniesky Betancourt who is 10 months younger, has 2 full years under his belt, and has produced similar stats. Net-net, Escobar could be good this year but I wouldn’t pick him in the first 19 rounds of any 10-12 person draft.

I wonder how much the initial draft rankings one uses influences their picks. So if someone starts with Yahoo or ESPN and they have someone overrated (like, say, Renteria), does his presence up at the top of the queue influence you to pick him higher than you otherwise would. I just start from scratch these days and check MockDraftCentral for ADP info…

I think most fantasy baseball players overrate HR/SB over R/RBI. Why the fuss over a guy who can give you 20/20 if his other stats aren’t great? I prefer 5-stat players as much as the next guy but I don’t think they exist aside from A-Rod and David Wright. Makes me think that R/SB and HR/RBI guys are better bargains than HR/SB guys…

Why does Grey hate Eric Karabell so much? Karabell seems like a nice guy. If you’re going to hate on a pundit, hate on Brad Evans over at Yahoo! Not for his advice (which I don’t really buy but to each their own) but for his painful writing…

Man, I better do well in my ‘expert’ leagues or I’m going to look like an ass next spring…