Do we know look at the Pittsburgh Pirates as a true contender instead of the team that had 20 straight losing seasons? For the most part, yes, but there are still skeptics out there. For the first time in a long time, the Pirates entered Spring Training with no real position battles…yet. The team surprised brass around baseball when they walked away the winner in the Jung-ho Kang bidding, but as of now, the powerful Korean [Jay’s Note: Hey, that’s my nickname!] is going to back up Jordy Mercer at short and Josh Harrison at third base…
Pittsburgh Pirates
Manager Clint Hurdle said that he expects Kang to be a regular bat in the lineup, when the time is right.
In his first game of the spring, Kang showed that the time could be right now, as he showed off his high leg kick with an opposite field bomb. Can Kang overtake Mercer, who MLB Network ranked as the sixth best shortstop in the league, this year?
Also, at first base, Pedro Alvarez is the starter, with Corey Hart spelling him against southpaws. Alvarez has worked with former Pirates first baseman Kevin Young on the position, and he has a new approach at the plate, trying to hit to all fields.
Relevance: Alvarez is going to outperform his ADP by a ton. He should be grabbed in the late rounds of standard drafts and is a viable corner infielder, if needed. Kang should be owned in dynasty formats, and he isn’t a bad stash to see what you have if your roster space permits it.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are going to the World Series. At least that’s what it seems like with all of the hype. Let’s cut to the chase, here. Yes, we want to know what Asimendy Alcantara is going to play, but the real person to watch here is a name you may not have heard of before… Kris Bryant.
Oh wait, you have? My bad.
Bryant, who by all accounts is the MVP of Spring Training, is going to start the year in the minors, but he shouldn’t, dammit. Well, at least for fantasy purposes he shouldn’t, but for real-life baseball reasons, yes, he should.
However, Bryant will take the George Springer approach from last year, as we’ll see him in the big leagues at the end of April or the beginning of May, at the latest. His arbitration clock will start sooner, but keeping him down there for those few weeks will push back his free agent clock.
Starting the year at third base will be Mike Olt. Remember him? He’s the prize that the Cubs got in the Matt Garza deal from the Texas Rangers. Nothing personal, Mike, but I hope your stay there is short.
Relevance: I try not to overreact to spring numbers, but I’m moving Bryant up my draft boards into the 12th round. While his average will hover around .240 or so, 30 home runs is a true possibility.
Cincinnati Reds
In the Queen City, I expect a major bounce back season from the Reds, as Joey Votto and Jay Bruce should return to their former selves. Brandon Phillips won’t, but if you’re drafting Brandon Phillips, stick to auto draft, please.
There isn’t much to see here, but I’m keeping an eye this spring on Homer Bailey and Tony Cingrani, as I want to see how both progress. I’m not ready to bury Cingrani yet, despite his horrible sophomore season. Bailey I have my concerns about, but if he progresses, I’ll probably fall victim to drafting him again.
Relevance: Both are better than Jason Marquis, Paul Maholm and Dylan Axelrod. Bailey can be drafted around the 12th or 13th round in mixed formats, while Cingrani can be a reserve-round pick or a flier late in drafts.
Milwaukee Brewers
I was all-in on the Brewers last year, and aside from Jean Segura, who has late-round value, I like them again this year. One of my favorite plays in DFS this year is going to be Adam Lind at first base.
The lefty can rake against righties, and trust that he’ll get 95 percent of the at bats against them, barring injury. His only competition at first is Jonathan Lucroy, who will spell him against lefties.
Relevance: Lind is a good find in daily leagues where you can sub him in and out of your lineup with ease. Also, in DraftKings or FanDuel, he’s a cheap, resourceful option at first base.
St. Louis Cardinals
My friend asked if I wanted to join a pool that he’s doing, where we pay $10 and can pick any team we want in the league to win the World Series. Winner takes all. While I’m probably not going to do it, I would take the Cardinals if I did.
For my figurative and literal money, there’s no better team in the league. Yes, closer is a question mark with the unreliable, yet high-potential Trevor Rosenthal, but barring injury, I don’t see another team beating them in the World Series.
Yes, it’s March.
The real battle with the Cardinals is for the fifth spot in the rotation. Is it Carlos Martinez or Marco Gonzales?
Martinez is the favorite here, and the potential for him is through the roof. He struggled last year, and not just on Twitter, either. He posted a 2-1 record in seven starts, with an ERA of 4.45 and a WHIP of 1.63.
Gonzales picked up two extra wins last year, but his peripherals weren’t much better than Martinez’s.
Relevance: I would be surprised if Martinez didn’t get the nod here, and he’s worth a speculative add to see what’s there.
