The Sciosciapath, Arte Moreno and Arte Moreno Jr., played by Scott Schwartz (Flick from A Christmas Story and later the porn movie, A Trystmas Story), got together and declared Kole Calhoun their starting right fielder. You know what they say: just about half of opportunity and fortunately are ortun. They make a good point. Oddly enough, Scott Schwartz and Kole Calhoun look eerily alike. Well, anyone that looks like Scott Schwartz is eerie looking, but that’s beside the point. Up until last year, Kole Calhoun was best known as the great-great-nephew of John C. Calhoun. Unfortunately, he didn’t inherit his hair. Fortunately, he also didn’t inherit his racism. Last year, Kole broke from his Confederate past and put together a mighty fine year in only 52 games in the majors — look that way –> 8 homers, .282 and 2 steals, after hitting 12 homers, .354 and stealing 10 bases in Triple-A through 59 games. A guy that had 20 homers and 12 steals between Triple-A and the majors in less than 120 games should be on more radars, but his name equals crickets, and not the kind that rub their hands together, those are praying mantises. Don’t praying mantises look like they’re getting into mischief? Eh, maybe it’s me. So, what can we expect of Kole Calhoun for 2014 fantasy baseball and what makes him a sleeper?
Josh Hamilton, Alex Rios and Bryce Harper are just some guys that he had more home runs than in the 2nd half. More runs than Beltran, Yoenis; more RBIs than Carlos Gomez, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Upton, Harper and Beltran again. I tried to limit this group of players to guys who had more at-bats than Calhoun too. Okay, anyone can give us three months of stats, but looking deeper at his numbers and they look similar to his minor league ones. Solid walk rate, always held a good batting average and has better speed than the two steals with the Angels even indicates. He also has all of the character traits — ‘gutsy,’ ‘has heart,’ ‘gumption’ — that you usually find with short players, which limits his ceiling, and that’s not another vertically challenged crack. He’s not going to hit 25 homers or steal that many bags. He’s not a ginger Carlos Gonzalez. He gets on base, hustles and has 15-homer pop. If he gets lucky on homers per fly balls, he might hit 20. For 2014, I’ll give him the line of 68/14/62/.289/10 with a chance for more. Definitely more of an AL-Only play, but I could see him surprising and moving up to the two hole in front of Pujols. Wouldn’t the two hole be the Pujols? I don’t now, a life question for you to ponder. Geez, 2014 is a contemplative year already.
Standard 5×5 keeper league. Trying to decide who to keep between Billy Hamilton and Domonic Brown. I’m so intrigued by Hamiltons 80 SB upside, but I realize Brown is the safer pick. Who has the better year/worthy of keeping in 2014? Thanks
Hamilton
Nice. Diggin’ deep for another Pujols pun. I fear for the state of scatalogical humor when he retires. (May we still have Fister…)
@JP: Nice Tourists Avatar!
Haha
FYI, I have seen him listed as the leadoff guy by several people and even hinted at by the Sciosciapath. They want Trout in the two hole (Pujole?)
That would be nice…
@Grey: Grey, love your stuff! Where do you think Trout benefits the most from a fantasy perspective, batting first or second?
Six of one half dozen of another, but probably 1st…
@Grey: Gotcha. Thanks!!!
No problem
“Wouldn’t the two hole be the Pujols?” mind = blown
Hehe
also question, so with this announcement, i’m guessing this pushes Shuck to merely a backup role once Hamilton goes down, or Pujols goes down and Calhoun shifts to 1st?
Greyskull – where does C.J. Cron fit into the mix this year in Anna Hyme??
He doesn’t probably…
“THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL RIGHT NOW AS I SIT IN A FUNERAL PARLOR BECAUSE IT’S A SNOWSTORM”
HA!
Just got outta the church… Why am I here? It’s a snowstorm…
@Grey: me with Al is telling me that you will be in the negative degrees this evening…stay warm friend, stay warm…
Yeah, it’s silly cold here and I’m standing in a cemetery…
I was gonna write “Calhoun… meh.” Then looked at his minor league stats – ISO over 200 at all levels, nice BB rates, reasonable K rates. Any idea how he does vs LHP – can he avoid platoon?
Trade Q: give Uehara, get Cingrani or Salazar in keeper league (keep 3 yrs max). Go for it? If so – prefer one of those SPs over the other?
