The Cubs Have Been Out-Foxed
December 04, 2009
Category: 2010 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper
Usually on Fridays the royal we brings you fantasy baseball keepers, but we interrupt your regularly scheduled programming for Jake Fox, the man who made the phrase “Unathletic like a fox” almost make sense. Looks like the Cubs decided to unload their DH since they play in the National League, sending Jake Fox and Aaron Miles for Jeff Gray. ($5 says the Cubs had Milton Bradley change his name to Aaron Miles to get rid of him.) Now the A’s reporters can find and replace Cust’s name for Fox’s and just recycle old articles. “Jack Cust Jake Fox homered and struckout in the A’s four-run seventh inning.” Since Jake Fox has 3rd base eligibility in fantasy, it doesn’t really matter where the A’s play him. DH him all you want. Like a Newport cigarette, Jake Fox is now alive with pleasure. Should now get 500 ABs. This will either be terrific or all the people who were screaming to let The Fox out of his cage will suddenly realize The Fox needs to go back in the cage for batting practice. I’m on the fence for how it’ll all work out once he’s exposed. He’s not going to win a batting title, but he could be a cheap Branyan. If that sounds boring, then you’re not in a 12 team league or deeper. For 2010, I see a line of 75/24/85/.250 with the possibility of more on the power side. Definitely worth a flier. Let’s look at some other minor trades and how they’re going to affect 2010 fantasy baseball:
Billy Wagner – Stop three on the NL East Tour pulls into Atlanta. Right on his heels, Takashi Saito was signed by the Braves, too. Wagner will be the closer with Saito being the first pickup all Wagner’s owners make in April. Wagner will be in the bottom of the donkey-corns to start the season and should be underrated on draft day. He’s no guarantee to stay healthy but saves are saves are saves.
Placido Polanco – Crapolanco could play in a gravitational acceleration chamber that mimics the moon and he’d go 8/8 while batting .300. What a waste of that great hitter’s park. It’s like sous vide-ing a wet sock.
December 4th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Miles has been vanquished. A glorious day indeed.
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December 4th, 2009 at 12:40 am
“Sous vide-ing a wet sock”!!!
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December 4th, 2009 at 1:10 am
The big news on Polanco is the effect on Victorino – I believe this acquisition means he is going to bat 7th, sapping his value and making him unworthy of even a clever nickname.
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December 4th, 2009 at 1:22 am
If Beane likes trading with your team, you need to realise it’s not because he enjoys sitting on the sofa in your office.
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@Freak: You sound like you’re dining at Medieval Times.
@DrEasy: Hey, someone else watches Top Chef. Nice!
@GlennGulliversTravels: It would really only sap his Runs and give him perhaps more RBIs, if he does end up on the short end of the stick. Might also have him running more. But I also hope Polanco bats 7th more than Victorino.
@Steve: Ha!
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December 4th, 2009 at 8:07 am
@Grey:
polanco at the bottom of the order …. for sure .
@Steve:
beane’s still an ass .
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December 4th, 2009 at 8:22 am
@big o:
better , we should have this guy .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoSJ2rvc7OQ&feature=related
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@big o: More like Mr. Bean with his head in a turkey.
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December 4th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Polanco makes no sense for Philly. A tweak move. No pop. No speed. I feel worse about this move than I did when the Phillies traded Polanco and replaced him with David Bell. How is that for irony? How could BA’s #4 farm system have nobody coming up to play 3B?
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@Steve @ MLB Fantasy Prospects: Total yawnstipating move.
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December 4th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
underyawnstipation of the hot stove thus far. Is Cust a fa? How are they going to fit 350k’s in that park?
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@cws05nuts: A’s are shopping Cust hard. Might go to the Mets.
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December 4th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
@Grey: Clearly not a case of Cust Stayin’.
I know big o hates Beane, but you watch him get somthing usable for Cust.
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December 4th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Insurance for Delgado? Who is the of? frenchy, beltran, and Church/cust?
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December 4th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Random trade question too. What do you think about shipping Mauer, Holliday, Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, and A Hill for Lincecum and Pujols? Giving up too much?
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December 4th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
And just chalk full of questions today. You joining Rudy for the fantasy baseball roundtable draft tonight?
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@cws05nuts: Church is crap/Delgado’s not coming back.
It’s too much to give up.
re: draft — I’m doing a 12/7 draft with those guys.
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December 4th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Cool cool… I know this can go on the board but I’m too lazy. My roommate and I were thinking of stepping outside the home league this summer and splitting a team in one of the conglomerateish nfbcesque money leagues. Any recommendations or preferences…
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@cws05nuts: I’ve never played in any of them. I’m sure it’s on the up and up, but it always gave me the feeling that it was in some way a scam. Made for AFCs. I’m probably wrong though.