Love the sleeper/prospect blurbs – keep ’em coming!
I’d take Cingrani… Calhoun is a little guy so his upside is limited, pun unintended…
@ Grey :
damn few , in that clubhouse , have lived up to expectations .
something psy-un-kool-logical going on over there .
@costaricanchata: truthism…
Let’s hope not…
More for the contemplation file…what is courage?
“all we know for sure is that hell will be a viciously overcrowded version of Phoenix” ~HST
*I don’t know… at the end of blurb
Courage is going to an Italian funeral in a snowstorm…
@Grey: I like it!
My sympathies…
Thanks!
@Grey: When in a snow storm in a cemetery at a Italian funeral you have to think about your end game. It’s always August in hell or Jersey take your pick..
Worse, I’m in Delaware…
Calhoun-amatata…Despite being a lefty, Calhoun handled them pretty well last year. With Cowgill and Shuck, I just hope the Sciociopath doesn’t get cute…oh who am I kidding, Mike is always cute! I meant I hope he doesn’t go full retard and make it a major timeshare with those three. Definitely a target of mine in my deep keeper league.
Yeah, let’s hope not…
Looks like the fantasy upside of one Jackie Bradley Jr., little more power, little less speed…a lot less hype.
Definitely less hype, more power too…
What is Rudy Gamble up too?? I have not seen him on here commenting in a while. Is he is a dark padded room somewhere writing code while whispering “2014 is my year” … Great work as always. How long does it take you to write tbe daily write ups. And how much time do you spend working for the sight a week? Is it a full time gig? Do you ever get sick of looking at numbers and analyzing stats and players?
@Justin: Dame phone. I meant site*
So many questions! Rudy’s around, has a post coming next week… I don’t know how much I work on the site… More than any sane individual prolly…
Hey Grey, if you had to pick 1 to keep, who? It’s a league that has BB as a cat.
AGon, Holliday, Kinsler
Currently have Cutch, Goldy as my other keepers
Kinsler
Sciociopath will give us all the Shuck and jive this year and make Calhoun owners pull their hair out like Giancarlo owners last year. I think long term he is their guy but I also think the others will get PT to display for trade bait. We must remember that the same manager and GM are in place in the OC which leads me to think frustipation rosterbation is the only way to choke your Calhoun
@J-FOH: “ALL PROSPECTS REQUIRE PROSPBLOCKS, unless they can sell jerseys.” Sciosciapath Edict
@Yeshcheese: a prosblock blocked by a pospect, a vortex is forming in Anaheim of not LA
Haha… Hope you’re wrong…
hey razzers…I was running some numbers last night just looking for some sleepers of my own and I had a holy cow who knew moment…
Raise your hand if you knew Nate Scheirholz hit 21 homers last year. Only 60 players cracked the 20 mark. Nate did it in 503 PAs. He ISO’d .219, ahead of Jay Bruce, Jason Worth, Adam Jones, Robbie Cano and Justin Upton, to name a few. And he gave you 6 bags. There’s a solid chance he’s going to not only be a regular, he might hit 3rd or 4th for the Cubs.
@OaktownSteve: well I picked him up and dropped him about 21 times…
@OaktownSteve: *raises hand* He had a ridiculous year and I used him in a couple of Oaktown Steve Stacks. I did not know the ISO numbers but was shocked when I saw where he placed at the end of the year. Are you going to write a one time stack article for this coming year?…please…please. This should be shared
@J-FOH:
Stack attack, baby
@OaktownSteve: the real gem I took away from last year
@J-FOH:
The basic idea is you’re more likely to get production from a bad player against a bad pitcher in a good ballpark than from a fair to good player against a good to very good pitcher in a bad ballpark.
Yeah, sneaky platoon type guy… You do have to bench him half the time though…
@Grey:
classic RCL player
Yup
@OaktownSteve: nice pic…
@Wake Up:
I’m sleuthing for sleepers
@OaktownSteve: belated Happy New Year to you!
@OaktownSteve: He slugged .245 vs. lefties, .499 vs. right. some folks projecting him to sit vs. lefties, understandably.
keep after it…i like the way you think!
“He also has all of the character traits — ‘gutsy,’ ‘has heart,’ ‘gumption’ — that you usually find with short players, which limits his ceiling” damn that gumption! Always making busts out of my prospects!!
Hehe
Happy new year, Sir Grey!
When you work on your rankings, what program are you using to arrange/rearrange the players? Is it Excel, or like some online app somewhere? Just wonderin’/thinkin’ about messing about on my own – since our ESPN league doesn’t open up for business for another couple long wintry months.
I’m just writing them out… Happy new year!
@Grey: I’m using college.ruled, as well…
Works for me!
@Grey:
So in cursive or what?
Haha.. right on. Or should I say write! on… No – no, I should not say that.
@Goose: haha…nice…please share if you find a helpful program…
Yes, sir… I mean *cursive* no sir…
would I be better off either with
1. frazier trade (for my lowrie), possibly getting a pick thrown in.
or
2. trading lowrie to fister owner, which would allow me to possibly trade one of my SP not named Sale (e.santana/kuroda/estrada/erasmo) and throwing in Legares to get Yelich. Yelich owner is willing to move him for SP and worse than Yelich OF’er.
1
guy who lost navarro to psychotic bidder who put up 6 million each year for 2 years on him (probably dumbest of all the bids) is coming after me for my ellis (C). I already have D’Arnaud and will be bidding something on Pinto when our restricted free agency starts after our draft (probably early-mid Feb). Would I rather have Asche or Boneface (asche would be 2nd starter at CI, if I don’t go for frazier first. boneface would start at MI after I trade Lowrie for something, fister or frazier)
Asche
@Grey: i’m guessing it would go like this too frazier>asche>boneface, but if I can get frazier than boneface for my ellis is also good.
I like Asche the best for dynasty…
@Grey: asche over lowrie as well? this guy said he’d take ellis with something else for asche or boneface str up for ellis. was about to try to move lowrie for frazier but i’m guessing I could move move ellis and lowrie for boneface and asche, likely (possibly even getting pick(s) thrown in)
Take Asche
@ Grey :
these are hectic times for all of us
(btw … sorry for your lost) .
am re-posting this link .
tomorrow is the day .
http://news-hound.net/january-4th-2014-planetary-alignment-decreases-gravity-float-for-5-minutes/
@costaricanchata:
*edit
lost = loss
@costaricanchata: so that’s 3:47 am tonight if central u.s. time zone. i will stop the poker game for this.
Wait… So wat time do i start jumping?? Hopefully madams doesnt do this, we’ll have the 89 quake all over again.
@Prez: where do you live Prez?
@Aubrey Plaza’s Pillow: norcal. Bay area.
@Prez: it’s No Cal
@J-FOH: No Cal > So So Cal
Or one sexy jiggle…
@Grey: oh geez, i’d rather him jump! Haha
Ha… A floating moob spectacle is high art…
I’m ready to float! Thanks, but wasn’t a close family member…
@costaricanchata: soo 6:47 am for west coast? Hmm… Im gonna start bouncing around now..
@Prez: no, it would be 5:47 am for west coast u.s. 3:47 for central u.s.
@goodfold2: yeah im gonna be bouncing in my dreams at that time.. haha
rut – roh
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/geekquinox/sorry-folks-jupiter-pluto-won-t-let-float-164844598.html
@costaricanchata:
can’t i have anything nice ?
@costaricanchata: I tried to gently break this to you the first time you posted this…
Too late, I’m floating right n…o…w…
you’re still my hero grey
Grimey!
Speaking of Angels sleepers, would you consider Ibanez a sleeper??
Nope
Hola Grey –
Hope you rang in 2014 wonderfully. Looking forward to another season of beisbol with you and the razzball gang.
FYI – I’m setting up a 14 team SLOW MOCK draft over at Baseball Cafe (Baseball Leftovers). Feel free to check out and join it if your schedule permits. Always some good minds over there and would welcome yours getting into the mix as well.
Here’s the link: http://www.fantasybaseballcafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=464806
If you don’t have time, no worries – just thought I would offer as its a nice little exercise to do in early January to help with the prep.
Grey and company, love me some Razzball. I’m getting down to biz early this season, and have an important trade question. 10 team keeper league. Going several years strong and we’re turning it into a dynasty league. I have an offer on the table of Anthony Rizzo/Matt Adams/Y.Cespedes for Prince Fielder. That’s a lot of value for 1 guy. Should I take it, or roll with Prince who’s moving to a nice fat lineup in a hitters park? Thanks in advance for your advice!
Take Rizzo and Co.