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December 4th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
@Grey: With Figgins out of LA, who gets the 3B job in LA?
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@Simply Fred: I would hope Wood.
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December 4th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
@Grey:
much better than hoping for wood .
the distinction is that you are more quotable , now .
http://mlbfantasyprospects.typepad.com/
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December 4th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Figgins signs with M’s, $36 Million, 4 year deal
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December 4th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Fantasy Irrelevence: Greg Zaun signs with Brewers.
Grey, what do you think about Figgins’ fantasy value with the M’s?
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@GopherDay: His value doesn’t change. Maybe a few more runs because of a weaker lineup, but not much difference.
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December 5th, 2009 at 8:15 am
I can’t think of a joke to recommend this. It’s just downright awesome.
Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No by James Blagden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUhSYLRw14).
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December 5th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Oops. The pasted url included the end parentheses and period. Try:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUhSYLRw14
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@royce!: Yeah, saw that. Loved to see the live footage.
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December 5th, 2009 at 9:34 am
capt. caveman is running a fast mock draft on tuesday , dec 29th @ 9 pm
14 teams … 2 min 22 sec per move .
pick your own draft position .
some spots still available .
here’s the link :
http://www.couchmanagers.com/mock_drafts/?draftnum=2657
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December 5th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I was bored, 10 team 5X5 mock at MDC, rankings are still pretty F’d up. Drafting at the turn #10.
1- Ryan Howard
2- Lince
3-Youk
4- J. Upton
5-wainy
6-jeter
7-cruz
8-abreu
9-beckett
10- soria
11-soto
12-kershaw
13-bruce
14- Bills
15- robot jones
ian stewart, wandy, capps, branyan, doumit, headley, frank x2 and johnny P round out the draft….
not bad, i really like my staff, i normally draft H2H, and wouldn’t go this pitching heavy…. i hate jeter, hate taking lince early, wouldnt take abrue either….
but it was a mock…. thoughts?
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December 5th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
@tony:
trade for some SB ‘s , or , lose the category every week
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December 5th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
@tony:
oops ,
read it wrong .
still , weak on SB ‘s .
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December 5th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
@tony: You got billingsley in the 14th round?
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@tony: I like your team. For a 10 team league, you should probably be even stronger on offense than you are. I do agree with Big O, you don’t have many steals.
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December 6th, 2009 at 8:14 am
@tony: who is wainy?
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@AL KOHOLIC: Wainwright
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December 6th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Ethics question:
You have number one waiver priority and your buddy has number two, but it’s past the trade deadline. Can you work out a one-for-one deal and both drop the players involved?
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@brett: That’s pretty shady.
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December 6th, 2009 at 10:39 am
@big o: @Grey: @GopherDay: yep bills is going late, people loved him last year now he has a weak second half and he’s garbage? he’s gotta be worth at least a 9th round slot?
Kinda weak on SB’s, BUT…. i do have j-upton, cruz, abreu, jeter, and garret jones, not too shabby, i coulda snaked nyjer morgan or raja at one point and probably should have, but overall i felt pretty good.
Again with the ranks being messed up i dont think guys like BILLS fall to the 14th, even tho it was just a 10 team mock. There was a couple comp drafters too, which throws things off.
Spring fever has set in, and Xmas isn’t here yet.
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December 6th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
@Grey: Yeah, fair enough. The idea’s always intrigued me but i don’t think i’d try it without running it by my league (which would get me nowhere anyway).
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December 6th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
@Grey: What do you expect for J.Gomes this year. Seems to have 30-HR pop and a full-time job? (not over-looking Stubbs, just want a line for Gomes). Thanks!
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December 6th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
@brett: Do it, that’s priceless strategy. Bill Belichick would…………….
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December 6th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
@BigFatHippo: a shark in hippo disguise
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December 6th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
@Simply Fred: I learned from the Scott Boras manuscript……..”How to screw people and make friends for Dummies.”
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December 6th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
@brett: its kinda dirty, kinda not, you BOTH are losing your waiver priorities, which depending how things shake out might hurt you more than NOT making the trade.
By you both dropping and both losing your priority you’re giving others in the league an advantage so i say it all equals out.
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@Simply Fred: Gomes is a platoon player.
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December 6th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
@Grey: thanks
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December 6th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
@Simply Fred: Your best course of action is to let me pick him up and then get him when I drop him in disgust a few days later, for he (along most other FA pickups) is then contracturally obligated to go on a tear.
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December 6th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
@Simply Fred: Already have that in my top ten roto strategies; #1 I think.
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December 6th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
@Steve: @Simply Fred: Ha! Good strategy! Of course, my curse is that I’ll pick up a player going on a hot streak and the day I pick him up he goes cold. But of course I give him a couple of days to recover. By then I drop him in disgust to go on another hot streak.
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