@Grey: sounds like a car lot.
@Grey:
Thanks. Think Rizzo and Adams are on the way up?
https://razzball.com/anthony-rizzo-2014-fantasy-sleeper/
https://razzball.com/matt-adams-2014-fantasy-sleeper/
@Grey:
Touché :)
Machado $2 sale $4 and buxton minors too much to give for trout $2? Auction league w insane inflation.. Thanks.
I’d want Trout
My $260 Auction H2H AL & NL only leagues are in a bit of quandary and am reaching out to the Razzball Nation for help. Every year we have issues with lopsided deals at the trade deadline involving players with expiring contracts and/or FA pick ups. Although “C” players retain their $ value, FA pick ups are $0 and we still have owners trading away top tier players for a prospect or cheap lower levels players. Our league has trade challenges in place but that is sometimes tough because we all evaluate players and trades differently. We’ve talked about the idea of obtaining the services of a separate site to evaluate trades but is not a popular choice.
What are other people doing? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
You want to stop people from making trades to better their team?
@Grey: No, not at all – just stop owners from getting a player(s) that changes the balance of power by only giving up a prospect(s) that may or may not pan out. For example, Patrick Corbin was a FA pick and the owner who was out of playoff contention traded him for Christian Yelich. Corbin was a top 5 starting pitcher at the time. Another example, Y. Alonso and A. Rendon were traded for A-Gone.
Yeah, and Yelich is a big prospect who is a hitter and Corbin was pitching over his head… A-Gon’s on his way down and Rendon is a solid prospect…
@Grey: Thanks, Grey.
No problem
I have awoken from my fantasy slumber for Kole Calhoun news. Think I got the AM/PM screwed up on my phone alarm again….
Night
Hey Grey,
A keeper question in an 8 team league. Would you trade David Price for Gerrit Cole?
Thanks.
Nope
@EVERYONE: IS THERE ANY PLACE TO DO MOCK DRAFTS OTHER THAN MOCKDRAFTCENTRAL? THAT SITE SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY SITE WITH LIVE PPL DRAFTING …
NOT SURE
@Anthony: http://couchmanagers.com/
ciriaco or dobbs? bad options here as backups until unrestricted free agency.
Ciriaco
olt or almora worth beltran in dynasty league?
Nope
@Grey: just in case, I meant carlos beltran. I’m guessing in June or July his trade market (unless he’s hurt of course) should be pretty good to teams trying for the extra push. He should hit a lot or homers/rbi’s in NYY.
Is there another Beltran?
@Grey: there are some prospects (miguel, francis) I was like 97% we were talking about the same guy, just wanted to make sure.
last night , i fell asleep in a chair out on the porch
in front of my computer .
at precisely 3:47 am , i awoke and jumped to my feet ,
only to hit my head on the ceiling .
cust .
I awoke at precisely 3:47 AM and was finally able to clean the top side of my ceiling fan…
in unrelated news :
less than a week into the new year ,
rumor has it that , on the streets of denver ,
the black-market price for a bag of oreos
has risen to $20 .
Stop reading the urban legend sites!
Grey-
I have Chris Davis in the last year of his rookie deal in a deep, OBP rather than AVG, keeper league (AL only). I’m moving him for a prospect because I don’t have a shot this year. You can keep a minor leaguer on the farm as long as you want until you bring him up and he automatically gets a 6 years, $1 contract. To compare, Davis will probably get a $60 deal after next year. Obviously, prospects are extremely valuable and rosters are deep (I have 40 minor leaguers). Only a few teams are willing to part with prospects for someone with one year remaining on the deal. I’ve been offered Singleton. I’m on the fence since this past season, despite winter league performance and I did read your piece on Singleton. Help! OBP/AL only league!
You always have a shot in January…. I would want Davis over Singleton…
@Grey:
Even though it’s 6 years of Singleton for basically free?
Find someone else to trade for… Singleton could be a Chris Carter-like…
asche > davidson (WSOX) or no? Now that other teams heard wind of me moving Lowrie i’m entertaining other offers.
Yes
Hey Grey,
Another keeper question. Would you trade Harper for Profar? I’d rather keep Harper.
Harper side, it’s not close…
We should be expecting Grey’s Top 10 for 2014 tomorrow, right? I hope you’ve had enough time to sleep off the honeymoon and the new year by now. January Grey awakens!
Anyway, this is my best guess at what tomorrow’s post will look like:
1) Cabrera. No reason to go against what works. Losing Fielder won’t hurt. Plenty of bats to protect his stats. Followed by a drinking joke (story would be even better).
2) Goldschmidt. Au shizz. 2picks in and we’re making a statement. Grey will be owning Goldschmidt everywhere this year.
3) McCutchen. Told you to buy last year.
4) Trout. Feel bad about ranking him so low. Still love him, just not as much as the top guys.
5) CarGo. It was him or Pacman here.
6) Pacman. After last season, he is the legitimate holder of the nickname.
7) Chris Davis. Even with expected regression he belongs here. Imagine if the Rangers would have listened to Bill James.
8) Stanton. If I’m drafting this low and want a shot to match production of the top few picks, Mollywhopper is my answer.
9) Harper. See #8
10) J-Upside. See #8 and #9. For all of you asking where Braun is, Rudy has a program justifying him as the top pick. Anybody remember how many HRs Brian Roberts had in one season on Roids? 50. Go look up how many he had the following year.
Next Monday, the 13th…
@Grey: It was gonna be tomorrow but now you need a week to rerank and write new jokes!
HA! Sadly…
@Grey: Two Orioles in the top 7 may need justification. Throw em off with Eddie Murray growing up hitting Crisco lids. Wanna teach your kid to hit? Pitch him nothing but Crisco lids!
That’s two Orioles in your top 7…
@Grey: a whole bunch of people on this board know nothing about troubled NFL players to understand that nickname (based on somebody else’s real name being the same as his) and for braun to be that low you’d have to assume he had been getting away with banned stuff ALL of the years he was great? ok. Trout at 4th!?
I don’t know NFL
@Grey: @Grey: i’m assuming terrance is calling adam jones “pacman”. he’s doing this based on a famous NFL troublemaker (who’s also secondary player on CIN right now). that guy’s name is also pacman jones.
@goodfold2: fact that you knew that already means you do know a small something about the nfl.
“Any thoughts on Ackley for this season,” I asked. I knew he didn’t have any goddam thoughts on Ackley. Any good ones anyway. He’d probably me mad as hell at me for even asking. That sonuvabitch Ackley didn’t do anything but clips his crumby toenails and squeeze his pimples, all day long, near the shower curtain. I knew. He knew it. So why’d I even ask him this phony question anyway. It probably scared hell out of him. Me and my goddam, phony questions. I’m a madman.
It’s a shame that Ackley can get flustered that easily, but so it goes…
@Grey: I started projected his stats for this year…but, I had to stop before I puked all over myself, for Chrissake…
Don’t worry, he’s just giving you a hard time, he’ll come around…
@Grey: Your prolly right…handsome
*starts to comb Grey’s stache as he falls asleep – Grey wakes up*
“See, this is why you don’t tell anybody anything!”
C’mon man you combed nostril hairs into the stache…
OPS league … pick 2 – Myers, Pujols, Kemp … Also have mccutch, harper and braun (with a standing braun for votto trade on the table) … help a brotha out!
Pujols, Myers
Every week or so I peep into MDC to see if the drafts have picked up.
I saw that in 20 drafts over the past three days, Braun is averaging a top 2 pick.
Am I the only one who doesn’t love him that high? I’m having trouble trusting him.
@Eddy: I for one don’t! My question is whether to trade him straight up for votto in an OPS keeper league. Would you do that?
It’s too early… Doesn’t mean anything…
guy doesn’t trust lowrie (health wise, nor do I), so he won’t do my ellis (C) and lowrie for asche and boneface. will do ellis for boneface str up, but may do ellis and something else for asche. I’m trying to figure out what the “what” is. meanwhile frazier owner isn’t moving frazier. I know Fister owner would move Fister for Lowrie. And Yelich owner would do Legares and a SP of some type (finding out which out of Fister/Erasmo/Estrada/E.Santana). Either of those 2 deals at all worth it if Asche is off the table?
I’d take Fister for Lowrie
@Grey: i.nova or fister. WSOX owner has came out of the woodwork while I wait for Fister owner to get back to me. could get either and could extend him later if I want.
I was offered Braun for Votto. Should I pull the trigger? Keepers are Cargo, Fielder, Pedroia, Longo, Votto, Bruce Tulo and Wainwright
Sounds fine…